Climate Change Ranks Last in US Poll

While the evidence keeps piling up on the already devastating effects of climate change, a recent Bloomberg Poll rates climate change as dead last, with only 2% or respondents ranking climate change as the top issue facing our nation.  It is clear that the economy and health care are vitally important issues to address, but the abysmally low ranking of climate change reflects the success of disinformation coming from industry and media that has sown confusion in the public on the science of climate change.

“Which of the following do you see as the most important issue facing the country right now? . . .”

.

%

The economy

46

Health care

23

The federal budget deficit

16

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

10

Climate change

2

Other (vol.)

1

Unsure

2

Recent findings highlight that many people feel helpless about Climate Change, which leads to both apathy and inaction, and long term threats are difficult for people to assess.  Climate change is an issue not easily understood by the public due to the complexities of the climate, feedback loops, and tipping points.  At the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, the MET Office Report estimates that another 4 degrees Celsius could be in the pipeline by 2060, leading to major droughts, sea level rise, and ecosystem collapse.  The original proposal to keep the globe from warming by 2 degrees by the end of the century is now seen as a “lost cause”.  With Copenhagen just two months away, it is important for the public to better understand climate science and its impacts.

The Age of Stupid

DUH

Although the name “The Age of Stupid” brings to mind Gary Larson’s strip “Awkard Age,” or Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy,” the film is a docu-drama about global warming. In it a mid-century man looks back and wonders why did not act more swiftly. Tomorrow is the world premiere, with a simulcast if the festivites and interviews of prominent figures, plus a showing of the film itself. Alas, it does not seem to be entering wide circulation afterwards?! Luckily, there are a number of showings in the area.

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Clever Climate Comics

This comic strip yesterday:

PC and Pixel

reminded me of a wonderful, but unfortunately defunct strip, Rustle the Leaf; though I don’t know why it wasn’t “Russell the Leaf.” I really used to look forward to this every week, and was quite disappointed when it stopped updating. Included below are some of my favorite strips as a brief introduction to this little known gem, and I hope you enjoy Russell and Rooty as much as I do:

rustle041226

rustle060730

If you work with kids, or just want to enjoy some extra strips, check out their lesson plans too; especially February 2006 – Toxic Transmissions. There’s also a simple but cute animated explanation of global warming.

Coal Country

This week, the highly anticipated documentary “Coal Country” hits theaters. And, surprise, big coal is not thrilled with its release. From mountaintop removal footage to interviews with those most impacted—local residents of Appalachia—Coal Country exposes and breaks down the business of coal mining into its dirty parts. For one, an American Lung Association study shows that 24,000 Americans die each year from from coal-fired plant pollution (grist).

In addition, coal-fired power plants are major emitters of CO2, NOX, and SO2 into the atmosphere; NOX & SOX factor into acid rain. Another source of pollution may occur before the coal is even burned. In the controversial practice of mountain-top removal, a devastating process that strips off the living layers of a mountain for the sake of simpler coal extraction, heaps of tailings and overburden are often dumped as fill into valleys below or placed into poorly managed heaps whose runoff pollutes local waterways. This impacts not only those immediately adjacent to the plant, but also those further downstream. Coal remains “cheap” however, and many developing countries like China have immense deposits at their disposal, leaving the world to ponder: Will we ever break out of our addiction to coal? One can only hope. The movie opens in King Coal’s back yard on July 11th.

Happy UN-Earth Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8IozVfph7I

Who knew? It’s World Environment Day. This UN holiday doesn’t get as much press as Earth Day in the U.S., but this year it’s especially poignant since it comes exactly 6 months before the beginning of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, the successor to the ill-fated Kyoto Protocol. If you’re up for a bit of light reading this weekend, some of the documents covering the conference have been released; a refreshing glimmer of transparency. Otherwise, if you catch this in time, the Institute of Contemporary Art is having a free showing—along with venues around the world—of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s documentary film, “Home.” The spectacular aerial imagery narrated by inveterate actress Glenn Close begins at 7PM, and the doors open at 6 this evening. However, if you can’t make it YouTube is hosting the entire film (in multiple languages) at http://www.youtube.com/homeproject along with commentary, making-of, etc. plus “Born to be wild: Giraffes on the move” and “Koyaanisqatsi.”

Doing well by doing Goode?

good-600Last week, ABC premiered “The Goode Family” a new animated series from Mike Judge, the creator of “Beavis and Butthead” and “King of the Hill.”

As with his past work, Judge’s main target is political correctness. In King of the Hill he used a gun-toting Christian family from Texas as his target, This time around, the central characters are a family of “tree hugging nutjobs” who have taken political correctness to the n-th degree. Apart from designating their adopted white Afrikaner son an “African American”, the Goodes are also extreme environmentalists.

Their mantra for life is WWAGD “What would Al Gore Do?”

In the light of recent developments in the “green space” including the pronouncement that the green “bubble” has burst, it is interesting to see that making fun of “do-gooders” is now considered mainstream fare. Of course, there’s also the mocking of “helicopter” parenting, Whole Foods style stores, hybrid cars, vegetarianism, campus politics, reproductive rights and the teenage “purity movement.”

Anyway, why not check it out yourself?

Obama Girl & Double Panes for Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency is cool!

Just check out the latest YouTube videos calling for the  greening of our lifestyle and reducing energy loss in our homes.  Obama Girl made her fame with her audacious “Crush on Obama” video.  In her most recent release “Save Your Energy”, Amber Lee Ettinger, dumps Russel Simmons from America’s Greenest Campus for her new energy efficient beau.

In another green video, a group of students also showcase their love for sustainable solutions with their Double Panes video for  an environmental films project out of Stanford University: www.grassfedfilms.org.  Check out how they promote Efficiency First with their play on Paper Planes by MIA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pezKEkBIhqA