Bloggers Unite to Raise Awareness About Climate Change: Blog Action Day ’09

More than 8,000 blogs written by people from 148 countries are uniting today to raise awareness, to educate and to inspire people to do something about climate change. These 8,000+ blogs accumulate over 12,000,000 readers and I hope that our collective thoughts on such an important and what could be catastrophic issue reach even more people than that and start conversations between blogs, between people, and I hope that those people keep in mind the threat that climate change does indeed have over us when living their daily lives.

Contrary to popular belief, climate change is not an impending doom; climate change is not something we will face out of the blue one day when we wake up, look outside and realize we’re all living in wastelands and ghost towns. Climate change is not something that will happen “to us,” it is an issue that requires our attention and our activism. It is an issue that has already begun to impact the world we live in and how we live our lives.

When you are picking out your Christmas tree this holiday season, think of those trees that are being cut down in order to decorate your home for those few weeks; they may not always be there for you to pick out, bring home and decorate with your family, in fact, because of global warming, their numbers are already diminishing. The Pink Bark Beetle feeds on and kills pine trees, the same trees that are the iconic ‘Christmas trees.’ These beetles used to be held in control by cold winter temperatures, but as our temperatures have continued to increase over the years, the species is thriving and is killing off entire forests located in British Columbia.

Beetles are also thriving in feeding on and killing ash trees in alarming numbers. Ash trees are used to make all baseball bats and because ash trees are in danger of disappearing, so are baseball bats and without bats, there is no baseball–unless we want to see professional whiffle ball or go back to our childhood roots and use large sticks.

Cultural landmarks all over the country are being threatened by climate change; in fact, the World Monuments Fund recently added global warming as a threat in their list of the top 100 threatened cultural landmarks. Melting permafrost on Herschel Island in Canada threatens the ancient Inuit sites and historical whaling town. The desert in Chinguetti, Mauritania is encroaching on an ancient mosque. A hut once used by British explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott in Antarctica has survived almost a century in the freezing conditions of the location, but is in danger now because it is being engulfed by increasingly heavy snows.

Climate change is not just going to wipe out a great deal of our animals, ocean life, educational and awesome monuments and landmarks, become the stomping ground for war and famine and so many other things; it’s also going to give us more of some things… Like mosquitos! Mosquitos live in drains, sewer puddles and generally anywhere else that’s pretty disgusting. During long dry spells that are brought on by higher and higher temperatures, stagnant pools because a vital source of water for birds, which provide mosquitos with their food. These dry spells also reduce the population of dragonflies, lacewings and frogs, all insects that eat mosquitos. We will also see an increase in poison ivy, which grows lusher, taller and more resilient with increased CO2 levels.

There are a myriad of other atrocities that will happen to our world because of climate change and the Center for American Progress has listed a great deal of them. I urge you to check out the top 100 effects of global warming.

So, now that you know what is going to happen without us, the people, taking the initiative to do something about it, what is it that we should do, anyway?

Cut down on driving. Just burning a single gallon of gas produces 20 pounds of CO2 so if you commute back and forth to work, either move closer to your place of employment, if you’re able, or start riding your bike. If that isn’t an option, carpool with your co-workers.

Consume less. No, I’m not saying don’t eat as often, but you can buy less stuff. Remember that George Carlin bit about stuff and having to buy a bigger and bigger house to fit all of your stuff in? Minimalism is the way to go, it’s cool, I promise. Get reusable grocery bags; most grocery stores have them for sale at the register but if you need reusable grocery bags that are larger, which a lot of stores don’t carry, you can find a great deal of them with one Google search, or check out Etsy for handmade and stylish larger tote bags; that way you will also be supporting an artist who probably needs the money. You can also start growing your own small garden, just big enough to feed your own family some fresh vegetables and make delicious slow cooker recipes like soup and stew throughout the winter seasons.

No more cutting down tress, and plant new trees to replace ones that have been destroyed. 33 million acres of forests are cut down every single year. That is insane and, as it turns out, unnecessary. When purchasing wood products, opt to purchase used furniture or wood that is certified to be sustainably harvested.

Unplug your electronics when they’re not in use and turn off lights in rooms when you leave. Did you know that US citizens pay more for their electricity to power devices when they are off, rather than when they are on? Televisions, stereo equipment, computers, battery chargers, iPods, microwaves, toasters, coffee makers and a myriad of other electric devices that can be unplugged when they are not in use. These devices actually use up more energy when they are “turned off,” so why not just unplug them?

Switch to eco-friendly (and longer-lasting) light bulbs. According to the EPA, replacing just one incandescent light bulb in every American home would save enough energy to provide electricity to three million American homes. Imagine the impact you could have if you switched all of your light bulbs.

Educate yourself. There are countless resources on the internet that you can use to educate yourself about climate change and what you can do for you, your family and other families around the world. Blogs are a great resource to utilize, especially when looking on how to go green because the people who dedicate themselves to green living are truly doing what they can to change the world and are always eager to pass on the tips and tricks they pick up. My absolute favorite “green blog” is Crunchy Domestic Goddess, I cannot stress enough how influential she has been to me and to many other bloggers around the blogosphere. Go check her out.

Also take the time to explore the Climate Orb from TckTckTck, which is updated constantly with top headlines about climate change published all over the world.

To make an even bigger impact with what you can do about climate change, check out 350.org on October 24th for International Day of Climate Action. People all over the world will be participating and will be demonstrating their commitment to stopping climate change.