Green Options

Brandon Darby, co-founder of Common Grounds, has publicly admitted to working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and being responsible for the arrest of two activists from Austin, Texas. On Monday he wrote an open letter in explanation of his actions, though the letter does not disclose many details.

In the letter, Darby defends his choice to work for the FBI, admitting that he was not approached by them, but that he actually took the initiative himself when he began disagreeing with his affinity group’s tactics and increased militancy. He wrote that the government is not out to silence dissent or take down activists, but that they merely intend to stop crimes from taking place.

Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and President of Waterkeeper Alliance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave an impassioned a solar energy event held at Coors Field in Denver during the Democratic National Convention.

Two election cycles ago there were no Republican governors, today there are seven western states with Democratic governors, and if you include the plains-states of Kansas and Oklahoma, the total becomes nine Democratic governors west of the Mississippi.

Are you admiring the crafty hats donned by democratic delegates at this week’s convention? They get patriot points for glitter, but MSNBC’s Chris Mathews took the cake with his kinetic hair sculpture. It reminds us all of the important part wind power can play in our renewable energy needs.

That’s not exactly what I had in mind for the focus of this post though. Protests are a great example of craftivism that easily tips the scale to activism. After all, you can’t buy “Fuck the War” signs at Wal-Mart.

With just about every report linking the increase in extreme weather to global warming, it was quite a coincidence that four tornadoes touched down near Denver on Sunday. With the Democratic National Convention beginning there on Monday, it seemed like an attempt by Mother Nature to remind the Democrats to treat climate change with the attention it deserves.

Having staffed a booth two years running at the Chicago Green Festival, I know what a challenge it is for meeting planners to stage a truly green convention. The Green Festival posts volunteers at the garbage cans, to help the public choose the right bin: compost, recycle, or trash. Exhibitors have to attend a conference call and sign a “leave no trace” agreement.

Now, it’s the DNC’s [...]