I was listening the other day to a recording of Handel arias sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, the much-lauded contralto who died tragically last year at the height of her singing career. The word 'sublime' barely begins to describe Lieberson's voice, and her untimely death was considered - by music critics and fans alike - an enormous loss to the music world. I was lucky enough to have heard Lieberson perform these same arias live several years before her death, and that made her passing all the more poignant to me. When we know on a personal level how beautiful and valuable something is, we mourn its passing all the more.
So it is with the endangered species and habitats of the world, many of which I've had the tremendous good fortune to see in their wild habitat. Hearing Peter Knights of WildAid (http://www.wildaid.org/eng.asp?CID=1) talk about his impassioned fight to save the world's most threatened species from the devastation of the illegal wildlife trade, I felt personally the tragedy of losing these creatures. Watching a white rhino graze practically touching-distance from me in the wild was not only one of the absolute high points of my life, but also gave me a far more visceral and emotional connection to their survival than seeing them in a photo or zoo visit. And that's an experience I would like everyone to have, to know these wild animals as something real and tangible in their natural environment - not just photos on a calendar or in a magazine, but a beautiful and precious part of our world.
The work of groups like WildAid is absolutely crucial to ensuring that today's endangered animals don't end up as tomorrow's fur coat or medicine potion or high-priced delicacy, and that we'll all have the chance to see these magnificent creatures in the wild. So check out the work WildAid is doing and listen to Peter Knights' interview at http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2006/10/20061006_b_main.asp). And as soon as you can, book your visit for an up-close-and-personal encounter in the wild...I guarantee it will be one of the absolute high points of your life too.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Greening the ghetto with Majora Carter
So last night my husband and I were spending our Saturday evening not out on the town or watching a movie or socializing with friends, but watching presentations from the TED conference in March 2007. Sounds geeky, yes? If you don't know about TED, it's an annual conference bringing together news-makers from technology, entertainment and design to share ideas and effect change. What's incredibly entertaining about this is the enormous cross-section of incredibly influential people who, despite their disparate backgrounds, find common ground in their effort to more fully understand the world and change it for the better. Find out more about TED (and watch the presentations) at http://www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/5.
The reason the TED conference relates to this blog is not just the presence of such environmental conservation luminaries as Jane Goodall, but the overwhelming message that we can all create positive change to preserve the planet through our actions large and small. And the most inspiring speaker in that respect has to be Majora Carter, who launched an effort to take back the South Bronx waterfront from sludge and environmental degradation, dramatically transforming this after-thought borough in the process. What touched me - and anyone else who wants to change the world but isn't a power-broker with oodles of influence and money - was her message (to paraphrase) that yes, small grassroots efforts are crucial to saving the planet and the natural environment, and we can achieve great things as individuals if we keep focusing on and spreading our message. You have to watch her presentation at http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/51, because you can't help but be inspired and moved by what she's done, and what she believes she can do. If a woman from the South Bronx can command the same podium as movers and shakers at TED, what's to stop the rest of us?
The reason the TED conference relates to this blog is not just the presence of such environmental conservation luminaries as Jane Goodall, but the overwhelming message that we can all create positive change to preserve the planet through our actions large and small. And the most inspiring speaker in that respect has to be Majora Carter, who launched an effort to take back the South Bronx waterfront from sludge and environmental degradation, dramatically transforming this after-thought borough in the process. What touched me - and anyone else who wants to change the world but isn't a power-broker with oodles of influence and money - was her message (to paraphrase) that yes, small grassroots efforts are crucial to saving the planet and the natural environment, and we can achieve great things as individuals if we keep focusing on and spreading our message. You have to watch her presentation at http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/51, because you can't help but be inspired and moved by what she's done, and what she believes she can do. If a woman from the South Bronx can command the same podium as movers and shakers at TED, what's to stop the rest of us?
Friday, July 13, 2007
Sobering news...and a call to action
The Union of Concerned Scientists just released their report on the projected impact of global warming on two key U.S. regions, the California and the Northeast. Check it out at http://www.climatechoices.org/.
The Climate Choices report is sobering, to say the least, considering the long-term (and not-so-long-term) effects of rising temperatures on our environment. If the the wake-up call for most individuals is the negative impact of global warming on their daily comfort-level, then it's arrived in full-force, with blistering temperatures becoming the norm in New England and much of the United States. So we've got the bad news...now what's next? The Union of Concerned Scientists' report offers solutions to mitigate the effects of global warming, which I urge readers to pay close attention to, since they are do-able, achievable approaches to reducing our carbon emissions. And some of them (such as increasing development of renewable energy sources) are of potentially enormous economic benefit, creating jobs and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, putting the lie to the assertion of some conservatives that cutting CO2 emissions equals a loss in productivity and economic growth.
Make sure you don't miss the section of the report about the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas initiative. It's a great example of how states are rallying to address global warming in the absence of federal action...are you listening, Washington D.C.??
The Climate Choices report is sobering, to say the least, considering the long-term (and not-so-long-term) effects of rising temperatures on our environment. If the the wake-up call for most individuals is the negative impact of global warming on their daily comfort-level, then it's arrived in full-force, with blistering temperatures becoming the norm in New England and much of the United States. So we've got the bad news...now what's next? The Union of Concerned Scientists' report offers solutions to mitigate the effects of global warming, which I urge readers to pay close attention to, since they are do-able, achievable approaches to reducing our carbon emissions. And some of them (such as increasing development of renewable energy sources) are of potentially enormous economic benefit, creating jobs and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, putting the lie to the assertion of some conservatives that cutting CO2 emissions equals a loss in productivity and economic growth.
Make sure you don't miss the section of the report about the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas initiative. It's a great example of how states are rallying to address global warming in the absence of federal action...are you listening, Washington D.C.??
Monday, July 9, 2007
The next time you're thirsty, just turn on the tap
Recently NPR's Day to Day program featured an interview with Charles Fishman about his article "Message in a Bottle" published in Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html. According to Fishman, today's multi-billion dollar bottled water industry epitomizes the overwhelmingly indulgent nature of American society, "...our demand for instant gratification, our vanity, our token concern for health..." And in terms of the sheer environmental (read, "carbon emissions") impact of eschewing tap water in favor of a chilled plastic bottle which in many cases is, in fact, simply repackaged tap water, I heartily agree with him. And I say this as a former guilty-as-charged bottled water drinker. In my former life as a corporate employee, one of my workplace perks was free bottled water of a certain French moniker, which I greedily consumed while shunning the commonplace (but perfectly healthy) tap water. To my mind, I was a responsible environmentalist because I recycled my empty bottles, being woefully ignorant of the environmental impact of producing the plastic that housed the water, the fuel to ship cases of the stuff to my pampered officemates and myself, etc. . My employer's discontinuation of this thirst-quenching perk ended my bottled water consumption, but I'm pretty sure I'm still working off an enormous karmic debt for my wastefulness.
The salient point of the bottled-water-as-indulgence allegory is that our personal consumer choices have a huge impact on the world around us, even when they seem like harmless decisions. Many of us make wasteful choices innocently, and part of the challenge of mitigating global warming and treading more lightly upon the earth is simply learning about the wider impact of what we do...and what we buy. So the next time you reach for a bottle of water at the market, save yourself a bundle of money and shun the fancy packaging in favor of good, old-fashioned tap water. And save the planet a hefty load of carbon in the process.
The salient point of the bottled-water-as-indulgence allegory is that our personal consumer choices have a huge impact on the world around us, even when they seem like harmless decisions. Many of us make wasteful choices innocently, and part of the challenge of mitigating global warming and treading more lightly upon the earth is simply learning about the wider impact of what we do...and what we buy. So the next time you reach for a bottle of water at the market, save yourself a bundle of money and shun the fancy packaging in favor of good, old-fashioned tap water. And save the planet a hefty load of carbon in the process.
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