Infographic - Modern US Environmental Movement

World Wetlands Day 2014 Highlights Agriculture

Yesterday, Sunday February 2nd was World Wetlands Day (WWD). As 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming, the theme for this year is 'Wetlands and Agriculture.' The slogal for the Day is 'Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth,' placing a focus on the need for the wetland, water and agricultural sectors to work together for the best shared outcomes.

Our wetlands are of great importance to the health of the planet and all its inhabitants. Our waters provide habitat for a myriad of species, recharge groundwater and provide opportunities for wildlife viewing and other outdoor recreation.

As is becoming increasingly obvious climate change is drastically altering the water cycle. We are now living with more intense storms, floods, droughts, in addition to rising sea-levels. Many species are suffering from the impacts of habitat loss and we continue to make ever-increasing demands on our waters. Now more than ever we need to protect and restore these precious resources and the beneficial functions they offer.

Video - Global Power Shift in the Summer of 2013

In June 2013, 500 people from around the world gathered in Istanbul Turkey to refine approaches to advocate for climate justice. The Global Power Shift is a 350.org initiative that seeks nothing less then an end to climate change. As pointed out by one of those in this video, "all of us are connected," to achieve climate justice we will need to sharpen and coordinate our global strategies. Learning about these approaches is phase one, now they have returned home for phase two. To protect our planet they seek to create a national power shift in every country.

Video - Greenpeace Direct Action Camp 2014

The 3rd Annual Greenpeace Direct Action Camp will be held in Arizona March 23-28, 2014. We will be accepting applications for the camp until January 31, 2014.

Is Celebrity Environmental Advocacy Counterproductive?

What harm can there be from celebrities who provide material support, raise environmental awareness and encourage ecological action? We live in a culture of celebrity worship, we are bombarded with their images in advertising, film, television and online. Whether we are consumers of pop culture or not, there is no denying that celebrities hold a lot of sway with the general public.  The fact is that television, movie and music personalities have vastly larger audiences than the most popular climate scientists.

Many of these stars do more than pay lip service to green lifestyles, they show their concern for the environment by driving hybrid cars, living in green homes or changing their dietary habits. A few have even become stalwart activists.

Infographic - Our Ecological Footprint

Related Articles
Earth Overshoot Day 2013
What is Your Ecological Footprint?
The War Between the Earth's Carrying Capacity and Rising Demand
Thanksgiving Shopping: Consumption and the Earth's Carrying Capacity
The Financial Costs of Biodiversity
Sustainability (Sustainable) Defined

Our Place in the Natural World

This event will take place on Thursday Nov 28, 2013, at Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Avenue (at Bank Street), Ottawa, Ontario at 7 PM.
 
What IS the natural world trying to tell us ? Are we listening? What can be learned from trees? Are we ready ? Is it time to start rewilding the planet?

The speakers will be J.B. Mackinnon and Diana Beresford-Kroeger - Ottawa International Writers Festival.

These are two of Canada's most exciting writers and ecological thinkers. They will explore our relationship with nature and the ways we can meaningully re-connect with the world around us.

Top Ranked Masters Degree in Environmental Law from the Vermont Law School

Vermont Law School is offering an Masters in Environmental Law. Understanding environmental legislation, enforcement and law-making is imperative. This degree is ideal for those who are seeking to make an organization more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. Through this degree you can learn the skills that improve efficiency and ensure environmental, human, and employee health in your organization. The degree opens the doors to careers in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and private industry.

Video - Development by Design: An Inclusive Approach to Sustainable Development

In traditional forms of development a business will start a project, others object and the protests, conflicts and court battles ensue. There is a better more sustainable way that brings all parties to the table before a project begins.

What is Your Ecological Footprint?

Ecological footprints are a measure of sustainability. In essence an ecological footprint measures how much people or nations consume versus how much they actually have. The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to supply the resources a human population consumes, and to assimilate associated waste.

Earth Overshoot Day 2013

This year August 20 is Earth Overshoot Day. This annual marker is the day when we begin living beyond our ecological means or the day when humanity exhausts nature’s budget.

Earth Overshoot Day is an approximate date when our resource consumption for a given year exceeds the planet’s ability to replenish.The measure helps us to acknowledge the gap between our demand for ecological resources and services, and how much the planet can provide.

The Aboriginal Sustainability Network (ASN)

The Aboriginal Sustainability Network (ASN), is an information sharing portal designed to advance sustainable development in aboriginal communities. It is currently comprised of a number of aboriginal communities including the Tsou of Taiwan, the Taroko of Taiwan, the Unama’ki Mi’kmaq of Canada, and the Ngāti Hauiti iwi of Auteaora/New Zealand. As explained on their website, "The project is investigating the potential of a workshop-based, Internet-supported network for the exchange of knowledge and strategies amongst communities working to develop environmental sustainability."

What we can Learn from Walpole Island First Nation

The Walpole Island First Nation experience is a living example for the wider world because they are a remarkably sustainable community. They  have managed to retain a very high level of biodiversity that includes many plant and animal species found nowhere else in Canada. The sustainability success story of Walpole Island First Nation has been achieved through their native philosophies and their traditional values and attitudes, which are based on respectful human and environmental interactions.

Indigenous Ecology in Environmental Education

Aboriginal environmental philosophies recognize the complex and interdependent relationships between human beings and nature. While differences exist across Aboriginal communities, there are commonalities in their environmental philosophies. Generally speaking, Aboriginal philosophies offer an ecological ethos focused on spirituality, stewardship and sustainability. Indigenous philosophies can teach people how to reconnect with nature and show them how to establish mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships.

According to Native American educator Gregory Cajete, “The accumulated knowledge of the remaining indigenous groups around the world represents a body of ancient thoughts, experiences and actions that must be honoured and preserved as a vital storehouse of environmental wisdom. ... Modern societies must recapture the ecologically sustainable orientation that has long been absent from its psychological, social and spiritual consciousness”

The International Day for Biological Diversity 2013

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme for this year is Water and Biodiversity. The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22.

Top Companies in the 2012 Climate Leadership Awards

A total of twenty companies were named the winners of the inaugural Climate Leadership Awards by the EPA, the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) (formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change), and The Climate Registry (TCR). The awards were presented at the Climate Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. These awards recognize corporate, organizational, and individual leaders for their efforts to address climate change and reduce carbon pollution.

Paul Hawken about Environmental and Social Justice: The Largest Movement in the World

There is an ever growing alternative to rampant consumerism and pervasive environmental neglect. In this video ecological guru Paul Hawken discusses his book "Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It. " This talk was part of the May 9, 2007, Authors@Google and Google.org series. This event took place at Google's main campus in Mountain View, CA.

How to Help Make Black Friday More Green from C2ES

While less shopping is always the more ecologically aware choice, here are some ideas for making Black Friday greener from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES).

Practice precycling. Precycling is the practice of avoiding the purchase of items that will produce waste such as packaging, whether that waste is recycled or not. After all, the most environmentally friendly product is the one that minimizes resources altogether. Find some tips on precycling.

Tips to Make Black Friday More Green from FatWallet

Black Friday is a consumer spectacle that is rife with excess and waste. However, FatWallet offers some tips on how to make your black Friday more green. Try to find products that that are made from recycled or biodegradable materials. For example, several book publishers now only print books made from recycled paper. In terms of appliances and electronic devices, check for items that are rechargeable or energy-efficient. They should have the Energy Star logo on them if they are verified efficient machines. Another tip is to look for products that use minimal packaging. After all, if the box and plastic wrappings are going to be thrown away, why pay extra for them and add to the landfills? When it is time to pay, use a green credit card whenever possible. These are credit cards where a portion of each transaction that a customer makes goes towards support for green charities or causes. Finally, pack all of the new purchases into reusable shopping bags instead of reaching for a pile of plastic bags.

Consumer Spending for a Greener World

It should be obvious that we cannot sustain our current trajectory of consumption. We simply cannot afford traditional consumerism. By putting their spending power to work on less environmentally harmful products and services, consumers can dramatically lessen their impacts on the Earth. To be green consumers we need to be more mindful of what we are purchasing and why.

Green Consumers

Consumers have tremendous power to improve our world. While buying less is always well advised, there are ways we can put consumer dollars to work to advance the green economy. Green shopping implies spending money on products that are less harmful to the environment. In the final analysis where we spend our money determines the type of world we create. When we make green purchases we are helping to build a more sustainable economy.