I just got back from a 2 week trip to namibia with my family. It was stunning, the landscapes beautiful and extreme. We travelled most of the time with a group of 16 in a Safari truck. I was amazed that 9 of the 10 campsites not only had running water but showers and toilets! It was so dry there, you wonder how a well of any depth could find any at all.
When you look out from the dunes to the sea, with the warm bright sun ahead and massive amount of space behind you (Namibia has only two million people and is one of the least densely populated in the world), you wonder whether you couldn't just engineer sun, water and land to work together and become more biologically productive.
On my return my brother sent me this link - you HAVE to see it - its AMAZING and looks like it is taking off!!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/02/alternativeenergy.solarpower
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
check out this oxfam link
I found these stories on climate change to be illuminating and inspiring. They are four videos about how women in various different countries have taken it upon themselves to tackle those problems coming with climate change. I kept noticing that in the poorer societies, their big problems are crop failure from not knowing when to plant the crops - the signs have all changed and the long term weather is much less predictable.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/climate_change/sisters/index.html?ito=2440&itc=0
Also, did you know that because of the increased CO2 in the air, the oceans are absorbing CO2 as well, making them more acidic. This acidity is beginning to prevent some organisms from creating their shells. Of course, this is the end of the line for these creatures... and coral, which is bleaching from the higher temperatures at an alarming rate all over the world -- these are the canaries is the coal mine!
keep spreading the word! Here's some good news -- Scotland will be building the worlds largest windmill farm by 2011! The news looks amazing, especially the way that it is creating so many jobs! Lets get it going here too!
http://www.theherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2404431.mostviewed.scotland_to_get_europes_largest_onshore_windfarm.php
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/climate_change/sisters/index.html?ito=2440&itc=0
Also, did you know that because of the increased CO2 in the air, the oceans are absorbing CO2 as well, making them more acidic. This acidity is beginning to prevent some organisms from creating their shells. Of course, this is the end of the line for these creatures... and coral, which is bleaching from the higher temperatures at an alarming rate all over the world -- these are the canaries is the coal mine!
keep spreading the word! Here's some good news -- Scotland will be building the worlds largest windmill farm by 2011! The news looks amazing, especially the way that it is creating so many jobs! Lets get it going here too!
http://www.theherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2404431.mostviewed.scotland_to_get_europes_largest_onshore_windfarm.php
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Weather Makers
I'm babysitting my friend's record collection and listening to Allman Brother Band, 'Ain't Wastin Time no more'
sounds sweet. I also just read 'The Weather Makers' by Time Flannery. Its about that most uplifting topic of climate change!
The time has come that our human activities have started to have a stronger effect than natural influences on our climate -- which means we're making the weather!! Only thing is, we don't really need a hotter planet - I'd be all for burning up the coal and warming our planet if the ice age was coming, but its not!! Fortunately, we collectively know what to do about this, we just need to understand the basics and make some small changes to start cooling our planet. There are a lot of reasons for this, but one of the ones that sticks out to me is the rate at which species are going extinct and how fast Earth's biodiversity is being lost. Just a 1 degree celsius global average change has already had huge impacts.
SOLUTION:
Here are some things that everyone reading this can do to help.
Have you looked into a Green power option where you live (for electricity) If there isn't one, find out why and let them know they have consumers.
Solar Panels are a double investment now - one for the Earth and one for you since power is getting more and more expensive!
Check fuel efficieny of your next car! Don't end up with a gas-guzzler with these fuel prices! And walk/cycling, if your area is appropriate can also reduce emissions.
If you're someone that writes to their politician, please include carbon emissions and green energy initiatives. If not, there's always a first time.
Our solution to this will be multi-faceted, relying on carbon sequestering, wind and solar power, research into tidal power, and perhaps nuclear. There is research out into compressed air cars!! What a clean way to store energy!
sounds sweet. I also just read 'The Weather Makers' by Time Flannery. Its about that most uplifting topic of climate change!
The time has come that our human activities have started to have a stronger effect than natural influences on our climate -- which means we're making the weather!! Only thing is, we don't really need a hotter planet - I'd be all for burning up the coal and warming our planet if the ice age was coming, but its not!! Fortunately, we collectively know what to do about this, we just need to understand the basics and make some small changes to start cooling our planet. There are a lot of reasons for this, but one of the ones that sticks out to me is the rate at which species are going extinct and how fast Earth's biodiversity is being lost. Just a 1 degree celsius global average change has already had huge impacts.
SOLUTION:
Here are some things that everyone reading this can do to help.
Have you looked into a Green power option where you live (for electricity) If there isn't one, find out why and let them know they have consumers.
Solar Panels are a double investment now - one for the Earth and one for you since power is getting more and more expensive!
Check fuel efficieny of your next car! Don't end up with a gas-guzzler with these fuel prices! And walk/cycling, if your area is appropriate can also reduce emissions.
If you're someone that writes to their politician, please include carbon emissions and green energy initiatives. If not, there's always a first time.
Our solution to this will be multi-faceted, relying on carbon sequestering, wind and solar power, research into tidal power, and perhaps nuclear. There is research out into compressed air cars!! What a clean way to store energy!
Monday, May 5, 2008
another reason to plant a garden
The Food and Agriculture Organization says that food prices have gone up 83% in the last three years. Rice prices alone have gone up 141% since January of this year alone! The impact of higher food prices ultimately means that more impoverished people will suffer from malnutrition and could starve.
Woah!!! Time to plant those veggies and start growing some extra!
And since us grown-ups over 18 can have a massive effect on the outcome of the Nov 3rd ELECTION!!! Here is a breakdown of the candidates and their environmental stance.
Barack Obama
Is a current frontrunner as a democratic presidential candidate. He currently serves as the US Senator of Illinois. His previous experience is in the Illinois state senate. Barack Obama believes that we should take steps to limit the effects global warming. He wants to increase fuel efficiency standards and lower the carbon in our fuels. He would encourage auto manufacturers to create more advanced vehicles and he would require that 20% of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. These issues come together as an intuitive and comprehensive action plan with regards to the environment. The League of Conservation Voters rates Barack Obama with a 100% for 2006. BarackObama.com
John McCain
Is a republican presidential candidate that currently holds a position as Senator of Arizona. In general, Senator McCain is a pro-business kind of guy. He usually doesn’t care about the environment if it means businesses will lose money. However, he does have a mixed voting record that includes pro-environment bills. For example, he voted yes for including oil and gas smokestacks to be included in the mercury regulations put out by the EPA to cap mercury emissions. If I was a republican that cared about the environment, I think that I might vote for someone else who had a more positive solid stance for the environment. The League of Conservation Voters rated Senator John McCain at 29% for 2006.
A democratic presidential candidate that is currently holding a seat in the U.S. senate in New York. Her voting record in the senate proves that she really cares about environmental issues regarding energy and global warming. Some people say that the United States isn’t ready for a female president, but I say that she fits the bill quite well. She has a decent shot at winning the democratic primaries, but she’ll have to put up quite a fight. Hillary Clinton “introduced a plan to Congress to create a Strategic Energy Fund that would inject $50 billion into research, development, and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal technology, ethanol and other homegrown biofuels, and more.” She wouldn’t raise taxes to its citizen’s but instead would give oil companies a choice: to invest in renewable energies themselves, or put money into a fund that will invest into renewable energy research (HillaryClinton.com). Her scorecard on the League of Conservation Voters in 2006 was 71%. HillaryClinton.com
Woah!!! Time to plant those veggies and start growing some extra!
And since us grown-ups over 18 can have a massive effect on the outcome of the Nov 3rd ELECTION!!! Here is a breakdown of the candidates and their environmental stance.
Barack Obama
Is a current frontrunner as a democratic presidential candidate. He currently serves as the US Senator of Illinois. His previous experience is in the Illinois state senate. Barack Obama believes that we should take steps to limit the effects global warming. He wants to increase fuel efficiency standards and lower the carbon in our fuels. He would encourage auto manufacturers to create more advanced vehicles and he would require that 20% of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. These issues come together as an intuitive and comprehensive action plan with regards to the environment. The League of Conservation Voters rates Barack Obama with a 100% for 2006. BarackObama.com
John McCain
Is a republican presidential candidate that currently holds a position as Senator of Arizona. In general, Senator McCain is a pro-business kind of guy. He usually doesn’t care about the environment if it means businesses will lose money. However, he does have a mixed voting record that includes pro-environment bills. For example, he voted yes for including oil and gas smokestacks to be included in the mercury regulations put out by the EPA to cap mercury emissions. If I was a republican that cared about the environment, I think that I might vote for someone else who had a more positive solid stance for the environment. The League of Conservation Voters rated Senator John McCain at 29% for 2006.
A democratic presidential candidate that is currently holding a seat in the U.S. senate in New York. Her voting record in the senate proves that she really cares about environmental issues regarding energy and global warming. Some people say that the United States isn’t ready for a female president, but I say that she fits the bill quite well. She has a decent shot at winning the democratic primaries, but she’ll have to put up quite a fight. Hillary Clinton “introduced a plan to Congress to create a Strategic Energy Fund that would inject $50 billion into research, development, and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal technology, ethanol and other homegrown biofuels, and more.” She wouldn’t raise taxes to its citizen’s but instead would give oil companies a choice: to invest in renewable energies themselves, or put money into a fund that will invest into renewable energy research (HillaryClinton.com). Her scorecard on the League of Conservation Voters in 2006 was 71%. HillaryClinton.com
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Return from Tour
Finally back to New York City after 7 weeks on the road! We had a very warm welcome when we played at Replay clothing on 4/22 - it was that great feeling that everyone in the room felt good about celebrating Earth Day. Replay gave 10% of their profits to the Ben Jelen Foundation that week -- as you can imagine, this turned out to be a significant deal for us -- so THANK YOU!
We then played the Knitting Factory and that concluded my tour. Thank you to everyone that was there.
So I'm back - its easier to recycle at home than on the bus... I've noticed that once I take out those recyclables, I'm basically left with compost in the trash. Its a shame I don't have a garden! Not being on the road has shown me all over again what a strain road life can be on the planet if I'm not careful. I'm happy to be in a city where recycling is second nature.
I just did a guest-blog at fijigreen.com - their site is worth checking out, it explains how they are a carbon-negative company, something thats not easy to get your head around -- but if we're talking consumer vote, it means buying a bottle of theirs will end up taking carbon out of the atmosphere, and supporting a company that wants this change.
We then played the Knitting Factory and that concluded my tour. Thank you to everyone that was there.
So I'm back - its easier to recycle at home than on the bus... I've noticed that once I take out those recyclables, I'm basically left with compost in the trash. Its a shame I don't have a garden! Not being on the road has shown me all over again what a strain road life can be on the planet if I'm not careful. I'm happy to be in a city where recycling is second nature.
I just did a guest-blog at fijigreen.com - their site is worth checking out, it explains how they are a carbon-negative company, something thats not easy to get your head around -- but if we're talking consumer vote, it means buying a bottle of theirs will end up taking carbon out of the atmosphere, and supporting a company that wants this change.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Sweetwater's new Green complex
For those of you who don't know what Sweetwater is, its a company that sells and delivers all kinds of musical instruments and equipment, mainly online. Many producers and musicians order their equipment from sweetwater, and they run a good business with people that are knowledgable about all the products. They're based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Today we visited their new complex to record some tracks for a benefit that majic 95.1 (a radio station there) puts together to raise money for the Riley hospital for children. Sweetwater has a state of the art recording studio on its new premises that it opens up for this project. After recording a few songs, we got the tour of their building.
When sweetwater started this new complex, they began on a foundation of being 'green'. The windows are in the right places so as not to lose energy. The urinals are waterless (and pretty cool). They told me that they estimate the extra money they spent in building will be made back in 5 years from the savings they make from being more energy conscious. It is the first totally green building in Indiana - congratulations to sweetwater for setting the example they can.
Today we visited their new complex to record some tracks for a benefit that majic 95.1 (a radio station there) puts together to raise money for the Riley hospital for children. Sweetwater has a state of the art recording studio on its new premises that it opens up for this project. After recording a few songs, we got the tour of their building.
When sweetwater started this new complex, they began on a foundation of being 'green'. The windows are in the right places so as not to lose energy. The urinals are waterless (and pretty cool). They told me that they estimate the extra money they spent in building will be made back in 5 years from the savings they make from being more energy conscious. It is the first totally green building in Indiana - congratulations to sweetwater for setting the example they can.
omaha, nebraska and their frogs
Our show at Mick's Music was great fun, not too many people, but also very chill which allowed me to hang out with some people after the show. Brad from Des Moines came to see us with a buddy and they came on the bus after the show for some talking. His brother in law, an electrician in omaha was telling us tales of his childhood along the missouri river. When this man was young, he used to spend all available time fishing the river. 25 years later, he's already seen major changes in the river. Less fish. Signs warning of mercury contamination. The frogs, which used to be separately male and female have mutated into hybrid male-females, believed to be an effect of Atrazine (a herbicide) used on farms and running off into the river. There's also human waste in the river. And most markedly, many less frogs from 25 years ago.
Soooo -- a sad tale, but the positive part is that this man in Nebraska, also incidentally a Republican voter understood and cared about these issues.
Soooo -- a sad tale, but the positive part is that this man in Nebraska, also incidentally a Republican voter understood and cared about these issues.
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