Methuselah, Upcyle, Canada, Walmart and Climate Change – It's a wRAP, October 1, 2010

Know someone who lives in New Jersey? Tell them about the Terracycle and Walmart Trash to Cash contest to reward New Jersey Public Schools for their recycling efforts. NJ schools are eligible to win up to $50,000 if they are the “biggest” recyclers between now and December 15th! If you aren’t familiar with Terracycle, they are a NJ company that “upcycles” waste products that typically aren’t recyclable. Terracycle also recently launched a pilot collection program with 5 Walmart on the east coast to begin collecting 28 different types of trash!

At ClimateMama we have a special place in our hearts for Canada, so we were saddened to read that some of the same tactics that have been employed in the USA to muzzle climate change scientists are now being used in Canada to bury scientific information on climate change. Did you know that according to the Sierra Club, Americans drive 72% of trips shorter than 3 miles, which account for about half of all commutes. Isn’t it about time we jumped on a bike or just headed out with a pair of good sneakers, not only to help clean up our air but to get in better shape as well!

In the New York Times Science Section this week, we learned how “man” is threatening the survival of the oldest living things on earth – the bristlecone pines – which are indigenous to western North America. The oldest bristlecone is nicknamed Methuselah, and is 4,800 years old! Two threats face the bristlecone, the mountain pine beetle, which, in large part because of climate change, is overwhelming and destroying many of our national forests, and secondly an Asian fungus which causes something called white pine blister rust. Scientists feel that the key to the bristlecone’s longevity is the harsh environment they grow in, and as our climate warms and the environment where these trees grow changes their existence is threatened. For more information on the Mountain Pine Beetle and our National Forests, see our posts from August. Share this story with the kids in your life, make sure that we learn the consequences of our actions which are contributing to climate change and changing our environment. Sign our petition to raise awareness about our dying forests, and the connection to climate change!

Don’t forget to meet our October Climate Mama, Lauren Sullivan, be inspired, feel empowered!