on KarmaTube: http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=7625
For hundreds of generations, the Gwich’in people of Alaska and northern Canada have depended on the caribou that migrate through the Arctic Refuge. They believe that they are guardians of the herd, and that the fates of the people and the caribou are forever entwined.
For the last 30 years, the Gwich’in have been fighting to preserve a pristine coastal plain where the caribou calve their young, “the Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” With their traditional culture threatened by oil extraction and climate change, two Gwich’in women are continuing a decades-long fight of to protect their land and future.
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Monday, October 16, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
VIDEO: Shifting From Technologies That Destroy Nature to Those That Conserve It
by Karen Rybold-Chin, Dmitry Orlov, Greg David, originally published by Ontheearthproductions
Nature-like technologies, a phrase coined by Vladimir Putin, is a focal point of discussion in this recent interview with Dmitry Orlov. The technosphere can be a dangerous place, according to Orlov’s new book, Shrinking the Technosphere. There are, however, enduring technologies such as the log cabin, with attributes that have lasted many lifetimes.
A longer version of this production is part of a pilot library project that pairs author interviews and their books, cataloged together, to broaden understanding various topics.
Nature-like technologies, a phrase coined by Vladimir Putin, is a focal point of discussion in this recent interview with Dmitry Orlov. The technosphere can be a dangerous place, according to Orlov’s new book, Shrinking the Technosphere. There are, however, enduring technologies such as the log cabin, with attributes that have lasted many lifetimes.
A longer version of this production is part of a pilot library project that pairs author interviews and their books, cataloged together, to broaden understanding various topics.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
VIDEO: Living with Coyote: Wildlife Management is Really a Misnomer - It’s About Managing People
on Aeon: https://aeon.co/videos/wildlife-management-is-really-a-misnomer-it-s-about-managing-people
Once largely confined to the plains of central North America, coyotes have thrived and spread as human impact on the environment has increased over the past 150 years.
Today, the opportunistic predator inhabits most of the continent - from Alaska to Central Park to the Panama Canal - preying on rural livestock and scavenging in urban and suburban areas.
Combining interviews, animation and striking scenery from the western US, Living With Coyote carefully untangles North America’s coyote dilemma, shedding light on how human activities and attitudes created and define the problem.
Director: Priya Shelly
Producer: Priya Shelly
Once largely confined to the plains of central North America, coyotes have thrived and spread as human impact on the environment has increased over the past 150 years.
Today, the opportunistic predator inhabits most of the continent - from Alaska to Central Park to the Panama Canal - preying on rural livestock and scavenging in urban and suburban areas.
Combining interviews, animation and striking scenery from the western US, Living With Coyote carefully untangles North America’s coyote dilemma, shedding light on how human activities and attitudes created and define the problem.
Director: Priya Shelly
Producer: Priya Shelly
Cinematographer: Shaka Brookes
Editor: Danush Parvaneh
Website: PriyaShelly.com
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Can We Have Abundance Without Ecocide?
by Jacob Devaney, Uplift: http://upliftconnect.com/can-we-have-abundance-without-ecocide/The Dalai Lama, Hopi and Kogi elders are meeting this week to discuss how we create an Abundant Future without Ecocide.
With spiritual leaders like the Pope, Chief Arvol Lookinghorse, and the Dalai Lama coming forward to address the importance of protecting the natural environment, it appears that the World is beginning to wake up.
Exploitative capitalism, ruled by banks and greed, has caused tremendous suffering for humans while wounding the eco-systems that sustain our lives.
There is a deep-rooted myth that we cannot have a prosperous economy whilst also taking care of the planet and each other. The crisis in Greece, the battle over global-resources, and controversial secret trade deals like TPP are showing us that power grabs and endless debt are not the way to build a positive future on the planet.
Luckily, we have the wisdom of indigenous and spiritual leaders to show us the way. This weekend in California, the Dalai Lama will be meeting with the Kogi, Hopi, and other traditional people to discuss creating an abundant future without ecocide.
Ecocide is a brilliant term describing the destruction of the natural environment. Ecocide Law is an emerging legal movement that establishes the rights of the ecosystem. Just like Dr. Seuss’ famous Lorax character, who invited us to consider who speaks for the trees, people are waking up to their responsibility to be respectful stewards of our planet.
Gary Christmas, organiser of the Abundance Without Ecocide event, is one of these people. I am grateful to have had a moment to ask Gary how he got involved with hosting Hopi and Kogi for the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday celebration.
Gary Christmas, kneeling on sacred Navajo land (credit:EUGENE GARCIA,)
“My close friends and I have been working with members of Hopi for years and we invited them out from July 8th to 15th initially.” Gary replied. “I also invited members of the Kogi out at that same time after I saw the movie ALUNA, which has a beautiful and powerful message for humanity about our role in caring for Mother Earth. The film also includes a an urgent message to immediately apply more wisdom in our activities with regard to development, energy, pollution, war, etc.”
“After Hopi and Kogi individuals had both accepted to come to California, I was meditating on this and the Dalai Lama’s face appeared in my meditation. He was really laughing a lot. It gave me a very big smile, and I laughed as well!”
Gary continued, “After the meditation I realized that maybe our Hopi and Kogi friends could participate in the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebration … two phone calls later, Ruben Saufkie, Hopi, was booked to bring Eagle Dancers on July 5th at the Honda Center with over 15,000 people, plus a private blessing with the Dalai Lama on July 7th.”
“Kogi Elders including Kogi Mama Luis Nuavita (spiritual leader visiting from Colombia, South America) were asked to speak at the Compassionate Planet Conference at UCI, with 5,500 people in the audience. Once this was done, it became clear to me that all of this had been designed by the Creator, and I was fortunate enough to be the steward to carry this plan to fruition. I am very humbled and blessed to be doing this work, connecting members of Kogi and Hopi cultures with the Dalai Lama on July 5, 6, 7.” Gary said.
“We are also having several events following the Dalai Lama celebration in Laguna Beach, Malibu and Ojai,” continued Gary, “which are all ceremonies where the Hopi Medicine Wheel, and Double Eagle Dance will be performed.”
“This will be the first time the Kogi have spoken some of these messages and we will be filming all of this for TV episodes being negotiated now.” Gary concluded by explaining that this “is a very special time where their message can be heard so we are doing everything possible to get this message out to the masses.”
A trust is currently being created for the Kogi, so that all profits generated from TV and other media can be directed to them for their use. This will assist them in buying back as much of their land as possible, and to use as needed for travel and tools.
The Hopi Eagle Dancers were some of the messengers who ran over 1,500 miles with a message of water in 2004. I was along for that journey, documenting and filming with Brian Hardin. Our video of Chief Arvol Lookinghorse (see below) has been shared extensively on social networks. Giving indigenous communities a voice via independent media is crucial in this time of prophecy.
Kathy Eldon and the Creative Visions Foundation has supported Culture Collective in making this dream come true and today we see a full-fledged movement of conscience sweeping across the globe. The time is now!
We are currently witnessing unprecedented change and transformation happening. The most beautiful thing about it is that each one of us has a role to play in the much-needed healing of our beloved planet.
UPLIFT is dedicated to shining a light on the positive changes happening, but it is really everyone joining in the conversation, or sharing these posts who creates the impact. So we have YOU to thank!
With cooperation, modern technology and a resolve to make positive change, we truly have the capacity to create a world of abundance for everyone without destroying our eco-system in the process. You can learn more about the Abundance Without Ecocide by visiting this website.
Image from the movie Aluna
Who is involved?
Kogi Mama Luis Nuavita - Spiritual Leader Visiting from Colombia, South AmericaMama Luis (pronounced Mamo) is Son of the sun, traditional authority of Tungueka and The Sierra nevada de Santa marta, a River seeder and interbridger of sacred places, a town seeder, Time keeper, Danta Guardian,(Sacred animal form the Amazon), and guradian of the Jaguar, a recuperator of the sacred sites, a caller of the rain, a knower of sacred objects, master and founder of the towns: Naranjal, teyumake, Baraguera and Tayku
Kogi Jorge Luis Dib - Visiting from Colombia, South America
Director of Jumeleishi mission, Recuperator of natural spaces, socially and culturally. A seeder of rivers, along with Mama Luis and other traditional Kogis authorities, Jorge has helped recuperate the first City of original or indigenoues people in La Sierra. Interconnector of apparent opposites. Messenger and keeper of Time. Visionary of Vital Santa Marta Plan (Hummingbird Spirit) for the continuation of Life on our Earth. Jorge works in agreement with Social, Public, Private and Religious organizations as well as with the Spiritual Fathers and Mothers of Nature.
Ruben Saufkie Sr. – Visiting from Hopi
From Ruben: I am from the Water Clan of the Hopi People of Arizona. A Messenger of H2OPI, Sharing Peace through Water. My own personal recovery has helped me to encourage as many people to find the Compassion toward Forgiveness to awaken their Hearts. This the way to living in Balance, Harmony, and Unity which leads to Peace and Being Hopi. No matter how challenging life becomes we must not lose Faith within ourselves because Creator will not give up on us. We must do our very best to live by Creators Law which is very simple, take care of the Land and it will take of you. This is what we share when we do the Eagle dance. We depend on the Eagles strength to carry our prayers from our Hearts to the Creator and the Universe for all Beings to Live in Oneness once again. May Peace Prevail within and throughout the World and Universe. Kwak-Leah, H2OPI
WORDS BY JACOB DEVANEY
Thursday, May 7, 2015
VIDEOS: Richard Heinberg’s "Afterburn: Society Beyond Fossil Fuels"
by Post Carbon Institute: http://www.postcarbon.org/afterburn-videos/
Below is a four-part video series exploring some of the critical questions we face as society embarks on the transition to life beyond fossil fuels. The themes covered in these videos are much more thoroughly explored in Richard Heinberg’s latest book, Afterburn: Society Beyond Fossil Fuels.
Is modern society hitting our defining moment, the point of diminishing returns? We may well be. When previous societies have hit similar limits, they often doubled-down by attempting ever more complex interventions to keep things going, before finally collapsing. Will this be our fate too? And is there an alternative?
The Great Burning - the combustion of oil, coal, and natural gas - must come to an end during the next few decades. But what will we do then? If the twentieth century was all about increasing our burn rate year after blazing year, the dominant trend of twenty-first century will be a gradual flame-out.
Can we keep growing the economy and avoid diminishing returns by switching energy sources? The transition to renewable solar and wind technology is both necessary and inevitable. But can it solve all our problems?
Resilience is a word that’s gaining a lot of currency in recent years, as more and more people realize there are some shocks headed our way. But what would a more resilient society look like?
Special thanks to New Society Publishers for partnering with us on this fantastic series and to Shutterstock.com for granting image rights.
Below is a four-part video series exploring some of the critical questions we face as society embarks on the transition to life beyond fossil fuels. The themes covered in these videos are much more thoroughly explored in Richard Heinberg’s latest book, Afterburn: Society Beyond Fossil Fuels.
The Law of Diminishing Returns
Is modern society hitting our defining moment, the point of diminishing returns? We may well be. When previous societies have hit similar limits, they often doubled-down by attempting ever more complex interventions to keep things going, before finally collapsing. Will this be our fate too? And is there an alternative?
The Great Burning
The Great Burning - the combustion of oil, coal, and natural gas - must come to an end during the next few decades. But what will we do then? If the twentieth century was all about increasing our burn rate year after blazing year, the dominant trend of twenty-first century will be a gradual flame-out.
Our Renewable Future
Can we keep growing the economy and avoid diminishing returns by switching energy sources? The transition to renewable solar and wind technology is both necessary and inevitable. But can it solve all our problems?
A Resilient Society
Resilience is a word that’s gaining a lot of currency in recent years, as more and more people realize there are some shocks headed our way. But what would a more resilient society look like?
Special thanks to New Society Publishers for partnering with us on this fantastic series and to Shutterstock.com for granting image rights.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
VIDEO: Re-Greening a Mountain
by Ecofilms, The Permaculture Research Institute: http://permaculturenews.org/2015/01/30/re-greening-a-mountain/
Re-Greening a Mountain video trailer. See the full version on Geofflawton.com
When Geoff Lawton says this is the best Permaculture demonstration site on the planet, then you have to stop and listen.
“Where is it exactly?” I asked, as I’ve never heard of this place. I didn’t know the Chinese were even into permaculture. “Kadoorie Farm” he said and he insisted we go there and film. “It’s in Hong Kong on a massive mountain. The whole place has been redeveloped. You gotta see it”.
Geoff was teaching there four years ago and was blown away by what they managed to achieve. He described it as a “Permaculture Disneyland” that was very neatly manicured.
It had been completely re-vegetated into a food forest with numerous water falls, ponds, rare turtles, terraced gardens on steep slopes, a compost and biochar system, a waste-water treatment plant and wetlands and so much more. It is an amazing site that was built so far ahead of its time with an emphasis on teaching local people.
Two brothers, Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie in 1951 took on an idea to redevelop a trashed and degraded mountainside on 148 hectares with the emphasis on helping people to help themselves through training, supply of agricultural inputs and interest-free loans.
The end result of our trip is a 16 minute video you can watch on GeoffLawton.com that has Geoff as your tour guide, take you down the mountain slope, from the very top, through a forest system where the water is captured and irrigated down the steep terraced slopes, to the very bottom of the wetlands and nursery system.
Geoff stumbled across an ingenious potting system they were using with great success that he dubbed the “airpot” as it allows plant roots to grow out laterally, and not be constrained, allowing faster growth once replanted in the natural system (Nursery Quality to Tree Planting Success). Check out the video that explains it all in greater detail.
Re-Greening a Mountain video trailer. See the full version on Geofflawton.com
When Geoff Lawton says this is the best Permaculture demonstration site on the planet, then you have to stop and listen.
“Where is it exactly?” I asked, as I’ve never heard of this place. I didn’t know the Chinese were even into permaculture. “Kadoorie Farm” he said and he insisted we go there and film. “It’s in Hong Kong on a massive mountain. The whole place has been redeveloped. You gotta see it”.
Geoff was teaching there four years ago and was blown away by what they managed to achieve. He described it as a “Permaculture Disneyland” that was very neatly manicured.
It had been completely re-vegetated into a food forest with numerous water falls, ponds, rare turtles, terraced gardens on steep slopes, a compost and biochar system, a waste-water treatment plant and wetlands and so much more. It is an amazing site that was built so far ahead of its time with an emphasis on teaching local people.
Two brothers, Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie in 1951 took on an idea to redevelop a trashed and degraded mountainside on 148 hectares with the emphasis on helping people to help themselves through training, supply of agricultural inputs and interest-free loans.
The end result of our trip is a 16 minute video you can watch on GeoffLawton.com that has Geoff as your tour guide, take you down the mountain slope, from the very top, through a forest system where the water is captured and irrigated down the steep terraced slopes, to the very bottom of the wetlands and nursery system.
Geoff stumbled across an ingenious potting system they were using with great success that he dubbed the “airpot” as it allows plant roots to grow out laterally, and not be constrained, allowing faster growth once replanted in the natural system (Nursery Quality to Tree Planting Success). Check out the video that explains it all in greater detail.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
VIDEO: How to Create a Permaculture Design
by Ecofilms, The Permaculture Research Institute: http://permaculturenews.org/2015/01/17/how-to-create-a-permaculture-design/
Geoff’s new video on Creating Permaculture Designs, see the full version on Geofflawton.com
So you’ve always wanted to design a beautiful plant system in your garden, but baulked at the idea because, quiet honestly, you can’t tell a bean from a cactus or a legume from a walnut and don’t have the time or interest to devote to studying all this plant diversity stuff and biology bores you, but inherently inside you, you’d know that you would make a great designer.
Instinctively, you can spot a nice clump of trees together and you know you could do all this stuff if you could overcome this one small insignificant minor technical stumbling block - a lack of plant knowledge!
Well, like everything in the Internet universe, there is probably an app made for you right now. If there isn’t an app, then its time to head down to your friendly office supply stationary shop and buy yourself one of those little green plastic template thingy with a bunch of circles cut out for you that you used to have at school.
Buy that and some graph paper and a few pencils and a long tape measure, because this week’s lesson is with Permaculture Designer, Dan Halsey who swapped a career as a fashion food photographer to a full-time career as a Permaculture Designer. Dan used to photograph ice in sweet fizzy beverages. Fake ice was used as real ice melts under hot camera lights. A minor bit of useless trivia.
Anyway, Dan says, you need to overcome your lack of tree knowledge, that will always bog you down and the best way to start is by focusing on your pattern knowledge and work on your assembly of tree shapes.
Start with pattern shapes. Don’t worry what sort of trees you need for your garden design. Work on your shape clusters, from the big shapes, down. From the big Diva tree, then to the understory plants and all the way down to the tiny edging plants that create a nice aesthetic grouping. The mainframe shapes, the paths, access and water, ponds, structures and swales come first and then we pattern the landscape with our trusty little green stencil thingy and a pencil.
When it comes to filling in the small, insignificant minor details, the real biology of tree species, Dan has a database for you to enjoy - The Natural Capital™ Plant Database. You need to fill in the details.
What climate zone are you in? What size of tree are you after, the database will filter the details and offer you a spreadsheet for you to select a bunch of trees shapes that will fit your climate zone. Everything from deciduous trees to legumes are in the database. That’s the theory. The links are in the full video on GeoffLawton.com.
Watch the full 20 minute video where Geoff Lawton introduces Dan and takes takes you on a tour of his property and then explains his theory of Permaculture pattern design.
Further Reading:
The Natural Capital Plant Database
Practical Plants Database
The Natural Capital™ Plant Database
Geoff’s new video on Creating Permaculture Designs, see the full version on Geofflawton.com
So you’ve always wanted to design a beautiful plant system in your garden, but baulked at the idea because, quiet honestly, you can’t tell a bean from a cactus or a legume from a walnut and don’t have the time or interest to devote to studying all this plant diversity stuff and biology bores you, but inherently inside you, you’d know that you would make a great designer.
Instinctively, you can spot a nice clump of trees together and you know you could do all this stuff if you could overcome this one small insignificant minor technical stumbling block - a lack of plant knowledge!
Well, like everything in the Internet universe, there is probably an app made for you right now. If there isn’t an app, then its time to head down to your friendly office supply stationary shop and buy yourself one of those little green plastic template thingy with a bunch of circles cut out for you that you used to have at school.
Buy that and some graph paper and a few pencils and a long tape measure, because this week’s lesson is with Permaculture Designer, Dan Halsey who swapped a career as a fashion food photographer to a full-time career as a Permaculture Designer. Dan used to photograph ice in sweet fizzy beverages. Fake ice was used as real ice melts under hot camera lights. A minor bit of useless trivia.
Anyway, Dan says, you need to overcome your lack of tree knowledge, that will always bog you down and the best way to start is by focusing on your pattern knowledge and work on your assembly of tree shapes.
Start with pattern shapes. Don’t worry what sort of trees you need for your garden design. Work on your shape clusters, from the big shapes, down. From the big Diva tree, then to the understory plants and all the way down to the tiny edging plants that create a nice aesthetic grouping. The mainframe shapes, the paths, access and water, ponds, structures and swales come first and then we pattern the landscape with our trusty little green stencil thingy and a pencil.
When it comes to filling in the small, insignificant minor details, the real biology of tree species, Dan has a database for you to enjoy - The Natural Capital™ Plant Database. You need to fill in the details.
What climate zone are you in? What size of tree are you after, the database will filter the details and offer you a spreadsheet for you to select a bunch of trees shapes that will fit your climate zone. Everything from deciduous trees to legumes are in the database. That’s the theory. The links are in the full video on GeoffLawton.com.
Watch the full 20 minute video where Geoff Lawton introduces Dan and takes takes you on a tour of his property and then explains his theory of Permaculture pattern design.
Further Reading:
The Natural Capital Plant Database
Practical Plants Database
The Natural Capital™ Plant Database
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Berlin at Forefront of Urban Green
by Stockholm Resilience Centre: http://www.stockholmresilience.org/21/research/research-news/10-28-2014-berlin-forefront-of-urban-green.html
The URBES project launches video from Berlin
As one of the cities represented in the Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services project (URBES), coordinated by Stockholm Resilience Centre, Berlin has much to show when it comes to development, policy and strategies for enhancing green areas.
Green initiatives across the city are enabling people from all walks of life to get involved, and through for example local gardening and education projects adults and children alike are connecting to nature and creating spaces of development and prerequisites for social equality.
Berlin is expected to grow by a quarter of a million people in the next 15 years. The video Berlin - A thriving city embraces its green spaces shows that insightful decision making and actions from city administration, preserving urban biodiversity and giving unrestricted access to urban green and blue space in Berlin, is of great importance for the city’s sustainable future.
A multi-city project
Researchers at the Centre are coordinating the URBES-project and are also conducting studies in Stockholm, as one of the cities connected to the project.
"Together with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), we are developing a professional communication and training programme, and will actively link to important policy mechanisms and contribute to global partnership," says Thomas Elmqvist, researcher and project coordinator.
The URBES project launches video from Berlin
As one of the cities represented in the Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services project (URBES), coordinated by Stockholm Resilience Centre, Berlin has much to show when it comes to development, policy and strategies for enhancing green areas.
Green initiatives across the city are enabling people from all walks of life to get involved, and through for example local gardening and education projects adults and children alike are connecting to nature and creating spaces of development and prerequisites for social equality.
Berlin is expected to grow by a quarter of a million people in the next 15 years. The video Berlin - A thriving city embraces its green spaces shows that insightful decision making and actions from city administration, preserving urban biodiversity and giving unrestricted access to urban green and blue space in Berlin, is of great importance for the city’s sustainable future.
A multi-city project
Researchers at the Centre are coordinating the URBES-project and are also conducting studies in Stockholm, as one of the cities connected to the project.
"Together with ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), we are developing a professional communication and training programme, and will actively link to important policy mechanisms and contribute to global partnership," says Thomas Elmqvist, researcher and project coordinator.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
VIDEO: How Quantum Mechanics Explains Global Warming - Lieven Scheire
by Lieven Sceire, Ted-Ed: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-quantum-mechanics-explains-global-warming-lieven-scheire
You’ve probably heard that carbon dioxide is warming the Earth. But how exactly is it doing it?
Lieven Scheire uses a rainbow, a light bulb and a bit of quantum physics to describe the science behind global warming.
You’ve probably heard that carbon dioxide is warming the Earth. But how exactly is it doing it?
Lieven Scheire uses a rainbow, a light bulb and a bit of quantum physics to describe the science behind global warming.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Resilience is Always Local
 |
| Mosaic (Photo credit: keepps) |
Great video here from Eric Garland on why the best strategy for resilience may be to grow some deep roots in your own hometown.
If you have time and want to meet up with some brilliant (and fun) people, be sure to mark your calendars for the Transition Economics gathering in St. Louis, May 19-May 21st.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
VIDEO: The World's Largest Urban Farm: A Reason to Stay in Detroit
by Katherine Jennings, UTNE Reader: http://www.utne.com/community/reason-to-stay-detroit.aspx
After five years of negotiating and planning, Hantz Farms
is buying more than 1,500 vacant lots from the city of Detroit, with
the dream of creating the world’s largest urban farm.
In a push to transform the city’s lower east side and make it livable again, the company is putting over $500,000 into removing trash from the lots, demolishing abandoned houses, and planting trees. Hantz Farms CEO, Micheal Score, offers details about the project:
 |
| Hantz Farms inspires transformation of Detroit with the world’s largest urban farm |
In a push to transform the city’s lower east side and make it livable again, the company is putting over $500,000 into removing trash from the lots, demolishing abandoned houses, and planting trees. Hantz Farms CEO, Micheal Score, offers details about the project:
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
VIDEO: Fracking Is Pretty Hard To Understand - Until It Isn't
 |
| U.S. natural gas extraction, 1900–2005 (Wikipedia) |
It's a technique that's been around since the 1940s, but the recent exhaustion of natural gas resources through traditional extraction methods has made fracking the popular kid in school.
Unfortunately for the "school" (the environment), "Johnny Fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) "is a jackass" (has a tendency to tamper with the drinking water) and should be "sent to the principal's office" (more tightly regulated and policed to discourage fracking companies from carelessly dealing with the waste).
Sorry, extended metaphors are difficult for me.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Saving the Environment: How Six Women Climbed the Shard to Save the Arctic from Shell
Hi Robert,
Since the six of us climbed the Shard, many people have asked: how did we do it? How much training did it take? How did we go to the toilet?
Now I can show you. Watch the behind-the-scenes film of our climb.
It captures the planning, training and (I’m not afraid to admit it) nerves, but also the determination all of us felt. There’s nothing about going to the toilet though. We kept that out for modesty’s sake!
I was overwhelmed by the support we got during the climb, but it’s going to take much more than six women climbing a skyscraper to stop Shell.
We know that in order to keep the Arctic out of the hands of Shell, we need to build the biggest movement of people the world has ever seen - and you are part of that.
I need your to help inspire others to join the movement. By sharing this video and telling others why you felt inspired to join, you can make it bigger and stronger.
Like climbing the Shard, saving the Arctic is going to be an immense struggle. It will take every bit of strength and dedication we have, and we will be exhausted by the end.
But when we win - and we will win - we will have achieved something incredible.
Thanks for being part of the movement,
Victo x
PS We don’t have the slick, multi-million dollar PR machine that Shell has. But we have something I think is far more powerful: you and more than 3 million of the most dedicated activists on the planet. It’s time to show Shell that people mean more than money. Watch and share the video, and build the movement.
Friday, December 14, 2012
VIDEO: "Chasing Ice" Movie Reveals Largest Iceberg Break-Up Ever Filmed
by The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk
It's like watching 'Manhattan breaking apart in front of your eyes', says one of the researchers for filmmaker James Balog. He's describing the largest iceberg calving ever filmed, as featured in his movie, Chasing Ice.
After weeks of waiting, the filmakers witnessed 7.4 cubic km of ice crashing off the Ilulissat glacier in Greenland. Chasing Ice, released in the UK on Friday, follows Balog's mission to document Arctic ice being melted by climate change.
It's like watching 'Manhattan breaking apart in front of your eyes', says one of the researchers for filmmaker James Balog. He's describing the largest iceberg calving ever filmed, as featured in his movie, Chasing Ice.
After weeks of waiting, the filmakers witnessed 7.4 cubic km of ice crashing off the Ilulissat glacier in Greenland. Chasing Ice, released in the UK on Friday, follows Balog's mission to document Arctic ice being melted by climate change.
Friday, August 17, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW: New Film by Josh Fox - The Sky Is Pink
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| Tower for drilling horizontally into the Marcellus Shale Formation for natural gas, from Pennsylvania Route 118 in eastern Moreland Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I've just seen Josh Fox's June 2012 short film (URL at the end) about the oil and gas fracking industries' fierce lobbying to open up the New York City watershed to high-pressure gas extraction.
Using both personal and scientific arguments, delivered in a powerful, quietly emotive voice, Josh shows us how these industries spend millions on PR, and on "lobbying" that some might think looks a tiny bit like bribery, to convince Americans to trust them with the power to pollute our lands and water sources for short-term financial gain.
The risks, in brief
The fracking process introduces a ferociously toxic chemical cocktail into the ground. All these chemicals must travel, under pressure, through the crumbling rock and through the layers we get our water from, via unreliable and possibly short-lived concrete casings with steel liners.
Each well requires millions of gallons of water to complete, much of which, afterward, permanently, becomes toxic waste. Some of this is carried away by road but in many areas it's cheaper to leave it deep in the ground under our feet. And they do.
Longer-term losses
I grew up in Central New York - in Madison County, a region of small farms and towns - areas hit hard by the recent financial crises. People are scared about the future, and the offer of thousands of dollars for the rights to lease your under-used agricultural land must seem like manna from heaven if you're about to lose your home.
But in the medium term, the leasing companies will ensure that these homes will be worse than lost. If we don't halt fracking, we'll lose our landscape to ugly, poorly regulated industrial development, and we'll lose clean water and air. We'll even make the rock itself toxic. None of these bode well for the health or happiness of our children and their descendents.
If you're not furious already, here's one final point: why are these companies willing to pay so much for the leases? The answer is this: they're securing a chunk of our future earnings. As long as we depend on fossil fuels, every family has to pay whatever price the industry demands. Every year, this increases. In the UK, gas prices have risen by 40% in three years.
My home town
As a child I played on the Marcellus shale. I learned first-hand how it crumbles and fractures, harbours fossils and secrets. Sweet drinking water came from shallow wells because the impermeable shale underlies the earth at only a few meters' depth.
Deep snows fall here. Melt-water comes off the hills, soaks the upper layers of soil, and drains off the surface of the shale into rivers, streams and lakes that feed livestock, crops, and families.
I grew up in Madison County, north and west of the area they're talking about in this new film. But look at the map of 2010 leases already under consideration or arranged by that year, in my home county.
Note how, by 2010, the threats this film discusses had already crept north from Pennsylvania, where - unlike New York, so far - regulations and controls have - to some extent - limited their reach.
And note especially wells already marked as "abandoned" - a worry, when Josh and his experts show us in this movie that it's possible or even likely that 50% of new wells will fail within thirty years.
PR and The Sky Is Pink: a historical perspective
In 1926, the great American political reformer Upton Sinclair published a novel, Oil!, about the oil industry and how it, and the financial institutions, took control of the media and politics of the period to push through oil development worldwide.
It's a fascinating, sympathetic and surprisingly modern book that lays bare how Americans were persuaded to elect those who had only their own interests at heart. These interests became more and more powerful as the century unfolded. It's arguable that they're even more powerful now.
Sinclair was not one for easy answers. He wrote at a time of huge political turmoil worldwide, and although he was sympathetic to reform, he was alert to propaganda and human weakness, whatever its source.
Disinformation and mis-information is one of the chief tools of power. As Josh shows in this new film, today this pro-fracking crusade has been delivered for management into the hands of PR professionals. In a near-incredible irony of history, we learn that these hands belong to the very same professionals who told us for years that tobacco was harmless, while concealing internal memos that proved otherwise.
Then he shows us some internal memos from the gas companies.
If this new film doesn't put ice in your cocktail, I don't know what will. Do watch it, consider it, and if you're inclined, get involved in opposing this threat before it - literally - undermines our future.
Watch now: The Sky Is Pink
If you live in the UK, please see the Frack Off website for latest news about UK action. More about fracking in my blog about what happened when I decided to go for it, as a writer and environmentalist. And other things. http://sungodsguidetoliteraryfame.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/waging-war-on-real-terror-fracking-is.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexandra_Brunel
http://EzineArticles.com/?Review:-New-Film-by-Josh-Fox---The-Sky-Is-Pink&id=7137862
Saturday, May 12, 2012
VIDEO: Yes, the Climate is Changing: People Around the World Show How Climate Change is Already Affecting Their Lives
from Yes! magazine: http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/connect-the-dots-on-climate-change?utm_source=wkly20120511&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=titleaharbinDots
The effects of climate change come in many guises: increasingly intense storms, too much snow, not enough snow, heat waves, droughts, floods.
We have to start seeing the climatic connections between these weather events, says advocacy group 350.org. Only then will we realize how much of what we hold dear is threatened by climate change - and react accordingly.
On May 5, 2012 people around the world "connected the dots" and combined the images they created to illustrate how profoundly climate change is already affecting us.
The effects of climate change come in many guises: increasingly intense storms, too much snow, not enough snow, heat waves, droughts, floods.
We have to start seeing the climatic connections between these weather events, says advocacy group 350.org. Only then will we realize how much of what we hold dear is threatened by climate change - and react accordingly.
On May 5, 2012 people around the world "connected the dots" and combined the images they created to illustrate how profoundly climate change is already affecting us.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
VIDEO: On Coal River
On Coal River Synopsis
Coal River Valley, West Virginia is a community surrounded by lush mountains and a looming toxic threat. Filmed over a period of five years, ON COAL RIVER follows a former miner and his neighbors in a David-and-Goliath struggle for the future of their valley, their children, and life as they know it.
Ed Wiley once worked at the same coal plant that threatens his granddaughter’s elementary school. When his local government refuses to act, Ed embarks on a quest to have the school relocated to safer ground.
With a sharp sense of right and wrong, Ed confronts his local school board, the state government, and a notorious coal company for putting his granddaughter and his community at risk.
Along the way, Ed is helped by his neighbors Bo and Judy, who are locked in their own battle with the company over their practice of “mountaintop removal” - blowing up mountains to extract coal.
Together, Bo and Judy help Ed bring attention to the dangers at Marsh Fork Elementary, hoping that if they save the school, they can save the valley.
Film Credits
Starring
Bo Webb, Ed Wiley, Judy Bonds, Debbie Jarrell and Maria Lambert
Directors
Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood
Producers
Francine Cavanaugh, Adams Wood and Jillian Elizabeth
Writers
Francine Cavanaugh, Jillian Elizabeth and Adams Wood
Executive Producers
Dan Frishwasser, Eric Falkenstein, Deann Borshay Liem and J. Robert Spencer
Saturday, December 10, 2011
VIDEO: Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars
Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars Synopsis
From the outset FIGHTING GOLIATH: TEXAS COAL WARS was intended to serve as a tool for raising awareness, inspiring action, and creating a meaningful dialogue about how to overcome one of the greatest threats to public health contributors to global warming faced by the U.S. - conventional coal-fired power plants.
FIGHTING GOLIATH follows the story of farmers, ranchers and Mayors fighting against the construction of 18 new coal-burning power plants in Texas.
TXU Corp. withdrew eight of the 11 permit applications shortly before the case went to court, when it was announced that shareholders would sell the utility to private equity firms. The film was produced by the Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve and Alpheus Media, and directed by Mat Hames and George Sledge.
Film Credits
Narrated by Robert Redford
Written and Directed by Mat Hames and George Sledge
Executive Producers: Julie Mack and Jill Tidman
Producer: Cara Carney
Director of Photography: Shane Kelly
Editor: Sandra Guardado
Associate Producers: Beth Hames, Mat Hames and Anne Nagelkirk
Location Sound: Mark Lutte and Djakhangir Zakhidov
Assistant Camera and Photography: Stuart McSpadden
Production Assistants: Taryn Hall and Djakhangir Zakhidov
Additional Cinematography: Wilson Waggoner
Post-Production Supervisor: Mat Hames
Post-Production Assistants: Jeff Spross, Taryn Hall and Ginny Patrick
Archival Footage Coordinators: Cara Carney and Dacia Saenz
Graphics: Erik Lauritzen
Audio Design: Carl Thiel
Music By: Steve Bernal, BerxWerx, Sean Craypo, Tom Hamer, Sativa Quartet, Peter Stopschinski and Adam Sultan
Monday, November 14, 2011
Great New Talent: Redeem Yourself by Luke James
Hi everyone,
I don't do this very often, but I'd like you all to listen to a young man who I think is a great new talent. His name is Luke James, and he is the son of one of my close trusted colleagues, John James. Luke hails from Adelaide, South Australia, and as you will see, is a very talented musician and songwriter. The lyrics are powerful and match the strong visuals on the video.
It would be great to get some feedback, so ALL comments are very welcome indeed! Let's encourage local young talent!
I don't do this very often, but I'd like you all to listen to a young man who I think is a great new talent. His name is Luke James, and he is the son of one of my close trusted colleagues, John James. Luke hails from Adelaide, South Australia, and as you will see, is a very talented musician and songwriter. The lyrics are powerful and match the strong visuals on the video.
It would be great to get some feedback, so ALL comments are very welcome indeed! Let's encourage local young talent!
Friday, July 16, 2010
VIDEO: Endangered Animal Series - The Nene Bird
Video from Explore.org at: http://explore.org/videos/player/nene-bird?utm_source=Explore+eNews&utm_campaign=a457e832ac-Explore_Video_ENews_Jul_15_20107_14_2010&utm_medium=email
The Nene Bird is the state bird of Hawaii. By 1950, there were fewer then 50 birds in the wild. Hawaiian Park Rangers help to bring them back.
The Nene Bird is the state bird of Hawaii. By 1950, there were fewer then 50 birds in the wild. Hawaiian Park Rangers help to bring them back.
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