tagged w/ Citizen Activism
-
For those who have not understood why Mr. Gore is doing what he is doing and why he is doing it this way, stayed tuned. He knows what he's doing... and it may well help save this planet. You don't have to win an "election" to be a winner.For those who have not understood why Mr. Gore is doing what he is doing and why he is... more
-
-
This is fantastic news and shows that the environment is something we all feel connected to. Regardless of what you believe about climate change and its causes, our connection to this planet and our responsibilty as good stewards to her is undeniable. Hopefully, these trees being planted will be able to balance out the losses we are suffering through deforestation. Only when we do see the higher consciousness and the moral imperatives involved in taking care of our home will we see the solutions before us. I have been proud to be a part of Tree Nation in helping to plant trees in Niger and will continue to be involved with that initiative in the coming year. I think the U.S. Congress should also announce a major tree planting initiative in this country to help further that goal in the coming year. Trees are the lungs of our planet and provide us with sustinence, coolness, water, food, inspiration, spiritual renewal, and are a home to many other species. My heart is with the trees, so to read this is so gratifying. Perhaps there is hope afterall. http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/ The Green Belt Movement site, founded by Dr. Wangari Maathai.
This is fantastic news and shows that the environment is something we all feel... more
-
-
And we have at best eight years to make that window. Pre- Industrial Revolution concentration of CO2 was 280 ppm. If current trends continue and we do nothing to mitigate CO2 emissions but continue spewing the millions of tons in the air we spew daily, the level would rise within 50 years close to 600 ppm ( I think anything close to 400-450ppm is catastrophic) and that would be catastrophic ///// From the link: "The WMO said levels rose 0.53 percent from 2005 to 381.2 parts per million of the atmosphere, 36 percent above levels before the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century."////end of excerpt./////Will we see anything useful come out of the Bali conference? We must.
And we have at best eight years to make that window. Pre- Industrial Revolution... more
-
-
Up to date site regarding the effects of climate change and what you can do to help.
-
-
I made up a flyer with the phone numbers of the switchboard in Dc and the websites of all the candidates and handed out about 5o or so of them this afternoon in my travels, asking people what their thoughts were on the climate crisis and asking them to write to their reps on all levels to demand caps on CO2 emissions and prohibiting coal fired plants from being built without sequestration traps... and the majority of people I spoke to were very into doing this so I hope it will make even a bit of difference. Some didn't know what sequestration was, but all agreed that CO2 emissions must be frozen now in order to mitigate the effects of climate change. And only a couple even knew that 23% of the Arctic ice had melted in the last five years and the current predictions. So when I told them and what the effect that would have on our world was, they immediately wanted a flyer... so hopefully some calls will be placed next week. So all in all it was a successful day for me in helping to get this across to others who will hopefully pass it on as well. I wish I had a camera because I would have made a pod on it... all in good time. I'm working on that ;-). But suffice it to say, that it is true that only we will make the difference in turning the political tide in this country, and in comparison to last year when I did this people on the whole are becoming more informed and more concerned... now we need to harness that into definitive action. My letter to all candidates goes out next week, and I am also putting together a letter that will go out to all Governors regarding coal fired plants. If Kansas can do it, so can every other state in showing DC how it is done.I made up a flyer with the phone numbers of the switchboard in Dc and the websites of... more
-
-
This link will lead you to all candidates regardless of party to invite them to attend a Step It Up event tomorrow. Interesting to see that only Clinton, Richardson, Edwards, Obama, Kucinich, and Gravel are attending as of now. No Republican candidates are attending. I have plans for tomorrow too, and that will include going door to door to urge people to write to their legislatures, governors and all candidates to demand they address this crisis now. This is the PEOPLES' movement, and I believe as with the Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Suffrage Movement that it will be the people who will see it done. And thank you to Nobel Laureate Al Gore, whose mail inspired this message.This link will lead you to all candidates regardless of party to invite them to attend... more
-
-
This is inspirational and a tribute to Al Gore's work that seems to get much more mention in Europe and other countries than it does here, which I find sad. He is inspiring people all over the world to take up the mantle and now do what he is doing to spread the message of the urgency of climate change. And in India and other parts of Asia, and South America, and in Africa, it is much needed now. This is what I believe more people in our own country should be doing in order to become inspired and follow his lead. This is how you start a real grassroots movement worldwide to address this crisis.Thank you Al Gore, for inspiring the world.This is what a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate does, and you fill those shoes very well. It is the next generation that will bear the brunt of our apathy, and to see them engaged like this worldwide is truly fantastic.This is inspirational and a tribute to Al Gore's work that seems to get much more... more
-
-
Because it is the solutions that matter and the speed at which they come now from business, governments, and individuals... Not simply the address from where they come or just catering to one candidate or person for political reasons when all must make this the cornerstone of what they talk about on a moral basis because it is that important. And in this instance, if Mr. Gore can influence not only the global community to act now which he is, but ALL candidates for office regardless of political party because of pressure brought to bear by the global community (which is why I hope he will be in Bali this December,) that will bring about the changes all the quicker, and that is the point of all of this. ///
Why Gore Shouldn't Run
Staying out of D.C. makes Gore the smartest environmentalist in the country
Published On Sunday, October 28, 2007 11:54 PM
By JESSICA C. COGGINS
After the 2000 elections, Democrats around the country found themselves at a loss for words. The unthinkable had happened and George W. Bushso inept he cant even pronounce the word nuclearwas moving into the White House. And for the loser of that election? It seems Al Gore 69 consoled himself with donuts and grew a beard any aspiring Mountain Man would be proud to bear.
Flash forward several years and Gores an Oscar-winning, PowerPoint junkie. Hes included in Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People in the World under scientists and thinkers. By all accounts hes single-handedly credited with teaching an entire nation about global warmingand the Nobel committee agrees.
Ever since the success of An Inconvenient Truth, were looking at a newer, more relaxed version of our one-time Vice President. Indeed, this freshness looks good on him; he looks more comfortable standing next to Leonardo DiCaprio than he ever did next to Bill Clinton. Stepping out of politics really was the best decision of Gores life.
Every time the question arises of whether hell make a last-minute bid for the presidency, Gore consistently maintains that his place is outside D.C. Thank God.
Ive heard some environmentalists call Gores decision not to return to Washington inconceivable. While it sure is cool to be friends with Bono or Madonna, common wisdom dictates that the President of the United States is still the man (or woman) who can champion issues to greatest effect. If you want to change the world, were told, pack your bags and head toward the swamp-land of Washington.
Gores predicament actually represents a transformation in how environmental action, and to a greater extent political activity, is shaped. Were witnessing a battle between two very different camps: those who believe change must come from the hallways of D.C. and others who think the very oppositeits the people, en masse, who will make the difference.
According to recent polls President Bush is remaining steady at a 29 percent approval rating. His counterparts in the U.S. Congress fare even worse at an abysmal 14 percent. Americans arent necessarily clamoring to hear anything from an inept and ineffectual president and a Congress. So maybe Gore really is onto something.
end of excerpt.
Because it is the solutions that matter and the speed at which they come now from... more
-
-
Seriously, how long have we known about global warming now, and even most of the people who were not sure if it was real back then know that it is real now. Yet still we americans have done very little to do anything about it. We have a president who i am convinced has some sort of mental dissability, and a government that is so slow in making decisions that the world will be one big sheet of ice by the time they finally agree on what to do. I tell everyone i know about the situation that we are in and try to give them some facts to try and help them understand that something needs to be done. Yet they still go one with business as usual. I often wonder if our "Land of the Free" mindset has just made us a sloppy, lazy, and somewhat careless country. Maybe those of us who care should move across the atlantic to country's who seem to have grasped the reality of what is going on.Seriously, how long have we known about global warming now, and even most of the... more
-
-
Whether for philosophical or economic reasons, it is promising to see people of all political stripes coming together to fight coal companies that continue to pollute our environment and put profits over people and the planet.Whether for philosophical or economic reasons, it is promising to see people of all... more
-
-
Well, all I can say is that if Mr. Gore did decide to do this I would stand with him. And if he didn't I would stand with those who did do it. It is way past time to stand up for this planet and for ourselves! So my question is, would you stand at the barricades with Al Gore for this planet regardless of political opinions out of a moral desire to see justice for her and us? And that may not even mean surrounding a construction site if we can join together to influence state governments to stop these plants from being built. It hapened in Kansas this week, and it is happening in other states as well. And it is happening because of people applying pressure after seeing the moral imperative. That is why Mr.Gore's work and the work of all involved in doing this now is so important. So whatever you decide Mr. Gore, I am with you for my planet and for my child.
~~~~
article | posted October 24, 2007 (web only)
If Gore Were Arrested...
Mark Hertsgaard
Read more environmental news on Mark Hertsgaard's blog.
Fresh from winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his climate change evangelism, Al Gore is apparently considering an invitation from a prominent environmental group to engage in civil disobedience against the construction of new coal-fired power plants.
Rainforest Action Network issued the invitation to the former Vice President, according to RAN executive director Michael Brune. The San Francisco-based group has a twenty-year history of protesting against destructive logging practices and other causes of climate change; it specializes in targeting corporations as much as governments.
"We came across a quote from Gore in an interview with columnist Nicholas Kristof back in August, saying he didn't understand, quote, 'Why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them constructing new coal-fired power plants,'" said Brune. "We thought, 'Great idea!' That's the kind of activism we do at RAN. So we decided to invite Gore to join us."
Gore's office confirmed that the former Vice President had received RAN's invitation and was considering it, though no decision has been made.
"He has not accepted any of their offers to date," Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman for Gore, said of the RAN offer. Kreider did not deny that this phrasing leaves open the possibility of Gore saying yes down the road.
RAN plans a national day of protest against coal on November 16, according to Brune.
If Gore did end up getting arrested during a protest against a coal-fired power plant, it would make front-page news throughout the world and put a spotlight on what some climate scientists and activists consider the single most important priority in the fight against climate change: halting the use of coal as the world's top source of electricity production. Coal is the most carbon-intensive of the three major fossil fuels (the others are oil and natural gas) whose combustion produces most of the carbon dioxide that is helping to raise temperatures and change climatic patterns on earth.
NASA scientist James Hansen, the man who first warned during testimony before the US Senate in 1988 that man-made greenhouse gas emissions were warming the planet, has called for a complete ban on new coal-fired power plants "until we have the technology to capture and sequester the CO2." That technology, Hansen estimates, is "probably five or ten years away." Any plants built without that technology "are going to have to be bulldozed," argues Hansen, if the earth is to avoid "dramatic climate changes that produce what I would call a different planet."
end of excerpt.
~~~~~~
Well, all I can say is that if Mr. Gore did decide to do this I would stand with him.... more
-
-
I wrote this two weeks after Mr. Gore's book (which recently won a Quill Award, Congratulations) was released because it is a truthful accounting of how we the people allowed this Democracy to get away from us. It reminds me of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, which is considered one of the catalysts of the American Revolution. Although, I don't recall Thomas Paine writing it as a "campaign" book or even being president, or having to put up with a media that framed it that way to discredit it. That is actually why I respect Mr. Gore so much in writing this because it is a book written from the heart of an American who truly cares for this country and this Democracy without any political pretense or partisanship. For me that is what makes it the great book it is, because it exposes that very partisanship and pretense that have contributed to the problems we now face.I wrote this two weeks after Mr. Gore's book (which recently won a Quill Award,... more
-
