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What changes have you seen that inspire you?


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Earth Day is traditionally a time when we focus on the environment...
algore

20 responses // What changes have you seen that inspire you?

  • What inspired me was seeing a little movie called: 'An Inconvenient Truth'. Now I try to make every day 'earth day' instead of just the one selected day. As well as trying to lower my own carbon footprint, I have been writing letters to editors, emailing, calling and writing government officals and pretty much talking about the climate crisis to anyone who will listen and sometimes, to those that don't want to listen. I have been trying to raise awareness of this.
    What gives me hope is my grandchildren. My middle granddaughter goes to a gifted school and the whole school has been trying to answer the call. They reuse or recycle as much as they can. They have drives to get the community involved. They talk to everyone about about it. They all bring in news clippings or website info to pass on to the rest of the school about the climate crisis, and I should tell you, this is an elementary school. Can you imagine what they will be capable of in high school? With people like this in the world, I know we can solve this.
    recommended by  JanforGore
    JoQ
    • JoQ
    • 6 months ago
  • I have seen a definite change in my coworkers and those in my family, mostly due to my nagging about this ;-).

    And even though I believe we have a way to go to seeing more governments, in particular the U.S. government stepping up to the plate I am inspired by the number of cities and states that have taken it upon themselves to make changes to their cities and to abide by the Kyoto Treaty. I am also grateful to see the global water crisis getting more exposure, because next to the global climate crisis it is the most crucial environmental crisis we will face this century.

    I am inspired by the scientific innovations in photovoltaics and biofuels (not corn) and that more people are becoming aware of alternate energies and their potential. I am inspired by the work of organziations that help bring this message to the masses, and organizations like Tree Nation that I am involved with seeking to plant 8 million trees in the heart of Niger to mitigate deforestation, and the response to a petition I placed there signed by people from all over the world pledging to be climate messengers. I am inspired mostly however, by my own son, who at 17 is already aware and committed to doing what he can to be a part of the solution.

    And if I may say, I am inspired by you, Mr. Gore. Your passion and commitment to this cause have inspired me to spread this message and to live my own life more sustainably and demand it from this government. Thank you for that, and for all that you do for our planet.
    JanforGore
  • I haven't seen change. I've heard political wordplay from sitting public officials and candidates from the local level to the national level... But most of the time it's just words, with cynical obstructionists saying "we can't go that far, that fast... or go far at all... we ought to explore this entirely."

    That denial, that indolence, that complacentness is what inspires me to do my part, because those in power and those around me aren't doing enough to influence societies change as a whole.
    jpfdeuce
  • http://www.ironsheik.biz/BurnsIAEA.jpg
    The energy business could use updated language
    for defining progress and environmental
    objectives ...this would have to happen before social
    enterprise and environmentalists could be able to
    work toward a unified earth theory.

    The issues are too complex and important to allow
    semantics and terms like "global warming" to
    diminish or further confuse these issues/priorities.

    Your remarks at the Skoll Forum suggesting we not
    view environmental objectives and social justice as
    two separate goals: i suspect this approach
    might be good for the general public, but could be
    a roadblock for those at the forefront - developing /
    engineering these solutions. Don't
    you think each individual social enterprise and
    environmentalist should be seeking their
    own unified
    earth theory?

    further...i don't see how or why 'social' enterprise is
    better suited than conventional enterprise at taking
    on these challenges.

    @What's inspired me:
    engineers building hydrogen, and other electrolysis
    powered systems. Anything other than solar, wind, or
    oily internal combustion engines - snoooz.

    @What are the best ideas i've heard:–––

    ...Fuel cells and warp plasma drive
    engines...cryogenics, minimizing friction...I would
    prefer to see industries developing entirely new
    power systems and eco-solutions from the ground
    up...as opposed to building on/improving current
    machines..

    Sun and wind power is nice and all, but there are
    maybe 4 or 5 companies which produce 90% of the
    world's photovoltaic cells and wind turbines.
    Aside from the primary limitations, solar and wind
    do not have as much potential as hydrogen
    to create jobs, satisfy demand, and actually begin to
    transform the modes of production.

    A company called Eden just patented a new
    cryogenic cooling system for hydrogen fuel cell cars:
    The vehicle fuel tank becomes a storage device to
    capture electrical energy from a regenerative braking
    system or other engine generation system, reducing
    or eliminating the need for on-board batteries.
    Integrating the system with a liquid cryogenic fuel
    tank enables superconductivity, providing virtually
    frictionless energy storage:
    http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmView...


    i think its important for leaders working on
    climate/energy issues - to assert clear, specific
    directives ...or at least opinion / speculation about
    exactly which emerging technologies make the most
    sense...
    ...particularly leaders who will be able to rise above
    the enormous political pressure and monetary
    complications currently driving the business.

    ...i fear moderacy and energy portfolio
    'diversification' is the easy / most profitable answer
    to very difficult questions...... and is probably not the
    Best solution for the climate situation.

    @What have i seen in the way of government,
    businesses?

    probably the most important single piece of media
    that influenced my personal consumption, waste,
    carbon lifestyle - was the "recycle, reuse, reduce"
    campaign + cartoon dancing recycle bin with that
    unforgettable jingle from the early 90s....that and
    Captain Planet.

    i understand that most of this year's DOE support is
    going into biofuels and clean[LOL] coal technology.


    Nuclear plants and hydrogen fuel cells still appear to
    have the greatest potential and promise... but get
    squeezed into the margins.....presumably because
    they're least congruent with the industry's current
    production capacities, priorities, alliances, etc.

    Automakers and petroleum firms developing long-
    term sustainable energy solutions is kinda like
    pharmaceutical makers designing a national
    healthcare plan that will actually heal patients......it
    just ain't gonna happen.

    I'd like to see someone produce a large national
    campaign PSA designed to make small cars and
    public transportation fashionable again.. like in
    Europe...also, perhaps some clever product
    placement in upcoming feature films.
    smorrisey
  • http://info.detnews.com/dn/pix/autos/concepts/05bmwh2rc...
    contd:

    Hydrogen gas burns in oxygen to produce water. As
    far as i know, this is the cleanest combustion
    process available.
    5 grams of hydrogen produces about 700 thousand
    joules of energy.

    Apparently, nuclear energy advances are looking
    bright too.
    http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/376034...

    From an engineering / sustainability standpoint,it
    seems to make good sense investing more attention
    and resources into fuel cell technologies.
    Between all the publicity and
    confusion over hybrids, electrics, biofuels..it seems
    like all the hype is running in one direction and
    leaving poor old hydrogen in the dust.

    It would be nice for someone with authority to let
    people know that biofuels might actually be a really
    bad idea ...before Everyone and their grandma jumps
    on the bandwagon.

    @What are the changes i've seen in friends /
    acquaintances. what changes have i made?

    i've seen few people I know make any noticeable
    changes in their lifestyle...

    in my own life, i eat and buy green everything ...and maintain a large negative footprint in
    effort to compensate for my giant carbon-cloud
    friends:
    http://current.com/items/88824202_biggest_carbon_footpr...

    Why not enroll others in the green lifestyle? ...most of all, I just don't care enough... and, I don't wish to be mistaken for a hippie / treehugger [partially joking]... Also,
    at the moment, I'm a little more concerned with
    pressing current issues....Like the democratic party
    eating itself alive.

    ....so if i'm going to be soapbox preachy toward friends
    or strangers about anything....its most likely going to
    involve nutrition, healthcare, who's dating who on The Hills, or election
    politics....ya kno,the important stuff ;)

    One thing mentioned in the video as well as in previous
    campaigns - is how to "increase the sense of
    urgency" to avert the climate crisis. May I suggest,
    that pushing urgency in this way might in fact be [somewhat]
    counterproductive. This notion of urgently taking
    action is good for congress and industry
    leaders.

    ...but for the average personal carbon cloud,
    long-term planning, prioritizing and incentives seem
    more important than taking immediate, 'urgent'
    action.

    instead of increasing the sense of urgency, how
    about increasing and amplifying the original reasons
    for concern...and again...strong emphasis on
    incentives and the personal benefits of living green.
    I'm fairly certain that 99.999% of all action taken on
    the planet is made for personal gain.....so why not build on
    that.

    Perhaps you could also help Obama appoint a US energy czar....someone really smart to guide the industry and help avoid the inevitable overcompensation
    and momentum/excitement behind the flavor of the
    week[corn]...before it gets outta control and takes on
    a life of its own.
    smorrisey
  • I'll tell you what change I have NOT seen, Mr. Gore. I have not heard you say much about the beef industry. It was only through other committed individuals that I learned that the beef industry actually overshadows the transportation sector in GHG emissions including methane. is this true? If so, why has it not been a part of your rhetoric?

    Dont you think we should be tackling carbon and methane emissions from all angles?
    stephenthomson
  • What HAS sounded encouraging is that the leading Democrat (and likely the next president of the USA) has publically pledged to work closely with you. Anything less would be unacceptable, so I'm hopeful.
    stephenthomson
  • this brought me down, badly
    http://current.com/items/88854891_earth_hour_2008

    what some said here gave me some hope
    http://current.com/items/88897805_god_vs_science


    my dad who is the "mayor" of a private neighborhood in ushuaia, shut down the street lights for earth hour, that was unexpected

    here in ny, i have not witnessed much more than the nyc subway system now promoting the fact that they recycle and sort out their garbage, though still not offering different receptacles, just one big black can

    i have been seeing more people wearing green :-) soon it'l be the new black, right?

    apart from agreeing w/ stephenthomson's last statement, i dont have much more to add
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 6 months ago
  • I know we can't succeed unless we all become involved. Not just talk about it but become involved. I'm encouraged by communities that have taken individual responsibility instead of waiting on government to implement sustainable plans for them. A recent post on Current.com about training citizens to install solar panels for installation on homes in depressed areas inspired me. I'm now looking into programs with our local electric company to install solar panels on our company's commercial buildings with the blessings of my boss. I would love to see our mayors, nationwide, budget for and implement programs for solar panels on the roofs of our cities and begin installation of windmills.

    Without you, Mr. Gore, we would not be aware of the peril of our futures, and not even having these discussions. Like stephenthompson, I sincerely hope you will be working closely with our next administration to promote the correct solutions and keep up the sense of urgency.
    Chique
  • T he fact that everyday man made changes that destroy nature and release pollutants and the changes in weather inspired me.

    Awareness about this is spreading so much after Al Gore's campaign, my 6 yr old son expressed this, Why people use so many cars and give so much smoke? they should go by horses.

    simple solution to the pollution is to start planting trees and start using rain water,use solar energy,shut down nuclear plants and factories. Make topics on climate protection a compulsory part of school education .Create jobs that produce bioenergy in developing countries.
    simha
  • I was also inspired by "An Inconvenient Truth". This is a topic that has been discussed in some of my college classes. I have not done all that I could do to offset my own carbon footprint, but I am working on it. We reuse our plastic water bottles, instead of buying new ones. We have energy saving lightbulbs, and low flow shower heads. I recycle aluminum cans, and the plastic shopping bags. Soon, these will be taxed, and I will be buying the reusable hemp shopping bags. Best of all: I drive a hybrid.
    Caligirl
  • The best, most inspiring idea I have ever heard in my life is Electranet. I heard some guy named Al Gore talk about it when I was doing a POD for Current TV. Really shocked me that a politician had that much trust in the people to innovate or just accept good ideas that had real, ignored road blocks. Modern prefab houses, earth houses are kinda cool too. The compressed Air Car by MDI and Tata is just unbelievable. I could name some more (X-Prize, etc) but Electranet is really up there for me. Greater than the internet.
    samply
  • http://www.myspace.com/timfrentz
    We have been watching the "Climate Zone" and other programs regularly and have been witnessing the Polar Cap melts, increase in ocean temp, fresh water increase, glacier melting, flooding, tornado increase and everything else...

    So for the past year I personally have been selling everything I own to raise money to go around and volunteer where-ever the road takes me.

    I have put together a MySpace site to organize our army of supporters at myspace/timfrentz or groups.myspace/GreenPeaceNeb and as soon as our current house is sold by Lincoln NE, we will be hitting the road.

    Our immediate efforts will be a handing out reuseable bags with Sponsor products/dvds etc. in them. We will be trading items door to door and doing in home "Green Checks".

    contact us on myspace with any questions or email info@frentzs.8k.com
    tfrentz
  • What inspires me is the idea of transforming our food system and what it takes to be a person or a business involved in this stand.
    vibrantdanni
  • I walked outside of my home in the inner city of Indianapolis one of the worst offenders in the country in terms of industrial pollution and I saw snakeskins, a red tailed hawk landed in my back yard last week, and when I walk to the creek that runs through my neighborhood I see trout, frogs, cray, and even a beaver! A beaver! Eight years ago that would have been impossible there were on average eight tons of waste being dumped into the creek every year, and we learned that was a low estimation. It was hurting the wildlife and for a time it was unlawful to even go near the creek. Now after the initiation of ecological incentives and programs in my citys government, among them greenprint which maps individual neighborhoods carbon footprints has lead to an overhaul of the sewage system and the promotion of green energy and building practices. Even the office in the nighborhood park is now geothermaly heated and has a liferoof where several trees have been planted reducing its evironmental impact on wildlife and its carbon footprint.
    ocanada
  • I wanted to follow up w/ some more stuff:

    1- http://current.com/items/88854891_earth_hour_2008
    the official word after i sent out the "earth hour" email at work came only from two ppl . one general manager (leaving 12 silent) saying "we wont be able to do this cause our building facade's lights are on a timer" (?????????????????).
    THEN the interesting one, the chief of operations, the right hand of the ceo, said "we do not want to inconvenience people" (?????????????????????????????????)

    2-Very upsetting that there are only 16 replies on this post, and, not undermining the staff's relevance at all, but 3 replies means roughly 20%, that is quite a large chunk.



    I know sanity is only found momentarily and after a lot of effort, but the circumstances are pushing us to alienation.

    move the conversation forward? all in front of us are brick and concrete walls.

    2/3s of 2008 left, pivoting point, now what?

    we CAN see some good signs, like the debacle of the airline industry and hence a much needed deep change. crude oil still not peaking but at least showing how truly expensive it MUST be if we are to use those monetary resources properly to compensate for the harm that it creates, only that now those profits are staying in the hands of a few, who by the way want more tax cuts. also china running out of coal, right? ....ha!

    we are jumping from one foot to the next, paying attention to an election that has been artificially inflated, having our eyes covered by anything and everything that can CAP OUR ATTENTION TO NEEDED ENLIGHTENMENT

    we say what we do not mean and we mean what we do not say; now, then and soon

    we live in a hive of lies and distractions, WE ARE GUILTY
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 5 months ago
  • Will you please just run for president, and win this time?

    Please?
    urkovs
  • "Mindwalk" is a movie that inspiried me over a decade ago. That movie expresses how/why Cartesian thinking is being replaced by "Systems" thinking and how we are all realated to everything around us. It also talks about "Politics of the Impossible" as to how this thinking might be applied to the people of this earth. "We don't evolve on this planet, we evolve WITH this planet." Using my new "eyes" given to me from this movie I see a world leader that is applying "systems thinking" through relationships by example and action. I see many other's following suite with real attitude changes that are manafesting themselves in forging new relationships with people, products, services and conversations that are intent in bridging the "Cartesian" gap to create a better world with each other and with the planet we live on. I see it everywhere. I myself, own a small farm in the midwest and I am turning pastures into prarie. I am so excited to see all the new relationships that will form from this action. Though it is a small action it is contagious to others who are watching me do this. I will leave this planet in a little bit better shape than what I found it in.
    jsmiglewski
  • You know, I know Earth Day is over, but one thing that has inspired me is seeing my DAD recycling! If you knew him, you would understand why. He's one of those guys that would LOVE to raise and butcher his own cow to feed his family, thinks vegetarians and marijuana are the enemy and here he is, taking his plastics and old news papers to the recycling plant... it makes me feel good.
    EbahDyke

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