Word.

 People are still making the argument that we cannot switch to renewables because it will not create a strong enough economy. False, this is a prime example of that so the argument  is simply invalid. People freaked out (in a positive way) about the 'Solar Freaking Roadways' video on YouTube but still reject renewable energy widely and instead insist that we are too dependant on oil to change our ways. Investments in crude oil, tar sands and fracking continue..not a very smart over all investment. Invest smart, invest in renweables for a more sustainable future.

Brace yourself

There have been talks of an El Nino for 2014. It's even been compared to the posterchild 1997 El Nino.

NASA has been monitoring the ocean for sea level hight, temp, winds, etc and has recently found similar patterns to the spring of 1997. However, they will not be able to confirm an El Nino until a few months have passed.

For those who don't know what El Nino is:
It's an oceanic warming condition in the southeast pacific ocean. It creates major rain storms leading to landslides and flooding in the western areas of the Americas.
Great video of El Nino and its impacts on both human society and the food chain HERE.

Recently there has been news that an El Nino would lead to a decrease in hurricanes for the eastern coast of the US. While it is good for the east not good for the west who should expect the worse. (Article)

Here is the NASA post about the possible El Nino along with a little video.

Like I said before what happens in the ocean eventually impacts the land.

-A

Side Note

Just a little side note, there is a webpage going around about a printable list of food companies owned by monsanto Printable List and I felt the need to clear this up because I feel like this is a little bit of greenwashing (okay maybe not greenwashing, but misinformation, people need to be PROPERLY informed of the facts of GMO's, we can't just let environmental hysteria take over and start sharing false information):

These companies are not owned by Monsanto.

A lot of the ingredients in the food products made from these companies has genetically modified ingredients in them. This is because if you're buying a processed food from a large brand name the ingredients are not going to be grown in a small organic farm, they are going to be grown in big fields and Monsanto and other GMO companies such as DuPont owns the GM seed that travels into these big fields (even if the producer didn't want a GM crop, if it gets in to that crop via airborne travel or something, the GM company now owns that crop because the GM seed is their intellectual property).

So lets recap: Ingredients from these big name companies likely do have GM ingredients but we can't say its all from monsanto, as I mentioned there are other GM companies out there ex. DuPont and you should try to make yourself aware of those too.
Secondly, these food companies are owned by public shareholders, whether or not a specific shareholder is affiliated with Monsanto or another GM company is another story.
And finally, since GM crops are used as ingredients in many processed foods it is impossible for the list of foods to avoid to be only 50.

On the bright side GMO labelling is becoming more popular and being pushed for in many places globally, while the bill was defeated for GMO foods to be labelled, NON GMO labels are allowed so you can pick and choose your food that way.

- S

Green Innovations!

I'm still here, sorry for the lack of posts <3

Today I want to talk about supportive governments, businesses, legislation and council. When a city introduces a new green innovation because they as a city have determined that the environment is vitally important to the wellbeing of its citizens.

I think this is so cool and I wish we could see more things like this in our everyday life. It gives an incentive to people which is so important, people are lazy and they want to see immediate results for their efforts.

Do you have any Green Innovations in your city?

- S

The Lowdown on Whales

Just some whale background info for the newbies for why whales are just plain freaking awesome

So #1 whales ARE awesome (this is a fact!)

#2: Whales are mammals just like us! There are actually three mammalian orders that have species who live in the ocean :

• Order carnivora which include cats and dogs as well as the Pinnipeds aka: the walruses, seals and sea lions!
• Order Cetacea which include the whales, dolphins, and porpoises!
• Order sirenia which include the manatees and dugongs!

#3 Toothed whales use ecolocation to hunt prey, even in complete darkness! 

#4 They can talk to one another!! THEY CAN SPEAK WHALE! Although these whale "languages" differ from species to species and even pod to pod, there has been significant evidence that proves that these languages exist! awesome video on the humpback whale song here

#4 Some of the largest whales and mammals that exist are filter feeders, feeding on some of the smallest organisms in the ocean! 

#5 Whales have large migrations that can stretch to multiple continents! A migration map from National Geographic can be seen here

More awesome facts to come!!

-A

MAY IS WHALE MONTH!!

THE MONTH WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!!

MAY IS WHALE MONTH!

Like I love whales, like love. Not like the stupid kindergarten I love eating paste, love. I love whales like a white girl loves starbucks, love, but with whales. And what do I love more that whales, whale biologists, like umm oh I don't know HAL WHITEHEAD! I might be a semi stalker of his, but shhhh he doesn't know that yet. Anyways, here is my kick off for whale month:

Ahh the whale shark, so majestic and peaceful<3 more fun stuff about whales to come!

-A

So True it's Scary

I'm so sorry I've been a busy bee recently (get it because the previous post was about the importance of bees).. I will attempt to make up for the missed posts so get ready!

This is a meme I found that identifies the irony present in the gmo and monoculture application to agriculture. These approaches encourage not only inorganic fertilizer application (which leach into bodies of water) and food security for developed countries (the opposite for developing countries) but also the application of chemicals for pesticides and herbicides that have known consequences of direct contact on human health and unknown consequences of indirect contact through eating the sprayed food.

It's funny because it's true.

-A

Lets Talk About Bees

Declining bee populations have been a recent topic of interest which is significant because it's not something that people would usually take notice of. However, according to an article by Elizabeth Grossman "one of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depend on pollinators, especially bees" Grossman on Declining Bee Populations. 

So for the meme of the day here is just some of the food our grocery stores would be lacking if we did not have bees

Link to article with some solutions to this problem: Help The Bees!

- S

I HAVE INTERNET!

Now, I never watched Star Trek as a child, but I just imagine Captain Kirk as Sheldon Cooper and I'm all good. Plus I really enjoy this meme. It drives me absolutely crazy when I hear politicians promise more "economic growth" and how the key to everyones problems is more economic growth. They say if we implement these policies and extract these resources we will have more job creation and our markets will skyrocket and we will ultimately increase our economic growth and everyone will live all happily ever after. Except you won't. Because you'll be underwater due to sea level rise and melting glaciers because you ignored climate change. Maybe that's a little extreme but do you see what I am getting at here? The time for economic growth has passed..sure after WW2 it made sense, but at this point it does not. OUR PLANET HAS LIMITS, IT IS NOT INFINITE, you cannot continue this pattern of economic growth forever, It makes no sense. 

ps. You can't have an economy on a dead planet…and look where we're heading...

This article says it much better than my mini rant does: Growth for growth's sake will kill us all.
here's a quote also: "Other studies suggest we are approaching real limits to the availability of numerous basic resources necessary to economic advancement. No technological quick fix is going to change the fact that our finite planet has definite limits.... The planet cannot sustain this type of growth, but the economy, we are told, commands it." (Alperovitz, 2014).

-S

One Scary Halloween

What will happen with the increasing population? We might never know in this lifetime..
According to the UN,world, population reached 7 billion on October 31, 2011. In my AP Human Geography class we had a party to celebrate it. I mean it isn't everyday your species reaches a population of 7 billion!
But should we have been celebrating it? There are unknown consequences of this large of a human population. Many have predicted a decline in the next hundreds of years as humans reach the Earth's carrying capacity, but will humans take the Earth down with them when they reach the capacity? Does more people= More consuming= more extracting of resources= eventual depletion= Earth in trouble?

Below is an awesome video about the steep increase of human population, mostly due to medicine and agriculture.



Visualizing How a Population Reaches 7 Billion from NPR on Vimeo.


-A

Poaching

Get it they're going to make poached eggs!

Although this is a humorous cartoon about egg poaching, the issue of animal poaching in countries with struggling economies is very serious. Although the animals are protected by law and are in established parks, hunting and even killing of endangered animals such as elephants, rhinos, and tigers have become large problems. There has been some optimistic help to areas to assist park rangers and governments against illegal poachers. In a Guardian article (link below), conservationist Marc Goss uses drones and google earth to help deter elephants from hi-risk poaching zones. The elephants, thinking the drones are bees, don't like the sound and move away from them. Perhaps this is could be a win for the elephants!

article

-A 

A New Beginning?

I find it hard to believe that with the amount of conventions held for global climate change, so little progress has been achieved. Many people in developed countries (like the right wing in the US) don't believe that these conventions are necessary or even result in anything that would be beneficial; many of these same people don't believe in climate change either. Don't even get me started about climate change skeptics.

Generally, global climate change conventions have had little success at tackling and mitigating climate change. These conventions have ended in soft law targets, proposals for new conventions, and a lack of power country attendance. Still some groups and individuals hold on to the hope that as a globe, we can come together to pass impactful legislation on climate change.

A new beginning for global climate change conventions??

The UN Chief, Ban Ki-moon, has publicly acknowledged that time for adapting, mitigating, or reducing the effects of climate change is quickly disappearing. He stated this in a speech given in Abu Dhabi environment meeting. He then called on major heads of state to attend a climate summit in september 2014 in NYC (maybe since its in NYC the US will actually show up). Also who wants to send me to NYC in september? Will this summit result in any changes? so many questions!

Article on UN Chief
Website on Climate Summit 2014

-A

Food To Feed The World

I don't really know if people think of agriculture when they think of sustainability. I mean I get the sense that people are becoming more educated about food and what they want to eat, however, I'm not sure if they are aware of the actual problems behind our food security and food sovereignty. 

This was National Geographic's front page this month:

In the article they discussed the 2 sides to the story, the side that says we need technology to solve our problems and the one that pushes for local farmer. National Geographic agreed that both of these sides had accurate points. However, it should be known that our problem is not that we do not have enough food, we have more than we need in fact. The problem is is that our food is not being distributed properly, the people who need the food the most are the ones who do not have access to it. We are stuck in a vicious cycle and it makes me wonder if we are just too afraid to change our food system? Is that why we haven't done it yet? 

Pick up a copy of National Geographic if you can they showed the footprint of agriculture as well as showing how much of the food we produce goes directly to human consumption and how much goes to livestock and biofuels: "only 55% of the worlds food-crop calories go directly to nourishing people" (National Geographic , 2014).

Side note: There are signs of people becoming more aware of the problems that face our current food system, as well people are becoming increasingly concerned with GMO's and real change is happening around that (see previous posts for the website which shows brands that are non GMO certified). Also certain grocery stores are starting to label GMO foods so that consumers can make informed decisions.

Whole Foods Labelling GMO's

- S

So I know I'm horrible, I forgot to do a meme of the day yesterday.. again.

People really underestimate the value of trees not only ecologically but also economically. Professor T.M. Das was one of the first scientist to put a value on trees. I couldn't find his paper, however, I did find an article that describes how he came to the conclusion of the net worth of a tree listed below.

There are always supporters and skeptics especially when it comes to ideas for conservation and climate change. Even within the sustainability minded community there are supporters and there is also opposition to assigning a monetary value for nature and its services.

Article on Paper

-A

Good Stuff BP…..Not...

BP Oil Spray Over Alaskan Tundra

Human Impact

There are so many issues that concern me when it comes to the sustainability of the planet. Sometimes it's hard to pick just one for meme of the day.

This picture is a powerful metaphor for our impact on the planet. Our drive for economic growth has led not only to unhealthy activity but complete abuse of our planet. My favourite author is John Green and while he is not an environmentalist, but in his latest book "The Fault In Our Stars" someone says "the marks humans leave are too often scars" and I think that is so true and we need to be actively trying to change that so that the mark we are leaving on this planet is one of positive change that future generations can learn from and benefit from.

Google Earth did something really cool, they created a project called 'Timelapse' which shows the impact of humans on earth from 1984-2012. The project shows environmental changes in different areas of the world. Google earth shows us increased deforestation, shrinking glaciers and the effects of coal mining.

Link: Google Earth Timelapse

- S

Second Place for Sexiest Man in the World

Behind Hal Whitehead, Sir David Attenborough should be named sexiest man in the world. He makes documentaries that should win oscars, he is a "Sir," and of course he has a british accent. Planet Earth is my favorite documentary of his. So with that I leave you with a quote from the one and only Sir David Attenborough for the Meme of The Day.

We depend on the environment not the other way around.

-A