Two Heroes for Blog Action Day!
Today is Blog Action Day! A day when over 14,000 blogs will reach more than 12,000,000 readers on one topic that affects us all: the environment.
I write about the environment every day either here, at Greener Assets or Inhabitat. I do it for two reasons: because I love to write and because the health of the environment is important to me. Today, on Blog Action Day, I’d like to share two organizations who have and continue to inspire me by combining community efforts with a green lens to become leaders for environmental change.
The Amazon is often called the lungs of the planet but too often this natural wonder is threatened by unsustainable, exploitative industry. In Ecuador, a small community has bounded together to protect both the balance of the forest and the people who live there with a project that benefits us all.
I visited the Añangu community and stayed at their eco-tourism lodge, Napo Wildlife Center. Not just any tourism lodge, the project is 100% community owned and the proceeds directly pay for the conservation of 82 square miles of pristine lowland rainforest - land that would have otherwise been destroyed with logging, market hunting and oil extraction. (see it on the map here). Profits go to the democratic Añangu community and are used primarily for education and health care.
The lodge itself is small and built on sustainable design principles including natural wastewater treatment, solar-powered electricity and minimal consumption of short-life products. It is a true eco-tourism facility and recently won First Choice for Best Protected Area in the 2006 Responsible Tourism Awards.
In the Spring of 2005 I spent two weeks traveling up and down the Mississippi River along ‘Cancer Alley’. During that time I witnessed extraordinary community efforts and met hundreds of dedicated leaders who are working for environmental justice throughout the region. One organization that stands out in particular is the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.
LABB is an environmental health and justice organization working with communities that neighbor Louisiana’s refineries and chemical plants. With EPA-approved LABB “buckets”, fenceline communities can monitor the air in their neighborhoods allowing real time pollution testing that arms residents to fight toxic exposure and hold corporations accountable.
LABB has been working in Louisiana since long before Katrina and remains a steadfast organization. The communities served however are some of the hardest hit by the storms of 2005. In addition to their primary mission, LABB now calls for toxic clean up and relief support.
These two organizations inspire me and are two of my biggest heroes so check ‘em out. If you’ve got an environmental hero, let me know and share it here in the comments. And be sure to surf around for more Blog Action Day action.
The 'Going Green Challenge' just for kids!
The ‘Going Green Challenge’, from the Weather Channel for Kids and By Kids for Kids (BKFK), wants kids to share their ideas and inventions that could make the world a better place. In addition to saving the planet, contest participants have a chance to win $10,000 and spend a day with an expert from “The 11th Hour” movie.
There’s so much that could be improved: better air quality, cleaner water, better waste management, less noise or just about anything for people and the planet. How about a new spin on an existing idea adapting it with your creativity to be better for the environment? The possibilities are endless limited only by imagination.
The challenge is open to kids under 19 who register by December 31st so if you are a kid with a great idea that could help the environment go to Going Green Challenge to get started. And if you are interested in the science behind weather, the Weather Channel for Kids launches October 15th! Sounds like fun all around!
3 Days 'Til International Cleanup Weekend
“Think globally, clean locally”. That’s the idea behind International Cleanup Weekend, a new campaign from Google and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). People around the globe are planning cleanup efforts in their neighborhood and sharing the plans and results on the internet with the help of Google Maps.
During International Cleanup Weekend (October 13 & 14, 2007) community groups and individuals on every continent will be heading out in small groups with friends and family to clean up their local parks, beaches, streets and neighborhoods.
Google Maps will help activists post photos, videos, map and more so even the smallest local initiative can have a global audience. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP’s Executive Director, said:
The power of local community action is being matched by the power of the World Wide Web. This should make a formidable partnership uniting and empowering groups from Bangalore to Bermuda and Berlin to Beijing in common cause. Let us hope this global Google community’s effort may go further and persist beyond the International Cleanup Weekend. It may evolve into a new forum and network for ideas sharing on a wide range of challenges from local cleanups to community-based solutions to such pressing issues as climate change.
UNEP and Google encourage everyone to plan their own cleanup close to home, wherever they think there is the biggest need for it. This project is one of many joint efforts between UNEP and Google Inc. You can learn more about the United Nations Environment Programme at their website or get started with your International Cleanup Weekend project here at Google Maps.
Tuesday Travels: San Francisco thinks big on bikes
The first time I visited San Francisco I was shocked, at the traffic. I had this romantic idea of everyone riding around on Trolleys so walking around amid bumper to bumper commuters was a bit of a eye-opener. I am psyched to see that San Fran is getting on the bike-share program.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that the city is close to implementing a bike-sharing program, taking a lead from European cities like Copenhagen, Helsinki and Paris (which has one of the biggest bike-sharing programs to date).
From S.F. moving to catch up with European bike-sharing programs:
San Francisco is one push of the pedal closer to offering residents and visitors a bike-sharing program in an effort to ease traffic congestion and to promote health through exercise…San Francisco residents want City Hall to make good on the official goal of reducing auto congestion and air pollution, and that biking is a good way to help do that. And the easier the city makes it for people to use a two-wheeler, the more likely they will.
The bike-sharing program in Paris has had extraordinary success in part to the bikes being readily available and cost-effective - a weekly pass is under $7 and an annual pass is about $41, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
How the San Francisco bike-sharing program comes together will be revealed soon with officials meeting this month. The SFC also noted that other U.S. cities like Washington, D.C., Portland, Chicago and New York might follow the west coast lead. Oh sunny, green California again! I love it. I’ll have to get back to San Fran when the bikes are in motion.
More mobile news:
- Bike Sharing to Save Cities at Inhabitat
- And don’t forget Transportation Tuesday at Inhabitat!
One Green Thing
When it comes to the environment it’s easy to get overwhelmed. In the face of melting polar caps, disappearing species, monster CO2 emissions and all the other immense global occurrences we can end up feeling like a bug on the windshield. So, in order to keep it positive and recognize everyone’s efforts I’d like readers to pipe in and share one green thing they’ve done this year.
I’ll start: I stopped using a clothes dryer. I work from home and have time to “hang it out” on a drying rack. I also don’t have kids so laundry is not as big a deal for me as it is for you parents who are juggling the daily circus of clean soccer socks and picture day dresses.
While air drying is not for everyone it does save money and cuts down CO2 emissions. Opting out of dryers can save you up to $100 per year and take about 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide out of your home’s annual emissions.
Clothes dryers emit 6.85 lbs of C02 per hour of use, according to the Carbon Rationing Action Group. The US EPA/DOE Energy Star program doesn’t label clothes dryers because most of them use the same amount of energy.
You can read more about my clothesline kick at Clotheslines get a fresh, clean look and learn more about the environmental benefits with the links below. But before you get sidetracked I want you to share just one green thing you’ve done in the past year to benefit the environment. It doesn’t matter how small or how big or even if it was accidental for that matter. Leave a comment and let’s see how big our collective efforts can get. Share your one green thing!
- Laundry List
- National Hanging Out Day
- Freedom to Hang Out
- Not Just Blowing Hot Air: Clotheslines Ideal Bite
- Hang it Up The Boston Globe
- Don’t Get Hung Up on Restrictions: Know Before You Buy Realty Times
- In warming world, time to reconsider the clothesline The Christian Science Monitor
Daily Detox: Get Illuminated
Environmental News Network reported that the diesel run Energy Star bus will be traveling around the country and stopping at 10 cities this month to promote Energy Star light bulbs. Why? According to the EPA, replacing one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with an equivalent 13-watt Compact Fluorescent light bulb, you can make a big difference.
Here are some of the savings with Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (EPA):
- One Compact Fluorescent light bulb costs $2 - $3. More expensive yes, but CFLs last 8 to 12 times longer than a conventional bulb.
- An ENERGY STAR-qualified Compact Fluorescent light bulb can save an average of $30 or more in electricity costs over its lifetime.
- Lighting accounts for 20% of the average home’s electric bill. The average home has approximately 30 light fixtures, which would mean an electricity bill savings of around $1,000 over the life of the bulbs.
- ENERGY STAR-qualified bulbs and fixtures produce about 70% less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling
And for the environment (EPA):
One Compact Fluorescent light bulb keeps half a ton of greenhouse gas (CO2) out of our air. If one out of every three Americans switched just one light bulb to a CFL it would:
- Keep 22 billion lbs of coal from burning at power plants
- Keep 45 billion lbs of GHG from being emitted
- Equate to removing 700,000 cars worth of greenhouse gases from the air
- Keep 700 million incandescent light bulbs from landfills
The “Change-a-light, Change-the-World” pledge is to switch one bulb. You can take it a step further replace your highest used fixtures or the light bulbs in them with energy-efficient models. According to the EPA:
the five highest use fixtures in a home are typically the kitchen ceiling lights, the living or family room table and floor lamps, and outdoor porch or post lamp. If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save close to $8 billion each year in energy costs, and together we would prevent the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.
Get illuminated:
- U.S. promotes swap to energy-saving light bulbs
- How to Green Your Lighting at TreeHugger
- Taking ourselves more lightly at Ideal Bite
- Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs at Energy STAR
The Campaign Trail from a Green Perspective
So far all of the top democratic candidates have spoken to Grist and the interviews are available online. Grist has spoken to republicans Mike Huckabee and John McCain and lined up (or requested) interviews with other republican candidates including Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Tom Tancredo.
If you’re not familiar with Grist, check ‘em out. They deliver environmental news and commentary on a wide range of topics from politics to eco-parenting. I appreciate their collaboration with Outside (also a great read filled with adventure) to keep an eye on the greenness of the 2008 campaign trail in the US. If you’re interested in some recent environmental policies that have been implemented during the past two years under the current administration, you can find them here.
Tuesday Travels: Biofuel to take to the skies
The BBC reported Friday that Air New Zealand plans to take to the skies fueled in part by biofuel. It will be the first commercial test flight using the alternative fuel. The test flight won’t happen until 2008, or even 2009, and will not carry passengers, but the announcement shows an exciting shift in air travel that addresses environmental concerns.
In June this year, initial test (on the ground) of Biofuel blends were tested on commercial jet engines. Green Car Congress reported in Successful Initial Test of 30% Biofuel Blend in Commercial Jet Engine that:
CFM International has successfully carried out an initial test of a CFM56-7B engine using an ester-type biofuel at Snecma’s Villaroche facility near Paris. The CFM56-7B is the exclusive engine for the Boeing Next-Generation Single-aisle airliner: 737-600/-700/-800/-900. Thrust ranges from 18,500 to 27,300 lbs.
The biofuel used for this test is a 30% vegetable oil methyl ester blended with 70% conventional Jet-A1 fuel. This test was designed to check the operation of a jet engine using a fuel made from biomass, without making any technical changes to the engine.
With this type of biofuel, the target is a net reduction of 20 percent in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared with current fuels.
Air New Zealand is not the only one awaiting takeoff. The Beebs also reported that “Virgin Atlantic is planning a UK-based test flight early next year which would also see one engine of a four-engined commercial jet running partially or entirely on a biofuel” in partnership with the US, GE and Boeing.
Cool.
While there is a bit of a race on to be the first commercial line in the sky with biofueled engines, it will take some time to get the technology into commercial action. And there are some complex issues to figure out first like how sustainable is biofuel really? How will biofuel crops affect wildlife and agriculture? And then of course there is the issue of supply. Still, I’m excited to see the research taking flight at least. Read the BBC article here…Biofuel trial flight set for 747
Keep Flying:
- On the Mat: The Eco Three-Wheelers at Earth2Tech
- Transportation Tuesday: Top 5 Cities for Public Transit at Inhabitat
- Daily Detox: How was your flight? at Daily Tomorrow
- Tuesday Travels: Eco-friendlier skies with coal? at Daily Tomorrow
- Green Sky Dreams: Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner at Daily Tomorrow
Get Out, Get Green
Upcoming Green Events & Workshops
Annual Renewable Energy From Organics Recycling (Oct 1-3) Indianapolis, IN
States champion renewable power, fuels, landfill gas recovery; project development, financing trends; energy production from food processing, industrial organics; anaerobic digester start-ups. Presented by Biocycle. (610) 967-4135 ext 21
Hands-On Biodiesel Workshop (Oct 1-5) Pittsboro, North Carolina
Learn the fundamentals of this alternative fuel source that can be used in any diesel engine. Participants will make biodiesel fuel with locally available materials, visit existing small scale production plants and learn from top biodiesel industry specialists. Presented by Solar Energy International. Contact Soozie Lindbloom (970) 963-8855 or sei@solarenergy.org.
Solar Hot Water (Oct 1-3) Fontana, California
Learn the nuts and bolts of designing & installing domestic hot water systems. Topics covered include safety procedures, batch heaters, anti-freeze systems, PV powered pumping, radiant floor heating, maintenance, mounting options, lessons learned and more. Classroom theory will be complemented with tours of working systems. Presented by Solar Energy International. Contact Matthew Harris (970) 963-8855 or sei@solarenergy.org.
International Life Cycle Assessment & Conference (Oct 2-4) Portland, Oregon
This conference is the sixth in a series of US based conferences on life cycle assessment. This conference brings together business, government and academia, to discuss both new applications of life cycle assessment and new results and methods. This year in addition to our ususal sessions on life cycle assessment and management, we will have a focus on using LCA for investment, both internal and external. Some of that investment is in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and so we will also have a focus on energy and climate policy. Presented by American Center for Life Cycle Assessment. Contact Mary Rose maryr@nbis.org.
4th Annual Sustainability Leadership Summit (Oct 2) New York, New York
This NYC-based nonprofit is focused on mobilizing businesswomen to support social responsibility and advance sustainable development by giving women a voice in the sustainability debate. Presented by the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future. Contact Ann Goodman info@wnsf.org.
Green Skyline Portland (Oct 3) Portland, Oregon
Take a walk through the buildings that make Portland’s skyline among the greenest in the world. Five of Portland’s most innovative high performance buildings will open their doors to show the public what smart design, construction, and operations look like.Presented by Cascadia Region Green Building Council. Contact Jenny Seifert (503) 228-5533 or jenny@cascadiagbc.org
Sustainable Industries Economic Forum 2007 (Oct 3) Seattle, Washington
Join Seattle’s top business leaders for a breakfast panel discussion and networking event. Hear the former Western Regional Economist for US Bank, along with presidents and CEOs in the energy, green building, and entertainment industries discuss the economic potential of sustainability in our region, and meet other industry leaders that are working to develop business opportunities around sustainability. Presented by Sustainable Industries. Contact Kate Carone (800) 433-9301 or events@celilo.net.
Solar & Radiant Heating (Oct 4-6) Fontana, California
Design practical and efficient solar and radiant heating systems for energy and cost savings with comfort of underfloor heating. Presented by Solar Energy International. Contact Matthew Harris (970) 963-8855 or sei@solarenergy.org.
Washington, DC, Green Festival (Oct 6-7) Washington DC
Green Festivals celebrate what’s working in our communities—across the District, Maryland and Virginia—for people, for business and for the environment. You’ll enjoy more than 125 visionary speakers and 350 green businesses (start your holiday shopping now!), great how-to workshops, green films, a fair trade pavilion, yoga and movement classes, organic beer, delicious organic cuisine and live music. Presented by Coop America & Global Exchange. Visit Green Festivals for more info.
Bloggers Unite for the Environment: Blog Action Day
Blogging has become a tool of the people, evident today in the images and accounts that seep out of Burma. The power of the internet and the voice of the blogger can’t be denied as Burma cyber-dissidents crack censorship to reveal protests of a scale that has not been seen in the military-ruled country for almost twenty years. Recognizing the power of blogging, a group of the industry’s best and brightest have created Blog Action Day - an event that will use the media platform to unite bloggers for the environment.
On October 15th, bloggers from around the globe will focus their words, pictures and podcasts on the environment. The call goes out to all bloggers, not just green ones, and the founders hope for “unity in diversity”. As of today there are nearly 6,000 blogs signed up to participate and together will reach an audience of almost 4 million people.
Bloggers can participate by creating a post about the environment and or committing their day’s revenue to one of the selected charity recipients including Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Foundation, The Sierra Club Foundation and The Conservation Fund.
The bloggers behind Blog Action Day include Collis Ta’eed, Leo Babauta and Cyan Ta’eed. Collis Ta’eed runs Eden Creative Communities and blogs on NorthxEast. A Baha’i, Collis was inspired to create Blog Action Day by a belief in the unity of humanity. Leo Babauta is the author of one of my all time favorite blogs ZenHabits and has also written for LifeHack.org, DumbLittleMan, FreelanceSwitch, WebWorkerDaily and was recently a guest on ProBlogger. Cyan Ta’eed runs another hit blog FreelanceSwitch a valuable resource for freelancers of all varieties.
I’ve already committed Daily Tomorrow to the day and hope to get another exciting blog project that is in the works of the ground by then (hhhmmm). Several of my favorite blogs are signed up including ProBlogger, Inhabitat, GigaOm and many more. It should be a great event filled with diverse perspectives on today’s environmental issues. So mark the day and if you are a blogger consider signing up! Go to Blog Action Day for more info and I’ll keep you posted here as well.
10 Solutions to Save the Ocean
Many of us struggle with an awareness that the world’s oceans are threatened but often wonder what we, as individuals, can do. The oceans are vast, mysterious and complex. Even those who study them will never run out of new discoveries or understanding. But there are actions that make a difference.
Conservation Magazine has compiled an article of essays from some of the brightest marine researchers, teachers and experts:
- Martín Hall, Chief Scientist of the Dolphin Tuna Program at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
- Daniel Pauly, Director of the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre and Project Leader of The Sea Around Us
- David Conover, Dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University
- Amanda Vincent, Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre and Director of Project Seahorse
- Kimberly Davis Deputy Director of the World Wildlife Fund’s Marine Conservation Program
- Carl Safina, president and cofounder of the Blue Ocean Institute
- George Sugihara, Professor of Biological Oceanography at The Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Ussif Rashid Sumaila, Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre
- Amanda Vincent, Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre and Director of Project Seahorse
- Tundi Agardy, Executive Director of Sound Seas
In Ten Solutions to Save the Ocean Conservation editor Sarah Simpson says:
Saving the world’s oceans is going to take more than passionate declarations. So we asked a select group of innovative thinkers to go out on a limb. What string should we pull to give marine conservation a decided edge? Here are their answers.
The short list goes like this…
1. Eat lower on the marine food web and tap into a bountiful supply of protein
2. Elevate the role of small-scale fishers in the world market
3. Alter harvest strategies to account for evolutionary change
4. Invest in microcredit schemes for women in poor coastal communities to curtail overfishing
5. Tap into the firsthand expertise and ingenuity of fishermen and backyard inventors
6. Simple modifications to fishing gear save thousands of turtles and seabirds each year
7. Create new markets that reward careful fishing
8. Eliminate fuel subsidies to reduce destructive bottom trawling on the high seas
9. Text messaging is changing the face of marine conservation
10. Move toward wholesale zoning of the oceans—rather than piecemeal protection schemes
But it’s the article and essays that bring meaning to the actions and policies. It is one of the best proactive-approach writings on the state of the oceans today and how each of us can make a difference. Get the full read here 10 Solutions to Save the Ocean.
Tuesday Travels: Could you be Smart Material?
They sip fuel, turn heads and can fit into parking spaces like nobody’s business - it’s the Smart ‘fortwo’ from Mercedes Car Group. These four-wheel cuties first made waves in the US at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, teasing the crowds and press that it would be “coming to America in 2008″. Recently, the endearing two seater has been making friends on a 50-city US tour. What’dya think? Could you be Smart material?
MSNBC recently reported from New York - Americans get look at tiny Smart car - where the Smart was stopping traffic in Manhattan. Just 2.5 meters long (about 8 1/2 feet), the ‘fortwo’ is half the length and a third the weight of a typical SUV - a mere bug beneath the city’s towering skyline.
While Americans ponder the size and safety of the Smart, the cars are holding their own in Europe. Over 770,000 Europeans have claimed Smart ownership, many for its compact convenience for urban excursions. Many cities have ‘Smart-only’ parking that squeezes every inch of space out of urban jungles.
What about the highway? Well, I will (shamefully) admit that my VW Golf has been lapped by more than one Smart on Germany’s Autobahn. And Smart owners swear by the tiny car’s long distance capabilities.
Does the little Smart have a chance against the mean SUVs congesting the US highways? Only time will tell. Canadians have been seduced by the car’s ability to get more than 40 miles to the gallon.
To give the “cute” cars a little edge for their US debut, Mercedes has teamed up with racing legend Roger Penske through Penske’s UnitedAuto distribution group. The team, Smart USA, is expected to launch the Smart ‘fortwo’ in the US in early 2008. Reservations start at $99 and the preview tour is still underway - visit SmartUSA for upcoming stops. Also check out this bubble-gum-like Smart dispenser… here
Don’t forget Transportation Tuesdays at Inhabitat for more green life on the road!
Daily Detox: Beyond Pesticides
Reuters ran an article last week Pesticide exposure linked to asthma in farmers that outlined a US study where researchers found “Exposure to several commonly used pesticides appears to increase the risk of asthma…The main finding was that a history of high pesticide exposure was associated with a doubling of asthma risk.” It makes sense: high exposure to chemicals, high risk of health problems. But this report hits home, literally. According to the EPA, the level of pesticides in residential landscapes is higher than commercial farms.
Pesticides have been linked to cancer and birth defects. They inevitably find their way into the natural water cycle where they pollute rivers, lakes, oceans and local drinking water. If you use pesticides on your lawn or garden, it’s likely they’re inside your home as well tracked in on shoes and pets.
The thing is you don’t need the chemicals. Healthy shrubs and flowers are naturally resistant to unwanted garden intruders. Instead of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, opt for organic solutions. Find common chemicals and alternatives at Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management. Get connected to chemically free living at Pesticide Free Lawns Coalition.
Read more:
- L-A-W-N, A four letter word at Ideal Bite
- 80% of Schools Apply Pesticides Regardless of Need! at TreeHugger
- How does your garden grow? at Dr. Weil
Get Out, Get Green
Upcoming Green Events & Workshops
Utility Interactive Photovoltaics (Sept 24-28) Fontana, California
Learn how to design and install code compliant PV systems to safely produce electricity to tie into the utility’s grid. This workshop provides a strong foundation for people wanting to find employment in this market. Presented by Solar Energy International. Contact Matthew Harris (970) 963 - 8855 or sei@solarenergy.com.
Green Building Finance & Investment Summit (Sept 24-25) New York, New York
This conference is focused on the business of building green commercial developments. Presented by Financial Research Associates, LLC. Contact Sarah Dunnam (704) 889-1325 or sdunnam@frallc.com.
Air Quality VI: International Conference on Mercury, Trace Elements, SO3, Particulate Matter and Greenhouse Gases (Sept 24-26) Arlington, Virginia
This year’s event will focus on: air quality impacts on policy, health and ecosystems, emissions prevention and control, measurement methods and atmospheric reactions and modeling, and greenhouse gas issues. Presented by the Energy & Environmental Research Center. Contact LaRae Foerster (701) 777-5246 or lfoerster@undeerc.org.
Successful Solar Business (Sept 24-27) Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Are you looking to increase your knowledge of Solar Electric Design/ Installation? You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and will walk away with the tools to start their new business. This workshop has an emphasis on PV installation businesses, but also will look at roles of distributors, solar thermal business, manufacturing, and international opportunities. Presented by Solar Energy International. Contact Kathy Fontaine (970) 963-8855 or sei@solarenergy.org.
Engineering Green O7 Portland (Sept 25-26) Beaverton, Oregon
Premier event for integrating green practices into all types of engineering, from the site to the systems. Presented by Cascadia Region Green Building Council. Contact Jenny Seifert (503) 228-5533 or jenny@cascadiagbc.org
Sustainable Industries Economic Forum 2007 (Sept 25) Portland, Oregon
Join Portland’s top business leaders at a breakfast panel discussion and networking event. Hear the former Western Regional Economist for US Bank, along with presidents and CEOs in the forestry, farming, and apparel industries discuss the economic potential of sustainability in our region, and meet other industry leaders that are working to develop business opportunities around sustainability. Presented by Sustainable Industries. Contact Kate Carone (800) 433-9301 or events@celilo.net.
Sustainable Brands Conference (Sept 26-28) New Orleans, Louisiana
Environmental and social responsibility are hot commodities in business today, and companies are scrambling to figure out what this means for them. Learn from the leaders who are differentiating their brands successfully around these value propositions. Presented by Sustainable Life Media, Inc. Contact Hunter Sasser (650) 344-9693 or hunter@sustainablelifemedia.com.
Long Island Global Warming Summit for Families (Sept 29) Farmingdale, NY
The event will feature outdoor alternative energy displays and demos, clean vehicles, green vendors, screenings of an Inconvenient Truth, and much more. Local companies are encouraged to get involved by being a vendor, exhibitor, or by presenting a workshop. Presented by Center for Science Teaching and Learning. Contact Joe Ferrara (516) 764-0045 or joe@cstl.org.
Daily Detox: Sit, Eat, Enjoy
I’ll admit I was addicted to takeout when I lived near Baja Cafe, an amazing little gift to those with a thing for burritos and fresh smoothies. The funny thing is that while Baja had plenty of seats, great ambiance and welcomed B.Y.O.B. diners, I never sat down. Shameful waste as I could’ve spared a few minutes to sit, eat and enjoy. Plus, I would’ve avoided using all the paper (and plastic and poly) associated with takeout. Today’s Daily Detox: Avoid takeout (and containers), sit for 5 minutes won’t cha?
Although eating on the run seems inevitable what are you really gaining by trying to multi-task one of the most central activities for good health? Eating is not a sidebar to life, it’s part of the content. Good food, good coffee, taking time to refuel - that’s what it’s about. Next time you hear yourself say “I’ll just grab something…” take a pause. How can you make it a little healthier for both you and the planet? Avoid the takeout, take five, sit, eat and enjoy. Short on time? Call ahead to order but tell ‘em you’ll be eating in so hold the paper and plastic.
More treats:
- Takeout: The Trash at Ideal Bite
- No Takeout Pizza Here Tonight at All Things Edible
- How to Eat Healthy While Dining Out at MamboSprouts
Friday Favorites: States Speak Up, Green Nuns, Less Landfill, Eco-Moms and More
Sister Donna Hart of the green order The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Detroit (photo: Steve Perez / The Detroit News)
Vermont and other states scored a victory on Wednesday in their battle to get automakers to comply with rules aimed at reducing global warming. State rules on greenhouse gas emissions don’t conflict with federal mileage standards and automakers should be able to develop the technology to meet them, a federal judge ruled…read more at CBS
New York Subpoenas 5 Energy Companies:
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York has opened an investigation of five large energy companies, questioning whether their plans to build coal-fired power plants pose undisclosed financial risks that their investors should know about…It is rare, if not unique, for a securities law to be used for an environmental purpose, in this case the fight against new coal-fired power plants. The plants’ main emission, carbon dioxide, has been linked by scientists to global warming…read more at NYT
DNA test hope over damages claims:
Scientists say a new DNA test may help prove if people have had their health damaged by exposure to chemicals. Experts say it could have huge implications on civil cases where workers seek compensation for illnesses caused by things such as asbestos...read more at BBC
Call to protect shark-filled sea:
Conservationists are urging the Australian government to protect the Coral Sea, one of its last tropical marine wildernesses. The sea was recently declared a “predator diversity hotspot” because of its abundant shark populations. Campaigners fear the region could be targeted by illegal shark fisherman as well as oil and gas prospectors…read more at BBC
Making The Landfill Less Full:
It’s a depressing reality that no matter how diligently you recycle, compost and repurpose, a huge amount of your trash still ends up baking in the sun in a landfill. The EPA estimates that U.S. residents and businesses produce more than 245 million pounds of MSW (that’s municipal solid waste, i.e. trash) per year — which works out to a whopping 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day…read more at Earth2Tech
What to Inspect When Your Expecting:
Talk about a double whammy. It’s challenging enough to be green when you’re solo, and then pregnancy comes along and gives you twice the eco-angst (not to mention more hormones than you know what to do with). The cause for alarm is real: pregnancy is the most critical time for establishing your baby’s well being. It’s also the time when you’re vulnerable to the alphabet stew of harmful chemicals in the world, which are increasingly making their way into women’s bodies, wombs, and breast milk. But there is good news: Simple measures like eating organic, nutrient-rich foods before and during pregnancy can help safeguard you and your child while being kinder to the planet. And today it’s easier than ever to find products that promote healthy pregnancies and peace of mind…read more at Grist
The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have educated tens of thousands of students in Metro Detroit, and it might seem easy to conclude that the aging nuns in the order have accomplished most of the work they believe God intended for them. But life is long and the nuns say they believe it is all sacred. So they have set a new path, emphasizing the environment and scientific discoveries as part of their spirituality…read more at Detroit News
Park(ing) Day and No Impact Man
No Impact Man is making a presence tomorrow first on Good Morning America to talk about the benefits of biking and then off to “park” it - make a nice little green space where a car would be - right on a New York City street. In New York on Friday? Go visit him and his friends at Whole Foods on Seventh Ave at 24th Street. Can’t make it? Here’s a little Thursday fun for urban eco-dwellers…imagine cities dedicated to people not cars…
Daily Detox: B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bag)
Big environmental impact:
Sierra Club: Somewhere in the northern Pacific floats a non-biodegradable petrochemical blob that’s twice the size of Texas. Much of this deadly mess originated when someone innocently took home their shopping in a plastic bag. In the U.S. alone, we throw away 100 billion plastic bags each year — the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil. Yikes!
I would post a picture of what plastic bags do to turtles but honestly I can’t stomach it and I’ll have nightmares. What I can do is let you know that life goes on beyond plastic grocery bags. I’ve known this since before moving to Germany but know can firmly attest that society will not come to a screeching halt nor will grocery stores fill with angry mobs or wandering zombies who can’t figure out how to get their food home. Won’t happen.
Nope, just B.Y.O.B. - Bring Your Own Bag. Like these The Planet Bag
What’s not floating:
- Plastic left holding the bag as environmental plague at Common Dreams
- London councils push for plastic bag ban at The Guardian
- No More Plastic Bags (Video) at TreeHugger
- San Francisco Approves Plastic Bag Ban at MSNBC
Daily Detox: Get Caffeinated
Caffeine junkies, I’m talking to you, one coffee-cup-holding environmentalist to another. Wherever your favorite morning brew may come from and wherever it may go, sip it from a reusable cup to reduce land fill waste and energy use.
Now all coffee cups require energy to make whether they are reused, recycled or tossed. The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can make for an interesting debate. Pablo at Triple Pundit has a nice breakdown between the energy costs for manufacturing between steel mugs, ceramic mugs and Styrofoam (polystyrene) Ask Pablo: The Coffee Mug Debacle. And TreeHugger’s EcoTip: Coffee Spilling the Beans has some more numbers to jostle the brain. Both assessments point to ceramic as the eco-friendliest coffee mug material.
But more than energy use, coffee cups made of Styrofoam (like those omnipresent Dunkin’ Donuts cups) are space hogs and contribute to landfill waste. They could be recycled but unfortunately don’t always make it in the right bin, actually seldom. The other downside to Styrofoam is that the material can leach chemicals (endocrine disruptors) into your drink. That’s a bad thing.
Hard plastic mugs can also leach chemicals, specifically Bisphenol A (BPA), so they’re not the healthiest choice - although they do reduce landfill waste if used for a considerable time. Stainless steel mugs are hard to break so they have a long life making up for some of the embodied energy from manufacturing. The healthiest, eco-friendliest choice is a ceramic mug. These are widely available with fitted lids for travel and it’s likely you could find an original piece from a local artist.
All this talk about the morning sidekick has got me thinking - what are you drinking from? It seems so personal but I want to know. Are you addicted to Styrofoam? Got an old favorite mug with a story? Let’s see how readers are taking their coffee, leave a comment below…
Tuesday Travels: Eco-friendlier Skies with Coal?
I love to travel and always have so whenever there’s news about air travel getting greener I’m all over it with glimmering hope in my eyes. The latest news that a Princeton professor is developing jet fuels with “near-zero net greenhouse gas emissions” got my attention, but after reading the full scoop I’m wondering where’s the green in all this?
Here’s how it breaks down: Princeton Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Fred Dryer wants to reduce reliance (in the US) on oil for air travel so he’s got some research going on about how jets burn petroleum and alternative fuels (backed by government and industry grants). This part I get.
He’s also developing jet fuels with “near-zero net greenhouse gas emissions”. Now I am not a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering but when I hear “near-zero” net greenhouse gas emissions I’m thinking clean fuel sources - solar, wind, hydrogen fuel cell. So I was surprised that the (again) “near-zero net greenhouse gas emissions” fuel that Dryer and his colleagues are developing is a synthesis of biomass and coal. Coal?
Now biofuels have their downside, like overtaking food source land, but they certainly out-green coal as a fuel source. Coal is about as dirty as it gets. Environmental News Network reported that:
“a key component of their solution is isolating and storing the carbon dioxide produced during the production of so-called synfuels. This technique, called carbon capture and sequestration, is a promising strategy being investigated intensively by Princeton’s Carbon Mitigation Initiative, among other research programs. An ‘especially attractive feature’ of processing coal and biomass together to make synfuels is that it requires only half the amount of biomaterial as pure biofuel production, while still making fuels with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions, Williams said.” (Robert Williams is a senior research scientist at the Princeton Environmental Institute and member of the research team)
See, there it is again, “near-zero greenhouse gas emissions”. Now perhaps I’m missing something but to me this research is about oil not greener skies. Replacing petroleum with coal is about as green a move as driving across town to drop off your carbon offset payment. I’m all for the (7.5 million dollar!) research for alternative jet fuel but I’m not getting the warm eco-fuzzies over here for a fuel that burns coal instead of oil. You check it out and give me your take - Green Skies: Engineer’s work may reduce jet travel’s role in global warming.
Get Around:
- Be sure to check out Transportation Tuesday at Inhabitat!
- Bio-Fuel Tested in Commercial Jet Engine at TreeHugger
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