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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.
Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 02010
WE HAVE POSTED 4 UPDATES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ENTRY. PLEASE REVIEW AND TAKE ACTION TODAY.
The United States of America needs to come together right now and dedicate our will, ingenuity and resolve to transforming the means in which we fuel and power our national economy. We need to use this moment in time to catalyze the social and political process of creating a new sustainable and clean energy policy. From the fuels which power our personal vehicles to the means in which we power our industries, cities and homes - our Nation and Planet Earth needs us to change.
A May 4th New York Times article reads: " In a closed-door briefing for members of Congress, a senior BP executive conceded Tuesday that the ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico could conceivably spill as much as 60,000 barrels a day of oil, more than 10 times the estimate of the current flow."
Just look at this infographic by David McCandless breaking down the severity of this spill. CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO ENLARGE
We cannot let BP off the hook on this crisis. And we need to look in the mirror as well. Our own politicians regularly grant exemptions to the environmental impact studies of the oil industry's offshore drilling operations. In a May 5th article in the Washington Post Kierán Suckling, executive director of the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity, explains how this federal waiver system puts "BP entirely in control" of the way it conducts its drilling operations. The Federal Minerals Management Service (MMS) "oversight role has devolved to little more than rubber-stamping British Petroleum's self-serving drilling plans." The MMS gave BP's lease at Deepwater Horizon a "categorical exclusion" from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on April 6, 2009 -- and BP continued their lobbying efforts to expand those exemptions just 11 days before the explosion.
Why? Why did the agency of our government that's tasked with oversight of the safety precautions allow BP and other oil companies the ability to drill with obviously inadequate safety precautions and "rubber-stamp" oversight? Because AMERICA IS ADDICTED TO OIL. Our entire country absolutely depends upon it to fuel our economy and our daily lives.
We need to change. This devastating crisis is just one in a long line of ramifications of how systematically and destructively addicted we are. Here are a few things to consider to help support and bring upon the change we need. Please review and take action today!
1.) Sign RePower America's Petition and "call on Congress to stand up to polluters and ignite a clean energy revolution by passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation this year!"
2.) Contact your Senator and tell them that you support The U.S. House of Representatives work on a bill to raise the liability cap for oil spills to $10 billion from $75 million and that all of Congress needs to work on the Clean Energy and Climate legislation bill THIS YEAR! This phone number will route you directly to your Senator's office 1-877-973-7693. It takes 2 minutes!
3.) Donate to the Sierra Club's efforts to fight for stronger environmental and energy laws that will go toward helping reduce our dependence on oil, without putting our oceans and fragile coastal environments at risk and endangering the millions of jobs supported by coastal economies.
4.) Send a picture of yourself holding a sign in front of a BP gas station and join 1Sky's movement to tell Congress to stop Offshore Drilling.
UPDATE: added 5/13/10
This is video of the actual oil leak. Everyday the list of scientists grows who are testifying that the flow rate is far greater than the early EPA and BP estimates.
Update: added 5/20/10
If you don't see blue in the water in this picture you're looking at the oil slick. It is truly and horribly gigantic as this image from space shows. Click to enlarge.
UPDATE: added 5/27/10
With BP's Top Kill strategy underway still for the 2nd day, new perspectives are being presented to us to show the extent of the disaster under the surface where the majority of the devestation is occuring.
Update: added 6/4/10
With the latest "Top Kill" effort to cap the BP Horizon Oil Spill having failed, the folks at Information is Beautiful have updated their initial inforgraphic of the spill. And while we would have wished for a quicker and less passive federal managing of BP's response, President Obama has quite appropriately declared that there will be a criminal inquiry into the BP Horizon Oil Spill. As a citizen of the US and of Planet Earth, I'm glad to see an effort to demand accountability of this disaster. The Obama Administration has also wisely seized the opportunity to advance and promote a new Clean Energy Policy for the United States of America. This is vital to decreasing our addiction and dependence on oil and non-renewable fossil fuels. Please add your voice in support of these efforts.
IN A LETTER FROM JOHN KERRY:
Hello Friend,
No long wind-up needed this time, I just wanted to share with you what President Obama just said in Pittsburgh about the climate and energy legislation you and I have been working overtime to get passed for a year now:
"The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the Senate - a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats and Republicans - that would achieve the same goals. Pittsburgh, I want you to know, the votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months. I will make the case for a clean energy future wherever I can, and I will work with anyone to get this done, and we will get it done. The next generation will not be held hostage to energy sources from the last century. We are not going to move backwards, we are going to move forward."
If you have time, read his entire remarks, but if you don't, here's the bottom line: this is just what we needed with Congress coming back into session next week. Just as we saw with health care, when the President throws down the gauntlet, and puts his prestige on the line and puts the full weight of the White House behind it, we can do big things - the whole debate changes.
This is the fourth time in just 12 days that the President has made it crystal clear that he's not waiting - he's working with us to get our bill passed this year. As he's been saying, the catastrophe in the Gulf shows without a doubt that we need to end our oil addiction, and the Senate has to be on record this year doing something to finally tackle the challenge - no watered down, feel good measures that only postpone the day of reckoning; we're making it happen now.
This is going to be a big fight and we'll need all hands on deck in the next couple of months to make this happen - but now no one can dispute this: President Obama has doubled down on victory.
I'll loop back with ways you can make a difference - now I wanted you to see this, and I want you to know we're on track for the fight you've been pushing for every step of the way.
Now let's make it happen,
John Kerry
Posted on Wednesday, April 21, 02010
Here's a fun and quick animated video recounting the last 40 years of the modern environmental movement. Don't worry it is only 4 minutes and while entertaining, it is a useful refresher course in case you missed part of it.
Of course I say the modern environmental movement because long before we even knew about dangerous chemicals and pollutants there were pioneers who spent their life trying to instill an ethos of stewardship, respect and celebration of the natural world: Aldo Leopold , President Theodore Roosevelt , Henry David Thoreau , John Muir , George Perkins Marsh, Ansel Adams to name just a few.
Modern environmentalist, Paul Hawken, gave a talk at the Long Now Foundation entitled “The New Great Transformation.” In it he describes the future of the environmental movement and it is quite inspiring.
Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 02010
There is a Live Webinar to listen to the launching of the next X Prize today at 2:00pm PST. Sign up here!
X PRIZE Foundation is pleased to announce that Cisco is the Presenting Sponsor of the Energy and Environment Prize Group. The goal of the partnership is to generate breakthroughs in climate change, water resource management, energy distribution and storage, clean energy, and energy efficiency/use.
Areas of Interest for the Energy & Environment Prize Group:
Sustainability Media filmed X Prize Foundation Founder, Peter Diamandis back in September of 2008 for the Long Now Foundation's Seminars About Long-term Thinking .
Posted on Saturday, April 3, 02010
This might be a bit complicated at first, but I guarantee you it is well worth a few moments of your time to explore these sites.
Have you ever wondered how vast the entire known Universe is? Have you ever sat there trying to imagine how small an atom is in comparison to, oh I don't know, let's say a beach ball? Well me neither really, BUT I have good news for you! Now you can actually get the answers to those crazy questions! Created by a Flash programming group called "Fotoshop" I present to you a way to zoom from the smallest concept to the widest imaginable view of everything. - Ok that didn't actually describe it very well. You'll just have to visit this site and press "Play" and start scrolling the slider controls left to right until you catch on.
The whole experience reminds me of two talks Sustainability Media has filmed for the Long Now Foundation.
The first was called "Playing with Time" and featured renown music producer, Brian Eno sharing the stage with Game Design legend, Will Wright (of Sim and Spore fame). In it Will Wright demos his now released follow up to his franchise of Sim games with Spore where you start by playing as an amoeba of sorts and evolve your creature to eventually colonize galaxies.
The second is a talk we just filmed in April of 2010 entitled, "Six Easy Steps to Avert the Collapse of Civilization" by Neuroscientist and fictional author, David Eagleman . Eagleman shared with us his latest short story where he writes his entire maternal lineage dating back to the very first female gendered organism a Happy Mother's Day Thank You Note. Check back in a few weeks for a video link.
Anyway, I thought I would share with you a few things that help me understand how marvelously complex and giant we humans are in comparison to the smallest pieces of matter in the universe and at the same time celebrate how awe inspiring it is how small we are in comparison to the vastness of our Universe...Enjoy!
Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 02010
Sometimes infographics aren't quite enough. I know you never thought you'd hear me say that, but it's true.
Sometimes we need more senses to experience something properly...fully.
Created by White Vinyl Design , this is a wonderfully distilled expression of the motion and sound of the major bodies in our Universe.
I've let this play on my computer now for a few days and taken time to listen to it passively and quite intently. Sometimes I wait for Pluto to cycle a full orbit and other times I watch the curious visual rhythms of our celestial music box play out. It got really cool when I accidentally had two computers playing this at the same time!
There is something mesmerizing about experiencing the larger sense of time and place around us like this. Enjoy! (click the picture below to start)
We also invite you to check in with our partners at the Long Now Foundation for similar meditations on humanity's relationship with time and place.
Posted on Saturday, March 27, 02010
On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more about how Earth Hour began, what we’ve accomplished, and what is in store for 2010.
Click this image below to see it even larger.
Posted on Friday, March 26, 02010
Jamie Oliver's new show "Food Revolution" premiers tonight on ABC. This is a series about trying to change the eating habits and education level of food and nutrition in America. This is not just a weight loss show. This is about the future health and well being of our country. Please watch or put it into your DVR schedule asap!
And while you're reading take a look at Jamie's petition to improve the foods and cooking skills of our kids in our school system.
Here's what's happening from the top down. Click this link to learn about First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to work on the issues surrounding childhood obesity in America.
Lastly, did you know Sustainability Media filmed a seminar with Michael Pollan at the Long Now Foundation entitled: "Deep Agriculture"?
This is a great talk which explains the history of agriculture in America and shows us why we need to reclaim control of what we're eating.
Posted on Friday, March 26, 02010
President Obama made history by signing comprehensive health care reform into law. This is a game changer and it's our big chance to seize the momentum that Congress is feeling.
That's why we have to act right now to pass a strong clean energy and climate bill in the Senate.
Build support for the bipartisan effort on clean energy. Join our movement now in standing up and saying: "We got next."
Sign the petition and we'll deliver your message to your Senators later this week.
Watch President Obama call for a Clean Energy Bill:
Do you want to learn more about why and how this is so important? Read Al Gore's book "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis"
Also you can watch a video we shot for the Long Now Foundation by Saul Griffith entitled "Climate Change Recalculated." In this talk Griffith describes a place called "Renewistan," a country run by 100% renewable energy, and what would be needed to Green the economies of the world. Its fascinating stuff!
Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 02010
BBC Wildlife Magazine is offering free Master Photography Classes(downloadable pdf sheets with great tips, tricks and examples. ) Half of a great photo is being there and pushing the button at the right time. So if you have a camera and the desire to take great photos that can help communicate about the many environmental and cultural issues needing attention in the world. Take a quick study of these classes and I bet you'll learn more than just a thing or two! We'd love to see some of your work too!
And if you're in Northern California, head over to the San Francisco California Academy of Sciences to see a few of Sustainability Media's wildlife and conservation video projects in Madagascar, Venezuela and more.
Here's a video we made with CAS Entomologist Dr. Brian Fisher back in 2003 in Madagascar entitled, "A Map to Save an Island ."
Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 02010
No it's not with Sustainability Media, it's even better! Check this out it is with the Sierra Club!
Our Outdoors Youth Ambassador intern will spend the summer video-blogging on different Sierra Club outings sponsored by our Inner City Outings , Building Bridges to the Outdoors , and Volunteer Vacations programs. See glorious sights, meet amazing young people, and have new adventures!
Want to know who wins? Become an Insider today and be among the first to know who wins the Best Internship on Earth! Plus get green lifestyle tips, Sierra Club news and much more!
Get the Sierra Club Insider , our email newsletter. News, green lifestyle tips, and ways to take action: right to your inbox, twice a month.
Posted on Friday, March 12, 02010
Singer Associates Inc. , a client of both Shoulder High Productions, LLC. and Sustainability Media, was nominated as one of only four finalist in PRWEEK Magazine's "Best Agency of the Year" award !
It is the fourth time in the last five years they have been honored with this distinction. We are extremely happy for them and proud to be called upon by their team in San Francisco to create the media for many of their client's video campaigns.
We look forward to continued collaboration and successes.
Below is just one example of our work together. It is an ongoing public outreach program to communicate to the surrounding community the needs, impacts, benefits of the Stanford University Medical Center Project:Renewal .
Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 02010
Straight from their own website:
"Bloom Energy is changing the way the world generates and consumes energy.
Our unique on-site power generation systems utilize an innovative new fuel cell technology with roots in NASA's Mars program.
Derived from a common sand-like powder, and leveraging breakthrough advances in materials science, our technology is able to produce clean, reliable, affordable power,... practically anywhere,... from a wide range of renewable or traditional fuels.
Our Energy Servers™ are among the most efficient energy generators on the planet; providing for significantly reduced electricity costs and dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions.
By generating power on-site, where it is consumed, Bloom Energy offers increased electrical reliability and improved energy security, providing a clear path to energy independence.
Founded in 2001, Bloom Energy is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California."
Pictured at the bottom of the page are eBay's new Bloom Energy Servers. Hopefully this goes towards offsetting a few more tons of Carbon Dioxide producing late night auction bids!
Is the really going to take 10 years to get me off grid in my house???
Check out the 60 minute interview here:
eBay's Bloom Energy Servers
Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 02010
Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles are about to go mainstream thanks in large part to the dedication of an amazing group of volunteers at CalCars.org !
Sustainability Media has been helping Felix Kramer, founder of CalCars.org, for years now ever since we filmed a conversion of a Prius into a PHEV Prius which would then get 100+MPG! The video was put on TreeHuggerTV and CurrentTV.
A PHEV is not the end solution we are all hoping for to end our dependency on the fossil fuel economy and do our part to curb our CO2 output, but the point that CalCars proves is that with today's technology a solution in ready to make a massively significant contribution to these goals. From our work with Bill McKibben and 350.org (which you can view at the California Academy of Sciences )we know that we must get the global parts per million of Carbon Dioxide to under 350ppm as quickly as we can. As the new green economy begins to come online the PHEV is ready today to make a giant leap forward.
Listen to Felix Kramer's chronicle of his foundation's journey here at the Big Think. Sustainability Media is proud to be a partner of CalCars.org and we salute the victories on our doorstep.
Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 02010
Thanks Nasa for the Highest Resolution Picture of Earth - The Ultimate Self Portrait. No we didn't take this photo, but we sure would have loved to.
I hope these help bring a moment of pause and reflection of our shared existence and circumstance.
click on the pictures to see them even larger
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