OneClimate has a good collection of live coverage from the Durban Climate Conference, also known as COP17. The conference started a few days ago and runs until the 9th of December.
You can follow it here:
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Small Change Fund for Big Change
Small Change Fund is a Canadian organization that is trying to get people to help small efforts to make big differences. In Canada less than 1% of donations go to grassroots organizations and Small Change Fund wants to get more funding for the little guys. They seem similar in concept to sites like Kickstarter.
Small Change Fund empowers you to make big change with small change. We provide a place for you to discover, share, connect with, and support amazing grassroots projects in communities across the country – projects that need just a small amount of money to make a real and significant impact in the world.
We make giving simple.
Call it bottom-up investment, grassroots grant-making, place-based funding, micro-philanthropy. Whatever its name, it’s a new way of giving. We use the power of the Internet to engage everyone at their own level to share with others. We open up the giving process so you can have a hand in solving the problems you care about most. You read, you choose, you give. You can give money, you can give time, you can give support. It’s that simple
Bookstores are Still Places for Change
In Beijing there stands a bookstore that does more than just sell books – it’s bringing more culture and more discourse to the city. Books are an invaluable way to share ideas and as a result bookstores tend to create a culture around them that encourages critical thinking.
However, the Bookworm is more than just a bookshop with a library, bar and restaurant: it’s a hot house of discussion, creativity and ideas in one of the world’s most happening cities.
Its big book-lined rooms, free Wi-Fi, hip music and good food have made it a magnet for expats and young, English-speaking Chinese alike.
But it’s the Bookworm International Literary Festival that has put it on the map for top international authors curious about China: Americans Dave Eggers and David Sedaris were here for events in January. This month, Toronto’s Emma Donoghue and 70 other writers from 19 different countries celebrated the festival’s fifth year, which wraps up Friday.
China Bans Some Logging
China has protected forests Great and Lesser Hinggan Mountain region in the north east of the country by banning logging there. For the next ten years logging in that region will be illegal in an attempt to help curb climate change.
The ban is part of a forest protection program by the National Development and Reform Commission and State Forestry Administration.
China is trying to increase the size of its forests by 40 million hectares to help reduce greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
The forest reserve in the Hinggan mountains spreads out over 430,000 square kilometres across Heilongjiang province and into neighbouring Inner Mongolia.
Apps for Climate Action
The provincial government of British Columbia intimated a contest that had people submit their software programs that could help protect the environment. Some of these apps are really great and it’s great to see BC researching this sort of thing!
The Apps for Climate Action Contest challenged Canadian software developers to raise awareness of climate change and inspire action to reduce carbon pollution by using data in new applications for the web and mobile devices.
A leader in climate action, the Government of B.C. created a catalogue of its best climate and greenhouse gas emission data.
Developers used this data to design fun and innovative climate action apps.
Check it out there official Apps for Climate Change site.
Here’s an example of an app listed on the site:
Data Set(s) used: 1. Impacts & Environmental Change, Weather and Climate,Climate BC, UBC 2. Annual & seasonal precipitation (Wet Years) Canadian Atmospheric Hazards Network 3. Ground Water Wells – GeoBC
Summary: One way to prepare for the effects of global warming on water supply is to capture and save rain water running off of our roofs. This app allows you to calculate how much rainfall you can capture in a year by calculating the area of your roof.
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Description: Lack of water due to global warming, especially on areas that rely on well water.
What types of people and/or organizations do you expect to use the App?
The general public.
How does the App help address climate change or promote climate action?
The app raises awareness of the potential rainwater harvesting can have on preparing for the impacts of climate change