Major US Climate Steps Through the Inflation Reduction Act

Amidst the cacophony of new cycle clutter this week, something happened that isn't getting the media recognition that it should. (Which sadly sometimes happens in given the noisiness of partisan politics here in the USA.):

This week in the United States, some monumental steps went forward with Congress passing the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act [IRA] which President Biden signed it into law. Not only is it the biggest climate action we've taken as a country, it also serves as the largest US federal investment in clean energy. Finally, it's a move towards taking action and addressing the climate crisis

• Electric vehicles will be cheaper, as will solar panels.
• We finally have a united push to cut greenhouse gases by 2030.
• Tax credits will be available to individual for using energy efficient technology.
• There are incentives in place that will potentially influence companies and corporations to push clean options over polluting ones. 
• The same is true for innovative entreprenuers to push to creating new companies, new techonologies, and new jobs
• Environmental justice is factored in by protecting those who live in impoverished areas and who typically get the brunt of ecological injustice.

More than that too, it will feel real in our pockets as it caps out-of-pocket Medicare drug costs and reduces other health care costs, it closes tax loopholes used by the wealthy, and it also financially protects small business owners.

That's just a quick snapshot, but for a better one, check out this one-page Democratic fact sheet summary of the IRA.

Additionally, here are some great articles to learn more of how we are finally moving in the right direction climate-wise through the passing of this act:

• President Biden's 8/16/2022 tweet and the one minute video in it (make sure to watch it!):

The climate provisions I sign into law today are a big deal. Let me explain why: pic.twitter.com/b4QTqXGSaz

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 16, 2022

• The Congressional Progressive Caucus Center's Analysis of Climate and Energy Provisions in the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022"

• NPR's article "Biden Signs Sweeping Climate, Health Care, Tax Bill Into Law" by Barbara Sprunt

• Time Magazine's article "Biden Just Signed the Inflation Reduction Act. Now the Hard Work on Climate Really Begins" by Justin Worland

• The Center of American Progress' article "How the Inflation Reduction Act Will Drive Global Climate Action"

• The Citizens Climate Lobby's post by Steve Valk: "This Major Climate Bill is Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Good Job, Everyone."

Image from: https://www.marketplace.org/shows/make-me-smart/should-we-just-call-the-inflation-reduction-act-the-climate-bill/ and https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/calculate-bidens-inflation-reduction-act-save/story?id=88458834

When Vegan Meets NASCAR

NASCAR & Vegan aren't two words that usually go together. But they do when you look at Leilani Münter & her motto:

Leilani's short story: she was born Feb. 18, 1974, she was a biology major from the University of California San Diego, an environmental activist & a vegan, a lover of fast driving and scuba diving, a race car driver (not just any driver, but one of the top 10 female drivers of the world AND in 2007 the world's first carbon neutral driver AND in 2014 the first person to drive oil free in her Telsa Model X AND the first person to power her pit crew using 100% solar).

In addition to all of that (from her website):

"She sits on the board of three non-profits: Oceanic Preservation Society, Empowered by Light, and EarthxFilm. Leilani is also an ambassador for Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project and a patron of Population Matters. Leilani was featured in the 2015 documentary film Racing Extinction. Leilani wants our future to be a cleaner and kinder world."

For the long story on Leilani, check out her bio on her website as well as the story of what got her from a biology graduate to a race car driver.



Using her platform as a racer, she's able to reach a multitude of people on issues such as climate change, renewable and clean energy, and oceanic health. She's spoken on Capital Hill and took part in the 2015 environmental documentary Racing Extinction. She also knows a little bit about what it is to be a leading female in a male-centric sport.


Leilani's Links page is lengthy, with a list of partner and friend organizations she supports and documentaries she recommends. This is a great place to go if you are looking for environmental documentaries to watch.

As of this writing, she still also has a link on her website to VegNation, the apparel store she founded using 100% solar and environmentally friendly materials. However, VegNation has the note: "Next shipment date is Jan 7. Once our current inventory is gone, we will be shutting down VegNation." So, it might be your last opportunity to shop on her site!


Video from https://youtu.be/WKRvQVzskpg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJV8aCVKl8

Images from http://www.leilani.green

Transportation Goals for the Future

Scotland, for the win, transporationally speaking.  Great goals ahead!




Jaguar too has some pretty aggressive transportational goals to counter fossil fuels:

 


videos from
https://www.facebook.com/climatereality/videos/10154768361436479/
https://www.facebook.com/climatereality/videos/1737917969582709/

Becoming an Eco Activist

To piggy back some of the positive moves I've seen eco-wise in the aftermath of the United States leaving the Paris Agreement, I wanted to promote some small ways we all could become activists. 

Always a fan of infographics, when I ran across the following article, I knew it had a future as a great visual... so I crafted one!

What can you do to make an environmental impact?

Infographic created by me on Canva.com

10 Eco Innovations Worth Celebrating

When it comes to the environment, sometimes we are steeped in the negative. We can thank politics and news for that. However, the good news is all too often overlooked.

Let's take a minute to champion these 10 things on the environmental front that are worth celebrating!


video from https://www.facebook.com/UpworthyVideo/videos/1121195784651634/; image from http://www.greenlittlecat.com/category/eco-news/

There's a New Podcast In Town: Begleyesque

Just in time for Earth Day ahead, there's a new podcast in town. (Actually, at this point, it's not as new as it used to be at the start of 2017!) This one is brought to you by Ed Begley, Jr. and his wife Rachelle Carson-Begley, and is called Begleyesque. Perhaps so we can all "speak-Begley!"

Ed Begly, Jr.'s name might sound slightly familiar to you as he's both a long-time actor (anyone remember St. Elsewhere?) and a mega-environmental activist. He practices what he preaches, living in a solar powered home, driving an electric car, and currently building a LEED Platinum-Certified house for their next home ("Our Green House with The Begleys"). He and Rachelle (also an actor) co-starred in the reality series "Living With Ed," which was shown on both HGTV and Discovery’s Planet Green.

Given all the "green" above, yes, this weekly podcast is about "living green." It's a fun mix of Hollywood celebrities and environmental innovators chatting with Mr. & Mrs. Begley. There's also a Q&A segment per episode, with the gameplan being "saving the planet one person or household at a time."

You can find it on their website, or subscribe at iTunes.

Episodes, to date, include:

1. Introducing Begleyesque      (a very good place to start!)
2. Going Green W/Jeff Goldblum
3. Save Money, Save The Planet
4. Moby Reveals His Real Name & Talks Veganism
5. Green Valentine's Day Gift Ideas
6. Sharon Lawrence Talks Water Pollution & Women Power
7. Bill Nye Hijacks a Conversation With Frances Fisher
8. Air Pollution: Causes, Effects, & Solutions
9. Beth Grant Gets High Off Love
10. Mike Farrell Talks JFK Assassination
11. Michael Kaliski, Hollywood's Green Movie Guy
12. Public Transportation vs. Uber vs. Biking
13. Don Most Talks “Happy Days” & Vaudeville’s Comeback
14. Oceana’s Keith Addis On Bait and Switch in Aquaculture

May the eco-inspiration over at Begleyeque get you geared up for Earth Day, just a few days away!

Images from http://www.begleyesque.com/about/ and https://hateandanger.wordpress.com/tag/begley/ 

#BeforeTheFlood

Nothing says Friday night like an #eco documentary.  That was me a few weeks ago watching Before The Flood" Leonardo deCaprio's & Fisher Steven's eye-opening 2016 documentary on climate change.

I'd like to invite President Elect Trump to watch it, especially as he is considering drawing America out of the Paris Climate and has positioned a climate skeptic to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.  I am glad to hear that he met recently with both Leonardo and Al Gore.  I'm sure they both were more persuasive than I could be in getting Donald Trump to watch the film. I hope Trump watches, listens, and soaks in the facts.



By November 17th (which takes us post election), 60 million people had viewed "Beyond the Flood" either on National Geographic Channel (during the week of Oct. 30--Nov. 7 when it was offered for free) or On Demand (where people had to rent it, which is how I watched it).

When in doubt, he can always check these 13 pictures attached to the Upworthy article: "13 Devastating Photos to Show Your Friend Who Doesn't Believe in Climate Change."

Here's the short list of startling facts that I jotted down while watching the National Geographic
movie:

• 97% of climate scientists believe in it.

• "We Don't Have the liberty of time to combat climate change."

• Given Florida's location, it's ironic that both Governor Rick Scott and State Senator (and former presidential candidate) Mark Rubio both oppose the idea. There was an indepth conversation with Miami's Mayor about how they are putting in a major investment on the city's infrastructure to raise the roads. Unfortunately, this will only buy us 40-50 years.

• "The Ocean is not republican or democratic...yet it is rising all the same."

• This link takes you to the Worldwide Air Quality Map--a geographic database that updates hourly monitoring the pollution data from factories. The map of China is particularly shocking, especially given it has recently surpassed the United States as the #1 global polluter.

• "We all have a responsibility to set the example and help the developing world transition before it is too late....Facts are crystal clear: ice is melting, earth is warming, sea levels are rising."

• "We are losing our status of forefront on innovation and problem solving as we have people, leaders, future-elected leaders burying their heads in the sand, not seeing the undenyable future in front of us."

Be sure to check out the "Beyond the Flood" website, or watch it at any of these places:

The more we watch, learn, and know about this, the more we all can fight (should President-Elect start to counter all the gains that President Obama has made over the last 8 years).  Given the fact that large populations live near oceans, it's not just an environmental issue.  It's a national security issue. It's a global issue, and certainly a human issue. Let's hope that sanity reigns and helps guide our leaders.  To take action, the "Before the Flood" website can help you with that too!

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UGsRcxaSAI; documentary image from https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/11/04/watch-dicaprio-before-the-flood-climate-film-free, climate change image from http://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/climate-change, Google search image shows where you can find the movie.

Bill Nye's Nat Geo Explorer's "Meltdown"

This past Sunday night (November 1st), over at the National Geographic Channel, you could find Bill Nye lying on a couch.  He was stretched back on his therapist's couch, bemoaning how he was feeling with the angst & grief of his planet.  His therapist, Arnold Schwarzenegger, told him that what he is facing is "climate change grief."  Arnold told him (as only "Ahr-nold" can do) that he's going through the 5 stages of mourning about climate change:

1. denial
2. anger
3. bargaining
4. depression
5. acceptance

It is from the couch of the therapist's office that Sunday night's "Meltdown" began, from National Geographics' Channel's show Explorer.

Although the show is a little humorous in places, it certainly isn't humorous about the loss, potential future loss, & subsequent grief we will face if we continue on the trajectory we are currently on.  The stunning quote from NatGeo's own web news article by Michael Greshko states:

"According to the National Wildlife Federation, more than 200 million Americans likely will bear some mental health hiccup because of climate change and related events."

That's a lot of people, and a lot of hiccups.

If you haven't seen the show, check the listings to see if/when it is going to be replayed.
Sunday, Nov. 8th 9 am EST looks like it might be the next time it plays.

In the meantime, check out:

The "Cool It!" Special Issue of National Geographic's Magazine--centered around climate change.  Check out the interactives & online additions here.

.

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEoZV4htuXo, pic from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151131-climate-change-grief-bill-nye-explorer-television/

What Do You Love?

What do you love?  The United Kingdom's Climate Coalition wants to know, because there is a very strong possibility that many of the things you love (beaches, chocolate, coffee, your children, a sustainable planet) could be in jeopardy the more climate change begins to affect us.  They are inviting you to not only watch their "For the Love of..." video, but also to visit their website and "add your love story."   By doing so, the Climate Coalition hopes you'll take a vested interest and look beyond the hype of doubt, and fight for what you love.  As their website "About" page states:  "Our love for these things is stronger.  Stronger than fear.  Stronger than apathy.  Strong enough to make action happen."

Another place to learn more after watching the video:  Check out The Climate Coalition.



Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_kQUvojeI&app=desktop
Image from http://fortheloveof.org.uk/about/ 

Let Earth Week Begin!

The post-noon day sun shining down made for an idyllic spring day at the ole Eagle Cove School today. Yet, despite 1 of the first few beautiful spring days we have had this season, that was not the focus. The focus was more on the near-cloud-free day....& what that would mean to create perfect conditions for the 3rd Annual ECS Solar Car Races. The kick off to this year's "ECS Earth Week 2014.”

After 7 years now for me (& many years before), ECS's Earth Week is an annual tradition at our Maryland "Green" School. Perhaps more special this year, given our announcement from our board of trustees (just this past January) that ECS will be closing at the end of this school year. Nothing makes an annual tradition more poinyant than knowing that it will be coming to the end.

3 years ago, Solar Energy World came to ECS for an assembly, showing us all the importance of solar energy...and challenging us to decorate the plastic chassis of a solar powered car. With each class doing do, it leads to the classes facing off against each other in good, clean-energy fun! Last year and this year alike, our classes let go of the pre-formed chassis in order to construct a car using the wheels and solar motor, but then combining it with a recyclable to design a more unique vehicle per grade level. The results? Cars made out of Dove soap boxes, Q-Tip Containers, egg-filled Easter baskets made out of recycled boxes, and more!


In the end: It was a great day at the races. Kindergarten (& their "Kindergarten Car") won the K--2nd grade heat. (It was a close call, as all cars went out-of-bounds on the first shot. But, 2nd grade was nearly the clear winner up until a foot from the finish line that first round... yet, Kindergarten came out as the clear-cut champ the 2nd time). My 3rd grade class and their "3rd Grade NRG" car (made out of a Crystal Light container [sound out those letters:  NRG]) won the 3rd--5th grade heat. A photo finish of the final heat between Kindergarten & 3rd grade revealed....duh duh duh (insert dramatic music here):  3rd grade to be the 2014 ECS Solar Car winners.  Never more proud has a class and teacher been!

How does one follow-up a solar car race and all of the excitement?! The wrap up for the day was a school-viewing of the 45-minute version of "Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?” "Bag It" is a documentary on the pervasive nature of the plastic bag and plastic bottle. Even the youngest in the bunch was drawn in, and the teachers couldn't help but shake their heads at the wasteful statistic revealed. At the end, a Kindergartener was heard announcing: "I am never going to use plastic again!" (If only it were that easy.)  But it is telling when the youngsters in the bunch see it.

If you haven't seen that movie, do so. I stand by the idea that everyone, planet-wide should see this film. Non-negotiable. Were that to happen, perhaps we would be living in a more petroleum-reduced-use planet.

Pictures from my camera & embellished with the InstaFrame Pro app; "Bag It" Movie pic from  http://blueowlbooks.com/bag-it-free-film-screening-thurs-feb-21-2013/

Being a Mean Green Traveling Machine

It's summer time, and that's the time people start hitting the roads, rails, trails, and airways for travel.  From the looks of this old Superbowl advertising pic, even Kermit the Frog can get bit by the travel bug from time to time.  Whereas Kermit might go by his typical mantra "It's not easy being green," perhaps it is easier to travel green than you'd think.  At the very least, there are definitely a lot of good reasons to do so!

Check out the "Sustainable Travel" infographic below to investigate why indeed you should travel green, and how you can reduce your carbon footprint as you go.  Click here for a bigger version.

Kermit from http://voices.yahoo.com/kermit-frog-ford-team-green-friendly-188407.html?cat=9;

Infographic from http://visual.ly/sustainable-travel-why-should-you-travel-green

Harvesting Wind Power and Awareness Through Global Wind Day

Saturday was Global Wind Day.  It is every year, annually June 15th.  Yes, I know, here after Father's Day, I'm 2 days late and at least 2 dollars short.  But, that doesn't mean it's too late to learn a little bit about it, and wind power.

Anyone who has experienced a "Bad Hair Day" on account of the wind, knows the power of wind power.  Same holds true for anyone who has set sail in a sailboat, or seen the damage in Oklahoma this past month--wind can do a lot.  This infographic is good for putting it all in layman's terms.  Check it out!



Image from Global Wind Day's FaceBook page.

ECS Earth Week: Days 1 & 2

I've said it before....a day is not enough for Earth Day at Eagle Cove School.  We need a week!

2013 is no different.

For a history of our Eagle Cove Earth Day, check the GTG archives for some great moments in our history (and there have been a slew).

Earth Week Day 1: Earth Day: Monday

Annually like clockwork, "green" author Jennifer Keats Curtis comes to talk about all of her amazing children's picture and non-fiction books. This year, our younger ones heard the tales as she read them; middle-aged kids get to hear of some of her experiences as an author who interviews a lot of environmentalists and were inspired to write their own story of animal rehabilitation (and 3rd graders even got to be animal rescuers by helping a little songbird find its way out of our room after it found its way in); and 4th and 5th graders Skyped with JKC's illustrator for 3 books, Laura Jacques. She inspired both the budding authors within our students AND the animal-loving eco-warrior!

Earth Week Day 2:  Tuesday

School friends Grace Episcopal Day School from Silver Spring, Maryland came our way and spent 4 hours with us doing a Water Walk (Did you know that many people world wide walk 6 km or approximately 3 miles to get fresh, uncontaminated water daily.  It does without saying that women and children are the ones who had to do this.  We carried a set amount of water for 3 treks down the causeway outside our school that runs adjacent to/across the Magothy River and outside our school.  We rotated in 5th and PreK/Kindergarteners, then 4th and 1st graders, then finally Grace's and ECS's 2nd and 3rd graders...all carrying the same water we transferred off to get a cumulative feel of 3 miles.  The water and I felt it.  8,000 steps on my pedometer later.... we had some minimal water loss, but loads of fun on campus doing eco-outdoor games while our walkers all carried on!

Another free photo slideshow by Smilebox

The afternoon had us checking out some river wildlife and playing a fun migratory bird activity.  After Grace Episcopal had to bid adieu's on their bus and head back, we still had one more activity:  the solar power races. Each class designed a car out of recyclables.  Now all we had to do was wait for the sun to arrive, which it finally did around 2 pm!!  It was a heated race indeed.  Check out our Smilebox!

Free slideshow made with Smilebox

More to Come:  Earth Week Days 3, 4, and 5:  Can't wait for the student-led theatrical performance (with humor and music, of course!!) based on Dickens "A Christmas Carol"--aptly named "An Earth Day Carol."  Then we'll have musician in residence Linda Richards here to write Earth Day parodies with the classes, for our Friday grand finale concert!  Fun times still to come!  Stay tuned...

Photos from me and Jennifer Keats Curtis.  All Smilebox photos from my camera.

Paying Tribute to 99 Years of Environmental Vision & Wisdom

This past week, two people I know each lost special people in their families. Their two ages combined totaled 199 years! Remarkable lives, long lived.

John (Jack) Joel Burton

September 1913 - January 2013

One of the gentlemen was John Joel Burton (referred to by my friend as "Uncle Jack"). John Burton had a full life of adventures as a chemical engineer and a traveler of the world. Tales hold true too that "Uncle Jack" could also play a mean game of backgammon.

A voracious lifelong learner, he also loved writing and sharing his ideas. At 99 years old, having previously lost an eye in a chemical project, John Burton had an ability to see with a greater clarity of vision than many either half his age or blessed with both eyes.  According to my friend: "Uncle Jack was a fighter for the environment.  As he grew older, he became more dedicated in his fight to raise awareness of how we were hurting our natural resources.  He wrote innumerable letters-to-the-editors in many newspapers and magazines.  He had many op-ed pieces published.  He had essays about an assortment of topics. Many were about the perils of global warming and population stress on the globe."

To see many of John Joel Burton's writings, visit his website to read his thoughts on these topics:

• Global Warming
• Economic Systems
• Foreign Policies
• Cultures
• Factory Farms

One of the most fascinating things I noticed was that many of his texts were written in the early to mid-2000s.  Ten years later, the topics are still current, and unfortunately (when it comes to the "debate" about climate change) still surprisingly questioned.  As I previously stated: John Joel Burton had more vision than most.  Here are some pretty powerful quotes that were a decade ahead of where many still are today.

"We are the leading nation in the amount of greenhouse gases already added to the atmosphere and in the amount we are adding at present. And as the wealthiest nation we can best afford to undertake preventive actions. Is it a coincidence that the U.S., with the most unregulated free market economic system of all nations, is also the nation most opposed to taking action to prevent global warming?" ~ John Joel Burton 

"To put it simply, our culture lacks a global perspective, an understanding and compassion for the economically or socially disadvantaged, an awareness and concern for the future and a willingness to sacrifice some aspects of our lifestyles for the common good. We have a flawed definition of a successful life in which 'success' is seen as the amount of power, prestige or wealth an individual has acquired. 

"I am strongly against overconsumptionism--consumption of things we doesn't really need but that are seen as essentials by our culture and the power of advertising. It is most likely that the people of the wealthy nations are going to suffer from global warming, and exhaustion of global resources, starting with shortage of water. We need a culture that does not glorify wealth and high living but instead glorifies individual merit." ~ John Joel Burton 

Good thinkers and champions of the environment will always be missed. Cheers to you, Mr. Burton, your 99 years, and all that you did with them.


Pictures from my friend, Heather Burton Boughey of her "Uncle Jack." 

MTV Chats Climate Change With President Obama

With just a handful of days left of presidential campaigning, and in the horrible aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, this seemed like the time to share last week's MTV's interview with President Obama. With the focus on Climate Change in this clip, perhaps we'll all see it in a new light in the after the wreckage of Frankenstorm Sandy. 

Our GTG hearts go out to all of those folks who are still wrestling with their devastation.

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Video from http://youtu.be/vWbwsuk3-cI 

“Vrooming” into 2011 in a Fuel Efficiently Way

I’m driving a 13-year-old Honda Civic…one that’s probably on its last leg. No….Santa didn’t leave me anything with a big red bow in my driveway. Drat!

I’ve got to say, I do like the wonderful world of no car payment. But at 13 years, harsh reality is starting to set in that I might need to start checking out some other vehicular options sometime in 2011.

I’m sure it goes without saying, given I write a “green” blog, that I’m going to want something that’s environmentally (and economically) sound.

The Daily Green & Dan Shapley have lent a helping hand with their “Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2011” article at http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201#fbIndex1. In it, they focus on not only electric cars (which are exciting, but might not be the best bet with for my bank account even WITH the tax incentives that come with it), but they also focus on ones that get gas mileage at better-than-30-mpg. This most certainly might be my first stop on my new-car quest.

Their Top Cars:

• Electric cars: Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, Tesla Roadster 
• Hybrids: Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h, Honda Insight (hatchback), Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Honda CR-Z Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Lexus HS 250, Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid 
• Petites: Fiat 500, Smart Fourtwo Cabriolet, Smart Fourtwo Coupe, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper Clubman, Mini Cooper Countrymen 
• Others: Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Kia Forte Eco, Nissan Sentra 
• Diesel: Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Volkswagen Golf TDI, Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI, Audi 3 TDI 

Be sure to visit the link for car prices, average gas costs for the year per car, and annual Co2 emissions along...not to mention a snapshot of each!


Image from http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201#fbIndex1