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Not the Greenest President: Bush's Environmental Sins

LibertySugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0800

Even some conservatives believe that the US President-elect should put the environmental crisis at the top of his presidential to-do list, because addressing that crisis has bipartisan approval. Yet despite an apparent citizen yearning for leadership on green issues, President Bush has neglected the topic during his eight years in the White House.

Salon put together a list of Bush's seven environmental deadly sins. The authors argue that Bush made a mockery of the US's environmental laws and values. Here are the seven pieces of supporting evidence for their indictment:

Blew hot air on global warming: Bush refused to agree to mandatory greenhouse gas emission reductions, thus erasing any credibility the US had to persuade China and India to cut their emissions and also leading to a rise in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.
Failed to regulate greenhouse gases at home: Bush vowed to veto any bill that would limit greenhouse gases. He also refused to regulate CO2 as a pollutant, even though the Supreme Court ruled it was a pollutant and said he could regulate it.
Failed to develop clean energy sources: While doing nothing to further renewable energy, Bush gave regulatory support to polluting industries like coal, oil, and gas.
Abandoned endangered species: The only additions to the endangered species list, such as the polar bear, came from private parties who sued the government. The administration also tried to build roads without considering harm to these species.

To see the rest,

Eco Debt: Humans Use 30% More Resources Than Sustainable

CitizenSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:15:13 -0700

Looks like we've been putting our purchases of "fresh air" and "clean water" on our credit cards lately, and a nasty bill just arrived. The WWF just released a Living Planet report showing that humans are using 30 percent more resources than the planet can sustain and replenish every year.

The interest rate on living beyond our ecological means is huge. Huge. At the current rate of consumption, we're going to need a second planet by 2030. A second planet. Any ideas on where to get a nice used planet that will sustain human life real cheap? Yeah, me either.

The dividends on gobbling up our natural resources are deforestation, unhealthy soils, crappy air and water, and steep declines in the number of fish and other species. Our boundless population growth is outstripping technology's advances to expand natural production. To see what kind of response the report is advocating,

Front Page: Two Held in Obama Plot, Syria Raid Kills "Major Target," Arctic Ice Thickness Drops

CitizenSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:59:46 -0700

Two Held in Obama Plot:
Two men, being described as Neo-Nazis and aged 18 and 20, are being held for plotting to kill Barack Obama. Obama said he's not worried about the news and that it's "not who America is." The plan was to shoot 88 African-Americans and decapitate 14, symbolic numbers to white supremacists. The plot appears to have been amateurish and unsophisticated.

Syria Raid Kills "Major Target": A controversial raid into Syria has killed a key individual, Abu Ghadiyah, who was involved in smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq. Officials called the raid a "success." Baghdad has condemned the move saying that it doesn't want to be used as a launch point for attacks on others.

Arctic Ice Thickness Drops:
The thickness of the Arctic Ice dropped last year as much as 1.5 feet in some areas. The ice had been consistent for five years before hitting the 2007 minimum. The losses in ice could suggest the region has hit a tipping point — five years ago they projected the sea ice would disappear by 2080. The new data shows the ice will be gone by 2030 or 2040.

Source

Caribbean Beaches Disappearing As Tons of Sand Is Stolen

CitizenSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:15:05 -0700

I can almost feel the warm sand in this picture — though one criminal phenomenon is making the sand in the Caribbean "hot" as in stolen. On islands like Puerto Rico, Grenada, and St. Kitts among many others, thieves are actually stealing sand off the beaches for money.

Why the sand swiping? The building surge requires sand and enterprising criminals are reselling it to constructions companies. The sand is in high demand because it is used in cement, which many homeowners are turning to instead of the traditional wood. Despite not having a patch to put your beach towel on, the ecological problems of the theft are beginning to cause concern.

How much sand are we talking? It's no drop in the bucket. To see how much and the effect,

Dubai: Pumping Sewage, Jailing Lovebirds, and Growing

CitizenSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Dubai is everywhere. Well, not everywhere, it's specifically on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and one of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates and the most populous city of the UAE. On the plane to the RNC I read Ben Mezrich's new book, Rigged: The True Story of an Ivy League Kid Who Changed the World of Oil From Wall Street to Dubai. It's excellent and piqued my interest for this rapidly expanding city blending western ideas deep in the heart of the Middle East. Then my dad forwarded a photo taken from the top of the construction of the world's tallest skyscraper being built there. Seems like Dubai is a glittering paradise?

Sort of. To see what I mean,

Front Page: Joe the Plumber Speaks, Social Security Benefits to Rise, EU Firm on Climate Goals

CitizenSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:00:42 -0700

Joe the Plumber Speaks:
After being the star of last night's debate, mentioned conservatively a dozen times, "Joe the Plumber" has come forward. His name is Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man who wants to buy a plumbing business. He had spoken with Obama in Toledo this week, and told him his tax plan would prevent him from buying the business. He said of being the example of the night, "It's pretty surreal, man, my name being mentioned in a presidential campaign." He won't say who he's voting for — if he's registered — "That's for me and a button to know."

Social Security Benefits to Rise:
Social Security benefits will go up 5.8 percent for 50 million people next year. It's the largest pay rise in more than a quarter of a century. The increase will begin in January and will mean $63 extra per month for the average retiree. The raise is double increase from January this year.

EU Firm on Climate Goals:
European Union leaders are resolved to meet their targets and timetable for addressing climate change, despite objections from some countries. Worries that given the global economic situation cutting greenhouse gas emissions will be too costly has caused some countries to threaten to block the plan. French President Sarkozy says, "The climate package is so important that we cannot simply drop it, under the pretext of a financial crisis."

Beijing Brings Back Olympics Car Rules to Cut Smog

CitizenSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

While the medals and finish lines from the Olympics are becoming a distant memory — so was the hard-fought clean air that Beijing enjoyed during the Games. Residents have been discussing just how to keep the measures in effect, and now they might have won. A partial victory at least.

Traffic restrictions have been re-introduced to Beijing, hoping to bring back the easy-breathing peace and quieter of the Games. The new plan doesn't go as far as the original measures however — each car only has to spend one day a week off of the roads, as opposed to the every other day plan during the Olympics. The benefit is, "expected to reduce Beijing's average road traffic flow by 6.5 percent," according to one city official. During periods of heavy pollution, the restrictions can be returned to the more stringent every-other-day plan.

How many cars are we talking that will be affected by the plan? To find out,

Deforestation Costs Economy More Than the Financial Crisis

CitizenSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:35:02 -0700

While the stock market's belly-dancer-gyrations (more of a limbo, "how low can you go?", really) seem significant — according to a study commissioned by the EU, the global economy actually loses more money through the disappearance of forests than through the financial ho-down. The study pegs the cost of the loss of forests between $2 and $5 trillion per year, while calculations put the financial mess at $1.5 trillion.

How did they arrive at that figure? By factoring in the value of the services forest perform, like providing clean water and absorbing carbon dioxide. According to their conclusions the cost sky rockets as nature stops providing the services it used to do for free. Mad, I suppose, at being hacked to pieces. That might do it. Without them the human economy has to replace them by building reservoirs, carbon capture facilities, and growing food that used to come . . . naturally. It's a cost that's also borne disproportionately by the poor.

The good news is that someone is doing this calculation at all — just a few years ago there was no connection between green trees and green backs. So while watching the Dow number flopping around is entertaining, while the markets are closed this weekend, I may just go plant a tree.

Source

ABC Refuses to Air Gore's Ad: In the Tank For Oil Companies?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:00:12 -0700

With all the talk lately about who's "in the tank" for whom, this is one story where the imagery just might fit. The CEO of Al Gore's big We Campaign is accusing ABC of putting the concerns of big oil over their message of planetary goodwill by refusing to run the latest Al Gore ad, called, "Repower America."

In a scathing email the CEO said:

“Did you notice the ads after last night’s presidential debate? ABC had Chevron. CBS had Exxon. CNN had the coal lobby. But you know what happened last week? ABC refused to run our Repower America ad – the ad that takes on this same oil and coal lobby.”

The We Campaign is striking back with an online petition aimed at getting the ad on the air during Friday's airing of 20/20. The petition has over 80,000 signatures.

To see whether ABC has an agenda,

Terrible Odds? One of Every Four Mammals Faces Extinction

CitizenSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:55:43 -0700

According a report to be published on Friday in the journal Science, researchers have discovered startling odds on the chances of survival for the world's mammals: 1-in-4. Yikes. Um, aren't humans mammals too. . . ?

The researchers say of the findings, ''We estimate that one in four species is threatened with extinction and that the population of one in two is declining." Did you catch that one? Fifty percent are declining, and the scientists aren't letting us off the hook: ''Within our lifetime hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to the ecosystems where they live. We must now set clear targets for the future to reverse this trend to ensure that our enduring legacy is not to wipe out many of our closest relatives.''

To see which mammals are threatened most,

Is Google Searching For Public Policy Answers?

LibertySugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:15:55 -0700

Google wants to get the US economy running on clean energy. This week Google's nonprofit announced a plan to cut the use of fossil fuels in the US before 2030. For $4.4 trillion "Clean Energy 2030" would help end the use of coal and oil to generate electricity. The plan would allow for the use of natural gas and nuclear power, and also calls for cutting oil use in cars by 40 percent. By 2030, however, the net savings would top $1 trillion.

Google's climate and energy technology manager explained the company's motivation:

We can build whole new industries and create millions of new jobs. We can cut energy costs, both at the gas pump and at home. We can improve our national security. And we can put a big dent in climate change. With strong leadership we could be moving forward on an aggressive but realistic timeline and an approach that offsets costs with real economic gains.

Google asserts that the US will have to invest in renewable energy research, upgrade the electricity grid, impose better mileage standards, and build infrastructure such as charging stations for electric vehicles. Should Americans turn to the private sector for leadership on a public issue?

Recruiting Kids to Be Climate Cops: Hot Idea or Lights Out?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:42 -0700

Think leaving a light on in an empty room is a crime? Well, it might be if this program sponsored by a British electric company takes off: it's called "Climate Cops" and using a slick, hyper-flashed website, it's recruiting kids to patrol their homes and neighborhoods for "energy crimes."

Using games to let kids "join the academy" (the games include chasing SUVs and saving polar bears from melting icebergs) the new little deputies can download doorhangers to signify a room where a violation against the planet are taking place, everything from leaving the water running to using the clothes dryer on a sunny day. The "Climate Cops" are encouraged to spy on the adults around them to create a "Climate Crime Case File" and encourages them to keep guard to make sure violations don't happen again. While it could be a cute idea, when the green blog Treehugger compares you ever so subtly to Hitler, maybe you've gone over the green edge.

What do you think? Hot idea or lights out?

Vatican Installs Solar Panels On Roof

CitizenSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:40:22 -0700

Vatican Installs Solar Panels on Roof The first solar panels were installed Monday on top of the papal audience hall at Vatican City. Workers began putting photovoltaic cells on the roof of the hall to convert sunlight into electricity. In sunny Rome, engineers say the cells will produce enough electricity to illuminate, heat, or cool the hall.

Al Gore Calls For "Civil Disobedience" Against New Coal Plants

CitizenSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:45:35 -0700

At the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative kicked off yesterday in New York City, Al Gore made a perhaps inconvenient call to action: civil disobedience. Gore, surrounded by Queen Raina, Clinton, and Bono painted a grim planetary picture:

This is a rout. We are losing badly. This is the result of a dysfunctional, insane global system pattern that we have to change.

Then his plan to gain ground on the climate crisis:

If you're a young person looking at the future of this planet and looking at what is being done right now, and not done, I believe we have reached the stage where it is time for civil disobedience to prevent the construction of new coal plants that do not have carbon capture and sequestration.

To see what he means,

Study to Examine If Climate Change Makes Fall Foliage, Leaf

CitizenSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:00:59 -0700

Now that it's officially Fall, the announcement of this new study seems prudent, timely, and worth a trip to New England. Scientists at the University of Vermont have a three-year, $45,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture to study the effects of climate change on the famous Fall foliage. It's not just a tree-hugging (or leaf-loving) move. Fall leaves, especially in the peak season of late-September to early-October, bring $364 million in tourism dollars to the state. Money, it seems, does grow on trees.

One researcher says, "It is getting warmer, and people want to know how that's going to affect this big process that's so important to us." Because decreasing day length causes chlorophyll to break down making the red shine through, scientists want to see the true effect of cold nights and warm days on the leaves — especially if the overall temperature of both rises.

As for the leaves now? "It's always great. . . it can peak in different places at the same time so you just drive around and you hit all these different pockets of the landscape, so it's always fabulous."

Source

States, Provinces to Cap and Trade Sans Federal Governments

LibertySugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Seven western US states and four Canadian provinces have agreed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 15 percent before 2020. Proud of the Western Climate Initiative, Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asserted:

We’re sending a strong message to our federal governments that states and provinces are moving forward in the absence of federal action, and we’re setting the stage for national programs that are just as aggressive.

So how will Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec curb climate change? To find out,

Oh Floe! Melting Ice Releases Millions of Tons of Methane Gas

CitizenSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:07 -0700

Scientists working on greenhouse gas emissions have discovered a new source of gas which is potentially 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide: Methane. Now don't start blaming the poor cows, this time it's not their stink. It's worse. Methane is currently being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic seabed all because of the eroding ice cap.

These underground pockets of methane are believed to be, in the past, the cause of rapid increases in global temperatures, fierce climate fluctuations, and extinctions on a mass scale. Scientists working off of Russian’s northern coast have witnessed concentrations of methane, up to 100 times the normal level, bubbling up to the surface. To see what scientists make of the phenomenon,

Berkeley Moves to Finance Home Solar Panels: Bright Idea?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:00:42 -0700

Berkeley, CA, has grabbed attention again — this time for starting a pioneering new program to provide city-backed loans for home solar-electric systems. This week the city council approved a new tax district that allows residents to finance solar energy systems through their property taxes.Here's how the program works: the city provides the money for the installation and materials, and homeowners are able to pay back the loan at a fixed rate over 20 years. The cost amounts to about $180 per month to be added to property tax bills to eventually pay for the $22,000 system. Officials say those who choose to stick the panels where the sun do shine will recoup that cost through lowered energy bills. Is this a perfect way for cities to make greener technologies a reality for homeowners? Source

Berkeley Moves to Finance Home Solar Panels: Bright Idea?

Bright idea! It's a perfect way to offset the start-up costs of solar energy.

Dim. Why would I sign up to pay more taxes instead of buying the system myself?

It's an interesting concept, but I'd rather not borrow money against my property taxes.

Other. I'll shine on in the comments.

Uphill Both Ways For Planet: Kids Take "Walking School Bus"

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:30:08 -0700

School's back in session. What's one thing we sure learned over our summer vacation? Gas costs a lot, and vehicles tend to need a steady supply of it in order to run. That includes school buses, which usually take pricey diesel that's up 34 percent in the past two years. Some Missouri parents had to get creative after the school district slashed transportation costs, eliminating bus routes — they formed a "walking school bus."

The idea is this: the neighborhood parents take turns "driving" or supervising the kids on the half-mile walk to school every morning. There are a bunch of benefits to the plan and not just for the environment. To see what they are,

Front Page: Tree-Sitters Climb Down, Quake Shakes Iran, More Calling Suicide Hotline, US Deficit at $438 Billion

CitizenSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:00:28 -0700

Tree-Sitters Climb Down:
After a 21-month occupation, four remaining tree-sitters in an oak grove on the UC Berkeley campus, climbed down and into police custody. School officials had cut off food and water supplies Monday and were prepared to remove the activists using force. The tree-sitters were trying to stop the construction of a $125 million sports center which threatened 42 trees on campus.

Quake Shakes Iran:
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has hit southern Iran near the site of a large Iranian oil refinery, injuring 22 and killing three. Officials fear the quake damaged older parts in the refinery. Iran is the world's fourth largest oil exporter, the refinery struck processes 320,000 barrels a day.

More Calling Suicide Hotline:
More Americans are calling the government's suicide hotline, 47,000 of them in the last month alone. The line receives a 10 percent increase every month, which the staff attributes to more people knowing about it, than an increase in the suicidal. In 2005, the last year of the data, there were more than 32,600 suicide deaths.
US Deficit at $438 Billion:
The US budget deficit is set to reach $438 billion in 2009 according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. The figure doesn't take into account government costs associated with taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The previous record for deficit was $413 billion in 2004. Last year's deficit was $161 billion.

Source

Climate Change Costing Lives and Crushing Human Rights?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:30:19 -0700

If you don't get all your news from David Letterman (who lit into the subject last night), a new report by Oxfam International says not recycling or curbing your carbon footprint is effectively violating the human rights of people living in the poorest nations. The report's author says, "Climate change was first seen as a scientific problem, then an economic one. Now it is becoming a matter of international justice."

She continues, "Litigation is seldom the best way to solve a dispute. That is why we need a strong UN deal in 2009 to cut emissions and support adaption. However, vulnerable countries do need options to protect themselves. Rich country polluters have been fully aware of their culpability for many years." Oxfam is advocating a two-pronged approach including mitigation and adaptation to help quell the mounting crisis — like these Haitians fleeing the aftermath of Hurricane Ike yesterday.

Not convinced there is a pending crisis? To see what's looming,

UN Says Cut Meat to Curb Warming, UK Consumption Doubles

CitizenSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:00:06 -0700

Ever thought about becoming a Tuesday-tarian? Going meat-free one day a week is, according to the chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a personal sacrifice that will help fix climate change. The more meat-free days, the better.

Given that the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat production makes almost a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions and those stinky pre-hamburger cows shoot out tons of methane — 23 times more tied to global warming than carbon dioxide — plus habitat destruction and transportation, just skipping the burger is the easiest option. But that trend seems far from ready to tip. The agency thinks that meat consumption is going to double by the middle of the century.

A group called World Farming is calling governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. The meat industry isn't going to take the patty lying down. A spokesman for a pig industry group says, "Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed."

How much meat does the average person eat? To find out,

UK Environment Minister: Green Activism Hysterical Religion

LibertySugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Officials in Britain and California seem to take a different approach to extreme weather. Britain's Environment Minister Sammy Wilson thinks environmentalists have adopted a "hysterical pseudo-religion," making him the enemy to some who look to him to help solve environmental problems.

In an article just published, the minister argued:

Resources should be used to adapt to the consequences of climate change, rather than King Canute-style vainly trying to stop it. . . . The tactic used by the "green gang" is to label anyone who dares disagree with their view of climate change as some kind of nutcase who denies scientific fact. Reasoned debate must replace the scaremongering of the green climate alarmists.

UK green activists compare Wilson, who denies that climate change is man-made, to a cigarette salesman denying that smoking causes cancer. Meanwhile, faraway in California, officials avoid picking a fight; instead they're trying to adapt to harsh climate by creating a "water bank" to address the state's drought. The 2009 Drought Water Bank will buy excess water from local water agencies and farmers, and then sell it to public and private water systems if they run out next year. The catch: Whoever buys the bank's water must commit to a 20 percent cut in water use.

Do you think it's time to stop arguing about science and start solving problems, or does responsible and effective policy depend on knowing the cause of climate change?

Source

The Chinese Got Used to Clean Air — Can They Make It Stay?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Now that the torch has been shelved for another four years and the birds' nest stadium is empty, Chinese residents are hoping to keep one benefit of the Games — increased air quality. During the Olympics, officials enacted strict measures to try to clear out the perpetually smoggy air, including limiting traffic and curbing factory production. The measures are set to stay in place until Sept. 20, and tons want them to stay longer than that.

At least 400,000 Chinese have joined online discussion groups to talk about how to keep the measures well beyond the Paralympics Games which kick off today. Nearly 70 percent of those surveyed supported continuing the traffic restrictions which keep half of the vehicles off the road at any one time — better for the air and the traffic. Pollution is down by 50 percent, a 10-year record.

With ideas like keeping the special lanes created for the Olympics and turning them into mass transit lanes, is it possible that the will of the people will be heard? If the Chinese are willing to accept inconvenience for cleaner air, will economic factors persuade the government to go back to business as smoggy usual?

Source

Climate Matters Video Contest: Send the President a Message

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:25 -0700

I love when creativity and politics come crashing together, and when there's $3,000 at stake — as well as a chance to influence the next president's thoughts on the climate — well, I might just be hitting the "record" button myself. The video service Vimeo (kind of YouTube-y but cuter) is running a Climate Matters contest, aimed at opening an eco-dialogue via video.

Any time between now and Sept. 22, you can make a video like the one above with an environmental message for leaders in Washington DC. This one advocates for the EatTheView organization, showing how one citizen planted a garden in front of his own White House and its strength is in its adorable simplicity. The top 10 videos in the contest will be distributed to lawmakers in Washington, and the winning video will be broadcast on national TV along with a $3,000 prize.

Like the Obama in 30 Seconds contest, technology has democratized the political discourse in important, charming, and creative ways, and I'm happy to see it. Maybe Liberty and I will have to put together a little video entry of our own. Would you?

Source

Army Green: 5 Ways the Military Will Lighten Its Carbon Load

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:00:56 -0700

I don't know why I'd never thought about the military as a progressive force for change until I read this, but it makes sense: racial integration and that miracle we call the internet both marched out of the military. Now, one more modern change is coming — the military is going greener than fatigues!

The Department of Defense is responsible for over 1.5 percent of all US energy consumption, and it's now looking (prepare for the most overused phrase in "eco" . . . "journalism") to green up its act. (At least I spared you a "Red, White, and Green" joke — this time.) To see five ways the military and Department of Defense hope to cut bills and conserve energy on their new mission to save the planet,

University of Washington Students Eat With Compost!

LibertySugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:00:37 -0700

When people live somewhere as naturally beautiful as the Pacific Northwest, I imagine they stop at no limits to help keep their environment clean and green. The University of Washington has banished all things plastic from its dining hall, opting for serving products that can be tossed directly into a compost pile.

The cups, containers, plates, and utensils are made of corn, reed work, and sugar cane. Sweet! The "silverware" wasn't so hot at first. Not only did it break down in the soil, it broke down in warm dishes like soup, too. But a year and a half after it began the creative-green initiative, the campus found a product that gets the job done.

Seattle should thank the University of Washington for the trial-and-error success because starting Jan. 1, all food establishments in the city will have to stop using foam, and by July 2010 all plastic must be substituted with recyclable or compostable containers. Sounds like hometown-company Starbucks has to rethink its lids!

Source

Should Hybrid Drivers Get Special Parking Perks?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:30:30 -0700

I get the need for handicapped parking spots. I might even get "family" parking, or close spots for expectant ladies — but this? This could be the "slippery slope" my dad always warns me about. Some stores are now offering preferential parking for those driving hybrid cars. Being an eco-avenger behind the wheel lands you closer to the door in Austin, Chicago, and a handful of cities trying out the program. Los Angeles has allowed hybrids (and cars that get more than 45 mpg) to park for free for three years already while Houston flyers with hybrids get to park at airports for free, and New York City is toying with the idea of allowing hybrids to buck the parking meter.While the jury's out on whether parking perks lead to efficient car purchases, some of the states with plans underway, like Texas, New York, and California, already lead the nation in states with the highest hybrid sales. It might be more of a mental boost than a planetary benefit — the marketing specialist at Houston's Ikea says there's no enforcement on the hybrid-only slots, but people like the spirit of it. It's about promoting awareness. "The company's philosophy is to be green conscious, and we'd like our customers to think that way, too."What do you think? Right track or what's next!?Source

Should Hybrid Drivers Get Special Parking Perks?

Right track. Even if it's just symbolic, it makes people think and rewards good effort.

What's next?! Special parking for blondes or Virgos? This is just silliness.

It's tricky. It's a nice idea, but it does punish those who can't afford a new hybrid car.

Other. I'll park my thoughts in the comments.

Carbon's the New Calorie: Japan to Label Goods with Footprint

LibertySugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:13 -0700

Japan has plans to label consumer goods like beer and detergents with their carbon footprints. Officials think the standardized label will raise corporate and consumer awareness of global warming. Britain and France already place similar labels on products.

So say you want to eat a bag of potato chips. Forget the calories — you have a carbon footprint to think about. Each bag emits 75 grams (2.63 ounces) of carbon dioxide. If you want to break it down, like you'd break down saturated and trans fats, 44 percent of the carbon dioxide comes from growing the potatoes, 30 percent comes from producing the chips, 15 percent comes from packaging, 9 percent comes from delivery, and 2 percent comes from tossing the bag. I'm guessing these figures are estimates, since each product must have a unique footprint.

While certainly more work needs to be done to make the footprint calculations accurate and globally standard, the label will provide information to consumers who want it, while everyone else can ignore it. And who knows, maybe businesses will become more efficient in hopes of attracting customers.

It's Not How You Feel on the Rides — Fairs Are Going Green!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:00:21 -0700

Ah, state fair season! I can still feel the bruises on my forearms from scooping ice cream at mine when I was in high school. Though they're good old fashioned fun, fairs are kind of a suck on the planet. Just because that fried Twinkie on a stick has less packaging than the one you'd open at home, the generators required to heat up the fryers, the napkins — the carnival of waste is almost endless.

Some states are working to combat the rough on the earth reputation the way John McCain wants to cut out porkbarrel spending. (Get it? McCain? By a giant pig?) The Illinois State Fair is giving a green vendor award for the first time — the Donut Family won for serving in paper instead of styrofoam — and California and Washington have installed solar panels to make electricity, and turn all of their cooking oil into biofuels. See?! That deep-fried Twinkie is good for the environment.

Recycling is beginning slowly — and given the cost to fairs to haul trash — $165,000 in Illinois for 37 tons a day for 10 days, the move toward conservation could be perfect for man, beast, and pies alike.

Are you heading to your state fair?

Source

Eco-Nudists Go Naked to Save the Planet & Paltrow's Fur Furor

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:46:39 -0700

Want to help the planet? Then what are you doing sitting there all dressed and everything? The newest wave in eco-activism is all natural, sans a stitch of clothing. Gwyneth Paltrow may be wishing she'd followed that example after her deal with Italian designer Tod's and resulting ad showing her wearing fox fur and fur-lined boots has earned her heat from animal rights groups.

Gwyneth has been known for her embrace of holistic practices, yoga, vegetarian husband, and pal and vegan designer, Stella McCartney — but this campaign stands to erase that cred. The director of Respect for Animals, said: "Gwyneth Paltrow should be ashamed. I can only assume that Paltrow either is ignorant of the facts or lacks human decency and compassion." Friends have even said that Gwyneth's decision will flay her close friendship with Stella McCartney.

If Gwyneth wants to get back on track, maybe she can embrace the naked eco-movement? To see the story and a cheeky protest,

Los Angeles Man Saves All of His Trash For Eight Months

CitizenSugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:00:27 -0700

This is the trashiest story I've ever heard. Dave Chameides is on a mission — a mission to save all of his garbage as an experiment to see exactly how much refuse one person makes in a year. This sends shivers down my clean-freak spine: his basement is lined with soda bottles, pizza boxes, Styrofoam trays, used tea bags, and plastic wrap. After nearly eight months at this project, Chameides is beginning to get a clearer picture of his landfill footprint.

The inspiration for this personal garbage collection began while exploring the tremendous amount of trash that packs our landfills, which set him wondering how much he contributed to that total. Since he does not live alone and his wife and children are not participating in this project, Chameides does have some ground rules. For one, he only collects his own trash, and does not include potential health hazards such as toilet paper, fish wrappers, or other biodegradable contaminants. Thank goodness for that. Ack. To see what good came of this plan,

India and Australia Solve Food and Planet Woes With Dinner

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:30:22 -0700

Fire up the barbie, two countries are putting some creative meat alternatives on the menu: one to combat hunger, one to save the planet.

Given meat's effect on the climate, Australia is looking at how they can help and still have a chop every once in a while. Livestock grazing accounts for 11 percent of the country's emissions. The plan to remove seven million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020 will lower greenhouse gases by three percent a year. What is on the menu instead? Replacing cows and sheep with kangaroo will give Aussies the same amount of meat for a much smaller eco-footprint.

Though kangaroo-kabobs seems odd, India's plan to combat hunger could be less palatable. To see what it is,

Trash Talk? British Recycling Leaflets Show Wrong Birmingham

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:05:42 -0700

Trash Talk? British Recycling Leaflets Show Wrong Birmingham Britain's second-largest city, Birmingham, has a new skyline — only it belongs to its Alabama namesake. Birmingham City Council distributed 720,000 leaflets that praised residents for exceeding recycling targets, carrying a message that read: "Thank You Birmingham." The message appeared stamped across a photograph of the city's skyline. But the photo was not of Birmingham, England, but of Birmingham, Alabama. It's the second time British officials have mistakenly used images of Birmingham, Alabama.

Warming Leaves Us No Choice But to "Prepare For Extinction"?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:00:24 -0700

Top scientist Bob Watson says that we need to prepare for a rise in temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. A jump that big would have catastrophic effects — it means between 7 million and 300 million more people would be affected by flooding and that the water availability in Africa would dry up by 50 percent. In other words, 4 billion people left without water, 5 billion at risk for flooding, and half a billion left hungry. Some say there's no planning for that coming shift and that humans are staring down the barrel of extinction. Or in the possible words of Chief Seattle, "the end of living and the beginning of survival." Want more science to hammer that home? To see how far this process could go, look 55.5 million years to the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, when a global temperature increase of 6C coincided with the release of about 5,000 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere, both as CO2 and as methane from bogs and seabed sediments. Lush subtropical forests grew in polar regions, and sea levels rose to 100m higher than today. It appears that an initial warming pulse triggered other warming processes. Many scientists warn that this historical event may be analogous to the present: the warming caused by human emissions could propel us towards a similar hothouse Earth.

Are we the new dinosaur? Source

Warming Leaves Us No Choice But to "Prepare For Extinction"?

No more doomsday eco-talk! Humans are not facing extinction, end of story.

Perhaps extinction is extreme, but our world is changing in a permanent way.

This is entirely possible and more people need to use language like this to say so.

Other. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

Bananas!? 70 Percent of Asia's Primates Are Endangered

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:35 -0700

Whether or not you think this guy is your long lost relative, it's a mixed barrel of monkeys out there. First, the bad: an IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that 48 percent of the world's primates are facing extinction. That number includes the fact that 70 percent of Asia's primates (as high as 90 percent in Cambodia) are listed as endangered.

What's behind the loss of monkeys? Loss of habitat, mostly through the burning and clearing of tropical forests, as well as the hunting of primates for food. IUCN's primate specialist says, "In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction." Sadly, because primates live a long time, reversing the trend will take a long time.

But I promised good monkey news, too. To see what it is,

Breaking: Earth Is Flat. Now Impossible to Dig Hole to China

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:15:59 -0700

I don't know what this story means for the mnemonic, "My Very Educated Mother . . ." and the rest of the planets, but there's a vocal group of folks who think the Earth is flat — not to mention using the term "flat-earther" to describe someone who just doesn't get it, is quite frankly insulting.

If the earth isn't a globe, what then is it? One 25-year-old computer scientist originally from Canada, describes the earth as, "flat and horizontally infinite — it stretches horizontally forever." They've planned for all your (understandable) questions: one can't sail off of the edge because, "a cursory examination of a flat-earth map fairly well explains the reason — the North Pole is central, and Antarctica comprises the entire circumference of the earth. Circumnavigation is a case of traveling in a very broad circle across the surface of the earth."

OK, the concept of a flat earth might seem preposterous, but I kind of dig (not too far, one might end up in China) their reasoning. To see what it is,

Energy Faceoffs Spark Police Raids and Surprising Couplings

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:58:52 -0700

Grab a Redbull, it's a big week of energy match-ups: Obama vs. McCain, Protesters vs. Police, and Pickens plus Gore?

While Barack Obama may be declaring it "energy week" in a speech in the US today, in the UK police have cracked down on a camp of eco-activists protesting a new coal-fired power station. Police made arrests today during a second raid of the campsite.

Earlier, around 200 officers raided the climate camp, taking custody of hundreds of items they said could be used to break the law. The week-long camp out is being held at the proposed site of the UK's first new coal-fired power station in 30 years.

To see their difference in opinion, plus the green team of Pickens and Gore,

Will Kids Who Don't Know Nature, Grow Up to Hate the Planet?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:30:33 -0700

After waking up to a bird singing the car-alarm song note for note the other day, this I can believe: a recent survey shows kids have almost completely lost touch with the natural world. Half of the 700 quizzed were unable to identify a selection trees, flowers, and animals, and playing outside ranked as their least favorite way to spend time. Computer time trumped backyard expeditions for most. Think it's just a sign of the changing times, and if kids need to know what an oak tree looks like, well, that's what is Google is for? According to famed Brit nature program guru Sir David Attenbourough says it's a bad omen for the preservation of the environment. The wild world is becoming so remote to children that they miss out, and an interest in the natural world doesn't grow as it should. Nobody is going protect the natural world unless they understand it.

The blame for the gap in knowledge can be spread around: overprotective (or disinterested) parents don't introduce kids to the outdoors, and ironically conservationists keep kids away for fear they'll damage the landscape. One "play development officer" (my next job please) says, "something magical occurs when children and wild spaces mix." The only way kids will learn to protect the planet is if they're allowed to learn about it through play — and kids are the future of the globe. Source

Will Kids Who Don't Know Nature, Grow Up to Hate the Planet?

This is so true! If kids don't know the plants and animals, why will they save them?

Kids might learn about the outside in different ways now, but some knowledge is key.

So unlikely. Knowing the name of a tree can't predict future eco-awareness.

Other. I'll leave my own natural specimen in the comments.