1Sky Blog Posts about everything

Let the Banner Making Begin!

Emily — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:44:57 -0700

Today is an exciting day in the 1Sky office! We received our first Mother's Day banner from Polly Jirkovsky of Seattle, who celebrated early this year and created a beautiful banner with her family and friends. We took these photos, below, as soon as we finished tearing open the package.

Their words show us why families need to get involved, "Our Kids Will Thank Us For Taking Care Of Our Earth!"

Thank you, Polly, for adding your voice to the climate movement. Join Polly by signing up to join or start a Mother's Day event! We can't wait until all of your beautiful artwork starts rolling in.

Before: Getting to work on the banner (Thanks for emailing this to us, Polly!

After: Adi and I are excited to see the first Mother's Day banner arrive!

Local Governments: The Pioneers of Climate Solutions

Michael — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:49:27 -0700

We've very happy to announce an exciting new partnership with an association of more than 400 local governments working on climate solutions. To help introduce some of the work we're embarking on together, we've invited Michelle Wyman, Executive Director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, to join us here on the blog with the following guest post. Welcome, Michelle!

It is no secret that, while federal action on global warming has been lacking, mayors and local government leaders from across the United States have stepped in to fill that void. Now that the dialogue around federal climate policy has shifted from “what if” to "how," the experiences, successes and lessons learned at the local level are critical for marking the path forward.

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability is a membership association of 400 of those local governments in the United States. In the course of our work with these cities, towns and counties over the past 15 years, we’ve recognized that success in achieving climate stabilization and generating the investment needed to create sustainability at the community level will require significant action at the state, federal and international levels. The bottom line is that, despite their significant accomplishments, cities can’t do it alone.

Even more importantly, these policies must complement, rather than preempt or dilute, local action. The voices and the vision of local governments -- the pioneers of climate solutions -- must be taken into consideration as we as a nation decide how we will solve global warming and create vibrant communities.

As the debates on climate, energy, and sustainability policy continue to escalate, ICLEI will help assert the voice and priorities of local governments in key climate policies introduced nationally. A key partner in this effort is the 1Sky campaign.

As a first step in our partnership, we’ve teamed up to host a series of conference calls specifically for local government leaders to get informed about and engaged in federal climate policy. The first call, on April 24, included a briefing from policy experts on all current national climate legislation and was attended by more than 50 mayors, sustainability coordinators, and other local government leaders from across the country.

The same local governments who inspired action at the federal level now must inform it, and that’s the goal of the ICLEI-1Sky partnership.

Video: Betsy Taylor on science's message to the movement

Michael — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:01:31 -0700

Hi there; i'm the new internet director here at 1Sky. I've been so focused on launching our new website that I haven't been posting much to the blog (ok, not at all). As you may have already noticed, the new 1Sky.org launched last weekend, just before Earth Day, and we're hoping that it becomes a powerful resource to the climate movement. More on the site's new bells and whistles and tools later though.

Right now I wanted to share a new video that just came in -- it's a short clip of our Board President and den mother Betsy Taylor talking about the urgency of now, connecting the science to the reality of what we must do to overcome climate change. It's an excerpt from a longer interview with YERT (forthcoming), a fascinating series exploring America's approach to sustainability.

Check out the clip below, and please add a comment with your thoughts or feedback. With the help of the 1Sky community, we'll be working on many video projects in the weeks ahead, so your thoughts now are particularly important. If you have video production or editing experience that you'd like to contribute, let us know too!

New Jersey activists bring on the heat

Ada — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:58:49 -0700

The following is a guest blog from Anne Marie Treger, a climate organizing all-star from Summit, NJ. A big-time Step it Up organizer, Anne Marie has thrown herself full-time into getting her community and beyond involved on the climate issue this Mother's Day weekend. Read below to see how she got her start -- be prepared to be inspired!

My journey to 1Sky began from home.

A couple of years ago my oldest little boy came home from school with tears in his eyes because he learned about "global warning" from TIME for Kids. I was shocked but naturally I told him he was "brilliant"... that it should be called global warning (then maybe people would actually care) but it is really called global warming and we should explore it together. And so the journey began. We surfed the net, made some changes and very soon I understood the interconnection between our health and the earth's health. When we tweaked the diet and implemented green cleaning products our overall health improved and 2 of my kids' asthma disappeared.

I remember standing at my kitchen sink one day with a profound realization that even running a household could be a green collar job and that the choices I made in the supermarket were votes for a healthier way of life. I have been hooked ever since.

With some spare time on my hands (since my kids were not sick!) I sent an email to my city and asked "How I could ensure a brighter future for my children?" Soon after that, I started volunteering with the Environmental Commission and we formed the Summit Clean Power Team to spread the word about the virtues of clean power. I started reading books like Blessed Unrest (Hawken) and Deep Economy and my life started changing. Bill McKibben's work really spoke to me as a call to bring our community together. I organized the Step It Up rally in November (where I wore my green collars!) and that experience really gave me wings.

There is a real groundswell of grassroots work going on. We are learning to work together to share our educational resources to help encourage green businesses and of course green homes. Part of my role as a volunteer with the city is to plan you guessed it...a celebration!

I began planning an event which choreographed education, entertainment, art, music and real life examples of green all together into one fabulous day. Once I got it down on paper I remember thinking I have to do this now, but just like most good things we wait for...9 months later the celebration will happen! The celebration is called The Summit Green Fest and it will take place on May 10, 2008. It has been a long time in the making, lots of volunteers and tireless work but an amazing chance to inspire our area into healthier actions... Please visit www.summitgreen.org and be sure to share the day with us.

We will have music and the most exciting part will be the art! Local nursery school mothers are coordinating with us to engage a multi-generational creative community building experience. In concert with 1Sky, GreenPeace-Project Hotseat- Mommy Meet-Up, the 350.org muralist Kevin Buckland (from Step It Up) we will create some murals, 350 art, and a pledge tree that will grow throughout the day. We also will also give away some organic cotton bags from a fair trade factory made ( by Joy Organic) with www.summitgreen.org printed on it with and a place to paint your favorite picture.

So what are you doing for Mother's Day? Click here to read more about the Summit, NJ event, and here to register your own art party.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!!!

1Sky New Mexico hits the ground running

Phil — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

1Sky New Mexico is on the forefront of our state partner efforts -- they've taken the 1Sky solutions and run with them, taking a lead on the March congressional actions and Mother's Day (coming up May 11).

1Sky NM has already put its organizing power behind stopping oil drilling, preventing new coal plants from being built, and promoting green jobs. In fact, this summer 1Sky New Mexico will be ramping up a local green jobs corps to train more than 100 young people per year. They're looking for a few good men and women to help launch the initiative.

If you're a student, and you want to work on an innovative, dynamic community campaign this summer, they're still accepting applications.

If you're not, enjoy this great video they produced below:

A Mother’s Metamorphosis into a New EcoWarrior

Ada — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Sarah Warren (aka “Dr. Sarah”) is the mother of two young boys who practices as a psychologist and green coach in Chicago. After learning of Dr. Sarah’s Mother’s Day plans, we invited her to post this guest entry so that others could hear her story. To learn more about her work as a catalyst and an ambassador for green, visit www.ecoactionplan.org. And if you have a similar story, please share it with us here: Mothersday@1sky.org

Over coffee, an old friend asked me if I’d had a “defining moment” that led to changing my life to take on global warming. “Yes! As a matter of fact I did!” I answered. I told her how one morning in 2006, I happened to tune into an interview on the radio with Dr. Paul Epstein, a physician at Harvard who’s been studying the health effects of global warming. That day, I saw that global warming threatens my children’s health. The problem wasn’t huge and remote any more. I saw what it means for my two young rascals whom I love—fiercely. I couldn’t bear to let my children face such harm.

I decided to write a book featuring inspirational stories about parents who are combating the climate crisis through thoughtful, systematic action—and the rewards they’re reaping. And I founded Ecoaction Plan which helps people to green their lifestyles, careers and businesses, to raise healthy, “green” children, to be informed voters, and to experience the psychological and spiritual rewards of living in alignment with their values.

My mission is to help people green their lifestyles, businesses and careers, to help parents raise young conservationists, and to help people use their spheres of influence as consumers, as employees and employers, as members of faith communities and other institutions, —and importantly, as voters. That’s why I’m supporting 1Sky’s Mother’s Day Campaign to let our elected officials know that we insist on the most aggressive possible climate policy for the sake of our children– whom we love fiercely.

If there is only one action you take this Mother’s Day to combat the climate crisis, do this: Get a piece of fabric, invite friends over, and decorate the fabric. Send the fabric to 1Sky, which they will present the at a high profile event in Washington, DC. 1Sky will then deliver it to your US legislator’s office. You’ll have fun—and make your voice heard!

As a parent, I see no more pressing parental issue than the climate crisis. If ever there were a reason to get politically involved, this is it. A new breed of ecowarrior is emerging. Our numbers are rising. Our children are counting on us. You may think of yourself as green. But if you want to get active in changing the future for your children, the 1Sky Mother’s Day Campaign offers a great opportunity.

Millions of people are getting on board. Won’t you join us? According to the leading climate experts, we have exactly enough time- starting now.