Lots of us have had a moment—a revelation, observation, or interaction—when climate change became more than a concept. What’s yours? By Liz Pleasant The other night, I was sitting in bed scrolling through Twitter when I saw the headline: “Report: Global temperature hike already halfway to ‘two degree warming’ limit.” I clicked it. The writer of the article, Brandon Miller, explained why many scientists agree that two degrees of warming is the cutoff point for “controllable” climate change, and how new reports show we’re already halfway there. On top of that, we just experienced the warmest October since observations began in 1879, and October was the sixth consecutive month to break a global temperature record. Seven of the 10 warmest months ever recorded happened in 2015. Talking about climate change isn’t new for me. I work at YES! Magazine, where we cover climate issues all the time. I read pitches on sea-level rise and sort through headlines on droughts, storms, and a fragile food system pretty much every day. But for some reason, this report really stuck with me. It scared me. I was still thinking about it the next morning while discussing coverage of the Paris climate talks with other […]
Continue reading... →If you think Instagram is merely frivolous selfies and food porn, you’d only be mostly correct. The rest, however, offers some good news for the picture-based mobile app: It’s also a hotbed for powerful green women bringing about change through something as simple as a photograph. Well, lots of gorgeous photographs, actually. We live in a visual world, and as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, perhaps more so today than at any other time in history. These green women of Instagram will not only inspire you with gorgeous pictures, but with hope for a richer, kinder, and more sustainable world. Chef Alice Waters is renowned for her commitment to local and delicious food along with her learning gardens school programs. And she’s on Instagram! Food porn, garnde porn, inspiration and more! @alicelouisewaters Academy award winner Charlize Theron is an advocate for international health issues as well as sustainability through the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. @charlizeafrica National Geographic photographer Rena Effendi says she’s infiltrating Instagram with “profoundly uncute pictures”—but don’t mistake that for uninspired. She delivers candid images of the world. @renaeffendiphoto There’s nothing more eco than vegan food and there’s no one more valued […]
Continue reading... →This month we had a most amazing moon didn’t we? A Super Moon combined with a Lunar Eclipse. When I actually take time out of my busy life to stop, breathe, and look up in the night sky, I am always in awe. I feel small and big at the same time. Small compared to the vast universe we live in — like a speck of consciousness in grand scheme of things. Yet, inside that speck of me, is the entire universe. Literally. It’s mind blowing when you think about it. Now if you really believed that…that you have within you the same stuff stars are made of, and if you found a way to tap into that light…that greatness, then what can you not accomplish? I mean really? This, to me, is the most amazing fact. So grab a cup of tea, and watch this three and a half minute video by Neil deGrasse Tyson. It will help you connect to the truth of you. And if you need a little help in realizing that, I invite you to check out my Women As Game Changers Coaching that is designed to call forth women in powerful ways to awaken […]
Continue reading... →516 ARTS in Albuquerque, NM, is organizing a collaborative season of public programming in the fall of 2015 that explores climate change through the arts to create a platform for education and dialogue. The public programs for HABITAT: Exploring Climate Change Through the Arts will include: a series of exhibitions at 516 ARTS; the popular Downtown Block Party; special events with guest speakers; film screenings; and youth programs. Climate change is an urgent issue of both global and local concern. The Southwest can be considered one of the most “climate-challenged” regions of North America, with rising annual temperature averages, declining water supplies, and reduced agricultural yields. In New Mexico we’ve already seen destabilized and unpredictable weather patterns, water sources going dry, forests not recovering from fire, loss of urban trees, and crop failures. Public programs for HABITAT strive to raise awareness about these issues by taking an innovative approach to engaging with social and environmental change, and by bringing the community together to focus on sustainability. 516 ARTS will present a series of speakers to address the issues around climate change from both the science and art perspectives. Speakers include renowned artist Mel Chin, who is currently working on a project about […]
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