Thank you for taking the time to read this message and considering a contribution to Cool Planet to keep building a global/ local CLIMATE SOLUTIONS MOVEMENT.

In one week I will have completed (body and trail conditions willing) my 32^nd American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon, 54 km across one of the most gorgeous cross country ski trails on the planet. It will take me 5.5 to 6.5 hours and my goal is to finish strong with the trace of a smile on my face and a heart full of appreciation for continuing my legacy of pushing myself beyond the boundaries where I would normally stop.

I am also skiing to awaken the ski community and our country to the message that taking action for climate cooling and building sustainable solutions for a healthy future for this and future generations can WAIT NO LONGER! If we are to heed what scientists are now telling us in ever strengthening voices.

Check this link from the National Academy of Scientists. This organization was founded in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln to inform Congress about scientific matters.

30 some years later, still at it!

Good things are happening all over the planet as people are awakening to a new way of thinking and communicating what is truly at the heart of the matter. Unfortunately it’s the negative press and the injection of doubt about the science of climate change that has been slowing the momentum of the movement. This along with the strangle hold that the fossil fuel industry has on Congress and the hundreds of highly paid lobbyists in our nation’s capital must be exposed to shift our country towards a clean, renewable energy future.

Your contributions will join hundreds of others who are supporting Cool Planet’s vision for sustainable homes, communities and planet by doing the following in 2012:

1.  SPEAK UP!!- a climate solutions leadership training program to give ordinary citizens the tools to be effective communicators about climate solutions in their lives and with their groups.
2. Edina Goes Green- Working with the City of Edina and their Energy and  Environment Commission, the Edina Public Schools Go Green Committee, the faith community, Chamber of Commerce, Edina Bike Task Force and the public utilities, Edina is leading the way as a MN Green Step City, and Cool Planet is a major partner in all of it.
3. MN350 Leadership Team- Building on the work of 350.org and founder Bill McKibben, MN350 is leading the charge to awaken Minnesotans to take inspired action to address the urgency and possibility of the climate crisis. BIG NEWS!! Bill McKibben will be coming to ski the Birke with me next year in 2013 and plans are in action already!
4.  Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL)- Creating the political will for a livable plane. Cool Planet will continue to start and support the growth of CCL groups in all 8 Congressional Districts of MN (we now have 4 districts started, West Metro, South Metro, Alexandria, Bemidji, and Winona.
5.  Tar Sands Action- Fighting the proposed Keystone Pipeline from Alberta Canada to the Gulf coast. Cool Planet is planning a sustainable travel trip (no flying) in june 2012 with policy makers from the state to get a first hand account on the impact of the Tar Sands Oil Project on Minnesotans, one of the largest, dirtiest and most destructive excavations on Planet Earth. We can do better!
6.  Awakening the Heart- By encouraging people of all ages to bike and promote Living Streets, play Frisbee, garden and do yoga, Cool Planet is a small part of a global arising of passionate people that are asking the question……WHAT KIND OF A WORLD DO WE WANT?

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Today was my second day in Durban and began with an adventure trying to reach the COP17 registration area. Theoretically, there are shuttles to the conference center and other buses, including the fascinating option Paul and I took: the mini-bus. Essentially if you crossed a taxi with a bus, you’d get the mini-bus in South Africa. They sort of have a set route, but have flexibility in where they go and if they make a stop. Maybe 15 people can squeeze in the vans, which all seem around 10 years old and have various defects. In my case, the door could only be opened from the outside and seat belts were sparse. Primarily locals utilize this service, I’m guessing because tourists usually don’t stumble upon them, or potentially fear them. Our driver put on a show by zipping between lanes and drifting forward and then swerving away from the pedestrians scattered along sidewalks and medians. This is definitely a different form of transportation than we encounter in the U.S., and I’m thinking it is a slightly lower carbon option than personal driving. Whether it is worth the risk, I can’t say.

Monday, 21 November 2011 18:00

Jonathan Pershing’s secretary is from Eagan, MN and we had lots to chat about before Sharon said: “let me look at Jonathan’s schedule, can you come in Monday morning at 9 am?” We cleared security, got three latecomers approved and Sharon ushered us to the meeting room. A few minutes later Dr. Pershing (who received his PhD from the University of MN) greeted us. I reminded him of our meeting in Cancun at COP 16 last December. I started the meeting by confirming our 20 minute time allotment (he ended up giving us 40) and each of us gave 2-3 minutes of heartfelt testimony about why we were in D.C. for the Tar Sands action and that we were here to represent the ‘call to action’ from thousands of Minnesotans through our newly established MN350 network, including the Will Steger Foundation, Cool Planet, Citizens Climate Lobby, and MN Interfaith Power and Light.

My trip to Durban and COP 17 began with a trip to Washington DC.

By now most of you have heard about the unusual reversal by the State Department and President Obama regarding approving the permit to allow the Keystone XL pipeline to carry Tar Sands oil from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, 1700 miles across some environmentally fragile land.