Tuesday, March 31, 2009

As we said in our last post, PRI and its Museum of the Earth participated in EarthHour, turning off our lights in a vote to support a change in energy usage globally. After the event, the creators of EarthHour sent all of the participants an email showing some of the international buildings and cities that participated and their before/after shots.

Lights out in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, and More!

Please check out the images, its amazing what we can do globally when we act together. Thanks to everyone who participated in EarthHour!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Earth Hour

PRI and its Museum of the Earth is closing its doors and turning off its lights on March 28th, 2009. But don't worry, PRI fans and members, its only for an hour!

PRI and the Museum of the Earth are participating in an international event on March 28th called Earth Hour. The idea is simple: to show your support for a change in the way we use our natural resources to power the Earth, turn off your lights for one hour, from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. locally. Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, and this year has a global goal of having 1 billion people/organizations turn off their lights.

The theme is Vote Earth. Your participation shows that you have the desire to make a change for the betterment of the planet. PRI and the Museum of the Earth are proud to participate, and will turn off our lights at the end of the workday, including those normally on at night to highlight our whale to passers by on the road, and will not turn any back on until the following morning.

In addition, many individuals at PRI have decided to turn their lights off at home during this interval.

Will you join us in "voting for the future of our planet?" Find out more about who is participating, more information about Earth Hour, and how you can become involved at this website.

Earth Hour

Let us know that you're participating by commenting on our blog!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Survivor: Planet Earth

Warren Allmon, Director of the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth appeared on the PRI (Public Radio International) show The Takeaway this morning. He spoke about the potential evolutionary consequences of climate change.

Hear it here: http://www.thetakeaway.org/stories/2009/mar/18/survivor-planet-earth/

Friday, March 6, 2009

A bit of good news

When reading the news, whether it be social or scientific, I am always bothered by how many articles are full of doom and gloom. So when I come across one that actually points out things that have gone right, I feel the urge to share it with you.

Check out this article

This article talks about our effect on acid rain. In particular, I like how it embraces the idea of how scientific research on a problem, understanding its social implications, and creating effective legislation actually can mitigate some of our environmental damage.

I'm glad to see that the US has effectively dealt with the largest causes of acid rain, and that we're still ahead of the curve compared with other countries on at least one ecological issue.

Happy Friday!