Canadian Federal Government ADMITS Greenhouse Gas Targets WEAKER than Predicted

There is something terribly wrong with that title.

More than one thing wrong.

I mean, how often does a government admit wrongdoing, and when you read that 'greenhouse gas targets are weaker than predicted', you know there is a problem.

In fact, the Canadian federal government today announced (through a posting on the Environment Canada website) that their climate change policies would be 10 times weaker in effect than what they had said only 1 year ago.

A news article in June 2nd's National Post stated, 'the government said its policies would reduce the growth in greenhouse gas emissions from Canada by about five megatonnes in 2010. The figure marks a substantial drop from an estimate made last June that federal policies would reduce the growth of emissions by 52 megatonnes for the year.'

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!

It means that the Canadian government is remaining consistent in their absolute non-effort, their sit-back-and-watch-the-glaciers-melt approach towards establishing stronger environmental laws and policies. And they are certainly living up to their honour of being the planet Earth's Fossil of the Year.

As a young Canadian citizen, I feel utterly disgraced to have my country's leaders do just about nothing for the environment! With Canada's beautiful natural outdoors, wildlife, and resources, the Canadian people should ALWAYS feel privileged to live here. Canadians must do everything we can to be gentle on the Earth. Canadians must appreciate, enjoy, and protect our natural surroundings.

Stand up for what you believe in, Canadians, and citizens of the world! Stand up and do whatever you can think of to send the message through the thick skull of Mr. Government Of Canada. Think of some innovative action ideas or find existing campaigns that are bringing awareness and advocacy to environmental problems that relate to poor environmental governance. Look at the great world awareness and advocacy that the 350 campaign brought to the world, about the dangers of exceedingly high carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere.

You can begin your creative awareness and advocacy action by yourself, or with your friends. Just think, the 350 campaign must have started out with a small group of individuals who were inspired to do something about what they felt passionate for. You also have the same ability to create change, just as they did.

Start now.

(To read the entire National Post news article, click here.)

Earth Day!

Today, is Earth Day. I am writing now as this inspirational day of appreciation for the environment comes to a close. Although April 22nd is coined as 'Earth Day', every day must truly be lived as an Earth Day. Every Day.

Watch this video made exclusively for Earth Day that is just awe-inspiring:



The video starts with a dark scene, of human hands desperately extending up in futile attempts of obtaining these wants. Manufactured wants. Think: what do we really want? What do we really need?

I want to write more, and I want to share so much more about this topic, but it will have to wait a few days. Several interesting posts are coming!

2010...International Year of Biodiversity! Plus: A Look into the depths of the Plastific Ocean

"You are an integral part of nature; your fate is tightly linked with biodiversity, the huge variety of other animals and plants, the places they live and their surrounding environments, all over the world.

You rely on this diversity of life to provide you with the food, fuel, medicine and other essentials you simply cannot live without. Yet this rich diversity is being lost at a greatly accelerated rate because of human activities. This impoverishes us all and weakens the ability of the living systems, on which we depend, to resist growing threats
such as climate change."

-from the International Year of Biodiversity website

2010 is synonymous with: the International Year of Biodiversity! But what is Biodiversity and why are we celebrating it this year?

Biodiversity is...

Everything in nature, all the different species of animals and plants living on this earth. Throughout the year, I will be promoting and celebrating biodiversity with you.

Why are celebrating it this year?

Why? Because there is no better time to bring awareness to this seemingly hidden but strangely obvious topic. Biodiversity, or the diversity of biology, is decreasing every minute, and every hour of every day. Did you know that ONE species goes EXTINCT every 10 MINUTES? After reading that last sentence, your lack of urgency and lack of empowerment probably kicked in. Do you realize that everything you do has an influence on the survival or extinction of all life in nature?

That plastic bottle cap that you properly recycled may have made it to the recycling station...or it may not have. It may have found its way out of the recycling bin and was washed into the sewage, where it then made its way to the nearby lake and out to sea. Who knows, a few years from now, that same plastic bottle cap may be one of billions of other plastic bottle caps floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, choking the aquatic environment out of a school of endangered fish species. If you want to prevent this from happening, just STOP USING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES. Use a reusable aluminum/plastic canteen!

What I just described in the paragraph above is not some make-belief story. It happens every day. The Pacific Ocean really is becoming a Plastific Ocean (I just made that up), or better known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Watch this amazing video about Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation who first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch— an endless floating waste of plastic trash. In this video, he draws our attention to the growing problem of plastic debris in our world seas.

Enjoy the video, but keep in mind that we are all always interconnected by our actions. Interconnected with nature, and interconnected with each other.



Visit the website of the International Year of Biodiversity: http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

Biomimicry, human innovations from Nature's R+D

My friend showed me an incredible TED presentation by Janine Benyus, who presented an amazing idea called biomimicry. Biomimicry is the act of looking to nature for solutions to our world's problems. This means observing how nature (insects, plants, animals) does things in daily life, and how they have successfully adapted to their environments to overcome problems. Janine Benyus tells us that nature has spent millions and millions of years in R+D (research and development), developing new behaviours, and physical traits in their quest for solutions to age-old problems that pose a threat to their survival. Benyus argues that the solutions nature's creatures have found can be applied by humans to solve similar problems that humans face and have not solved; problems such as pollution, energy conservation, production and efficiency.

I personally think this is idea is simply ingenious. There are countless applications of biomimicry, as long as we are able to locate solutions in nature that we can model. However, this question should be asked: is Biomimicry all about creating human innovation from unoriginal ideas? Absolutely.

This concept has been applied to many situations in the world already, as Benyus explains in the presentation. Humans should be so thankful of nature's doing. Nature has provided humans with an Earth to live on, resources to thrive on, and now solutions for problems that humans have caused themselves (pollution, efficiency issues). Here's a thought: maybe humans should repay nature for once. Act in the good interest of nature!

Watch Benyus' presentation below:

My Outlook on the Upcoming Decade

Happy New Year everyone!

We have an entire decade in front of us, one where we can achieve a lot. After all, a decade is 10 years and in that time, progress can and will be made on all fronts, whether it be in the fast-paced technology innovation, strengthening the economy, improving all facets of life in developing countries such as world peace and poverty, the environment, and so many more. We have an entire decade to excel at what we do and make this world a better place for everyone.

Below, you will find an inspirational video telling us that after the flurry of environmental events that happened in 2009, it is not over yet. We must realize that. We are not done trying, and we must not stop just because it's a new decade and it may seem that there is so much more time to get things done.

I certainly hope that in 2019, the world will not be where it currently is or worse yet, moving backwards in terms of environmental sustainability practices. We are all very capable people and have the capacity to act as local and global citizens to make the world a better place.

Just a thought about world leaders. They sometimes need extreme, extreme motivation to act. I just really hope that their motivation to do environmental good does not come in the form of a natural disaster. Knock on wood (tree).

Enjoy the video, and keep in mind what you wish to accomplish this decade!

UN Climate Change Conference: The Most Important Conversation of Our Time.

Actually, it's not a conversation. It's a very serious chat that will influence the future of mankind. That sounds exaggerated, but truly, it's not. Think about it.

Now consider this:

December 7, 2009.

This day marks the beginning of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Attending this most important conference are world leaders, officials, and delegates from 192 states and countries. I feel that this conference is one of the most important events that must bring the world forward in terms of creating REAL, FUNCTIONAL policies and infrastructure. There are many countries that have fallen behind and even gone backwards in their progress towards establishing climate sustainability solutions.

*cough* CANADA *cough*.

Yes, I am putting Canada under the spotlight. Canada's leaders deserve it.

"Canada enters the climate talks as a global laggard. With the oil sands and Ottawa's response to Kyoto under heavy scrutiny, the country's reputation is on the line."- as quoted from the front page of the Globe and Mail for December 7, 2009.

So what can we do to take part in the climate change 'negotiations'? If you are not traveling to Denmark this December, the most effective action is to make impacts on the local level, and gradually attempt to go larger-scale. It isn't hard to get in contact with your city's mayor or an elected municipal official regarding your city's infrastructure and how green and efficient it is. And having support from your peers and community is always better than presenting yourself alone. Just a thought that could go a long way.

By the way, the logo for COP15 as seen above looks impressive. Hopefully what is accomplished there is also impressive.

Andrew

The Age of Stupid

Think about yourself and your actions. You must have done something stupid in your life! But really, look around you. Think around. We are truly living in THE AGE OF STUPID.

The Age of Stupid: Trailers: Global Premiere from Age of Stupid on Vimeo.