Frankly Green

GrayisGreen.org - The National Senior Conservation Corps

I had the good fortune of meeting Robert E. Lane when my friend Robert Lane (no "E" and no relation to the former) introduced us. They met by chance and by virtue of sharing the same name. When I first met Robert E. Lane, he had the idea for GrayisGreen.org and now, through his efforts and the efforts of others, it has come to reality.

Below is a description of the National Senior Conservation Corps. I love the energy and attitude that they, and their entire generation for that matter, bring to tackling tough problems (and they have tackled a few!).

So congratulations Robert E. Lane and thank you Robert Lane for the introduction.

__________

GrayisGreen.org is a product of the elderly residents of Whitney Center, a retirement home in Hamden, Connecticut. While the generation born in the 1930s may be called seniors, we elderly were born in the 1910s and 1920s. With one exception, ours is an honorable history. We grew up in – and survived – the depression, defeated Fascism, Nazism, and Japanese imperialism, created the United Nations, held steady in the Cold War and, along with our children, defeated the tyrannical Communist system. We have been called the “Civic Generation” because, more than earlier and later generations, we took an interest in public affairs, turned out to vote, organized civic groups to fight for civil rights, civil liberties, and the relief of illness and poverty.

U.N. Report: Forestry Can Create 10 Million Jobs

By Katy Byron, CNN

Link to Article

The United Nations is urging countries to invest in green jobs working with "sustainable forest management" to address the growing problem of unemployment worldwide.

At least 10 million such jobs could be created, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization will say in a report to be released this week.

The report does not mention any countries but is aimed at "mainly regions with substantial rural unemployment and degraded land areas," said C.T.S. Nair, chief economist in the U.N. Forestry Department and one of the authors of the report.

Earth Hour - Saturday, March 28 at 8:30pm

Who: Earth Hour (a global WWF climate change initiative where individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change.) and Experience Project (EP)   (the largest site for anonymously connecting and sharing common experiences).

What: Earth Hour and EP have teamed up to urge the public to get involved by sharing their support, stories, and practical tips on going green as part of Earth Hour’s annual event where millions of people spanning 64 countries ban together and turn off their lights for one hour as a statement against global warming.  Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square, will also stand in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

To show support for Earth Hour, EP will go dark. For every 100 points EP members pledge (points are earned by participating in challenges, posting stories etc.), the site will go dark for one second.  The goal is to keep the site dark for as long as possible.

By visiting the EP links below, visitors will have the ability to get proactive in helping reverse climate change through various means such as: a 30 day challenge to turn off all unnecessary appliances, signing a petition to conserve energy, or playing trivia games where accrued points can be used to buy time to keep the EP homepage dark during the day of the event.

In addition, Earth Hour also has a Facebook application where members can earn “Earth Minutes” by sending messages to friends urging participation.  The goal of the app. is to reach 60 friends to achieve 60 Earth Minutes.

When: March 23 through March 28, 2009 
Where: http://www.experienceproject.com/index.php
Pledge to go dark: http://www.experienceproject.com/mk/earth_hour_pledge.php
Access the Earth Hour Facebook application: http://apps.facebook.com/ep-earthhour/

Our Oceans: What Could Happen

By Jacqueline Savitz

Link to Article

It's New Year's morning and I'm reflecting on my "to do" list over coffee. I need to plan this year's vacation to Australia to do some snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. I also need to pick up groceries for a dinner party. I'm planning to serve salmon and Oysters Rockefeller.

While my list is certainly do-able today, the story could be very different by mid-century if we don't find a way to shift to a low carbon energy economy.

Scientists now predict with a great degree of certainty that unless we switch to a clean energy economy, climate change will result in increased severity and intensity of storms, melting sea ice, rising sea level, changes in food production and drinking water availability and importantly, the acidification of our oceans and a mass extinction of corals.

Increasing Acidity Threatens Sea Life

Ocean growing more acidic faster than once thought, study shows

The University of Chicago News
November 25, 2008

Link to Article

Increasing acidity threatens sea life

University of Chicago scientists have documented that the ocean is growing more acidic faster than previously thought. In addition, they have found that the increasing acidity correlates with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a paper published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Nov. 24.

"Of the variables the study examined that are linked to changes in ocean acidity, only atmospheric carbon dioxide exhibited a corresponding steady change," said J. Timothy Wootton, the lead author of the study and Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago.

Solar Versus Energy Efficiency

Solar gets more subsidies, but home energy efficiency may be more cost-effective

Reporter Ben Arnoldy, The Christian Science Monitor
Link to Article

When Ted and Astrid Olsson set out to cut their home electricity bill, they had three strong incentives to buy solar panels: federal, state, and city subsidies. But they shelved the idea in favor of insulating the attic of their San Francisco Victorian.

While it’s not as sexy as a rooftop rack of silicon, improving a home’s energy efficiency tends to be the more cost-effective way to trim carbon emissions. So why are politicians showering subsidies on residential solar instead?

That’s the question posed by Matt Golden, president of Sustainable Spaces, a company specializing in optimizing the energy performance of homes. He convinced the Olssons to think first about energy efficiency, but with every new solar subsidy, it gets harder for him to get homeowners’ attention and contracts.

Save Energy, Save the Economy

The country may spend $30 billion on conservation in the coming year, but will that put people back to work?

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Link to Article

It looks like America may be getting a whole lot more energy efficient as part of any new stimulus plan.

But how exactly will that happen? While new light bulbs, insulation and air conditioners may play well with homeowners, will it actually put enough people to work to jumpstart the economy?

The energy-saving plan is expected as part of a stimulus package from lawmakers set for early January that could top $800 billion and include everything from tax breaks to road repairs.

Conservation is is thought to be the first big energy-component of President-elect Barack Obama's long-term energy plan, for a couple of reasons.

World Mandate on Climate Action

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

Link to Article

Thanks to Elicia V. for this article!

An opinion poll in 11 countries has produced what organisers term a "global mandate" for action on climate change.

About half of the respondents wanted governments to play a major role in curbing emissions, but only a quarter said their leaders were doing enough. In developing countries, a majority of people were prepared to make "lifestyle changes" to reduce climate change.

Meltdown: A Global Warming Travelogue

Since 1999, Gary Braasch has traveled the world to see where and how climate change has affected people.

Braasch says photos best illustrate what is already happening, but can lead the discussion on where we are going. He quotes a Chinese proverb: If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going."

Link to Slide show of photos

For a long time -- the first 15 years that we knew about global warming and did nothing -- there were no pictures. That was one of the reasons for inaction.

Climate change was still "theoretical," the word that people in power use to dismiss anything for which pictures do not exist. It is the reason we don't see shots of coffins coming back from Iraq; it's the reason the only prison abuse we really know about was at Abu Ghraib. Without pictures, no uproar; not in a visual age.

But now the pictures have started to come, and they will not cease.

Video: Polar Bears Shrinking Habitat