Today, October 15^th 2009, is Blog Action Day with the theme of Climate Change.  I hope this post is able to contribute some small part to help raise awareness about this important issue.

Whether You Believe Or Not

There are people that passionately believe global warming is real.  And there are those that just as strongly disagree with the concept entirely.

It’s actually quite interesting to consider how awareness for climate change has grown in the U.S. since the 1930s.  First, it took a considerable amount of time to reach some level of scientific agreement about the problem. Then it took even more time to build up public awareness around the issue to the point where political action was seriously being sought and demanded.

It’s actually quite amazing how far we’ve come just since Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006.  This year (2009), there are high hopes for some monumental outcomes arising from International talks at a United Nations meeting in Copenhagen this December.  Check out 350.org for more information on the CO2 goals for this Treaty as well as the “day of action” planned on October 24^th, 2009 to drum up even more support for a favorable CO2 Treaty Agreement.

But aside from the climate change awareness movement, the best way that I would respond to any naysayers of global warming is that we should care about our environment regardless of whether global warming or climate change will ever hit crisis levels.

Is there ever really any excuse to abuse or have a lack of appreciation for the gifts of nature around us?  Consider the simple beauty of sunsets, mountains, beaches, forests, gardens, waterfalls, fruit, vegetables, clean drinking water, etc.  How much would we miss them if they were gone?

Whether climate change is a real issue or not, I think we can agree that it makes sense to take care of the environment around us, to use materials that are bio-degradable and environmentally friendly, if even just to slow the growth of landfills and to keep our air and drinking water clean.

Even though it is quite common to recycle plastics, to use efficient light bulbs, and waste less energy, I believe there is still a lot of “low-hanging fruit” in our lives where more can be done with minimal effort and meaningful impact.

I care about the environment.  I’m not a fanatic.  I do use plastics more than I should (they are so undeniably convenient).  But I also do make an effort to recycle as much as I can, too.  I am getting more and more educated and aware about the environment and the human impact on it. Alongside the big changes that government policy can achieve, I realize that small changes add up and can make a meaningful difference, too.

While change often never happens until there is a crisis to jolt us out of our comfort zones, I’m glad to see climate change awareness growing.  I look forward to the days when appreciation for the world around us is something that we no longer have to teach, that it is something that comes second nature to us, something that we don’t need to question, something that we just do because it is the right thing for the current moment and for future generations as well.

Every year, new buzzwords are coined (see last year’s list: “The Buzzwords of 2008“).  Clearly the list for 2009 is still evolving and will certainly include words that do not even exist yet.

Surprising or not, even the “eye-blurring” subject of Economics has contributed buzzwords to our lexicon as when “irrational exuberance” became a buzzword back in December of 1996.

“Green shoots“, as first heard from Bernanke in a “60 Minutes” interview last month, is sure to make the list of buzzwords for 2009.  In reference to the state of our current economy, this phrase is a metaphor indicating that we are starting to see signs of economic recovery (or as others would suggest are merely indications that “things are not getting worse at an accelerating rate.”)

Depending on your political persuasion, “green shoots” might even be a good way to characterize Obama’s first 100 days in office.

Quite conveniently, the phrase “green shoots” has also arrived in time for the Celebration of this year’s Earth Day, or as some would say is Earth Week, or Earth Month.  The Obama Administration’s new focus on the environment also reflects the “green shoots” that make this year’s Earth Day different from those in the past.

Yet, as pointed out and paraphrased from at least one of this Sunday’s morning talk shows: “a good start doesn’t insure a good finish.”  There is still a long road ahead.

This reminds me of a panel discussion at this month’s PSEG Greenfest where Daryl Hannah (supported by Ed Begley, Jr.), brought up the fact that being green is both easy and hard.  As the discussion went, “simple living” may reflect a less complicated time period of the past, but it clearly represents a more difficult lifestyle in other ways, too.  Living off of the land and doing things with fewer of our modern-day (and more environmentally-damaging) conveniences is not necessarily an easier life.

Yet, getting the low hanging fruit first is the best and easiest place to start.  It is where small things can go a long way (e.g., like turning off lights and unused appliances; switching to the longer-lasting CFL light bulbs; and eliminating the use of disposable plastic bottles and bags).  It is a good place to start, but it is just the start.

As Ed Begley Jr. also pointed out at both this year’s PSEG Greenfest and last year’s Global Green Expo, even though there is a lot with the environment that isn’t going well, and a lot of battles that still need to be fought that won’t easily be won, there is still a lot to be hopeful about, too.  Victories are being achieved (e.g., nationally, we have eliminated the use of CFCs and the ozone hole is getting smaller, and locally the Hudson River is one of many rivers that are viable again.)  Change needs to start somewhere.  And, change is an ongoing journey.

While consumption is necessary and important for a healthy economy, nowadays, we are all increasingly aware of the damage that overconsumption can cause, too, to the economy, our pocketbooks, our healthcare system, our individual health and quality of life, and on our environment.  Everything is felt globally, nationally, and locally.  And, solutions need to come locally, nationally, and globally, too.

Overconsumption leads to wasted energies in all senses of the word.   Retail therapy can no longer be the prescription of the day.  We are in the day where we are seeing studies that suggest how being “thinner is better to curb global warming” and how “Email Spam ‘produces 17m tons of CO2′“.

Environmentally, things are being evaluated in terms of our carbon footprint, with the goal to become “carbon neutral” or “carbon negative”.  Economically speaking, spending and saving, trade and budgets, need to come back into balance again, too.

I now evaluate my decisions in the form of trade-offs, i.e., what will doing or spending money on one thing over another now create or prevent for me in the future.  In all arenas, this trade-off consideration applies equally well, be it in finance, health, time, or environmental impact.  We need to have both a current and a long term outlook.  Small things, good and bad, build on themselves.

We are no longer in the day of expecting or believing in quick fixes.  Ed Begley Jr. often explains how he didn’t achieve his current green lifestyle quickly but by doing small things over time.  To paraphrase, he always says “don’t do anything you can’t afford…work up to it …save up for it…you will see savings in the long run.”

Right now “green shoots” are simply green shoots.  Let’s be sure to take care of them (both individually and collectively) so that they don’t get crowded out by weeds and so that they grow healthy in an environment of balance that is long-term sustainable.

As a continuation from Part 1, here are more notes from the presentations given at the recent Global Green Expo 2008 in Jersey City, NJ.

Emme

• no need for “green guilt”; just become aware of ‘unnecessary consumption’
• small change is lasting change
• make your dent, e.g., use ceramic mug instead of styrofoam cups at work
• share what you’ve learned with others
• doesn’t have to be all or nothing: think differently and make one small change, see how it makes you feel
• ‘walk the talk’ and be the example/teach children how
• engage kids and make change fun, don’t scold them for, say, not turning off the lights
• realize the savings of making changes
• if you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it
• you don’t want to invite unnecessary cancer into your life, especially if it’s environmentally caused.

Ed Begley, Jr.

• don’t tell people what you’re going to do, but tell them what you did
• do ‘cheap and easy’ stuff first (‘pick the low hanging fruit’), such as: bike riding, public transportation, home gardening, weatherstripping, etc.
• when businesses say they can’t afford to make the changes, he found that “business people like to breathe clean air, too”
• businesses can make money selling green products –> “green collar jobs”
• The Hudson RiverKeeper has made the river much cleaner, but there’s still work to be done; there are so many success stories out there, don’t forget the good news
• everything Ed has done that’s good for the environment has been good for his bottom line and has saved him money, too…some things took longer to do than others
• recycle and buy recycled, too…complete the loop (plastic that never breaks down can be good for a fence)
• we need to simplify our lives….he’s not a Luddite, but he’s taken it as far as he can
• “live simply so others can simply live” – it will mean different things to different people
• he would rather see a wind turbine than an oil derrick or smog
• for ‘green’ changes that you can’t afford yet, get the information now, so that you have it when you can afford it
• on purchasing ‘carbon offsets’ via Terrapass: this doesn’t do anything for emissions, but it does mitigate when you can’t take another alternative.
• his priority on transportation choices (in order, first to last): walk; bike; public transportation; electric car; his wife’s Prius; and lastly air travel. When he must use air travel, he will purchase Terrapass.
• he concluded by sincerely thanking PSEG for doing a good thing, and asking them to do more.

Jeff Corwin of ‘Animal Planet’

• there are some animals that we no longer need to worry about being endangered, because now they are extinct
• there are still animals around today that we can save
• we lose about 20,000 species a year
• dangers are: apathy; ignorance; and powerlessness
• be accountable for yourself and allow that to resonate outward
• we each produce 5 lbs of non-biodegradable waste each day
• look at the impact of what you do and reduce that by 10%
• take the ‘baby step’ approach; sustainable, like a diet; by changing your habits
• change your lives in a sustainable way: use burlap bags for supermarket shopping; turn out the lights; reclamate a river in your community; get your food locally and in season
• we don’t need to be perfect, but make the attempt
• hold politicians accountable
• what can we do? Know that you can. Be a spark for a grassroots effort. Find it, rally, and do it.

So, overall, a very consistent message of hope. A lot of concern from the audience for not knowing what difference they can truly make. It was reiterated that just coming to this event is a great first step, to get educated. Then to take small steps that are sustainable and that will lead to larger steps. Make changes locally. And, notice what the environmentally-friendly changes will do to enhance your bottom-line.

So what will you change today that is sustainable?

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to spend two days at the Global Green Expo 2008 sponsored by PSEG. (Below are my take-aways from Saturday’s events. Tomorrow will be Part 2 covering Sunday’s events.)

The event took place at the majestic Liberty State Park in Jersey City, from where you can see a coming together of the park, the Hudson River, with grand views of the New York City skyline, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty.

The venue was simply set up with outdoor tents for the featured speakers, and many boothes for local “green” businesses to supply information. It may not have looked fancy at first glance, but the information and education that I received was priceless and didn’t require any unnecessary glitz and glamour.

I’ll start by admitting that I was never very “green” before this event, but now that I understand what the movement and issues are really about, I’m ready to start making some changes in what I do.

Probably the best part of the whole event was the ability to ask questions and get answers. All of the speakers generously made themselves available for candid Q&A both during and after their talks.

The most common sentiment was questions along the line of: “How can we stay hopeful when there is so much bad news about the climate and the environment?” All the keynote speakers (that I had the privilege to hear, including: Ed Begley Jr., Ten Danson, Jeff Corwin, Emme, Diedre Imus, The Climate Project) answered that:

Themes Common to Most Speakers

• all were very hopeful
• there is much that we can control
• focus on what you can change and control today
• focus on the progresss that has been made & what’s been achieved in the past 10 years
• more and more people are “talking the talk”; now more need to “walk the walk”
• some irreversible losses (e.g. species extinctions) have occurred, but much can still be saved and stabilized.
• a lot is at stake here; we’re close to being at a point of no return
• we are running out of time to sit back & slowly problem-solve
• now is the time for action
• it does help to start small such as by changing to energy efficient lightbulbs or choosing green cleaning products
• make one change at a time so that change sticks and you don’t revert to your old habits; one change leads to another

The Climate Project (Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” Slideshow):

• we can’t enjoy the earth without protecting it
• Polar Ice caps that are melting are the “canary in the coal mine”
• it’s not sustainable to live like we live (as a developed nation) if everyone wants to do it (looking at the population growth in developing countries)
• we have the know-how to solve the problem; we did it with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• it’s the only planet we’ve got
• there is a good amount of lobbyists for green groups now too that are being able to push back on the more traditional lobbyists for coal, fossile fuel, etc.

Diedre Imus

• in this generation there has been rise in the amount of childhood diseases (e.g., cancers, autism, allergies, learning disabilities, etc.)
• our children are past their toxic tipping point (prevent unnecessary exposures)
• identify, control, and ultimately prevent toxic levels of exposure to avoid health consequences
• there are many shades of green: aim for the least level of toxicity possible or non-toxic
• Diedre has done great work in the cleaning & greening of hospitals
• getting green cleaning products is a good first step
• don’t get stressed out or you’ll get paralyzed by the amount of information, focus on one less exposure
• “to people that aren’t educated, this does sound crazy”
• why doesn’t the government do more? … “it’s not the government’s responsibility…look at all the crap the FDA does approve”
• look for products that disclose all their ingredients in a way that you can read and understand
• there are so many levels that all of us can get involved in – pick what your interest is and stick with it (e.g., food, schools, etc)
• educate kids, parents, and heads of school; education starts in the home; help people understand “why” otherwise there will be a disconnect

Diedre referenced the following African proverb: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try living in a room with a mosquito.”

N.J. Senator Robert Menendez

• climate change is a global issue that requires local action
• 88 of the 800+ cities that signed up to support the Kyoto Protocol are in New Jersey (note: the U.S. is the only country not to ratify this treaty yet)
• sound energy policies should not be seen as a threat to a business’ bottom line, but as an enhancement to their bottom line
• in just five years, N.J. has become the second largest market in the country for solar energy

Ted Danson (supports: Oceana.org)

• this is not just an economic and health issue, but a moral issue to do the right thing
• this is still fixable
• now is an exciting time to become an activist and go beyond just being an environmentalist in your home
• we have very little time to do a lot
• this past adminstration has been particularly tough; making a difference requires a bipartisan effort; it’s good business not to destroy the environment you operate in
• there are good laws out there, they just need to be enforced better
• it’s hard to get people to focus on something that’s out of sight and out of mind (e.g., Ph Balance of the Ocean; seafood contamination with unsafe mercury levels; overfishing and other destructive fishing practices; oversubsidizing fishing industries; etc.)
• “sealife doesn’t deserve to be contaminated like we did the buffalo”
• recommendation to check out the YouTube movie trailer for: “The Shift“

Ted Danson: “Twenty years from now when someone asks you: What did you know back then? And, What did you do back then? How are you going to answer that?”

See Part 2 for more….

Water may be considered a generic commodity by some, or a profit-producing product to others. In the end, it is simply a necessity for everyone’s existence.

A recent video snippet that I came across by Katie Couric on “World Water Day” succinctly points out the need for awareness to the larger issue of the 40% of the world’s population that does not even have access to clean water or proper sanitation. Water is definitely something that we need to be concerned about.

Too bad that the World Water Day website is so uninspiring…I think we need to get some good social media marketers to help them out. Want to see some interesting coverage of the water issues? Check out the entertaining (and irreverent) “reporting” on water on the Colbert Report and how related coverage is nicely compiled on one of the show’s fan sites: The No Fact Zone.

Back in the land of plenty, in the news, almost like a politician being criticized from all angles, water has become a controversial topic in the media for other reasons. How apropos and timely does this make the recent Ziggy cartoon posted here?

We’ve heard of the reports that suggest that prescription drugs are finding their way into the nation’s drinking water since the water treatment plants don’t filter them out of wastewater that it treats.

That works out as a nice coincidence for the latest news story which reports that there should not be a pseudo recommended daily allowance of water intake (of eight 8oz glasses a day)…at least that’s what two kidney experts are claiming in a national medical publication.

From the news coverage that I’ve seen, you’d think there was more support behind their claim, and that the dangers were more severe than actually is the case. Let’s look at the language used to conclude that “there is no clear-cut scientific rationale”:

• the only source they found that supports the benefits of water-drinking is: “the complementary and alternative medicine worlds” (I guess those worlds don’t count.)
• water-drinking myths were debunked based on the: “review the scientific literature on the benefits of drinking water” (I guess it can only be true after someone writes about it.)
• they concluded that “there is no rational basis for the widespread belief….it is unclear where this recommendation came from.” (I guess if there’s no proof then it can’t be true.)
• their claims that it can actually be dangerous to drink too much water is solely based on extreme examples.

So, what are we to conclude with these different reports on water. I would conclude that we need to look at the facts behind the messages. What do you think?

A CNN report from this week’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas showcases a few new gadgets that run on “alternative power”. One of these alternate power sources includes water, but not the hydropower type. In particular, the water-powered gadget that caught my attention was a water-powered fuel cell for a cell phone, which is no doubt an intriguing concept.

However, even though these gadgets are expensive now as long as the technology is new, if they ever did become affordable to the general public, I’m not sure that people would or should consider water to be the ubiquitous energy source that it may appear to be. Clearly some countries, such as China, Darfur, and Iraq, are experiencing tragic shortages in drinking water even today.

Granted that even though water-based energy probably doesn’t need to be of a drinking water quality, its availability and portability does pose serious challenges. Also, we can’t assume that bottled water would be what feeds this water-powered fuel cell, but it isn’t that far-fetched a likelihood either. Let’s consider the impact of that possibility for a moment.

Consider the potential environmental impact of portable bottled water being used as a fuel source with these key facts from the January-February 2008 issue of AMC Outdoors magazine entitled: “Turn on the Tap: Though popular, bottled water has its dissenters”.

Scary Facts:

• Fact #1: “Americans spent about $11 billion on bottled water in 2006, an 8.5 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp.”
• Fact #2: “According to the Pacific Institute, 17 million barrels of oil were used in the production of plastic bottles last year and less than one in five containers made its way to a recycling facility”. Note: Not all plastic bottles are of the water-filled type, but even a percentage of this figure would still be staggering.

Action-Based Facts:

• Fact #1: The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA)…says companies are working to reduce their environmental impact by using lighter weight plastic…and more fuel efficient transportation.”
• Fact #2: Also, as referenced in this article, check out the”Think Outside the Bottle” Campaign by Corporate Accountability International which is working to hold the bottled water industry accountable.

The logistics of a portable water-powered fuel cell concept will definitely need to be addressed should the product work well and gain in affordability and popularity.