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Challenges for the Next Green President
Here is just a spattering of what awaits the next Administration:
– Climate Change. Throughout our nation’s history, for all pieces of crucial legislation (the 1933 National Recovery Act, the 1964 Civil Rights Act), there was a fleeting legislative moment. That moment is here for climate change. The scientific evidence is overwhelming, the inter-generational impacts make action a moral imperative. Waiting is just not an option. The Bush Administration squandered the last decade. The Obama or McCain Administration cannot squander the next.
– Natural Resources. Where to start? The Bush White House declared open season on the nation’s resources. There was the Orwellian “Healthy Forest Initiative” that reduced wildlife protection, open contempt for the Endangered Species Act, repeal of the Roadless Rule protecting public lands, a U.S. Navy sonar assault on whales, and a “stream buffer rule” allowing Appalachian hilltop mining. Repair of these and many more offenses will require an Interior Secretary of historical significance (think Gifford Pinchot).
– Public Health. OSHA has been decimated, with only one new standard issued in eight years. Permissible exposure levels for numerous contaminants were weakened in the workplace, drinking water and air. We had lead in toys, formaldehyde in trailers, and biphenyl in baby bottles - as well as pathogens in our spinach, lettuce, beef, and now tomatoes. Most American public health statutes are woefully outdated and in need of complete overhaul, starting with the Toxics Substances Control Act (”TSCA”).
– Water. From Georgia to California, climate change is bringing increased drought and water shortages (and ironically, elsewhere flooding). T. Boone Pickens is now buying up most of the aquifers north of Dallas for good reason. Salmon and other fish are disappearing in droves (if fish travel in droves). In cities, the most favored solution to drinking water shortages seems to be recycling sewer water - shades of Solvent Green. Current water policies, such as providing subsidized irrigation water to agri-business giants, need fundamental reform.
– Global Reach. The greatest environmental threats at home now are from abroad. Nearly half the mercury in Midwestern lakes comes from Chinese coal fire power plants. China’s global warming gas emissions now exceed the U.S. From food to pharmaceuticals, imported consumer products present unnecessary health risks. Through far more aggressive trade policies and tougher domestic laws — on what is allowed within our shores and within our stores — we can better protect both the planet and our own citizens.
This election season, there will be no ducking (no pun intended) the environment. Both Obama and McCain will be required to address — with specifics — how they will clean up the Bush mess - and, where they intend to lead the country. FDR had his New Deal in the 1930’s. What is the Obama or McCain Green Deal for 2008? Are their promises of change real or illusory?
If fate and the voters give us President McCain, one hopes for the leadership of Republican Teddy Roosevelt, not the “wink and nod” environmentalism of either Bush. If it’s President Obama, one hopes for the political skill of Lyndon Johnson — since that and more will be required to navigate the Washington, DC special interest thicket. The essential question both will need to answer was posed nearly a half century ago — by Rachel Carson: “Man’s attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we now have acquired the fateful power to alter and destroy nature. The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself.”
Here is just a spattering of what awaits the next Administration: ... more -
Operation Ivy: Dumpster Diving at Elite Colleges
Operation Ivy depicts the incredible amount of stuff students throw away at the end of the academic year at five elite colleges, Yale, Harvard, Trinity, Williams, and Wesleyan. It shows how people who live and work near the colleges react -- by dumpster diving the stuff for themselves and their families.
Please submit to Slamdance. Thank you.
Contact:
Jean Pockrus
jpockrus@wesleyan.edu
Matt Valades
mtvalades@gmail.com
Operation Ivy depicts the incredible amount of stuff students throw away at the end of the academic year at five elite colleges, Yale,... more -
Children design eco-greenhouse
This story has all the makings for the "awwwww" factor:Children. Recycling. The Environment. Get ready to puke with hope.
"Primary school children in Devon are looking forward to growing fruit and vegetables in an eco-friendly greenhouse made from plastic bottles.
The pupils from Alphington Primary School have designed and constructed the greenhouse.
Building contractor Dean and Dyball helped pupils construct the timber frame. The children will finish the sides and roof with the clear bottles.
The 2,000 bottles were collected and prepared by pupils and their parents.
Teacher Phil Clarke said: "It was a brilliant project for the whole school to be involved with, especially Year 6 as they come to the end of their time at Alphington School."
The eco-greenhouse will play an important part in the children's education and school life for many years to come, he added.
The pupils will complete the construction by the end of term."
Schools all over the place should totally get down on this- recycle bottles (we have the worst water bottle habit in America!), plant some fruit and veggies that the school can use instead of that carbosludge that call food all the time. Brilliant!
This story has all the makings for the "awwwww" factor:Children. Recycling. The Environment. Get ready to puke with hope. ... more -
Green bride and groom go by Tube
An environmentally-friendly couple in London have had a green wedding by travelling to their ceremony by Tube.
Stefanie Schmiedel, Robert Gray and their wedding guests went from Dollis Hill underground station in north-west London to Marylebone register office.
"We thought about going on our bikes but this was a compromise," he said.
Her dress was made from reusable material, her engagement ring was second-hand and the menus and order of service were printed on recycled paper.
To ensure the event was as environmentally-friendly as possible, catering at their reception used local produce and the wedding cake was organic.
Ms Schmiedel said: "If in everyday life we try to be as environmentally friendly as we can, why should we change on our wedding day?"
Mr Gray added: "We didn't feel that we needed a stretch limo to get to their register office when we have got an Oyster card and the Tube."
Inspirational, or just a bit mad? Is your wedding day (if you're crazy enough to get married) the one day you can push the boat out, or the best day ever to show the world that green is greatest?
An environmentally-friendly couple in London have had a green wedding by travelling to their ceremony by Tube. ... more -
Living in a world without waste
Zero waste: The Japanese island where the rubbish collectors never come
The Mayor of Kamikatsu, a small community in the hills of eastern Japan, has urged politicians around the world to follow his lead and make their towns "Zero Waste".
He told BBC News that all communities could learn from Kamikatsu, where residents have to compost all their food waste and sort other rubbish into 34 different categories.
Residents say the scheme has prompted them to cut down on waste generally and food waste in particular.
If the policy spread, it would reduce the amount of food waste, and so take some of the pressure off high food prices.
Kamikatsu may be a backwater in the wooded hills and rice terraces of south-eastern Japan but it's become a world leader on waste policy.
There are no waste collections from households at all. People have to take full responsibility for everything they throw away.
Kitchen waste has to be composted. Non-food waste is processed either in local shops which accept goods for recycling or in Kamikatsu's Zero Waste Centre. There, people have to sort their unwanted items into 34 different boxes for recycling.
Residents have to sort plastic bottles (used for fruit juice, for example) from PET (polyethylene teraphthalate) bottles (used for mineral water) because PET is more valuable when it is separated out.
There are specific boxes for pens, razors and the sort of Styrofoam trays on which meat is often purchased. These have to be washed and dried.
The scheme was adopted when councillors realised it was much cheaper than incineration - even if the incinerator was used to generate power.
Many locals are enthusiastic participants. Take Kikue Nii, who strips labels off bottles then washes and dries them before sending them to recycling.
She takes her other everyday waste to the local shop where she receives a lottery ticket in return for a bag of cans.
She has won a £5 food voucher four times. It's not a huge amount but it's better than nothing.
She is also a big fan of composting.
"I think I produce less waste because I have to compost it," she says.
"When I can't use the whole vegetable or meat, I try to cook it again with wine and so on. It makes a very good soup. Everyone should have a composter if they can."
Her neighbours Fumikazu Katayama and his wife Hatsue are ardent composters, too.
Hatsue says: "I have to do it every day; it's certainty a bit of work. But it's a good idea to send things back to the earth so I support it. I just do it naturally now; it's part of the routine."
The Katayamas take the rest of their waste to the Zero Waste Centre for sorting - carrying the waste bag between them.
Global question
Questions remain about the scheme. Some of the composters are boosted by electric power, which creates greenhouse gas emissions.
And it's possible that the savings in greenhouse gases from recycling are negated by the need for people to drive to the Zero Waste Centre.
Natsuko Matsuoka, one of the originators of the centre, disagrees - she says people generally tie in the journey with a weekly shopping trip.
A poll showed that although the Zero Waste policy has many admirers, 40% of people weren't happy about all aspects of the scheme.
The Mayor Kasamatsu Kasuichi is undeterred: "We should consider what is right and what is wrong, and I believe it is wrong to send a truck to collect the waste and burn it.
"That is bad for the environment. So whether I get support or not, I believe I should persuade people to support my policy."
Now he invites other politicians around the world to follow suit. Zero waste: The Japanese island where the rubbish collectors never come ... more -
ShitBegone Toilet Paper 100% Recycled
I normally don't endorse products, but wow ShitBegone is awesome! Are you tired of scratchy recycled toilet paper? ShitBegone is your solution. Just a few wipes, and you can tell the difference. ShitBegone is 100% recycled toilet paper, but it is soft.
"What's the best part?" You ask. The name! It's totally funny having ShitBegone on the back of your toilet.
ShitBegone, try it today. I normally don't endorse products, but wow ShitBegone is awesome! Are you tired of scratchy recycled toilet paper? ShitBegone is you... more -
Art in a Can
A blogging site based in Madrid, Spain is calling on artists to use discarded drinking cans to create mini-masterpieces.
The site encourages artists to "Use the can as a blank canvas, express yourself on it, and send it to us. Just follow the specification: Keep the “easy open” for hanging it. The perimeter of the can is the limit. Do not use filled cans, it must be crushed."
Any individual or any group from anywhere in the world can be part of the project. The painted cans will be placed in a digital gallery on paintingcans.com and sold, displayed in a show in Madrid, and also published in a book.
The project is to support the use of mediums such as aluminum cans which are only limited to the brief time of their consumption and then not used again, and to encourage independent art. Whether its green, innovative, or just art; it is different.
You can learn more about the project at paintingcans.blogspot.com. A blogging site based in Madrid, Spain is calling on artists to use discarded drinking cans to create mini-masterpieces. ... more -
Half-Empty Blue Bins: Recycling the Beacon Hill Way
Beacon Hill, a neighborhood of Boston, MA, is littered with trash for collection on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Yet, recycling can only be found on the streets of this historic neighborhood on Fridays, and some bins are less than full. This pod examines recycling in Beacon Hill through the eyes of two residents and the experiences of the director. Beacon Hill, a neighborhood of Boston, MA, is littered with trash for collection on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Yet, recycling ... more
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Stylish Nokia phone made from rubbish
Nokia has decided to try their hand at a green phone, it is a growing trend so perhaps it’s time for them to jump on the bandwagon as well. Although this is still a concept design, the fact that they are trying their hand at it even is a good sign.The phone was made using old PET bottles, soda cans and car tires to show how the process of Upcycling can be used to create new, environmentally-friendly products.Hopefully we'll see something like this reach production soon. Nokia has decided to try their hand at a green phone, it is a growing trend so perhaps it’s time for them to jump on the bandwagon as ... more
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Sony's Take Back Recycling Program
It's great to buy greener technology, but what about your old stuff that becomes obsolete?
Sony's new program is aiming to recycle one pound of product for every pound of product they sell.
They are trying to create a network for all products and all consumers to be ready to recycle across the nation. It's great to buy greener technology, but what about your old stuff that becomes obsolete? ... more -
Is that company really green or just a pretender?
They are going to crackdown on environmental claims to prevent businesses from misleading consumers about the green benefits of their product. They are going to crackdown on environmental claims to prevent businesses from misleading consumers about the green benefits of their ... more
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Home Depot to offer CFL recycling
One of the peskiest problems of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) is where to dispose of them when they break or burn out, due to the small amounts of mercury that they contain.
Well, here's some good news on that front! Home Depot is announcing today that it will begin taking back old CFLs in all 1,973 of its U.S. stores. This will be the most widespread recycling program for the bulbs to date. Home Depot will accept any maker's bulbs and due to its spread across the country, this move will bring CFL recycling within reach of most homes. Home Depot estimates that 75% of the nation's home are within 10 miles of a store.
Kudos to Home Depot for doing this.
by Patricia Mayville-Cox
http://www.greendaily.com/2008/06/24/home-depot-to-offe...
I think this is great! One of the peskiest problems of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) is where to dispose of them when they break or burn out, due to the s... more -
Six Uses for Old Dead Incandescent Bulbs
Some creative ideas for those old-school bulbs. Check it out!
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Recycled bike parts make great looking furniture!
Bike Furniture Design has been written about a number of times, on blogs, in magazines as well as other forms of great exposure. I’m not the first person to appreciate their recycled modern furniture and I most definitely won’t be the last! Bike Furniture Design has been written about a number of times, on blogs, in magazines as well as other forms of great exposure. I’m n... more
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Bici Centro Builds Santa Barbara’s Bicycle Culture
bike ed and the beach.
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sounds like a good set up to me.
Bicycle Empowerment
Bici Centro Builds Santa Barbara’s Bicycle Culture
SANTA BARBARA, CA. Ed France, a 2005 graduate of UCSB’s Environmental Studies program who is Bici Centro’s lead mechanic, and essentially the program’s director.
France started Bici Centro as a once-a-month open bike repair shop in a back room at La Casa de la Raza, but this past December, he signed an agreement with the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition to bolster the program’s educational outreach capabilities. Now, adult and youth bicycle repair classes are open to the public, as well as volunteer-assisted open shop hours on Thursdays and Saturdays. By reaching out to the community, Bici Centro attempts to get people more interested and involved in cycling by offering bicycle resources to those who might not otherwise have them, giving those folks the empowerment to fix their own bicycles.
With a huge and growing collection of donated scrap bikes, new and used parts, and tools, Bici Centro has the resources of any bike shop, but with the option for the shop’s users to work off use of shop space with small donations or volunteer hours. A dedicated corps of volunteers made the opening of the collective possible by donating time and money to the events and educational programs before there was any official funding available.
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bike ed and the beach. - sounds like a good set up to me. Bicycle Empowerment ... more -
Tijuana Woman Invents Recycling Machine to Improve Scavengers' Lives
Think recycling is a good idea? Think of it how good Europe, the US and other countries/continents have had it, when within miles of the US border, most people have never been exposed to a recycling system or culture ever in their lives, and it all goes to one place: the landfill. Until now.
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One step at a time.
TIJUANA, BC MEX. In Tijuana, a new machine is poised to help clean up some of the city’s social and environmental problems. A Tijuana teenager dreamed up the contraption ten years ago. She’s since dedicated her life to making the project a reality. KPBS Border Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.
As a teenager, growing up in Tijuana, Miroslava Enciso Limon always wanted to be a firefighter. But her dream changed when her high school teacher assigned her to visit Tijuana’s dump.City officials eventually hope to recycle 60-percent of Tijuana’s trash.
City dump trucks back up to Enciso’s recycling machine. It’s up and running at a facility on Tijuana’s east side. The machine is not especially high tech.
Blades rip open the garbage bags and spill the contents onto a conveyor belt. At times, the stench makes your eyes water.
About thirty workers dressed in navy coveralls, face masks and latex gloves sort the trash. All of them used to be scavengers at the dump. New employee, Luisa Marquez says it was much harder when she was a scavenger.
Marquez (translated): Before, I left at 4 a.m, before the sun came up because it’d get too hot….We’d have to open the bags. We’d get dirty. We’d get covered in food. We didn’t have uniforms. We didn’t have protection or a roof.
The machine’s inventor, Enciso, says she could have automated the process more. But the idea is to employ as many scavengers from the dump as possible -- about 200 when the machine is fully operational.
City officials eventually hope to recycle 60-percent of Tijuana’s trash. Think recycling is a good idea? Think of it how good Europe, the US and other countries/continents have had it, when within miles of t... more -
Carbon Neutral: CHECK, Net Neutral: CHECK, Water Neutral ... HUH?
The global-warming debate has introduced some new catchphrases into the business lexicon. Becoming carbon neutral, for example, is now a goal for multinationals like Dell, HSBC and Tesco. But for another well-known international brand, becoming carbon neutral isn't enough. Last June, Coca-Cola CEO Neville Isdell flew to Beijing and pledged that his company would become "water neutral" — every drop of water it uses to produce beverages would be returned to the earth or compensated for through conservation and recycling programs. "Water is the main ingredient in nearly every beverage that we make," Isdell said. "Without access to safe water supply, our business simply cannot exist."
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Some will say that it's still not enough, but I thought it was interesting to see what one major global corporation is doing (or at least thinking of doing) to minimize its impact on the environment ... partly in response to social pressures, but partly because they know that it's in their best financial interests in the long term as well. The global-warming debate has introduced some new catchphrases into the business lexicon. Becoming carbon neutral, for example, is now... more -
Dell Recycles 100 Million Pounds of Equipment
With 100 million pounds of equipment recycled, 2007 marked a new record for Dell as the year with the largest product recycling volume. This is a 20 percent increase from 2006.
“Our customers and stakeholders are inspiring us to lead a new era of environmental responsibility," said Director of Sustainable Business Tod Arbogast in a news release. “We are at a historic point in time when the combined efforts of companies, customers, employees and suppliers will make the critical changes to protect our shared Earth."
Dell offers free home pick-up for obsolete company products and has 370 drop-off locations around the country. It is also the only computer manufacturer to offer free recycling worldwide, according to the Dell site.
With 100 million pounds of equipment recycled, 2007 marked a new record for Dell as the year with the largest product recycling volume... more -
Turning billboards into bags
Binggirl Clemente promotes environmentalism and boosts local economy with her new project - using the cloth from used billboards to create bags. She has created jobs and public awareness of the environment with a simple idea.
Having been to Metro Manila and the surrounding areas, I admire that Clemente's one action can do so much for the Filipino people. Binggirl Clemente promotes environmentalism and boosts local economy with her new project - using the cloth from used billboards to cr... more -
Just in time for summer: recycled art!
Follow the url for some great projects to do with all those pesky plastic bags. *Dress above was knitted using plastic bags
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Recycling
