ENN: Commentary

China's Earthquake After Shock

One of the deadliest earthquakes in decades hit southwestern China this week, prompting a quick response from Beijing which was even praised by the Dalai Lama. Nevertheless, the death toll could surpass 50,000. Devin Stewart of Policy Innovations interviews Alexandra Harney, author of The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage, who comments from Shanghai on how China is tackling this obstacle as it also prepares for the Summer Olympics.

Fuel cells: distant dream, but burning with promise

Some day, fuel cells may power your car and exhaust only water and perhaps carbon dioxide. More efficient and cleaner than an internal combustion engine, their emissions will be much lower. They may also run your home without the energy loss of power lines, or even power your laptop or cell phone. But not today or even tomorrow.

Wildlife threatens many poor farmers' crops

Elephants and other wildlife damage millions of dollars' worth of poor farmers' crops each year, which could be avoided with proper fencing and better land use, a leading environmental group said on Wednesday. The Swiss-based WWF, formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund, said wild elephants cost Namibian communal farmers $1 million a year, and up to a quarter of the household incomes of poor farming families in Nepal.

Stop the Presses

An article in the San Jose Mercury News tells us that it takes a gallon of oil just to make a toner cartridge. That wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t discard 8 empty cartridges a second in the U.S. And if it didn’t take 450 years for one to decompose.

The Perfect Food Shortage

The United Nations is calling the recent increase in world hunger a "silent tsunami," as if it was triggered by an event at the bottom of the ocean. I'd call the crisis a storm, brewed by several converging forces, all of which, it turns out, are man-made. It's a storm that some have been predicting for a long time, and now, finally, the U.N. is taking notice.

Conflicts with Cotton

Have you ever thought about your clothing and the effects on the earth? What if I told you that the way cotton is currently grown and harvested, it endangers lives? Conventional cotton is causing extreme concerns and here’s why. Tons and tons of pesticides are sprayed on cotton fileds every year to eradicate a little bug known as the boll weevil. The problem with using poison to kill one bug is that it kills all the other beneficial insects that keep nature on track.

Clean air could kill the Amazon, researchers say

LONDON (Reuters) - Cleaner air due to reduced coal burning could help destroy the Amazon this century, according to a finding published on Wednesday that highlights the complex challenges of global climate change. The study in the journal Nature identified a link between reduced sulphur dioxide emissions from coal burning and increased sea surface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic that boosts the drought risk in the Amazon rainforest.

Strida 5.0 - the ultimate folding bike

I’m not a cyclist by any means but it appears to moi that Great Britain based Strida has completely conquered the concept of the folding bike. The triangular frame is constructed of lightweight aluminum and power is transferred to the rear wheels via a silent, clean Kevlar belt. Handlebars are mounted horizontally so the rider can sit comfortably upright with an excellent view potential road hazards. In about five seconds the triangular frame folds-up into a compact form that can be wheeled into an office closet, loaded into your car or taken on the train. The Strida has no external grease or oil to create a mess or ruin your carefully constructed workday fashion ensemble.

Shimon Peres sees eco-fuel fighting "terror"

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday hailed his country's new weapon against the threat of "terrorism" from its Middle East neighbors -- the electric car. Outlining Israel's development priorities in an address to foreign journalists to mark this week's 60th anniversary of statehood, Peres said reducing global dependence on oil would curb oil-producing states' ability to fund Israel's enemies.

General Motors' Quest to Become "Green Motors"

On Thursday, Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors came to San Francisco to speak about the future of the company and "green" auto technology. It's fascinating to think that not long ago, General Motors was a company beloved by most Americans, a symbol of the innovation, spirit, and the pleasant lifestyle typical of American culture. Today, it is the target of much criticism, when Wagoner must watch his words carefully and bring along a security outfit, for fear of protest. One did break out, but certainly nothing violent or warranting more security than was provided for Nobel Prize winning social entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus, who had none present at a Commonwealth Club event at the same venue, which he actually more than filled up.

Bisphenol-A, Check the # on Your Bottle.

How many of you drink from a Nalgene bottle? What’s the number within the triangle on the bottom? If you’ve got the wrong number down there you may be putting yourself at risk. You’ve probably seen something in the news lately that some plastics are getting a lot of negative press; most notably, drinking bottles made with hard plastic.

California Business Women Go Green

As a guest speaker at the annual Conference of the Professional Businesswomen of California, I shared the stage today with Gary Hirschberg. Gary's the "CE-Yo" of Stoneyfield Farms, the organic yogurt company that revolutionized the making and marketing of organic dairy products. Together, we talked to hundreds of women about becoming "CEOs" - chief environmental officers of their households, the organizations they volunteer for, and the companies where they work.

Building a Foundation of Trust: U.S. - China Cooperation in Africa

Last month, Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, became the latest high-level Chinese official to tour Africa. He and a group of senior Chinese leaders made a stop to inspect Chinese workers building Algeria's East-West Highway. The $11 billion thoroughfare will stretch over 1,200 kilometers, traversing Algeria from Morocco to Tunisia. According to CCTV, the highway is the largest and most technically challenging overseas project for Chinese contractors since the historic Chinese-built railroad linking Tanzania and Zambia.

Governors rally against dirty Bush ploy...and what's up with coal in California?

Twelve governors (California, Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington) have to congressional leaders and the President, protesting the disgusting move this week by the federal Department of Transportation, which is seeking to preempt these and other states from enforcing greenhouse gas standards for motor vehicles.

Plunging Home Values? Then You've Driven Too Far - A Case for Smart Development

Not so long ago the thinking was “drive ”�till you qualify”� — but it’s a brave new world, with a barrel of oil costing $118.10 (as of this writing) and gallon of gas reaching up for the $4.00 per gallon threshold, that thinking just doesn’t work like it used to. Home owners and developers are having second thoughts about that nice little three-bedroom split-level gleaming in the distant suburban sun — or put another way, that house miles from anywhere you need to be (other than home) that’s worth less than you paid for it.

Flooding: a tale of rich and poor worlds

Mozambique is one of the world's poorest countries, the UK is one of the richest. Both are struggling to respond to a changing climate. Factory workers hurriedly evacuated after a local beck burst its banks; firemen having to rescue a mother and child after their car got stuck in flood water and thousands of homes being put on flood alert. These were the scenes which greeted the start of the year in the United Kingdom following abnormally heavy rainfall.

Timeline for Irreversible Climate Change

Fifty years ago, Yankee Stadium had about 70,000 seats. It seldom sold out, and almost any kid could afford the cheapest seats. Capacity was reduced to about 57,000 when the stadium was remodeled in the 1970s. Most games sell out now, and prices have gone up. The new stadium, opening next year, will reduce seating to about 51,800.

Students Call for Fair Trade Coffee on Campus

It's no secret that college students like their coffee. With late nights and early classes, some students depend on the caffeine in coffee to get them through the day. And there's no shortage of places to buy coffee; there are more than 10 spots on the University of Massachusetts campus alone. But some students aren't choosing their coffee just based on taste. Some students are looking for coffee produced under fair trade standards.

World Facing Huge New Challenge on Food Front: Business as Usual Not a Vialble Option

A fast-unfolding food shortage is engulfing the entire world, driving food prices to record highs. Over the past half-century grain prices have spiked from time to time because of weather-related events, such as the 1972 Soviet crop failure that led to a doubling of world wheat, rice, and corn prices. The situation today is entirely different, however. The current doubling of grain prices is trend-driven, the cumulative effect of some trends that are accelerating growth in demand and other trends that are slowing the growth in supply.

On the President's new climate "principles"

These principles are almost laughable. The President is about 8 years behind the curve. (He himself endorsed the concept of power plant emission limits 8 years ago, only to disavow the idea once in office.) An initial and apparently more specific Bush trial balloon was shot down by key Congressional Republicans. These new comments appear to be little more than a thin rationale for a Parisian junket by some members of his administration. Perhaps the appropriate reaction should be “sacre bleu!”� (though the Pope might find that inappropriate).

EARTH DAY COUNTDOWN: The (Green) Maelstrom

I feel like I’m caught up in a maelstrom of green, green, green! After spending thirty years slogging through the environmental trenches, we seem to have had an “overnight success.”� Protecting the planet is all anyone seems to be talking about these days. In fact, as someone who used to be leading the pack, I know find it hard to keep up! Companies are frantically setting up recycling programs. Organizations are issuing reports hand over fist. Entrepreneurs are churning out new green gear and gadgets faster than a mouse breeds babies.

Wind Power Growth Blows Past Projections

Washington, D.C.-Global wind power capacity rose 27 percent in 2007 to more than 94,100 megawatts, led by capacity additions in the European Union, the United States, and China, according to the latest Vital Sign Update from the Worldwatch Institute. New wind installations were second only to natural gas in the United States as an additional source of power capacity and were the leading source of new capacity in the EU. In China, the estimated 3,449 megawatts of wind turbines added last year propelled China past the government's ambitious wind power target for 2010.

A Happy Relationship Keeps Blood Pressure Low

Is your blood pressure so high that your doctor has proclaimed you a walking stroke? Of course, you know all the best tricks for bringing it back down. He's told you to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise daily, and cut back on the beer and bacon — all very difficult and unpleasant tasks, though definitely more fun than a heart attack.

Vegetarian or Vegan...but Why?

Every wonder why people “go to the extreme”� of being vegetarian or vegan? The philosophy behind veganism stands on the precept that we, as humans, do not have any right to “use”� animals for anything. Furthermore, our use of animals, which have no choice in the matter, is a form of exploitation. A vegan lifestyle avoids, to the extent that is possible, all forms of that exploitation. A vegan chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products including dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals.

Despite EASSy, Africa Still Listening to Radio

Construction began this month on the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), which promises to bring low-cost, high-speed Internet access to eight countries. Funded by telecommunications operators and development institutions, the project is scheduled for completion in late 2009 and expected to create and enhance connectivity for millions of people. Internet penetration rates are in the single digits in most of Africa, and countries on the east coast rely on slow and expensive satellite connections.

What's the Buzz About Bamboo?

Bamboo this, bamboo that - What’s up with the bamboo buzz? Technically classified as a “weed”�, the bamboo plant is strong, renewable and inexpensive. There are nearly 1000 different species of bamboo and it can be grown in almost any moderate climate. Bamboo can grow 20 meters in less than 60 days.

USEFUL, SALABLE PRODUCTS FROM CO2

Someday soon, probably sooner than we think, we’ll have to get serious about removing carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plant exhaust, perhaps even extracting it from the atmosphere as well. The Arctic ice cap is shrinking in area and thickness. Another state-sized ice shelf is breaking away from Antarctica as this story is being written. Global warming is blamed for the dramatic changes going on at the extremes of the planet — our home.

The Administration is going to run out the clock on global warming

Today the Bush administration FINALLY responded to the Supreme Court case on global warming -- a case the Bush crowd lost nearly a year ago. Unfortunately, this plan appears to put EPA’s response on a very slow track.

The Moral Vulnerability of Markets

Today, there seems to be no coherent alternative to capitalism, yet antimarket feelings are alive and well, expressed for example in the moralistic backlash against globalization. Because no social system can survive for long without a moral basis, the issues posed by antiglobalization campaigners are urgent—all the more so in the midst of the current economic crisis.

Will South Africa lead the solar energy revolution?

South Africa, Brazil and other emerging economies are likely to face emissions caps come 2012. Can South Africa’s solar energy ventures compete with its vast supply of cheap coal? Stretched-out plains with dust devils and unrelenting sun are the trademarks of the barren Northern Cape in South Africa. Every year the province records some of the highest numbers of sunny days worldwide. Rainy days are as rare as hen’s teeth.

Making Markets for Ecosystem Services

Ecosystems thinking is slowly changing from concern about losing species to concern about losing the services that keep our own species — and its civilization — thriving. The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), the largest and most comprehensive multi-stakeholder review of ecosystems and their services, concluded that some two-thirds of the ecosystems assessed and their services were being degraded or used unsustainably. The rate of ecosystem degradation has been swifter in the last 50 years than in the 150 years previously.

Earth Day Challenge! 10 simple but effective ways to support the planet

Whether you’re light green, dark green or just starting to think about environmental issues, Radish dares you to take your actions up a notch in honor of Earth Day. We’re calling it the Radish Earth Day Challenge. The Challenge consists of 10 easy habits to start ASAP. Do as many of these as you can — some you’ll only need to do once, others you can do over and over and over again.

Take Your Dog out to Dinner and a Movie in Italy

People always say that dogs are man's best friend — but why don't they act like it? Here in the United States, you'll rarely find a welcome mat set out for your canine companion to wipe his paws on. But if you're sick of all the "No Rover" rules, it might be time to plan a doggie holiday to Tuscany.

Five Ways to Give Without Spending Dime

Even if you write out a check to every charity that sends you a handwritten letter and a photo of a pleading child each Christmas, you can't help thinking that it's never enough — with the money you've got left over after paying for all your bills and basic necessities, you'll never be able to fund a school in Africa, or to give a family enough food to keep their bellies full for even a single week. Your paltry donation might buy a few extra pens and stamps for the nonprofit organization you sent it to, but that's about it. But don't worry — even if you're not in Donald Trump territory, you can still donate to a variety of great causes every day without spending a single penny. All you need is an Internet connection, and you're good to go. Here are a few of our favorite free ways to give.

U.S. Environmental Groups Divided on “Clean Coal”�

At a Senate press conference held last week to urge national action on climate change policy, 16 major U.S. environmental organizations shared the stage in solidarity. But while it appears the nation's green groups are united in the fight against global warming, they remain divided on which technologies would best create a carbon-free economy. This division may cause major roadblocks as Congress prepares to debate several climate change policies that could lead to sweeping changes.

Superhumans Among Us: People with Abilities Beyond Belief

He's run a half-marathon in the Arctic Circle region — in bare feet. He's been entombed in ice for 72 straight minutes. He's swum 80 meters beneath a layer of ice. He's climbed partway up Mount Everest, clad only in a pair of shorts. This man is known, unsurprisingly, as The Iceman. And no, he's not a new character on Heroes — he's a 48-year-old Dutchman named Wim Hof, who has the ability to control his body's temperature through an ancient form of meditation known as Tummo. Though Tummo is normally practiced only by monks, Hof has mastered the art form to such an extent that he never feels cold, even in sub-zero temperatures that could cause severe hypothermia, or even death, should us normal people attempt such stunts.

A simplistic Look at What "Going Green" Really Means

We hear it all the time - Green this, Green that. So let’s face it, green is the newest black and everybody loves to feel like they’re taking part. It’s the latest trend. It’s marketable. And it’s not slowing down. Trust me, if Corporate America can make money on “green efforts,”� you can count on them digging in. So what does “going green”� really mean?

Reforming the approach to 'demand-driven' research

An evaluation of Dutch-funded research programmes in developing countries raises questions about the concept of local "ownership". Anyone interested in learning more about the possibilities and limitations of demand-driven research — in which research programmes are determined by those who will benefit from their results — should look at the recent experience of Dutch organisations that fund research in developing countries.

Bike Park Planned for New York City

We all know it's way easier on the environment to ride a bike than to drive a car — not to mention, a few miles of cycling each day might finally take off those extra ten pounds you put on over the holidays. And best of all, biking is absolutely free — no gas prices or bus tickets to worry about. To us, it sounds like the perfect transportation situation.

Good Things, Small Packages

The United States is the world’s top consumer nation. Americans spend about four times more per person than any other country. And let’s face it - we do it largely by shopping. On average, every American shops everyday for about 24 minutes. Per year, we spend somewhere around $4 trillion. That’s a lot of money. And think about this”� A new car is made every second, 2.3 million shoes are purchased every day and 2. 6 billion toys are bought every year. Through marketing and advertising (I should know, I work at an advertising agency) the psychology of shopping is embedded deep into our brains. The real question I always wonder - where does all that stuff go?

Landless and exposed to the elements

Uganda’s Batwa communities have been marginalised for decades. Now they are struggling to cope with extreme weather conditions, and want better homes to protect them from storms and landslides. Among the posh office premises of the Red Cross Society and the court of adjudicature on Muchingo hill, in Uganda's western district of Kisoro, are ramshackle houses in which a community of Batwa people live.

Could Wal-Mart (And its Bad Labor Practices) Revive the Labor Movement?

Referring to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. as a "successful business" is like calling the Pacific Ocean a "large body of water." Since its founding in 1962, Wal-Mart has come to be recognized as a marketing phenomenon, a retailing juggernaut, an icon, a household word around the globe.

Can India Improve Energy Efficiency as Its Economy Booms?

In India, new building codes, appliance eco-labels, and conservation contests are all bringing energy efficiency to the national agenda. Some citizens have even adopted an energy-conscious pledge—“Saving electricity is my national duty”�—agreeing to switch off appliances and use energy-saving light bulbs. But beyond the rhetoric, India’s efforts to improve energy efficiency have been slow and often frustrating, analysts say.

Local vs Organic Conundrum

Local or organic? What’s more important? Supporting the farmer’s market or ensuring you have the USDA stamp? Both types of food make a great impact on the environment and both are worth buying. Here’s a little more info on each

Throwing Polar Bears a Lifeline

A trio of leading environmental groups joined together again last week in filing suit against the federal government for missing the legal deadline—it passed more than two months ago—to make a final decision on whether to afford the polar bear protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The three groups—the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace—contend that polar bear populations are threatened due to the global warming-induced break-up of the Arctic sea ice that serves as their habitat during the crucial summer feeding season. Several leading scientists concur that the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer within a half-dozen years. And a recent U.S. Geological Survey report predicted that two-thirds of the world’s remaining polar bears would likely be extinct by 2050, including all polar bears within the U.S.

Billboards Never Looked So Good

One medium that lends itself well to the use of discarded materials are bags - handbags, totes, backpacks, attache bags, wallets. I have seen an incredible array of bags made entirely from, or at least incorporating trash, or what would one day surely be bound for landfill but for this creative re-fabrication. Some of my favorites are one of a kind, few of a kind or one-of-a-kind pieces. Lately, billboards have been getting a lot of mileage in the eco-accessories world.

Do You Know What Toxic Chemicals Lurk in Your Clothing?

You know that if you eat that sugar-filled cookie, it might spike your insulin, and if you put on cosmetics with chemicals in them, they will probably end up in your blood. But have you ever thought twice about putting on your favorite T-shirt, or snuggling into your cotton sheets? A growing number of parents are demanding organic cotton clothing and diapers for their babies. Many don't stop with clothing, but have furnished their homes with organic flooring or carpeting, organic mattresses, organic linens, organic window coverings etc. Are they fanatics or do they have scientific evidence to support their lifestyle changes?

Pushing for 'Fair Food' on Campus in the Land of Hog Factories

Last year, a bunch of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill got tired of the industrial dreck served up in the cafeteria. They discovered that the landscape around them was producing some amazing, chemical-free meat and produce and set about figuring out how to get some in school dining halls. Led by seniors Sally Lee and David Hamilton, they declared themselves FLO Food (FLO = fair, local, organic), and began negotiating with Campus Dining Services in earnest. CDC took them seriously and negotiated respectfully, but a key gap in understanding between the two groups quickly emerged.

Nano-Threat: Risk and Reality

Broadly considered, there’s probably no field of applied scientific research and development with implications as profound and far-reaching as nanotechnology. Governments and industry are pumping billions into developing nano-engineered materials that may one day in the not to distant future completely overturn the manufacturing of an incredibly wide range of products, from semiconductors and solar cells through weapons and drug delivery systems to everyday food, health and cosmetics products.

A Low-Emissivity Coating That Really Works

To say that there is a lot of hype about insulating paints and radiant barrier coatings is an understatement. The Internet is rife with claims of paints that dramatically reduce heat transfer—usually based on some technological magic spun off from NASA. While these products may have some relevance in the extreme conditions of outer space, manufacturers of paints containing “ceramic beads”� or “sodium borosilicate microspheres”� are making claims that defy the laws of physics—and independent test results—when they claim they can save significant energy in buildings. Well-engineered coatings with metallic particles can reduce radiant heat transfer, however. LO/MIT-II from SOLEC—Solar Energy Corporation has a long track record of success and is, at least for now, the only such product made with a water-based, low-volatile-organic-compound (VOC) formulation.

THE U.S. OF SOLAR POWER — OUR CARS TOO.

Technologically we could build solar power plants so expansive, covering such a large area, that they could be seen from space. But we don’t have to. We could plaster the world’s deserts with solar photovoltaic or concentrated solar thermal power plants to provide many times the amount of power needed to run the world’s economies. But we don’t have to turn the world’s deserts into energy-generating industrial sites. Large scale solar power plants can be built anywhere where sun-drenched real estate is affordable.

Caribbean tourist trade counts the cost of climate change

Hurricanes and rising sea levels are threatening Caribbean tourism. So how will the region’s most important industry safeguard its future? Kory South has spent the last 15 years building his dream resort in St Elizabeth, Jamaica. But his dream is in peril from rising sea levels and stronger hurricanes. South has incurred millions of dollars in losses from hurricanes affecting the island over the last three years.

U.S. Cap & Trade, Politics and the Elections

Analysts at New Carbon Finance foresee a national cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme emerging in the U.S. in 2012-2013, one that by 2020 has the potential to grow to $1 trillion, more than twice the size of the European Union’s. Though the Bush administration has said that any such legislation would be vetoed, the chances of a national cap-and-trade scheme being put into effect by law, perhaps as soon as 2009, look likely with the election of a new president, though the positions of the candidates, as well as the two houses of Congress, encompass a range of attitudes and approaches, the analysts note.

Food versus fuel in the Philippines

The government wants farmers to plant crops for biofuels on a vast scale. But could the quest for green energy create food shortages? Growing world energy demand, the insecurity of long-term supply and the consequences of fossil fuel use for climate change are driving governments to look for alternatives. To meet rising energy needs, many countries are promoting the production and use of biofuels - energy extracted as a gas, liquid or oil from plants.

Chainsaws Cut into Cambodia’s Preah Monivong National Park

Cambodia’s Preah Monivong National Park is an ecological jewel, rich in unique and endangered wildlife and plants. Known better in the country by its local name of Bokor, it is located in the southwest in Kampot Province and is among Cambodia’s most visited tourist attractions. The range of habitats found within Bokor support a number of important mammal species including tigers, leopards, Asian elephants, sun bears, and gibbons. A total of 223 bird species have been recorded in the park, six of which are globally significant, 13 are regionally significant, and 12 have never been seen elsewhere before.

Water for Fuel

Geneva, 10 March 2008 - As demand for biofuels increases, industry will face additional questions: How can the water be equitably shared? Is biofuel a practical energy solution? What are the options? These questions and others at the water and energy nexus will be the focus of a new WBCSD water and energy workstream of the Council’s Water Project.

Conservation areas 'neglected' under current efforts

The most important areas for biodiversity conservation are neglected under current protection efforts, researchers say. Scientists from the US-based University of California San Diego (UCSD) investigated whether current methods of locating conservation reserves are adequate to deal with future environmental changes.

HIGH PRICED CRUDE : SCOUNDREL OR SAVIOR?

It’s not just the subprime mortgage market that’s damaging the US, and perhaps global economies. It’s the relentless rise in the price of oil. And, $100 plus oil may be more the result of speculative greed than fundamentals like tight supplies or demand from growing nations. But there’s a bright side: High prices at the pump could force more drivers to conserve, to drive something less thirsty or shift away from petroleum altogether. High priced oil could help save the planet.

Convert Guantanamo to Disease Research Centre

Guantanamo Bay detention camp should be converted into a biomedical research institute dedicated to combating the diseases of poverty in the Western hemisphere, says Peter J. Hotez. In an editorial in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, he says the move would tap into the tradition of vaccine diplomacy that began 50 years ago — when Moscow and Washington put aside ideological differences to collaborate on the development of a live polio vaccine at the height of the Cold War.

Finding your Zen

Three things happened to me this past week that gave me pause: 1. I saw a movie in the middle of the afternoon with a friend. 2. I bought a new book. 3. My husband got the stomach flu. not necessarily in that order”� Why are these things important? Because they made me take a step back and look at what’s important in my life.

How to recycle your cell phone, painlessly

Last week I participated in a ritual that's becoming increasingly common these days: replacing a (mostly) functional cell phone. Bluetooth and my beat up phone were not playing nice, and I need to have a headset to filter out noise as I talk to clients, colleagues, and co-conspirators. So now I find myself with a semi recent vintage RAZR huddling in my miscellaneous drawer, gathering dust. Fortunately for it, I happen to be someone who knows a bit about what to do with such a device, as I wrote about here so it will be going off to Second Rotation. Or someone else who cares to pay me a better price for my old gear. Paid? For your old cell phone? Yes.

Is Nano a No-No? Nanotechnology Advances into Buildings

It’s revolutionary, it’s the next big thing, and it’s going to change everything. The media and industry representatives have described nanotechnology with so much excitement in the last decade, and at such a growing pace, that to illustrate the trend one investment firm has measured the explosion of this coverage with what it calls a nanotechnology hype index.

An Eco-Friendly Oil Change

by Libuse Binder on February 27th, 2008 Deep down, you love your car. But part of this love means proper maintenance. And proper maintenance should be done with the environment in mind. Motor oil, antifreeze and other car fluids all need to be changed on a regular basis. Many vehicle owners turn this routine maintenance into a do-it-yourself (DIY) activity. What you may not realize is that if car fluids are not recycled or disposed of properly, they can easily make their way into our water supply and other natural habitats. Check out Earth 911’s tips on handling your fluids responsibly.

Cleaner, Greener U: Students Drive the Campus Climate Movement

Climate change is our generation’s civil rights movement,”� says Brianna Cayo Cotter, communications director for the Energy Action Coalition, swilling from a tall cup of coffee. Cotter talked fast and raked her fingers through her thick, wavy hair, staring intently, as though she’d been on a steady diet of nothing but caffeine for the last few days. This was PowerShift 2007, held at the University of Maryland, the largest gathering of college students ever assembled to fight climate change, a weekend of non-stop workshops and speakers and rallies brought together by Energy Action staff.

To All Major Retailers: Start Charging for Plastic Bags, NOW!

Over the past year, many leading companies have taken proactive steps to minimize their use of resources that clutter up our landfill. European retailers IKEA and Marks & Spencer have started charging customers up to 10 cents per plastic bag. Not only are these companies realizing the environmental benefits of charging for plastic bags, but also seeing the financial benefits, along with the positive branding, and philanthropic benefits (Marks & Spencer donates profits to improve parks and play areas across the country) as well.

Nanotech Works for Hydrogen

Hydrogen is everywhere on our planet, but it is not free to roam. It is always joined at the molecular hip with something else. It is a carrier of energy since it requires energy to break it away from a mate. But when free, hydrogen can be a fuel, a source of energy to do something, to do work. Unfortunately as a carrier of energy hydrogen is not very efficient. It takes considerable energy to separate hydrogen from oxygen or carbon, for instance. By some estimates more energy is needed for separation than hydrogen will give back as fuel — with available technology that is.

Earth sciences need a higher profile

Let's encourage the mood of political cooperation on the big issues during the International Year of Planet Earth, says Nasser Ennih. The International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) — launched earlier this month in Paris — is an opportunity to use the knowledge, experience and publications of the world's estimated 500,000 earth scientists to better inform decision-makers and politicians about how to achieve sustainable development.

Battle lines drawn over GM sugar beets

Thousands of acres of Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets will be planted this spring with sugar from the GM crop entering the food supply. Consumer and organic groups are suing to block production of GM sugar beets. In January, farmers, food safety advocates, and conservation groups filed suit in federal court challenging the deregulation of genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant Roundup Ready sugar beets by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Attorneys from the Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice are representing plaintiffs Organic Seed Alliance, Sierra Club, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and the Center for Food Safety in the lawsuit, which seeks a thorough assessment of environmental, health, and associated economic impacts of the deregulation as required by federal law.

Recycled Fish: Anglers as stewards of the resource

How do you recycle a fish!? That’s a question we are asked often at Recycled Fish, and it always makes us smile. The short answer — you let it swim! Recycled Fish is the non-profit organization of anglers as stewards of the resource. One of the most tangible things we anglers can do is to release our catch. That’s “Catch and Release”� fishing, and it’s caught on! Over 80 percent of Americans now release their fish most or all of the time. But the “catch and release”� conversation is still a good starting point for how those of us who fish can be stewards of the fishery, and our name “Recycled Fish”� speaks to that.

China Goes Green(er)

In the last year or so, a lot of not-so-pleasant stuff's been coming out of China: lead-filled toys, poisoned dog food, toxic flip-flops, more lead-filled toys, poisoned toothpaste — need we go on? We think not — we're all about good news, after all. And finally, China's given us something to smile about: Last week, the most heavily polluted nation on earth announced a plan to stop providing free plastic bags to its citizens at shops and supermarkets.

"Plastic Soup" Debris in Pacific Ocean

Here's another reason for retailers to charge for plastic bags. The swirling debris of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean has now grown to a size that is twice as large as the continental U.S. How do we know this? The Alguita Marine Research team just landed from a month-long tour of the area, known as the North Pacific Gyre. They set out to investigate just how much plastic debris is floating in the ocean, how this plastic affects marine life, and how this might affect humans that eat fish found in the area.

What happens if China’s “one child”� is left behind?

Based on a senior official’s remarks, it looks like China may soon relax its one-child policy. That has raised fears among some demographers that the country will experience a massive baby boom once the reproductive shackles come off, and hence “could overturn predictions of an imminent end to global population growth,”� in the words of New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin. Almost one in five human beings is Chinese (1.3 billion out of a global total of 6.7 billion), so the country matters immensely to human numbers. But there’s an assumption embedded in this discussion that deserves to be challenged.

Battle over rBGH-free labeling continues in US states

In a setback to Monsanto and supporters of its genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, rBGH, Pennsylvania and Indiana refused to pass laws prohibiting dairy manufacturers from labeling their products rBGH-free, while Ohio has put restrictions on such labeling. Meanwhile, Kansas recently introduced a bill banning the labels.

Exploring the Green-BoP Nexus Pt. 1: A Nano-Sized Car Reveals

The launch of the Tata Nano, the ridiculously low-priced car that could open a floodgate of new drivers in India and elsewhere, is undoubtedly one of the milestone innovations marking the early years of the 21st century. This is not just because of the unprecedented feat of technological and design innovation it represents but because of the huge rift it exposes in the public debate over the linkages between two crucial concepts, poverty and environment.

Tree Blocks: Building imagination with reclaimed trees

While cleaning the kids’ playroom for what must be the umpteenth time today I spied the bag of Tree Blocks that our entire family loves to build with. These unusual building blocks are cut from tree branches and make the most beautiful sculptures, keeping little hands busy for at least long enough for me to get a shower. The “elves”� at Tree Blocks identify abandoned or end of productive cycle plots of apple, cherry and hazelnut trees and contact the farmers. They then push the old trees over removing the roots. Tree Blocks bridges and blocks are made from the wood purchased and processed by the “elves.”� This leaves the farmer clean soil and seed money, so he can get back into production.

A solar powered world?

Arizona Public Service (APS) has announced plans to build a 280-megawatt concentrating solar power plant in the desert 70 miles southwest of Phoenix. The Solana Generating Station, if it were operating today, would be the single largest solar power plant on the planet. Solana, with its thermal energy storage, will be able to operate 24/7 providing power for 70,000 homes.

Brave new world: Gulf seeks bold science initiatives

The Gulf States are investing in radical initiatives to strengthen science but results are not guaranteed, reports Waleed Al-Shobakky. Farouk El-Baz routinely shifts between two views of the Gulf countries. One day the Egyptian-American geologist will be in his Boston office poring over detailed satellite images of the Arabian Peninsula. The next he will be continuing his study from a much closer range, flying to Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates to do his geology fieldwork — and to serve as a science adviser.

Worldwatch Perspective: Peacekeeping, a Study in Contradictions

At the behest of its member governments, the United Nations keeps taking on new and increasingly complex peacekeeping challenges, including in conflict-ridden places like Darfur, Haiti, Lebanon, and East Timor. The projected budget for these efforts for the July 2007 to June 2008 period is running to $7 billion—the largest cost ever by far, and substantially higher than the record $5.6 billion spent in 2006—07. Yet U.N. peacekeeping operations remain a study in contradictions.

Researchers Invent Eco-Friendly Hypersonic Jet

Feel like heading off from Jersey for a croissant breakfast in Paris, then returning home in time to meet your friends at a local pizza shop for lunch? How about an overnight stay at a B&B in Sydney Harbor, where you can keep a lookout for sharks from your bedroom window? Or, if you're in the mood for a cross-country jump from LaGuardia to LAX, you could be California Dreamin' in mere minutes — though it'll probably take twice as long to cut through all that traffic en route to your hotel.

U.S. moving toward ban on new coal-fired power plants

In a report compiled in early 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy listed 151 coal-fired power plants in the planning stages and talked about a resurgence in coal-fired electricity. But during 2007, 59 proposed U.S. coal-fired power plants were either refused licenses by state governments or quietly abandoned. In addition to the 59 plants that were dropped, close to 50 more coal plants are being contested in the courts, and the remaining plants will likely be challenged as they reach the permitting stage.

Tips for an Eco Friendly (and so romantic) Valentine’s Day

How many of you are still trying to figure out creative ways to spice up your evening? White Apricot asked me to share my tips for an eco friendly romantic celebration that doesn’t use up Mother Nature’s resources. Tip #1: Get away”�by staying in. Set up your bedroom as a love shack. Rinse your favorite sheets in scented detergent, sprinkle your favorite perfume under your bedspread or place lavender under your pillow (all organic or natural, of course).

Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives Booming

There’s an incredible amount of activity taking place in the area of sustainable supply chains. Because supply chain challenges are so broad, it is hard to capture the full scope of what’s happening. In those situations, I tend to look for examples of activities that are having a real impact on business. Here are a few such examples: Wal-Mart, which has launched a host of sustainable supply chain programs, implemented a new supplier packaging scorecard on February 1 that formally rates suppliers on their progress toward developing sustainable packaging, as well as their ability to help Wal-Mart reach its company-wide sustainability goals to reduce waste, use renewable energy and sell sustainable products.

Top Ten: Green Your Wardrobe

Buying clothes can consume a big chunk of your budget - especially if you have kids and teenagers. New clothes also take their toll on the planet, given how much water, pesticides and energy required to produce cotton, polyester and other fabrics (NOTE: 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides in the U.S. are used to grow cotton. It takes almost 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one t-shirt.) Meanwhile, "out of style" clothes can end up in the trash even though they still have a lot of life left in them.

The Lawn Mower of My Dreams

I’m in love. With a lawn mower. I’ve never seen her in person, as it were. I’ve never taken her for a stroll around my yard. I’ve only seen her in pictures and I’ve reviewed her, ah, “specifications.”� That’s enough. I know she’s perfect for me. The lawn mower in question is Remington Power Tools new cordless PowerMower (tm). It has all the features necessary, for most of us, to replace our dirty and heavily-polluting gasoline-powered mower.

The Melting Pot, the Salad Bowl, and the Confucian Ideal

Many political analysts concur that we are entering a multipolar world order. In the New York Times Magazine (Jan. 27), Parag Khanna argues that the new world order will be a tripolar competition between Europe, China, and the United States, each struggling to gain and maintain influence over a set of second-tier powers and peripheral regions. Khanna also argues that each of these three "empires" has a different mode of engagement with other nations: the American model of aggressive military and political interventions, the European model of voluntary annexation of nearby states into its transnational institutions, and a Chinese style of consultative and pragmatic leadership based on mutual noninterference and national sovereignty.

Global Warming, Fundamentalism, and an "Inconvenient Guilt Trip"

The world is going to hell and it’s your fault. If you have a child, are fat, get a divorce, or are simply male, you’re even more guilty. Don’t like the sound of that? Who can blame you. (After all, you fancy yourself part of the solution don’t you?)

SmartWay: It’ not just a clever name

Although shipping emissions are one of the largest contributors to total CO2 emissions in the U.S. and beyond, they have only been recently studied in depth. Part of the recent interest in shipping emissions and methods to mitigate them has been sparked by the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport program. Launched in 2004 after a year of study and dialogue with various research groups and consultants, the program engages trucking companies, retailers, rail companies, and individual truckers interested in reducing their emissions and helps them with everything from practical everyday fixes such as proper tire maintenance to financing for new equipment that greatly improves fuel efficiency. We spoke with Mitch Greenberg, Program Manager of the EPA’s SmartWay program to find out how it works, what companies and shippers can do to get involved with the program, and what it has planned for the year ahead.

Putting the ”�Green’ Back in Greenbacks: Economic Stimulus Package Misses Mark

Last week, the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Bush Administration announced a tentative agreement on a $150 billion stimulus package to jumpstart the U.S. economy. But they could have done far better—by designing a green stimulus package with the potential to boost the economy and create jobs while minimizing environmental harm.

Global Warming by the Numbers

Global warming is the most serious environmental threat of our time. As these facts show, affordable options are available. And America cannot afford to fall behind any more in the race to invent clean, renewable energy sources.

Can crops be climate-proofed?

Among the most worrying aspects of climate change is its effects on the world's food supply. The worst-case scenario is stark: Africa's Sahel region will produce fewer cereals, rice cultivation in Asia will be under threat, there will be fewer vegetables — with potatoes and beans potentially wiped out — and livestock and fisheries will be severely stressed.

Chemical Food Additives - Are They Slowly Killing Our Children?

Let me start by saying a chemical additive doesn't necessarily 'appear' to be a problem immediately after ingestion. Quite often the effects are cumulative; a gradual build-up in the body produces roller-coaster days, some good, some bad. Some children are more sensitive to food chemicals and display immediate effects soon after ingestion of additives, colours in particular. In small amounts additives are not harmful. Effects are dose related and, tragically, dose for weight, children are consuming several times more additives than the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Before we get into the details of the most common problem foods, it is necessary to understand the testing and approval process, with emphasis on those factors that may confer the level of risk of toxic additives in infants and young children's diets.

U.S. Abandons Endangered Species to Build Border Fence

They have bravely persisted in building the fence despite repeated assertions from a variety of sources that it will be massively expensive and completely ineffective. (My personal favorite piece of anti-border fence media comes from Penn & Teller’s: B*llsh$T. They built a fence to the specs the government created, then had several undocumented immigrants try to get through, under, and over it. It took about 5 minutes for 6 people to get through.)

The stinky fish of poor fishing practice

Destructive fishing has many critics, with the newest being an animated fish puppet emerging from an icebox to push the virtues of sustainably caught seafood. Stinky Fish, the brainchild of WWF’s International Marine Programme and viral movie makers, Free Range Studios, is the star of a new consumer education and information website which goes live today.

Analysis: Nano Hypocrisy?

One car gets 46 miles per gallon, features fancy accessories, and sports two engines with a combined 145 horsepower. The other car reportedly gets 54 miles per gallon, runs on a diminutive 30-horsepower engine, and is positively spartan in its interior trimmings. The first is a darling of the environmentally conscious. The latter is reviled as a climate wrecker. These two vehicles are the Toyota Prius and the newly unveiled Tata Nano, dubbed “the people’s car.”� Is there a double standard?

Climate Change 2007: Credible Science, Tipping Points, Feedback, and the Great North

Andrew Burger posted two excellent articles on 3P here and here regarding the general state of research, science, and the modeling of climate change. I refer you to those article for a good foundation. There are also a variety of excellent resources on the web, some of which Andrew cites in his posts, and other worthwhile sources such as RealClimate, The National Academy of Sciences, USCap (an alliance of business and environmental research and advocacy groups), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Cod recovery plan goes adrift

Brussels - EU Fisheries Ministers have gambled on the future of Europe’s fish stocks, said WWF at the conclusion of the EU Fisheries Council yesterday night in Brussels. At the December Council, EU Fisheries Ministers determine quotas for fishing in EU waters for the following year. This year, for the first time since 2002, Ministers have conceded an 11 per cent increase of quota for North Sea cod (about 22,000 tonnes). The quota increase is based on early signs of stock recovery but Ministers failed to put in place compulsory measures that mean young fish stay in the sea to reproduce.

Green your Workplace with Tree-Free Paper

When you're at home, it's easy to be eco-friendly. You eat organic. You compost your trash. On sunny days, you even ride your bike to work. Once you arrive at the office, though, it's another story: Every day, you print hundreds of pages of memos and documents, faxes, and photocopies. Entire forests have been decimated for the sake of your company's new employee manual.

Will Shiny Plants Save Us From Global Warming?

Worried about climate change? Well worry no longer because a University of California-Irvine team has come up with a solution: shiny crops. The idea is just one of many recent ideas proposed by geoengineering, the science of modifying Earth’s environment on a large scale. In the last couple years, geoengineers have proposed several unique solutions to the global warming problem including stationing mirrors in space, dumping large amounts of iron into the ocean and creating artificial volcanoes.

Proven Passive Solar, Low Cost, Low Energy Homes

Passive solar energy for homes is so passive it goes almost unnoticed on the menu of opportunities to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Quiet, mild mannered and laid back, it’s one of the easiest and lowest cost ways to build a low energy home. Just ask Bruce Brownell, the founder of Adirondack Alternate Energy. He’s built more than 350 of them. His simple, well thought-out passive solar home design has been proven for 30 years. All of them are successful at dramatically cutting heating energy costs while providing a healthy environment to live in.

$100 A Barrel? What is the True Cost of Gasoline?

We've done it. We've finally reached the psychologically important $100/barrel oil. The recent surge that got us there is more likely due to the plummeting dollar than other factors, but nonetheless will ultimately impact the price paid for gasoline at the pump. But even as the price goes higher, there are additional costs that are not paid at the pump. What are they, and who's paying them?

Trees Are Not The Answer To Climate Change

A 20-year analysis of 30 sites in the frozen north has discovered that trees ability to take in CO2 is weakening. Whereas once it was assumed that just by planting more trees we could slow down the climate change tide. These results tell us unquestionably that we need to stop passing the buck, and stop creating CO2.

Sustainability Gets a Warmer Embrace from US Companies

Fifteen years ago, when the GreenMoney Journal was launched, a relative handful of niche companies such as Ben & Jerry's, Timberland, and Tom's of Maine, were integrating the social consciences of their founders and even, in some cases, their spiritual values, into the capitalist model. But these companies were far outside the mainstream of American corporate culture, throwbacks to the idealism of the 1960s, and represented a tiny fraction of American corporate power.

Sustainable Urbanism

Combine walkable, transit-served urbanism with high-performance building and infrastructure and, according to author Douglas Farr, AIA, you’ve got Sustainable Urbanism. Beyond just developing a concept, however, the book acts as a comprehensive how-to manual for anyone who helps shape the built environment, from architects to mayors, planners to neighborhood groups.

Why Santa Claus is Chinese.

I know Santa Claus is Chinese because each Christmas morning after all the gifts are unwrapped and things settle down I systematically go through the presents to see where they are made. The results are almost always the same: roughly 70 percent are from China. After some research, it seems that my one-family survey is representative of the country as a whole. Let’s start with toys. Some 80 percent of the toys sold in the United States—from Barbie dolls to video games—are made in China. Talking toys that speak English learned the language from Chinese workers. Electronic goods—from Apple’s iPod to Microsoft’s Xbox—are made in China. Clothing—from the latest cashmere sweaters to gym suits—is also likely to have a “Made in China”� label.

Adsorbed Natural Gas: fuel storage solution?

Here’s a quiz to test your green car knowledge. Which is considered the greenest, most environmentally friendly, highway capable car sold by a major manufacturer in the US? If you thought Toyota Prius you’d be wrong. According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), as well as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it’s actually Honda’s Civic GX NGV, or Natural Gas Vehicle. The EPA has given the car that distinction since 1998 when it was first introduced, at that time to fleets only. (The ACEEE has done the same but only since 2000 when it was first offered to consumers.)

The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices

Choosing paper or plastic at the grocery store is not as important as what you fill the bag with or how you arrived at the store in the first place, according to a new book by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture.

Advance Praise “A compelling synthesis of the current and future trends in biofuels, with a thorough assessment of actions that must be taken to ensure the sustainable development of this industry.”� —Amory Lovins. Chairman and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute

Don't Discount Him: An Interview with Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott

Last week, Wal-Mart joined leading energy executives in their startling call for mandatory caps on greenhouse-gas emissions. The heart of this monolithic retail Grinch grew three sizes that day, or so it seemed to many environmental Who's.

Senate Squandered Farm Policy Reform Opportunities

WASHINGTON, - The U.S. Senate today squandered a golden opportunity to reform U.S. farm policy, cut excessive subsidies, and strengthen vital programs to help farmers clean up the environment and improve public health, a leading environmental group said today.

The Senate passed the 2007 farm bill today after Senate leadership effectively thwarted the will of a majority of lawmakers who supported two important reform amendments on payment limits and a reasonable means test by requiring them to meet a 60-vote supermajority.

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A Business Case for Sustainability

About two years ago, we realized that our company could make real and substantial changes in the way we operate our business in order to lessen our environmental impact.� First, we purchased wind power through renewable energy credits, and then we became a Chain of Custody holder for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).� Investigating and moving forward with these two initiatives opened our eyes to a new way for us to view our business.

First and foremost, we made these changes because it is the right thing to do and we could.� As we looked at these initiatives more closely, we realized that we could gain some real bottom-line benefits and make our efforts economically viable and sustainable for the years to come.� This wasn’t just some management fad.

The Greening of Restaurants

Boston - The restaurant industry in the United States is the largest consumer of electricity in the retail sector, accounting for one out of every three kilowatts in your favorite retail destination.� As more people dine out, Americans spend about half of their food budgets at restaurants.� Besides the government, the restaurant industry is the largest employer in this country, accounting for 12.8 million people.� Lastly, the restaurant industry impacts about 1/10th of the American economy, making its impact larger than the total of many countries in the world.

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Commentary: Google's entry renewable energy.

Google announced last week that it is entering the renewable energy arena. RE

Top 10 holiday survival tips for pets

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The holidays are a time for families and friends, and Lorraine Corriveau, a wellness veterinarian in Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine, cautions people not to forget about their animal friends.

Corriveau offers her top 10 list to help pets and owners make it through the holidays:

US exporting renewable fuels

At a time when the US should be scrambling to build more renewable energy capacity at home it is instead on course to export a valuable homegrown renewable fuel: wood chips.

Prenergy Power Limited, of London, England has been given the go-ahead by Britain’s Department of Trade & Industry to build a 350 megawatt powerplant in Port Talbot on the south coast of Wales. The powerplant will be fueled by wood chips that are expected to be imported from the US and Canada. Wood chip fuel will arrive by ship in the deep water port or perhaps by rail car from other sources. The powerplant will burn around three million tons per year from sustainable sources.

Watchdogs: First Stem Cell Grants Offered to For-Profit Companies

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - California's stem cell agency is inviting for-profit companies to apply for research grants for the first time, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) noted today and the non-partisan, non-profit consumer advocacy organization vowed to scrutinize the awards process to prevent abuse.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has just issued calls for applications for two types of grants. CIRM said it planned to fund up to 20 six-month disease team planning grants for a total of $1.1 million. The stem cell agency has also ear marked $25 million for up to 16 three-year grants to develop new stem cell lines.

ENN Interviews PETA Co-Founder Ingrid Newkirk

Ingrid Newkirk is the co-founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the author of several books on the topic. Newkirk is the focus of a new HBO Documentary "I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk". The production offers a candid, emotional and introspective look into the life, experiences and motivation of the founder of PETA, the world's largest animal-rights organization. ENN interviewed Newkirk from London, the global headquarters for her continuing to raise awareness of animals rights and abuses

Tapping Partnerships for Drinkable Water

How far along are we in supplying the world's poor with water? 147 heads of state and 189 nations committed themselves in 2000 to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, aimed at overcoming the effects of extreme poverty by 2015. One of the goals is to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Currently, about 1.2 billion people live under such conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, the MDG target implies a commitment to raise the global drinking water coverage to 88.5 percent in 2015. During 1990–2002 (the period for which data are available), global coverage rose by 5 percent, from 77 percent to 83 percent, improving the lives of almost 1 billion people. But meeting the target for sub-Saharan Africa continues to prove difficult.

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Building New Industries and Creating New Jobs in a Plan B Economy

Building a new economy, one that can sustain economic progress, involves phasing out old industries, restructuring existing ones, and creating new ones. This new economy will be powered by renewable sources of energy, will have a more diverse transport system—relying more on rail, buses, and bicycles, and less on cars—and will recycle everything. For example, coal use will be phased out, replaced by efficiency gains in many countries, but also by natural gas, as in the United Kingdom, and by wind power, as in Denmark and Germany.

AskPablo: Green Holiday Lights?

Now that turkey day is behind us the holiday season is in full swing. Despite my annual Grinch-like attitude, it once again looks like Christmas threw up inside my house (thanks to my wife -- she says its an addiction she's had since childhood) and there is no shortage of holiday lights. We all have a love/hate relationship with our 100-bulb strings of green wire that always seems to have one burned out bulb, rendering the whole tangled mess out of commission. This year there is an economical solution to the failings of the traditional holiday lights and our concerns over energy use: LED holiday lights. This week I am looking at the benefits of these energy efficient replacements.

Compostable Cups, Plates and Cutlery Offer Many Environmental Benefits

Three wire stories caught my interest this week and they all had the same theme: compostable cups, plates and utensils. In the first article, a restaurant called the Grille Zone in Boston was featured. It composts all of the items described above. In fact, there are no trashcans in the eating area and the restaurant produces an average of just 15 pounds of waste per day. The restaurant does not even own a dumpster.

In the second article, Hilton Garden Inn announced the introduction of the ecotainer, an environmentally friendly coffee cup, in more than 340 locations across North America. The all-natural hot beverage cup is coated with a corn-based plastic that allows the cups to be composted, rather than landfilled. The cups will help to reduce the 25 million pounds of petroleum-based plastics needed each year to make conventional plastic-lined paper cups.

Is world oil production peaking?

Is world oil production peaking? Quite possibly. Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show a pronounced loss of momentum in the growth of oil production during the last few years. After climbing from 82.90 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2004 to 84.15 mb/d in 2005, output only increased to 84.80 mb/d in 2006 and then declined to 84.62 mb/d during the first 10 months of 2007.��

And the New Potential Cancer Causing Agent Is... Nanotechnology!

Nanotechnology, the science of working with or creating materials 1 nanometer(a billionth of a meter) large, holds amazing promise for the future, but some studies are suggesting some of these tiny particles can be added to the long list of items that cause cancer.

Nanotechnology has already led to improvements in products from golf clubs to beer bottles. In the future, scientists hope to be able to build tiny machines using nanotechnology that they believe could revolutionize the world.

CREDO: Doing well by doing good

The author of this commentary is Laura Scher, the CEO of CREDO/Working Assets, a mobile phone company with a committment to accelerating progressive change (http://www.credomobile.com).

Last year, Al Gore’s documentary helped raise the issue of global warming from low roar to rallying cry. But here at CREDO (formerly Working Assets) the “inconvenient truth” of global pollution wasn’t exactly news. In fact, we founded our business on a mission of making the world more just, humane and environmentally sustainable. Before it was cool to take action to cool the planet, we were doing just that.

Back in 1985, a CEO who brought her beliefs to work was pretty much unheard of. Graduating from Harvard Business School, I knew I wasn’t going to be a corporate drone. I had a system of beliefs that started when I was a kid. I remember helping my parents bring stacks of newspapers to the recycling plant in New Jersey. Even back then, I saw the impact of what I could personally do to clean up my community. And I wanted to do more.

Ecolabeling -Voting with our Wallets

One instrument that can help in the environmental restructuring of the economy is ecolabeling. Labeling products that are produced with environmentally sound practices lets consumers vote with their wallets. Ecolabeling is now used to enable consumers to identify energy-efficient household appliances, forest products from sustainably managed forests, fishery products from sustainably managed fisheries, and “green” electricity from renewable sources

Among these ecolabels are those awarded by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for seafood. In March 2000, the MSC launched its fisheries certification program when it approved the Western Australia Rock Lobster fishery. Also earning approval that day was the West Thames Herring fishery. In September 2000, the Alaska salmon fishery became the first American fishery to be certified. Among the key players in the seafood processing and retail sectors supporting the MSC initiative were Europe-based Unilever, Youngs-Bluecrest, and Sainsbury’s.

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Compostable Cups, Plates and Cutlery Offer Many Environmental Benefits

I have been attending trade shows since 1989 and I can honestly say I have never seen anything like Greenbuild. Held in Chicago last week, the event drew more than 20,500 attendees and featured more than 850 exhibitors. There certainly are shows in the hospitality industry that are larger but none has grown as quickly as Greenbuild. The attendance at last year’s event in Denver was 13,500. It was painfully obvious at McCormick Place that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was not ready for the huge turnout.

It reminded me of the kind of crowd that turns out on a surprisingly sunny day for a baseball team that it realizes is actually a winner. Lines for registration in McCormick Place stretched down corridors and some attendees had to wait hours to get their name badges. Even in the early afternoon, there were still long lines. USGBC could have used four times the number of registration points—at least. Almost 8,000 people turned out to see former President Bill Clinton speak and crowds that could not get in to see him sat on the floor outside the show entrance and watched him on large TV screens.

AskPablo: What's up with "Clean Coal" and Carbon Capture and Sequestration?

Many people have asked me about the feasibility of "clean coal" paired with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a genuine option for a more sustainable future. In a previous article I wrote about coal-fired power plants (see AskPablo: Coal-Fired Power Plants) so I won't beat that dead horse too much. However, I will discuss coal-to-liquids as well as the feasibility of CCS.

Some politicians will have you believe that coal-to-liquids is a viable and sustainable alternative to our dependence on oil-based fuels. Whether or not these politicians are from coal-rich states, or which party they belong to I will leave up for you to explore.

Grooming goes green

TORONTO (Reuters) -- Who ever thought that putting on your face in the morning might be dangerous. On the heels of massive recalls of lead-laced toys, a cosmetics safety campaign has found the offensive metal in several popular brands of lipstick. France, Italy, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom all have standards in place for organic cosmetic products, though some are industry standards and not government regulations.

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Water Act Will Protect Lakes from Invasive Species

This commentary is authored by Dereth Glance, Executive Program Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

Albany, NY – Environmentalists and Great Lakes enthusiasts across New York and around the entire Great Lakes Basin applauded the congressional override of President Bush’s veto on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The overwhelming vote to override—far more than the two thirds necessary—demonstrated Congress’ commitment to supporting water needs.

�The bill includes authorization for $25 million dollars in Great Lakes restoration spending with provisions for fully funding the Asian Carp barrier, a physical barrier to keep the destructive invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. The Asian Carp is one of roughly 186 invasive species that have taken hold in the Basin. A large and voracious eater, the Carp threatens the delicate food chain of the lakes system.�

SF Bay Oil Spill: Vessel Traffic Lanes Threaten National Marine Sanctuaries, Expert Says

This commentary is provided by Robert Ovetz, Ph.D., Executive Director of Seaflow. Seaflow is an educational nonprofit organization working internationally to protect whales, dolphins and all marine life from active sonars and other lethal ocean noise pollution. Dr Ovetz urges state and federal governments to address the dangers of allowing large vessels into or near protected areas.

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Sausalito, California — Marine conservation organization Seaflow is warning that the bunker fuel spill by the Cosco Busan container ship yesterday is a symptom of allowing traffic lanes for large cargo vessels and oil tankers in our National Marine Sanctuaries and State Marine Protected Areas. Immediate action by the state and federal governments to address the heightened risk to the marine environment from oil spills as well as ship strikes and rising levels of ocean noise pollution from large vessels is needed.

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“The federal government is running a superhighway through our Yosemite on the sea. Every cargo vessel and oil tanker that enters San Francisco Bay passes right through at least one of our three contiguous National Marine Sanctuaries and through or alongside critical state marine protected areas,” warned Robert Ovetz, Ph.D., executive director of Seaflow.

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Sustainable Spain: Policies Support Sustainability

With the presidential elections in full swing, concerns over climate change and crippling dependence on foreign oil have emerged as hot topics of debates.� But instead of prolonging the back and forth of politically charged arguments, the US can look across to Galicia, Spain for a successful example of policies that addresses oil dependence and spurs growth in renewable energy.

Over the last decade, Galicia, a region formerly entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels committed itself to turn to renewables and has recently emerged as a global leader in both the wind and solar energy sector.� As a region, Galicia matches and often surpasses entire nations in wind energy production.� Galicia is ranked sixth worldwide in wind energy production after Germany, the U.S., the rest of Spain, Denmark and India, producing more wind energy than California and Texas combined.� Galicia is also emerging as a leader in various solar innovations as well.

Greening the Holiday Season One Gift at a Time

Portland, Oregon – Imagine a gift basket that thinks local and acts global. That's what an Oregon businesswoman did and created what she describes as a 'green tool kit', which, is an assortment of simple tools that each make significant contributions to a greener world. The idea is a a thoughtful alternative to the traditional gift basket.

The tool kit includes simple, everyday products that conserve and sustain. Look inside, and you'll find tire gauges, reusable grocery bags, aluminum water bottles and biodegradable doggy business bags, and more. A wide assortment of products- all simple, all green.

What's Killing the Bees?

The author of this commentary is Paul J. Tukey, HGTV Co-Host & Executive Producer,� Publisher, named by People, Places & Plants magazine the 2006 COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR by the American Horticultural Society, the author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual, National Spokesperson and the co-founder of safelawns.org.

60 Minutes is on the case. NPR recently published an expose. The media everywhere is scrambling for an angle on one of the most chilling and compelling questions of our time: what is killing the bees?

And while it’s exciting to see all the attention on this subject — since bees’ pollination accounts for about one third of the food we consume daily — it’s also enormously frustrating for beekeepers when many of our media brethren stop just short of telling the beekeepers’ version of the story.

Protecting Organic From GMO's - New Standards Proposed

Baltimore, MD - A draft standard for verifying the non-GMO status of natural and organic foods was introduced at a meeting held at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore in September. The Board members of the Non-GMO Project, an industry initiative to verify the non-GMO status of natural and organic foods, discussed the draft non-GMO standard.

Is Organic the Answer for Seafood?

This commentary was authored by Rachel Hopkins, Communications Consultant, Pure Salmon Campaign and Urvashi Rangan, PhD, Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst, Consumers Union.

Close to 20 years ago, the U.S. defined what organic means in the U.S. Organic Food Production Act of 1990, expressly written for food grown in the ground and animals raised on land.

But as the organic movement has evolved into the organic industry, other products have started to carry erroneous “organic” claims. Enter the current debate raging in the U.S. regarding the development of “organic” standards for fish. The U.S. Department of Agriculture decided a couple years ago that wild fish are not eligible for the organic label because their living conditions are impossible to monitor and control.

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A Blueprint for Today's Sustainability

While concerned groups have been making the case for global warming and environmental responsibility for years, it only recently crossed over into the mainstream. Popular acceptance is in part thanks to Al�Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, which spread the word that global warming is a reality. Whether you agree fully with the documentary or not, its message resonated with the public and fueled consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and services.

ENN Blog From The Congo: "Until Next Year"

Well, I'm back in Germany. My face gets frozen every time I go outside and all the snot in my nose has dried up because I've gone from 100% - 0% humidity in a couple of hours. I've had the most fun ever writing this blog. Over 32,000 people have read about their remarkable weirdness, and instead of feeling alone in my bonobo world, I feel somehow connected.hank you to all those people who read the blog.

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More Cars or More Transportation Alternatives: What Will the World Choose?

As Tata Motors, one of Asia’s leading automakers, prepares to tap into India’s middle-class market by releasing the “world’s cheapest car” in 2008, other countries with a long history of car dependence are grappling with ways to limit the social, health, and environmental costs of motorized transport. One alternative is so-called bus rapid transit (BRT), which operates like rail transport but offers more flexibility in routes. The systems are gaining popularity in cities in the automobile-loving United States as well as in rapidly developing nations in Asia and Latin America.

Doing it Green

EclipseSpa was created by me, Danville, California resident Anne Keefe. My comapny makes a collection of fine organic bath and beauty products that include bath salts, shower gels, lotions, soaps and tea baths in a variety of scents and a line of soy candles and spa music. EclipseSpa products are formulated with organic ingredients. They do not contain any agents known to be harmful to the body. I am committed to sustainable practices and providing the most outstanding organic bath & body essentials.�

As a business owner I had to decide philosophically how to run my business, making choices not only about what is important to me, but also to what my customers, and prospective customers, need and expect from a company. With the heightened media coverage on Global Warming, the Live Earth Day Concert, and everyone making adjustments, on both a corporate level as well as individuals committing to sustainable practices everyday at home, we can no longer deny that there is a long-term problem.�

Portland Fashion Week - Day 4 and 5 Retrospective

The past two days in Portland have been a flurry of fabric and fun. From local style icons to the only European collection at Portland Fashion Week, this has been a very enjoyable 48 hours. Tuesday was host to "The Collections" - a grouping of Portland designers, most of which have collaborated together or been shown side-by-side before. Wednesday was a mix of local and "foreign" fashions, including brands from the UK and our friend to the south (and location of my apartment), San Francisco.

Containment spreading fast in housing bust: James Saft

LONDON (Reuters) - Every day more loans to more Americans with all sorts of credit profiles, secured on all sorts of housing, are going bad, and every day the chances of a recession rise.

From the beginning, Fed officials and others have preached "containment" on the housing debacle: first that its effects would be confined to subprime borrowers, then to locations, such as California, and finally that the damage would not spread too far within the economy.

But like a nightmare version of the movie Spartacus, now even the most unlikely borrowers are standing up and telling their lenders: "I am subprime".

Academies: We must address energy imbalance

[BEIJING] An energy report released today (22 October) by the world's science academies has highlighted the need for sustainable energy projects to prioritise the basic energy needs of poor people.

The InterAcademy Council (IAC) — made up of 15 national science academies, including those from Brazil, China, India and the United States — stated in their report that the unequal distribution and use of energy between and within countries was a fundamental problem that the energy sector must address.

Don't run for President, Mr Gore

Last week's award of the Nobel peace prize signals the coming of age of the public communication of science.

There have been few more significant endorsements of the importance of science communication in bridging the gap between research and policy than the announcement last week that the 2007 Nobel Prize for peace is to be shared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former US vice-president Al Gore.

Reader's Q&A: Coral Reefs And Hybrid Cars

Q: I’ve heard about the die-off of coral reefs due to global warming. I’ve also read that coral reefs themselves store carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main global warming gases. So if coral reefs are dying out, isn’t that a double whammy that increases the CO2 in the atmosphere? -- Tom Ozzello, Maplewood, MN

According to marine scientists, the world’s coral reefs—those underwater repositories for biodiversity that play host to some 25 percent of all marine life—are in big trouble as a result of global warming. Data collected by the international environmental group WWF (formerly World Wildlife Fund) show that 20 percent of the world’s coral reefs have been effectively destroyed and show no immediate sign of recovery, while about 50 percent of remaining reefs are under imminent or long-term threat of collapse.

'Black Monday' anniversary a reminder of stock market's inherent risks

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 20th anniversary of Wall Street’s historic “Black Monday” collapse is a good reminder that the lure of investment riches comes with equally dramatic risks, a University of Illinois stock market expert says.

“Events like this remind us that markets have risks and that investors need to exercise prudence. It reminds us that markets are volatile by nature and to respect that,” said David Ikenberry, the chairman of the finance department.

Jittery investors triggered a massive sell-off on Oct. 19, 1987, driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 22 percent – the second-largest one-day percentage decline in history. The 508-point slide, dubbed “Black Monday,” wiped out about $560 billion in market worth.

Leaded Lipsticks a Concern for Young, Frequent Users, Expert Says

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University expert says a recent study discussing levels of lead in lipstick should empower consumers with information to take more personal responsibility for their health.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by a California testing group found that 61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million.

Wei Zheng, (pronounced Way Zsheng) a professor and university faculty scholar in Purdue's School of Health Sciences, studies the toxic effects of heavy metals on the brain.

"It is interesting to me that cosmetics companies considered these relatively small amounts," Zheng says. "Other recent studies have shown that there really is no such thing as a safe level of lead in the blood."

Wake Up, Generation Clueless!

In the USA, there seems to be a strange obsession with New York Times columnists from their lofty perch to denigrate the youth climate movement as quiet, timid, or dare I say it…apathetic. I guess as young people we just don’t quite get the magnitude of the climate crisis. Former Vice President Al Gore said, “I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers, and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants.” as reported in Nicholas Kristof’s article, The Big Melt. Friedman unloaded this one on us today.

Ingredient Composition Becomes More Important as Organic Personal Care Product Market Evolves

London – The natural & organic sector is the fastest growing in the North American cosmetics & toiletries industry, with sales increasing by 20% a year. Organic Monitor projects the market share of natural & organic personal care products to expand from 8% this year to 15% in the coming years.

High market growth rates are because of the rise in ethical purchasing and ‘mainstreaming’ of natural & organic products. Distribution in mass market retailers is increasing as retailers focus on ecological and natural products. Mass merchandisers like Wal-Mart and Target are introducing natural & organic personal care products, supermarkets like Safeway and Loblaws are expanding product ranges, whilst drugstores are launching exclusive products.

Will Nobel mean Gore will run for president?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Now that former Vice President Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize, will he use the buzz from the award to launch a late bid for the presidency in 2008?

People close to Gore, 59, do not think so but thousands of Democratic activists are pleading with him to reconsider and join the crowded Democratic field.

In brief remarks in Palo Alto, California, on Friday, Gore did not address the presidential race but did not rule it out either.

Rating the SRI Funds

Investors face a persistent challenge in understanding the varied criteria used by socially responsible mutual funds to select portfolio holdings. As there are no universal standards for the industry, a fund that excludes only tobacco from consideration, or that has a specific religious or other focus, is grouped in the socially responsible investment (SRI) category with dozens of other funds which apply a broader range of ethical criteria to the selection of companies. Like the concept of sustainability, social responsibility can address a combination of variables, such as avoidance and affirmative screens, shareholder advocacy, and community development investing. Fund companies may address industries, corporate practices across sectors, and numerous international issues, by conducting social research using internal and external resources in unique ways.

Full Sail Ahead For Wind Energy

Find a site. Buy’em. Plant’em. Plug’em in. Aside from the growing worldwide demand for clean power, it’s relatively easy to build wind energy capacity. Why would anyone consider building a nuclear power plant of say 1000 megawatts - which can take years to build - when power developers can buy off-the-shelf products (those megawatt-class wind turbines) and plant them in the soil for the same amount of power as the nuke in a very short period of time?

(Given recent announcements of record, ten-years-ahead-predictions, greenhouse gas emissions along with record Arctic ice melt, we might not have enough time to build nukes or develop mythical clean coal power plants.)

The announcement of plans from German renewable provider Conergy for a 1000 megawatt wind farm in the Australian Outback serves as a reminder as to how big and how smart and how much potential the wind energy industry still has. The wind is not only still in the sails of the wind energy industry, the wind is getting stronger as well.

Rave Reviews: Emily Katz - Portland Fashion Week

With all of Portland Fashion Week's exciting eco-events less than two weeks away, we are amped to have more of Emily Katz' intelligently simply line in our store again. Dedicated to using sustainable fabrics; such as soy jersey, hemp/recycled poly denim, water resistant fleece and organic cotton fleece; Portland-based Katz is a perfect example of modern, stylish, versatile clothing that is also "green".

ENN Correspondent from the Congo: Pretty but not that nice

BLOGPOST: This is my pic of the day. It’s Semendwa and her baby Elikia. She’s having a sweet moment in the photo but don’t let it fool you. She is like Cleopatra, an alpha female since she was 2 years old. About 3 minutes after I caught her looking so sweet and motherly in the photo, she ran after one of the juvenile males, Bolobo and bit him really hard. This is Bolobo screaming in the bushes.

Book Review: Climate Change and Can We Stop It?

A review of controversial books on climate change and the environmental movement by Bj�rn Lomborg and Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger.

During the last year, momentum has finally begun to build for taking action against global warming by putting limits on carbon emissions and then reducing them. Driven by ever-more-dire scientific reports, Congress has, for the first time, begun debating ambitious targets for carbon reduction. Al Gore, in his recent Live Earth concerts, announced that he will work to see an international treaty signed by the end of 2009. Even President Bush has recently reversed his previous opposition and summoned the leaders of all the top carbon-emitting countries to a series of conferences designed to yield some form of limits on CO2.

Should Organics be Tested for GMOs?

Iowa - A recent disturbing incident of GMO contamination of organic soybeans raises the question of whether organic foods should be tested for genetically modified material. The US National Organic Program rules prohibit GMOs in organics but don't require methods to prohibit GMO contamination or establish thresholds for adventitious GM presence. The Organic & Non-GMO Report surveyed organic industry experts to obtain their thoughts on the question of testing.

According to Billy Hunter, an Iowa-based organic inspector, many organic food companies are ignoring the genetically modified food threat. "Many companies have their heads in the sand about the issue," says Hunter, who conducts organic inspections for certifiers such as Quality Assurance International and Oregon Tilth, as well as audits for a non-GMO certification firm.

"Heads in the sand doesn't solve the problem"

The Nature Of The New World

We recently entered a new century, but we are also entering a new world, one where the collisions between our demands and the earth’s capacity to satisfy them are becoming daily events. It may be another crop-withering heat wave, another village abandoned because of invading sand dunes, or another aquifer pumped dry. If we do not act quickly to reverse the trends, these seemingly isolated events will occur more and more frequently, accumulating and combining to determine our future.
Resources that accumulated over eons of geological time are being consumed in a single human lifespan.

Long road to recovery for housing market: Greenspan

LONDON (Reuters) - The housing market has a long way to go before stabilizing after the subprime crisis, spelling bad news for consumers in the world's biggest economy, former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan said on Monday.

Greenspan, who has been outspoken throughout the credit crunch, said more house price declines were likely given a surfeit of supply but pointed to signs the lending crisis could be coming to end as demand for more risky assets grows.

However, he warned any speculative market fever must be allowed to run its course to enable a full recovery.

In Depth: A Very Green Environmental Ruling, From The Green State

On September 17, 2007, Judge William Sessions of the U.S. District Court in Vermont issued a landmark decision in the roiling legal and political debate over climate change.� Aside from the U.S. Supreme Court’s pioneering, April 2007 ruling in Massachusetts v. USEPA, Judge Sessions’ decision last week in Green Mountain Chrysler v. Crombie is the most important court ruling in the still-nascent history of climate change litigation. �

Like the Supreme Court’s earlier Massachusetts decision, Green Mountain Chrysler is noteworthy not simply as an important legal development, but also for its impact on the broader policy debate surrounding climate change policy generally.�

When It's Greener To Build

Whether with lightbulbs or buildings, many of us in the green building world are in love with conservation and efficiency. Of course, if the goal is reducing our footprint on the planet, better than doing something efficiently is to not do it at all—whether it’s turning on a light or making a building. The mindset of efficiency in the green building movement contains, at its logical extreme, a latent distaste for buildings themselves. This tension cuts to the core of our mindset as green builders.

To get a glimpse of this, let’s examine a contrary question: “Is it ever greener to build than to not build?” Purists who believe in leaving the land untouched might reply, “No.” But surely this position is too extreme—should we only use existing infrastructure? Should we not have a built environment? Our architecture, no matter how efficient, will always exact some environmental costs. But concern about resource consumption should be a lens through which we examine buildings, not the definition of green itself.

Federal Courts And Climate Change Suits

A federal court recently dismissed a landmark lawsuit brought by California against major automakers that sought to recoup the money the state has spent, and will continue to spend, to address the effects of climate change. The suit, which argued that the greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles constitute a public nuisance because they are a significant contributor to climate change, was dismissed Sept. 17 by Judge Martin Jenkins of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the grounds that it was a political question better suited to the legislative and executive branches of government. The court’s reasoning, however, overlooked the important role that the judiciary has played in addressing politically charged questions throughout the nation’s long and historic common law tradition. While few would question the relative desirability of a regulatory response, when the political branches fail to act, the courts have a key role to play.

Gutsy Equador Proposes A Lid On Oil

Little countries can find the strength to do big things that big countries fear to do.

For the good of itself, for the good of the planet, the South American country of Ecuador has proposed to keep the lid on nearly one billion barrels of oil under its Yasuni National Park.

Despite the fact that Ecuador depends on one-third of its budget from oil exports, there will be no oil extraction, no oil exploration from the ITT oil field under Yasuni. Under the Yasun�-ITT Initiative the country will forgo the stream of revenues the oil would provide. Ecuador will be the first country in the world to deliberately leave significant oil reserves underground - and those revenues - for the betterment of the planet while seeking to build a sustainable green economy.

Make Them Sweat The Big Stuff

A society reveals its values, priorities and distribution of power in the way its rulers punish deviant behavior. Here are some examples for you to ponder:

Members of Congress were in an uproar recently over a MoveOn.Org political advertisement in the New York Times titled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" The following copy alerted readers to their belief that he may likely testify before Congress as a political General reflecting the rosy views on the Iraq war-quagmire by his commander-in-chief, George W. Bush.

What Are You Washing Your Baby With?

RIVERVIEW, Fla.- When new mothers are making a new commitment to live more natural, chemical-free lifestyles, they may think that changing diet alone is enough. Most families focus on moving into organic, farm- raised, or preservative-free food, a very good start. But, toxins hide elsewhere too. It's easy to miss the fact that large amount of chemicals are being absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin every day from soaps and shampoos. Not realizing that can prove to be a deadly mistake for their children over time.

ENN Blog From The Congo: The many moods of Tatanga

September 24� - I should hate him. He throws mud at me. Refuses to be tested. Routinely bullies and beats up Kikwit, my favourite bonobo of all time. And yet... I'm mesmerised by his beauty. He is in every article I publish, he hangs on my wall lifesized, I think I have around, say, a million photos of him. Oh yes, it's hard not to be a little in love with Tatanga. Here he is in all his capricious moods.

Wal-Mart Greens Supply Chain

On the heels of unveiling "Great Value" brand CFLs last week, Wal-Mart announced today that the company is working with suppliers to gauge and reduce the energy consumed in buying, manufacturing and distributing the products they sell, beginning with a focus on seven products (DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners and soda).

Offer Your Guests and Staff the Best Coffee: Fair Trade Certified

There is a pretty good chance you are drinking coffee while reading this column. I am one of those rare individuals who has never had a cup of coffee. Never. That’s probably a good thing with the price of java rising faster than petroleum. Speaking of which, did you know that coffee is the world’s second most valuable traded commodity? It is just behind petroleum. According to San Francisco-based Global Exchange, coffee is the United States’ largest food import.

The United States primarily purchases coffee from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Vietnam. It also buys coffee from Indonesia, Costa Rica, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras, Uganda, Thailand, Nicaragua, India, and Papua New Guinea. Take another look at the caffeinated concoction swirling before you. It traveled a long way to get to your coffee cup.

Yes, The Internet Saves Energy

Recently, in this column, I said this, “I don’t think there’s been a study, and I can’t prove it, but I think the Internet is one of the greatest energy saving inventions ever created.”

Well, now there IS a study to back up my claim. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA (tm)) thinks the Internet saves energy too; and it’s substantial.

The just-released study commissioned by the CEA and conducted by TIAX LLC of Cambridge, Massachusetts, shows that using electronics to telecommute saves the equivalent of 9 to 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year – the same amount of energy used by roughly 1 million US households every year.

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