How To...Find Information

You are probably here because you are worried about what is happening to the natural environment, and the impact that will have on the future of your children, grandchildren and those that come after; or perhaps you just have a love of nature and want to protect and renew what is left. Whatever your reason for coming, you may be asking "what do I do next?", and in almost all cases, the answer is “find out as much as you can about the thing that concerns you”.

There is nothing more effective than a well reasoned and consistent argument, and nothing more frightening for a environmental skeptic than a campaigner with the facts at their fingertips. As well as this, information can give you confidence to go much further with your letter writing, networking, media campaigning, protesting - whatever you want to do. If you have time, read this short article to find out how powerful information can be.

At Green Seniors, we understand that most people who visit here are not climate scientists, physicists or oceanographers; but that does not mean that useful information is beyond the reach of these ordinary people who just want to make a positive difference. You have the information at your fingertips, and a few clicks of a mouse.

The sections on the right hand side contain links to web sites that have been specially chosen for their relevance to the Green Seniors ethos. The “Environmental Information” section should be the first stop for you. Hold your mouse pointer over each of the links to see what kind of information they lead to, and then click on the link to go there. If you are immediately put off by the presentation, then you might want to try something else first, but if you like what you see then spend some time there – read everything there is to offer, and you will be amazed what stays, and adds to the knowledge you already have.

The first place we would recommend would be the Open University. The Open University is a highly regarded education institution in the UK, and this particular site is a wonderful introduction to the subject of climate change -  the Energy House is particularly useful.

If you want to look a bit closer at the science – and it’s well worth it – then try UNEP’s Vital Climate Graphics, particularly the Introduction To Climate Change. There are more links from Green Seniors for the statisticians and keen scientists amongst you.

But if you are going to change the way people think and behave, then it is essential to know what people can do themselves in the short, medium and long-term. This kind of information can make the difference between engaging people and making them think that what they do won’t make any difference. The link to An Inconvenient Truth will provide all sorts of information, but most useful are the What You Can Do pages. Simple things that individuals can choose to do at their own pace, and pass on to others.

We would also encourage you to look at the press, in particular magazines such as Scientific American, New Scientist, Discover and National Geographic, which almost always have articles related to both environmental damage, and environmental preservation.

With information comes knowledge, and with knowledge you can change the world. Good luck!

Comments

[sushil_yadav]

The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.

The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature.

[Edit : Shortened for clarity]

PlanetSave

EarthNewsWire

sushil_yadav

[Joyce]

Sushil, thanks for sharing your views. Persons from different cultures have different ways of expressing concerns about modern life and the environment, I am learning. Yet we have much in common.

[Bernice]

I am a retired person who in retiremnt has opened a Guest lodge in the Drakensberg,Kwa Zulu Natal.I appreciate that the value of the rand decreases for people like ourselves that live from a pension.I therefore would like to inform people of our guest lodge as the rates are very competitive eg rate is from R250 pppns,dinner,bed and breakfast.I try to give very good value for money.Please can you tell me how i can inform others.

[Keith Farnish]

Bernice

Green Seniors does not provide advertising for non-environmental services.

Regards

Keith

[bob]

Hello,

I am a student trying learn more about "green seniors" and what problems they face in their everyday lives?

Also, what changes would they like to see happen in the near future involving energy and electricity? As well, what portable renewable energy applications would benefit this group?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Bob

[Keith Farnish]

Dear Bob

If you can be more specific about questions, and send them to me ([email protected]) then I can give you detailed answers. The biggest problem, though, is that almost everyone - not just seniors - has lost the ability to make the necessary changes in their lives because they have been brainwashed, often from birth, into thinking that the system (i.e. Industrial Civilization) is always right.

In some ways, renewable energy is just an extension of Industrial Civilization, although in its most basic forms - small wind, wave and water energy, and sustainable biomass - it has to be how we produce the small amount of energy we need to live our lives. The primary concern is slashing the amount of energy we use by over 90% as a society. If renewables just allow us to carry on as we are (I don't believe this will happen, because there is far more profit in fossil fuels and nuclear) then they are little better than conventional sources.

Keith

[Joyce Emery]

Bob, I agree with Keith although I express my views a little differently. Even if renewable energy were to replace greenhouse gas-generating fossil fuels to the extent needed to stabilize the climate, to continue to use as much energy per person in developed nations as is done now would likely mean continued enormous consumption of natural resources with continued production of pollution and garbage. All consumption--energy and otherwise--needs to be ramped down.

That said, I believe each person can reduce his or her personal consumption drastically, if they live in a country like the USA. Next, if people join together to tackle the larger problems like reducing transportation needs and changing patterns of community life that create consumption, further reduction can be obtained while enhancing quality of life.

Technological inventions will occur also, but with each wave of new invention in the past, humans never got away from environmental degradation. They simply changed the type of degradation each new technology created. I am not looking in that direction for salvation.

Hmmmm...you mention "portable renewable energy applications." There is one that has benefited me greatly--a bicycle! See my latest post on www.greengranny.org (September 18, 2008) for the difficulties I encounter in using this device in lieu of a motor vehicle. Along the lines of a bicycle, I am interested in hand-cranked or stationary-bike pedaled machines that help perform basic tasks of daily living.

[bob]

Thank you Keith and Joyce for your comments. It has been very helpful.

I have a few more questions that I hope you both or others can answer.

1. What portable electronic devices do you have/use?
2. How important is portable energy/chargers for these devices?
3. What are some of the energy problems that occur when dealing with electronic devices?
4. Are there any other applications that would benefit from a portable energy source?

Thanks again.