Canadian NDP (New Democrat) party leader Jack Layton and his Wife Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina MP) do more than just promote environmental responsibility via their political platform – they live it firsthand.
I just came across a video tour of their home hosted by Olivia (via this article). The video was actually posted on YouTube in November, but this is the first I’ve heard about it. That being said, it’s nice to see that it’s been viewed more than 4000 times already.
Needless to say, it’s also nice to see that some politicians do more than just blow hot air!
A NASA scientist is confident that within five years commercial aircraft could be powered using a type of biofuel derived from saltwater plants, or halophytes, grown in desert areas and irrigated using sea water. While the concept may sound far-fetched, engine manufacturer General Electric says it is following developments in this area “with interest”, and a major oil company, which prefers to remain anonymous, says it is considering the idea to see how much benefit it has.
Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, says 22 countries are carrying out small experimental activities into the cultivation of halophytes for use in food production, although he admits “nobody is doing this type of biomass for aircraft” at this time. Nevertheless, Bushnell sees “no stoppers” to augmenting halophyte-derived biomass to produce biofuels capable of powering aircraft.
“This is far from evolutionary, it’s just outside people’s radar screens and the usual human reaction to this is to say that it’s impossible,” says Bushnell. “What’s nice about biofuel is that it can use the existing infrastructure used by the oil companies and can be available much sooner than hydrogen, which would require changes to infrastructure and is, therefore, much further into the future.”
I caught an interesting BBC article today about widespread environmental concern/interest among seniors (here and abroad).
In fact according to a UN World Environment Day poll last year (cited in the article), seniors are the most eco-friendly demographic in the UK!
I found this really interesting and somewhat surprising to be totally honest. I guess I’ve always assumed that younger people would be more concerned about environmental matters just given the fact that it’s our generation (and all future generations) who will be dealing with the fallout from all the environmental harm thats been inflicted by humanity.
There are however some interesting points raised in the article that make a lot of sense.
…”Younger people are so focused on getting ahead financially, on keeping up with expectations of what it is to be successful. Older people realise there is more to life.
I can totally relate to that statement. Even with my renewed passion for environmental matters I still find myself thinking a lot about financial success and related concerns. Luckily I’ve never been one to worry about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ so that helps me stay somewhat grounded.
I’m also a big supporter of the idea of ‘eco-capitalism’, and truly believe that earning a decent wage and helping the environment are definitely not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Other reasons for environmentalism amongst seniors (mentioned in the article) include the increase in free time, and of course concern for children and grandchildren. Perhaps there is even a feeling of responsibility amongst some of the older crowd. ie ‘we messed it up for you so now we’ll try and help fix the problem’. That is just speculation on my part however.
Not surprisingly, there are even websites geared towards the older eco-crowd.
A site called GreenSeniors.org recently launched to help connect environmentally-minded seniors in the US and UK and looks to be an excellent resource regardless of your age.
One of the founders of Green Seniors, Joyce Emery, also writes for a blog called Green Granny. I actually came across this blog a little while ago and have been meaning to write a post about it.
As a somewhat ‘younger’ person, it was inspirational to learn that concerns for the earth’s future weigh heavily even on the minds of those from an older generation. In fact, from the sounds of things, us ‘youngins’ really need to start pulling our own weight a little more!
I would like to think so. I feel like I’m seeing more articles on the subject in recent weeks and months, but it’s hard to say for sure since I’m exposed to environmental news on a daily basis.
Seeing an article this morning from USA Today was yet another reminder that the issue does seem to be getting more mainstream attention. I think this unusually warm winter (although not necessarily linked) has also helped get people to sit up and take notice.
The USA Today article focuses on a speech given recently by NASA scientist James E. Hansen in which he (like many others these days) calls for immediate and significant worldwide action.
Here are some exerpts:
“Global warming is already starting, and there’s going to be more of it. I think there is still time to deal with global warming, but we need to act soon. Humans now control global climate, for better or worse,” Hansen said Tuesday at an annual gathering of meteorologists.
Hansen, who came under fire from the White House after a December 2005 lecture in which he called for prompt reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming, delivered his keynote speech by satellite at the 14th annual Operation Sierra Storm meeting at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Global warming is the theme of the conference.
Hansen, who said he was not speaking for NASA, said that after the warming of the past three decades, the world is within 1°C of its warmest period in the past 400,000 years. He predicted that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the same rate, the warming this century will approach 3°C, or about 5°F.
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Hansen’s call came one day after the chief of the United Nations’ effort against climate change said that despite widespread recognition of the seriousness of global warming, a lack of leadership has created a sense of helplessness.
Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told the Associated Press during a visit to Paris that he will ask the new U.N. secretary-general to coordinate a worldwide response and organize a conference of world leaders.
Such a meeting would be a first step toward a post-Kyoto agreement on climate change, he said. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol requires 35 industrial nations to cut production of globe-warming greenhouse gases by an average 5% below 1990 levels by 2012, when the accord expires.
