Global Power Shift and Do the Math movie 温暖化の新しいドキュメンタリー Do the Math

温暖化についての新しい映画がでたよ〜

めっちゃおすすめ！

日本語訳があれば良いのにな〜

今年はユース活動を盛り上げて

負の遺産を残さない共生的

エネルギー政策や

文化をさらにレベルアップするで！

It's been a while since I dealt with the issue of climate change on this blog, but I'm still engaged with it! Hard to prioritise which issue/solution to focus my energy on. But, maybe its a good thing to have such abundance. Unless the situation in Turkey gets really bad, I will be attending Global Power Shift in Turkey. The group that is organising this event, 350.org, recently sent a movie about climate change that was quite compelling. Sort of a sequel with a more serious call to action post-Inconvenient Truth. Since I always struggle to explain the seriousness of these issues (climate change, nukes, war, etc) and that we can actually make a difference, I'll leave it up to the pros. Check out the movie!

Below is a bit about Global Power Shift from their website

INTRODUCTION
The world is running out of time to summon the political will necessary to solve the climate crisis.

2015 looms large as a critical year when we must act swiftly and strongly if we are to have any chance of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees C, let alone get back to the 350 parts per million of atmospheric CO2 that scientists say is necessary.

The Rio+20 Earth Summit in June of 2012 was meant to be the starting point for a three year push to 2015, but the summit ended in a whimper rather than a bang. 2015 will come and go with only a whimper as well, unless the international climate movement can generate an unprecedented level of political pressure for climate action.

We need a massive and sustained show of force that disrupts the status quo and captures the public imagination. This ambitious goal is within reach. With a loose collection of organizations, activists, and networks in nearly every country on earth, the climate movement has the necessary potential to facilitate this sort of global groundswell. Now it’s time for us to realize this potential.

Global Power Shift (GPS) will begin with an international climate leaders summit of mostly young people in Istanbul, Turkey, June 24-30, 2013. The week-long summit will be a chance for us to refine skills, create personal bonds and community, share a global vision for change, and strategize how to organize different actions and similar summits back home. In the months that follow, in country after country we will organize national or regional summits.

Depending on the size of the host country, the summits will bring together anywhere between hundreds or thousands of activists and partners. The national summits will be opportunities to build on or launch national climate campaigns and to empower participants from around the country to return home equipped to lead local action groups. Local groups will in turn educate the public about the realities and solutions to climate change, implement solutions projects and campaigns, and begin to recruit for mass global action leading into 2014 and 2015.

Thus, through 2013 and beyond, together, we will begin to create the global power shift our world needs to effectively confront the climate crisis.

The supporters:

HISTORY OF POWER SHIFT
National Power Shifts and similar summits by different names are already scaling up the climate movement in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, across Europe, Africa, India, Japan, and South Asia. The first ever Power Shift, organized by the Energy Action Coalition, was held in the United States in 2007. It brought together nearly 6,000 young people from around the country for trainings and included a lobby day on capitol hill. The second US summit was held in 2009, and by 2011 over 10,000 activists came together for the third. For more information or to get involved, visit wearepowershift.org. Meanwhile the idea began to spark internationally in 2009 as the Australian Youth Climate Coalition led their own Power Shift and were soon followed by the Badlaav conference in India led by the Indian Youth Climate Network, UK Power Shift led by the United Kingdom Youth Climate Coalition, and Canada Power Shift led by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. By 2010, Power Shift also began to spread across more of Europe as European youth coordinated themselves to support ongoing national efforts across the region: http://powershifteurope.eu. In 2012, the momentum continues with Power Shifts in Sweden, Ukraine, Canada, Belgium, and New Zealand. GPS in 2013 will be a chance for us to all come together, learn, share, strategize, bond, celebrate, and collectively take the movement to the next level all around the globe.

AVAAZ: Save Fukushima's Children

My favorite clicktivist organisation AVAAZ calls for saving Fukushima's children.

Check their website out if you haven't heard of them.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/

They address many extremely important global issues,

and all you have to do is click the "sign petition" button and done!

They do the rest of the work of strategically presenting the petition.

So easy.

I read a persuasive criticism on clicktivism in Adbusters but I think AVAAZ and other similar organisations have been doing important work and have been effective in many ways. I do think that if activism is reduced to a mere clicking of the mouse, we will ultimately lose the ability to make important changes in our problem-abundant world. But, its a low-energy way to spread the message globally, get people involved, and pressure those in power to listen to the concerned citizens of the world a little more.

Here is the call for support:

Right now, thousands of local residents are still trapped in the highly contaminated areas in and around Fukushima City. With black rain falling from the sky and local crops poisoned, children in families left destitute by the tsunami can’t afford to get out-- and the government is failing to help them.

But a group of brave mothers have taken to the streets to ensure their children are helped out of the disaster zone. Hundreds of supporters from around the country have gathered for a sit-in outside the Ministry of Economy in Tokyo demanding that Prime Minister Noda grant their children the opportunity to evacuate. We can stand with them.

This is, literally, the fight of their lives. Children, sitting in the midst of radioactive contamination, don’t have a day to lose. In just 24 hours, the government will decide whether to act at an emergency meeting -- let's build a giant outcry for a healthy future for Fukushima children. Sign the urgent petition below and forward this email widely -- it will be delivered directly to the Prime Minister's office before the meeting.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_fukushima_children_1/?vl

Right now our country has a clear choice. We can embrace family values, and rebuild our nation to give all our children a future, or we can continue to ignore those who are facing hardship and neglect. Fukushima's families don’t have a moment to lose -- every day exposed to radiation massively increases the chances of serious health problems.

We know that the grueling effects of long-term radiation-exposure passes through generations, impacting the health of not only today’s children, but their children’s children. In the aftermath of Chernobyl, the Soviet Union evacuated people from land which had considerably less radiation than some of the areas in question in Japan. The children of Fukushima City, trapped in a radioactive environment, will not be able to extricate themselves from this severe threat to their health without government support for voluntary evacuation. Yet the government won’t trigger evacuation until contamination in an area reaches a level that is four times greater than the threshold the Soviets set for mandatory evacuation after Chernobyl, 25 years ago.

If tens of thousands of Japanese citizens raise the alarm now, we could tip the balanceand bring hope to hundreds of families. Together let’s build a giant public outcry to show Prime Minister Noda that our country's honour is at stake and urge him to stand up and save lives. The government meeting is in 2 days – sign now then forward this email to everyone.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_fukushima_children_1/?vl

Japan was rocked on March 11th and we’re still coming to terms with the scale of the destruction. But out of the devastation comes a chance to rebuild -- our country is united more than ever, people are ready to act to make things better for all Japanese citizens. Right now, we can begin to lay the foundation for a healthy future for Japan's children and children's children.

With hope,

Luis, Dalia, Iain, Kya and the rest of Avaaz team.

More information:

Fukushima women demand better protection for children exposed to radiation (Time.com)
http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/11/03/fukushima-women-demand-better-protection-for-children-exposed-to-radiation/

Fukushima disaster: it's not over yet (The Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/09/fukushima-japan-nuclear-disaster-aftermath

Women stage sit-in protest against nuclear policy, meet with Nuclear Safety Commission (28/10)
http://www.majiroxnews.com/2011/10/28/women-stage-sit-in-protest-against-nuclear-policy-meet-with-nuclear-safety-commission/

Women’s Anti-Nuke Demonstration (Nippon News)
http://www.nipponnews.net/news/womens-anti-nuke-demonstration//

Seven months on, Japan yet to set evacuation plans (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/21/us-japan-evacuation-plans-idUSTRE79K41620111021

Japan Earthquake Aid and democracy

Some of my activist elders have sent me links to different orgs working on the earthquake situation. Rather than leaving them in my inbox, I thought I would share them with whoever reads this blog:) Donations are often a major need for these non-profit organisations but I would like to encourage people to get involved and take action. Without action very little is accomplished.

I think there are parallels of disappointment between those who voted for Obama with excitement and hope, and those who voted for the non-Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) option, the Democratic Party of Japan, in order to set a new direction in Japan after pretty much 54 years of LDP monopoly until 2009. Both emphasised a "new direction" and a bunch of wonderful ideas that seem within our reach if we just had the right leader......but I think the heart of the problem is that our democracies are weak. Many seem to believe that democracy is about not having a dictator, being able to vote, and having choice. But how much of a choice is 2? Thats a different point.

What I want to encourage people to think about is what is democracy in its fullest expression and how do we get there? A government by the people for the people. What does that mean? Does voting take care of our political responsibilities in a democracy? Do citizens really understand how their "democratic" country operates? How democratic is lobbying, censorship, executive decisions, and TWO parties?

To have a democracy we need to understand it and practice it.
We need to take responsibility for a government "by the people for the people."
We are the leaders, and we are the party.
DIY democracy.
Actually its more like DIO, Do It Ourselves, democracy.
Think national, activate locally.
Lets do more than vote, lets live democratically!

The energy and security issue is something we need more citizens to get involved in.
Is our energy consumption worth nuclear disasters, wars and terrorism in the middle east, and life-threatening pollution?
If you have or care about children, just think what kind of world we leave for them.
It time, here and now, time for activism.

1. United Earth Kizuna Aid Project
From Mayumi Oda (artist and environmental activist)

"while I was in Japan, I became acquainted with a group called United Earth --- a network that oversees organizations doing direct aid in areas affected by disasters. These are people who have been working continuously since the Kobe earthquake in 1995. This group will continue their excellent efforts in Japan for many years to come. So, for those of you - my dear friends and colleagues - who would wish to make an additional donation for Japanese disaster relief - I highly recommend United Earth. When you give to them, you can know that your donation will actually reach the people who need assistance on the ground. Their website in English is:

http://united-earth.jp/en/

2. Citizen`s Nuclear Information Center (CNIC)

Fwded from Andy Couturier (author of A Different Kind of Luxury)
Based in Tokyo, we are the Citizen`s Nuclear Information Center (CNIC). With a network of scientists, activists, and common citizens, we work to create a nuclear free world.

Their website in English is:
http://www.cnic.jp/english/

Here's how to support them:
http://www.cnic.jp/english/cnic/support.html

People outside Japan should send an international postal money order made out to Citizens' Nuclear Information Center. Please specify the purpose of the money order as 'Donation'. Alternatively, you can ask us to send you details regarding bank transfers.
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
3F Kotobuki Bldg., 1-58-15 Higashi-nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164 Japan
Tel: 81-3-5330-9520; Fax: 81-3-5330-9530

3. Green Action Japan

I saw a representative speaking on DemocracyNOW! the other day and it seems like they are working actively with the nuclear abolition side of things. Check them out.

http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/entop2/

Una cosita mas.
I recently received an email from Bill Keisling, the author of the linked article, about an article he wrote and the need for a Japanese translator. If you can help you can email me or find him on the interweb. Check out his article.

The Fukushima Experiment

"The nuclear meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant reignited deeply personal memories for many of us in central Pennsylvania who lived through 1979's Three Mile Island incident, which happened 32 years ago this March 28.
Some of the similarities of both nuclear accidents are obvious: the utility executives who seem clueless about what's going on inside the reactor and who seem unable to provide reliable information to the public or to speak truthfully about it; the government officials who seem equally clueless about what's going on in the reactor and who send equally mixed signals; and the spectrum of equally posturing talking heads in the media who alternatively predict Armageddon, and then offer the incident as proof that nuclear energy is safe and friendly. So what's going on here?
Yardbird.com writer Bill Keisling was the first writer/journalist on the scene of the TMI accident, and is the author of several books about it. He's put together a provocative list of 8 Rules to help you better understand nuclear meltdowns and why they happen."

To read more visit:

http://www.yardbird.com/meltdown_the_fukushima_experiment.htm

or visit their Meltdown page at:

http://www.yardbird.com/meltdown.htm