We just keep growing.

Part humor and part seriousness, I came across this at the Montpelier High School the other day.

Climate Optimism

Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President and long time climate activist, made his first Ted Talk ten years ago. Also in 2006, Gore released his book, and the very influential documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Far from being his first work on the global climate crisis, An Inconvenient Truth served as a prominent punctuation in Gore's 40+ year career working to raise awareness about, and find solutions to anthropocentric climate change. You remember the terrifying movie, right?

I remember when I first saw An Inconvenient Truth. Already studying climate change in the middle of falling down the rabbit hole of discovery and finding my career path within the field, the documentary solidified my conviction. It also made me quite deeply sad. It is a scary movie, if you let the information sink in.The truth is all that needed to be said. 

A decade later, Al Gore returned to the Ted stage with a slightly different tone. In February, 2016 Gore gave a talk titled "The case for optimism on climate change." Similar to talks he has given in the past, Gore, who has moved from politics into the business field, covers the tragedies that climate change incites, bringing the viewer up to date with events over the past ten years and giving an overview of the lengthy list of things that climate change is and will affect in our natural environment and human society. In the second half of his most recent talk however, Gore takes a turn and talks about why we should be optimistic about our situation and our future. He talks about the changes to industry, and innovations in technology that will help us break our reliance on fossil fuels. With a stable hold of reality and our dire situation, Gore still has an optimistic view and reminds us that there is reason for hope and continued targeted climate action. 

There is a good message in this talk. Climate change is terrifying, dangerous, and sad. What human's have done to the planet and ourselves is justifiable cause for some deep soul searching, as well as financial investment towards finding a better way of living on Earth. We could allow climate change to be the end of us. We could stick our heads in the sand and wait it out. However, if we allow it, climate change can be our largest spark of inspiration and ingenuity. If we allow it, climate change can be the one issue that we all unite around, know that it affects us all indiscriminately. It is not a partisan or national issue, despite some's effort to frame it as such, it is a universal issue. It is also an issue that has rallied people around the world at formal events and small gatherings, in board rooms and science labs, in places of worship and at city hall. Climate change could be our end, but as Gore points out, there are many signs that humanity is not complacent enough to let it. 

The day the people showed up.

Yesterday morning I hit snooze on my alarm and rolled over in bed, just to have a few more minutes under the comfy warm covers. When I opened my eyes again I jumped out of bed and into action. I had stayed in too long, but I got dressed I went right to the kitchen to make some coffee and fed the dog. Then I packed a small bag with some snacks, a jacket, my camera, one of my paintings and a fist full of business cards. Then I went to the guest room door and gave it a little knock. My traveling companion was up, but had also slept in. Even with our delays, we were out in the car and pulling out of the driveway by 7:30 AM, only 30 minutes later than anticipated.

After a three hour drive, made shorter by great conversation, we realized that we had missed our turn off and found ourselves slightly too far east. With a little quick thinking and only a few neighborhood streets we were back on our way towards the George Washington Bridge. From there we worked our way south along the western edge of Yonkers down to Manhattan.

The first thing to strike me as we approached our destination were an exceptional amount of New York City resident runners out and about, porting their fit bodies in the warm and hazy September morning. The local fitness fans were not the only people out on the streets on September 21, 2014. We, like so many others, had come to the city to take part in the People's Climate March. We joked with each other that couldn't find parking because so many marchers had inundated the city.

We walked onto Central Park West on 89th Street behind the end of the designated march site. For about an hour we walked down and then up Central Park West looking at the marches organizing themselves. They held signs, wore costumes, sang, and milled around taking in the scene. The atmosphere was light. Everyone's excitement and positivity was apparent by the smiles and feeling on comradery  that wafted from the crowd. Dreaded hippies, i-phone toting hipsters, Vietnam era weed legalizers, cat-loving grandmothers, youth activists, socialists, monks, drag queens, anti-fracking advocates, meditaters, bike lovers, and even a few dogs came out and a united voice to ask the heads of states who will be converging on the UN headquarters tomorrow for meaningful climate action. At one point I realized how many NYPD officers were lining the streets on either side of the organizers, and for a second I wondered if there was a chance of this ending in violence. I only let the thought cross my mind and then let it go, mustering faith that no one that I could see looked like they wanted anything more than an honest and heartfelt plea for a better future.

Waiting in line people chatted among themselves, danced and sang to the breakout of song from the trumpets, and shared snacks of apple slices and leaves of kale. The feeling of common good, desire for bettering the world, and love of all approaches to get there held everyone together with the common vision of a beautiful and healthy future. This is what really defined the day for me, it was really amazing to witness and be a part of. The police and city staff were right there with us, smiling and chatting or chuckling at the marchers' enthusiasm.

It certainly felt like a lot of people had turned out, but there is really no way of judging when you are in the middle of it all. When we heard that they were estimating over 310,000 people came and that we had filled up about 4 miles of Manhattan streets, we were overjoyed. We were, we all were, making history. We had taken a day out of our busy lives to come together to focus on something that is bigger than us all individually, to focus on the most important and far-reaching issue of our lifetimes.

By about 4:30 PM we had gotten to the end of the march. We had taken about five hours to walk from Central Park West and 83rd Street down to 11th Ave and 34th Street where the march ended. Although the end was slightly anti-climactic, we jumped and gave each other an air high five to commemorate our walk through the Big Apple.

Thank you to everyone who showed up yesterday to make history, and to all those who were with us in spirit around the world. It was a day to remember and be proud of.

There were people supporting all forms of energy, just as long as there is no greenhouse gases involved.

Don't miss the irony here. This scull was a part of a Bread & Puppet performance and represented the death machine of fossil fuels. In the background is a poster for a dinosaur exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Up on the top of the building's facade stand significant men of science, wondering about all this... 

This is all very hard work!

Love this!

A flooding NYC was a theme. poignant.

A little comedy on some very un-funny issues, always welcome.

All generations represented.

Here they are watching the Bread & Puppet performance.

A group meditating along the side of the march, hopefully magnifying our actions.

Our wishes of what not to loose to climate change.

COP 19

My life has been in flux all fall, and clearly my blog has been given a small vacation. But no fear, it has not left my heart and thoughts!

This morning I just want to address a few quick things.

First of all I have been working on a Kickstarter campaign that will be up and running very shortly. I am pretty excited about it and hope all my readers check it out!

Second, mostly unrelated, it is my brother’s birthday today! (This is a cheerful prep for the third thing…)

Third, from everything that I have read and heard so far, COP 19 might just end as disappointingly as the previous 18 and others. For you who do not know, COP 19 stands for the 19^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)….A mouthful right? It is basically an intergovernmental meeting with the purpose of agreeing on actions to combat, mitigate, adapt, and face climate change. So far, they have actually done pretty much nothing to combat or even mitigate climate change, and environmentalists around the world hope each year that they will come to a binding international agreement to lower greenhouse gas emissions and hopefully avoid catastrophic climate change and tipping points that might take climate change out of our hands and beyond our ability to deal with it.

Just like the beginning of COP 18 in Doha, Qatar, this year the COP commenced as a serious Typhoon hit the low-lying nation of the Philippines. This year Super Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda as it is referred to in the Philippines, hit land with unmatched intensity. So far it is the second deadliest typhoon ever to hit the Philippines. In the days after the storm hit, it was postulated that it was the strongest storm ever to landfall in recorded human history.

SuperTyphoon Haiyan

What is even more serious is that many prominent and reputable political and climate professionals are linking the severity of Haiyan to climate change. What more obvious message do our “climate leaders” need to pass significant and meaningful actions on climate change? At least some of our representatives understand and are ready for action.

Survivors of Haiyan still in need

Naderev Madla Saño, more commonly known as Yeb Saño, is the Commissioner of the Philippine’s delegation to the UNFCCC. At COP 18, after his country experienced a destructive typhoon, he gave a moving speech calling for climate action and not to delay any longer. Watch his here speech, it is very moving:

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/12/7/if_not_now_then_when_filipino_negotiator

In his speech he asks, “If not us, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?”

Yeb Saño at COP 19

A year later his questions have not been answered. As he traveled to Warsaw, Poland for the COP 19 another devastating typhoon hit his country. At the opening of the climate negotiations Yeb addressed the parties again. This year again asking his pointed questions and pleading with the nations gathered to “end the madness”.  : http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/12/stop_this_madness_filipino_climate_chief In his speech he also vowed to fast for the remainder of the climate summit until significant action was taken to combat emissions and address climate change.

On Tuesday evening when I was reading the news and listened to Saño’s speech I was so moved by his presentation and actions that I decided to stand in solidarity with him and fast. Knowing myself, I knew that to maintain my two jobs and finish my Kickstarter I would need to eat some, but I vowed to skip a meal each day symbolically standing with him and indeed all people around the world already negatively affected by climate change. I emailed him telling him what I was doing and thanking him for his dedication and leadership. As it turns out, I was not the only one who was moved to take action in solidarity with Saño. People from around the world as well as delegates at COP 19, including US negotiator Collin Reese are also fasting in solidarity. 350.org started #WeStandWithYou petition demanding climate action, which Saño presented to the conference with over 600,000 signatures on Tuesday, November 19.

Yeb Saño and others presenting #WeStandWithYou at COP 19

People from around the world, including young activists in Warsaw are being heard and then ignored and shut out. While young activists are being shut out of the conference area, the International Coal conference also took place in Warsaw. Is this a joke? You are not the only one scratching your head at the irony. Greenpeace in their typical tactics unfurled a banner on Poland’s Ministry of Economy building where the coal conference was taking place. Not to mention their Cough for Coal lungs getting paraded around.

I could go on and on. There is a lot happening, but I wanted to address at least part of it. I am an optimist, but like many climate activists around the world, we are starting to get disgusted and fed up with the lack of action on the part of our representatives. Yes international and intergovernmental agreements are hard; we do not think they are not. But at this point, the lack of action and dedication to what they are supposedly there to do is simply disgusting. In the end, I know that we will persevere and find a way to address climate change and flourish, but my question is how much longer do we have to wait for our governments to catch up with the views of the people? How many more lives must be lost, how many more children must starve? How many more species mush be lost? How many more forests dried and burned, crops lost, communities destroyed?

If not us, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?

Built Green Space: The Future of Land Trusts?

The lapse in time from my last post is not due to lack of inspiration. On the contrary, the post that I started over a week ago just won’t end. There has also been a town-wide Nemo-induced lack of power… As I continue working on it in its fleshed out form, I want to give a shortened version here. Since it is an on-going and evolving project, I welcome your input and critiques.

The United States is projected to be a minority-majority population by the year 2042, meaning that there will be as many minorities as non-hispanic whites. This, along with changes in socio-economic demographics and increased urbanization create a dynamic and ever-changing nation. What will these changes mean for the future of the land trust movement that traditionally has been lead by and served white, fairly well off, educated, middle-aged, land owning populations?

It is important to note that segregation in the land trust movement has been more a function of form and default practices rather than a systematic elitist approach to improving quality of life for the privileged. Maybe it was easy and even acceptable to work in and with a small slice of the population in the past, but today it is counter-productive and irresponsible for the land trust movement not to involve and serve a wider audience.

Considering demographic shifts and the changing priorities of land trusts, eventually moving towards decreased acquisition responsibilities and increased stewardship responsibilities, how will trusts remain effective and meaningful? Who will fill the shoes of today’s conservationists and stewards? Who will care for the ever-growing acreage protected in perpetuity? If we do not evolve our methods today, can we rely on individuals who have been left out of the conversation to take up the cause or even care?

One strategy to diversifying the movement is to get involved in built green space. Built green space is the combination of land conservation, urban open-space, and roof-top gardens. The concept is that land trusts become involved in the multi-faceted work of conserving “built land” or “created land”, bringing land conservation into the urban environment in a new way to serve and engage a more diverse population.

Built green space is essentially green roofs, land that is anthropogenically constructed on a structure or building including gardens, parks, sports fields, and outdoor meeting areas. The “land” could be treated similar to real land in that: its protection could initiate tax breaks; it could be subject to conservation easements; it would benefit biodiversity and help create wildlife corridors; it would lessen the heat island effect and increase permeable surface area in urban settings; it would improve the quality of life for local communities by increasing access to green space, urban garden space, and outdoor recreation opportunities; and it would increase exposure to, and benefits of, land conservation to a more diverse population.

Critics may be quick to point out what they consider insurmountable challenges to a built green space initiative. They might site issues like the legal limitations of our current system to conserve and place an easement on built green space; that it is not true land, and therefore should not concern land trusts; the new set of management and stewardship strategies needed would be cumbersome; etcetera. It is true that new initiatives often come with new challenges and issues to be addressed, but there is so much more to gain than loose from the inclusion of built green space in the land trust movement and our portfolios.

As a system designed and expected to last in perpetuity, the land trust movement must evolve to remain financially and functionally strong, relevant, and meaningful. Built green space embodies many of the values that trusts generally uphold and work for: preservation of green space for the benefit of humans, wildlife; improving ecological functions such as water flow and climate systems; connecting people to the land and creating opportunities for environmental education; and encouraging sustainable and healthy agriculture. With a dynamic future in mind, let’s take the initiative to serve, benefit, and connect to a wider slice of society, benefiting citizens of all kinds, trusts, and the environment.

Alternatives to the UN Climate Talks System

This is an interesting article that touches on the debate in my post COP 18 and Climate Change Policy. It includes some examples of the pushback to the UN system and the implications of changing our current system.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/top-researchers-call-for-an-end-to-united-nations-climate-summits-a-872992.html

COP 18 and Climate Change Policy

The 18^th Conference of the Parties ( COP 18) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Doha, Qatar from November 26, 2012 to December 8, 2012.

Many of the recent COPs have been considered a bit of a failure by environmentally concerned entities around the world. COP 18 is no exception, in that we are still lacking significant and much needed international commitments to greenhouse gas emission reductions and other climate change mitigation strategies. A couple positive highlights of COP 18 include the decision to work towards gender equality for future conferences, and the agreement that the parties to the Kyoto Protocol will enter into the second commitment period on January 1, 2013.

It is frustrating to watch our world’s leaders talk about climate change but fail to take meaningful and binding steps towards addressing mitigation and adaptation. As lack of consensus and problematic one-size-fits-all solutions hamper significant movement towards effective and binding international agreements, more focus and attention is on smaller scale solutions including bilateral agreements and sub-national programs.

For better or worse, the COPs are a forum for the international community to come together and talk about climate change. The process is not solving climate change challenges as fast as the scientific community recommends for mitigating a significant anthropogenic increase in average global temperatures, but it is still important. International and intergovernmental conversation and action to mitigate and adapt to climate change is a crucial part of how to move forward, but we should not rely on this strategy alone. Working with top-down strategies alongside bottom-up and grassroots initiatives will surely be the most effective way to maintain the health of our ecosystems and societies for years to come.

 

Here are a few related resources that are both interesting and informative.

Notes on COPs and International Climate Policy:
http://theenergycollective.com/robertstowe/155426/cop-18-and-future-international-climate-policy

Doha disappointment:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/climate-talks-process-idUSL5E8N7BQV20121209

Gender equality for future COPs:

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/climate-talks-seen-adopting-gender-goal/

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change:

http://unfccc.int/2860.php

Kyoto Protocol:

http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php

Sub-National Action on Climate Change, Yale University:

http://www.yale.edu/climateleaders/execsummary.html