Search results for: climate

Our current Natural World beneficiary, 350.org, provides resources and information to facilitate the development of a worldwide climate change movement. You can read about all the great work they do on the FBB blog.

Beyond Belief Network staff were extremely impressed with all of the event ideas and resources they provide for local groups to join the climate change movement. We’ve compiled a guide to joining the local climate change movement through 350.org. Most of the event ideas involve educating your community about climate change or energy conservation; additional ideas include getting involved with local politics. Best of all, the ideas do not require asking your team for money, and you don’t need a lot of money for the events, either.

Make sure to tell us about your 350.org event, and if your team hasn’t already joined Beyond Belief Network, join today! We’ll help your local group find and plan service events and give you recognition and rewards for helping your community. If you can, plan an event for the last week in April, and register it on our Week of Action website so we can show the world the good that humanists do.

By Ellen Andrews

350.org, Foundation Beyond Belief’s Natural World beneficiary for this quarter, is the leading grassroots organization working to alleviate global climate change. Recently, there has been extreme weather in the UK, which may or may not be attributed to climate change, but has certainly captured the attention of the General Synod of the Church of England, which has decided to disinvest in companies that are failing to do enough to fight this “great demon” of climate change. In response, the communications director for 350.org, Jamie Henn, issued this press release:

“We welcome today’s overwhelming vote in favour of a motion to ensure that the Church of England investment policy is aligned with their policies on climate change and call on them to take immediate steps to divest from fossil fuel companies. As the UK grapples to deal with ongoing extreme weather events and the fossil fuel industry continues to lobby against climate action, it’s clear that divestment shouldn’t be a ‘last resort’ but a pressing priority. People of [conscience] need to break their ties with the fossil fuel industry—not doing so means turning a blind eye to a withering planet. The Church of England is saying the right things about climate change, now it’s time for them to put their money where their mouth is.”

Provided the Church walks the walk instead of just talking the talk, this is a step in the right direction. It emphasizes that global climate change is not an ideological cause to argue over, but a pressing secular issue that affects everyone, and arguably everything, on Earth. 350.org is a secular entity that works to give a voice to all those who to prioritize global climate change now, regardless of religious or even political doctrines.

Learn more about 350.org on their website, Facebook, and YouTube.

First-quarter 2012 natural world beneficiary Environmental and Energy Study Institute gave us this report about how they are using the funds contributed by members of Foundation Beyond Belief. Members donated $6,565 to EESI last quarter.

Dear Foundation Beyond Belief members,

Your commitment to energy and climate solutions is so inspiring to us at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). When we work together, we can move this country to a clean, low-carbon economy. You are all so critical to helping to slow climate change! Thank you so much for your gifts through Foundation Beyond Belief. EESI is honored to have been chosen for FBB’s first quarter fund drive! 

You are instrumental in helping us educate policymakers and key stakeholders on key aspects of federal energy and climate change policy. One emphasis of our work lately–made possible by you and others like you–has been work on the federal government’s transportation policy. See, for example, this interview our policy associate, John-Michael Cross, recently did with EarthShare, an umbrella group of environmental nonprofits on federal transportation policy and gas prices. We cover timely issues like this regularly, so keep an eye on EESI’s website, our Facebook feed, or Twitter to find out more! 

Again, our deepest thanks for your commitment to energy and climate solutions. Please feel free to be in touch at any time! It’s always a pleasure to hear from our supporters. 

Sincerely yours,
Susan Williams

This post from our current Environment beneficiary, Energy Action Coalition, calls young people to action–and to the polls–in service of our embattled environment.

By Courtney Hight, Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition

When an oil rig exploded off the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, the country was startled out of inaction, and we have all watched, day after day, one more example of the impact of reliance on dirty and dangerous sources of energy. Young people were ready to take to the streets, and Energy Action Coalition has since organized nearly 100 actions in response to the disaster.

Now, we’re ready to take that action to the polls.

By Tommaso Boggia, Foundation Beyond Belief Environment Blogger

Getting people interested in the climate crisis can be tough. For some reason, when you start talking about political corruption and scientific data, most people tune out, fall asleep, stop caring, or start acting like contrarians for the hell of it, but I know the climate crisis discussion can be much more exciting than that!

What is more exciting than windmills slowly spinning their blades in the American heartland?

What is more inspiring than recently laid-off factory workers heading back to work building new batteries for electric cars?

What is more beautiful than 15,000 young Ethiopians marching in the streets of Addis Ababa to preserve a future with plentiful crops, accessible drinking water, and sustainable development?

Sure, puppies and polar bears are cute and draw people’s attention, but I won’t be talking about those here (check out the animal protection section for your cute-animal fix). The climate crisis is a human problem, and human stories will demonstrate the exciting opportunities and potential threats that lie ahead.