Canadian Thanksgiving is at Odds with Columbus Day

Although they co-occur, in many respects Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving are diametrically opposed to each other. While Canadian Thanksgiving is a harvest festival celebrating nature's bounty, Columbus Day marks the start of our systematic destruction of the natural world.

Monday October 12th is Canadian Thanksgiving a time to be grateful, it is also Columbus day in most parts of the new world. It is hard to reconcile the start of our exploitation of the new world and the expression of gratitude for the bountiful harvests nature provides. 

Since 1970, Columbus day has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. As of 1959, this day is also Thanksgiving in Canada. Many countries in the New World celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas, on October 12, 1492, as a holiday. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus' voyage since the colonial period.

Regardless of where we live this day is the perfect time for people in the new world to ask some important questions. We should ask ourselves why tribal governments do not recognize Columbus Day, while others have renamed the holiday, “Native American” day or a day named after their Tribe.

While this is a time to cultivate gratitude for our good fortune it is also a time to reflect on our egregious  impacts on the natural world. As we celebrate nature's gifts we should be mindful of the origins of our exploitation and rather than celebrate conquest, the day should be seen as an opportunity to reflect on environmental degradation. Such reflections can give way to modes of life more in harmony with the natural world.

As we ebb ever closer to irreversible tipping points, we must seize the opportunity to deepen our commitments to a better understanding of the natural world, greener living and more sustainable practices.

An honest assessment reveals that we cannot continue to live as we have in the past.  If we are to stave off the worst impacts of climate change and preserve what is left of the natural world, we must change our relationship to nature and do a far better job of stewarding our limited planetary resources.

This is a time to show our appreciation for the environment, a time to redress the injustice of the past and begin working in earnest towards a more ecological future.

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Reflections on Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving

Monday October 13th is Columbus day in most parts of the new world, in Canada it is Thanksgiving. Columbus day and Canadian Thanksgiving offer us an opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the bounty of life in the new world. It is also propitious that we should think about our impact on the natural world at this time of year. Since 1970, Columbus day has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. As of 1959, this day is also Thanksgiving in Canada. Columbus day marks the start of our habitation of the new world and Thanksgiving is a time where we express our gratitude for the bountiful harvests nature provides.

Many countries in the New World celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas, which happened on October 12, 1492, as a holiday or official celebration. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus's voyage since the colonial period.

Whether we celebrate Columbus day or Thanksgiving, this is the perfect time to cultivate gratitude for our good fortune and reflect on our egregious environmental impacts. Such an awareness can give way to modes of life more in harmony with the natural world.

Columbus day marks the genesis of our exploitation of the new world and Canadian Thanksgiving commemorates nature's gifts. As we ebb ever closer to irreversible tipping points, we must seize the opportunity to deepen our commitments to greener living and more sustainable practices.

This is an ideal time to acknowledge our impacts and realize that we must change our relationship to nature and our limited planetary resources. This is a time to show our appreciation for the environment by learning to be better stewards of the earth.

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2013 Year End Review: US Environmental Success Stories

In 2013, concerned people, organizations and companies in the U.S. and around the world helped move environmental causes forward. From new legislation to the protection of habitats and ecosystems, here is a sampling of U.S. environmental achievements in 2013.

A new study showed that a solid majority of Americans accept the reality of global warming and are calling for action on climate change.

U.S. President Obama launched the most ambitious government wide climate action plan in the history of the nation. In the summer of 2013, Obama said, “As a president, as a father, and as an American, I’m here to say we need to act.” The President’s Climate Action Plan includes limiting pollution from power plants, new standards for energy efficiency on public lands, doubling renewable energy, and working on leading efforts to forge international action.

The EPA’s new standards to reduce emissions from U.S. power plants are of great importance as these plants produce approximately 40 percent of American greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The U.S. joined the U.K. and the World Bank in a decision to limit financing to coal power plants around the world. The U.S. Treasury Department indicated that except for some rare circumstances, it will not finance any new coal projects.

A study published this summer suggested that global warming may have slowed somewhat over the past 15 years. The observed slow down may be at least partly attributable to a global phase out of potent greenhouse-trapping gases called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The eradication of CFCs is attributable to the Montreal Protocol. This finding can be interpreted as evidence that international agreements can be effective at reducing climate change causing GHGs.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), another GHG have largely replaced CFCs and these are also being phased out. President Obama and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, forged a new historic agreement that outlines critical steps both nations will take to end the use of HFCs. Other world leaders are following suit.

The WWF highlighted a dozen environmental success stories in 2013. Here is a their summary of U.S. achievements:

• People are getting involved with events designed to raise awareness and increase actions that will help reduce our environmental impacts. One such event was Earth Hour. On March 23, 2013, Americans joined hundreds of millions of people around the world who switched off their lights for one hour to show their commitment to the planet. American cities are among the 60 cities worldwide that are participating in the 2013 Earth Hour City Challenge. This challenge involves quantifiable actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand renewable energy, and/or increase energy efficiency.
• The U.S. is also taking action in support of native people’s land and animal stewardship. One such initiative is the first tribal national park for Oglala Sioux in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This park will more than double the number of Bison stewarded by the tribe.
• Responsible forest management and trade practices were adopted by International Paper. This brings the number of companies and communities involved in the WWF’s Global Forest & Trade Network to 200 worldwide.
• In Alaska, Royal Dutch Shell shelved a plan to drill for oil and gas in mammal-rich Beaufort and Chukchi seas in 2013.
• In July, U.S.-based multinational Coca-Cola renewed an agreement with the WWF through 2020 that will help to conserve the world’s freshwater resources and measurably improve Coca-Cola’s environmental performance across the company’s value chain. This includes agriculture, climate, packaging and water efficiency impacts.
• President Obama is working to address wildlife crime including poaching and trafficking around the world and in Africa in particular.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in Denver crushed six tons of illegal elephant ivory tusks, trinkets and souvenirs. This event highlighted U.S. intolerance to ivory trafficking and wildlife crime.

Here is a summary of the Sierra Club’s list of 10 clean energy success stories in 2013.

• The American Electric Power announced it would add enough wind energy to power 200,000 homes in Oklahoma while providing substantial savings to customers.
• Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado signed into law new legislation that will double the state’s renewable energy standard. Under the new law, 20 percent of the state’s energy will from clean sources.
• In Minnesota, comprehensive legislation passed the state legislature that will boost the state’s solar electricity from 13 megawatts (MW) to 450 MW by 2020. This represents an increase of more than 1,200 percent.
• Facebook announced that its Altoona, Iowa data center will be fully powered by wind by early 2015 due to a 138 megawatt wind farm in Wellsburg.
• Nebraska’s huge wind potential is being tapped after Governor Dave Heineman signed progressive wind energy legislation.
• The Nevada state legislature passed legislation to retire the Reid Gardner coal-fired power plant and bring an end to the importing of coal power from Arizona. The state will also expand local clean energy development.
• California’s growing solar industry reached a major milestone with more than 150,000 homes and businesses with rooftop solar installations.
• Environmental groups and Georgia’s Tea Party teamed up to create the Green Tea Coalition. The group pushed for the Georgia Public Service Commission to approve Georgia Power’s proposal to retire 20 percent of its coal plants and add 525 MW of solar power to Georgia by 2016.
• The Long Island Power Authority is investing in 100 MW of new solar power on the island, and they have plans to add an additional 280 MW of renewable energy. This is the single largest investment in renewable energy in New York history. New York City also announced a 10 MW project at Staten Island’s Freshkills Park, once known as the world’s largest landfill.
• Maryland is moving forward with clean energy legislation known as the Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 and Prince George’s County Council voted to require renewable energy in all new and renovated governmental facilities.

The Wilderness Society is at the forefront of efforts to protect forests, parks, refuges and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Here is thier summary of their environmental success stories for 2013.

• President Obama designated 5 new national monuments in March.
• California’s Pinacles National Park, was upgraded from national monument status.
• Washington state legislature passed a bill that protects 50,000 acres of land in the Teanaway River Valley, east of Seattle.
• Sensitive areas in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska gained protection from oil and gas drilling when the Department of the Interior issued a final management plan that will protect 11 million acres of “Special Areas.” The BLM also announced a strategic plan to clean up more than 130 abandoned oil and gas well sites.
• Utah’s red rock lands were protected by a federal judge who struck down a management plan that prioritized off-roading over Utah’s wildlands.
• Yosemite National Park was removed from a logging bill after a public outcry.
• A ban on new uranium mining was upheld by the court’s ruling on the Greater Grand Canyon
• In Montana a bill introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) is moving forward. The bill will add 67,000 acres to protected areas in that state’s eastern fringe of the existing Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness Areas.
• The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is safe for another year despite repeated efforts by Governor  Parnell (R-AK) to launch seismic testing to search for oil and gas in the refuge. All three of Parnell’s attempts were rejected by the Interior Department.

Taken together, these victories give us reason to hope that we are capable of acting more responsibly to defend the planet for future generations.

Source: Global Warming is Real

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This NRDC video shows what people can achieve when they work together. NRDC Members helped to secure many environmental successes in 2013, this video summarizes some of those victories.

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Video - Gratitude for Nature (2012): Documentary Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg Tedx

Nature's beauty inspires gratitude. In this video Louie Schwartzberg addresses flowers and the fate of the bees which are so dependent on flowers. In the same way that the bees are dependent on flowers for their sustenance we are dependent on the bees to pollinate our crops.

Louie is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer who captures breathtaking images and stories that celebrate life -- revealing connections, universal rhythms, patterns and beauty. In 2012 he directed Mysteries of the Unseen World, a 3D large format film for National Geographic. He also launched Moving Art™ on Panasonic Smart TV, an IPTV channel that will inspire, entertain and transform the home viewing screen into an emotional immersive user preference experience.

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Video - Gratitude for Nature (2011): Documentary Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg Tedx

Nature's beauty is the focus of the work of filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. He is an award-winning cinematographer, director and producer who captures breathtaking images that celebrate life — revealing connections, universal rhythms, patterns and beauty. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.

Among his many awards are two Clio Awards for TV advertising, including best environmental broadcast spot. He also earned an Emmy nomination for best cinematography and the Heartland Film Festival's Truly Moving Picture Award for the feature film "America's Heart & Soul."

Schwartzberg founded Moving Art to use the power of media to inspire and entertain through television programming, DVD products, and full-length motion picture and IMAX films. His film "Wings of Life" was released by Disneynature.

To learn more about Louie and Moving Art click here.

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Video - Thank You for Taking Action to Save the Climate!

While it may seem like a daunting task, people all over the world are working hard to save the climate from the ravages of global warming. People who have lived through climate disasters are giving thanks, people who are deeply concerned about the fate of our climate are giving thanks. This profusion of gratitude goes out to all those who do not succumb to hopelessness and strive to protect our planet from climate change.

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The Free-Market Case for Sustainability from a Skeptic (Video)

Free market capitalist, libertarian, and green advocate T. J. Rodgers is neither a Democrat nor a Republican, yet he enthusiastically makes the business case for companies cashing in on renewable energy like solar power. He has demonstrated through his own experience and the experience of his company (Sunpower) that going green is fiscally responsible. Rodgers is even receptive to President Obama's take on cap-and-trade. What makes his approach particularly interesting is the fact that his advocacy does not engage the environmental argument, rather he argues the case for green based upon the benefits provided to business.

As Rodgers says, it makes sense to provide people what they want and make it efficiently leading the charge for renewable energy. A dedicated, unabashed, free market capitalist, T. J. Rodgers takes a business approach that is skeptical of the impacts of global warming.

While he cannot refute the science that indicates the planet is warming due to human activities, he is skeptical of the degree of warming, he does not foresee a catastrophic sea level rise, nor does he see the relationship between a warming planet and extreme weather. He goes on to assail Al Gore's stance on the environment. However, he makes the point that you do not need to support the science of climate change to see the merits of companies being more sustainable.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Academic Superiority of Green Schools

Green schools may be more conductive to academic success than traditional schools. As reviewed in a 2012 press release, the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) there is a positive correlation between green schools and academic success.

The research was funded by the GSNN and UCD. The research consisted of a survey sent to more than 350 primary and secondary schools that identified themselves as green. Schools that took part in the survey observe GreenPrint core practices as defined by the Green Schools National Network (GSNN).

There was a positive correlation between academic success and the following 5 GreenPrint core principles:

1. Curriculum that advances environmental literacy and sustainability
2. Stewardship and service learning
3. Sustainable facilities design and management
4. Health and well being
5. Strong partnership and network

Although more research is needed, these results suggest that green schools may improve academic performance.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Bridging the Gap: A Financial Approach to Sustainability (White Paper)

"Do good and you will do well!" pundits and companies often assert. While the tagline sounds great, the reality is that many companies struggle to connect sustainability with core business goals such as increasing sales, reducing costs, or reducing risks. As a result, sustainability departments are often seen as tangential to the core business, and annual CSR reports are mostly filled with anecdotal feel good stories. More often than not, environmental impacts, costs, and risks are mostly hidden and do not show up in companies' main accounting systems. As long as a CFO or Procurement Officer does not have visibility on such costs and risks in financial terms, the environment will at best remain a Chief Sustainability Officer issue.

The good news is that change is underway, mostly driven by buyers recognizing their own costs and risks from environmental impacts and asking their suppliers to be a part of reduction efforts, as seen in recent efforts by large retailers and organizations like the US Department of Defense.

Download the new white paper from Enviance to learn how a Fortune 100 company is responding to buyer pressure and effectively connecting sustainability and profitability, with a rigorous accounting of sustainability impacts, costs, and risks. You will also learn about the 4 KEY STEPS to make sustainability departments integrated partsof core business operations.

To download the white paper click here.

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GreenBiz Innovation Forum 2010

Leaders in sustainability are coming together on October 19 and 20, for an event called the GreenBiz Innovation Forum. This forum is designed to help businesses embrace innovation and sustainability as part of their fundamental strategy.

This is the first event for global companies focusing on how to embed innovation into their DNA to achieve both environmental and business goals.

The forum is premised on the understanding that the drive for sustainability is changing the competitive landscape for business. As companies are seeking to harness the opportunities that exist at the intersection of green and innovation, they are rethinking their processes, products, technology, and business models.

The Forum will help businesses understand what sustainable innovation means, including technology, product, service, and business model. It will explore the ways in which Innovation is becoming core to business strategy.

It will review some early movers that are are developing next-gen models, methods, and mind sets for transforming their businesses. It will examine how companies manage innovation, including the internal and external partners needed to suceed.

The forum will also map pathways and illustrate ways of overcoming barriers, as well as using the tools and technologies to accelerate implementation.

Finally the forum will review key success factors for making your company a sustainability innovation leader.

Presented in collaboration with Adaptive Edge, a leader in sustainability future thinking and innovation, the forum features an innovative program, combining world-class discussions, facilitated workshops, hands-on exercises, and small-group consultation to provide you with insights and tools that can be put to work inside any company.

Participants are also encouraged to bring their own green innovation challenges to the forum to share and learn with others.

The forum is intended for a wide range of participants including those involved with brand management, business development, business strategy, creative directors, design engineering, industrial design, marketing leadership, operations leadership, packaging design, product strategy, product design, quality management, research and development, and of course, sustainability leadership.

Companies attending the GreenBiz Innovation Forum include Avery Dennison, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Genentech, Gucci Group, Ingersoll Rand, Intuit, PNC Financial Services Group, Sabre Holdings/Travelocity, Stryker, Target, The Clorox Company, and West Marine.


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