danworth « It’s Getting Hot In Here

On Gore, Tipping Points, the Law of the One, and Google’s New Climate Maven

Blame It On Rio

In June of 1972, some 35 years ago, a group of future-thinking leaders met in Sweden for the first United Nations Convention on the Human Environment. By the end of a whirlwind week, they had issued the Stockholm Statement, established what is now known as UNEP, and given birth to the modern field of international environmental law.

20 years later, in June of 1992, just one month before he would be chosen as Clinton’s running mate, Al Gore was scheduled to present as the head of the Congressional Delegation at the NGO ‘Global Forum’ at the Earth Summit, an event that spawned the Convention on Climate Change, the precursor to the Kyoto Protocol. Continue reading ‘On Gore, Tipping Points, the Law of the One, and Google’s New Climate Maven’

One Hundred Years Later, Will Higher Education Answer Theodore Roosevelt’s Call To Action?

Published by danworth, October 10th, 2006 Climate Challenge , Events , Youth Leaders 3 Comments

Teddy Roosevelt in Grand Canyon

In 1903, a 45-year old Theodore Roosevelt stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona . He looked out over one of this country’s great wonders and advised the nation to “Leave it as it is. You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”

A little over a century later, I am sweating about 175 miles south in the 95 degree heat of Tempe , Arizona.

And although the Grand Canyon is still intact, we have not listened to the advice of this great Republican leader on a global scale. We have, in fact, marred this globe, and marred it badly. And we need to fix it. And to do that we need to build a new world. “Leaving it as it is”, complete with its 6 billion greennhouse gas spewing citizens, is no longer an option.

I am in town for a Conference set up by Arizona State University (ASU) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to confront this very inconvenient truth.

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Keeping the Faith(s): May God(s) Help Us

Published by danworth, September 26th, 2006 Uncategorized 3 Comments

On Monday, in the wake of remarks that have caused anger and intense debate throughout the world, Pope Benedict XVI told Muslim diplomats that “our future” depends on good relations between followers of the Catholic and Muslim faiths. His Holiness quoted John Paul II calling for “reciprocity in all fields” and urging religious freedom and tolerance.

This past week, I had the incredible honor of presenting on a panel with religious leaders from around the world as part of the Climate Institute’s Summit on Climate Destabilization. The panel, chaired by famed founder of Earth Day, Denis Hayes, featured revolutionary leaders from the Jewish, Presbyterian, Catholic, Christian, Muslim, and Mormon faiths, all united in efforts to urge their religious communities to take action to stop global warming. As each visionary leader spoke, I watched the rest of the panel nodding, taking notes, and cheering each other on.

“Good relations” and “reciprocity in all fields” indeed!

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Catch the Wave: Get Up, Stand Up

Published by danworth, September 11th, 2006 Sports 2 Comments

This past weekend, I joined 110,000 men and women, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists, from age 8 months - 80 years, and engaged in a century old fall ritual.

Our loosely affiliated group came together from across the country and around the world to celebrate pure person power at its highest level. The participants we watched used no machines, no electricity, and no oil. Instead - full of carbs, sugars, and water – they put on an inspiring display of human power and collaboration.

In the end, the University of Michigan Wolverines football team prevailed 41-17.
NCAA college football is an amazing game and quite a U.S. phenomenon. In England and Europe, college athletics play a relatively insignificant role in the sports scene. Here in the US, we recorded an amazing attendance of 32,641,526 visits to division 1 football games in 2005.
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Why I “Hate” the Yankees but Love Republicans

Published by danworth, August 17th, 2006 Politics 2 Comments

Two nights ago I sat in the right field seats at Fenway Park and giddily watched the Red Sox demolish the hapless Baltimore Orioles. Sox third baseman Mike Lowell - hit in the head by a pitch early in the second inning - not only stayed in the game, but played the hero, diving into the stands to catch a foul ball, recording two key hits, and stealing third base with a head first slide to help the Sox win. Man, I love the Red Sox!

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