photo ©Nancie Battaglia

Bill McKibben is one of my heroes. He’s an author, educator and environmentalist who has done more than just about anyone I know to engage and inspire people to take a stand on climate change.   The world has tapped Bill for a big mission and he has stepped up beautifully. Thanks to Bill,   350.org has become a world wide phenomenon.  (If you don’t already know why 350 is the most important number on the planet, then click here to learn more.)

This guy is a powerful writer. After reading Deep Economy , my world view changed dramatically. His words hit me deep in my gut that we’ve got to change the way we’re doing things.  I’m currently reading The End of Nature (written back in 1998) as part of  a book group on Food & Capitalism.

Yesterday he wrote a very moving post, No Time for Tears in Copenhagen but the last paragraph caused me to see red.

So no more tears. Not now, not while there’s work to be done. Pass the Diet Coke, fire up the laptop, grab the cellphone. To work. We may not have done enough, but we’re going to do all we can.

Do you see the red I’m talking about? My green hero drinks Diet Coke. The Coca Cola corporation, known for it’s red containers filled with colored sugar water, has been working non stop lately to portray itself as a green company.  The products that this multinational corporation sells are not good for our health or the health of our planet.

Coke and Diet Coke negatively impact your health. Here are a few ways:

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been correlated with obesity, high triglyceride levels which in turn impact LDL cholesterol. HFCS also decreases your feelings of fullness, so you’re more likely to eat and drink more.

Phosphoric acid found in soda tends to leach calcium from bones which results in decreased bone density. It’s acidic pH also accelerates tooth decay.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke what has been linked to some significant health issues including migraine headache, ADHD, vertigo and even brain tumors. This chemical creates sweet cravings and many people have found it to be addictive.

In addition to being hazardous to your health, Coca Cola wrecks havoc on the environment, not just here in the US but around the world.  Mark Thomas’s book, Belching Out the Devil illustrates the real story behind Coca Cola. I highly recommend this book for further reading on Coca Colas misdeeds globally.

Let’s take a peek at the environmental impact of a few ingredients in a can of Coke

Corn grown for High Fructose Corn Syrup requires loads of  petrochemical derived fertilizer and pesticides. Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 200 times more damaging than CO2, is liberated when those fertilizers are used.  Let’s not forget the dead zone resulting from fertilizer runoff in the Gulf of Mexico. Watch King Corn and Big River to learn more about this.

Aluminum cans require a huge amount of energy to create. While recycling is great and saves energy, less than one third of all aluminum cans come from recycled sources.

Water is 99% of Coca Cola’s product. This corporation has  gone all out to manufacture an image of itself as a global leader in water conservation. The water that goes into making soda comes from streams and aquifers. This water could be better used to irrigate sustainable agriculture or to hydrate thirsty people around the globe.  Also think for a minute about all that water that we are trucking  around in those big red Coca Cola trucks,  burning oil and creating exhaust that is adding more carbon into our atmosphere.

Bill, please re-think your drink! Your health is important, we all need you in tip top shape.  I’m sure you need some caffeine, after all, you’re working tirelessly to turn 350ppm CO2 into something as instantly recognizable as a Coca Cola logo.  But how about some green tea instead? In addition to a caffeniated boost, you’ll benefit from anti-oxidants. Tea bags are very portable, you just pop them in your re-usable stainless steel tea mug and add water. You can even enjoy it cold or room temperature.

Switching from soda to tea is a simple green strategy, one that we all can do, that will help to make the world a better place.

photo credit: gitsul.

While many Americans are wasting valuable time oggling the news for the latest update on Tiger’s sex life, our atmosphere is filling up with greenhouse gases that may make human civilization unsustainable in the not too distant future.

By now, you’ve probably heard about CO2. Carbon Dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that everyone is talking about. Bill McKibben has done a great job getting the word out about CO2 levels with his group 350.org

There are other gases that create even more damage than CO2, and what you eat on a daily basis creates them.

Methane is 20 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than CO2. The largest source of methane is industrial animal agriculture. Here’s how it works. Cows eat corn and grain which results in belches and blasts out the other end loaded with methane gas. What we need to do: eat less animals.

Nitrous Oxide also known as laughing gas in the dental office, is no laughing matter. A molecule of nitrous oxide traps heat about 200 times more effectively than a carbon dioxide molecule. It’s produced when nitrogen containing fertilizers are applied in conventional agriculture. What we need to do: support organic and sustainable agriculture.

Clearly what we eat and how we grow it can have a big impact on climate change. Research by Rodale Institute demonstrates that we could offset 25% of our annual emissions if we converted existing farmland to organic methods. We’d also save more water, induce less erosion and conserve more resources than conventional farming does.

The bottom line: If you care about our future, focus on what’s on the end of your fork instead of Tiger’s escapades. Our children and grandchildren will thank you for it one day.

This week, I had the good fortune to see 3 great movies that told the tale of climate change and sustainability. I hope you get a chance to see at least one of them. If you do, your life will never be the same.

After reading Bill Mc Kibben’s Deep Economy a year ago, there’s been no turning back for me. I can no longer stay asleep and pretend that climate change isn’t happening and that our food system is OK. It’s not just that kids are getting fat, there are bigger problems happening that need bold fixes.

These three films put a smile on my face. More importantly, movies like these give me hope that perhaps other people are waking up too.

The Yes Men Fix the World was funny and thought provoking. These guys have more chutzpah than anyone. Their stunt with the “Hallaburton Survivaballs” was nothing short of awesome. Their pranks continue. This week, they chased Senator Arlen Specter in their Survivaball costumes. These guys are missing out on a big opportunity this Halloween, these suits could be big sellers!

Next on my list was No Impact Man This movie started as a blog, turned into a project in which many environmental groups are collaborating. I dragged my teenage daughter to see this one. She could relate to the Starbucks sipping, Prada wearing wife who had to make some big changes for the sake of the project. Lowering our environmental impact takes us out of our comfort zones but has some unexpected benefits.

Last but not least, I saw Food Inc. again last night. The movie was screened for a full house of students at SUNY Purchase. This movie was even better the second time around. So many important points were made about the food we eat. Changing our conversation around food is, in my opinion, the most important move that each of us can make to decrease our carbon dioxide emissions. You’ll never look at your dinner or the supermarket the same way after watching Food Inc.

These films need to be seen by high school and college students. This is the audience who won’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. It’s going to be their world in a couple of years, I’m counting on them to make some noise!

Movies like these build movements beyond the theater. The Yes Men’s pranks continue, along great resources online, including curricula for teachers. The No Impact Projects continue to make ripples along with Food Inc’s petitions and online resources.

Maybe the world is gonna be OK after all.

Saturday’s world wide day of action got alot of people thinking about the number 350.

What’s the big deal about 350?
To paraphrase from the 350.org site:
The science is clear: global warming is happening faster than ever and humans are responsible. Global warming is caused by releasing what are called greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The most common greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in “Parts Per Million” in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it’s the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.

In addition to calling for bold and meaningful climate change legislation nationally and world wide, there are LOTS of things that each one of us can do right in our own yards.

• Fire your lawn guys and buy a battery powered Neuton Mower and cut your own lawn.
• Got leaves? This magical little mower also does a great job of mulching those autumn leaves so you’ll have no need for noisy, CO2 spewing leaf blowers. Think of the cleaner air and the trimmer waistline you’ll have by doing your lawn yourself.
• While you’re outside in the yard, find a great spot to start a compost pile. I’ve got one corner of my yard where we toss leaf mulch along with branches that drop out of our trees from time to time.
• Hanging your clothes outside to dry will save loads of CO2 and will reduce your utility bill. Visit the Laundry List Project for more details.
• For more inspiration on what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, go see No Impact Man, a movie that tells the story of one family in NYC and what they did to reduce their CO2 emissions.