By Julie Finn •
January 19, 2009
You and your kiddos have some green Obama souvenirs, right? Well, even if you don’t (and even though my four-year-old voted for McCain), there are some fun, educational, and eco-friendly ways to help your kids celebrate our upcoming inauguration–by celebrating this inauguration, in particular, but any inauguration, you help your kids understand the ceremonies that are meaningful to our society and help give them a sense of history and their particular place in it. By making your celebrations thrifty and eco-friendly, you help them learn how to live full and generous lives while honoring your family’s ethical beliefs.
Some of these activities below will require a little prep time and some won’t, but all can be participated in by kids from very young to very old:
By Jennifer Kho •
January 19, 2009
Attendees of the fifth annual Clean-Tech Investor Summit, which starts Tuesday in Indian Wells, Calif., might notice a change in the agenda from previous years. The annual panel on cleantech investment exits –IPOs or acquisitions of venture-backed startups – has disappeared.
It’s a reflection of the economic environment, said Ron Pernick, a principal at research firm Clean Edge and a co-producer of the conference. “There haven’t been any exits to speak of, which tells you something,” he said.
By Tina Casey •
January 18, 2009
The Obama Inauguration will be sparkly green. But the souvenirs? Eh, not so much. When it comes to going green, your basic little presidential souvenir would feel right at home in a dollar store: plastic, toxic, and…um…just plain ick.
If you’d rather not go that route, there’s a lot you can do to preserve this historic occasion, the green way - and without spending to much money. Jump with me below the fold to see how.
By Tom Schueneman •
January 17, 2009
Of course I knew when I left San Francisco early yesterday morning that I was one of many - thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions - coming to Washington to bear witness to history. But once the journey is begun, I am myself swept up in its tide.
By Timothy B. Hurst •
January 16, 2009
Two small wind turbines, the type that would power individual homes, farms, or businesses are currently on display at the National Mall and contributing to the Washington, D.C. power grid.
By Kristen Chase •
January 14, 2009
I first heard about Obama’s Green Inauguration in a passing discussion by two news journalists today who mentioned that he was using a green carpet for his celebration.
“Yeah, but you know everyone will be flying in and taking limos,” the journalist noted. And honestly, he did have a point.
However, after researching the green inauguration ball further (which as it turns out is totally separate from the actual inauguration), it does seem as though there’s definitely a larger green effort involved in what might otherwise be passed off as green washing.
By Caitlin Sislin •
January 12, 2009
Environmentally-friendly initiatives such as green jobs are at the center of his economic stimulus plan. So it’s no surprise that Obama’s inauguration will have the smallest “footprint” of any president in history.
By Lisa Kivirist •
January 8, 2009
It’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for President-Elect Barack Obama. Despite all the rainbow of pomp and circumstance surrounding the upcoming inauguration, he’s walking into a dark storm of problems and crisis, wrapped in a hefty price tag.
So here’s a reminder, Mr. President-Elect, to remember the low-hanging fruit. Take advantage of easy opportunities to showcase the positive, the healthy, and the true “green” in our country. Take the White House Egg Roll, for example. The longest standing tradition of the White House, for over one hundred years children have gathering on the White House Lawn the Monday after Easter for egg rolling fun with the President and First Lady. Don’t just take this event at face value and follow the same plug and play routine the Bush White House succumbed to – use this opportunity to honor our country’s agricultural roots while celebrating how American farmers grow great food by showcasing the breadth of agriculture that now also captures the growth and vibrancy of the organic and sustainable farming movement.
Representing the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture, organic and sustainable farming holds the potential to reinvent our food system to create healthy, fair, green and affordable localized food sources for us all. Look at the diversity of egg alone: from free-range to organic eggs, white, brown and even blue eggs now grace the aisles of some grocery stores and farm stands at farmers’ markets. Such an educational focus for the upcoming White House Egg Roll, scheduled for April 13, 2009, would embrace the face and pace of change transforming and restoring our American farmlands and food system because it will:
1. Root for Fit Kids
Stewarding the land and growing local, fresh, seasonal food sources further strengthens a healthy future for the honored Egg Roll attendees: our nation’s youth. Starting with the egg, arguably one of the most complete and nutritious protein sources available, farm-fresh food fuels our children toward a healthy future.
2. Savor Spring’s Fresh and Local Harvest
The Egg Roll coincides with the opening of the farmers’ market season nationally and can also serve as a timely stimulus for Americans to start home gardens, revitalizing the spirit, sacrifice and responsibility made famous by the Victory Garden era of WWII.
By Michael A. Weber •
November 11, 2008
To believe, or not to believe? That is the question of many on the far left and the fringes of the environmental movement. We cannot simply hope that Obama follows through with his promises, we must act to guarantee that he does.
Nothing represents this dichotomy more than the mixed feelings I have about the election of Barack Obama.
I walk a fine line between radical and liberal—between wanting to smash a failed system and fix a broken one. I consider myself an anarchist, yet I proudly voted. And I voted for Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney, yet I fought back tears of joy as I witnessed Obama give his acceptance speech in person in Grant Park.
Obama has great potential to be the most liberal, open-minded president of the last century. Dare I say, he could be a catalyst for change.
What does this mean for those of us who view species extinction and global climate catastrophe as more than just back-burner issues? This represents an opportunity that the environmental movement has never seen, and we would be foolish to pass it up. So here are four steps to help ensure that Obama keeps his many bold promises to us.
