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Electrifying Our Old Oak Park Home: Going Solar

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Electrifying Our Old Oak Park Home: Going Solar

As bad news about climate change continues to frequent the headlines, it can feel hopeless. What could we, a single household, possibly do to make a meaningful contribution to such a huge, global problem? Should we recycle more? Stop eating meat? Stop using plastic bags?

We’re often told these kinds of actions help. But if we step back and look at the bigger picture, it becomes clear that these kinds of efficiency and lifestyle changes won’t be enough. Climate scientists and the UN have told us we need to get to net zero emissions by 2050. Is there anything more we could possibly be doing to ensure a more sustainable future for our kids?

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Chicago Area Youth Will Attend COP27 in Egypt

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Chicago Area Youth Will Attend COP27 in Egypt

On November 5, five students from the Chicago area youth-driven advocacy group It’s Our Future (IOF) will fly to Egypt to take part in COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh. It's Our Future, a program developed by Seven Generations Ahead and supported by One Earth Collective along with other partners, connects youth climate activists and empowers them to advocate for climate solutions in their schools and communities, and for a healthy livable future for all.

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Oak Park, IL, Announces Climate Action Plan; Call for Community Group Participation

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Oak Park, IL, Announces Climate Action Plan; Call for Community Group Participation

All around the U.S., communities are taking the lead on fighting climate change and building community resilience. Climate change is here, and it’s just a matter of time before some version of a Hurricane Ian or the Big Ranch Fire impacts any given community: intense storms, flash flooding, prolonged drought, extreme heat and other weather emergencies are intensifying each year.

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The Science Behind the Stories

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The Science Behind the Stories

Both the Film Fest and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) aspire to address a vexing question: how do we all—scientists, advocates, policymakers and public—communicate the deep significance of anthropogenic (human-caused) global, biological and geophysical change?

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Announcing Festival Theme 2022: 'TURN the TIDE'

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Announcing Festival Theme 2022: 'TURN the TIDE'

Over the years, One Earth has framed our festivals with themes that represent a call to action: “This is the Moment” (2018), “All In” (2019), and “Power of We” (the election year of 2020). Last year we celebrated our 10th anniversary with “10 Years of Inspiring Change.”

As the imperative to act only grows stronger, our 2022 theme – “Turn the Tide” – reflects the wave of catastrophes rushing in at us and the need for us to push back, so we can avoid the worst case scenarios that threaten to sink our hope for a healthy future for our children.

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It's a Wrap: Counting the Difference in 2021

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It's a Wrap: Counting the Difference in 2021

It’s time to look back and celebrate all the things we’ve accomplished together this year. Here’s 2021 by the numbers.

4,046 attendees at 26 film watch parties
At each of the virtual events during the main Fest Season in March and during Earth Week in April, we learned about the climate crisis, were presented with more than 250 action ideas, and pledged to take action.

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The Not-So-Bad Year for Environmentalism

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The Not-So-Bad Year for Environmentalism

As 2021 draws to a close, it seems appropriate to take a look back—to update some of the stories and follow up on some public policy issues I’ve covered for the eNews over the past year. Such a review calls, too, for a brief assessment and a look toward the future. The opinions expressed are mine, not those of One Earth Film Festival or its governing board.

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The Not-So-Big Takeaways from the UN’s COP26 Negotiations

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The Not-So-Big Takeaways from the UN’s COP26 Negotiations

In the October eNews, I previewed some of the anticipated themes of COP26, the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties, which concluded on November 13, in Glasgow, Scotland. Now comes my post-mortem.

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Youth Fight Back: COP26 In Their Words

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Youth Fight Back: COP26 In Their Words

Exhilarated. Optimistic. Stressed. Excited. Nervous. Every time the dozen of us youth met -- calling from Illinois, Maryland, and Texas--we would end our conversation with a one word description about how we felt. These were a few words that I remember being thrown out, and I also remember after hearing them, how aptly they served as a reflection for the climate movement as a whole.

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Once More into the Breach

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Once More into the Breach

For the next month the world will once again be focused on the treacherous global geopolitical terrain of climate change.

The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, beginning on October 31. The talks are scheduled to end on Friday, November 12, but if recent experience is any guide will be extended over the weekend as agreements are forged and contentious issues are resolved—or not, in which case they will be tabled for later consideration. Kicking the can down the road is standard operating procedure for these meetings, as one might expect for a 196-member international body that must operate by consensus.