Simon

Let's be honest with each other. Change is hard and making the necessary changes to be able to live a greener and more sustainable life can seem daunting – nearly impossible – at first. But no one says that you need to completely revamp yourself in one go. That would be the impossible thing! It’s better to take small steps towards a more sustainable life and slowly – but steadily – changing your daily routines. So, let’s help each other by sharing tips on how you can live a greener life today. Let’s see if we can post 100 ways to save the earth. It doesn’t matter if they are big or small, they just need to be realistic and manageable. I’ll go first! 1. Contact your local politician. It’s obviously impossible to save the earth alone. For that, we need broad popular support. And one way to make this happen is to support politicians that support green policies on both a local, national and global level. Most of us live in representative democracies which means that we each have politicians that are supposed to represent our interests. Unfortunately, many of our politicians don’t understand the severity of the climate crisis or they are blindly unaware of the current ecological collapse. Or maybe they simply don’t care, for various reasons. The reasons could be many. But the first step towards changing this reality is to contact your local politicians and push for green policies that can make a real and lasting change in your local – or global community. Make them aware that their constituents are worried about the degradation of our environment and climate, and so on. You can do this in so many ways. You can make a phone call, send an email or contact your politician using social media. If you already have a politician hat supports your green interests, then that’s great! But you can still make a difference by contacting him or her to push and encourage for more, or even better, thanking him or her for their support and work. Making sure that our politicians know that they have the support of the constituents that they represent is just as important as swaying non-green politicians to our side.

China’s biggest online star is a young woman who shares videos of her rural life and self-sufficient living. Li Ziqi is a chef and former migrant worker who has become one of the country’s most famous internet celebrity after she moved back to the countryside to take care of her grandmother. Millions of people watch as she grows and picks ingredients from her farm and nearby forest, constructs furniture by hand, makes her own clothes, cooking and preparing a variety of delicious meals from local sources. Check out some of her videos on YouTube: In this video she makes Mapo tofu which is a traditional Chinese dish. And in this video she threaded, dyed and knitted a cloak.

Tell YouTube and all other social media platforms to stop promoting climate denial videos to their users. Sign this petition and call on all social media platforms to detox their algorithms by ending the amplification and monetisation of disinformation and hate speech. The petition urge regulators to turn this into a legal requirement and demand platforms, like YouTube, to work with independent experts to track and downgrade creators of repeated and deliberate disinformation. Social media can be either public good or public menace, our future depends on which one we choose. Sign the petition here: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/detox_the_algorithm_loc

Now this is scary. Extremist right-wing groups have apparently started to infiltrate green groups in Germany to spread their hateful ideology and gaining support among German farmers who are frustrated with new regulations on the use of fertilisers and the protection of insects. The Guardian reports that farmers associations and environmental groups in Germany are now warning that far-right groups are exploiting the country's growing green movement and the increasing popularity of organic lifestyles, as well as rural nostalgia and farmers’ anger at globalisation. The far-right are doing this by organizing events that use Nazi-imagery and publishing and distributing propaganda in a new glossy magazine "for natural protection." "[…] one of its most prominent champions on social media is Björn Höcke, the Thuringian leader of far-right party Alternative für Deutschland’s aggressively nationalist wing – a German court last year ruled he could legally be called a fascist. The magazine is edited by a member of the Identitarian movement, a group of nationalist activists that Germany’s domestic intelligence agency last year declared an extremist entity..." These fascists are calling for "a conservative-ecological turn" saying that ecology is the "crown jewels" of the right and that it has been "robbed" by left-wing green movements since the 1970s. They shun renewable energy like windfarms and push fascist and Malthusian theories on overpopulation claiming that "the world’s population has to be stabilised at a lower level" or "face irreversible ecological collapse." They are also – like most of the far-right – climate deniers as they are arguing for moving away from climate protection and instead embrace "homeland protection."

Environmental activists are being suspended on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook after moving their protests online following the coronavirus pandemic. According to the environmental movement, Fridays for Future, several Ugandan climate activists were recently suspended on Twitter after they had been protesting against the country’s government and industries linked to deforestation. "More and more climate activists' accounts are being suspended," they write on Twitter. "This is unacceptable. Having a platform to talk about the climate crisis is crucial." The Verge reports that Twitter claims that at least two of the suspended accounts "were caught in a spam filter and have since been reinstated." But Twitter did not give any information on why those accounts was flagged as spam accounts in the first place. And just last month, more than 200 people who protested the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline was banned on Facebook. The Verge reports that: "In May, Wet’suwet’en activists, Greenpeace, and other environmental and Indigenous groups hosted a Facebook event calling on pipeline opponents to bombard the pipeline’s majority funder, a company called KKR & Co Inc., with calls and emails. They had a near identical event planned for September 21st. Then on September 19th, every person with administrative access to the 15 Facebook pages that co-hosted the event received notices that their accounts would be suspended for up to three days." Facebook said in a statement to the Verge that their "systems mistakenly removed these accounts and content." Facebook also said that "they have since been restored and we’ve lifted any limits imposed on identified profiles." But Facebook did not say why this "mistake" even happened in the first place and why it only seemed to affect people who had been organizing and protesting against the pipeline. Social media sites offer great opportunities for climate activists and environmental movements to reach out to people and spread their message. But these stories show just how vulnerable climate activists really are – and how easily Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms can silence them. Climate activists and environmental movements simply can't rely solely on the goodwill of these corporate social media giants. "Facebook can silence much of the climate movement at their discretion, without explanation for any duration," said Lindsey Allen, chief program officer at Greenpeace USA. "That’s unnerving."

The world-famous teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg, has urged people to get behind, organize and vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. election. In a tweet, Greta Thunberg said that: "I never engage in party politics. But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that. From a climate perspective it’s very far from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates. But, I mean…you know…damn! Just get organized and get everyone to vote #Biden." What do you guys think about Greta Thunberg giving her support to Joe Biden? Should she really support a candidate that doesn't support a Green New Deal, who has promised that "nothing would fundamentally change" if he is elected, and who has a rather murky track record on climate policies during his lifelong political career?

The almost existential threat from climate change and environmental degradation is pushing our planet to the brink of destruction at an alarming rate. We are polluting our environment at a rapid rate, killing our precious wildlife, and destroying important and unique ecosystems beyond repair. Human-caused climate change is breaking temperature records year after year, with no slowing down in sight. And global warming is making extreme weather events more common and causing human suffering on a large and destructive scale. We are destroying our little blue planet – our only home. To let this destruction continue is criminal. And if we don’t stop it, the judgement of future generations on the criminal negligence of this generation will surely be harsh. Climate change and environmental degradation is a global problem. But the root of the problem lies in our unsustainable and destructive lifestyles. As such, the solutions must be both global and collective, as well as personal and private. Acting against this mindless and ongoing destruction of our environment and climate means changing our lifestyle. And because we didn't act earlier we now need to take drastic actions and completely change our way of life in just a small time frame and, let’s be honest, that won't be painless. You know this. We all know this. And the first step towards creating a better world for our self and future generations is to realize and come to terms with this. And because you are visiting this community – and maybe even decided to join it – means that you understand all this. We created this community back in 2007 in an effort to help our self and others to live a greener and healthier life. We are no experts on this. But together we can help each other, spread the word, and make a real change. Now in 2020 we are re-launching this community, but just like in 2007 we still believe that human and civil rights, global peace, equality and democracy all plays central roles in safeguarding our environment and improving - in a sustainable and non-destructive way - the lives of all people on this fragile planet. And we will still encourage people to take direct non-violent action against CO2 emitting sources and protest against the current climate change inaction. Welcome to Green Blog and thank you for joining our community! Hopefully, you will have a great time here discussing and meeting new people.

Hello and welcome! We're a community of people who want to live a greener and more sustainable life. If you have just joined us and don't really know what to do, here are some easy and quick things that you can do to get started: Visit your profile page, customize it and upload a profile photo. Read our general rules and guidelines. Create a new topic and introduce yourself to the community here. Browse our community blogs - or start your own! See our member's photos in our gallery. Take part in the discussions in our various forums and create your own topics. Be sure to check out our Feedback and Support forum if you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can improve this community or if you need help with your account or anything related to this site.

This website currently only has a light theme, but what if this site also had a darker theme? Would you use it? Vote here!

We do not tolerate users who harass other people or propagate discriminatory political views – such as racism, sexism, ableism, homo- and transphobia. If someone on Green Blog is engaging in abusive or harassing behaviour please report that user and the offending post/content. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and users and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. Content in violation of our rules and guidelines will be removed and users who post such content will be warned and/or banned from this community. You can report content and/or users by using the report link which is located under or near every post and user generated content on this website. Please include as much details as possible before you send your report. Thank you for helping us make sure that Green Blog is a friendly online community!

Our tree-planting program is currently paused.

Man hör mycket snack och kritik från klimatförnekare, högerpolitiker och troll om subventioner till förnybar energi. Men visste du att Sverige lägger över 4,3 miljarder euro på fossila subventioner varje år? De europeiska och svenska fossila subventionerna gör att EU inte kommer att nå sina uppsatta utsläppsmål eller uppfylla Parisavtalet. Men trots detta så finns det ännu inga planer på att fasa ut de enorma fossilsubventionerna.

Idag fick alltså den föreslagna utbyggnaden av Preems oljeraffinaderi i Lysekil klartecken från Mark- och miljööverdomstolen. Domstolen säger att då Preems verksamhet ingår i EU:s utsläppshandelssystem för växthusgaser så kan inte den så kallade stoppregeln i miljöbalken användas för att förhindra den klimatskadliga utbyggnaden. Preem hävdar att deras verksamhet ska göras så klimatsmart som möjligt och att det är bättre för klimatet om anläggningen byggs i Sverige än någon annanstans. Men oljejättens argument stämmer naturligtvis inte. Om anläggningen byggs så kommer den att bli den enskilt största utsläppskällan av klimatskadliga gaser i Sverige. Och det är inga små utsläpp som vi pratar om här. Utsläppen från Preemraffinaderiet kommer att motsvara hela 17 procent av dagens totala utsläpp från den svenska industrin. Nu kommer det avgörande beslutet att hamna hos den rödgröna regeringen. Och regeringen måste säga nej till Preems utbyggnad av oljeraffinaderiet i Lysekil. Om regeringen tar våra klimatmål och klimatlagen på allvar så kan det bara bli ett nej till den föreslagna utbyggnaden av Preemraffinaderiet. Det finns inget annat alternativ. För klimatvetenskapen är glasklar, all fossilverksamhet måste skyndsamt monteras ner och all planerad nybyggnation måste stoppas för att minska utsläppen. Om regeringen ger Preem grönt ljus för utbyggnaden så kommer det att bli omöjligt för Sverige att nå klimatmålen i Parisavtalet. Så kommer Miljöpartiet att svika klimatet och sina väljare även denna gång? Eller kommer de faktiskt att stoppa Preemraffinaderiet? Det enda rimliga agerandet av Sveriges enda så kallade miljöparti är att de sätter regeringssamarbetet på spel. Bara ett reellt hot om regeringskris kan stoppa fossildinosaurierna i regeringen från att genomdriva den mest klimatskadliga satsningen i Sverige på senare tid. För om Miljöpartiet tillåter utbyggnaden så är allt deras prat om klimatlagar, ny klimatkommission och klimatsekretariat och klimatpolitik fullständigt meningslöst, och partiet lika så. Det kommer att bli deras sista svek.

I helgen publicerade sju energiforskare en gemensam rapport och debattartikel där de kritiserade argumentet att det är nödvändigt att bygga ny kärnkraft för att få ett stabilt och fossilfritt svenskt elsystem. Energiforskarna menar att kärnkraften inte är nödvändig för att Sverige ska kunna få ett stabilt, säkert och fossilfritt elsystem i framtiden. Läs den vetenskapliga rapporten och deras debattartikel på DN. I debattartikeln avfärdar de ett flertal argument för ny kärnkraft. Bland annat menar forskarna att även om den svenska elanvändningen skulle öka kraftigt till 2040 samtidigt som all kärnkraft skulle försvinna så finns det mer än tillräcklig potential att bygga ut de förnybara kraftslagen - och samtidigt även kunna fortsätta exportera el till våra grannländer. För att Sverige ska klara av att nå de uppsatta klimatmålen så behöver vi kraftigt bygga ut den inhemska elproduktionen. Men forskarna menar att medan den förnybara elen kan byggas ut snabbt och billigt så är kärnkraften förenad med extremt långa byggtider och höga kostnader. De förnekar inte att det kommer att behövas extra investeringar i elsystemet, inklusive i elnät och smart styrning, med en större mängd sol- och vindkraft. Men forskarnas bedömning är att totalkostnaden för dessa extra investeringar kommer att vara betydligt lägre än den merkostnad som kärnkraften innebär. De visar bland annat på hur det har skett en kraftig minskning av kostnaderna för sol- och vindkraft under senare år samtidigt som kärnkraftens kostnader istället har ökat så pass mycket att den nu är betydligt dyrare än ny vindkraft. Visst, det pågår kanske forskning om ny och potentiellt mer kostnadseffektiv kärnkraft. Men allt pekar på att en sådan ny kärnkraftsteknik ligger långt, långt fram i tiden. Om en sådan ny kärnkraftsteknik faktiskt realiseras så kommer det knappast ske innan 2045 när Sverige har ett mål om netto nollutsläpp, menar forskarna. Energiforskarna tar också kål på den senaste myten om att det inte skulle gå att ansluta större elförbrukare till elnätet i storstadsområdena på grund av någon slags elbrist framkallad av stängningen av kärnkraftsreaktorer i Sverige. Forskarna avfärdar denna missuppfattning och pekar istället på en långsam utbyggnad och brister i det svenska elnätet som orsaken till detta, och att "mer eller mindre kärnkraftsproduktion har dock ingen betydelse för detta." Istället visar forskarna på hur Sverige hade ett rekordstort elöverskott under 2019 och att enligt Energimyndighetens prognoser så kommer detta överskott att bli än större 2022. Enligt energiforskarnas rapport har Sverige "utmärkta geografiska förutsättningar att bli ett fossilfritt välfärdsland utan att behöva bygga ny kärnkraft."

I Sverige fortsätter antalet arter som rödlistas att öka. Nu är även igelkotten och skogsharen med på listan över hotade arter i Sverige. https://static-cdn.sr.se/images/3345/722f76b5-6c43-41f1-82da-483517d3b770.jpg https://sverigesradio.se//dist/favicon-16x16.png Fler hotade arter på årets rödlista 29 april kl 18.14 - Vetenskapsradion Klotet SVERIGESRADIO.SE Det går sämre för arterna och den biologiska mångfalden i Sverige, visar årets rödlista, som tas fram vart femte år av Artdatabanken vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet. ... SR rapporterar att antalet arter som rödlistas i Sverige har ökat med 11 procent de senaste fem åren. Och numera är det även mer vanliga arter som igelkotten, skogsharen, kråkan och fiskmåsen som återfinns på rödlistan tillsammans med tumlaren och andra mer ovanliga arter. Utvecklingen går alltså åt helt fel håll! Men vad kan vi och politiker göra för att stoppa försämringen av Sveriges biologiska mångfald? Här kan du söka och se vilka arter som är rödlistade: https://artfakta.se/rodlistan

Hello and welcome to the forums Rebecca!

It's probably too late to save the great barrier reef, it's most likely already doomed. It's sad to see such a great natural wonder like the great barrier reef destroyed. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying to save it. We must continue to pressure our governments to actually act on climate change. And in this case the Australian government must stop its addiction to coal that is killing the great barrier reef.

Hello greenfogg and welcome to the forums!

A new scientific study shows that Monsanto's highly popular weed-killer Roundup cause severe liver damage. It will also increase the risk of other illnesses including diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. AJE reports: Study linking Roundup to serious disease fuels debate While Monsanto continue to claim the product is safe for humans, this new research will surely spark further debate over the potential dangers and health hazards to people and animals from exposure to Roundup, as well as other weed-killers. What do you think?

There is not much to say really, it's all so depressing. There is no way we can stop climate change from wrecking havoc on our little blue planet. Hopefully we'll be able to mitigate the worst effects (natural and man-made/political) before our civilization crumbles into barbarism.

This is just horrible. An environmental activist who had been marching across the US barefoot to raise awareness about climate change was apparently killed by an SUV this past weekend. NBC News reports: Hopefully this can help increase awareness for his cause so his death won't go to waste. You can check out his donation page where he was raising money against natural gas, and if you feel so inclined, please donate.

Hello and welcome to the forums Harry!