climate change

Scientific Breakthrough: Researchers accidentally turn carbon dioxide into ethanol

22 October 2016 Leave a Comment

"They basically put a genie back in its bottle. "Science has a long and storied history of looking for one thing but finding something better instead. Penicillin, radioactivity, science boxes...I mean microwave ovens -- all of these discoveries came in the the search for something else. On Monday, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee announced that they too had unintentionally discovered something incredible: a means of transforming carbon dioxide directly into ethanol … Continue reading

Reykjavík: the geothermal city that aims to go carbon neutral

7 October 2016 Leave a Comment

"Reykjavík used to be marketed as a place of “pure energy”, run on geothermal power – and now Iceland’s capital is trying to become the world’s first carbon neutral city. "Last month, Iceland became one of the first countries to ratify the Paris climate deal with a unilateral parliamentary vote, shortly after Reykjavik announced its aim to be carbon neutral by 2040. "It wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from 2.8 tonnes per person in 2013 to zero – largely by changing the shape of … Continue reading

Our best shot at cooling the planet might be right under our feet

13 September 2016 Leave a Comment

"Studies suggest that regenerating soil by turning our backs on industrial farming holds the key to tackling climate change.... "Scientists and farmers around the world are pointing out that we can regenerate degraded soils by switching from intensive industrial farming to more ecological methods – not just organic fertiliser, but also no-tillage, composting, and crop rotation. Here’s the brilliant part: as the soils recover, they not only regain their capacity to hold CO2, they begin to … Continue reading

Christiana Figueres: The inside story of the Paris climate agreement

24 April 2016 Leave a Comment

"What would you do if your job was to save the planet? When Christiana Figueres was tapped by the UN to lead the Paris climate conference (COP 21) in December 2015, she reacted the way many people would: she thought it would be impossible to bring the leaders of 195 countries into agreement on how to slow climate change. Find out how she turned her skepticism into optimism — and helped the world achieve the most important climate agreement in history." Watch video

Grief and Carbon Reductionism | Charles Eisenstein

6 February 2016 Leave a Comment

"Here is what I want everyone in the climate change movement to hear: People are not going to be frightened into caring. Scientific evidence-based predictions about what will happen 10, 20, or 50 years in the future are not going to make them care, not enough. What we need is the level of activism and energy that we are seeing now in Flint. That requires making it personal. And that requires facing the reality of loss. And that requires experiencing grief. There is no other way. "I am grateful … Continue reading

Sweden To Become The World’s First Fossil Fuel-Free Nation In History

12 October 2015 1 Comment

"The Swedish government recently announced that their aim is to become one of the world’s first nations to end its dependence on fossil fuels. They will be investing an extra 4.5 billion kronor (US$546 million) into renewable energy and climate change action in their 2016 budget. "Not long ago, UBS, the world’s largest private bank, began urging its investors to join the clean, renewable energy movement. Their analysts are predicting that power plants in Europe might become completely extinct … Continue reading

Are old religions part of the New Story? | Jonathon Porritt

24 June 2015 1 Comment

What if part (a big part) of the New Story is a very old story, reinvented for our troubled times? Over the years, I’ve been very comfortable talking about the spiritual dimension of today’s green movement, while simultaneously dismissing (and sometimes even disparaging) any possible contribution from mainstream religion. Crudely put: spiritual good; religious not so good. And often positively bad. But I have to admit I’m starting to rethink this, what’s more, it’s Pope Francis that is the … Continue reading

How young people are tackling climate change

9 June 2015 Leave a Comment

This article is from The Guardian’s series, ‘Climate Change #‎GroundUp:‬ stories from the generation that will see the worst impacts of climate change’.... An oil rig worker in Alberta, an engineering student in Mauritania, a minister-in-training in New Zealand – 11 young people, aged under 25, tell us what it feels like to inherit an environmental crisis. Continue reading

We need regenerative farming, not geoengineering by Charles Eisenstein | The Guardian

10 March 2015 Leave a Comment

"The quick fix mindset behind geoengineering must be transformed to one that seeks a humble partnership with nature if we are to address climate change." Read the full story.... Photograph: Intensive agricultural systems overlook the ecological benefits of regenerative farming. Photographer: blickwinkel/Alamy Continue reading

Make 2015 the year we did our best for the planet by May East | The Scotsman

6 March 2015 Leave a Comment

New Story Summiteer and long-term member of the Findhorn Foundation and Community, May East, writes in The Scotsman.... "We have a real chance to make 2015 the year we did our best for the planet and for humanity.... With more than seven million people taking part in My World 2015 – a UN survey to determine what matters most to people around the world – it is clear that citizens worldwide are engaging and wanting their voices heard in this process. "This year is a critical one for the planet … Continue reading