The United Nations Climate Conference is happening for the next two weeks in Cancun, Mexico. You can visit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Website (UNFCCC) here. Below is their description of the conference:

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. It encompasses the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), as well as the thirty-third sessions of both the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), and the fifteenth session of the AWG-KP and thirteenth session of the AWG-LCA.

In honor of the 13th annual climate change conference, The New York Times has published several articles on what they think the best solution for so many nations attempting to tackle climate change might be. The general consensus is that the participants and representatives are trying to do too much at once. They want to take on climate change from the top down, reducing carbon dioxide now, instead of addressing short-term emissions problems like methane, HFCs, ozone, and soot. By reducing these now, we can buy more time to reduce carbon emissions and convert to renewable energy sources. You can read more, including a small farmer’s account of how climate change affects him personally, via the links below.

“To Fight Climate Change, Clear the Air”

“On Global Warming, Start Small”

“An Almanac of Extreme Weather”

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Just last week, Cosimo released a brand new paperback version of The Joy of Family Rituals by Barbara Biziou. This wonderful complement to The Joy of Ritual is a recipe book for families wishing to participate in rituals as part of everyday life to make their lives more fruitful and enriching. It describes the tools you need to perform rituals for small and big events that occur as families grow: ingredients are given special, sacred meaning and families can adapt Biziou’s advice to their own needs and traditions.

The importance of rituals is emphasized in the “Ritual Reality” sections, which give true-life stories of families that have benefited from performing rituals at momentous and everyday events. This book is ideal for any family wishing to grow closer together and create a bond that will last a lifetime.

Beliefnet.com recently wrote an article about the book, including an interview with Ms. Biziou herself. An excerpt is included below, and you can read the whole article here:

Why are family rituals so important?
To me family ritual is the anchor that really holds the family together, the glue. One of my inspirations for writing The Joy of Family Ritual is what I have sadly noticed in families who do not share special rituals: they often lack a deep connection, don’t have a rewarding family support system and the children are feeling very alienated. Modern life is moving too fast for people. Everyone has such a tight schedule that unless you make room for structured family rituals you can easily go for weeks, or even months, without truly connecting to one another.

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A sample of Earth Fever is now available on Scribd! Go check it out to read the introduction and preface to the book, as well as the first chapter. Help spread the word about the dangers of climate change, and what you can do about it!

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The Netherland-America Foundation is holding its 29th Peter Stuyvesant Ball on November 19, 2010 in the heart of Chelsea Piers on the Hudson in New York City. If you want to join, visit their website.

Cosimo is proud to support the work of the Netherland-America Foundation by contributing a number of fascinating classics about Dutch-American history to the raffle held during this event. If you are interested in reading more about Dutch-American history, check out the books that were donated:

• Henry Hudson in Holland, by Henry C. Murphy
• History of the City of New York in the Seventeenth Century, Volume I: New Amsterdam, by Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer
• History of the City of New York in the Seventeenth Century, Volume II: New York Under the Stuarts, by Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer

The NAF is the leading bilateral foundation building on the enduring heritage and values shared between the peoples of the Netherlands and the United States, and offering NAF/Fulbright Fellowships and programs in the arts, business, public policy and historic preservation.

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John Spence says, “Since 1989 I have read a minimum of 120 business books a year, and I can say without question that Noble Enterprise is one of the best I have ever read. Why? Because it does such an incredible job of getting to the heart and soul of what it takes to run a truly successful business in modern times.”

You can learn more about Gillett and NOBLE ENTERPRISE on his website at noblebusinesssolutions.com. You read more about John Spence on his website at johnspence.com

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“Innuit Knowledge and Climate Change” by Nunavut filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk premiered recently on Canadian Broadcasting. This documentary is about the effects of global warming on the Innuits in northern Canada.The Innuits drew a lot of attention last year with their observations that the Sun and constellations are not in the right place. See this trailer and judge for yourself what is going on in the northern parts of Earth.

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James Galbraith – the son of famed economist John Kenneth Galbraith - offers his analysis of the roots of the economic recession that has destroyed jobs, families and communities. In line with Cosimo author Danny Schechter, he said the crisis wasn’t an economic crisis at all, but a fraud perpetrated on innocent victims.

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In an event hosted by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the Ambassador to the Plurinational State of Bolivia for the United Nations, Pablo Solon, spoke on October 22 about Bolivia’s perspective and participate on the UN Climate Change negotiations. He also discussed Bolivia’s role in finding solutions to the climate crisis. You can view the video of his interview below. You can also read about it on CEPR’s website here.

In other news, the New York Times has been urging its readers to remember the global climate change efforts they voted for two years ago. They offer up advice and criticism for the future, hoping to help turn the tide back to concern for the environment and climate change. You can read each article here:

“Ignoring the Planet Won’t Fix It”
“Remember Renewable Energy?”

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P&G Health, the company that promoted the contest to help give clean water to families and children in need, is trying to raise 100,000 days of water by the end of 2010. Together with a network of GIVE bloggers across the Web, this summer you helped generate more than 21,000 days of clean drinking water during the GIVE HEALTH Blogivation.

By clicking on the link, you can give clean drinking water to people in need all over the world! Help P&G reach its goal, and spread the word about our global water crisis. Mouses at the ready, everyone!!

. . . and click.

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Last week we told you that Hazel Henderson, co-author of the Cosimo Book The Power of Yin, was speaking at the 2010 Enlightened Business Summit on October 28. Her talk on Transforming Finance is now available on the web, and you can check it out here.

Happy Listening!

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