Come and join us at one of the planned events in San Francisco, CA; New Orleans, LA, or Washington DC! Read below for more info on each event. Just click on the city closest to you and let us know you plan on attending, and we’ll see you there. Make sure to wear blue on January 13th and spread the word!
http://blogs.edf.org/personalnature/2010/01/08/religion-and-climate-change/
January 8, 2010
The president of a religious institution isn’t the first person you think of as a likely EDF spokesperson. But in a recent television ad sponsored by EDF, Dr. Dan Boone, the president of Trevecca Nazarene University in Tennessee, made an impassioned plea for Congress to pass climate change legislation. “Please somehow find a way to let this global concern rise above partisan politics,” Dr. Boone said. He’s descended from frontiersman Daniel Boone—clearly the pioneering spirit lives on.
Dr. Dan Boone pleas for Congress to address climate change.
The conflict between politics, religion and science has been with us for centuries; think of Copernicus, Galileo, Darwin. Today there is rampant confusion between faith, something you believe in, and science, something that requires only connective leaps between hypotheses and demonstrable evidence. We seem to have lost our trust in the authority of scientists, no matter how impressive their level of training and achievement. A fascinating new Pew poll showed that Republicans are overwhelmingly less likely to “believe” the science of climate change than Democrats, who aren’t entirely persuaded either.
With every passing week, the scientific data gets more precise, and more frightening. Yet this has proven insufficient to move people to action. All the more fascinating, then, to watch the growing movement among religious leaders who use their pulpits to venture into environmental action. More than 10,000 congregations of Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and other faiths are working in 30 states as members of Interfaith Power & Light (IPL). These religious leaders are clearly having an impact on people across the country who would never call themselves environmentalists.
IPL sees climate change as a profound moral issue, a matter of values—something many environmentalists have been wary of addressing, preferring to focus on technological or economic solutions as being less politically charged and ultimately more effective. But no matter what our approach, we all have something to learn from faith communities about how to bridge divisions and instruct, inspire and mobilize people.
Meet the godmother of the environmental movement in the religious community.
The powerful message of Interfaith Power and Light—one that unites all faiths—is that people have a duty to be stewards of the earth. In loving God, we must love his creation. This is not, as some critics claim, about turning environmentalism into a religion; that is a perversion of what is actually happening. The fact is, in order to succeed in significantly altering the global course of climate change, we are going to have to harness all the power we have, whether it is the power of the market, the power of technology, or the power of heart and soul.
IPL is the brainchild of the Reverend Sally Bingham, a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of California. Bingham is also a trustee of EDF. She founded The Regeneration Project whose mission is to deepen the connection between ecology and religion. IPL is the primary campaign and is a religious response to global warming. State chapters respond to a call to action: they agree to give sermons that explain the danger of climate change, reduce their own emissions, support public policy that cuts greenhouse gases, and promote the adoption of renewable energy technologies.
“Most people want to do the right and moral thing,” Bingham wrote to me recently in an email. “They just don’t sometimes know what that is. It is for that reason that religious leaders have such an important role. We need to take this issue out of the hands of the politicians and get it into the hands of the people at the grass roots level. Clergy can do this.”
Communities of faith, in other words, can provide moral leadership, something we desperately need amplified from many quarters. Think of the two major moral issues in America’s past – civil rights and slavery; the fight over these issues was led by communities of faith, united on moral grounds. “There are millions of people who don’t listen to politicians and who are skeptical of science, but who will listen to their clergy,” notes Bingham.
“The powerful message that unites all faiths is that people have a duty to be stewards of the earth.”
I spent my holidays reading some fascinating books on the subject of the climate crisis and our values, as I’ve long wondered what is keeping us, as a society, from wholeheartedly accepting the danger we face, and doing whatever it takes to ward it off. Many thinkers claim the human brain isn’t wired to handle long-term catastrophe; we need to see a real and present danger. Somehow, this isn’t a very good excuse.
I found a provocative and wide-ranging discussion of these issues in Down to the Wire, by David W. Orr; I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Orr argues that we must learn to cultivate “the arts and sciences of gratitude, which is to say, applied love.” We must be grateful for the gift of this world; that is the first step towards taking responsibility for the damage we have done to the planet. In a moving passage in his new book, Our Choice, Al Gore envisions the necessary social transformation: “Our way of thinking changed. The earth itself began to occupy our thoughts.” As Stephen Jay Gould writes, “We will not fight to save what we do not love.”
Religious communities have often mobilized themselves to act in the name of love. (And, sadly, it must not be forgotten, the opposite.) They are well equipped to talk about values—those “habits of the heart”, as DeToqueville called them. The clerical message of members of Interfaith Power & Light is bracingly straightforward: help the poor, who suffer disproportionately from drought, flooding, famine and pollution, because it is the just thing to do; and heal the planet, because it is God’s gift to humankind, and we have no right to destroy it for future generations.
Love may be the common theme among these scientists, thinkers and clerics, but it’s not exactly the basis for a political platform. Nor is it scientifically measurable. But that’s why it is the most potent message of all, embracing the kind of idealism that can unite and inspire. We are daily bombarded with messages making us desire what we haven’t got. But going forward, the power will be with anyone who can persuade us to love what we do have, and what we are in danger of losing: the hospitable beauty of our planet. May the earth itself occupy our hearts—if not our prayers—in the coming year. 
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS30271+04-Jan-2010+PRN20100104
Ecosystems Project Demonstrates Success.
The Ocean Foundation Releases Successful Monitoring Report on Its First Seagrass Restoration Project. WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The monitoring report for the first SeaGrass Grow project shows a successful program that is restoring damaged seagrass meadows. This project is designed to restore areas damaged from propeller scars and vessel groundings. Unfortunately these actions by boaters will continue to impact our sensitive seagrass habitat. It is important to act to restore these areas while implementing a broad public communications strategy to ensure that boaters are less likely to impact the area in the future. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100103/DC31542LOGO ) "We are excited to see this very positive momentum and look forward to its successful completion," said The Ocean Foundation President, Mark J. Spalding. "This report clearly demonstrates that the project is working. This is a critical action toward protecting and restoring our important seagrass beds." While the first priority needs to be conservation of existing seagrass, sadly there are many impacted areas that must be restored. Unfortunately, impacts to seagrass beds are often unknown or go unreported. Therefore trying to hold the perpetrators responsible is difficult or impossible. SeaGrass Grow uses charitable donations to restore impacted areas. The first restoration project occurred at Knights Key Bank in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The project is to restore 4,000 square feet and was funded with a gift from Absolut Vodka. With Absolut's generous support, the needed restoration was mapped, the permit secured, and the sediment tubes laid. Monitoring now confirms that the area is mostly restored. Total restoration typically takes 18 to 24 months. The project is demonstrating success and will likely continue to thrive. Ongoing monitoring will confirm this. It has been estimated that over 30,000 acres of prop scarring exist in Monroe County alone, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute study completed over a decade ago (F.J. Sergant). In summary, the monitoring report indicates erosion has been halted and seagrass is re-establishing itself in the restored spaces. The data collected establishes that 91% of the sediment tubes installed have biodegraded across the entire set of scars restored, thus bringing the scarred places back to grade and halting erosion that would have in many instances increased the size of the propeller scars. Many of the restoration areas have reached 50% recovery or greater within 14 months; meaning that half of the entire 4,000 sq ft matches or exceeds the surrounding percent coverage of the meadow. Natural re-colonization is occurring where the expansive species (mostly S. filiforme or commonly called Manatee Grass) is growing into the topographically restored prop scars - a key element of the restoration process. For the full report, visit http://www.seagrassrecovery.com/article_Knights_Key_Restoration_Project.htm For information about seagrass and the jobs being created, visit http://www.seagrassgrow.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/3484 For information about The Ocean Foundation, visit http://www.oceanfdn.org/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/355/pid/355//pid/351 SOURCE The Ocean Foundation Mark Spalding of The Ocean Foundation, +1-202-887-8992, mspalding@oceanfdn.org
http://drreese.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/sea-life-along-the-edge
The next time you are walking along the seashore, take a closer look at the wave-battered coast. The beauty of this extremely brutal ecosystem is enhanced many fold by a growing understanding of how it works.
There is an intriguing collection of animal and plant life that loves along this edge. They are exposed to harsh physical elements: wind, sun and rain when the water recedes at low tide and waves breaking over them at high tide.
The area between the high and low tides is the inter-tidal zone. Suzie and I and our children cherish the times when we get to explore this ecosystem.
Have you ever seen a starfish eat a mussel?
A starfish will drape itself over the mussel, lock its bone-like structures, called ossicles, onto its prey and form a rigid scaffolding. Using its tube feet, the starfish perches between a rock and each shell of the mussel. The starfish contracts its tube feet, prying the shell open. The starfish everts its stomach out of its mouth and squeezes into the narrow gap between the mussel’s shell. The starfish begins to digest the mussel while it sucks it out of the shell.
At low tide amongst the exposed rocks you are likely to see clusters of seaweeds, algae, mussels and goose barnacles. Huddled between the rock crevices are starfish. Hermit crabs scurry between the rocks. The crab carries its house, the shell of a dead snail.
Sea anemones live in tidal pools below mussel beds. As the tide rises, they wait for the waves to wash their prey into their grasp. The tentacles surrounding the anemone’s face are called an oral disk. The mouth is found at the center of its oral disk. A sea anemone has no anus; after digesting a meal, it spits the waste back out of its mouth – including entire shells!
The animal and plant life along the coastline are miraculously adapted to the constant crashing waves. They depend upon the water moving around them to bring oxygen and nutrients, to carry away their wastes, and to transport their offspring to new sites.
Floppy 10-foot-long algae and sea grasses flap and flail in the moving water. They hang onto wet rocks with amazing natural glues.
Sea spiders crawl along the shoreline rocks and rely upon hooks on the end of their feet to prevent them from being swept out to sea. Snails stick to surfaces using their mucus.
The next time a rock is exposed at low tide, notice a distinct pattern in distribution of animals and plants.
The top of the exposed rocks is usually colonized by acorn barnacles and periwinkle snails. Mussels and goose barnacles occupy the next horizontal band. Beneath them are turf algae, and lower still is a zone of larger seaweeds and surf grasses with starfish and sea anemones in tidal pools.
Life at the top of the rock can contend with periodically drying out. Starfish and sea anemones at the bottom, on the other hand, cannot tolerate being sun-baked.
Scientists and engineers have examined a number of animals and plants from the inter-tidal zone; their natural properties are awesome and highly beneficial for humankind. An entire field of biomimetics has blossomed in engineering. The design of human-made materials, devices and structures is inspired by the design of living things.
Non-drip paint mimics the mucus of a snail, which is both a lubricant and a glue. Epoxy glues mimic phenomenal glues from the bottom of barnacles and holdfasts of seaweeds.
The shell of a snail is made of calcium carbonate – an otherwise brittle compound, yet it’s tough because of its exquisite architecture. Present-day composite materials mimic this fine detail.
One biomimetic design used hundreds of millions of times each day comes from starfish ossicles. The strength of the ossicle is derived from the molecular criss-cross formation of calcium carbonate compounds. This excellent design has been applied to stiffen the fillers in the rubber tires used on cars and trucks.
Healthy Oceans Can Help Save Us From Climate Change
International coalition advances marine conservation as part of the solution to climate change
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A large international coalition today urged the United States to support marine conservation options that will help mitigate climate change.
The ‘Blue Climate Coalition,’ comprised of sixty-six conservation groups and interests and over 150 marine scientists and professionals, from 33 countries, issued communications today addressed to President Obama and the United States Senate.
Together, the coalition letters request the option for marine conservation solutions to climate change to be considered in national climate change legislation and international climate change treaties, and support for marine science research that further explores this concept.
Eminent oceanographer and conservationist, Dr. Sylvia Earle, endorsed the letters as the first scientist to sign-on. In her latest book, ‘The World Is Blue,’ Earle reveals how dangerous oceanic change threatens the very existence of life on Earth and argues for renewable strategies that safeguard the natural systems that sustain us.
News of the coalition’s effort made its way to Hollywood, and to the notice of Gilles Marini, most recently of ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Gilles signed the letters as a supporter of healthy oceans.
Philippe, Jr., and Alexandra Cousteau, grandchildren of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, signed-on, representing their respective conservation organizations EchoEarth International and Blue Legacy International.
A wide range of interests were represented in the coalition letters: environmental conservation, climate change education and advocacy, ecosystem restoration, the dive industry, ecotourism and sustainable travel, carbon offsetting, fishing, and scientific research.
Scientific Backing
The coalition’s message is supported by reports released recently by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). UNEP’s ‘Blue Carbon’ report highlights the carbon storage potential of coastal and marine ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and saltwater marsh lands.
The UNEP report found that the restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems and a reduction in the clearcutting of tropical forests could mitigate anthropogenic carbon emissions by up to 25%.
The IUCN report, titled ‘The Ocean and Climate Change,’ finds that failure to recognize the ocean in climate change discussions will have profound consequences for humanity. The report also recommends for additional research to quantify the carbon value of ocean ecosystems. This recommendation is echoed in the coalition letters, to ensure full scientific backing any future natural ocean carbon policies.
“Utilizing the natural carbon functions of both the green and blue biospheres of our planet is an option that we simply cannot afford to ignore if we are serious about tackling climate change and making the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy,” said Mark J. Spalding, President of The Ocean Foundation and signatory to the coalition letters.
The Urgency of Action
“The United States will play a crucial role in next month’s climate change discussions in Copenhagen,” said Steven J. Lutz, Executive Director of Blue Climate Solutions, the group that organized the letters. “We are asking the United States to show global leadership by advancing solutions for climate change that involve coastal and marine conservation. Many U.S. federal and state agencies are already pursuing actions that could be considered climate mitigation, such as the restoration of coastal and estuarine habitats. These actions need to be continued and encouraged.”
Recognizing the carbon value of healthy coastal and marine ecosystems may be significant for achieving consensus at the Copenhagen negotiations. The health of coastal ocean ecosystems is a critical issue for many developing countries, especially small island developing states. The need to restore the ocean’s natural carbon function could help direct billions of dollars towards conservation efforts, while simultaneously supporting local economies and countering the threat of climate change throughout the globe.
Economic stimulus associated with restoring the ocean’s natural carbon function include funding and investment for activities such as improving water quality, ecosystem restoration, coastal surveying, and the innovation of new environmental monitoring and restoration technologies.
“Restoring the ocean’s natural ocean carbon function is proposed as an alternative to potentially harmful ocean geo-engineering schemes recently discussed in Congress,” said Lutz. “Restoration activities that naturally fix carbon in to forms other than dissolved carbon will also not increase ocean acidification.”
Environmental co-benefits associated with natural ocean carbon solutions include renewed and sustainable fisheries, the conservation of endangered marine species and birds, and the restoration of certain coastal ecosystems. Mangrove forests are considered essential habitat for many fish species, and healthy seagrass meadows are indispensable for endangered sea turtles and manatees.
“Sea turtle hatchlings need healthy coastal and marine ecosystems in order to survive,” said Lutz. “It just so happens that we also need the same healthy ocean ecosystems to survive on this blue planet.”
SOURCE Blue Climate Coalition