Colleges divest

A week ago, on the eve of Earth Day, we watched "Do the Math" at the Wellesley Whole Foods store.  During the discussion after the film, we learned that over 300 colleges and universities now have student groups demanding that the schools divest any endowment $ that they currently have invested in fossil fuel companies.  Some towns are starting to have the same divestment campaigns.  What is happening at your school or in your town?  Liam.

Image source: http://www.wearepowershift.org/sites/wearepowershift.org/files/imagecache/taxonomy_image_665x235/divest%20now%20banner.png

Three Gorges Dam

Hey. Dylan here. Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. It is located on the Yangtze River in China. It generates 22,500 MW. At full power, Three Gorges Dam reduces coal usage by 31 million tonnes per year and keeps 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. This is Dylan, signing off.

Happy Earth Day!

I would like to celebrate Earth Day by feeling grateful for something beautiful on this planet that I love to look at.  We spent the past week visiting my uncle in Florida.  The sunset from his beach house is spectacular - see my picture below.  Today, I am grateful for beautiful sunsets.  What on Earth are you grateful for?  Liam

Sunset on Captiva

Moment of Silence

Hi! Dylan here. So I'm pretty sure you all know about the events in Boston. I live in Boston and it has been really hard to get through. The fact that an act of terror came so close to home really scared me. It really hit home. My baseball team, in the first game of our tournament, gathered in the dugout and dedicated our game to Boston. So do me a favor, please take a moment of silence for the Boston victims and their families. Thanks everyone.

Image Source: baa.org

Earth Day Eve

Do The Math Movie screening on April 21st-- the Eve of Earth Day from 7-9 in the community room at Whole Foods Market Wellesley

 Tonight, with my mother and 2 brothers, I watched Bill McKibben's film "Do the Math" at the Wellesley Whole Foods Market.   It was a powerful way to get ready for Earth Day.  I want to learn more about the Keystone XL Pipeline. The thing that scared me most from the film is that fossil fuels are causing so much of this enormous problem of global warming.  Check this out from the Do the Math website: "It’s simple math: we can burn less than 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth. The only problem? Fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons in their reserves, five times the safe amount. And they’re planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them." http://math.350.org/  More to come as I digest all that I learned from this short film.  I definitely recommend it!  Liam

More on solar power

It was estimated that if all of the sunlight that falls on the earth in a single day could somehow be converted to energy forms, it would create the energy required by the world for 50 years.  On the local level, enough sunlight falls on the roof of the average suburban home to supply three times as much energy as that house uses. -Liam

Solar Energy

Did you know that the Sun gives off more energy in one second than people have used since the beginning of time? Solar energy can make a big difference!

A sign from the Edison Museum in Fort Myers 

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