Events around the 2014 UN Climate Summit (JOIN US, NYC!!)

Events around the 2014 UN Climate Summit:

please share link, forward list, advertise etc.   & on behalf of Time’s Up and MoRUS, Thanks for sharing & building our community green and strong!

Banner and Puppet Making For People’s Climate March

La Plaza Community Garden, 9th street and Avenue C

Thursday, 9/18 from 4pm to 8pm

Bring paints, props, and food to share as we make ecological puppets and props in our green space for the upcoming People’s Climate March and Ride.

Sign and Patch Making For People’s Climate March @ Loisaida Harvest Festival

La Plaza Community Garden, 9th street and Avenue C

Friday, September 19 from 4pm to 8 pm

Join in the festivities of the Loisaida Harvest Festival and make signs and patches for the People’s Climate March and Ride.

WALKING TOUR:  Lower East Side Sustainable Community & Garden Tour.   

Saturday, September 20  

12 pm: Meet at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) 

155 Avenue C for a free tour. 

• Come learn how sustainable grassroots community projects have ignited social change and policy change in NYC. Hear about different sustainable subjects, like how community bicycle activism changed the whole city to a more safe and sustainable design with bike-lanes, auto-free plazas and greenways. Come walk through the beautiful community gardens of the East Village started by activists, like the Green Guerrillas whom threw seed bombs into abandoned lots that then flourished into lush community gardens.  Learn about recycling, composting, and bicycle activism and how the city adapted to the sustainable concepts that started in the Lower East Side.

Presentation on the History of Grassroots Environmental Activism in New York City

MoRUS, Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space 155 Avenue C between East 9th and 10th

Saturday, September 20th @ 6:15 pm

• Come learn how sustainable grassroots community projects have ignited social change and policy change in NYC. Hear about different sustainable subjects, like how community bicycle activism changed the whole city to a more safe and sustainable design with bike-lanes, auto-free plazas and greenways. Learn the history of the Green Guerrillas throwing seed bombs into abandoned lots that then flourished into lush community gardens. There are so many examples about how community-based activism became a part of sustainable NYC, from recycling and composting and to urban design. Hosted by the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space featuring a conversation and video screening by Wendy Brawer of Green Maps and Bill DiPaola of Time’s Up Environmental Organization.

People’s Climate March

Sunday, September 21st

The March – 11:30 am, Columbus Circle: Meet here to WALK the March

This September, there will be a historic summit of World leaders in NYC to address climate change. Let’s take to the streets to demand action on climate change and to call for a world that works for people and the planet. We’ll be combining efforts with 350.org and other activists from all over the world to call for action on Climate Change.  

 People’s Climate Bike Bloc Ride

Sunday, September 21st

In collaboration with the People’s Climate March, hop on your emission free recycled bike, wear green and get ready to pedal for the planet. Time and location tba.

The events below are at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space:

Visual Realities of Climate Change: Food, Communities, and Landscapes  

Mia MacDonald, Hazel Zhang, Carolyn Monastra, Wanqing Zhou

Brighter Green  @ 10:45am-12:15pm

Performing the Climate Movement; Strategies For Sting Narrative in Climate Performance 

Elizabeth Doud  ;; Thanks to :Fund Art Inc!!  @  12:30-2:00pm

How To Build System Change Not Climate Change  

Zach Rosenblatt, Laura Bartkowiak, Claire Arkin, Brad Hornick

System Change Not Climate Change  @  2:15-3:45pm

Stories of Resistance: Confronting Extreme Energy & the Infrastructure of Climate Change 

Maura Stephens, Steve Horn, Valerie Jean, Patrick Robbins, Karen Feridun |

System Change Not Climate Change    @  10:45am-12:15pm

Wangari Maathai: The Green Belt Movement’s Environmental Legacy and Future

Lauren Berger, Mia MacDonald, Lisa Merton, Wanjira Mathai

The Green Belt Movement  @ 12:30-2:00pm

Sharing Your Story to Move the Movement!

Cherri Foytlin, Bryan Parras, Karen Savage

Life Support Project/ Bridge the Gulf Project  @  2:15-3:45pm

Water Wars: Cochabamba, Gaza, Detroit 

Oscar Olivera, Valerie Blakely, Yasmine Kamell

System Change Not Climate Change @ 4:00-5:30pm

Presentation on the History of Grassroots Environmental Activism in New York City

MoRUS, Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space 155 Avenue C between East 9th and 10th

Saturday, September 20th @ 6:15 pm

• Come learn how sustainable grassroots community projects have ignited social change and policy change in NYC. Hear about different sustainable subjects, like how community bicycle activism changed the whole city to a more safe and sustainable design with bike-lanes, auto-free plazas and greenways. Learn the history of the Green Guerrillas throwing seed bombs into abandoned lots that then flourished into lush community gardens. There are so many examples about how community-based activism became a part of sustainable NYC, from recycling and composting and to urban design. Hosted by the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space featuring a conversation and video screening by Wendy Brawer of Green Maps and Bill DiPaola of Time’s Up Environmental Organization.

ethical global warming policy?

(hey mom!)

Jamieson addresses Ethics, Public Policy, and Global Warming through a series of attempts at discrediting the economical basis he acknowledges as being the basis for all policy.  Global warming has been accepted in America as an issue worth specific attention since the eighties, but our focus on the ethical responsibility to take action has become specifically spotlighted over the past twenty years.  There is pressure from various sources to look at the issue at hand, with specific attention to the effects that we are responsible for to the environment and future (current?) generations.  Jamieson points out that there are numerous opinions of what the future will entail as a result of the global climate change, but most importantly it has been widely accepted in the scientific community as an important issue.

Jamieson goes on to point out that there are countless uncertainties surrounding the issue of global warming.  While pointing out that there are variables present, the argument paired with this is that we do not have a current value system that is sufficient for addressing the ethical complications of the problem at hand.  Neoclassical economic theory is central to our political and societal thought, as acknowledged by Jamieson.  Yet he prods us for a more moralistic, logical approach, pointing out that “Unfortunately, too often we loose sight of the fact that economic efficiency is only one value, and it may not be the most important one.”  I understand, and even agree with Jamieson’s argument here, however I do not find that it holds ground in most situations, and if we try and take his presumed route in the search for a more justified system of addressing global warming, I’m afraid that our efforts will be left in the rubble of the natural disasters already at hand from the effects of global warming.

Human behavior is variable, and I agree that it is not appropriate to define it in solely economic terms, as quantifying human thought and behavior is incredibly complex due to our often irrational nature.  Perhaps we shouldn’t seek out solely a quantitative definition of human responsibility, however this is an undeniable worth to having a standardized comparative value to things.  When we determine ethical responsibility through the use of economic terms, we must proceed with caution, and the awareness that our conclusions are often incomplete, however I don’t think that we can write off the necessity to weigh costs and benefits due to the uncomfortable nature of labeling responsibility and benefit with numerical values.

It is a valid statement to point out that there are many variables in the global warming issue, which make an assuredly correct prediction of its future effects nearly impossible, however it does not mean that we should not look into the effects that we are undoubtedly creating.  I understand that system models have failed in the past, and that no one model can be entirely complete, however we are getting better at creating them every day, including new variables constantly to our analysis.  Jamieson states : “It is almost unimaginable to suppose that we could aggregate the diverse impacts of global climate change in such a way as to dictate policy responses.”  Yet, we have already been doing this for decades, and the rest of the industrialized world is on board and practicing policies that are based off those very models.  Just because an issue is complicated and controversial does not make it acceptable to disregard it until we have definitive answers to all questions at hand.

The entire issue of global warming becomes subjective through our understanding of the value of the environment, of future generations, of even doing the research to find if we are having an effect on the environment with our carbon dioxide.  Jamieson discusses the differences in values and value systems, implying the complexity of implementing action that impedes on these established beliefs.  However, he goes on to point out that often our values are not even intentionally practiced, but are often merely present as a result of the impact of culture and society on the person.  There will be inconsistencies and incoherencies in systems of values for as long as there are people on this earth, and I do not think that the solution to finding the proper action for global warming is in remaking the system of values in order to see more clearly what we, as a species should do to take responsibility or not.  All issues that affect or are created by a large number of people run into the same complications, but we need to move forward and do our best to address the issue of global warming, regardless of the complexity.  Dispersal of guilt as a result of complexes that reflect the Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin), can be seen to hold no one responsible, or we can look to everyone, holding the population, past present, and future accountable.  We know that every little bit adds up when we are talking about efforts to save the environment.  It does take a majority on board with productive action to make a difference, but the alterations of values is something that takes time, which is not at excess at this point.  I think that the call to reform values is interesting, but I think that perhaps a better way at going about that kind of reform, is presenting global warming as a technical problem, with responsibility to act attached to the individual.  We really cannot afford for social change to be the leading guide to action against climate change; why not pushing for action against climate change to lead our reformation of values.

This is feeling very typical liberal arts school to me, and I’m wondering when the ‘call to social change!’ can stop being the solution to all of the problems we read about in between seminar and interpretative dance classes.

OH HEY DALE!

❤ jessmess

boobquake!

My good ole’ friend Jochai told me about this great event that took place yesterday, and encouraged me to plan the next go at it.  It was a boobquake day.

the general premise: wear as much cleavage as possible in order to prove that boobs (indecent dress) does NOT cause earthquakes and other disasters.

The whole issue comes from claims by an Iranian cleric, pointing out that immodest dress is to blame for recent natural disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, you name it. . once again us women are at fault, this time it’s cause of our boobs.  A clever college student (represent?) decided that bearing as much as legally possible in mass numbers would be sure to prove this claim wrong.  Nothing better than an impromptu research experiment, right?  women would wear scandalous clothing on Monday April 26th, and then the amount of seismographic activity would be recorded.  here’s where it gets good… There was actually a bit of activity recorded ..  there were 47 earthquakes yesterday.

That number may sound high, but in reality there are many earthquakes nearly every day and 47 is not an abnormal number… bummer.  there are a lot of people demanding another testing date, with a larger sample size! maybe something to work on in the next few weeks?

let the BOOBQUAKE continue:

“It is the age old question. If a tree fell over in the woods (next to a hot babe of some kind) would it make a noise (aside from probably startling the aforementioned hot babe) and would any young men be lead astray.”  -unknown.

I think that’s enough for today.  cheers, Jessmess.