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Saving Energy is Easy & Fun With the Help of Team ENERGY STAR

  What does it take to get kids to save energy? Even if it’s just a simple reminder to turn off the lights, that message can get old after awhile – which is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting kids and families to join Team ENERGY STAR. Team ENERGY STAR makes saving energy fun for kids while giving parents free resources they can use to explain why energy efficiency needs to be a priority at home. The program is particularly unique because it empowers kids to help protect the climate and our air through easy-to-implement, money-saving actions.

 It also provides them an outlet for sharing their passion for preserving our environment. This year ENERGY STAR has partnered with the parents group PTO Today and LG Electronics to share Team ENERGY STAR with kids across the country. PTO Today has even brought in the heroic characters from a new summer animated eco feature film, EPIC, which is sure to excite kids of all ages. The movie, voiced by Amanda Seyfried, Beyonce Knowles, Colin Ferrel, and other celebrities you'll recognize, features a young girl who finds herself transported to a beautiful natural world, a world she needs to protect. 

 Kids who sign up for Team ENERGY STAR and share their story through www.energystar.gov/team will be showcased in social media by EPA. They can also enter PTO Today’s contest  for best story. Winners will receive ENERGY STAR certified LG electronics, including cell phones, TVs and MP3 docking stations. Plus, they’ll get their name and photo up in lights on LG’s Times Square billboard in New York City.

 Team ENERGY STAR’s summer outreach has inspired dozens of moms and families to get their kids involved, as demonstrated by this blogging carnival, written mostly by moms who are concerned about the health and climate impacts using energy has on our families and communities -- and who believe we all can do something to make a difference.

YOU + YOUR KIDS = HEROES!

 Harriet of Climate Mama writes, “As summer approaches and we look forward to enjoying family activities like camping, hiking, walks on the beach, fishing, swimming and biking – all of which nature helps make more magnificent – our families are also confronted by new and daunting challenges that nature is angrily throwing our way: extreme weather, floods, droughts, forest fires, allergies on “steroids,” and super storms. What’s making these weather events worse and how can we “fight back” against these new challenges? Where and who are the heroes that will help us?” Harriet asks. The answer is not Iron Man or the Avengers, but “you and your kids,” along with Mary Katherine, the young girl who saves the day in EPIC, the eco animated film she’ll definitely be taking her kids to see this summer.

Shane of Environmental Booty sees the potential for her kids to be heroes, too. “Team ENERGY STAR puts the power in kids' hands to help protect the climate through easy-to-implement, money-saving actions and provides them an outlet for sharing their passion for preserving our environment,” she writes.

 Last year, Shane’s daughter won the ENERGY STAR challenge, and she is encouraging kids this year to enter the contest, too. “The first 200 families to submit an energy-saving story will receive 2 tickets each to see EPIC, courtesy of Fox. Kids will also get the chance to earn some great prizes from LG Electronics USA and maybe even see their name in lights in Times Square.” Sounds like fun!

It IS fun, says Dominique at My Work at Home World, which is why this initiative is so successful. "Ever wondered how to get your kids involved in saving energy AND the environment? ENERGY STAR has a simple and FUN answer! Team ENERGY STAR! Team ENERGY STAR makes learning about how to save energy fun and can help SAVE THE WORLD! What kid (or parent?) doesn't want to be a hero?"

SUMMERTIME IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GET STARTED

 Allyson at EcoNews Network agrees that summer is the perfect time to take energy efficiency seriously. It’s “the season where energy consumption skyrockets,” she notes.  “That’s why it’s important to get our kids to hop on the energy efficiency bandwagon. They can finally do something eco-friendly, especially while at home on their summer breaks.”

With the average home giving off more than 20,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year and homes spending more than $2,000 per year on energy bills, she says, “our children should know how and why it’s important to save energy. Kids might think saving energy is boring, but there’s a way to make it fun, and that’s where Team ENERGY STAR comes in handy.”

Linda of Asian Mommy agrees. “Team ENERGY STAR is a great way to inspire kids and families to save energy. I hope all Asian Mommy readers will visit the website and join.”

 Dorinda at Raising Green Richmond Kids is another mom who appreciates that “Summertime is a great time of year to talk to your children about energy conservation as energy use goes through the roof.   At our home our children know about the little things they can do to help save energy around our house.  We have talked about turning off the lights and TV when leaving a room, dressing warmly so we can keep the thermostat down a degree or two.” ENERGY STAR makes it easier to help kids understand how they make a difference.

Paige at Spit That Out the Book recalls that “Every summer when the air conditioners in my neighborhood go into full blast mode, we experience frequent power outages. It’s amazing how much energy it takes to power just one street! That’s why it’s important to consider the small steps of energy saving and upgrading broken appliances with ENERGY STAR certified products.” She also appreciates that “Team ENERGY STAR empowers kids to help protect the climate through easy-to-implement, money-saving actions and provides them an outlet for sharing their passion for preserving our environment.”

I raise a red flag over at Moms Clean Air Force. "Summer brings many great experiences and memories for families—barbecues, swimming, hot nights and summer movies. It also brings a familiar and unpleasant sight for many communities—a smoggy skyline and poor air quality that can make it tough for kids to breathe," I report. "Fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert on smog to be able to explain that one way to clear the air is by shifting to cleaner sources of energy like solar and wind. It’s even easier to explain that using energy more efficiently – using less energy to do the same job – is something that everyone can do at home. Plus, using energy more efficiently helps reduce the gases that cause climate change."

 Calley at The Eco Chick is worried about extreme weather events. “With summer approaching quickly, it’s time to start thinking about hurricane season again in Florida; except Florida isn’t the only place where hurricanes can strike.  Our biggest fear when moving to Tampa was of hurricanes and having to run from them each year.  What we realized is that these storms can strike anywhere and are likely to cause more damage to those areas that are not prepared.  Scientists have been indicating that climate change may be to blame for increased hurricane strength, making them even more dangerous.  With Hurricane Sandy devastating areas of New York it makes me wonder what this year’s hurricane season will look like.” Calley offers “7 Things You Can Do to Save Energy,” including joining Team ENERGY STAR.

 Katy at Non-Toxic Kids also worries that “the Earth’s climate is changing in ways that can have serious consequences for public health. Climate change will likely increase the number of people suffering from illness and injury due to more pollution, extreme heat, floods, storms, droughts and fires as well as allergies and infectious disease. The elderly, the very young, the disabled, and the poor alone are especially vulnerable, as are people with heart disease or asthma. Climate change is also expected to cause more severe allergy symptoms because a warmer climate promotes the growth of molds, weeds, grasses and trees that cause allergic reactions.”

THE BENEFITS OF SAVING ENERGY THE ENERGY STAR WAY

  Lisa from Condo Blues knows first hand that saving energy saves money. “In 2008, I did a DIY home energy audit using the energy audit tool on the Energy Star web site. The tool suggested a low and a high energy savings goal. My husband and I decided to try reducing our energy use by the high goal, 20%, as a year long project.” That sounds ambitious right? Even so, says Lisa, we reduced our home energy use by 32%. We beat our goal and have been happily averaging 15 Kilowatts of electricity a day ever since.” Why was Lisa so successful? She says it’s because she didn’t try to tackle energy efficiency alone. “It was a family effort,” she reports, like the kind ENERGY STAR promotes, and it made all the difference.

 Claire at EcoFriendly Link backs up Lisa’s personal findings with some amazing national statistics. “In 2012, ordinary Americans reduced their utility bills by a staggering $24 billion” by being energy efficient, she says. When you save energy, “you use less power. So you generate less pollution and improve air quality. Climate change threatens human health, society and ecosystems…and is likely to make allergies even worse.” What she likes about ENERGY STAR is that “you don’t need to sacrifice features, style or comfort,” which is why she is referring her readers to ENERGY STAR for ideas on how to save energy and find energy-efficient appliances.”

Jennifer at The Smart Mama is on a whole-household quest to save energy. She's in the middle of a major remodel, and figures buying ENERGY STAR appliances is the smart thing to do (well, after all, she is "the smart mama!"). "Most of our energy - about 70% of the electricity we use - comes from power plants burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels causes greenhouse gas emission - the gases that contribute to climate change." That alone would be reason enough to get on the ENERGY STAR bandwagon. But Jennifer goes on to note that "burning fossil fuels spews out a host of chemicals that cause severe health concerns for those living near and far from the power plants...Much of the mercury contaminating our seafood is a result of mercury released from fossil fuel burning power plants. We are all part of this amazing interconnected web, and our personal choices do matter."

Clay and I teamed up at Ways 2 Go Green to sound a hopeful note. We write, "It's never too early to talk to your kids about saving energy." And the sooner the better! "The lights we use, the electronics we charge, and heating and cooling systems we turn on and off all have an impact and contribute climate change. That's why it's so important to instill energy efficient habits in kids from an early age, and teach an awareness of the impact our energy use has on the environment."

Meanwhile, Micaela at Mindful Momma reports that her 8-yr-old son Liam is taking the mission to save energy to heart. He's also trying to save polar bears, animals whose habitat is literally out from under their feet due to the impact climate change is having in the Arctic. "I've talked with him about all the little things he can do to reduce his personal contribution to climate change (and try to stop the polar ice from melting). Things like turning off the lights when he leaves the room, shutting the refrigerator door quickly and biking to soccer practice instead of driving. Even though individual actions like that may seem tiny, I think it's important to make sure kids realize that they do play a part in protecting the climate."

SAVING ENERGY PROTECTS OUR HEALTH

Anne at Flour Sack Mama sounds the alarm on health concerns related to the energy we use. “Anyone out there not know what an inhaler is?  Does someone in your family use one or do you know of a young child who must tote one around for after-school activities?  It's become commonplace, hasn't it?”

 Anne then asks, “Would you like to be part of an effort to clean up whatever's in the air that could be making children sick?  You can start today by simply conserving energy.  Little habits like teaching children to turn off the light switch when they leave the room, or home maintenance efforts like installing programmable thermostats and picking ENERGY STAR certified appliances -- can all save your family money while helping clean up America's energy conundrum.  We all want a comfortable lifestyle, don't we?  None of us intended for our comfortable lifestyle to make children or the planet sick, did we?” 

 Sommer of Green and Clean Mom acknowledges that “It is hard for (my) children to completely understand that the majority of electricity comes from power plants that burn fossil fuels. They cannot see the power plants to understand this but I explain to them that when we burn the fossil fuels this causes greenhouse gas emissions – which affect the environment. I try to explain that when we don’t have to use as much energy we are helping to not burn as much fossil fuel and this not only saves mom and dad money but means that there are less greenhouse gas emissions and that is good for the environment.” 

 Why Team ENERGY STAR? Why EPIC?

Amity at Green Child Magazine recommends Team ENERGY STAR as a “fun way to get your kids involved in an environment-saving activity.”  “Join Team ENERGY STAR to teach children about the importance of saving energy and stopping climate change using easy, money-saving actions!”

 Like many of the other moms, Leigh at Green 4 U is looking forward to taking her daughter to see EPIC. “Kids need good role models but kids also love movies and entertainment. There are so many movies out there about princesses and other excessive things; it is great to see a movie that teaches children about environmental stewardship.”

 Leigh is also excited about the contests ENERGY STAR offers – because that’s how she herself got involved. “Winning a recycling poster contest was one of the first steps in my green journey. I love the idea of having kids think about energy conservation and why it is important. If you have kids no matter what age, sit down with them and talk about energy conservation, talk about what you can do as a family, let them research things you can do as a family to reduce your energy consumption and let them help implement it in the house. Encourage your kids to submit an entry to the ENERGY STAR contest. Even if they do not win, the excitement of entering and the conversation you will have together around the entry is worth it.”

Sian at That's Amasian appreciates the helpful resources Team ENERGY STAR provides to parents (like her!). "Why? It's the question that plagues all parents of toddlers and preschoolers," she notes. "Kids are endlessly curious about  literally everything under the sun and beyond. When we don't have the answers, especially on important issues that affect us all, and that we all can act on (ahem, climate change), I'm grateful for resources for parents, like Team ENERGY STAR. It's an education program that motivates kids and their parents to make energy conservation a fun, family activity. And, it's created by the U.S. EPA so you know that it's backed by accurate information and honest intentions."

Lori at GroovyGreenLivin makes it clear why programs like Team ENERGY STAR matter. "Burning fossil fuels causes greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change – a real and urgent challenge affecting people and the environment worldwide. Using energy-efficient products and practices reduces the amount of carbon pollution added to the atmosphere and can lessen the effects of climate change.” In 2012 alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 50 million cars — all while saving $24 billion on their utility bills.” Those are some pretty impressive stats.

 Mary Clare of In Women We Trust asks a key question: “Who is setting the direction of our energy program?” Mary’s hope is that, through efforts like Team ENERGY STAR, America’s youth will become educated enough about the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy to put our country and the world on a clean energy course. “The EPIC ENERGY STAR program provides posters and online/offline games to give kids tangible things to do and learn how to use less energy, thereby lowering family monthly bills. Once energy consumption is lower, then it’s far easier to replace our national energy needs with safe, clean, and renewable energy.”

 Jenn at MNN.com applauds the message behind the EPIC movie that "everyone can make a difference for the planet." “I like that motto,” she says.  “Even at the tender young ages of 10 and 7, my girls have already seen how great our local playground looks after a clean-up, or how the little efforts we make at home to cut energy use can add up to big savings at the end of the month.” Jenn hopes her readers will sign the EPIC pledge and share their stories for how they plan to protect the planet.

 Tiffany at Nature Moms declares that, “For me it is all about the story. Movies transport me to another world and I get to live someone else’s exciting, dangerous, and inspiring life for a couple hours. I love my own life too, don’t get me wrong, but ever since I was a kid I have just loved living in the fantasy worlds created in books and movies. I have already started my mental list of movies that I absolutely must see this summer and at the tippy top is the animated eco film called EPIC…It looks to be the ultimate in story, fantasy, and fun while also having a hugely important message about the environment and stewardship. We have to get messages like this across to kids in a way that really reaches them and resonates with them. It is getting harder to do with all the distractions that abound today but I think this movie will accomplish it. If I can pair my love of movies with my passion for environmentalism AND take my kids along for the ride…well, sign me up for opening day!”

Nikki at Modern Eco Life is looking forward to the movie, too. EPIC...helps teach kids an important environmental lesson: "protecting the planet is cool," she writes. "The 3D movie tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teenage girl gets magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a heroic team to save their world...and ours." Like Nikki says: Cool!

 Kim at The Soulicious Life remembers that, “When it comes to living a more eco-friendly existence, simple energy-saving practices were some of the first habits I adopted. To be honest, it goes way back to childhood when my mother - no doubt trying to control the cost of utility bills - was constantly on us to turn down the thermostat and turn off the lights. Now, I instill those same simple practices in (my child). After all molding the next generation’s little brains around energy-saving techniques is never easier than it will be now!”

 JOIN TEAM ENERGY STAR TODAY

Erin at Healthy Home Magazine reminds us all that "Team ENERGY STAR makes it easy and enjoyable for the whole family to save energy and money while they do their part to protect the climate. With help from ENERGY STAR and the heroic team from the upcoming filml, EPIC, everyone can make a difference for the planet."  

Lindsay at Crunchy Saving concurs, but has an additional reason to join up. "As a homeschooling parent, I am always looking for fun ways to teach my children. I love to use a combination of things such as hands-on learning, interactive learning, as well as traditional school settings. I check out new websites for the kids all the time. I loved the Team ENERGY STAR web page...we received some great educational materials about saving energy." Why bother with the suggested activities? "They're fun!" says Lindsay.

Urges Bri at Eco Baby Mama Drama, "Parents, please take this opportunity to not only educate your children about our duty to take care of the planet and be responsible but to also show them that saving energy is the right choice to make for everyone everyday and can be fun too! Encourage your children to share what they have learned with their friends and set a good example through their actions and be a proud member of Team Energy Star! Together we can all make this effort EPIC!"
 

I hope you'll join Team ENERGY STAR today. To sign up, head over to the Team Energy Star page to download the pledge and pick up other useful resources like the 'Go Green Night Games' or the Team Energy Star Action Kit.  I hope you’ll inspire your child to share a story about why saving energy is important, too.

On Twitter? Join Team ENERGYSTAR June 7, 2013 for a lively Twitter party to share information and ideas on how to get kids, in particular, involved in saving energy. EPA will also announce the winners of the story competition during the party. Use Hashtag #TeamENERGYSTAR to join the fun!

FULL DISCLOSURE:
I am writing about Team ENERGY STAR because I support the program and because I believe it is important to educate the public about energy efficiency and climate change. I am thrilled to also be working on contract to help educate the public about energy efficiency and Team ENERGY STAR.

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US-China Greener Consumption Forum Lays Groundwork for Future Projects Together

How can the world's two consumer "superpowers"- the U.S. and China - work together to reduce the impact that consumption has on us and our world?

  That was the topic a capacity crowd addressed on March 22 at the U.S. - China Greener Consumption Forum. The event, held at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and co-sponsored by Big Green Purse and the International Fund for China's Environment, pulled together scientists, consumer advocates, public policy advocates, and green entrepreneurs to share ideas about strategies to inspire manufacturers to create greener goods -- and get consumers to buy them.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Forum focused primarily on women because women spend 85 cents of every dollar in the  marketplace – and we’re not just buying cheese doodles and diapers. As I say here on CCTV, the national television network of China, we buy more clothes.  More food.  More cosmetics and personal care products than men. We also buy more electronics, more home furnishings, almost as many tools, just as many cars. Women are spending billions of dollars, day in and day out, year in and year out.

But even with all that clout, we won’t be able to use this power of the purse effectively until we achieve true gender equity worldwide, points that both Ban Li, Deputy Counsel of the Shaanxi Women's Federation, and Liane Shalatek, Associate Director of the Heinrich Boll Foundation North America, made very powerfully.

 Christine Robertson of Earth Day Network facilitated a provocative panel on the impacts consumption has on our health and the health of the planet. Sarah Vogel of Environmental Defense Fund (pictured  right) was peppered with questions after her presentation on the way the toxic chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) affects the reproductive systems of men and women alike.

Ping He of the International Fund for China's Environment, the co-sponsor with Big Green Purse of the Forum, moderated the session on barriers to sustainable consumption and solutions that help surmount them. Meaningful eco-labels and standards can make a big difference, pointed out Arthur Weissman, President and CEO of Green Seal, especially when those standards are set by an indendent third party (like Green Seal is) whose primary interest is not in selling products, but in helping manufacturers become more sustainable over time.

LISA JACKSON, Former EPA Administrator

 Lisa Jackson's luncheon keynote address was the highlight of the day for many people. As a mom, scientist, and long-time public servant, Lisa has a unique appreciation for the impact consumption has on us as individuals and on society as a whole. She spoke movingly about being the first African-American to serve as head of the EPA and how important it is to bring women as well as people of color and low-income populations into the conversations we're having about pollution and climate change.

Lisa noted that her favorite law is the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act because it empowers people to protect themselves wherever they live. She is also proud of technology EPA has shared with the city of Shanghai to help monitor air pollution there.

Lisa agreed that the way we use both the purse and the pocketbook can inspire manufacturers to reduce pollution and energy consumption.

Climate Rally Shows Climate Change Concerns Parents, Kids, Students - and Polar Bears!

Yesterday's rally to stop climate change brought together a wonderfully diverse crowd of American citizens. Take a look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Can Stop Climate Change. Yes, We Can!

Climate change may be happening, but we can stop it!

 That was the message loud and clear at the climate rally held yesterday in Washington, D.C., delivered by the 40,000 or more people who congregated around the Washington Monument before marching to the White House in the largest climate-focused rally in history.

Though the weather was absolutely frigid, the crowd could not have been more fired up. Parents and kids, students and seniors, people of all races and religions came together to demonstrate their love for the environment, their concern for their families and their communities, and their commitment to a cleaner, greener world.

The biggest focus was on President Obama, who made climate change a top priority in his recent State of the Union Address and who must decide whether or not to greenlight the controversial Keystone Pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada, across the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico. Former White House green jobs advisor Van Jones told the audience from the state, "This will define your legacy, Mr. President." Indeed, it will.

 I marched with the Alaska Wilderness League, a terrific organization that's been leading the fight to keep oil drilling out of America's Arctic Wildlife Refuge for more than 15 years. AWL staffers dressed like polar bears carried signs reading Save the Arctic as we chanted, "What do we want? Polar Bears! What do they need? Ice!"

Moms and dads brought their children to the rally to demonstrate the impact that climate change is having on our families. In many parts of the world, poison ivy has gotten much worse because hotter than normal temperatures have created such ideal growing conditions for this noxious plant. Moms Clean Air Force was there, too, reminding us that the same fossil fuels that cause climate change are polluting our air, a big reason why so many more kids are suffering from asthma these days.

 Speaking of kids, they were everywhere at the rally: on their dad's shoulders, getting their pictures taken with the polar bears, clapping their hands in time to the music. It was great to see so many college students, too. In fact, they're the ones who led the "Yes, We Can!" chant when one of the stage speakers asked, "Can we stop climate change?"

Thousands of people traveled from far and wide to lend their voices to the rally crowd. When I boarded my local subway to get down to the event, the car was brimming with folks from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma, two states that are directly in the path of the Keystone Pipeline. At the Washington Monument, a woman from my home state of Michigan sported a big cut-out poster to remind us that an oil leak into an important river in the northern part of that state still had not been cleaned up. Meanwhile, rallies were happening in many other cities in the U.S., too. Mary Clare Hunt was among the 2,000 or more who turned up in Los Angeles to say "not" to climate change. You can read her report here.

Tune in to the Climate Reality Project's "Dirty Weather Report"

"Dirty" fuels, like coal, oil and natural gas, emit gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) when they are burned. This CO2 lurks in the atmosphere, creating a gaseous blanket that is smothering the earth, causing temperatures to rise, and disrupting the climate. We've all seen the impacts of climate change, whether it's the destruction caused by Super Storm Sandy earlier this month and Hurricane Katrina a few years ago, or the increasing poison ivy in our own backyards. The Climate Reality Project is a non-profit organization started by former Vice President Al Gore to raise global awareness about the threats we face from climate change and to advocate actions we, our elected officials, and leaders around the world can take to get this problem under control.

 I asked Maggie Fox, the Executive Director of the Climate Reality Project, an old friend, and a colleague from my days when we both worked for the Sierra Club, to explain why we all need to make climate change a personal and public policy priority. 

* Maggie, when you and I met, you were working to protect public lands in the Western U.S. for the Sierra Club. Why did you shift your focus to climate change?

In my mind, the two are one and the same: protecting our planet from climate change also means protecting some of our most precious natural wonders. I have spent a happy portion of my lifetime in the outdoors: mountaineering, leading expeditions, and exploring some of the most beautiful and wildest places in the world. A few years ago, I flew over Glacier National Park, a place where I have hiked and climbed, and I could not believe the change I had seen. Where once there had been deep, vast glaciers, the glaciers are now largely gone with only a few small snowfields left. And this is both incomprehensible and frightening to me. Despite all our technological advances, we are still deeply connected to the natural world. Climate change affects our natural landscape, the ecosystems around us, and ultimately all of humanity in profound ways. That makes it one of the most pressing crises we face as a species and a planet. It is the challenge that brings us all together to solve.

 * I'm fascinated by the description of this project as the Climate REALITY Project. What is that about? Do you think people don't take climate change seriously, or don't consider it a real threat?

 Unfortunately, while the science has long been settled on the fact that climate change is real, happening now, and caused by human activities, there is still a loud and too powerful denier industry out there. The Dirty Energy industry has spent hundreds of millions to foment denial and doubt about whether climate change is even happening. It's the same playbook the tobacco industry used for years to hide the health impacts of cigarettes. Our goal is to break through the fog and shine a light on the reality of climate change and the available solutions.

 In fact, these are exactly our goals for 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report, a worldwide, online live event on November 14 and 15. We're convening many of the world’s most powerful voices from science, government, business, foreign policy, and culture, in a timely dialogue about how climate change impacts all of us. You can learn more about the event on our website, climaterealityproject.org.

 * You and I both, along with many other scientists, environmentalists, and citizens, have been trying to raise awareness about climate change for decades. At this point, what are the biggest obstacles that still prevent the public from embracing solutions to our climate problems?

 Climate change has been a big, slow-moving problem. Its impacts at first seemed diffuse, far away in time and place, and hard to pin down. But we’re seeing greater and greater evidence of our warming planet and changing climate on a day to day basis, as Dirty Weather — extreme heat, floods, storms, droughts, and fires — become more intense, more destructive, and more local. In New York City, where I am this week for 24 Hours of Reality, Superstorm Sandy brought climate change into reality in particularly devastating ways — affecting people's lives, homes, and incomes.

 This new reality requires our communities and elected leaders to step up to take action on climate change. That's why during our event, we are inviting all our viewers to take the Climate Reality pledge:

 "I pledge my name in support of a better tomorrow, one powered by clean energy. I demand action from our leaders to work on solutions to the climate crisis. I pledge to get involved. I pledge to share this global promise. By uniting my voice with a million others, we have the power to change the world."

   * What specific solutions does The Climate Reality Project support for reducing climate disruptions? A carbon tax? More investments in renewable energy? A more vegetarian diet?

 There is no silver bullet for solving the climate crisis. Instead, there are a broad array of solutions, from individual choices we make every day that reduce energy consumption, to broad, sweeping legislative changes that require serious action at the state, national, and international levels. Every action at every level that combats climate change is one we support. During 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report, we will be dedicating a portion of nearly every hour to discussing the solutions people all over the world are implementing right now, from the comprehensive climate legislation passed in Australia and South Korea, to the groundbreaking program to limit carbon pollution in California. These are some of the places that are showing us the way forward.  

 * Do you have a particular message on climate change that will resonate with women, who are the primary readers of my blog?

 Unfortunately, and unfairly, women are particularly hit hard by the impacts of climate change. Not everyone may realize this, but women make up a majority of the world's poor. In developing countries, they are most often the ones responsible for growing and cooking food. And they depend on the farmland, forests, and sources of water that are easily damaged by extreme weather and sea level rise.

 But women are not just impacted by climate change; they are critical agents of change. To quote Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: "We are 50% of the population around the world and we represent more than 50% of the solution."

Around the world and across the United States, women are standing up for their livelihoods, their communities and their families. We are using our voices to call on the leaders of the world to confront and solve this crisis. And we will be heard."

 

RELATED POSTS

 Why Climate Change  Matters to Women

Top Ten Reasons to Take Climate Change Seriously

As Climate Change Heats Up, Poison Ivy Gets Worse

How Has Climate Change Affected You? Please Take This Quick Survey

The Climate Reality Project kicks off tomorrow with 24 hours of events that will raise awareness all around the world. Emily McKhann of The Motherhood wants to know how climate change has affected you, your family, and the community where you live.

Could you take just three minutes (really!) to complete this survey, so she can include your experience into solutions she's working on to help reduce climate change?

Thanks so much. 

And really - it will only take you three minutes to answer these questions! Here's the link to the survey again. 

RELATED POSTS

Climate Change Affects Our Health, Our Homes, Our Families and Our Future

As Climate Change Heats Up, Poison Ivy Gets Worse

Top Ten Reasons to Take Climate Change Seriously

Why Climate Change Matters to Women

Vote on Tuesday. Your Life Depends on It.

Tuesday, November 6, ELECTION DAY, is the most important day of this year, and maybe of this century.

That may sound extreme - until you consider the utter devastation Super Storm Sandy has caused in New  Jersey, New York, and in many communities along America's East Coast, including in my own backyard. Storms like Sandy, hurricanes like Katrina in the Gulf Coast, the spread of poison ivy and dengue fever in many parts of the U.S., are all part of the same extreme weather conditions we're experiencing nationwide - and will continue to experience unless we make a national commitment to reduce our use of the coal, oil, and other fossil fuels 

On Tuesday, as I write here, we have a choice. We can either elect a President and legislators who support strategies that will reduce our dependence on coal, oil and other fossil fuels that, when burned, emit the carbon dioxide that is wreaking havoc on our climate. Or we can vote for candidates who refuse to acknowledge that climate change is real and requires immediate action.

In this first-ever Green Moms election carnival, many women who regularly blog about environmental health and safety have come together to raise awareness about why it's so important that we all vote on Tuesday. In many states, President Barack Obama, who advocates strong policies to stop climate change, is running neck and neck with challenger Mitt Romney, who heretofore has rejected the need for national policies to stop climate disruption. Please read these important posts and share them as widely as you can.

VOTE TO STOP MORE SANDY's

I am Voting for Barack Obama because We are Greener than We were Four Years Ago.

Are we “greener” than we were four years ago?

 Yes, we are, and Barack Obama deserves a lot of the credit.

 Despite strident anti-environmental opponents on Capitol Hill, President Obama has managed to use the power of his office – deployed primarily through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of the Interior – to make our air and water cleaner, to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, to protect our public lands, and to attack the climate change that causes extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy.

Is his job done? Not by a long shot. But are we making progress? Definitely. I’m supporting the President for a second term because I think he offers our best hope in this election to continue to make progress in the future. 

This all became extremely clear to me earlier this week, as Hurricane Sandy was ripping away part of my roof. While I huddled in my basement listening to the terrifying wind and the torrential rain, I found myself getting mad, not just about what it would cost me to repair the damage, but about the reasons behind this catastrophic storm. Meteorologists, scientists, environmentalists, public health professionals, concerned citizens, and yes, President Obama, have all made the link between burning fossil fuels like coal and oil and extreme weather events like Sandy, let alone Hurricane Katrina and many others. And they’ve tried to throw the weight of their various offices behind solutions that would help wean us from fossil fuels.  

 Meanwhile, conservative forces in Congress and many state houses around the country have blocked legislation that would reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and opposed efforts to increase energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Bolstered by their conservative colleagues on Capitol Hill and pressured by Tea Party activists, Republican challenger Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, his running mate, have dismissed climate change, have literally said they “love” coal, and would strive to cripple the EPA if they were elected to office.

 Maybe to some people, this is just “talk.” But as someone who has worked in Washington, D.C. to promote environmental protection during the Carter years, the Reagan years, the Bush 1 years, the Clinton years, the Bush 2 years, and now the last four years of the Obama Administration, I can say, and say unequivocally, that environmental policy consistently fares worse under Republican administrations than under Democratic ones. As Sandy has shown, the planet very much faces a climate change tipping point. Obama is on one side, Romney on the other. For me, siding with Obama is a no brainer.

Has Obama accomplished nearly enough? No.

 Do I wish more change had happened? Of course.

 But we should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

ENERGY STAR Essay Contest Shines Spotlight on Energy-Saving Kids

Saving energy is not just for grown-ups. As EPA’s Team ENERGY STAR has shown, lots of kids have become devoted to energy efficiency, too. They’re not shy about telling you why, either. In fact, hundreds of kids have entered the Team’s Share Your Story essay contest .  Several of their posts are featured in this special Team ENERGY STAR bloggers carnival. If you’re inspired by what even the youngest children have learned about energy and climate change (and who wouldn’t be?), why not ask your kids to enter the contest, too? The deadline for submissions is September 17.

Anne at Flour Sack Mama reports, “When I gave my elementary-aged kid a chance to enter the Team ENERGY STAR essay contest, explaining that the focus was saving energy, she gravitated, on her own, to telling how much she loves trees. Sure, she learned the connection from the story of the Lorax.  But I think she gets it, on a deeper level, because she plays outdoors….Of course, the new Team ENERGY STAR initiative does a great job of tying one family's household savings into the bigger picture. Less energy used now means a brighter future for our kids and grandkids and for the place they need to call home long after the rest of us are gone.  At our house, it truly is the little things that we focus on, like better habits of turning off those light switches.  We also made sure to purchase the Energy Star model when we needed to replace our dishwasher.”

 Shane at Environmental Booty proudly  posted the amazing video her young daughter made. The video shows a simulated conversation between two very “hip” sisters, one of whom has a lot to learn when it comes to energy efficiency. “My daughter and I, and even her two sisters, really had fun taking part in the Team Energy Star Share Your Story contest.  Sure, it took finding some time in our hectic lives that was certainly hard to find.  But it brought us all together to go green, created some fun memories with my girls, and gave my Lexie one more reason to feel good about herself.” 

Women Leave Rio+20 Motivated to Galvanize Sustainability Around Family Planning and Reproductive Rights

There is a direct correlation between access to voluntary family planning, women’s empowerment and environmental sustainability. And though the official delegates to last week’s “Earth Summit” tried to water it down, thousands of grassroots activists (left) made it one of the biggest issues to rock Rio+20, as the event was also called.

Why? Because ensuring that women have full reproductive rights creates one of the most desirable “two-fers” on the planet. Complete access to voluntary family planning is among the quickest, simplest, and most affordable ways to improve women’s quality of life. It is also one of the most direct, immediate and cost-effective ways to reduce climate change. In fact, studies show that slowing population growth by giving women access to the contraception they already want could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 8 and 15 percent [PDF] — roughly equivalent to ending all tropical deforestation.

Women took these issues to Rio because more than 200 million women in the U.S. and around the world cannot choose whether or when to have a baby, simply because they don’t have access to voluntary family planning. Groups like the Global Fund for Women and International Planned Parenthood Federation spent several days last week making their case, button-holing delegates, meeting with celebrities, blogging and Tweeting, and protesting in the streets.

In the end, as Grist reported, the Rio+20 outcome document – though 49 pages long and consisting of 23,917 words – mentions women in less than 0.01 percent of the entire text. And only two of the 283 sections addressed women’s needs for family planning. Of the seven priority areas of discussion at the summit, none included language endorsing the idea that access to contraception is a basic human right. In fact, language to that effect was specifically removed from earlier drafts of Earth Summit recommendations, primarily at the insistence of the Vatican, which interprets endorsement of reproductive “rights” as endorsement of abortion.