Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week.
Tuesday night saw the end of two years of negotiations between the Port of Oakland, environmentalists, truckers and West Oakland residents, with a vote to reduce toxic emissions from trucks serving the busy shipping center.
The Comprehensive Truck Management Plan aims to reduce the levels of diesel particulates in the air around the port, by banning diesel trucks built before 1994 — as well as newer trucks that lack air filters.
The plan also authorized a registration system for all trucks doing business with the port, and $3 million for independent truckers who need to upgrade their vehicles.
Looking for information on solar panels, organic vegetables, or endangered species? You go to one of your favorite green blogs, right? But if you’re looking for a film review, or a preview of an art exhibit, or information on pending education legislation, you head to a different blogosphere… unless it’s eco-focused, you won’t find those things on sustainablog or other environmentally-focused sites.
On Tuesday, the Sundance Channel quietly rolled out an effort to change that. Billed as “film, art, music, design and more as we see it - filtered through that space between the underground and the mainstream,” the new SUNfiltered blog provides an eclectic range of content… and, as with the company’s television programming, green is a part of the mix.
As a company with a sensitive finger on the cultural pulse, it’s no surprise that Sundance has made eco-consciousness a part of the new blog. Of course, you’d also expect them to hire a smart, savvy blogger with an eye for cutting-edge green developments to cover this beat, right?
You’d expect that. What you’ll get, however: me.
By Becky Striepe •
February 4, 2009
Worldchanging.com co-founder Jamais Cascio works in the field of scenario development. He’s used his skills on all sorts of projects from video game design to building alternative energy scenarios. In his recently published lecture, he talks about specific things we can do to build a better world.
[Creative Commons photo by Andrés Larsen]
Each year, the
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference invites experts from a variety of fields to share their knowledge in 18 minute lectures. Jamais Cascio gave this talk back in February of 2006 discussing solutions for a sustainable future. He talks about the need for optimism and how, “focusing only on negative outcomes can really blind you to the very possibility of success.” He emphasizes staying positive, citing scientific and technological advances that help us better understand our impact on the world around us and how to lower that impact.
He even touches on the power of social networking! The Earth Witness project he describes sounds like a really exciting idea - one that might be doable using a microblogging service like Twitter that allows folks to send texts straight from their cell phones to the web!
Check out the whole video after the jump.
By Levi Novey •
January 14, 2009
Dreamworks/Paramount Vantage
Dear Mr. DiCaprio,
If you haven’t heard, there are reports that several years ago you bought a “pristine” Caribbean Island in the Central American country of Belize. It’s been the subject of speculation for some time, and there are many reports and rumors that you plan to build a “green resort.”
Seeing as that I just came across another one of these stories today, I would like to offer you some unsolicited advice, Leo, if I might.
By Alex Felsinger •
January 13, 2009
As heavily reported elsewhere, a 22-year-old going by “Natalie Dylan” is auctioning off her virginity through the legal Bunny Ranch brothel in Carson City, Nevada. Well, the auction has reached $3.8 million, but one offer seems more peculiar: a zookeeper has offered a live tiger.
This raises quite a few questions: What zoo does this guy work at? Would it be legal to exchange said tiger for sex? How long will it be until PETA takes a position?
By Gennefer Snowfield •
December 12, 2008
This holiday season, you can save a cloud forest, adopt a tiger and remove 1 ton of CO2. Although none of it will fit in a box or under the tree, Changing the Present makes all these things possible by giving consumers access to a variety of charitable initiatives so that they can give the gift of hope, health and happiness for a world in need.
Some perks include not having to go near a crowded mall, finding something for everyone on your list, and no lines, returns or exchanges. Best of all, you’ll be making a tangible difference in the world with the cause of your choice, and it’s something that will last long after the latest retail trends fizzle out.
Changing the Present features more than 1,500 meaningful charitable gifts that users can browse by cause or nonprofit to find the perfect gift for friends or their own charitable giving.
Building on a commitment to changing the social norm when it comes to gift giving, and seeking to spark positive change in the world, Robert Tolmach, CEO of WellGood LLC, spearheaded the team that implemented this important effort, and was kind enough to share more details about the program with me in a one-on-one chat about the future of giving.
By Brian Liloia •
November 29, 2008
As you recover from your day of Thanksgiving feasting, you might be curious as to whom you should really thank for your day off from work or school day of celebration. There are many stories, myths, and misinformation surrounding Thanksgiving history. Equally significant are the many strong emotions and opinions evoked this holiday, including everything from the feel-good and sense of hope, to doubt and downright condemnation of the infamous feasting day.
But there’s a little-known truth about Thanksgiving that you may not realize. The real reason we celebrate the fourth Thursday of every November as “Thanksgiving” is because of a journalist, not the pilgrims.
By Brian Liloia •
November 28, 2008
Repeatedly, you’ll hear or read the same suggestions as to what you can do to prevent global warming. Big media sources typically suggest very simplistic things like changing your light bulbs to compact fluorescents, buying a hybrid car, or unplugging appliances when they’re not in use.
But you want to make a real difference.
You are not content with the mainstream media’s advice, because you know that there are bigger things to be done, more dramatic actions to be taken to stop climate change from wrecking further havoc upon our precious ecosystems. Here I will share with you some of those bigger solutions that big media won’t tell you.
By Lucille Chi •
November 28, 2008
What a wonderful time of year to express gratitude for our natural world and how it nourishes us. Discover through this free visual guide how an enriched school or family environment can enhance student understanding of personal well-being and the natural world.
The guide is available for download in pdf format, and while it is designed for kids in a learning environment, there is something in there for everyone to learn from.
It’s graciously offered by the Center for Ecoliteracy which is dedicated to education for sustainable living. Their work is based on these four guiding principles:
- Nature is our teacher
- Sustainable living is rooted in a deep knowledge of place
- Sustainability is a community practice
- The real world is the optimal learning environment
By Melissa Elliott •
November 10, 2008
While animal control officers in San Jose, CA are still investigating into who may have tortured a cat so badly that he had to be euthanized, officers say there is “some indication there may be another cat out there with a partially lost tail.”
