Are we in denial? The end of times?

So yesterday, some pretty bad news was released about CO2 worldwide emissions.  In a nutshell, Al Gore was right.  We are directly on target to a total disaster in the form of a 6 degree Celsius increase in the temperature of the planet translated to around 42 degrees Fahrenheit.   Of course the end of the century is 88 years away so who cares, right?  I'll be dead by then anyway.

My children won't be.  Your children won't be.  

My grandchildren won't be and neither will yours. 

To prevent this disaster, we really can't rely on our governments to take action.  We can't rely on other nations to do the right thing.  We can't rely on some unthought of new invention that will stabilize the planet.  We can't rely on some incredibly slow timetable and plan for change that includes shifting 7 billion people to clean energy.  What we can rely on is yoga.

The founding principle of yoga is Ahimsa or nonviolence.  This means that you should practice nonviolence in thought, word, and deed.  How can you save the planet with this principle?

THOUGHT:  Every morning when you arise express gratitude for the beauty that is mother nature.  This is really going to shift the experience that you have with the earth.  If you got to know the earth, the pain and suffering that it is experiencing would become your own.  This is what would happen:

• You would stop eating so much meat which  contributes to the CO2 emissions, not to mention make a small dent in the 10 billion animals that we kill each year in America to eat cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. (here's the report on cow's and CO2>>>)
• You would look at the empty spaces in your yard and think how lovely it would be to plant a tree.  You personally make 2.3 tons of CO2 each year.  One tree consumes 2.6 tons in a year.  Do the math.  Plant one tree each year and you are offsetting your footprint.  
• You would plant a garden.  Did you know that most of the food you eat travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles?  How sweet would it be to walk from your back door to a potted plant or a little garden and help yourself?  
• The next time you are at Wal-mart, Target, Costco, Ikea or the mall, you would stop and pause and look around the 50,000 square feet of garbage and perhaps think..."oh my God...all of this came from the earth! I really don't need any more landfill that takes 1,000 years to decompose.  I just really don't need any more unnecessary junk."

WORD:  Spread the message.  Teach your children, your friends and your family the importance of spending time in nature, planting a garden, consuming less, driving less, consolidating trips, turning the air conditioner up, wanting less and appreciating what you have more.  This is what would happen:

• You would become an ambassador for the planet.  You will touch other people with your passion and commitment and then they will touch other people and so on and so on.  
• The word would get out the way it does in America, through the green voting system.  When I say "green" voting, I'm talking about money.  If we collectively demanded to only spend our money on sustainable energy, goods and food, the ears of Wall Street and our government would listen.

EVERY TIME YOU CHOOSE TO SPEND MONEY ON ANYTHING YOU ARE VOTING

DEED:  Take action.  Do something.  Do something today.  Shifts in consciousness begin with one person.  Choose the better choice and will start the shift.  This is what would happen:

• By the end of this century, we could have clean water and air.
• By the end of this century, there would only be clean energy.
• By the end of this century, no one would be hungry and without water.
• By the end of this century, your grandchildren will live in a Utopia that we can't imagine.

As you read through the links below, ask yourself, "Is this the end of times?"  If you are 1 out of 5 children in American who is hungry, the answer is yes.  If you are 1 of the 3.6 million people dying each year due to disease from water, the answer is yes.  If you are 1 of the almost 900 million who don't have access to clean water, the answer is yes. If you are 1 of the almost 35% of black or hispanic children living in American and in poverty, the answer is yes.  Yes.  This is most certainly the end of times.  Take action.  Do something.

LINKS TO EDUCATE YOU:

 Link to full article on emissions>>>

CO2 emissions rose by 3.2 percent last year to 31.6 billion tonnes, preliminary estimates from the Paris-based IEA showed.

China, the world's biggest emitter of CO2, made the largest contribution to the global rise, its emissions increasing by 9.3 percent, the body said, driven mainly by higher coal use.

"When I look at this data, the trend is perfectly in line with a temperature increase of 6 degrees Celsius (towards the end of this century), which would have devastating consequences for the planet," Fatih Birol, IEA's chief economist told Reuters.

 From water.org>>>

3.575 million people die each year from water related diseases  (size of LA)

884 million people lack access to clean water  (3x the population of America)

Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water related illness

From the National Climate Center>>>

Human activity has been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mostly carbon dioxide from combustion of coal, oil, and gas; plus a few other trace gases). There is no scientific debate on this point. Pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide (prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution) were about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv), and current levels are greater than 380 ppmv and increasing at a rate of 1.9 ppm yr^-1 since 2000. The global concentration of CO₂ in our atmosphere today far exceeds the natural range over the last 650,000 years of 180 to 300 ppmv. According to the IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES), by the end of the 21^st century, we could expect to see carbon dioxide concentrations of anywhere from 490 to 1260 ppm (75-350% above the pre-industrial concentration).

1.6 million children in America do not have a home.....Campaign to end child homelessness>>>

American Progress.org>>>>

The poverty rate rose to 15.1 percent in 2010—its highest rate since 1993. The African American poverty rate was 27.4 percent, the Hispanic rate was 26.6 percent, and the white rate was 9.9 percent in 2010. The poverty rate for children under the age of 18 stood at 22 percent. More than one-third of African American children (39.1 percent) lived in poverty in 2010, compared to 35 percent of Hispanic children and 12.4 percent of white children. The prolonged economic slump, following an exceptionally weak labor market before the crisis, has taken a massive toll on the most vulnerable.

The Oval Office

President Obama is speaking from the Oval office tonight for the first time. The President's use of this office is a symbol of immediate crisis or impending change that absolutely must take place. I'm sure he is going to address the spill in the gulf, but I hope, more importantly, he addresses our need for personal change. If I were the President, this would be my speech:

I am here tonight to engage with and empower humanity not just in America, but across our borders as well. We have entered a new phase of existence on this planet and can no longer act independently and with our own personal interests in mind. We must honor that this Earth is a Global Community that is facing dynamic climate changes the likes of which humanity has never seen.

I am saddened beyond words and yet grateful for the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a dramatic representation of what our planet is facing. Every drop of oil floating in our sacred oceans represents our need to change our consumption patterns, not just in America, but across this globe. If you have sat down tonight to hear about the plans in the gulf, then I will be perfectly honest with you and tell you that I have no idea what is going to happen. I foresee that the oil will stop gushing by August. By then, we will have destroyed countless ecosystems including our own. Fishing, tourism and yes, oil exploration as an industry in the Gulf of Mexico is over. We must accept this and move forward. This means that the people affected will need to find other means of employment and sustenance. This means that the animals and creatures of the gulf will die.

I'm sure this spill is shocking to most Americans as we do not know what disaster feels like. We live far away from the terrible things going on in this world. We don't see it or feel it or sense it and therefore it is as if it isn't happening. I will tell you that 1 billion people on this planet are without adequate food and water and your mind will not be able to accept it. I will tell you that the polar ice caps are melting and it is causing water shortages and famine throughout the globe and your mind will not be able to accept it. I will tell you that the oil beds in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are slowly drying up and your mind will not be able to accept it.

We are predicted to have 14 hurricanes in the Atlantic this season. We have never seen this before. The hurricanes are stronger and last longer. Entire forests in Colorado and far into Canada are dying due to the proliferation of certain species of beetles. The beetles are not dying in the winter because our winters are much more mild. There is a 50% chance that Lake Meade will dry up by 2035 affecting water supply to our southwest states. Earthquake activity across the globe has increased. Lightning strikes which cause fire have increased as our weather patterns have changed. The Peat beds are drying up releasing more Carbon into the environment than our cars ever could. Methane is bubbling up from the Earth at a dramatic level as the waters heat up releasing yet more carbon. I could go on and on.

It is too late to save the Earth as we know it. It is not too late to save humanity. Every human on this planet must begin making the personal sacrifices necessary to ensure that we will continue as a species. I am not going to address tonight all of the government initiatives and actions that must take place. I'm not going to discuss them because they will be met with so much resistance that we will be bogged down in discussion for months and months to come. The bottom line is that America is going to step up to the plate and lead this New Earth. It will be done. The discussion is over. Our consumption of fossil fuel is over. Our over-consumption of everything else is also over.

Tonight, instead, I want to talk to each individual who resides on this planet that has a nice life. When I say that you have a nice life, it means that you live on more than $1.25/day which is what billions of people on this planet who do not have a nice life live on. Tonight I want to challenge and empower you. The following are things that you can do to force the shift we need.

• Stop needless shopping. I realize this will put our economy into an economic tailspin for awhile. I realize this will dramatically change the landscape of employment and Wall Street. I realize this will be painful.
• Buy used, recycled and refurbished goods. This will create a new industry and jobs and benefit the planet.
• Buy new items which are needed that are made from organic, sustainable, fairly and freely traded materials. Again, this will create a new industry and jobs that benefit the planet.
• Consolidate your trips. Take the bus. Take the train. Ride your bike. Ride-share. Establish car-pool lanes in your communities and figure out how to put those metro systems in.
  
• If you are buying a new car, demand that it be a hybrid or better.
• Unscrew every other lightbulb in your house. Keep your lights off as much as possible. Buy environmentally friendly and energy saving bulbs.
• Install solar panels.
  
• Turn your cities off at night.
  
• Plant a garden. Better yet, organize your neighborhoods to support a community garden.
• Recycle.
• Don't buy another beverage that is in a plastic container.
• Compost.
• Collect rain in a rain barrel to feed your lawn.
• Buy organic and local food.
• Eat whole foods and fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Do not buy junk food. Do not buy soda. Do not eat at fast food restaurants.
• Eat at least 2 vegetarian meals per day.
• Eat more beans.
• Stop drinking milk. Replace your craving with Almond, Soy or Rice milk.
• Buy things made in America. Buy local.
• Go for a 30 minute walk every day. This will save money on health care and we can spend it on wind farms.
• Install a clothes line to dry your clothes.

These are the things that you can do now. These are the things that "seem" hard, but really cost little money and will ultimately save you money. If every person on the planet who "lives well" simply makes these changes, then our planet will shift in a positive way. Your health will shift in a positive way.

There is no other issue in our world right now more important than this issue. Make a commitment to change your personal habits. The discussion is over. It's time to act.

The Power of One

I didn't sleep good last night. Before going to bed I turned on CNN to check in on the success of cutting that pipe off and stopping this oil disaster. It didn't go so well. Apparently, things got jammed up 5,000 feet down where no human can go and now we have to try the less favorable method of cutting off the pipe which will not be as effective. The leak will officially continue until August. When I went to bed, over 32,000,000 gallons of oil had been spilled into the gulf.

I want to do something to help. I was going to take my son down with me and spend a weekend on the clean up effort, but the people cleaning things up are starting to get really sick from all the chemicals. That's not an option for my son. Going to bed feeling a little powerless I wondered what I could possibly do to help this situation. If we as co-creators have created this mess I want to know how to uncreate it and I want to know why. Where's the silver lining?

I'll start with my thoughts on why. I truly believe that this oil spill couldn't have come at a better time and to a better nation. I believe that people take action to move away from suffering. The suffering and devastation that this spill is bringing and will continue to bring will speak to our nation about the consumption of fossil fuel and the future of our planet in a way that everyone can finally hear. Americans are the most dynamic, creative, rich and optimistic people that walk this Earth. If any nation can invent, create, devise and fix, it's us. We can be a little naive sometimes because we don't have poverty, starvation and mass suffering walking our streets. Sometimes we need a wake up call and this one is big enough to wake up our entire nation.

Our planet is changing dynamically due to the effects of global warming. If you don't believe in global warming, it really doesn't matter at this point. The bottom line is our planet is changing. These changes are not slow. These changes have rapidly happened in the last 50 years with more coming even more quickly. Changes include the melting of the polar ice caps, the loss of species throughout the earth, depletion of the water table, erosion of coastline and dramatic changes in weather patterns. 14 hurricanes are predicted in the Atlantic this hurricane season. That's a record. If you woke up 2 years ago to the hurricane in Cincinnati, then I don't need to explain that these things are getting stronger. 1 billion people on this Earth do not have enough food and are starving.

You can't pollute the earth and truly think that it's going to be able to absorb or clean itself up simply because it is so big. We are all naive for thinking this or we are all irresponsible for not pausing to have the thought of this. Either way, we are all responsible. This is your fault. This is my fault. We made the mess, lets clean it up.

What can you do? Below is a list of things that you can do. Do them. Don't talk about it or think about it or justify not doing it because it is inconvenient, expensive or bothersome in some way. Stop talking and start doing.

• Replace your old lightbulbs with the new energy efficient bulbs.
• Unscrew every other lightbulb. You simply don't need THAT much light.
• Keep the lights in the roos you don't use and the lights on the outside of your house off.
• Turn your air conditioner up a few degrees. You will get used to it.
• Take shorter showers. It's okay to skip a day.
• Run your dishwasher only when full.
• Buy organic and local produce. Go to naturesgardendelivered.com for effortless ease.
• Eat two vegetarian meals a day. You will save the planet and yourself.
• Install a rain barrel.
• Plant a garden.
• Install a compost bin.
• Create a brush pile for your yard waste...the animals love it.
• Plant a tree in every empty spot of your yard possible. Use native trees.
• Do not drink bottled water.
• When you buy juice and beverages for your family, super size them. Avoid individual packaging.
• Pack your lunch.
• Recycle.
• Buy used, refurbished and recycled hard goods.
• Turn your computer off when not in use.
• Turn the water off when you brush your teeth.
• Stop shopping...you will save money and the planet.
• Consolidate your trips.
• Do less.
  
• Take your clothes to be mended when they tear, wear or break.
• Educate yourself. Pick up a book, a magazine or a newspaper. LEARN.

Please don't let this opportunity pass you by. We can't wait for another disaster to change our ways. Let's do it now.

I've never met a problem I can't fix

My son, Elliott, turned 13 today. For his birthday he wanted to go see the new IMAX movie, IMAX Under the Sea. It's playing at the Museum Center here in Cincinnati. The movie was beautiful. It was all about sea life and gorgeously filmed. About 3/4 of the way into the movie they started talking about the devastating effect global warming is having on our seas and our sea life.

The reefs are dying and so are thousands of species of animals. Did you know that there are only 10,000 sea lions native to the Australian Reef left? As I was hearing this bad news and seeing the destruction, huge tears welled up in my eyes. It's just so sad. I looked over to my 13 year old son and saw that he too had huge tears in his eyes. That gorgeous little creature that I brought into this planet was crying on his 13th birthday because our generation and the generations before us have destroyed his playground.

That's when I really started crying. We left the theater with Mama in tears and everyone else choking them back. I don't understand why I was the only one in such a state of grief. I don't know why everyone wasn't crying. I cried all the way home.

As I drove home, I went back to my personal mantra which is "I've never met a problem I can't fix". I never have. I'm going to fix this for my son and my daughter. I am going to consume less. I'm not turning my air conditioner on. I'm planting a garden that flourishes. I will make full use of my rain barrel and by compost bin. I will consolidate trips and do less. I will spread the word.

I've started a new group on Facebook. You can find it if you search "Consuming less...one day at a time." Please join the group. It's simply about embracing the challenge to consume only used, recycled, reclaimed and refurbished goods. It's about making a choice daily and awakening that part of you that wants to nourish the planet. The rules are simple. Just get up every day and choose to not consume. If you must have something new, buy it from a Company that has best practices, choose organic, sustainable, fair trade and free trade. I can fix this problem. I need your help.

All our kids deserve a playground.