Green Options » Planetsave http://greenoptions.com/tag/planetsave Posts tagged 'Planetsave' Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:53:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Union of Concerned Scientists and the Scientific Integrity Editorial Cartoons http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/20/union-of-concerned-scientists-and-the-scientific-integrity-editorial-cartoons/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/20/union-of-concerned-scientists-and-the-scientific-integrity-editorial-cartoons/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:53:13 +0000 Lucille Chi http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/20/union-of-concerned-scientists-and-the-scientific-integrity-editorial-cartoons/

Have you seen the comic art for the 2010 Union of Concerned Scientists Scientific Integrity Cartoons? Shown above is a cartoon about science and the Endangered Species Act.

The entire calendar shows how “the absurdity of political interference in science is ripe for lampooning-and serves as a constant reminder of how vigilant we must be in defending science from politics.” The comics also highlight the need for the new administration and Congress to create a thriving federal scientific enterprise.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/20/union-of-concerned-scientists-and-the-scientific-integrity-editorial-cartoons/feed/ Greenpeace Exposes Oil Industry’s Really Dirty Face http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/08/20/greenpeace-exposes-oil-industrys-really-dirty-face/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/08/20/greenpeace-exposes-oil-industrys-really-dirty-face/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:16:48 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/08/20/greenpeace-exposes-oil-industrys-really-dirty-face/

We can’t expect much from the oil industry, but Greenpeace’s newest finding is as ugly as it gets.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/08/20/greenpeace-exposes-oil-industrys-really-dirty-face/feed/ Greenpeace Praises Brazil http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:29:06 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/

Brazil soya traders agreed to extend a moratorium on buying soya linked to Amazon destruction this week and Greenpeace was quick to give them a big thank you from the world.

International companies such as McDonald’s are happy, and companies like Nike, Wal-Mart and Carrefour are asking for more.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/feed/ The EU and MTV Team Up: Copenhagen Prelude http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:16:59 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/
The European Union (EU) and MTV are working together to get young people involved in the climate debate. The major entities started their “Play to Stop – Europe for Climate” campaign this month. Working with international music artists and other international celebrities, this is a major campaign to mobilize the youth around the topic of climate change, and especially for the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December.

The campaign targets 11 EU countries — Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The campaign will involve celebrities from the various participating countries.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/29/the-eu-and-mtv-team-up-copenhagen-prelude/feed/ Ocean Conservancy and Reef Relief say Parrotfish Need More Attention http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/ocean-conservancy-and-reef-relief-say-parrotfish-need-more-attention/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/ocean-conservancy-and-reef-relief-say-parrotfish-need-more-attention/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:47:09 +0000 Lucille Chi http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/ocean-conservancy-and-reef-relief-say-parrotfish-need-more-attention/

 The beautiful parrotfish (family Scaridae) performs many roles in coral reef ecosystems. With their large teeth they munch algae off the coral so that it stays healthy and alive. Parrotfish are constantly eating and digesting bits of coral whole, and excreting sand that helps create beaches. Since parrotfish spend all day searching the reef for food to eat and then turning it to sand, they actually produce up to 2,200 pounds (1 metric ton) of sand per year. 

Ocean Conservancy tells us that in “reefs, parrotfish play a critical role as grazers keeping algae in check. Without grazers, algae out-compete the coral until they weaken or even die.” Actively protecting the gorgeous parrotfish from overfishing is the most important way to make sure that reefs are healthy, resilient, and bountiful. 

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/ocean-conservancy-and-reef-relief-say-parrotfish-need-more-attention/feed/ Win 1 Year of Free Transportation! http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/win-1-year-of-free-transportation/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/win-1-year-of-free-transportation/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:07:20 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/win-1-year-of-free-transportation/
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is hosting a “Dump the Pump” video contest. The winner will get one free year on public transportation!

Currently, only two videos are on the site. Save some serious money on transportation — approximately 30%, the largest percentage, of a working family’s budget in the US goes to transportation. Submit a video today.

There won’t be only one winner.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/win-1-year-of-free-transportation/feed/ London Grassroots Activists Getting Attention http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/london-grassroots-activists-getting-attention/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/london-grassroots-activists-getting-attention/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:35:05 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/london-grassroots-activists-getting-attention/
A new organization, starting off in South London, but open to working in other areas as well, is making links in the green world on the grassroots level and is getting some serious attention.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/28/london-grassroots-activists-getting-attention/feed/ 10 Sustainable Lifestyle Tips: #6-10 http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/27/10-sustainable-lifestyle-tips-6-10/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/27/10-sustainable-lifestyle-tips-6-10/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:20:59 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/27/10-sustainable-lifestyle-tips-6-10/
Lifestyle is the biggest underlying contributor to our environmental impact. The things we buy, the products we use, the way we travel, are all influenced greatly by our lifestyle. Our lifestyle is the root of all our green (or not green) actions in some way or another. How we think, what we think about, how we spend our free time, our daily and weekly habits, what we decide to bring into our lives — this is our lifestyle.

I’ve come up with a top ten list of lifestyle factors that I believe have the biggest impact on whether or not we are living sustainable lives. Is your lifestyle sustainable?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/27/10-sustainable-lifestyle-tips-6-10/feed/ Transformational Transportation Bill is ‘in Traffic’ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/25/transformational-transportation-bill-is-in-traffic/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/25/transformational-transportation-bill-is-in-traffic/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:51:20 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/25/transformational-transportation-bill-is-in-traffic/ Advocates for better, green transportation achieved great success this year with a transportation bill in the House of Representatives that could change the United States forever. Not only advocates have brought this to where it is, though. The general public, the US Chamber of Commerce, AAA, the AFL-CIO, Associated General Contractors of America, and others have brought it to where it is today. This progressive bill would reverse auto-centric federal transportation policies that have led the US into various environmental, social and economic crises for the past several decades.

Unfortunately, delay due to lawmakers’ inability to come to a consensus and the Obama administration’s reluctancy to increase gas prices at this time (which are much lower, in real terms, than they were 54 years ago) may postpone the bill for another 18 months. However, there is opportunity to take action!

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/25/transformational-transportation-bill-is-in-traffic/feed/ Climate Ride — Bicycle from NYC to DC! http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/climate-ride-bicycle-from-nyc-to-dc/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/climate-ride-bicycle-from-nyc-to-dc/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:32:32 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/climate-ride-bicycle-from-nyc-to-dc/
Join other bicyclists or support a bicyclist to help combat global warming this Fall. For the second year in a row, bicyclists (and non-bicyclists) will join together for a climate conference “on wheels” — the Brita Climate Ride.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/climate-ride-bicycle-from-nyc-to-dc/feed/ $560 BILLION Solar Project — Biggest Ever http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/560-billion-solar-project-biggest-ever/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/560-billion-solar-project-biggest-ever/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:20:22 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/560-billion-solar-project-biggest-ever/

The sun is coming out. And Europe isn’t waiting any longer. Some of the biggest businesses in Europe are ready to invest in the largest solar energy project in the world. They are looking to create a “solar energy belt” in the Middle East and North Africa.

How will the energy get to Europe? It will go through huge “super grids” under the Mediterranean Sea. Has this kind of thing happened before? Siemens CEO, Peter Löscher, says: “A few years ago we connected Tasmania with the Australian continent. And from 2011 there will be a 250-kilometer undersea cable supplying Majorca with electricity from the Spanish mainland. For us, this kind of thing is now part of our core business.”

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/560-billion-solar-project-biggest-ever/feed/ 50% Chance Colorado River Reservoirs Will Run Dry by 2057 — Under Current Scenario http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/50-chance-colorado-river-reservoirs-will-run-dry-by-2057-under-current-scenario/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/50-chance-colorado-river-reservoirs-will-run-dry-by-2057-under-current-scenario/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:56:04 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/50-chance-colorado-river-reservoirs-will-run-dry-by-2057-under-current-scenario/
A new study finds that there is a 50-50 chance all of the Colorado River reservoirs — in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona — will run completely dry by the year 2057 if currents trends and practices continue.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/24/50-chance-colorado-river-reservoirs-will-run-dry-by-2057-under-current-scenario/feed/ Submit Your Photo of Public Transit http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/submit-your-photo-of-public-transit/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/submit-your-photo-of-public-transit/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:07:17 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/submit-your-photo-of-public-transit/
The American Public Transportation Association is asking for great transit photos showing transportation that is green and friendly and will change our future.

As shown year after year, public transit is a key factor keeping our planet from warming much further than it already is! It is also one of our best bets for slowing and eventually stopping global warming in the future. Beyond that, public transit helps the environment, the economy, and you in many other ways as well.

An organization working for you to increase and improve public transportation and to fight global warming, smog, excessive traffic congestion, water pollution, hours lost from home, stress, road rage, and your car becoming your home needs your help now.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/submit-your-photo-of-public-transit/feed/ Sierra Club Applauds and Echoes EPA on Green Diversity http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/sierra-club-applauds-and-echoes-epa-on-green-diversity/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/sierra-club-applauds-and-echoes-epa-on-green-diversity/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:30:16 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/sierra-club-applauds-and-echoes-epa-on-green-diversity/

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson called on minorities to be a bigger part of environmentalism in a speech to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council on Tuesday. Sierra Club showed their appreciation for the EPA’s remarks and highlighted their own commitment to diversity on the same day. “We applaud Administrator Jackson’s call for the environmental movement to better reflect the diversity of all Americans, and we are proud that Sierra Club has such successful diversity programs already established,” said Sierra Club President Allison Chin.

Sierra Club went on to highlight its own diversity related programs, also pointing out that Allison Chin is the first Asian-American president of the organization.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/sierra-club-applauds-and-echoes-epa-on-green-diversity/feed/ Green Jobs and Clean Energy: #1 Way to Lead the World http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/green-jobs-and-clean-energy-1-way-to-lead-world/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/green-jobs-and-clean-energy-1-way-to-lead-world/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:50:06 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/green-jobs-and-clean-energy-1-way-to-lead-world/
How long did the idea that green issues and the economy were in competition proliferate the US? For decades. Now, top-of-the-world entrepeneurs, the President of the United States, leading representatives in Congress, and research institutes are saying that green jobs and a green economy are the way to a healthy economy. Recent statements by Barbara Boxer (Senator from California), John Doerr (venture capitalist who helped to launch Google and Amazon.com), Obama, and a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts state that the only way to lead the world in the 21st century is to lead in green energy and green jobs.

In reference to Thomas Friedman’s book, Hot, Flat and Crowded, Boxer said yesterday: “The nation that aggressively addresses the issue of climate change will be the nation that will thrive, the nation that will lead, and the nation that will prosper.”

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/green-jobs-and-clean-energy-1-way-to-lead-world/feed/ US Secretary of Transportation Says “Cut Down on Driving!” — 2 Key Steps http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/us-secretary-of-transportation-says-cut-down-on-driving-2-key-steps/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/us-secretary-of-transportation-says-cut-down-on-driving-2-key-steps/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:31:09 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/us-secretary-of-transportation-says-cut-down-on-driving-2-key-steps/
On the official blog of the US Secretary of Transportation last week, Ray LaHood stated that driving less is the key to reducing carbon emissions, plain and simple. He gave an outline, on his blog, of what he said to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works earlier that day and this was the bottom line. However, how we get there — how to encourage people to drive less — was another key aspect of his presentation and blog post.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/us-secretary-of-transportation-says-cut-down-on-driving-2-key-steps/feed/ EPA Calling for More Diversity in Environmentalism http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-calling-for-more-diversity-in-environmentalism/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-calling-for-more-diversity-in-environmentalism/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:31:37 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-calling-for-more-diversity-in-environmentalism/
In another effort to bridge the sustainability gaps in our society today, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson called for more diversity in environmentalism yesterday. Speaking to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, she stated clearly that low-income and minority groups are often hit the hardest by environmental problems. “The place where I grew up is like other places in this country. Places where the burden of pollution and environmental degradation falls disproportionately on low-income and minority communities – and most often, on the children in those communities.”

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-calling-for-more-diversity-in-environmentalism/feed/ Thank Public Transit for Your Quick(er) Trip Home: Public Transit Saves Us Hundreds of Millions of Hours a Year http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/thank-public-transit-for-your-quicker-trip-home-public-transit-saves-us-hundreds-of-millions-of-hours-a-year/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/thank-public-transit-for-your-quicker-trip-home-public-transit-saves-us-hundreds-of-millions-of-hours-a-year/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:17:57 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/thank-public-transit-for-your-quicker-trip-home-public-transit-saves-us-hundreds-of-millions-of-hours-a-year/
Ever get upset because you got stuck behind a bus while driving your car? Think again. That bus is saving you time. How many people are on that bus? If they were driving, how many cars would be in your way instead?

A new report by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) finds that public transit saved Americans “646 million hours in travel time and 398 million gallons of fuel” in 2007. The 2009 Urban Mobility Report identifies the great advantages of public transit for everyone, not just those who use it. The report also identifies that the cost of congestion increased in 2007 but that it would have increased considerably more (16%, or, an additional $13.7, from two years before) if it weren’t for public transit.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/thank-public-transit-for-your-quicker-trip-home-public-transit-saves-us-hundreds-of-millions-of-hours-a-year/feed/ Public Advocacy Group Says “No Go” on Climate Bill http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/public-advocacy-group-says-no-go-on-climate-bill/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/public-advocacy-group-says-no-go-on-climate-bill/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:18:19 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/public-advocacy-group-says-no-go-on-climate-bill/
The climate bill that was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month is getting wide support and attention. However, activist groups who have taken a closer look at the bill are wondering if it’s a climate bill addressing global climate change or a climate bill addressing the concerns of the coal and oil industry. Public Citizen, a national, non-profit, public interest organization, states that the bill “will prove a boon to the coal and oil industries, will fail to protect consumers and may very well not even curb global warming.”

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/public-advocacy-group-says-no-go-on-climate-bill/feed/ First U.S. Mutual Fund to Report Carbon Footprint http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/first-us-mutual-fund-to-report-carbon-footprint/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/first-us-mutual-fund-to-report-carbon-footprint/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:07:13 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/first-us-mutual-fund-to-report-carbon-footprint/
Leading the way for other mutual funds, Green Century Balanced Fund released a report on its carbon footprint today. The analysis was independently conducted by Trucost, a leading environmental data and analysis firm. According to the report, the carbon intensity (or carbon emissions per million dollars of revenue) is two-thirds lower than that of the S&P 500(r) Index. Green Century Balanced Fund is also leading other sustainability and socially responsible investment funds, according to the report. Trucost has analyzed sixteen other investment funds who are dedicated to sustainability and social responsibility, and Green Century Balanced Fund’s carbon footprint is almost half the average of these funds.

Why is Green Century Balance Fund’s carbon intensity so low?

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