green blog 269 items | updated May 22 2012

I have always wanted to go to Hawaii.  When I was a child growing up in rural Vermont, my father visited and brought back my first pair of earings. They were a soft orange and pink stone, unlike anything I had ever seen.  So my associations of Hawaii were of soft, gentle, exotic, Elvis, and…well surfers of course. But that was it.

I came with the desire to explore Hawaii’s place in the sustainability movement, find out why everyone started every email with Aloha and ended it with Mahalo, and make a study of what it meant to explore and travel with an eco conscious. To be introduced to the idea that the connections to the land was woven into the way of life for Hawaiians not only as a spiritual practice but also governing practice, was quite the intro into this enquiry.

Our first stop was Oahau. Needless to say, Honolulu was not the Hawaii I was expecting. It was a bustling busy bona fide city. But before my bubble could be burst, I was experiencing the spirit of Aloha as my seatmate offered to help me find my way to my hotel.

The hotel provided a tour of the grounds, and the guide introduced me to the sacred coconut grove where the royalty used to hold court, but also to the state seal which was carved onto every door of every room.  It read, UA MAU KEEA OKA AINA, “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” As I stepped into my room, I realized I was stepping over a threshold, that I was being introduced to a new world that I hadn’t dared to fully imagine.

I pondered the term, and had to ask for clarity. Did it really mean what I thought?
The life
Of the land
Is perpetuated in righteousness.

To live righteously: words that come to mind include courage, stamina, strength, and bravery. So if I am to understand, in order for the life of the land to continue: we must perpetually live righteously. Now this is a new paradigm.

The next day I would speak to Kelvin Ho about the topic, as well as Stella Burgess, the director of Hawaiian culture and community relations as my hotel (how cool is that??) and would learn that looking at a life of enquiry: do you live in balance? What will serve? Do you hold yourself in balance understanding what you are connected with? Do you do your part as humans as stewards for the land. Check out Kelvin and Stella speaking for themselves.

I couldn’t have put words to it before I arrived, but yes, this is why I came, because Hawaii is a place where the people live so closely and intimately with the physical elements, that their relationship with the land is written into their state motto.  I was beside myself to understand how that translated to the way they looked at how they cared for their physical environment and addressed sustainability issues.

As I opened the windows to feel the warm humid air, I also took in the lush and exotic scent of flowers, plants, and trees I had never seen in person before, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the land was prepared to grow over the buildings at any moment if the gardeners allowed it. That I didn’t know, but I did know one thing for sure, “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

I might just be in heaven. Suddenly the continent  (how Hawaiians refer to the states) felt very, very far away.

So there I was, sitting in my cubicle at work when I got the call of a life time, "Want to eco-blog from Hawaii?" Of course I did what any normal person would do: I hemmed and haawed for all of  .5 seconds before saying, "Hellz Yeah!" The call came from Christine Lu, a self created new media maven who was working with the Hawaii Tourism Authority on an experiment that utilized new media and blogging as a way to spread their message about Hawaii. While I was excited to go to Hawaii, I also wanted to make sure that I was being true to my peeps at Current Green. So I explained to Christine, if I go, I'm going to need to be able to cover the interests of our community: an inquisitive, take-no-prisoners-don't-waste-my-time-with-green-washing, well informed group. She said, (much to my amazement) "No problem, come as you are, write what you would normally be drawn to write."

So I put a call out two call outs the Current community that asked: what issues are you interested in or want to know more about?

Mike_Johnson requested info on the carbon cap, the emission standards, and the smart grid; PJacobs51 asked (can't tell if there was a tone of (well deserved) snark) How do you travel Green?; MBK20 asked about organic coffee farms, while RCS commented, " there is a lot of work being done now to try preserve Hawaii's endemic plant and animal species, so if you have any extra time whilst there, you might want to investigate the progress, or lack thereof, that is being made on that front."

estee_arie put in a request about recycling plants and the pollution they are causing, JanforGore put in a request about info on the GMO's and and an update about Tarrot debate, and mako2424 asked about my carbon footprint and aquaculture (among a few other things).

I took all of that into account, and added a few more ingredients into the  mix: 3 cups of love for the oceans, 5 tablespoons of interest in ocean conservation, 2 pinches of eco-travel, 1/2 cup of cultural history, mixed it all together (with a lot of help from MJ) and ended up with 1 very very busy action packed trip. I thought I would be able to get it all in: 5 islands, 9 days and write something thoughtful and meaningful that would be worth the time you might take to read it. But at the end of the day, there was too  much to say! I'm not the type that can sit down at 11pm and bust out a cohesive sentence, plus I was a tad busy planning that little interview with Gavin Newsom. And frankly, the experience was too incredible and rich experience to shove it into a few rushed sentences. I wanted to take the time to explore what happened to me when I traveled on through Hawaii, how it was different, how the culture affected and informed me, and what it meant to explore and develop a new sense of place and connection to that part of the earth. I also had the good fortune of meeting many amazing bloggers who were both local and a part of the Hawaii trip and you can check out what their experiences and perspectives. It was an added treat to get to see Hawaii through their eyes as well.

So, over the course of the next week, I will have Makana on repeat in my headphones, and you will find a lot of posts on Hawaii. And now you know why.

Mahalo

Gavin Newsom visited our offices last week to participate in an interview with questions submitted and voted on by you.



It was our very first live streaming interview, and a pleasure to have San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom in the office speaking out San Francisco's leadership role in sustainable policy.

I asked our community to submit questions and vote to determine which questions were used to interview Mayor Newsom. The top 6 questions were picked, and I reached out to a few of our green blogger colleagues to pick a few extra questions for the Mayor from the bunch that were submitted.

The topics ranged from national issues such as solar energy, wind and wave power, to local issues such as the raise in fares on Muni, San Francisco's new recycling and composting law, the potential closing of 220 California State Parks, and the High Speed Rail and public transporation on the I-5.

The remaining questions focused on how to get the green message out, Mayor Newsom said it was all about reaching the kids and starting environmental education early, new sustainable technologies and ended with a question about the one thing they he can transform from beginning to end if he were elected Governor

It was our first time doing anything like this, and I have to say, there is something thrilling about producing a live streaming show. It brings me back to my days in the theater when anything could happen. In the words of one our people here, "the show didn't suck." Hind sight being 20/20, if I could go back and do it again, I would have taken more time to understand the political thinking behind moving forward on desalination.  When in Hawaii a few weeks ago, I actually had a chance to drink some of their desalinized water, but once I started looking into it, the equation doesn't add up: the process of gathering fish kills an already stressed population, and it has a highly acidic byproduct. It feels like we are avoiding the elephant in the room: over population and over consumption. So I'll keep that in mind for next time: or perhaps I'll dedicate an entire show to the subject matter. What say you?

While this was our first live streaming web show, it certainly isn't our last. We'll soon be launching a weekly web show on Current Green that involves your participation to help steer the discussion. So, stay tuned for more info. You know that I am looking forward to your comments and feedback.

Current Green had the good fortune of catching up with Climate Journalist Greg Dalton just hours before the historic meeting he organized with Chevron CEO Dave O’Reilly and Carl Pope, Executive Director of The Sierra Club (it will be the first time the two have met, and will accept questions from a live audience).

Current Green: Who are you and why should we care?

Greg Dalton: I’m a former journalist who founded Climate One at The Commonwealth Club after visiting the Russian Arctic in 2007, a year of historically low sea ice levels.  When we weren’t flying around on helicopters or listening to lectures from climate experts, I read Tim Flannery’s “Weathermakers.” That was a transformative experience. Climate One is now a thriving leadership dialogue for engaging top executives from business, government, advocacy and academia.


The United Nations Development Program unveiled its first major report on climate change at Climate One in November 2007.

Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger announced his governor’s climate summit in a conversation with me at Climate One.

A few days later, I had a conversation with Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who unveiled the Google 2030 Energy Plan.

Two weeks later I convened a broad group of people to engage in a private conversation with John Hofmeister, former CEO of Shell Oil USA.  The group included environmental activists, including one who “spent my youth banging my head against Shell Oil.” It also include investors, a reverend, retired California Senator Byron Sher, and two people (Van Jones and Diana Farrell) who now work in the White House for President Obama. Around small tables for a few hours, they made new connections and discussed building a path to a prosperous low carbon economy. That set the stage for engaging Chevron and The Sierra Club.

Current Green: What is the significance of this meeting?


Greg Dalton: This is the first time Chevron CEO Dave O’Reilly will meet Carl Pope, Executive Director of The Sierra Club. Chevron is the largest corporation in California. The Sierra Club is the state’s largest environmental organization. The chiefs of two California icons sitting down for the very first time. More than 500 people are participating. It is open to the public and anyone can submit a written question to the moderator, Alan Murray, deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal.  Interestingly, both Chevron and The Sierra Club opted out of the US Climate Action Partnership, a group of 40 large corporations and environmental groups that are recommending a cap and trade system for reducing carbon pollution. USCAP has been a main venue for compromises between environmentalists and large corporations in polluting industries. The fact that Chevron and The Sierra Club haven’t been participating makes this meeting even more significant. Oil companies and environmental advocates realize they need to communicate with each other, respectfully, even though they have very different views about the role of fossil fuels in powering our future.

Current Green: What are you hoping will be the outcome?


Greg Dalton: I hope people on both sides will listen actively and come away with an understanding of the other position even if they disagree with it vehemently. There is some middle ground, however slight, around efficiency and conservation. Perhaps that can be expanded and the differences better understood – moving beyond the stereotypes of big oil and treehuggers.  It’s modest start.


Current Green: So now that you’ve already managed to accomplish something considered impossible, what’s the encore?

Greg Dalton: I worked for a full year on this and it is hard to top. There will be other debates, possibly involving CEOs on different sides of the coal divide. Climate One also does panels and conversations with national and international thought leaders.  On July 28th an executive with the World Bank will discuss climate change and international economic development. Stanford Climate Scientist Stephen Schneider will join us on October 2nd. We’ll also have Jim Lentz, President of Toyota USA, on November 7th.


This summer we may have Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the US EPA. Our blog is our temporary web presence until we can get resources to build out a site later this year.  And we post videos of our programs and some mashups on YouTube.


To be added to Climate One’s email list or suggest a topic contact us: climateone@commonwealthclub.org

Tune in tomorrow for a link to the video of the meeting.

Related links:

Sierra Club

Chevron

Guerrilla Gardener VIDEO

That was my one and only attempt at sports announcing. Don't worry, I'll keep my day job.

Two things:

The page might change: so don't get confused. Voting does not get turned off, but the questions listed above will be the questions asked on Thursday.

There are 5 other questions that are not in this list that were hand selected by Treehugger, Grist, Good Magazine, Huffington Post Green, and Chelsea Green. So surprises await you.

Top 6 questions from the Current Green community:

1. What's the thing you can really transform?


2. Less routes and higher fares on MUNI?!?!


3. Which areas of California are most suitable for wind farms?


4. What issues arise with sustainability & safety in new energy tech?


5. What's your take on the proposal to close 220 state parks?


6. Would you be willing to establish a 5 yr challenge to buy all SF electricity from solar/wind providers? If no, why not?

So see you on Thursday, June 11th, 12PST at www.current.com/green for the live streaming interview with Gavin Newsom.

Related Links:

Gavin Newsom

Environment

Current Green

The questions are in. The time in now. Your mission is to vote up the questions you think should be asked to Gavin Newsom about his environmental policies and run for Governor. Here's your one and only chance to be a couch potato and still make a difference. Go now. Click. Your. Opinion.

And then c'mon back on Thursday at 12pm PST, on Current Green and see if what you think matters. JK. C'mon back and see the live streaming interview with Gavin Newsom.

See ya then!

Related Links:

Gavin Newsom

Supernews! Mocks the Top Gov VIDEO

Hello Monday!
As you know, this coming Thursday, Current Green is live streaming our interview with Gavin Newsom about his run for Governor. Why would we bother? I know it may seem a little like naval gazing given that Gavin is the mayor of our hometown, but some might assert that California is defining the forefront of domestic and international environmental policy solutions. So if that's the case: don't you want in?

You only have until 5pm today to post your question!!

Want to know what he is talking about? No pressure, but the future of our conversation depends on you. The interview will be designed by the questions you choose to ask. So you tell us (or rather, Gavin) what topics should be the top priority of the political leaders agenda as it regards to conservation and sustainability policies.

Want to know more about Gavin Newsom and his green platform??

Then, you have until 5pm PST, Tuesday to vote. (If you really believe your question is all that and more: you may want to drop a line to a few friendly people and ask them to vote for your question).

So fire up your webcam and ask your question to Gavin Newsom! RIGHT NOW. Go Go Go! (But not in the comments section silly, on the special page we made where everyone can vote your question up and down.)

Oh, and just in case your question was so hot that no one got it, all is not lost, since the editors of Treehugger, Grist, Huffington Post Green, Good Magazine, and Chelsea Green are going to hand pick the question that most represents their interests.

Hey folks,
As you know, San Fran's Mayor, Gavin Newsom is running for Governor, and boy oh boy is he thumping on the green platform. Here's your chance to determine and shape the environmental issues that our political leaders discuss with the media. You can hit play, and listen to me chatter about how it works...or you can just read below.



Here's how it works
1. Submit your questions to Gavin Newsom about his green platform and run for Governor by Monday, 5pm PDT

2. Vote. Often. The six questions that make it to the top of the list are going to be asked by Current Green. Last chance to vote is 5pm PDT, Tuesday.

3. Come back and see what additional 5 questions the editors of Treehugger, Huffington Post Green, Good Magazine, Grist, and Chelsea Green select.

3. Watch and banter during the live stream and chat on Thursday, 12pm PDT, at www.current/green.

P.S. Want more info on Gavin Newsom's platform on the environment? HAVE more info to share? Check it and clip it.

Greetings!
Too much to say, and it's past midnight! So this evening I leave you with a few video post cards. Enjoy!

We visited Volcanoes National Park today...a dream come true in many ways, it was the first time I have visited an active volcano...and WOW. We even got to walk through a lava tube, a tunnel formed under under ground. It was very Indiana Jones and the Temple of Jones-esque. But this...this was a moment I enjoyed so much it was worth sharing.

Video Post Card: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

This is an image of a crater in the park. You can't see it in this video, but there are people walking down there and columns of steam coming out of various locations. When I come back...:) I want to go camping down there. The open land is so expansive, the space so fresh and volatile...it's a bit like walking on the moon. And how 'bout that bird!


Video Post Card: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park



Video Post Card: Na Pali Coast Coast, Kauai

A bottle nosed dolphin came to visit for a few moments. They enjoy surfing in front of the boats, and apparently the sounds of our voices....

Say you’re in Hawaii and you want to tread lightly…it just so happens that I’ve spoken to a lot of people about how to travel green in Hawaii, and learned, as always, that it depends on where you are what level of commitment you have. So here ya go, my take on how to travel green in Hawaii.  Please feel free to add your two cents.

Extreme Green: This is for you if you think, “Take no prisoners, the environment comes first, I’m so green I’m like camouflage in the forest”

1. I won’t insult you with the obvious: you already brought your water bottle, your coffee cup, and your reusable utensils. You’ve already brought your Tupperware with your airplane food so you don’t participate in all of that extra waste.


2. Pack it in, pack it out. I’m not kidding. Every single person I have spoken to without exception has said that garbage is a serious issue. Hawaii is still new to recycling, and depending on which island you are on, and who are speaking with, recycling has only been around for anywhere between 20-1.5 years. So if want to show the love, take your garbage home with you.


3. Public Transportation. Also known as hitch hiking (jk. sort of).

Greensters: This is for you if you think: "It’s hip to be in the green scene: so I’ll do what I can and boast about it over a Mai Tai."
While at the resort there are a few basic things you can do:

1. Make sure your resort recycles


2. Vote with your dollar: do some homework and only stay at resorts that have a sustainability director (some do), and at the very least, recycle. The more people who demonstrate interest in these issues, the more likely hotels will respond to this need.


3. Once in your room: turn off your air conditioner and open the windows and listen to the ocean.


4. Chill out and post the “do not disturb” sign on your door. You can use the same towels and sheets for a week at home, and you can do it Hawaii


5. Island hopping? If you choose to use the toiletries they offer, take what you have used to your next location.

At the time of writing this post I haven’t made it to all of the islands. If you know of other good practices that should be added to this list, please leave a comment.

While on Kauai I spoke to a few folks along the way who provided advise that I didn’t expect to hear. Stay tuned and prepared to be surprised by a request of the conscious traveler.

Living in Berkeley, California, I take it for granted that I have access to high quality eco friendly biodiesel fuel at our local Biofuel Oasis. But in Hawaii, only two islands use this alternative fuel (Oahu and Maui), and only Maui can lay claim to having the only biodiesel eco-friendly rental car agency. So without further adieu..here's a little glimpse into the bio diesel Bio Beetle world in Maui.


As soon as I arrived, I knew I wasn't at Avis. The hint, Shaun Stenshol, the owner of Bio-Beetle, picked me up at luggage claim, and mentioned that he hoped I wasn't allergic to cats, as there are a lot in his lot. He went on to explain that there is ferrel cat problem on the island, and that he and his partner have spayed all but two of the 70 cats who have staked a claim on his property. I'm a cat lover, so was syked to see the friendly crew, and instantly knew that I was with people who were living a way of life, not just a job.

Shaun explains how he came up with the idea...


And then discusses their holistic approach to Eco-business...


Want more biodiesel? Shaun chats for a few moments about biodiesel politics on Maui...

So there you have it~ Bio Beetle Maui! I didn't grab a boogy board, or a cooler, but I did borrow a hiking book.

It seems fitting to close with a quote that is posted on their site:

"If the success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do,
How would I be? What would I do?"

-R. Bucky Fuller

Related links:

Man creates homemade biodiesel from algae

Burning Man Green Man (video)

Biodiesel producers strip rainforest, displace poor.

So I’m sitting on the plane, somewhere in the middle of the pacific. The consistent view of ocean and more ocean is creeping me out; I can’t help but consider the thought of our plane falling from the sky and landing in the middle of nowhere. I’m too tired to read, so my attention is volleying between spying over the shoulder of my seat mate’s laptop while she watches Gossip Girl, and images of surfboarding and swimming on the big screen (Hawaiian Airlines shows a cultural programming when they aren’t playing movies). I finally settle on the images of the ocean, and to the melody of the slack guitar. Something is already different. It is reminding of me when I flew Thai Airlines on my way to Thailand, the cultural immersion begins when you step on the plane. I’m feeling myself slip into the idea of island time, and am craving the experience of claiming words like Aloha and Mahalo as my own.

I’ve been catching some slack (and for good reason) for the carbon footprint I’m creating while on this trip.  In the name of full transparency, I’ll be tracking my carbon footprint as I go. I’ve just begun researching  carbon calculators and am learning  there is one main feature that distinguishes them. Do you want to go macro and get an overall idea for your carbon footprint for the year, or do you want to go micro, and calculate the details of your carbon footprint? I going for the micro management program, as well as the convenience of tracking as I go. I’m toggling between two iphone applications: Carbon Tracker (personal addition) uses a GPS system that you begin and end with each leg of your trip, and Twavel (made by Netscribe). Ed Begley says it’s “fantastic,” so I have high hopes.

If you are into the quick fix of getting an estimate of your early carbon foot print, you may want to check out the iphone application Carbon Calc. The application summarizes your carbon debt and then links you to paypal and “lets” you pay off your guilt right there and then. Something about this rubs me the wrong way. I see the upside, in theory, people are consciously giving a few bucks that will either fund sustainable technology, or plant trees in the Amazon. But I can’t get around that this feels like a cheap quick way of feeling like you did something (and note taken: this is hopefully step one...step two is waiting to be created...by you.) My pet peeve with all of the calculators I found to date, they don’t calculate public vs. private transportation (dude, I want my karma points).

Meanwhile, an interesting side note: according to Carbon Cal: The average American footprint is 23.4 tons,  the European average footprint is 11 tons, and the world average footpint is 4.3 tons. Stats like that inspire the guilt, so off I go to find a carbon offset program I believe in.  I’ve done a fair amount of research, and felt attacked by a lot of clever marketing campaigns. My suspicoun is that it is an easy market for an entrepreneur to make a quick buck without doing the work they are claiming to do.

I put a call out to Twitter asking for recommendation for trusted resources @Chamako suggested
A Grassroots Alternative to Carbon Offsets that reccommends the following:

Instead of quantifying offsets, we are encouraging individuals and organizations to take responsibility for their own emissions by helping these projects expand their reach. And, we are able to promote a much broader range of projects that address climate change. For instance, a project in Ecuador teaches tens of thousands of children about climate change and ways to combat it. We can’t translate this into tons of carbon, but it can result in a future generation of green voters, consumers, and policymakers. Other projects from the Environmental Foundation for Africa are working not only to provide solar electricity to schools in villages in Sierra Leone, but also to train technical school students in their installation and maintenance.

A few other submissions I appreciated were these two lists that compare various carbon offset programs:


@karpul suggested EcoBusiness Links: Carbon Emissions Offset Directory

@EDF_InnovEx suggested their (Environmental Defense Fund) CarbonOffsetList.org directory



Onward! And....Mahalo!

P.S.  Just in case you don't "remember" what a carbon foot print is: here's the easy explanation from wikipedia:

"A carbon footprint is "the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product" (UK Carbon Trust 2008). An individual, nation, or organization's carbon footprint is measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it.

Carbon offsets, or the mitigation of carbon emissions through the development of alternative projects such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represent one way of managing a carbon footprint."

Last week, Stopnoise recommended jefftego for his great and tireless environmental work. Jeff is known for his keen interested and dedication to ocean conservation, without further adieu...Jefftego.

Current Green: What environmental topics are close to your heart?

jefftego: Climate change is probably the issue I think about the most. It absolutely amazes me that with all of the scientific data, climate models and visual evidence it is still an uphill battle to lower GHG emissions and there are skeptics around every corner. And I think this is more true in the US than any other developed country in the world, although I think we are starting to make some progress. Five years ago this issue wasn’t discussed in the public space at all, now it is out there every day. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a volunteer presenter with the Climate Project and I really enjoy spending time reading all I can on the issue and giving climate change presentations to community organizations, businesses and any other group that will listen to me for an hour. I have seen a shift in the people at my presentations over the last two years. There are fewer and fewer skeptics out there. I think instead of coming to my presentations they are posting their opinions on current.com.

Another topic that is close to my heart is the oceans. I’m happy this is starting to get more attention but it is such a tragedy what we are doing to the oceans from pollution, overfishing, factory fish farming, shark finning, noise and sonar pollution, whaling, etc. And this may come back on us faster than climate change. We are killing our oceans in an unbelievably short period of time and our species cannot survive without a healthy ocean ecosystem.

Current Green: What are your go-to environmental websites and blogs?

jefftego: Current is definitely right up there. I really like reading about issues that here that I wasn’t aware of before, even issues that aren’t a passion for me. There is so much diverse information here.

Dot Earth

Environmental News Network

Real Climate

The Daily Climate

Current Green: What's the most recent green thing you learned about that "wowed" you?

jefftego: I am always wowed by people who happily take extraordinary risks to do something for the environment, whether that is direct action or raising awareness. I was just at a Climate Project summit in Nashville and was wowed by one of the speakers there, Roz Savage. I was fortunate enough to meet her and she is incredible inspiring. She is an ocean rower and uses her rowing for environmental education and advocacy. In a few days she will be starting her next journey, rowing solo from Hawaii to Australia. Yes, you read that right. Rowing solo from Hawaii to Australia. She has already gone from Europe to the Caribbean and from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Go read Roz Savage's story, its way inspiring

Current Green: Who do you recommend should be featured next week?

jefftego: julesrs007. She always posts and raises awareness about animal welfare and animal rights. I think this is an issue that doesn’t get enough weight in Western society and I think Gandhi had it right when he said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. I appreciate that julesrs007 keeps putting this out there.

Current Green: If there was no other sound left in the world other than a jet engine, a dragster, or a sports stadium filled with crying babies, which would you choose to live next to and why?

jefftego: Do I get ear plugs? I don’t know how to answer this. Maybe the babies because you’ve got to think at some point they are going to cry themselves to sleep. Or just grow up and move out.

jefftego speaks....

I wrote about some of this above but I wanted to address the climate skeptic thing again. There is a great video series on YouTube called “The Climate Denial Crock of the Week.”  New videos come out every few weeks and each one goes right to the science and debunks a favorite skeptic argument.

If you follow any of my posts on here, you know I am passionate about whales. I have no idea why. This is one of those issues that found me and grabbed me. These are some of the most amazing creatures on the planet and for all we know about them, we still know little. But they have incredible intelligence and very complex social and family bonds. Most types of whales live their entire lives in one family group. They have different dialects in different regions. They are just amazing to me. And it is incredibly sad that we have decimated their numbers. Even though they are starting to come back since the ban on commercial whaling, it will take hundreds or thousands of years for their populations to get to pre-whaling numbers. And I doubt this will happen. There is growing pressure every year from Japan and other countries to lift the ban and resume commercial whaling. There is a great book, “Harpoon, Into The Heart of Whaling” that offers a lot of historical perspective on this issue. Additionally, they face challenges from climate change, shrinking food supply, and water pollution.

I could write about all this stuff hours but I want to end with something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I think as individuals we are looking for government and industry to do something about climate change and many of our environmental issues. And major action does have to come from them. But as individuals we really hold more cards than we realize in the choices we make. So much of the climate change issue, when push comes to shove, comes down to the fact that we make, consume and throw out too much stuff. I’m not saying we should get rid of modern conveniences, but what we have been doing the last few decades is quite excessive when you step back and think about it. Check out “The Story of Stuff”  We are always looking for economic growth – more sales, more production, more processing, more consumption – yet we live in a finite environmental system. How can we sustain economic growth in a finite ecological system? There has to be another way, a better, more sustainable way.

Hey folks!
I'll be blogging from Hawaii next week covering various environmental topics. As always, I want to hear from you about what would be of interest.

I would deeply value and appreciate the following info from you...

1. Links to articles about Hawaii and specifically environmental issues unique to Hawaii

2. Are you interested in a segment dedicated to creating the most minimal carbon footprint as possible?

3. Do you use, or have, a favorite iphone carbon foot print calculator?

Thanks for your feedback! Have a great memorial day!

Oh, and by the way, I will NOT be doing this....



Related Articles:

Land Paddling in Hawaii

Green protest: raft of plastic bottles en route to Hawaii

Blood in the Water (shark diving tours in Hawaii)

As promised: the links!

Breaking climate policy news reported on Twitter today!

If you're into getting breaking news about the Climate Bill hearing in DC (and snark) from Grist's politica report Kate Sheppard, her twitter handle is @kate_sheppard

The public hearing and rally for the EPA endangerment finding is being live reported by several folks via Twitter today: search: #epacaa  and you'll get the latest.

Featured Bloggers this week:

The Activist 911: Han Shan introduces ShellGuilty campaign to end oil giant Shell's gas flaring in Nigeria

Green Winners and Losers: Dave Burdick, Editor, Huffington Post Green

Dispatch from D.C. on House climate bill

As always, your ideas and feedback are welcomed and...needed!

Last week's featured Current Green member SeaJade, recommended Stopnoise.

Stopnoise is known, if not infamous, for his tenacious dedication to the issue of sound pollution. In addition, he is a fine artist, creative director, producer, web developer, film maker and Journalist who loves culture, religions, people, art, theater, music, design, electronic arts, education, sports and multimedia production. Some of his Projects Current.com include YouWebRadio, What is on top, Current Radio News. Without further adiu...stopnoise.

Current Green: What environmental topics are close to your heart?

Stopnoise: Traffic pollution.  Some years ago, I was walking along the sidewalk and admiring the reflection of the sun of a family of four walking ahead of me.  My attention was divided between the street traffic and the moving shadows as the children was playing around their relatives. From nowhere, a biker on a Harley roared by blasting noise from the exhaust. I saw the girl and the boy putting their little hands to protect their ears from the deafening noise. That image never left me to this day. In that moment I understood we have been attacked. That day I understood that noise it is not a simple occurrence to one's life but a threat to our collective physical health and I personally decided that I was going to do something about it.

I must expended hours and latter nights doing research and attempting to contact people that were also doing work in acoustics. I was very frustrated that I could not find any relavant information from government sites. When I went to the EPA website and searched for 'noise pollution' and nothing substantial came up, I knew we had a fundamental problem of denial running from the public to the government and vice verse. Continuing with my research, the first website I found was  <http://www.nonoise.org> http://www.nonoise.org from Canada. Being a creative director and web developer, I decided to design a website for San Francisco residents to start to empower the public and alert the Government to act. In the middle of my website development, I found  noiseoff from New York and I met its founder, Richard Tur.

During that time many events happened in San Francisco. I was working to address the government on the problem of noise pollution from traffic when the San Francisco Transit Authority, SFMTA, introduced its new line of buses. The design of these new electric buses did not take into consideration in the "EIR," Environmental Impact Report, the City of San Francisco's streets acoustic landscape and noise propagation through its building walls. These buses, besides being mechanically louder than the previous ones in every way, are in addition equipped with many external noise signals as beep signals, whistles and voice activate signals with a volume slider loud enough to trespass our home property lines reaching our bedrooms and other parts of the house. I remembering, after working late at night on a project for a client to be abruptly awaken with an electronic loud and intelligible voice and beep signal. That was the beginning of a battle that still going on to this day.

I live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth but it has been invaded and degraded by street and aircraft noise. I lost my office at home as I could no longer work or do any creative work there. Imagine yourself listening to an electronic garbage voice and beep signal all day long and through the night. I developed a sleep disorder and that has negatively affected my health and job productivity since them. I am grateful to have supportive friends through these difficult times. I put all my energy on the intrusive buses, by them, the streets got a lot louder with gangs of drivers modifying their vehicles mufflers and having their fun going up the streets expelling more pollution towards our homes.

To resume this part, the SFMTA Transit policy not only negatively affected my life personally but also drained all my energy from working in the other projects to abate the motorcycles, aircraft and vehicles with modified mufflers. These are real facts of life that latter I find out it is also happening with other people throughout the United States and they need to come out with their true stories so we can work to remove these people from Public and Government offices. It is a big alert and an eye opener that tell us all that we must stop to give power to the wrong people, from Federal to local levels to run our Public Transportation.

Current Green: What are your go-to environmental websites and blogs?

Stopnoise: As some of you already know, I have a  Current Profile; My channel on Current it is YouWebRadio; You also can follow me on Twitter;

My website is called soundpollution.  I also recommend NoiseOff from New York City; They are all packed with great educative information.



Current Green: What's the most recent green thing you learned about that "wowed" you?

There are so many things I cheer up and I liked everyone's work here at Current.com. From all my friend's connections to the developers, to the management, to Al Gore's tireless work and motivation. I must share that I get very happy when the public, the media and the government team up together do something serious to clean up our environment. If people were more aware of what they are listing and what they are breathing everyday, I think they would be more active to stop pollution. I have hopes that my work will reach the depth of their hearts and minds so they can be less passive and more active on the issue of pollution. However I know that this will happen only when they all understand that pollution is doing a great deal to destroy their personal health and quality of life.

Current Green: Who do you recommend should be featured next week?


Stopnoise: I would like to recommend jefftego for his great and tireless environmental work picking up news of interest here and there.


Current Green: If there was no other sound left in the world other than a jet engine, a dragster, or a sports stadium filled with crying babies, which would you choose to live next to and why?

Stopnoise: This it is a hard question but in my views I think that there are a lots of ways that Public, Contractors and the Government can mitigate these types of special acoustic events by sound proofing the buildings near the stadium. In case of the other sports special events, I only accept it if it is happening with special attention to acoustic insulation and have their location at remotes places far away from habitats.

Current Green: My sense is that it would be interesting for you to write about how your passion about creating a more sound safe planet...please feel free to write and add links to some of your favorite posts about the topic on and off Current.com

Stopnoise: First I would like to tell you that our streets in San Francisco are in a distant and forgotten past where modern vehicles run without any type of control and trusting driver's education has been proved to be a failure to curb with pollution. Right now, our communities do not have the control of their own streets. We are wasting time, energy and money with this issue. Second, the Obama Administration has yet to recognize, abate or stop noise pollution. That does not mean that I do not have hopes they will embrace the issue. The president's new administration are welcome to contact me. I have the solution to the problem of abating noise pollution that will benefit communities all over the United States.

I have posted many article of interest on noise pollution here at Current. Noise pollution has to do a lot with civility and personal education. Noise pollution it is not subjective as many people think it is. It stop to be a subjective matter after the microphone was invented and able humans to capture and access noise events. As an film maker I edit image and sound all the time. Every sound can be captured and translated into a software program where you can see it in real time. You can see the event and time, its type, the sound wave energy range and amplitude all through a camera attached to a computer hardware and software program. Noise goes not only through your ears but the energy also trespass the liners of the skull and brain reaching the brain nerve cells affecting people's physical health and quality of life. The brain works by electrical impulses. So the combination of electricity and excessive and unwanted sound waves it is very detrimental to ones health. It alters their present physical position in time and space interfering with their body movement causing stress, lost of creativity and at times lost of time and memory of present events.

My degree in the medical field went as far as being an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician); but I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Louis Hagler, a retired physician that have articles on the Southern Medical Journal about the negative health effects of Noise on humans. I also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Chair of the New York City Council on the Environment. Dr. Bronzaft performed her research on the negative effects of noise on children. Some of her articles and research can be found here;

• Dr. Arline Bronzaft; Beware: Noise Is Hazardous to Our Children’s Development
  


• A Call To The Legal Profession To Defend Citizens Against Noise Pollution


• Center of the Center for Hearing and Communication  International Noise Awareness Day


• Stop the noise!


• Dr. Louis Hagler; Science And Spirit - The Noisy Epidemic on Current and the full article The Noisy Epidemic

To wrap-up the last question; I strongly feel that the real solution to abate pollution it is in You. It is in your heart and mind! We can have the best technology and plan of action but if you do not participate and help, there will be not a solution to any of our health and environmental problems. So to motivate people in the community, I created a project that will work in partnership with the Government. The project will create an economy employing people and bringing them an income. Don't you want to get paid for doing a social work? That's the whole idea. I just need your help and support and the government's help to implement it. After this social project have been implemented, it will take off of the ground and run by itself with little operational cost and a substantial source of income that will benefit the individual, our communities and the government. So "Do not put it for Tomorrow, Do it Today!" Support and Help us in anyway you can!

I'm excited to share that Current Green will be presenting a new weekly series on the Current Green channel featuring bloggers who are destined to bring us their quirky, insightful, brilliant (hopefully) take on the green scene each week. A sneak peak into what's to come... from eco-tips, to the latest development in green tech, to climate science in plain english, and do it yourself green things (of course: if you have a topic or a blogger you know and love and want to see on Current you know what to do). I don't want to spoil all of the surprises, so I'll just jump in and introduce our first victim, Dave Burdick, editor of Huffington Post Green. I first met Dave in DC at the Powershift conference. He had me laughing (with, not at) the entire time, so I couldn't resist the idea of bringing his unique voice and perspective to the weekly news. Dave is known for his well honed skills of finding weird animals stories, and so launches his inaugural installment of his weekly vlog, Green Winners and Losers with....Animal Stories. Enjoy. And you know we're looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Current Green: So Dave, Who are you and why should we care?


Dave Burdick: I am an earthling and I write/blog/talk about earth things.

Current Green: What is the single most thing you love and hate about being a green editor?

Dave Burdick: I love learning every day, whether it's about some awesome new green technology, a simple thing to do at home or about the way the planet works. I kind of hate the way that backlash against flimsy "green" marketing gets misdirected at those of us who are regular, non-preachy people trying to do things right. I'm your pal, here! I just want to hang out and grab a sustainable brew and talk about football or whatever. Go Broncos, you know?

Current Green: Take us for a ride down the twisty turny path of Dave Burdick, where have you been and how did you get here?

Dave Burdick: I used to be a reporter, but then I got laid off from a shrinking newspaper (before it became fashionable) so I went into stand-up comedy full-time out in Colorado. That, plus being raised on many trips to national parks, a couple of degrees and an Internet addiction gets you one Dave Burdick.

Current Green: What are the pressing environmental issues you follow, and why?


Dave Burdick: I worry about greenwashing, which you could also just call "deception." I think that's kind of the biggest issue right now.

Current Green: If you could change 1 thing about the world, what would it be?


Dave Burdick: Less gravity one day a week because I've always wanted to dunk a basketball one day a week.

Current Green: A little bird told me that you know a thing or two about sustainably made beer, can you give us the lo down?

Dave Burdick: Sustainability in beer is exactly the same as sustainability anywhere -- I just think it's an easy (and fun) example to use. Drinking locally made beer cuts down a ton on your carbon footprint, because your beer and its packaging haven't had to eat up as much fuel. Beyond that, a lot of brewers do some really cool things like giving used grain, still packed with nutrients, to farmers for livestock feed. I met a guy once who used that grain (and even leftover yeast) to make hard candy. Don't know about that.

And then there are the folks who cut back on heat and water waste with awesomely engineered heat recapturing systems and water cleaning ponds where microbes clean up water and burp out methane, which is burned to heat the cleaned water up again! Great examples are New Belgium in Colorado and Sierra Nevada in California. I mean, who'd have thought of turning beer waste into fuel ?

Oh, and the brewers who pay that much attention to the planet tend to be pretty detail-oriented when it comes to their beer, too.

Wait, were we talking about something else before?

Related Links

There's a Serious Sustainable Beer Culture in Appalachia

This One's For You: ISS Space Barley Beer

The Internet's Best Animal Sex

The 20 Million Dollar Attempt to Free Willy

Last week JanforGore recommended SeaJade to be the next featured community member.

SeaJade may be best known for her original works of art and photography of sacred sites. You can tell from her work, her comments, and her posts that she is a sensitive soul with a sharp eye, and a desire to share her love for the world. Without further adieu: SeaJade:

This was the last location I filmed at a few years ago (oh but I haven't changed much, really :). Due to our current global crisis I stopped traveling abroad so frequently and pulled in to document the magic, beauty and sacredness of my own space in my garden (have published a lovely book on my garden came out on earth day this year) and local venues... I will resume my documentation of "Sacred Places" in the world at large when more appropriate.

Current Green: What environmental topics are close to your heart?

SeaJade: Everything connected with clean air, water, land, forests, food, energy, and freedom to choose a "natural" life.    Our world is a living, breathing, whole entity unto itself,  and the way it works (without the "ego-hand" of humans) is fantastic - we are part of a whole miraculous system and every part of it needs to be respected for its unique contributions that make up this reality we share  -  I care about it all,  and I care about human health in the same way -  we cannot be healthy, thrive, or feel abundant (I'm not necessarily talking money here)  if our environment is not healthy.    We live in the age of "The Insanity of Humanity"  where too many value material things over love and wisdom,  where too many have been taught to value what a person owns (or is in debt for), instead of what they do.   What "they" do affects the rest of us (plants, animals and minerals included here).   Exploitation, abuse, greed,  "damaged ego" thinking and acting out need to be replaced with understanding that being a steward and thinking with the heart can go a long way to cleaning up our environment and how we feel about ourselves as individuals.

I'm big on solutions - we have the technology to vastly improve our world's problems and all people and life on this planet can be more than o.k. if they choose  (inner attitude counts as well)...    It has to start with the individual first - our governments and corporations won't "save" us - they will and are doing the opposite - it will take billions of people to wake up from the manipulations that got us here in the first place and act in a positive and responsible manner to heal this situation.    The way we build our buildings, design our cities, towns and infrastructure is a good place to begin on the larger public scale,  agriculture - wisdom from the past combined with permaculture practices can produce miracles.     Monsanto, Bayer and other military/industrialized businesses - if they have their way - are and will bring such misery, despair and darkness to this world - its terrible to think about.   If  I were a parent I would be consumed with worry about my children's health and future.     It doesn't have to be this way  - but it does take well informed people to drive local and world markets so they spend their money wisely (one can get well informed by turning off their mainstream television and spending their time elsewhere).    In today's world with the knowledge we have war is a scam - its a tragedy beyond measure - what are we going to do with all that depleted uranium, cluster bombs and other buried explosives still killing and maiming from wars long past?  Have many people connected and measured how much of a carbon footprint war leaves with these ultra polluting weapons of mass destruction!    We don't need coal, its not clean - these corporations are creating another Mars - it won't take long if they are left to their own devices....  don't get me started on the insanity of uranium mining,  bio-fuels are a travesty, we need to be thinking and acting upon truly sustainable energy sources - wind and solar are the best we have and its all we need....   We have the money to do this as well...  If there is enough money to decimate and destroy other countries  and bail out banks and wall street, we have enough money to repair and heal,   its a choice, and its a clear choice....

Current Green: What are your go-to environmental websites and blogs?


SeaJade: Here is a combination of educational websites, videos and the best blog site I know of is JanforGore's for variety and in depth research and connecting the dots.    Some of the links I recommend below  are not specifically about the environment - however, our business practices directly affect the environment and are thus included.

I recommend "The Century of The Self" for people who have not yet understood how manipulated we are by mainstream media - its well worth the four hours of viewing time.   I call it a "bridge documentary"  - its foundations are socially acceptable - the BBC made it after all - and yet it has information that will broaden the viewers mind and probably piss them off for being so manipulated....  Hopefully this will take the viewer to positive action and use that energy for re-creating a better world.
Century of the Self

If you are still not sure after that how the wool is pulled over our eyes  (hard to think thats possible, but...)   I have also posted this one hour presentation on Current, but when I searched it the only title  I found is this post by mrcc55   (and also a link to the youtube presentation)

Polls show that between one-third and one-half of Americans still believe that there is "no solid" evidence of global warming, or that if warming is happening it can be attributed to natural variability. Others believe that scientists are still debating the point. Join scientist and renowned historian Naomi Oreskes as she describes her investigation into the reasons for such widespread mistrust and misunderstanding of scientific consensus and probes the history of organized campaigns designed to create public doubt and confusion about science. American Denial of Global Warming and here is the full youtube link.

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
Other favorites include:
The wickedness of factory farming can be seen here: The Meatrix
Why are we still using fossil fuels?

There is a revolution going on in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.   Please also go to Janforgores channel here on current,  she has much more information.

"THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into our food supply.

Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD VIDEO examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today."

Other sites of interest include Saynotogmo and The organic & non-gmo report.

Provoking, witty, stylish and sweepingly informative, THE CORPORATION explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. Part film and part movement, The Corporation is transforming audiences and dazzling critics with its insightful and compelling analysis. Taking its status as a legal "person" to the logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist's couch to ask "What kind of person is it?" The Corporation includes interviews with 40 corporate insiders and critics  including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore - plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change.

Janforgore has the best collection of research on GMO's/ Monsanto/Coal-Mountain Top Removal/Uranium I have seen - I recommend going to her channel here and check out the articles and videos - an amazing body of work, as well as her blog water is life.

Andy Lipkis who created Tree People in Los Angeles is one of my heros.

This link takes you to a ten minute presentation by Andy Lipkis, see how Southern California could stop participating in the draining of the Colorado River -  its worth the watch.

The Natural Resource Defence Council does awesome work, as does earth policy and organic consumers.

Dan Jacobsom heads up Environmental California another amazing person making a big difference to the quality of life we share, The Environmental News Network, For health freedom updates.

Permaculture is an Interdisciplinary Earth Science which encompasses all kinds of Appropriate Technologies and Sustainable Design Methodologies, such as; Renewable Energy, Water Conservation, Organic Food Production, Ecological Building Techniques, Micro-Economics and much much more!

In a world of Rapid Ecological Change & seemingly insurmountable Social & Environmental Problems, Permaculture offers Practical Solutions using Design Principles drawn from the Observation of Natural Systems.

From Individual Homes to Entire Bio-Regions, Permaculture has the potential to Repair Damaged Landscapes, Build Capacity in Communities and replace Apathy with Self Empowerm

Check out this project called "Building A Sustainable World:  Life in the Balance".  (I made it up and got it going with awesome partner Tim Clark)    It was calling for entries to demonstrate that we can build in harmony with nature, not destroy it, and even heal our environment as we went along, and it was an answer to Al Gore's film "Inconvenient Truth" which described our problems so well, but not the solutions.

There are many more  sites I resource from,  and many of the videos I recommend can be found on Current, (I ran out of time to place links with individual people)but for now....

Current Green: What's the most recent green thing you learned about that "wowed" you?  

SeaJade: Perhaps because my whole life has been focused on "green"  I am not wowed as much but rather deeply appreciative of those who spend their time to contributing to the betterment of the whole -  I find "green" inventions to be more the norm in my world view and is my place or space of comfort in this world.    What I get "wowed" about is the negative stuff -  I sit and go "wow" with momentary despair when I read about the continuation of uranium mining,  coal mining, Monsanto's latest dirty tricks,  pharmaceutical companies' dirty tricks,  mainstream media's constant rude barrage of "psycho babble",  the taking away of our rights for health freedom,  how multi national corporations create (and get away with) war, destroy lives of local peoples,  pollute other people's lands and water sources,   and exploit human energy for their own gain.....   I would go "wow" with much enthusiasm and joy  if the world collectively went on strike for a month or so and stopped the evil multi national companies in their tracks...  the strike would be no one would turn up for work and no one would buy their products.....   that would mean that we would all have to help each other on a local level to survive the period of time we strike for - what a concept!

CurrentGreen: Who do you recommend should be featured next week?

SeaJade: This is the most difficult question to respond to,  there are so many great people here.    I will recommend Stopnoise to pass the baton to:  Stopnoise has been contributing to current before I started here,  I really appreciate his focus on "noise" pollution (can we get rid of leaf blowers please!),   he supports many others and many times I know what is going on here on Current because Stopnoise has taken the time to pass on the stories.   He also contributes positive solutions and is able to see our environmental problem as a holistic one and has also joined the dots, and he takes the time to add credit where credit is due....

Current Green: If you had to choose a place to do environmental graffiti, where would it be?

SeaJade: Having to choose between Monsanto, Chevron, Shell, or Exxon Headquarters,  the White House, or the walls and halls of Congress is another difficult question   the walls and halls of Congress - what would work best would be a mysterious paint that cannot be removed by ordinary methods - every time its cleaned up it re-appears, the only cure would be if the whole of Congress and the Senate started to act with common sense, heart and intelligence and stopped being bought by the Corporation.   A note here,  I would make the graffiti beautiful.  I am asking for our world's beauty to be left in tact, so therefore, I should give the same considerations...

SeaJade on environmental art....


I'm an opportunist when it comes to using media and the arts to inspire others to think about our environment, heritage,  and place light upon our disappearing wisdom - it really depends upon where I have been at during various stages of maturity and what is around me to act upon.    I think for me, it all flows as one thing - I have no separation from my work or what I do for fun, and therefore, my work is my entertainment.   When I was much younger I prayed (I'm not religious) that the great spirit of all that is (whatever that is) would guide me to a life's work that would be in "integrity" for me and please great spirit something not "normal"....  I was eventually handed on a metaphoric silver platter the gift of photography and the appropriate opportunities to go along with that.   I  chose the subject of "Sacred Places" with still photography to be the vehicle in which I would create my life experience through  - as a foundation for my life, and whatever came with that - the good the challenging the scary - so be it....    This act seems to have brought all sorts of interesting and fulfilling projects to my life - money - for better or worse - doesn't come into the picture - I move with my heart and excitement - and yes, there have been times when I have nearly starved by sticking with this concept (but I was o.k in the end and shouldn't have worried)  - and I have no regrets.... (I have a nut missing,  I am not motivated by money at all, but motivated by life experiences and opportunities).

Sometimes its not necessarily my "art" that is used, but my background that my career in photography has given me that has enabled me to forge ahead with lofty plans and ideals such as the "Building A Sustainable World:  Life in the Balance" project - in fact, I think that is the most important work I have done - it took me two years of intense focus (and no help from mainstream media) to pull all those people together and complete.     I couldn't have done and wouldn't have done this project if Tim Clark (a visionary and founder of the RIBA-USA) had not agreed to become involved.   Or my name and presence as a "media" person from Hollywood (I'm not really, although I am a media person and I live in L.A.) had been used effectively to get attention on saving an Elm tree in Denver for example.    I have the privilege of working with two extraordinary musicians/producers/composers - both legends in their own fields - Patrick Leonard and Shenkar  (formerly known as L. Shenkar) provide me with inspiring or evocative music and I just flow with that and use the images I have on hand collected over years and years of work....  These pieces which you can see on my network here  as SeaJade are to assist people to calm down in the midst of our storms and focus on something beautiful or moving (but trust me, as an artist,  beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don't expect everybody to be moved :-)   Some works are based on the concept that what we think about we create (such as the Meditation:  A Walk Through The Sierras).....   The pieces are also bathed in mythological metaphor ("Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley" and the "In Search of Camelot" piece).     I just do what I feel might assist or inspire or move at any given time.   I donate works to many charities for their fundraisers, and offer my time up where I feel appropriate - this August I am giving a workshop on photography at Tree People for Tree People to help them raise funds and awareness of their organization.     I also make these videos of stills and music for my own healing process -  I can't take all the bad news and not feel badly myself -  I take as much as I can and hopefully process it positively,  contribute where I can (that is helping people understand that Mainstream Media has not served them and help people understand we can make better choices), and then I take time out to re-focus and create something that is the opposite of negative news.    I've been involved with films that demonstrate all is not well with the world,  I produced an awesome concert a few years ago to help raise money and consciousness about our environment,  I have used the opportunities I have had as lecturer/speaker (along with images)  to hopefully inspire my audiences to think differently,  I nudge here and there,  I try to live my own life as well as possible and be a positive example (I'm not perfect,  I'm human,  but do a pretty good job) -  and from my own experiences and choices I KNOW we can create a beautiful, equitable, harmonious world if we choose "collectively" to do so.

Machu Picchu and The Sacred Valley: Part One

While everyone knows that Current Green is clearly a news information and news site, on occasion, there are discussions, call outs, and suggestions for ways we can take action and address environmental issues. For instance, just this past week two calls for action were uploaded to Current Green, “Save paper, save the forest” and a call to protect the Grand Canyon from Uranium Mining.

Last month, I attended Netgreen, a green tech conference, and had the good fortune of meeting Jason Karas  the founder of Carbon Rally:



I posted the above video and asked if anyone wanted to create a team only to find out that Aschneider had beat me to the punch and had posted about CarbonRally over a year ago, as did Hawkmang, who posted, Carbonrally: climate change community focused on fun, social, and competitive challenges and AndreaKnoll posted Right Now Less Cow all about the eco gaming challenge.

Well... at long last, Current Green has our very own green team on carbonrally.com, so in the words of Bob Barker...."C'mon Down!!" (and join us.)

Make a challenge, rally, boats, brag...looking forward to the thrill of being with you and checking out even more simple actions we can take to make a difference.

Related Articles on Current:

Activism

Save the environment through Flash Mob Carrot Mob

Lauren Bush volunteers at the World Food Bank