Concert Honors Children

We can feel the spirit of the blowing wind A mighty source of power in our lives Offering another way to fill our needs Nature's gift can help us carry on.” ~ Raffi

Did Raffi's playful music spin the soundtrack of your family’s early life? The larger significance in Raffi’s lyrics ring remarkably relevant today -- like this nudge towards exploring the power of clean, powerful wind energy.

Raffi is still making music for families and advocating for a "child-honouring approach to healing communities and restoring ecosystems." 

On April 28th, grab a kid or grandkid and check out Raffi's concert in New York City. The concert is presented in association with Moms Clean Air Force and all proceeds benefit the Centre For Child-Honouring.

Why I Marched For Climate Change (video)

I joined with nearly 50,000 protesters who endured freezing winds to express their fervent desire that President Obama take bold action on climate change. For my husband, Ted and I, the Forward on Climate rally was a culmination of years of living a green lifestyle. It was time to move beyond the recycling bin and compost pile to fight for climate justice. Sunday’s rally gave us an opportunity step up our commitment. It put the wind in our sails to demand urgent action on climate change. We chose on the ground activism because we’re not prepared to accept the inevitability of our children’s future without a fight.

President Obama had strong words to say in both his inaugural address and State of The Union about the need for urgent action on climate change. Before the SOTU, I was interviewed along with other environmentalists and asked what I wished President Obama would convey during his speech. I said it was time for him to address our climate concerns – the people’s concerns, not the oil, coal and gas companies that so many politicians on the Hill are beholden to. I said, "The political is personal."

It was this singular focus that drove me to take to the streets of DC on Sunday and raise my voice with tens of thousands from all generations. It’s why I took bold action and pushed Ted and my friends, Dominique (who does not like crowds), and Kerry and Matt to join me.

I knew the rally would thrust us out of our comfort zone. I hadn’t protested in the streets since I boarded a bus to DC in high school with a bunch of bell-bottomed teenagers wearing peace buttons to oppose the Vietnam War. We were fighting for our future. I was wearing a tee-shirt my father printed with the slogan, "War is not healthy for children and other living things."

On Sunday, being part of the climate solution meant going beyond green and marching forward. One of the handmade rally signs summed it up with a photograph of the Earth and these four words: “Too Big To Fail"

View more photos from the Forward for Climate rally HERE and HERE.

Catch a glimpse of the speakers and the energy of the rally in this vide

Photo: Ted Fink

Keep MLK’s Dream Alive

As we pause to reflect on the ideals of racial equality and social justice Martin Luther King stood for, the convergence of MLK’s dream of non-violence could not be more at a crossroads.

We honor MLK on the same day as the inauguration of the first black president to his second term. Like many of you, I feel a deep privilege to have President Obama lead our country.

MLK urged non-violent activists to transform the strength of their passion and the justice of their cause, into "compelling power." He taught us that we are not powerless -- when enough people are outraged, we can put a stop to destruction.

Whether the intersection of plaguing issues are those of the 1960’s -- civil rights and anti-war, or the issues that threaten to potentially devastate our future -- climate change and gun violence; it’s time to take a close look at those who represent the public good, and demand a better future.

This starts with President Obama, but it also lies with us — the American people. We must remain committed to MLK's spirit of cooperation and collaboration, and use our voice against those who fight to destroy MLK’s dream of freedom, justice, and equality for all.

As Pres. Obama said in his second inaugural speech, "We are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together."

I sincerely believe if we are going to live up to the extraordinary vision of MLK, we must open our hearts to peace and dedicate a portion of our lives to a better future -- together.

Credit: MLK Patchwork Portrait by MelindaJonesArt via Apartment Therapy

We Deserve Nothing Less

“2012 was the hottest year on record for our nation. It was a year rife with droughts, cialis wildfires and extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy. In addition, cialis the number of weather catastrophes driven by climate disruption across the world has tripled since 1980, buy cialis with the greatest increases in North America. The situation is dire and requires nothing short of bold, decisive action by President Obama and our leaders to cut our addiction to fossil fuels and build a clean energy economy.” ~ Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club 

Do you consider this statement to be true? I do.

If you think this is just an environmentalist being an alarmist, read this.

We need a plan that provides jobs, strengthens the economy, and fosters renewable energy innovation and technology.

And we need it now.

President Obama has the perfect opportunity to use his historical inaugural address to prove that he will be a leader in tackling climate change. If you believe our planet and our families deserve nothing less, please sign this. Thanks!

Poster via lithospherial

Should We Rebuild?

The title of this New York Times op-ed article, We Need to Retreat From the Beach captured my attention because I've been ruminating over three recent conversations:

1. "This line shows where your property will be in a few years. Underwater." ~ my husband talking to a friend after marking a measurement showing the rising sea level on the wooden planks leading up from the ocean to his beautiful beach home on Martha's Vineyard

2. "There's lots happening and none of it is good. We're homeless, but we're starting to rebuild." ~ a phone call from my cousin after Superstorm Sandy devastated her Long Beach home, wrecked two cars and washed away a lifetime of memories

3."They shouldn't give those poor folks a cent to rebuild. No one should be living so close to the ocean anymore." ~ my mother's friend at a Mahjong game last week

We've now seen and experienced the edge of the ocean spilling into our homes...our lives, and as my friend, Judith Ross writes, "We are at a fork in the road." 

The NYTimes piece agrees, "As sea levels continue to rise, the surges of these future storms will be higher and even more deadly. We can’t stop these powerful storms. But we can reduce the deaths and damage they cause."

Solutions?

There's been talk of constructing 25 miles of coastal protection...to build a $15 billion seawall. This is the "cheapest solution." But would "the side effects" of such a barrier with its impact on inland estuaries and coastal marshes...and might I add, an eyesore to those who choose to afford a water view, be feasible given the "complex and overlapping regulatory structure that involves multiple local, state and federal agencies?"

Then there's the issue of insurance costs and outlays...yours, mine and ours. In some cases, should insurance money slated for rebuilding be redirected toward relocation and resettlement? Wouldn't it be even worse to lose a home again...and possibly a life?

These are heart-wrenching questions. I would love to know your thoughts about rebuilding in the face of our climate crisis.

Photo used with permission: Ben Scott for Bluerock Design