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.

Video - Watch Climate Scientist Escape After he Falls Into a Himalayan Crevasse

Dr John All was conducting research on climate change when he fell into a crevasse on the 23,379 foot Mount Himlung in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. After a 70 foot fall, he crawled for six hours with a broken arm and ribs to extricate himself from certain death. After scaling the wall and getting out of the crevasse he had to crawl for another three hours to reach his tent where he was rescued the following morning.

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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Event - Building Climate Solutions

Building Climate Solutions will take place on January 28-30, 2014 in Washington, DC. The release of the IPCC report on September 27th highlights critical issues to be addressed at the Conference. Join over 1,200 key individuals from many fields of sciences and engineering, government and policy, business and civil society to advance solutions to climate change.

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 - 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.

Role of Business in Managing Climate Change by UNFCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres

On Thursday, November 7, there was a live Q&A with Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, in which she addressed the urgent need for business action at COP19/CMP 9 and in the wider challenge of combating climate change. Here are ten comments she made through Twitter:

1. COP19 is a pivotal moment to both step up and showcase climate action

A New Environmental Movement Breeds Hope for the Future

Something is happening to the environmental movement that is giving us reason to hope that we may succeed in changing our current trajectory. On Sunday February 17th, 35,000 people came together to demand action in the face of a growing climate crisis. Part of this burgeoning climate activism is attributable to people's first hand exposure to extreme weather. Droughts, hurricanes, snowstorms and wildfires are forcing people to recognize that our climate is changing and they are increasingly coming to the understanding that we must act now.

Message to the Federation of Small Businesses: Every Business Can Go Green (Video)

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) annual conference was founded in 1974, and has more than 210,000 members across 33 regions and 230 branches, the largest organization representing the interests of small and medium businesses in the UK. 'Small Business and the Environment' was this year's conference theme.

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.

The Growing Problem of Cell Phone Waste

Electronic devices continue to be the fastest growing waste stream in the US and cell phones are a major part of this. In 2011, manufacturers produced more than 1.68 billion wireless phones worldwide. In the United States alone, it’s estimated that fewer than 10 percent of discarded mobile phones will be recycled.

Regular phone upgrades are driving the growth of electronic waste. Companies like Apple regularly upgrade their technology and encourage users to buy new models. This built-in obsolesce is the kind of irresponsible business practices that drive profits but destroy the environment.

AT&T's Record Breaking Recycling for Wireless Devices

As reported in an Environmental Leader article, Guinness World Records have certified that AT&T customers broke a world record by recycling 50,942 wireless devices during a one-week period. In 2011 AT&T collected about three million cell phones for reuse and recycling and the company's new trade in program is expected to help AT&T surpass that number in 2012.

The recycling of these AT&T devices in 2011 avoided sending 25,471 pounds of waste to landfills. In September, AT&T launched a line of phone chargers with housings made of at least 30 percent post-consumer plastics. The chargers are also Energy Star 5-rated, meaning that they use “minimal” power when plugged in.

Sprint's Industry Leading Cell Phone Recycling

Since 2001, Sprint's takeback program has collected more than 4,000 metric tons of electronic waste which comprises more than 40 million wireless devices. These programs not only keep phones out of landfills they have helped the company avoid more than $1 billion in costs. In 2011 Sprint recycled more than 11 million wireless devices, over 211,000 on average per week. Sprint is the first and only US wireless carrier to outline specific commitments that address electronic waste (e-waste) holistically. Sprint is ranked No. 3 on Newsweek’s Green Rankings of American companies and it is the only wireless carrier to crack the top 25 for Newsweek's Green Rankings of global companies.

Sprint celebrated America Recycles Day by raising awareness of the importance of recycling. Sprint has launched a phone recycling pledge where customers can win one of five rewards cards worth $500 (now through Nov. 30). Sprint has also posted a video online that illustrates how old cell phones can gain a “second life” while reducing the amount of electronic waste in the marketplace.

Recycling is a Business Imperative

Recycling is a core feature of responsible business practices. An ever growing number of companies are treating recycling as a serious corporate priority. Almost 75 percent of corporate waste can be recycled and recycling waste can also benefit the bottom line. There is high residual value of the metals used in cable, especially copper, both production waste and discarded cable needs to be recycled. Metals, paper, newspapers, bottles, cans, plastic waste and residue are also high priority recyclable materials in the work place.

What Businesses Can Do on America Recycles Day

The business community has a crucial role to play in recycling. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as much as 45 percent of the 250 million tons of municipal waste generated in 2010 was from commercial and institutional locations such as business and government offices, retail establishments, schools and hospitals. Recognizing the power of individuals in the workplace to engage in recycling which results in saving energy, reducing emissions and landfills, conserving natural resources and generating jobs.

Keep America Beautiful has launched a Recycling Pledge Inviting Businesses and Governments to Commit to 10% Increase in Workplace Recycling. Keep America Beautiful is challenging corporate America and government to sign up for its Recycling at Work pledge. The pledge requires businesses, governments and institutional entities to commit to a 10 percent increase in the recycling of paper products, beverage containers, electronics and batteries in the workplace through a variety of actions by 2015. It also encourages the recycling of food waste and other biodegradables.

America Recycles Day 2012

Every year on or around November 15 the America Recycles Day event encourages people to enhance awareness and encourage action through thousands of events. America Recycles Day is a program of Keep America Beautiful, in 2012 it is celebrated on Thursday November 15. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. On this day thousands of local events will be held across the country ranging from electronics collections and document shredding events to plastic bag collections and recycled art shows. Throughout the month of November, an estimated 2 million people will join in the celebration.

Bill McKibben on The Fight of Our Time (Video)

Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, global thinker and leader, and author of several books; including The End of Nature, and Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, shares this call to action for what could not only be the biggest fight of our time, but of all time. The fossil fuel industry is quickly destroying the planet, and making the fight to protect our future increasingly challenging as industry lobbying, and unabated growth continues. We all need to come together and rally behind leaders like Bill McKibben, 350.org, and countless others, to save this planet. How? With passion, spirit, and creativity, and as Bill says, sometimes putting our bodies on the line. Will you join the fight?