90 seconds to Connect the Dots

350.org has released a 90 second video of people all around the world in 'Connect the Dots' last weekend. www.climatedots.org/watch

They have also developed two tools for transmission of the climate change story:

One is a project to help people everywhere share their stories about how climate change is impacting them. If you have been directly impacted by climate change, please take a photo with your personal dot, or submit your story to their new Tumblr http://act.350.org/go/1575?akid=1884.210235.q4e96C&t=4

Another is a presentation of photos from the 'Connect the Dots' weekend to download and share with your community http://act.350.org/go/1484?akid=1884.210235.q4e96C&t=5

A Dissapointed Mainer

Somehow the Maine Senate seems to have lost it's mind. York County Republican Senator Courtney introduced a Joint Resolution Memorializing the President and the Congress of the United States to Support the Completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The resolution suggested a number of falsehoods including that the pipeline would create a substantial number of jobs - certainly we would not get any jobs in Maine with from this pipeline.

Along with nearly 2,000 other Mainers, I signed a petition last week asking the the senate to oppose the resolution. Sadly, somehow, the vote was passed 17-15.

Tar sands oil and its acquisition, production, transportation, and usage is one of the dirtiest fossil fuels on the planet. I had a feeling that Maine was ready to move forward in support of environmentally-supportive energy choices.

Amid my disappointment, I am left asking myself what the legislature is even doing wasting time on this issue. With only a few weeks left in this session Maine legislators should be focused on improving Maine's economy and environment.

The only thing left to do is to contact the Senators who supported this Resolution and contact Representatives to make sure they know our minds on this issue and keep working at home.

Feeding the world without destroying it.

The University of Minnesota just put out a new video on one of the greatest ecological issues of our times: Agriculture.

In the video 'Big Question: Feast or famine?' the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment talks about rising populations, growing land area for agricultural production and gives a generally rousing call to action for agronomists, policy makers and farmers.

We are currently experiencing the 6th great extinction of the world and agriculture is playing a central role. It is important to make sure that agriculture is on the table in talks about how to solve the climate crises and the crises of ecological destruction. However, I'd like to point out a mistake they making in this question: You might remember from statistics class that correlation does not imply causation. This conversation points out a correlation between population growth and ecological decline as a central part of the argument. This correlation does not mean that population growth causes the ecological decline. If you look at the Gapminder Graph of countries with the highest GHG emissions you will see that the rate of population growth of these places is decreasing while the ecological impacts of those populations is increasing. The problems that we need to address are hidden behind this veil of misinterpreted data.

Armed with this knowledge we might start looking for real solutions to the problem. We need radical transformations of the way we interact with the natural world. Rather than looking at the staggering numbers of people being born every day into poverty and despair as the problem we should spread the resources equitably to all those people as a solution. We should also find a way to include the rest of the species in our equitable distribution.

We need radical shifts of economic paradigms e.g. ecological debt reparations where wealthy nations and multinational corporations have to pay for the damage they have caused.

If you are not familiar with Gapminder organization recommend checking them out and watching Prof. Hans Roslings talks on TED.com. See FAO STAT for the populations and Our écological footprint: reducing human impact on the earth By Mathis Wackernagel, William E. Rees for the rest.

Check out 350.org to help come up with real solutions.

Biofach 2010 'Organic and Fair'

Hello from the Biofach 2010 in Nuremberg Germany. Here inside things are much quieter than in 2009. There are some 200 less exhibitors and several hundred less visitors. Hall three is closed entirely this year and there are actually places to sit at the various cafes around the 'Fair and Bio' section of the fair. This is a win and a lose for everyone. Maybe huge business like Wal-Mart and McDonalds will leave organic alone if the market falls a little bit, on the other hand small organic producers and communities are looking at tougher markets and less income for their labor.

This years Biofach is about walking around eating and looking for people to learn from about the livlihoods of the farmers and high biodiversity production systems. There are a number of coffee, cacao, brazil nut and cashew farmers here from Latin America and Africa who are eager to discuss and have the hands that produced the food products we are discussing.

This years theme for Biofach is 'Organic and Fair' and has managed to draw a huge crowd of people who are eager to network and discuss the issues regarding the processing marketing and sales of these food products but a dirth of people who would like to discuss the actual production. I am headed to a discussion on wild collection this afternoon and then to a climate change discussion and hope to learn more there.

New IFOAM Publications at the COP15 in Copenhagen

The staff of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has been sleepless for the last few weeks finalizing two publications to promote organic agriculture as a mechanism that should be included in the talks here in Copenhagen.

New IFOAM Climate Change and Food Security Publications
In time for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference IFOAM and IFOAM EU Group have published two new publications to raise awareness of the important role of organic agriculture in mitigating and adapting to climate change and securing food supply.
Organic Agriculture - Guide to Climate Change & Food Security
Contribution of Organic Agriculture to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa

I am here at the IFOAM booth blogging and pressing organic (H-017F or those who are here). Smiling behind my green both and mac laptop shell I am trying to catch the attention of the passing delegates and other country officials as they walk past on the way to the negotiations and plenary sessions. Singapore, Uganda and Japan have shown strong interest this morning asking for more information and taking copies of publications with them to the inside.

I have been inside from dawn to dusk each day andI have not had a chance to see what it is like outside the event other than a quick chat with greenpeace activists and the wind powered coffee man. Security is getting tougher and it seems that soon our delegation will be limited by the UNFCCC event staff, perhaps then I will hve a chance to dance and chant with the protesters and the un-invited. Tomorrow in the center of town I will go to see Vandana Shiva speak at the Klimaforum 'People's Global Climate Forum' and get a chance to see what it is like for everyone outside the event. Meanwhile I am well dressed, cheerful, warm and full - I hand out 'fresh off the press' publications like a suited newspaper boy and push organic.

Stay tuned for more on the progression of COP15.

Carrot mob and International Day of Climate Change

'Wir drehen das Prinzip des Boykotts um und belohnen Unternehmen,
die bereit sind, etwas für die Umwelt zu tun!'

“We turn the principle of boycott around by rewarding enterprises
that are willing to do something for the environment!”

-Carrot mob

Carrotmob started in San Francisco last year. Born from the idea that the power of consumers can push businesses toward more environmentally responsible practices. Carrotmob interviews various business owners to see who is willing to put the most revenue toward greening their business. The business who offers to contribute the most gets rewarded by a mob of shoppers all making their weekly purchases together in that store.

Learn More about the Bonn Carrot Mob action at:

http://beta.greenaction.de/kampagne/carrotmob-bonn

Create your own: http://carrotmob.org/organize/

Cory's Dr Green Blog Posts:
Small is Beautiful
Give Organic a Chance
Beekeeping
No Work Farming
Growing Organic

Visit Farmers for the Future

Climate Change Talks

I am writing this morning with a little bit of disappointment and frustration. The UN Climate Negotiations here in Bonn have just ended without much change to show for it. Representatives from 182 countries met for 12 days here in Bonn and pushed around a few agenda items. Nothing much happened, as you can see on the UNFCC website, with an issue that requires immediate and drastic action. As we know this is a turning point in history. Al Gore and Bill McKibben are working hard to spread the word and I feel inspired to do all I can to help.

This is an important time for us to stand up and tell these world leaders that we want to live equitably with the rest of the species that inhabit this planet. In today's news Mekong River Irrawady Dolphins are fast approaching extinction because the river they live in crosses through 5 different countries. The governments of Burma, Thailand, China, Laos and Cambodia are having trouble making decisions together and, though they are encouraged (by WWF Cambodia among others) to take unanimous action, are proving to be unable to stop the polluting of the river. This does not have to be the fate of these dolphins or the thousands of other species who will likely go extinct this year. We must encourage our governments to put environmental issues on the top of the agenda. Without a healthy, clean, biologically productive and rich environment we cannot hope to have peace or save our economies.

During the UN talks here in Bonn Yvo de Boer (UNFCC Executive Secretary) encouraged the NGOs to activate the membership 'out on the street' before the next talks in Copenhagen. This is an important time for us to make some noise - world leaders do not know what they are doing. Politics, bureaucracy, and money are serving as veils. They desperately need our guidance.

Al Gore.com is a place where a lot of information and opportunity for action is posted.

350.org has a new video that needs to be shown to as many people as possible.

Finally, the We Can Solve It Campaign is now over 2 million members strong and could still use more support.

Cory's Dr Green Blog Posts:
Small is Beautiful
Give Organic a Chance
Beekeeping
No Work Farming
Growing Organic

Health is Wealth

The ill health of our economies and our natural systems are battling for first on the global agenda. Governments are trying to decide whether to invest in climate change mitigation or economic stimulus. Car companies are getting billion dollar bail outs while others suffer the economic downturn without aid. Treating the problems of the natural environment and the problems of the economy seperately is a mistake, economy and ecology are the same, the shared etymological root is oikos. Ecological health and economic health are inextricably linked. Boosting the economy without considering the natural consequences is addressing the symptom and not the problem. These global health issues must be treated holistically utilizing sustainable practices.

We must find ways to localize and reduce our ecological impacts. Our health and the health of our environment depends on it. As in the Son’s Flesh Sutra where a couple has to eat their own child to survive crossing the desert, if we continue to destroy the environment in order to feed the economy we have no chance of really surviving.

The good news is that holistic medicine for ill economies and natural systems are known and are being utilized. It starts with small communities. The benefits of community action in terms of management of natural resources and food production are incredible. When a community starts an organic garden or a sustainable forestry project they have healthy work, they promote natural systems, ecological tourism, hunting and harvesting, they make money or save some money by producing food for the table and reducing health risks.

On the global scale there are many effective and responsible organizations helping to make a greener future. The Forest Stewardship Council promotes international economically and ecologically responsible forestry management. The We can Solve It Campaign, The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, 350.org and The Slow Food Movement are more examples of socially, ecologically and economically responsible movers and shakers on an international scale.

TTD: I have just finished writing to the newly redesigned US Presidential Office of Public Liaison about the potential of organic and local food for supporting economies and mitigating climate change. The office of Public Liason is accepting and using information and suggestions from everyone. Write them a note about how you feel the US should approach these issues in a more holistic way.

Cory's Dr Green Blog Posts:
Small is Beautiful
Give Organic a Chance
Beekeeping
No Work Farming
Growing Organic

Al Gore and the Purpose-Driven Web

In a recent speech in San Francisco Al Gore pointed out the elephant in the living room once more. “Now is the time to really move swiftly" he said, urging internet companies to use the web as a tool for positive change. The purpose of the internet has to be transformed for doing good:

“The purpose, I would urge all of you — as many of you as are willing to take it up — is to bring about a higher level of consciousness about our planet and the imminent danger and opportunity we face because of the radical transformation in the relationship between human beings and the Earth,” (read the New York Times Article)

He shows us how this can be done in his Taking 'An Inconvenient Truth' To Congress website and the WE can Solve It campaign.

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.” 

― William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell