I was happy to receive a present of a little sun recently (that's it in the video below). It was perfect timing because this weekend we celebrate the summer solstice and what better way to celebrate then by adding some sun power into my life and reducing my carbon footprint.
Little Sun in 2 Minutes from Little Sun on Vimeo.
On Saturday, June 21, the longest day of the year, Put Solar On It events will take place in cities and towns around the U.S. [...] Some involve tours of local solar installations, others will have solar-related presentations and talks. [...]
The campaign is being put on by more than a dozen organizations, including Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and Organizing for Action, which is run by the organizers of Obama’s reelection campaign. But “Put Solar on It” has its origins with the solar investment company Mosaic, which brainstormed the phrase back in December. “It made a good hashtag,” said Katie Ullman, the company’s communications manager.
The cute
little sun light was the perfect gift for me. You see, I've been
writing about reducing
Black Carbon (soot) and other short-lived-climate-pollutants because reducing them gives us a fast, practical and economical solution to slowing and reducing the worst effects of climate change, and my new little sun light can help to do all that. These little sun lights are part of a global effort to
replace kerosene lighting in developing countries; to improve health and safety and also to reduce the enormous Black Carbon emissions of kerosene lamps. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has
invested $5 million usd into the distribution of the little sun lamps.
Emissions of Black Carbon are second only to CO2 in their contribution to global warming. But because they only remain in the atmosphere about 10 days whereas CO2 can last for hundreds and even thousands of years, rapidly reducing them gives an opportunity for atmosphere cooling in the short term. Black Carbon has a large role in the rapid melting of ice sheets globally.
Here's how it works from The Dark Snow Project:
I wish you a happy summer solstice and good wishes for a safe planet.