Sustaining Life

Many of you know that I am very interested in the concept and practice of Sustainability.  On a personal scale of treading lightly, and in a global scale of real survivability for the future generations (those of you who have procreated should be especially interested in this aspect).  There's an abundance of talk on this issue, from Obama's speech last night, all the way down to Chevron asking you to change your light bulbs, but what are we REALLY trying to accomplish? Jen and I recently took a trip up to Burlington, Vermont to visit some friends.  There we found a community that we really loved!  College town, great music scene, a wintertime farmer's market, and cafes and restaurants serving food from the local "foodshed".  Coming from the Bay Area, we felt right at home.  And Sustainability was in the air once more.  Living it and practicing it, because if we wait till tomorrow, well... its already too late.

 

Until recently, I've had a hard time getting my head around this issue.  I know China is building a new coal fired power plant approximately once a week!, and that 15 % of their pollution floats across to the western U.S. and that half of their air pollution comes from manufacturing items for export to places like us.  But with all these stats and more, I still have difficulty understanding what this all MEANS to me, and how to approach it with a actual GOAL to achieve.  Well, we might finally have what we're looking for.

What are the measurable goals when it comes to global climate change?  We hear of nations signing pacts to reduce our CO2 emissions because we know that this is the gas that is locking in the heat, causing the climate to shift erratically.  Because the problem is global, and we are a globe of many languages and emotions, perhaps the answer isn't a linguistic one.  We've seen politicians debate words and that gets us no where.  What we need is a NUMBER, something that all languages can wrap their heads around.  James Hansen, perhaps our greatest climatologist, has taken his years of research and wrapped it in a number.  THAT NUMBER IS 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide.

This number represents the upper bounds that our atmosphere can safely support life on earth as we know and like it.  Anything more than that and things start to unravel, just like they are now.  And right now, the atmosphere is carrying 385 ppm CO2.  You do the math!  Our work is set for us, and the next question is: What do we do to reduce this number?  If you think like me, then you say "Sure, I've changed my light bulbs to cfl's, cut my water usage, put up PV panels, insulated my home, etc., but what are the big corporations doing?  the Coal Plants? the industry spewing tons of toxins in to the air and watersheds?"  Exactly.  These are the people (and corporations ARE PEOPLE) that must get the message, the goal, and the pressure to reduce, curb and ultimately stop the cycle that trades short term profits for long term environmental damage.

Now what I haven't figured out is how to get the message of 350 out there.  I'm open to ideas.  Author and activist Bill McKibben has started 350.org to help tattoo this message on humans brains everywhere.  check it out.  Instilling meaning in a number might be our greatest challenge but I know we as artists, parents and humans can do it.

Casey