http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/ EI Cyber Actions Ecological Internet, Inc. info@ecologicalinternet.org (Dr. Glen Barry) http://www.ecologicalinternet.org/images/eilogo85.gif http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/ ![CDATA[The growing and powerful climate movement has, based upon climate science, already shown conclusively that climate change is real and deadly. Now we must urge politicians, industry and individuals to immediately act and transform themselves if we are to survive. Finally, a mass protest against coal -- whose plants are "factories of death" -- is to occur in America, reflecting the urgency and depth of the one most important, sufficient climate response through non-violent civil disobedience. Coal generates the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of energy obtained, and large reserves remain that must not be burned if we are to survive. Continued reliance upon coal, without immediate phasing-out of plants that emit into the atmosphere, is incompatible with any scenario to reduce atmospheric GHGs to a safe level in time to avert irreversible and catastrophic climate change. Ecological Internet wholeheartedly endorses the Capitol Climate Action -- the largest mass civil disobedience for the climate in U.S. history. On March 2, you are urged to join thousands of people in protesting at the Capitol Power Plant in Washington DC, a plant that powers the U.S. Congress with dirty energy. The peaceful protest is a rallying cry for a clean energy economy that protects the health of our families, our climate, and our future -- and ends the use of coal that emits pollutants into the atmosphere. Facing protest, Capitol leadership has already promised to switch the Capitol Power Plant off coal. Now we need them to promise to do the same thing to every other coal-fired power plant in America. If this one is too dirty, so are all the rest. Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels and has caused most of the global warming crisis to date. Coal-fired power plants remain the largest source of global warming pollution in the U.S., and the climate crisis cannot be addressed unless we stop burning coal. "Clean coal" is a fiction created by industry advertising, as carbon capture technology is untested and not available for years, if ever. From mining, to burning, to waste disposal, coal threatens our health and safety. Mountain-top removal mining destroys water resources and ecosystems; burning coal releases mercury, acid rain, black soot and tons of toxic ash waste; resulting in a host of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, including lung cancer, asthma, heart disease and premature death. Humanity's dependence upon antiquated dirty coal energy is on the verge of triggering powerful and irreversible planetary feedbacks -- including permafrost methane release, less reflective ice, forest fires and overwhelmed carbon sinks -- that are beyond human control and will intensify abrupt and run-away climate change. Without an all out global people power mobilization to pursue the end of coal, and other sufficient climate policy such as protecting and restoring old forests, we are rushing into a global catastrophe never before imagined. Disappearing glaciers, fast changing climate zones, and desertification means dwindling water supply, famine, coastal flooding, ecosystem collapse, spread of tropical disease, mass migration and war. Coal kills. The rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, particularly coal, is not only our best chance of averting climate catastrophe; it also provides a desperately needed –- and permanent –- major stimulus to our unraveling economy. Shifting to renewable energy -- even as we seek to dramatically increase energy efficiency and conservation -- means shifting hundreds of billions of dollars per year from dirty fuel purchases into green jobs creation within our own economies. Every dollar spent on green energy creates over three times as many jobs as in coal and oil. Vast military expenditures used to secure fossil fuel access, estimated at over $200 billion/year, would also be freed up. In short, the solution to climate crisis also provides economic security, job security, and national security. It will restore health to people and the planet. In December 2009, the international community will meet in Copenhagen to establish a plan to tackle the climate crisis. Congress and the Obama administration need to get to work now in order to position the U.S. to lead the world in developing an agreement capable of solving the crisis. There is no future for coal or old forest logging in such an agreement, and the U.S. must begin to lead by example. Our leaders must repower our economy with clean energy technology and pass comprehensive science-driven coal and forest legislation that is capable of avoiding the most dangerous impacts of global warming. We encourage you to consider marching and getting arrested to make the point that the age of coal is over, and/or to show your support for the brave protestors and the end of coal by sending the message below.]] http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=coal_kills http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=coal_kills 28 Feb 2009 11:00:00 PST | | info@ecologicalinternet.org (Dr. Glen Barry) ![CDATA[President Obama recently traveled to Canada on his first presidential international trip, where he faced pressure from the Government of Canada to support production of Alberta tar sands oil. Called oil sands by proponents, tar sands are the very dirtiest of fossil fuels. Producing oil from tar sands emits three times the global warming pollution as conventional oil, requires excessive amounts of energy and fresh water, and destroys huge swaths of ancient boreal forest. Tar sands development is the most ecologically destructive project in the world. When fully developed, along with its vast proposed pipeline network, tar sands will indefinitely continue North America's addiction to climate destroying fossil fuels, ensuring abrupt and runaway climate change exceeds safe levels. There is virtually no chance of maintaining an operable atmosphere and achieving global ecological sustainability should tar sands production continue or expand. "Tar sands oil is the dirtiest form of energy in the world. It has no place in President Obama's plans for a clean energy economy," said Sierra Club Dirty Fuels Campaign Coordinator Pat Gallagher. "Tar sands oil accelerates global warming. It destroys forests. It endangers public health. Instead of importing this expensive, dirty oil, we can invest in clean energy that will create millions of much-needed, sustainable jobs." President Barack Obama must be strongly encouraged to stand strong on his new energy economy agenda and commitment to urgently address climate change, and reject entreaties from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to shelter the dirtiest oil on Earth from global warming regulation. Join a broad network of organizations from across Canada and the United States telling President Obama that the Tar Sands do not fit in the new energy economy. Let the President know how seriously you take climate change, urging him to reject tar sands and support further immediate urgent action in pursuit of sufficient climate change policies. He can immediately start regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. His administration can invest trillions in renewable energy, efficiency and conservation; provide incentives for small family size; tax carbon and consumption; and decisively commit to ending coal and old growth logging. And President Obama must commit the full political might of America and his office to a comprehensive international treaty of shared yet differentiated national responsibilities to reign in emissions, to be finalized at the Copenhagen climate summit by the end of the year.]] http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=obama_tar_sands http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=obama_tar_sands 14 Feb 2009 11:00:00 PST | | info@ecologicalinternet.org (Dr. Glen Barry) ![CDATA[The last unprotected intact forest landscapes in Northern Finland are currently being destroyed by the Finnish government and timber industry. Low-productive old-growth boreal forests located hundreds of kilometres north from the Polar Circle are being logged systematically. Trees more than 300 years old are mainly ending up in pulp wood piles of timber giant Stora Enso. Only less than 5% of Finnish forests have remained untouched by modern forestry. The Finnish old-growth forest destruction today is totally unnecessary. Finland is a rich industrialized country with no economical need for logging the remains of its old-growth forests. Logging in old-growth forests is being carried out simply because government’s logging body Metsähallitus and forest industry have decided to wipe them out for short-term profit. Shockingly, these old-growth forest areas are providing less that 0.1% of the industry's wood supply. Many of the areas being logged are over 50 000 hectares in size and are of global significance. In May 2006, Finnish NGOs published a report identifying the eight largest unprotected old-growth forest areas in Northern Finland's Forest Lapland region. NGOs, supported by over 250 leading Finnish scientists and researchers, urged protection of these last remnant old-growth forests. However, since December 2006, Finnish government has been logging these forests. Four out of five of Finland's largest intact forest landscapes are now being deliberately fragmented! Hundreds of habitats for red-listed species are to be destroyed. Finnish pulp and paper giant Stora Enso buys most of the wood. While buying wood from intact forest landscapes and from habitats of threatened species, Stora Enso claims in its propaganda to be “committed into sustainability”. The logging is "certified" by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), purposefully misleading and completely confusing consumers regarding the environmental sustainability of first time logging of ancient forests. This winter, Metsähallitus logging activities are more systematic and widespread than before. Logging is going on in four of the areas, and there are also plans for the remaining ones. Metsähallitus even attempts to justify their current logging by claiming these forests are not ecologically valuable, but have not presented any evidence to back up this claim. This senseless, destructive logging is trashing Finland’s reputation in environmental policy and is making the European Union's (EU) efforts in global forest protection seem ridiculous. Finland has, as an EU member, committed to halting the loss of biodiversity by year 2010. In addition, Finland has committed to the Convention on Biological Diversity forest programme, which recommends that all countries take action to protect all remaining, large natural state forest areas by 2010. Logging large intact old-growth forest landscapes instead of protecting is clearly in conflict with Finland’s commitments. Please, help Finnish NGOs to save Finland’s natural treasures and to put international pressure on their destructive forest industry. This is the latest protest in Ecological Internet's global campaign to protect all remaining old growth forests, and promote regeneration and restoration of secondary forests to late successional old-growth status. Increasing old forest cover globally is critical for achieving global ecological sustainability -- including climate, water and biodiversity.]] http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=finland_lapland_forests http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=finland_lapland_forests 05 Feb 2009 11:00:00 PST | | info@ecologicalinternet.org (Dr. Glen Barry)