Green Daily

Do You Like Frogs and Have an SOS for the Rainforest?

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Activism, Climate Change

Have you always dreamed of costarring in a film or video with an animated partner, like Paula Abdul and that dancing cat in "Opposites Attract"? And do you have a message for the world about saving the rainforest? If so, The Prince's Rainforest can help you achieve both of these dreams.

HRH Charles, the Prince of Wales, created The Prince's Rainforest Project to simply raise awareness of the connection between deforestation and climate change. The campaign has a frog mascot who appeared in a video with Prince Charles, as well as Princes William and Harry, Daniel Craig, Pele, Harrison Ford, and perhaps inevitably, Robin Williams.

One of the coolest things about the campaign is that you can make your own video, with the frog, urging world leaders to take bold action to address climate change at Copenhagen. It's hard to imagine that world leaders haven't heard this message yet, with all of the activism going on practically every day, but if anything will catch the attention of the last few resisters, I'm betting the frog is it.
Several celebrities have shown their support by making their own videos. The Vivienne Westwood video is worth watching, just because she's so crazy she seems normal dressed up as a frog princess (or maybe that's just what she was wearing that day -- it's possible). Also fun are Stephen Fry, ("ballerina ... retired"). And who can resist the spiky-haired yet sensual appeal of Rod Stewart and his lovely (third?) wife Penny, who both flirt with the frog?

For my money, the creepy-but-compelling Blue Men in the video above do the best bit with the frog, but you can check the over 200 celebrity videos, plus ones made by regular folks who care a lot, on the video page of The Prince's Rainforest site -- there are hundreds posted, and more added every day,

Do You Like Frogs and Have an SOS for the Rainforest? originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nuclear Energy, the New Green Hope?

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: News, Alternative Energy, Climate Change

Exelon Byron Nuclear Generating Stations, IL. Photo: JEFF HAYNES, Getty Images

Back in the 70s, I remember nuclear energy being discussed in the same breath as geothermal and solar power. But then the partial core meltdown happened at Three Mile Island in 1979, giving the American public a huge scare about the safety of nuclear reactors.

It didn't help matters when the film "Silkwood", starring Meryl Streep, came out in 1983, showing how workers who were exposed to plutonium had to be literally scrubbed raw -- those decontamination showers are burned into the brains of a generation!

But the climate crisis has created the urgent need for a power source that doesn't produce CO2. There are already several nuclear power-plants online in the U.S. In 31 states there are 104 reactors, which provide about 20% of our energy -- and 70% of our emission-free energy.
As Josh discussed earlier this month, now that the climate bill is making its way through the Senate, thanks to a group of mainly Republican -- but some Democrat -- champions, nuclear power is taking center stage in the debate.

On one side you have the argument that the danger of toxic waste contamination far out-weighs the benefits. There is also the ongoing threat of terrorists targeting a nuclear reactor. The other side of the debate maintains that nuclear is safe, sustainable and abundantly available.

Like the rest of the climate debate, opinions on this topic are strong and convictions are deeply held. What do you think? Should we invest in expanding our nuclear capabilities, or put those resources toward growing alternative energy sources like wind and solar power?

Nuclear Energy, the New Green Hope? originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Finally Almost International Day of Climate Action!

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change

Tomorrow is the big day! International Day of Climate Action Day, when activists around the world are staging major protests to send a message to world leaders about climate change.

What do we want? Less CO2! When do want it? ASAP, preferably before the glaciers melt, the rain forests burn down and civilization as we know it collapses!

Greenpeace and 350.org are helping to organize the protests, demonstrations and "actions," which will probably involve at least two out of the following list of protest activities:

nudity
building scaling
vegan snacks from Trader Joe's
a counter demonstration protesting Trader Joe's because of the unsustainable seafood thing
(naked) bicycles and earnest signs
carrotmobs and "joycotting"

I think you can guess that a "joycott" is the opposite of a "boycott". And yes, a carrotmob is a real thing.

It's when you organize a bunch of people who are going to buy something anyway -- like beer -- and all go to a single store that commits to spending the highest percentage of the proceeds on environmentally-friendly improvements, like solar panels. Want to see a carrotmob in action? Check out the video of a carrotmob that 350.org conducted in San Francisco. It's actually very cool!

If you want to participate and don't have plans yet, check the 350.org "Map of Actions" to find one near you.

It's Finally Almost International Day of Climate Action! originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get Green For Snow!

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change, Fitness

No, no, I'm not talking about some crazy global warming version of yellow snow. I mean it's time to start thinking about eco-friendly ways to enjoy outdoor winter activities!

This is on my mind for a couple of reasons: a big freak storm in San Francisco this week reportedly dropped a foot of snow on the Sierras, which was thrilling for all of my shredding-starved friends. Then I got my favorite eco-newsletter, Smart 2 Be Green, which was all about green winter vacations and Eco-Snowboarding. Finally, someone named Jesse Huffman left very a detailed comment on my surfing post this week, telling us about Protect Our Winters, a non-profit group dedicated toward collective action by the "winter sports community" to reverse climate change.

It was like a sign from the pagan gods of snow and ice saying, "Do a post about Eco-friendly winter stuff!" Who am I to refuse a pagan god?
Smart 2 Be Green shares some cool eco-friendly sporting goods resources, like Arbor Sports which has bamboo snowboards. Yes, sustainable! The Venice-based company is candid about the challenges of balancing green priorities and still providing high-performance gear. They are a great example of how businesses must manage these two goals, and how important it is for us to support the ones that make this effort!

Remember, when you support green businesses, you make it economically viable and desirable for all businesses to go green!

Another reminder for skiers, snowboarders and even those of us who prefer to watch from the cozy (and hot toddy-filled) comfort of the lodge, is that it's important to respect the environment by staying on trails and packing our litter. They also recommend staying at green lodges. From my work writing for travel site Uptake.com, I can recommend that athletes heading west should check out the Ski Area Citizen's Coalition Top Ten green ski resorts.

Are you disturbed by the dramatic changes in the weather, which now limit winter sports? Feel like doing something proative about it? Check out Protect Our Winters. Started in 2007 by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones, the group is based on the idea that the people who "use" the snow most -- winter athletes -- have a vested interest, and responsibility, to take a leadership role in working toward solutions. How refreshing!

It's been a very activity-focused/climate change kind of week, so it seems fitting to add a post about green-snow activities to the posts about climate change, surfing, green gyms and naked, fur-free dancing.

Okay, maybe the naked, fur-free dancing thing doesn't fit in, but you know you wouldn't want me to stop writing about that stuff, either! Happy Friday!

Get Green For Snow! originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blog Action Day: What Condition Our Climate Change Condition is in

Josh Loposer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Climate Change

Icy Hot from Shopping.com

So, scientists (and politicians) have been studying climate change for decades now and what do we actually know about it, (other than the planet's ice caps seem to be doomed)? What is the current status of our planet's current status? And what can we expect in the near future?

Ask climate scientists what the effects of climate change will amount to in the next couple of decades and you'll likely get a variety of predictions ranging from a temporary cool down to the record smashing heat waves. So, what gives? Why does it feel like these predictions are about as reliable as your local TV weatherman's?

I'm no scientist -- that's for sure -- and that's exactly why I want short simple answers to the most basic questions at the root of climate change.
Unfortunately, the only way to even begin to understand the debate over climate change requires a somewhat dispassionate breakdown of all the factions involved. Thankfully, the BBC has done a pretty good job of that for us.

Contrary to popular belief, there is more to this debate than just "Team Al Gore" and "The Deniers." We know all about the people who are completely convinced that anthropogenic greenhouse gases have condemned most of mankind to a Water World-ish existence. We also know that there are dudes out there who will deny man's effect on the planet at any costs.

There are numerous, lesser-known groups you should probably know about. Here are just a few: the "Sun Worshipers," the "Sun Spot Skeptics," the "Ocean-o-philes," and "Team We're Doomed Anyways." Here's a quick rundown of these players and their predictions for the future of our climate.

Sun Worshipers - Let's face it, there's really nothing about our climate that's not affected by the sun, so these guys definitely have a point. In a nutshell, these guys say that there's evidence that the sun drove the warming at the end of the 20th Century (with or without the help of humans).

Sun Spot Skeptics - These are the guys who basically do the solar debunking. Led by the Royal Society, scientists in this camp recently published research to indicate that increased solar output was clearly not responsible for the warming over the last 20-40 years -- but there are always new theories to refute.

Ocean-o-philes - Perhaps the most groundbreaking piece of the climate change puzzle was recently discovered by Professor Don Easterbrook of Western Washington University. It's called the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and it's basically a 30-year ocean cycle that just finished a warm cycle. If he's right, we should be in for another 30-year cool cycle.

Team We're Doomed Anyways - This group -- perhaps the largest group of all -- believes that regardless of short-term warming and cooling trends, we need to be looking at the whole enchilada here, not just the tortilla or the lettuce. When you do that, they say, the future looks warm, wet and less than ideal. For example, IPCC panelist Mojib Latif believes that we are currently in an ocean-driven cooling phase, only to be followed by a scorching hot man-made warm up.

So, there you have it. Our climate is clearly confused and could probably use an ample portion of extra strength Icy Hot on hand; icy to dull the pain, hot to relax it away. Then, maybe a nice massage and spa treatment.

Blog Action Day: What Condition Our Climate Change Condition is in originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blog Action Day: Climate Change

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Activism, Climate Change

Today is "Blog Action Day", an annual event held every October 15th, where blogs around the world all talk about the same topic. This year the topic is Climate Change, and can I just say, I'm so excited to see everyone writing about this!

Sometimes I feel like I'm harping on this topic again and again and again, but hey, it's real, important and relevant to every single one of us. From the way the weather is changing around the world, to the causes of these changes, to the things you can do right now to reduce your carbon footprint and slow down the changes, all of us need to have a voice in the climate change discussion.

Since I've already written a lot of posts on the topic, today I'd like to go back and share my 10 favorite posts I've written on climate change:

The Copenhage Climate Conference Simplified -- All eyes will be on the leaders of the world when they meet in Denmark this December to establish an agreement to reduce global carbon emissions. As the successor to the Kyoto Protocol, it's serious global politics, and can be confusing, but this post spells out the basic goals of the conference.

October 24th International Day of Climate Change Action -- Coming up in just over a week, it's another day dedicated to Climate Change, this time action in real life. Sponsored by 350.org, the group that advocates getting the CO2 in the atmosphere down to 350 parts per million, the goal of the day is to send a message to the politicians of the world that we want them to get it right in Copenhagen. And btw, 350.org is supported by the top NASA climate scientist James Hansen -- this is real science.

Earth Days - a Film by Robert Stone - The first ever "environmental day of action" was April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day. Documentary filmmaker Robert Stone shows us the history and circumstances that led up to the big day, and what's happened in the 30 years since then. It gives you a whole new perspective on the environmental movement!

Colin Beavan, No Impact Man, Talks to GreenDaily -- It's easy to get distracted by the high drama elements of Colin Beavan's year-long experiment in reducing his impact on the environment. No electricity in NYC? No toilet paper? But far more important -- and relevant -- is his message that you can live a good life without Starbucks and "three jet-skis in the garage". Check out his No Impact Project site to see how easy and pleasant it can be to live lightly on the earth.

Five Places to See Before Global Warming Destroys Them -- You know, in case we don't get this climate change thing figured out, it's important to know which issues of National Geographic will become collector's items.

Got a Big Pawprint? Curb it! -- Everyone in the family needs to pitch in to reduce carbon foot -- or paw -- prints, including Fido and Mr. Whiskers. Number one thing to do? Spay or neuter your pet!

The Coen Brothers Take on Clean Coal -- It was a toss up between this one and my post on the Clean Coal Unicorn (Which BTW Doesn't Exist). In the end I'm including both because I can't say it enough: clean coal will not solve our CO2 problems because it's an imaginary energy source. All coal = dirty.

Start Planning for Earth Hour 2009 -- Yes, it's done and past, but there will be another Earth Hour in 2010. In fact they're holding a special one in December in Copenhagen, again to give those world leaders at COP 15 a message. Plus the video always gives me the chills. It's an uplifting message to hear that our individual efforts which can feel small, collectively add up to something great.

Al Gore Asked Me To Help Repower America -- When Big A.G. (that can also stand for Alpha Green) asks you to do something, how can anyone refuse? He sent a "personalized" email asking me to spread the word about the most convincing, down-to-earth video argument for U.S.-sourced clean energy ever. Here you go, again, Mr. Vice President.

Friends of the Earth Go Naked to Protest Fraud -- I had to include at least one naked activist post. After all, nothing says "society's gotta change this now!" like a naked 19 year old vegan, kept warm by the strength of her convictions, shaking a sign in the face of an evil conservative in a suit. Thank you, naked protesters, for keeping the environmental movement from taking itself too seriously.

The common theme in all of these posts is action. We all have it within our power to stop and reverse climate change. We just need to make the commitment to act decisively and quickly.

Here's my favorite metaphor for urgency around climate change, courtesy of Colin Beavan: If you hold a match to something, it will get hotter and hotter, until it catches fire. When that happens, you can blow out the match, but you can't undo the fire, or the damage it caused.

We're getting close to that point with CO2 levels and the climate. So keep the image of that flame in your head next time you're tempted to buy a bottle of water, or want to drive four blocks instead of walking. Shut off lights, buy from companies that advertise their sustainable practices, and let your politicians know that you want decisive action in Copenhagen.

If we all make every day "climate change day" then we'll reach our goal (which is a biggie: saving the planet and civilization) that much faster!

Blog Action Day: Climate Change originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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October 24: International Day of Climate Action

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change

Creative climate activist coalition 350.org has issued an invitation to everyone in the world for October 24th, "The International Day of Climate Action".

On that day they plan to conduct the "most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history" with rallies, banners on the Easter Island statues, underwater demonstrations, bike rides -- you name it, somewhere in the world someone is probably doing it on October 24th to raise awareness that we must act urgently to address the climate crisis.

The message of 350.org is that we must find ways to get the CO2 in the atmosphere down to 350 parts per million. We're hovering around 390 ppm, and scientists -- including the top NASA climate scientist James Hansen -- say that we have very little time to reduce this number.
The activity on October 24th is meant to send a message to politicians who will be participating in the climate talks in Copehagen (COP15) in December. The Climate Actions will be literally global -- there are registered events in hundreds of countries around the world, with more being added daily. The day was picked deliberately to be close enough to the talks to be influential, and far enough out to give politicians time to respond as a result of the actions.

350.org calls itself a platform rather than an organization, and they have an impressive list of over 200 "friends and allies" around the world, and you can read their website in 12 languages. It definitely demonstrates the idea that the atmosphere doesn't recognize national boundaries. We're all in this together!

Do you want to find an event, or organize one locally? Check out the FAQs on the 350.org site, including their 9 Step Organizing Plan.

October 24: International Day of Climate Action originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hugh Jackman Kicks off Climate Week in NYC

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:04:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Activism, Climate Change

Hugh Jackman, Sexiest Man Alive. Credit: Junko Kimura for Getty Images

The UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) is less than three months away. This week in New York City, government and business leaders from around the world are gathering for meetings and events to demonstrate their support for strong action on climate change at COP15: Climate Week NY°C.

2008 Sexiest Man Alive and Global Ambassador for humanitarian organization World Vision Hugh Jackman will be in attendance to kick off Climate Week NY°C and "speak on behalf of the billion people in developing countries who will be the hardest hit by changing weather patterns, by the droughts and floods that destroy their crops and threaten their food security."

I think seeing Hugh Jackman is reason enough to show up, but for the more strictly climate-issue-minded, there will be a dizzying array of NY°C events from which to choose, including:

Harrison Ford (Sexiest Man Alive alum, Class of '98) and Team Earth event on the importance of protecting tropical forests
a panel discussion on carbon neutral media plans
a roundtable on electric vehicles
the Global Premier of the film, "The Age of Stupid"
a demonstration of New York's first solar powered electric vehicle charging station
the Head of UN Climate Chage Dr. Yvo de Boer, is speaking at the NYC Bar Association
"Food and Climate Change," a discussion about animal agriculture
Several religious services

Climate Week NY°C is presented by a partnership that includes The Climate Group, the United Nations, the UN Foundation, the City of New York, the Government of Denmark, Tck Tck Tck Campaign and Carbon Disclosure Project.

Hugh Jackman Kicks off Climate Week in NYC originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colin Beavan, No Impact Man, Talks to GreenDaily

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:04:00 EST

Filed under: Movies, TV and Books, Activism, Climate Change

Colin Beavan, No Impact Man. Credit: Cat Lincoln

Last week I encouraged you to go see "No Impact Man", the documentary about environmentalist Colin Beavan's efforts, with his family, to live for a year impact-free, in New York City. In the film and companion book, "No Impact Man," Colin shares the story of the experiment that he, his wife Michelle and their two-year-old daughter, Isabella, conducted over the course of a year.

They reduced their trash to zero, ate only food grown within 250 miles of their home, (which meant giving up coffee -- eek!), and stopped using electricity, which meant dealing with nine flights of stairs to get in or out of their 9th floor apartment every day (double eek!). Their story is funny, and thought-provoking, and manages to make the idea of giving up toilet paper and electricity, in the middle of New York City, see accessible -- even possible.

I had a chance to meet Colin on the press tour for "No Impact Man," along with Beth Terry from Fake Plastic Fish. We got to ask some follow up questions about the No Impact Man experiment, plus get Colin's first-hand advice on living impact-free.

It Turns Out the Personal Is the Political
One of the first things we discussed was the role of personal change versus political change.

Colin had an interesting perspective, offering the idea that the two are inextricably linked. "Personal change and individual action gives people skin in the game," he explained. "Habit change creates value change. Then you insist that your politician enable you to live the way you want to live."

To illustrate this point, Colin shared the story he'd heard recently of a stalwart republican who is voting in favor of gay marriage. The reason for this seemingly uncharacteristic political move is that a member of his family is a lesbian, and he apparently has several connections with people who are gay. His personal experience changed his politics.

"Personal change is a way of crossing the political aisle," Colin said. "It's a low barrier, less challenging entry point into politics-with-a-small-p, non-partisan politics."

We Need to Change our Culture
Colin also pointed out (actually this totally shocked me!) that Americans emit five times the carbon of the average Chinese person. So even if we find a way to switch to renewable sources of energy, we still use too much!

"It requires a cultural change," Colin said. "We don't all get to have three jet skis in our garage, it's not going to work."

He explained, "You can't change the culture through a regulation; you change it by the way you live, one person at a time. But that's not to say it's individual action instead of collective action -- in fact if you can do both, then you have a model of completely engaged citizenship."

As appealing as this sounds - how great would it be to live in a world of engaged citizens? - it also seems like a daunting challenge. How can we possibly change the entrenched habits of so many people?

The natural next question to ask Colin was, "Do you ever get overwhelmed by the immensity of the shift that needs to happen?"

"It's important to feel that sense of being overwhelmed," he replied, "because then we can see more clearly that the tiny steps we're taking aren't enough.

"Of course I feel overwhelmed, but you have to let the feelings in, feel them, and then keep putting one foot in front of each other."

The First Step of Many
Colin has advice for people who want take a first step, and emulate him by reducing their environmental impact.

"There's a meme that goes like this: if we all just do one little bit, it will be okay. And that's not true. We all have to do more."

Colin continued, "We actually have to look at substantial change. It's not to say that everyone needs to become No Impact Man over night, but the changes should be meaningful."

Because he's been asked this question before, Colin posted a list of Top Ten Eco-Lifestyle Changes for individuals on the No Impact Man blog.

Number one on that list? Stop eating beef, because beef production is the second largest cause of climate change -- it even beats transportation!

BTW, 350.org Totally Rocks
Colin also offered a recommendation for collective action: "On October 24th, join 350.org on the International Day of Action, and demonstrate to our leader that we care. The special interests have money on their side, but if we can show the politicians that they have the people behind them, they'll fight the special interests."

Definitely check out 350.org, a global organization dedicated to raising awareness of the "safe" target number of 350 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere. They have an fantastic animated short on the "Mission" page of their site that gets the message across wonderfully in every language because it uses images instead of words.

Inspiration From the UPS Guy
I was stuck on feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. So I asked, "How do you find something to get you from being overwhelmed to being able to take those first steps, and then turn them into many steps?"

Colin's answer was really encouraging.

"The problems have to do with our institutions. If you look around you, you'll see that most people are doing the right things. They hold doors for each other, help each other.

"I always say, watch the UPS man, watch what goes on out on the street, where people are laughing and joking with each other. People are lovely. Unfortunately for us, that loveliness isn't reflected in our institutions. That's where we get overwhelmed. But never forget that people are lovely."

One of the things that you get from Colin is his sense of positivity. He told us that some of his heroes are people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Betty Friedan, as well as Tolstoy. He admires them because of the combination of leading popular, grassroots movements, and working with the principle of non-violence.

"The idea is not to get angry. You love people into change, don't beat people into change," Colin explained.

You Are the Heroes
Colin continued on the theme of heroes, "But I also say, maybe the heroes are the people who read my blog. They have changed their lives, and we never hear their names.

"Sometimes we talk about the straw that breaks the camel's back. But no one talks about the ten thousand other straws that also had to be there. Yes, the final one gets the attention, but remember the other ones on there weighed just as much, contributed just as much."

It was great to hear his respect for the people who follow his journey and participate outside of the spotlight. It also reminded me that we all share the responsibility for making changes in our lives, even if no one is watching.

The No Impact Year Becomes No Impact Lifestyle
Colin's original plan was to go for a year, progressively moving toward the goal of having zero environmental impact. As the experiment progressed, they gave up electricity, which included shutting off their refrigerator, and doing laundry by hand (and foot - see the movie, you'll understand) in the bathtub.

Of course, now that the year is over everyone wants to know what he kept avoiding, and what he happily went back to.

"You know, we kept the things that made us happy and healthy," Colin said. "We eat food that is fresh and local. We enjoy getting our daily exercise without going to gym, so we continue to bike and walk."

He did concede that there are some things, like washing machines, that he's glad to have back in his life.

"There was a low point in the experiment. One night Isabella got sick all over her sheets. As we changed them, I was thinking, oh my God, how am I going to deal with these sheets? And then she threw up all over the second set of sheets, and I was like, that's it. I put them in the washing machine.

"I admit it, we need laundry machines. And you know, that's not trivial. Laundry machines give us the freedom to live a better life in the pursuit of higher human goals."

Bring No Impact Man Home With You
One point that Colin made over and over is that people don't have to go to the extremes that he did, but major cultural changes are important and necessary. He also reiterated that living low-impact actually enriched their lives in many ways, which runs counter to popular notion of conservation equals deprivation.

Now that he's "finished" his experiment, Colin is turning his attention to The No Impact Project, a non-profit organization he started, dedicated to helping people make choices that "lower their environmental impact through lifestyle change, community action, and participation in environmental politics."

Ready to give it a try? Visit the Change Yourself page of the No Impact Project and to check out ideas, share tips and get inspired!

And admit it -- you're totally wondering how much money they saved by following this way of life. Get all your questions answered in WalletPop's video interview with Colin below.

Colin Beavan, No Impact Man, Talks to GreenDaily originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Copenhagen Climate Conference Simplified

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Climate Change

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Credit: TORU YAMANAKA, Getty Images

You've probably seen references to the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Conference that is being held this December in Denmark. The goal of the gathering, which will include (almost literally) every country in the world, is to create a new global protocol to address climate change, and that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.

I have to admit that news about this conference had become a sort of "cap/emissions/2 degrees warmer and we're all dead!" white noise to me. Climate change is another one of those topics that can be so overwhelmingly scary and negative that, like most people, after a while I tune it out.

An interview with UN climate chief Yvo de Boer simplified the goals of the conference for me, and made it seem more practical and less dire. It turns out they just have to answer four questions
I mean, sure, the final document that replaces the Kyoto Protocol will have a lot of legal details, but Yvo de Boer hopes to use the conference to achieve international consensus on these points:

1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?

2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?

3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?

4. How is that money going to be managed?

He didn't mention it, but the other big question is what role will the U.S. play this time, considering we decided not to sign the original Kyoto Protocol. President Barack Obama has signaled that the U.S. is willing to participate and even lead the changes required to save the planet (See? Scary and stressful. Sorry, it just goes with the topic.) but no one knows how it will play out in real life. All of this will require major diplomacy and negotiation, which will be fascinating to watch.

From there, the next step will be taking care of all of those pesky legal details. Fortunately for the busy government officials of the world, a coalition of international environmental NGO agencies drafted the 'Copenhagen Climate Treaty'. You can read all about the treaty on the WWF site.

In the words of Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International. "All that is needed now is political will and the 'cut and paste' feature to produce the agreement the world is waiting for."

Well, that does make it sound simple, doesn't it?

In addition to Greenpeace and WWF, the other NGOs behind this treaty are:

IndyACT - the League of Independent Activists
Germanwatch
David Suzuki Foundation
National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, and
expert individuals from around the world

Specifics of what this group, which I have to admit sounds like it skews just a bit to the radical/liberal side, came up with for the treaty include:

a carbon budget which would bring CO2 levels down to 1990 levels by 2020, and reduces them by another 80% by 2050
a new organization to manage the processes of "emissions cuts, adaptation and forest protection"
different plans for developed, developing and "Newly Industrialized" countries that match responsibility for action with resources and abilities

It's still a lot of information, but this does make the whole Copehagen Climate Conference thing seem a lot less mysterious.

The Copenhagen Climate Conference Simplified originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Traffic May Interfere With Frog Mating

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Climate Change, Plants and Wildlife

Rumbling trucks may be cock-blocking city frogs! In ponds across Australia, it seems that frogs can't "attract the ladies" because of loud noise from nearby highways, according to a new report by Melbourne University ecologist Kirsten Parris.

Parris has been studying the lives of frogs in urban Australia since 2000. During this time period, the number of frogs has declined. She hypothesizes that male frogs, who attract a mate by having the most appealing "croak", are having a hard time being heard over the sound of city traffic. The result? Fewer mates, and fewer offspring.

Why do we care? Because animals having sex is fascinating! Have you seen Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno on the Sundance Channel? Besides being artistically clever, totally hilarious and starring the divine Ms. Rossellini, the 60 second clips are riveting because they're about s-e-x.

Well, there is another reason to care, at least in the case of the frogs. Because they are so sensitive to the environment, frogs are considered an indicator species for ecological health issues. Usually we're worried about them having too many eyes, or not enough legs, or other birth defects because of fertilizers poisoning their immune systems, or creating genetic havoc.

In this case, we're seeing that noise pollution, created by us, can also influence whether or not a species thrives and survives. Most scientists agree that noise pollution also has a negative impact on whales, including mating activity, and is blamed by some for dolphin and whale beachings.

Solution? Quieter engines, of course. As in, those silent hybrid or electric engines. Little known fact*: The original Prius campaign slogan was "So quiet you can hear animals having sex."

Yup, one more reason for us hybrid owners to feel proud. Supporting frog sex on a daily basis. You're welcome, Kermit.

*By fact we mean one of the original ideas. That we had. Probably Prius did not.

Traffic May Interfere With Frog Mating originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friends of the Earth Go Naked to Protest Fraud

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change

Taking a page out of the PETA Playbook, relatively radical environmental group Friends of the Earth staged a pants-free protest last Friday. TGIF indeed!

What prompted this display of angry, pasty, activist skin? Nothing less than fraud and forgery by D.C. lobbying firm Bonner & Associates. In an effort to prevent the Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill from passing, an employee of the firm reportedly sent forged letters (arguing against the bill) from two Virgina grassroots organizations, the NAACP and Cresciendo Juntos to Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va).

Bonner & Associates, which is in the pay of the fossil fuel industry, swears that they fired the employee responsible for the fake letters. But seriously, you know they have half a dozen (at least!) amateur Photoshop whizzes on the payroll, probably already working on an forged epistolary novella detailing Ralph Nader's love for dirty coal power and strip mining.
Friends of the Earth lacks some of PETA's naked protest polish -- not one of the ladies was wearing body paint or a bikini made of cabbage leaves, and in fact many of them were wearing clothes. Which really takes the event back into the territory of regular, boring protest. Fortunately a bunch of the guys were willing to bare their nipples for the cause. And to be fair, their chant did include the word "naked."

So full points to FOE for effort, and they definitely picked the right thing to protest.

And a note to Bonner & Associates. You need to reconsider your recruiting and employment screening practices. Seriously, forging letters of support was the best idea this person had? Like that's not going to be discovered? Don't your stupid lobbyist staffers watch TV? Or read the Babysitters Club Mysteries? If that's the best and brightest you can hire to do the dirty work of your evil clients during a time of record high unemployment, well, maybe the environment has a fighting chance after all.

Friends of the Earth Go Naked to Protest Fraud originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Great Barrier Reef Countdown to Extinction

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Climate Change, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Getty Images)

Lately I've seen some nice stories about the Great Barrier Reef, and given the state of the oceans -- acidity, cooling, warming, rising, can boiling be far behind? -- it was a relief to see some fun, light stories. And then science reared it's practical head, and I got all freaked out again.

Starting with the good stuff: Last week the Great Barrier Reef made the short list of 28 landmarks in the running to be named one of the New Seven Wonders of the natural world, in a contest run by Swiss-based New7Wonders.

And remember that guy who won "The Best Job in the World"? He's from the U.K. and was selected to get the job of caretaker for a bunch of tropical islands on the Great Barrier Reef. His main job was to clean a pool, blog, tweet, and get people to come visit Paradise. On the second day of his job he misspelled the name of one of his islands, and the entire (jealous) world wanted to impeach him. Having made more typos than I care to remember, I vote we cut him a break.
I was feeling pretty good about the Great Barrier Reef until someone Stumbled a Times Online story that quoted former chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science as saying that warm waters will basically kill the Great Barrier Reef within 20 years.

Since this scientist, Charlie Veron, is the foremost expert on the topic, we have to believe him. He also had more scary stuff to say in the story, about global eco-system collapse and mass extinction events. Then he brought up all of the stuff about lost jobs and economic impact and I had to put my hands over my ears and go read a Garfield comic to calm down again.

Once my blood pressure returned to normal (A fat cat in a lasagne pan! Ha!) and I could start to process this terrifying, and interesting, information I realized that once again it all boils down to CO2. This is a reminder that we don't have time to put off the little -- or big -- efforts to reduce our cabon footprint on the world.

It would be a shame for the Great Barrier Reef to be named one of the New Seven Wonders of the natural world, only to disappear a few years later.

Great Barrier Reef Countdown to Extinction originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Al Gore Asked Me to Help Repower America

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:10:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Polit-eco, Climate Change

This was a pretty exciting week for me. I got a "personalized" email from Alpha Green Al Gore, asking me to support Repower America's efforts to convince Congress to pass aggressive climate legislation. I think he's the greatest! (And I hope/believe he's secretly doing something to get Laura Ling and Euna Lee released from that North Korean labor camp.)

You may remember Al's awesome speech to the Daughters of the American Revolution, when he challenged America to get 100% of our power from clean energy sources within 10 years. Repower America is the organization that grew in response to that challenge, with over 2 million members across the country.

The video above is the latest ad from Repower America, and it's just plain-talking awesomeness. The totally crusty, hardworking, traditional-seeming gentleman who stars in it hits all of the high points -- like how we're "held hostage by foreign oil" and "borrowing money to buy oil from dictators who don't like us" and "burning it in ways that kill God's green earth" -- using language that makes these ideas accessible and palatable to non-bleeding heart liberals. You know, like the majority of the country.
And I swear he even makes it seem un-American to not be creating jobs harvesting clean, wind-powered energy.

It is thrilling to see this turning point happening, when all the kooky ideas from when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s -- like solar panels and wind power -- are now completely mainstream. It's also a scary time, when the world is taking steps to address the climate crisis, but we don't know if we're doing enough, or if it's too late.

I'm a believer in action and positive thinking, so whatever you're feeling about climate change and our nation's energy policy, go check out Repower America. If you like the ad, you can kick in $25 to help keep it on TV this summer, and help convince more people that clean energy isn't a liberal or conservative idea, it's just the right idea.

Do it for Al, and tell him I sent you!

UPDATE: I just got another email from Al, with a video, asking us to call our Representatives in Congress right now to encourage them to pass the legislation. Just call 877-9-REPOWER!

Al Gore Asked Me to Help Repower America originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McCormack School Kids Get Creative About Carbon Footprints

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Kids and Parenting, Activism, Climate Change

(Photo by Green Patriot Posters)

There are many ways to respond to the overwhelming concept of climate change -- often I find a nice organic wine to be quite soothing and medicinal when I start to hyperventilate while calculating the new coastlines that will result from melting polar caps.

The Canary Project has a more productive, or at least more creative response. They use "visual media, events, and artwork that builds public understanding of human-induced climate change and energize commitment to solutions." Using the power of images, they educate and motivate the public, with the goal of addressing climate change while we still have some options. One way they do this is through Green Patriot Posters, founded by Ed Morris, who also founded The Canary Project.

Green Patriot Posters makes modern, updated versions of those "We Can Do It!" style posters from World War II. They want to galvanize people to build a sustainable economy, and to adopt sustainable practices in their everyday lives, and they design cool posters to get the message out.

The latest Green Patriot Posters project is a partnership with Citizen Schools, a non-profit that provides after school programs to low-income middle school kids.

Together, they developed a curriculum to teach the students at McCormack School in Dorchester, MA about climate change. Then they developed a public art campaign, to let people know that kids are engaged in building their own sustainable futures.

In addition to learning about climate change, the kids designed really awesome sneakers with messages about reducing your carbon footprint -- get it? Footprint + sneakers? Totally creative, and educational, and fun.

And I have to admit, much more practical (and legal) than feeding organic wine to middle school kids.

(Photo by Green Patriot Posters)

McCormack School Kids Get Creative About Carbon Footprints originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 27 May 2009 12:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"The Dry Gardening Handbook" Book Review

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Movies, TV and Books, Climate Change, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Thames & Hudson)

For many of us, climate change means water shortage. Regions all over the world are experiencing drought, with corresponding restrictions on when and how you can use water. Gardeners feel these restrictions in a particularly sharp way. After all, the traditional, lush garden requires copious and regular irrigation, a practice that is becoming increasingly difficult -- even impossible -- to maintain.

The Dry Gardening Handbook - Plants and Practices for a Changing Climate is a new book by Oliver Filippi that offers an alternative perspective on the role of water in a planned garden. It provides options and techniques for a "dry garden" that leverages the natural traits of plants that thrive in "mediterrean" environments, like those found in Chile, California, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterrean region.

Although it's a relatively technical book -- there's lots of talk about dormancy and root development -- there are also hundreds of beautiful photos by the author who, with his wife, has dedicated 20 years to the study and cultivation of plants that thrive in dry conditions. You will gain a whole new appreciation for what defines a "beautiful garden."

The thing that makes this book a must have for gardeners who live in dry (or drying) climates is the A-Z index of plants that thrive without much water. The detailed entries -- over 400 of them, with illustrations -- make this intriguing book a valuable handbook and resource.

Even if you're a novice gardener, or don't have any green fingers at all, it's an educational read, as well as a fun one that communicates the Filippis' love of plants, and passion for this approach. Plus it's refreshing to read something that treats climate change as a condition we can react to, deal with and even learn from!

"The Dry Gardening Handbook" Book Review originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 13 May 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Itchy Issue of Recycled Toilet Paper

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Health, Home, Climate Change

(Photo by 7th Generation)

I wish I could say that I'm clueless about why The Recycled Toilet Paper Debate keeps coming up, but let's face it -- we've had the "Eco-sandpaper Experience." Butts are tender and recycled paper can be rough!

Compounding the difficulty of finding a recycled TP solution is the challenge of finding a brand that meets the whole family's demands for softness, absorbency and cost, while being made with an environmentally-correct amount of post-consumer waste.

So why bother? There are plenty of compelling reasons for using recycled bathroom tissue. As the Natural Resources Defense Council says:

"If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees."

Just to do the math for you, when we cut down trees, we end up with more CO2 in the air, which equals climate change and melting polar caps and general mayhem. We need all the trees we can get.

At last it seems like technology is catching up with need. Recycled product choices have multiplied, and there are many recycled offerings that are both quilted and soft. Of course, the proof is in the wiping, so if you want to do your own comparison, take a look at:

Seventh Generation -- 100% recycled, 80% post-consumer, quilted and surprisingly soft
Trader Joe's -- 100% recycled, 80% post-consumer, and love that jumbo pack!
Marcal Small Steps -- 100% recycled, minimum 60% post-consumer, 50 years of experience making recycled paper
Scott Naturals -- 40% virgin fiber isn't great, but is better than 100% virgin fiber and you gotta start somewhere!

Got a bathroom favorite not on the list? Share in the comments!

The Itchy Issue of Recycled Toilet Paper originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 12 May 2009 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Prince, a Frog and the Rainforest - No Joke, Just a New Campaign to Stop Climate Change

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:11:00 EST

Filed under: Polit-eco, Activism, Climate Change

Even though HRH Prince Charles has been an environmental crusader for many years, lately he's been catching a lot of flack for all of the CO2 he emits while crusading against climate change.

(People! He's a prince! Royalty! He's never going to fly economy class from London to Rome. Never! If for no other reason than it's a huge security hazard for the other passengers!)

The Prince's preference for private jets aside, he is a very smart man who has spent years studying -- and crusading for -- ways to conserve the wild places in the world. In advance of the big climate summit in Copenhagen, he is kicking off a new campaign to save rainforests, with help from celebrities like Daniel Craig, the Dalai Lama, Joss Stone, Harrison Ford, and of course, Kermit the Frog.

I say "of course" because Kermit is always sticking his cold green area-that-would-be-a-nose, if he had one, into environmental causes. And also because the star of the campaign is another frog, a surprisingly lifelike animated frog that appears alongside the stars and "ribbits' at humorous moments.

The campaign is part of "The Prince's Rainforest Project" which has two goals:

to raise awareness of the damaging effects for everyone of deforestation
to identify appropriate incentives that will encourage rainforest nations to stop burning down vast areas of valuable trees.

My favorite part of this video is when Prince Charles points out that one way to save the rainforests to make the trees as valuable when they are alive and "breathing" as when they are chopped down for timber and to clear farm land. See? The Prince is a smart guy! And surprisingly practical for someone who mostly lives in castles with tons of servants, and who refers to himself in the plural.

Most importantly, he's a guy who is using his position to help save the world. It's almost enough to make me forgive him for the whole Princess Diana thing. In fact, if he can stop climate change, I'm willing to call it even.

A Prince, a Frog and the Rainforest - No Joke, Just a New Campaign to Stop Climate Change originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 07 May 2009 12:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leonardo DiCarprio Gets the Green Kids' Choice Award

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Climate Change

Things have been sort of quiet on the "Leonardo DiCaprio save the Earth" front lately, so it's good to hear that he won the Kids' Choice Green Award.

Surprisingly, this is the first time Nickelodeon has given out an environmentally-related award, which DiCaprio received from his old buddy and fellow eco-celebrity Cameron Diaz.

It's good to see the media outlets that target kids continue to get more engaged in the "green movement". After all, it's the kids that are going to have to deal with this mess in a hundred years, not us.

Also, as we saw with the Obama campaign, when you get the kids involved and motivated, participation from everyone increases. DiCarprio made a direct plea to the young audience, encouraging them to do their part to solve global warming.

So you hear that you younguns out there? Listen to Uncle Leo - It's up to you!

Leonardo DiCarprio Gets the Green Kids' Choice Award originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earth Hour is Here - Shut off Those Lights!

Cat Lincoln — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Activism, Climate Change

Donny and Marie are turning off the lights in Vegas!

We've been talking about it for ages, and at last, the day has arrived: Earth Hour!

Around the world, cities and major landmarks are turning off the power for one hour tonight, 8:30 pm, local time.

We've told you about the celebrities (why, Hello there Ed Norton!) who are involved, we warned you about the dangers of candles, even shared a parody concept (no, Josh wasn't serious about Energy Wasting Day, he's either very brave or very foolish to taunt our passionate, occasionally humor-challenged, green readers in this way).

You've been informed, now the rest is up to you. Gather the kids and loved ones, make a fire, or sit on your deck and watch the stars with your feet up.

And remember, even using battery power on your laptop is totally cheating. Shut down!

Earth Hour is Here - Shut off Those Lights! originally appeared on Green Daily on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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