The Green Life

Daily Roundup: July 9, 2009

Tap, Mate: Residents of Bundanoon, Australia, voted to ban the sale of bottled water. Huffington Post

Coal Countdown: The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign celebrated an important milestone--100 coal plants have been prevented or abandoned since 2001. Sierra Club and Daily Kos

Taking a Stand: Discount airlines in China and Ireland may be able to carry between 30 to 50 percent more passengers per plane by offering a standing-room option. Treehugger

Dead Zone, Hot Spot: A new study ranked the mouth of the Mississippi River top among the world's coastal "hotspots," where human activity on land threatens marine ecosystems. Science Daily

Fast Food Power: A New Jersey Burger King franchise plans to equip its drive-thru lane with a speed bump designed to capture kinetic energy. Green Tech

--Della Watson

Toward Sustainable Seafood

As a nation, we consume nearly 5 billion pounds of seafood per year. That’s about $16 billion worth of influence that consumers can hold over the seafood industry, for good or for bad.

To help seafood-lovers make a positive impact with their dollars, several organizations have sorted and distilled the sea of available information into handy references about ocean-friendly species and suppliers.

•     Supermarket Scorecard: Greenpeace recently issued its third annual seafood sustainability report card on the performance of 20 U.S. supermarket chains. Unfortunately, none of the supermarkets aced this test -- the highest scorers received only passing grades. Of the largest chains, Whole Foods and Target acheived some of the best scores, while Publix, Winn-Dixie and Trader Joe’s flunked. Greenpeace was so unsatisfied with Trader Joe’s performance that it launched a campaign and website, called Traitor Joe, to protest the company’s unsustainable seafood practices.

A Bright Idea: Energy-Efficient Incandescents

The incandescent light bulb is in some ways the SUV of light sources: an energy-guzzler that's being phased out by more energy-efficient options. 

Congress passed a law two years ago to phase out incandescents by 2012, when stricter efficiency standards are set to be enforced. In March, the E.U. passed similar legislation.

But according to this New York Times article, incandescent bulb-makers, including Philips, General Electric and Osram Sylvania, aren't ready to throw in the towel. These companies are responding to the legislation with a wave of research and innovation that's yielding more efficient lighting products.

Trashy Totes

What would you do if you lived on a landfill? In Manila, the Philippine capital, the women of Smokey Mountain, once the world's biggest open garbage dump, are making the most of it. With help from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who funded microloans, and a nearby Catholic parish that manages the money, the women started an enterprise using newspaper strips to craft colorful handbags, the sales of which support their families. The handwoven purses, ranging from $46 to $72, translate well on U.S. streets and are available from Banyan Paper.

--Avital Binshtock

Daily Roundup: July 1, 2009

Your Save My Planet, I’ll Save Yours: After a series of serious compromises and concessions, the House of Representatives passed a landmark piece of climate-change legislation, marking the first time either house of Congress has passed a bill establishing a cap on the emissions blamed for global warming. The bill still waits action in the Senate. New York Times
 
Less Bush, More Tress: On Tuesday, a California federal judge nullified national forest-management rules established during the Bush era. As a result, The Forest Service will reintroduce regulations to protect wildlife and curtail logging. San Francisco Chronicle

Bright Idea: Obama spoke of future efforts to create and standardize energy efficient light bulbs, asserting that the more efficient bulbs would save consumers billions annually, conserve energy, reduce emissions, and lessen our dependence on coal-fired power plants. MSNBC

Seal the Deal: Francois Hugo of Seal Alert South Africa is collecting donations from around the globe to purchase a fur company that intends to buy the pelts of baby seals that live on the Namibian coast. The fur company plans to club 85,000 seal pups in Namibia to meet its business goals. Hugo is reaching out on YouTube and Facebook, imploring people to donate $15 each to reach the necessary $14.2 million to buy the fur company and stop the killing. Yahoo

Flying Solar: In a nation best known for chocolate and cheese, Switzerland unveiled a new claim to fame: its prototype for a new solar-powered airplane that will be able to fly during day and night without fuel. Test flights start late this year. CNET

--Julia Gelbaum

Daily Roundup: June 29, 2009

The Future's So Bright: The U.S. Interior Department identified 670,000 acres of federal land with potential for solar energy production. The department will now evaluate the environmental impact of solar development in these zones. Reuters

No Coal: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by EnviroPower to build a coal plant in Illinois. Illinois Sierra Club

The Power of Money: A new study suggests that states that spend more money to enforce environmental laws will have faster compliance results. Houston Chronicle

Don't Shoot: A legal loophole that allowed American trophy hunters the right to kill three species of endangered African animals was closed following a federal judge's ruling. The scimitar-horned oryx, the addax, and the dama gazelle are now protected from sport hunting. 60-Second Science

Copycats: Peer pressure may aid the environmental movement; a recent study found that subjects were more likely to join a green initiative if their neighbors were enrolled in the program. MSU News

--Della Watson

Daily Roundup: June 26, 2009

Climate or Coal? The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the much-debated climate bill today. Its passage may come down to on-the-fence democrats from states with coal interests. Treehugger and Grist 

Skip the Carbon, Please: The Southern Ocean, historically a major carbon sink, is absorbing the stuff at an increasingly slower rate. Scientists blame the hole in the ozone. New Scientist

Around the World: Swiss innovator Bertrand Piccard, famous for circling the globe in a hot air balloon, announced his prototype for a solar-powered plane he plans to fly around the world by 2012. BBC News

Bad Gas: A new California regulation requires landfills to capture the greenhouse gas, methane, that results from decomposing trash. ENN

Give Me a Brake: Angry car drivers plan to blockade part of an annual Colorado bike ride in a "celebration of driver's rights." Treehugger

--Jamie Hansen

Daily Roundup: June 26, 2009

Waste Not: San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom signed the first mandatory composting law. When the law takes effect this fall, residents and businesses will be required to sort trash, recyclables, and compost. Inhabitat and Associated Press

What Big Ears You Have: Global warming may impact fish growth--scientists found that white sea bass exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide grew larger ear bones. Dot Earth

Exhausted: The results of a recent study suggest that pregnant women who live near sources of traffic pollution may have a higher risk of premature delivery and preeclampsia. Scientific American

Cheers: Portland, Oregon, will host the world's largest organic beer festival this weekend. Wend

Just Do It: In anticipation of an expected vote in the House on Friday, President Obama encouraged lawmakers to support the climate-change bill. Los Angeles Times

--Della Watson

Green Your Wedding: Food

Weddings inspire and delight us, but these sacred events have grown into resource-sapping affairs. If you're wondering how to pull off your dream celebration without a huge carbon footprint and an empty bank account, refer to this week's tips to help you work some ecofriendly wedding magic.

Tip #4: Serve Sustainable Cuisine

Reduce your wedding's environmental impact by serving organic food and wine. Ask your caterer about meals featuring seasonal fruits and vegetables that can be sourced from local farms. Some caterers even specialize in ecofriendly cuisine or vegan wedding cakes. Keep in mind that vegetarian dishes tend to be less expensive and more ecofriendly than meat courses.

Share your tips: What are your suggestions for serving an ecofriendly wedding meal on a budget?

Daily Roundup: June 24, 2009

Green Giant: Sears Tower, the tallest building in the Western hemisphere, is scheduled for a $350 million green retrofit that could reduce the skyscraper's consumption of electricity by 80 percent and water by 40 percent. Reuters

Baby On Board: According to a recent report by the International Whaling Commission, over 25 percent of the whales killed this year by Japanese research vessels in Antarctic waters were pregnant. Science News

Go Fish: A new task force created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to create a cap-and-trade system for fisheries. Scientific American

Dirty Oil: Environmental groups launched a campaign to urge Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to halt permits for pipeline projects designed to import tar sands oil from Canada into the United States. Sierra Club

Switcheroo: Lawmakers have agreed to shift control of agriculture offset programs under the House climate bill from the EPA to the USDA. New York Times and Reuters

--Della Watson