The vast, lush, green of Siberia’s forests is black and smoldering.

The fires rage on, already scorching an area the size of Belgium, Luxemburg and The Nethlerands combined - seven million hectares. I can see the haze 4500 kilometers away in Moscow. You can see the smoke from space. It seems unimaginable and unmanageable, but there is something you can do about it.



The smoke from these wildfires covers 12 regions in Siberia; from the banks of the great Volga river and reaching far to the West. It isn’t dangerous for Moscovities yet – but millions of people are suffering from toxic smoke in Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan and other Russian cities.

These fires are destroying one of the largest forested regions in the world – the Russian Boreal. The forests are one of the most 'biologically outstanding' places on our planet. It is home to a range of species – from wolves and brown bears to golden eagles and Siberian accentors.

On the front of this firefight

The determination to protect our forests and health is bringing people together to find solutions. The Greenpeace Russia Wildland Fire Program (WFP) works with volunteers on the ground to find those solutions all over Russia. Our experts lobby on behalf of our forests. And we have had victories.

Fighting wildfires is part of what we do. Our mission is to protect valuable natural reserves and parks and teach volunteers to do the same. Drawing on years of experience, local groups have become more effective than the official forest management bodies. This July, near lake Lagoda, experienced volunteers trained with Greenpeace Russia to strengthen their expertise to lead groups of volunteers in their own regions. People from Irkutskaya, Buryatia, Astrakhan – areas suffering from fires – worked from morning to evening to become better volunteers, firefighters and leaders.

Russian experts also shared their experience with colleagues in East Asia, to help organise local firefighting groups, because forest fires are a huge problem there too. They were happy to learn how to suppress peat fires – one of the most difficult fires to fight. 

Wildfires have no borders

Forest fires release massive amounts of carbon. This fuels climate change, which makes the fires worse and threatens communities around the world. That’s why it’s important for all of us to help fight wildfires. Responsibility to protect the planet's forests belongs to all of us, not just because of their innate beauty, but also for their vital role in stabilising the climate.

So, how can you help? Become a part of our team.


Khalimat Tekeeva is a press officer with Greenpeace Russia.

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Downtown Sacramento Foundation’s 2016 Calling All Dreamers winner announces storefront in recently renovated M.A.Y. Building

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 26, 2016) – Oblivion Comics & Coffee today announced signing a lease with Sutter Capital Group in its newest downtown Sacramento infill project, M.A.Y. Building. Announced during the building’s grand opening celebration on July 26, 2016, the approximately 2,650 sq. ft. ground-floor retail space at 1020 11^th Street will be ideally located to serve the building’s 21 new residences as well as downtown workers and visitors.

“The M.A.Y. Building is the perfect place to be,” said Laura Benson, co-owner of Oblivion Comics & Coffee. “We wanted to be in the heart of downtown Sacramento, and being between the Convention Center, Golden 1 Center and just down the street from so many amazing local businesses, we think we’ll be Sacramento’s new ‘geeky’ destination.”

Winner of the Downtown Sacramento Foundation’s 2016 Calling All Dreamers competition, Oblivion Comics & Coffee co-owners Laura Benson and Neil Estaris earned a startup prize package valued at over $100,000 to launch their dream of a modern day safe-haven for comic lovers and coffee connoisseurs. Inspired by the DC Comic universe’s Oblivion Bar, a neutral space where according to Benson, superheroes and villains coincide peacefully, Oblivion Comics & Coffee will feature new, vintage and independent comics paired with craft coffee from Chocolate Fish and artisanal toast.

“We’re overwhelmingly thankful for all the help and support we’ve received,” continued Benson. “Starting a new business is worth the risk when a community makes it clear they want your business to succeed.”

Hoping to open its doors before the end of 2016, Oblivion Comics & Coffee is the first lease announced in the recently renovated M.A.Y. Building at 1029 K Street in downtown Sacramento. Originally completed in 1911, the revived building now features 10,800 sq. ft. of first-floor retail space with 3 floors – 21 units – of luxury urban living above and 4,500 sq. ft. of event space in the adjoining Capitol Event Center. The first privately financed market-rate residential project in Sacramento’s Central Business District in decades, The M.A.Y. Building hopes to attract young professionals and Capitol workers eager to experience urban living when residences begin leasing in early August 2016.

“Projects like M.A.Y. Building are transforming the landscape of downtown,” said Michael Ault, Executive Director of Downtown Sacramento Partnership. “This is exactly the type of project we want. The Sutter Capital Group team has done a tremendous job creating a project that will be attractive for people to shop, eat and call home.”

Sutter Capital Group, Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Oblivion Comics & Coffee and Mayor Elect Darrell Steinberg will celebrate today’s announcement during The M.A.Y. Building grand opening celebration today, July 26 at 4:30 p.m.

For more information please contact Jordyn Anderson at janderson@downtownsac.org.

###

About Downtown Sacramento Foundation

Downtown Sacramento Foundation (DSF) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to supporting and fostering civic pride through cultural, social, economic and physical improvements in downtown Sacramento. Created and supported by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, DSF has awarded more than $300,000 in prizes and support for downtown businesses. For more information, visit www.downtownsac.org, connect on Facebook, and follow @DowntownSac on Twitter and Instagram.

About Calling All Dreamers

Since the program’s inception in 2013, Downtown Sacramento Foundation’s Calling All Dreamers competition has helped to launch 12 new businesses in downtown Sacramento, either through the grand prize or continued support after the competition. In all, they have leased more than 16,000 sq. ft. of retail space and created 13 full-time and 55-part-time jobs. New businesses include Andy’s Candy Apothecary, The Dailey Method, Ana Apple, Allspicery, Figs and Feta, Sun & Soil, Off the Chain Bike Bus Tours, Metro Juice, Benjamin’s Shoes, The Workspace: Fashion Incubator, and Whired Wine.

The 2016 Calling All Dreamers competition is made possible by the generous support of sponsors who continue to champion economic growth of the downtown core and the Sacramento region, including City of Sacramento Economic Development Department; SMUD; MeringCarson; Consolidated Communications; Blanket Marketing; LJ2; Wells Fargo; Market One Builders; Smith, Mc Dowell & Powell, A Law Corporation; BFBA; POS Portal; Inside Publications; TDogg Studios; and, T-Rock Communications. For more information, visit http://ift.tt/O2SN0K.

The post Oblivion Comics & Coffee sings lease in M.A.Y. Building appeared first on Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

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A decade ago, the expansion of soybeans posed an enormous risk to the Amazon rainforest. Today, this commitment proves zero deforestation is possible.

When civil society, private enterprise and governments come together to develop environmental solutions, the results can be remarkable. Practical proof of this is the Soy Moratorium, which was adopted ten years ago this week in Brazil. 

This industry agreement is the result of one of Greenpeace's most successful campaigns in Brazil and marked a turning point in the protection of the Amazon – showing that an end to deforestation is not only possible, but also extremely beneficial to the market.

Before 2006, soy was replacing Amazon rainforest at an astonishing speed. 

Ten years ago, the rapid expansion of the soybean crop in the Amazon posed a serious threat to the world’s largest tropical forest and its inhabitants.

Although this grain has been cultivated in Asia for over 2000 years, commercial scale harvesting of soybeans began only in the West – first in the United States – at the turn of the twentieth century. Soybeans were first commercially grown in Brazil in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1914. Well adapted to the acid soils of the Cerrado, soybeans expanded in the 1980s and invaded the Amazon through the state of Mato Grosso at the start of the 1990s. Soy continued to push the agricultural frontier toward the heart of the Amazon forest while leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Between 70 percent and 90 percent of world soybean production is used to feed animals. The growing global demand for soybeans – which has led to enormous growth in Brazilian agriculture – had become the nemesis of the forest, its peoples and global climate stability.

At the turn of the millennium, the construction of a soybean terminal by the multinational Cargill in Santarém – where the Tapajós and Amazonas Rivers meet – resulted in a run on land in the region. Farmers from the south and Mato Grosso purchased cheap land from small farmers. Entire communities were displaced as a result of the land-buying "fever" and, in some cases, corruption and violence were used to remove those who did not want to sell their land. These carpetbaggers brought with them more deforestation.

In 2004 and 2005, the situation in the Brazilian Amazon was cause for great concern, with the second highest rate of annual deforestation on record. Although the greatest enemy of the forest is cattle ranching (which today occupies 65 percent of the deforested areas), soybeans – grown for export and much more profitable than beef – leapt to the forefront of destruction. This crop needed to be contained before it was too late. To do so, it was important to identify who was responsible, who benefitted and who had the power to stop the destruction of the forest.

Taking action to stop deforestation from soy 

In April 2006, Greenpeace released Eating up the Amazon, a report detailing the extent to which the soybean supply chain from the Amazon was contaminated by deforestation. Greenpeace also exposed consumer companies like McDonald's; the chicken that McDonald's and many fast food companies served was fed soybeans grown to the detriment of the Amazon rainforest.

Greenpeace’s proposal to address this problem was as simple as drawing a line in the sand: a moratorium on the purchase of soy that came from deforested areas, was associated with slave labour or encroached on Indigenous Lands – as of the date the moratorium was signed. This commitment would cut off market access for soy farmers who were linked to forest destruction or other abuses.

As McDonald's – the largest buyer of soybeans from Cargill in Brazil at the time – became the focus of protests by activists around the world, the campaign gathered strength. After analyzing the evidence and demands presented by Greenpeace, McDonald’s preferred to move out of the line of fire and become part of the solution.

Led by McDonald’s, other large European companies that imported soybeans from Brazil established the European Soy Consumers Group and began to pressure their suppliers in Brazil. They did not want to purchase soybeans tainted by deforestation, encroachment on Indigenous Lands or slave labour.

A few months later, on 24 July, 2006, the Soy Moratorium was signed by members of ABIOVE (Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industry Association) and ANEC (National Association of Cereal Exporters), which control 92 percent of soybean production in Brazil. Around the same time, civil society organisations joined the initiative and formed the Soy Working Group (SWG).  The moratorium, a voluntary agreement designed to ensure that traders do not buy soy grown in the Amazon on land deforested after 2006 was initially proposed to last two years. (NOTE: In 2013 the cutoff date was changed to 2008 in line with the new Brazilian Forest Code.) 

The commitment was renewed in 2008 with the participation of the Brazilian government, and since then has been renewed annually. In May of this year, the agreement was renewed indefinitely or “until it is no longer necessary,” according to the terms of the renewal.

A game changer for the Amazon

What was originally seen as an affront to the industry has been converted into a major commercial triumph. In the end, producing deforestation-free soybeans opened the doors to more markets for the Brazilian product. From the Soy Moratorium’s inception in 2006 until today, deforestation has fallen 86 percent in the 76 municipalities covered by the moratorium, and these municipalities produce 98 percent of the soybeans in the Amazon biome.

In 2004, up to 30 percent of the soybeans planted in the Amazon came from recent deforestation. Today, this figure is no higher than 1.25 percent.

A study published in 2015 in the journal Science by Dr. Holly Gibbs, from the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin shows that the Soy Moratorium was five times more effective in reducing deforestation than the Brazilian Forest Code. The success of the Moratorium is a business case that captured the attention of the world.

Ending deforestation is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, signed by many countries, including Brazil and also the will of over 1.4 million Brazilians who signed the Zero Deforestation Bill – submitted to Brazil’s Congress last year. The Soy Moratorium is one of the best examples of how zero deforestation can be put into practice and proof that ending the destruction of the Amazon is beneficial for everyone, including industry.

Brazil does not need more deforestation. On the contrary, for the security of producers and the public, the country needs to protect its forests and rivers for the long road ahead. Initiatives like the Soy Moratorium need to be replicated for other crops and regions. We need to learn from our successes. 

Paulo Adario is Senior Forests Strategy Advisor at Greenpeace International and a coordinator of the Soy Working Group. 

A version of this blog was originally posted by Greenpeace Brazil (Portuguese).

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With only 60 animals remaining, the vaquita porpoise is on the brink of extinction. That's why 150,000 Greenpeace supporters have stood up to save this shy, beautiful animal. And the Mexican government just announced new protections for the vaquita. But will it be enough?

With only 60 remaining, the elusive vaquita is the most endangered porpoise in the world. © NOAA/Wikimedia Commons.

The Mexican government has just announced new vaquita protections in the upper Gulf of California, the only place in the world where the vaquita lives.

More than 150,000 Greenpeace supporters have demanded greater protections for the vaquita, the world’s most endangered porpoise. And I want to thank all of you vaquita lovers for your help in pushing the government of Mexico to make this happen.

Only two weeks ago, John Hocevar, the Greenpeace USA oceans team leader, met with the Ambassador of Mexico in Washington, D.C. At that meeting John repeated your call for a permanent gillnet ban in vaquita habitat, and now it’s a reality.

Greenpeace USA Oceans Director John Hocevar met with the Mexican Ambassador on July 7 while vaquita lovers rallied outside the Mexican Embassy in Washington D.C. 7 Jul, 2016, ©Livia Hyams / Greenpeace

Banning gillnets and night fishing to save the vaquita

Just last week, Mexico’s National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commissioner, Mario Aguilar Sánchez, told reporters that the use of all gillnets in vaquita habitat would be permanently prohibited beginning this September. Night fishing will also be banned before the end of the year. These new regulations will increase the effectiveness of the enforcement of vaquita protections as the government of Mexico works to recover the vaquita population and bring them back from the edge of extinction.

The most recent population estimate indicate there are only about 60 vaquitas remaining. The vaquitas are innocent victims, most often killed as bycatch, in an illegal gillnet fishery for totoaba fish (also endangered) swim bladders that fetch astronomical prices in the Chinese traditional medicine trade.

To save the vaquita, we must also stand up for local communities

It is important to underline that these prohibitive measures should also consider the livelihood and social opportunities that communities along the upper Gulf of California need for their development. Only by assuring that there are economic alternatives for these local communities that enable them to substitute other viable practices for totoaba fishing can the vaquita’s survival be ensured.

It’s time for some celebration over these new measures, but stay tuned as there’s still plenty of work to be done before the vaquitas are out of the woods.

Phil Kline is a Senior Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace USA.

The blog was originally posted by Greenpeace USA.

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MAY Building - 1029 K Street Sacramento Completed in 1911 and known as the Parkview Apartments, today the Sutter Capital Group will celebrate the completion of this multi-million dollar renovation, which includes 21 historic apartments and renaming it the MAY Building to reconnect the building to its historic past. The apartments are luxury residences by preserving as much of the
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My name is Vanna Hoang and I am an incoming junior at West Campus High School. My hobbies consist of watching TV, playing video games, volunteering, attending service events for Key Club, playing Pokemon GO, and hanging out with friends. I am a very peculiar person when I get comfortable with certain people. I am a hard worker when I am assigned to a task, so you can rely on me.

My plans for the future are undecided, but I do want to become either a civil engineer or a public speaker. Although those jobs may not involve photography or filming, I do enjoy filmmaking and taking photos in my free time. I want to broaden my experience with filmmaking and photography by joining the Youth Media Team. I also hope to learn more about mine and other communities whilst in the Youth Media Team.

My main goal at the moment is to be a Pokemon Master.

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The world’s only whaling factory ship has returned to Japan after two months of commercial whaling in the North Pacific disguised as science, capturing 90 sei whales and 25 Bryde’s whales.

A Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) feeds on small fish in the Pacific Ocean, 4 September 2015.

In the bad old days of full scale commercial whaling I used to sit helplessly in the back of IWC meetings, watching as quotas for thousands of whales, including endangered ones, were voted through despite scientific findings. Public opposition was blunted by reducing the quotas. “We are making sacrifices to protect the whales,” said the whalers, and bought themselves a few more years. But it made no difference to the catch.

The quotas set years before could no longer be reached. When the quota was 6000 but the previous year’s catch was only 3500, it was no sacrifice to slash the quota to 4000 – the whalers still caught as many whales as they could find.

But that’s all ancient history, right? Well…

In 2014, when the International Court of Justice ordered Japan to stop its Antarctic ‘scientific’ whaling after finding that it was not for scientific purposes, Japan’s North Pacific ‘scientific’ hunt came under intense scrutiny. A gesture was required before it sailed for the high seas. The Japanese government announced that it was slashing the quota from 260 to 115, a reduction of 145, and this was dutifully reported by the world media.

Greenpeace activists greet the arrival of the 'Oriental Bluebird' to Ooi Suisan Futo, Tokyo, with the message in English and Japanese ‘Illegal Whale Meat Not Welcome to Japan’ (2008).

But it turns out that there was no meaningful reduction. The quota of 100 minke whales was cut to 0, from a previous year’s catch of 3, Bryde’s whales were cut from 50 to 25, from a previous year’s catch of 28, sperm whales were cut from 10 to zero, from a previous year’s catch of one. The catch of the largest and most valuable whale, the endangered sei whale, was cut by just 10, from 100 to 90. The elimination of the minke quota was a particularly hollow gesture; the 2014 hunt covered 3,300 miles, sighting 565 whales and catching 115 of them, but saw only two minkes – one for each month at sea.

So the factory ship is back at dock unloading over a thousand tonnes of whale meat, neatly packaged while the ship was at sea and ready for sale. By concentrating on the largest whales the whalers are managing to make the North Pacific hunt produce as much as their Antarctic venture. But the market in Japan is dwindling as young people turn their backs on whale. Whaling only survives with subsidies. How much longer the industry’s PR will keep it alive remains to be seen.

For decades, Greenpeace along with other conservation groups, has been fighting to stop the hunt. Find out some of the ways we are working to shutdown the Japanese government’s whaling programme here.

John Frizell is a freelancer and former Greenpeace International oceans campaigner

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After discovering that 170 types of seafood contained traces of microplastics, Greenpeace East Asia decided to put 30 of the world’s biggest cosmetic and personal care brands to the test.

Microbeads might be best known to you as the coloured beads in your shower gel and facial scrubs, but more recently they’ve gained notoriety for wreaking havoc on our ecosystems and marine life.

The tiny pieces of plastic are added to everyday cosmetic products as an exfoliating agent, or for colour and texture. They’re tiny enough to travel down your plughole and right through water filtration systems and into our rivers, lakes and oceans.

A single tube of face wash can contain up to 360,000 of these tiny plastic spheres. That means that once we have finished washing our faces or brushing our teeth, we unwittingly release thousands of pieces of plastic into our environment, where they go on to ‘gently exfoliate’ the digestive tracts of seabirds and even enter the food chain.

They can also act as agents to absorb and release toxic chemicals around the sea and into the marine life that ingests them.

How do the companies stack up?

Greenpeace East Asia decided to put 30 of the world’s top companies to the test and rank them according to the strength of their commitment to getting rid of microbeads once and for all.

Check out how they rank.

While most of the brands claim to have their plastic pollution problem under control, not one of them succeeded in meeting Greenpeace’s environmental standards, meaning that they still have the potential to allow this contamination into our waterways.

Even the top scoring brands in the rank, like Beiersdorf, which has allegedly fulfilled all its commitments to its microbead ban pledge, have only taken action to remove one type of plastic-polythene- from its products, which gives a free rein to other polluting plastics.

The harmful effects of microbeads are now well known and we’re gathering more and more evidence that they’re bad news. Many of the world’s biggest brands have made pledges to rein in these toxic terrors, but they’re still not that simple for consumers to avoid.

Firstly, while some companies proudly tout the presence of ‘skin-polishing’ microbeads in their product descriptions, others contain microbeads that can be barely seen with the naked eye and only appear in the ingredients list as polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene.

Secondly, many brands have made promises to do the right thing and ban the beads, but each brand has its own, narrow or confusing definition of what constitutes a microbead. These definitions can vary from function of the product, role of the microbead and can even the shape of the microbead, creating loopholes that could allow the inclusion of microbeads that don’t fit into these limited definitions.

What’s the solution?

So how to get these pesky microbeads out of our products and out of our oceans? The solution is simple. Our governments need to step in and enforce a total ban on the sale and production of all solid microplastic ingredients in all personal care products.

The good news is, it’s already happening. The US announced a ban on microbeads in January of this year, while campaigns to do the same are building momentum all around the world.

In the meantime, you can vote with your wallet and choose brands that don’t add to this pointless pollution. Check out Flora and Fauna International’s Good Scrub Guide or download the Beat the Microbead app and send a clear message to manufacturers that microbeads are unwanted and unnecessary.

Taehyun Park is an Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia

*Greenpeace East Asia consulted Fauna & Flora International on expected good practice with respect to corporate commitments to ending microplastic ingredient use.

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Position:               Policy Advocate

Reports to:          Director of Public Affairs

Function: This position is responsible for managing public policy and advocacy efforts for the organization. Under direction of the Director of Public Affairs, in coordination with DSP leadership and staff, this position is expected to direct policy initiatives by analyzing emerging issues, researching best practices, developing communication strategies and messaging, serving as advocate for downtown stakeholders before policymaking bodies, and educating and mobilizing those stakeholders on emerging downtown issues.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

PUBLIC POLICY

• Monitor policymaking bodies (primarily at the city level, but also at the state and federal) to identify proposals that will impact Downtown Sacramento or DSP mission;
• Execute strategies for advancing positive proposals and defeating or mitigating the effects of negative proposals;
• Analyze public policy issues identified as important to downtown and work with DSP staff to develop position statements;
• Track policy trends and identify emerging downtown issues;
• Research like issues in other jurisdictions to determine ‘best practices’ and formulate recommendations; and,
• Provide timely and accurate information on downtown policy issues to DSP leadership.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

• Implement communications plans to advance policy efforts, which educate and promote active involvement of downtown stakeholders;
• Respond to stakeholder inquiries and issues and manage outreach process;
• Participate in downtown, city, and regional planning efforts to advocate for downtown interests; and,
• Act as liaison and develop partnerships on policy issues with peer organizations, regional entities, and neighborhoods.

ADVOCACY

• Serve as a public policy advocate for DSP at local and state levels;
• Communicate DSP’s positions through letters, direct contact with policymakers, and public testimony;
• Prepare position papers for Board approval and adoption; and,
• Assist DSP in setting a policy agenda and implementing communications strategies to publicize DSP positions.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

• Work with DSP leadership and staff to implement the organization’s strategic plan; and,
• Manage stakeholder groups working toward achieving policy initiatives (Strategic Development Committee).

Requirements:  Individual must have 4-year college degree and previous work experience related to policy analysis, communications, community outreach, and/or government relations. Position requires exceptional strength in organization, writing, public speaking, advocacy, and interpersonal skills.

To Apply:               Email cover letter and resume to Emilie Cameron at ecameron@downtownsac.org. 

POSTING CLOSING DATE – 5p.m. August 3, 2016

The post DSP is hiring: Policy Advocate appeared first on Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

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California’s new state budget has big plans for Sacramento. The Department of General Services believes one of the three projects proposed will be underway before Governor Brown leaves office and within the urban core. The $1.3 Billion includes: – A new 650,000-square-foot office building to house about 2,800 employees currently in the aging state Resources and Bonderson buildings downtown; –
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It has been four months since the murder of environmental and Indigenous rights activist Berta Cáceres, and her killers have still not been brought to justice. Instead, the violence continues – on 7 July, another activist from Berta Cáceres' organisation was abducted and killed.

Please read this powerful message from Berta's son, Salvador Edgardo Zuniga Cáceres, and take action to seek justice on Berta's behalf.

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Berta Cáceres in 2015. Photo by Goldman Environmental Prize. Photo Credit: Tim Russo

In March, my mother Berta Cáceres was murdered in her own home. Her death pains me in a way I cannot describe with words.

She was killed for defending life, for safeguarding our common goods and those of nature, which are sacred. She was killed for defending the rivers that are sources of our people’s life, ancestral strength and spirituality.

My mother became a woman of resistance, of struggle, so that our deep connection with nature is not destroyed; so that the life of our peoples – the Lenca Indigenous People of Honduras – is respected. Her killers tried to silence her with bullets, but she is a seed, a seed that is reborn in all men and women. She is a seed that will be reborn in the people that follow her path of resistance.

To achieve justice for her death, I need your help.

Please join me in asking the Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández to launch an independent investigation into my mother’s murder.

Berta with her four children.

Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmental activists – more than 100 were murdered between 2010 and 2014. 

These figures make me shiver. These activists lost their lives defending what belongs to us all, and my mother was no exception. She had been threatened and persecuted many times for safeguarding our people’s territory.

Even before my mother’s murder, two of my sisters had to leave the country. But our mother did not stop fighting against the Agua Zarca mega-dam project. If built, the Agua Zarca would lead to the displacement of our people and the privatization and destruction of our territories. It has already led to the murder of those who have the determination and the clarity to understand that life is not a commodity.

But the dam builders could not stop my mother. With her people beside her, she became invincible. So murderers broke into her house and opened fire against her chest. We are outraged not only because of the bullets that murdered her, but because her killers have walked away with impunity.

Please support an independent investigation into my mother’s death.

Berta Cáceres in the Rio Blanco region of Honduras. Photo by Tim Russo / Goldman Environmental Prize.

Berta used to say: “Defending human rights is a crime in Honduras.”

She knew that what she put her and her loved ones at risk, but she didn’t care. Along with the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) – an organization my mother co-founded – she defended Indigenous communities and gave her life. Today, our family, the Lenca people, and thousands of Hondurans are demanding justice.

We will only succeed if we press my country’s president into accepting that the Inter American Commission on Human Rights investigates the murder. We cannot trust the Honduran justice system. 

“You have the bullet … I have the word. The bullet dies when detonated, the word lives when spread.” - Berta Cáceres

Today, we must be that word. My mother gave her life defending humanity and the planet. Now it’s up to us to seek justice on her behalf.

Salvador Edgardo Zuniga Cáceres is the son of award-winning Honduran activist Berta Cáceres, who was murdered in her home in March 2016.

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There is nothing quite like flying over the Brazilian Amazon. The forest spreads out like an endless green carpet, crisscrossed by ribbons of water, and goes on for as far as the eye can see. Banks of clouds break up the vast sky. As the green of the mighty Tapajós River comes into view, I know we’ve entered the territory of the Munduruku Indigenous People – my hosts for the coming days.

Greenpeace is working alongside the Munduruku to push for formal recognition of their land and to halt the massive São Luiz do Tapajós (SLT) hydrodam planned for the Tapajós River, in the very heart of the Amazon. I have come to meet with the Munduruku chiefs and show our global support for the protection of the Tapajós and the rights of the Munduruku who have lived here for generations.

The Munduruku are the protectors of this remarkable part of the Amazon – home to rare species like the pink river dolphin and the jaguar. There appears a seamless connection between their river, their forest and them. They are a living part of each other. I asked one of the first women caciques (chiefs) of a Munduruku village about the Tapajós, and her words stuck with me: “The river is our blood. Not only mine but ours. The river wants to stay alive... The river is crying... The animals... don’t know what’s coming to kill them.”

Together with caciques from across the Munduruku territory, I had a chance to see first-hand the damage that damming the Tapajós would cause to their land. We flew over two Amazon dams, one currently under construction, and the difference between the green Amazon forest of the Munduruku territory and these places was stark. What once was jungle, now is a maze of dirt roads and an enormous construction site. Where there were rivers, now are flooded areas – grey forests, drowned and dying, leaking climate-warming methane into the atmosphere. With the construction comes serious social problems as well. The lives of the communities around these dams has been fundamentally changed, and the heart of the Amazon rainforest is made more vulnerable as another way into the forest has been constructed by the dams’ development.

This is why the Munduruku are pushing for their traditional land to be formally recognised by the Brazilian government. If the Munduruku land is officially recognised, it makes the construction of the dam illegal. But the path to formal recognition has pitfalls. A recent report published by the Brazilian Indigenous Rights Department (FUNAI) recognised this land as traditionally Munduruku, and the Environmental Agency (IBAMA) even put the SLT dam on hold in response, but nothing is final. Given the volatility in the Brazilian political system at the moment, this tentative recognition could be shelved at any time.

So the Munduruku are seizing the moment and undertaking an unofficial, community-led demarcation of their land. They are marking their land with signs to indicate it is Munduruku territory – a process normally executed by the federal government – to pressure the government to grant formal and permanent recognition of their territory and stop the dam.

While the Munduruku are working to get official recognition and the rights that come with it, the rest of us also have a role to play: making this local fight a global one. We must be vocal in our support of Munduruku land rights. They are the best guardians of this river and the forest. We must also ensure that global companies considering becoming involved in this project stay away. That means calling on multinational corporations like Siemens to confirm they will not participate in the dam project if it moves forward. Siemens, which likes to brand itself as a green company, was already involved in the controversial Belo Monte dam – the most recent destructive dam to be built in the Amazon. The dam is mired in lawsuits and corruption scandals, and so far it has failed to deliver on its energy promise.

Our best chance to protect this incredible part of the Amazon is to stand with the people who have lived in and protected it for centuries. So, hammer in hand, I will help affix signs marking this land as Munduruku territory while I am here. And after I leave this place, I will continue to call on people like Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens, to recognise that the Tapajós is too precious to destroy – and it is in all of our interests that it is the Munduruku, not corporations, who have the final say.

This is a story of what is right and wrong in the world. Join me in asking Siemens to distance itself from this project, and stand with the Munduruku people.

Bunny McDiarmid is the Executive Director for Greenpeace International.

This blog was originally posted by the Huffington Post.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 13, 2016) – Presented in partnership with Professional Arts Leaders of Sacramento (PALS), Concerts in the Park Art Night will feature 16 local artists and arts organizations performing live demonstrations, installations and interactive activities for concertgoers Friday, July 15, 2016 from 5-9 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

Participating artists and organizations include:

• Anthony Padilla and Crocker Art Museum: Solar Poppy sculpture charging station
• Aliyah Sidque, Arturo Romero, Carlo Cyphers and John Klaibler: Live painting demonstrations
• Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera: Instrument discovery zone
• Capitol Stage and Music Circus: Photo booths
• Paper Gold Co.: Custom rubber stamp carving
• B Street Theatre: Fan decorating
• Verge Center for the Arts: Coloring book station
• Sacramento Ballet and Capital Dance Project: Live dance demonstrations
• Ryan Morris Art, Asbestos Graphic Design and Peace, Love, and Soy Wax: arts and goods

Returning to the Concerts in the Park stage for the second time, headliner Drop Dead Red’s powerful vocals and eclectic mix of blues, soul and rock will reverberate through the park as concertgoers dance, create and enjoy Sacramento’s longest-running outdoor music festival. Alongside performances by Hans! & the HOT MESS, PointDexter and Soft Science, DJ Zephyr will spin on the Sacramento Republic FC electric stage between sets.

Join the conversation using #CIP2016 and #Cheers25Years. More information: http://ift.tt/1ZB7p6i

The 2016 Concerts in the Park music festival is presented by Bud Light and sponsored by Sacramento Republic FC, Nationwide, Bogle Winery, Kaiser Permanente, Republic Services, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA), SubMerge Magazine, KQCA/My58, Estrella TV, 98 Rock, Radio 94.7 and Sactown Magazine.

All media inquiries, please contact Jordyn Anderson at janderson@downtownsac.org.

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About Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) is a nonprofit, property-based improvement district (PBID) that serves as the collective voice for the 176 property owners and more than 400 businesses located within the 66-block mixed-use, urban center of downtown Sacramento. Driven by the mission to build value downtown, DSP serves as the principal advocate, champion, and steward for those who work, live, visit and do business here. For more information, visit www.downtownsac.org, connect on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram, @DowntownSac.

The post Concerts in the Park to celebrate more than musical talent with Art Night July 15 appeared first on Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

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The hardest part of any journey is getting started, taking that first step. It’s so much easier when you have your friends with you.

The same is true of the Detox outdoor campaign. It started when we found that some brands making our outdoor gear are also contributing to the contamination of our planet. Samples we collected from fishes and rivers to pristine mountaintops, all contained manmade PFCs. We knew as soon as the lab reports came back positive that we need to stop companies using these hazardous chemicals.

Collecting water samples, Kaçkar Mountains, Turkey

But would the brands listen to us? We were just a handful of concerned, passionate nature lovers lacking in numbers. So we searched for other nature lovers who want to keep the world free of hazardous chemicals and ensure that the gear they buy doesn't pollute their most cherished environments.

And we found you. We found you on wooded trails, dangling from cliff faces, standing on mountain tops, swimming in clear blue lakes, and packing up your tents after a night under the stars.

Detox expedition to Altai Mountains in Russia

We’ve tapped into a thriving, supportive community and it's awe-inspiring to see outdoor lovers around the world joining us. We invited you to create the campaign with us, and before long you were telling us which products you want us to test in the lab, coming up with creative ideas for activities and organising adventurous PFC-free expeditions. Thousands of you participated in actions demanding your favourite brands to go PFC-free and Detox.

Detox action in Stockholm, Sweden

Such a promising start has had its effects. You delivered early on, encouraging the UK-based brand Paramo, to make a bold move and be the first outdoor brand to Detox! This was an early victory and you kept the pressure on. We can now announce that, in just under a year of campaigning, your voice has been heard by two more brands, Vaude and Rotauf. Both have committed to clean up their production chains. Rotauf is already PFC-free and Vaude pledges to eliminate all PFCs from their products by 2018.

The momentum is building but there is more work to be done. In the past months, we tested the air in stores around the world run by the largest outdoor brands. The results will take your breath away!

Detox Action at The North Face Store in Milan, Italy

We also found out that many brands need your encouragement to completely drop PFCs from their gear. There are alternatives that keep outdoor lovers dry and warm and these brands need to know that you want them to switch now.

PFC-free Expedition in China

There are also brands that need you to get LOUD. They have not yet announced any timelines to eliminate PFCs, even though more than 200 scientists from around the world discourage their use in consumer goods due to their hazardous properties.

Some PFCs have been associated with adverse health effects in humans, including kidney and testicular cancers, while others may block the positive effects of children’s vaccinations. So we need you to step up again. Let these brands know that you’re not going away… and that you’re bringing your friends!

There are more victories ahead. Can we count on you to speak up again?

from Greenpeace news http://ift.tt/2a8dNiw

Fire is the fundamental human technology, the foundation of everything that came after in human societies. Controlled fire transformed our diet, physiology, psychology, language, social structure, technologies, and our relationship to the rest of nature. 

Some archeologists believe that fire management provided the change that distinguished us from other social mammals. Although we are enamoured by the power of modern technologies, an understanding of our relationship with simple fire informs us about genuine solutions to our ecological impasse. 

Canadian tarsands: Humans have been burning fuels for a million years. Fire transformed human society, caused early forest depletion and species extinctions, and our energy use today now exceeds Earth's capacity to sustain. ©Jiri Rezak/Greenpeace

The discovery and use of fire

Non-human animals are known to use natural fire. Hawks, cheetahs, and other species hunt prey disrupted by fire. Savanna chimpanzees are not intimidated by fire, behave sensibly around it, and will hunt food after a fire passes. Humans likely used fire for millions of years, before they could ignite or control it. 

Fire maintenance likely began among Homo erectus communities, who moved from forest to savanna habitats. Fire ignition followed, and may have contributed to a cognitive advance, the use of intermediaries — tender and kindling — to ignite a slow burning fuel. Evidence of intentional fire exists around a million years ago, in archeological sites from Chesowanja, Kenya to Yunnan Province, China. 

Fire use by humans preceded controlled fires, and firemaking required and augmented augmented advanced human mental powers. Fire is the fundamental human technology. Public domain image

300,000 years ago, fire-based technologies existed throughout Eurasia, including stone hunting tools warmed to improve working qualities and hafting glues that required fire to prepare. Fire allowed humans to seize caves previously occupied by other large, fierce mammals. Fired pottery existed 20,000 years ago, and metallurgy 5,000 years ago. During this long history of fire use, hominids distinguished themselves from all other large mammals. Meanwhile, fire revolutionized human society. 

The need for fuel and fire maintenance likely led to a division of labour among early hominids. Human communities grew more stationary around the fire and hearth, transforming vocal communication, language, and eventually story-telling. During a million years of fire management, the Homo genus evolved a waking day of about 16 hours, much longer than most other mammal species, and gained survival advantages that our species enjoys to this day. 

Cooking may have been fire’s greatest social impact, since it made more calories available from foods, reduced the energy cost of digestion, and freed that energy for other enterprises, tool-making, art, and social interaction. Every species is constrained by its available energy, and cooking gave humans an energy boost, which led to additional technological innovation. These developments also changed human brains, mating habits, and gender divisions of labor. Among most primates, males and females gather the same food. Once hominids controlled fire, males spent more time on wide range hunting and defense, and females and elders refined social ritual and language around the hearth. Fire contributed to food sharing and longer childhoods, and thus greater learning potential. 

However, the costs of fire can be high. Cooking fires make a stationary community more vulnerable to predators or invasion, so security became a more constant labour. Fuel-foraging depleted local brush and trees. Some Neolithic settlements, such as Çatal höyök in modern Turkey, provide evidence of long distance foraging for firewood and of woodland management. Fire allowed metal technologies, which led to early mining, which required more wood-burning, and led to localized mineral depletions and deforestation.

One of humanity’s oldest surviving stories, the Epic of Gilgamesh from Sumer, at least 5,000 years old, begins in a settlement protected by kiln-fired brick walls. The story discusses forest depletion, drying marshes, social oppression, and abuse of power, all linked to the power of controlled fire. We witness here, fundamental dysfunctions that remain with society today. 

Fire, extinctions, and ecological overshoot  

By 50,000 BC, long before agriculture, Homo sapiens population growth surged, and anthropologists find evidence during this period of animal and plant extinctions, primarily caused by controlled human fire used as a hunting technique. 

Around 47,000 BC, humans arrived in Australia, regularly set fire to the landscape to flush prey, and eradicated dozens of large mammals, marsupials, reptiles, and flightless birds. The burning also caused localized climate change by reducing water vapour. Declining cloud cover shifted the monsoon cycle, the Nullarbor grassland became desert scrub, and once abundant Lake Eyre became a salt flat. 

When human communities advanced into the Western Hemisphere, about 75% of large mammals (mastodons, mammoths, giant beavers, bears, and tigers) vanished. Similar mass extinctions occurred when humans arrived in Madagascar, Hawaii, and in New Zealand.

How does this knowledge help us now? We can see that humanity did not require industrial fossil fuel technology to cause species collapse and climate disruption. Sheer numbers, stone tools, and a plentiful external energy source were sufficient. University of British Columbia professor Dr. William Rees, developer of “ecological footprint” analysis, explains that certain mammalian traits led our species to overshoot ecosystem resources even prior to industrial technology. Like other large mammals, humans are “K-strategists,” (“K” stands for a habitat’s capacity, German Kapazität), which means we have evolved to occupy all accessible habitats and use all available resources.  

Evolutionary success has costs and, without restraints, can be fatal. Nature taught us to be aggressive and rapacious, as survival skills, but didn’t teach us how to stop. We have to do that ourselves. To solve our ecological dilemma, humanity has to reverse its expansion. Continued growth for a successful species that has overshot its habitat will lead to collapse. 

External energy and Food

When a plant or animal’s energy use relies directly on the sun or food, habitat capacity acts as a restraint on growth, and each species remains in dynamic homeostasis as witnessed in predator-prey cycles or in our own gardens. In 1922, Polish-American biophysicst Alfred Lotka, who developed predator-prey dynamics, published “Contribution to the energetics of evolution,” proposing that evolution was driven by the ability to access available energy. Trees grow more leaves so they can transform more energy. The sharp eyes of the hawk help it process more energy, with less energy cost. 

All plants and animals other than humans rely solely on energy from the sun or food, internal, which biologists call “endosomatic” energy. The energy humans derive from fire, work animals, fossil fuels, hydro dams, or solar panels, is “exosomatic,” energy retrieved from outside our bodies. The aristocracy throughout history have also gained exosomatic energy from slaves and exploitive wages for labour.

The average human requires about 2,400 food calories (kilo-calories) per day, about 3,600 megajoules (MJ) each year. In pre-fire hominid societies, each person consumed roughly this much energy from food. Fire provided humans with about 15,000 MJ of extra energy each year, 4-times more external energy than internal energy from food, a 4:1 ratio. About a billion people today still live roughly on this fire-level energy budget. In the poorer nations such as Haiti and Senegal, the average energy consumption is about twice this level, an 8:1 ratio of exosomatic energy. 

However, in rich, industrial nations, the use of external energy soars. Europeans use about 40-times as much external energy as they get from food, and the average US, Canadian, or Scandinavian citizen uses about 90-times as much external energy. Among the super-rich, jet-set, multiple-home elite, this energy use can skyrocket to 1000-times as much external energy. We could solve most of our energy problems by limiting frivolous energy waste among the rich.

Most industrial nations spend 12 -16% of their energy budget to grow food. The so-called “green revolution” was really a black revolution, relying on fossil fuels for fertilizer, machinery, transport, and packaging of food. A study by Mario Giampietro and David Pimentel shows that food delivered to the consumer in North America requires ten-times more energy than the food contains. When we add the energy cost of storage, cooking, and waste, industrial food has a negative net energy of over 12:1. Nate Hagens, who teaches “Reality 101” at the University of Minnesota, points out that humanity’s food today is not an energy source, it is “a vast energy sink .” In the natural world, spending more energy to get food than the food contains proves unsustainable.

Since 80% of our energy use comes from fossil fuels, we are essentially eating oil. To achieve this level of food production, industrial agriculture has depleted soils, spread toxins, disrupted nutrient cylces, and launched an era of rapid global heating.  In short, humanity has used Earth’s vast energy stores to overshoot their ecological habitat. 

Humanity’s destructive consumption of exosomatic energy started with the advent of controlled fire, and that basic fire economy has never disappeared. Firewood use never declined and remains an important source of energy for humans. Coal did not replace wood, but only added to our energy consumption. Oil, gas, and nuclear power did not replace coal and hydropower, but only added to our energy consumption. One might imagine “replacing” oil with renewables, but so far, renewable energy simply adds more energy. Historically, humans only stop using an energy source when it is depleted.  

Learning to reduce our energy consumption — not just finding more — remains at the heart of our ecological challenge.

Rex Weyler is an author, journalist and co-founder of Greenpeace International. The opinions here are his own.

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World energy consumption by source: Coal did not replace wood burning, but rather added more energy for human consumption. Likewise, oil did not replace coal. Growing to consume more energy is a trait of all species, until a species overshoots its habitat. Human energy use has now increased to an unsustainable scale. Conservation has to a part of any genuine sustainable energy future. Graph by Gail Tverberg, Our Finite World.     

Human use of fire:

Clark JD, Harris JWK. 1985 Fire and its roles in early hominid lifeways. Afr. Archaeol. Rev. 3, 3–27, Springer, 1985.

Discovery of Fire by Humans, J. Gowlett: Royal Society

Fischer-Kolwalski, M. and Haberl, H. eds. (2007) Socio-ecological transitions, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. Springer Books.

Energy for Cooking, R.M. Amaraskara: Idea Sri Lanka

Overshoot, energy, and food: 

Historic Overshoot, R. Weyler, Deep Green 

Alfred J.Lotka, “Contribution to the energetics of evolution”; Proc Natl Acad Sci, 8, May, 1922

Energy content of food: Food and Agriculture Organization. UN 

Food energy use increase, P. Canning, et. al: US Dept. of Agri.  

Food, Land, Population and the U.S. Economy: Pimentel, D., Giampietro, M. Carrying Capacity Network, 1994. 

Human appropriation of photosynthesis, Vitousek, P.M. et al. Bioscience , 1986. 

Constraints on the Expansion of Global Food Supply, Kindell, Pimentel, Ambio, 1994. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 

“Eating Fossil Fuels,” Dale A. Pfeiffer, Wilderness Publications, 2003

Human energy use: EJOLT, Environmental Justice orgs. 

Diet for a Small Planet, Lappé, Frances Moore, 1971. Small Planet Inst.

Energy and Population, Paul J. Werbos, dieoff.com

Impact of Population Growth on Food Supplies and Environment, Pimentel et al., Cornell University

World Energy Consumption, Gail Tverberg, Our Finite World

US Food System, Univ. of Michigan

Fertilzer energy use, Fertilizer Institute 

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Meet Mike Kathan, DSP’s Clean Streets Manager. Mike and our Clean Streets team work tirelessly make the downtown neighborhood one of the cleanest and safest in the City. Take a minute to get to know Mike.

Tell us about your role at DSP?

I have been with DSP for the past six years and I started as a Clean Streets team member. Back when I started, our maintenance services covered 3rd to 16th Streets from H to L Streets. Since then, we have expanded our services to Old Sacramento, Regional Transit light rail and bus stops downtown, and Capitol Mall. It’s exciting to see the energy surrounding the revitalization of downtown and knowing that the Clean Streets team plays a vital role in making downtown Sacramento a welcoming environment for workers and visitors alike.

These are a few of the services we provide to ensure the downtown district is inviting and encourages people and businesses to want to be here:

• Graffiti removal
• Litter abatement
• Pressure washing
• Alley cleaning

Not only do we work directly with the public, we also work closely with downtown property and business owners, addressing their needs and concerns about the maintenance of areas around them. As an added bonus we get to support all of the special events DSP puts on like Concerts in the Park and the ice rink. Knowing that we create a clean and safe environment for thousands of people to come and enjoy family-friendly events downtown is really rewarding.

What makes downtown Sacramento a great destination?

Downtown Sacramento offers a wide variety of activities for people of all ages. There are great bars to grab a drink at and so many delicious restaurants to try. There has never been a more exciting time to be in Sacramento. We are about to welcome thousands of people who haven’t visited the area in awhile and knowing that we are the team that helps keep downtown look its best – that’s huge. I take a lot of pride in what we do.

 

What changes have you seen take place in downtown since your time with DSP?

I started working in downtown in 1997 at the renowned Crest Theatre and during that time the nightlife on K Street was almost nonexistent. Businesses shut down before dark and most of downtown became a ghost town after 8 p.m. Fast-forward 20 years, K Street has been brought back to life and a large part of that is due to the hard work we do at DSP. There are new bars and restaurants going in all over, especially with the Golden 1 Center opening soon. A lot of historic buildings are now showing signs of life as new investors look to downtown Sacramento as a thriving opportunity.

DSP is at the helm of a lot of this change. One of my favorite projects we’re working on is the lighting and wayfinding downtown. Working with property owners and SMUD, we recently installed new LED lighting along K Street to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and encourage nighttime visitors to stay longer. People are much more likely to spend time downtown later into the evenings if they feel safe and can navigate the corridors easily.

 

What are a few of the can’t-miss spots in downtown Sac?

After a long day at work I love relaxing with a cold beer. If I’m up for it I’ll go play some pinball at Coin-Op or go unwind at Blackbird – they’ve got a great beer selection and laid-back environment. When the weather is nice and I want to do a little people watching I head to the patio at KBAR. I’m also really looking forward to all the new places opening in the next few months, like Malt & Mash and Sauced BBQ & Spirits.

 

Favorite place to eat in downtown Sac? What do you order?

There are a couple of places I really love. Jim Denny’s has been a staple here since the 1930s and I’m a sucker for a good breakfast – Jim Denny’s makes the biggest pancake I’ve ever seen! They also have a killer cheeseburger. When I need to satisfy my sweet tooth, the Delta King serves my favorite carrot cake. There’s nothing better than sitting on the river, enjoying the sunset, and watching the boats go by.

 

Best dessert in downtown Sac?

Well, my wife works at Estelle’s so I think I am obligated to say something from there. The cronuts are pretty amazing and they’re now served everyday.

 

Are you a Sacramento native? If so, where were you born? Where did you go to high school?

I am a true Sacramentan – born and raised. I attended Highlands High School in North Highlands, which is where I grew up. When I met my wife in 2004 we moved downtown and we’ve been here ever since.

 

What do you do in your spare time?

On my days off I enjoy spending time outdoors. I like to swim, golf (even though it has been awhile), and ride my bike on the American River trail.

 

Coffee or tea? Where do you get it?

Coffee – when I visit my wife at Estelle’s I have her make me an iced mocha.

 

Dogs or cats?

Dogs – my wife and I have a Dachshund Chihuahua mix named Hank. He’s an old boy, probably 13 or 14 years old, but he is my little hound dog. He sleeps most of the day but always follow me around as soon as I get home.

 

People would be surprised to know that….

I still own and drive the very first car I bought in high school. It is a 1978 Chevy Camero and I spent all summer working at a movie theater in Davis to save the $1,000 (crazy right) to buy it.

The post Meet DSP Clean Streets Manager, Mike Kathan appeared first on Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

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My name is Weyman Ly and I am a senior at Hiram Johnson High School. I am an obedient person. I listen to what others say and follow directions that are given to me. My hobbies are playing games with my friends, going outside hanging out with friends, and watching Youtube videos

Of how I got interested in filming was because of Youtube. I got inspired by all the content creators doing their own thing and editing it to make it more interesting to watch. It entertains me and I would like to try and pursue the life of entertainment by joining The Sac BHC Youth Media Team Summer Program. The program teaches me video editing skills that will allow me to try and inspire other people through videos.

A goal of mine is to start my own Youtube channel so I can start entertaining other people my own way.

from Sacramento Building Healthy Communities http://ift.tt/29z7vNe