Barack Obama welcomes report saying fighting climate change can be low cost

Barack Obama has welcomed a report finding that reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved at a low cost and with added benefits in the form of a better quality of life for people around the world.

In remarks on Twitter, Obama said: "This study concludes that no one has to choose between fighting climate change and growing the economy." The reaction is significant in advance of key talks next week convened by the United Nations, when world leaders will meet in New York to discuss climate change for the first time since 2009.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, who will convene next week's meeting, said: "We can no longer afford to burn our way to prosperity. We must manage climate risk for sustained – and sustainable – economic progress. We need a structural transformation in the global economy. This report argues for a new model where economic growth and climate action are mutually reinforcing – and it shows how we can build it. There is no time to lose."

The report, on the New Climate Economy, was co-authored by leading economist Lord Stern and involved a roll-call of international institutions including the World Bank, the International Energy Agency and the OECD group of rich countries. It concluded that tackling climate change would add only a small amount – about $240bn – to the trillions of dollars of investment that will take place around the world in the next decade and a half, in order to accommodate a growing population.

But the authors warned that if the growth takes place along current, high-carbon lines then the world will be locked in to high carbon emissions for decades to come. For only a small amount of extra investment, businesses and governments can achieve economic growth alongside lower carbon dioxide emissions, which could halt climate change and lead to a better quality of life for citizens, through cleaner air and water and a better environment.

The report is the most significant intervention in climate politics by Lord Stern since his 2006 review of the economics of climate change found that the short-term costs of tackling emissions were far outweighed by the benefits.

Ed Miliband, leader of the UK's Labour party, said: "Better Growth, Better Climate, is a hugely important report for those who care both about safeguarding our environment for our children and creating a successful, fairer future for us all.

"This report shows there is no contradiction between tackling climate change and growing our economies. However, it is clear a lack of political leadership is undermining the opportunity to act on climate change and secure the jobs of the future. That is why we need a Labour government that will champion a low carbon economy both in the UK and overseas."

Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green party, said: "Lord Stern is showing the kind of joined-up, evidence-based thinking that's sadly been entirely lacking in British policymaking to date. As he points out, providing warm, comfortable, affordable-to-heat homes, would not only tackle fuel poverty and stress, but also cut excess winter fuel deaths and demands on the NHS, as well as carbon emissions."

She highlighted investments in public transport as a key measure.

Sandrine Dixson Declève, director of the Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group, which includes a variety of large UK businesses, said: "The good news is that economic growth and action on climate are not incompatible. On the contrary, there are myriad possibilities for all sectors to get involved in driving low-carbon growth and economic transformation.

"But we must not wait: the longer we leave it, the higher the costs. Governments and business must act together to ensure the decisions we make today are the right ones to deliver a safe and sustainable future for all."

Source: http://www.theguardian.com

Beyond Burnout

This is something I truly feel compelled to speak about because it's a reality for so many of us. How do we keep giving care to our loved one when we ourselves are burned out and need a break? What do you do when there's no one to turn to, or turn your responsibilities over to, even for just a few hours?

I've dealt with this experience so many times in the these past several years of being a caregiver. The hard part for me has been that for the most part, people on the outside of the situation tend to say things like -'yes but your mother is more important.' How can that be? Who's 'more important', the lifeguard or the person drowning? I say they're equally important - WE are equally important. And if no one else has told you today - you're doing an amazing job and the sheer fact that you stepped up to the plate let's me know that you're a strong person with deep levels of integrity.

So back to the issue. What do you do when you have to keep going? How do you reboot without a getting away? The first thing is to recognize that you are burned out. Don't beat yourself up or ignore it, just admit it to yourself. It's perfectly natural and it's okay. What we do is tremendously stressful and to continue to perform in compassion we have to be real about that. Here are a few techniques that have helped me...

1. Focus on your breathing

This is a standby technique for me that I use just about everyday. The number one way that stress starts to be experienced in our bodies is through shallow breathing. If you feel like you're coming to the edge - stop and take the deepest breath you can. If you can step away and reconnect with 3-4 deep breaths, this is even better. Repeat a positive phrase to yourself 'I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay.' This truly helps me calm down and get some clarity when I feel overwhelmed.

2. Focus on the Beauty

One of the things I strive to do as a habit now is to focus on things - especially on a visual or audio level- that make me happy. Surround yourself with music that soothes you, go outside and look at the trees, listen to the birds - look at a fashion or travel magazine. Couple this with deep breathing and you will feel much more peaceful and clear.

3. Have a Glass of water

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. It keeps us from overeating and will keep headaches at bay as well. The last thing we need on top of feeling overwhelmed is to not feel good about our weight. Prepare it in a special way. In a nice glass, with our without ice, still or sparkling... and be sure to sit down - don't rush and drink the entire glass.

These tips aren't a trip to Tahiti, but they are tried and true, tested techniques that will work to eliminate the stress and rejuvenate you as you continue to care and give.

Source: http://www.donnadeniese.com

"Nature"--an Outdoor Walking Play

The legacy of Ralph Waldo Emerson is brought to life through one of his direct descendants and the natural world of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

September 12-October 12, 2014 (full performance schedule below)

$25 general admission/$20 Arboretum members/$15 students/children 12 and under free

Arboretum admission included in ticket price. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to expedite their entry into the Arboretum, but tickets may also be purchased on site.

Dancing SceneTigerLion Arts and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum present Nature, the mythic telling of Emerson and Thoreau's mutual love affair with the natural world. Nature is performed outdoors as a "walking play." A professional ensemble of actors takes the audience on a journey through the natural environment as scenes unfold around them. Bagpipes, ancient flutes, drums and rich choral arrangements are intricately woven into the script with compositions by Dick Hensold (2006 Bush Artist Fellow).

Nature is an extraordinary, family-friendly experience that co-mingles story, spirit, and nature, as a means to reconnect its audience with the natural world. A version of this show was presented at the arboretum in 2010.

This original work is collaboratively created with Twin Cities writer/actor/producer Tyson Forbes, a direct descendent of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Forbes says, "I have always felt honored to be an Emerson descendent. I feel an intimate responsibility to his lineage, and for years I have imagined a play that could bring his spirit and teachings, along with that of his friend and fellow author Henry David Thoreau, to a broader audience. When I read their work, I find answers to burning questions on how to live my life more deeply and responsibly in this world. They were both radicals of their time, calling on their peers to think for themselves and be agents of change. I believe their words and ideas are as necessary now as they were then."

The cast of ten actors includes John Catron as Thoreau (named Best Actor 2014 by City Pages and seen locally at the Guthrie Theater, Jungle Theater, Frank Theater and many others); Kimberly Richardson (Ten Thousand Things, Open Eye Figure Theater, Children's Theatre Company); Norah Long (Guthrie Theater, Skylark Opera, Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Nautilus Music-Theater). Tyson Forbes (Guthrie Theater, Ordway, Jungle Theater and multiple TigerLion Arts productions) also appears in the show as Emerson.

Musicians"We are delighted to welcome back TigerLion Arts and present a wonderful new staging of the Nature walking play," said Dr. Ed Schneider, Arboretum director.  "There's something magical about enjoying live theater in the great outdoors." 

The play will take place in the Arboretum's Johanna Frerichs Garden for Wildlife, a rolling, open grassy expanse traversed by paved walkways and landscaped with interesting native trees and demonstration plantings.  It is located on the Arboretum's Three-Mile Drive.

Audiences are encouraged to come early to visit the arboretum grounds. Grab-and-go meals will be available at the café in the Oswald Visitors Center, so guests can picnic on the grounds and enjoy pre-show music before the performance begins.

RESERVE ONLINE - http://www.mnarbonline.com/Nature-Walking-Play-C195.aspx
Or call (612) 301-7600 to order tickets by phone.

Source: http://arboretum.umn.edu/WalkingPlay.aspx

Minnesota: School issues to watch this year

Schools on Tuesday opened their doors to what should be a landmark year. We focus on three key issues that make it so in St. Paul, the east metro and beyond:

-- Technology: Students and teachers have returned to classrooms with some of the biggest technology upgrades since calculators replaced the slide rule, the Pioneer Press' Christopher Magan said in a report on developments that will bring more technology to more area students this school year. As districts spend millions for iPads and other devices, more than 40,000 east metro students will have daily access to Internet-connected devices that educators say will allow them to tailor instruction to the needs of each student.

In St. Paul, students will begin using iPads in two phases over the next two years. Those at 37 of roughly 60 schools will receive the devices sometime between October and February, with exact dates still to be determined, according to the district. Students at remaining schools will begin using iPads during the 2015-16 school year. District officials said earlier that schools in the first wave were selected based on factors that included wider achievement gaps and strong interest from teachers and staff in being early adopters.

On one side of the school-technology debate are those who argue there is little evidence that the devices will boost achievement. On the other are those making the case that devices are needed to help students prepare for an increasingly digital world.

For our part, we've raised questions about "the next shiny object" as the answer to what schools need to improve performance.

For theirs, voters in 2012 supported the district's $9-million-per-year technology initiative -- to "develop and implement a new plan to improve student learning and engagement through technology-supported instruction in all schools." It was largely an act of faith in district leaders. One way or another, it must be realized.

-- All-day kindergarten: Among efforts to improve student performance with a solid start, all-day kindergarten is "absolutely a game-changer," Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius told us last month.

Despite the tendency of some politicians and boosters to refer to it as "free," it's not. Its availability statewide, at no additional cost to parents, is subsidized by taxpayers. Lawmakers allocated another $134 million to remedy "a patchwork quilt of opportunity," said Sen. Charles Wiger, a Maplewood Democrat and chair of the Senate education finance subcommittee, in a Pioneer Press report. "It shouldn't be based on ZIP code or ability to pay. It was a matter of fairness and education opportunity."

In St. Paul, kindergarten and pre-K students start school on Monday.

-- Start times: In work that continues this school year, the St. Paul district is rethinking schedules to give secondary students later start times. Changes -- if they are made -- would not be effective until next fall.

Both science and tradeoffs are behind the move.

The science suggests that later start times and more sleep for teens bring benefits to both health and academic performance. In some of the latest research, from the University of Minnesota, schools saw a boost in attendance and improved grades and test scores. Apparently, it's a matter of biology, with teenagers ready for sleep later in the evening. When school starts early, many don't get enough rest and are less alert.

The tradeoffs include adjustments for younger students and their families. The district now has three start times: 7:30 a.m. for most high schools and middle schools and 8:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. for elementary schools. A change would mean buses would pick up some younger students as early as 6:30 a.m., but research also suggests young ones may be "wired" to wake up early and have more energy in the morning.

Costs add to the complexity. A key consideration was keeping a shift cost-neutral, a district official said in a Pioneer Press report.

Work by a steering committee leading the process is described by those involved as "thoughtful" -- as it should be. Information is at spps.org/starttimes.

When it comes to all three issues, policy-makers -- whether monitoring or making decisions -- will need to be mindful of the delicate balance between doing "what's best for kids" and what's prudent for taxpayers.

Source: http://www.twincities.com

Labor Day 2014 events

(Sept. 1, 2014) – Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September every year.

According to Tech Times, the holiday was born out of the U.S. labor movement in the 19th century when workers sought better working conditions, fairer wages and union representation.

The first Labor Day holiday was signed into law in Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Oregon in 1887.

The ordinance passed in many of the other states through the years, and on June 28, 1894, Congress declared the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

Throughout the years, Labor Day has evolved to mean a variety of different things.

For many, it’s a day off work, the unofficial end of summer, a big sale weekend for retailers, and the end of white clothing.

No matter what Labor Day means to you, check out the list below to take advantage of holiday activities around the area!

•     2nd Annual WARMfest at Broad Ripple Park
•     94th Annual St. Peter’s Labor Day Festival in Franklin County
•     Labor Day Weekend Hog Roast Celebration at Mallow Run Winery
•     60th Annual Chevrolet Performance NHRA US Nationals
•     White River Festival

Important Note: There will be no trash pickup and no mail delivery today. Additionally, all city and state buildings as well as all Indianapolis Public Library locations will be closed in observance of this holiday.

Source: http://fox59.com

Be Different in Business

Marketing is often misunderstood, with many thinking it's the leaflets, advertising and promotion that you do for your business. But it isn't. Marketing is everything you do, from the product you decide to sell - whether it's a premier product or cheap as chips product - to the way you invoice, and the very culture of your business. Because it's all of that which affects how you act, and so how you're perceived by your potential customers.

And I saw a brilliant example of a company that absolutely nailed this when I went down to visit Innocent's Head Office in London this week - what a great place! If you've never looked at how they market themselves, do take the time. I chatted with Richard Reed, one of the co-founders, who's a warm, fun guy, and the sense that *everything* the company does is done well permeates the walls.

Innocent actually started by going to a music festival where they took two bins, one with yes on it the other with no, and asked the question to everyone who bought their drinks, should we quit our jobs and set up in business making these full time? They were genuinely committed to going with the consensus so, at the end of the weekend when the yes bin was full, they went ahead and quit their jobs and started the company full time.

Rather than a use-by date on their products they have an "enjoy by" and they actually went through a phase of not only having the ingredients on the bottles but putting fun stuff on too, including most famously - and controversially - "two plump nuns". That one ended up with Richard being taken to court by the trading standards, and a finding from the judge that he needed to "either remove the two plump nuns reference from the ingredients label or actually add them to the product"!

On the packaging they also offer people the chance to ring the customer service Banana Phone should they have any queries, and if you take one of the tours offered by Innocent around their head office you can actually see a real, live, physical version. Innocent's culture and mission statements are literally written on the walls too so there's no mistake.

Their vision statement is:

make natural, delicious food and drink that helps people live well and die old

Everything innocent makes will always be 100% natural, delicious and nutritionally net-positive, so people are physically and mentally better off after they have eaten our food than before. In other words, we want to be a Trojan horse in society, getting as much fruit and vegetables into people as possible, to help us all live well and die old.

The culture is set out as:

be natural

Not just our products, but being natural in how we treat each other and how we speak to the most important people - our drinkers

be entrepreneurial

innocent began as a small, entrepreneurial company, and nothing much has changed. We aren't afraid to do things differently, and we've never given up on a good opportunity.

be responsible

We keep our promises, are mindful of our impact on our community and our environment, and always try to leave things a little bit better than we found them.

be commercial

We wouldn't be here if we didn't keep our eyes on the numbers at all times. Ultimately we want to deliver growth for us and our customers too.

be generous

This means giving honest feedback to one another, taking time to say thank you, and where we can, donating our resources or money to those who need it more than us. It's that simple.

Talking to the staff there that evening it's clear that they love where they work, and even admitted that they could work somewhere else for more money but just didn't want to. And to achieve all of this starts with a simple decision to build something different. Why not be wacky? Why not have fun? It doesn't mean you can't build something that makes money and has a positive impact on employees and customers alike. The Innocent message? Do it and they'll love you

Source: http://www.alansadams.com

The Benefits of Trusting

Many of us have difficulty trusting others. There are many different reasons that make trusting others difficult. One reason, for example, is that some of us were trained to not trust. Another reason is that some have suffered greatly during their childhood. As a result, they may have decided that they could not really trust anyone. Regardless of the reason, all of us have experienced relationships in which trust was broken. So, why should we bother trusting anyone at all?

In his excellent book, The Compassionate Samurai, author Brian Klemmer explains the reasons that we should learn to trust others in spite of our fears. He explains that taking the risk to trust others can yield more benefits than disadvantages. Klemmer identifies these five benefits that motivate us to trust:

1. Trusting others is the only way to access the synergistic power of teamwork.

2. Trusting others builds relationship and intimacy.

3. Trusting others releases time, freedom, and efficiency.

4. Trusting others is the primary tool for making a difference and being of service to others.

5. Trusting others provides you with a feeling of exhilaration.

Learning to trust others affects both your personal and professional lives. As a strategic business owner, you must be looking for people who are trustworthy. You must be keeping an eye out for trustworthy people with whom you can partner and do business.

As a matter of fact, your decision to trust others is so important that it distinguishes you as an average or extraordinary business owner. You see, the average business owner remains unwilling to take any risks. He plays not to lose by not trusting others. As a result, he does not reap any of the benefits identified by Klemmer. In contrast, extraordinary business owners learn when and whom to trust.  They actively seek to build trusting relationships. They take risks, but they reap great rewards.

Source: http://www.thegrowthcoachhouston.com