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Guests: Paul Hawken, Author, Blessed Unrest and Bill McKibben, Founder, 350.org.  Both these authors are well-established environmental activists. The presentation was conducted as a panel discussion with the moderator posing questions to the two. At the end there was audience participation. I thought it was a very interesting discussion on climate issues – both the politics and the science. Here is what I captured. In parenthesis I have introduced some of my own thinking:

• “Problem is that government policy has artificially increased consumption. There have been tax incentives for home ownership and government subsidies for freeways to get to all the homes. Thus, we have created a housing/work transportation design, which is very carbon-intensive (driving long distances) and now that carbon based fuels are expensive, it is an expensive design. Nevertheless, studies show people in cities have twice as many close friends as those in suburbia.
• Financial meltdown will take 10-12 years. (I have heard this before. It is not clear to me that without substantial changes to our economy that simply waiting will relieve our problems. The Great Depression was not relieved for 12 years until (more…)

Some hate him, some love him, but this seems to be the trait of every person that sets out to make a change with a bang…  In his view, protection of the planet is more important than preserving his own life.  His name is Captain Paul Watson, founder of SeaShepherd organization.

Some criticize him for his pirate ways, but most applaud him for his ingenuity on getting the job done given the available resources.   Some critique him for not being civil but the  people from whom he protects defenseless creatures are insane.  As he says himself, his job is to “confront the hypocracy of humanity.” 

Captain Watson has got to be the most controversial Environmental Activist on the planet right now. He says “We should measure the intellgince of human beings by ability to live in harmony with other species.”  Yep, sounds radical to the masses but I’m sure for most of us here, this is our mantra too. 

I’d like to share with you a video that paints a portrait of a true environmental champion.  This is a long video, about 30 minutes but if you want to see what drives a truly passionate activist you’ll see it here.  His courage is contageous, his dedication is inspiring.   (If you also want to watch the video below Captain Watson’s speech then  use caution, it’s graphic and it really shows hell on earth and the true stupidity of the people committing the slaughter of those whales. Why do they undertake this carnage every year? Because of tradition – that’s right – tradition.  The footage will speak for itself).

The annual Grind of the Pilot Whales by stranding and slaughtering them in the sea of blood. Torshavn, Faeroe Islands 23/7-2010 (more…)

Don’t try to tackle all the issues, pick the closest to your heart, where you’re most likely to make a decent impact.  Most importantly – be brave, don’t be politically correct, have courage,  be the change you want others to be.  Mean what you say and don’t be mean when you say it.  

Don’t fall in the extremes as those who do that are very vulnerable… do it from the heart.  When it gets tough, remember the others, do it for them, don’t expect rewards, don’t ask for recognition.  This is the way of a true eco warrior.  

Stevie Wonder sang… “If you believe in things you don’t understand then you suffer.”  He’s awesome.  Get educated, see what’s really happening in the world, study the science yourself, go visit places!  Visit places in Asia, you’ll see much less subtle ways how humanity is wreaking havoc on the planet.  We’re all connected. 

The biggest challenge facing the planet is overpopulation and all the demands on the resources that this brings with it.  Every new life will create a footprint.  When you have kids, don’t be selfish by having many.  Strive to live (more…)

Did we even need to drill the Deepwater Horizon oil well to begin with?  Actually, no. There are over 100 million homes in the U.S. Most of them use energy inefficiently because they’re not well insulated, sealed and set up.  The energy contained in the biggest oil spill in U.S. history is equal to the energy that just 75,000 homes waste in a single year.

Seventy-five thousand homes represent less than 0.1 percent of all single-family homes in the U.S. or the number of homes in a single mid-sized U.S. city, like Providence, R.I., or Chattanooga, Tenn. Doing energy retrofits to make those homes efficient would save the equivalent of the entire Gulf Oil Spill every year on a permanent basis.

Comparing the Costs

No one really knows how much it’ll end up costing to clean up the disaster created by the Gulf Oil Spill. And when a final number is calculated, years from now, there’s no way that it’ll take into account the true extent of the environmental damage that the oil spill has created. But even in the preliminary estimates made before the oil has finished flowing, the cost is expected to exceed $40 billion.

How does that compare to doing 75,000 home energy retrofits? (more…)

It’s easy to lose perspective these days.  Sometimes the real meaning behind our efforts simply drowns in concepts, ideas and daily routine.  As you watch this video that has already been viewed almost 5 million times, I hope it brings you home.  The place in your heart where you feel connected.  A place where you feel like your work and life have a purpose; where you are aligned with what truly matters in life.   

Nature is so amazing, so harmonious, so beautiful and precious.  Even though this is a human made ocean floor in Japan, one can not help not to marvel at the unrushed scenery and simply be in love with all living beings.   Hope this brings you some peace and even more resolve to protect life on the planet.  Enjoy. (Make sure to click off on that Google ad to close it as it will be in your way).

Bay Area water suppliers expect there will not be enough water for their customers by 2018.

Water. It’s difficult to say we lack it during this el-nino year.  You look outside, nothing but rain.  You open your faucet, it doesn’t run out.  It seems like it’s always there in unlimited quantities.  Hence lies a dangerous illusion that water has always been there and always will.  However, there’s been a lot of buzz lately about the shortage of this precious commodity.  Some even call water the next gold.

After all, gold values have risen in the last several years. Will water too? Bay Area water suppliers expect there will not be enough water for their customers by 2018. So what does this mean for us and our homes? It means we can expect the water bill to get bigger.  Much bigger.

Have you seen all the hub-bub being made about the EPA filing on rainwater runoff? You can read the actual filing if you like.  Basically, the tax would be levied on new and newly redeveloped sites that do not meet certain requirements for control of storm water discharge. Closer to home, Deputy GM of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Michael Carlin indicated that San Francisco Bay Area households that pay $63/mo for water can expect to pay $128 in 2018. To top it off, the cap on the water that can be drawn from the Hetch Hetchy in 2018 won’t be enough for residents – it will be short by (more…)

Sometimes weapons are our only hope for peace.

As the talks in Copenhagen are picking up momentum and the “Climate-Gate” scandal is unfolding, more and more people get perplexed and raise good questions.  Is this thing real?  Why would the scientists try to hide something or mislead us?  

In situations like these our human nature and its subtle expressions become very obvious.  It’s fascinating to observe two sets of beliefs and convictions.  One group says Yeh!, the other group says Nae!, and then there is a silent majority who are waiting to be nudged in the right direction.  

Why the mainstream media is over-inflating the climate scandal instead of focusing on real scientific numbers is probably beyond all of us but a one thing is certain: we’ll see some very positive and some very negative outcomes of this “Climate-Gate” fiasco. 

Some immediate effects are obvious – scientists will have to be more transparent, disclose sources of data and be able to back up their finding with sound and undisputable reasons.  Climate change and data that supports it ought to be visible and open to our scrutiny, it’s that simple.  There is no doubt that when all dust settles, we will still have an overwhelming amount of research showing the planet is indeed warming and we are unequivocally contributing to it more than ever. 

At the same time, doubts in the process and questionable ethics of the science community only fueled the skeptics and fed more excuses to folks who never cared about the issue in the first place.  The creepy part is that people like Sarah Palin will latch on to this piece of news like a bulldog and will keep mauling it on the media, further spreading doubt and apathy among those who don’t lack it already.  You know what separates Sarah Palin from a Pit-bull?  Nope not lipstick (more…)