Tag: tcktcktck (Page 1 of 2)

2015: A Year of Global Transformation

January 9, 2015 / Suzanne Maxx / 1 Comment

I think we all can agree that the time for change is here, now, and ripe! Next year, as the clock turns to 2016, may we look back on 2015 and realize we were able to take advantage of the freedom to play in the peaceful transformation of our world, and we indeed chose to take action and use our highest capabilities to imagine a better way forward.

Ready, set, CHARGE! Back when Electric Vehicle public chargers were just coming out in California, World Team Now helped the City of Malibu lead the EV charge. Screen the premiere of the edited footage of our “CHARGE”:

Jumping into the future we wish to look back and label 2015, as a year of “global transformation” –where our media platform; “World Team” became a tool to give all people the freedom and ability to play in the peaceful transformation of our world. World Team Now’s mission, vision and goals were better fulfilled. Beyond the division of language and culture all people began to see the possibility of our World Team project.

In 2015 we teamed up to support our partner organizations and campaigns, in the environmental movement focusing on #Action2015, and honoring the clock’s time here on earth sounding, TckTckTck, the science behind 350.org made sense, and through Avaaz, our voices sung in harmony reaching more people, as we all teamed up for stewardship of our planet. A year everybody embraced change— to live in better balance with our resources.

2015 was a year world leaders reached an agreement to take action with global policy, better serving our environment with respect for nature, and humanity. Pope Francis’s Environmental Encyclical connecting faith and science helped to move all people to better understanding and into climate action.

2015 events built the foundation for change in our structures; with actual buildings in “Getting to Zero”- National Forum, and uniting the nations in, Paris France at UNFCCC’s COP21 for climate action, resulting in global policy, that did justice to our planet’s situation.

Projects like Planet Solar, and the all solar airplane; Solar Impulse 2 succeeded in the around their world flight; and these projects also inspired many about the possibilities of renewable energy, like solar in 2015. The 10 Island Challenge, moved vulnerable island nations as examples of being powerfully responsible flexible and adaptive. All of this inspired us to take responsibility and really consider the triple bottom line— people and planet, along with profit.

2015 was a year we made a different choice as to what industries received subsidies, cut industries and projects that didn’t serve the collective stewardship of all people and for our world’s sustainability. Instead we chose to prioritized our collective resources for renewable energy. We were indeed “happy” inside ourselves, and our outer world reflected this happiness within ALL.

We imagined a better path forward in 2015, took action, and it became our reality. Are you willing to imagine, act, and team-up to make this possibility real?

May we all charge forward to live with love and stewardship for all species and our planet! We can imagine better possibilities of ways to live! Let’s team up for change in 2015 and realize our dreams!

As we look back at the year prior, and imagine the possibilities for the year 2015, we can let it inform us now. We wish you a wonderful year that is prosperous, healthy, and where love lives present.

Coming of Age? – The United Nations UNFCC COP19

November 26, 2013 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

In Warsaw, Poland the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC ) COP19 just wrapped up this past week end and in the extended final hours there was action on much needed global climate policy. Here is a summary from the COP 19 U.N. website, the U.N.s’ point of view, including other U.N. COP 19 document resources, and the closing press release, excerpt:

“The Warsaw Climate Change Conference 2013 concluded successfully! Key decisions adopted at this conference include decisions on further advancing the Durban Platform, the Green Climate Fund and Long-Term Finance, the Warsaw Framework for REDD Plus, the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage and other decisions”

COP 19’s success depends on ones perspective. Many of us feel these baby steps seem too little, too late – especially in the face of another significant catastrophe like, Haiyan. As usual there was considerable tension at the UNFCC conference, this year it was palpable with the Philippines chief negotiator, Yeb Sano’s, very enrolling heartfelt opening remarks, with a call to the United Nations for action on climate change now. Activism through the global community took root on Tuesday afternoon when Sano delivered a 590,000+ person campaign organized by Avaaz calling for climate action directly at these negotiations in Warsaw. The Polish Governments’ disturbingly comical choice to allow a World Coal Summit to happen simultaneously augmented the tensions of COP19. Midway through the conference NGO’s and Civil Society walked out – representing the voice of the people, and then continued to protest, “Stop Climate Madness”. World Team Now is part of the TckTckTck a campaign named after the sound of the clock. The 400 member campaign on Climate Action is a start for “teaming-up” as the timing is critical. How much this tension actually helps during the conference is debatable.

There seems to be a decrease of international press attendance at these United Nations COP conferences, to reach out to masses of people, at least by certain “Developed” country’s media to get the big news outlets to send reporters, to cover or at least write original content and not just rely on the associated press’s coverage. The live feed from the UNFCCC has made it easier for all of us to at least follow the conference virtually. Here are some of the articles to give you a more rounded perspective on COP19, from sources worth considering:

Left out of the U.N. statement is the internal tensions between those who have resources, and those who do not. The side action prevalent at the U.N. COPs continues to be protests growing, not just driven by the dissatisfaction of the slow pace of the talks, but truly based on the urgency we as a world face with climate change, and our ability to act:

Work plan for Paris 2015: Nations reached a compromise on a new work plan to get ready for the Paris Summit in 2015. A number of countries, including the US and EU, had been calling for a clearly defined timetable through to 2015 that would see countries make clear climate change “commitments” by a deadline of early 2015. However, China led a push back by a group of developing nations, arguing for more flexibility for poorer nations – a move that drew an angry response from the US who accused China of rolling back a previous agreement to ensure all nations make some form of commitments through the 2015 treaty. “I feel like I am going into a time warp. That is folly,” US lead negotiator Todd Stern was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Rich and poor tensions: The summit once again saw tensions between developed and developing nations laid bare, with poorer countries responding angrily to moves by Japan, Australia and Canada to water down previous climate commitments. There was also frustration at US opposition to the loss and damage mechanism and the failure of industrialized nations to make fresh emission reduction and climate financing commitments.
Not Enough Done: Green groups condemned the final agreement for failing to make sufficient progress towards an ambitious new climate treaty in Paris in 2015. There was a walkout or about 800 people Thursday 21 November included people from organizations including Greenpeace, WWF, Oxfam, 350.org, Friends of the Earth, the Confederation and ActionAid.

This political process with the UNFCCC will continue, with annual conferences and with key mile stones intending to be met. COP19 had a “Cha, Cha” going on with two steps back and one forward.

It brings to question whether the action needed for our species to be more in balance with our planet can come through the organization of this process within the United Nations conferences. The challenge of this governmental process and its bureaucratic structure may not be aligned to reflect the truth that serves all people.

Humanity has the gift of choice and to use wisdom taught though nature, and respect the science pointing to the fact it is important to understand the consequence of how anthropocentric gasses affect climate change. If there is still not enough evidence based on witnessing these super storms, consider reading the leaked IPCC report (story here, report here), with alarming scientific facts about the state of our planet. Yeb Sano put a face on Climate Change, and may our world better understand the responsibility of humanity and use wisdom.

We are grateful there was global policy approved at COP19, and are eager for more actions to be taken, and disheartened at the present time, that our primary international structure uniting nations cannot do more. We hope the UNFCCC can ultimately be a path towards global transformation reflected in active international policy perhaps “coming of age” by COP21?

It is a challenge to trust this process and where we are in our world at this time. May we be able to see clearly by 2020, and ideally much before.

World Team Now (WTN): A Year-end Review for 2012

December 24, 2012 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

World Team Now produced two events associated with Rio+20: “RIO Panel on Humanity & Environment = Our World’s Resources” and at the United Nations People’s Summit, “Heart & Soul ‘The Call’ for Our Earth and a World Team” Though this activity, we were a partner with TckTckTck/GCCA. WTN T- shirts were given to the indigenous leaders in Brazil.

We did a lot of work in finding a suitable renewable energy demonstration project that will be done in 2013: a solar carport was donated, presented our solar carport project to the Malibu City Council, and explored electric vehicle (EV) charging carport installations power by solar in several locations. We also began a Malibu wind initiative to explore permitting residential installations with the city and state.

WTN continued our focus on vehicle electrification at the NYC Auto Show, the AltCar Expo and more recently the LA Auto Show, to align and create campaigns with auto manufactures. At the alternative vehicle test drive and special hearing at CSU Channel Islands with state senate members Fran Pavley and Lou Carrera we suggested changes on the rebate policy and legislation for the State of California. We are in process with a formal recommendation for public policy to ask for a rebate to come off of the sticker price.

Another renewable energy demonstration came when WTN submitted a proposal to LA County for the use of the Zuma beach parking lot for a a activities center centered around skateboarding/roller skating and surfing activities with a renewable energy kiosk.

We are ever grateful for Dave Waltz who was the head of the Center for Computational Learning Systems (CCLS) at Columbia University and passed this year. Dave encouraged WTN and helped in so many ways in our growth. We continue to explore a more formal relationship with CCLS.

Within World Team Now, we added new people— both on the board and volunteers. Liana Foksheneanu became a board member. We continue to look for great people to build WTN. We were blessed that Edwards/Wildman has come on board to give WTN legal support.

World Team Now is meant to continue of the for-profit multimedia platform WorldTeam.tv. We intend to launch this platform in 2013 and look forward to growing the platform so all people can play to transform our world. We are than ful for this growth and all of the opportunities being presented to WTN!

OPEN LETTER TO WORLD LEADERS CALLS FOR AN END OF THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR POWER

March 8, 2012 / Suzanne Maxx / 1 Comment

Open letter to world leaders calls for an end of the threat of nuclear power

This “Open Letter” below was drafted by Green Peace International and was sent to the 300 member organization of the international Tcktcktck global campaign to give to our world leaders. World Team Now is about making team work, so we signed this open letter, along with many global activists, entertainers, peace keepers, and other NGO’s. The common thread is clear when the majority of Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) signatories to this international letter are from Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Korea. World Team Now is a stand for renewable energy, this does not include nuclear energy, and we have made our stand clear over a year ago by signing this national letter to President Obama and this recent international letter for our World Leaders. The ramifications of nuclear power live beyond these divisions of territories and human life — the use of nuclear power is a world issue. World Team Now contributed to Green Peace this summary paragraph:

It’s time to make a change, and World Team Now supports real renewable energy solutions. It is impossible to engineer for a “black swan” (heavy tailed probability distribution) and there is also still the conundrum of radioactive wastes, high risk, and ridiculous expense with nuclear energy. Let’s use our resources to combine the real renewable energy solutions; solar, wind, tidal, heat coolant geothermal together and “teamed up” to help us live in better balance with our resources, for global transformation.

Suzanne Maxx
World Team Now
Founder/President/Chair

Open letter to: World leaders

Subject: The risks of nuclear reactors

7 March 2012

On behalf of the millions of people in the world who live with the threat of a nuclear disaster ruining their lives, we are writing to ask you to recognize that now is the time to put people ahead of the nuclear industry and hold the industry fully liable for the risks and damages of its disasters. It is time to remove the risks of nuclear from people’s lives and shift our economies to clean, safe energy systems.

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated the east coast of Japan almost a year ago exposed the serious failures in the system for regulating nuclear reactors and for protecting people from nuclear accidents.

Tens of thousands died as a result of the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami. Hundreds of thousands continue to suffer from their impacts and also from the nuclear disaster that followed. Our thoughts remain with all those affected by these disasters.

The main lesson from the Fukushima nuclear disaster is that the significant failure of the institutions that were supposed to protect people from such an accident in fact enabled it. Years before the disaster, the risks of earthquakes and tsunamis were well known. Yet, the nuclear industry and its regulators chose to ignore the dangers.

The first to suffer from their negligence were first responders such as plant workers and firefighters who risked their health and even their lives to reduce the radiation risks for others.

Despite their efforts, more than 150,000 people have been forced to leave areas with the highest levels of radiation — losing their homes, communities and livelihoods. Many more still live in contaminated areas including pregnant women and children who are more vulnerable to the effects of radiation exposure.

The overall costs of the Fukushima accident, including compensation and decommissioning the Daiichi plant’s six reactors, have been projected to reach $500 to $650 billion US dollars. Japanese law makes a nuclear operator fully liable for all the costs of a disaster, but in practice the Japanese people will end up paying almost all of the costs out of their taxes, not the nuclear industry.

The mistakes in Japan are repeated in every country in the world with nuclear reactors. No reactor is safe, and no regulatory system ensures safety. Millions of people are at risk, since at any time, any reactor could have a serious accident. Furthermore, even after 60 years of nuclear power, no one in the world can look us in the eye and say that a secure, long-term solution to storing radioactive waste exists. This highly hazardous waste must be stored safely for hundreds of
thousands of years.

The nuclear industry often claims, incorrectly, that nuclear energy is needed to combat climate change. On the contrary, expensive and dangerous nuclear power diverts investment from renewable energy — the real solution to climate change.

Yet, in every country, decision makers and regulators are more concerned about protecting the profits of the nuclear industry than in fulfilling their responsibility to protect people.

It is now time to put people first.

Signed

Kumi Naidoo, ED Greenpeace International
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laurate, 1984
Josh Karliner, International Team Coordinator, Health Care Without Harm
Joanna Kerr, Chief Executive, Action Aid
Erich Pica, President, Friends of the Earth
Oliver Tickell, Founder, Kyoto2
Helen Kelly, President, Council of Trade Unions, New Zealand
Kjeld Jakobsen, President, Insitituto para o Desenvovvimento da Cooperacao e Relacoes internationais
Ingrid Srinath, Secretary General, CIVICUS
Senator Bob Brown, Leader, Green Party Australia
Richard Harvey, International Human Rights Lawyer
Suzanne Maxx, Founder/President, World Team Now
Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, President, African Monitor
Kelly Rigg, Founding Director, Varda Group
Rosa Lizarde, Global Coordinator, Feminist Task Force of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty
Senator Doug Cameron, Senator from New South Wales, Labour Party Australia
Ralph Nader, American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney
Marina Silva, Brazilian environmentalist and politician (running in the 2010 Brazilian elections)
Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen US-Organisation
John Hall, Former U.S. Congressman
Ed Begley, Jr., Actor/Activist, acting in famous US television series St. Elsewhere
Mike Farrell, Actor/Activist, best known for his role in the television series M*A*S*H (1975–83)
Peter Yarrow, Singer/Activist, part of folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary
Alek sey Yablokov, Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO
Askhat Kayumov, Ecological center “Dront”, Russia
Elena Stepanova, Russian Physicians for ecology
Milya Kabirova, Russian Nuclear Victims Organization “AIGUL’
Andrey Laletin, Friends of the Siberian Forests, Russia
Alexey Zimenko, Russian, Biodiversity Conservation Center
Natalia Mironova, Russian Movement for Nuclear Safety and Institute of Public Policy and Law, Russia
Andrey Talevlin, Russian Fund for Nature
Feodor Kronikovsky, Russian Ecological group “Taiga”
Boris Rezhabek, North-Caucasian Department of International Ecological Fund and Institute
Noosperical Research and Investigation, Russia
Mikhail Piskunov, Russian Center for Assistance to Citizen Initiatives
Aleksandr Zaytsev, Murmansk regional public organization “Kola Environmental Centre”, Russia
Nikolai Zubov, Krasnoyarsk regional public organization «Krasnoyarsk Regional Ecological Union», Russia
Alexey Toropov, Siberian Ecological Agency, Russia
Ms. Young-sun JI, Co-representative, Korea Federation of Environmental Movement (KFEM)
Mr. Nam Boo-Won, National General Secretary, YMCA of Korea
Ms. Mee-Jung Nam/Ms. Young-Sook Park, Co-representatives, Korean Women’s Environmental Network
Father Hong-Pyo Park, Chairman, No Nukes Samchuck Coalition, Korea
Prof. Ik-Jung Kim, Chairman, Gyung Ju Branch of Korea Federation of Environmental Movement, Korea
Dr. Byungok Ahn, Head, Institute for Climate Change Action, Korea
Ms. Younghee Kim, Representative Lawyer, Lawyers Association for Nuke-free Korea
Dr. Do-Myung Paek, Chairman, Korean Doctors Association for Nuke-free society, Korea
Prof. Moo-Young Choi, Co-Chairman, Korean Professors Association for Nuke-free and Energy, Korea
Mr. Anselmo Lee, Managin-Director, Korea Human Rights Foundation, Korea

Father Kyu-hyun Mun, Director, Majungmool for Life & Peace, Korea
Ms. Sohee Im, Secretary General, Naummmunhwa Global Peace Activities, Korea
Mr. Heon-Seok Lee, Representative, Energy Justice Actions, Korea
Mr. Jin-Young Jeong, Chairman, Korean Teacher’s Organization for Ecological Education and Activity, Korea
Mr. Yong-Hwi Kim, Secretary General, Cheondogyo Hanwool-Yeondae, Korea
Mr. Seung-Jo Roh, Representative, Climate & Energy Center, Korea
Mr. Kwang-soo Choi, Representative, Ecobuddha, Korea
Adenex, José María González/President, Spanish environmental NGO
Ecologistas en Acción, Francisco Segura/ Coordinator ,Spanish environmental NGO
Bonnie Raitt

Variants of Hot “Chili” and Climate Change

September 22, 2011 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

30th Chili Cook -Off in Malibu, CA

World Team Now (WTN) was part of our community in the 30^th Annual Malibu Chili Cook Off, carnival and fair on Labor Day Week End.

Genna, Suzanne, Laura kick off Volunteers@ the Chili Cook Off

At WTN’s booth people got a free massage & renewed more than your own body’s energy, they learned about alternative renewable energy options for our world. Participating in our local community where WTN began, we shared with the public information on environmental initiates, held raffles, gave away t-shirts (thanks to Ozzie Silna) & samples of eco friendly cleaning supplies with a team of 8 volunteers.

World Team Now's Global EV enthusiasts

Ironic that although we had a booth, our all electric vehicle (EV), charging to the new City of Malibu’s Chargers drew much more curiosity from attendees walking by on the way to the fairgrounds. There were crowds of people from all over the world gathered around our car eager to hear how EVs worked and about charging. They were surprised to learn they could rent an EV from Hertz, and also shocked the charging was free to the public. We are grateful this event provided yet another great opportunity to educate the public on the importance of alternative energy and vehicle electrification.

Global Climate Change is being brought front and center not just by all the extreme weather events occurring around the world but people are now taking action to create events, to better educate the public;

Last Week 8.6 million viewers from around the world watched “24hours of Global Climate Reality,” check out some of the presentations including Al Gore’s.
Climate Week in New York
Climate Facts from our Tck,tck, tck partners
Live Stream today on :Economics, Environment and Security: It’s All About the Positive Energy
On Saturday the 24th join us in the Global Movement for World Team Now’s Wheel in Renewable Energy