Environmental Awareness

Environmental awareness is to understand the fragility of our environment and the importance of its protection. Promoting
environmental awareness is an easy way to become an environmental steward and participate in creating a brighter future for our
children.

What is Environmental Awareness?

To define environmental awareness we must first understand the environmentalist movement. Environmentalism is an ideology that
evokes the necessity and responsibility of humans to respect, protect, and preserve the natural world from its anthropogenic (caused by
humans) afflictions.
Environmental awareness is an integral part of the movement’s success. By teaching our friends and family that the physical
environment is fragile and indispensable we can begin fixing the problems that threaten it.

Numerous resources are available to promote environmental awareness; group learning (in or outside of class), informational and
inspirational seminars, such as our Awakening the Dreamer Program, and environmental books and brochures are just a few of the
tools that can get you involved in promoting the environment.

How to Promote Environmental Awareness

When learning about the environment’s declining health it is easy to feel discouraged, but what keeps us fighting for a healthy world
is the future of our children. They should not have to inherit our environmental problems and in order to keep their future bright,
spreading awareness is imperative.

Before you can begin promoting environmental awareness in your own community you must first make sure that you have a thorough
understanding of environmental issues. Staying up to date on environmental news and reading comprehensive books about
environmental threats are both great resources, but if you’re the type of person who prefers a more interactive approach, attending
environmental seminars is a great option.
Our Awakening the Dreamer Symposium is an inspirational and informative seminar that discusses man-made environmental issues,
while also instilling a sense of hopefulness for the future.

Join the 1000s and Kickstart Your Environmental Awareness Campaign with The Awakening The Dreamer
Symposium.

A 4-minute introduction to the experience that will transform your relationship to the crisis and opportunity of this time in history.

Our Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, created by Pachamama Alliance, is an invaluable resource to help you become
environmentally aware. Specifically, the symposium demonstrates that environmental destruction is the result of a flaw in the modern
world’s belief system, in which our actions lack consequences. Meanwhile, our partnerns in the Amazon forest, the Achuar, (along
with the rest of the world) are experiencing our consequences daily with the continued threat of big oil destroying their home. In order
to keep their rainforest pristine we need to stop our dependence on fossil fuel and begin using environmentally sustainable resources.

The symposium makes a powerful point that the environment is in critical condition and while there is still hope to change our course,
time is of the essence. During the symposium a desire and urgency to become an environmental steward is inspired; the symposium
appropriately calls this desire as being in a state of “blessed unrest”.
Once the participant has awakened into this state of “blessed unrest”, they are supplied with courses of action and resources to begin
promoting environmental awareness in their community.

Make a Difference
After you have become environmentally aware you can begin teaching those around you. The symposium acts a catalyst for you to
begin your role as an environmental steward and provides online courses and other resources to keep you on track.

A good course of action that ensures your continued participation as a global citizen is to pick an environmental issue that strikes you
as most urgent. The amount of environmental issue seems limitless and while they are all important it is best to initially focus on one
cause. You will soon see that all environmental issues are intertwined and will find your niche of interest.
After your decision is made you then explain its importance and urgency to your community, friends, and family, create beneficial
communal projects, and find more causes to become apart of.

Examples of Environmental Issues That Need Fixing

Here are several cause-and-effect problems that harm our environment:

 Oil Drilling- This issue is one that causes a great deal of environmental destruction. Our dependence on fossil fuel is a global
addiction that affects every aspect of the world. Oil spills and offshore drilling poison marine life, oil drilling (on land)
suffocates the earth, and the combustion of fossil fuels add to the increased atmospheric CO₂, which in turns causes the
progression of global warming and ocean acidification. This is a multifaceted issue and is a good cause to get involved with
because it covers such a broad spectrum of issues.
 Deforestation- Millions of acres of forest are cut down for industrial benefit, such as large scale farming, oil mining, and the
production of paper goods. Deforestation causes wildlife and biodiversity extinction. The International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) has a Red List of environmentally threatened species with up-to-date information. Oftentimes, the cause for
their threatened existence is listed as loss of habitat as it is for many Amazonian species.
 Production of Plastic Goods- Currently our society creates a great deal of waste and much of that waste is comprised of
plastic. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2010 alone 31 million tons of plastic waste was created.
This waste ends up all over the globe in both land and water, a good example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Not only is
 plastic waste an issue, but the production of plastic is also dependent on fossil fuel combustion. According to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration (EIA) in 2010 191 million barrels of liquid petroleum gases(LPG) and natural gas liquids (NGL)
were used in the U.S. alone to produce plastic goods.

A solar powered water pump in the Amazon forest; a great alternative

energy source.

Possible Project Ideas

Once you’re well versed in environmental issues, use that knowledge to create beneficial project in your home and in your
community.

 Instead of driving to work or school, take the bus, carpool, walk, or ride your bike to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the EPA transportation adds to 33% of the total atmospheric CO₂.
 Consider investing in appropriate technology like clean power (solar or wind), if not for your home maybe for a community
center. This will also help wean ourselves off fossil fuels.
 Buy reusable products such as glass bottles, reusable bags and cups etc. Avoid buying paper towels, plastic bottles and bags.
 Start composting and recycling, which will help cut down our waste production.
  Support local businesses and farmers by only buying organic food at farmers markets. Make sure the food is pesticide free.
This will help your community become self-reliant.

Share Your Knowledge

Once you have chosen your cause and figured out some beneficial activities, share it with the world! Get your community, friends, and
family involved. Use your political voice in your local city council and propose environmentally sustainable and beneficial projects.
Start a community garden, buy from local stores and farmers markets, make your public transportation more efficient and/or start
implementing clean energy strategies in your community centers.

It is more than likely that your children are learning about environmentalism in school, but it does not have to be limited to school
grounds. Children learn a great deal at home and by using green practices you will be providing them with a strong foundation for
environmental stewardship. Promoting environmental awareness is a crucial part of being an environmental steward. Start
participating in the change and teach your community what it means to be sustainable.

Take A Stand for Sustainability

Enroll in Pachamama Alliance’s free, 2-hour online course, Awakening the Dreamer, which will equip you with the education,
resources, and community needed to take effective action in creating a new future that works for all.

Sustainability Starts with You

Pachamama Alliance's 2-Hour online course, Awakening the Dreamer, is a transformative educational program that explores
the challenges facing humanity at this critical moment in time and the opportunities we as a human family have to create a
new future.
Section 1: Get to know the Four Questions that are the framework of the course.
Section 2: Examine the environmental, social, and spiritual crises that humanity now faces.

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Clean Trillion
 
In order to limit global warming to below 2°C and avoid the worst effects of climate change, the world needs to
invest more than an additional $1 trillion per year in clean energy through 2050 – the “Clean Trillion.” Reaching the
Clean Trillion and putting the world on a path to climate stabilization will require shifting capital away from high
carbon fossil fuels – the majority of which must remain in the ground – and into clean energy.

Meeting the Clean Trillion goal will be a tremendous challenge, but it is achievable if businesses, investors and
policymakers join forces. Progress is being made toward increasing clean energy investment and reducing capital
expenditures for fossil fuels, although there is an urgent need to increase the speed and scale of global clean energy
transition.

The Role of the Electric Sector in Achieving the Clean Trillion: Mapping The Gap

Achieving the Clean Trillion will require clean energy transition across all sectors, including electric power, buildings
and transportation, among others.  Ceres and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) have teamed up to release
Mapping the Gap: The Road from Paris, which seeks to underscore how the global transition to clean electric power
can be financed. Findings include:

 The global renewable energy investment opportunity in the electric sector is massive, at $12.1 trillion over the next 25
years. Investment in clean power projects must grow rapidly.
 There is a $5.2 trillion “gap” between the ramped up renewable energy investment that is projected under current
 scenarios and what is actually needed for the electric sector to meet its share of carbon emissions reductions needed
to achieve the Clean Trillion.
 A world working to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement (to limit temperature change to 2ºC or below)
means investment in new renewable power generation will increase 75% above business-as-usual.
 While the scale of this new investment opportunity is enormous, it is dwarfed by the capacity of global financial
markets to unleash the needed investment capital, creating extensive new opportunities for commercial financiers,
institutional investors and others.

Businesses can help reach the Clean Trillion by investing in clean energy solutions throughout their operations
and supply chains. Review Ceres’ corporate sustainability benchmarking report, Roadmap for Sustainability, to
check the progress many companies already are making to:

 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020

 Improve the energy efficiency of operations by at least 50% by 2020
 Reduce electricity demand by at least 15% by 2020
 Obtain at least 30% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020

Businesses also play a critical role in closing the clean energy investment gap by supporting policies that expand
investment in clean energy.

 See the principles that members of Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy are advocating for in the
development of U.S. energy and climate policy

Investors can continue to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, helping to reach the Clean
Trillion by:

 Managing climate risks in their portfolios. Learn more about investors’ Carbon Asset Risk Initiative
  Investing in clean energy opportunities that offer competitive risk-adjusted returns across asset classes
 Engaging with companies to improve their practices on clean energy and climate change. Check which issues have
been included in shareholder resolutions filed by investors
 Supporting policies that expand investment in clean energy

For detailed recommendations related to clean energy investment, download Ceres’ paper Investing in the Clean
Trillion.

Policymakers should level the playing field by adopting policies that accelerate and expand investment in clean
energy. Companies and investors should advocate for:

 Policies that stimulate investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation
  Policies that put a limit & price on carbon, and phase out subsidies for high-carbon fuels
 Implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, including by ‘ratcheting’ the ambition of national climate
commitments and plans over time

More than 1000 global companies have signed the Climate Declaration, calling for national action on climate
change.

Recommendations
Investing in the Clean Trillion: Closing The Clean Energy Investment Gap provides 10 recommendations for investors, companies and
policymakers to increase annual global investment in clean energy to at least $1 trillion by 2030—roughly a four-fold jump from
current investment levels.

Mobilize Investor Action to Scale Up Clean Energy Investment

1. Develop capacity to boost clean energy investments and consider setting a goal such as 5 percent portfolio-wide clean energy
investments

2. Elevate scrutiny of fossil fuel companies’ potential carbon asset risk exposure

3. Engage portfolio companies on the business case for energy efficiency and renewable energy sourcing, as well as on financing
vehicles to support such efforts

4. Support efforts to standardize and quantify clean energy investment data and products to improve market transparency

Promote Green Banking and Debt Capital Markets

5. Encourage “green banking” to maximize private capital flows into clean energy

6. Support issuances of asset-backed securities to expand debt financing for clean energy projects
7. Support development bank finance and technical assistance for emerging economies

Reform Climate, Energy and Financial Policies

8. Support regulatory reforms to electric utility business models to accelerate deployment of clean energy sources and technologies

9. Support government policies that result in a strong price on carbon pollution from fossil fuels and phase out fossil fuel subsidies

10. Support policies to de-risk deployment of clean energy sources and technologies

Climate Change
Floods. Droughts. Melting glaciers.

Climate change is already impacting farming, shipping and countless other business sectors. Like an
earthquake, the reverberations reach companies in all corners of the world, shaking their supply chains, disrupting commodity prices
and exposing them to both political risk and costly regulatory changes.

Severe weather events and changing weather patterns, current or impending regulations imposing a cost on carbon and an altered
competitive environment will have an inescapable impact on numerous business sectors, supply chains, customers and products and
the global economy as a whole.

But climate change also presents business and investors with opportunity. Innovative products and new technologies are emerging to
help mitigate pollution, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and limit our overall impact on the environment – all the while creating new
markets, job opportunities and growth potential. Those companies and investors that seize these opportunities are best positioned to
thrive in a resource-constrained economy.
Ceres works at the intersection of business, investment and advocacy communities to address sustainability risks such as climate
change in order to build a more sustainable global economy.

Companies and Climate Change

Ceres works with nearly 70 companies on a range of sustainability issues, including climate change. The Ceres Roadmap for
Sustainability's expectations for managing climate-related impacts include setting goals in line with the recommendations of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Working with our coalition of investors and advocacy groups, Ceres engages
with companies to:

 Reduce the absolute greenhouse gas emissions from business operations, supply chain, products and services and employees;
 Disclose the financial and material implications of climate change as well as their plans and goals for mitigating that risk;
 Put in place strong governance structures to manage risks at the board and CEO levels of the company;
 Develop products and practices that decrease greenhouse gas emissions and generate revenue for the company.

Investors and Climate Change

Ceres leads the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a group of more than 100 investors representing more than $10 trillion in assets
under management. Under Ceres' direction, this vast network is combating climate risk in their portfolios by:

 Engaging with corporations on their business strategies to reduce risk due to climate change through stakeholder engagements
and shareholder resolutions
 Calling on the U.S. and other governments to pass strong climate and energy policies that will spur low-carbon investments,
new jobs and transition us to a clean energy economy
 Integrating the financial and material risks of climate change into investment decisions.

For more information, download the PDF Investors are Acting on Climate Change.

Climate Policy
Ceres has organized businesses and investors nationwide and globally to call for strong climate and energy policies that will reduce
carbon emissions, promote energy efficiency and renewable energy and increase investment in a clean energy economy. Our
accomplishments include:

 Organizing 450 institutional investors representing $13 trillion in capital to call on the U.S. and other governments to quickly
pass strong climate change policies that will spur low-carbon investments and new jobs.
 Leveraging the Ceres-led Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), a network of more than 20 leading
consumer companies that meets regularly with Congressional leaders on the urgency of passing comprehensive climate and
energy legislation that would limit carbon emissions while supporting energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs.
 Supporting the nation’s largest investors in filing shareholder resolutions asking U.S. companies to detail their business
strategies for dealing with climate change.

For more information

Read articles, download reports and listen to podcasts about climate change and sustainability listed on the right-hand side of this
page.
Section 3: Recognize the powerful, unconscious assumptions of the modern world.