I often strictly write about peak oil in my blog posts. Today I'd like to shift gears and focus on climate change. Last year with the failure of Copenhagen and illegitimate claims of Climategate, climate change movement has been blown off the tracks in the political arena causing no significant change in government policies. The works of 350.org and the Transition movement have been raising awareness about our need for society to get to work on curbing climate change.
I had the great opportunity to come to St. Petersburg and help at the Permaculture Guild's permaculture garden project at the Faith House for their 10-10-10 initiative event. Over 55 volunteers came to help out in an effort to beautify a community and to help tackle climate change. Food gardens mean less dependency on buying foods that have been shipped from across the country, thus less gas is used and less carbon emissions created.
The Faith House "permablitz" was a great success where several garden beds were set up for the residents of the house to tend to and reap the benefits of its harvest for both personal use and to sell at local farmers' markets. The Boley Center of St. Petersburg even came out to volunteer with their Pathways out of Poverty green jobs program. They give opportunities to young men and women to learn how to use the Earth to grow an abundance of food for local markets.
But why do so many care about the shift in climate change while some still do not? I think the lack of awareness about climate change is the factor. If more people understood how rapidly our planet is changing in climate they would be more apt to come and participate as well as lead these movements in their own towns.
This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2010.