Eclectic Green

Are Climate Change and Global Warming one and the same thing?.... NO !

2012-01-08T01:13:00.001+02:00

Read about the important differences between "Climate Change" and "Global Warming".

A MUST read: IPCC report 17 November 2007

2011-04-06T17:22:00.000+02:00

In November 2007 the IPCC issued its "strongest call for immediate action to save humanity from the deadly consequences of unrestrained greenhouse gas emissions."

The report which was signed off by 130 nations including the United States and China, slammed the door on any argument for further delay and made it clear that under no circumstances should we listen to those who urge that we wait to develop new technology.

Panel members said "their review of the data led them to conclude as a group and individually that reductions in greenhouse gasses had to start immediately to avert a global climate disaster that could leave island states submerged and abandoned, African crop yields decreased by 50 percent, and cause over a 5 percent decrease in global gross domestic product."

The report can be read here : IPCC Report 17 November 2007

What path is the Real World Following ...?

2010-08-18T01:06:00.000+02:00

Updating the Climate Science

What Path is the Real World Following?

Makiko Sato & James Hansen

Columbia University
web page maintained by Makiko Sato (mhs119@columbia.edu)

What happens to coral when the oceans warm up?

2010-08-05T15:57:00.000+02:00

Professor Simon Donner of the University of British Columbia says that in 30-50 years, if they do not adapt, we will see corals bleaching and starving as the oceans warm up.

Poison Gas, Clean Energy ...... ??

2010-05-30T10:10:00.008+02:00

Imagine my surprise to read an article by the National Geographic News reporting that “Poison Gas may produce Clean Energy” At first I thought, now if this isn’t an Oxymoron, then I don’t know !

However reading the article proved to be interesting. Apparently an area of the Black Sea has carried very little life for decades now as a result of toxic waster that has been allowed to pollute the waters. But it seems now that these very waters may just be useful in capturing hydrogen sulfide gas which scientists believe could become a new source of ‘clean power’.

The lack of oxygen in the waters of the Black Sea has created this massive concentration of ‘good’, albeit poisonous gas. Here is an instance where pollution can be put to good use, according to Mehmet Haklidir of the Tübitak Marmara Research Center in Gebze-Kocaeli Turkey.

It can be likened to “killing two birds with one stone”. We take out the bad and we get the good, all in one action. Well sort of! It’s not that simple.
In a previous blog I wrote about Gas Hydrate studies being research in the Gulf of Mexico. Maybe there is hope after all.

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7348103828116895593&postID=284827296356429944

Read the full NGN article here:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090324-black-sea-energy.html?source=rss

Influence of climate warming on the increase of tick borne diseases

2010-05-12T19:41:00.011+02:00

Climate warming is affecting the increase of tick borne diseases....

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081129100146.htm

If you are out in the bush and enjoy hiking, here is a link to an interesting article on ticks:

http://jhbhiking.org.za/cms/index.php?_qnz

A Woman for All Seasons

2010-05-11T21:17:00.003+02:00

Read about the Times Live interview with Professor Coleen Vogel, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

More from Eyjafjallajokull - The Big Picture - Boston.com

2010-04-23T13:06:00.001+02:00

EARTH HOUR 2010

2010-03-27T01:20:00.005+02:00

Here are a couple of links of interest:

http://www.oneclimate.net/2010/03/26/earth-hour-2010-3/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUPKTQlPc2E&feature=player_embedded

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Response from Nestle

2010-03-26T14:57:00.003+02:00

-----Original Message-----
From: Consumer Services,RANDBURG [mailto:Consumer.Services@za.nestle.com]
Sent: 26 March 2010 01:23 PM
Subject: Palm Oil

Thank you for contacting us regarding Palm Oil.

We share the deep concern about the serious environmental threat to rainforests and peat fields in South East Asia caused by the planting of palm oil plantations. The company recently announced its commitment to using only "Certified Sustainable Palm Oil" by 2015, when sufficient quantities should be available.

Because of our commitment, we are taking all feasible steps to impact our suppliers to assure that we don't buy palm oil which contributes to deforestation.

As a part of this commitment, we have accelerated the investigation of our palm oil supply chain to identify any palm oil source which does not meet our high standards for sustainability. Given our uncompromising food safety standards, we have done this in a deliberate manner as we use palm oil for food products rather than for soap or other personal care products.

Specifically, Nestlé has replaced the Indonesian company Sinar Mas as a supplier of palm oil with another supplier for further shipments. We confirm that Nestlé has only bought from Sinar Mas for manufacturing in Indonesia, and no palm oil bought from Sinar Mas has been used by Nestlé for manufacturing in any other country.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need any more information.

Kind regards
Liz Willcox
Consumer Services Consultant
Nestlé (South Africa)(Pty) Limited
(011) 889 6279

-----Original Message-----
From: Consumer Services,RANDBURG [mailto:Consumer.Services@za.nestle.com]
Sent: 26 March 2010 01:23 PM
To: pam.thomson@tiscali.co.za
Subject: Palm Oil

Dear Mrs Thomson

Thank you for contacting us regarding Palm Oil.

We share the deep concern about the serious environmental threat to rainforests and peat fields in South East Asia caused by the planting of palm oil plantations. The company recently announced its commitment to using only "Certified Sustainable Palm Oil" by 2015, when sufficient quantities should be available.

Because of our commitment, we are taking all feasible steps to impact our suppliers to assure that we don't buy palm oil which contributes to deforestation.

As a part of this commitment, we have accelerated the investigation of our palm oil supply chain to identify any palm oil source which does not meet our high standards for sustainability. Given our uncompromising food safety standards, we have done this in a deliberate manner as we use palm oil for food products rather than for soap or other personal care products.

Specifically, Nestlé has replaced the Indonesian company Sinar Mas as a supplier of palm oil with another supplier for further shipments. We confirm that Nestlé has only bought from Sinar Mas for manufacturing in Indonesia, and no palm oil bought from Sinar Mas has been used by Nestlé for manufacturing in any other country.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need any more information.

Kind regards
Liz Willcox
Consumer Services Consultant
Nestlé (South Africa)(Pty) Limited
(011) 889 6279

-----Original Message-----
From: Application,CONSOPLUS_CC_1,VEVEY,GLOBE Center CSC
Sent: 25 March 2010 04:01
To: Consumer Services,RANDBURG
Subject: Web contact from South Africa. Key: 372268

Kind regards
Liz Willcox
Consumer Services Consultant
Nestlé (South Africa) (Pty) Limited
+27 11 889 6279

-----Original Message-----
From: Application,CONSOPLUS_CC_1,VEVEY,GLOBE Center CSC
Sent: 25 March 2010 11:54
To: Consumer Services,RANDBURG
Subject: Web contact from South Africa. Key: 371992

I am most concerned to learn about the plight of the Orangutans in the forests from where you obtain your palm oil. Please can you enlighten me on what measures Nestle are taking to ensure their natural habitat is maintained? Thanking you in anticipation Pamela Thomson

Greenpeace vs Nestle and the Orangutans...

2010-03-25T10:48:00.008+02:00

Ask Nestle to give the rain forests a Break !

Nestle have blocked emails sent to them requesting them to find sustainable ways of harvesting palm oil for their chocolate.

Please take a look at this link and give them a call with the questions posed.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/kitkat/kitkat-action/kit-kat-call

2010-02-13T23:31:00.001+02:00

How to Deal with Two-Faced People at Work
This was written in response to a request from a good friend. There is no simple solution to the problem of dealing with a two-face on the job, but here ar some things I tried that have worked for me.
Read More

Climate Change Is Not Taken Seriously Because Media Is Not Highlighting Its Significance, Expert Says

2010-02-13T14:48:00.000+02:00

Climate Change Is Not Taken Seriously Because Media Is Not Highlighting Its Significance, Expert Says

International Day of Climate Action 24 Oct 09

2009-09-06T10:46:00.009+02:00

From: Bill McKibben - 350.org [mailto:organizers@350.org]
Sent: 25 August 2009 08:06 PM
Subject: A breakthrough moment. http://www.350.org

Dear friends,

For once, this email isn't asking you to do anything at all. It's merely sharing the news--the amazing news--that arrived about 45 minutes ago at 350 headquarters.

Rajendra Pachauri is the U.N.'s top climate scientist. He leads the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which every five years produces the authoritative assessment of climate science. Their last report, in 2007, helped set the target of 450 ppm (parts per million of CO2) that many environmental groups and national governments have adopted as their goal for Copenhagen.

As you all know, that number is out of date. When Jim Hansen and other scientists looked at phenomenon like the Arctic ice melt of the last two summers, they produced new data demonstrating that 350 is the bottom line for the planet.

But it's been hard to get that news out to the powers that be.
So today it comes as enormous and welcome news that Dr. Pachauri, from his New Delhi office, said that 350 was the number.

"As chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) I cannot take a position because we do not make recommendations," said Rajendra Pachauri when asked if he supported calls to keep atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations below 350 parts per million (ppm).

"But as a human being I am fully supportive of that goal. What is happening, and what is likely to happen, convinces me that the world must be really ambitious and very determined at moving toward a 350 target," he told Agence France Presse in an interview.

It's your work that has made this breakthrough possible. In fact, Pachauri specifically cited the last big piece of news for 350: the decision of 80+ small island nations and less developed countries to endorse the 350 target.

"I think this is a good development," said Pachauri. "Now people -- including some scientists -- see the seriousness of the impacts of climate change, and the fact that things are going to get substantially worse than what we had anticipated."

This news makes it much easier for all of us to push hard leading up to the International Day of Climate Action on the 24th of October (signup to start or attend an event at www.350.org) , and the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December.

It's clear now that science is powerfully on the side of the 350 target. Now we need the political world to follow suit. You will make that happen in the next two months. Oct. 24 is officially 60 days away, and we're building just the momentum we need to make it count.

Thanks for all you do,

Bill McKibben

P.S. Once you've spread this news around your networks (click here to share it on twitter or here to share it on facebook), please go celebrate. And speaking of celebrations, our friends at The Age of Stupid report that the Global Premier of their new epic climate change film takes place on September 21--you can find details on local screenings here: www.ageofstupid.net
________________________________________

You should join us on Facebook by becoming a fan of our page at facebook.com/350org and follow us on twitter by visiting twitter.com/350

To join our list (maybe a friend forwarded you this e-mail) visit www.350.org/signup

350.org needs your help! To support our work, donate securely online at 350.org/donate

________________________________________

350.org is an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. By spreading an understanding of the science and a shared vision for a fair policy, we will ensure that the world creates bold and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. 350.org is an independent and not-for-profit project.

What is 350? 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Scientists measure carbon dioxide in "parts per million" (ppm), so 350ppm is the number humanity needs to get below as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. To get there, we need a different kind of PPM-a "people powered movement" that is made of of people like you in every corner of the planet.

Building a Healthy Home

2009-06-18T21:48:00.020+02:00

http://www.copyrightfreephotos.com/gallery/buildings/3/81647527/

A great number of people dismiss the idea of "Sick Building Syndrome" but having worked in a building which was the cause of some health problems, I do believe that this syndrome exists.

There is a plethora of health hazards in and around the building environment. Problems can arise from the products used in construction, so careful consideration is required of the materials that are to be used in the construction.

More and more children suffer from asthma. Breast cancer has doubled since the 1960's. Could these conditions be linked to the buildings we live or work in?

The indoor air quality can be affected from anything from carpets to paint. Other hazards are radon, mold, fungus, mildew, formaldehyde together with the use of chemicals and plastics in and around the buildings add to the pollution of the office or home. Health effects can include allergies, unusual bleeding or memory loss.

Insufficient studies have been conducted and few professionals really understand the full extent of the impact of these substances on the mental and physical health of the human body, net alone the ecology of the planet.

Building Biology looks at this this problem as a whole and provides realistic solutions to create buildings that support the mind, body and soul.

Click the title for a list of 12 building principals to create a healthy home / office.

Paint your roof white

2009-06-12T21:30:00.028+02:00

I've heard talk in the last few weeks of the benefits of painting roofs white so as to reflect the heat of the sun back into the atmosphere, in an attempt to lessen the amount of heat being retained by earth.

At first I thought this a joke, then I read that Obama's climate Guru, Steven Chu, the US Secretary of Energy and a Nobel prize-winning scientist, said that painting roofs white and making pavements white or light-coloured would help to reduce global warming by both conserving energy and reflecting sunlight back into space. It would, he said, be the equivalent of taking all the cars in the world off the road for 11 years.

Houses with white roofs, like those found in Greece, would be able to reflect light back through the atmosphere. However, it won't work if you and I just decide to do it. It would need cities to participate to make any impact.

It's like planting a tree - it is still a good idea, but to make any impact, forests would need to be planted and not only that, their locations would need to be worked out scientifically so as to maximize the effect.

However, I have to wonder at how often the roofs would have to be painted especially as white won't stay white for long !

But what about conservation laws and local planning authorities? It seems that flats roofs could be covered with a solar reflective paint, but not roof that are angled. I'm trying to find out why this would be a problem.

How many light bulbs does it take to change a man?

2009-05-11T22:24:00.006+02:00

David MacKay is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Cambridge University.

In this video clip he shows what will make a difference at home, but as he says this is not enough. The savings in energy by individuals is minimal. What is needed is national changes to energy production. Can I add... we need Global changes to make a difference.

How Many Light Bulbs? from Cambridge Ideas from Cambridge University on Vimeo.

Go-Green: Pay your bills electronically

2009-04-26T22:15:00.026+02:00

Now I don't know about you, but I think paying my bills electronically is a whole lot better than standing in queues.

I'd rather go without cash than stand in a queue at the bank. If there are queues at the Food Market, I make another plan.

Bottom line - I don't do queues !

So, whether you are thinking of saving Dollars, Pounds, Rands or even Kulula Moolah, here is something to think about!

It is reported by newsday.com that for every 38,000 bills paid online in the US, 5,058 pounds of greenhouse gases are avoided and two tons of trees are preserved, according to NACHA -- The Electronic Payments Association, a non-profit organization.

Using direct payment also saves a person about $150 annually in stamp and check/cheque costs and late fees, NACHA estimates, not to mention the cost of fuel and your time.

If your employer pays you by check/cheque, ask them to consider 'Going-Green" and to pay you via a direct deposit to help cut back your paper trail, never mind that of the company.

Going Green can be as simple as considering little things like paying your bills electronically. That's another one I can add to my going list of 'Gone-Green'.

For More Green Tips and Facts click here:
http://www.newsday.com/features/lifestyle/green/stv-green-storygallery-tipsandfacts,0,5974673.storygallery

Scottish Climate Change Bill

2009-04-25T00:45:00.015+02:00

Join Friends of Earth Scotland for the first ever 'mass lobby' of the Scottish Parliament on 29th June 2009. People from every part of Scotland need to congregate at Holyrood to meet with their MSP, for one big push before the Bill becomes Law.

This bill has the potential of global influence for the decision-makers in Copenhagen in December 2009. If you would like to be part of this effort, click the title for the link to sign up. The event is planned to coincide with the final vote on the Bill.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided and travel expenses reimbursed.

What can I do to help the Environment

2009-04-18T20:09:00.012+02:00

No prizes for this, but to get an idea of where you fit in to the Green Movement, ask yourself this question.

“What am I doing to help the environment?”

• Reduce, Re-use and Re-Cycle
• Changed to Compact Fluorescent light bulbs
• Find out where your local re-cycling Centres are and support them
• Stopped buying bottled water
• Started a Car Pool
• Plan your trips to the shops
• Using environmentally friendly laundry soap and cleaners
• Recycle your waste products weekly/monthly
• Started a compost pile / worm farm
• Grow your own veggies
• Unplug electrical appliances at work or home when not in use
• Buy local
• Eat Local
• Holiday local
• Go Solar
• Eat less meat
• Put a brick in your toilet cistern (or use an empty 2lt milk bottle and fill with gravel to weigh it down – save 20% of water consumption)
• Fit a Toilet-Hippo
• Fit low-flow shower heads
• Shower instead of bathing
• Buy a rain water tank to use for your garden and veggie patch
• Convert your garden to an indigenous garden which requires les water
• Fix all your taps leaks – change washers
• Close the tap when brushing your teeth
• Read ALL labels and keep away from TEA (triethanolamine), DEA (diethanolamine) and MEA (monoethanolamine), methylparaben, DBP (dibutyl phthalate), DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) used in your beauty products.

The Age of Stupid

2009-04-14T22:49:00.003+02:00

Team Stupid tells climate activists: Get a Job

Maldives to become the worlds first Carbon Neutral Country !

2009-04-14T22:20:00.008+02:00

President Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives has a message and it goes like this: "Please don't be stupid!"

He has announced to the world that the Maldives will be the first carbon neutral country in the world in the next 10 years and that it is achievable. "The cost of this probably will be high, but please understand that failure to act will cost us the world. If the Maldives, a small relatively poor country can achieve a big reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions there can be no excuse from richer nations who claim that going green is too complex, too expensive or too much bother. Now the world has an opportunity to come together and prevent the looming environmental catastrophe. This opportunity as we all know is called Copenhagen. And let's be very frank about this. Copenhagen can be one of two things. In can be an historic event where the world unites in a collective spirit of cooperation and collaboration. Or Copenhagen can be a suicide pact. The choice is that stark. My message to you, my message to the world, is simply this: please don't be stupid."

Poison Gas, Clean Energy ? !

2009-03-28T11:37:00.011+02:00

Poison Gas, Clean Energy? ! ……

At first I thought, now if that isn’t an Oxymoron, then I don’t know ! But imagine my surprise when reading an article by the National Geographic News reporting that “Poison Gas may produce Clean Energy”. OK, now there's a thought!

However, reading the article proved to be interesting. Apparently the area of the Black Sea has carried very little life for decades now, as a result of toxic waster that has been allowed to pollute the waters. But it seems now that these very waters may just be useful in capturing hydrogen sulfide gas which scientists believe could become a new source of ‘clean power’.

The lack of oxygen in the waters of the Black Sea has created this massive concentration of ‘good’, albeit poisonous gas. Here is an instance where pollution can be put to good use, according to Mehmet Haklidir of the Tübitak Marmara Research Center in Gebze-Kocaeli Turkey.

It's like “killing two birds with one stone”. We take out the bad stuff and we get the good, all in one action. Well sort of! It’s not really that simple.

In a previous blog I wrote about Gas Hydrate studies being researched in the Gulf of Mexico. Maybe there is hope after all.

http://eclecticgreen.blogspot.com/2008/11/new-energy-solutions-for-building.html

Click the title for access to the original NGN article.

Wits University strongly condemns the action of the South African government in denying His Holiness the Dalai Lama access to SA.

2009-03-25T17:59:00.011+02:00

25th March 2009
Message from the VC,Prof. Loyiso Nongxa
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
University of the Witwatersrand

Dear Colleagues

As you may know, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was scheduled to deliver a public lecture at Wits University on Saturday, 28 March 2009. This event has been cancelled due to the South African government not granting a visa to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The University will issue the following statement publicly this morning.

STATEMENT FROM WITS UNIVERSITY PERTAINING TO THE GOVERNMENT’S REJECTION OF A VISIT BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA TO SOUTH AFRICA

Wits University expresses its profound dismay at the decision taken by the South African government not to grant a visa to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to attend a Peace Conference in South Africa along with other Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

The University does not accept the rationale offered by the South African government to bar this stalwart of peace from entering the country. The decision of the government ridicules the values enshrined in our Constitution, and the freedoms for which so many South African have lived, and indeed died.

The Dalai Lama was scheduled to deliver a public address at Wits University on Saturday, 28 March 2009, following on a similar lecture that he delivered to a full capacity audience at Wits during his last visit to the country. To have the voice of the Dalai Lama silenced at both the Peace Conference and the Wits Public Lecture is a setback to the principle that rigorous intellectual debate and reflection is central to the defence of democracy. As part of its commitment to being a publicly engaged institution, Wits hosts numerous public engagement activities and provides an intellectual platform for robust debate. We believe that making differing perspectives and views accessible to our community is a vital part of sustaining and defending the constitutional values that we express as a country.

No country in the world has produced as many Peace Prize Laureates as South Africa, a testament both to the struggles that we have waged in this country for the principles of human rights, as well as to the great stature of the South Africans who have found transcendent ways of expressing the struggle for freedom. It is with this tradition in mind that we view the exclusion of the Dalai Lama from our shores with grave misgivings. This betrayal of a key constitutional value provides a clear window into the fragility of the democracy we are trying to sustain.

It is our responsibility as a University to express our concern at this development. Wits University takes this opportunity to strongly condemn the action of the South African government in denying His Holiness the Dalai Lama access to South Africa.

We add our voice to that of other leaders, calling on the South African government to apologise to the nation for this oversight. It is a betrayal of everything that we, as South Africans, fought against during the apartheid regime and a gross violation of the values we espouse as a nation.

Prof. Loyiso Nongxa
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Wits University

EARTH HOUR 2009

2009-03-19T00:27:00.018+02:00

Be the Voice for our Planet
(Click Link on EARTH HOUR 2009 Above)

Earth Hour shows the way for energy efficiency
The following press release, issued by Eskom, was sent out to the media on Earth Hour.
South Africans have contributed 400MW electricity savings to the Earth Hour initiative, says Dr Steve Lennon, MD Corporate Services and Eskom climate change champion.
"The 400MW translates to about 4 million 100W bulbs or 6,7 million 60W bulbs switched off on Saturday. This shows a concerted effort by approximately 1 million households."
From an environmental angle, every person who participated in the Earth Hour initiative in South Africa can say that he or she contributed to the saving of 400 tons of carbon dioxide, 224 tons of coal and some 576 kilolitres of water due to the power stations not needing to generate the 400MW.
Lights on average consume about 10% of household electricity, whereas geysers use as much as 40% of the total electricity bill. Imagine if we all switched off our geysers as well on Saturday. This goes to show that we as South Africans can really make a difference with very little effort.
The Power Alert broadcast on SABC every week day shows South Africans the status of the electricity system. This to some extent serves as our own earth hour "energy conscience".
"We believe that the Earth Hour initiative has created incredible excitement around the need for efficient use of energy. As South Africa’s primary supplier of electricity, our hope is that all South Africans harness this excitement and use energy wisely every day of the year.
Dr Steve Lennon
Managing Director (Corporate Services Division)

By adding your name to the 1 billion strong petition that will be sent to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, you will become part of a powerful demonstration of solidarity on any matter in the history of our Planet.

Please help to put pressure on global leaders to pass legislation on climate change.

The more people who get involved, the more impact it will have, so PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

On 28 March 2009 do your bit for the environment and join one billion people around the globe in switching off lights from 8.30 to 9.30 pm. The main aim of Earth Hour 2009 is to show governments, individuals and businesses that it is possible to take action on global warming.

WWF South Africa is planning to get one million dwellings and offices to switch off their lights and three million to sign up. Click the link ABOVE to sign up.

1. Please take one minute to sign up - it really is quick to do and a nice way to support WWF.

2. It is also a good excuse for a candlelit outdoor dinner and look at the stars.

3. Please spread the word to help them reach their targets

Switch off your lights for Earth Hour

The Age of Stupid Premier Websteam

2009-03-15T16:56:00.024+02:00

Tonight, 15 March 2009 at about 7pm UK time, anyone NOT in the UK will be able to watch the green carpet shenanigans live on the website, but not the whole film obviously. The Astroturf provided by Astro Man saved the green carpet day by lending the organisers a long strip of astroturf. Not just reused, but going off after wards to be used again....

Guiness Book of Records: "Yes we will be the biggest simultaneous premiere in film history. The "simultaneous" is highly important: without it, Star Wars pips us to the post." says director Franny Armstrong.

Watch all the live action taking place in Leicester Square. There is a huge tent and banks of solar panels set up to make this all happen. Be part of all the fun that has been taking place over the last few days.

Todays Press: The Scotsman
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/It39s-the-environment-stupid.5067460.jp

Wake Up, Freak Out, Then Get A Grip !

2009-03-14T12:14:00.001+02:00

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Dead Mars, Dying Earth

2009-03-10T21:39:00.015+02:00

Authors:
Dr. John E. Brandenburg & Monica Rix Paxson

We know there was once life on Mars: We have found the evidence in meteorites.
So the question is, how alive was Mars and how did it die?

What could the demise of Mars reveal about the future of our own planet, Earth?

In this compelling account, scientist John E Brandenburg, Ph.D. and Monica Rix Paxon reveal the deadly connection between the two planets.

Dead Mars, Dying Earth is the remarkable true story of scientific discoveries that have consequences for the entire human race, present and future. Detailing three decades of Martian exploration – from the first pictures sent back by Mariner 9 to the discovery of Martian microfossils – the authors show how the facts about Mars expose the danger that our own planet is in. We are on course for global disaster; unless we take immediate action our own planet may suffer a similar fate to Mars.

Through global warming, the thinning of the ozone layer and our continued use of fossil fuels, we are reversing the process that first made human life possible on Earth and that once nurtured life on Mars. We have set ourselves on course for extinction, but we can certainly slow the process down. And we may even be able to reverse it completely by adhering to the suggested strategy outlined in this book.

Blending scientific reason with human passion, Dead Mars, Dying Earth calls us to take immediate responsibility for the world in which we live.

Posted with kind permission of Dr John E. Brandenburg

Life after Kyoto

2009-03-04T22:39:00.016+02:00

The Protocol, signed in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997, is an agreement by industrialised countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 5.2 percent from 1990 levels over the first implementation period. The first commitment period comes to an end after 2012. Under Kyoto all industrialised countries, with the exception of the United States and Australia, have until 2012 to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Kyoto is considered to be a good foundation, a first stepping stone as it were, in addressing climate change seriously.

In principle, it binds participating industrialised countries to cut emissions. Industrialised countries produce the largest amounts of emissions through industry and transportation, and should therefore take prime responsibility to reverse the problem.

Global temperatures have risen 0.6°C in the last 140 years and most scientists predict that the Earth will warm 1.4 - 5.8°C by 2100.

Greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, are created by the burning of fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil. Scientists suggest these gases are leading to abnormal global warming by trapping the Sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere, much like a blanket. This in turn leads to a disruption of sensitive climate patterns, leading to climate change.

Economists and other scholars, especially in the US, have been critical of the Kyoto Protocol. They have raised concerns that because of its specific deficiencies it will be ineffective for the problem, and it will be relatively costly for the little bit it accomplishes.

Others have been more supportive of the protocol, noting that it is essentially the only plan on the table at present. However, both sides agree that whether this first step is good or bad, a second step is required.

Given the global nature of the climate change problem, the second step will need to be an international agreement. Workshops are being planned at participating universities to formalize the basic shape and structure of that agreement.

For a post-Kyoto deal to be effective in combating global warming, the world’s number one polluter, the United States, must be involved. As must Brazil, China and India with their steadily growing economies. Heated debates are already underway on how binding targets should be set and for which countries.

To keep the process on the line, there is an urgent need for a new climate protocol.

In the run up to the Climate Conference in Copenhagen planned from the 6th to 18th December, 2009, there is a Scientific Climate Congress being held in Copenhagen from the 10th to 12th March 2009.

The main aim of this congress is to examine existing and emerging scientific knowledge in order to make intelligent societal decisions concerning application of mitigation and adaptation strategies in response to climate change.

These decisions will then be carried on to the Climate Conference in Copenhagen planned from the 6th to 18th December, 2009 . The Danish government and UNFCCC is making a hard effort for the meeting in Copenhagen to be a success, ending up with a Copenhagen Protocol to prevent global warming and climate changes, post-Kyoto.

Greenwashing !

2009-03-01T21:07:00.013+02:00

It is easy to get caught up in the hype about Green Talk that is doing the rounds in advertising and magazines today, but we do need to see things in perspective.

As Hip as it might be to be seen as Green now we have to take care. Products are being marketed with this slant more and more as The Green Theme catches on. At times the claims can be misleading and sometimes even downright fraudulent. Everyone wants to be seen as ‘Green’, or at least pretend to be.

How do you know who to trust out there? When we spend our hard earned money we expect that we are going to get whatever claims the manufacturer makes. Spending that little bit extra to ‘make a difference’ may make you feel good, but it may not leave as much of a positive impact on the planet as you may expect.

Such deception is known as ‘greenwashing’ and unfortunately, it's fairly rampant. Learn to be skeptical and know that there are a lot of companies quite happy to take the green bucks from your pocket than actually supply a product that is truly green.

‘Natural’, ‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘Organic’ tend to give the impression that the product has been produced in a manner that does not cause any harm to the planet, but at times, these are just blatant untruths. Demand to see proof that the product is what it says it is.

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing has produced a document which is called the "six sins of greenwashing". You can learn more about this from this link:
http://www.terrachoice.com/files/6_sins.pdf

THE AGE OF STUPID - Press Release

2009-02-28T00:29:00.016+02:00

The People’s Premiere. “The Age of Stupid” will be launched on March 15th in a solar cinema tent in the park in Leicester Square, and simultaneously at more than 60 other venues, including The Eden Project and a kids-only event in Fulham. As an INclusive, rather than EXclusive,premiere, the public can buy tickets (£10, from today) to their local cinema and watch the green carpet arrivals and post-film Q&A live by satellite link-up from London. The whole event - but not the complete film, obviously - will also stream live on the internet and in Second Life.

Eco-Premiere. The star of the film, Pete Postlethwaite, will arrive by solar car before posingfor the papparazzi on the green carpet. Other celebs will come on foot, bicycle, bike rickshaw, public transport or biodiesel cars (chip fat from local Leicester Square chippies will be collected in wheelbarrows by youth volunteers on the Friday). Every part of the event - from power sources, to food, to transport, to ink, to clothing - is genuinely green, as opposed to greenwashed. Full eco-audit available soon: www.ageofstupid.net/ecoaudit

From Land’s End to John O’Groats (nearly). The participating cinemas are in Aberdeen, Bath, Birmingham, Blackburn, Braehead, Bristol, Bury, Cambridge, Cardiff, Carlisle, Cheshire, Clones, Cornwall (Eden Project), Croydon, Edinburgh, Enniskillen, Exeter, Glasgow, Guilford, Harrow, Hartlepool, Hatfield, Hull, Inverness, Kingston, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Livingston, London (8 locations), Maidenhead, Manchester, Milford Haven, Naul, Newcastle, Newcastle West, Norwich, Oxford, Plymouth, Portlaoise, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Romford, Scunthorpe, Southport, Staines, Swindon, Tinahely, Tunbridge Wells, Watford, Wigan and York.

List of venues & booking info: www.ageofstupid.net/premiere.
Largest Ever Premiere? With a capacity of over 16,000, the Guinness Book of Records will hopefully soon confirm The Age of Stupid as the largest ever film premiere. The event is supported by the UK FIlm Council.

Eden Project Premiere. Transition Towns founder Rob Hopkins will introduce the Eden event and host the Q&A afterwards. Tickets £10 from Eden box office or www.ageofstupid.net/premiere

Youth Premiere. The Fulham Vue cinema will host an event for under 18s, organised by
WeCAN, with young speakers and action packs to take away. The film has a 12A rating, so any children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Equally, any adult without a child will not be admitted. Enquiries: info@wecan.uk.com. Press: 07970 870 026

Running Order (all cinemas, inc Eden and Youth)
5.00pm Green carpet arrivals (London only)
5.15pm Doors open at cinemas
5.40pm Intro from local host in each venue
5.45pm LIVE satellite link-up from green carpet & solar tent
6.00pm The Age of Stupid (90 mins)
7.30pm LIVE satellite link-up from solar tent:
Q&A with filmmakers & special guests.

Pete Postlethwaite launches Not Stupid

8.00pm Local speakers in each venue
8.15pm ENDS

PRESS RELEASE: 24 Feb 2009
‘The People’s Premiere’ launches Pete Postlethwaite’s new climate movie on March 15 from solar cinema tent in Leicester Square and across the UK via satellite link-up
Live on the Internet. Free, live webstream at www.ageofstupid.net/premiere_webstream
or in Second Life at www.oneclimate.net/stupid_premiere

Not Stupid and Copenhagen. All profits from the premiere will go to the new Not Stupid
climate action campaign, which Pete Postlethwaite will launch by starting a giant countdown marking the remaining days, hours & minutes till the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December.

Copenhagen is being called “The most important meeting in human history” as it is where the successor to the Kyoto Treaty will be finalised. Not Stupid is supported by all the key climate NGOs, including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Stop Climate Chaos. The ambitious aim is to turn 250 million viewers of the film into climate activists, all focused on Copenhagen.

Donations are most welcome and can be made at www.ageofstupid.net/donate
Win Tickets. Anyone donating £50 or more to the Not Stupid campaign will be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to the solar tent. www.ageofstupid.net/donate

The Age of Stupid stars Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father,
Usual Suspects) as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking back at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we save ourselves when we had the chance?

It was written and directed by Franny Armstrong (McLibel, Drowned Out) and exec-produced by John Battsek (Oscar-winning One Day in September).

Crowd-Funding. The £450,000 budget for the 90 minute film was raised by the filmmaker’s innovative “crowd-funding” model. 228 ordinary people invested between £500 and £35,000 and each own a percentage of profits. As do the crew, who worked at drastically reduced fees to keep costs down and deliver a big-budget film on the (relatively speaking) tiny budget.

Cinema Release, 20 March. The Age of Stupid is released on March 20 in ten UK cinemas: Bristol Watershed, Belfast Queen’s Theatre, Sheffield Showroom, Edinborough Film House, Glasgow Film Theatre, Inverness Eden Court Theatre, Cardiff Chapter Cinema, Kilburn (London) Tricycle, Bethnal Green (London) Rich Mix and Panton Street (London) Odeon.

Box office sales from the opening weekend determine whether it will expand to more cinemas or be dumped in the bin, so please, please bring ten friends to either the premiere or the opening week. Depending on the UK success, worldwide releases will follow later in 2009. (Sales agent: Celluloid Dreams, Paris.)

Awards & Prestigious Screenings. The film has already won the documentary world’s most
prestigious prize: a Grierson. It was screened at the UN Climate Summit in Poznan in Dec ‘08 (the precursor to Copenhagen), as well as at the British, EU and Dutch parliaments. Upcoming screenings include the Welsh, Scottish and Swedish parliaments.

Obama’s thinktank, The Center for American Progress, is hoping to host the Washington premiere in May and Kofi Annan has asked to host a screening at the Global Humanitarian Forum in June.

CONTACTS & LINKS
Press. Alex Sayer at Rogers and Cowan. asayer@rogersandcowan.com +44 (0)20 3048 0485
NGO Liason. Daniel Vockins. daniel@ageofstupid.net +44 (0)20 7267 1532
Speaker Liason. Katie Roberts. katier@ageofstupid.net +44 (0)20 7267 1532
Tickets & Booking Info: www.ageofstupid.net/premiere

PR Resources (press releases, high-res pics, facts). www.ageofstupid.net/pr_resources
NGO Resources (posters, pics, supporter info). www.ageofstupid.net/ngo_resources
Eco-Audit. www.ageofstupid.net/ecoaudit

Questionnaire

2009-02-12T20:14:00.029+02:00

Please click Above to to participate in our market research

Question yourself:
What have you done to help improve the environment?
• Changed to Compact Fluorescent light bulbs
• Stopped buying bottled water
• Started a Car Pool
• Using environmentally friendly laundry soap and cleaners
• Recycle your waste products weekly/monthly
• Started a compost pile / worm farm
• Unplug electrical appliances at work or home when not in use

2009 : New Year - New Beginnings

2009-01-01T19:04:00.018+02:00

With the arrival of 2009 let us start to ponder the many new ways we can contribute towards taking the stress away from the planet. If we all make small changes, as a whole, it would make a real difference.

Even thinking about your style of driving. Do you tend to put-foot the second the robot turns green? If you took off more slowly you would be saving some fuel and in turn some energy. You'll probably get there at the same time.

We need to relax and enjoy the moment. Take life in and not let it dash past us as we dash off into the future, because that is what it is exactly what we are doing.

No wonder the years fly past us before we know it.

Al Gore's passionate plea to the climate negotiators in Poznan, Poland

2008-12-28T12:08:00.021+02:00

For a transcript of his speech you can read below or click the title for a link to YouTube:

TRANSCRIPT
Speech as Delivered
Conference of Parties-14
Poznan, Poland
December 12, 2008

Introduction:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The man that I have the honor of introducing to you today really needs no introduction. He is well known in all corners of the world for his tireless work on bringing climate change to people's attention. He is known for transforming the complicated calculations, methods and projections of climate change science into something real, something tangible, something that everybody can comprehend, digest and integrate. And he did so at a time when a large part of the world didn't think it mattered, when the climate change skeptics still had their heyday but he persevered.

Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most inspirational leaders in the history of the world said halfway through the last century, that the most powerful force in politics but he persevered with conviction. He inspired people to listen, to stop to think and to act. Indeed without his key role in creating public awareness for climate change, the world probably wouldn't be pushing for solutions and political answers to climate
change in the way it increasingly is.

Together with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change he[Al Gore]very deservedly was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his invaluable efforts. Luckily for the world, his work continues and my hope is that it will contribute to
taking us all the way to Copenhagen and all the way to a truly global ambitious publicly supported and ratifiable climate change deal in 2009.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Al Gore.
[APPLAUSE]
Al Gore: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much for that warm welcome. And Yvo de Boer, thank you very much for your very generous introduction. And thank you for your leadership and tireless efforts in combating this crisis. Thank you so much. To all of the ministers, delegates, members of the NGO community, scientists,
especially members of the IPCC who are gathered here, to my good friend who has shown such leadership and courage Wangari Maathai who is also here somewhere, and to all of the distinguished guests, this is an unusual moment during this long journey that began 16 years ago in Rio de Janeiro. To all of you who have worked here in Poznan and to the many of you who have worked at conferences throughout this process,
thank you for your extraordinary efforts and for your remarkable achievements.

We, the human species, have arrived at a moment of fateful decision. It is unprecedented and in some ways even laughable to imagine that we could actually make a conscious choice as a species. But that is nevertheless the challenge that now faces us because our home, Earth, is in danger. What is at risk of being destroyed is of course not the planet itself but the conditions that have made it hospitable for human beings I will not dwell on the science but I want to state a few facts if only to underscore the urgency of our task. We are, after all, in a process of negotiation with one another around the world but it's important to remind ourselves that we cannot negotiate with the facts.

We cannot negotiate with the truth about our situation. We cannot negotiate with the consequences of unrestrained dumping of 70 million tons of global warming pollution into the thin shelf atmosphere surrounding our planet every 24 hours. Scientists have for several years now warned us that we are moving dangerously close to several so called tipping points that could within less than 10 years make it impossible to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet's habitability for human civilization unless we act quickly.

As many of you here know full well, in virtually all of the mountain ranges of this planet, the glaciers are now melting rapidly in the Alps in the Andes in the Rockies and most ominously in the Himalayas which contain number 100 times as much ice and snow of all of the mountains here in Europe. The leading Chinese scientist who studies ice, professor Yao Tandong calls the Tibetan plateau the water tower of Asia. As you know it feeds the great rivers of Asia, the Indus, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Salween and the Irawati, the Mekong, the Yangtze and the Yellow. 1.4
billion people depend for more than half of their drinking water on the rivers and spring systems that flow from the ice of the Tibetan plateau which is now melting at an alarming rate. Because the climate crisis has also increased the rate of soil moisture evaporation around the world and concentrated rainfall in shorter periods of time, shifting the seasons during which it falls, there is increased desertification and longer droughts, increasing stress on all of the people who live in the dry land regions of our world. Many shallow lakes, including prominently lake Chad, have disappeared. The Great Lakes of Africa are undergoing dramatic change, the Great Lakes of North America are losing their ice cover, and the water level is dropping dramatically.

Last year 2000 scientists gathered at the food and agriculture organization in Rome to discuss their fear of an impending crisis in the Mediterranean as it becomes saltier and as warmer water reaches its depths, threatening in the future to turn it into a stagnant sea if this process continues. The dumping of 25 million tons of CO2 into the oceans of the world every day, and the increasing acidification of the ocean
water along with rising temperature is putting stress on the ocean Fisheries throughout our planet. And as you know, the warming ocean waters are also causing stronger typhoons and cyclones and hurricanes.

Typhoon Saomai was the strongest to hit China in more than 50 years, two of the three strongest histories in history hit south Asia within the last 3 years, one of them killing 20,000 people in Myanmar. We have had such strong storms in North America as well, and in South America where Brazil had the first hurricane in recorded history. Massive flooding has resulted at record rates on every continent. Last year more than a dozen countries in Africa suffered the consequences of such flooding. Last year Mexico had record flooding. We have seen comparable events in Europe and throughout the world. Heat waves continue. Two winters ago was the hottest winter in the history of recorded atmospheric measurements. 20 of the 21 hottest years in recorded history have occurred in the last 25 years.

The university of Tel Aviv recently published a new study predicting that with each 1 degree increase in temperature there is a 10 percent increase in lightning, along with manmade causes, we are now seeing record fires as dryer soils and dryer
vegetation leads to spreading fires in Greece, for example last year and in many other countries as well. The extinction crisis is tearing at the fabric of the web of life, and the scientific consensus that we must take action was strengthened by the IPCC yet again earlier this year.

So the science is clear, and we are faced with a sharp contrast between two notional rates of change, first, the rate at which we are approaching a point of no return in terms of systems collapse, and second, the slower rate at which we have been addressing the problem of how to reduce the emissions that are causing this crisis. We are moving up against a physical standard that doesn't give credit for a good try.

We will succeed or we will fail. At every time of great challenge, we as human beings first of all must resolve a struggle in our own hearts between hope and fear. That struggle is palpable here during this meeting at Poznan. The causes for fear, pessimism, discouragement and doubt have been discussed in whispered conversations among the delegates here. The global recession, we are told, makes the task of solving the climate crisis more difficult. The businesses lobbies in the developed
nations we are told have too much power and may divert leaders from their obligation to safeguard our future. The prices for oil -- the prices for oil and coal have, in a cyclical and destructive pattern, once again risen to new highs in the first half of this year, contributing to the causes of the economic downturn, only then to once
again plummet to levels that threaten to discourage investments necessary to develop renewable sources of energy and effective measures to improve conservation and efficiency.

We are also told that even though people throughout the world are more aware of the unprecedented threat posed by the climate crisis, many still seem not to feel the
appropriate sense of urgency that should cause them to demand the emergency measures that the scientists have so clearly told us governments must take as quickly as possible. The gap between rich and poor as we are all aware is not being closed with sufficient speed to build the unity of purpose so desperately needed as a basis for
supporting global action. These are all causes for doubt, for fear, for pessimism. But in spite of these fears and doubts, you have continued your work and have continued to make steady progress in resolving many issues that once seemed intractable. Thank you.

And even though the steps that you have taken and that have been taken by nations around the world sometimes seem small and even though the progress seems painfully slow, it is worth taking stock and recognizing that this great enterprise that began 16 years ago has now taken us to a vantage point from which we can see the basis for success because in spite of the remaining obstacles and difficulties, I believe that the causes for hope and optimism are greater than the causes for doubt and discouragement, and I believe the road to Copenhagen is now clear.

Let me outline for you the basis for the hope and optimism that I feel in my heart. In the midst of this synchronized global recession, there is an emerging consensus throughout the world that the best, indeed the only way to effectively combat the recession is with a synchronized global stimulus and in nation after nation, leaders have concluded that they must design a green stimulus and build the infrastructure for
renewable sources of energy and put people to work retro-fitting homes and buildings with CO2 reducing insulation and windows and lighting and more efficient technologies.

China, a second cause for hope, China once seem by many as a looming obstacle to the world's effort to reduce CO2 emissions has itself announced a green stimulus of $600 billion over the next 2 years. Chinese leaders are mobilizing a national effort to
introduce CO2 reduction initiatives and have already begun the largest tree planting program the world has ever seen. And in contrast to it 2 years ago, no one at this conference has said China is standing in the way of progress. China is ready to join in leading the world toward a solution for this crisis. Much more needs to be done, of course.

Much more needs to be done even in countries that have in the last few years provided leadership. The struggle between hope and fear is taking place even today here in Europe. And yet we hear the reports that leaders once resistant to fiscal stimulus are now calling for massive new initiatives to create jobs in ways that also reduce CO2 and the Secretary general of the United Nations who has provided such tremendous
leadership for the world in this process has himself called for what he terms a green new deal in the world.

Developing countries that were once reluctant to join in the first phases of a global response to the climate crisis have themselves now become leaders in demanding action and in taking bold steps on their own initiative. Just last week Brazil proposed an impressive new plan to halt the destructive deforestation in that nation.

Thanks to your efforts in Bali and in the continuing discussions, we now know how to integrate the protection of forests in a global agreement that also sharply reduces industrial sources of global warming pollution. Yes, much more work needs to be done, but you have created the basis for integrating the different kinds of solutions that must come together to solve this crisis.

Another source of optimism, scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs in every part of the world have been busy and productive in developing exciting new ex-technologies
that will dramatically improve our ability to create renewable energy, they are creating the basis for increasing living standards while simultaneously reducing pollution.

In my country there have also been promising and optimistic changes. State governments, including the State of California, our largest state, have shown leadership by passing binding laws requiring the mandatory reduction of CO2. 884 U.S. cities have now embraced the principles of the Kyoto protocol without waiting for the Federal Government to act. The United States -- dozens of proposed coal firing generating plants have in the last 2 years been cancelled because of grassroots opposition and public pressure to adopt renewable sources of energy.

The United States Supreme Court, which I must tell you in my opinion does not always reach the right conclusion, decided earlier this year in a ruling that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required by law to regulate CO2 emissions. No new coal fired generating plant can be approved without a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

One year ago this week in Bali at another extraordinary moment during this process, I asked you to anticipate the possibility that there would be significant changes in the approach of the U.S. national government to the climate crisis because of our oncoming elections.

Just prior to coming here to Poznan, I went to Chicago for a meeting with president-elect Barack Obama and he emphasized that the climate crisis will be a top priority of his administration. We discussed how to create millions of new jobs in a new clean energy economy, and he emphasized that once he is president, the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations and help lead toward a
successful conclusion.

I would like to read to you some of the public statements that president-elect Barack Obama has made since the election.

He said, “…the time for delay is over. The time for denial is over. We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now, that this is a matter of urgency and national security and it has to be dealt with in a serious way. That's what I intend my administration to do.”

He said in another statement, “The science is beyond dispute. The facts are clear…. Washington has failed to show leadership. That will change when I take office. My presidency will mark a new chapter in America's leadership on climate change… That will start with a Federal cap and trade system... It will not only help us bring about a clean energy future saving our planet, it will also help us transform our industries and steer our country out of this economic crisis….Solving this problem
will require all of us working together….Once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change.”

Don't discount these words. Will there be difficulties? Of course. Not only in my country but in every country. You know that better than most. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most inspirational leaders in the history of the world said halfway through the last century that the most powerful force in global politics is what he called "satyagraha" which I am told translates into my language roughly as "truth force".

The reason why you have been able to continue moving forward is because you
understand the truth about the crisis that we face. One of Mahatma Gandhi's -- one of those inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said in discussing human rights, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. In that very same way, we now face a crisis that makes it abundantly clear that increased CO2
emissions anywhere are a threat to the integrity of this planet's climate balance everywhere.

As a result, the old divide between north and south, between developed countries and developing countries is a divide that must become obsolete. We must link poverty reduction with the sharp reduction of CO2 emissions, including reduced emissions from
deforestation with reform of the clean development mechanism and adequate funding for adaptation that is essential and must be financed even though obviously mitigation and prevention are the primary task because without them adaptation would ultimately prove to be impossible.

We hear a lot also about capacity building. A phrase that is almost exclusively used with respect to the developing countries and indeed capacity building is important there. But I want to talk about the need for capacity building in the developed countries as well. The political systems in the developed world have become sclerotic. We have to overcome the paralysis that has prevented us from acting and focused unblinkingly on this crisis as opposed to spending so much time on OJ
Simpson and Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith.

In this struggle between our hopes for success and the doubts that constantly complicate this task, we have to call upon the people of the world to speak up more
forcefully, to put their weight in the balance of the scales that are measured by world leaders. The truth is that the goals we are reaching toward are incredibly difficult, and even a goal of 450 parts per million, which seems so difficult today, is inadequate.

We will soon need to toughen that goal to 350 parts per million. We understand that.
But we have to understand as delegates in this process understand all too clearly the difference between stating the goal and reaching the goal. As governments come to grips with the very difficult work that has to be performed in order to reach even a goal of 450 parts per million, the task can seem very daunting. But for those of us who do understand that the goal should be tougher still, let us remember that the early steps in a process of reaching a goal of 450 parts per million and a process to reach 350 parts per million, the early steps are very similar, and we know from experience that once the process of change begins, once the momentum shifts, once the decisions are arrived at, then the task often becomes easier in the doing.

As we start making these changes, we will see that they do strengthen our economies, they do create millions of new jobs, and they do improve the standard of living. To those who are fearful -- to those who are fearful that it is too difficult to conclude this process with a new treaty by the deadline that has been established for 1 year from now in Copenhagen, I say it can be done. It must be done. Let's finish this process at Copenhagen.

Don't take the pressure off. Let's make sure that we succeed. Because ultimately this really is not a political issue. It is of course a moral issue, and even a spiritual issue, however you understand that word. And our different traditions lead us to different ways of describing a spiritual challenge. But this one affects the survival of human civilization. It is simply put, a question of right versus wrong, and we have to bring to bear that truth force and that moral courage necessary to do what is sometimes seen as impossible.

Very simply put, it is wrong for this generation to destroy the habitability of our planet and ruin the prospects of every future generation. That realization -- that realization must carry us forward. Our children have a right to hold us to a higher standard when the future of all human civilization is hanging in the balance. They deserve better, and politicians who sit on their hands and do nothing to confront the
greatest challenge humankind has ever faced. This crisis does offer us the chance to experience what few generations have had the privilege of experiencing, a generational mission, a compelling moral purpose, a shared cause and the opportunity to put aside the pettiness and conflict of politics and narrower concerns to embrace a genuine moral generational mission. I believe that it is time between now and the gathering in Copenhagen 1 year from now for heads of state to become personally involved in meeting several times between Poznan and Copenhagen. I don't think that they can stay disengaged from this process any longer.

I am very optimistic about the leadership of the new Danish chair that will preside over the meeting in Copenhagen, and even though I do not have the opportunity to speak formally for the people of my country, I would like to relay to you a message that I heard from the people of the United States of America this year, that I think is very relevant to the task the world is facing over this next year.

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Sustainable Energy - without the hot air

2008-12-09T20:57:00.037+02:00

There is a lot of misunderstanding about Sustainable Energy, which if properly handled could contribute to Jobs, Wealth Creation and countering Climate Change.

This is about the best book on the subject, very readable for the common man and packed with data.

Sustainable Energy - without the hot air
David J.C. MacKay
http://www.withouthotair.com

This remarkable book sets out, with enormous clarity and objectivity, the various alternative low-carbon pathways that are open to us.
Sir David King FRS, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, 2000–08

For anyone with influence on energy policy, whether in government, business or a campaign group, this book should be compulsory reading.
Tony Juniper,Former Executive Director, Friends of the Earth

At last a book that comprehensively reveals the true facts about sustainable energy in a form that is both highly readable and entertaining.
Robert Sansom,Director of Strategy and Sustainable Development, EDF Energy

A MUST for all to read.

Robert Batemen - Not a Pretty Picture...

2008-11-27T22:27:00.012+02:00

What an oil spillage could be likened to....
Click Title for link.

Orca Procession - Robert Batemen

http://gallery4collectors.com/RobertBateman.htm

Custom Search

Hot, Flat and Crowded

2008-11-26T00:54:00.007+02:00

Click this title for a short video on the book Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why we need a Green Revolution by Thomas Friedman. If all this hype about climate change and global warming is a hoax, then it is the best hoax ever....

Listen to what Thomas has to say.

Girl Power

2008-11-24T20:04:00.000+02:00

Hello Bubbles... lol

Good to hear you are going to start writing too.

Can we do it ? YES WE CAN..... !

Flo

Green thinking

2008-11-24T14:32:00.003+02:00

Just to let you know that I will be contributing from now on.

If you have a copy of this month's Destiny magazin, there is an article written by Kobus Meiring, the man behind the Joule, the motor vehicle to be run on batteries.

He could be an interesting contact.

Regards

Please Comment to raise awareness

2008-11-23T11:08:00.019+02:00

This blog was started to link to an environmental magazine that is with the designers as I write. Our aim is to raise awareness of the plight of the Planet and to promote 'Green Thinking'.

Please leave comments....

Please forward this link to your friends who may be interested
http://eclecticgreen.blogspot.com/

Let us know what You think.

German Proverb:
To change and to change for the better are two different things.

Guardian Environment Network

2008-11-19T21:51:00.007+02:00

Click Title for tons more info

For starters:
Off-shore drilling in Alaska
The greenhouse gas that nobody knew NF3
Rising methane levels are cause for concern

More on common sense !

2008-11-18T18:36:00.006+02:00

Helloo e-Grin !! Good to see you on the blog

I've also been separating the paper and putting it out in the orange Ronnie Bag each week. All that paper that we get as junk mail fills it up pretty quickly. Not to mention all the envelopes from bills!!

Then there is all that excess packaging from Woollies foodstuffs cos I'm too tired to be bothered cooking after a day at the office! We all can make a difference if we take these little measures.

I must look for the glass cycling depot near me. Watch this space, I'll try to get a list of centres.

It is also so easy to throw the empty tins of dog food every day straight into the bin. But I'm trying to do my bit by forcing my self to wash them now. I'll keep them aside until I find the right place to taek them too for recycling. The paper labels come off pretty easy and those go into the Ronnie Bag now as well. I know it's not much but heh, it's a start.

So I'm eating my elephant one bite at a time too!! lol

Think about it, it's just common sense

2008-11-18T10:46:00.003+02:00

Just this morning I had to make a decision on whether I should chuck my glass bottles in my trash and make things easier for myself or I should wait for the weekend to take them to the glass bank at the local shopping mall. This is our problems as human beings, this whole green thing is too much effort.

This decision got me thinking about the fact thatthis glas will probably never decompose yet if I took it tothe glass bank it could be recycled. Think about it for a minute, we are major consumers of the worlds resources but however will we replace resources most of which took thousands of years to create. Is a trip to the local mall really all that big a deal in doing something to help the environment?

I think not, it's really just common sense to understnd that we have to do something to replenish or assist the environment we reap and rape everyday. So on Saturday morning I will take that little trip and deposit my glass in the bank. The paper I have already started separating and putting outside every Thursday for the wonderful orange who are Ronnie Bag to collect. Do your bit. How do you eat an elephant, one small bitesize at a time. If we all take little bites, the elephant won't seem that imposing anymore.

Have a fab week! Let's all go e-green (pronounced as in grin and the e as in Egoli)

Joanna Yarrow - Eco Guru

2008-11-17T22:08:00.013+02:00

Joanna Yarrow is considered an Eco-Guru and her book “How to Reduce your Carbon Footprint - 365 practical ways to make a real difference” will provide you with practical ideas on how to transform your life so that you too can contribute to halting global warming and the effects it has on our planet. There are many ways to save energy without affecting the quality of our lives.

Habits are not easy to break and by using this book, you will find the transition easier. The book contains a wealth of energy saving information. Learn from the experts on how to make the changes to achieve a lifestyle that will make a difference.

Not only is Green Living (sustainable living) good for the planet, it is also good for your health and bank balance! Imagine that! You can achieve a low-carbon impact and at the same time you can improve the quality of your life in more ways than one.

Climate Change is for real and we need to take responsibility now if we want our children’s children to enjoy a good life.

Paperback Book Author: Joanna Yarrow Genre: Non-Fiction Lifestyle Publisher: TPB Duncan Baird ISBN: 9781844835935

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Nat Geo Green Guide

2008-11-16T16:52:00.010+02:00

Here is a really interesting site with lots of info for the person who is looking to "Go Green".

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Nat Geo Videos on Environment

2008-11-16T16:09:00.004+02:00

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Nat Geo Green Tip of the week

2008-11-16T16:07:00.007+02:00

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Global Warming averts predicted new Ice Age

2008-11-15T09:42:00.007+02:00

Professor Thomas Crowley of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland says "Climate skeptics could look at this and say, CO2 is good for us", but the idea that global warming maybe be staving off an ice age is "not cause for relaxing, because we are actually moving into a highly unusual climate state"

(Click title for National Geographic article)

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Project 350

2008-11-12T22:15:00.008+02:00

Do you want to join in something important to solve the climate crisis.

All around the world communities are taking action to spread the number 350, the safe level of CO2 in the atmosphere measured in parts per million, and make sure world leaders are on course to reach that target.

Sounds weird right?

Well, there's an animation that explains everything in just 90 seconds.
Check it out here: http://www.350.org/animation.

It's urgent that we act together and build a movement that will solve the climate crisis and ensure a safe and just future for the world.
Please join me, and help build this movement at 350.org

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Are Humans to Blame for Gobal Warming?

2008-11-08T23:03:00.010+02:00

Is this media hype?

Or is there something we are missing?

You decide!

To watch a short clip, Click title for link

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The Age of Stupid

2008-11-08T11:36:00.068+02:00

The Age of Stupid is the new film from director Franny Armstrong of McLibel fame and producer John Battsek (One day in September).

Oscar nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at 'old' footage from 2008 and asking:

Why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?

is a 90-minute film about climate change, set in the future, which will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009 in Utah. It will then be released in 35 cinemas across the UK in March 2009, followed by other countries after that.

It is a film about climate change, oil, war, politics, consumerism and human stupidity! It was filmed on location in America, UK, India, Nigeria, Iraq, Jordan and The Alps. Ken Livingstone saw the film recently and said: "Every single person in the country should be forceably sat down on a chair and made to watch this film".

X-Files actress Gillian Anderson (Scully) said of the movie: "I could have watched for another hour - not that I needed to be any more convinced - but because I just didn't want it to end. It was all so powerful and so moving, I was nodding my head all the way through, thinking "Yes, I'm going to start decreasing my flights"... It will certainly change me."

Stars of the movie are:

Pete Postlethwaite, archiver
Fernand Pareau, 82-year old French mountain guide
Jeh Wadia, starting a low-cost airline in India
Alvin DuVernay, Shell oil man who rescued 100 people after Hurricane Katrina
Layefa Malin, living in Shell’s most profitable oil region in Nigeria
Jamila and Adnan Bayyoud, two Iraqi refugee kids trying to find their brother
Piers Guy, a windfarm developer fighting the anti windfarm lobby in England

The film was "crowd-funded" by 228 groups and individuals giving between 500 and 35,000 pounds each. Fundraising for the distribution and action campaign around the film has now begun.

If you would like to be involved in this project -
click this link: http://www.ageofstupid.net/donate

View Trailer: http://www.ageofstupid.net/trailer
View Webpage: http://www.ageofstupid.net

View Interviews:
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New Energy Solutions for Building the Future

2008-11-05T21:17:00.021+02:00

Did you know?

Gas hydrate, an ice like crystalline solid containing high concentrations of methane, is a potential energy resource for the future. The Gulf of Mexico is distinctive in the world for containing significant amounts of gas hydrate and is the best natural laboratory for studying these hydrates. The mounds they grow on can be seen with ease and sampling of the sediments is a relatively easy process.

Scientists first found these gas hydrates in the deep waters of the gulf in 1983 by taking core samples at sites where oil was naturally seeping out of the bottom of the ocean. Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin Tests have subsequently carried out tests on this new form of energy to ascertain its viability.

Concentrated forms of this energy are known as gas hydrate. There are several other sites around the world in the Atlantic and Pacific that were identified from seismic data as possible sources, but they have not been extensively tested to see their true potential.

The Gulf of Mexico is unique in the world for containing what seems to be an extensive resource of gas hydrate. Scientists are looking to this phenomenon as one of the new energy resources for the future to replace fossil fuel.

Research submarines are used to study the hydrates under natural conditions and have allowed researchers to see hydrates forming mounds on the seafloor. These mounds are covered with white and orange bacterial mats and viewed from a research submarine give the impression of a still, peaceful and beautiful garden, but it is far from the truth.

Scientists look for certain signs of life on the ocean bed that indicate the spots where these gases bubble forth. Certain deep seas crabs and other creatures such as tube worms and mussels are drawn to these gas leaks to feed. The gases which seep out of the deep fissures in the floor of the ocean are bubbles containing methane. The gas is collected by a specially designed pressurized canister and forms a crystalline substance called gas hydrate once collected. Without this device, the hydrate would decompose into gas and water as they rise from the ocean floor. The seabed provides the ideal place for the forming of these bubbles that contain methane, which is produced by the decaying matter beneath the earth’s crust.

It is not a commonly known fact, but the resource potential of methane in gas hydrate way exceeds the combined worldwide reserves of conventional oil and gas reservoirs and coal by a wide margin. We know that the world's production of conventional fossil fuels will begin to decline sometime during the next century. Chances are that some oil companies may go extinct or we might start referring to them as hydrate companies. This is a great opportunity for the development of new technology and ocean scientists will have the opportunity to contribute to the future of our energy supply during these times.

Global estimates of gas hydrates suggest that the total amount of carbon locked up in gas hydrates is twice the amount of the rest of the Earth’s other hydrocarbons combined.
The enormous potential of gas hydrates as a fuel source and their role as a "greenhouse" agent if freed into the atmosphere has generated huge interests among the scientific community and industry. However, this new energy source will not materialize for many years to come as scientists still need to develop a way to harvest the hydrate without harming the ocean life.

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Eclectic Green - riding the green wave

2008-11-05T08:52:00.003+02:00

Well done ladies for this wonderful effort and as Obama says "Yes we can! Yes we can!" Just like he has done so will we.

It is time for us to make a difference and if not for anything else, for our children and grand children.

Make Informed Decisions : Wind Farms

2008-11-04T22:44:00.044+02:00

Are Wind turbines really 'Green'?

With promises of a free source of electricity from wind power reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and the output of greenhouse gases and other pollution, many governments are promoting the construction of vast windfarms.

In theory, this is a viable project, but have you ever considered the downside to this source of renewable energy? Noise pollution to name but one. The impact on the environment and on people's lives is far from positive and the energy generated is expensive.

In high winds the turbines must be stopped as they can be easily damaged, not to mention the fact that they use up a lot of electricity, just to keep running.
The build up of salt on off-shore blades have been shown to reduce the power generated and research shows that wind power does not live up to the claims made by the people who advocate it.

Industrial wind facilities are not just useless,they destroy the land, birds and bats, and the lives of their neighbors. The spinning blades kill and maim birds and bats. Off shore, they endanger ships and boats and their low-frequency noise is likely harmful to sea mammals. They do not move us towards more sustainable energy sources and stand instead as monuments of delusion. Build-up of dead bugs has been shown to halve the maximum power generated by a wind turbine, reducing the average power generated by 25% and more. (A Problem With Wind Power, Eric Rosenbloom)(www.aweo.org)

For those birds that don't get in the way of the turbine blades, could their migration paths could be affected. What effect could it have on the micro-climate of the area? Suddenly, winds are channeled in a specific location. How would clouds be affected? Would this impact on the local precipitation? Are they be cost effective? The questions go on and on.

Several countries in Europe are reconsidering their decisions to use this form of power. A study released in Germany in February 2005 stated that increasing the amount of wind power would increase consumer costs 3.7 times and that the theoretical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved much more cheaply by simply installing filters on existing fossil-fuel plants.

In closing consider this statement:
"Windfarms are expensive, polluting, environmentally damaging bird swatters that produce no useful electricity". (Richard S. Courtney)

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A true “Green Tourist” is one who stays home!

2008-11-03T21:01:00.021+02:00

“Arm-chair travel” is as close to “Green Tourism” as one could get. Altruists have an unselfish desire to improve the material, social, and spiritual welfare of humanity, for the benefit of others and they conduct their exploring seated in a comfortable chair surrounded by their books.

Simply put, “Green Tourism” is responsible tourism.

However, Green Tourism is anything connected to you having a positive impact on the environment whilst on your travels. Going Green is easier than you think. It is about saving money by using simple new ideas on your travels and being more environmentally responsible whilst on your holiday. People do not realize how much of an impact they have on Mother Earth when they travel. If each traveler finds way to travel responsibly, then maybe life on Earth as we know it will be around for longer than we think.

Many people see South Africa as an eco-friendly destination. But are we really Green? Or is the Green Label being exploited in an attempt to entice people to visit our shores?

Tourism Groups need to educate and encourage tourists to reduce their ‘carbon footprints’ whilst on their travels. By encouraging their clients to use less polluting options of travel, they will help to reduce the levels of carbon emissions.

Image by Free-StockPhotos.com

Wikipedia describes ‘carbon footprint’ as "a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.” The burning of fossil fuels for heating and electricity for our everyday living produces these gases. The carbon footprint is a subset of the ecological footprint, which includes all human demands on the biosphere including the carbon, food and fibre footprint.” The lower our carbon footprint the less negative impact we will have on the earth.

Green Tourism encourages the use of environmentally friendly forms of transport. i.e. public transport, walking, bicycle and the use of eco-friendly vehicles. Take photographs as souvenirs instead of that shell or piece of rock that you find so appealing.

Today, Green Tourism is the current buzzword for yesteryears “Ecotourism” and it helps the travel business’ to promote their product. If they are perceived to be “Green” then they are catching a new market of people who want to make a difference but do not know how to. Unfortunately, not all business’ that fly the green flag are in fact “Green”. In certain instances, it is just an advertising ploy to reel in the people.

Very often, these self-indulgent people really believe that they are making a difference as they pretend to “rough it”. It has a certain element of snobbery in it too. This self-denial of the pleasures of conventional travel makes them feel that they are able to cope with the ‘hardships’ they don’t face in the comfort of their homes. They like to believe that they don’t have the same impact as one of the mass travelers and that they are different’. This gives them a sense of self-indulgence and self-denial and makes them feel good as “Green Tourists”.

If scuba diving or snorkeling is up your alley, create memories and only leave bubbles behind. So often divers grab onto fragile corals (intentionally or unintentionally) and in doing so are damaging the eco-system that has taken sometimes hundreds of years to grow. Tourists who frequent the Great Barrier Reef, the tropical rain forests, ancient ruins and the many thousand of tourists’ attractions around the world, need to reflect on the environmental impact of the hotels they stay in. The airlines they use to fly to their destinations, the costs involved in the importation of the goods they simply cannot do without whilst on holiday and not to mention the pollution caused to the sea by the motor boat used to ferry them. All of this has an impact on their ‘carbon footprint’.

Being a Green Tourist is all about attitude and using knowledge to make good decisions in favour of our Planet whilst travelling.

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Look back 10 years for the signs

2008-11-03T19:52:00.002+02:00

I never used to think much about global warming and all that jazz until I started noticing thatmy parents who are small scale farmers were suddently not harvesting even a tenth of what they used to before. In Zimbabwe maize was mainly produced by small scale farmers but now they produce barely enough for their own consumption.

before anyone starts shouting about the land crisis. This is more tha about implements etc. There is just not enough rain or in the instances that it comes too much of it. The seasons are no longer what they used to be. The rain is erratic and does not allow for any planning. We have cold winters or warm winters. All the insecs we enjoyed seeing as kids in the village over the holidays are no more. As for forests, what forests?

If still in doubt just look back 10 years. things certainly ain't what they used to be

Global Warming is causing a lot of Hot Air !

2008-11-01T22:50:00.013+02:00

Will this be gone by the turn of the century?

Eclectic Green – Breathing new life……

Global warming is causing a lot of hot air!

Scientists warn that if we do not take drastic measures now to reduce the global warming we are in for tough times ahead.

There is a body of people who say it is all hysteria - a hype for doom and gloom.
I’m wondering if they are just playing ostrich, with their heads in the sand, trying to pretend that if they don’t think about it, it won’t happen. They don’t accept the scientific warning that it is possible that an estimated 30% of all plant and animal species will be wiped out by the end of the century.

Now is the time for each one and everyone of us to get involved and play our part to prevent a possible catastrophe in the future. There is no disputing it, the earth climate is changing. Sure there are cycles of climate patterns and within those patterns are other patterns of more cycles. However with the alarming rate of the melting of the glaciers and ice sheets of Greenland and the permafrost of Alaska, the sea levels are rising steadily. Millions of people living in coastal areas will be under threat if this phenomenon continues.

Carbon gases and green house emissions need to be reduced drastically if we are to prevent a global catastrophe. Deforestation must be eliminated and alternatives need to be found. Like the use of the left over pulp from the processing of sugar cane. This is used in paper making now. It does not need to be bleached, so this is another step that helps the lowering of the carbon footprint in the paper manufacturing process. Ancient Egyptians used papyrus for making their paper. Surely with our modern technology we can learn to use sources other than trees which we need to balance the CO² levels.

Previous climate change has been caused by natural phenomena, but this time the crisis is ‘man-made’. It is being caused mainly by the excess CO² which is being released into the atmosphere and is being trapped. This acts like a blanket and prevents the heat from escaping into the atmosphere. This is what is termed the Greenhouse Effect.

When we make the conscious decision to reduce our ‘carbon footprint’ we also need to take into account the processes involved in producing co called ‘green’ and eco friendly products. There are those who try to trade on the ‘green card’, but are their manufacturing processes sometimes outweigh any benefit of the end product?

In the end, it is up to each of us to reduce the amount of energy we use. Educate yourself on what you can do to help our planet. Use energy efficient light bulbs and dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner. Don’t leave electronic equipment on ‘standby’ – it only uses up unnecessary electricity. Switch off computers and printers when not in use. Switch off the geyser when there is no need for hot water.

We need to find innovative ways to stop wasting the current resources of the earth and to find renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.

What can we do? Well for starters if every family planted a tree in their garden, that would make a contribution towards reducing the amount of CO² that is building up in our atmosphere. Natural forests must not be cut down, nor the land cleared for whatever reason.

Recent studies have indicated that the Spekboom has the ability to absorb and store enormous quantities of CO². I have recently in complete ignorance got rid of the plant from my garden so I am heading off to the local garden nursery to by a few more to replace them.

Recent studies have indicated that the Spekboom (or Elephant Foot) has the ability to absorb and store enormous quantities of CO². I have recently in complete ignorance got rid of the plant from my garden so I am heading off to the local garden nursery to buy a few more to replace them.

‘To be or not to be’ – well that’s up to you !

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