From May 3rd-15th thousands of people, on six continents, took action to break free from oil, natural gas and coal. Please watch this short video to see what they did.
Category Archives: Carbon Footprint Reduction
What is a Narwhal?
The other week I was watching a program about warming Arctic waters and was deeply saddened by the changes happening there. Arctic summers are increasingly becoming ice-free because of our dependence on fossil fuels and mounting carbon emissions. The situation has far-reaching effects for wildlife. In the past you would find huge blocks of floating ice and snow-covered land masses. Now the waters are empty of ice, and polar bears are left to swim very long distances to rest or find prey. Scientists are also seeing more and more orca whales in these northern waters. Previously, orcas would not venture into the area because their fins could not penetrate the ice. Now, they are making thousand mile journeys to feed on other animals which breed their young in once “safe” territory.
As orcas move into the Arctic, they change and threaten an entire ecosystem. I watched them devastate an entire colony of narwhal. Narwhal are beautiful animals and are called the unicorns of the sea. They almost look like dolphins but are larger and have a long tusks that look like swords. Normally, narwhal find rest and safety in the waters of the Arctic. With melting ice the narwhal are left defenseless against the mighty orcas. The orcas, with their sharp intelligence and keen hunting instinct, quickly corner the narwhal and eat them for lunch.
It is so easy for us to forget the domino effect that climate change has on everything in our world. It alters habitats and devastates species. Our actions, or lack of action, have far-reaching consequences. Our choices, in every sphere of our lives, greatly affect other people and animals. We must reduce our carbon footprints and positively impact our planet.
A Great Solution for New Orleans
A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit New Orleans, Louisiana or NOLA as it is affectionately called. It was fun to walk around the French Quarter and hear all of the live street music and gaze at some of the beautiful French and Spanish architecture. I also enjoyed the warm weather and riding on the old trolley cars. New Orleans has a rich history, being founded by the French and then ruled by the Spanish for 40 years. It was not until 1803 that it was bought by the United States.
New Orleans is well-known for Mardi Gras, and the carnival season of more than 60 parades, music, dances and hundreds of private parties which precede it. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, and carnival, from Latin, means farewell to flesh. Carnival season begins on January 6th and ends on Fat Tuesday (which falls 46 days before Easter).
While I can appreciate a great parade, good music and dance, I am dismayed by all of the waste created by millions of plastic beads, drinking cups, and food containers. It ends up everywhere –on trees, in bushes, on fences and in the water. Scientific reports have already warned us of the dangers of plastic. Plastic water bottles leach off toxins into the very water we drink. And eventually, plastic ends up in the stomachs of the very fish we catch and eat. Plastic can cause cancer, birth defects, infertility, obesity and impaired immune function. It is time for New Orleans to change its ways. One solution would be to put a 5 cent charge on water and soda bottles, and start recycling. Another solution would be for New Orleans to totally ban plastic bags, like Mexico City. Come on New Orleans, it is time to reduce your waste!
An Ocean Full of Plastic?
Plastics, they are everywhere –we type on keyboards made from them , we drink and eat out of bottles and plates made from them and we use them for cars and all sorts of things. Gone are the days where people like my grandparents used glass bottles and plates, and where cars were composed mostly of metal.
The use of plastic has increased by twenty times in the last 50 years and is expected to double again in the next 20 years. That is staggering. What saddens me the most is that our oceans, by 2050, will contain more plastic in terms of weight, than fish. Whales, dolphins, seals, and sea-birds end up eating the plastic and then die from intestinal blockages, choking or starvation. I once met a beautiful seal at an animal hospital. Her stomach was so full of plastic things that 22 days went by before all of it was out. Fortunately, she was one of the lucky seals, she was saved before it was too late.
Is there any good news? We can work together to produce less waste and slow climate change. Plus, we can make sure we recycle our plastics. Almost one-third of all plastic never gets collected and ends up in our oceans. We can also change how we manufacture things. Instead of plastic we can use hemp. It can be used to make containers and in car production. As I wrote in an earlier blog, hemp is also biodegradable.
Let’s get together and stop using plastics. Our oceans will thank you and so will the animals in them.
Check if Your Favorite Celebrity is on This List
There are nine celebrities who are advocating for climate action.
They are listed below, in no particular order.
Robert Redford
Pharrell Williams
Emma Thompson
Mark Ruffalo
Jessica Alba
Don Cheadle
Ian Sommerhalder
Leonard DiCaprio
Arnold Schwartzenegger
http://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/nine-celebrities-changing-conversation-climate-action
Were the Paris Climate Talks a Success?
Were the Paris climate talks and the climate agreement a success? It depends who you ask. Below are two comments from leaders who would say yes and two comments from leaders who would say no. Personally, I feel the agreement is a good start but we have much more work to do.
In case you missed it, almost 200 countries signed a historic climate agreement on December 12th to hold global temperatures to a maximum increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Former Vice President Al Gore said, “This universal and ambitious agreement sends a clear signal to governments, businesses, and investors everywhere: the transformation of our global economy from one fueled by dirty energy to one fueled by sustainable economic growth is now firmly and inevitably underway.”
French President François Hollande said, “This is a major leap for mankind. The agreement will not be perfect for everyone, if everyone reads it with only their own interests in mind. We will not be judged on a clause in a sentence, but on the text as a whole. We will not be judged on a word, but on an act.”
Bill McKibben, founder of environment movement 350.org said, “The power of the fossil fuel industry is reflected in the text of the agreement, which drags out the transition [to clean energy] so far that endless climate damage will be done.”
Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace international director said, “The deal puts the fossil fuel industry on the wrong side of history. But emission targets are not big enough. The nations that cause this problem have promised too little help to those people who are already losing their lives and livelihoods.”
Letter from the Earth to Paris
Paris Climate Change Talks – Very Informative Video
Please watch this very informative 14 minute video with Naomi Klein about the United Nations Climate Talks in Paris.
http://www.democracynow.org/2015/11/30/naomi_klein_on_paris_summit_leaders
Food for Thought
From Nicolas Haeringer of 350.org:
“There are times when words are hard to come by, and when you find them they feel inadequate.
I’m writing you from France, with a heavy heart. Following Friday’s attacks in Paris, the mood here is tense. People are angry, and many are afraid. Many of our staff members are in Paris to get ready for the climate talks in a couple of weeks, and they are feeling the pain of this moment sharply.
I am heartbroken — for the lives lost in Paris, and for those lost in Beirut and Baghdad, which also suffered devastating attacks late last week. Clearly the world is hurting in many places right now.
As we’ve struggled to find the right words and the right response to Friday night’s attacks, one thing rises to the top for me:
The upcoming Paris Climate Summit is, in a sense, a peace summit — perhaps the most important peace summit that has ever been held.
We need global solidarity more than ever right now, and that is, really, what this movement is all about. Even as climate change fans the flames of conflict in many parts of the world — through drought, displacement, and other compounding factors — a global movement that transcends borders and cultural differences is rising up to confront this common existential threat.
Let’s hang on to that solidarity and love. Let’s learn from it. Especially at a time like this.
Friday night’s events were horrific, and we must clearly and unequivocally condemn such violence. Their aftermath has also been frightening though, and we should stand in equal condemnation of the instinct to meet violence with more violence. It is a cycle as old as it is ugly: after tragedy comes the rush to judgement, the scapegoating, the xenophobia and Islamophobia, the blame.
There is a real danger here that those already impacted by both the climate crisis and the wars that are so intimately bound up with it — migrants, refugees, poor communities, and communities of color — will be further marginalized.
If there is a thing we must resist, it is our own fear and short-sightedness. No government should use a moment like this to increase the burden of hatred and fear in the world — sowing suspicion, calling for war, and reducing people’s civil liberties in the name of security. This is a mistake we’ve seen too often before, compounding tragedy with more tragedy.
The Paris Climate Summit, scheduled to begin in just a couple of weeks, will proceed. The government is promising heightened security measures, which is understandable but also worrisome.
We don’t yet know what Friday night’s events mean for our work in Paris. The coalition on the ground is committed to working with the French authorities to see if there is a way for the big planned march and other demonstrations to safely go forward. We fully share their concerns about public safety — just as we fully oppose unnecessary crackdowns on civil liberties and minority populations.
We do know that this global movement cannot and will not be stopped:
The Global Climate March — a worldwide day of action scheduled for November 28th and 29th — will also proceed, no matter what. We can think of few better responses to violence and terror than this movement’s push for peace and hope.”
Can you help put out the deadly fires?
I just read about the fierce fires burning all across Indonesia and how they are affecting orangutans, leopards, tigers, sun bears, gibbons, and human children. These precious species are in peril, as are one-third of the world’s orangutans at risk from fires and sprawling, heavy smoke in Sumatra and Borneo. As many of you know, orangutans are in danger of becoming extinct, and their numbers are fewer than 70,000. Fires have been raging for months, burning precious forest where these animals live. Many people are struggling to put out the fires and save the land. Sadly, the fires are not easy to extinguish because they linger underground in the peat. As soon as the fires are put out they appear, almost as if by magic, in another location. Hopes were pinned on the start of the rainy season at the end of October which was expected to completely eradicate the fires. Unfortunately, NASA and other climate watchers announced the rains will not come until some point between January and March of 2016.
Orangutan organizations and rescue groups need your help. They require hoses, buckets, protective gear, and heavy machinery so they can increase their fire-fighting efforts. If the forests go up in flames there will be nowhere for the animals to go. Already, so many have died from smoke inhalation. Orangutans, leopards and tigers need forests to survive. People need forests to survive. Please be as generous as you can, and support a non-profit organization such as Orangutan Foundation International or International Animal Rescue. The animals, and humans need us now. Please join me. Thank you.