Most of us take electricity for granted, and couldn’t imagine life without it, but 1.6 billion people, nearly 25% of humanity, currently live without access to electricity. In most cases, their only source of light once the sun goes down comes from candles or kerosene lamps.

Even during the day, inadequate lighting inside school rooms will marginalize a child’s education, and light coming from kerosene lamps is so poor that children can only see their schoolbooks if they are almost on top of the flame, directly inhaling even more of the toxic smoke. The opportunity for a child to read and study after sundown has a significant effect on their education, and thus, their entire life.

Light Up The World is an organization determined to make a difference in this area by providing light sources based on renewable energy. They’ve sponsored projects in Afghanistan, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Sierra Leone, Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea and many other countries.

• For our end-use clients, sustainable light and energy translates to furtherance of education, household safety, a cleaner indoor environment and significant economic savings.
• For local distributors sustainable light and energy products translate into livelihood and family support.
• For communities, these products offer economic renewal and reduced pressure on scarce resources such as wood for fuel and new opportunities for clean water distribution.
• Globally, these products contribute to reduced greenhouse gas and other pollution.

Typical LED Lighting System

We value education that leads to innovative, sustainable energy solutions, and the institutions and educators that promote advancement and innovation. We value the role that education has in development work, and embrace education in our efforts to transfer technology and be a catalyst for positive change. We engage in education of our volunteers, supporters and partners. We believe education leads to empowerment.

Rainbow At Tibetan Orphanage

Our Mission: LUTW is an international development organization whose goal is to provide renewable energy technologies and high efficiency lighting to communities around the world that do not have access to appropriate and affordable energy solutions.

Roof of Tibetan Orphanage, photo by Stuart Torr

Our Vision: That development for the 1.6 billion people worldwide without access to affordable, healthy, efficient, and environmentally responsible lighting and energy can be promoted through the provision of sustainable energy and lighting solutions.

Illuminated Building At Tibetan Orphanage, photo by Stuart Torr

Watch the video of this amazing project!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Supplying light sources via renewable energy is very Global Patriot!

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Branding, advertising and philanthropy have been around for centuries, but in the past decade there has been a shift in some quarters of corporate America, a shift that is still focused on branding, but which chooses to support worthwhile causes rather than just producing more marketing material for public consumption. My Brand = Doing Good.

Pepsi has gained a substantial measure of attention in this regard with the recent introduction of their Pepsi Refresh Project. With grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 per project they have devised a campaign that appeals to a variety of charitable needs within the categories of Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education. Do you have an idea that needs funding?

They are also sponsoring a Celebrity Challenge on Facebook, and the initial competition is between Kevin Bacon and Demi Moore. In the videos below they explain what they would do with the $250,000 prize money.  Watch them both, then cast your vote!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Voting ends February 28 – Cast your Vote for Kevin Bacon or Demi Moore’s Refresh Project!

What are your thoughts on how corporations can play a role in supporting causes?

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The heavy use of oil and gas based products to heat our homes and fuel our transportation infrastructure has captured much of the media attention in recent years, but increasingly the spotlight has been directed on the use of coal with respect to the generation of electricity.

An article on Planet Earth Fundamentals lead to a follow up post titled Fossil Fuel Fundamentals – Oil. As opposed to a liquid that is pumped from the ground and refined into various products before use, coal is first mined (underground or surface removal) then burned to power our homes and factories.

Strip Coal Mining Operation

While we appreciate having the lights on, and powering our appliances and machinery, we pay a high price by burning coal to do so.  According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, this is the impact of an average coal-fire power plant. (There are more than 600 coal-fired plants in the United States!)

A typical 500-megawatt coal-fired power plant draws about 2.2 billion gallons of water each year from nearby water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, or oceans, to create steam for turning its turbines.

This is enough water to support a city of approximately 250,000 people.

• 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary human cause of global warming–as much carbon dioxide as cutting down 161 million trees.
• 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which causes acid rain that damages forests, lakes, and buildings, and forms small airborne particles that can penetrate deep into lungs.
• 500 tons of small airborne particles, which can cause chronic bronchitis, aggravated asthma, and premature death, as well as haze obstructing visibility.
• 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), as much as would be emitted by half a million late-model cars. NOx leads to formation of ozone (smog) which inflames the lungs, burning through lung tissue making people more susceptible to respiratory illness.
• 720 tons of carbon monoxide (CO), which causes headaches and place additional stress on people with heart disease.
• 220 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC), which form ozone.
• 170 pounds of mercury, where just 1/70th of a teaspoon deposited on a 25-acre lake can make the fish unsafe to eat.
• 225 pounds of arsenic, which will cause cancer in one out of 100 people who drink water containing 50 parts per billion.
• 114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, other toxic heavy metals, and trace amounts of uranium.

Unregulated Coal Ash Site

China Leads in Coal Pollution

Sixteen of the 20 worst cities in the world for air pollution are in China; acid rain falls on 30% of the country; and more than a quarter of the land is subject to desertification—an area that increases by 2,000 sq km every year. Bryan Walsh, Time Asia, November 17, 2003

China now uses more coal than the United States, Europe and Japan combined, making it the world’s largest emitter of gases that are warming the planet.

But by continuing to rely heavily on coal, which supplies 80 percent of its electricity, China ensures that it will keep emitting a lot of carbon dioxide; even an efficient coal-fired power plant emits twice the carbon dioxide of a natural gas-fired plant. The New York Times By Keith Bradsher, May 10, 2009

Moving to renewable sources of energy could reduce the harm caused by coal!

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Science has clearly demonstrated that CO2 levels are at their highest point in over 650,000 years, and rising land and ocean temperatures have also been well documented. But what’s the best way to reduce our CO2 emissions? Through government regulation of output, or by implementing a cap-and-trade system that creates a market for carbon credits to be traded?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important greenhouse gas released through natural processes such as respiration and volcano eruptions and through many human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels. This chart shows the historical levels of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere.

As a direct result, the decade from 2000 to 2009 has been verified by NASA as the warmest on record. This atmospheric warming trend has resulted in retreating ice caps and rising ocean levels. To address this situation, Europe enacted a cap-and-trade system in 2005. Opinions are mixed as to the benefit of the system, with some calling it a failure while others say there is still work to be done before it will become effective.  But is cap-and-trade viable in the United States? Here’s one opinion on the topic.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What are your thoughts on how to reduce CO2 levels in the coming years?

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Most people think of the Middle East when the topic of oil comes up, but there are significant petrol deposits that have been exploited in South American for decades. Ecuador is one such example, where Texaco, in partnership with Gulf Oil and  Petroecuador, extracted 1.7 billion barrels of oil between 1965 and 1990, leaving a toxic nightmare in their wake.

Click here to view the embedded video.

On Chevron’s Doorstep

The controversy involves oil pumped from the Lago Agrio oil field in Ecuador. During this 25 yr period, produced water from 350 wells was dumped into open pits instead of re-injecting the compound into spent wells. Produced water is a common byproduct in oil production, and while composition varies from well to well, at issue in this case is the presence of TPH, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, which contain benzene, a Group 1 carcinogen carrying the same classification as absbestos or arsenic.

“The stream was 50 meters from our house and chemicals were dumped into it. Oh, it stank! The water ran like a natural stream, but it was warm toxic waste water. We had headaches, dizziness, stomachaches…. Our children loved to fish and swim in the river. They came home covered in crude. We fried the fish they caught and the fish tasted like diesel.” - Shuar indigenous man living near Texaco Auca oil field

Texaco's Amazon Legacy

The Nightmare Revealed

In total, some 18 billion gallons of this toxic waste water and millions of gallons of oil were discharged, causing severe environmental damage including water pollution, soil contamination, deforestation and cultural upheaval. Chevron bought Texaco in 2001, but has refused to take responsibility for cleaning up the hazardous waste that remains, endangering the lives of those who live nearby.

When Texaco began dumping produced water, local people who depend on the rivers for bathing, drinking, and cooking began reporting skin rashes and other ailments. Furthermore, many fish have disappeared from the rivers around the oil concession area. This has contributed to dire poverty among indigenous Ecuadorians who used to depend on fish as a major source of nutrition.

Amazon Rainforest Contamination

Advocacy groups such as Amazon Watch and ChevronToxico have worked to document the extent of the spills and resulting ecological damage and human impacts.

Thousands of people representing Ecuador’s indigenous tribes are suing Chevron-Texaco over the pools of toxic wastewater the company left behind. Following Chevron-Texaco’s 30 years of reaping profit from indigenous lands and resources, the tribes are now seeking 27.3 billion dollars from the California-based corporation for the clean-up.

Over three decades of oil drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Chevron dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into the rainforest, leaving local people suffering a wave of cancers, miscarriages and birth defects. Now, with the support of an international campaign for justice, the communities affected by Chevron’s negligence are holding one of the world’s largest oil companies to account.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What can you do to help rectify this situation?

Watch this episode of 60 Minutes!

Become a Fan of Amazon Watch on Facebook

Watch the movie: Crude – The Real Price of Oil

Visit the Amazon Defense Coalition for more information

Additional Reading

Wall Street Journal, “Chevron Plaintiffs Ask U.S. Court for Action”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704363504575003153443151606.html

Politico, “Chevron’s lobbying campaign backfires”:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29560.html

The Huffington Post, “Chevron and cultural genocide in Ecuador”,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerry-kennedy/chevron-and-cultural-geno_b_346257.html

Los Angeles Times, “Oil, Ecuador and its people”:
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/28/opinion/ed-chevron28

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Over 900 organizations have been working in Haiti since a massive 7.0 earthquake struck on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. And while supplying food and water was extremely important to the general population, a more immediate need was to provide expert medical attention to the more than 300,000 who were injured in the initial quake, as well as during aftershocks.

I had the honor to interview Alex Cottin, Regional Director for Merlin USA, and learn about their rapid response to the tragedy in Haiti.  As one off 170 medical aid organizations providing emergency care, Merlin USA had a team on the ground with 24 hours and immediately began planning their operation.

Besides Alex, the team included a medical director, team leader, logistic coordinator and a surgeon. Due to the fact that the existing medical support infrastructure was heavily damaged, and realizing that aftershocks threatened those buildings still standing, the team located an abandoned tennis court in the Delmas 33 area near Port-au-Prince to serve as their makeshift hospital.

Make a Donation Supporting Merlin USA in Haiti!

Merlin USA Hospital in Delmas 33

The following day five tons of medical supplies were on their way. With the Haitian airport damaged, the shipment was delivered to Gregorio Luperón International Airport in the Puerto Plata Province of the Dominican Republic and transported by land to the capital. Nicknamed Wimbledon, the area initially comprised just three tents – reception, surgery & post op – but has now been expanded to ten tents.

Merlin is a global medical non-proft working to save lives in countries devastated by conflict, disease and disaster. We deliver vital medical aid and lasting health care, wherever it’s needed most.

According to Alex, their mission will involve three phases. Having established a fixed site and treated those patients in the immediate area, they are now preparing to deploy mobile clinics to more remote regions, seeking out those still in need. That phase could last as long as six months, after which they intend build static clinics that will serve the community for as long a a year or two.

“These are just estimates,” Alex added, “we intend to be there for as long as it takes.”

Working in the Field

In order to operate in a wide variety of remote locations, it is imperative that Merlin USA be impartial, objective, and non-discriminatory in their conduct. “We work closely with the ministry of health,” Alex explained, “but we will provide aid to anyone who is injured, regardless of which side they are on.”

Delmas 33 Surgery Team

While much remains to be done in Haiti, Alex was pleased by how much they had accomplished so far, and feels their long term goals will serve to repair people’s lives as well as help to rebuild the medical infrastructure that Haiti desperately needs going forward.

“This disaster has struck the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and the people of Haiti urgently need our help.” – Paula Sansom, Merlin Response Team Co-ordinator “We are particularly concerned about vulnerable people living in the slum areas of the city who are more exposed to disease in the aftermath of the earthquake.“

What Merlin Stands For

• We are committed to helping build lasting health services which are used and championed by everyone.
• We are specialists in rapid medical response and rebuilding health systems, effectively taking countries from emergency to recovery.
• We are undaunted by the challenges of providing health care to vulnerable people living in the most difficult, forgotten and remote corners of the world.
• We are determined to make health a global priority; giving people caught up in conflict, disaster and health system collapse the chance to lead healthy lives.
• We are focused on natural disasters, areas of violent conflict and disease outbreaks.
• Having worked in forty countries, we are presently operating in sixteen.
• Worldwide, 93% of the staff is comprised of local medical personnel.
• Financially, 96 cents of every dollar goes directly into field operations.

“I and everyone at Control Risks have strongly endorsed the work of Merlin for over a decade. Merlin is a medical relief organization that is effective on the ground, works with local partners, addresses immediate disasters, and improves long term health systems. Control Risks is proud to sponsor Merlin’s disaster relief efforts in Haiti, where their expertise is critically needed.” – Jim Brooks, President & CEO, Control Risks Americas, Major Sponsor of Merlin USA

Global Patriot is proud to highlight the amazing work of the Merlin USA team in Haiti!

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As we strive to create a more sustainable world, managing the food chain is one of the most important subjects we deal with. In the case of seafood, harvesting wild fish using industrial style fishing methods has resulted in depleted fisheries. Raising fish in commercial farms has become a popular alternative, but the practice is now criticized by many environmentalists.

In a surprise move, Target recently announced that it has eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood offerings in Target stores nationwide and further stated that salmon sold under Target owned brands will now be wild-caught Alaskan salmon.

“Target strives to be a responsible steward of the environment, while also providing our guests with the highest-quality food choices,” said Greg Duppler, senior vice president, merchandising, Target. “Our guests now have an array of sustainable seafood choices at great prices.”

This news comes on the heals of a Pew Environment Group report, Pew Cautions Against Unregulated Fish Farms in U.S. Federal Waters, issued last November which raised concerns about the creation of fish farms in U.S. waters without proper Federal regulation.

“The recent escapes of tens of thousands of farmed salmon from the pens in several primary producing countries serve a grim reminder that the environmental impacts of salmon farming remain to be addressed,” said Gerald Leape, senior officer at the Pew Environment Group.

“These massive escapes also reinforce the point that any open ocean aquaculture legislation approved by Congress must have strong mandatory standards that prevent environmental impacts by farms that are built in U.S. waters.”

Photo by: Alexandra Morton, Science News

Few people have ever heard of fish lice, but this ScienceNews article, Predators Zoom in on Lice-Infested Salmon, is an eye-opener to the problem.

Not only do the lice suck the lifeblood from the young fish, but the wounds are also an open door for harmful bacteria and viruses. Previous research suggests that juvenile mortality linked to lice-infested farms can be as high as 95 percent, says Martin Krkošek of the University of Washington in Seattle.

Farmed Salmon Issues

Oceana posted this article in 2008, 4 Reasons to Avoid Farmed Salmon, with four key points.

1. It’s bad for wild salmon. Approximately three million farmed salmon escape from their pens each year, jeopardizing endangered wild salmon populations with genetic dilution.
2. It spreads disease. The crowded conditions of salmon farming pens provide ideal conditions for the outbreak of parasites and disease, such as infectious salmon anemia, which caused the collapse of the industry in 2007. The diseases are often transferred to the wild salmon as they swim past the caged salmon. As a result of the overcrowding and potential for disease transfer, the industry uses high doses of pesticides and antibiotics on the fish, including the quinolone family of antibiotics, which are meant for use only in humans.
3. It’s wasteful. Carnivorous farmed salmon consume wild caught fish for food, competing directly with humans and other fish species for this diminishing resource. In Chile, it can take 8 kilograms of fish from the world’s oceans to produce 1 kilogram of farmed salmon. Some of the fisheries that feed salmon — anchoveta, sardines, jack mackerel — are now becoming over-exploited as a result, which has consequences for the entire ocean food chain.
4. It’s bad for your health. Farmed salmon contains high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other dangerous contaminants, and the widespread use of antibiotics and pesticides may lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. (Plus, It is dyed “salmon” color because its natural color would be grey from it’s artificial diet.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

What are your thoughts on farm-raised salmon – is this a sustainable practice?

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In my previous post, entitled Planet Earth Fundamentals,  I referenced the fact that all of our non-renewable resources were in a state of decline, and while each resource is important in its own right, fossil fuels are at the top of the list.

The subject of fossil fuels and global energy consumption is complex in many respects, especially as it relates to the topics of reserves vs. production vs. consumption. In this article we’ll take a look at the precarious nature of the world’s oil production to understand why we must purse renewable sources.

Energy sources vary from country to country, but from a global perspective, fossil fuels provide about 85% of the total. While oil, coal and natural gas are all significant in their contribution, oil is the single most critical element due to its liquid state and the vital role it plays as a feedstock for making many products ranging from gasoline and diesel fuel to asphalt and plastics.

World Energy Mix - Data From BP 2006 Statistical review

The basic fact for all non-renewable resources is that a fixed amount existed in the ground millions of years before humans came along, and although recycling is possible for a wide variety of materials – aluminum, copper, gold - that option does not exist for oil. It’s true that some amount of plastic can be recycled, but the overwhelming majority of oil products are consumed at the point of use.

Oil Discovery vs. Oil Production

Simple logic dictates that any resource of limited quantity, being consumed in increasing amounts, has a limited lifespan – at some point we will run out of oil – but before that time arrives we will experience a long period of decreasing oil production in the face of rising demand, dramatically effecting price.

“How much oil is left, how long will it last, and how much will it cost?”

In the past 50 years oil has gone from $3 to over $130 per barrel, and is currently in the $70+ range, but to understand what the future holds, we must examine the history of oil discovery vs. production.

Oil Discovery vs. Production

The two key points contained in this chart are:

1. The age of discovering oil is largely behind us.
2. The age of increased consumption is still ahead.

The Reality of Peak Oil

Peak Oil is a term that describes the life of every oil well that’s every been drilled. In basic terms, oil output increases until reaching a maximum level. This rate of production stays relatively constant for a period of time before beginning a gradual decline, and will eventually stop or become uneconomical to extract more crude. This is true for every oil well, every oil field, and every oil-producing country.

The main takeaway of this chart (click on the image to see the full size) is that most countries have already passed the point of maximum oil production and are now seeing lower output each year.

Did you know, the United States reached its peak oil production in 1970!

These countries have discovered the majority of their oil reserves, increased production rate to a high point, but now see output decline as their oil wells age. This is the essence of Peak Oil, and explains why our society will ultimately reach a point at which oil production, for the planet, begins to decline.

The availability of relatively cheap oil has built the economy we enjoy today, but fundamental market dynamics related to lower supplies and higher demand are in the process of changing that situation.

It’s important to note that we won’t wake up one day to discover that we’re out of oil, but instead we will find ourselves in a position whereby demand outstrips our ability to supply, and as we all know, anytime demand exceeds supply, prices increase. Add in the fact that there are hoards of speculators who will buy up available supplies in order to make obscene profits (that fact accounted for $30-$50 of the previous peak in oil prices) and $300-$500 per barrel oil prices are not out of the question.

Anacortes Oil Refinery

The time to shift toward a renewable energy society is now!

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In a recent post entitled Climate Change Is Not The (Only) Issue I listed twelve critical issues, all of which are interrelated, that need to be addressed in the coming decade. But if we are to fully understand the magnitude of each issue, and the nature of their connectedness, we must first understand a few fundamental facts about this amazing planet.

Our existence on earth is a complicated matter, which can make finding solutions a troublesome task. But one way to look at it, is to consider which elements or trends in the equation are fixed, which are on the rise, and which are on the decline – it makes for an interesting quandary.

What is Unchanged?

The first thing we need to realize is that the size of planet earth is fixed. It neither grows nor shrinks, no matter the population of people, animals or plants. And thus, these three factors remain constant. (While minor variations do occur, we basically have a fixed volume of these resources available to us.)

• Air
• Soil
• Water

Air Soil Water

What is Decreasing?

As the earth evolved over billions of years, deposits of various natural resources, such as minerals, metals and fossil fuels, formed below the surface of the earth. And there’s a reason they’re called non-renewable resources, as there is no way to regenerate or replenish them.  When they’re gone, they’re gone, and since the industrial age mankind has been using them at an increasing rate.

• Tin
• Iron
• Zinc
• Gold
• Lead
• Silver
• Nickel
• Copper
• Bauxite
• Platinum
• Fossil Fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale, tar sands)

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, between 1995 and 2005, worldwide production of aluminum jumped 64%, iron production by 50% and copper output by 42%.

“Like oil, most of the easy-toreach deposits of basic materials like copper, nickel and gold have already been found and exploited. That has left lower-grade deposits in remote, politically volatile countries that will cost more to develop than the mother loades of yesteryear.” Wall Street Journal, July 2006.

Copper Mine

What is Increasing?

• CO2
• Erosion
• Pollution
• Affluence
• Population
• Acidification
• Deforestation
• Desertification

Burning fossil fuels results in CO2 and pollution, as well as ocean acidification. As global population increases, we use more non-renewable resources and burn more fuel. The same thing happens as people in developing countries become more affluent and buy more products. Feeding this growing population has led to deforestation, which removes a vital source of CO2 absorption.

Amazon Deforestation

The Future is Not Promising

Our air, soil and water suffer from the effects of toxic pollution, as do all forms of plant and animal life. Health problems are on the rise do to these factors, yet our focus remains on profit rather that planet.

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that clearly shows how this planet is being degraded at an alarming rate, but even without all the numerical data, simple logic tells us this combination of fixed, decreasing and increasing factors is not sustainable for much longer.

A healthy planet requires sustainable practices…how are you supporting this goal?

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A passionate advocate for being fit, healthy, happy, and pursing your dreams, Sarah’s message has been shared with young and old alike. Not only because she loves to run marathons, fifty mile and hundred mile races, but because she has a passion to inspire others toward achieving their goals and dreams.

Sarah Stanley, Endurance Athlete, Speaker and Humanitarian to Log 50 Miles in all 50 States

over Five Months to Benefit Fitness Forward and Reverse the Obesity Trend in America!

I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Stanley one morning via Twitter, she was tweeting while running. At the time I thought she was just a bit crazy…little did I know that she was actually 110% inspiration. We have since stayed in touch via Twitter, Facebook, email and telephone. It’s been so exciting to see her passion, dedication and vision finally manifest within her “Run Ride Inspire!” 2010 Project.

The Woman Behind the Project

Sarah is an elite female athlete with a passion for running (marathons & ultras), in addition to being an entrepreneur, social media maven, speaker and writer who is regularly sought after for practical, down-to-earth and inspirational advice about fitness, life and business.

“Not only is Run Ride Inspire the ultimate personal challenge, but it gives me the platform to engage thousands of people across the country in a conversation about fitness and healthy living,” said Sarah. “I’m proud to support Fitness Forward charity in their mission of arming children with the knowledge, motivation, and tools they need to lead healthier, happier lives.”

Her ambitious five month project will launch on March 8th in California and will wrap up in mid-August at our Nation’s Capitol, Washington, D.C. While running and training for the events in all 50 states, Sarah will be sharing her adventures and passion for healthy living online and in person, all the while inspiring others to get active and achieve their dreams.

Run Ride Inspire is currently recruiting Inspired Ambassadors from each state who will help Sarah plan educational stops, group workouts, and other outreach efforts throughout the country.

For more information about sponsorship, speaking engagements and the Run Ride Inspire project, visit www.RunRideInspire.com, as this promises to be adventure to follow from coast to coast!

“If you are willing to work hard and press limits, you CAN achieve great things!”

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