America’s Natural Lands

Between rural areas which are under permanent military protection and others which have been designated as wildlife refuges, parks and research facilities, the government of the United States is the holder of one of the largest areas of environmentally sensitive lands on Earth.

Sadly, the willingness of that landlord to protect its real estate is subject to political whims, whims so variable, in fact, that they often span partisanship. Sadly, in recent years, lands under the protection of the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, have seen levels of neglect reach historic proportions. This neglect comes in two general forms:

1) Failure to provide maintenance of key facilities on public lands, especially in public parks; and

2) Failure to police public lands to prevent illegal activity such as the growing of marijuana.

America’s public lands are a vital tool which can help us combat global warming because, in general, they are left in their original, natural state. Additionally, they offer the immediate palliative effect of fighting natural deficit disorder, a psychological condition which only recently has entered public awareness.

Back in May, I told you about natural deficit disorder and the health effects gained by fighting it. Cycling can be a valuable tool in doing just that. Sadly, though, as I will explain next time, many locations offer few if any safe spots to ride a bicycle.

Defenders of Wildlife

Early American Literature Continues to Inspire Environmentalists Everywhere

My journey from carefree consumer to conservationist has its roots in Maine. However, those roots did not lead to the flowering tree hugger I am today until I relocated to Florida, Greater Orlando to be specific. The lifestyle contrast with respect to the conservation of our natural resources between Maine and Florida was so stark in the year 1990 (and remains with us in 2008) that my attention was drawn to it nearly every day.

In addition to converting me to a tree hugger, the aforementioned journey has placed me in a small group of people who have lived for extended periods in the state which the great auteur Henry David Thoreau featured in his seminal work The Maine Woods and in the state which led the widow of world-famous naturalist John James Audubon to collaborate in the formation of a conservation society named for her late husband. That’s right, the Audubon Society was born just a few short miles from the Edgewood section of Orlando where I reside.

In the case of Thoreau and Audubon, the conscience of a nation was changed through literature, brilliantly written and very well renowned, but literature nonetheless.

The Last Shall Be First

Given that the United States is the world’s leading polluter in terms of greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming, it is eminently fitting that another American organization should leverage its effectiveness to bring about modern change regarding the climate crisis. In my August 25 post here on Keyboard Culture , I told you about the fabulous poetry contest being conducted by Defenders of Wildlife. If you have not examined the website associated with that marvelous call to literature, I exhort you to do so immediately.

Now, the Union of Concerned Scientists is running a literary contest of its own and I am overjoyed because it is targeted directly at global warming. Entitled Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming, the UCS contest draws on the eloquent words of Thoreau and Audubon (as well as many of their contemporaries who were inspired by them) to capture in prose the call to action which scientists such as Dr. James Hansen have been preaching for decades.

Even if you haven’t participated in an essay contest before, you owe it to yourself to visit ucsusa.org/americanstories today and give it a try. Nothing short of the entire planet will benefit from your creativity and effort.

I leave you with the official UCS introduction for the contest:

The American outdoors has been central to some of this country’s greatest books, from Henry David Thoreau’s The Maine Woods to Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi. Writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Muir, Rachel Carson, Peter Matthiessen, and E.O. Wilson have inspired us to make positive changes in our lives with their wisdom and words about our lands, geographical riches, and wildlife.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Helping Youngsters Utter The Words I Can Save The Earth

Eco-Libris is a wonderful organization. Striving to bring the youngest generation closer to the joys and edifications of literature while planting trees at the same time, Eco-Libris represents the future of brick and mortar publishing.

Publishing giant Simon & Schuster has been part of the problem, though, failing time and again to embrace low-impact printing methods and recycled paper. Now, Simon & Schuster has engaged with Eco-Libris to herald the launch of its new publishing arm, Little Green Books, a delightful concept. The good news doesn’t stop there. You guessed it! The launch of Little Green Books coincides with a literature contest, this time for children.

Over the course of the last 6 weeks, I have shared with you two posts about literary contests sponsored by conservation charities, Defenders of Wildlife and Environmental Defense. Now, we have a third: I Can Save The Earth! What a great title!

It is a documented fact that youngsters learn difficult concepts such as computing and multilingualism much faster than adults because their neural nets are in developmental stages. Instilling in them the urgency of naturalism and the need to combat global warming also is most effective at young ages.

I commend Eco-Libris and Simon & Schuster for their I Can Save The Earth contest and encourage you to share with all the children you know that they have the chance to submit to the contest until December 1. You’ll find all of the details at

ecolibris.net/littlegreenbooks.asp

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Great Gifts That Help Protect The Wild

As a life member of the Sierra Club, I know that I am somewhat biased toward that organization’s programs and initiatives. The Wild Places program is no exception. Nevertheless, even if I were not a member and former leader of the Sierra Club, I would recommend the Wild Places program to you because of its goals and approach.

The Wild Places program has chosen four areas of natural splendor, all under varying degrees of protection from the United States government and jeopardy from the same. They are the Giant Sequoia National Monument, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Yosemite National Park and Acadia National Park. I feature them here in part because protecting them also means fighting the effects of global warming on account of their function within large natural systems, botanical systems in particular.

I could go on for hours about why each of these needs to be preserved in perpetuity but the special section of the Sierra Club website does it quite well. Visit

SierraClub.org/wildplaces

and consider a donation today. Purchasing carbon offsets is very important but through the Sierra Club Wild Places initiative, you can purchase a tangible piece of the planetary mechanism which gives us clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. I can’t think of a better way to start the new year than by keeping wild places wild.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

In the industrialized world, transportation accounts for about 40% of air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon. Since automobiles remain a growing trend within the industrialized world, they are a great concern to everyone fighting global warming. Naturally, I am convinced that the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway is the best solution because it is clean but does not ask people to sacrifice car ownership.

I am equally convinced, however, that the only viable solution to reversing the global climate crisis is one in which cars are clean to manufacture, maintain and operate. Hyundai Motor Company, in partnership with CarbonFund.org, has vaulted into the pole position among the major automakers with its commitment to the Genesis Forest Project. This insightful initiative is key in Hyundai’s corporate commitment to offset 100% of the carbon emissions caused in 2009 by the manufacture of every car in the Genesis line sold in the United States, estimated at 3,000 vehicles.

Wow!

The good news continues, too. Hyundai will encourage its customers to contribute to the Genesis Forest Project in Brazil thus offsetting the operation of their cars. I congratulate Hyundai Motor Company for its bold step and CarbonFund.org for facilitating the online carbon calculator and other tools which allow Hyundai drivers to be greener.

I am equally pleased to share with you the fact that the Genesis Forest Project is no mere carbon sequestration site. Nay, it is a very progressive wildlife preservation project in the Cerrado region of Brazil, classified as a biodiversity hotspot. What’s more, the project embraces the Social Carbon Methodology.

What is that, you may ask? Here is a quote from SocialCarbon.com...

The Social Carbon Methodology uses a set of analytical tools that assess the social, environmental and economic condition of communities affected by projects, and demonstrate through continuous monitoring the project’s contribution to sustainable development.

In other words, when Hyundai offsets the carbon from its operations, it does not simply preserve habitat or replant trees, which would be good steps on their own. Instead, they engage with the local populations to create green, sustainable jobs, teaching the residents there how to earn a living through protecting their surroundings rather than slashing them. The chart below explains with visual impact just how the social benefits of clean operations intersect and are proportional. It is from the Araguaia Settlement community, one of the projects of the Ecológica Institute, creators of the Social Carbon Methodology.

In my next post, I will share with you the significance of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards in the Genesis Forest Project.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Confronting Climate Change. Helping Communities. Conserving Biodiversity.

Last time, I told you about the Genesis Forest Project. I continue grinning from ear to ear whenever I ponder the broad ramifications. Then, I factor in adherence to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards of ClimateStandards.org and nearly do a cartwheel. After many years of apathy toward global warming by most members of the business community, the climate crisis is gaining significant traction.

ClimateStandards.org is an alliance of key polluters, environmental advocates and researchers including such big names as British Petroleum, the Nature Conservancy and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Together, this alliance has created the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards. An impressive set of methodologies which evaluate land-based carbon mitigation projects in the early stages of development, the specific requirements call for participants to:

• Identify projects that simultaneously address climate change, support local communities and conserve biodiversity;

• Promote excellence and innovation in project design; and

• Mitigate risk for investors and increase funding opportunities for project developers.

What a powerful combination!

Naturally, I advocate strongly for everyone to embrace energy efficiency as my wife and I have and then purchase carbon credits for the rest. However, as our choices among carbon credit providers grow, we now have a layer of protection against substandard or myopic projects which sequester carbon but do little to assist local communities, create green jobs or foment innovation in the low-carbon economy.

Even if you do not own a Hyundai Genesis, you can offset the carbon emitted by your driving through Hyundai’s partnership with CarbonFund.org in which the Genesis Forest Project is the recipient of the proceeds of offsets purchased. That project adheres to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards of ClimateStandards.org making the entire project a deep, lovely hue of green.

Keep at it, folks! You’re doing great!

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Back in December, I told you about the fabulous website ClimateStandards.org and explained why its high standards deserve everyone’s support. The good deeds of ClimateStandards.org have a growing number of parallels in the marketplace, with a renewed emphasis on consumer products and services.

I have maintained since the launching this blog back in June of 2007 that if we really want to fight global warming, we must effect cultural changes in the United States and around the world. Doing so is no easy task but it can be achieved. One of the most important steps we can take is to explain to consumers about the direct impact on the Earth of every product and service they buy and offer real alternatives. It is that last phrase which presents the greatest challenge because the marketplace is so diverse with participants entering and leaving almost every week.

For this reason, I am very enthusiastic about the Wildlife Friendly certification program from the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network. It does exactly what we need. It exposes the flaws of existing products and services and then offers alternatives. Now, given the strict standards which I set here on Keyboard Culture for labeling anything as truly green, you may ask how I measure the depth of green of the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network’s program. It is very simple.

First, whereas other fair trade programs do a fine job of raising awareness of environmental degradation in general, the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) uses the red list of key threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, a British academic body which practices the highest standards of scientific work.

From there, the WFEN sets very specific criteria in its certification process for products. Here’s a quick summary of requirements for certification:

• The product contributes directly to in situ conservation of key species. Qualified products are fundamentally linked to on-the-ground conservation actions.

• Production has a positive impact on the local economy.

• Individuals or communities living with wildlife participate in the production, harvest, processing or manufacture of the product. Transparent, written criteria define individual or community eligibility, conservation goals and monitoring procedures. Signed agreements clearly define the responsibilities of individual and/or community, NGO, business and other partners to each other and identify the conditions under which any transfer of money, goods or services occurs.

• The product’s conservation mission includes a clear enforcement mechanism, such that failure to follow through with required conservation actions results in immediate consequences, including forfeiture of any economic reward.

• Producers and/or NGO, business and other partners strive to monitor the impact of production activities on wildlife in order to ensure that practices benefit species of concern.

• A product that contributes to or fosters consumptive use of wildlife in any way will face a highly critical review for its ability to meet the criteria.

In closing, it may seem that the standards of the WFEN certification process are excessive but this environmentalist assures you that they are right on the mark and exemplary of the future of conservation and green living here in the new millennium.

To learn more about the Wildlife Friendly certification program from the WFEN, please visit

WildlifeFriendly.org

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

On June 16, the government of the United States released its landmark report,
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. While coming up short in
several key areas, most notably the exclusion of

Dr. James Hansen who no doubt would have refuted every point which does not
call for immediate and sweeping action, there is much to celebrate in the
report.

Under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, an interagency
task force of long standing which is based just a short distance from the White
House, the climate change report essentially states that we are very far past
the tipping point on the subject of sea level rise. That most certainly is true
and the release of the climate change report constitutes a very significant
milestone in the fight against global warming.

The authors of the report, whose tenure extends back through multiple
presidential administrations of both political parties, have taken it upon
themselves to brief various colleagues in the federal government, including the
United States Congress, in the hope of driving reforms. Moreover, many of those
same authors are members of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, which won the

Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore in 2007.

On the whole, then, I am comfortable with the tenor of the report given the
enormous (but otherwise denied) political pressure which was applied to every
single author of the report in an attempt to dilute the language as much as
possible. If you would like to read the report and/or watch the video of the
press conference at which it was released, just visit

globalchange.gov

No matter how one feels about the report, however, one is left with a startling
question. The report points to ambassador species, flora and fauna being harmed
right now, at this moment, by climate change. What is to be done about them?

Well, if you have read my blog for any period of time, you know that I advocate
a low-carbon lifestyle, just as I have lived since 2005. For details, please
refer to the
carbon section. However, one’s motivation to move to a low-carbon lifestyle
may fall short simply by reading the climate change report.

Hence, I advocate a more personal approach. I recommend examining the ambassador
species and determining how their loss impacts each of us. The good people at
Environmental Defense have created a handy section of their website to
facilitate doing just that. Called Warming and Wildlife, this page makes it easy
to read and help imperiled species including the puffin, the pika, the sugar
maple, the lynx, the monarch butterfly, the leatherback turtle and, of course,
the polar bear.

I exhort you to visit the page today. Review the information. Learn about how
these lovely ambassador species are being harmed right now, at this moment, by
climate change. Then, take action which the Environmental Defense website
enables you to do quite easily. The direct URL is

edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42590

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler