Whether we know it or not, we all affect one another and are responsible for one another. Yet we often close our eyes and go about our own daily business. In this time, and in this world, we must realize we are responsible for the well-being of a complete stranger and of the smallest animal. Once we recognize how inter-connected we are only will this world become a better place.
Take a moment and ask yourself, ‘How can I make a difference? When you have your answer, go out and do it.
Please watch and share this heartfelt video from a young ballerina.
Build new buildings for very high energy efficiency.
Use public transportation, bicycling and walking as modes of daily transport.
Help create a food system that uses far less energy (which means primarily organic) and builds rather than depletes the soil (which can become a place to store large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere).
Move toward local and regional manufacturing (relocalization as it is commonly called) to reduce the need for freight transportation.
Move away from the consumer economy which prioritizes consumption and planned obsolescence toward an economy which prioritizes durability, repair and recycling.
Schedule electricity use to accommodate the daily cycles that renewables are likely to exhibit.
As many of you know, I recently went to a conference sponsored by The Climate Reality Project. The conference topics included climate change, communication, social justice, sustainability, and alternative energy solutions. All areas are of interest to me but I found myself keenly focused on how to create the right conditions to speak with someone, especially when that person has a different mindset and an opposing point of view. Atmosphere is important, and so is understanding that certain people will be more open to facts than others. A well-known professor said we need to focus on the positives, rather than telling the other person she or he is wrong. With that in mind, let me tell you about a hero.
Daniel Stiles is a detective, researcher and well-known author who has traveled across the world to save many animals who are about to become extinct. He focuses on gorillas, chimps and orangutans, and rescues them from ape traffickers. Sadly, ape trafficking is part of the illegal wildlife trade, a far-reaching business that is worth billions of dollars. Unlike rhinoceros horns, tiger furs and elephant ivory, ape smuggling involves live animals –some of whom are only a month old. Of those animals that are found, and that is usually one out of ten, they are discovered hidden in plastic bags in hand baggage, or beaten so badly and drugged that they need serious rehabilitation. Gorilla babies cost as much as $250,000 and are in high demand. Like orangutans, they are prized for their intelligence, sensitivity, empathy, and understanding.
Most recently, Daniel did work in Bangkok, Thailand. He set up, with Freeland (a nonprofit group which combats human and wildlife trafficking) and Thai police, a sting operation to save some orangutans with the infamous “Tom”, a well-known smuggler. Luckily, he was able to rescue two tiny baby orangutans that were found in the backseat of a taxi cab. Sadly, Tom was nowhere to be seen. I know there are other heroes out there working to improve the plight of animals, and hope you are one of them too.
As you know, I am a big fan of reducing carbon footprints and moving towards 100% use of solar and wind energy. Since President Barack Obama left office, there has been a lot of change at the presidential level, and a lot of news has been downright depressing, to put it mildly. That said, there is good news.
A couple of weeks ago I had the honor to be a mentor and work with Vice President Al Gore and the Climate Reality Leadership Corps. More than 1,300 people came together in Pittsburgh to learn the truth about the climate crisis and how to spread solutions. It was amazing to meet fellow mentors and individuals (young and old) from all walks of life and hear what inspires them to make a positive difference in this world.
We have a moral obligation and duty, to speak up for what is right and secure the future. There is no time to waste and there has never been a more urgent time for action than now. Please join so many of us who are pushing towns and cities to go 100 percent renewable, protecting key environmental policies, and helping businesses be more sustainable.
The future lies in maintaining a livable planet. As I have said before, your children are counting on you, and so are the animals. Thank you for taking action and for your courage.
I was catching up on my emails and received this beautiful photo from a fellow environmentalist. I thank her and am so grateful she sent it. It reminded me, again, that we all wish to be safe, to love and protect our offspring, and to be free. With that in mind, I urge you to do whatever you can to protect wildlife. Sadly, we are in the midst of the sixth greatest extinction of all time. Species are disappearing due to climate change and the human appetite for wild goods such as leopard coats, tiger skins and cobra boots. The illegal wildlife trade is worth millions, and only 10% of global trade in banned wildlife is intercepted. Please make sure to support activities which protect our animals, not kill them. Thank you.
This has been an intense couple of weeks. Houston, Texas witnessed extreme flooding and destruction because of Hurricane Harvey and 1,000 people have died due to this year’s monsoon in India. Despite the assertion by many that climate change is fake news, it is not. Ask anyone in Houston, Bangladesh or Mumbai.
As Mark Reynolds said, “In times like these, we have to ask ourselves: How many more storms will force us to measure rain in feet, rather than inches? How many more billions of dollars of strain will we put on the National Flood Insurance Program? How many more people are we willing to displace from their homes, or lose completely in extreme weather events like these?
Those all basically boil down to the same question: How many more years will we dump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with impunity? Because as long as we’re doing that, we’re signing up for more of the same—and worse. It’s clear we are past the stage of just changing a few lightbulbs. We need comprehensive legislation to shift the market away from the greenhouse gases causing climate change. Putting a price on carbon is the only legislative move that matches the scale of the problem we face.”
Let us elect politicians who are willing to make the necessary changes, so that we can all look forward to a brighter future.
One day I was walking home from work and was feeling the heat, it was 96 degrees Fahrenheit. As I continued on my path past the park I was carefully looking for the geese and their goslings. Based on my previous sightings, I knew there were at least two pairs of parents and six goslings. I was concerned about them becoming dehydrated or burning their webbed feet on the black asphalt. After a few minutes I was relieved to see four goslings sitting right next to the lower basin of the park water fountain with their parents protectively watching them. I made sure the basin was filled with some fresh water and then turned around to discover someone had left a container filled with water in the middle of the walkway. There were the other two goslings and their parents. What a relief. I felt so happy that I was not the only one thinking of the animals. And I even had a renewed sense of humanity’s goodness.
I took a photo of the goslings next to the fountain while one of them was staring up at me. Hopefully, you like it. Animals are so much like us; they need water and food, and a safe place to live. With that in mind, I thank you for making the world a better place by your actions, and for taking care of the animal kingdom. Our actions, be they little or big, make such a difference. And I am betting you feel really good when you do something for someone or something outside of yourself.
As you know, I am a big fan of reducing carbon footprints and moving towards 100% use of solar and wind energy. Since President Barack Obama left office, there has been a lot of change at the presidential level, and a lot of news has been downright depressing, to put it mildly. That said, there is good news. 
