Chasing Ice is a Must-Watch

Another snow storm is headed our way on Sunday. Make the most of your time stuck at home with a cup of tea and this fabulous documentary! Chasing Ice is the remarkable and inspiring story about a photographer's journey to capture the proof of climate change on film. The movie comes highly recommended, and its easy to see why - the imagery is gorgeous, the message is urgent, and the story is dramatic. Chasing Ice is available for streaming on Netflix.

Spotlight: Living on Earth

source image courtesy of Living on Earth

I recently started working in the suburbs, so now I spend a lot of time on the commuter rail - and my MBTA survival tip is to find a radio show you really like. My favorite is Living on Earth by Public Radio International. This hour-long weekly show covers environmental issues great and small. I absolutely love the way the show turns complicated science into easily digestible stories. Through the show I get a weekly dose of climate change information, some biology, chemistry, and  inspiring pieces as well - like a recent story about Buddhist Monks working to save snow leopard populations in Central Asia. The best part is that all of their shows are free to download on their website!

p.s. Living on Earth is recorded right here in Boston!

Dam Removal in Taunton, MA

source images courtesy of partners for fish & wildlife / interfluve / how stuff works

Eight years after the Whittenton Dam’s near-failure threatened hundreds of homes and businesses in Taunton, MA, the infamous dam will be removed, and fish passage will be restored to a key segment of the Mill River.

Conservation organizations, state and federal fisheries and wildlife agencies and local planners have joined to create the Mill River Restoration Partnership.  The partnership’s goal is to remove three dams and construct a fish ladder at a fourth dam—the Morey’s Bridge Dam—along the Mill River. Last year, the Hopewell Mills Dam was removed, and the floodplain was restored. The fish ladder also was constructed at Morey’s Bridge Dam. Ultimately, the project will restore native alewives, blueback herring and American eel to more than 30 miles of habitat in the Mill River, Canoe River, Snake River, Lake Sabbatia and Winnecunnet Pond.  The project will also eliminate the public safety threat associated with the aging dams.

Massachusetts is home to approximately 3,000 dams, many of which are over 100 years old. The 2005 crisis prompted the formation of the Mill River Restoration partnership that has led the dam removal project, as well as legislative efforts to make the removal and repair of aging dams easier for Massachusetts communities. Dilapidated dams pose flood risks for surrounding communities, while also slowing the recovery of New England fisheries. Hopefully the Taunton project will continue to draw national attention to the risks of aging dams, and motivate further action.

Blood, Sweat & T-Shirts

Last night one of my good friends invited me to go to the "Blood, Sweat & T-Shirts" lecture with her at Bayridge Women's Residence in the Back Bay. The speaker, Jenny Driver, spoke about the pros and cons of globalization and used case examples of how the global economy's emphasis on profits creates a modern day type of slavery, in which factory workers for major corporations are not paid enough to meet their basic needs.

We watched clips of the film "Behind the Swoosh" which chronicled Jim Keady's mission to bring justice to Nike factory workers in the late '90s. The film was both horrifying and inspiring. It shows both how easy it is to be an ignorant consumer, but also how, as consumers, we have the ultimate power to change practices of big businesses. Nike is, in fact, a success story - Jim Keady's explosive research created a PR nightmare for the sportswear company, and changed their practices as a result.

Following the thought-provoking lecture, there was a discussion in which people shared both positive and negative examples of how the global economy affects people in different countries. It was great to hear from a variety of listeners in an open format. At the wine and cheese reception, we discussed these issues further and pledged to each other that we would try to be conscious consumers. All in all, it was an inspiring night, and I look forward to attending future lectures at Bayridge. Topics in the "Think Deeper" series include:


Why the Push for Assisted Suicide - October 17
The Eye of the Beholder: How Men See Women - November 28
The Art and Science of Happiness - December 5
Food & Politics: How the Food Industry Controls What You Eat - January 16
The Morality of Environmental Protection - February 20
The Skinny on Fat - April 17
What is Regenerative Medicine - May 15

The Survivor Tree

During the cleanup after the 9/11 attacks, a  volunteer noticed a still-green tree among the burnt wreckage. The Parks Department and the Citywide Nursery saved the tree and brought it back to health. The "survivor tree," as its become known, is a pear tree that now stands at over 30ft. It is over four times as tall as it was when volunteers pulled it from the rubble! The tree now stands in the 9/11 Memorial Plaza and is a wonderful symbol of the amazing ability for both nature and mankind to overcome obstacles.

 

image courtesy of TheDailyBeast.com