Recently I read the book, The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions, and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace by Shaunti Feldhahn (1). The book is based on seven years of intense research, interviews and surveys with more than 3,000 men. It reveals the unfiltered, private thoughts and expectations of men in the workplace. I read this book to help me understand why some men respond so differently to the climate crisis compared to me. (I am a woman). From it I gleaned four things we might need to keep in mind when thinking about men and their response to the climate crisis. 

1) Men compartmentalize much easier than females. Men can deal with one thing at a time, do it extremely well and they get annoyed when they have to deviate from this line of thinking. But the climate crisis is intimately connected to many other planetary crises including  water, food,  ocean depletion, over population, peak oil and peak soil. The climate crisis right now is affecting people in developing countries, on fixed incomes and Indigenous Peoples. If you are a compartmentalized thinker I would guess it would be easier to deal with the thought of our grandchildren inheriting a collapsed climate too.

2) Men can separate business from personal. "It's just business," thinking means that some men may be able to make executive decisions that will impact some people negatively but not be nearly as affected as a woman.

Climate Denial Crock of the Week needs your vote.

If you don't know about Peter Sinclair also known as the youtuber "greenman3610" you should.

 I came across Peter's blogs while preparing to debate potential climate deniers at Climate Project presentations. His work gave me the confidence to go out into the world and slay the monster called the "climate denier".  After 35 videos, which many people, including climate scientists from all over the world have publically declared are very helpful in persuading climate deniers - Peter has the opportunity to get some much needed funding.

Climate Denial Crock of the Week is in a contest at brighterplanet.com for a potential $5000.00 dollar grant. This grant could help Peter upgrade his computer and software so as to keep improving quality and increasing the frequency of his  videos.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to click over to Brighter Planet at http://brighterplanet.com/project_fund_projects/138, register, and vote for Climate Denial Crock of the Week.
(you can vote up to 3 times! -- and it will only take a few minutes)

It's a tight competition ...  a see-saw battle, and he is currently down in the voting.

There was a welcome shout out here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY_S6GjZXb8 from a popular European you tuber which brought in hundreds of new votes and subscribers.

If you've already voted, I hope you'll refer friends and contacts to the link above, or the video (mildly amusing) announcement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39FZKW2tS8o

The whole playlist is here
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=029130BFDC78FA33

Peter says, "Thanks for any help anyone can give. "

We might not have the money some of the big climate deniers have but we have each other and the truth. Please take a three minutes and vote for greenman3610

Again, the link is
http://brighterplanet.com/project_fund_projects/138

The Green Energy "Goldrush" in Ontario has begun. Individuals and community groups can unhinge themselves from the big energy producers. Not only can they become self-sufficient, there is money to be made.

In May 2009, the Ontario Government passed the Green Energy Act (1), which allows for individuals and community groups that produce energy to feed back their green energy onto the grid and receive eighty cents per kilowatt hour. The average consumer pays about twelve cents per kilowatt hour.

However, there is one problem. There are no regulations on who can install green energy systems. What can be done about this oversight? Luckily it has a simple solution.

Just like what was done for the building trades by the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, we need consumer protection for the green energy installers. The tradespeople that install the wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal systems and solar heaters should be trained, accredited and insured.

We need to protect the consumer, the bona-fide green energy installers, the taxpayers' money that will help support the new green energy production and the environmental movement from people selling "fool's gold".

Creating policy in the industry should give prospective producers confidence to invest in green energy and give a vast a group people the golden opportunity to become energy-independent. 

(1) http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/energy/gea/

Thank you to Warren Graham http://warrengraham.ca/  and others at the Northern Ontario Green Earth Expo for the insight into this potential problem.

I am proud of my community of Sudbury, Ontario Canada (1). Many in my community understand the seriousness of the climate crisis and we are acting on it as a community. We are lucky enough to have a chapter of Blue Green Canada which is an alliance between the United Steelworkers and Environmental Defence to support the development of good green jobs as part of a new green economy.

Tomorrow, Thursday April 22, 2010, Sudbury ON is going to have its first expo dedicated soley to green careers (2). This event will be a day of presentations from experts in business, education, environment and labour who see what is needed, what is possible, and what a bold vision can accomplish in expanding Northern Ontario's transition into a sustainable 'greener' ECONOMY. No other day will bring together students, displaced workers, under-employed talented people with businesses, environmentalists, labour, colleges and universities to explore the benefits of the emerging green sustainable future. People will be able to find out about the job skills needed for the next 5, 10 and 20 years ahead.

Many thanks to the Sudbury and District Labour Council, the Blue Green Alliance, the Sudbury Manitoulin Workforce Partnerships Board, Trades Events North and the Trillium Foundation for preparing Sudbury for the 21st Century. 

Happy Earth Day everyone.  

 (1) http://www.greennexxus.com/post/2008/11/My-Green-Sudbury.aspx

(2) http://www.tradeeventsnorth.com/gee/index.html

On Wednesday April 14, 2010 Bill C311, The Climate Change Accountability Act,  goes for third and final reading in Canada's House of Commons.

Here is the science of climate change in three numbers:

• - 350 ppm is the safe amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Above this level, the planet is at grave risk for global climate collapse for our grandchildren (1).
• - 391.06 ppm is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere right now.
• - 770 ppm is the amount of carbon dioxide that will be in the atmosphere by 2100 under the Copenhagen Accord

Thus, the world leaders in December 2009 in Copenhagen came up with a climate change plan that will condemn future generations to live on planet where sea levels will rise, there will be mass migrations and people won't know where to live or grow food. This translates to: there be global wars for future generations (2).

The highlights of Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act (3) include:

• - require our government to use science to guide climate change policy in Canada
• - hold our government legally accountable to follow our international legal obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, unlike what they did for the Kyoto Protocol which was an internationally and legally binding agreement (4) (5) (6)
  

An argument that you may hear regarding Bill C311 is that limiting greenhouse gas emissions will collapse the economy. Please read Paul Krugman's 10 page New York Times article this week and then see how well this argument holds (7). Who would you blindly trust with climate change policy and economics? A political party with much of its power base in the oil industry or Paul Krugman, the 2008 Nobel Prize winner in Economics.

Another argument is that we need to synchronize our climate policy with the US because they are our biggest trading partner. I agree with this argument because there will be trade barriers. However, why can't Canada take the lead on climate change policy on this continent?

What are the chances of Bill C311 of passing through third reading this week in Parliament? It's not looking good. There are rumours that the Liberals are not going to support Bill C311.

What can you do? If you are Canadian and live in a riding with a Conservative or Liberal MP, please contact them NOW. There is not much time. Politely ask parliamentarians to either support Bill C311 or give solid explanations to you of what is wrong with Bill C311.

That is your right. Find your MP here:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

If you live in an NDP riding especially Northern Ontario you may want to contact:
Anthony Rota, MP Liberal North Bay and Caucus Chair - 705-474-3700

Finally, if you are not Canadian please phone or fax the Canadian Embassy in Washington and send your best wishes to Canadian Parliament for protecting the planet from global climate collapse.
Tel: 1 (202) 682-1740
Fax: 1 (202) 682-7726

 When all is said and done, there will come a day when children ask you, "What did you do during the time of the climate crisis?" What are you going to say?

References:

 1) A safe Operating Space for Humanity (24 September 2009) Johan Rockström et al  Nature 461, 472-475 
 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7263/full/461472a.html

2) Climate Change and Security (March 2009) Royal United Services Institute
http://www.rusi.org/climate/

3) Bill C311 (2010) House of Commons Canada
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3662654&Language=e&Mode=1

4) Green Groups sue Tories over missed Kyoto targets (2007)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/09/20/kyoto-lawsuit.html

5) UN to probe Canada over lack of Greenhouse Gas reporting (2008) 
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/07/carbon-trading.html

6) Climate change, Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act and the rule of law. (March 17, 2010) Diane Saxe  
http://envirolaw.com/climate-change-kpia-rule-law/

7) Building a Green Economy (April 5, 2010) Paul Krugman 
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/magazine/11Economy-t.html

"it's 3:23 in the morning
and I'm awake because
my great great grandchildren
won't let me sleep
my great great grandchildren
ask me in dreams
what did you do while the planet was plundered?
what did you do when the earth was unravelling?

surely you did something while the seasons started unravelling"

These are the opening lines to hieroglyphic stairway, a poem from Drew Dellinger in his collection love letter to the milky way, an inspiring and soul-soothing book of poems. http://www.drewdellinger.org/pages/products/43/love-letter-to-the-milky-way

How can poetry help with the fight to save the planet?   Each vocation is going to play a role in the solving the climate crisis. Scientists will give us the guard rails which we must stay within to keep this planet hospitible to human civilization. Engineers will design the technologies to improve energy efficiency, create green energy and monitor climate systems. The social scientists will help us with our psyches, social connections, policy creation and economic constructs as we transition to a more sustainable way of living. And finally spiritual leaders and  artists such as dancers, musicians and poets will give humanity carbon-free energy to soothe our spirits at this time of massive change.  

Two years ago today Al Gore and The Climate Project trained 250 Canadians to give presentations on climate change in Montreal QUE. To all my climate project friends, I am thinking of you today.

There is a young man in Canada who is fasting for climate change, Dante Ryel. I have spoken on the phone with Dante. He is really concerned about climate change. If I did not have children, I sometimes think I would probably be joining him because I know we have 2-5 years to get into motion politically, the economic changes needed to save our planet from runaway climate change.

Here is a description of his fast from Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=361963750008&ref=mf

"Canada has an opportunity to take a historic leadership role in solving climate change. That's why I, Dante Ryel, am participating in a water-only fast from March 3rd, the Day parliament resumes, until the day our Members of Parliament vote on Bill C-311. Bill C-311 is also known as the Climate Change Accountability Act and it must pass. There is a huge difference between Stephen Harper's made in USA, weak, greenhouse gas targets and the ambitious targets in Bill C-311. If we want to avoid a more than two degree increase in temperature, a climate change tipping point, then our M.P.s must vote for this historic Bill. "

"The NDP introduced Bill C-311 and the Bloc Quebecois will support it. We must pressure the leaders of the Liberal and Conservative parties to vote yes on Bill C-311. In fact, all we need is Liberal support! However, many people are scared that the Liberals won't vote yes. That's why we must pressure them. Stephen Harper's Conservatives have consistently voted against Bill C-311, and have prevented any meaningful progress on climate change, but we should still ask them for their support. You never know."

"We are so close to making history but we must make sure our politicians do the right thing! You can click the following link to send off an email to each federal party."

"http://www.canadians.org/action/2009/10-Dec-09.html

In about a minute you could change the world all at the click of a mouse. You barely have to type! Or contact your local MP. You could Phone your MP, record yourself doing it, and post the video on YouTube. "

On Monday February 1, 2010, I participated in a teleconference on the: THE CLEAR ACT BILL ... AKA ... CAP AND DIVIDENDS BILL ... AKA ... CAP AND REBATE ... AKA ... CANTWELL-COLLINS BILL.

The teleconference was moderated by John Passacantando, former Director, Greenpeace USA and current president, Our Next Economy LLC. I listened to brief presentations by Amit Ronen, Peter Barnes and Mike Tidwell.

My uneducated opinion is that this  bill has fairness, transparency and flexibility. It appears to have a healthy combination Carbon Tax and Cap and Trade.

Bill McKibben's opinion is: “Cap and rebate has always been the cleanest, most sensible way to take on this monumental task of scrubbing the carbon from our economy. Instead of turning the operation, and the money, over to corporations, every American gets a check every month--it's as if we each owned a share of the sky. And a 39-page bill--that's a good sign right there!"

In point form here are some of the highlights of the CLEAR Act:

• - simplicity (39 pages unlike Cap and Trade which has 1000 pages. Thus the common person can understand it and consequently there should be less fear of the unknown)
• - should be so transparent that it will not be subceptible to Wall Street shaninigans
• - market-based, thus takes the government out (climate change is a non-partisan issue so I think this is good)
• - empowers the free market
• - has embedded predictability by setting minimum and maximum auction prices for carbon ($7.00/tonne min, $20.00/tonne max)
•  - achieved by 100% auction of carbon
• - 3/4 auction revenue will go back to the American people ... the top 20% incomes will not receive a rebate but the average family of four will receive $1100/year in 2012
• - only legal citizens of the US with social security numbers will get the cheque (thus 12 million illegal citizens won't qualify)
• - the rebate cheques should have popular appeal ... and when people start getting their cheques just try to take them away
• - 1/4 auction revenue remains to go into reinvestment especially for clean energy, forestry and agriculture
• - Criticism -- not much in the Bill for helping developing nations to mitigate and adapt to climate change
• - Border Equalization Fee applied to imports that come from countries that don't have the same regulations
• - additional shares can be bought and those revenues will go into investment and drive the green economy
• - the "carbon auctions" will be an upstream cap ... a term meaning that only the producers of fossil fuels will be capped ... thus only about couple thousand producers to manage unlike with Cap and Trade where there will be tens of thousands of organizations to monitor for carbon emissions
• - should be revenue neutral
• - this bill aims to reduce GHG's by 20% below 2005 levels (the planet needs 30-40% reductions... thus not strong enough but better than Cap and Trade) ... 80% reduction by 2050
  
• - My favourite part was the built in flexibility with a clause about Fast Track Cap Adjustment ... if there are big changes in the economic or ecological situation the President can recommend changes, there will be 30 days for debate without filabustering (sorry I don't have quite all the details about who and where and the terms ... so please feel free to comment more on this part) ... I got so excited when heard this part that I started thinking too much instead of listening

As a Canadian I take comfort in the fact that our government keeps saying Canada will only do what the Americans will do in dealing with the climate crisis. Thus, I feel Canadians should be looking closely at this bill as well.

Resources:

• - CHECK OUT THE CARTOON MOVIE: http://www.capanddividend.org/ - Captain Dividend says: "Cap the carbon supply, sell permits, pay dividends. Its simple, fair and gets the job done."
• - The Website that has the details and you can register your support: http://supportclearact.com/
• - Senator Maria Cantwell explaining the bill: http://cantwell.senate.gov/issues/CLEARAct.cfm 
• - A detailed "Powerpoint" with many numbers:  http://supportclearact.com/sites/default/files/CLEAR%20Act%20Powerpoint%20Overview%2012.10.09.pdf .... one that Joe the Plumber would not be able to follow and I have to drink lots of coffee to follow but important data to mull over especially if you are a lawyer, policy wonk or politician.
• - Here is a link to a page criticizing the bill: http://climateprogress.org/2010/02/01/misguided-cap-and-divide-bill-by-cantwell-and-collins-is-neither-politically-nor-environmentally-viable/#comment-260564

Update Resources:

Video on Cap and Trade vs Cap and Dividends : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA-QufQzuWU by Laurie Williams and Allan Zabel. The Big Lie, The Big Rip-Off and the Right Solution. The acid rain "cap and trade" system required tweeking of systems whereas the carbon-cutting will require huge changes in the economic systems. So perhaps is not the best solution. As well, cap and trade did not work in Europe.

Peter Barnes, How owns the sky: our common assets and the future of Capitalism. (2001) Island Press, Washington DC

 http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/ - a great resource website ... a template for educating Canadians about Cap and Dividends

The politicians and negotiators in Copenhagen Denmark at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) need our help.   The time is now to tell the world that you know the truth.

How can you make a difference? You are just one person. How can you rise above the ignorance, stupidity, greed and the powerful forces that just don't understand science of climate change or even worse think they understand and spout uneducated opinions?
  

Take courage: Canada won the Fossil Award on the first day of the UNFCCC meeting. However, Canada's Minister of the Environment, Jim Prentice,  is on record saying, "The science overall is relatively clear on all of this and as a conservationist and as a responsible environmental steward Canada wants to see carbon emissions reduced." http://www.desmogblog.com/canadian-environment-minister-dismisses-hacked-emails 

Take courage again:  the Obama government in the United States declared on December 8 climate pollutants as threat to human health. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/climate-change/greenhouse-gases-a-threat-to-human-health-us-agency-rules/article1391958/

Why would I and so many others be doing all this volunteer work? What could be more purposeful than the survival of human civilization? That is what is at stake. OUR FUTURE IS AT STAKE. If we don't have stable climate systems and the ocean levels rise, we won't know where to grow food or where to live. If this happens, what happens next? I can't even allow myself to think it, let alone say it.

How do you get the message out that you support a fair, ambitious and binding treaty in Copenhagen? You can join up for a Vigil for Survival at http://www.350.org/vigil  this weekend. You can start your own or join with someone else.

What do you do after Copenhagen and the vigils? Start finding groups that the know the truth about climate change.

In our community of Sudbury Ontario, I have support for the climate change work I do as a volunteer from our health unit, the social planning council, scientists, school boards, environmentalists, , churches,  unions, students, green groups, restaurants, food producers, my member of parliament, post-secondary insititutions, musicians, dancers, artists and many other organizations that know the truth about the threat of climate change to human civilization. 

As a climate change activist the most powerful lesson I have learned is that we are most effective in reaching people when we make our events beautiful, collaborative, and imaginative.

 The time is now.

Take courage: We are going to build a beautiful world because of the climate crisis.