Do You See What I See?

Classic graph from the good people at Sceptical Science.


If someone is determined to convince themselves the globe is not warming, then a narrow enough view can help them think that.

[Related Links: How You View The Figures :: The Warmer Years]

True Green Kids

This book is the junior version of previous titles True Green, and True Green Home. Like those books, it features one tip (and large picture) per page - which makes it a very easy read.


In this edition, the tips are things easily manageable by kids - saving energy, recycling, riding a bike to school, or starting a small garden. But it also provides a few bigger ideas that a class might do together, and some resources for kids to learn more.

Tip 3 - A Cold Move

This i something i've mentioned before, but washing clothes in "cold" water uses only a small fraction of the energy of a hot wash.

This is another area (like Tip 1) where a simple change can reduce electricity consumption by more than half (90% according to the poster).

(Sidenote: I put the word "cold" in quotation marks, because what i really mean is 'room temperature'. We are entering summer here in Austalia, and "cold" isn't always the best decription of what comes out of that tap.)

< Tip 2 :: Tip 4 >

David's Soapbox - Doubters

Having solved climate change in his previous video, comedian David Mitchell looks at the other thing that might be slowing us down. People who don't think there is even a problem.



As he points out, when even the American Association of Petroleum Geologists agrees there is climate change - it should seem pretty clear.

He compares it to a product recall. When there's a chance a product could make a few people sick, we recall the product. If we're talking about the planet being uninhabitable, surely we should take action.

My favourite bit was comparing this to the same attitude in a fire situation -

'Sure you might smell smoke, we're having difficulty breathing, and it's getting hot in here, but until i have proof the roof is on fire....'

It's much funnier when he says it :)

Living Like Ed

TV personality Ed Begley Jr has put together this great book of tips for an eco-friendly lifestyle. There are plenty of tips, with great detail, but yet they are easy to read.


There are extra bonus features too. His wife has short segments during the book, where she says what it was like from her perspective. There are also recipes (in the food and garden chapter) and a workbook at the end to help put all these great tips into action.

Tip 2 - Greenpower

Ok, this tip isn't so much about saving energy. It's more about reducing greenhouse gases. Whatever energy we use has to come from somewhere - and it's better if it comes from renewable power.


Selecting Greenpower from your electricity supplier means that amount of electricity comes from renewable sources. I personally have selected 100% Greenpower, reducing my electricity footprint to zero.

I think of it like an electricity election. The more people who 'vote' for renewable energy, the more there will be.

< Tip 1 :: Tip 3 >

100s of Reasons to Say Yes

In a great day for action on climate change, Australia's parliament passed a price on pollution through the Senate. To mark the occasion, community organisation Say Yes has released a book of reasons to 'say yes' to action on climate change.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard was given a copy of the book, and the entries (which also appeared on the lawn of parliament) have been placed in a time capsule for future generations to look back on.

Tip 1 of 10

Recently I was at Sustainable House Day and this banner of tips was displayed at one of the homes.


The first tip was one of my favourites - energy-saving bulbs. On the banner it says that replacing five lights with CFLs will save (every year) around 450kg of CO₂ and about $70 from your wallet - and that's in just one year! You can see why it's one of my favourites!
Note: This saving would have increased with the price of electricity since the printing of the banner

Move on to Tip 2 >

Manufactured Doubt

As a handful of Australian politicians sink to a new level of denial (illogical and hypocritical) I thought it a might be appropriate to play the Doubt clip from the Climate Reality Project.



Like the cigarette companies of the 60s ("Doubt is our product") vested interests like to manufacture doubt in the hope that people will stay with their current habits - however harmful that may be.

The Hungry Tide

Over the weekend i saw the short but powerful documentary, The Hungry Tide. It's a heart-wrenching and eye-opening account of what climate change is doing to the island nation of Kiribati, and how the locals are powerless to stop it. For the next 10 days you can see it free online.


For a quick taste of the what the movie is about, check out the photo gallery.

It may be best summed up by the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong: "To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful but I think we have to do that."

Related link:- Kiribati Government Climate Change website

Discussion Postponed

When Wind Made Electricity Free

If you saw the SBS special Power Play (on the causes of electricity price rises) you would have seen one of the experts talking about how renewables can actually drive the price down. He compared it to food - where a 'bumper crop' brings downs the price at the market, as sellers compete to sell their product.


Recently, there was a classic example of this. For just a few minutes the market price of wholesale electricity dropped to $0.00. This is an extreme example, and only happened for a few minutes, but is an example of how the price can come down when renewables are in the market.

Human Bicycle

A couple of weeks ago i mentioned 350.org's event - Moving Planet. This part of the event happened in Melbourne.


I just reckon it's a great photo, and an inspired piece of creativity. :)

David's Soapbox - Furniture and Financial Incentive

David Mitchell starts with a rant about flimsy furniture, and ends up with an idea to inspire companies to be more environmental.

"For instance, air travel is far cheaper than it is environmentally viable. Why not shift the burden of a problem to the people who would benefit financially from solving it. That's what a carbon tax would do.

Once that tax system is initiated, you (the politician) won't have to hug a single tree. You just have to make low emissions part of the profit incentive. Companies won't choose to do it themselves. Why should they? Their job is to make money. Your job is to protect the people who elected you."

[More David Mitchell]

Australia Says Yes

It's a happy day as Australia's House of Representatives today passed a price on pollution. There is still the Senate vote next month, but today was a day of celebration. The group Say Yes filled the lawn of parliament house with the words "Say Yes To Clean Energy".


The words were made from signs submitted by the general public, each one giving a reason for saying yes. What a sight!