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Imagine that at the end of this century, when your human grandchildren have been born, planet earth will be a scorched dust-bowl and humans will only survive on the fringes of the Antarctic. Do you think that’s a possibility? Hard to imagine? Well humans, I’m sorry to say but this is indeed what will happen if radical changes aren’t made in global carbon emissions over the next few years. Some humans even think it’s too late, but, like a lot of dogs I’m keeping optimistic that people will wake up and smell the coffee.

What’s a dog to do?

Well, yesterday, in spite of the rain, I took myself off, with my humans, to the new Cultivate/Eco-Unesco building, The Greenhouse, in St. Andrew Street (where Enfo used to be, opening to the public on 2nd December) for a lunchtime seminar on Carbon Tax. The humans were very interested. I was mildly interested at first and just wanted somewhere to curl up and dry out from having walked into town in torrential rain. But… I couldn’t believe my dog-ears! I had no idea how serious the situation really is. The picture for the future of planet earth, home to us all, is bleak - the rain forests torched, the polar ice caps melted, heat and dust everywhere.

…and it’s not the dogs doing it!

Look at the past few weeks in this country… has the torrential, bucketing-down rain put a smile on your face each day? I wouldn’t think so. Look at the top left photo - that’s me and the position I’ve been in for the past few weeks. There was nothing else for it but to take to the bed and stay dry. Now, take a look at my photo below before things started to get really bad. That’s me carpooling with my human wearing my happy, smiley dog-face.

What kind of world do we want to live in because from where I’m standing it’s looking like we’d better get used to the fact that endless rain might not be a passing weather phase but a permanent fixture in this country.

Our climate is changing forever, unless you do something and do it now. I’m saying this as your Best Friend and I’m hoping that we dogs won’t have to re-evaluate this age-old relationship…!

TripMia, back in the saddle! It’s been an age since I’ve dog-blogged. The humans just seemed to take over but here I am again about to bang on about Obama and how “green” is “green”… but first of all check out the photo… does it look like me with a bad perm? Well, it’s not. It’s someone who looks very like me. Her name is Early (?!) and she’s American. My humans, Liz and Breda, met her in Connecticut at Tobey Pond where Early likes to pond-surf. It’s not exactly riveting stunt-stuff, unlike my car-surfing, but then again I’m gracious enough to know that not all dogs are like me - brave.

Firstly, I’ll tell you how my humans got to befriend Early and how my doggy-nose was out of joint as a result. Liz and Breda headed to America leaving me behind with our neighbours, who I love, but being left is just that, being left. I’m very green myself and didn’t want to be adding any air-miles to my karmic debt BUT I now figure, if the plane is going anyway, the plane is going, right? So me on the plane with my humans isn’t going to make any difference. I’m not even taking up a seat! So, firstly I had to deal with that, then I had to cope with being replaced by Early who they loved spending time with (she’s working on her surfing skills but, between ourselves, I just can’t see her on the waves in Lahinch, can you?) I will admit that Early is cute, just like me, and so once I got over my initial dog-envy, she and I became e-mail buddies.

Early and I chat regularly about the things that interest us; car-surfing, pond-surfing and car-pooling for humans. Like me, Early is proud to say that she never travels alone in a car. We also discuss the state of the world and what we can do about it, as mere dogs, and two things we can’t fathom about America is this: why don’t the USA have a plastic bag tax and why don’t Americans hang their clothes out to dry?! What is it in their culture that makes them act like hanging clean clothes out to dry in the fresh air is equivalent to hanging out your dirty laundry in public? Why do Americans take huge loads of washing, soaking wet, from enormous washing machines and put them in super-duper dryers? Can you imagine the carbon emissions that would be cut down if all American households were encouraged to dry their washing naturally, finishing them off in the dryer if they need to? And why would a country that size and that developed not have a plastic bag tax to encourage people to recycle their plastic bags, or just use their own shopping bags? My own humans couldn’t locate somewhere in the area that they were in that would take dry-cell batteries for recycling and had to take them home to Ireland. Couldn’t Obama listen to the dogs and start with those little things instead of just making promises to the world about America lowering carbon emissions?

Through my doggy web-network I just know in my bones that I will somehow get to connect with Bo Obama (black and white Portuguese Water Dog) in the White House to see if he can have a word in Mr. President’s ear. It’s all very well to be drinking beers on the lawn and all of that (Early filled me in on that scenario!) but sometimes something just needs to happen!

Obama, all I can say is “Yes you can-ine!”

It’s a dog’s life - sometimes being a website mascot is really demanding!  I’ve been on three photo-shoots now, and not once did someone style my hair or offer me any mascara.  Still, what can you expect from humans?  I forgive them - the main thing is that I’ll do anything to promote carpooling - besides the joy of car-surfing, I really hate smog and traffic.  My humans also seem to like sharing costs - and if they’re saving money they might be able to afford the odd treat for me, which is important!  Have a read of the article and see what you think - is my hair okay?

It’s nice to see humans getting to do something fun on the beach – whenever I take my humans out all they do is walk along by the waves!  But last Saturday a big group turned out and brought their humans with them for a dance/happening/choreographed runabout…whatever it was, they seemed to be having fun and it was supposed to be doing something about this crazy weather we’re having.  My ancestors were from Cuba, so I like a little tropical showers and sun, but I never expected to see that in Ireland.  Anyway, take a look at the video and see if you can spot the little white dog showing them how it’s done!

In case you have any doubts about how climate will affect Ireland and the UK, have a read of this - it describes the summers we might be having soon, which are fine if you’re a lizard, but not when you have a full coat of beautiful fur!  Are you carpooling yet?

Now I really feel famous! I’m in the Femme section of the Evening Herald. It’s my first time in the company of Sarah Jessica Parker, too, and I think she probably was pretty happy to be on the same page as me.  In fact, that’s the only thing that was missing from Sex in the City - a little white dog - maybe she and I should do lunch…!

Hello humans!  Now you can now follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Bebo, Linkedin and LiveJournal for news on green living, new technology, tasty food, social change and everything of interest to car-surfing terriers…that should be enough social media for one dog, don’t you think?

Our first media event  happened today! The Irish Times article was published, but I wasn’t particularly thrilled about my hair in this photo - you’d think they might have pushed it out of my eyes just for the snap - and my collar is hanging loose a bit which isn’t really the look I’m going for.  In fact, no-one asked me about my day, which is a lot more interesting than some human sitting at a computer: first I get to terrify the postman, then there might be a stroll up to the park or the post office, maybe the odd cat to chase along the way, and who knows, if I’m lucky someone clumsy will have dropped a chip or two outside the Spar!  In the evenings, if the humans are having chicken I always get a little taste, and in between I’m very good at sleeping.  They’ve accused me of snoring recently, but I don’t believe that.  All in all, it’s hard work but I love my job as protector, minder, and object of affection.  It’s pretty cool.  Especially when there’s chicken. And broccoli.  Some humans are surprised, but I really love broccoli.  Well, I do love all things green!  Why isn’t that in the Times, I ask you?

When my humans aren’t using their lap-tops and especially since I got my new job as resident dog-blogger on www.tripmi.ie, I have open access to the internet. It’s great! I can look up all the car-surfing-for-dogs sites. While I was surfing the web I came across some very interesting information which proves my theory that humans are crazy! Now, why don’t cars run on batteries? A very obvious question to ask when petrol and oil do so much damage to the environment. Well… it turns out a man did invent a battery that would allow a car to travel 300 miles on a single charge! Brilliant! Or so you would think… the manufacturer of the battery was bought out by big car manufacturers and oil companies in the U.S. and the idea was shelved. You humans are lunatics!! What’s that about?! Check it out on this video clip from Brasscheck TV.

You wouldn’t catch dogs pulling those crazy stunts!

TripMia, the dog-blogger

Hello humans,

It was really great that the government published their ‘Smarter Travel, a Sustainable Transport Future’, last week to tackle congestion but am I the only one who thinks walking, cycling and public transport aren’t always the answer? When my humans are going to work how are they expected to take me on a bicycle? Cars aren’t all bad, once you’re carpooling or carsharing. I do it all the time. You won’t catch me travelling alone. Never in fact! I’d love to hear what others think. Have you gotten into carpooling yet?

TripMia, the Tripmi.ie dog-blogger