Posted on Friday, May 18, 02012
Ok it is not exactly like Facebook, but it will help the biodiversity of your social network! And its geotaggeed so now you can know where all your new non-human species friends are at!!! Holla!!!
Have you ever wondered if the Bentwing Bat lives near you???? The Map of Life website can give you the answer to this question and many more. Another great use for the Google Maps platform, The Map of Life lists virtually all of the vertebrate animals that can be found at any one point in the world.
"Users can either select a species and then see where it occurs, or they can select a location and then get a listing of almost all the mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles that can be found at that location – freshwater fish data is currently limited to North America. More features are in the works.
Information on the website was gathered from a variety of sources, such as museums, regional checklists, and the observations of both professional and amateur scientists."
Where did they get their data?
Sustainability Media went to Madagascar with world renown Entomologist Dr. Brian Fisher of the California Academy of Sciences back in 2003 to make a documentary about the research Dr. Fisher was conducting on the species richness and distriution of ants in Madagascar. Aptly named this film was called "A Map to Save an Island" and here is a short 5 minute version to share the adventure.
Learn more about Dr. Fisher's work at www.antweb.org
Want to learn more about the biodiversity of life on planet earth and ways to help preserve it? Visit E.O. Wilson's website by clicking below.
Posted on Friday, May 4, 02012
No really it is because of you that the Anthropocene exists. Well you and the rest of the 7 billion people on the planet and the umpteen more billion Anthropo-ites who came before you over the past few million years. Yes I'm making up words right and left here but to quote Wikipedia's contributors,
the "Anthropocene" "is a recent and informal geologicchronologicalterm that serves to mark the evidence and extent of human activities that have had a significant global impact on theEarth'secosystems. The term was coined by ecologistEugene F. Stoermerbut has been widely popularized by theNobel Prize-winningatmospheric chemistPaul Crutzen, who regards the influence of human behavior on the Earth's atmosphere in recent centuries as so significant as to constitute a newgeological erafor itslithosphere...The Anthropocene has no precise start date, but based on atmospheric evidence may be considered to start with the Industrial Revolution (late 18th century).[1][4] Other scientists link it to earlier events, such as the rise of agriculture. Evidence of relative human impact such as the growing human influence on land use, ecosystems, biodiversity and species extinction is controversial, some scientists believe the human impact has significantly changed (or halted) the growth of biodiversity.[5]"
I bring up the term Anthropocene because it truly is a much more important term than just the definition of a geological age that includes planetary altering activities of human beings and our early ancestors. It is a word that has the ability to encompass a world view where we, humanity, acknowledge our collective existence, our unbelievable accomplishments as we continue to make our societies more and more sophisticated, and our interdependence upon not only each other, but with the planetary systems we call home. To me the Time of Mankind is a powerful concept that demands much contemplation.
I'd like to share a few videos and links which help further define the concept, some broadly and ethereally and some more specifically. The first is a visual mediation brought to us byGlobaïa entitled: "Welcome to the Anthropocene". Make note there is also a very interesting version without narration which I like a lot better, but the narration is helpfull to explain the concept of the Anthropocene.
Sustainability Media recently produced a short 2 minute timelapse video created from high resolution, low light pictures taken from aboard the International Space Station. We'd like to think it helps us see our collective self a bit easier as well.
Next I'd like to make a giant plug for my friends at the Long Now Foundation who have been dedicating a lot of their recent monthly Seminars About Long-Term Thinking to the subject of the Anthropocene. The last four talks specifically show the breadth of the subject and their talks can be viewed on their site. Recent Speaker list include the following.
Lastly I am so excited to have learned about the next film by world renown documentary filmmaker Ron Fricke. Fricke's films from Koyaanisqatsi to Baraka tipped my passions for the ecology, culture and film into a career. And now in the summer of 2012 we will be treated to this next installment in his amazing career, Samsara.
Click the picture below to play the trailer!
Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 02012
"An invisible, ancient source of energy surrounds us—energy that powered the first explorations of the world, and that may be a key to the future.
This map shows you the delicate tracery of wind flowing over the US right now. " -- Hint.fm
Visit this link below and you can watch the wind of our country moving in practically real time. It is a stagering beautiful display of Mother Nature overlaid upon a recognizable human construct. I really admire the work Hint.fm. They are bringing a sea of information and data together in a visually stunning story. I've said it before but infographics are going to continue to become more and more important to society needing to absorb large tracts of data quickly.
I put together a quick video captured from their website and love watching the data flow!
Wind Power is not without controversy but certainly there is room for it in the diversified portfolio of alternative energy sources of the future.
Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 02012
And wouldn't you know it we're shooting with it right away. Stills and videos will be forthcoming as soon as possible but we're thrilled to be putting the L-Series Canon Lenses that we acquired for shooting with the Canon 5D MII to use on an actual production ready video camera.
The images we will be able to make with this light weight small form factor camera will blow you away and its the perfect camera for hand-held and ENG work as well as beautiful talking heads and landscapes.
What's all the hype about???? Until we get back from our first trip with it, we'll let Philip Bloom tell you allllllll about it.
http://philipbloom.net/2011/12/24/c300review/
Some Specs from Canon's Website
Posted on Wednesday, February 1, 02012
How Money Corrupts Congress and a Plan to Stop It from The Long Now Foundation on FORA.tv
"He said the type of corruption rampant in the US Congress is not the old type of bribery, where congressional representatives had safes in their offices to hold the cash they received for voting in certain directions. That is now illegal and eliminated. This new type of corruption is more subtle, indirect and harder to outlaw. Corporations legally donate money to the election campaigns of legislators, who in turn tend to vote in favor of the interests of those corporations. Non-profits like Maplight can graph the evidence that a representative voting in favor of a particular corporate-friendly law will receive 6 or 10 or 13 times the funding than someone who opposes the law. He cited studies that showed the ROI (return on investment) of lobbying to be 1,000%. It was one of the sanest expenses for a corporation. But the distortion is not just one sided. The issue that Congress spent the most time on in 2011 -- a year when US was waging two wars, dealing with a near economic depression, and revamping health care -- was the bank swipe fee. Who should pay the credit card use fee -- the banks or the stores? There were corporations on both sides of this minor argument, but each side was promising campaign funds, so this was the issue that got all the attention of the officials. But the real money to be made in Congress is the relative fortune to be made as a lobbyist after leaving office. The differential in wages between a staff member and a lobbyist has escalated a hundred fold in the past 40 years. Now 43% of staff go on to become lobbyists. The promise of a well-paying job working for corporate interests later is enough to warp voting now.
None of this is illegal, but Lessig argues that we have a constitutional argument for eliminating it. The Constitution talks about the republic being "dependent on the people alone." But now it is dependent on corporate funders, and more and more JUST on corporate funders. His solution is to return the republic to being dependent on the people alone. His solution is an innovative kind of campaign finance reform. Give every voter a $50 campaign voucher. The $50 comes from the tax pool. It can be given to any candidate who accepts only money from the vouchers (and maybe a limit of an optional voluntary $100 per single voter). Thus all campaign money would come in very small amounts from The People. Lessig calculates that the total amount of money raised this public way would be 3 times the amount raised by private means in the last election cycles, and therefore more than adequate. But it would break the grip of corporate influence over what is voted up. The result would not be harmonious utopia, but the usual give-and-take compromises of politics -- which the US has not seen in decades. The issues that people cared about would return to the agenda."
Posted on Wednesday, November 2, 02011
Laura Cunningham: Ten Millennia of California Ecology from The Long Now Foundation on FORA.tv
Sustainability Media filmed another amazing talk hosted by the Long Now Foundation's Seminars About Long-term Thinking in October. In this talk Ecologist, Artist and Oil Painter, Laura Cunningham brings us her near 30 years of research and passion to understand the historical landscapes of California. Beautiful artwork and amazing revelations of our past California. Enjoy!
Posted on Monday, October 31, 02011
As Shoulder High Productions continues to help document the Stanford University Medical Campus Renewal Project, this story about the University's efforts to preserve the trees of the beautiful Stanford campus seemed to be a great fit to share with the Sustainability Media community.
In this video you can see the same company that relocated and preserved the trees surrounding the NYC 9/11 site, as they masterfully box and transport the giant Oaks and Redwoods that make the community so unique and natural.
"In order to advance construction efforts, trees across the medical center campus are being protected, preserved for re-planting or repurposed. It's amazing to witness the boxing and storing of these trees, many of which will come right back to the hospital sites once construction is completed. Environmental Design, Inc., walks us through the process underway."
Learn more about the project here: http://stanfordpackard.org/
Remember that you can watch in HD by clicking the button in the bottom right of this play window after you press play.
FYI: (from http://www.cleanairgardening.com/plantingtrees.html)
Planting trees can also help cool your home in the summer. The Arbor Day Foundation states that the overall effect of the shade created by planting a healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners running 20 hours a day!
In the winter, trees can act as windbreaks for your home and will help you save on heating costs. The Journal of Horticulture claims that saving on heating costs can reach as much as 25 percent!
Trees shade buildings, streets, and homes. If enough trees are planted in cities, the overall microclimate improves and total energy use for heating and cooling is reduced. The EPA has some great information on how planting trees and other vegetation can help to reduce the overall high temperature of your city!
Other Helpful Links:
The Value of Trees to A Community: http://www.arborday.org/trees/Benefits.cfm
The EPA on Heat Island effect: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/index.htm
Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 02011
Plenty of people today know about Global Warming and its adverse effects for both us and the planet we call home, but many ask what can I do about it? The best thing to do is stay informed. Knowing where emissions contribute to this problem is the first part of the battle in being able to empower yourself towards lasting change. Thankfully, the United Nations Environmental Programme has come up with this fascinating info-graphic to break it all down for us.
It shows you exactly what kind of emission is caused by which sectors and what uses or activities cause these emissions to be released into our atmosphere. You'll note that the Energy sector takes up the biggest segment of this flow chart. No real surprise there, but the question becomes how do we combat this in creative ways that allow us as citizens to make an impact on Climate Change?
A very important part of this ongoing process is to remind our government that we support initiatives which foster environmental awareness and action. Petitioning your local, Statewide, and Nationally elected officials to push for renewal energy resource production is something that needs to happen now more than ever. While we wait on the political process to shift, there's a lot we can do now by employing simple strategies. Starting with local businesses and building owners serves a dual purpose. For one, it benefits the business as it would cut down on their energy usage. For another, it helps you stay actively involved in the fight against Climate Change on a local level.
A great idea for how to achieve this goal comes to us from Project Rooftop.
Project Rooftop proposes that if we were to paint every rooftop in urbanized areas white, instead of black which traps heat, smog, and spikes energy usage, we would be able to do away with an entire year's worth of CO2 emissions for our planet. That's environmental ingenuity in action. To find out more about Project Rooftop, adopt a roof, or volunteer to get painting in your neighborhood, you can sign up here: http://www.whiteroofproject.com/volunteer-now/
Maybe you know of a building in your neighbor that would be interested in a little lift for it's rooftop color. If it's in the Bay Area, and the building owner is game, perhaps we'll come out and film the process to document how you became an agent for lasting environmental change.
Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 02011
Considered to be the father of the modern Environmental Movement, Aldo Leopold(1887–1948) continues to inspire us today. An American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist, his life's work encourages us to consider our relationship with the land we live within. His actions led to the first designated Wilderness Area in the world. Leopold himself used the term "green fire," the name of this excellent documentary on his life. He uses the term to describe the spirit of the natural world that in his youth he unknowingly compromised its interconnected composition by hunting the American wolf to near extinction. I strongly encourage giving the documentary a viewing and congratulate the filmmakers.
Commonly thought to be his greatest contribution, the well defined term "Land Ethic" can be further explored in his book A Sand County Almanac. I'll leave you with his own words.
If you'd like to learn more about the film please visit: https://www.aldoleopold.org/greenfire/index.shtml
Posted on Monday, April 18, 02011
Posted on Tuesday, March 15, 02011
At the February Seminar About Long-term Thinking hosted by the Long Now Foundation, Mary Catherine Bateson suggested many exceptional paradigm shifts and observations on living more deeply as we age. An early comment she made that resonates still for me came after she posed a light hearted rhetorical question to the audience asking if we thought we'd be "wise" when we got older. Her response was very motivating.
"We all say 'experience' is the best teacher, but only if you do your homework. And the homework for the teacher called experience is reflection...and we put that off." If you would like some help reflecting about you can watch the clip below.
However the most ground-shaking concept she shared with us in my opinion was her challenge to consider thinking of the Earth as our child rather than our mother. She proposed this chiefly because of her reflections upon how we in America actively and passively treat the elderly. It was a powerful moment and significant thought. I encourage you to watch the clip below to hear it for yourself.
The Seminars About Long-term Thinking are organized by the Long Now Foundation. You can join and listen live each month in San Francisco or online where ever you are in the world. Click below for more!
Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 02011
After 10 years of grassroots advocacy, garage based engineering and dreams of saving the earth, Felix Kramer and Ron Gremban of Calcars.org celebrate with Dr. Andy Frank as they receive their Chevy Volts. This was a major accomplishment because it marked the end of their initial campaign at Calcars. First to prove to the Auto Industry that Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles were not only possible using today's readily available technology, but that the American public wanted this technology and secondly to see a major auto company mass produce a PHEV. Well the proof of all their hard work is finally now available. GM's Chevy Volt is an extended range PHEV and according to Dr. Andy Frank, his new Chevy Volt drives and operates exactly like his initial ideas 25 years ago. Congratulations to Felix, Ron and Andy and the rest of the community that has fought and striven against all odds to see this day. And here's to the next goal: Establishing a business model and best practices for the mass conversion of the millions of non electrified vehicles on America's roads today to PHEV's. Learn more at Calcars.org
CalCars ChevyVolt 2011 from Shoulder High Productions, LLC on Vimeo.
Here's a list of other blog articles and videos we have made for CalCars.org over the years.
http://sustainabilitymedia.com/blog/02009/mar/12/calcars-part-pbs-special-energy/
http://sustainabilitymedia.com/blog/02009/aug/05/calcars-announces-major-victory/
http://sustainabilitymedia.com/blog/02008/mar/01/calcars-calls-presidential-canidates/
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BLOG UPDATE: March 2nd, 2011
Take action today and send a message to President Obama urging him to follow through on his pledge to support EV's and PHEV's in the marketplace. He needs our support to realize this vision. Click the picture below to share your support the Sierra Club's campaign!
Posted on Tuesday, November 2, 02010
Sustainability Media recently produced an exciting event for The Long Now Foundation called The Long Conversation . Over 6 hours, 21 of the San Francisco Bay Area's most interesting minds came together to share the stage in a series of fascinating and at times groundbreaking conversations. Of special note was an announcement that came out of a conversation between Long Now board member Peter Schwartz and NASA Ames Research Center Director Pete Worden. It has made its way around the internet by now and we are so glad to have helped facilitate this exciting announcement and stimulating Long Now Foundation event.
The Hundred Year Starship Initiative, a project that NASA Ames and DARPA are undertaking to fund a mission to the red planet by 2030 was disclosed and you can listen to more about the project here. Be sure to check in at longnow.org and ForaTV for more videos of from the Long Conversation and other exciting events.
With a projected price tag in double digit billions of dollars, NASA is only kicking in $100,000 and DARPA's adding $1 million. So the strategy now seems to be to pull in a team of Billionaires to execute on this vision. The entire project though has completely taken me by surprise though because of the nature of the trip. They are not embarking on the project as trying to figure out how to bring people back from Mars once they get there as a necessary component of the project. The Mission is to send people to Mars and empower them the best they can with the means of getting themselves home by mining the resources available there. This is obviously a high stakes approach which evidently has a list mile long at NASA of volunteering astronauts willing to take on the project and the potential one way mission.
I grew up with the reality that humanity had accomplished the dream of flying to space and landing on the moon. Each successive trip was then seen by generations like mine as a repeat performance and a chance to perfect the accomplishment. While I understand the gigantic strides in scientific knowledge that have come from the successive trip to space, I also acknowledge that the daring sense of vision pushed us beyond orbit in the first place is not reflected in these near orbit tasks. The concept of pushing the limits again to attempt to put a colony of pioneering scientists on a neighboring Planet has always captivated me and I'm thrilled to hear there is a plan in place to try to accomplish this. I salute the ambition, the scientists and the funders of this great vision.
Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 02010
If I asked you to guess how many nuclear explosions have occurred on earth up until 1998, what would you say?
100? 500? 1000?
Nope...the answer can be experienced by watching this video entitled "1945-1998" by Isao Hashimoto (Japan, © 2003) . It is unsettling and eerie to listen to the rhythm of our nations execute, test and posture with this technology. It is also amazing certain places on this globe are still there after all the explosions that have occurred.
Sustainability Media invites you to attend the next Seminar About Long-term Thinking that we film for the Long Now Foundation at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. Author, Richard Rhodes will discusses his latest book, The Twilight of the Bombs: Recent Challenges, New Dangers, and the Prospects for a World Without Nuclear Weapons . -- "A single weapon profoundly shaped world history for most of a century. Its disappearance can have equally profound effects."
And please take 2 minutes to listen to an interview by the New York Times of photographer Peter Kuran as he narrates his pictures from years of documenting atomic and nuclear explosions. Pretty amazing stuff.
Posted on Friday, June 11, 02010
Here are 3 web pages where you can help:
1.) Tell President Obama that you stand with him making this America's next priority.
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