“Marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods.”

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Because it’s dramatic, and may presage the switch that I have been hoping for for a while: the divorce of the idea that a Conservative Environmentalist in politics is an oxymoron.

Let’s assume that Sarah Palin is continuing to ride the publicity train because she still has plans for a 2012 run for President.   Leaving aside my personal opinion — that such a a nomination would fracture the GOP irrevocably, to the point that we would end up with three parties here in America –  lets look at how her energy policy was in 2008 and… beyond.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/05/13/sarah-palin-on-energy-what-a-switch/feed/ http://ecoscraps.com/2009/03/13/the-top-ten-top-ten-lists-from-green-options-media/ http://ecoscraps.com/2009/03/13/the-top-ten-top-ten-lists-from-green-options-media/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:13:49 +0000 Joe Mohr http://ecoscraps.com/2009/03/13/the-top-ten-top-ten-lists-from-green-options-media/ 10. Top 10 Renewable Tech Gadgets By Michelle Bennett–posted on Cleantechnica, May 5th, 2008

9. Top 10 in Green You Should Follow on Twitter By Maryanne Conlin Milker–posted on Ecopreneurist, February 3rd, 2009

8. My Top Ten Quick, Healthy, Sustainable Snacks by Megan Prusynski–posted on Eat. Drink. Better., June 13th, 2008

7. The top ten office environmental pet peeves and why Xerox went green By Olga Orda–posted on Green Options, July 16, 2008

6. Top 10 Electric Cars Coming to the US in 2009/2010 By Nick Chambers–posted on Gas 2.0, January 15, 2009

5. Ten Ways to Eat Local, Seasonal Food All Year By Bryan Luukinen–posted on Eat. Drink. Better., September 29th, 2008

4. Clean Energy Intro: Top 10 Alternative Solar Uses By Michelle Bennett–posted on Cleantechnica, February 25th, 2008

3. The Nature Conservancy: Top 10 Ways to Help Save Our Oceans By Jonathon D. Colman–posted on Green Options, June 21, 2008

2. Top Ten Water Saving Tips By me–posted on PlanetSave, October 22, 2008

1. Ten Winning Ideas for Change By Becky Striepe–posted on Ecolocalizer, January 17th, 2009

Ten takeaways from this post: conserve water, buy local, drive a green car (if you have to drive at all), eat well, stay informed, stay active, be the change you wish to see, use renewable energy, consume less, and of course, read Green Options Media (which itself has been mentioned in a few lists, such as Environmental Graffiti’s “Top Ten Environmental Blogs“, Webecoist’s “25 of the Greenest Blogs“, and Read Write Web’s “Top 35 Environmental Blogs“)

Now, there are caveats, obviously. Since the thing “isn’t actually a plan for action”, doubts remain on the efficacy of Sarah seeing the light.  People have been quick to point out the failures of the plan — and rightfully so.   “Drill Baby Drill!” still rings in my years, and we have yet to see Palin embrace a logical route to some of the saving and greening that she sees in Alaska’s future.

But, you have to admit that “a list of resources on which local communities may use to develop their own solutions” is a good thing to have, and some of the plans on the list are big enough (like a hydro electric dam - feasibility study coming June 1, 2009) that some State money would have to be involved.  State money means Federal money at this point, which might even mean the project actually gets built.  Further, response from Alaskan Environmental groups, folks who have not always been so hip to Sarah’s game, are giving the plan rave reviews.

The cynical side of me says that she found some good ‘ol timey environmentalism because she has seen greenwashing go over real well in other polls.  I also register some minor concern that the Heartland Institute thinks it is a good plan.  But, in the end… who am I to question motivation?  I’ve made it through the beginning of the plan (here, in PDF form, if you are interested) and any call for 50% green energy is so much further down the right path then the “Drill, Baby, Drill!” portion of Palin’s career that I wonder how the switch happened.

Palin has some other problems up there in Alaska.  She’s in the news for a lot of the wrong reasons, and has decided that she should capitalize on her moment in the sun to write a book — sure to help her popularity ratings that are already dipping on the perception she doesn’t give Alaska enough time.

But this is a Green blog, not a general politics blog!  So, with the caveat that the invitation might not be permanent, and that I still need to see more actual action before the accolades start rolling off my typing fingers… Sarah, welcome aboard the (I can’t believe I am writing this!) Clean Energy Bandwagon!

I’m excited by nothing so much as the vibe that the soft war - the war of common perceptions - is shifting ground.  Even if it’s just an endorsement of the principle, and even if it’s a calculated political move, Palin gets credit for making theLet’s see if she can bite the Libertarian bullet and accept a handout from the Feds to help get her plans off the ground.

]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2009/03/13/the-top-ten-top-ten-lists-from-green-options-media/feed/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/03/12/spring-for-change-tell-congress-to-prioritize-sustainable-agriculture/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/03/12/spring-for-change-tell-congress-to-prioritize-sustainable-agriculture/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:24:52 +0000 Lisa Kivirist http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/03/12/spring-for-change-tell-congress-to-prioritize-sustainable-agriculture/ We’re getting giddy waiting for spring here on our Wisconsin farm.  From digging in the garden to savoring that first pea tendril, this time of year jump-starts a fresh breeze of energy and optimism for us passionate about healthy food. 

Remember to take some of that vernal enthusiasm and voice your opinion to your elected officials in Washington D.C. to keep sustainable farming a top funding priority.

“Individual phone calls and letters to your representatives take just minutes of your time, but they collectively add up to a very strong influence on Congressional priorities,” explains Aimee Witteman, Executive Director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC).  “The voice of people passionate about good food needs to be heard in Washington D.C., particularly this spring when key funding issues will be decided.”

Over the next two months, members of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee will be finalizing the list of programs they will champion for fiscal year 2010.  “Congress needs to hear why sustainable agriculture programs that support innovation and economic prosperity are so important and must be adequately funded, especially during our current tough economic situation,” adds Witteman.

Here’s what you need to do to cook up some change . . .

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/03/12/spring-for-change-tell-congress-to-prioritize-sustainable-agriculture/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:15:58 +0000 Rhonda Winter http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/ This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Both “clean coal” and carbon trading are lies. They are huge scams perpetrated by massive energy companies that are choking our planet. Over twelve thousand students converged on Washington D.C. to demand an end to polluting coal plants, and that the United States start to lead the world in creating truly sustainable clean energy and green jobs. Students filled the halls of Congress, lobbying their elected officials to fight global warming and demanding an end to polluting coal.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/03/08/thousands-of-youth-organize-in-dc-to-end-clean-coal-lie/feed/ http://gas2.org/2009/03/03/rinspeed-ichange-ev-changes-shape-to-suit-passenger-numbers/ http://gas2.org/2009/03/03/rinspeed-ichange-ev-changes-shape-to-suit-passenger-numbers/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:58:34 +0000 Andrew Williams http://gas2.org/2009/03/03/rinspeed-ichange-ev-changes-shape-to-suit-passenger-numbers/

Swiss auto-maker Rinspeed has revealed a revolutionary electric car, that morphs its body shape depending on the number of passengers onboard (see gallery below).

The Rinspeed iChange is the brain-child of prolific Swiss designer Frank Rinderknecht, also responsible for the sQuba ‘fully submersible’ EV (video). The car, showcased at this week’s Geneva 2009 Motor Show, starts off as a one-seat sports car, but is capable of changing to a three-seat coupe thanks to a pop-up rear end. The intention is that the zero-emission EV can optimize its aerodynamic profile according to the passenger load required (more pictures after the jump).

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/03/03/rinspeed-ichange-ev-changes-shape-to-suit-passenger-numbers/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/its-time-for-rewealth-a-book-destined-to-change-the-21st-century-for-the-better/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/its-time-for-rewealth-a-book-destined-to-change-the-21st-century-for-the-better/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:52:11 +0000 John Ivanko http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/its-time-for-rewealth-a-book-destined-to-change-the-21st-century-for-the-better/

We need to start using the R-words more and D-words less.

More restoration, revitalization, renovation, and remediation, and much less development, depletion, or degradation — those directives of the 20th Century that have wrought incredible damage on both the planet and its inhabitants.

That’s the message delivered by author and international speaker, Storm Cunningham, in his latest book, reWealth! It’s his follow-up to the acclaimed Restoration Economy, the first book to document the eight giant, fast-growing industries in the “restoration economy” that are renewing our natural and built environments.

Given the widespread destruction of healthy ecosystems and therefore, healthy integrated communities, we need to move beyond the status quo of simply conservation or “sustainability” to establish both the process and program of building reWealth in the restoration economy, advises Cunningham.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/03/its-time-for-rewealth-a-book-destined-to-change-the-21st-century-for-the-better/feed/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/02/health-care-reform-boondoggle/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/02/health-care-reform-boondoggle/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:08:15 +0000 Derek Markham http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/02/health-care-reform-boondoggle/ Universal health care.

Health care reform.

Socialized health insurance.

There are a lot of ideas floating around right now about what’s wrong with our health system, and what we need to do to make it work. We probably all know someone that either got hit hard financially because of medical expenses, or they got hit hard physically, because of malpractice or negligence in our health care system.

I have some serious doubts about any real change any time soon in our system. Here’s why.

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President-elect Barack Obama wants to  aggressively follow a new and sustainable energy and environment policy. Green jobs, renewable energy, clean water and air are just a few of what he wants to create as part of our clean energy future.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how President-elect Obama’s Transition Team is approaching climate issues.

Now, there are caveats, obviously. Since the thing “isn’t actually a plan for action”, doubts remain on the efficacy of Sarah seeing the light.  People have been quick to point out the failures of the plan — and rightfully so.   “Drill Baby Drill!” still rings in my years, and we have yet to see Palin embrace a logical route to some of the saving and greening that she sees in Alaska’s future.

But, you have to admit that “a list of resources on which local communities may use to develop their own solutions” is a good thing to have, and some of the plans on the list are big enough (like a hydro electric dam - feasibility study coming June 1, 2009) that some State money would have to be involved.  State money means Federal money at this point, which might even mean the project actually gets built.  Further, response from Alaskan Environmental groups, folks who have not always been so hip to Sarah’s game, are giving the plan rave reviews.

The cynical side of me says that she found some good ‘ol timey environmentalism because she has seen greenwashing go over real well in other polls.  I also register some minor concern that the Heartland Institute thinks it is a good plan.  But, in the end… who am I to question motivation?  I’ve made it through the beginning of the plan (here, in PDF form, if you are interested) and any call for 50% green energy is so much further down the right path then the “Drill, Baby, Drill!” portion of Palin’s career that I wonder how the switch happened.

Palin has some other problems up there in Alaska.  She’s in the news for a lot of the wrong reasons, and has decided that she should capitalize on her moment in the sun to write a book — sure to help her popularity ratings that are already dipping on the perception she doesn’t give Alaska enough time.

But this is a Green blog, not a general politics blog!  So, with the caveat that the invitation might not be permanent, and that I still need to see more actual action before the accolades start rolling off my typing fingers… Sarah, welcome aboard the (I can’t believe I am writing this!) Clean Energy Bandwagon!

I’m excited by nothing so much as the vibe that the soft war - the war of common perceptions - is shifting ground.  Even if it’s just an endorsement of the principle, and even if it’s a calculated political move, Palin gets credit for making theLet’s see if she can bite the Libertarian bullet and accept a handout from the Feds to help get her plans off the ground.

During this presidential election cycle, there was a lot of talk about hope.

Hope for change.

Hope that the nation would turn from an abomination to an example of progress and enlightenment.

An Obama-nation.

That’s all well and good, but Barack Obama is not the change.

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If you think you’ve heard those words a lot from our presidential candidates, you’re right. The Global Language Monitor, which has been tracking the entire Obama/McCain showdown, puts them as the top three “buzzwords” in this election.

Most of us have played the Buzzwords board game, but at GLM, “political buzzwords are terms or phrases that become loaded with emotional freight beyond the normal meaning of the word.”

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We identified that we are on a crash course in life, the life of future generations, others, all of the species that are suffering due to our inconsiderate and consumptive ways, and the natural environment as we know it and as it has come to be after a slow, lengthy process of evolution. Now, we are trying to change course, we are trying to change.

What is this change we are seeking, and how do we achieve it?

We are seeking a fundamental change in the larger effect we (as a society and as a species) are having on the earth. We are seeking this in many ways, but one great opportunity in seeking this broader change is to change our own needs, our own desires, our own habits and lifestyles. When is this a greater possibility than when we are going through tremendous life changes anyway. With change comes the opportunity for greater change. We decide to go into the basement to get something out of a box, and we end up finding all kinds of things we can toss forever or use or give away.

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Radio, as a means of communication, is very personal, and can deliver messages right to the hearts of listeners.

Community radio can be very empowering to communities because it can inspire people to look at their needs, discuss their problems and look for solutions in a conversational manner.

Because of its conversational quality, community radio can make people become intimately involved with their own individual reality. Oral communication is deeply rooted in many African societies, and community radio can easily tap into this aspect of lived reality, and influence it to propagate environmentally friendly solutions.

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From our perspective, that shouldn’t be too hard; all he’ll have to do is personally change a fluorescent light bulb in the Oval Office and he’ll be doing better than Bush.

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After months of a bitter and violent political dispute, Zimbabwe’s political protagonists have decided to take to the negotiating table.

Besides resolving the country’s longstanding socio-economic problems, the ongoing political talks in Zimbabwe will go a long way to start redressing the damage that has been inflicted onto the environment over the past decade.

A botched government led land reform programme resulted in the unmonitored movement of people and the untoward cutting down of trees and an increase in the poaching of endangered animal species.

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“Livestock production is one of the major causes of the world’s most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Using a methodology that considers the entire commodity chain, it estimates that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport.”

The things we choose to eat can obviously have an enormous impact on the planet and everything on it, including ourselves. Naturally then, our diet choices can say a lot about our ethics and beliefs. They can even be a political statement and a form of activism. I think that every choice we make has the potential to change the world, and certainly what I choose to eat has an impact.

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30 steps to a more sustainable you!

7-22-2008. A quarter of a year has gone by since I posted my Earth Day blog offering 22 suggestions to change your lifestyle

Have you made any changes in the last 3 months?

I’ll trust that you have, and in case you’ve done so well that you’ve incorporated ALL 22 suggestions into your daily routine, I have added 8 more in this post (following the original 22) to make it an even 30.

After going through the list please use the comments section to add to my list and/or to explain why you’ve done so well (or poorly) in the last 3 months.

From Earth Day post:
1. Buy a rain barrel. You can’t drink the collected water, but you can water your lawn and wash your car with it. You’ll save thousands of gallons per year in the process!
2. Turn off your TV!!! At least limit your TV watching!
3. Drive less. Walk, bike, skip, skate, and stroll, more. This way you can get some fresh air while running an errand, and you’ll feel (and look) better in the long run.
4. Use natural fertilizers on your lawn and garden. Harsh chemicals found in conventional fertilizers are bad for your lawn and all who play on it. Also, it harms our groundwater supply.
5. Replace old bulbs with CFL’s and/or LED’s.

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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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