Species are going extinct at an alarming rate - approximately one every 20 minutes. And global warming is a big part of the problem. It’s changing the climate and ecosystems, forcing species to move, adapt - or die out.

Today I’d like to share a special opportunity to help protect species by taking action with Conservation International. CI’s projects are closely aligned with Environmental Defense Fund’s own work fighting global warming and protecting our planet.

Read on to see how CI is saving species from extinction, and learn how you can help.

Sincerely,

Sam Parry

Dear  People,

Ensuring the survival of all species is a cornerstone of Conservation International’s work. But it’s no small task.

Every 20 minutes, another species on our planet is pushed to extinction.

In that same time, more than 1,200 acres of forest are destroyed, releasing climate change-causing pollution into the atmosphere. That means fewer acres of habitat and more CO2 in the air, which further threatens species’ survival by altering the climate and ecosystems on which they rely.

It’s a catastrophe on a global scale - perhaps the Earth’s next major extinction event - but it’s solvable. And you can be a part of the solution. Sign CI’s petition to save forests and stop the clock on species extinction.

By signing the petition, you are telling government leaders to incorporate forest protection into their national policies on climate change - for the good of our species, our climate, and ourselves.

Take a moment right now and sign our petition to government leaders and help stop the clock on species extinction.

Your signature will bring us one step closer to protecting life on earth, and will help ensure that rare and threatened species survive. Please sign the petition today.

Sincerely,

Beth Wallace
Conservation International

Monkey © CI/Photo by John Martin
Children © CI/Photo by Critano Nogueira

Written by Darci Palmquist
Published on December 8th, 2009 in Animals, Asia Pacific, Climate Change, Cool Green Morning, Copenhagen, Forests, Green Living, Policy, Sustainable Livelihoods, United States

Copenhagen, EPA, Copenhagen, EPA… sound like a broken record? Don’t worry, we’ve got more news than just those two biggies for you today: palm oil and orangutans, the green movement and a few photos from COP 15 thrown in for good measure. Enjoy your daily dose of Cool Green Morning!

1. Yesterday’s ruling by the EPA that greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous to people – a decision that empowers the agency to regulate emissions — has everyone a-buzz. Could this be the push that gets the U.S. into the game at Copenhagen?
2. And more buzz: a report issued by Lord Nicholas Stern and the UN Environment Programme last week says there is hope for Copenhagen to succeed — at least, there’s a “50-50″ chance of avoiding change of more than 2 degrees Celsius.
3. Check out what you’ve been missing at Copenhagen with this slideshow of photos from day one of COP 15 from Treehugger.
4. And now for some non-Copenhagen news… what’s the link between Indonesia’s 40 richest men and the decline of orangutans in that country? Palm oil. The growing demand globally for palm oil is bringing wealth to a few and major habitat loss to orangutans.
5. We’re big fans of doing all we can to green our livelihoods here at Cool Green Morning, so this piece telling people to stop going green raised some ire. What do you think — is going green just a “distraction” as the author says, or does it help create some kind of change?

And that’s a problem in a warming world.

Billions of people get their fresh water from mountain glacier meltwater flows. The trouble is the planet’s glaciers are receding at alarming rates.

Nowhere is this threat more acute than in China and India where huge populations rely on meltwater from rapidly thinning Himalayan glaciers.

Environmental Defense Fund is partnering with the Asia Society to highlight this threat in a full-page ad in tomorrow’s New York Times.

The ad is timed to coincide with President Obama’s trip to Asia, during which he is scheduled to meet with China’s President Hu Jintoa to discuss climate change, among other topics.

You can be one of the first to see the ad, which displays dramatic photos showing the extent of snow cap loss in the Himalayas:

Here are some sobering facts about climate and water to inspire you to take action:

7: Number of great rivers in Asia fed by meltwater from Himalayan glaciers (Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Huang He).

2 billion: Number of people, mostly in India and China, who rely on meltwater from Himalayan glaciers for their fresh water.

2035: Date by which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and India’s Energy and Resources Institute predict that much of the Himalayas could be glacier free.

66%: Amount by which the July-September flows would be reduced in the Ganga River if we lose the Himalayan glaciers.

37%: Amount of India’s irrigated land is located in the Ganga region.

1 and 2: Respective rank of China and India as the world’s producers of wheat and rice, food staples for all of humanity.

You can help by emailing your Senators and urging them to support a climate bill.

Sources for the climate and water facts:

• http://assets.panda.org/downloads/glacierspaper.pdf
• http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081111/main5.htm
• http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/10/05/himalayas.glacier.conflict/index.html
• http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/global-warming-melting-glaciers-shrinking-harvests.php

http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/ check out this web site

This, from the Sierra Club

		There is a new film that speaks to an issue close to my heart—mountaintop-removal coal mining. Once you see this film, it will be close to your heart, too. Mountaintop-removal coal mining has destroyed close to 2,000 miles of Appalachian streams by blowing off the tops of mountains and filling the surrounding valleys and waterways with mining waste. Coal Country is a moving documentary that profiles the concerned residents and coal miners of Appalachia who are so deeply affected by the destruction from mountaintop-removal coal mining—people who must deal with polluted local water sources; the threat of asthma, cancer, and other health effects in their families; and the division of their communities on how to address the crisis. We need your help to ensure that as many people as possible see this powerful film. Hosting a Coal Country viewing party in your community is an easy and effective way to contribute to this growing national movement to end mountaintop-removal coal mining. Sign up to host today and we’ll send you your very own free sneak-peek DVD and a special host packet with everything you need to organize a successful event. As a party host, you and your guests are invited to join national call-ins with actress Ashley Judd, coalfield residents featured in the film, and leaders of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign as they talk about mountaintop-removal coal mining and how we can take action in our own communities. Sierra Club members and supporters have already planned more than 300 parties between November 10th and 14th—host or join one today!

How did these pesky critters cause thousands in damaged appliances to some very unlucky homeowners?

By BRAD WATSON / WFAA-TV

CARROLLTON - The summer ant invasion is upon us and they can do more than hurt your yard, pets or children.

Some Carrollton homeowners found how ants can damage houses and appliances.

John Meadows spent the past two weeks buying new appliances and trying to get existing ones to work again. “The other components, the TV are all working, and for some reason I just turne

d this on and the receiver is not working. I found it had a blown fuse,” he said.

He’s spent $1,200 so far, from getting a new garage door opener and

microwave, to trying to fix the dishwasher, because of a power surge.

The surge hit nine other nearby homeowners who get their power through the same Oncor transformer.

MICHAEL AINSWORTH/DMN

Oncor says customers should use surge protectors.

Oncor says the problem was caused by fire ants.

They built a huge nest in the transformer knocking it out and the utility says it’s not responsible for any damage.

Spokeswoman Megan Wright says, “It’s not a good thing to have to replace items that can be expensive but we cannot control wildlife - this is an act of God.”

Oncor says customers should use surge protectors.

Meadows says he did, but some items still fried.

Neighbor Don Davis lost $2,000 in equipment and thinks Oncor needs t

o be

responsible for its equipment.

“This was something beyond our control this was their control,” he said.  The homeowners say they

are talking to an attorney and will file a complaint with the Public Utility Commission.

Below is the best answer to these type of problems……Thousand of dollars could have been saved while at the same time saving energy….An Immediate Solution.

A Healthy Resolution Product Watch this presentation

EcoPower4 Brochure > EcoPower4 Owner’s Manual >

*Energy Management Explained *Did you know? *Questions & Answers *Warranty/Specs

This is not something I would not normally discuss on this blog about the earth’s life.  I do indeed discuss certain issues that include subjects of interest to both the humans and the earth.  Michael Jackson is though a very interesting subject regarding us Humans.  Although  it’s easy to make speculation when we are so shocked at the events,  I truly am of the thought that it just is not fair to Michael Jackson, his Doctor, or his family to speculate beyond the facts, so I will not be discussing any of that at this time.   It’s all very sad, and we can feel many things for it, and it is a natural response to point fingers and make judgments, but it is always best to be patient and await the facts as they present themselves.  Let’s do something better and talk about Michael Jackson’s Life.  He was an incredibly talented young boy who became a very talented Man.  He had his troubles, and it’s always sad to see another talent such as this go so early in life.  Another victim it seems of the industry.  Reminds me so much of Elvis Presley.  One lesson we can all take from these events is what LIFE really is or isn’t.  It’s something we all have to independently decide for ourselves, but just remember that our acts do indeed affect others.  What we really need as Humans is far beyond riches and things.  Our very basic needs are always the ones that when attended to properly, will be what makes us happy.  Love, and human touch are truly those most basic Human needs.  When these are attended to properly they can certainly bring about a spirit of life that is truly enjoyable, whereas nothing else compares.  When they are not, there is nothing that can replace them, no matter how hard we try, and oh yes, we will desperately try.  It is not always that it is not available, because I believe that it is available for every human, but somewhere along the way we either do not learn how to gain or attend to those basic needs, or we just find ourselves running away from it as a result of some developmental issues perhaps left behind from our childhood. (So important to teach our children  to FEEL, TOUCH AND LOVE EVERY OTHER HUMAN).  These lackings can and most likely will make us very ill.  While we live an unhappy life, we will find that it most likely will not last long either.   It is always a sad thing to witness this happen.  Perhaps we feel so much for those we see it happen to, such as Elvis and Michael, because we relate to them, so I would like to remind all that when we find ourselves relating so strongly to these people, think about why.  Perhaps we need to attend to that most basic human need for loving human touch.  We make such strong connections to these people we really do not know but are so public, maybe because we may feel their pain in some way (or at least what we think is their pain).  Of course there are many reasons why this happens, an interesting dynamics it is, but whatever the reasons, it certainly confirms one thing I so often state, that we are all connected to each other and the Earth.

So don’t ever forget, that connection is so very important.  It is our Life