Things are shaking on the other side of the ocean.
First, is Do the Green Thing‘s latest monthly challenge. This time it is, ‘Do February’s Green Thing. Turn your heating down a bit or off for a bit and use your body warmth.‘ Check it out, it is hilarious, and a brilliant example of what humor can do to help people change their behaviors:
And thanks Cowrin, over at Suitably Despairing, for reminding me of what great things, Do The Green Thing has set out to accomplish. I was so inspired that I immediately sent a Be My Body-Warming Valentine to Prad. Never mind that I am a week early. I just couldn’t wait.
Second, is the Carbon Fast initiative started by the Episcopalian Church, in the context of Lent. I have to thank Lynn, from Organic Mania, for the tip:
The Church of England is urging people to cut down on carbon, rather than chocolate, for Lent this year.
Two senior bishops within the church are joining with development agency Tearfund in calling for a cut in personal carbon use for each of the 40 days of Lent, which begins tomorrow.
The Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, who is also vice-president of Tearfund, and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, have launched the “carbon fast” in response to what they say is an “urgent need” to reduce carbon emissions, and to protect poor communities around the world that are “already suffering from the ravages of climate change”.
The 40-day plan lists simple energy-saving actions that can lead towards a lighter carbon footprint, including snubbing plastic bags, giving the dishwasher a day off, insulating the hot-water tank and checking the house for drafts.
Participants are asked to begin the carbon fast by removing one light bulb from a prominent place in the home and live without it for 40 days, as a constant visual reminder during Lent of the need to cut energy. On the final day of the fast, people are encouraged to replace the missing bulb with an energy-saving bulb.
Jones said: “Traditionally people have given up things for Lent. This year we are inviting people to join us in a carbon fast. It is the poor who are already suffering the effects of climate change. To carry on regardless of their plight is to fly in the face of Christian teaching.
“The tragedy is that those with the power to do something about it are least affected, whilst those who are most affected are powerless to bring about change,” he added. “There’s a moral imperative on those of us who emit more than our fair share of carbon to rein in our consumption.”
Will we listen to the Brits, and with them, remember that ‘Yes, We Can‘? We can change, and start taking action on behalf of our planet.
La Marguerite 
Marguerite, your post is great, as usual.
I think the British efforts, and use of humor (or humour), are great. Why are we, in the U.S., so slow at all of this when it comes to global warming?
In the U.S., we need more enlightened and enlightening humor (than we have in the U.S., today) focused on this topic. Where are the TV writers when you most need them? I have one idea: How about a candidate who claims to be our best chance at change even though the candidate’s last name has been synonymous with politics for several decades? And what if that same candidate claims, with a straight face, that she will be most able to compete successfully with the candidate from the other party, even though the polls, and the likely emotions of millions of people, seem to suggest that the exact opposite is true? Where are the TV comedy writers when you need them?
I think we should plead with the writers to come back, at least temporarily, so they can do their revealing “critiques” of the various candidates. In some ways, a good laugh is the only way to cut through the clutter and “internalize” what claims make sense and what claims are comedic.
Finally, on a more serious note, I noted the comments about “moral imperative” in the post. Global warming is of course, among other things, an immense moral issue in several ways. And, I appreciate the comment in the post. That said, many people who might be a part of the religion mentioned, or who might believe in a different religion, or who might not believe in a religious faith at all, might fall into one of the following categories, or others: A) People who sense, intuitively, the moral aspects of the global warming problem but who perhaps can’t explain or justify this sense; B) People who sense, intuitively, the moral aspects of the issue but who somehow convince themselves (intellectually) that global warming does not present a moral issue, against their own intuitions; C) People who completely associate morality with religion and do not understand, or believe, that morality can exist, and does exist, independent of religious belief; and D) People who fall into all sorts of other categories.
My work, involving understanding morality from the scientific and reasoning/philosophical standpoints, and also bridging those standpoints, underscores, and provides a science-based foundation for, the moral importance (to put it mildly) of sustainability and of addressing immense issues such as global warming. For those who already “know”, in their own way, that addressing global warming is a moral issue, this view may seem redundant or unimportant (or perhaps even obvious). But, for people who aren’t quite sure if, or why, sustainability and addressing global warming are moral issues, or who doubt that morality even exists, this work provides valuable insights.
In any case, given that “morality” was mentioned in relation to global warming, I wanted to underscore and highlight the notion that global warming is, indeed, a moral problem (among other things) and that we “ought” to address it, literally speaking. And, this view can be supported with science and sound reasoning and does not depend on religious belief, in my view.
Happy Friday.
I agree, morality is a big part of the climate fight. Particularly, people’s understanding of morality.
I really enjoy reading your blog; it always has great dialogue. I was wondering if your readers have heard anything about online carbon calculators. I am not an environmental nerd but I came across a couple, and with everyone going green these days I thought I would check out my footprint. I took my test at WWF.com, and the EPA site along with http://www.earthlab.com. Does anyone know about any other ones? Let me know, and it would be cool to hear any thoughts on these things. Oh and I think Earthlab.com is the best site it has the easiest calculator to use and they are doing stuff with the super bowl, spinning football and global warming together is pretty impressive.
Thanks so much for the nice mention and link! And by the way, although the idea for the fast originated in England, all of the members of the Anglican Communion (meaning the Episcopal church here in the US) are being asked to follow the carbon fast.
And speaking of the Brits, I was on a British green site and noticed an ad for a “green” department store! I’ve never heard of anything like this here stateside.
Lynn
I wonder what a green department store looks like?
Alex, I wrote a number of earlier posts on carbon calculators. There are so many out there. Zerofootprint is pretty good. I just wonder how useful those calculators are in the end. Most important for me was identifying the four main sources of carbon emissions: 1) cars, 2) heating and air conditioning, 3) electricity and appliances, 4) red meat, 5) purchases of material goods. Then comes the hard part. Doing something about it, and changing daily habits, one at a time.
Following your honest journey along the greener path has been an exercise in hope — the videos are an educational tool, and the humor certainly lightens the load. lamarguerite is evolving into a generous universal offering.
as for greenadine, still manning the outposts of poverty. That’s where an appalling amount of global junk ends up– futile objects used as palliative social toys clutter much of the American underground. They travel far and live shortly — leaving a toxic trail of destruction.
A return to environmental conscience is coming from the top, let’s hope the trend trickles down soon.
Thanks, Nadine. Thanks for putting your creative and writing talents at the service of the planet. I continue to savor every one of your posts . . .
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