Interviews with the 2007 winners of the Goldman Prize

Normal everyday people who are fighting climate change.

http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2007/04/24/nijhuis-goldman/

Websites for Carbon Day

Add up your carbon offsets. http://www.countdownyourcarbon.org/

Count your carbon footprint. http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/



Carbon Puzzle http://www.powernaturally.com/Programs/pdfs_docs/21_Env_Puzzle.doc



The Carbon Cycle Game
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/teacher_resources/teach_carbongame.html
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html



Global Warming Games http://globalwarming.enviroweb.org/games/index.html


Quizzes to test your
knowledge on Global Warming, the water cycle, and the carbon cycle
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/version2.html


Carbon Cycle Movie
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon_cycle_version2.html


Glossary for Vocabulary!!
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/glossary/index.html

What is your Carbon Footprint?
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

Harry Potter Going Green

The seventh -- and, alas, final -- Harry Potter book goes green

From the Grist:
Is Draco Malfoy green with envy, or is it just the paper he's printed on? With only 121 days until the last Harry Potter book hits the shelves (not that we're counting), U.S. publisher Scholastic has partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to green up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The 784-page book will have a first printing of 12 million copies in the U.S., and nearly two-thirds of the 16,700 tons of paper used will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from sustainable timber. It's the largest-ever purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing, and the whomping willows are certainly thankful. In addition, the books will contain at least 30 percent recycled fiber, while the deluxe edition -- with a first printing of a mere 100,000 copies -- will be printed on 100 percent recycled paper in a renewable-energy-powered factory. Muggle-rific! So OK, fewer trees will die ... but will Harry? It's really all we can think about these days.

Other sites that confirm the story are at:
The Guardian -- http://books.guardian.co.uk/harrypotter/story/0,,2039221,00.html
MSN.com -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17706334/

Al Gore Presents to Congress

From the Muckraker website, Here are Gore's ten recommendations to Congress to reduce global warming:

1. An immediate "carbon freeze" that would cap U.S. CO2 emissions at current levels, followed by a program to generate 90% reductions by 2050.
2. Start a long-term tax shift to reduce payroll taxes and increase taxes on CO2 emissions.
3. Put aside a portion of carbon tax revenues to help low-income people make the transition.
4. Create a strong international treaty by working toward "de facto compliance with Kyoto" and moving up the start date for Kyoto's successor from 2012 to 2010.
5. Implement a moratorium on construction of new coal-fired power plants that are not compatible with carbon capture and sequestration.
6. Create an "ELECTRANET" -- a smart electricity grid that allows individuals and businesses to feed power back in at prevailing market rates.
7. Raise CAFE standards.
8. Set a date for a ban on incandescent light bulbs.
9. Create "Connie Mae," a carbon-neutral mortgage association, to help defray the upfront costs of energy-efficient building.
10. Have the SEC require disclosure of carbon emissions in corporate reporting, as a relevant "material risk."

What do you think? Will they work?

Go to this site to see a video of Gore's opening speech to Congress.

Current Events Extra Credit

Don't forget your extra credit opportunity. Find an article on websites or in newspapers, read them, and summarize the article for extra credit in Humanities class.

Here are some good news sites:
CNN
Washington Post
BBC
New York Times

Environmental Justice

Dr. Robert Bullard, who has been called "the father of environmental justice", writes and speaks on environmental justice issues in Washington, DC and other areas like New Orleans. Dr. Bullard says we must all work together to stop allowing the pollution of environments where minorities live.

New Civil Rights Battlegrounds
and
Justice in Time

Reducing global warming isn't just about changing lightbulbs. It is about reducing pollution in our environments. People who work for environmental justice are calling for equity concerning policies on pollution. For example, when we went to the Building Museum, they talked about different paints to use that didn't contain chemicals harmful to the environment. Some paints used in low-income housing contain lead that makes many people sick. Another illness is called asthma which is caused by so many cars and trucks not regulated in the city. Check out the article for other details on environmental justice. Dr. Bullard has some important things to say.

Are US Scientists Being Censored?

In a 3/9/07 Washington Post article it states that scienctists working to find connections to global warming and the extinction of polar bears are being told not to travel to other countries to discuss the issue. The issue? Climate change is affecting their habitat and they don't have time to evolve to their surroundings. Scientists are being told that must have permission to talk about certain issues involving climate change. Why would the government censor these scientists about this important issue that not only effects polar bears but humans as well?

After reading the article about listing polar bears on the extinction list, see the video. When you go to the article's website click on:

VIDEO AND AUDIO NEWS (on the top right hand part of the page)

Ice caps are melting around the polar bears

Sadly, the video won't work from this blog.