Facebook Games, Cement, Plastic Bags in LA, Updates from our Partners and Climate Change Art from Space – It's a wRAP, November 19, 2010

Grab the kids in your life and together take the Trendsetter Pledge at Repower At Home! We know you are already a trendsetter: you turn the lights out when you leave a room, adjust the thermostat regularly, unplug energy “vampires” and generally promote environmental sustainability. By signing the Repower at Home pledge you can let the whole world know! And btw, while you have the attention of the kids in your life, tell them about a new Facebook Game eMission, which has a social mission (you don’t necessarily have to tell them that part!)—fighting climate change through offline actions. The game encourages gamers to build and save their habitat by completing offline energy-efficient and environmentally friendly actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions—such as changing incandescent bulbs to ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs; powering down computers; recycling plastic bags, bottles, or aluminum cans; walking, biking, or taking public transportation for a week; and more! Each action gives users a snapshot of their individual carbon savings as well as the collective savings impact if we all join together to fight climate change. Participants can also win eco-friendly prizes and scholarships from DoSomething.org

Did you know that Los Angeles County voted earlier this week to ban stores from using single-use plastic bags? Under the ordinance, single-use plastic grocery bags are banned at grocery stores, pharmacies and other shops in unincorporated Los Angeles County areas. The population in LA’s unincorporated areas is about 1.1 million people.

Did you hear that 350.org is taking the next two weeks to focus on “350 EARTH” — art projects visible from space? November 20-27, 2010 is the week before the

UN climate meetings in Cancun – and 350.org is organizing the first ever planetary art show: 350 EARTH. In more than a dozen locations around the planet, artists are partnering with citizens to create massive art installations around the theme of climate change, from its impacts (like a sea-level rise design in New York City) to its solutions (like a solar-powered design in South Africa). Each image will be photographed from space, courtesy of DigitalGlobe’s generous donation of their satellite time to document the story (next best thing to a space ship!)

Check in with 350.org, some cities are still looking for volunteers to be part of “making” the art, you can also help just by spread the word about the art projects. We “almost” got to help Molly Dilworth, with her amazing installation in NYC, but she was too fast for us and finished before we could get there to help! Enjoy.

If you missed this week’s Green Mom’s Carnival on Cement, check it out at Retro Housewife Goes Green. We bet cement is a product that you have given little thought to, yet it is actually the 3rd largest producer of human caused greenhouse gases and a terrible pollutant that affects us all. See what the “Green Moms” have to say about it!

Also, if you somehow missed the “newsflash” about our appearance on The Balancing Act, check it out in Climate Mama News this week! Happy Friday.