Organic Nation Checks Out Yale’s Winter Greenhouse
November 19, 2009
Winter may be closing in on us, but that doesn’t mean that we have to stop growing our own food, even for those who live in the cold Northeast. The OrganicNation.tv team talked to Yale Sustainable Food Project director Melina Shannon-DiPietro about the project’s unheated greenhouse, which continues producing tasty winter greens well into the coldest time of the year.
Winter Harvest at Yale’s Greenhouse from OrganicNation on Vimeo.
Want to know more about the Yale Sustainable Food Project? Check out Organic Nation’s other video from their visit to the one-acre organic farm founded by Alice Waters and members of the Yale faculty in 2001. Or, visit Yale.edu/SustainableFood.
Link [Organic Nation] + [Yale]
Fat, Angry Captain Planet Goes to Copenhagen
November 4, 2009
What has Captain Planet been doing in all these long years since he was the earth’s premier protector? Apparently, he’s been breathing in a whole lot of nasty toxic air and feeding on the same plastic that’s killing all those albatross chicks. He’s pissed, and headed to Copenhagen to demand action.
“I can barely breathe this air and my stomach is full of plastic! It’s time for you guys to pull together and stop polluting the earth!”
This totally awesome cartoon was created by an Australian animator named Chris who calls himself ‘Lord Zorgatron’. He’s known as ‘SexualLobster’ on YouTube. Check out more of his work at GreasyMoose.com.
Link [GreasyMoose.com] via [Ecorazzi]
South Park Eviscerates ‘Whale Whores’
October 30, 2009
The Sea Shepherds organization works hard to protect whales from slaughter all over the world, as documented on Animal Planet’s ‘Whale Wars’– but nobody is safe from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who made the group the focus of yet another hilarious episode of South Park entitled ‘Whale Whores’.
Not even the Miami Dolphins are safe from Japanese hunters (decked out in traditional dress) and the “badass” Sea Shepherd crew comes to the rescue with amazingly effective methods like stinky butter bombs. Here’s part 1:
Some animal rights activists might be offended by the harsh lampooning (or should we say harpooning?) of Paul Watson, but don’t get the wrong idea – this episode isn’t sending the message that whaling is okay. It’s asking people to think about the fact that we’re upset by the idea of whales being killed, but don’t extend the same empathy to the animals we slaughter for food.
Watch the whole episode at SouthParkStudios.com.
Link [Ecorazzi]
British Robot Raps About Recycling
October 29, 2009
Nothing makes kids want to recycle like a rapping robot with a British accent. At least, that seems to be the thinking behind this weird and funny video of an educational presentation by The Housing Education Initiative – made just a little bit stranger by the robot’s sign-spinning backup dancer.
Hey, whatever works! Back in the dark ages when I was in school, recycling education consisted of falling asleep during a lecture. Robots make pretty much everything cooler.
Link [YouTube]
Skunk Whisperer Frees Skunk from Peanut Butter Jar
October 18, 2009
Peanut butter is irresistible to skunks, says ‘Skunk Whisperer’ (yes – really) Ned Bruha, who was called on the scene after a newspaper delivery woman spotted a skunk with his head stuck in a jar of the tasty goo.
There is officially a ‘whisperer’ for everything.
Your life simply wouldn’t have been complete without seeing a skunk with a peanut butter jar on its head. You’re welcome.
Link [Buzzfeed]
Weirdest Green Cars of the Future
October 13, 2009
In the future, will we all be traveling in green flying saucers? Probably not, but that doesn’t stop extra-creative sci-fi enthusiasts from dreaming up bizarro vehicles that could have been props in Plan 9 from Outer Space.
According to this strange video (which is apparently narrated by a British robot), all of the craziest concepts from the past half-century are “the green cars of the future”, including the Ford Nucleon – designed in the ‘50s. It’s hardly a round up of green transportation that will actually be produced any time soon, but it’s a funny look at some of the wilder ideas that have been proposed.
Why the hell is the underwater car a convertible? “Hold your breath, honey, we’re going under!”
Link [Treehugger]
CO2 is Green, Say Oil Execs in Ludicrous Ad
October 1, 2009
Attempts by dirty industries to fight the climate bill just keep getting more and more desperate and ridiculous. Care2 spotted a television ad campaign run by oil execs is actually trying to convince the public that excess CO2 is a good thing.
From The Washington Post, via Care2:
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) may be grappling with health care, but in Montana a new advocacy group opposed to climate legislation called CO2 Is Green is taking aim at the next big battle for Congress.
The group is already running television ads: “This will cost us jobs,” one says. “There is no scientific evidence that CO2 is a pollutant. In fact higher CO2 levels than we have today would help the Earth’s ecosystems.” It urges voters to contact Baucus, who in the past has backed bills to cap emissions and allow companies to trade pollution allowances.
The man behind the latest entry to the climate legislation wars is H. Leighton Steward, a veteran oil industry executive, co-author of the “Sugar Busters!” dieting books, and winner of an Environmental Protection Agency award for a report on damage being done to Mississippi wetlands. Now retired, he says he wants to “get the message out there” that carbon dioxide, which the Supreme Court has ruled a pollutant and which most scientists regard as a dangerous greenhouse gas, “is a net benefit for the planet.”
Well, thank the Great Flying Spaghetti Monster that we have oil company bigwigs to steer us in the right direction, not only with these super-intelligent and truthful ads, but by pumping as much CO2 into the atmosphere as humanly possible.
Current Green’s Weird Green Video Film Festival
September 21, 2009
There are plenty of bizarre green videos out there – from ‘Magic Marvelous Compost Bin’ to the Kate Moss paper doll video we featured last week – and Current Green wants to bring them all together for a fabulous film festival of weirdness.
Among the videos nominated for the festival are cheeky rap song ‘In My Prius’, ‘Due to Global Warming, Hell Freezes Over’ and ‘Eco Boy’. Watch Eco Boy kick the evil Pollutor in the balls right here:
Got a weird green video you want to nominate? Head over to Current Green, and check out the rest of the videos while you’re there.
Link [Current Green]
Naked Kate Moss Paper Doll Warns Against Overconsumption
September 17, 2009
What does turning model Kate Moss into a used-up hag have to do with being green? Well, Kate teamed up with Green Thing to create a pair of videos that are basically like a green version of the movie Sliding Doors. In the first one, Kate, played by a paper doll, takes every chance to consume as much as possible, and in the second she reuses and recycles things instead.
Green Thing says:
Take one person and make her the ultimate twister, taking every chance to consume something new. Now take the same person and make them the ultimate sticker, sticking with what they had wherever possible. How different would their lives be? That was question that the talented animators David Altweger, Mira Loew, Guillaume Cornet of Unit 10 Collective (www.unit10collective.com) wanted to explore – with one super-ironic twist. What if that person was the world’s premier consumption temptress, a certain Katherine Ann Moss? The result is a brilliant slice of double stop frame fantasy exclusive to Green Thing.
Check it out:
As the soundtrack repeats “New dress, new bag, new phone, new shoes, new man, new phone, but still not happy,” Kate is seen caught in the cycle of consumerism, slowly falling apart over the years until her death in 2037 (announced with the headline, “Overused Kate disintegrates in club”).
But the alternate reality Kate happily dances away in a garden to the tune of “Keep it – play with it – mend it – love it.”
To say that it’s bizarre is putting it mildly – why is there something coming out of her boob? Who are the scary faceless black cutouts in the club? Why is Bruno still front-page news in 2037? But beneath the weirdness is a good message: reuse good. Overconsumption bad.
Link [Green Thing]
Angry Green Girl Uses Boobs and Sarcasm to Push Better Habits
September 2, 2009
If a hot chick wearing next-to-nothing scoffs at you for environmentally unfriendly habits, would you be enticed to change? Angry Green Girl is counting on it. This network of “hot, green and shameless” women, led by Sophia – resident bitch and official ‘Angry Green Girl’ – is dedicated to “exploiting everything they got to save the world”.
Does it work? It seems like a lot of people could be turned off by the “mean girl” shtick, especially when it comes off so holier-than-thou – and this tact is bound to offend.
But, of course, sex sells, and if Sophia “Angry Green Girl” and her crew keep goading guys into being greener with hybrid-only bikini car washes and things like that, they might have some success.
Or, they might end up with guys tuning in to watch their videos – on mute.
Link [Treehugger]
OrganicNation.tv Checks Out Rooftop Farming in Chicago
August 30, 2009
The team at OrganicNation.tv, who are taking a short break from traveling the nation to explore America’s sustainable food landscape, stopped by Chicago restaurant Uncommon Ground to check out the first certified organic rooftop farm in the nation.
Check it out as Dorothee Royal-Hedinger tours the roof, samples honey from the restaurant’s rooftop bee colony and learns more about the benefits of local produce and the challenges that rooftop farming can pose.
Organic Rooftop Farming in Chicago from OrganicNation on Vimeo.
Want to support OrganicNation.tv? Check out their Earthkeepers page at Changents.com, where you can become a fan, build buzz by sharing their story with friends, donate funds or respond to an action request.
Last chance to support OrganicNation.tv’s bid for the Nau Grant for Change! Voting closes on Monday, August 31st (that’s tomorrow!).
Link [OrganicNation.tv]
Do the Honey Bee! Rap Video Builds Buzz About Threats to Bees
August 29, 2009
In honor of National Honey Bee Awareness Day, five creative brothers from Los Altos, California made a rap video in which bee-costumed dancers shake their stingers to raise awareness about the plight of honey bees worldwide.
With some heavy reliance on Auto-Tune and the backing of the bee angels at Häagen-Dazs, Max Lanman, a 21-year-old senior at Yale majoring in film studies, directed, edited and photographed a short video featuring four of his brothers and a bunch of friends. One of the brothers, Connor Lanman, wrote a book called “Plight of the Bee” that originally caught Häagen-Dazs’ attention.
The choreography in the video is a nod to the “dance” that honeybees do when they return to the hive after a good round of pollinating. Check it out:
“We’re hoping that “Do The Honey Bee” will help raise honey bee awareness in a fun and original way, and appeal to the greater population,” Max Lanman told The Huffington Post.
Learn more about the challenges facing bees at HelpTheHoneyBees.com.
Link [The Huffington Post]
Crude: The Real Price of Oil
August 22, 2009
In just a few months, Chevron will likely be found liable for $27 billion in damages for its systematic contamination of the Ecuadorian Amazon – but they’ve already said they won’t pay and have launched an aggressive PR effort to avoid accountability.
That’s where a documentary called CRUDE comes in. Coming to theaters this September, CRUDE chronicles the epic battle to hold Chevron accountable for this “Rainforest Chernobyl”. This film could play a major role in shoring up public support for the fight to force Chevron to clean up the mess it made in the Amazon.
Check out the trailer:
From CRUDEthemovie.com:
The inside story of the infamous “Amazon Chernobyl” case, Crude is a real-life high stakes legal drama, set against a backdrop of the environmental movement, global politics, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, the media, multinational corporate power, and rapidly-disappearing indigenous cultures. Presenting a complex situation from multiple viewpoints, the film subverts the conventions of advocacy filmmaking, exploring a complicated situation from all angles while bringing an important story of environmental peril and human suffering into focus.
The landmark case takes place in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador, pitting 30,000 indigenous and colonial rainforest dwellers against the U.S. oil giant Chevron. The plaintiffs claim that Texaco – which merged with Chevron in 2001 – spent three decades systematically contaminating one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, poisoning the water, air and land. The plaintiffs allege that the pollution has created a “death zone” in an area the size of the Rhode Island, resulting in increased rates of cancer, leukemia, birth defects, and a multiplicity of other health ailments. They further allege that the oil operations in the region contributed to the destruction of indigenous peoples and irrevocably impacted their traditional way of life. Chevron vociferously fights the claims, charging that the case is a complete fabrication, perpetrated by “environmental con men” who are seeking to line their pockets with the company’s billions.
If you’re not already familiar with the details of what Chevron (formerly Texaco) did in the Ecuadorian Amazon, CRUDE will bring it to life in a way that will shock you and make you want to fight back.
The film opens in New York on 09/09/09 with screenings following shortly thereafter in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Check out more details at CRUDEthemovie.com.
Link [CRUDE]
Bill McKibben Talks CO2 with Stephen Colbert
August 19, 2009
Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org and author of 12 environmental books, was on the Colbert Report this week to discuss the steps that world leaders must take to lower carbon dioxide levels. McKibben explains the point at which scientists really began to worry about global warming – and stresses the need for action (despite Colbert’s pronouncement that we should all just give up and start having “end of the world sex”.)
Check it out:
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Bill McKibben | ||||
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Colbert: “Can I steal your thunder and start 349.org? Mine’s one better!”
Link [Colbert Nation]
Man-Made Eco Disasters in the Making
August 18, 2009
Climate change and deforestation now stand to wipe out more than 60% of the Amazon rainforest by 2030. Not only will that be disastrous for the vast array of wildlife that the forest contains as well as people who have called it home for centuries, but for the world climate. And that’s far from the only man-made eco disaster in the making.
Check out this video from Instablogs, which illustrates some of the consequences of human interference in the earth’s fragile ecological balance.
Instablogs is a ‘news ecosystem’ where citizen journalists, bloggers and the traditional media contribute content, share it and connect with each other. Check it out at instablogs.com.
Link [Instablogs]
Hilarious High Fructose Corn Syrup Ad Parody
August 17, 2009
High fructose corn syrup has a bad rep – and for good reasons, like its ill effects on the kidneys and liver. As parents try harder to avoid products that contain HFCS for the sake of their children’s health, the industry has responded with ridiculous ads downplaying the dangers.
A new parody starring Jackie Beat makes fun of the spurious logic in the “Corn Refiners Association” ads. Watch the original below, then the spoof:
So, why is HFCS bad for you, exactly?
From Eco Chick:
-High Fructose Corn Syrup is typically made from genetically-modified corn.
-HFCS has been linked to higher levels of kidney damage according to this study and to fatty liver disease in this study.
-Some HFCS has also been found to contain detectable levels of mercury (17 out of 55 products containing HFCS tested high on the charts for mercury). There are NO safe levels of mercury for women of childbearing age or children.
-It’s bad for our environment. “Most corn is grown as a monoculture, meaning that the land is used solely for corn, not rotated among crops. This maximizes yields, but at a price: It depletes soil nutrients, requiring more pesticides and fertilizer while weakening topsoil.”
Learn more about high fructose corn syrup at Eco Chick.
Link [Eco Chick]
Which Members of Congress Caved to Special Interests on Climate Bill?
August 6, 2009
It must be so hard to be a lawmaker. They get free top-notch health care, far more paid time off than most other Americans could ever dream of having and are constantly plied with fancy dinners, parties and trips by lobbyists with deep pockets who just want their ear for an hour. Not all of our legislators give in to special interests when it comes to issues that affect the lives of the American public – but too many do.
The Environmental Defense Action Fund (EDAF) has called out a few of them – members of Congress who opposed the American Clean Energy and Security Act because of their ties to dirty energy industries. Check out this video, targeting Congressman Mark Souder(R-IN):
EDF had this to say about the ads:
This is a sustained campaign to educate the public. The public should know when their elected representatives vote against their interests. Opponents of this bill have based their campaign on phony numbers and scare tactics. We’re going to beat them with the facts. As this bill moves to the Senate, we are focusing on letting constituents know who is ready to take action to cut imported oil and who just wants to talk about it.
Check out the rest at EDF.org.
Link [EDF]
Glenn Beck: The Only Animals Worth Saving Carry Guns
August 1, 2009
We hereby nominate rabid Faux News talking head Glenn Beck the Biggest Jerkass of 2009. Sure, there are five months left in the year, but if anyone surpasses him, we’ll be totally amazed. Not that Glenn Beck going on a vein-bulging, semi-coherent rant is anything new, but his latest takes his dumbassery to a whole new level.
Beck has some major beef with a recent House vote to protect turtles and otters, noting that if they carried guns and protected our country, maybe he’d approve. Apparently he’s a fan of America’s current #1 movie.
Sigh. He totally wins Jon Stewart’s ‘So You Think You Can Douche’. That’s quite an accomplishment when you’re up against Sean Hannity.
Link [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Encyclopedia Dramatica
Respect Nature or It’ll Stab You in the Eye
July 28, 2009
If you’re a fan of bizarre animated music videos about dads with creepy hair and weirdly long nipples who sing in their underwear (who isn’t?) you’ll love this.
GreenUpgrader found it and all we can say is THANK YOU.
“How would you feel if a giant hand came out of the sky and decided to crush you?”
Amazing!
Check out more stuff from the brilliant minds that created this video – Kristen Lepore and Garrett Davis.
Link [GreenUpgrader]
