Welcome to the December 2009 Green InSight eNewsletter!

Jon Dougal Editor, Green InSight

"I would fell more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority."
Elwyn Brooks White

This insightful and progressive newsletter is concerned with present energy issues and technologies as well as the future of energy. The information is brought to you in living color, on widescreen digital HD format, and sparing paper use with our long shelf-life, greedy little electrons to deliver the latest from the far corners of the alternative and renewable energy empire to foster sustainable development. We exalt your feedback and contributions of your latest experiences and reactions to our content. Sustainability is not just our mission, it is our passion.

Stop Going Green

By: Jon Dougal

The headline reads like a manifesto against where you think we should be focused now. What you say? Who is this madman espousing the opposition’s mandate. After all – climate change is a hoax. Well isn’t it? Thousands of scientists creating bogus data and trying to snow Al Gore. Who’s also trying to snow us? The Kyoto Accord (treaty) asked for voluntary reductions in GHG’s. There haven’t been any. Voluntary actions by governments don’t work. But read on there is merit and good reasoning in the following thought pattern. The future calls for bold actions not just making yourself feel good from buying a Prius, or recycling newspapers. Oh wait, yeah, there is no recycling market right now and those dutiful trash separators are outta work.

The following articles suggest major actions, not just single steps. "Think Globally Act locally" is archaic and needs to be thrown out the window, not being in tune with the major actions necessary to really change the climate crisis. We need major C02 legislation putting caps on GHG emissions. Clean burning city buses burning methane ("natural" gas) are still emitting GHG’s. In California utilities are fighting behind the scenes to control (keep control) of emerging renewable energy transmissions.

Read More ►

Secret Climate Conspiracy Revealed...

By: Sami Grover
Date: December 17, 2009
Source: TreeHugger (www.treehugger.com)

Ednote: Well if all you watch is Fox news, the rest of us will understand why you believe climate change or global scorching is a hoax. The real problem is that the greenies don’t have the money that the polluting industries have to hire lobbyists. So have sympathy for the dissenters to climate change, for they know not what they do.

Read the full article ►

Big Freeze: Earth Could Plunge into Sudden Ice Age

By: Charles Q. Choi
Date: December 2, 2009
Source: Live Science (www.livescience.com)

Ednote: A recent article in the Associated Press suggests that mankind needs to do what nature does - adapt. For Decades the species movement has been well documented. As winter diminishes and summer lengthens and temperatures affect everything from seed generation to mouse populations nature adapts. Fish move to colder waters, seals follow them and Polar bears follow the seals. Tragically dying of exhaustion trying to swim 50 miles to eat.

We watch the polar bears die, but don’t make the connections to our own survival. What does survival mean for us? Already island nations are loosing pastureland, storm surge is removing beaches worldwide; of course these are the more visible effects of rising seas. The receding wetlands that clarify land-waters before they enter the sea are not so visible. The effects of climate change are moving exponentially faster than mankind’s ability to “ADAPT”.

The movie depicted in the following article was hailed as over the top when it came out, but within months there were hailstorms in Texas with golf-ball size pellets. Droughts and floods are pandemic worldwide. Now there is mounting fear, yes FEAR, that with the melting of the arctic ice the Atlantic conveyor belt will stop bringing warm water and thereby the warm (comparatively) weather of Europe with resulting increases in coal and heating oil demand and thus more climate change.

Check out the article from the link first cited above and draw your own conclusions about how you are going to adapt.

Read the full article ►

The Carbon Bathtub

It’s simple, really: As long as we pour CO2; into the atmosphere faster than nature drains it out, the planet warms. And that extra carbon takes a long time to drain out of the tub.

By: Robert Kunzig
Date: December 2009
Source: National Geographic (www.ngm.nationalgeographic.com)

Ednote: Many people have trouble understanding the simple equation of global warming. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is easy to measure; we do it every day in major cities worldwide. Other gases and moisture, and particulate matter are also easily monitored. Sixty years ago National Geographic was a magazine about adventure, naked indigenous peoples and incredible photographs. National Geographic has taken on a new perspective in education about a subject near and dear to their hearts – Nature and thereby, waiting in the wings, mankind.

We – the literati- can develop product containers, packaging, and building materials from CO2, we can inject it underground, and we can talk about how bad it’s going to get. “Execute” is the word of the day. We must move as if our tails were burning.

The following picture is a good example of dumbing down the issues of global scorching.

Read the full article ►

El Nino Set to Continue Into First Qtr of 2010 - WMO

By: Stefanie Nebehay
Date: December 1, 2009
Source: Reuters (www.reuters.com)

Ednote: “Who do you believe Baby?” to paraphrase Telly Sevalas. We don’t believe the politicians, big Business, the military, so who is left. Scientific and environmental agencies whose mission is recording & gathering data, and non-profits – who have no apparent agenda (getting rich off others) than their mission and IRS tax exemption dictates.

Climate change is all around us if we choose to see it. We will see it because we are educated as to what it looks like. In foreign countries, across country – “well that doesn’t affect Me!” Oh but it does. El Nino and La Nina are worldwide phenomenon that effect food production and pricing, population migrations (life boat theory), and politics (think war & ethnic cleansing).

* Phenomenon began in June, intensified in October
* Decay phase across tropical Pacific likely in March-May

Read the full article ►

Doing Your Part

By: Jon Dougal

One of my pet peeves has been how many organizations for environmental causes exist and continue to be created. How many “Save the insert name River” do we need and why can’t all those save the Lake or river or coast line converge, combine, cooperate and save the river(s)?

After chastising myself for thinking critically of all those do-good organizations I came up with “It’s the Locale Stupid”. An offshoot of “think globally act locally”. It’s there river, it’s their city, it’s their pollution problems.

So some thinking people take the helm and start something to give their constituency a hand in their own future – mostly through education.

Here is a case worth studying if you’ve a mind to help the planet for the better, by starting your own group.

Read the full article ►

World GBC Updates

By: Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED® AP
Date: December 6, 2009
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc. (www.sustainable-alternatives.ca/testimonial.htm)

The WorldGBC has undergone tremendous growth in the past year: there are 15 established WorldGBC members, 10 emerging members, 13 prospective members, and 22 associated groups; France became the newest member in November. WorldGBC events in 2009 (the Summit at the Green Building Festival in Toronto, Ontario, and GreenBuild in Phoenix, Arizona) showcased best practices and a variety of international strategies for targeting markets.

Read the full article ►

350 Car Takes the Climate Action Message to the Streets

By: Timonie Hood
Date: October 26, 2009
Source: 350.org (www.350.org)

Ednote: The admonition “think globally act locally” has more meaning with the Copenhagen climate change talks in December 2009. Many people are doing something to bring action and attention to the issues to help create change. Timonie Hood, a long-term professional greenie has taken a very creative approach.

Read the full article ►

Interested in sponsoring our next eNewsletter issue? Contact Jon Dougal at (415) 798-1933 or editor@greenmotion.org.