For two decades, the world’s governments have failed to meet their own commitment to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas. As frustration builds among scientists, some of them have begun to argue for research on a potential last-ditch option in case global warming starts to get out of control. It is called geoengineering — or directly manipulating the Earth’s climate.

The idea sounds like science fiction, but it is not.

By IAN AUSTEN
Quebec province, anticipating continued strong growth for its natural resources, has rolled out an ambitious 25-year plan to develop its vast but sparsely settled northern and Arctic regions.

The region is well endowed with mineral resources, woodlands and potential hydroelectric developments, but it currently lacks the roads, railways and other infrastructure necessary for their exploitation.

By Jane Lubchenco | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Forty years ago, the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson gave birth to Earth Day when he stood up for the environment, calling upon the American people to come together for a simple teach-in on the environment. The first Earth Day was a catalyst for change. It accelerated passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as creation that same year of my agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

A Wisconsin senator's idea mobilized a green generation

BY ROCKY BARKER (http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/17/1152179/one-man-one-moment-how-earth-day.html)

One U.S. senator and a core of young organizers made April 22, 1970, the day the environmental movement began.

Digging up and pulling out invasive weeds or checking the quality of water in a creek may not be the way many students plan to spend a day off from school, but nine First Creek students in the Science Club were participating in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day of Service on Jan. 18.

It was also the kick-off of the Youth Services America’s (YSA) STEMester of Service initiative through which the Science Club students are learning about storm water testing and removal of invasive weeds through collaboration with the University of Washington Tacoma and the City of Tacoma.

On Saturday, April 10, 100 people will organize community-based, environmentally-focused, youth-led service projects for Global Youth Service Day 2010 and beyond.

read more here http://nextstepadventure.com/2010/03/07/join-the-movement/

Dirt! The Movie is traveling across the U.S. with free screenings. And it's promoting GYSD as it goes.

read more here http://dirtthemovie.org

By Ouisa D. Davis

We say that the future is in the hands of our youth; that is even more the case in the current age of technology and human advancement. Some of the most pressing problems of our world and our community can be identified and addressed with the eyes of the young; eyes that are clear and bright and optimistic.

Global Youth Service Day, originally launched and known as National Youth Service Day in the United States, is a coordinated annual event which gathers young people around the world in conducting community service, service learning, and youth voice activities that benefit their communities, their countries, and the world. Activities are organized in more than 100 countries each April to help mark the celebrations, and engage millions, making it the largest annual celebration of young volunteers.

In 2009, the event will be April 24-26. In 2010, it will be April 23-25. It is coordinated by Youth Service America and the Global Youth Action Network, together with a coalition of organizations, and with sponsorship from Disney and the Inter-American Development Bank. More than 2,000 youth organizations around the world participate each year. A variety of organizations with national reach across the United States engage in National Youth Service Day activities, including the United States Conference of Mayors, Woodmen of the World, and Habitat for Humanity. A variety of organizations have been accredited with administering the day, including Global Youth Action Network, Youth Service America, and Points of Light Foundation.

By Dr. Jonathan Harrington, author of The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs and Save the Planet (Earthscan 2008).

Virtually all religions embrace once central moral tenet, do no harm. In America parents, preachers and teachers endlessly drum this age old mantra into our heads. You would be hard pressed to find someone who is willing to admit that they don’t care about harming others. However, our actions often tell a different story. This is certainly true in the case of global warming. Most scientists agree that our high consumption, fossil-fuel using lifestyles are spewing so much CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that it is literally warming our world. Americans are collectively responsible for producing more than 20 tones of CO2 per person per year (vs. the world average of less than 4 tons per person). Each one of us bears some responsibility for global warming, and its effects are becoming more apparent every day, especially in less economically wealthy parts of our planet.