THE FILM BY YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND
(click above)
Aug 31, 2009
Sep 18, 2008
Movie: FLOW
A new documentary, FLOW, discusses the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply and how these handful of water corporations spend millions a year in marketing to convince us that bottled water is better than tap water.
Opening in New York and Los Angeles on Sept. 12.
Sep 15, 2008
Click here to: Help Haiti Now!
This month three hurricanes have devastatingly hit Haiti. If you want to help these unfortunate people desperate for help in the after-math of three natural disasters please visit Wyclef Jean's organization, http://www.yele.org/, to donate today.
Sep 10, 2008
Meat: Making Global Warming Worse
Attention all cheeseburger fans! You should read this TIME Magazine article. You will be baffled by the facts. To understand how what is on your dinner plate might be emitting more greenhouse gases than your car, read on.
Need another reason to feel guilty about feeding your children that Happy Meal — aside from the fat, the calories and that voice in your head asking why you can't be bothered to actually cook a well-balanced meal now and then? Rajendra Pachauri would like to offer you one. The head of the U.N.'s Nobel Prize–winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Pachauri on Monday urged people around the world to cut back on meat in order to combat climate change. "Give up meat for one day [per week] at least initially, and decrease it from there," Pachauri told Britain's Observer newspaper. "In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity." So, that addiction to pork and beef isn't just clogging your arteries; it's flame-broiling the earth, too.
By the numbers, Pachauri is absolutely right. In a 2006 report, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that worldwide livestock farming generates 18% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions — by comparison, all the world's cars, trains, planes and boats account for a combined 13% of greenhouse gas emissions. Much of livestock's contribution to global warming come from deforestation, as the growing demand for meat results in trees being cut down to make space for pasture or farmland to grow animal feed. Livestock takes up a lot of space — nearly one-third of the earth's entire landmass. In Latin America, the FAO estimates that some 70% of former forest cover has been converted for grazing. Lost forest cover heats the planet, because trees absorb CO2 while they're alive — and when they're burned or cut down, the greenhouse gas is released back into the atmosphere.
Then there's manure — all that animal waste generates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that has 296 times the warming effect of CO2. And of course, there is cow flatulence: as cattle digest grass or grain, they produce methane gas, of which they expel up to 200 L a day. Given that there are 100 million cattle in the U.S. alone, and that methane has 23 times the warming impact of CO2, the gas adds up.
The worrisome news is that as the world economy grows, so does global meat consumption. The average person in the industrialized world eats more than 176 lb. of meat annually, compared with around 66 lb. consumed by the average resident of the developing world. As developing nations get richer, one of the first things citizens spend their extra income on is a more meat-rich diet. Whereas pork would once have been a rare luxury in China, today even the relatively poor in the country's cities can afford a little meat at almost every meal — so much so that pork imports to China rose more than 900% through the first four months of the year. In 2008, global meat production is expected to top 280 million tons, and that figure could nearly double by 2050.
Producing all that meat will do more than just warm the world; it will also raise pressure on land resources. The FAO estimates that about 20% of the planet's pastureland has been degraded by grazing animals, and increased demand for meat means increased demand for animal feed — much of the world's grain production is fed to animals rather than to humans. (The global spike in grain prices over the past year is in large part due to the impact on grain supplies of the growing demand for meat.) The expanded production of meat has been facilitated by industrial feedlots, which bleed antibiotics and other noxious chemicals. And of course, the human health impact of too much meat can be seen in everything from bloated waistlines in America to rising rates of cardiovascular disease in developing nations, where heart attacks were once as rare as a T-bone steak.
So is Pachauri right that going vegetarian can save the planet? (At least the 68-year-old Indian economist practices what he preaches.) It's true that giving up that average 176 lb. of meat a year is one of the greenest lifestyle changes you can make as an individual. You can drive a more fuel-efficient car, or install compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or improve your insulation, but unless you intend to hunt wild buffalo and boar, there's really no green way to get meat — although organic, locally farmed beef or chicken is better than its factory-raised equivalents. The geophysicists Gidon Eschel and Pamela Martin have estimated that if every American reduced meat consumption by just 20%, the greenhouse gas savings would be the same as if we all switched from a normal sedan to a hybrid Prius.
Still, Pachauri is just slightly off. It's a tactical mistake, first of all, to focus global warming action on personal restrictions. The developed world could cut back hugely on its meat consumption, but those gains would be largely swallowed up — sorry — by the developing world, which isn't likely to give up its newly acquired taste for cheeseburgers and pork. The same goes for energy use, or travel. It's great for magazines to come up with 51 ways you can save the environment, but relying on individuals to voluntarily change their behavior is nowhere near as effective as political change aimed at speeding the transition to an economy far less carbon-intensive than our current one. So, by all means cut back on the burgers — I recommend a nice deep-fried scorpion — but remember that your choices from the takeout menu will matter less than the choices made by those who inherit the White House next January.
Time Magazine - Author Bryan Walsh
Need another reason to feel guilty about feeding your children that Happy Meal — aside from the fat, the calories and that voice in your head asking why you can't be bothered to actually cook a well-balanced meal now and then? Rajendra Pachauri would like to offer you one. The head of the U.N.'s Nobel Prize–winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Pachauri on Monday urged people around the world to cut back on meat in order to combat climate change. "Give up meat for one day [per week] at least initially, and decrease it from there," Pachauri told Britain's Observer newspaper. "In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity." So, that addiction to pork and beef isn't just clogging your arteries; it's flame-broiling the earth, too.
By the numbers, Pachauri is absolutely right. In a 2006 report, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that worldwide livestock farming generates 18% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions — by comparison, all the world's cars, trains, planes and boats account for a combined 13% of greenhouse gas emissions. Much of livestock's contribution to global warming come from deforestation, as the growing demand for meat results in trees being cut down to make space for pasture or farmland to grow animal feed. Livestock takes up a lot of space — nearly one-third of the earth's entire landmass. In Latin America, the FAO estimates that some 70% of former forest cover has been converted for grazing. Lost forest cover heats the planet, because trees absorb CO2 while they're alive — and when they're burned or cut down, the greenhouse gas is released back into the atmosphere.
Then there's manure — all that animal waste generates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that has 296 times the warming effect of CO2. And of course, there is cow flatulence: as cattle digest grass or grain, they produce methane gas, of which they expel up to 200 L a day. Given that there are 100 million cattle in the U.S. alone, and that methane has 23 times the warming impact of CO2, the gas adds up.
The worrisome news is that as the world economy grows, so does global meat consumption. The average person in the industrialized world eats more than 176 lb. of meat annually, compared with around 66 lb. consumed by the average resident of the developing world. As developing nations get richer, one of the first things citizens spend their extra income on is a more meat-rich diet. Whereas pork would once have been a rare luxury in China, today even the relatively poor in the country's cities can afford a little meat at almost every meal — so much so that pork imports to China rose more than 900% through the first four months of the year. In 2008, global meat production is expected to top 280 million tons, and that figure could nearly double by 2050.
Producing all that meat will do more than just warm the world; it will also raise pressure on land resources. The FAO estimates that about 20% of the planet's pastureland has been degraded by grazing animals, and increased demand for meat means increased demand for animal feed — much of the world's grain production is fed to animals rather than to humans. (The global spike in grain prices over the past year is in large part due to the impact on grain supplies of the growing demand for meat.) The expanded production of meat has been facilitated by industrial feedlots, which bleed antibiotics and other noxious chemicals. And of course, the human health impact of too much meat can be seen in everything from bloated waistlines in America to rising rates of cardiovascular disease in developing nations, where heart attacks were once as rare as a T-bone steak.
So is Pachauri right that going vegetarian can save the planet? (At least the 68-year-old Indian economist practices what he preaches.) It's true that giving up that average 176 lb. of meat a year is one of the greenest lifestyle changes you can make as an individual. You can drive a more fuel-efficient car, or install compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or improve your insulation, but unless you intend to hunt wild buffalo and boar, there's really no green way to get meat — although organic, locally farmed beef or chicken is better than its factory-raised equivalents. The geophysicists Gidon Eschel and Pamela Martin have estimated that if every American reduced meat consumption by just 20%, the greenhouse gas savings would be the same as if we all switched from a normal sedan to a hybrid Prius.
Still, Pachauri is just slightly off. It's a tactical mistake, first of all, to focus global warming action on personal restrictions. The developed world could cut back hugely on its meat consumption, but those gains would be largely swallowed up — sorry — by the developing world, which isn't likely to give up its newly acquired taste for cheeseburgers and pork. The same goes for energy use, or travel. It's great for magazines to come up with 51 ways you can save the environment, but relying on individuals to voluntarily change their behavior is nowhere near as effective as political change aimed at speeding the transition to an economy far less carbon-intensive than our current one. So, by all means cut back on the burgers — I recommend a nice deep-fried scorpion — but remember that your choices from the takeout menu will matter less than the choices made by those who inherit the White House next January.
Time Magazine - Author Bryan Walsh
Sep 6, 2008
Click here: BBC Video Discussion on the Future of Cars and Oil
Linked above is a video from the program, BBC World Debate, held in Houston, Texas. Extremely informative video on The Future of Oil and with a focus on the U.S. markets. The lively panel includes the CEO of Shell Oil and the President of Nissan, who is introducing a Nissan Electric Car by 2010.
Jul 18, 2008
Al Gore: A Generational Challenge to Repower America
This speech was given on July 17, 2008 at the D.A.R. Constitutional Hall.
Jul 9, 2008
The G8 summit Climate Change Agreement
Photo: The G8 Leaders: France’s Nicolas Sarkozy, America’s George W Bush, Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev, Britain’s Gordon Brown, Canada’s Stephen Harper, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Japan’s Yasuo Fukuda and Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi are joined by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.The G8 Summit held a meeting this week to tackle the global issue of climate change. The pathetic result only aimed for a change to be made by 2050, by cutting 50% of carbon emmisions (at current levels.)
There seems to be a standoff between the G8 and developing nations like China and India. China and India have not wanted to step-up and make any commitments to lowering carbon emissions. Bush's reaction: if they don't lower carbon emissions then why should we? Answer: because the earth is at stake and if we want our children to live in a sustainable earth tommorrow changes need to be made today. Plus, Bush has even refused to set any interim targets before 2050. Therefore no goals will be met until most of those leaders either die or live until they are 100 and something years old.
The G8 leaders reaction to China and India (and especially Bush because our country holds the most carbon emissions per capita,) should have been, "We'll assist you to move to a pattern of development which is sustainable, low in terms of emissions intensity. But we as the richest nations are willing to take the lead and we affirm our commitment to do so and we expect you to follow suit."
I am very dissapointed at their hesitance in inititating any real targets to lowering carbon emissions, but I have been shocked by Bush and China's "I won't do it, if you don't do it" child-like attitude. Neither of them wants to take the lead and come the first initiative. Soon enough their this world into one big unsolvable mess that our children or grandchildren will have to clean up, if it's not already too late.
Jun 30, 2008
The Minitaure Earth
What would the world be like if it were scaled down to only 100 people? Watch and see
The resounding theme to me is how I should share as much as I can with those less fortunate.
What reaction did you have?
Jun 19, 2008
Water Powered Car
Yes, that's right! Genepax, a Japanese company just came out with the cutest electric car that runs on H2O! Check it out.
Iraqi Refugees in Sweden?
So have you wondered where many Iraqi refugees are fleeing to in order to escape their war zone country? Well, I have and countries like Jordan maybe Turkey come to mind, but never Sweden. Yup, that's right Sweden has taken in more Iraqi refugees than Canada and the US combined. Here is the interesting reaction of some swedes.
What's your reaction?
What's your reaction?
Jun 17, 2008
Movie: If The Oil Runs Out
This week the well-awaited film, "If The Oil Runs Out," has been released by BBC's IF series. This docu-drama (documentary drama) documents what experts fear will come true when cheap oil we depend on starts to run out. We may not be able to take anything for granted anymore. If you want to see what can happen when global demand for oil rises and supply is running out, watch this movie.
Part 2 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXeXxWSgT_o
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBL8sx7BS5Y
Part 4 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVG4ID-PxMc
Jun 6, 2008
CLICK HERE: 6 Billion Others Project
6 BILLION OTHERS is the latest video project by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, famous french philanthropist photographer, is a sensitive and human portrait of the inhabitants of the planet at the beginning of the 21st century. He journeyed to 65 countries and visited people far and wide, asking major questions on universal ideas like love, family, joy, fears and the meaning of life. These testimonials are unscripted sincere honest personal answers from real people around the globe. They provide a clear outline of what separates us as human beings but also shows how much we have in common.
Over 3,600 interviews were filmed for this project.
Click title to view project. http://www.6billionothers.org/
Jun 2, 2008
Dunkin Donuts Pulls Ad With Rachel Ray Wearing A Scarf That Looks To Arab?
Dunkin Dounuts pulls commercial featuring Rachel Ray wearing a scarf that looks to Arab after Michelle Malkin, right-wing Blogger, and other conservatives complained the scarf looked too much like a keffiyeh, what Malkin describes as, "the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad."Did Malkin wake-up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? or maybe she just forgot to have her Dunkin Iced Coffee. How can she equate a scarf innocently worn by billions everyday as a symbol of "murderous jihadists?" This just demonstrates the misunderstandings of arab culture and how some people insist on having a narrow vision of the Arab world.
As I vacationed in the the Middle-East last summer I became quite familiar with the keffiyeh as everyone in the streets wears the light cotton head-dress (including tourists like myself) whether on their way to work, school or just to protect their heads from the brutal desert sun. I found this out the hard way after getting a bad sunburn on my scalp. I then copied the locals and became quite fond of the cool benefits of having a keffiyeh covering my head.
As I vacationed in the the Middle-East last summer I became quite familiar with the keffiyeh as everyone in the streets wears the light cotton head-dress (including tourists like myself) whether on their way to work, school or just to protect their heads from the brutal desert sun. I found this out the hard way after getting a bad sunburn on my scalp. I then copied the locals and became quite fond of the cool benefits of having a keffiyeh covering my head.
These scarves has been worn for thousands of years in the region by everyone from indigenous Arab men to Bedouin desert travelers. There are only three colors of head-dresses worn in the region, white, red & black. Usually the red color is identified by the Bedouin and the black by Palestine but by no means is there a universally accepted symbolic meaning. Red, white or black scarves are used by anyone with or without any particular political sympathy.
Anyone remember Che Guevara? Well, a keffiyeh does not symbolize terrorism anymore than a beret symbolizes a marxist revolutionary. Che Guevara, the popular murderous guerrilla leader, always wore a beret and now so does Prince William. Are these same right-wing bloggers going to now accuse Prince William of being a "guerilla warfare sympathizer" because he wears a beret??
And how about Timothy McVeigh, the American terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma bombing. He wore Denim Jeans! Are jeans going to now symbolize "American terrorist sympathizer?" Jeans are just as common in my country as the keffiyeh is in the middle-east.
And how about Timothy McVeigh, the American terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma bombing. He wore Denim Jeans! Are jeans going to now symbolize "American terrorist sympathizer?" Jeans are just as common in my country as the keffiyeh is in the middle-east. Plus, this scarf has become fashion-forward ever since French Designer Balenciaga revamped one in his 2006 collection. It's common practice for designers to get inspiration from traditional ethnic clothing whether a Japanese kimono, Greek toga or an Arab keffiyeh. Sorry to burst your bubble Michelle Malkin but there is no political meaning behind it. Rachel Ray, Cindy McCain, Kanye West and all the others youngsters wearing the scarf in the streets of New York or Paris are not guilty "terrorist sympathizers" but only guilty of one thing, being "in style."
We must embrace one another's cultures and not be allergic to them, even if it is a culture from a region that since the gulf war (1990's) has been often presented to us by our president and the media as "the enemy."
Before Malkin and her conservative friends make these inaccurate cultural stereotypes and accusations they should inform themselves so as not to fuel the ignorance, which so often breeds hatred.
Still no response from the celebrity chef, Rachel Ray.
Me, wearing my keffiyeh in Petra, Jordan one of the seven man-made wonders of the world.
May 30, 2008
McCain, Clinton & Obama Unite To Address Darfur
Not since World War II have all the American presidential candidates come together on an international issue. In a joint statement John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama addressed the Darfur situation.
Putting their many differences aside I applaud their unity to stand in solidarity against genocide in Darfur. Ideally that's what politics should be all about.
Putting their many differences aside I applaud their unity to stand in solidarity against genocide in Darfur. Ideally that's what politics should be all about.
May 23, 2008
Solutions for the American Healthcare System
Ok, so I do know that our Health-care system has huge problems but I never really understood what could be the best solutions. Here is a PBS FRONTLINE video that goes around the globe to examine the world's best Health-care systems. Very interesting!
Sincerely,
Bianca
*Plus, if you have the Right to Vote this information is vital to understand what candidate in the 2008 elections will install the policy that best suits you.
Part 1
Part 2
Sincerely,
Bianca
*Plus, if you have the Right to Vote this information is vital to understand what candidate in the 2008 elections will install the policy that best suits you.
Part 1
Part 2
May 21, 2008
Entertaining Videos: Isabel Allende & Queen Rania
Want to watch some entertaining videos at home tonight? Well, here are some watch-worthy videos of absolutely remarkable women sharing some (often funny!) stories. Enjoy!
This latina, award-winning writer and captivating story-teller, Isabel Allende, discusses Tales of Passions.
Queen Rania at Google's Zeitgeist conference discussing using technology (like this blog) as a tool for cross-cultural connectivity.May 19, 2008
Television: Quality Information or Sensationalism & Tabloidism?
What type of TV stations/information are we really attracted to via news report, television programs or online?
I hope to believe that the average audience perfers to watch quality informative tv instead of trash tv. Many tv execs do not agree they say the average viewer is not very educated and what attracts viewers is sensationalism and tabloidism (like tabloid talk shows including Jerry Springer.) Tv execs also believe if the stories are too "foreign" people tune-out because they are not interested in news that does not directly affect them in one degree. This might explain why our average 6pm evening news is only "local news" and why you only see often violent stories (which falls under the "sensationalism" category) within a 50 mile radius from you and often missing the important global news. I beg to differ with tv networks and feel if the story is compelling enough than people will tune in because we are tired of all the trash reality shows like Dr. 90210, Real World or my personal fav, Celebrity Rehab.
I write this blog in hopes that people are compelled and interested in real human stories. Whether if it's a human story about a Tibetan Monk from Cambodia half way around the world or someone in your neighborhood it can in someway help you have a better understanding of love, life and relationships and in the end hopefully it makes you appreciate your own life.
It is a small world and we are all neighbors in this small place called Earth and "whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." A quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
you choose? PBS, CNN, TLC, BBC, Discovery Vrs. MTV, E!, ET, SPIKE
Sincerely,
Bianca Lee
I hope to believe that the average audience perfers to watch quality informative tv instead of trash tv. Many tv execs do not agree they say the average viewer is not very educated and what attracts viewers is sensationalism and tabloidism (like tabloid talk shows including Jerry Springer.) Tv execs also believe if the stories are too "foreign" people tune-out because they are not interested in news that does not directly affect them in one degree. This might explain why our average 6pm evening news is only "local news" and why you only see often violent stories (which falls under the "sensationalism" category) within a 50 mile radius from you and often missing the important global news. I beg to differ with tv networks and feel if the story is compelling enough than people will tune in because we are tired of all the trash reality shows like Dr. 90210, Real World or my personal fav, Celebrity Rehab.
I write this blog in hopes that people are compelled and interested in real human stories. Whether if it's a human story about a Tibetan Monk from Cambodia half way around the world or someone in your neighborhood it can in someway help you have a better understanding of love, life and relationships and in the end hopefully it makes you appreciate your own life.
It is a small world and we are all neighbors in this small place called Earth and "whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." A quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
you choose? PBS, CNN, TLC, BBC, Discovery Vrs. MTV, E!, ET, SPIKE
Sincerely,
Bianca Lee
A Mighty Heart Movie
A Mighty Heart by Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt
I just rented this DVD this saturday night and really enjoyed it! Mainly because it is a real-life heroic story about Mariane Pearl, wife to journalist Daniel Pearl who was kipnapped and murdered while she was 6 months pregnant. (Not to mention Mariane Pearl has a Cuban mother and lives in Paris, which I can really relate with ;o))
I just rented this DVD this saturday night and really enjoyed it! Mainly because it is a real-life heroic story about Mariane Pearl, wife to journalist Daniel Pearl who was kipnapped and murdered while she was 6 months pregnant. (Not to mention Mariane Pearl has a Cuban mother and lives in Paris, which I can really relate with ;o))
Inside North Korea
Here is a great report on North Korea to better understand the most isolated country in the world.
North Korea was always a great mystery to me until I watched this fantastic report by Christiane Amanpour on CNN world, in my madrid hotel room.
May 15, 2008
New York Philharmonic in North Korea
I was in utter surprise to find out that the most renowned American orchestra, New York Philharmonic, was commissioned to play in North Korea, the communist state that posses nuclear weapons. My first reaction was to be quite fearful for the musicians safety and after seeing the report on Christiane Amanpour I realized how this moment of real people to people connection between two countries, that not too long ago were battling in the Korean War, was a necessary and long-awaited icebreaker. This moment allowed for the first time, an exchange of art and culture between Americans and North Koreans, in hopes of shedding any previous negative stereotypes and the beginning of better communication.
Sincerely,
Bianca Lee
Sincerely,
Bianca Lee
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