Dear friends, The world acted. Not perfectly, not timely, but with seriousness and gravity. The metaphor of the day was some variant on turning point/pivot/fork in the road/hinge of history. No one proclaimed “mission accomplished.” Beyond ratifying the substantial but inadequate voluntary national commitments to lower climate emissions which had already emerged as the first […]
This has truly been a landmark year for grassroots environmental action. In the past four months alone, people power has derailed Shell’s Arctic drilling plans, driven the Obama Administration to cancel Arctic oil and gas leases for the next two years, won the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline and exposed Exxon’s decades-long climate denial campaign. […]
This afternoon at the COP21 negotiations at Le Bourget in Paris, Sec. of State John Kerry addressed the conference. Sec. Kerry announced he would double the U.S. commitment to support efforts in nations and communities to more than $800 million. Sec. Kerry’s important announcement is another example of American leadership helping bring nations around the […]
Is it possible to have a music concert in Paris after Nov. 13? And, if so, can the music give voice to the emergency of climate change and the desperate hope for a meaningful climate treaty, which is now being drafted in this very same city? The answer is a grief-filled, joy-filled, resounding yes! Great […]
Twenty-one young people from around the country are working to keep the world’s largest fossil fuel companies from intervening in their constitutional climate change lawsuit. Last week, the youth opposed the industry’s proposal to intervene as defendants in their case. The proposed interveners are trade associations for major corporations, including the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM)—representing […]
The Sierra Club and RYOT launched their second joint virtual reality video experience yesterday, viewable on the RYOT-VR mobile app, Facebook 360 and YouTube 360. The immersive experience, narrated by legendary singer/actress Cher, highlights the dirty, dangerous effects of coal pollution from power plants and the industries that buy their power China. The video focuses […]
Actor, filmmaker and social advocate Adrian Grenier is best known for his role as the leading man in the HBO series and movie Entourage. By Grenier’s own account, the “show promotes a culture of conspicuous consumerism” with Hollywood’s elite purchasing cars, homes and big ticket luxury items in nearly every episode. However, Grenier’s new “entourage,” his […]
Effective and inspirational, the redesign of Indian city Chennai wins the 2015 Sustainia Award, chaired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, for its solution to the city’s mounting air pollution and traffic casualties. The city receives the award, while experiencing incessant rainfalls, overflowing rivers and lakes are causing thousands to flee the city, stressing the importance of sustainable […]
Leonardo DiCaprio delivered a powerful speech Friday at the Climate Summit for Local Leaders at City Hall in Paris, a side event of COP21. The event was hosted by Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris and former mayor of New York City and the United Nations secretary general’s special envoy for cities and climate change Michael R. Bloomberg. Mayors from Los […]