Earthquake Tsunami video overtaking airport

This video was taken from inside the airport in Japan.

It is said that this is the first earthquake of this magnitude in 140 years for Japan.  How do we prepare for something like this?  The reality is we can prepare but it is likely that it will not be "enough".  Will we continue to tilt the scale moving the needle on "enough", forcing us to redefine what "enough" is; if enough is measured by the loss of life that is "acceptable", will we have to continuously redefine acceptable because of our reluctance to manage climate change issues.

Although this is not necessarily a climate change issue, it could potentially be a consumption issue.  As we burrow deeper into the earth for the natural resources, do the formation in the earth by default, have more wiggle room?  I don't know (I'm not a seismologist) but interesting question to postulate.  

Japan Earthquake: Signs of Climate Change

An 8.9 scale earth quake rocked Japan generating a tsunami that is moving homes, cars, planes and having an earth shattering office buildings.

This is obviously a terribly disturbing event as hundreds are already reported dead; at what point do we recognize the correlation between what is occurring in the natural environment as a result of the accelerated impact of human activity?

Condolences and well wishes for those who are experiencing a significant loss- it is unimaginable.

Here the ocean moves large boats and vehicles as though they were leaves in a stream.

Climate change: ask yourself, what am I doing

by Scotland Willis

A path to climate consciousness can be a long one.  Some don't necessarily know where to begin, others may believe  they are doing enough.  Still some people may just believe that they have too much baggage they are carrying around to add anything else to their "to do" list is just too much.

To be certain, getting to where I am today was not an overnight decision or process.  Each step along the way I was certain others would see it as a major psychological challenge.  But the further I got into this path of sustainability the more I wanted it.  Once you are committed to climate change issues, two things are very difficult 1) understanding why others don't buy into it; even if you don't believe in the seriousness of climate change, you could say at a fundamental level that polluting is worse than not polluting- right?  Sure!  2) and turning back- I have no interest in doing so.  So where do we go from here?

My goal is to get more people to understand what they can become more climate conscious; understand climate change in a way that they can apply it to their own lives; and to lead by example.  So I would like to share a few things about my own habits over the last few years.  For simplicity purposes I will number them and you can email me if you would like a more in depth response.  It is not about bragging rights, rather it is to present some practical steps towards achieving your own personal climate goals.

1) I stopped driving ( I sold my car and motor cycle in less than a 6 month period)
2) I hang dry my close in the warm and cold months.  The winter is very dry so hanging your clothes inside works great!  I have not used my dryer in more than 2 years.  Machine drying your clothes removes more of the fiber that your clothes are made of or burns the fabric a little each time.
3) I take public transportation
4) I cycle more often than I take public transportation (whenever possible)
5) I compost; using my nitrogen and carbon rich products to contribute to my soil for gardening each season
6) I recycle: 90-95%  of the products we send to the dump / land fill, can be recycled
7) I keep my hot water heater on low most of the time.  If it were my choice, I would recommend that a temperature control for the hot water heater was placed in an accessible place to have more control over when it was on or off
8) I collect the water from my shower in a container while the water is getting warmer so I don't waste the water, I can use it on my house plants
9)  I do the same thing when I wash dishes
10) When I am at Board meetings, I try to use my computer rather than printing up documents for the meeting.
11) I do not use additional heat at night because I have sufficient blankets
12) I purchase jeans from a second-hand store, you cannot tell that they are not brand new.  It requires about 1500 gallons or 6819 liters to make a 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) of cotton.

This is really just the beginning of what you and I can do.  Individuals make the difference.  By demonstrating what we are willing to do we also influence what business and governments do.

Consume less and reuse more; the philosophy is pretty simple.  Figure out how to use what you already have better.  In less developed nations, they are already doing a better job of conserving sometimes because they do not have a choice- we in developed nations could learn from them in many ways.

Most importantly "learn", as much as you can about how to make a difference.  In the United States we are just starting to take a deep look at overlapping services (listen to this broadcast from  npr).  I believe we can change from a culture of excessive consumption to a world of cooperative consumption.

Look for organizations, groups, stores and other resources that are already doing something.  Most entities are very welcoming and will encourage you to get started.  Not only that, in some instances you will enjoy yourself so much you may not even realize you are doing something climate conscious.

Each of us has a responsibility to the other in response to humanity and ecosystem.  

Thanks!
And let's do something environmental.

Saving the planet at home

Here are some basics on ways we can be more active in preserving our planet at home.

Climate and Sustainability News Stories

Let Green Elements Monday's keep you in the know.  Each Monday we will share stories from around the world about environmental issues.  Periodically we will select a topic to write about and share our perspective with you.  Enjoy your week! And thanks for visiting us at Green Elements.
Cotton: Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 25 percent of insecticides on 3 percent of our arable land; that's more than any other crop per unit.
Environmental Index ranking: Yale University's Environmental Performance Index (EPI), rankingof the United States status.  According to the 2010 the United States has slipped from 39 in 2008 to 61 in 2010.  This is disappointing news and a reminder that we need to be more persistent not relaxed in policies and personal practices of our environmental initiatives.  Keep in mind that as we progress, new light may be shed on what "environmental performance" means.  Also if the parameters are getting stronger, a ranking could also drop.  Let's be thorough in our understanding of all things. Other top ranking countries:
2008 Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland.
2010 Iceland, Switzerland Costa Rica Sweden
Endangered Turtles: Last year 46 endangered Pacific loggerhead turtles were hooked on longlines...  ,their population has declined 80 percent in just two decades.
Uneven Climate Change (ENN)  Scientists are therefore trying to pin down how the warming has affected regional climates because that is what really matters to people...
Cyclone Yasi NASA : CloudSat satellite flew over Tropical Cyclone Yasi and revealed some impressive numbers for the height and width of the storm's clouds. Yasi was a category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph...
The Recycled Port (Science Daily)  In search of a sustainable alternative to dumping at sea or disposal on land,...
Drought in the Amazon (The Independent) the Amazon rainforest last year caused the "lungs of the world" to produce more carbon dioxide than they absorbed, potentially leading to a dangerous acceleration of global warming.
Re: As we continue to examine the impact of human activity, it is critically important that we have comprehensive responses to offset the calamity of overwhelming events  around the world.  If our responses are disproportionate in the minor sense, to the significane of these environmental impacts, we are likely to find oursleves in a compromising position to shift towards more favorable outcomes.  The Amazon plays a key role in carbon sinks as do other parts of the ecological system.
Climate change, housing, and insurance (NYT)...  In Brisbane, Australia, January storms ripped apart a riverside boardwalk— turning a concrete section 150 yards long into a waterborne torpedo.
...one of the world’s largest insurance companies, says climate-related events serious enough to cause property damage have risen significantly since 1980
Re: If the multi-billion dollar a year business of insurance is responsing to climate change relative to affecting their bottom line, it should also serve as a clear indicator that their rising costs and frequence of envets be an indicator to political leaders to respond similarly, by at least the same degree as insurers.