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The Big Fix: Film Exposes Biggest Environmental Cover-Up Ever
VIDEO- The Big Fix: A Film that Exposes the Biggest Environmental Coverup Ever
Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 by GottaLaff
Trailer for the documentary on the oil disaster; the film premiered at Cannes 2011:
One reviewer, Stuart Smith, says:
It’s a brilliant piece of work, exceeding all hype and expectation. The audience at the screening I attended was completely blown away by both the stunning cinematography and the jaw-dropping evidence that the BP spill involved a coverup at the highest levels of the industry, the military and the Obama Administration.
Ouch.
Added:
Hugh Kaufman, (senior policy analyst with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response) said to me (sarcastically) in an email:
Thank God NRDC is still in the Gulf and telling us what is REALLY going on down there.
And he also sent this:
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is standing by its declaration that the Gulf of Mexico seafood is safe to eat, but for the first time it’s warning anglers that some fish are sick and may pose health problems if handled or eaten raw.
.VIDEO- The Big Fix: A Film that Exposes the Biggest Environmental Coverup Ever Posted... more-
- EthicalVegan
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Weekly Mulch: How the Status Quo Benefits Natural Gas Companies
by Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium Blogger
There won’t be any national or international movement on climate policy for the rest of this year, at the very least. And while Washington waits to act on climate change, at least one group is benefiting. The natural gas industry is flourishing, despite reports that its practices lead to flammable tap water, poisoned aquifers, and multiple health problems.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), who is emerging as a new leader in Congress on these issues, said this week that a comprehensive climate bill had little chance of passing through the Senate in the next two years. Furthermore, the expectations for the next round of international climate negotiations, to be held this winter in Cancun, are abysmally low, as Inter Press Service reports.
Say no to the status quo
In the past, the volatility of gas prices limited the industry’s share of the energy market, but now, hydrofracking techniques guarantee a more steady supply, meaning steadier prices. It helps that green leaders have talked up natural gas as a clean energy source.
Natural gas does emit less carbon than coal, but the process of extracting it through hydrofracking—pushing chemical-laden water into the ground to create cracks and allow gas to bubble up to the surface—has serious environmental impacts.
Sandra Steingraber, in Orion Magazine, calls the rise of hydrofracking “the environmental issue of our time.” Environmentalists based support for natural gas production on the premise that natural gas would serve as a “bridge fuel” while renewable energy infrastructure grew enough to provide much of the country’s fuel needs. But without stronger support from Washington for renewables, that bridge may never reach the other side.
The high cost of hydrofracking
The alliance between the environmental movement and the natural gas industry has always been uneasy. Both sides regard each other suspiciously. As evidence mounts that hydrofracking pollutes air and water, posing health risks, the worries of local environmentalists are beginning to outweigh the advantages of gas.
“Fracking is linked to every part of the environmental crisis—from radiation exposure to habitat loss—and contravenes every principle of environmental thinking,” Steingraber writes in Orion. “It’s the tornado on the horizon that is poised to wreck ongoing efforts to create green economies, local agriculture, investments in renewable energy, and the ability to ride your bike along country roads.”
On the ground, fracking is frightening, as Kate Sinding, an attorney with the National Resources Defense Council told Change.org’s Jess Leber.
“Drinking water wells are being contaminated, livestock are being poisoned, explosions are occurring when methane has gotten backed up inside a drinking water well after the underground water supply became contaminated,” Sinding said.
Facing down gas companies
Steingraber argues that these effects—the true impact of natural gas extraction—should be factored into the cost of gas and that the public health implications deserve the benefit of the doubt. Even weighed against a lower level of carbon emissions, these considerations make gas look much more like a bridge to nowhere.
In New York, the state government is trying to reign in the industry, Sinding says. “Culturally and politically, I think New Yorkers may be more skeptical about a new heavy industry coming in,” she told Leber. While the promise of jobs is as tempting in New York as it is in places like Pennsylvania and Wyoming that had rushed ahead with fracking, New Yorkers are seeing, Sinding says, that “now residents still face the same problems as they did before, but now, in addition, also can’t drink their water.”
Outside of New York, there are other initiatives that could slow the momentum behind fracking. The Nation’s Peter Rothberg suggests supporting United for Action, a group that’s fighting the practice, or pushing congressional reps to support the FRAC Act, which would increase regulation of the fracking process. (FRAC stands for Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals.)
Fracking and flammable tap water
Fracking can pollute water supplies, as the flammable tap water in fracking areas demonstrates. But the process also demands huge volumes of water as a matter of course. Fracking companies mix chemicals into the water and use it to keep the cracks in the earth open in order to access gas.
But fracking isn’t the only water-guzzling energy process. Keith Schneider, speaking for a network of journalists and scientists called Circle of Blue, told Inter Press Service that “the competition for water at every stage of the mining, processing, production, shipping and use of energy is growing more fierce, more complex and much more difficult to resolve.”
More than 200 billion gallons of water go to cooling power plants each day. Harvesting solar energy also demands huge quantities of water.
As water resources grow scarcer, this demand could drive huge conflicts, both internationally, and in the United States. As Making Contact reports, in Michigan, lawmakers are weighing the idea of putting water resources into a public trust, but already the ecological arguments for that idea and the economic arguments against it are clashing. Imagine how much harder it will be to divvy up water if energy companies got involved.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the environment by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Mulch for a complete list of articles on environmental issues, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Pulse, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.by Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium Blogger There won’t be any national or... more-
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Mountaintop Prison a Bust
By Rob Perks
Posted July 6, 2010 in Health and the Environment, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, Solving Global Warming
NRDC recently released a report -- Reclamation FAIL -- that debunked the coal industry's propaganda that mountaintop removal mining is beneficial because (1) Appalachia needs more flat land and (2) flattened mine sites are routinely converted for economic development. Such claims are nothing more than a big, flat lie.
Specifically, NRDC’s analysis used aerial imagery to show that nearly 90% of mountaintop removal sites have not been converted to economic uses. Of the 500 mountaintop removal sites we examined, we excluded 90 from our survey due to active, ongoing mining activity. That left 410 supposedly reclaimed mine sites, for which we found that:
* Overall, economic activity occurs on just 6% to 11% of all reclaimed mountaintop removal sites on sites we surveyed
* 366 (89.3%) had no form of verifiable post-mining economic reclamation excluding forestry and pasture
* 26 (6.3% of total) yield some form of verifiable post-mining economic development
In terms of actual economic development on post-mined lands, one of those 26 "beneficial" projects is a federal prison on what used to be Belcher Mountain in McDowell County, West Virginia. You can actually take a look at the site using GoogleEarth by clicking here.
(more)http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rperks/mountaintop_prison_a_bust.html
New art Image: "Appalachian Coal Disaster" available at the following URL
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=326061&l=d1ba865db2&id=100000489340556
CoalWar.comBy Rob Perks Posted July 6, 2010 in Health and the Environment, Saving Wildlife and... more-
- Willowguy
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ACID TEST
NRDC: Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem
ACID TEST, a film produced by NRDC, was made to raise awareness about the largely unknown problem of ocean acidification, which poses a fundamental challenge to life in the seas and the health of the entire planet. Like global warming, ocean acidification stems from the increase of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Leading scientific experts on the problem, many of whom appear in the film and the outtakes below, believe that it's possible to cut back on global warming pollution, improve the overall health and durability of our oceans, and prevent serious harm to our world, but only if action is taken quickly and decisively.
http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/acidification/aboutthefilm.aspNRDC: Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem ACID TEST, a film produced by... more-
- julesrs007
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- 2 years ago
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40+ Groups Launch Earth Day Revolution for Climate Action
More than 40 environmental and social justice groups called on U.S. senators today to declare their independence from big oil and other special interests and finally pass clean energy and climate change legislation.
“We need them to stand up for the workers in Arkansas building wind turbines, for the workers in Michigan building the clean vehicles that will cut our dependence on oil and help clean the air, and for people everywhere who are tired of padding the pockets of big oil instead of protecting the planet for future generations,” Sierra Club President Allison Chin told a crowd on the Capitol lawn.
“Most importantly, we need senators to move forward with a bipartisan, comprehensive clean energy and climate plan that means more jobs, less pollution and real energy independence and security for America."
She was joined by leaders of the NAACP, Rock the Vote, ...
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100311/40-plus-groups-launch-earth-day-revolution-climate-actionMore than 40 environmental and social justice groups called on U.S. senators today to... more-
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Weekly Mulch: New bills and old money
http://www.themediaconsortium.org/2010/03/05/weekly-mulch-new-bills-and-old-money/
By Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium blogger
Image courtesy of Flickr user tellytom, under Creative Commons license.Climate legislation is returning to the Senate’s docket, and leaders on Capitol Hill are hoping that this version, a compromise bill spearheaded by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT), can pass without getting caught in the morass of money and politics that has delayed action so far.
A long, long time ago…
Remember, there was a time when Congress was going to pass climate legislation before the international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. President Barack Obama was going to show up with a bill in hand and lead the world towards a better climate future. After the House passed its climate bill in June 2009, the Senate began discussing climate change, and a first stab by Sen. Kerry and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) went nowhere. Now, Kerry has turned to less liberal colleagues to draft an alternative that would appeal to moderates and even Republicans.
Now the Massachusetts senator is promising that climate change isn’t dead. A new bill is coming—more information may be in the offing as early as today, as Kate Sheppard reports at Mother Jones.
Third time’s the charm
Sen. Kerry is trying a new tactic to pass climate legislation. He’s waiting to release his plan until he knows the bill has the 60 supporters it needs to circumvent a filibuster. The details have not been hammered out yet, and even the Senators who’ve been in talks with Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman don’t seem to have a clear sense of what will be in the version that will emerge.
In the House, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, released an ambitious draft of the legislation, let lobbyists and members of Congress fight over it, and passed a much-changed edition months later. Sen. Kerry tried a similar plan on his side of Capitol Hill (that was the Kerry-Boxer bill), but it did not work.
With this piece of legislature, Sens. Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman are working out the compromises before they release the legislation. Both reporting and speculation about their bill say that it will abandon the cap-and-trade system passed in the House. Cap-and-trade restricts carbon emissions across the economy; a variation on that policy that the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman bill may favor will limit the system to a few sectors.
Will it work?
Kerry’s expected bill may be a much weaker plan than any proposed so far, yet it is still not certain that the Senate will support it. The lead authors of the bill have been meeting with conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans, as Sheppard reports, but those targets have not promised support yet. Coming out of a meeting, Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) told reporters: “There were some interesting things that were discussed in there and like everything else in the United States Senate, the devil is in the details.”
From a distance, banner-day climate legislation still seems possible. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Foundation, and the National Resources Defense Council believe that they will see a bill this year that caps carbon. These green groups would be able to live with the incentives handed to industry groups so far, according to Campus Progress’ Tristan Fowler.
“There are compromises [that can go] too far. Fortunately, I don’t think we’re getting near that territory at the moment,” Josh Dorner, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, told Fowler.
Sickly green
Before getting too excited about stamping a green seal of approval on Congress’ legislation, consider Johann Hari’s testimony in The Nation about the relationships between environmental groups and the industries that they oppose.
Hari has reported on climate change issues for years, and at first, he “imagined that American green groups were on these people’s side in the corridors of Capitol Hill, trying to stop the Weather of Mass Destruction. But it is now clear that many were on a different path—one that began in the 1980s, with a financial donation.”
Hari argues that as environmental groups began to reach out to polluters, handing them awards for green behavior and accepting support from their deep pockets, they learned to compromise too readily and accept political excuses for delaying action on climate change. While in other realms these compromises might fly, when the stakes are as high as they are on environmental issues, that behavior turns the stomach.
“You can’t stand at the edge of a rising sea and say, ‘Sorry, the swing states don’t want you to happen today. Come back in fifty years,’” Hari writes.
The green future
When Kerry, Lieberman and Graham do release the compromised bill, watch for a tsunami of money and influence that could pack the bill with prizes for specific industries—or derail it altogether. Just this week, the natural gas industry’s lobbyists told The Hill, a D.C.-based newspaper, that they were ready to fight with the coal industry over incentives in the Senate bill. At AlterNet, Harvey Wasserman writes that the nuclear industry spent $645 million in the past decade to get back into the energy game, according to a new report from American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop. (Hint: that $645 million is working in their favor.)
In the Senate, the influence of oil companies will play an important role, according to David Roberts at Grist.
“While coal has a lot of power in the House, oil has enormous power in the Senate, particularly over the conservadems and Republicans needed to put the bill over the top,” Roberts explains.
No matter what legislation passes and what incentives it contains, environmentalists need to continue putting pressure on their representatives in Congress and on national environmental groups to push back against polluting industries and work to fix the world’s climate.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the environment by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Mulch for a complete list of articles on environmental issues, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Pulse, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.http://www.themediaconsortium.org/2010/03/05/weekly-mulch-new-bills-and-old-money/... more-
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NYC area beaches given low score in NRDC report
A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on the state of American beaches show that no area beaches received a five-star rating and that Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach was cited for receiving one-star. All other area beaches received a two-star rating.
NRDC’s report – Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches – illustrates that American beaches are egregiously contaminated. One of the main sources of contaminants and cause of beach closures is storm water runoff. Funneled through stormwater pipes and the sewer system, human and animal waste matter infiltrate the nation's beaches after heavy rains.
In New York City more than 70 percent of the 6000 mile sewer system is combined with stormwater pipes that have the potential to send debris into local waterways. Once in the eco-system the debris collects into slicks that have the capacity to wash up on shore if not detected in advance.
“Pollution from dirty stormwater runoff and sewage overflows continues to make its way to our beaches. This not only makes swimmers sick – it hurts coastal economies,” said Nancy Stoner, NRDC Water Program Co-Director. “Americans should not suffer the consequences of contaminated beachwater. From contracting the flu or pink eye, to jeopardizing millions of jobs and billions of dollars that rely on clean coasts, there are serious costs to inaction.”A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on the state of American... more-
- MarkButkus
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More than a hint of mint in the stimulus plan
A breakdown of the numbers from the NRDC. All the links and info you need to apply for those tax credits on that personal wind turbine you've got planned.
The bill provides:
$6 billion for clean and safe water, creating more than 200,000 jobs
* This insures critical funding for the nation's pipes and treatment plants. We don't often worry too much about where our clean water comes from and this line seeks to keep it that way.
$4.5 billion for greening federal buildings
* The Federal building codes and standards apply to buildings constructed or used by any Federal agency that is not legally subject to state or local building codes. This means that any building, not just the White House, Pentagon, Capital Building, etc., ANY building paying their energy bills with Federal money will be subject to completely revised energy efficiency performance standards which have been set by the DOE.
State energy grants, issued through the Treasury Department, that will fund renewable energy projects that are eligible for the available tax credits.
* As of October of last year, the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 prolonged tax credits in solar, fuel cells, and microturbines; increased the credit amount for fuel cells; established new credits for small wind-energy systems, geothermal heat pumps, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems; extended eligibility for the credits to utilities; and allowed taxpayers to take the credit against the alternative minimum tax (AMT) subject to certain limitations. If you've got these systems already in place are are planning to build new ones, you should apply here.
Funding for the state energy program, which includes important utility reforms and building code conditions.
* Now the states can get their money for needed infrastructural improvements. Here's everything you need to know about it.
$2.5 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy Research and Development.
* In many cases, the technology just isn't there yet and it takes resources to get there, hence, this line item.
$5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, creating approximately 90,000 jobs
* The expansion of this service will help the program reach a critical mass and deliver what it was designed to do - help low income families make energy efficiency improvements on their homes and spend less on utilities. See if you qualify here.
A multi-year extension of the renewable production tax credit.
* Even greater insurance to individuals and corporations interested in these upgrades that their renewable energy improvements will be rewarded for many years to come. This is the kind of thing that boosts investor confidence in green stocks.
(continued below)A breakdown of the numbers from the NRDC. All the links and info you need to apply... more-
- Greenpointer
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- 3 years ago
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Obama considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Environmental Protection Agency
Now this would be a breath of fresh air! Robert F. Kennedy Jr is a Senior Attorney for the NRDC (Natural Resources Defence Council) and started the organization River Keeper and someone I think cares enough to turn around the current Environmental Pollution Agency. He would actually be qualified for the job.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Photo: Jason Schmidt / New York Magazine)
President-elect Barack Obama is strongly considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a Cabinet post, Democratic officials told Politico.
Kennedy's cousin, Caroline Kennedy, who helped Obama lead his vice presidential search, is being considered for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, although some Obama officials doubt she would take the post. Obama is indebted to the Kennedy family for a hearty endorsement at a crucial point in the Democratic primaries.
The selection of Kennedy would be a shrewd early move for the new presidential team. Obama advisers said the nomination would please both Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
It also would raise the profile of the EPA, which would help endear Obama to liberals who may be disappointed on other issues important to the Democratic left because of budget restrictions.
The EPA enforces clean air and clear water laws. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of the late senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, has long championed a cleaner water supply for New York City.
As an officer and attorney for the environmental watch group Riverkeeper, Kennedy has taken on governments and companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound.
Kennedy, a falconer and white-water rafter, also worked as an assistant district attorney in New York City.
Kennedy gained Washington experience by fighting anti-environmental legislation in Congress in 1995 and 1996, when Newt Gingrich took over as House speaker.
The officials were unsure when Obama will make the selection. His transition planners have focused first on top West Wing staff and his economic and national security teams, all of which are scheduled to be announced early in the 76-day transition period. President-elect Bill Clinton was widely criticized for moving too slowly to appoint key staff and Cabinet secretaries during his presidential transition.Now this would be a breath of fresh air! Robert F. Kennedy Jr is a Senior Attorney... more-
- SeaJade
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Logging land trusts: exclusive interview with Dan Tishman of the NRDC
How safe is protected land and are logging, oil, and mining companies using our national parks for profit?
A land trust is a purchase of a large piece of real estate that in theory, remains protected from development. But it’s known that some of the biggest corporations and investment groups use the land for profit through logging, drilling, and mining.
Dan Tishman, Chairman of the Board for the Natural Resource Defense Council.
One has to define what logging is. There is good logging and there is bad logging. You can’t just tie up land as an eleemosynary thing forever. You have to understand that land is a valuable asset, it’s valuable for a whole host of reasons. And if in order to preserve land you need to figure out how to have some economic stream to preserve land, good sustainable certified logging practices might be the right sense.
One thing we can trust regarding our land is that not everyone has it’s best interests in mind regardless of what they say.
For more on American land trusts, visit some of the following links:
WorldLandTrust-US.org
PlacerLandTrust.org
Creating Your Own Land Trust (Possibility.com)
Photo by Куртис Перри
Click the link for more of our exclusive conversation with Dan Tishman, Chairman of the Board of the NRDC.How safe is protected land and are logging, oil, and mining companies using our... more-
- Greenpointer
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NRDC Monthly Newsletter
Natural Resources Defense Council Monthly Newsletter Update:
As part of its latest attack on America's last wild places, the Bush administration has announced a rule that would eliminate protections for hundreds of thousands of acres of Colorado's most pristine forests. The Forest Service proposal would also weaken protections for millions of acres of other national forests in the state. The agency would open these unspoiled forests to logging, roadbuilding and other development. Colorado's wild forests provide crucial habitat for the Canada lynx, greenback cutthroat trout, elk and other imperiled wildlife. In addition, they provide a major clean drinking water source for many communities, along with some of the best recreation, fishing and hunting opportunities in Colorado. Please speak out now to help block this latest attack on America's last wild forests. There is a petition at the link above.
ANOTHER VICTORY FOR WHALES (kind of)
In a stunning defeat for the U.S. Navy, a district court last month agreed that the use of dangerous low-frequency active (LFA) sonar must be restricted to certain military training areas of the Pacific Ocean. The order upholds an earlier decision from this year, in which the court sided with NRDC and our partners and determined that the Navy's plan to deploy LFA across more than 70 percent of the world's oceans was illegal. In addition to limiting LFA testing and training to defined areas of the North Pacific Ocean, the agreement states the Navy must also adhere to other protective measures. LFA sonar, which relies on extremely loud, low-frequency sound to detect submarines at great distances, has been shown to disrupt whale behavior as far away as 300 miles.
MEXICO ACTS TO SAVE WORLD'S MOST ENDANGERED PORPOISE
Last month, the Mexican government announced an impressive $16 million plan to save the vaquita marina porpoise, of which only 150 survive in the Upper Gulf of California BioGem. The plan adopts key measures that NRDC has been actively advocating for more than three years. More than 90 percent of the licensed fishermen have already agreed to participate in the plan, which includes tough action to stop illegal fishing and the removal of harmful gillnets. Already, we are anticipating a major reduction in the number of boats when shrimping season starts this month. There is now hope that we will not see yet another marine mammal go extinct.
BIOGEMS DEFENDERS HELP PROTECT UPPER GREEN RIVER VALLEY
In the past few years alone, BioGems Defenders have sent more than 60,000 messages in opposition to the Bush administration's proposed management policies for Wyoming's spectacular Upper Green River Valley. Thanks to the massive outcry from BioGems Defenders and others, the final management plan greatly increases the area that is off limits to oil and gas leasing, and will help protect critical habitat for mule deer, pronghorn and elk. As some sensitive wildlife areas will still be open to leasing, NRDC will continue to work with our local partners and keep you updated as we explore all options to protect these landsNatural Resources Defense Council Monthly Newsletter Update:... more-
- SeaJade
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Wolves Win: Bush Administration Backs Down, For Now
LIVINGSTON, Mont. (September 17, 2008) –The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will withdraw its decision to remove endangered species protections from the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies, according to press reports. Federal protections of wolves will continue for wolves in Yellowstone, Central Idaho and Glacier ecosystems. This development comes on the heels of a federal judge’s decision on a suit brought by NRDC and 11 other conservation groups that blocked the delisting decision. Recently the Department of Interior has been roundly criticized over proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act.
~clippedLIVINGSTON, Mont. (September 17, 2008) –The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will... more-
- googolplexer
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Offshore Drilling = Snake Oil
Beware! The GOP is using this tactic to drive a wedge between the public! They claim that Democrats, and Obama are causing gas prices to rise, due to their opposition to off shore drilling. FACT: We would not profit from, or see fuel prices drop due to off-shore drilling for 10-20 years, if at all!
Don't buy this. It's a lie, and one that the short-sighted GOP hopes the American public will fall for!Beware! The GOP is using this tactic to drive a wedge between the public! They claim... more-
- benjaminV
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Some good news for a change
Forest Ethics and NRDC are uplifting sites to visit when discouraged.-
- MeganMcKenzie
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DiCaprio criticised over global warming crusade
Green campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio has come under fire for his attempts to raise funds to save polar bears - because he's using reams of paper to highlight the cause.
The actor, who wrote and narrated 2007 documentary 'The 11th Hour' to draw attention to global warming, recently sent out packages to members of the public in an effort to garner support for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)'s Polar Bear S.O.S. campaign.
The package contains a one-page letter from DiCaprio; two pages from Frances Beinecke, president of the NRDC; a flyer for a free Save the Polar Bear! bag; a donation form and petition to have the animals listed as an endangered species; and a return envelope.
The star has been criticised for the waste of paper and the hypocrisy of the situation - because he helped to spearhead the national Do Not Mail Registry campaign to ban junk mail earlier this year.
According to his representative Ken Sunshine, who also works for the NRDC, DiCaprio has no regrets about the way he has gone about publicising the plight of the polar bears.
When queried about the NRDC campaign, Sunshine tells the New York Post's gossip column PageSix: "Guilty as charged!", adding that DiCaprio's "environmental commitment is unending".
Green campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio has come under fire for his attempts to raise funds... more-
- granola_01
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GRIZZLY BEARS IN PERIL !!!!
We asked BioGems Defenders to tell us -- in their own words -- why they took action recently to protect threatened grizzly bears and their last wild habitats in the lower 48 states. Hundreds of pro-bear activists answered our call from across America and beyond. In response to this overwhelming outpouring of support, NRDC grizzly bear expert Louisa Willcox said, "I can't tell you how much it means to me personally, as someone who has spent more than 20 years on the front lines of this fight, to read through every one of the inspiring messages that have flooded in.We asked BioGems Defenders to tell us -- in their own words -- why they took action... more-
- bigdodo
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A Better Chicken
The old saying "You are what you eat" also applies to the animals we consume. That's not great news for conventional chickens or the people who eat them. Your average chicken feed contains some not-so-appetizing ingredients such as arsenic and rendered animal by-products. One thing you don't have to worry about is added hormones since it's against USDA regulations to feed them to any bird.
Many of the packaged birds we see in grocery stores were raised indoors on factory farms where thousands of chickens are crowded into small cages filled with the horrible stench of piled-up feces, rarely cleaned from the floors. Disease can spread easily under such confined conditions, so to prevent illness conventional chickens are routinely fed low dosages of antibiotics and arsenic, which also helps to fatten them up as quickly and cheaply as possible.
All the low-dose antibiotics administered aren't changing the fact that many chickens and eggs have salmonella and other bacteria that can make you sick if the food isn't cooked properly. Preemptive antibiotics found in poultry are also causing a rise in drug-resistant bacteria in the humans who eat them, so when people get sick with certain types of illnesses, common antibiotics may not work. Arsenic, a poisonous metal, causes cancer and may contribute to heart disease, diabetes, a decline in mental functioning, and hormone disruption, says the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's David Wallinga, who also points out that these health effects are dose dependent -- the higher the exposure level, the higher the risk. Feed containing animal by-products can also be contaminated with dioxins and PCBs, probable carcinogens that accumulate in the fat of animals and get passed up the food chain.
Raising poultry and eggs can be tough on the environment, the animals, and the people who work on factory farms. Chicken waste becomes pollution; manure contaminates rivers and groundwater, and ammonia emissions from it can pollute the air. A lot of grain, water, and fossil fuels are used when raising chicken and eggs, although if they are raised locally at least they don't have to be shipped across the country. Animals are typically raised inhumanely, and workers aren't always treated well. The old saying "You are what you eat" also applies to the animals we... more-
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Seven Ways to Save Gas Right Now
Gas prices got you down? Save big at the pump with our simple car tips.
Pump It Up
Check your tire pressure. More than a quarter of all cars and nearly one-third of all SUVs, vans and pickups have under-inflated tires, according to a survey by the Department of Transportation. If we all keep our tires pumped up right, the nation could save 200,000 barrels of oil a day.
Slow It Down
Ease up on the pedal. Slowing down from 75 to 65 miles per hour will drop your highway gasoline consumption about 15 percent. That's money in your pocket.
Cut the Engine
If you're stuck at a freight train crossing, waiting to pick up a teenager or trapped in a huge traffic jam, turn off your engine. Across the country, idling cars waste millions of gallons of gasoline every day. If your wait is longer than 30 seconds, restarting the engine uses less gas than leaving it running.
Commute Smarter
Share a ride to work, telecommute or use transit. If your daily commute is just 10 miles each way (the national average) and you normally drive a 20-mpg vehicle, you would save 236 gallons of gas each year by opting to carpool, telecommute or use transit. If each commuter car carried just one more passenger once a week, we would cut America's gasoline consumption by about 7.7 million gallons.
Get in Tune
Take your car in for regular maintenance (check your owner's manual to find out how often your car needs a tune-up). Following the recommended maintenance schedule keeps your car running better and longer. A poorly tuned or poorly maintained engine can increase gasoline consumption by as much as 15 percent.
Use Good Motor Oil
Choose a fuel-efficient motor oil marked with an "Energy Conserving" label by the American Petroleum Institute. Motor oils with additives that reduce friction can increase a vehicle's fuel economy by 3 percent or more.
Buy an Efficient Car
If you're in the market for a new car, get one that uses less gas. Think about how big a vehicle you really need. Then compare models in the same class, and pick the one with the highest miles-per-gallon rating.Gas prices got you down? Save big at the pump with our simple car tips. Pump It Up... more-
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NRDC urges U.S. and Canadian airlines to favor renewable energy over dirty fuel.
When it comes to scrutiny over carbon emissions, the airline industry has long gotten a free ride. That ride, however, is due for a landing. Global warming pollution from planes is expected to increase 60 percent by 2025, meaning airlines can no longer be exempt from carbon reduction efforts.
NRDC is urging the CEOs of 15 airlines and airfreight companies in the United States and Canada to embrace clean, renewable fuels and fuel efficiency instead of supporting dirty fuels made from coal, Canadian tar sands and oil shale.
These unconventional fuels are two to five times more polluting to produce than conventional oil, and extracting them devastates the environment. But both United and American Airlines have backed expanding the current million-barrel-per-day production of Canadian tar sands oil and JetBlue has supported liquid coal -- despite the harm caused by extracting and using these fuels.
The environmental consequences of using dirty fuels go beyond these fuels' tremendous contribution to global warming. Accessing tar sands oil requires tearing through the Canadian boreal forest, home to bears, lynx, caribou, songbirds and waterfowl. Meanwhile, liquid coal looms as the next big dirty fuel, with 10 U.S. facilities proposing to manufacture it. The process of turning coal into gasoline creates twice as much global warming pollution as turning conventional oil into gas; it also heightens the health and environmental problems faced in coal-mining regions. The third type of dirty fuel, oil shale, would be mined from public lands in the West, further depleting the region's already scarce water resources, threatening wildlife habitat and increasing air pollution.
Airlines can take two key steps to help usher in a sustainable energy future. First, rather than embracing dirty fuels, airlines can join the push for research and development of cleaner fuels, such as algae-based fuel and biobutanol, which can be made from sugar, beets, corn, wheat and straw. Second, airlines can improve their overall fuel efficiency. This can be accomplished through purchasing more fuel-efficient planes, such as Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner; better traffic control and routing; electric aircraft towing and fuel-saving descent practices.
Not all airlines are behind the curve when it comes to stopping global warming. Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic Airways has already signed on to invest in advancing biofuels and announced his intention to fly a Virgin Atlantic 747 on a 60 percent biofuel-kerosene mixture in 2008.
When it comes to scrutiny over carbon emissions, the airline industry has long gotten... more-
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NRDC: Take Action
Welcome to NRDC's Action Center! Here you'll find all the tools, tips and information you need to help protect the earth's extraordinary wealth of natural treasures. To receive our free bi-weekly email alert on urgent issues needing your immediate action, join our Activist Network.
Global warming is the biggest environmental issue of our time, and NRDC is meeting the challenge with even bigger solutions. With the nation's leading team of legal, scientific, and policy experts, we're marching these solutions across the map -- winning court cases, brokering deals to limit dirty coal production, and shaping global warming policy at the state and federal levels. Just as important, we've helped make global warming a topic of everyday conversation in households across the country. And now, NRDC is taking Washington by storm. The forecast for change has never looked better.
Welcome to NRDC's Action Center! Here you'll find all the tools, tips and... more-
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