How is it possible that the year has gone by so quickly?  It seems like just yesterday it was last year’s Blog Action Day, and 19 Simple Ways to Start Thinking About Climate Change.  Then came the Climate Justice Fast, which got me thinking about water.  So it seems strangely appropriate that this year’s Blog Action Day is focused on water.  (But I still can’t believe it’s already October!)

I know that a billion people on this planet don’t have access to clean drinking water.  And you know it too.  However, not to minimize in any way the plight of those that lack clean water, I thought I would write about some of the other reasons water is super important.  Reasons like um… how about water is everything?  Water is our agriculture, our rain, our oceans.  Water is our weather and our seasons.  Water is our life.

Our Oceans, Our Fish

In case you haven’t heard, the oceans are in big trouble.  From overfishing to acidification to nitrogren-rich dead zones at the mouths of rivers, things aren’t looking so hot.  But one of the more interesting (scariest?) things I’ve read in a while is the report on the decline of phytoplankton over the last 60 years.  Recently, this decline has been linked to increased ocean surface temperatures.  That means climate change.  Oh yeah… that again.

Phytoplankton are really important.  People around the world rely on the oceans as a primary source of food, and those ocean creatures eat other ocean creatures, who eat other ocean creatures, who eat phytoplankton (multiples of eating and being eaten may vary).  In fact, we may be primed for the next great oceanic extinction.

We need to start recognizing how important our oceans are to us, and we need to do it right now.  Or yesterday.  Or 60 years ago.  But lacking a time machine, right now sounds good.

Our Groundwater, Our Rivers

We’re also going to need to start valuing our groundwater and rivers, and addressing agricultural runoff now.  I mean now. We already have dead zones and they are growing.  Agricultural, industrial, urban and suburban runoff are polluting our waterways and our groundwater, and once that crap is in the water, it is so hard (if not impossible) to get it out.

Dedicated, talented, impassioned people are working on finding solutions, but the more of us that understand and engage with the issue, the better chance they will have.

Photo CC || http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall

Protect Our Water

I know that I’m a little touchy about water.  I grew up living between two drought states – California and Colorado – which definitely affected my perspective on scarcity.  Living in the Pacific Northwest has been weird for me because there is so much water here that many people never give it a second thought.  But I can’t help it.  Every time I see sprinklers running in the middle of the day or my neighbors dumping chemicals on their beautiful lawns, I cringe.  I can’t help but try to do as much as possible to protect the water we have, even if it doesn’t seem like such a scarce resource here.

The neat thing about the world as we know it is that everything is connected.  The more we learn, the more we see how interconnected everything really is.  You may not think you’re helping protect water, but the little things you’re doing in other areas of your life are absolutely connected to the water systems on our planet.  Things like:

• No chemicals on my lawn.  Our lawns runoff travel through drainage ditches to our neighborhood storm ponds.  Those seep back into our groundwater.  So no chemicals.  Ever.
• I have a rain barrel.  I got it from Freecycle, so total investment was basically a short drive and a little bit of effort.  Extra water during the wet season can be used to water plants during the dry, hot summer months.
• No plastic.  Ok, so I’m not entirely plastic-free, but I do use a lot less plastic than I used to, which is waaaay less than the average American household.  This means less plastic to accidentally end up in the Pacific Gyre.
• Carbon footprint reduction – we’re far from carbon neutral in this household, but we’re trying to reduce our impact as much as possible.  Increased atmospheric CO2 leads to ocean acidification, dead zones and the collapse of aquatic ecosystems.  Same with higher ocean temperature.
• Supporting sustainable agriculture – our produce, dairy and most of our meat come from local farmers implementing sustainable agriculture practices.  We fall off the wagon occasionally, but for the most part, our food dollars go to people who are trying to leave the world a cleaner, greener place.

How about you?  Is water on your radar?  What are you already doing to protect our water?  What other little things might you be able to do?

Related posts:

1. Let’s Talk About Water

It occurred to me while I was driving along listening to NPR, that I don’t think I’ve ever said this on the blog quite so unequivocally.  (I know, driving.  No good, especially in the context of this post. /sigh)  So in case any of you were wondering how I actually feel about this issue (hah), here you go.

Climate change is not a debate.  Human caused climate change is not a debate.

Fortunately, this week, the National Academy of Sciences came out on Wednesday and said it too.  Yes, real.  Yes, humans.  Can I just say, freaking finally.  This report is also a call for Congressional action.

Photo: CC – Takver

First reaction: glee.  Or frustration.  Or exhaustion.  Exasperation.  Now I’m not sure how I feel.  I’m used to getting all hopeful and then watching as my hopes are crushed.  It’s hard, because I almost don’t have the heart left to follow the politics on this issue any more.  But I know that I’m going to have to find the heart somewhere, because opting out is… well, not an option.  We need legislation, and we need it to work.  And we need a shift in public understanding of this issue, both the science behind it and the ever-decreasing timeframe in which we have to act.  And all of that involves those of us who care about our future getting engaged and staying engaged.

Honestly, in the wake of the oil spill, this effort should be getting easier and easier.  But my heart is broken, and it’s hard to piece it back together and stick it out there one more time.

But, here we go.  Climate change is not a debate.  Human caused climate change is not a debate.  We need to get moving on this… right now.

Related posts:

1. Blog About Climate Change!
2. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
3. Does Bill Gates Get Climate Change?

I forgot that the One Small Change challenges were meant to culminate in Earth Day.  I’ve kind of gotten used to doing them.  It’s easy to change one small thing every month on my way to living a little bit lighter in the world, so  I’m glad that they will be continuing throughout the year on the One Small Change blog.

April – Cloth Napkins

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovelihood//CC BY-SA 2.0

Cloth napkins were easy.  And I like them.  I know why it took me a while to switch over, but in retrospect my reasons seem silly.  Lesson learned – just go ahead and do it.  Four napkins have been more than sufficient so far, and I’m still on the lookout for more cute ones at the thrift store.

Happy Belated Earth Day

I missed Earth Day, both on my blog and in my life.  I have a big white board calendar in my office, and all that is written on April 22nd is my husband’s name with a big arrow through the whole day.  We watched TV, ate normal food, and lost our respective battles with stress, sleep deprivation and jet lag (i.e. lots of couch napping).  Earth Day was barely on my radar.

But really, does Earth Day matter?  There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on that question.  For myself, I tend to lean towards “Maybe.”  I know this sounds like a cliché, but it is a true cliché:  Every day should be Earth Day.  We’re past the point where a day of concern is going to make up for a year’s worth of complacency.  In fact, maybe that point never existed.  Individual action and small changes need to become contagious, viral movements that result in systemic change on a fundamental level.

But at the same time, I know that not everyone is there yet.  There are people for whom Earth Day actually might be a first step towards being more aware of (and taking actions that address) the global environmental challenges we face over the next several decades.  And, unfortunately, fortunately, or just factually – the floaty brigade saying that everyone should be on the same page doesn’t actually make it true.  To a certain extent, talking about how everyone should agree with us right now, immediately, is just a waste of time.  They don’t.  That is the reality we need to work with.

And from that reality, Earth Day may well be a powerful and necessary tool to continue to move hearts and minds.  The Earth Days, the One Small Changes are the building blocks of systemic change and paradigm shifts.  Yes, it is media hyped.  And yes, it is greenwashed.  But for people who aren’t there (yet), it can be a beginning.  And right now, I think we need as many beginnings as we can get.

Related Posts:

• One Small Change – Cloth Napkins
• Why I Failed At Driving Less
• Less Horse, More Horsepower
• One Small Change & 28 Day Real Food Challenge

Related posts:

1. One Small Change: Cloth Napkins

Because March 1st was the wrap-up of the 28 Day Real Food Challenge, I neglected to post about my One Small Change for March.  But first, a quick update on my January and February changes.

January – Goodbye, Dishwasher

This was going really well until my sink broke.  You know what’s hard to do with a broken sink?  Wash dishes.  I figured that washing dishes in the bathroom sink or bathtub would most likely defeat the purpose, so I’m back to using my dishwasher.  However, my water bill reflected a fairly substantial decrease in water usage, so that’s a good thing.

February – 28 Day Real Food Challenge

I haven’t yet found a way to articulate how this challenge impacted my life.  In short, this experience was simply phenomenal, and I am so glad that I participated.  Not only was it beneficial from the standpoint of environmental impact, but I never anticipated the overwhelmingly positive effect it would have on my health.  That is a topic for another time, but I will certainly be continuing with this “small” change in some capacity.

And for March…

I’m giving up horses.  This probably seems like an odd one, so let me explain.

For the past six months, I have shared a lease of several horses who live in a pasture 20 miles away from my house.  It was a self-care lease, which meant that I had to drive to the pasture on a daily basis to feed them, even on days I wasn’t planning on riding.  As is the case in many rural areas, public transportation was not an option.

The fact of the matter is that I can cut my gas usage by almost 3/4 just by giving up the horses.  At this point, I honestly can’t justify driving that much for a recreational activity, when there are other perfectly reasonable alternative activities or the possibility of finding a horse lease within biking distance.

Which brings me to the real change for March.  Beginning now, I will be closely examining the radius of my daily life and will start factoring transportation impact into my choices in a much bigger way than ever before.  This will be the first step in laying the foundation for what I hope will be an increasingly car-free life.

To be honest, I’m not sure how this one is going to go.  I’ll definitely keep you posted.

Related Posts:

• Why I Failed At Driving Less

No related posts.

This post was supposed to be a review of The Transition Handbook.  This post was also supposed to be a giveaway.  But then my computer exploded.  (Yes, it was a PC.  And it didn’t so much explode as whimper pitifully and fade to black.)

Fortunately, I’m pretty good about backing up my computer on a regular basis.  Even if it was a hard drive failure and I can’t rescue any of my data, I didn’t lose too much.  When your biggest complaint is that you lost a blog post… that’s a pretty undramatic computer failure.  What I’m saying is back up your computers.  Go do it right now.

Instead of rewriting what would have been today’s post, I’m sitting on hold with tech support.  So in the meantime, I thought I would share with you the Bill Gates’ TED talk about carbon neutrality that I posted about last week.  Like most TED talks, it is definitely worth taking the time to watch all the way through.

(If you are having trouble viewing the video in RSS or e-mail, click here to watch.)

Happy Wednesday to all of you, and come back Friday for The Transition Handbook giveaway.  (Unless this computer dies too, in which case I’ll be forsaking technology and going off grid to live in a treehouse.)

Related posts:

1. Does Bill Gates Get Climate Change?
2. The Day My Sourdough Died

Alright, I confess.  I’m a big, giant Olympics addict.  I love the intensity and the drama.  I could pass on the constant nationalism and medal count lists, and I’ll probably be considered un-American for saying this, but I’m really over Apolo Ohno.  Because of the Olympics, my TV has been on way more than it usually is and I feel like I’m still missing things.

But I didn’t miss something big that happened at last week’s TED Conference, where Bill Gates stood up and argued that climate change is the biggest issue we face today.  And, more importantly, that the only target which is acceptable for success is zero emissions by 2050.  That’s right.  ZERO.

Worldchanging’s Alex Steffen (who was at TED *envy*) argues that this was the most important climate change speech of the year. Steffen goes on to discuss the Gates Climate Equation – CO2 = P+S+E+C – what it means, and how he would modify it.  Worldchanging has since published a counterargument by Joe Romm (he runs ClimateProgress.org – we love them).  Both analyses are incredibly insightful, and I didn’t find them to be necessarily contradictory.  Romm argues that we need to focus on accelerating the deployment of existing clean energy technologies, not on research and development of new technologies.  Steffen argues that the merit of the speech is in the vision, but also criticizes Gates’ articulation of the equation and the way forward.

Not having seen or heard the TED speech, my biggest complaint is about the sound bite we’re hearing: Gates’ quote, “We need energy miracles.” What is either omitted from most articles or buried below the fold is that Gates went on to say that energy miracles would be a result of massive investment in alternative energy research and development.  In other words, we need miracles that can only be a result of tremendous effort.  That second part is what he was really calling for, not the miracles – the hard work.  (According to Gates, similar ‘miracles’ include the microprocessor and the internet.)

What needs to be reported much more broadly (in my opinion as the primary headline) is that Gates drew the connection between the work that his Foundation does now – fighting poverty and disease – and climate change.  Gates recognizes that if we don’t figure out climate change, the challenges presented by poverty and famine will be insurmountable.  He knows it, and he stood up and said it in front of everyone.

So yes, I do think that Bill Gates gets climate change.  And while I don’t agree with everything he said – such as his inclusion of nuclear energy in his proposed clean energy portfolio – I do love that he is now in the game.  Because whatever you may think of him, it’s hard to argue with the fact that he’s a game changer.  Gates has tremendous public and financial clout, and a very different and much wider audience than most of the people currently working to address climate change.  So when he stands up and declares that climate change is the key issue and redefines the metric for success in such a dramatic way, it is a really big deal.  It will be interesting to see who was listening.

Related posts:

1. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
2. Blog About Climate Change!
3. 19 Simple Ways to Start Thinking About Climate Change – Blog Action Day

I’ve been slowly catching up on all my regular blogs over the last several weeks. Taking a break from the computer over the holidays will set you pretty far back, especially if one of those holidays is New Years. So many people blogging their resolutions! Apparently, I missed the “One Green Thing” moment, where we all committed to doing one green thing to help the planet in 2010. The commitments over at Current vary from trollish anti-commitments to ambitious and far-reaching goals. Hip Mountain Mama is also hosting a One Small Change event on her site – one small change a month, beginning in January and running through Earth Day. A quick survey of the web indicates that I pretty much missed the ball on making public my green resolutions for the New Year.

I have a bunch of goals this year that include growing some of my own food, eating more consciously, acquiring and utilizing a bike for transportation, and continuing to participate in local and national environmental advocacy and activist efforts. But I found myself lacking any “one green thing.” And sure, my goals collectively probably have a greater impact than this particular “light green” one green thing, but there is no reason I can’t do both.

Goodbye, Dishwasher

That’s right. No more dishwasher. Which is too bad, because I love dishwashers. They’re convenient and helpful and I really don’t like washing dishes. But there is no good reason for me to use a dishwasher. So last week I went out and got rid of my one excuse: my plastic dish drying rack. (And by mine, I mean my husband’s. And by got rid of, I mean stored safely. Hi, honey. Don’t worry – I’m not getting rid of your stuff.) A trip to the thrift store and $1.03 later, I now have this cool new thing. Rad and frugal, huh?

I felt instantly inspired to wash dishes. Sort of. Not really, but I did it anyways.

My Caveats

I know, terrible. But here they are. [insert something here about the uncompromising strength of your convictions.]

• Big groups of guests. I have a hard enough time being social. The last thing I need is a disincentive for inviting people over. If I have a huge group of guests and end up with tons of dishes, I may use my dishwasher.
• Sickness or injury. I’m not talking about, *whine* I’m just so tired and can’t possibly wash my dishes *whine.* But if I have a killer fever or am puking my guts out, I may use my dishwasher. I also will not balance on crutches and try to wash dishes. If I break something, I’ll use my dishwasher.
• My husband. Readjusting to marriage post-deployment is hard enough. My marriage is an important part of my personal balance and I’m not going to engage in any unnecessary battles about dishwasher use.

So there you have it: one green thing + caveats. I ran the dishwasher for the last time on January 17th, but better late than never, right? To be honest, it seems like a pretty small change to me. But I also know that the little things do add up.

Related posts:

1. The Thing About Climate Change

Struck speechless just in time for Wordless Wednesday.

Related posts:

1. The Thing About Climate Change
2. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
3. Blog About Climate Change!

Yesterday, world leaders announced that they will not be seeking a politically binding climate change agreement at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December.  The climate change treaty has been postponed until… some time next year.

To anyone who has been paying close attention to the climate change discussions, this announcement is not surprising.  It has been clear for quite some time that the Copenhagen conference would most likely not result in a comprehensive climate agreement.  In fact, it would have taken a political miracle.

Then What Does It Mean?

First, this announcement will most likely change the tone, and possibly the quantity, of mainstream media coverage of the Copenhagen conference.  Without the drama-factor of a binding agreement, Copenhagen could become just another blip in the pre-holiday blur of consumerism and gingerbread flavored lattes.

Second, it was already uncertain if President Obama would be attending the Copenhagen summit.  Obama stated that he would travel to Copenhagen if countries were “on the brink of a meaningful agreement.”  For those in the know (see above), this meant he was unlikely to attend.  And now?  It is even more unlikely.  This is extremely unfortunate, as his presence in Copenhagen would have gone a long way towards signaling (both at home and abroad) that the U.S. stands ready to move forward on this crucial issue.  Obama’s attendance would be meaningful.

So, What Now?

Now, we keep moving forward.  We keep drawing attention to the climate change issue in whatever way possible.  Leave comments and write letters to the editor when you see mainstream media covering this issue constructively.  Don’t stop talking about Copenhagen with each other.  In fact, talk about Copenhagen even more.

And contact the White House.  If you’re tired of hearing that (I know I am), too bad.  Do it anyways.  Tell the Administration that climate change is a priority and must be treated accordingly.  Impress upon them that President Obama’s presence at the Copenhagen summit is vitally important to our future, environmentally and economically.

And finally, don’t give up hope.  Yes, this is bad news.  But it is bad news that we expected to hear.  So brace yourselves and keep moving forward.  21 days to go.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/ / CC BY 2.0

Related posts:

1. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
2. Is the Climate Justice Fast hunger strike extremism?
3. Blog About Climate Change!

As a big fan of post-apocalyptic movies, I am super excited about 2012.  It’s like every great apocalyptic movie rolled into one, minus zombies.  (It would be even cooler if there were zombies.  Zombies make everything better.)

Yesterday, I was struck when the preview came on my TV and I heard Danny Glover’s voice ring out through my living room:

“Today, we are one family.”

I stopped short.

It struck me because I don’t need a global apocalypse to recognize that all the people on this planet are one family.

The thing about climate change is that I will be okay, at least at first.  The weather may change, my food may get more expensive.  But I am extremely privileged; I will not go hungry and I will not lose my home.  In fact, most of us in developed countries will be able to adapt to the initial effects of our changing climate.

The thing about climate change is that it is people in the developing world who will be hit the hardest.  Those who are already the poorest.  Those who already struggle in ways that most of us cannot begin to imagine.  We will turn up our air conditioning as they begin to starve.  We will be inconvenienced.  They will become climate refugees.

The thing about climate change is that it is our mess.  The development and consumption of the “global north” are the reason that atmospheric CO2 levels are heading steadily upward from 387ppm.  And they are going to spiral upward yet, as we continue to consume and as people in developing countries strive to raise their own standard of living.

Climate change is our problem.  But they will be the first to pay the price.

I think it is here that “us” and “them” must end.  Because if they are my family, then I can no longer rationalize myself away from them.  And it becomes unacceptable to ask them to pay with their lives for my privilege.

Yesterday, as I sat on my couch and heard those five words, I felt hungry.  I was hungry because I was taking my turn fasting in support of the Climate Justice Fast hunger strike.  During my two-day fast, I learned a little bit about hunger.

I began to understand that we don’t grok hunger.  We may talk about hunger, say we are hungry, but very few of us ever go a day without food.  Maybe that’s why it’s so easy for us to discuss the potential human costs of climate change.  Because it’s not going to be “us.”  It’s going to be “them.”

Even a two-day fast doesn’t begin to resemble the kind of hunger that millions of people face every day.  Climate change is going to make that so much worse.  And hunger will be just one of the human costs of this environmental disaster.

The opportunity is ours.  I think that it’s time for us to be one family.  And it’s time for us to seize this moment, because our family is already paying the price for our choices.

Related posts:

1. Is the Climate Justice Fast hunger strike extremism?
2. Blog About Climate Change!
3. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know

I have been a bit absent this week, pondering the questions posed in my last post, as well as the fascinating discussion going on over at Worldchanging in the comments of Transition Towns Or Bright Green Cities? I now seem to have arrived at a temporary peace within myself, even in the midst of trollish comments (not here, at least not yet) and heartbreaking election news that I take very personally.

It was in this state of internal equilibrium that I heard about Climate Justice Fast and the hunger strike undertaken by hundreds of people around the world in the days before the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen.  On November 6th, the Climate Justice Fasters began a hunger strike that is scheduled to last through at least the end of the Copenhagen Summit on December 18th.

The Climate Justice Fasters have been labeled by some as extremists.  I can say honestly that I understand this point of view.  I would not classify myself as an extremist.  I am a researcher and a questioner.  I am, at heart, a bit of a skeptic.  If anything, I am too cautious in making assertions about what I believe, and I probably think for far too long before I act.  But I also perceive that the we live in extreme times and are confronted by extreme circumstances.  Given our current reality, I often feel that my moderate, measured action falls short.  Which is one of the many reasons that I admire the Climate Justice Fast hunger strikers, and the fact that they are taking action proportionate to the degree of threat that climate change poses to civilization as we know it today.

It is out of this admiration that I am joining a small group of people who will be participating in a rotational solidarity fast for the length of the Climate Change Justice hunger strike.  Each of us will be fasting for a small number of days and will be writing and/or speaking out about climate change during that time.

At the Climate Change Fast press conference in Barcelona on November 6th, a woman from Zambia spoke out.  She said she was touched that people from northern countries would voluntarily go without food to draw attention to this issue.  But where she is from, people are already going without food and even starving because of climate change.  (Press conference video – longish, she speaks at 20:25.)  Climate change is not a future issue.  It is a here issue.  It is a now issue.  Faced with the extreme reality, Climate Justice Fast’s hunger strike ceases to be extremism.

Our little group’s commitment of mini-fasts in solidarity with the Climate Justice Fasters greater action is but one small step in raising global awareness of this issue as Copenhagen approaches.  But it is a step, and a scalable one at that.  The more people who are involved and engaged, the better.  So if you would be interested in joining our group and helping us collectively fast, write and speak-out in support of the Climate Justice Fasters and their mission, please either leave a comment here, or hop on over to the initiatory post on Greenfyre’s blog and let him know you’d like to participate.  He will also be posting updates written by each of us as we take our turn and lend our voices to the cause.

(My first shift is this Thursday and Friday, the 12th and 13th.  I may attempt my first video post.  But only if everyone promises not to make fun of my hair.)

For more information about climate change, check out:

• 19 Simple Ways To Start Thinking About Climate Change
• Climate Change Is Just Like Raising Baby Mice
• Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know

Related posts:

1. Blog About Climate Change!
2. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
3. Climate Change Is Just Like Raising Baby Mice

Saturday afternoon, I headed over to the Blue Line March in downtown Olympia.  Coordinated through 350.org’s International Climate Action Day, the intent of the march was to trace the potential future waterline downtown.

All in all, it was a good event with a good turn out.  There were two 350.org walks organized in Olympia, and one attendee that I spoke with said there were about the same amount of people at the other walk as well.  (Hopefully not just the same people at both events!)

We were so fortunate to have nice weather for the first time in days.  A beautiful day to be marching!  I was glad to be able to participate in one of the 5,000+ Climate Actions around the world.

And Now, Some Pictures

There was a fish.

A big fish!

And a long, beautiful banner.

We drew on the sidewalk and hung signs to show where we had been, and where the water would be.

We marched with the fish below the capitol building.

And, at the end of the march, we were met by the band. (They were with us throughout the march as well.)  There was music and dancing, a nice time was had by all.

What did you do for International Climate Action Day?

Related posts:

1. 19 Simple Ways to Start Thinking About Climate Change – Blog Action Day
2. 350 Or Bust!
3. Blog About Climate Change!

In the interest of preserving my mental health, I usually try to ignore the news at least one day a week.  I find I need an occasional break from the constant influx of information and the glare and hum of my beloved laptop.  I often choose Sunday as my day off.  It tends to be a slow day anyways, since so many people are taking it off.  But yesterday was Climate Action Day, and I was really interested in seeing the follow-up coverage from the 350 events held around the world.

When I saw this article about Coal River Mountain, I was horrified.  This is a situation in which the right solution is so clear.  I’m not usually one to assign very strong value judgments to things.  The world operates in many shades of gray, and it can be hard to balance competing sides of complex issues.

But here… there is a right solution.  Massey Energy’s mining of the Coal River Mountain is just a bad decision.  It is bad for the environment.  It is bad for (and not wanted by) the local community;  it is bad for their health and it is bad for their economy.  And there is a thoroughly documented and much better option available.  This should be a no-brainer.

In spite of that, blasting has started on the Coal River Mountain.  I can’t help but worry that it is too late.  But because it is my anti-news day, and I am determined to be optimistic, I went to the Save Coal River site to see what could be done.  According to this site, the Obama Administration is not taking calls on the Coal River Mountain issue until 9:00 AM EST tomorrow.  In the meantime, they are accepting letters submitted via their contact site.

Below is the letter I submitted.  Please feel free to copy it, use it, distribute it — whatever you want.

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to you to express my horror at the destruction by Massey Energy of Coal River Mountain in West Virginia.

6,000 acres of land is due to be mined for coal in a mountaintop removal project, in spite of the fact that this land would be far more valuable as a renewable energy project.  This land is rated Class 7 for wind energy potential, the highest rating on the scale.

Local residents have already filed lawsuits against nine coal companies for contaminating their well water with coal waste.  Construction of a wind farm project in this area would create more jobs than would the mining of Coal River Mountain, jobs that would last longer than those created by the relatively short-term mountaintop removal plans.  Coal River is the last remaining intact mountaintop in the area.

Coal River Mountain represents a unique opportunity for rational minds to prevail.  Human, economic, and environmental interests are all at stake, and the solution is clear.  The mountaintop removal of Coal River Mountain must be stopped, and it must be stopped immediately.  This situation requires urgent attention, as reports indicate that blasting has already begun.

Please use your influence to help the residents of Coal River Valley to preserve their own health, the environmental health of the region, and their future economic security.  The destruction of Coal River Mountain is not something any of us can afford.

Many thanks for your attention and swift action,

On that note, I’m going to shut off my computer and go enjoy the little bit of time left of this Sunday evening.  I hope everyone had a great weekend.

No related posts.

What are you doing to get below 350?

Cryptic?  Maybe.  But it shouldn’t be.  It is time for everyone to know what 350 means.  And that’s what October 24th, the International Day of Climate Action, is all about.

What is 350?

350 is the magic number.  350 is the line we have to get back to – or below – right now!  Enough mystery?  Here’s a nifty video put together by the folks over at 350.org, the brains behind the big day, and the launching point for Climate Actions taking place around the world.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For those of you at work or on slow internet connections (I know there’s at least one of you – Hi Mom), 350 is the “safe” level of CO2 in our atmosphere, measured in parts per million (ppm).  At 350 ppm, we will avoid catastrophic, runaway climate change.  Right now we are at 387 ppm.  We need to get back to 350 as quickly as possible.

What You Can Do

For the next few days, we have an addition to this blog.  Oh, look at that in the sidebar!  A neat new widget from 350.org.  All you have to do is enter your zip code to find out about Climate Actions taking place near you.

Pick one.  Go to it.  Talk about it.  Tell your neighbors.  Tell your friends.  Bring your children and explain to them what 350 means.  Talk to them.  Ask them what they think.

And afterward, keep thinking about it.  Write letters to your political leaders.  Keep talking to people.  We only have a couple of months before Copenhagen.  Let’s do everything we can to make the most of it.

(If you are reading this somewhere other than my site, you can go directly to 350.org to look up Climate Actions near you.)

(Oh, and “350 or bust!” is going to be my new – okay, my only – bumper sticker.  Let me know if you want one and I’ll see about getting some printed.)

No related posts.

I promised that for Blog Action Day ’09, we would hear from my greyhounds on the issue of climate change.  Well, my friends, they did not disappoint.

Superman said that he would really like to take advantage of some of the available tax incentives for alternative energy construction.  He then mumbled something about being able to afford more squeaky toys.

Shoxy was still a little hung over from partying too hard last night.  But she did agree with her brother that conserving energy can make a big difference.

Unfortunately, neither of them had any answers on how we are going to solve the problem of climate change once and for all.  It is a complicated issue, and by the time I had gotten this much out of them, they were on to more important things (mind-controlling the refrigerator door and saving the world from backyard squirrels).

The truth is that my dogs are going to be gone long before we see any cataclysmic effects of climate change.  In fact, they probably won’t be impacted by climate change in any measurable way.

But my mother will likely be around long enough to see the beginning.  Barring unexpected tragedy, I most certainly will be.  And my children, if I have them, will see the full consequences of the action – or inaction – that we take today.  Climate change is not an issue where we can afford to adopt short-term policies.  It is absolutely imperative that we educate ourselves and make long-term decisions based on the big picture.  If we don’t get climate change right, nothing else is going to matter.

But the dogs are right – climate change is a complicated issue.  And part of the problem we have is that people don’t understand it.  In a way, simple information is needed to start thinking about complicated decisions.  Because, believe it or not, you can start thinking about climate change and climate change policy without being a scientific or political expert.

To that end, I have compiled a list of resources – some simple, some not – to help anyone who wants to start learning and thinking about climate change.  And, even better, I’ve assigned them all a difficulty level.  Because no one likes being given the molecular structure of mercury when you were just trying to figure out if it was cold enough to need a coat.

1 = EASIEST  5 = HARDEST

Background Resources

(1) 10 Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know – My glossary, helpful to understanding anything else you read about climate change.

(1) The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See – The best thing on climate change I’ve ever seen.  Especially good viewing for those of you who don’t believe in climate change.  Not a video of polar bears on melting icebergs.  However, there are smiley faces.

(2) Pew Center Global Warming Facts and Figures – Some nice scientific and statistical basics.

(3) Pew Center Climate Change 101 – This is an incredibly thorough intermediate collection of resources.  Part of what makes it a 3 in my book is that the complete document is fairly long.  This is not a bite-sized overview of climate change.  However, they have broken it down into useful sections.

(5) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports – Much of the core scientific data on everything to do with climate change.

U.S. Legislation

American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454)

(1-3) Wikipedia on ACES – Useful shorter summary of the legislation, congressional process, and public debate.  Includes tables that break down required emissions reductions.

(4) Summary – I’ll admit it.  This is the one that I read.

(5) Full Text – You’re ambitious, I tell you, ambitious.  Very impressed.

Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act

(1-4) A variety of Summaries - In a variety of sizes to suit your fancy.

(5) But for those brave souls interested in working their way through all 821 pages, here is the full text of the bill.

Copenhagen, December 2009

(1-3) UN Climate Change Conference Homepage (Denmark) – A great collection of event info, up to date news, and blogs.

(2) Copen-Bloggin’ – The ever informative folks over at Mother Jones provide consistently good coverage of climate change issues.  I have been particularly enjoying the Copen-Bloggin’ posts as December closes in (look for “Copen-Bloggin” in front of the post title).

(2-4) UNFCC General Page – Some general info, press releases, etc.

(5) UNFCC COP15 Info Page – Current draft proposals going into COP15. 

Twitter Tags

I didn’t give the Twitter hashtags a difficulty rating.  You never know what you’re going to get with Twitter, but if you want to indulge in a few different discussions about climate change, this can be a good place to start.

#BAD09 – Blog Action Day ’09 official twitter hashtag.  10,000+ bloggers around the world talking about climate change today.
#aces – Relating to the American Clean Energy and Security Act tag.  Still often used to discuss climate change legislation by some people (like me) who have fallen behind and don’t know about the next hashtag.
#CEJAPA – Relating to the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
#climatebill – Yet another one. (The one thing that bugs me about Twitter hashtags is the lack of consolidation. With only 140 characters, you’d think we could agree to use just one.)
#climate – Any and all tweets related to climate change more generally.

And finally – next week, on October 24th, is the International Day of Climate Action.  This doesn’t have a difficulty level.  Anyone can participate and everyone needs to.  Because climate change really matters.  To all of us.  So please go to the website, sign up, and get involved.  It’s just one day, but one day can make a big difference.

Related posts:

1. Blog About Climate Change!
2. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
3. Climate Change Is Just Like Raising Baby Mice

Continuing with my ever-popular theme of connecting cute animals with environmental issues, tomorrow I will be answering the question, “What do these greyhounds think about climate change?”

Tomorrow, October 15th, is Change.org‘s Blog Action Day ’09.  This year, climate change is the issue at hand.  Over 6,500 bloggers have committed to devote tomorrow’s post to climate change.  They’re not all environmental and political bloggers either.  Parenting bloggers, financial bloggers, hobby bloggers, professional bloggers — this is an international movement to raise the level of awareness and education about an issue that affects each and every one of us.

So if you’re a blogger, hop on over to Blog Action Day ’09 and join the cause, just for a day.  If you’re a non-blogger, keep your ears and eyes open tomorrow for climate change conversations all over the world.  And be sure to stop back here to find out what my greyhounds have to say about climate change.

(I assure you, it’s going to be very deep and profound.)

Related posts:

1. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know
2. Climate Change Is Just Like Raising Baby Mice
3. Why Change?

“Environmental solutions that depend solely on will power are doomed to fail,” states David Owen, author of the soon to be released book Green Metropolis, which was recently reviewed in the New York Times. Owen argues that cities are the answer to the sustainable living issue, as a variety of factors (public transportation, smaller living spaces, etc.) result in a smaller environmental footprint for urban dwellers than that of their suburban counterparts.  I can’t really comment on that without reading the book, but I look forward to taking a closer look when it is released.

In the meantime, Owen’s gloomy assertion of will power may not be true.  In a similarly gloomy straw poll, Reuters concludes that people are unwilling to make radical lifestyle changes that will help the environment.  However, the poll found that people are more likely to make fundamental life changes for altruistic reasons than they are for financial reasons.

So how does that work?  People are willing to make little changes, such as recycling, for altruistic reasons.  Other small changes, like using compact flourescent lightbulbs, have financial advantages in addition to being environmentally beneficial.  But few people are going to become vegetarians because it will save them money, even though it will.  It takes a greater calling to stop eating meat or give up your vehicle.

This means that Owen’s assertion may be incorrect and fundamentally changes the discussion on incentivizing global change from the ground up.  While financial incentive programs may be sufficient to motivate incremental change, they will not be enough to bring change on the level required to avoid disastrous levels of environmental decline.  Fundamental change on a global scale will be the sum of individuals changing their lives for the greater good.

At the heart of this equation lie education and mechanisms.  People need to be educated on the issues at hand.  And once they are convinced, the mechanisms for action must be clear.  As mentioned today on TreeHugger regarding a new iPhone application that helps buyers choose organic produce, no one wants to “read through a scientific article at each produce bin.”  Global interrelation is all shades of gray, but we must begin to break down information on sustainability into bite size chunks, or the battle for the masses will be lost.

We also must fundamentally reevaluate our understanding of motivation, because some changes can’t be bought.  Some changes happen because you believe in them.

Related posts:

1. Climate Change Is Just Like Raising Baby Mice
2. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know

Today’s post was supposed to be about how to build a great garden for free, which is what I was planning on doing today.

Instead, it is about a baby mouse, which is what I spent my afternoon doing.  Because that’s just how my life goes.  The garden will still be there.

Mice are near and dear to my heart.  In third grade, I found in the school library an amazingly thorough book on the care and feeding of mice.  In the breeding section was a beginning walk-through of Mendelian genetics and coat coloration, which fascinated me in spite of the fact that I barely understood a word of it.  What third grader can resist “heterozygous” and “alleles”?

I was in love.  I prepared a presentation for my parents about why I should be allowed to get a mouse; how I would care for it, how much it would cost and how I planned to pay for it.  They relented, Ned joined the family, and thus began many years of multi-colored mice and chicken scratch Punnetts squares.

So today, when I discovered a baby mouse writhing under a clod of dirt in the compost pile I had just demolished, I did not hesitate to nestle it in my sweatshirt and put it in the car.  I called my mom and asked her to Google whether baby mice need kitten/puppy formula or raw goat milk (the former, or human infant formula).  In the background, my grandfather said, “You can’t keep mumble mumble… diseases!”

Oh yeah.  Diseases.

It’s not that I didn’t know that wild mice have diseases, or that I forgot momentarily that this little creature could be carrying all sorts of ick that I don’t want in my house.  But I hadn’t thought about it, because this decision wasn’t about a mouse and disease.  Like so many things, this was a question of risk.

Baby Mice Are A Risk

You are at risk every day.  When you drive your car, you’re taking a risk.  (Accident -> dying)  Eating at a restaurant, risk. (E-coli -> dying)  Just getting out of bed is a risk. (Falling down -> maybe dying?)  But staying in bed is a risk too!  (Lack of exercise, obesity, dehydration, your skin growing into the fabric of your sheets -> dying!)  There is absolutely nothing you can do to escape the fundamental risks of being alive. (Except dying.)  So a big part of life is determining your personal relationship with risk.

In order to figure out where we stand with risk, we have to weigh and measure the potential reward and the potential cost of inaction.  I drive my car and, most days, I don’t even think about the fact that I am risking death.  Base jumping: not okay for me on the risk meter.  Skydiving: okay, but maybe not once I have kids.  Riding horses: okay.  Rollerblading: not okay – it’s not fun enough to be worth it!

It’s a very personal thing.  For my grandfather, bringing home a potentially diseased baby mouse is not below his risk threshold.  But I am young and healthy.  I have good healthcare.  And if I didn’t bring this mouse home, it was as good as dead.  I brought her home.

Which brings me to one of the most important risk scenarios facing us as a planet: climate change.

Climate Change = Diseased Mice?

If you haven’t seen it already, I beg you to take nine minutes and thirty-three seconds out of your busy life and watch this video.  There are white boards and smiley faces.  It’s good and funny.  And it is vitally important.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Climate change is also a matter of risk.  A matter of measuring the risk of action with the cost of inaction.  Is not taking action on climate change worth the risk?  What does your risk meter say?

For me…

Climate change?  Not okay.  Baby mouse?  Okay.

Related posts:

1. Ten Climate Change Terms Everyone Should Know

I have been waiting impatiently for the release of Julie & Julia. I confess to having a bit of a crush on Amy Adams, and more than a bit of a crush on food. Not to mention that, as a blogger, this little (BIG) blogging success story was just what I needed to stave of depression in the wake of my husband’s deployment.

I loved Julie & Julia. That statement is possibly the only positive thing you’ll read on the internet about this movie. I will say further that I loved not just the half of it that everyone else loved, but the whole of it. But this is not going to be a movie review. Just go see it.

Are you back? Ok. Now that you’ve seen the movie…

I have to admit that I, like Julie Powell, was surprised and a bit heartbroken when I learned that Julia Child was highly critical of the Julie/Julia Project. I assumed this struggle for personal meaning was something that she would intrinsically “get.” I was further surprised to read quite a few reviews that criticized not the movie (although some of those as well), but rather Julie Powell both for starting the Julie/Julia Project and as a person. I have to say, I don’t get it.

Julia Child’s legitimacy came from achieving a level of culinary professionalism unknown to women at that time. She was successful in large part because she was an expert, and because she was able to translate her expertise to others.

Julie Powell is illegitimate. Or, at least as illegitimate as any person who decides to start a blog and document their personal journey, be it a journey towards financial stability, weight loss, or living a greener life. She was not an expert, but she cooked her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year, which is more than most of us can say for the projects in our lives.

Child learned to cook because she loved food. Powell started the Julie/Julia Project in a moment of desperation and personal crisis. But I bet she learned a lot about cooking while she was at it.

Which brings me to my point. Does intent matter?

Listening to NPR the other day, I heard a report about a business owner who installed solar panels on the roof of his building. He doesn’t believe in climate change, but he stands to make $18,000 per year selling energy back to the grid. He will produce enough electricity to power over 30 homes.

There is tons of money built into the climate change bill for residential efficiency improvements (new windows, insulation, etc.). Most people who take advantage of this policy and retrofit their homes will likely do it because it will save them money on utilities and increase their property values on the government’s dime. For many, the environment is an added bonus or a political talking point.

Eating organic is healthy. Eating organic is trendy. Eating organic decreases the excess nitrogen runoff from farms that is destroying the biodiversity of our rivers and coastlines. Wait a second… were you thinking about reducing nitrogen runoff when you headed for those organic strawberries? No? Because you just spent your money like you did.

I think both Julia Child and Julie Powell are very impressive women. And I am glad that, more and more, there are other reasons to make environmentally sustainable choices. Because sometimes, it’s not about why you’re there. Sometimes, it’s just about showing up.

No related posts.

In spite of the fact that climate change is taking a back burner to unemployment, the financial crisis, and the global recession (*cough* depression *cough*), there’s still an awful lot going on right now in the world of climate change policy. Indeed, we should be looking for a House climate change bill by the end of this week.

It can be easy to get lost in the sea of technical jargon accompanying any detailed discussion on climate change. While they are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, knowing these ten climate change terms will help you to understand what everyone is carrying on about.

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

Naturally occurring compounds in the Earth’s atmosphere that allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere. When sunlight is reflected off the Earth’s surface, these gases trap the heat in the atmosphere. Six GHGs – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – will be classified as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

CO2

Of the greenhouse gases, CO2 is receiving the most press these days. Our cars and factories breathe it out. Plants breathe it in. The problem is that these days, we have more cars and factories and fewer plants. There is some debate if other GHGs will be addressed in climate change legislation. There is no debate about CO2.

Tipping Point

“The levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.” In climate change terms, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 at which some scientists argue there will be no chance of preventing negative consequences of climate change. Some refer to it as a scenario of “irreparable change” – for example, the loss of polar ice sheets that might never be regained. There is still debate about whether a tipping point exists and, if so, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere at which this would occur. However, some scientists are concerned that we are approaching the tipping point more quickly than originally predicted.

Mitigation

The process by which human beings attempt to prevent or reduce climate change. Emissions reductions, a shift towards renewable energy, reforestation and prevention of further deforestation, and carbon capture and sequestration all fall under the broader term of mitigation.

Adaptation

The process by which human beings adjust to global changes brought on by climate change. One extreme example of adaption is can be found in the Maldives, an island nation which is preparing to relocate its entire population in the event that the country is submerged by rising ocean waters.

Business As Usual (BAU)

The current emissions level and trajectory for emissions growth. Many models have a projection for results based on BAU emissions.

Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS)

Also known as carbon capture and storage, CCS is an umbrella term for the theoretical process by which CO2 is collected from the atmosphere or at the emission source, and then stuck somewhere not in the atmosphere. While this technology is not yet deployable, it is getting a big chunk of money.

Renewables

Add it to your spellchecker, because this new word is here to stay. Renewables are sources of energy that are continually naturally replenished, such as wind, solar, geothermal heat, rain, and tides. In contrast, while fossil fuels are natural, they are not naturally replenished in a reasonable time for our species.

Cap & Trade

The type of climate change policy proposed by the draft House bill released in April. A cap and trade program is based on a government-mandated ceiling of sector/industry emissions with a system of permits allowing companies a certain amount of emissions, generally measured in millions of metric tons. (For reference, the average carbon footprint of a U.S. resident is 20 metric tons per year.) Companies can then buy and sell permits, which should create a market mechanism for the pricing of carbon.

Copenhagen

The Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009 is the last meeting of the members of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change before the renewal of an international agreement on climate change. At this conference, world leaders will come to an agreement to be adopted upon the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 – or they won’t. Only time will tell.

No related posts.