Green Options » action

EDF: Dominique Browning, Award-Winning Editor and Author, Launches New Column

edfblog — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:45:42 +0000

Dominique Browning, the former editor-in-chief of House and Garden, is partnering with Environmental Defense Fund to launch a new column called “Personal Nature: Dominique Browning’s distinctive take on all things environmental“. The column will highlight the human impacts of environmental threats like climate change and ocean pollution. Her first piece explores the language we use in talking about climate change and the need for individual and social action.

“It is only a small leap from caring about what’s going on in a garden to caring about what’s going on in the larger environment,” says Ms. Browning. “Environmental issues are hitting the very place we want to feel safest: home. Home ought to be a sacred place of retreat, rest and peace. It won’t be if we turn our backs on the world. This new column was born in the spirit of paying attention, becoming educated and aware and talking about what we can do now. I’m hoping to give matters of global urgency a human touch.

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Ben & Jerry’s CyClone Dairy - Cloned Animal Products Are No Joke

Amy Bell — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:52:23 +0000

“Old-fashioned dairy, the new-fashioned way! CyClone is the first major dairy to raise a herd of clones and clone offspring. You could say cloning is our passion - where we combine DNA with TLC.”

That is what Cyclone dairy says on their website’s mission page.

Thank goodness it’s not for real…not yet anyway.

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“San Francisco Is So Horny!”

Rhonda Winter — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:21:51 +0000

Those were the words that I heard exclaimed by a young man on a blue Schwinn ten-speed as thousands of my fellow bicyclists and I came pouring out of the Stockton Tunnel during Critical Mass last Friday. He seemed a little overwhelmed and thrilled by the endless throbbing swarm of bicyclists that were flowing past.

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Bush Administration Covered Up More Than 500 Major Water Pollution Cases

Andrew Williams — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:16:50 +0000

A high profile Congressional committee investigation has revealed that, since 2006, the outgoing Bush administration has dropped or stalled enforcement actions on more than 500 cases of severe water pollution.

According to the Committee chairmen, the situation is now so bad that, “the federal government’s Clean Water Act enforcement program has been decimated over the past two years, imperiling the health and safety of the nation’s waters.”

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3 Things You Can Do as We Count Down to Earth Hour 2009

Marika Collins — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:18:18 +0000

Did you read all about the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour coming up on March 29th and get excited about what you can do to make a difference? Here are three simple things you can start with to take action:

1. Sign up for Earth Hour 2009

You can take action by signing up to participate in Earth Hour.

2. Spread the word

The most powerful tool you have is your voice. Tell your friends, neighbors, schoolmates and coworkers, about Earth Hour. Email the story and encourage others to sign up and further spread the good word. Run your own Earth Hour using this tool.

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Today: National Day of Action Against Coal-Funding Banks

Alex Felsinger — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:20:26 +0000

Rainforest Action Network has declared yesterday and today, November 15th, as national days of protest against Citibank and Bank of America for their consistent support of the coal industry and its impact on global warming.

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Pressure To Bailout Big Three Grows, But What About Startups?

Karen Pease — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:00:57 +0000

The net is buzzing with discussion about the fate of the Big Three automakers. The American auto industry is in the middle of a meltdown of epic proportions. As the New York Times reports:

Whichever path they choose, Democrats could be headed for a confrontation with Mr. Bush and were setting the stage for a dramatic lame-duck session

The confrontation in question is a proposal from Senate Democrats, with backing from President-elect Obama himself, to bail out the Big Three, under the premise that they are too big to fail and that if they went under, the ripple effects would be devastating. Curiously absent from the discussion, however, is the fate of a host of cleantech startups making extremely efficient vehicles powered by electricity, electricity plus gasoline or biofuels, and so forth.

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Chicago Climate Action Plan Revealed by Mayor Dailey

Joshua S Hill — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:36:47 +0000

As the US federal government has failed to step up to the plate, many smaller forms of government have realized it will be in their hands to bring about environmental changes. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley revealed Thursday details for the Chicago Climate Action Plan.

The plan will add Mayor Daley to about 800 US mayors who have adopted the Kyoto global warming protocols. Chicago’s new plan will build upon measured already in place and under way in the city, in an attempt to make Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the US.

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Be True to Your Green Brand

Megan Prusynski — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:00:16 +0000

Growing a successful brand is much like growing a garden. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

When it comes to branding a green business, it’s becoming harder and harder to stand out in a sea of companies claiming to have green products and ethical practices. While it’s wonderful that green is going mainstream, it makes good, original branding even more important for green businesses.

How do you set your business apart and attract new customers in a competitive marketplace? You work on your image, your public face, and your reputation. In a word, your brand.

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How Visionary Political Leadership Can Save the Environment for Future Generations

Masimba Biriwasha — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:05:01 +0000

Political leaders have a key role to play in developing and taking action to combat the world environmental degradation, according to a recent survey of 1,350 professionals in position to make or influence large climate-related decisions in their governments, companies, or other organizations across 120 countries.

The performance of key actors - particularly national governments - has been inadequate to date with rhetoric at much feted climatic conferences over-dominating action states the survey.

Respondents in the survey conducted by the GlobeScan for the World Bank, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), noted that there is currently little consensus on solutions to climate change.

In many parts of the world, the destruction of the environment is a daily reality in spite of the numerous statements that have been made about the terrible state of the environment.

But visionary political leadership can indeed influence a paradigm shift that can promote better treatment of the environment through requisite legal and policy mechanisms, but most importantly through political text that highlights the urgency of the matter followed by action.

As Kenyan Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai succinctly puts it the generation that destroys the environment may not be the one that pays the prize.

It is the future generations that will confront the consequences of today’s destructive activities of the current generation, she says.

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Ecopreneurs: We Must Be the Change

Megan Prusynski — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:30:39 +0000

As going green becomes more and more popular, it seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Consumers want more sustainable options for all their needs, and companies are beginning to listen. Or are they?

Maybe I’m just a little paranoid, but I don’t tend to trust the megalithic corporations that have so much power and wealth today. So while I see many ad campaigns touting green promises and hear of many large corporations changing their ways, as much as I want to believe them, I have my doubts that many of these companies are truly committed to sustainability. The very nature of our economy leads companies to focus solely on profit and their own growth, at the expense of people and the environment.

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How You Can Help Burma Cyclone Victims

Gavin Hudson — Sat, 10 May 2008 12:59:14 +0000

New estimates place the death toll in Burma–also called Myanmar by the leaders of its strict military regime–at 100,000. In the initial wake of the cyclone, the brutal Burmese government made attempts to interfere with international aid agencies. In recent days, as reported on CNN, the Burmese government has changed its policies, saying “We are ready to speed up and strengthen our relief effort. We will accept aid from any corner.”

Here, you will find six organizations accepting charitable donations for relief work in Burma as well as five organizations possibly accepting volunteers for relief efforts.

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From Inspiration to Action

Lee Welles — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:13:57 +0000

As the author of a book series about eco-heroes, I get a lot of fan mail from kids that are fired up to do something to help the environment. Kids can get fired up by many things: seeing a favorite bit of nature developed, a television show on Animal Planet, PBS or Discovery, a personal experience with wildlife. How do you help the next generation move from being inspired to taking action?

I steer my young fans to a fantastic organization called, Roots and Shoots. Formed by renown primatologist and humanitarian, Jane Goodall, Roots and Shoots channels the energy of youth into making positive change for their communities, for the animals and for the planet!

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10 Simple Ways to “Fair Up” Your Friends and Family

Alicia Erickson — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:42:38 +0000

You’ve heard about Fair Trade. You believe in the idea and look for it when you shop. Now it’s time to let others know. From the passing comment to the big party, here are some ways to introduce your friends and familys to the benefits of Fair Trade:

1. Grab a cup of Fair Trade coffee, tea, hot cocoa or wine with a friend and start a discussion.

2. Give a Fair Trade gift and be sure to include a bit of information about the artisans who work hard to make it.

3. Bring some Fair Trade coffee to your office, school, church or social gathering with some information on Fair Trade. If you’re looking to make a permanent change, use some of the petitions and templates provided to get your organization to make the switch, and then join Co-op America’s Fair Trade Alliance.

4. If you are a student, grab some friends and join or create a campus organization with the United Students for Fair Trade.

5. Make a Fair Trade goodie: from banana bread to chocolate cake, there are plenty of delicious recipes to incorporate Fair Trade products. Check out recipes from Transfair, the Fair Trade Cookbook, Divine Chocolate, or Equal Exchange. Enjoy your delicacies with some family, or give to a local bake sale with a bit of Fair Trade information.

6. Host your own film festival with TransFairs help. They provide the short DVD Fair Trade: The Story, as well as an action kit and discussion guidelines for other films. Or check out Black Gold for the story behind your morning brew.

7. Host a Fair Trade Party and choose from many different types of products. Try a product tasting from TransFair or Equal Exchange: both come with educational materials. A Greater Gift consignment deal lets you offer an array of crafts, and you can return what doesn’t sell. If you enjoy the party, consider becoming a consultant for Pachamama World. For a larger sale with your community, check out Ten Thousand Villages.

8. Present the Fair Trade model to a classroom or group.

9. Learn more with others. Use resources as foundation to open conversations.

10. Start a Fair Trade campaign with friends using OxFam’s toolkit, with action ranging from letter and email writing to hosting events and media coverage.

When talking with your friends and family, be open and candid with your conversations. The confusion between Fair Trade and the other fair trade, and the propaganda surrounding current free trade practices, can create conversations that are both enlightening and engaging. Most of all, do not be intimidated: trade is a complex issue. However, there are many resources available such as the Fair Trade Action Guide (pdf), Co-op America’s Guide to Fair Trade (pdf) and many free resources from CRS.

What Grabs You: Learning How to Install Solar Panels For Free! (Pt. 1)

Sara Holt — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 13:34:50 +0000

If you’re like most people interested in the green life, you probably have a growing obsession with solar power but haven’t been able to afford the extra $200-500 it costs to take a how-to solar workshop. Luckily, if you live near the Bay Area, you can learn how to install solar panels for free by volunteering with the amazing San Francisco-based GRID Alternatives.

With a mission to “Empower communities in need by providing renewable energy efficiency services, equipment and training,” GRID Alternatives has set up a program that links willing volunteers with low-income homeowners who want solar panels but don’t have the means to fund an installation.

For interested volunteers, the 2-step process is surprisingly simple:
Step 1: Fill out a volunteer application and attend a mandatory training session.
Step 2: Install solar panels! Volunteer at as many installation days as you’d like– there are often several sessions offered each month.

Last Tuesday I completed step one of this process, sitting down with about 30 other newcomers for an extremely informative, easy-to-understand training session. In less than two hours we covered the basics of electricity and solar power, including a step-by-step process of an average day in the field with a heavy emphasis on safety (we will be working on someone’s roof, after all)!

Now that the first training session is complete, I can’t wait to get out and start installing solar panels. If you’d like to check it out, email info@gridalternatives.org for upcoming volunteer opportunities or visit www.gridalternatives.org/