Green Options » stewardship

Obama Administration Announced Plans to Expand Hydroelectric Program

Ruedigar Matthes — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:37:31 +0000

July 1, 2009 - The U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $32 million dollars of Recovery Act funding will be used to expand the harvest of hydroelectric power. “There’s no one solution to the energy crisis, but hydro-power is clearly part of the solution and represents a major opportunity to create more clean energy jobs,” said Secretary Chu.

The funding would be used on existing facilities in order to modernize the current infrastructures, increase efficiency and reduce the impact that the facilities have on the environment. “Investing in our existing hydro-power infrastructure will strengthen our economy, reduce pollution and help us toward energy independence,” said Chu. The announcement made today is designed to work on non-federal facilities; increasing energy output and environmental stewardship by supporting the deployment of turbines and control technologies.

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Communicating Climate Change: Making the Science Accessible

Dave Levitan — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:26:40 +0000

In spite of a global scientific consensus on climate change, policy makers and the public still lag far behind in terms of recognizing the urgency of global warming and acting accordingly. Major news outlets (*cough,* Washington Post, *cough cough*) continue to disseminate confusing and misleading denial arguments, and well-meaning scientists and journalists struggle to articulate the realities of climate change to those who will shape the planet’s future. Perhaps a standardized language of global warming is needed.

Thomas Bowman, president of an organization that helps organizations make sustainable choices, authored a letter in the journal Science calling for a common language when discussing some of the more abstract ideas surrounding climate change. Along with researchers from George Mason University, Penn State University and elsewhere, Bowman suggests ways to help the public catch up to the science.

“At this critical moment, scientific understanding has outstripped our society’s capacity to use that knowledge by a wide margin,” they wrote. “This situation must be resolved quickly to give policymakers–and the public–the broadest range of options.”

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Cocoa Camino: Chocolate With Heart for Valentine’s

Sonya — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:50:47 +0000

With Valentine’s Day coming up, in our home thoughts are turning to celebrating with fair trade, organic chocolate like Cocoa Camino.

Cocoa Camino is a line of premium Fair Trade Certified and certified organic chocolate, cocoa and sugar products produced by the Canadian La Siembra Co-operative. These products include chocolate bars, sugar, hot chocolate, cocoa, chocolate chips, syrup and couverture. They’re sold in natural health food stores, pharmacies and grocery stores.

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There is No Substitute for Immersion… Get the Kids Outside!

Glenn Chickering — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:27:27 +0000

Although I wholeheartedly agree with it, I have to admit to stealing that line from Thom Henley and Kenny Peavy, authors of As if the Earth Matters. This book can serve as a textbook, a field guide, or an outdoor manual for teachers, parents, and children. It is full of hands-on activities which have been developed and field-tested by the authors and their students.

Thom Henley is well known in the world of conservation, having been instrumental in protecting and forming Canada’s Gwaii Haanas National Park on the Queen Charlotte Archipelago. He is an associate professor of the Stream Keeper Academy in Washington State and serves as Honorary Director of the Rediscovery International Foundation. The author or co-author of nine other books, his environmental accomplishments are too numerous to keep listing here.

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My Convention is Greener Than Yours

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:37:56 +0000

The Republicans and Democrats will not only be battling it out in the presidential elections this fall, but they are battling it out over who can hold the “greenest” (or is it the most greenwashed) national convention in late summer. From recycled fiber carpet to biodegradable plates, each political party is trying to outdo the other with its eco-friendly and “sustainable” conventions.

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado in August 2008. The party states:

The DNCC has a tremendous opportunity to educate the public and Convention attendees on making individual life choices that are environmentally sustainable. We intend to lead by example in this effort, with organizers applying green planning principles to every decision made in the lead-up to Convention week.

The Democrats will be offsetting the carbon created by the convention, using B20 biodiesel in all their generators, purchasing renewable energy certificates, using sustainable materials, and planning local river clean-ups and tree planting projects in the area.

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REI Creates “Eco-Sensitive” Clothing

Kelli Best-Oliver — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:23:23 +0000

The great outdoors and environmental sustainability have long gone hand in hand, and many outdoors-gear companies have been leaders in sustainable business practices. Patagonia, Keen, and Teko have been pioneers in producing gear that uses lower-impact materials (like organics) or recycled materials (like PET bottles). Now, outfitter super cooperative REI is getting into the act, incorporating more sustainable materials into their line of clothing.

"Our eco-sensitive offerings are the next step in our journey to reduce REI’s overall company environmental footprint," added Kelly Stone, REI Gear & Apparel director of sales and marketing. "As with every offering that carries our brand, REI’s eco-sensitive items deliver on our promise of functionality, quality and great style that our members and customers expect."

Utilizing organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, recycled PET, and organic wool, REI has created both men’s and women’s apparel that they believe meet standards for improved environmental performance. Men’s items range from organic cotton/recycled PET polyester cargo pants and t-shirts, to organic cotton hoodies, to recycled PET fleece parkas, jackets, and vests. The women’s line includes recycled PET fleece jackets, hemp/recycled PET skirts and pants, and organic cotton t-shirts & hats. REI plans to increase the amount of "eco-senstive" products offered in coming seasons.

This year, REI also implemented a labeling system that alerts customers to REI products that are eco-sensitive. Both items and signage in their retail stores easily identifies eco-sensitive production, and indicates what greener materials were used. REI’s website is refreshingly transparent. When listing their eco-senstive materials, they included pros and cons of each item, acknowledging that some "greener" materials come at a cost, whether that be financial or environmental. This allows consumers to make more informed decisions when purchasing clothing. REI’s commitment to stewardship and sustainability is evident from their annual stewardship report, which showcases their progressive commitment to becoming climate neutral by 2020, building green buildings, using paper more responsibly, and reducing waste and packaging.

Kelli says: My husband loves his Slickrock pants. They’re comfortable, affordable, versatile (suitable hiking AND teaching) and, best of all, a little more sustainable. Oh yeah, he says they have awesome pockets, too. I’ve got my eye on the decidedly un-hippie hemp skirt I mentioned above.