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Power Shift Brings Young People to Washington to Lobby for Climate Action
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2009 Comment (767)Today marks the start of Power Shift '09, a weekend that will bring 10,000 young people to Washington to lobby Congress for action on climate change. Those who attend will hear from speakers such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and learn the skills necessary to lobby on Capitol Hill. At the end of the weekend, another group, Capitol Climate Action, will be hosting the largest civil disobedience demonstration for climate change yet at the coal-fired Capitol Power Plant. Endorsed by a myriad of environmental organizations and NASA climate scientist James Hansen, young people in dress clothes will risk arrest to demonstrate at the plant. Both events are a testament to the role that young people will have in changing climate policy. I talked to Jessy Tolkan, the executive director of Power Shift '09 about how she thinks this weekend could change our climate policy forever.
You've led young people for a while now - what's the best way for them to make their voices heard all year round, rather than just this weekend?
Young people need to flex their political muscle 365 days a year. They need to do that by constantly buzzing in the ears of Congress and political leaders, being visual on their college campuses and communities, and physically building the movement. We need to consolidate our power - by that, I mean making sure that our congressional officials know we are a voting bloc and making sure corporations know that we have tremendous purchasing power. We need to consolidate so we can take on special interests that have kept us out of power for a long time. -
How Much Does Lent Decrease Our Carbon Footprint?
Tweet Share on Facebook February 26, 2009 Comment (6)It's a time for ashes and palm fronds, sacrifice and rebirth, and occasional vegetarianism. For Catholics across America, Lent is here, and with it, meatless Fridays. As Catholics (and other Christians) forego beef and chicken for one day each week in favor of fish and vegetables, I wondered: How much does our collective carbon footprint decrease over Lent?
According to my calculations, 354 million pounds of meat will go uneaten during Lent.
- There are 67.5 million registered Catholics in America. Using figures from Audubon Magazine (referenced in this earlier post about flexitarianism) the per capita meat consumption of Americans is 12 oz a day. Let's assume all Catholics go meatless on Friday (though I recognize that many do not). This means that 810 million ounces of meat go uneaten each Friday during Lent. For the next seven Fridays until Easter, that's 5.67 billion ounces, or 354 million pounds.
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What Enviros Are Saying About Obama's Speech
Tweet Share on Facebook February 25, 2009 Comment (3)The best of the blogosphere's commentary on Obama's speech last night, regarding energy and environmental concerns:
"Notice that 'it begins with energy'—before health care, even. Wonder if that says anything about his major legislative priorities. Also noteworthy: Obama reiterated, in no uncertain terms, his support for cap-and-trade legislation (in case anyone thought this might quietly slip under the cushions)." --Bradford Plumer, The New Republic
Mr. Obama also had kind words for often-overlooked areas such as transmission and energy efficiency...Perhaps most noteworthy for clean-energy advocates, Mr. Obama clearly stated his support for a cap on carbon dioxide emissions." --Kate Galbraith, NYT's Green Inc.
"Even the political capital of the popular Mr. Obama is not unlimited. We hope he does not spread it so broadly that he is left without the means to extinguish the fires raging now." -- Editorial board of the Washington Post
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America's Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2009 Comment (4)Healthy and green can often go hand-in-hand, so Health's list of the 10 best fast-food chains in America is a useful tool indeed. I wrote last week that the economic downturn may be making American diets healthier, with one exception - fast food sales are up, because people are opting for cheaper fare instead of restaurants. If you have to grab a meal on the go, consider the restaurants below for these climate reasons (I'll let Health tell you about their nutrition here):
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Academy Awards "Wall-E" an Oscar for Animation, But Not Song, Sound or Screenplay
Tweet Share on Facebook February 23, 2009 Comment (23)Wall-E, the animated film dear to the hearts of Americans and green bloggers alike, took home only one trophy out of its record-tying six nominations last night. Director Andrew Stanton accepted the Oscar for the film in the "Best Animated Film" category, a win that came as a surprise to no one. The film was also nominated for Original Score, Original Song, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Original Screenplay. Its six nominations put it in company with Beauty and the Beast, which is widely considered to be the best animated film of all time.
Though the film was up against steep competition in the other categories, there was talk that Wall-E had a shot at Original Screenplay, since the film paid homage to classic Charlie Chaplin films. Because much of the film was silent, score played an important role, and composer Thomas Newman, like Kate Winslet, has been a constant nominee, but never an Oscar winner. Though Newman previously took home two Grammys for Wall-E (Best Song for a Motion Picture, and Best Arrangement), the Academy decided this was not his year.
Wall-E's song, "Down to Earth," was written by Peter Gabriel but performed during the ceremony by John Legend. It was part of a medley of the two other nominated songs from Slumdog Millionaire, and was given a Bollywood tinge by being sandwiched in between. The song, naturally, continued the sustainable message of the film - that we should conserve, appreciate our natural resources, and clean up our messes. You can listen here, and read a selection from the lyrics - which speak of being "tricked" by our future - below:
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White House Shoots Down LaHood Transit Tax Idea
Tweet Share on Facebook February 20, 2009 Comment (6)Shortly after Secretary of Transportation Roy LaHood raised the idea of a transportation tax based on mileage, rather than gas, the idea was shot down in both a written statement from the department and by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. LaHood's idea, which would have placed GPS devices in cars, would have taked people by how much they drive, rather than how much gas they purchase. LaHood said that the plan, which could have raised additional funds for infrastructure, was something "we should look at."
According to a Department of Transportation statement: "The policy of taxing motorists based on how many miles they have traveled is not and will not be Obama administration policy." The idea of a mileage tax is still being floated around by a few states - namely, Idaho, Rhode Island and North Carolina. Oregon has even run a pilot program, and found the program to be viable.
The tax would have environmental implications both good and bad. When people buy more efficient vehicles, they use less gas, which is good. They're still driving just as much, though, and their cars have the same effect on the road, so the government doesn't get as much revenue from these drivers to fix our highways and bridges. As more and more people begin driving hybrids and using less fuel, this will become a bigger problem.
At the same time, green bloggers have pointed out that presently, a mileage tax would punish them for consuming less gas, and take away the incentive for others to purchase hybrids. Morgan Clendaniel of Good points out that an optimal solution would be a weight-per-mile tax, which would reward drivers of lighter vehicles, like the Prius, which presumably do less damage to the road. The problem with all of these ideas, though, is that they still require a GPS to be put in each car - a privacy concern. Surely, someone is hard at work on a better solution.
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Tendril Shows Off Smart Meter Solution at Google-GE Panel Discussion
Tweet Share on Facebook February 19, 2009 Comment (9)At a recent panel discussion sponsored by Google and GE, experts - among them, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner - came together to discuss the smart grid and the changing technology it requires. They couldn't have timed it better. The panel began just as President Obama was signing the stimulus bill, which ensured $80 billion in spending on renewable energy and efficiency. Of those funds, $11 billion in grant money will go towards the modernization of our electric grid.
The event came on the heels of last week's announcement from Google that they'll be developing technology to help consumers interpret data from smart meters to better control their electricity bills. Tech start-up Tendril, which produces smart meters and other energy data applications, participated in the panel and also demoed their solution. With Tendril's Residential Energy Ecosystem, or TREE, consumers can expect to save at least 10% on their bill, said CEO Adrian Tuck, who spoke on the panel.
"We thought people would be motivated to save money or save the planet," said Tuck. "It turns out, what they want is to beat their neighbors."
Tendril appeals to our competitive nature by allowing people to keep track of the cost of their utility bill from day to day, and compared to other homes near them, via an online portal. By knowing when their energy usage spikes, consumers can manage their bill to ensure there are no surprises at the end of the month. With a forthcoming iPhone application, consumers can even adjust their thermostat settings when they are out of the house, and set them to climb back towards a desired temperature as they get closer to home.
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Universal Cell Phone Charger Decision Spurred by Environmental Factors
Tweet Share on Facebook February 18, 2009 Comment (4)Yesterday's announcement from mobile phone trade group GSMA brought relief to irritated consumers: beginning in 2012, cell phones will use a universal charger in the form of a micro-USB cord. This means no more asking around the office for an [insert brand name here] charger when your phone dies, or throwing out old chargers each time you switch phone manufacturers. The chargers will also become more energy-efficient, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in consumption of standby, or vampire, power. Cell phone chargers use the most energy during their lifespan while they're not charging anything at all, because people frequently leave them plugged in.
Interestingly, the GSMA has reported that the decision came as a result of environmental concerns:
"The mobile industry has a pivotal role to play in tackling environmental issues and this program is an important step that could lead to huge savings in resources, not to mention convenience for consumers," said Rob Conway, CEO and member of the board of the GSMA. "There is enormous potential in mobile to help people live and work in an eco-friendly way and with the backing of some or the biggest names in the industry, this initiative will lead the way."
The group estimates that the move will result in the elimination of up to 50 percent of all chargers produced, which means you'll see way fewer chargers in landfills. Phone manufacturers on board already include AT&T, KTF, LG, mobilkom austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone. iPhone users are out of luck - as my colleague David LaGesse has pointed out, Apple will still manufacture a distinct charger.
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Economic Downturn May Be Making American Diets Healthier
Tweet Share on Facebook February 16, 2009 Comment (4)Some might consider it a silver lining to the recession: Americans are cutting back on unhealthier foods at the grocery store to save money. According to the Wall Street Journal, consumer spending on food took a nosedive in the fourth quarter of 2008, falling 3.7 percent. It's the steepest decline in all of the 62 years that the government has compiled data on the topic.
Because of the recession, we're spending less on meat, sweets, and alcohol, and more on milk, eggs and fresh vegetables. Red meat, which has a large carbon footprint, dipped 3.4 percent (no thanks to PETA's "Vegetarians Have Better Sex" campaign). Contrary to the accepted belief that a stiff drink will help us through the recession, sales of alcoholic beverages plummeted 10.9 percent. We're getting our protein through more eggs, our calcium through more milk, and our nutrients through more vegetables (hopefully they're locally-grown, but no one's holding their breath). We're also dipping into our pantries to use up our stored food, rather than letting it go to waste. Either way, the recession seems to be pushing us all inadvertently towards flexitarianism - a diet that's good for our health and the planet.
There are two drawbacks, though. Since we're spending less money on food, I doubt that people are putting their dollars towards pricier organic fare. And perhaps a worse outcome is that the Dollar Menu at McDonalds is looking mighty good to anyone looking for a filling meal that's cheap - the company's sales rose 7.1 percent in January.
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The Recycling Bin: Green Valentine's Day Tips
Tweet Share on Facebook February 13, 2009 Comment (2)Flowers and candy and all that mushy stuff. You know the drill. Here are the best green Valentine's Day tips, compiled from around the web.
