Climate change is happening, can we now finally stop talking about it and start doing something about it?
“I found out about climate change and said, ‘if this is a problem, what are the solutions?’…So I found out the solutions. The great thing, is you don’t have to even believe in climate change for this movie to work for you.”
- Peter Byck / Director
Carbon Nation is a feature length documentary about climate change SOLUTIONS. Even if you doubt the severity of the impact of climate change or just don’t buy it at all, this is a compelling and relevant filmthat illustrates how SOLUTIONS to climate change also address other social, economic and security issues.
‘Carbon Nation’ is an optimistic discovery of what people are already doing, and look at what the United States could be doing as a nation and what the world needs to do to prevent (or slow down) the impending climate crisis. We already have the technology to combat most of the worst-case scenarios of climate change, and it is very good business as well.
The Film is full of facts and interesting “non-bussiness as usual” solutions for this generation. It also showcases some real-world examples of the solutions working in practice. In one chapter he focuses on fuel consumption by the US army. Their consumption far surpasses any other sector. BY going green the military can shift a pattern of fuel consumption almost overnight, however the astronomical cost of getting fuel to the troops spread around the world would be nothing in comparison to the cost of retrofitting all those troops to run on clean energy. It almost makes pray for peak oil to come as soon as possible if only for the very reason of disabling all the world’s military power.
No oil = paralyzed armies.
This kind of off-track optimism is at the core of this film. Entrepreneurial ideas to tackle global warming and impending food and energy shortages through simple creative green solutions that work economically and socially.
Director Peter Byck says: “In 15 months of presenting the film to very diverse audiences, we have come to the realization that we are not a polarized country, as many on TV will tell us, and many in Washington play out. Rather, there is great consensus among a large and varied group of Americans: renewable energy sources and using less energy are great ideas – whether to boost the economy, increase national and energy security and promote health and a clean environment. As it stands now, good Americans are being lied to, told that we are polarized, and then many act out as if this were true, creating a self-fulfilling crash. It’s a storytelling problem.
carbon nation team top tips for reducing your co2 footprint
Energy Efficiency
Weatherize your house – if there’s a draft, there’s a leak.
When your roof needs repairs, paint it white at the same time.
Unplug DVD players, coffee makers, phone chargers – anything not in use.
5-minute showers are much better than baths.
Raise your kid’s allowance if they help reduce utility bills.
Clean Energy
Buy your utility’s green energy option.
Solar Hot Water Heaters = huge CO2 reductions.
Wind – can your home or office use a small turbine?
Geothermal – can you install a home geothermal heat pump?
Seek out community purchasing groups to buy & install solar panels in bulk,
like lbog.org.
Land Use
Meatless Mondays – eat meat one day less a week.
Eat local food, efficiently delivered.
Use only Forest Stewardship wood products.
Use a push lawn mower.
Leadership
Elect clean energy public servants.
Demand tough energy efficiency building standards.
Take mass transit at least once a week.
Video conference instead of travel.
Invest in companies promoting clean energy.
If you’re a student, become an engineer.
Share all this great info with your family, friends and co-workers.
Humanity already possesses the fundamental scientific, technical and industrial know-how to solve the carbon and climate problems for the next half-century - Stephen Pacala & Robert Socolow
Can we bring upon a future of free and renewable energy?
This brief presentation makes us think that not only it is possible, but the change is already happening.
Tzeporah Berman, co-head of the climate and energy campaign at Greenpeace International, gives a TEDx talk about the solution to our current and future energy needs.
The Energy [R]evolution
The Energy [R]evolution is the practical solution to our energy needs. It offers a sustainable path to quit dirty, dangerous fuels by transitioning to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Buildings designed and engineered today will still be standing when climate change bites. By 2050, it is estimated that global temperatures may have risen by 2ºC and by 2100 perhaps as much as 4ºC. Once triggered, the rise is exponential. Not only will there be an increase in temperatures overall but by incidence of storms and heavy rainfall will increase. There will be pressure on building systems, on the building fabric itself, on land settlement patterns and on transportation, but in a world where development and construction is married with the most economic business models and market trends, the most environmentally friendly construction and materials are a hard sell to say the least. Today despite major concerns and evidence worldwide about impending climate chaos and economic turmoil construction methods are slow to react; however, green buildings are achieving rapid penetration in Construction markets. Sustainable development and a world of sustainable environmental equilibrium is a lot more that green buildings, it accounts for urban planning and a worldwide network of freedom and balance of resources, but it is impossible to achieve without green buildings.
Green buildings can marry the best features of conventional construction methods with emerging high-performance approaches and in my opinion will be the greatest tool to fight climate change and if enough get built worldwide, it could be the best ‘grass roots’ approach towards a sustainable planet. But can green buildings and sustainable construction cope in a world of climate and economic instability?
Here are three reasons why they will not only cope, but will make sense in the long-term regardless of which climate change and environmental doom scenario you choose to believe in.
Sustainable construction techniques provide an ethical and practical response to issues of environmental impact and resource consumption. Sustainability assumptions encompass the entire life cycle of the building and its components, from resource extraction through disposal at the end of the materials’ useful life. Conditions and processes in factories are considered, along with the actual performance of their manufactured products in the completed building. High-performance green building design relies on renewable resources for energy systems; recycling and reuse of water and materials; integration of native and adapted species for landscaping; passive heating, cooling and ventilation; and other approaches that minimize environmental impact and resource consumption.
Green buildings virtually always make economic sense on a life-cyclecost (LCC) basis. Though they may be more expensive on a capital, or first-cost, basis. Sophisticated energy-conserving lighting and air conditioning systems with exceptional response to interior and exterior climate will cost more than their conventional, code-compliant counterparts. Rainwater harvesting systems that collect and store rainwater for non-potable uses will require additional piping, pumps, controls, storage tanks, and filtration components. However, most key green building systems will recoup their original investment within a relatively short time. As energy and water prices rise due to increasing demand and diminishing supply, the payback period will decrease. LCC provides a consistent framework for discerning the true economic advantage of these alternative systems, by evaluating their performance over the course of a building’s useful life.
Sustainable design acknowledges the potential effect of the physical structure, including its operation, on the health of its human occupants. A 1984 World Health Organization report suggested that as much as 30% of new and remodelled buildings worldwide may generate excessive complaints related to indoor air quality. Estimates peg the direct and indirect costs of building-related illnesses, including lost worker productivity, as exceeding $150 billion per year. Conventional construction methods have traditionally paid little attention to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), Building Related Illness, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) until prompted by lawsuits. In contrast, green buildings consistently utilize several approaches that promote Occupant health. Including but not exclusively protecting ductwork to avoid contamination during construction, specifying finishes with low to zero volatile organic components to prevent potentially hazardous chemical ‘off gassing’, more precise sizing of heating and cooling components to promote dehumidification to reduce mould, and the use of ultraviolet radiation to kill mould and bacteria in ventilation systems.
It is time we start to consider the long-term implications of our actions and stop to rely on economic models that will enrich some in the short-term but will eventually leave everyone without a home. Lets embrace green building construction!
The terms green and sustainable construction are often used interchangeably; however, it is the term sustainable construction that most comprehensively addresses the ecological, social, and economic issues of a building in context of its community. In 1994, the Conseil International du Batiment (CIB), an international construction research networking organization, defined the goal of sustainable construction as “…creating operating built environment based on resource efficiency and ecological design.” The CIB articulated Seven Principles of Sustainable Construction, which would ideally inform decision making during each phase of the design and construction process, continuing throughout the building’s entire life cycle. These Factors also apply when evaluating the components and other resources needed for construction. These seven principles apply across the entire life cycle of construction from, from planning to disposal.
Sources:
1. Report “The cost and Benefits of Green Buildings.” California Sustainable buildings Task Force.
We have recently posted trailers for two (1& 2) very good documentaries which focus on promoting alternative green thinking and eco-creativity through the power of film. This year, all the conversation amongst green circles seems to be focusing not only on policy and energy consumption but on recent man-made and natural disasters as well. The list below reflects these current concerns in a creative way through the medium we know best, TV & Film.
“Without the entertaining and/or compelling view points of artists, entertainers and filmmakers, many important messages of advocacy would never be heard,”-Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network.
If you have the pleasure and wit to get a hold of these wonderful films and series, we hope they at least inspire discussions at the dinner table, in the classrooms and in forums and prove to be catalysts for both thought and action.
Just what do terms like biodiversity, the Ecological Footprint and ecosystem services actually mean, and what do they have to do with our daily lives?
The film was produced by WWF for the launch of the 2010 Living Planet Report and narrated by British and actor and comic Stephen Merchant, takes a lighthearted look at a serious problem and reminds us why we need to play nice.
Greenpeace have mapped out a worldwide plan to switch the world to a completely fossil-fuel free society and expand to include the 2 billion people worldwide that are now left without power in this current fossil-fuel based energy system. The plan is ambitious but simple and aims to transform the world into a ‘dear green place’ by 2050, when the world will be 95% on renewables. Since we love to promote things that are green + simple, we are loving The Energy [R]evolution. A practical solution to our energy needs. It offers a sustainable path to quit dirty, dangerous fuels by transitioning to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
About a year ago I was watching the news and struggling to understand the aftermath of the Copenhagen summit. It was obvious that it wasn’t a great success but I was missing the ‘why did this happen’ bit. Don’t world leaders worry about this, our only Planet?
I understood that it wasn’t the Copenhagen summit that failed but it was all the world leaders and the countries they represent. They failed to reach an accord and we were left to wonder for another who-knows-how-many-years. Then I realized that it was the governments and their own officials (fueled by their own agendas) who were at fault. Not the ordinary citizen. It wasn’t the fault of the citizens of any country as a whole, but rather their political leaders (which we hope in most cases were peacefully and democratically elected). This is when I decided that there had to be a channel on the net which uses all the tools available to us (provided by this recent web 2.0 phenomenon) to bring useful information to the common citizen so that locally and collectively the world can eventually make expensive summits like the one in Copenhagen redundant. Get as many people off the grid and living sustainably as quickly as possible. Knowledge is power, and if the right knowledge is spread through the world the results can startle even the strongest skeptic. The result of this ‘epiphany’ (if you can call it that…) was this website.
This amazing film about climate change comes from 18 year-old first time director Ross Harrison who spent a year chasing up experts, gathering news and filming to create a beautiful and simple documentary that explains in basic terms the real issues about climate change and why we should all start to care.
Wether you are a climate change denier, not too sure it is true or are a campaigner yourself, the films strives to bring us a common reason that is so basic it is impossible to ignore. It is not relevant if climate change is real or not. Why risk the consequences when we actually know that modern society is unsustainable?
The film has interviews with prominent figures like Sir David Attenborough, Mark Lynas, David Shukman, Prof Dieter Helm, and interesting perspectives from the UK Youth Climate Coalition, members of the public and Ross’ grandparents who bring a warm human account of what the planet lost with industrialization.
The film outlines the real issues we face and how to confront them in the very near future. I think Ross embodies everything we believe and strive to promote in this website.
Thank you Ross Harrison, the planet needs many more people like you.
Dengue, mining, the interoceanic highway and global warming
By Augusto Mulanovich
Translated by Miguel Pretel
In 1992 I stood for the first time in Puerto Maldonado, capital of the Madre de Dios region in Peru. There, I found a city where the inhabitants dedicate their lives to collecting chestnuts, artisan fishing, selective extraction of woods, agriculture, cattle farming, gold extraction and a very small percentage dedicated themselves to eco-tourism. At that time, the effects of the eco-disaster at Huaypetue were still to be felt, the price of gold was less attractive and the mercury contamination levels weren’t as high as the dangerous levels of today.
Today, all carnivorous fish, those for human consumption such as large catfish (bagres, zungaro, mota, doncella), and some others with great potential for the sport fishing industry like the ‘toothy’ “chambira,” are contaminated with dangerous concentrations of mercury higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization.
These amazing images come from photographer Christoph Gielen, a German photographer who has captured the strange characteristics of urban development and visual impact of the mass developments around the world for years. Taken from a helicopter, Gielen manages to capture the true architectural essence of what these urban developments are all about. Master planning and geometry. Read the full story
You might think the headline sounds crazy, but that is exactly what two dutch men have set out to do. On July 4, 2010, Joost Notenboom & Michiel Roodenburg, have begun an 18 month bicycle journey from Deadhorse in northern Alaska to the most southern tip of Argentina at Ushuaia. Their mission is to take one bottle of icy Alaskan water from the Beaufort Sea down to the seas around Tierra del Fuego in a symbolic effort to complete the natural water cycle and raise awareness for the global water crisis that is leaving over 1 billion people around the world without access to safe and clean drinking water. Read the full story
The Success is from the Reserva Ecologica De Guapi Assu (REGUA), Brazil, a small nature reserve not farm from Rio de Janeiro. A report suggests that as many as 60’000 trees have been planted to help pump CO2 from the atmosphere.
Ecuador Signs Historic Deal To Keep Oil in the Soil and CO2 out of the Atmosphere
Ecuador have signed and agreement with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) that will open an international trust fund to receive donations supporting the government’s proposal to keep some 900 million barrels of oil in the ground. The heavy crude is found in three oil reserves beneath the fragile Yasuni National Park – the Ishpingo, Tambococha, and Tiputini (ITT).
As we grow more conscious about the perils of the planet and the effects of climate change, millions of people are daily changing their attitudes towards our perceived modern way of living. Many are searching for alternative ways to live sustainable lives enhanced by good earth friendly design.
“People are thinking of the environment, even in death.”
This means that environmentally friendly burials have become increasingly popular, with actress Lynn Redgrave, chef Keith Floyd and Body Shop founder Anita Roddick all being buried in “eco-friendly” coffins. The problem is that traditionally these consisted of either wicker baskets often imported from China , (apparently known in the trade to “creak, squeak and leak” ) or flimsy cardboard boxes which often collapse. Read the full story
Fermín Beltrán has worked in Architecture for many years gaining a wide range of real-world design and construction experience. He is fascinated by finding alternatives methods of creating modern architecture in ways that are sustainable, elegant, comfortable and functional.
He has vast experience designing and constructing a wide array of buildings ranging from state-of-the-art music halls to social housing and even small holdings in South America. He is currently completing a Masters in Advanced Sustainability at the University of Dundee in Scotland
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