Green Daily

10 Eco-Cause T-shirts for your Spring Wardrobe

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:09:00 EST

Greenpeace rainbows for spring! Photo: Greenpeace

Now that the weather is warming up and you can shake off those heavy winter coats, it's a great time to put your cause on your chest, where everyone can see where your allegiance lies -- wear an eco-cause t-shirt!

Are you an animal lover, a wild-eyed radical, or a clean air cheerleader? Are you part of a movement and want to recruit as many people as possible to your cause? Tell everyone, and look fabulous doing it.

I'm on a personal quest for a Clean Coal Unicorn t-shirt, but sadly, I think it may never exist. I'll have to be happy with these ten t-shirt options will keep me in fine eco-fashion!

1. HSUS Red Washed Tee
Get the word out about the great work the Humane Society of the United States does to support animals and stop cruelty. The striking red cotton shirt features the HSUS animal map logo in black.
Unisex sizes
Price: $21.50

Support the Humane Society! Photo: humanesociety.org

2. Whalebow Organic Women's Fitted T-Shirt
This Greenpeace t-shirt features a "whalebow" -- yes, that's a rainbow in the shape of a whale fluke, and it supports the Greenpeace save the whales campaign.
Men's and women's sizes
$25.99

3. Surfrider Clean Oceans Tee
This 100% organic cotton t-shirt features art by Andy Davis features front art and Surfrider logo at left sleeve, and benefits the Surfrider Foundation, which is a steward of our oceans.
Men's and women's sizes
$20.00

4. Sea Shepherd Jolly Roger Long-Sleeve - 100% Organic Cotton
If you like bad boys and semi-strident activists, well, the world should know that about it. Shout it proudly with this 100% organic cotton longsleeved black t-shirt from Sea Shepherd. With the words "Sea Shepherd" and "Defending Ocean Wildlife Worldwide" printed on the back along with both our Jolly Roger and Classic logos, they won't be able to miss you!
Unisex sizes
$35.00

5. Friends of the Earth Natural Organic Cotton T-Shirt with Tree Design
We all want to be friendly with the Earth, she's keeping us alive! Remind your friends of this important relationship by wearing the 100% organic cotton t-shirt with the Friends of the Earth tree on the front. The natural cotton color is little bit granola, but you can't beat the price and the message is right on!
Unisex sizes
$13.95

6. Solar Power Rocks Women's Tank Top
Solar power does rock, and this logo is pretty nifty, too. Help raise awareness and soak up some rays in this white tank top with multi-color logo.
Men's and women's sizes
$19.00

Solar power DOES rock!! Photo: solarpowerrocks.com

7. Teecycle.org
Maybe you don't care what it says, you just want a social consciously source t-shirt -- then get it used! Teecylce sources the best used t-shirts, sells them for a totally cheap price, and donates $1 from each sale is donated to restore urban river trails and waterways in the Milwaukee area.
Men's and women's sizes
various prices

8. Red Apes Orang shirt
Totally my favorite great apes organization, I always include them, and I wear my Red Apes t-shirt with pride! Get your own 100% pre-shrunk organic cotton.
Men's and women's sizes
$30 each

9. 1Sky Act Now shirt
No matter where you go on this planet, you're always looking at the same sky. That means we're all on the same side of the fight for a clean energy policy that will repair the quality of our air. Share your opinion that clean energy is important, plus benefit 1Sky.org, that receives three dollars from the sale of this 100% certified organic cotton and sweatshop-free tee-shirt.
Unisex sizes
$25

10. 350.org Organic Women's Fitted T-Shirt
The clean energy things is so important that you really need more than one shirt to support it. Wear this 100% organic cotton American Apparel jersey with the 350.org logo and spread the word that you really, really want a change in our energy policy and need
Men's and women's sizes
$22.99

10 Eco-Cause T-shirts for your Spring Wardrobe originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spend a Candlelit Hour with Gisele

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:12:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Activism, Climate Change

In less than two weeks, Earth Hour will be here. On Saturday, March 27th, at 8:30 p.m. local time, the lights will go out for an hour on landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Golden Gate Bridge, at office buildings and hotels, and in homes all around the world.

For the past three years, a growing global community has been making a simple but dramatic statement about climate change, turning off our lights to send a message to our governments.

We want meaningful action on clean energy, with viable alternatives to dirty oil and coal. We want to stop the wasteful and polluting behaviors that are messing up our air chemistry, melting glaciers, and having an impact on the entire eco-system. We want leadership!
Earth Hour 2009 had almost a billion participants around the world, on all seven continents. This year the World Wildlife Fund, and celebrity sponsors like Gisele Bundchen and her nearly as pretty husband Tom Brady, hope that even more people with vote with their light switch.

One of the things I love about Earth Hour is how easy they make it for people to participate and spread the word. They have tool kits for individuals, countdown widgets to post on your site, lesson plans for schools, sample emails to customers for businesses who participate, and so much more.

If you're a visual learner/experiencer, check out the T-shirts, posters, and loads of videos showing how eerie and amazing the world looks as the lights go out.

Get inspired and turn off your lights!

Spend a Candlelit Hour with Gisele originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oscar's Nearly Green Year

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Movies, TV and Books, Activism

This was a big year for films with an eco-message, with "Avatar" at the top of the list. Even though the awards have been given out, and Avatar was passed over for the big nod, it's still worth your time to check out the many eco-minded films that were nominated for an Academy Award this year.

Disney's film "Up" dealt with gentrification and urbanization. According to Grist, "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", nominated for Animated Feature Film and Music (Original Score) is an eco-film because of its anti-meat message. I say go see it because the scenes of the animals eating are the funniest thing on the big screen this year. Also: Clooney.

Treehugger did a great round up of the nominated documentaries, all of which have riveting stories and film-making, plus a wide variety of green perspectives:

"The Cove" -- a horrifying expose of the annual Japanese dolphin slaughter, see the trailer above. It won for reason!
"Food Inc." -- a scary (and maybe a little bit hopeful) look at where our food comes from, and how we can change the way we eat.
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" -- in 1971 Daniel Ellsberg's gave the New York Times a classified document about the US involvement in the Vietnam War. Politics have been different ever since.
"Burma VJ" -- In 2007 the people of Burma staged a series of anti-government protests, sometimes known as the "Saffron Revolution." Information is tightly controlled by the government in this closed country, but journalists continue to struggle to share the story with the world. The secretly shot footage will give you chills.
"Which Way Home" -- unaccompanied children are often invisible victims of the immigration difficulties between the US and Mexico.

This should fill up your Netflix queue for the next couple of months!

Oscar's Nearly Green Year originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leilani Munter, Delightfully Green Paradox and Eco-Hero

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:06:00 EST

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Celebrities, Activism

Leilani Munter: Racer and Eco-Activist. Photo: Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Sure, everyone is complicated, in one way or another, but few people live a paradox as dramatic as Leilani Munter, race car driver (zomg, so energy-consuming-evil!) and eco-warrior (sound of tires squealing; what?!)

The 34-year-old Munter has been racing cars professionally since 2001, when she started with stock cars. She then became just the fourth woman to race in the Indy Pro Series. She's making a career in a traditionally male industry, and carving a nice niche for herself.

There must be something in her nature that draws her to activism and challenging the stated order of things, because she is also a vocal advocate for all things green, a vegetarian, and has a degree in biology. She also adopts an acre of rainforest for every race she runs. Pretty cool way to put your actions -- and money -- where your mouth is!

Even though she hasn't updated her blog, Carbon Free Girl, in a while, green topics actually make frequent appearances on her racing site, LeilaniMunter.com. She has sponsors like Eco Academy, a green job training academy that helps people learn to do "green collar" jobs. All of the ads on her site are for green products or services.

She's also an ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation and is politically active in both climate change and clean energy legislation. It's entirely possible you've read her green posts on the Huffington Post.

Oh, and her sister is married to Bob Weir, yes, that one, from the Grateful Dead, and she was a photo double for Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Yeah, she's cool. I still have some issues with the idea of a "sport" dedicated to burning fossil fuel, but if she's the future, then we have a reason to consider cars in general, and racing in particular, in a more nuanced light.

Leilani Munter, Delightfully Green Paradox and Eco-Hero originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Time to Pick Your Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Food, Activism

Juicy, ripe tomatoes! Photo: Abid Katib/Getty Images

It's election season again! That's right, time to vote ... for the sexiest vegetarian next door, that is!

PETA is all about the sexy superlatives, whether it's vegetables, celebrities, or regular folk who live down the block, don't eat meat, and are spinach-fueled sexual dynamos. Anyone can (and oh, they do) enter by submitting a photo and then hoping the great unwashed masses of PETA followers vote for you.

The voting goes on between now and March 12th, and the prize includes a trip to Hawaii. There are already over 600 entries for the ladies, who have a leader board that runs the gamut from "giant silicon implants and tattoos" to "giant silicon implants without tattoos". But the real race is happening with the sexiest meatless dudes next door.

The dudes show way more variety than the ladies, as exemplified by the current top four:

Emilio, of the "regular guy wearing a Vegan t-shirt type" -- this category also includes a sleeveless t-shirt version -- is in the lead with 2,340 votes. His stump speech: "Vegetarian for nine years, Vegan for two years, Activist for life."
Tommy is clearly a self-hating vampire who found some kind of Red Bull vegetarian substitution. He's got the artsy vote locked in with his black and white photo, but is currently running a distant second with 1,565. Tommy has "over a dozen pets" and there's a serious implication that snakes, spiders or ferrets figure prominently in that menagerie.
For fans of "Jersey Shore," we present Stephen, who is literally Oompaloompah orange (I hope all that self-tanner is cruelty-free) and is in third with 1,533 votes. Stevarino asks for your vote with: "I fist pump to animal rights."
And then there is Cassio, representing for all of the guys who submitted a shirtless profile picture that looks like a still from a self-produced, low-budget erotic film. Apparently chest hair and beards sell, because he's got 1,413 votes.

I really do encourage anyone feeling veg-curious to check out the other 180+ entries. It's like a walk through your local natural food coop, with an extra serving of guys who wear vests.

Does this get your competitive juices flowing? It's fast and easy to enter -- just upload a photo on the PETA site. Remember to keep it clean, they do curate the pix before they're posted, to protect the innocent from images of "meatless" sausage. Ahem.

And what if you are sexy, and dying to win a trip to Hawaii, but you're not a vegetarian? PETA can fix that! Their (free!) vegetarian starter kit is prominently featured in the top navigation, right next to links for "Past Winners" and "Submit Your Photo".

It's Time to Pick Your Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let's Really Make it the Year of the Tiger

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Plants and Wildlife

Children in Beijing celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Sunday was a double big holiday around the world. In addition to Valentine's Day, many people also celebrated Chinese New Year. According to the 12-year lunar calendar cycle, we are now in the Year of the Tiger.

Big cat activists Panthera, in partnership with Wildlife Conservation Society, are taking this opportunity to remind us that even though tigers are seriously endangered, they can still be saved. They even have a plan, called Tigers Forever, with a goal of increasing the tiger population in certain areas by 50 percent in the next decade.

That's the way to think big!
Actually, there are several organizations working to save tigers by increasing their numbers in the wild, including Tigers In Crisis, an educational site that is a great source of information about the five endangered tiger species.

The World Wildlife Fund encourages conservation-minded Year of the Tiger celebrants to "adopt" a tiger. They also urge you to help tigers by joining the Conservation Action Network and reminding your representatives to support legislation that protects tigers in captivity and the wild.

And of course there is the Global Tiger Initiative, which I've told you about before, which hopes to have tigers "un-endangered" by 2022, for the next Year of the Tiger.

According to Chinese tradition, the tiger is a sign of bravery, as well as a "courageous and fiery fighter". What better way to celebrate this majestic creature, than by concentrating efforts to make sure it's here for future generations?

Let's Really Make it the Year of the Tiger originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clean Coal Runs Manipulative Ads During the Olympics

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Alternative Energy, Climate Change

Coal miner Elmer Lloyd speaks against Mountain Top Removal

Watching the Olympics on Sunday night, I was shocked, amazed and dismayed to see a "clean coal" ad, apparently part of a new campaign to capitalize on recent political gains. Even more outrageous? The star of the ad, a personable young coal worker, made a connection between working in the coal industry and his brother serving overseas.

What does his brother, who is a soldier, have to do with clean coal? Oh, nothing. That was just another dirty emotional blackmail trick to try to make you think it's patriotic to support strip mining, black lung and air pollution.

It's bad enough that they are flat-out lying about clean coal. The technology does not exist, and if they can even figure out how to burn coal without the poisonous emissions, there is still the problem of how destructive it is to get it out of the ground. To drag our troops into it too? That's just disgraceful.
As I have said many times (Gillian Caldwell, the head of 1Sky.org even used my line with President Obama!) clean coal is a Unicorn. A nifty idea but merely a figment of an energy company executive's imagination.

Besides the dirty facts about burning coal -- like greenhouse gases and mercury emissions -- and the sad truth that the number of coal mining related jobs declines each year as the process is mechanized and automated, and that it's still incredibly dangerous for the brave workers who descend into those shafts, there is the environmental devastation that comes from getting it out of the ground.

Mountain top removal is the "cost-effective" method of coal mining where you blow the top off a mountain (literally, with dynamite) to get to the coal seam underneath it. Negative impact includes deforestation, water pollution, and destruction of wildlife habitat. Even coal miners think it's a bad idea!

I know we can't just switch to solar, wind and geothermal power, but if we want to create jobs, protect the environment, reduce our global emissions, and create a sustainable energy system for future generations, it's counter-productive to put any resources into the outdated and flawed coal industry.

And by the way: I have several family members in the service, who have done multiple tours of duty overseas. I support them wholeheartedly. And their service has nothing to do with clean coal! It's offensive that the coal industry -- or some manipulative shill at their ad agency -- is trying ride on the coattails of their sacrifice to trick patriotic Americans into agreeing with a bad idea. During the Olympics! I can't believe anyone was cynical enough to think it was a good idea to include that in the final cut of that ad!

To summarize: Alternative energy: yes. Clean coal: no. Our troops: seriously, don't bring them into this.

Clean Coal Runs Manipulative Ads During the Olympics originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevron Continues to Evade Responsibilities in Equador

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Movies, TV and Books, Polit-eco, Activism

After 17 years of litigation, the $27 billion environmental law suit brought against Chevron by the people of Ecuador seems near a decision, and not in the energy giant's favor.

That's making Chevron panicky enough to say or do almost anything to try to get out of paying the huge fine, including making assertions against the Ecuadorian court system, the judge, and most recently that the court-appointed subject matter expert, is biased. This is despite the fact that Chevron insisted that the case be tried in Ecuador in the first place.

Back in October I reviewed the film "CRUDE", a documentary about the environmental disaster and lawsuit. I was also lucky enough to sit down for an interview with the director, Joe Berlinger, and hear first hand from him about the Rhode Island-sized swath of Ecuador that was catastrophically polluted by oil exploration and drilling done between 1972 and 1990 by Texaco, which is now owned by Chevron.
The case against Texaco seems crystal clear when you watch "CRUDE", which believe it or not, is fairly neutral and even-handed. The Chevron executives do an excellent job of digging their own graves, coming across as bad liars with an utter lack of morals.

Even Chevron admits the culpability of Texaco, but in the legal equivalent of throwing sand in the eyes of your opponent, they continue to attack the validity of the process. In this latest salvo, they've also declared that they won't pay any fine levied by the Ecuadorian government, and that they want to bring in an international arbitrator.

That would be just fine with Steven Donziger, the American legal advisor to the Ecuadorians, who has the tenacity of a terrier. He's quoted in the Huffington Post, saying "They're losing the case based on the evidence, so they're trying to fabricate issues to try to taint the image of the trial." And he's ready to have it tried in every country where Chevron has a presence.

Environmental activists and energy companies alike will continue to watch the progress of this case, which will certainly be held up as a precedent for all future environment responsibility suits. To learn more, put "CRUDE" on your Netflix!

Chevron Continues to Evade Responsibilities in Equador originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Vancouver Be Remembered as the Green Olympics?

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Activism, Climate Change

Olympic Snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler. Photo: Christian Pondella, Getty Images

Whenever you bring together a big group of eating, drinking, trash-making humans, the green clique starts to get concerned about the environmental impact of the event.

In 2008, Beijing tried very hard to make the Summer Olympics as environmentally-friendly as possible. Now the Vancouver Winter Olympics are being compared to those efforts. It looks like the Canadians will both surpass and be eclipsed by the Chinese.

In terms of architectural green-ness, Vancouver is pretty impressive. The Olympic Village is being built to the LEED Gold standard and they will have a LEED Platinum Community Centre. The speedskating oval is built from pine beetle damaged wood. But as Treehugger reported, some folks are disappointed because these uber-green buildings are too utilitarian. In short, they're ugly.
The architecture in Beijing was pretty amazing, but do you remember the cool Bird's Nest? No one uses it now! No matter how many gallons of low VOC paint are used, an empty stadium is always an environmental loser.

Aesthetics aside, official Olympics beverage sponsor, Coca Cola, is shooting for a carbon neutral Olympics. They introduced bottles made from 30 percent plant-based materials, and they're using hybrids for delivery.

The athletes themselves are also some of the greenest ever. Yesterday USA Today had a profile of several Green Olympic athletes, including:

Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarding, who works with an amazing list of non-profits, including:The Climate Project, Natural Resources Defense Council, Aspen Snowmass Save Snow campaign and StopGlobalWarming.org. She also designed a 100 percent recycled polyester snowboarding pant and jacket for Oakley.
Hannah Kearney, freestyle skiing, is a green citizen who composts, recycles, brings her own shopping bags and drives a hybrid. Total role model!
Angela Ruggiero, hockey, is gearing up for her fourth Olympics, and still finds time to be an active member of 350.org, the international campaign focused on inspiring the world to find solutions for the climate crisis.

Watching the green progress from two years ago gives the games an interesting added dimension for us Greeniacs at home, who worry about how many energy bar wrappers and plastic water bottles are going to wind up in the trash. This year, it sounds like that number is going to be closer to zero than every before. Now that's a reason to cheer!

Will Vancouver Be Remembered as the Green Olympics? originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 Endangered Species and How You Can Help

Susan Braun — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Plants and Wildlife

Tough as they are, tigers need our help. Photo: Tambako the Jaguar, Flickr

We all have our favorite animals, but some species need our help more than others. Are you ready to lend a paw?

Tiger
It's hard to imagine a more iconic and recognizable species than the tiger. They are top predators, keeping the food chain balanced. Tigers are famous for their strength and power, reportedly covering up to 10 meters in a single horizontal leap. Yet only 3,200 tigers may be left in the wild, and their original roaming areas have decreased by 40 percent in the past ten years.

Deforestation and poaching are the chief culprits behind the tigers becoming endangered mammals. You can help by contributing to the Save the Tiger fund, a program of the National Fish and Wildlife Federation.

Magellanic Penguin
Penguins: Their social nature and waddling gait endears them to animal lovers worldwide. Unfortunately, 12 of the 17 penguin species are experiencing population declines. Why? Magellanic penguins, which live in South American waters, have faced a host of obstacles -- first, oil spills, and more recently, a loss of the fish they eat due to rising temperatures of ocean water.

Defenders of Wildlife sponsors a program which enables you to adopt a penguin, with funds going towards programs to help this endangered species.

Leatherback Turtle
The leatherback turtle is one of Earth's largest living reptiles -- one was measured at 256 cm long -- and has survived for over 100 million years. Leatherback turtles are an important predator of jellyfish; they keep the ocean food chain in check.

But now their numbers have diminished critically, with an estimated 2300 females left in its Pacific habitat. The reason? Fishing fleets accidentally kill large numbers of these gentle reptiles, and their nests on beaches are often attacked by poachers. Want to help? Consider learning more about the Leatherback Turtle Conservation Project.

Giant Panda
The Giant Panda has become the unofficial poster child for endangered wildlife. The image of this bamboo-eating, cuddly member of the bear family evokes positive feelings in all but the most hard-hearted. But this "national treasure" of China is still endangered. It forest habitat has been fragmented, creating small, isolated pockets of pandas. China is working to create wildlife refuges to preserve habitats for the pandas, but just 61% (or about 980 pandas) currently live in these protected areas.

Why not "adopt" a panda, with your donation going to support programs that help panda populations increase in number?

Mountain Gorilla
As the largest living primates, gorillas have intrigued humans for centuries with their shy behavior and their fierce protectiveness towards family group members. Mountain gorillas' only predators are humans and leopards, and humans have devastated the species in recent years by poaching and by destruction of the gorillas' habitats caused by wars in its native African lands.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is a great place to direct funds which will work towards research, education and conservation for this endangered species which Dr. Fossey devoted her life to studying.

5 Endangered Species and How You Can Help originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 5 Eco-Friendly Stars for 2010

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Activism

We love celebrities! Even more, we love celebrities who use their fame to bring attention to good causes, like dolphins, clean water, solar power and animal rights.

Like any popularity contest, our favorite celebrities change over time. And some of them we love more than others, because really, all of that advocacy can get just a bit strident at times.

Wondering who's eco-star is rising, and who is falling out of favor? Here's our take on the top 5 Eco-Friendly stars for 2010, and the celebrities from whom they're stealing the titles!

Green Starlet Sweetheart
Hayden Panettiere's sexy wetsuit wearing dolphin- and whale- saving activism has made her a fan favorite for the past couple of years. But the new girl in our hearts is Jessica Biel, who strapped on her climbing boots to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global water crisis, as part of the Summit on the Summit group.

Green Celebrity Mom
Gwyneth Paltrow was the resident (and totally annoying) eco-mom, with her site GOOP and hyper-organic practices. But she's had to step aside for Earth Mother Nicole Richie, who has definitely stolen that crown. The Richie-Madden Children's Foundation, which Richie founded with life partner/baby daddy Joel Madden in 2007, provides services to needy moms, including organic cleaning products.

Most Irritating Celebrity PETA Pimp
Moby has been King of Team "More Green Than Thou" for decades, and his aggressive, PETA-shilling veganism has been a key weapon in the drive to alienate fans and foes alike. It seemed like Moby would reign forever, until Andy Dick appeared out of nowhere and staged an outrageous coup d'etat. Starring in a series of anti-McDonald's PETA PSAs as the most terrifying, bloody clown ever, Dick has scared, scarred and alienated a whole new generation.

Senior Green Star
Robert Redford, creator of Sundance, is well known in Hollywood for his dedication to activism. Among other things, he's worked with Natural Resource Defense Council for 30 years, including serving on their board of directors. As well respected as Bob is, you don't see him in the public spotlight that much anymore. That space is now filled by Ed Begley Jr., who seems like he's everywhere these days, preaching the benefits of electric cars and compact florescent lightbulbs. His hit reality show "Living With Ed" might as well be called "Everyone Loves Ed"!

Humorless Hollywood (Green) Hottie
Leonardo DiCaprio has platinum eco-credentials. From long-standing involvement in the green movement, building a green hotel near Belize, and of course his documentary the 11th Hour. How could anyone compare to that? Cut to fellow Oscar-winner Ed Norton, who has been quietly amassing his own long list of eco-bragging rights. Coming from a family of activists, it's just natural that he works with BP's Solar Neighbor's program, which provides solar panels to LA area, low-income families. He hosts shows on National Geographic TV, and works with The Wilderness Society and Earthjustice.

Of course, they're both starring in solemn "This is Our Moment" videos, encouraging Congress to pass a clean energy bill. So maybe this one is a draw!

Who's your favorite?

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Stars for 2010 originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Declare No More Sex For Your Pet - Spay Day 2010!

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Plants and Wildlife

Kittens! Puppies! So adorable, but sadly there are far more sweet baby pets than homes to take them. One of the kindest, and greenest, things you can do as a pet owner is to spay or neuter your four-footed friends.

To encourage this responsible owner behavior, The Humane Society of the United States' and Humane Society International sponsor Spay Day. It's an annual event to encourage people to spay or neuter your pet, as well as feral cats.

The official Spay Day is the last Tuesday of February, and the 16th annual Spay Day will be Feb. 23, 2010. To generate awareness of the problem, and to raise funds to support spaying programs, HSUS and HSI are hosting the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest, with VISA and Zazzle as corporate partners.
To enter the contest, you simply upload a photo of your pet -- the cuter the better -- and write a short description.

Your photo can win in either the Judged category (for the best photo, picked by a team of professional photoghapers) or the Fundraiser category (for the photo that gets the most popular votes). Both categories have a ton of amazing prizes, including a weekend trip for two to Hollywood for the 2011 Genesis Awards.

Just to give you a little more encouragement, here are a few of the many reasons to spay or neuter your pet:

You'll stop overpopulation. One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in just six years.
Your pet will live a longer, healthier life
Altered dogs are better behaved and be less likely to try to run away
You will prevent situations where healthy animals are killed: every year 10-12 million animals are euthanized in shelters for lack of available homes.

If you want more information, including sexy celebrity videos, like Dita Von Teese talking about neutering while wearing a corset and high heels, check out "PETA's ABC - Animal Birth Control" campaign.

Declare No More Sex For Your Pet - Spay Day 2010! originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earth Hour 2010

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change

It's hard to believe that Earth Hour started just three years ago, in 2007. In this short period of time, a one hour, one-time action by two million people in Sydney, Australia, has grown into an international movement with nearly one billion participants.

The idea is simplicity itself: Everyone, at the same time, all over the world, turns off their lights for one hour. It's a symbolic gesture to show that people can work together to address the climate crisis.

Last year there were participants in 87 countries. Some of the major landmarks that shut off their lights for an hour included the Parthenon in Athens, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and of course the Sydney Opera House. According to the Earth Hour site, it was the largest mass action in human history.

With that kind of user adoption, and all of the demand for action that came out of COP in Denmark, you can expect Earth Hour 2010 to be equally big.

The World Wildlife Fund organized the original Earth Hour with the Sydney Morning Herald. They continue to lead the action with a great site that has more information about Earth Hour events happening around the world.

You can find a complete tool kit for organizing a local event, plus a great interactive area for kids with games and fun facts about energy conservation. It's easy to learn more and get involved.

The event will take place on Sunday, March 27th, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time, wherever you are. Here in the U.S. you can expect to see the lights go dim on the Vegas Strip and Mount Rushmore -- and perhaps your house?

Earth Hour 2010 originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Murkowski Partnered with Big Coal and Oil Lobbyists to Attack the Clean Air Act

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:13:00 EST

Filed under: Polit-eco, Activism, Climate Change

Senator Lisa Murkowski, Clean Air Act Foe. Photo: xx, Getty Images

On January 20th the Senate is voting on the national debt ceiling. An important issue, but hardly one that concerns environmentalists, right?

In a sane world, that would be the case. However, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has drafted a completely unrelated amendment to the bill which would hamstring the EPA's ability to enforce the Clean Air Act by banning them from regulating carbon dioxide as pollutant.

This is contrary to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that the EPA in fact must regulate greenhouse emissions, and standards, such as those for new car emissions.

Murkowski's amendment is funded and fueld by coal industry and big oil lobbyists who are running scared. In December the EPA announced that green house gases are a pollutant, and pose a threat to public health. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA could go after polluters -- like the coal industry -- who contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Although she denies that the bill was influenced by lobbyists from those big polluters, after a Washington Post story revealed that big time coal industry lobbyists advised Murkowski's team on the bill, she did admit that two "experts" employed by the lobbyist wrote the text. Oh, and they both were in the EPA during the Bush Administration.

Her attack on the EPA's powers can only be called a campaign of lies and scare tactics, including claims that the EPA would unfairly target "the little guy" like farms, schools and small businesses, and referencing vague threats to the country's economic recovery.

Reality check: why would that make sense? Sure, individual small businesses should follow ecologically sound practices, but to see any kind of fast and dramatic change, the obvious tactic is to go after the big companies that have a global impact.

In addition to pure logic, EPA Adminstrator Lisa Jackson has also assured the public that their plan is to go after the largest polluters.

The cold, hard light of logic, reason, and the Washington Post have Murkowski possibly backpedaling on pushing through the amendment on the 20th. We can hope.

But even if she doesn't win this battle, she's not going to stop attacking the EPA and their ability to hold polluters accountable. It's still worth your time to contact your Senator and let him or her know that you wholeheartedly support all of the current powers of the Clean Air Act.

There are action alerts all over the internet to make it easy for you to write a letter, like Repower America's form, which gives you sample text and forwards the letter on your behalf. They also have a form set up for you to send letters to your local newspapers.

The science of climate change, CO2 emissions and pollution really isn't in question here. Murkowski's attack on the Clean Air Act is a purely political move, driven by the greed and fear of an industry that doesn't have a place in America's future.

Take action now and we can limit their toxic effect!

Murkowski Partnered with Big Coal and Oil Lobbyists to Attack the Clean Air Act originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PETA Year in Review

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Plants and Wildlife

Sometimes I feel like every other post I write is about PETA -- and there's a good reason for that. Those vegan wacktivists are busy, and when they pull a stunt, they make sure it gets pushed out with a newsworthy angle.

I'd forgotten half of PETA's antics in 2009. Lucky thing they released this handy video round up of their greatest hits! First thing you'll notice: it's 10 minutes long. See? Busy!

Second thing? They convince a huge number of people, celebrity and "regular folk" to take off their clothes in the name of animal-rights. Paul McCartney, Jenna Jameson, and "Lettuce Ladies."

Okay, McCartney just talks, but you know he'd go naked if they asked him to.

Other highlights include:

The banned Superbowl "sex with vegetables" video
Pam Anderson giving new meaning to "naughty airport strip search"
Save the Seals
various scary factory farming videos
the Michael Vick/NFL controversy
Andy Dick as the scariest clown ever
a turkey ad that was banned on Thanksgiving
and so much more...

Love them or hate them, you have to admit that PETA is unmatched in their ability to draw attention to issues and generate discussion. As PETA President Ingrid Newkirk says at the end of the video, "Our job is to have the animals heard, whether it's nicely or naughtily, we get there."

Admit it, you're wondering what they'll do next. We are!

PETA Year in Review originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guerrilla Gardening

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Plants and Wildlife

How many times have you walked or driven past a vacant city lot and wished that someone would do something with that space?

In some case, Guerrilla Gardeners are taking action themselves, transforming neglected land into community parks, flower patches or urban vegetable gardens.

Richard Reynolds, the subject of the video above, is the author of "On Guerrilla Gardening" a book about this form of green direct action, which is almost 400 years old and practiced in more than 30 countries.

Around the world, from the U.S. to Denmark, France and Italy, and of course England, home of the world's maddest gardeners, green thumbed activists transform barren urban environments by planting sunflower seeds, lavender, or full flower and shrub landscaping.

Some Guerrilla Gardening is focused on land use and ownership. It grapples with issues like, if an abandoned lot is cultivated by neighborhood farmers, and produces vegetables for the community, can the owner turn up at a later date and auction off the property? Does cultivation confer ownership? Or is it just a neater form of squatting?

The more accessible version, such as that practiced by Reynolds, seems more focused on giving nature every opportunity to make the world a more beautiful place. If you see a patch of unused dirt, plant something pleasing, and care for it.

Reynolds is delightfully entertained by the "illegality" of what he does -- making the world nicer! -- and it's very tempting to join in. His site, GuerrillaGardening.org, offers a wealth of tips for the sneaky flower grower.

My favorite is the wide variety of seed bombs. These concoctions are made of seed, soil, fertilizer and some kind of carrier/container that lets you sow seeds in spots where you don't have access, or you'll get in trouble if you hang around hoeing. I'm tempted to a lob one or two over some neighborhood fences and see what happens!

So if you find a neglected spot in your neighborhood, and want to get some flowers growing, Guerrilla Gardening has some easy steps to get started. You'll be tending flowers and giving bees a place to visit faster than you imagine -- and enjoying a little mischief while you're at it!

Guerrilla Gardening originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Post COP15 - Now What?

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:11:00 EST

Filed under: News, Activism, Climate Change

The two week long carnival in Copenhagen, which featured dramatic politics and inventive activism, mixed in with a genuine desire to address climate change, wrapped up hours past the planned deadline, with a whimper that disappointed many.

Even before COP15 started, it was clear that a binding international agreement was a long shot. The first week was marred by disagreements over process and responsibilities -- particularly over who was going to foot the inevitable bill -- and the split between developed and developing countries got worse as week two progressed.

In the end, the US, China, India and Brazil announced a non-binding statement of intent, and almost all of the countries participating in COP15 indicated that they would "take note" of the so-called Copenhagen Accord.

It's a good news/bad news result -- good that something was agreed upon after two weeks of debate, but bad that it's non-binding, and even more bad that it falls short (far short) of requiring nations to take action that will meaningfully address climate change.

I'm left unsure about what to think about it. Was it the giant failure that strict environmentalists are moaning about? Or is the agreement that came out of Copenhagen the first step on a journey of a thousand steps, small but necessary to get us started?

It's the job of environmentalists to keep the pressure on politicians, and all of us. So I'm glad that they're continuing to push for bigger, better action to save the planet. However, I most appreciated reading Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope's more measured reaction on the Huffington Post.

Pope acknowledged that the conference was difficult, the process disappointing, and the result less than what many hoped to achieve. But he also explained some of the important progress that was made. For instance, China and India agreed to an international plan, putting to rest "the core argument that has held back Congressional action on U.S. clean-energy legislation."

This will make it easier (well, perhaps just a bit less difficult, but we'll take what we can get) for Obama to get meaningful climate bills passed. The inability of the U.S. to show this leadership has been a major stumbling block for a global agreement.

Another positive note that Pope sounded was the fact that many countries, like South Africa, India and Indonesia made "historic reversals" by agreeing that changes have to be made at all!

Reading that, I was struck by what I think we'll one day see as the success of Copenhagen, the shift from asking, "Should we do something?" to "What are we going to do?" That feels like an international turning point, one that had to be crossed before major change could occur.

As much as everyone loves a happy ending, we're going to be addressing climate change for the next several decades. Yes, urgent action is needed, but nothing will fix this overnight. So stay tuned for more bits of progress in Bonn, Germany, and then in Mexico at the end in 2010, and start hoping that the sum of these small steps are greater than their parts.

Post COP15 - Now What? originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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350.org Vigils in Copenhagen and Around the World

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change

Greenpeace wasn't the only group to stage a protest in Copenhagen this weekend. In fact, not all of the protests are even happening in Denmark!

Over the weekend, one of the most active and vocal climate action groups, 350.org, staged a series of 3000 vigils in 139 countries around the world. The purpose of the vigils was to reiterate to world leaders that we want a "real deal" in Copenhagen -- not just some "agreement to agree at some point" like we've been hearing about.

The video above shows some of the devastation already happening around the world because of climate change, and it has the heartstring-pulling music. Get ready for goosebumps and tissue-reaching.

One of the things that's so moving about 350.org is that it's all regular people -- they actually aren't wild-eyed activists, they're folks like you and me, who are deeply concerned about the climate change. Also, it's a truly global organization -- you'll hear several languages, and see people from all over the world in the video.

350.org's "demands" for an agreement to come out of COP15 are simple:

Make it fair, providing $200 billion for poor countries
Make it ambitious, limiting peak emissions by 2015 and returning to 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere, (which is the cornerstone of their organization, and based on NASA science)
Make it a binding global treaty

Of course the devil is in the details, like who has to come up with that $200 billion? But you have to admire their specificity and their relentless energy.

The organization has been busy this week, and they have more planned. You can sign up to get updates directly from 350.org, or wait to see it on YouTube. Either way, stay tuned for more!

350.org Vigils in Copenhagen and Around the World originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse Appear in Copenhagen, Scare No One

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Climate Change

Blame it on a public used to movies filled with gory and realistic CGI monsters, like the really scary skull headed dudes on horses in "Lord of the Rings." Yesterday Greenpeace did a protest reenactment of the Bible's biggest terror-mongers and harbingers of doom, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and it was just sort of ... meh. Not scary at all.

Four protesters with some amateurish face paint and costumes borrowed from the Eastville, PA, junior high wardrobe cabinet, don't make much of an impression on an average Monday, nevermind in the middle of Copenhagen when every activist is there with their "nudity/fake bloody polar bear/effigy of a world-leader-on-a-stick" A-game.

Which is a shame, because the Greenpeace message was actually pretty smart, and pretty scary.

The goal of the protest was to remind all of the world leaders gathered in Copenhagen that failure to act will have serious consequences, i.e. famine, death, war and pestilence.

Greenpeace says that we need to keep the global temperature increase under 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or else our food supplies will fail, there will be major outbreaks of diseases, the crazy weather -- heat waves and floods! -- will get worse, and there will be huge population migrations which will lead to conflict.

According to Greenpeace, "an estimated 300,000 people are already dying due to climate change every year," and that death toll will rise unless governments -- not just individuals composting and recycling their Smartwater bottles -- take big action, and darn fast.

So in other words, the actions of our elected officials will either save the world, or bring on complete destruction. And they're on a deadline.

See? Scary.

Greenpeace always has another protest on the schedule, and I'm sure they'll bring the big banners and drama next time. But maybe it was a good thing, to see that the organization is capable of a bit of nuance. In fact, I think it lends a certain credibility. That's what caught my attention this week, amidst all of the other dramatic, neon-bright protests.

Cheers to the quiet, dignified Greenpeace "World is Ending, On Horses" demonstration. Nice work!

Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse Appear in Copenhagen, Scare No One originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earth Island Institute: Support for Grassroots Visionaries

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Activism

A few weeks ago I was wandering down the incense-scented aisles of a green conference and stumbled upon the Earth Island Institute booth. They are an awesome group that helps individuals who have big ideas for saving the environment, but no money or structure to get the ball rolling.

David R. Brower founded Earth Island Institute in 1982. Brower is a legendary environmentalist who also founded a few other organizations you may know: the Sierra Club Foundation, Friends of the Earth, and the League of Conservation Voters. You could say he knew a thing or two about what it takes to turn a good idea into a movement.

All organizations, including environmental activists, need administrative support. The challenge for an individual or small group is that basic admin tasks can be incredibly costly and time-consuming, taking resources away from saving the planet, or some other noble deed. That's where Earth Island Institute comes in.
Earth Island Institute makes it easier for "early stage" leaders get great ideas off the ground by providing the kind of stability and support you usually only get when you're part of a big, established organization. At the same time, activists keep the agility of a small, independent group or even one person.

As an umbrella organization, Earth Island Institute provides those basic admin services, like accounting, office management, and even space and equipment. They also offer advice, help managing grant funds, and figuring out tax issues.

They also have programs to grow and nurture leaders, like the New Leaders Initiative and the Brower Youth Awards, which trains, supports and celebrates emerging environmental leaders in North America.

Check out the site to learn more, especially the fun to read Earth Island Journal -- and most importantly, here's where to donate if you want to support the work they do!

Earth Island Institute: Support for Grassroots Visionaries originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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