Where in the world are you?
Seattle, USA What do you do in the world? Stand-up economist and founder/co-chair of Yeson732.org carbon tax measure In one sentence, what is climate change? Increasing global temperatures, changing weather patterns, ocean acidification, and other results of human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. How does climate change affect your life? There are immediate worries (like overly hot summer days) but mostly I worry about the future for my family and others around the world. What do you feel you can do about it? On top of the usual personal decisions (LED lightbulbs, etc), I make a living doing stand-up comedy about economics (standupeconomist.com) and I make sure to talk about climate change during my comedy routines, which are usually at colleges or corporate events. And I've co-authored a book, The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change. And when I do serious economics I'm an environmental economist, so I work on reforming our tax system by having higher taxes on "bads" (like CO2 emissions) and lower taxes on "goods" (like jobs and income). That's the focus of the Yeson732.org campaign that will be on the ballot here in Washington State in November: the basic idea is to replace part of the state sales tax with a carbon tax. Fossil fuels will cost a bit more, everything else will cost a bit less, and we'll be doing our part to save the world. Do you feel there is more you could do? If so, what is stopping you from doing those things? Not enough time in the day :) What's your favourite Sunday afternoon activity? Having some time to relax with my wife while our 2-year old naps, and then going to the park! Extra for experts: Do you remember how you first became active in climate change? Was there something specific that triggered you to act? How old were you then? How old are you now? I think it was back in 2000, when I was in grad school and got a free sample copy of an economics textbook claiming that climate change was a hoax. (See http://standupeconomist.com/my-hilarious-global-warming-exchange-with-ruffin-and-gregory/) That was in my late 20s, and I'm now in my early 40s. Free space: write anything you like, nothing at all, or ask us a question Good luck to us all! Where in the world are you?
Wellington, New Zealand What do you do in the world? I run my own non-profit organisation/blog called Saving 2050 that's dedicated to sharing practical information about sustainable lifestyles. I am also the director of Shut Up & Dance, which is a relaxed dance class that falls in the health and fitness industry. I am an actress and freelance designer. In one sentence, what is climate change? Climate change is a change in global and/or regional climate patterns that has the potential to compromise earth's delicate ecosystem. How does climate change affect your life? Climate change affects my life practically through drastic changes in weather and emotionally when I see that the lifestyles of certain species are being compromised. What do you feel you can do about it? Foster supportive environments for people to discuss climate change, in order to understand it. I can run initiatives and campaigns to increase awareness with the ultimate goal of making sustainable living the easiest way to live (rather than a challenge, as many people find it can be). Do you feel there is more you could do? If so, what is stopping you from doing those things? Yes I do feel there is more I could do. Bureaucracy and a lack of environmentally inspired policy implementation combined makes it challenging to feel like you're making a difference on both an individual and national level. What's your favourite Sunday afternoon activity? Spending time catching up with friends or family; a walk, swim, coffee... Extra for experts: Do you remember how you first became active in climate change? Was there something specific that triggered you to act? How old were you then? How old are you now? I remember asking a vegetarian friend why she didn't eat meat and she told me that as well as animal rights being a precursor in her decision, the environment was suffering as a result of the increasing amount of meat humans consume annually. |
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