Monday, August 23, 2010

Just a few days ago we passed a sad marker for Earth. According to Global Footprint Network calculations, humanity reached Earth Overshoot Day: the day of the year when human demand on the biosphere exceeded what it can regenerate.

As of August 21, Global Footprint Network said that “humanity has demanded all the ecological services – from filtering CO2 to producing the raw materials for food – that nature can regenerate this year.  For the rest of the year, we will meet our ecological demand by depleting resource stocks and accumulating greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”

Mathis Wackernagel, president of Global Footprint Network, said, “If you spent your entire annual income in nine months, you would probably be extremely concerned. The situation is no less dire when it comes to our ecological budget. Climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, water and food shortages are all clear signs: We can no longer finance our consumption on credit. Nature is foreclosing.”

Watch a video on overshoot. Calculate your own Ecological Footprint and learn what you can do to reduce it.

Lester Brown says, "Saving civilization is not a spectator sport."

Sincerely,

Reah Janise Kauffman
Vice President

Monday, August 16, 2010

American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY) takes place each August in Aspen, Colorado. The organizers, Chip Cumins and Sally Ranney, gather leading thinkers and doers for this three-day summit. This year’s theme is “Creating a Clean Energy Economy at Speed and Scale.”

Lester Brown will be Thursday’s keynote luncheon speaker on August 19. Some of the other 80 presenters include Dr. Sylvia Earle, Amory Lovins, Ted Turner, Cathy Zoi, Tom Friedman, T. Boone Pickens, and James Cameron.

Some of the summit themes: creating climate wealth, renewable energy technology, food security, ocean systems, renewable energy finance, the lungs of the earth (forests), politics of climate change, and youth and climate.

AREDAY always has an environmental film festival to reinforce the conference theme. This year’s films are The Cove, Into the Cold, Climate Refugees, and Avatar.

There will also be an expo—free to the public—featuring energy displays and demonstrations. Registration is required for all other events.

To keep up with future appearances of Lester’s, check our Events page.

Sincerely,

Reah Janise Kauffman
Vice President

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

In 1968 when Lester Brown was 34 years old and Administrator of the International Agricultural Development Service under Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman, he was asked to speak at the University of South Dakota on the world food prospect. The presentation was filmed.

We recently unearthed the 16-mm film and digitized it, dividing the 60-minute presentation into four sections.

If you didn’t catch it the first time around in 1968, here’s your chance!

Sincerely,

Reah Janise Kauffman
Vice President