Saturday, October 24, 2009

The big day: International Day of Climate Action




It has finally dawned to us, the great movement to bring change. Today, October 24th 2009, could probably change mankind's future. All over the globe people are chanting the number 350. A number that will be written in history books but that the fact that this number could save our life.

What does 350 represent? This is question I have been getting from people when I first started initiating an action to mark this day. I have initiated an awareness program at American International University Bangladesh (AIUB) firstly but posting the official 350 posters on the notice boards. This will build the hype of 350. Soon after I will be organizing a workshop "350 and Climate Change! What it has to do with you?". Lets hope I can get it approved.

There are over 4000 events spread across 170 countries to show world leaders that climate change is damaging our environment and that we have to do something about it. It is still unclear if any deal with come out from the Copenhagen summit whether if there are going to be any new climate policy.


In the mean time keep yourself updated here about 350.org new actions.

http://twitter.com/350dotorg

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

There wont be a deal in Copenhagen- US climate envoy

"Its certainly possible that there wont be a deal in Copenhagen", US climate change envoy Todd Stern told Britain's Channel Four. So what does that mean? Is the US not participating in the summit? I was expecting that with the new US administration's motto of "Change" that tackling climate change was one of its top issues. However from this statement it signifies that US are expecting this Climate talks to collapse as well.

On the other hand Britain's climate secretary,Ed Milliband said he will be going "all out" in this Copenhagen summit. He also said that a new global climate treaty is "do-able".

It is still uncertain if any outcome will come about, but it is important that a treaty be made before the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Maldives cabinet discusses underwater

In the effort to raise enough awareness about climate change, the Maldives' cabinet have taken an underwater dive to discuss matters. This just shows the magnitude of climate change.

The discussions where done by using a whiteboard and hand signals. Each minister had a diving instructor and a military personnel. A document was signed signifying that carbon emissions to be reduced. As momentum gains on the Copenhagen summit, this is just one more to the movement.

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

As bloggers all over the globe join in the global movement to make the stance in climate change, Blog Action Day has targeted this year to select Climate Change as this year's topic. Currently there are some 8,872 blogs registered for this movement and 148 countries involved. Also as October 24th nears , the International Day of Climate Action, this is just adds to it.

In Bangladesh, recently they initiated a project to offset climate conference emissions where all outdated brick kilns are to be replaced which will reduce 50,000 tonnes of CO2 hoping to make the COP 15 carbon neutral.

Some southern regions of Bangladesh are losing ground due to the rising sea-levels. Now according to current CO2 emissions of 400-450ppm of C02, it is expected that sea-levels would rise by 25-40m. So that would mean most of Bangladesh would be under-water. For a developing nation which highly depends on its agricultural output, rising sea-levels will reduce agricultural land to a minimum. This resulting in food crisis. As poverty is still a problem, inflation in this sector will create, one of the largest hunger nation.

Aside from the food problem, habitable land will reduce making living for over 162,221,000 people quite impossible. It is quite noticeably that weather patterns in Bangladesh have changed. Our monsoon season has shifted forward by a certain time. In fact this year 2009, our popular Kal Bohshaikh was shifted by more than 15 days. Kal Boishaikh is basically the time when the monsoon season begins which is sometime in April.

Also we hardly have any winters. The winter of 2008-2009 only lasted over a month which started late-December and ended sometime in early February. Surprisingly also before it would not rain in the winters, it would remain dry. However as I noticed it over 12 years starting from 1997 to 2009, there is a tendency of rain in the winters for the last 2 or 3 years.

For us Climate Change is already in motion, we are facing it and in the near future it will become worse. Even though our CO2 emissions are in the thousands, we still need to be prepared. As a low-lying country, floods are really not a big deal. It is kind of a norm and people are used to it. But in the near future, floods will become devastating, even for us it will be difficult. As we lack infastructure it will be very difficult to sustain regular flooding. It is estimated that it would cost $100bn to tackle climate change and most of the money will go into water protection systems but we would require more than that. As it is impossible for our country to generate that much money, we would then become highly dependent on foreign aid, thinking about it we are already dependent on foreign aid.

In order for Bangladesh to avoid from becoming like Maldives, I request all UN officials, diplomats,delegates to make the right decision. This is such a decision, that the fate of the entire world is in your hands.

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Sunday, October 11, 2009

Grim past of Earth's climate reveals scary message

History of our Earth's climate reveals some scarier message that our current carbon emissions policies are to die for. According to a study, the current levels of carbon emissions and that of some 20 million years indicate that back then sea levels were about (25-40)m.

So if we were to keep the current CO2 emissions as a target to maintain, then we would be under (25-40)m of water. By current standards CO2 emissions are near 450ppm however countries like Maldives and the Association of Small Island States are backing for the 350ppm as a target of CO2 this December.

Also to support this 350.org has started a global campaign so that governments, head of officials bring the current emissions to 350ppm of CO2. I will be blogging about some of the activities which I will be doing to support this cause.

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Thursday, October 08, 2009

Bioneers Conference 2009



2009 marks the 20th anniversary of this premiere sustainability "Thought Leadership" forum on environmental and social justice issues along with scientific and cultural innovations focused around positive solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity.

Speakers include Andrew Weil, MD, Michael Pollan (Author Omnivore’s Dilemma and Co-Creator of the film Food, Inc.), Annie Leonard (Creator of The Story of Stuff), and many others. The event takes place October 16-18th at the Frank Lloyd Wright Marin Civic Center in San Rafael, California, and at 18 Satellite Beamer Locations. We’re thrilled to also be Webcasting it for the first time.

We'll be featuring these key not-to-be-missed speakers:

The conference starts this October 16 2009 to October 18 2009.



* From Small Steps to the Energy Revolution

Friday October 16, 9am-1pm, Plenary

How do we move rapidly from 1% solar and wind energy in the U.S. to 50%? To 100%? Jack Hidary, co-founder of SmartTransportation.org and chairman of Americans for CleanEnergy.org, explains what we have to do realize this necessary re-evolution.

* Rehydration Revolution

Friday October 16, 2:45-4:15

Water and carbon are two of life’s most essential elements, but managed improperly they can destroy the land. “Keyline” design is a cutting-edge system that harvests and distributes water more evenly for greater fertility, increased root growth and much higher carbon sequestration. With Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center’s master permaculturalist and land management and watershed expert; and Darren Doherty, renowned Australian permaculturaist, a leading global expert of innovative “broadacre” agricultural system.

* Living Buildings; The Future of Architecture

Saturday October 17, 9am-1pm, Plenary

Jason McLennon, the leading figure in the global green architecture movement challenges us to imagine and demand buildings that operate as elegantly and efficiently as the living structures nature creates. As CEO of Cascadia Green Building Council, author of the Living Building Challenge and co-creator of Pharos (the most advanced building material rating system in North America) he shows breathtaking examples from the worldwide Challenge underway to design building that meet or exceed nature’s ecosystem services.



If your away from California then pack your bags and head for the conference. If you cant make it then keep your self updated by live telecast by dropping by this site again on the 16th.

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Saturday, October 03, 2009

World Habitat day: October 5th 2009



The first Monday of each October has been declared as World Habitat Day. This year, the day falls on the 5th of October and Habitat for Humanity has done a great job at providing support for the homeless. They are more than 100 million people who are homeless, according to the United Nations.


What you can do to help? Habitat for humanity have given a head's up about that:

1) Advocate
2) Educate
3) Donate


Let's stand up on World Habitat Day and let it be known that affordable, adequate housing should be a priority everywhere—in our communities, in our towns, in our country, in our world.

Show your support and take action!

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