College Students Still Dumping Junk Curbside

Try as colleges and universities may to cut down on the amount of stuff that college students dump at the curb at the end of every semester, mountains of furniture, clothes and other items still end up piled high, destined for the landfill. This is especially true for students who live off campus.

Matt Embrey at GreenUpgrader took some photos of dumpsters in his college town of Durham, New Hampshire at the end of the semester. University of New Hampshire students, like those at virtually every university across the country, left the curbs littered with stuff – much of which is still in decent condition.

From GreenUpgrader:

After thinking about this for a short time this morning I came up with a potential solution… a giant swap shop.  The Town of Durhm has a “Swap shop” at the town dump.  It’s a place to deposit the things that you don’t want anymore (but aren’t trash)  for other people to take and put to use.  It is a small two bay garage so the amount of furniture they house is limited.  The university could run a much larger scale swap shop.  Basically, they would drive around at the end of the year and pick up all the old furniture that is still usable and bring it down to a large warehouse to store for the summer months.  At the beginning of the new school year they open the doors and have a big yard sale where they charge a nominal amount for each piece to cover the cost of operations.  Most college kids use used furniture anyway, and having a university sponsored furniture depostiory would allow for this furniture to be used over and over rather than retired early to the landfill.

Considering the University of New Hampshire’s commitment to sustainability, this could really work. Hopefully university officials are listening and can take Matt’s idea, make the necessary refinements and put it into action – it would be a great example for other schools across America, as well.

Link [GreenUpgrader]

WWII War Ship Now an Artificial Reef in the Florida Keys

Three minutes was all it took for a 17,000 ton hunk of metal to sink 140 feet to the bottom of the sea seven miles off Florida’s Key West. The 523-foot-long Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a rusting World War II-era relic that once tracked Soviet missile launches during the Cold War, will now act as a giant artificial reef that local officials hope will help draw in tourists and provide a save haven for marine life.

From MSNBC:

They expected the wreck would be an immediate underwater draw for divers, while at the same time attracting fish, corals and other sea creatures and so relieving the pressure on Key West’s natural reefs caused by diving, boating and fishing.

“Divers like wrecks, fish like wrecks. The Vandenberg will have a great profile underwater,” said Sheri Lohr, a retired dive shop owner involved in the Vandenberg sinking project.

Before it was sunk, the Vandenberg was cleansed of contaminants, such as asbestos, wiring, paint and other potentially toxic substances and debris, to prevent it from damaging the ecology of the ocean floor in its new life.

So it’s not a real shipwreck, but it’ll still be quite a striking sight for divers. If people are going to be disturbing marine life for recreation, it’s better for them to do it at an artificial reef than in the midst of fragile natural ecosystems. It’ll be no time at all before this ship is packed full of a dazzling array of sea creatures, and it’s certainly a better fate than rotting in a shipyard.

Link [MSNBC]
Photo credit: BigShipwrecks.com

Activist Nuns Convince Chevron to Track its Carbon Footprint

As it turned out, after years of resistance, all it took to get Chevron to track its carbon footprint was a threat from activist nuns. A group of faith-based investors, including the Sisters of St. Domenic, filed a resolution to force Chevron into being more environmentally responsible.

After the oil giant agreed to comply, the resolution was withdrawn. Chevron will now become the largest oil company to track its carbon footprint, something another competitor – ExxonMobil – has yet to do.

From GreenBiz.com, via Digg:

“As shareholders, we appreciate the difficulties that Chevron management faces in the long-term in confronting the task to reduce GHG emissions,” Sister Patricia Daly, executive director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment and a member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), said in a statement. “The recent advancements Chevron has made in reducing its carbon footprint and preparing the company for viability in a low-carbon business environment cannot be ignored.”

Daly made the announcement the day before San Ramon-based Chevron’s annual stockholders meeting, where reports suggest it may address concerns about a legal case in Ecuador that could lead to a multi-billion dollar judgment against the company. The case stems from alleged environmental violations committed by Texaco, which Chevron later acquired.

In the corporate world, money talks, and if your investors want you to do something you do it. It’s no surprise that money was the only reason Chevron agreed to pay any attention to their carbon footprint at all.

Link [GreenBiz.com] via [Digg]

Do You Have Insufferable Cyclist Syndrome?

So, you’re a proud cyclist, cheerfully riding your bicycle just about anywhere it can go and boasting to friends, family and colleagues about how much money and carbon emissions you’re saving. Yet, you’ve begun to notice that their eyes glaze over the moment bicycles become the subject of conversation. It’s official: you’ve got insufferable cyclist syndrome.

Don’t worry. Lighter Footstep is here to help. They’ve put together a simple guide for living with this common syndrome, so you don’t end up alienating the people closest to you.

The best bicycle evangelism is a healthy, productive you. There’s no need to insufferably hector a co-worker about what their SUV commute is doing to the environment. They know. Evangelize by example: folks around the office are going to notice your energy, great attitude — and shrinking midsection. You’ll be asked your secret soon enough.

No bike is pretty enough to block a hallway or access to office workspace. For cyclists, this is hard to accept. Beautiful as our rides might be, if you’re bringing them indoors, they need to be out of the way. Your co-workers won’t appreciate brushing against agreasy chain, and the fire marshall will probably take a dim view of  blocked exits and passageways.

Be punctual. One of the great things about riding your bike to work is that the commute time is actually more predicable than driving a car. You’re far less likely to be effected by traffic jams and slowdowns. But there are some things that take time, too: securing the bike, cooling down, and changing clothes for work. Leave early enough to accommodate all these things. Inconveniencing you co-workers by letting bike time cut into work time will quickly make you – and cycling – unpopular.

Check out the rest at Lighter Footstep.

Link [Lighter Footstep]
Photo credit: Flickr user Hizir

Prius Stars in Casual Mafia’s Rap Video

Not since Carrot Mob made it rain has there been such a hilariously green rap video. Casual Mafia dedicated a song to the Toyota Prius, talking about tax credits in the G’s and hugging mad trees. Check it out:

Some lyrics, via Ecorazzi:

“Cruisin’ down the street in my ‘04
Obama bumper sticker and so much more
When I lost it all in the Madoff scheme
The market sank, they repossessed by Beam
I thought ‘What can I do, have I lost my game?’
And now I’m Cru-Cru-Cruising in the carpool lane!”

I love how their little group is made up of hippies, yuppies and a dude with an iPod wearing a babydoll in a Snugli. Pure awesome.

Link [Ecorazzi]

Who’s Who in Green: Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson is a billionaire British entrepreneur, founder of the Virgin brand of over 360 companies that span diverse areas of business including travel, entertainment and lifestyle. But the tycoon, with a net worth of approximately $2.4 billion USD, is no longer content to sit back and enjoy the typical excessive billionaire lifestyle.

After decades of conspicuous consumption, Branson began to worry about the mark he was making on the world – and to clean it up. That earned him a spot on TIME Magazine’ ‘Heroes of the Environment’ list.

He told TIME,

“There’s a frightening potential scenario out there that means that anybody who’s in a position to do something must do something. In particular because I’m in one of the dirty businesses, the airline business, I’ve got all the more responsibility to do something.”

Branson is a great-nephew of Sir Peter Scott, the naturalist who helped found the World Wildlife Fund, but despite this heritage and a long-held interest in environmentalism, Branson wasn’t always devoted to being green.

The former global warming skeptic’s transformation began in 2005 when he decided to build an oil refinery after Hurricane Katrina in response to what he saw as a need for more oil refining capacity. He was dissuaded when he got a phone call from Ted Turner who asked him, ‘Why not build a refinery for clean, rather than dirty fuel?’ Turner invited Branson to fly to Washington and meet experts, where he took copious notes on biofuels and proceeded to put serious corporate investment into it.

His first green investment was seven biofuel refineries in the western United States, and many more soon followed. Soon after, Branson committed all the profits from his transportation businesses over the next 10 years, estimated to reach $3 billion, to combat global warming.

He has since become the archetype of the powerful green entrepreneur, funding innovative clean fuel programs and flying one of his Virgin Jets partly with biofuels to demonstrate one way the airline industry could reduce its gargantuan carbon footprint. His ‘Virgin Earth Challenge’ is offering a $25 million prize to the first person or organization to come up with a way of scrubbing greenhouse gases out of the earth’s atmosphere.

Asked by The Independent whether his environmentalism was just an attempt to promote the Virgin brand, Branson replied,

“People do things for different reasons, not just one. I have about 10 different reasons for doing this. One is to tackle climate change. Another is to develop a clean fuel industry.

“But I would also love to have Virgin recognised as the most respected brand in the world. If it can be a leader in tackling global warming, and that enhances the brand, that’s fine. It will enable us to tackle the problem all the sooner.”

Richard Branson’s Green Score: 49,357

Photo credit: David Yellen

Great Green Job of the Week: Communications Director, Amazon Watch

Join Amazon Watch, a dynamic organization that has led the way to ground breaking victories for indigenous peoples’ rights and the environment.

We are looking for a motivated and organized individual to function as our Communications Director. This is a full time position.

The communications department is responsible for media relations, publications, advertising, marketing and messaging for the organization and its campaigns. The Communications Director position is responsible for implementing media outreach campaigns.

Candidates should have a minimum of 3 years of experience in journalism, public relations, or a related communications field with an emphasis on direct media outreach. Candidates should have a record of success working with print, broadcast, and online media to effectively and pro-actively frame issues and drive coverage. Strategic thinking, the ability to quickly build strong relations with journalists, and the capacity to react quickly, calmly and effectively to breaking news are essential.

We’re looking for a media officer for whom clear and compelling writing comes naturally and who believes strongly in the importance of our mission to defend the rights of indigenous peoples and protect the Amazon rainforest. The Communications Director directly reports to the Managing Director, and work directly with all campaign teams both in the field and from our San Francisco headquarters

Responsibilities:

* Identify and develop media outreach opportunities that advance the organization and our campaigns;
* Develop organizational media work plans;
* Work with campaign staff on media strategies;
* Cultivate alternative and mainstream media relationships in strategic markets, both national and international;
* Identify story ideas and events and pitch them to reporters;
* Assist campaign staff in relationship building with strategic media outlets/reporters;
* Respond to media requests and arrange interviews for campaigners and spokespeople;
* Conduct interviews with media and represent Amazon Watch at public events where appropriate;
* Create press lists and maintain up-to-date media contact database;
* Monitor media coverage on core issues and campaign targets;
* Organize press briefings, media alerts and other PR events;
* Write, design and produce various PR materials including press releases, media advisories, op-eds, letters to the editor, talking points, etc.;
* Conduct target and market specific media research as necessary to support campaign objectives;
* Create and/or copy-edit material for publications, web site and electronic newsletters; annual report
* Monitor Amazon Watch publications and messaging for consistency and accuracy;
* Provide media trainings to staff and allies;
* Assist in the preparation and production of development materials (annual report, event publications, etc.)

Qualifications:

* Minimum 3 years experience in journalism, public relations, or a related communications field.
* Excellent oral and written communications skills.
* Ability to draft documents under tight deadlines.
* Solid copy-editing skills, strong attention to detail
* Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects.
* Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work closely and constructively with others.
* Good organizational skills, demonstrated initiative, flexibility and creativity.
* Bilingual English/Spanish applicants (Portuguese also desirable).
* Desire to work with indigenous and affected communities is strongly preferred.
* Understanding and appreciation of different cultures, peoples and communications styles and methods is highly useful.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience, plus health, dental, chiropractic, and matching retirement plan option.

Deadline for Applying: June 12, 2009
Target Start Date: As soon as possible

To Apply:

Please send résumé, 3 references, and cover letter about why you would like to join our team and why you are the best candidate for the job Paul Paz y Miño, Managing Director. If you submit your application via email, please name and save your attachments with your first and last name in the title, such as:

“Ana_Martinez_Cover_Letter.doc” and “Ana_Martinez_Resume.doc.”

Paul Paz y Miño, Managing Director
Amazon Watch
221 Pine St., 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104

Amazon Watch is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, political belief, age, gender, sexual orientation or class. People of color and indigenous people strongly encouraged to apply. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Link [Green Dream Jobs] + [Amazon Watch]

New CAFE Standards Mean Nothing without Consumer Dedication to Efficiency

The Obama administration’s new groundbreaking CAFE and emissions standards for cars and light trucks don’t mean much if the American public can’t be goaded into choosing energy-efficient models instead of gas guzzlers.

The new rule raises the average fuel economy for cars and light trucks combined to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, and gives the EPA authority to regulate tailpipe emissions from vehicles. But, automakers still have loopholes to create low MPG vehicles – vehicles that American consumers still want.

The only way to get consumers to purchase the more efficient vehicles in the numbers required to make a real difference would be raising the price of gas by 100%-200%, according to Pike Research, a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets.

From Matter Network:

The ongoing problem with CAFE is that it ignores consumer demand and offers automakers too many loopholes for building lower mileage vehicles. The fact is that consumers who are paying $2 or $3 per gallon for gasoline have very little incentive to buy higher mileage vehicles, and automakers still have an incentive (consumer demand) to build low mileage, high powered, trucks and SUVs.

…Without the shift in consumer thinking, though, the CAFE rules will only be window dressing for their intended purpose – getting more fuel efficient vehicles on the road. Additionally, as automakers try to force consumers into vehicles that are not actually spurred by their demand, consumers will react with their feet, marching quickly to companies that offer vehicles they want.

After all, there is a reason that in 2008 the Volkswagen Golf was the best selling vehicle in Europe, while in the same year the Ford F-150 was the best selling vehicle in the US, and it’s got nothing to do with CAFE rules. Getting Americans to buy more efficient vehicles that use less fuel through top-down product pushes brought on by CAFE rules is failing and likely always will.

It’s true: as long as gas prices are low, Americans will stubbornly hold on to their trucks and SUVs. Last summer, people were ditching SUVs so fast that used car lots were packed full of them. Now that prices have gone back down, that momentum has come to a screeching halt.

Of course, if gas prices were simply raised as an answer to inciting consumer demand for efficient vehicles, who would benefit the most? Oil companies. That would hardly be a good thing for the environment. A high gas tax would be a more effective, albeit more complicated answer.

Link [Matter Network]
Photo credit: Freaky Humor

Solar-Powered 6-in-1 Robot Drives, Flies and Floats

For $21 you can distract your kids – or amuse yourself – with a fun kit that can be transformed into six different solar-powered robots. 25 pieces easily fit together to create a dog, a boat, a moving plane, a car, a windmill and a desktop plane thanks to a solar panel mounted on the top.

The pieces clip together easily, there are no screws involved and it can be charged up with a 50-watt or brighter halogen bulb when the sun isn’t shining. Check it out at the Red5 gadget shop.

Link [Red 5] via [Greenpacks.org]

Growing Chair: From the Forest to Your Living Room

Instead of cutting trees down to create chairs, why not create chairs made from living trees? That’s the idea behind the ‘Growing Chair’, an attempt to make trees and plants grow into chairs that can be harvested and brought straight from the ‘field’ to your living room.

Designer Michael Bussein describes his vision:

The Nature Manifesto

Having evolved from nature, we have gradually differentiated ourselves from it. Modern society has come to build itself on the perception that nature and man are separated. This differentiation has come to inhibit us and our way of creating. We have now reached the point when the way forward is going back.

We have to accept that we and everything we create are part of nature.

This mindset is essential for evolution as a whole. When applying this to our way of thinking we will liberate ourselves from stagnated conventions.

To move further we need to incorporate the living matter that surrounds us. Let us use the complexity of living nature and include it in our creations. These creations will then redefine the way we reconstruct nature. Only then will we truly move forward.

It is time for man and nature to reunite.

Fast-growing willow trees and a Russian vine are planted together and grown in a chair-shaped ‘greenhouse’ that trains them to retain the shape of a chair. Once the plants have grown strong, the greenhouse is removed and the chair is cut from its roots.

It would be interesting to see what the chair looks like once the greenery, including the vines holding the willow trees together, would look like once it died. It seems that keeping the trees and vines rooted in soil would make for a prettier final product. But, it’s a fascinating idea all the same!

Link [Erik Sjödin] via [Ecofriend]

9 Incredibly Stupid GOP Statements on Climate Change & the Environment

They’re known for being largely anti-science, and many of their numbers still insist that global warming either isn’t real or isn’t caused by man. Paul Krugman declared the GOP to be “the party of stupid” last August, and they haven’t done much to dissuade the public from agreeing with him since then. From declaring the planet already saved – by Jesus – to comparing kids in the climate movement to the Hitler Youth, Republicans really do say the darndest things.

Image via: Pundit Kitchen

“[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she’s just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet — we didn’t need Nancy Pelosi to do that.” – Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, August 12th 2008

Good news, folks! We can all sit back and relax, because the planet has already been saved. What’s that? The bible says absolutely nothing about Jesus saving the planet? Right. Well, kudos anyway to Bachmann for finding such a ridiculous and unique way to take a shot at Nancy Pelosi, the GOP’s favorite punching bag.

Image via: EarthFirst composite

“It’s odorless, colorless, tasteless, doesn’t cause cancer, doesn’t cause asthma… there’s nobody that’s ever been admitted to a hospital because of CO2 poisoning.” – Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, May 19th 2009

Brilliant reasoning there, Barton. Because, obviously, if a substance doesn’t taste or smell like anything and isn’t a carcinogen, that means it’s totally harmless! The fact that CO2 is in soda, and that we breathe it out, doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant to global warming. It’s doubtful, however, that Barton even cares whether the words coming out of his mouth make any damn sense at all.

Images via: Flickr user The Searcher & Wikimedia Commons

“The earth will end only when God declares its time to be over. Man will not destroy this earth, this earth will not be destroyed by a flood.” – Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, on why he believes that climate change is not a threat

Well, you’re right there, Shimkus – man will not destroy this earth. However, we are well on our way to making it uninhabitable for humans and millions of other species. That’s probably good news to you, however, since according to the Bible that would seem to indicate the Second Coming. “In case of the rapture, this congressional seat will be unmanned!” And we will all be the better for it.

Interesting to see that Rep. Shimkus, who believes that the bible is the infallible word of god, also mentioned the ‘Age of Dinosaurs’ during this hearing. Last time I checked, the bible doesn’t mention anything about dinosaurs… but that can easily be explained away. They’re Jesus Horses!

Image via cbv.ns.ca & Wikipedia

“We don’t know what those other cycles were caused by in the past. Could be dinosaur flatulence, you know, or who knows?’ – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, questioning the authors of a landmark IPCC report about a period of dramatic climate change that occurred 55 million years ago

Dinosaurs, flatulence and Republicans… the jokes write themselves.

“Kathy Dahlkemper has some wacky ideas. Take energy. She said we should make personal sacrifices such as ‘walking places’ and ‘riding bikes’.” – National Republican Congressional Committee ad for Rep. Phil English, R-Pennsylvania on his Democratic challenger Kathy Dahlkemper

Oh, those wacky Democrats. What will they think of next?

Image via: Current.com

“I’m trying to think where else this has been done – Soviet Russia, Nazi, Germany, Mussolini’s Italy,” Beck said. “In fact, the Nazis took an extra step. Not only did they indoctrinate the kids and tell them you’re probably right, you know but your parents don’t; in fact, here’s the next step: Why don’t you tell us what your parents are telling you. Are we having the new Hitler youth? Is that what this is? The new Hitler youth? I’m sorry, that’s so politically incorrect – the new green guard. Man your station, 12-year-olds, your parents just don’t know.”– Conservative radio and Fox News host Glenn Beck on Al Gore’s ‘indoctrination’ of children

What did Al Gore say to provoke that attack? He had the gall to tell a bunch of school kids, “There are some things about our world that you know that older people don’t know.” Gasp! It’s the beginning of a new Hitler Youth! Soon those kids will be recycling and turning the lights off, and if that isn’t a major threat to the poor downtrodden Republican base, I don’t know what is.

This isn’t even the first time Beck, whose Fox News show is designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator, has likened the global climate movement to the horrific mass murder of millions of innocent people. He apparently really likes the Holocaust/Nazi analogy, because in 2007 he asserted that Al Gore is using the “same tactic” to fight global warming that Hitler used to vilify Jews in Nazi Germany. Yeah.

Image via: Third Base Politics

“The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know when they do what they do you’ve got more carbon dioxide.” – Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio

You’re totally right, Boehner. The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen is comical.

“So, do you want to put your country first? Then let’s reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil and promote oil and gas production at home. In other words: Drill, baby, drill! And drill now!” – Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele at the Republican National Convention in 2008

Yes, that’s right, the infamous(ly insipid) “drill, baby, drill” rallying cry that Sarah Palin made famous actually originated with the GOP’s totally fresh hip-hop Michael Steele. Is anyone surprised?

Image via: Current

“There are some monuments where the land is so widespread, they just encompass as much as possible. And the integral part of the–the precious part, so to speak–I guess all land is precious, but the part that the people uniformly would not want to spoil, will not be despoiled. But there are parts of the monument lands where we can explore without affecting the overall environment.”—Former President George W. Bush, media round table, Washington, D.C. March 13, 2001

Bushisms: pretty much the only enjoyable aspect of George W. Bush’s presidency. Even Bush himself didn’t understand what he just said. Irregardless, we will never misunderestimate our former President’s ability to turn what should have been a one-sentence statement into incoherent, misguided rambling.

Money-Hungry Industries Fight to Expand Meaning of ‘Renewable Energy’

Motivated by dollar signs, industries are pushing to have a range of technologies categorized as renewable including nuclear power plants, the burning of garbage and even waste from coal plants. Everyone wants to get in on government incentives, which were designed to give technologies like wind and solar an economic boost.

From The New York Times:

The lure of the renewable label is understandable. Federal tax breaks for renewable energy have been reauthorized, and quotas for renewable energy production have been set in 28 states, accompanied by extensive new grants, loans and other economic advantages. And legislation is moving through both houses of Congress to establish national quotas for renewable energy sources, including the climate bill passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday.

With billions of dollars at stake, legislators have been besieged by lobbyists eager to share in the wealth.

“They’ve been queuing up outside staff offices, everyone with all their ideas as to what should be included,” said Bill Wicker, the spokesman for the Democratic majority on the Senate energy committee, which is considering a national quota.

Next thing you know, the coal industry is going to go beyond attempts to convince us that coal is clean and find a way to claim that coal is renewable. Who else is going to come out of the woodwork in an attempt to grow their bank accounts?

Lobbyists. Oy.

In The Know: Are Politicians Failing Our Lobbyists?

Link [The New York Times]
Photo credit: Flickr user david drexler

Targets to Save World’s Forests Won’t be Met by 2010

The world’s forests are shrinking at an alarming rate – some disappearing altogether – and we know we’ve got to do something about it. But, so far, efforts to save forests around the globe simply aren’t enough to meet the targets set under the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD), according to a new analysis.

From Nature.com:

The study is the first attempt to work out how much of the globe’s 20 major types of forest are safeguarded. It shows that only 7.7% are currently protected according to categories established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), headquartered in Gland, Switzerland. The work is based on the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s definition of a forest — that is, an area of land more than 0.5 hectares in size with more than 10% canopy cover.

“According to our analysis, the CBD targets will not be met,” says Neil Burgess, a conservation scientist at the University of Cambridge, UK, and one of the study’s authors.

John Healy, a forest ecologist at the University of Wales, Bangor, says that the study is important because it looks at forest protection in ecoregions and by forest type, rather than just total forest cover. “They have carried out the study in a far more biogeographically and ecologically meaningful way [than previous studies]“, he says.

But, he adds, “The reality is we don’t know whether the protection status is being enforced on the ground.”

The question now is, what can we do to help? There are a variety of charities and nature conservation organizations that work to preserve the world’s forests including the Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, WWF, The Sierra Club and The Heritage Forests Campaign (which focuses on national forests in America).

Donate funds, volunteer your time or help spread the word. Some retail sites also donate a portion of each purchase to forest conservation, like The Rainforest Site Store.

Link [Nature.com]
Photo credit: Flickr user zoutedrop

Phish Summer Tour Going Green(ish) with Help from Reverb

It’s virtually impossible for big-name musical acts to go on tour without racking up a giant carbon footprint. But, with the help of Portland, Maine-based nonprofit Reverb, bands like Phish are able to green as many aspects of their tour as possible including fan transportation, recycling, and powering their buses with biodiesel.

Reverb, which has worked on over 70 tours and 1,000 events since their launch in 2004, previously helped Phish reduce the environmental impact of their Hamptom Coliseum shows earlier this year and now they’re teaming up again for the band’s summer tour.

From Ecolocalizer:

Like they did for the Hampton shows, Phish and Reverb are teaming up with Pickup Pal to help fans find carpools to and from shows. Since many fans hit up multiple shows, driving hundreds of miles from town to town, this has a huge potential impact! Not only are they providing the resource, Phish has added an extra incentive! Check out this blurb from their recent newsletter:

After each show on this summers’ tour, we will pick twenty random Phish Ride Share participants to receive a free download of that night’s show. Please visit http://www.pickuppal.com/pup/erp/ for more information and to find the shows that you may be driving to or need a ride to.

The band set up a resource site through Reverb, Traveling Light, where fans can look up eco-friendly places to stay, eat, play, and even volunteer while on tour. They’re also encouraging fans to offset their trip’s impact through Native Energy.

Phish is also working with Reverb to reduce backstage waste and energy usage, and they’re using carbon offsets to neutralize CO2 emissions from the touring fleet, air travel, hotel accommodations and energy usage at the venues. The band and crew are all using reusable water bottles, all catering products will be biodegradable and compostable and food scraps will get composted as well.

That’s pretty impressive. It’s so nice to see bands – especially bands that go on gigantic tours – take responsibility and get proactive in reducing their environmental impact.

Find out whether your favorite band is working with Reverb to green up their act at ReverbRock.org.

Link [Ecolocalizer] + [Reverb]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Global Temperatures to Rise 9 Degrees by 2100, New Study Says

As if the warnings about global warming weren’t already sobering enough, a new report indicates that it will actually be twice as severe as previously thought. The research, conducted by MIT and published in the Journal of Climate, predicts a 90% probability that that worldwide surface temperatures will rise 9 degrees by the year 2100, compared to the previous MIT study that predicted a rise of just over 4 degrees.

From USA Today:

The projections in the MIT study were done using 400 applications of a computer model, which MIT says is the most comprehensive and sophisticated climate model to date. The model looks at the effects of economic activity as well as the effects of atmospheric, oceanic and biological systems.

The improved economic modeling and newer economic data (which gives a lower chance of reduced emissions) are among the major changes from the 2003 model application.

Unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, “there is significantly more risk than we previously estimated,” says study co-author Ronald Prinn of MIT. “There’s no way the world can or should take these risks.”

“The results appear to be credible and quantify a certain unease many scientists have on the real magnitude of the climate problem ahead of us, one that is not adequately appreciated by most politicians,” writes Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and an IPCC lead author, in an e-mail.

Holy crap. A nine degree rise in global temperatures within less than one century would have a cataclysmic impact on the world. Life as we know it would certainly be over. Interesting how the more complex the methods of assessing climate change risk, the scarier the news, isn’t it?

Link [USA Today]
Photo credit: azrainman

Google Deploys Street View Cameras on Trikes

Google Street View will soon include images of streets where cars aren’t allowed, thanks to a green and low-tech solution: mounting the cameras on a trike.

From Auto Blog Green via Groovy Green:

The three-wheeled, human-powered overgrown tricycles carry 250 pounds of ballast in the form of “a mounted Street View camera and a specially decorated box containing image collecting gadgetry,” says the internet giant. All that extra heft reportedly requires a “specially trained super fit” rider.

Google’s new trikes will be deployed first in Genoa, Italy, this spring. Assuming that launch proves successful, Google will send its pedal-powered cameras to the United Kingdom, where they’ll point their lenses towards a slew of famous British landmarks. Have a good one in mind? Google says its open to suggestions and will be working with VisitBritain to pick the most desirable locations to shoot.

Of course, not everyone has taken kindly to being subjected to the all-seeing eye of Google, and being on a trike instead of in a vehicle makes these drivers vulnerable to angry Japanese and British people.  But, at least they’re not on foot like this guy.

Link [Auto Blog Green] via [Groovy Green]

Product Review: The Great Dishwasher Detergent Challenge

A little over a year ago, I became the proud owner of a dishwasher for the first time since I lived with my parents. As anyone who regularly fights with their spouse over whose turn it is to do the dishes knows all too well, a dishwasher can help foster peace in a marriage. But I was soon to find that, in my determination to avoid phosphates and bleach, my dishes were going to need a good hand scrubbing anyway thanks to weak natural dish detergents. The fact that I need an unscented version thanks to my husband’s chemical sensitivities complicated matters even further.

Here are the dirty details about my experience with various brands, and the one that finally did what it’s supposed to do.

First up, Planet Automatic Dishwashing Detergent. I sometimes use other Planet products which, while never particularly impressive, did the job well enough. But, Planet dishwasher detergent was a huge disappointment. After every load, my dishes looked greasy and gross, requiring a second round in the sink. That’s a huge waste of water. I wanted to like it because of its many animal- and planet-friendly qualities, but it just plain didn’t work.

Seventh Generation Free & Clear Automatic Dishwashing Detergent is non-toxic, free of chlorine and phosphates and contains no dyes or artificial fragrances. Sadly, it didn’t work much better than Planet. I had to add washing soda for extra cleaning power, and even then my dishes just weren’t clean.

Bi-O-Kleen Automatic Dish Powder in Free and Clear specifically states that it’s kind to those with chemical sensitivities and allergies, and it’s also non-toxic and biodegradable. It was a definite improvement over the previous two, but unfortunately, it didn’t dissolve well, leaving little clumps of detergent all over my dishes and utensils, even when using vinegar as a rinsing agent. At this point, I was beginning to think my search for a natural dishwashing detergent was going to be fruitless.

Then, I happened upon Method Smarty Dish Detergent in Go Naked. 20 phosphate-free, bleach-free tablets come in a little plastic tub and one tablet is enough to actually – gasp – get an entire, fully packed dishwasher full of dishes sparkling clean. Sparkling! Best of all, a single tub lasts me over a month and costs me just $4.99 at Target. A clear winner.

So, don’t give up on natural dishwashing detergents even if you’ve been frustrated by them in the past. Method Smarty Dish definitely lives up to all that it claims.

Twitter for Trees! UNEP to Plant 100,000 Trees for 100,000 Followers

The United Nations Environment Programme will be planting 100,000 trees for 100,000 Twitter followers in honor of World Environment Day, June 5th 2009. The effort supports the Billion Trees Campaign’s goal to plant a total of seven billion trees – one for every person on the planet – by year’s end.

Add your voice and twitter loudly! Follow www.twitter.com/UNEPandYou, retweet the message and help get as many people involved as possible.

From UNEP:

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The day’s agenda is to:

1. Give a human face to environmental issues;
2. Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
3. Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues;
4. Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

The theme for WED 2009 is ‘Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change’. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.

Your planet needs you! Find more ways to get involved at the UNEP World Environment Day website.

Link [UNEP]

Green College Spotlight: Stanford University

Stanford is among the crème de la crème of American colleges and universities, with an incredibly impressive roster of scholars including 18 Nobel laureates, 4 Pulitzer prize winners and 21 recipients of the National Medal of Science. But, despite the praise heaped upon Stanford for its exceptional quality, this university doesn’t throw all of its efforts into academics. It apparently has plenty of energy left over to be a leader in sustainability, as well.

Granted an A- by the College Sustainability Report Card (the highest grade awarded), Stanford University excels in nearly every category rated from administration to transportation. 13 full-time employees are dedicated to sustainability, including those who work in the Department of Sustainability and Energy Management.

The university’s commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy consumption has produced some notable results. After energy-saving retrofits, the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment + Energy Building uses 56 percent less energy and 50 percent less total water than a similar building with traditional fixtures and systems, and that’s just one example. Stanford’s Energy Retrofit Program has saved over 240 million kilowatt-hours of electricity since it began in 1993, and prevented 72,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

Free public transit and train passes are available to students and employees, and the shuttle system on campus serves the campus and parts of the surrounding community. In the dining halls, students enjoy local grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs and milk from a local dairy as well as fresh produce from Stanford’s community farm. The university composts food waste and converts thousands of gallons of waste oil into biodiesel.

Stanford University has a lot to be proud of. Congratulations for all you’ve achieved – keep it up!

Link [Stanford University]

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