Thanksgiving Under Trump and the Awakening of Corporate America

Thanksgiving under Trump is a partisan affair. This is but the most recent American tradition that is being undermined by this president. Instead of unifying Americans Trump is lauding himself and sewing conflict. He spews his caustic venom to erode the center and breed division.

Trump's shameless capacity for self promotion knows no bounds. In a public call to US military leaders he maligned the judiciary for ruling against his immigration policy. Rather than focus on Thanksgiving well-wishes for all Americans he used the occassion to attack his enemies and sell his narrative.

Energy Solution: Free Electric - Game Changing Stationary Bike (Video)

Free Electric offers a powerful solution to the burgeoning global demand for energy. This energy innovation can radically reduce emissions while increasing access to electricity for poor people all over the world.

Access to electrical power with zero emissions is about more than climate change, it represents an important step towards economic advancement for billions of people living in poverty. Free Electric can light their homes and shops, make food storage possible, and usher them into the 21st century.

Canadian Thanksgiving is at Odds with Columbus Day

Although they co-occur, in many respects Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving are diametrically opposed to each other. While Canadian Thanksgiving is a harvest festival celebrating nature's bounty, Columbus Day marks the start of our systematic destruction of the natural world.

Monday October 12th is Canadian Thanksgiving a time to be grateful, it is also Columbus day in most parts of the new world. It is hard to reconcile the start of our exploitation of the new world and the expression of gratitude for the bountiful harvests nature provides. 

Reflections on Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving

Monday October 13th is Columbus day in most parts of the new world, in Canada it is Thanksgiving. Columbus day and Canadian Thanksgiving offer us an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the bounty of life in the new world. It is also propitious that we should think about our impact on the natural world at this time of year. Since 1970, Columbus day has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. As of 1959, this day is also Thanksgiving in Canada. Columbus day marks the start of our habitation of the new world and Thanksgiving is a time where we express our gratitude for the bountiful harvests nature provides.

Infographic - UN Climate Solutions

Video - Climate Change Valentines for Politicians in Australia

AYCC volunteers in Canberra, Australia, surprised politicians with a valentines Day message: "It's not the thought that counts, it's real action." As explained by these activists, Romance and politics have one things in common: "Actions speak louder than words."

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UK Valentines Day Cards Against Fossil Fuels
A Love Letter to the Earth and its Inhabitants on Valentines Day

UK Valentines Day Cards Against Fossil Fuels

In the UK, Valentines Day 2014 is being marked by a national day of action. Valentines Day events are part of People and Planet's Go Green Week which is taking place from February 10-16, 2014. Students and staff from colleges and universities all across the UK are taking part.

On Valentines Day, Friday February 14th there is a national day of action in the UK that includes Fossil Free rallies across the country. These Valentines Day events also include cards for University Vice Chancellors (VCs) and politicians.

During Go Green Week, students in the UK are shining a spotlight on educational institution’s links to the fossil fuel industry. They engaged in a number of events including mass rallies and colourful, creative stunts on campuses. The Valentines Day message calls on universities to go Fossil Free.

A Love Letter to the Earth and its Inhabitants on Valentines Day

Valentines day is an opportunity to express love to people we care about, shouldn't the day also be about finding ways of communicating our love for the planet. No matter where we are, regardless of our power or wealth, we are all dependent on the Earth for our sustenance. Here is a love letter expressing gratitude for nature, and all those who work to make a better world.

We have many reasons to be grateful this Valentines Day. We are crafting positive environmental narratives that are getting more people on-board. A movement is being born that is infused with what can only be described as "eco-morality".  A new religious psychology and ethics is emerging that reinforces the environmental message. The new breed of environmentally concerned citizens gives us reason to hope that we will be able to tackle the difficult issues we face.

Problems and Solutions to the Climate Crisis from the World Economic Forum in Davos

Ahead of the 2015 deadline for a global climate deal the Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) sought action from business, governments and investors. WED took place in Davos Switzerland on January 22-25, 2014. The theme of the summit was "Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business." As the year before we are scheduled to forge an international climate agreement, 2014 is a critical year for the international community.

The Problems

As profound forces transform our world the international community is focused on crisis rather than the long view of a strategically driven approach. With the aim of helping to encourage business to engage the risks associated with climate change, the Davos Summit dedicated an entire day to and 23 sessions to discussing climate change, building resilience, and sustainable development through public-private partnerships.. WEF said that it hopes that this new push will “drive the subjects of economic risk and resilience back to the top of the climate change agenda - where they belong”.

2013 Year End Review: US Environmental Success Stories

In 2013, concerned people, organizations and companies in the U.S. and around the world helped move environmental causes forward. From new legislation to the protection of habitats and ecosystems, here is a sampling of U.S. environmental achievements in 2013.

A new study showed that a solid majority of Americans accept the reality of global warming and are calling for action on climate change.

Video - NRDC Environmental Victories in 2013

This NRDC video shows what people can achieve when they work together. NRDC Members helped to secure many environmental successes in 2013, this video summarizes some of those victories.

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Environmental Gratitude and Ecological Advocacy
Video - Thank You for Taking Action to Save the Climate!
Video - Gratitude for Nature (2011): Documentary Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg Tedx
Video - Nature's Beauty: Life is a Gift and the Only Appropriate Response is Gratefulness

Video - Gratitude for Nature (2012): Documentary Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg Tedx

Nature's beauty inspires gratitude. In this video Louie Schwartzberg addresses flowers and the fate of the bees which are so dependent on flowers. In the same way that the bees are dependent on flowers for their sustenance we are dependent on the bees to pollinate our crops.

Video - Thank the Bees for Your Thanksgiving Dinner

This is what a Thanksgiving meal would look like if we lost our pollinators. Bees are essential to so much of our agriculture. We must do all we can to protect them from human activities.

Video - Gratitude for Nature (2011): Documentary Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg Tedx

Nature's beauty is the focus of the work of filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. He is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer who captures breathtaking images that celebrate life — revealing connections, universal rhythms, patterns and beauty. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.

Video - Thank You for Taking Action to Save the Climate!

While it may seem like a daunting task, people all over the world are working hard to save the climate from the ravages of global warming. People who have lived through climate disasters are giving thanks, people who are deeply concerned about the fate of our climate are giving thanks. This profusion of gratitude goes out to all those who do not succumb to hopelessness and strive to protect our planet from climate change.

Environmental Gratitude and Ecological Advocacy

Environmental gratitude is an approach that can help to inspire ecological action. We need a new way of communicating the urgency of environmental action because it is becoming increasingly apparent that standard fact-based approaches are not getting through.

Environmental gratitude encompasses an approach that engenders a full compliment of sentiments required to augur change. As reported in Psychology Today, gratitude is a complex feeling that is capable of expanding our awareness and relating us to the wider world.

The importance of gratitude to the ecological movement is reviewed in great depth in a 2011 paper by Reed Elizabeth Loder, titled “Gratitude and the Environment: Toward Individual and Collective Virtue.” Professor Loder is an accomplished ethicist who teaches at Vermont Law School.

A Thanksgiving Infused with Environmental Gratitude

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States and people across the nation are celebrating by coming together to give thanks. Traditionally Thanksgiving is the holiday long weekend when people get together to celebrate the bounty of the fall harvest. The Thanksgiving tradition takes us back to the early days when European settlers were first making North America home. They were welcomed by Native peoples who showed them how to live in harmony with the Earth.

With our environment in crisis we need to cultivate the spirit of thankfulness that helps us to rekindle a harmonious relationship to nature. Gratitude of this kind may be difficult but it is essential if we are to find the motivation and the courage to advance ecological action.

Seven Ways to Make Your Thanksgiving Greener

To help make this holiday greener a growing number of people are looking at better more ecologically sensitive alternatives. Thanksgiving takes a tremdous toll on the environment. Here are seven ways that people are enjoying the Thanksgiving Holiday while lessening their impacts on the Earth:

1) Reduce Food Waste: To help minimize waste create a detailed, organized plan to reduce waste and eliminate excess. Make what you need and no more. The Love Food Hate Waste organization, offers convenient tips for reducing food waste, they even provide a handy "Perfect portions" planner to calculate meal sizes for parties as well as everyday meals. Use leftovers by storing them safely. Make sure to compost all vegetable waste. Donate excess to food banks and shelters. To find a food bank near you, visit Feeding America's Food Bank Locator.

The Environmental Toll of Thanksgiving

The amount of waste and emissions generated during the holidays is staggering and shameful. Being conscious of the ways that we are wasteful can help us to seek more environmentally responsible solutions. Here is a brief summary of the waste and carbon emissions generated during the holdiay period.

Non-Food Waste

According to the EPA, the period from Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25 percent in the US. That amounts to an extra 5 million tons of household waste each year. Shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons create an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills.

A Thanksgiving Infused with Environmental Gratitude

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States and people across the nation are celebrating by coming together to give thanks. Traditionally Thanksgiving is the holiday long weekend when people get together to celebrate the bounty of the fall harvest. The Thanksgiving tradition takes us back to the early days when European settlers were first making North America home. They were welcomed by Native peoples who showed them how to live in harmony with the Earth.

With our environment in crisis we need to cultivate the spirit of thankfulness that helps us to rekindle a harmonious relationship to nature. Gratitude of this kind may be difficult but it is essential if we are to find the motivation and the courage to advance ecological action.