How Many Global Warming Deniers Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?
The Sierra Club is launching a new video-driven online campaign called Lightbulbs to Leadership on Tuesday, which aims to remind Americans that it takes more than changing lightbulbs to fix global warming, it takes changing the will of our leaders.
This video is the first of three during the six-week campaign, all themed around lightbulb jokes (”How many lawmakers does it take…”) that document the current lack of leadership on global warming, the fact that the people are ahead of the policymakers on climate change, and the opportunities that will be created by transitioning to a clean energy economy. To get a better idea of what the campaign is about, the first video features “in the dark” Senators John Sununu, George Voinovich, Mitch McConnell, and James Inhofe. These guys are pretty much “dead enders” fighting for a way of life that has come and gone. It’s like they still advocate bleeding as a way to solve medical problems long after drugs and surgery have been invented.
The second video will cover the lack action from lawmakers on Global Warming, and the third one is about the potential of “Gr$$ning” America and the economic benefits of moving towards a Clean Energy Economy.
Across the U.S., more and more people are taking steps to fight global warming. Americans are changing their light bulbs – but to really solve global warming, we need to change more than light bulbs: we need to change direction. We need action that is strong, urgent and bold enough to get the job done.
We need action that cuts global warming emissions 80% by 2050, makes polluters pay for putting their carbon in our atmosphere, and invests the money raised from auctioning those permits in building a clean energy economy using efficiency and renewable energy power, and in helping people and their communities — and wildlife and their habitat — adapt to the changing climate.
Fighting global warming is a priority to Americans. We want clean energy solutions and we believe the U.S. should take the lead in combating global warming. Global warming is real and we need to demand real leadership.
The Sierra Club has never done a video-driven online campaign like this before, it should be interesting to see if they can make this effective and ensure lawmakers take Global Warming seriously in the future.
For more information click here.
The Truth About Cats And Dogs (And Jellyfish)
We have talked before about how global warming can change the way that jellyfish act. A new study helps explain a cyclic increase and decrease of jellyfish populations, which transformed parts of the Bering Sea–one of the U.S.’s most productive fisheries–into veritable jellytoriums during the 1990s.
The study shows that the availability of food for jellyfish may cap the potential size of the Bering Sea’s jellyfish population, even while other factors, such as rising temperatures, may encourage its continued growth.
These results indicate that “anticipated temperature increases in the Bering Sea will not necessarily further increase its jellyfish populations,” says Lorenzo Ciannelli of Oregon State University, a co-author of the study. By contrast, in warmer latitudes, jellyfish frequently multiply as temperatures rise.
The study provides potentially good news for the Bering Sea’s fishing industry, which has been damaged by jellyfish blooms. Nicknamed “America’s fish basket,” the Bering Sea produces more than half of the U.S.’s entire catch of fish and shellfish.
Described in the May 29, 2008 online issue of Progress in Oceanography and summarized online in Nature, the study was partially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The Rise and Fall of Jellyfish
During the 1990s, the Bering Sea’s jellyfish reproduced with such wild abandon that by about 2000, they were about 40 times more abundant than they had been in 1982, according to analyses of collections from fishing trawls made in the Bering Sea by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. In addition, starting in 1991, Bering Sea jellyfish expanded their ranges by fanning out north and west of the Alaskan Peninsula.
Because of these changes, one area north of the Alaskan Peninsula–always famous for its jellyfish–became so jellified that fishermen nicknamed it “Slime Bank” and began avoiding it altogether for fear of filling their nets with jellyfish. Other fisheries were damaged as well.
The Bering Sea’s jellyfish population peaked in 2000, and then eventually stabilized at moderate levels between those of the bloom years of the 1990s and the less populated years of the 1980s. The post-2000 population decreases occurred while water temperatures dramatically increased–even though increasing temperatures have been associated with increasing jellyfish numbers in lab studies and in other waters, such as Narragansett Bay.
What is causing this apparent incongruity in the Bering Sea? “We think that once the Bering Sea’s jellyfish population outsized the available food supply, the jellyfish population probably shrunk,” says Ciannelli.
A Squishy Scourge
The most common jellyfish in the Bering Sea is the northern sea nettle, which has tentacles up to six meters long. Sea nettles and other jellyfish damage the fishing industry by: 1) gumming up fishing nets, 2) stinging captured young fish, which spoils their commercial value, and 3) consuming young fish, which may reduce the sizes of commercial catches.
Do More Blooms Loom?
“There are still too many mysteries about Bering Sea jellyfish to predict their next moves,” says Ciannelli. These mysteries include whether food for jellyfish is being increased by the fishing industry’s removal of jellyfish competitors that eat the same food that jellyfish eat.
In addition, “the Bering Sea’s current jellyfish population is still much bigger and ranges further than it did during the 1980s,” observes Ciannelli. “This finding suggests that water temperatures influence jellyfish populations. But we don’t know how and how much.”
Desparately Seeking Polyps
Scientists suspect that increasing water temperatures may influence jellyfish population in various ways. For example, they may:
* Impact the food supplies of jellyfish.
* Prolong an early developmental stage for jellyfish during which they live as tiny, bottom-dwelling polyps before developing into swarming adults. If this occurs, there may be time lags between ongoing increases in water temperatures and resulting appearances of adult jellyfish swarms.
* Cause polyp habitats to move. Such movements may be reflected in the recent expansion of jellyfish habitats.
“No one has ever seen jellyfish polyps in the Bering Sea,” says Ciannelli. “So we don’t know how temperature changes impact them.” That is why Ciannelli and colleagues are currently using new computer models to help track down probable polyp locations. “We must find those polyps,” Ciannelli affirms.
The Long Tentacles of Environmental Change
Scientists generally agree that human-caused stresses, including global warming and overfishing, are encouraging jellyfish surpluses in many tourist destinations and productive fisheries. These jellyfish-rich locations include Australia, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, the Black Sea, Namibia, the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean, the Sea of Japan and the Yangtze Estuary.
Study Implications
“This study–which represents a multi-disciplinary effort between experts in marine ecology, statistics and the mathematical geosciences–does more than just answer important questions about jellyfish ecology,” says NSF Program Director Grace Yang. “It also provides a model for estimating populations based on incomplete data.” Such models may be applied to other marine and land-based ecological studies and to studies of the spread of infectious diseases, says Yang.
Because our oceans are so vital to our food resources, and the survival of every living thing on the planet you should take some time to help Greenpeace protect them…got this in the mail today.
It’s probably no surprise to you that our oceans are in trouble and desperately need our help. At Greenpeace, we’ve been campaigning all over the globe for increased marine conservation and it looks like the oceans may be getting a hand from a very unlikely source.President Bush is thinking about designating sizeable portions of U.S. territorial waters as marine protected areas. In 2006, Bush brought large-scale ocean conservation to the U.S. by establishing a Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the world’s largest fully protected marine reserve.
Maybe President Bush has a special place in his heart for the oceans? Whatever the reason, we need more marine reserves and we need to encourage President Bush to follow through and make this a reality!
Most U.S. waters remain unprotected from destructive fishing practices, so additional steps are urgently needed to help reverse the alarming decline of the health of our oceans.
We need more marine reserves because they help restore marine biodiversity and put endangered species and habitat on the road to recovery. They provide a safe haven for marine life, enabling populations to re-build and re-seed surrounding areas. Marine reserves also can help us understand the changes caused by global warming, even as the reserves help increase marine ecosystems’ ability to withstand these new climate stresses.
Please take action today.
*&%$! Spammers
As you may have noticed a rather nasty looking “your account has been suspended sign” has been hung up around here for the last couple of days. Everything is fine. It would seem that some of our hacker friends felt that this website was a good place to set up a little spam operation. I have since poured some cold water on their plans and now plan on finding them and destroying their computers….Anyway we are back, and I will be ever more vigilant against their dirty ways.
One Person Can Change The World
If you ever met me in real life you would eventually hear me go off on a rant about global warming, climate change, politics, etc. One of the main reasons I created this site was to provide a platform for my views, and the views of other people, who are interested in changing the way the world works. I feel like there is a deep soul crushing dread facing people my age (old enough to know about problems, but young enough to not have been the cause of them). People in their late teens/20’s/early 30’s look out at a world filled with massive, complicated, serious problems.
I don’t know about others, but these problems (global warming, world wide conflict, climate refugees, peak oil, invasive species, species extinction, the list goes on and on) puts a very large “But” into all my future plans. For instance, “I would really like to own a home some day, BUT, if climate change gets really bad I figure I will just have to move to where ever the earth can support me” or “If I started a family it would be great, BUT, if global conflict grows due to peak oil and climate refugees I really don’t want to bring children into a world like that.” or “Wouldn’t it be cool to visit *location*, BUT, can I really justify the carbon footprint of that plane trip.” or “I really like to eat fish, BUT, overfishing and mercury pollution from coal plants may have made my fish supply unhealthy.” You get the idea.
There are also people who deal with these problems by ignoring them. They would rather live in a state of blissful ignorance. The main problem with this strategy is that every day this option is available to fewer and fewer people (mostly the rich, and the inhabitants of rich countries). This option is slowly being removed because people are starting to notice the effects on a personal scale more and more. The spring flowers are coming up earlier and earlier every year, gas prices go up 10 cents a week, your basement flooded for the first time you can remember, the pine trees in your back yard were killed by some invasive beetle species, you can’t afford to feed your family anymore, your beach house was washed away in a storm, your home was destroyed by a winter tornado, your entire city was flooded by a giant hurricane… The list goes on and on. More and more people are waking up to the absolute need to radically change their lives to a sustainable model.
That is why when I got this email yesterday I was truly moved. I often feel like I am “going through the motions” like Cassandra I am screaming about the end and no one is really paying attention. It is good to have your faith restored once in a while.
Ann writes:
A while back, you guys sent me a book “Stop Global Warming Now”.. It sounds corny, but it has helped to change my life. I have used that book to help stop a toll road from going through my subdivision, historic oaks and the Spanish Lake Basin (home to 2,000+ year old cypress trees and bald eagle habitats). I am pretty much taking over my parish’s (aka; county) recycling efforts and working with a coalition of 11 environmental groups to fight a coal fired plant in Baton Rouge, LA. Before, I was just a mom who wanted to use less energy at home. I am well on my way to a new career and I have never been happier. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you Ann! You really made my day and I hope you are having a wonderful time being the kind of person you want to be. Thank you for letting me know that our simple gift made a difference in your life. If you want to share your own story of positive change please do so in the comments, who knows the best ones might just get a present (hint: I still have some cool books laying around someone might want…)
Stay Up To Date On All The Cool Events
Don’t forget about our event calendar (thats it over on the right their). It is like your extra brain extension implant, keeping track of all the events you forgot about. If you want to look into the far past, or the far future you can also find a more calendar like event calendar at the bottom of the page.
It is handy, dandy, and free. If you have an event be sure to contact us and let us know about it. We look forward to promoting your green/sustainable/awesome event
We Made The Top Fifty Eco-Blogs List!
Not only are we famous in China, and on some peoples top ten must read list, but the Times Online in the UK things we are among the “must read” eco-blogs on the internet. Gosh chaps, your gonna make a fellow blush. (I am trying to type British, I have a feeling I am failing)
The Sietch Blog
Proof that ‘eco warriors’ need not be humourless party poopers, the Sietch Blog is the voice of the Sietch Community
(’A community of friends changing the world for the better’). It
presents serious information and analysis, as well as light-hearted
stories, such as the bicycle forklift.
Not to be outshined, our good friend Keith also made the list for his new The Unsuitablog! Way to go Keith!
The Unsuitablog
Seeks to name and shame companies engaging in environmental hypocrisy. Check
out the ‘subvertising’ gallery for advertising campaigns altered to
expose environmental hypocrites.
Thanks Times Online! And thanks to everyone that helps make The Sietch Blog what it is. I couldn’t do it without all of you. Be sure to check out the list to get in touch with lots of other good green sites on the net.
You Like Us! You Really Like Us!
Every couple of weeks I like to take a look at our stats log, I had a little extra time this morning and started to really pour over the last couple years (I still can’t believe The Sietch has made it this long).
I was frankly amazed. You really do like us! Thanks so much for all of your support and for all the comments, and for everything!
As you can see 2005 was when we were just starting, pretty good I guess considering we barely had a blog, didn’t have a forum, didn’t even have a real layout (it was shameful, really).
2006 was a big growth year for The Sietch, we added lots of members, lots of projects, lots of stories, and got serious about the blog. Thanks to everyone who bothered to read my first attempts at blogging. I know I wasn’t the best speller, or the best writer (who are we kidding, that hasn’t changed) but thanks to all of you 2006 was a great year.
2007, like wow. If this was an Al Gore movie this would be the part where I get out the little fork lift thing to point to the line as it rockets off the right hand side of the chart. I know some sites get our yearly visitor count in a week, but they don’t get the cool people like we do! Almost a million people, and nearly 3.5 million page views. Frankly I was a little blown over by these numbers, I am humbled that so many people would find the stuff we put out interesting, and also I am thankful for all the people who have contributed their knowledge and time to make this sit what it is, thanks! (ps. ignore October, we only recorded stats for about a week that month)
2008 looks like it is off to a good start, the search gods at google saw fit to raise our page rank to 5 (thanks guys!), and we have been blessed with a whole handful of great contributors. Lets hope we can continue to keep to the high standards you all demand. Our goal will be to get you the information you need to make this world a better place in 2008. Thanks once again to the 1,152,384 (holy crap) people who have visited this site. THANK YOU!
Checking In With The Good People Over At MySietch
As you may or may not know, The Sietch offers visitors to the site the option to get their very own fully functioning website of their own (for free!). MySietch is free, fast and easy to set up and best of all super fun. If you are interested in getting your own website sign up here.
So lets see whats going on with some of the regulars.
RSG is one of our most prolific bloggers, she has an amazing site filled to the brim with useful and interesting ideas. I especially liked her recent article about planting seedlings for this springs garden.
All you need is dirt and something to hold it in. I like the paper egg cartons because you can just cut them apart and put the whole thing in the ground, plant, cup and all. You can get special potting soil but I know people who just use regular dirt or compost and do fine. Other people like making pots out of paper or you can go to a garden shop and buy the pre-made paper pots.
Keith one of the authors here at the main page has started a devilishly clever and insightful side blog about the perils of green advertising. He exposes and lampoons a lot of companies and their attempts at “green washing” (that is saying they are green while not doing anything to be green). Keith is great, you should for sure check his stuff out, and he is also becoming very good with photoshop.
Nice guy Robert Zoellick. Hand-picked by George Bush in 2007 to ensure the interests of the USA remain paramount in the policies of one of the world’s largest money lenders, his replacement of the shamed Paul Wolfowitz was really a like-for-like swap, so it’s no surprise that the World Bank is in the news again as arch hypocrites.
Greenspree has been hard at work building his amazing straw bale home in Canada. He has recently been updating the site with some fantastic pictures of the work as it progresses. I admire him a lot for his hard work and want to congratulate him on being an all around green guy.
Julia is doing amazing work in New York, and you should check out her amazing stories of helping those that need it most. Her stories are always uplifting, without holding back any of the true nature of the work. For a complex but positive view of philanthropy I would give her blog a look.
January is a cold, cruel month. The philanthropic spirit of the holidays vaporises around the time that Christmas trees become mulch. The midnight oil burns in board rooms of non-profits as exec’s brainstorm ways to find donors and fill seats at their spring fundraisers. This is the month when the dilettantes sleep in on Saturdays, leaving preeminent volunteers from Caring Community and New York Cares to brave the weather and visit the shut-ins of Manhattan.
This week my NYCares crew and a dozen members from Kingston Church in Michigan joined my fantastic five, Lauren and Marciano Estigarriba, Tom Vilar, Ginger (Wild Hearts) and Joel Mejia (Things Are Changing), as they helped alleviate hunger and loneliness in Greenwich Village.
If you ever get the blogging bug, or perhaps want a site for your organization and don’t want to have to pay for it, go sign up for a site on MySietch. You wont be sorry
Check Out Dan’s New Blog
Daniel (the guy who built the sweet solar distiller) has a new blog. Looks like he is working on some interesting new projects. You should take a look.
Down Time
Our host got stuck by lighting or something and had a hell of a time this morning, I think the ship has righted itself. Cross your fingers. Sorry for the downtime.
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