Category Archives: Trees

A Great Way to Mitigate Climate Change

Sunrise_in_tropical_rainforest copyYou often hear that we need to reduce our carbon emissions from fossil fuels to fight climate change. While that is true, we have another way to reach our goals. It is easier and less expensive to save and regrow tropical trees. According to Nature Climate Change, tropical forest conservation and restoration could make up half of the global warming solution.

Cutting carbon emissions and pulling carbon out of the atmosphere (courtesy of rainforests) would significantly reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to Dr. Paul Salaman, “the potential of rainforest conservation to address global warming should be enough to galvanize massive worldwide rainforest conservation efforts.”

Dr. Salaman also said “rainforest conservation is also incredibly economical. One acre of Amazon rainforest in Peru, which stores up to 180 metric tonnes of CO2, can be protected for just a few dollars; the same is true elsewhere in Latin America and Africa…for the cost of …a coffee – each of us could save an area of forest about the size of four football pitches and safely store about 725 metric tonnes of CO2. To put this in perspective, the annual emissions of a typical passenger vehicle in the United States is less than 4.5 metric tonnes of CO2.”

Another reason to conserve the rainforests is for the animals. They provide homes for orangutans, elephants, tigers, and many other species. It is time to start saving and protecting our rainforests. They are the key to our future.

A Poem….

“I am Earth” by Sheryl Lee

I am Earth
and from my body
grow the trees
you chop down
with you careless acts

I am ocean
for from my womb
all beings are birthed

I am desert
my long, voluptuous dunes
now burnt to drought
by August sun

my blood
the dyeing rivers
you pollute
with discarded greed
and selfish denial

my breasts
are sacred mountains
climbed for your egos sake of reaching the top
your summit
my nipple
without soft, tenderness of touch
that is required for such a holy journey

you, who call me home
I am not something to be bought or sold

I am alive
and in the eyes of every living creature
you will find me
their mother
mirrored back to you

do you dare look?
can you hold my gaze?

while you run your fingers through my sunlit hair of wheat at harvest?
that same nourishing grain you paint with poison for your benefit?

and do you care?
when you stain the path of this delicate wrist as you wind your way along my enchanted forest of pine?

you, my child,
who call yourself king
have scratched my skin raw
etching your name across virgin land

dark bruises mark my thighs
as you drill into the deepest marrow of these bones
searching for more gold
more silver
more of my life giving waters
you continue to ask for more
more of my precious milk
more of my cherished stone
you always want more

and I give it
again and again and again
I give

but now, my pets
I have run dry

I crack, I moan and I quake
I break open in pain
I am rain

I burn, I flame, I heat
I erupt with the force of my grief

and then
I cry
for days and days and days
I cry

and you, my dears
still look to my husband’s heavens
asking why

Can you help put out the deadly fires?

Orangutan Cincinnati zoobI 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.

Are you Superwoman or Superman?

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Beach

Life can be so fragile and fleeting. Yet I think most of us feel we are Supermen or Superwomen. We go around with an invincible feeling and tell ourselves nothing can harm us or stand in our way. But then something happens like the death of a beloved pet or friend or parent. And we realize we cannot control or fix everything. And we realize that circumstances are not always the way we want them to be. Eventually, we come face to face with sadness and some pain in our heart.

I have found the best remedy for sadness is a walk in a forest or on the beach. I like to listen to the sway of the tree leaves and the roar of ocean waves. For me, nature is a tonic. It soothes me when I am nervous and brings me to the point where I can be my best self in difficult situations. Instead of making a poor decision out of frustration I can make a better decision from a place of center and calm.

We really do need to take very good care of our planet. It nurtures us yet we often take it for granted or do not notice it. The Earth and nature are always “there” for us. We live on a beautiful planet with magnificent oceans, rivers, and trees, and a stunning variety of tigers, lions and bears. And it is amazing that we can plant seeds in the soil and reap fruits, vegetables and all sorts of food.

I urge you to do your part; teach your children to garden and protect wild places and the animals in them. Nature nurtures us, now it is time for us nurture nature.

What They Are Not Telling You

CowI started watching a very insightful film, “Cowspiracy”, the other day and it really made an impression on me. As an environmentalist, I know a lot about climate change and its causes, and I know a lot about the solutions. Yet I was taken aback by the things I did not know. Did you ever have that happen to you? You might have re-read a book you had read long ago, or you meet someone new and you realize there were nuances you had not picked up.

We all know, the climate is changing and our global environment is suffering. And many people can tell you climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels which add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. But what many leaders and organizations are not telling you is that animal agriculture is the number one cause of environmental destruction and devastation. Raising cattle produces more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector. In numbers, livestock and their byproducts produce 51% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and transportation produces only 13%. So, what we really need to talk about is diet.

A meat-eater needs 18 times more land than a vegan does in order to eat for one year. Plus, animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of the destruction of the Amazon forest. Did I mention the following fact? The waste from 2500 dairy cows equals the entire waste from a city of 411,000 people. So, you can help save the Amazon and our rainforests simply but changing how you eat. Instead of a hamburger eat a veggie-burger. Instead of whole milk try soy milk. It may seem hard at first but once you get the hang of it you will feel better, and make a positive difference for the planet.

Solutions for Flooding

MarshWe know the climate is warming and that floods and heavy downpours are getting worse. We also know icecaps are melting and sea levels are rising. Many people around the world are affected, especially Bangladesh. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and one that is hardest hit by flooding. Sea levels in the open ocean are rising three millimeters per year but are rising six times faster along the estuaries of southwest Bangladesh.

New Jersey’s beaches and nearby towns are also affected by rising sea levels. Think of Superstorm Sandy and the destruction and loss it caused. One of the reasons coastal towns and cities are being devastated by storm surges is because they have lost their natural defenses. Sand dunes, salt marshes and mangroves have been removed to make way for housing, amusement rides, or hard walled barriers.

Engineers, designers and ecologists now know it is imperative to keep and plant more sand dunes, salt marshes and mangroves. Those soft barriers and natural defenses are necessary. They break up wind, reduce wave heights, and soak up tidal surges. Physics makes it clear, hard barriers (flood gates or sea walls) cannot soak up water. They just push ferocious water back somewhere else. Soft barriers can move with water and soak it up. Mangroves reduce the number of deaths from tsunamis and actually thrive on rising sea levels.

Sadly, we are destroying one percent of mangroves each year, a tragedy which goes unreported. As for salt marshes and sand dunes, I know we have already lost too many. Time is of the essence. Nature can be one of the best defenses against the worst storms and devastating flooding. It is time for us to respect nature, protect it, and work with it. Only then can we avoid unnecessary tragedy and loss.

Beauty and Courage

I recently went to a picnic with some buddies who are environmentalists like me. As we sat around talking we shared some of our frustrations and some of our joy. It made me wonder about my next blog. What is beautiful to you? What are the positive things happening in your life? Did your son or daughter make you laugh? Did you take a walk in the park or in the forest? Perhaps you helped someone do something she could not do alone. Or maybe you looked up at the stars and recognized a constellation or two.

Sadly, there are many people who have never experienced the beauty of nature. They have never put their arms around a tree or walked in a meadow of wild grasses. Some have never seen an ocean or swam in a lake. Others just know the smell of diesel gasoline, and polluted air. Recently, I had the chance to visit Arkansas and Missouri. I was amazed by the beauty of the rolling hills and hay bales, and by all of the lakes and streams. I was happy to go swimming and breathe in some clean, country air.

Luckily, there are so many people making a positive difference in the world and inspiring others to do the same. While I was at my picnic I met Steve Posselt, an Australian who is raising environmental awareness by kayaking around the world. If you look at Steve he has the build and energy of a young man. When I asked him his age he told me he was in his 60’s. I was impressed. He is passionate about leaving a healthy planet for his grandchildren, and about ending our dependence on fossil fuels, especially coal.

I hope you can see beauty around you. And I hope you can protect that beauty. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of courage to do so.

Orangutans…will they soon be extinct?

Orangutan Cincinnati zoob“Animals…are like us in so many ways. They want to grow up free and raise their families in a world that is safe. And if we let them disappear from this Earth then a part of us will disappear too….where they’ll live happily ever after depends on us.” Morgan Freeman

Last week I wrote about trees.  We lose 48 football fields of forest every minute. What I did not say is that palm oil is one of the key drivers of rainforest and tropical deforestation worldwide. The next time you eat a cookie or a bag of chips take a look at the ingredients. If there is palm oil in it, do not buy it. Entire forests are being mowed down to plant palm trees. And when that happens animals such as the orangutans lose their homes. Sadly, orangutans are at risk of extinction in the next 25 years. There are precious few left. Estimates put the number at 40,000 living in Borneo and Sumatra. Orangutans are a risk because of habitat loss, illegal hunting, and an illegal pet trade.

Orangutans are beautiful, highly intelligent creatures with feelings. Tragically, they have lost more than 80% of their natural environment in the last 20 years and about one-third of the population died during the fires of 1997-98.

You can join me and help the orangutans. Do not buy food with palm oil in it. Avoid clothes made of rayon. And do not purchase tropical plywood, teak, sandalwood or ebony. Palm oil based products are identified by many names listed below.

Please, join me and make a difference for the orangutans. Their future is at stake.

PALM OIL BASED PRODUCTS:
Cetyl Palmitate and Octyl Palmitate
Elaeis Guineensis (Taxonomic name for palm oil)
Hexadecylic or Palmitic Acid
Hydrated Palm Glycerides
Palm Oil Kernel
Palmate
Palmitate
Anything with Palmitate at the end

LIKELY TO BE PALM OIL:
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsifier 422, 430-36, 470-8, 481-483, 493-5
Glyceryl Stearate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye
Sodium Laureth Sulphate
Sodium Lauryl Sulphates
Steareth – 2 & Steareth – 20
Stearic Acid Vegetable Oil

Trees and Earth Day

022bLately I have been noticing a lot of large areas where tall, old trees were recently chopped down. These places were once beautiful and now look like the land was violated. And soon the tree stumps will be completely removed and a new building will go up or a paved parking lot will be put in. Frankly, it deeply saddens me. We already have so many abandoned lots, warehouses, and homes. Shouldn’t those areas be revitalized instead of removing majestic pine trees and grand oaks from pristine land?

Ed Begley, Jr. said “I don’t understand why when we destroy something created by man we call it vandalism, but when we destroy something created by nature we call it progress.” I agree with him.

Every minute we lose 48 football fields of forest. That is frightening. Trees provide us with oxygen and take in the carbon dioxide we expel with every breath. They purify the air and provide shade and comfort when the sun is blazing hot. Trees also trap dust, pollen and smoke. Did you know that the average tree provides a day’s supply of oxygen for four people? Additionally, trees are natural air conditioners. One tree can produce the cooling effect of ten room sized air conditioners running for twenty hours a day.

Abandoned warehouses and lots can be turned into wonderful homes and gardens with trees. That type of revitalization thus helps re-build communities, create jobs, and natural spaces. Trees provide so many benefits. They give us a sense of calm and serenity. They help lower stress and blood pressure. And they provide habitats for birds, squirrels, and other animals. Trees are beneficial in so many ways. Join me, plant some trees in your garden or give a tree as a gift. And please speak out for revitalization and Earth day.