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I watched Global Warming 101 with Al Gore on Oprah yesterday.
I couldn't help but take notes and twitter many of the points made because they are so important.
What never ceases to amaze me is the lack of common sense about it all and the lack of accountability in the system.
It's so obvious yet so… normal.
Al Gore wrote a book about that too called The Assault on Reason
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
As he stresses and we all know, it's all about money. Big money.
Take it a step further.
It's about greed.
Oprah asked, "What does it say about a culture that doesn't think about the future, but only thinks about themselves?".
IT'S ABOUT YOU AND ME
Stamping out mega polluters, corporate irresponsibility and government corruption is key to solving the problem, but as you probably have already guessed, it's all about you and me too.
And you know why.
It's because ultimately it is 'we the people' who are buying this stuff and ultimately dumping it, polluting with it or not even using it at all, and supporting the companies who are ruining our environment.
Even as I type 'ruining our environment' I marvel at how sterile it sounds.
IT SOUNDS HARSH
We are killing ourselves with our greed, our thoughtlessness and our own laziness.
It sounds harsh but we know it's true.
And there is one more thing.
HOPELESSNESS – OUR WORST ENEMY
I've been an environmentalist since I can remember. As a child in the 70's I used to go around the house turning lights off. It was just common sense not to waste a natural resource.
I fought for right choices in my home with a husband who had no sense of environmental responsibility what so ever – he called me a tree hugger and laughed.
And cut down the trees in our yard that I had painstakingly tied a cloth around to mark as 'slated to live'. And dumped recyclables that I washed and sorted into the dump with the garbage.
I was proud to be a treehugger, it was better than being an idiot IMHO. (as a side note, he isn't laughing now, he watched the show with me as well as the 11th Hour, another excellent movie you should see. Apparently we are on hour 11 and 59 minutes. And he doesn't mix the garbage anymore because we have to pay for it. Recyclables go free. There's a silver lining in every cloud :0)
SO WHAT WAS I ALL RILED UP ABOUT?
So why did I find the cavalier attitude so upsetting?
Frankly, because it flew in the face of my favourite words – common sense.
But most of all because it is the children who will suffer.
Our children. And yours.
I WONDER… WHY DOES HE NEED TO TELL US THIS?
Al says on the show that it is our moral and ethical obligation to the children to do something about this.
I wonder about lots of things. I wonder how it is that some people keep their homes spotless but think nothing of using poisons that ultimately find their way into their children's lungs, skin and the ecosystems. They go on to pollute our very life sustenance. How clean is that?
NOW YOU KNOW. I GAVE UP
But over the past years I have become frustrated. And I admit.
I gave up.
I think that the turning point for me was when i started my natural skin care business. I sell supplies and 'how to make it yourself', one sure way to keep it simple and clean of synthetics and chemicals.
But the backlash and negativity within the homemade industry towards anyone who may suggest the damage that these synthetics and chemicals could do was enormous.
It boggled my mind how strongly people fight to stay in their bubble if it is easier, cheaper or smells like mango (which by the way, is a synthetic scent, and so are all those 'natural' raspberry, strawberry and kiwi lotions and skincare products on the shelves).
It was disheartening.
And I'm happy to say, is changing.
Added to that the continuing increase of population, the environmental disasters – they dying of the sea, the suffering of our animals, the slaughter of our forests… and the obvious effects of global warming – and the excuses I hear almost anytime the subject arises, took it's toll.
I BET I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE
And like anything, at some point it becomes obvious.
Things start to turn around. Just before it's too late. Or after.
And people like Al Gore (and one of my personal hero's – David Suzuki who deserves more than honourable mention for his efforts through the years) rise above it all and do something.
SOMETHING AMAZING
They care.
They believe.
They take action.
They change.
So, I'm back in the game.
Considering the alternatives, what other choice do we have?
5 CHEAP AND EASY THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TODAY – A SHOPPING TRIP WORTH THE GAS
And Al tells us 5 of the easiest and most effective things that we can do right now to reduce our carbon imprint – CO2 being the main culprit in global warming.
1.- switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs – if all houses in America switched 5 it would be the equivalent of taking 1,000,000 cars off highways for a full year.
COST FOR COMPACT FLUORESCENTS: Less than 4.00 each. SAVINGS: Our children's future.
2 – get solar light for yard outdoor lighting – Motion detector outside lights are also good. You don't need to leave them on, and they are a very good warning system if anything moves outside of your house
COST FOR SOLAR LIGHTING: less than 20.00 SAVINGS: The world.
3 – install a programmable thermostat. Set cooler in winter and warmer in summer when not in the house – 2 degrees can reduce up to 9% of emissions over a year
COST FOR PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT: 50 – 100.00 SAVINGS: Innocent lives.
4 – replace your air filters for household heating and cooling system – Changed regularly can save 2% C02 emissions.
COST FOR FILTERS: less than 11.00 SAVINGS: Generations to come.
5 – Use an insulated water heater blanket for your water tank – can cut emmisions by almost 4.5% hot water tanks use a lot of electricity.
COST FOR INSULATED BLANKET: less than 18.00 SAVINGS: Asthma, Polar Bears, Fish, Forests .
BONUS TIP – look for energy star label on appliance – new ones will save 3% on average c02 emissions.
COST TO MAKE A RESPONSIBLE PURCHASE: Nothing. SAVINGS: Energy bills ad environmental disaster.
A FEW MORE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO REDUCE OUR CARBON IMPRINT
Purchase green energy – become carbon neutral.
The average person is responsible for 94lbs of carbon dioxide every day.
At http://www.americanforests.org you can buy a tree that they will plant for you. I was amazed to see that it cost $1 each. 4 trees will offset the carbon dioxide that you put out in one month. For $16 per month, a family of four can breathe easier.
And you can join WE, 2,002,950 people determined to repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years – www.wecansolveit.org
SOME SEASONAL TIPS
With Christmas coming, Oprah also had a segment for having a truly green Christmas with some tips from http://www.treehugger.com (they have some great stuff on their website btw, including a shopping guide with some green gift giving ideas).
– look for recycled Christmas cards. You can buy them online. Search google or go to treehuggers.
– get creative with wrap for presents – use cloth, homemade gift bags, reuse old paper, newspaper or look for hemp or recycled paper. I've used old magazines as well or even glossy Christmas flyers. Be sure that they get recycled after.
– what about christmas tree? buy one from tree farm, use real tree because of pollutants that fake put out when they breakdown. has everyone tried to replant their Christmas tree? Al gore did. So did I :0) Go to www.earth911com to recycle find out where to get your Christmas tree chipped and recycled for mulch and where to recycle motor oil, green your holidays and tons more. Or call 1-800-cleanup.
– get LED Christmas lights.
HAVE SOME FUN
Bored? Nothing to do with your friends?
Get a copy of 'An Inconvenient Truth' and schedule a movie night with your buddies or favourite group or club.
Don't want to do it at home?
Try your local library. They might even be able to get a copy if you don't want to purchase one.
All proceeds from any sales of the book or DVD go to a non partisan organization to educate about global warming.
This is stuff we should all know. The visuals on the backdrop of Oprah's show were nothing short of astounding.
We saw the sheer beauty of the earth we live on, and we saw the unbelievable scale of destruction.
How about a book club?
Try one online or a cozy book club evening. Or again, do it at your local library. Most of them love things like this.
You can get the book or DVD at http://www.algore.com
IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOICES
As I like to say, it's all about choices.
From the small – will I make an effort to clean up my house today, to the large – will I make an effort to clean up the planet today.
Clean house? Clean future?
Mess, clutter. Pollution and global warming.
It's your choice.
LAST WORD – FOR NOW
On the show, they had a guy who represents the Competitive Edge Institution.
You only need to read the name and I probably don't have to go much further.
Visions of a drooling hunchback limping into the shadows along a cold castle wall muttering 'yes master' come to mind… but maybe it's just me.
Meantime all I can say is… google it.
