Melting glaciers, rising sea levels, fires, floods and droughts. On the eve of a historic election, award-winning producer and correspondent Martin Smith investigates how the world's largest corporations and governments are responding to Earth's looming environmental disaster.
"I have reported on the Cold War, the breakup of the Soviet Union, the rise of Al Qaeda, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," says Smith. "But nothing matches climate change in scope and severity."
And one more article from Time Magazine on the topic...
"... worldwide livestock farming generates 18% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions -- by comparison, all the world's cars, trains, planes and boats account for a combined 13% of greenhouse gas emissions."
Our appetite for steaks and burgers is a huge contributor to global warming
So it turns out that meatless Fridays, which for generations inflicted fish sticks and tuna casseroles on millions of school-age children, Catholic and otherwise, were actually saving the planet. The United Nations is now urging wealthy nations to make a dramatic shift in eating habits, saying the best way to curb climate change is for people to go at least one day a week without meat.
Other big news this week comes from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It has called for a worldwide move toward a vegetarian diet, to combat climate change. Last year, the Panel earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Price. It's chairman, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, is recommending that people have at least one vegetarian meal a week. He's not alone. The WorldWatch Institute, the Food Climate Research Network and the Sierra Club and others also echo this recommendation.
Thank you to Karen Dawn of DawnWatch for bringing our attention to this coverage! Read her alerts and check out her website at http://www.dawnwatch.com
How Green Is My Diet? Try PETA's Carbon Calculator Widget
Global warming is considered one of the gravest environmental threats that we face today. Studies show that the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), will increasingly lead to catastrophic disasters—like droughts, floods, hurricanes, rising sea levels, and disease outbreaks—unless we drastically reduce the amount emitted into the atmosphere.
The good news is that you can help reduce these emissions immediately. It's as simple as changing what you eat. A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. And science shows that one of the most effective ways to fight global warming is going vegetarian.
Sometimes, it's helpful to consider the full range of reasons to fight climate change. Sometimes, those reasons can be heartbreaking. UNICEF, the UN children's agency, says the that effects of global warming disproportionately harm children in the developing world.
And here's a list of great things we can all do...
1. Power down! A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less. Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace....the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues. At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus...A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, "First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person." "No," said the student, "how do you organize?" Chavez answered, "First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person." You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard. Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let's get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today's consumer products - from children's pajamas to lipstick - contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren't necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you're not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they're using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let's demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don't get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk...and when necessary MARCH! Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don't have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs...and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs and values that together make up a community's way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash... and, recycle your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don't have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you're pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products - for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less. Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren't for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like "all natural" to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.
... The average rates at which people consume resources like oil and metals, and produce wastes like plastics and greenhouse gases, are about 32 times higher in North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia than they are in the developing world. That factor of 32 has big consequences...
New report reveals alarming investment practices by financial groups
Today, the financial watchdog Netwerk Vlaanderen NGO (B) launches the report 'Bank Secrets'TM. The dossier details the investments by 121 financial groups in companies violating fundamental human rights. The investors channel money to 13 companies selling weapons to dictators, denying people access to land and clean water, co-operating with armed rebel groups and being involved in forced relocations and heavy and irreversible pollution.
International banks involved
121 banks from 24 different countries play a role in the financing of these companies, including banks based in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, DRC, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, The Netherlands, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK, the US and the multilateral World Bank.
Netwerk Vlaanderen reports that for the period 2003 - 2007, loans add up to a total of US$13 billion. Furthermore, during the period 2004-2007 banks have arranged and underwritten bond issues to a total value of US$ 28.4 billion. During the same period, the companies were assisted in issuing shares to a total value of US$ 14.8 billion.
Investors complicit to human right abuses
Although the human rights abuses are well documented, financiers keep on supporting the involved companies.
The lack of sustainability standards in their investments policies, allows them to channel money to companies like AviChina, which sells military material to China, Burma and Sudan.
Because of violations of human rights in these countries, the European Union decided on an arms embargo. By financing AviChina, investors undermine this embargo.
Other reported investments include the support to mining companies which systematically pollute the environment. The Australian company Emperor Mines, for example, exploits a gold and silver mine in an ecologically and culturally precious area in Papua New Guinea. Emperor Mines dumps monthly 14.000 tuns of toxic waste - containing lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, nickel and copper - in the local river. Thousands of people depend on the water for fishery and small scale agriculture. This does not stop several major international financial groups from backing the company financially.
These are just some examples of the practices detailed in the report 'Bank Secrets'. The overall picture is staggering and continues to provoke fierce reactions from bank personnel and clients.
Bank personnel and clients react
In Belgium the report was launched in co-operation with the largest union in the financial sector. Stefaan Decock, spokesperson from the union LBC-NVK/CNE, states: "These kind of investments can no longer be tolerated. We think that financial institutions should take important environmental and human rights norms into consideration in their investment decisions. We continue to work for an ethical bottom line: no money for dictators, serious environmental destruction, controversial arms or violations of labour rights."
"Investors should not wait until they are found legally responsible for the violations of human rights and serious environmental damage. They should make sure they don't generate profit from such controversial practices. Financial institutions have a huge leverage power and can contribute to positive change.", said Inez Louwagie from Netwerk Vlaanderen.
Treehugger broke the the story at 5AM this morning. Here is an update on the winning of the Nobel Prize by Al Gore and the IPCC:
-Yvo de Boer, the head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, says ""I hope this will enhance further a sense of urgency." ::Reuters
-The right wing smear machine at Fox swung into action, writing off the prize with "Here’s something extraordinary, What do Al Gore, Yasser Arafat, and that crazy Jimmy Carter have in common? They all won the Nobel Peace Prize?" Insulting more people and nations in one sentence than we thought possible. Expect much more of this. ::Think Progress
-Pressure increases for a presidential run. "We believe that under these circumstances he has no choice but to take the one step left to have the greatest impact in changing policy on global warming - run for president," "He is needed now, not in the future" ::National Post
-George Bush's spokesman was more gracious than their Fox poodles. "The president learned about it this morning," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto, who is traveling with Bush in Florida. "Of course he's happy for Vice President Gore and happy for the international panel on climate change scientists who also shared the peace prize." "Obviously, it's an important recognition and we're sure the vice president is thrilled." ::Reuters
Corn-based ethanol, biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol — they're all ways to try to reduce our dependence on oil. But how close are we to growing enough fuel to make a difference? Guests discuss the future of alternative energy and biofuels.
I'm no big fan of Dicaprio's acting skills. In the 11th Hour he proved that his speaking skills were no less wooden than his acting. Despite that, this film is a must see for everyone - liberals, conservatives, moderates and anarchists alike.
Why? This film is not partisan. Opinions are provided from diverse source including the former chief of the CIA, top scientists and thinkers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and activists. Absent from the film is the ghost of partisanship that hovered over Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth.
The film does a decent job laying out the causes and consequences of anthropomorphic climate change. But that is not its primary mission. More importantly, it seeks to answer the question of 'why?'. Why has the human race brought itself to a state of existence so disconnected from the biosphere - our home. And, unlike Gore's film realistic solutions are presented - not the sort of solutions that might be characterized as "tightening the belt" of consumption. Rather, the solutions presented paint a picture of the way many of us might agree the world ought to be, with or without climate change.
The extent of Arctic sea ice will likely have melted to a record low this September partially due to man-made greenhouse gas emissions, researchers at the University of Colorado said on Thursday.
There is a 92 percent chance that Arctic sea ice extent in September will melt to its lowest level at least since the 1970s, when satellite measuring efforts began, the researchers said. They had predicted a 33 percent chance of a record low in April, but changed the forecast after a rapid disintegration of sea ice during July.
Such high levels of ice melting could have wide implications in coming years such as changes in temperature and rain patterns across much of the United States.
Conservative columnist , Mark Steyn, published an opinion piece in the OC Register yesterday (Mark Steyn: Warm-mongers and cheeseburger imperialists) in which he uncovered the truth about global warming: the media is ignoring the fact that climate change is a hoax.
In his article, Steyn writes:
Something rather odd happened the other day. If you go to NASA's Web site and look at the "U.S. surface air temperature" rankings for the lower 48 states, you might notice that something has changed.
Then again, you might not. They're not issuing any press releases about it. But they have quietly revised their All-Time Hit Parade for U.S. temperatures. The "hottest year on record" is no longer 1998, but 1934. Another alleged swelterer, the year 2001, has now dropped out of the Top 10 altogether, and most of the rest of the 21st century – 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 – plummeted even lower down the Hot 100. In fact, every supposedly hot year from the Nineties and this decade has had its temperature rating reduced. Four of America's Top 10 hottest years turn out to be from the 1930s, that notorious decade when we all drove around in huge SUVs with the air-conditioning on full-blast. If climate change is, as Al Gore says, the most important issue anyone's ever faced in the history of anything ever, then Franklin Roosevelt didn't have a word to say about it.
The whole premise of this opinion seems to be that the lower 48 have not been as hot in the last decade as reported. But, that's not the point. No one is claiming that the temps will rise everywhere. In fact, Gore himself suggested that temperatures and climates would shift -- hotter, wetter or dryer in some places. The whole change in temperatures is only a degree or two. So, statistical variations in any given month or year would seem irrelevant.
In fact, one could argue that if global climate change is occurring and more ice is turning to water (as has been suggested), then the additional water in the ocean and air should have a moderating effect. Water has a high specific heat, so lower humidity equals greater temperature variations. I.e., there should be fewer highs and lows.
In essence, whether or not we get 100 year highs is not the point. Furthermore, the lower 48 states may or may not get new highs. This is "global" climate change, not regional climate change.
Melting glaciers, rising sea levels, fires, floods and droughts. On the eve of a historic election, award-winning producer and correspondent Martin Smith investigates how the world's largest corporations and governments are responding to Earth's looming environmental disaster.
