Climate Change

Thursday night’s premiere of Before the Flood at the Paramount in downtown Charlottesville was a sobering look at how climate change is affecting our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems, and native communities across the planet.

I was absolutely thrilled to see so many Betties and Better World Bobs (Betty’s male counterpart) of all ages, races, and religious creeds turn out for the film and panel discussion! Over 900 according to organizers the Local Energy Alliance Program and their many sponsors! (Cville REA, Generation 180, Southern Environmental Law Center, Latitude 38, Think Little, Wild Virginia, and more)

Whether you like his acting or not, the time, attention, and leadership demonstrated by Leonardo DiCaprio is admirable and inspiring.

We realize that Leonardo has at least three multimillion dollar homes and the movie industry has a super-sized carbon and water footprint (which the movie revealed when producers of “The Revenant” ironically had to move the set halfway across the globe because of record-high temps!) But Leonardo DiCaprio has admirably stepped up and invested his time, talent, and treasure in the fight against climate change. He has been an environmental truth teller and advocate around the world — who can forget his powerful speech at the UN climate change summit in 2014? And his  foundation has to date given 61 million dollars to 65+ organizations around the globe!

Here are Betty’s TOP FOUR TAKEAWAYS from the film:

  1. Vote for people who support climate action!
  2. Eat less meat. America’s burger binge must stop.  70% of crop lands in the US go toward feeding cattle.  Cattle produce loads of methane which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.  Apparently one unit of methane is equal to twenty units of carbon dioxide!
  3. Ditch the palm oil habit. A thirst for the consumer product ingredient palm oil, found in a myriad of products like popcorn, is leading to massive deforestation in Southeast Asia and in particular the Orangutan habitat. Check out saynotopalmoil and join Betty in the 28-day no palm oil challenge and sign petitions to make companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s to commit to 100% procurement of sustainable palm oil by joining the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
  4. Besides the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), we need the 3 L’s: large-scale leadership (from all sectors of life), local involvement, and lifestyle changes to reverse the affects of global climate change. We CAN do it with an uprising of folks just like you reading this right now! Betty is here to help.  Download Betty’s Home Menu of actions and begin taking meaningful action.

Better World Betty is your local resource for going green. Check out our great resources if you have a question Ask Us at mailto:info@betterworldbetty.org.

Here’s to a Better world for all sentient beings on the planet,

BWB

More takeaways from the Global Citizen website

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5 Things You Can Do After You March

by Betty on April 29, 2017

Teri at the March for Science in Washington D.C. Teri at the March for Science in Washington D.C. on April 22, 2017

If you went to the Science March last weekend or today’s Climate March in D.C. or attended a local march, there is plenty to do in the wake of the positive collective energy that is gathering!

1. Make Your Voice Heard! Wield your phone eco-warrior by calling your local, state, and federal representatives and let them know that you care about clean air, clean water, and clean energy. Let them know that you didn’t vote to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Power Plan!

  • Go to http://www.house.gov/representatives/find  or in
  • Virginia call: Dial 202-224-3121 to reach all 3 who represent you in Congress in D.C.
  • The local numbers are even better: Senator Mark Warner (804) 775-2314, Senator Tim Kaine (804) 771-2221, Congressman Tom Garrett (434) 973-9631. I call on my lunch hour or when I’m off work before 5:30pm.

Also, a friend told me about Daily Action, where I get text notifications on a daily basis about actions I can take to make a difference and get active! I love it. I don’t always call, but that’s ok. I call when I can. You can too.
2. Take a Small, but Meaningful Action in Your Daily Life Now! Maybe you will opt out of sales receipts from now on, maybe you will refuse plastic and bring your own bag, or you’ll remember your mug when you visit your favorite coffee or smoothie shop. Maybe you’ll reduce your burger intake. Don’t discount these small acts. “We can do no great things, only small things with great love” is something Mother Teresa said. For ideas big and small, check out our BWB Home Menu of Taking Action. If made for busy folks like you!

3. Give Time, Treasure, or Talent to an Environmental Organization Near You! There are plenty of important organizations out there working on the front lines locally including Better World Betty. Others we love: LEAP (the local energy alliance), Rivanna Conservation Alliance, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Appalachian Voices, Virginia Green, Wild Virginia, and bigger ones like the Environmental Working Group and the National Resource Defense Council.

4. Take a Big, Meaningful Action! Go solar on your home, ditch one of your vehicles, get a green job, go vegetarian, or run for office. The tide is shifting. We can support each other in these transformations. Gather the positive energy from the collective energy you were a part of and be inspired to change your world.

5. Pray! I am inspired by the deep connection to the Earth expressed by leader Tom GoldTooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network who spoke at the Bioneers Conference in 2013. “Our sacred responsibility is to safeguard and protect this world. Human beings are not separate from the natural world but were created to live in an integral relationship with it. We can fashion sustainable solutions and re-sacralize our relationship to Mother Earth.” At today’s Climate March he said we can take action with prayer.

With big Betty love,
BWB

More photos of the Climate March and Science March can be found on Betty’s Facebook Page

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