Blisstree » Climate Change

Climate Quilt Campaign

Kori Ellis — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:50:26 +0000

The Climate Quilt Campaign is a terrific initiative created to encourage youth worldwide to make a difference in protecting the environment. By engaging schools around the world, the students then design “pledge patches” relating to climate change and made from recycled materials, to be included in the final historic quilt to be presented to President Barack Obama and leaders at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. The conference takes place from December 6-18, 2009.

Image: Climate Quilt Campaign

Climate Quilt Campaign was created by Habitat Heroes and the Green Schools Alliance and is an effort to tangibly connect children worldwide around the issue of Climate Change.

In recent weeks, the campaign has gained momentum with an even in New Jersey, a large celebration in Australia, and most recently children who created pledge patches were interviewed for Good Morning America. Students from three different schools in the Metro NY area were interviewed by meteorologist Sam Champion on the national morning show today.

Children in every country and city throughout the world can get involved through their schools or individually to have their pledge patch included by going to climatequilt.org.

Post from: Blisstree

Climate Quilt Campaign

Blog Action Day: For a More Healthy Future

Peggy Rowland — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:48 +0000

It’s still a beautiful world in most cases, but we need to take action to keep it that way.

In honor of the 2009 Blog Action Day topic, climate change, I’m writing about some of the not-very-pleasant health effects we might see if climate change goes unchecked.

According to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, changes brought about by climate change are expected to affect the health of millions of people directly. Climate change can affect your health in the future directly via heat waves, floods and storms. It can affect your health indirectly by increasing smog and ozone in cities and by contributing to the spread of infectious diseases, especially those spread by mosquitoes. The quality and availability of food and water would also be affected. The sick, elderly and poor would be at greatest risk from the effects of climate change.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified some negative health effects of climate change: increases in asthma rates and food- and water-related diseases, as well as increases in heat-related deaths and deaths from extreme weather events like hurricanes.

Working together, we can help prevent many of the negative health effects of climate change. Doing your own part at home is important, but so is making your voice heart on climate legislation. Learn more about simple ways you can get involved for change at Blog Action Day.

(Image via flickr/Fr Antunes)

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day: For a More Healthy Future

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

Jennifer Chait — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:06:31 +0000

Blog Action Day was founded by Collis Ta’eed in the summer of 2007. Along with the support of his wife, brother, father, and team at Envato in Australia, he managed to recruit 20,000 bloggers to all write on the same topic on the same day, October 15, 2007. The topic that first year was the environment and it was a huge fun event. In 2008 the topic was poverty and even more bloggers came out to participate. The third annual Blog Action Day is coming up, and there’s still plenty of time for you to jump on board.

What: Blog Action Day 2009

When: October 15, 2009

This year’s topic: Climate Change

The point: Blog Action Day is an effort to get everyone in social media talking about one important issue on one day. No matter your blog’s topic, you can participate. This is not just for green bloggers. Got a cooking blog? How can you slant that to climate change. Got a parenting blog? How is climate change is affecting your kids? Hate climate change? Well, go ahead and blog it.

When bloggers join together to focus on one topic, on the same day, it encourages readers around the world to also give their attention to the issue. It’s seriously amazing to see everyone in the blogosphere join together for one day. It’s always fun and meaningful.

Who can participate: Everyone around the world is free to join in on Blog Action Day. Small blogs, huge blogs, new and old bloggers, everyone. There’s no limit on the number of posts, type of post, or your opinions.

How to participate: Head over to the Blog Action Day site and register your blog, or blogs. I usually have about four or five of my blogs participating, and this year Blisstree Green Living is on board too. So far 412 blogs are on board – are you?

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

Obama: climate change may be irreversible

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:22:01 +0000

Recently more than 90 global leaders gathered for a climate change summit in New York City to brainstorm about the affects of global warming and to come up with some possible solutions to combat the problem. President Barack Obama spoke at the summit, noting that taking zero action on climate change could leave future generations with an “irreversible catastrophe.“

President Obama also noted that the United States is “determined to act” and has put climate at the top of the diplomatic agenda with countries across regions, from China and India to Brazil and Mexico. U.S. leader at the summit agree that security and stability of every nation are at stake with Obama recognizing that it’ll be difficult to reach a climate change agreement. However, because developed nations have caused much of the global warming damage, Obama says that we also have a responsibility to fight the effects.

*VOA News

Post from: Blisstree

Obama: climate change may be irreversible

Are You On Board With Earth Hour?

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:00:45 +0000

The annual Earth Hour event is here again folks. In case you haven’t heard Earth Hour is a big ol’ event started in 2007 in Sydney. That first Earth Hour, 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008, more than 400 cities, thousands of businesses and over 50 million people around the world participated.

This year, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), among other organizations, wants you to turn off your lights for the 2009 annual Earth Hour.

Depending on where you live Earth Hour is taking place tomorrow (it’s still Friday in my time zone) on Saturday March 28th at 8:30 – 9:30 pm.

The idea, according to WWF, is that by “Taking part in Earth Hour 2009, you’ll send a message that the US must act now to slow climate change.”

Am I on board?:

Not so much. I didn’t participate last year, and I won’t be participating this year. Here’s my issue with Earth Hour – it’s a one day solution idea. It’s grand scale when really all the little choices we make each day are the ones that truly add up and create change. I mean, imagine if everyone agreed to use cloth napkins all year, carpooled each day, or gave up all but one TV set? These are things that would create massive change; more so than flipping a switch off for one hour.

I hate that events like Earth Hour create a feeling that “being green is a novelty” instead of promoting a being green everyday sort of feeling. You can turn off your lights for one hour to what, prove a point? However, in the end, your point is hypocritical if you leave your cell phone charger plugged in all day, use paper napkins, own three TVs, and so on for the rest of the year. One hour is not enough. I should, to be fair, point out that the Earth Hour website does promote long term change, it’s just that the event itself does not.

On the flip side:

IF observing Earth Hour makes a tree hugger out of a former non-eco-friendly individual, I suppose it’s a good thing. We don’t know if grand gestures create change or not though. For the people I know, it’s the small steps that seem to work better to create long term eco-change.

Plenty of folks disagreed with me last year though. Lots and lots of people had good reasons for participating. I personally can’t justify it. If you are on board with Earth Hour, you can sign up to participate at the official Earth Hour website, learn about cool fun to have with the lights off, and find more helpful tools for the fight against climate change.

SO: Are you participating? Let me know why or why not in the comments…

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Are You On Board With Earth Hour?

I Wanna Know – Do You Have a “Go Bag” Too?

Gabrielle — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:35:12 +0000

Your opinion of me just might change by the end of this post.

Nothing major. It will probably go from, “hmmm, that Gab is a little odd” to “man, that Gab is really odd.” I can live with that.

Here’s my confession: I sleep better at night with a Go Bag by my door and a car equipped with spare water, food, a camp stove, tent and other survival essentials. Ok fine, here’s another confession – maybe we just haven’t fully unpacked it yet from our two-year road trip.

I don’t consider myself a survivalist. I make no promises that I can go out and hunt, kill and cook my own food if necessary. Good lordessa no. And I’m no nihilist. I’m not stockpiling my basement full of silver, guns and end-of-the-world type stuff “just in case.”

(Nevermind that I have neither silver, guns nor a basement.)

I just like to be mobile.

I like to know that should something (anything, nothing) happen and I need/want to split, I can. And I am so, so lucky to have a partner that shares this mindset.

When I lived in Poland, it was such a pain in the *ss to get back to my apartment at the end of the tram line that I probably spent more nights at friends’ families’ homes than my own. So there was that Go Bag: packed with a toothbrush, some zloty (cash), a walkman, a journal and pen, spare underwear and a couple of scribbled lesson plans (in case I wouldn’t get home before work the next day).

Zloty and a walkman. Jeez am I dating myself?

Living in Santiago, almost all of our friends remembered huge earthquakes that shook their families and left them scrambling out of their homes at all hours of the night when they were kids. So the fact that our apartment had a go bag filled with emergency supplies just meant we were like everyone else.

9/11, subsequent security threats and national disasters have brought the concept of Go Bags to a much larger population in the United States. I am guessing that I am not the only person in my apartment building with one. But I’m not sure.

So here’s my question: do you have a Go Bag? What’s in it?

If you’re curious about what other folks have in theirs, here are a few links:

New York City Office of Emergency Management -simple, small, easy to do

Kobenhavn Kinshasa – and Back

The American Red Cross – cause some folks might not feel like packing their own.

Doyle & MacDonald – this page actually has packing lists for 4 different kinds of Go Bags -first aid, wilderness rescue, urban bag and one for evacuation and deployment. As you can see, the author of this page is a former military officer and a current Nationally Registered Wilderness EMT-I.

And this site – OneBag.com – is absolutely fantastic for all of the bags you need to pack. Bookmark this one now.

(If you’re wondering what got me off on this little kick today, blame National Geographic’s Six Degrees Could Change the World being on TV this morning.)

Post from: Blisstree

I Wanna Know – Do You Have a “Go Bag” Too?

How Do You Feel About Wearing Your “Green” on Your Sleeve?

Gabrielle — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:03:51 +0000

First, it was the (very publicly) waxed chest of Harrison Ford, now, pro beach volleyball player Colleen Smith will sport a huge (1/2 meter long) temporary tattoo of crashing waves to raise awareness of rising sea levels due to global warming. Colleen says, “Educating volleyball fans is huge. This is where I have leverage.” In addition to leverage, Colleen also has a ton of green goodies including reusable totes, flourescent lightbulbs and tips to go green that she’s giving to her fans at tournaments this summer. *

I’m wondering, how do you feel about wearing your environmental views on your sleeve (or chest, or leg?) It’s a bit different than a bumper sticker, a little more permanent than a pin (like the one I received from the Sierra Club which proclaims, I’m here to save the planet) which I have yet to wear. I’ve also noticed a proliferation of going green t-shirts and apparel – Target, of all places, had a wall full of “green” tees, as did several other department stores. Right next to the designer jeans and other junior apparel.

So tell me, do you sport any green tees? Do you have any visual markers of your dedication to the environment and your health?

*Source: Sierra Magazine, July/August 2008, volume 93

Post from: Blisstree

How Do You Feel About Wearing Your “Green” on Your Sleeve?

Guest Post by Liz Lewis: Green Candy for Your Conscience

Gabrielle — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:27:00 +0000

Today, I am delighted to share a little guest post with you, written by the lovely Liz Lewis. You probably know Liz from Healthbolt, which ain’t your mama’s health blog. But did you know that Liz is ready to lead you down a greener path at Traveling the Green Way, one of the newest additions to b5media’s Travel and Culture channel? You didn’t? Better ask somebody…

Green Candy for Your Conscience

Breath mints that support breast cancer research ?

Chocolate with carbon offsets attached?

A candy dispenser that helps save animals ?

Who knew that eating candy could be so damn good for your conscience. Seems that a few confectionary companies out there are combining our need for sweets with our concern for the environment and our health. Sounds like a winner to me.

Check these out….

Climate Change Chocolates – the boxes that store these trendy chocolate bars are covered with wind turbines and huge footprints, and the individual wrappers offer practical green tips. Better still 55 cents from each bar is donated to TerraPass to pay for 133 pounds of carbon offsets, which is the average American’s daily carbon impact. (Bloomsberry Chocolates)

Hint Mint – considered the original designer breath mints, Hint Mint sells Breast Cancer Awareness tins as part of it’s Awareness series. The pink tins, featuring the universal ribbon of awareness, offers a means of opening up dialogues and raising money for charity (25 cents from each tin sold is donated to the Avon Fund for Breast Cancer). http://www.hintmint.com/

A’usome Candy – this Hong Kong company is now offering nutritional fruit snacks that are packaged in candy dispensers topped with monkeys, pandas, and penguins. The company recently teamed with the Wildlife Conservation Society and plans on donating 3% of it’s proceeds to help protect endangered species.
http://www.ausomecandy.com/ausome/

Image: Newscom

(source : http://www.smh.com.au/news/diet/green-lollies-for-a-clean-conscience/2008/06/06/1212259086731.html)

Post from: Blisstree

Guest Post by Liz Lewis: Green Candy for Your Conscience

Carbon Rally: Team Up on Climate Change!

Ali — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:53:50 +0000

Carbon Rally is a social networking site that rallies communities together to take action to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Teams compete against each other with challenges like “go one week without using any disposable coffee cups” or “unplug your computer every night for one month”. By accepting challenges and incorporating carbon reducing ideas into their daily lives, individuals boost their team efforts while creating a collective effort to cut back on carbon emissions.

The idea came from Massachusetts Sierra Club activists Jason Karas, Stan Ward, Bill Filler and Steve Barrett. Karas wanted to create an fun, interactive and engaging catalyst that would allow consumers to fight global warming so the four environmentalists brainstormed and Carbon Rally was born.

The site is great, easy to use and its free to sign up. Anyone 13 years or older can join, get involved with a team or just peruse the ideas for inspiration. The community is great, lots of team spirit to save the planet.

Just a few months old, Carbon Rally has attracted 1,255 people who have reduced their collective CO2 emissions by over 67.34 tons so far, the equivalent of turning off the electricity of 47 homes for about 1 month! It’s US-based right now, with a Google map of teams and impact, but global rallies are in the works.

Carbon Rally

Post from: Blisstree

Carbon Rally: Team Up on Climate Change!

Climate change hits home in Northeast

Ali — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 16:02:36 +0000

An article in Thursday’s New York Times called Study Paints Dire Picture of Warmer Northeast focused on a peer-reviewed, collaborative report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) that calls attention to the problems the region will face should greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase.

The USC report, “Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast,” is an expansion of a 2006 study by the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA).

Together they address:

how the climate of the nine Northeast states will change under two scenarios: one that assumes an increase in global warming emissions from continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and another that assumes substantially lower emissions due to an increased reliance on clean energy sources. The report documents the projected consequences of each emissions path.

A press release from the USC, Global Warming Will Hit U.S. Northeast Hard Unless Action Taken Now, outlines some of the expected outcomes should emissions continue to increase. State-specific reports are available at Climate Choices.

In my home state of Connecticut the USC report predicts that under the “higher-emissions scenario” the summers would feel like those in Georgia. Egads. And New York City, forget about it. You’re talking triple digit days and lots of them.

That kind of extreme heat should be enough to motivate residents of the region but, of course, there’s more. Other changes expected under the “higher-emissions scenario” include increased frequency of drought, a collapse of the Long Island Sound lobster population, decreased milk production, poor fruit yields and increased health hazards like ozone and pollen.

The USC details the “lower-emissions scenario” as well as:

what individuals, businesses, and governments can do today to reduce emissions to levels below the lower-emissions scenario and to adapt to the unavoidable changes already set in motion by emissions over the past several decades.

Here’s a snippet of the USC’s citizen’s guide to reducing emissions:

Become carbon conscious
Drive change
Look for Energy Star label
Choose clean power
Unplug an underutilized freezer or refrigerator
Get a home energy audit
Lightbulbs matter
Buy good wood
Spread the word and help others
Let policy makers know you are concerned about global warming

You can also confront state specific climate change by contacting your governor, representative or senator at Climate Choices Take Action.

Post from: Blisstree

Climate change hits home in Northeast