Green Daily

'The Yes Men Fix the World': Movie Review

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Movies, TV and Books, News, Activism

I'm sure a few of you will agree with me that the Eco/Green Movement can be a bit lacking in the sense of humor department. But two men -- two Yes Men -- have made it their mission to remedy both corporate wrong doings, and the dearth of laughs in the discussion.

Mike Bonnano and Andy Bichlbaum are the Yes Men -- or at least, those are their stage names. The two activists/performers/pranksters/identity thieves -- although they call it "identity correction" -- star in the new documentary "The Yes Men Fix the World," which showcases some of the big "Borat"-style hoaxes they've played on corporate world, all in the name of drawing attention to the way things should be.

The film opens with Andy Bichlbaum preparing to appear on the BBC as "Jude Finisterra", a representative of Dow Chemical. He is endearingly, and understandably, nervous, because he's about to tell a whopper of lie to the entire world: that Dow accepts all responsibility for the Bhopal chemical accident and ragedy, and plan to sell off subsidiary Union Carbide to finance $12 billion in reparations.

Although the announcement was unmasked as a hoax within a few hours, Dow stock took a $2 billion hit, and the Yes Men learned that the corporate world punishes, rather than rewards, good behavior.

The film follows the pair as they perpetrate several outrageous direct actions that seemingly fail to elicit a reaction from their audiences, including:

appearing at a gas and oil conference in Canada as representative of Exxon to present a new energy source called "Vivoleum," made from humans
presenting the Halliburton "Survivaball", an expensive, inflatable suit that can protect you from climate change calamities -- "good for Cabinet Members", as one audience member says
telling a group of contractors in New Orleans that HUD plans to reopen public housing that had been scheduled to be demolished following Hurricane Katrina.

The last group actually did react, cheering the decision even though it meant less work for them. Of course it didn't change the real HUD's demolition plans, so you be the judge of the success of the stunt.

"The Yes Men Fix the World" has several laugh-out-loud moments, an equal number of "They didn't just say that, did they?"gasps, and dozens of "Oh my, they're definitely getting sued for that!" scenes.

Surprisingly, The Yes Men have escaped legal attention, until their recent fake press conference for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in which they declared that the organization was reversing its stand on climate change and supporting the Boxer/Kerry Climate Bill.

It was a fairly mundane press conference until the real spokesperson for the U.S. Chamber of commerce showed up and started yelling. Then it became entertaining enough to include in the next Yes Men movie!

'The Yes Men Fix the World': Movie Review originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nuclear Energy, the New Green Hope?

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: News, Alternative Energy, Climate Change

Exelon Byron Nuclear Generating Stations, IL. Photo: JEFF HAYNES, Getty Images

Back in the 70s, I remember nuclear energy being discussed in the same breath as geothermal and solar power. But then the partial core meltdown happened at Three Mile Island in 1979, giving the American public a huge scare about the safety of nuclear reactors.

It didn't help matters when the film "Silkwood", starring Meryl Streep, came out in 1983, showing how workers who were exposed to plutonium had to be literally scrubbed raw -- those decontamination showers are burned into the brains of a generation!

But the climate crisis has created the urgent need for a power source that doesn't produce CO2. There are already several nuclear power-plants online in the U.S. In 31 states there are 104 reactors, which provide about 20% of our energy -- and 70% of our emission-free energy.
As Josh discussed earlier this month, now that the climate bill is making its way through the Senate, thanks to a group of mainly Republican -- but some Democrat -- champions, nuclear power is taking center stage in the debate.

On one side you have the argument that the danger of toxic waste contamination far out-weighs the benefits. There is also the ongoing threat of terrorists targeting a nuclear reactor. The other side of the debate maintains that nuclear is safe, sustainable and abundantly available.

Like the rest of the climate debate, opinions on this topic are strong and convictions are deeply held. What do you think? Should we invest in expanding our nuclear capabilities, or put those resources toward growing alternative energy sources like wind and solar power?

Nuclear Energy, the New Green Hope? originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saving Seeds for the Future

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Plants and Wildlife

Getty Images/AFP Stringer

Some people put away money for a rainy day. Other people bank a different kind of green to save for the future. They collect seeds!

Seed banks are a way to preserve seeds and plants (despite the name, many seed banks collect plants and grow the seeds, too) in the event of a disaster, like a war or some kind of climate catastrophe. The idea is to protect biodiversity, as well as food sources, so that we don't accidentally completely wipe out a really useful plant by over-harvesting it, or destroying the habitat where it grows.

The Millennium Seed Bank, which is associated with 250-year-old Kew Gardens, announced last week that they have samples of 10 percent of the world's seeds in their vault. Their goal is to collect 25 percent of the world's seeds by 2020!

In a great video from the BBC, shot at the Millennium Seed Bank, the seed processing manager, Janet Terry, walks us through the intake process for seeds. Key learning: seed storage requires a cold environment. The temperature in the vaults is kept at -20 degrees celsius.

The frigid temperatures of the permafrost of northern Norway was one of the reasons it was chosen as the location for the Svalbard Seed Vault. Also known as the "Doomsday Vault", it's basically a safe backup copy of seeds from genebanks around the world. So, if for some reason all of the other samples of a seed are destroyed, someone can go to Norway to get a replacement. Assuming global travel to remote parts of Norway is still possible.

Some days it really does seem like we're bent on destroying all green areas of the world. In a way it's reassuring that someone is thinking about a plan B, just in case we succeed.

Saving Seeds for the Future originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blog Action Day: Climate Change

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Activism, Climate Change

Today is "Blog Action Day", an annual event held every October 15th, where blogs around the world all talk about the same topic. This year the topic is Climate Change, and can I just say, I'm so excited to see everyone writing about this!

Sometimes I feel like I'm harping on this topic again and again and again, but hey, it's real, important and relevant to every single one of us. From the way the weather is changing around the world, to the causes of these changes, to the things you can do right now to reduce your carbon footprint and slow down the changes, all of us need to have a voice in the climate change discussion.

Since I've already written a lot of posts on the topic, today I'd like to go back and share my 10 favorite posts I've written on climate change:

The Copenhage Climate Conference Simplified -- All eyes will be on the leaders of the world when they meet in Denmark this December to establish an agreement to reduce global carbon emissions. As the successor to the Kyoto Protocol, it's serious global politics, and can be confusing, but this post spells out the basic goals of the conference.

October 24th International Day of Climate Change Action -- Coming up in just over a week, it's another day dedicated to Climate Change, this time action in real life. Sponsored by 350.org, the group that advocates getting the CO2 in the atmosphere down to 350 parts per million, the goal of the day is to send a message to the politicians of the world that we want them to get it right in Copenhagen. And btw, 350.org is supported by the top NASA climate scientist James Hansen -- this is real science.

Earth Days - a Film by Robert Stone - The first ever "environmental day of action" was April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day. Documentary filmmaker Robert Stone shows us the history and circumstances that led up to the big day, and what's happened in the 30 years since then. It gives you a whole new perspective on the environmental movement!

Colin Beavan, No Impact Man, Talks to GreenDaily -- It's easy to get distracted by the high drama elements of Colin Beavan's year-long experiment in reducing his impact on the environment. No electricity in NYC? No toilet paper? But far more important -- and relevant -- is his message that you can live a good life without Starbucks and "three jet-skis in the garage". Check out his No Impact Project site to see how easy and pleasant it can be to live lightly on the earth.

Five Places to See Before Global Warming Destroys Them -- You know, in case we don't get this climate change thing figured out, it's important to know which issues of National Geographic will become collector's items.

Got a Big Pawprint? Curb it! -- Everyone in the family needs to pitch in to reduce carbon foot -- or paw -- prints, including Fido and Mr. Whiskers. Number one thing to do? Spay or neuter your pet!

The Coen Brothers Take on Clean Coal -- It was a toss up between this one and my post on the Clean Coal Unicorn (Which BTW Doesn't Exist). In the end I'm including both because I can't say it enough: clean coal will not solve our CO2 problems because it's an imaginary energy source. All coal = dirty.

Start Planning for Earth Hour 2009 -- Yes, it's done and past, but there will be another Earth Hour in 2010. In fact they're holding a special one in December in Copenhagen, again to give those world leaders at COP 15 a message. Plus the video always gives me the chills. It's an uplifting message to hear that our individual efforts which can feel small, collectively add up to something great.

Al Gore Asked Me To Help Repower America -- When Big A.G. (that can also stand for Alpha Green) asks you to do something, how can anyone refuse? He sent a "personalized" email asking me to spread the word about the most convincing, down-to-earth video argument for U.S.-sourced clean energy ever. Here you go, again, Mr. Vice President.

Friends of the Earth Go Naked to Protest Fraud -- I had to include at least one naked activist post. After all, nothing says "society's gotta change this now!" like a naked 19 year old vegan, kept warm by the strength of her convictions, shaking a sign in the face of an evil conservative in a suit. Thank you, naked protesters, for keeping the environmental movement from taking itself too seriously.

The common theme in all of these posts is action. We all have it within our power to stop and reverse climate change. We just need to make the commitment to act decisively and quickly.

Here's my favorite metaphor for urgency around climate change, courtesy of Colin Beavan: If you hold a match to something, it will get hotter and hotter, until it catches fire. When that happens, you can blow out the match, but you can't undo the fire, or the damage it caused.

We're getting close to that point with CO2 levels and the climate. So keep the image of that flame in your head next time you're tempted to buy a bottle of water, or want to drive four blocks instead of walking. Shut off lights, buy from companies that advertise their sustainable practices, and let your politicians know that you want decisive action in Copenhagen.

If we all make every day "climate change day" then we'll reach our goal (which is a biggie: saving the planet and civilization) that much faster!

Blog Action Day: Climate Change originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Rough Being an Elephant

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: News, Plants and Wildlife

Asian elephant in the water. Credit: KAREN BLEIER, Getty Images

Remember earlier this year when baby elephant Mosha got a prosthetic leg thanks to Friends of the Asian Elephants, in Thailand? Well, those kind folks have provided another elephant, 48 year old Motola, with an artificial leg, to replace the one that she lost to a land mine 10 years ago.

Motola has been "practicing" with a temporary limb for three years, in order to get the muscles and tendons ready for her permanent leg. Even though she was a bit tentative putting weight on her new limb, she seemed pretty happy, spraying dirt to express her excitement.

Elephants used to be the primary form of transportation in Thailand, but they've been replaced by cars and trucks. Today one of the few roles left for elephants is providing rides to tourists, but that's still a rough life.
This weekend the New York Times posted a sad, yet beautiful, photo essay of elephants on the streets of Bangkok. Even though some of the mahouts are kind to their elephants, too many are careless, cruel and outright abusive.

Things aren't always much better here in the States, where elephants are treated horribly in circuses and disreputable zoos. PETA (naturally) has a detailed micro-site dedicated to the evils of circuses, particularly the maltreatment of elephants.

While you may not appreciate PETA's heavy-handed manner, you do have to admit they get results. When Britney Spears used circus animals in the video for her "comeback" song, Circus, PETA's letter writers got all up in Britney's grill. It worked (who knew anyone on her team could read?) very well -- in addition to not having any animals on the tour with her, and she went a step further and sent out a press release about the "animal-free" stage design.

Ideally elephants would get to live free-of-humans, in their natural habitat. Conservation efforts notwithstanding, it's a bit late for that. The next best thing is a well-run, caring zoo that functions as a wildlife refuge, like the one at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, or the North Carolina Zoo, which has seven acres of habitat for their elephants roam through.

That's definitely better than living in chains on the streets of Bangkok or being poked with a hook at the circus!

It's Rough Being an Elephant originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Copenhagen Climate Conference Simplified

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Climate Change

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Credit: TORU YAMANAKA, Getty Images

You've probably seen references to the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Conference that is being held this December in Denmark. The goal of the gathering, which will include (almost literally) every country in the world, is to create a new global protocol to address climate change, and that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.

I have to admit that news about this conference had become a sort of "cap/emissions/2 degrees warmer and we're all dead!" white noise to me. Climate change is another one of those topics that can be so overwhelmingly scary and negative that, like most people, after a while I tune it out.

An interview with UN climate chief Yvo de Boer simplified the goals of the conference for me, and made it seem more practical and less dire. It turns out they just have to answer four questions
I mean, sure, the final document that replaces the Kyoto Protocol will have a lot of legal details, but Yvo de Boer hopes to use the conference to achieve international consensus on these points:

1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?

2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?

3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?

4. How is that money going to be managed?

He didn't mention it, but the other big question is what role will the U.S. play this time, considering we decided not to sign the original Kyoto Protocol. President Barack Obama has signaled that the U.S. is willing to participate and even lead the changes required to save the planet (See? Scary and stressful. Sorry, it just goes with the topic.) but no one knows how it will play out in real life. All of this will require major diplomacy and negotiation, which will be fascinating to watch.

From there, the next step will be taking care of all of those pesky legal details. Fortunately for the busy government officials of the world, a coalition of international environmental NGO agencies drafted the 'Copenhagen Climate Treaty'. You can read all about the treaty on the WWF site.

In the words of Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International. "All that is needed now is political will and the 'cut and paste' feature to produce the agreement the world is waiting for."

Well, that does make it sound simple, doesn't it?

In addition to Greenpeace and WWF, the other NGOs behind this treaty are:

IndyACT - the League of Independent Activists
Germanwatch
David Suzuki Foundation
National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, and
expert individuals from around the world

Specifics of what this group, which I have to admit sounds like it skews just a bit to the radical/liberal side, came up with for the treaty include:

a carbon budget which would bring CO2 levels down to 1990 levels by 2020, and reduces them by another 80% by 2050
a new organization to manage the processes of "emissions cuts, adaptation and forest protection"
different plans for developed, developing and "Newly Industrialized" countries that match responsibility for action with resources and abilities

It's still a lot of information, but this does make the whole Copehagen Climate Conference thing seem a lot less mysterious.

The Copenhagen Climate Conference Simplified originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Traffic May Interfere With Frog Mating

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Climate Change, Plants and Wildlife

Rumbling trucks may be cock-blocking city frogs! In ponds across Australia, it seems that frogs can't "attract the ladies" because of loud noise from nearby highways, according to a new report by Melbourne University ecologist Kirsten Parris.

Parris has been studying the lives of frogs in urban Australia since 2000. During this time period, the number of frogs has declined. She hypothesizes that male frogs, who attract a mate by having the most appealing "croak", are having a hard time being heard over the sound of city traffic. The result? Fewer mates, and fewer offspring.

Why do we care? Because animals having sex is fascinating! Have you seen Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno on the Sundance Channel? Besides being artistically clever, totally hilarious and starring the divine Ms. Rossellini, the 60 second clips are riveting because they're about s-e-x.

Well, there is another reason to care, at least in the case of the frogs. Because they are so sensitive to the environment, frogs are considered an indicator species for ecological health issues. Usually we're worried about them having too many eyes, or not enough legs, or other birth defects because of fertilizers poisoning their immune systems, or creating genetic havoc.

In this case, we're seeing that noise pollution, created by us, can also influence whether or not a species thrives and survives. Most scientists agree that noise pollution also has a negative impact on whales, including mating activity, and is blamed by some for dolphin and whale beachings.

Solution? Quieter engines, of course. As in, those silent hybrid or electric engines. Little known fact*: The original Prius campaign slogan was "So quiet you can hear animals having sex."

Yup, one more reason for us hybrid owners to feel proud. Supporting frog sex on a daily basis. You're welcome, Kermit.

*By fact we mean one of the original ideas. That we had. Probably Prius did not.

Traffic May Interfere With Frog Mating originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Onion Accuses PETA of Misogyny and it's Halfway True

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: News, Activism

Advocacy Group Decries PETA's Inhumane Treatment Of Women

It's about time someone took on the woman-haters of PETA. I speak of course of The Onion's exposé of the extreme animal rights group's misogynistic attitudes and practices. In the video above, a spokeswoman for "Women Deserve Better" talks about PETA's cruel practices like making them hold live animals against their naked bodies or putting them in shackels and sticking them in cages.

It does sound bad when it put it like that!

In addition to these ugly acts, PETA also makes them sit through long photo shoots and feeds them nut dogs. High crimes indeed. "Women Deserve Better" hope to rescue these "hundreds" of women, and take them to a farm where they can live out their lives in peace. Presumably away from vegetarian protesters.
Even though this particular video is a joke (really, PETA doesn't make the women do sexual stuff with raw vegetables, they apparently like to do it) there are plenty of legitimate examples of PETA's exploitation of women, like:

all those protests with half-naked pregnant women in cages
the Milk Gone Wild campaign
when they asked Ben and Jerry's to replace the milk in ice cream with breast milk
Want more? Check out this long list of PETA's bad ads over at Feministe

My personal feminist beef with PETA (pun intended) is that most of the naked women in their ad campaigns have big, fake boobs. Like, it's so bad to put animal products in your body, but carving up your body to insert a plastic bag full of silicon or saline solution is just fine.

Nudity gets attention and traffic, so PETA's not going to stop exploiting women in the service of animal rights any time soon. I guess we'll just have to keep pointing out what jerks they are, while agreeing that going meat-free (occasionally) does have some environmental benefits.

The Onion Accuses PETA of Misogyny and it's Halfway True originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What if it's Good That Michael Vick is a Public Figure?

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, News, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Getty Images)

Yesterday saw a lot of outrage and disbelief that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally reinstated convicted dog abuser Michael Vick. This means he can practice through the pre-season with teams, and even play by the sixth game of the season, although (so far) no one has extended an invitation to him. It's also being perceived as a subtle and public act of forgiveness for something that most of us find unforgivable. And that's pretty upsetting.

In addition to financing the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting ring, Vick was also sickeningly -- and personally -- cruel to the animals in his care. He served two years in prison, lost all of his endorsement deals, and was suspended indefinitely from the NFL.

Vick is a gifted athlete, but for most of us, participating in dogfighting is a deal-breaker. It automatically and forever makes you a sicko, and trying to make money off of it makes you a sociopath. It's not a sport, and there is absolutely no way to put a good spin on it.
During his incarceration, Vick did his best to try spin it as much as possible. He took his case to the court of public opinion, releasing statements about how much he regretted his actions. He's talking now about how he's matured with the help of mentors like Tony Dungy. And after a false start with PETA, who broke up with him when he wouldn't submit to a psych eval from one of their shrinks, he's working with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) on an anti-dogfighting campaign.

In the surprising role of (literal) devil's advocate is Wayne Pacelle, President of the HSUS. Pacelle has a fascinating post on their blog about why the organization is working with Vick on the intervention program to prevent young people from getting involved in dogfighting in the first place, and why it's the right thing to do.

Pacelle freely admits that he's unsure of Vick's commitment. But he's very dedicated to the organization's campaign against dogfighting, and he points out that an intervention program could have helped Vick 15 years ago and prevented him from committing such terrible crimes. It sounds different when you put it like that, doesn't it?

So is Vick's reinstatement to the NFL -- which includes a tacit "role model" status -- acceptable if he actually does turn over a new leaf and start providing a good example to kids? Is it worth letting him make money and receive the accolades that go with a pro ball career if he uses his position to teach a generation of inner-city youth that you have to treat dogs, and anyone or anything weaker than you, with respect and care?

Is Vick getting the second chance he deserves, or is the NFL and HSUS just extending special treatment to someone because he's famous and talented?

What if it's Good That Michael Vick is a Public Figure? originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baby Bonanza at the Smithsonian National Zoo

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Plants and Wildlife

If you've been wanting to visit the zoo, now is the time. All the babies that were born in the spring are now big enough to be part of the exhibits, and, apparently, more are being born!

It's been a busy week at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Conservation & Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia, where they welcomed a clouded leopard cub, a Przewalski's foal, and five (so far) Red Panda cubs.

In addition to the feel good news about baby pretty much anything, these births are something to celebrate because all three species are seriously threatened.

The clouded leopard is native to Asia, and the species is endangered because of deforestation of their natural habitat. Even though the National Zoo has an aggressive breeding program, births in captivity are rare.

Przewalski's horse is extinct in the wild, so every healthy birth helps keep this breed from complete extinction. The good news is that the foal was seen nursing, which is an excellent sign of health.

And what can you say about Red Pandas? They combine all of the charm of pandas and raccoons, with a dash of mischief thrown in, as evidenced by their gingery coloring. The native of limited parts of Asia -- the Himalayan foothills, and in the mountains of southwestern China, is victim to the same old story; as their habitat has been developed/destroyed, their numbers have dwindled and now they're endangered.

But everyone wants to pitch in to help save the Red Pandas -- even dogs and cats. Last month a dog in China adopted two Red Pandas that had been abandoned by their mother. And in the video above, a tabby cat that belongs to a Dutch zookeeper decided to get in on the "Save a Red Panda" movement, allowing the Red Panda to nurse alongside her kittens.

There's a lesson in there somewhere, about helping others. And it's a happy note to start the weekend!

Baby Bonanza at the Smithsonian National Zoo originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wal-Mart Keeps Pushing Green Image

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: News

(Photo by Getty Images)

Today Walmart is holding what they're calling a Sustainability Milestone Meeting at their corporate headquarters (aka "The Mothership") in Bentonville, Arkansas. Word on the street is that will use the conference to unveil their new "sustainability index" which they will use to rate the environmental impact of all merchandise -- yes, literally everything -- sold in the stores.

The index will take into account several factors, including manufacturing, waste management and how the product is used. Some presumably brilliant faculty members from University of California at Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan helped create the index, so in theory it should be all based on data and facts and fair things like that.

Walmart has been grinding the "how can we be evil if we're so green and sustainability-driven?" axe for a while. And yeah, you have to admit that they make a good gesture of using the power of their bulk for good -- if they demand that a supplier change their practices to reduce the carbon footprint of their production facilities, or engage in fair trade practices, then what choice does the supplier have? The result is what we should care about, in theory, although the bully methods are cringe-worthy.
Besides, there is just something so creepy and Borg-like about Walmart. It seems like too much power for any single company, never mind the Great Pagan God of Big Box Chain Store Consumerism, to become the arbiter of sustainability and good citizenship.

For something like this index to become widely used, it would need to be very transparently applied, and probably have some kind of external board of administrators, for oversight. It could be made up of people like Sting, Al Gore, Ed Begley Jr. and maybe the Dalai Lama. Or is that just one Peter Gabriel song short of a Live Aid concert?

More shall be revealed today at the ~~revival~~ meeting down in Arkansas. But expect Wal-Mart to keep working the "What? We're So Eco-Friendly!" angle as long as it helps them make money.

Wal-Mart Keeps Pushing Green Image originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Leather, No Vinyl - Are Organic Cotton Bags the Only Green Option?

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Fashion, Health, News

(Photo by Target)

Okay, so I get that we shouldn't use leather, because it's (theoretically) cruel to kill animals for fashion, and the tanning and dying process is (definitely) an environmental nightmare that produces evil, poisonous sludge.

A fashionable girl can still turn to fun (and bonus: inexpensive) vinyl options from trendy bargain retailers like Target and H&M. No animals hurt here! Except, wait, the production of vinyl is sort of nasty. But did I mention, no animals hurt? Vegan? Please, can't I at least have a leather looking bag?

Apparently the answer is "No." A news alert from the Center for Environmental Health just released results from a study that found vinyl bags bought in the Bay Area have high -- dangerously high -- levels of lead in them. Great! That's where I live, and I'm carrying a fabulous H&M vinyl bag right now. Except I just dropped it like a radiation-hot potato.
Now, I'm no chemist, but why in the world do you need to use lead to produce a handbag? Is it really that hard to make something without animal products or vile chemicals? Actually I'm sure the answer is online somewhere, so let's just take that question as academic and move on to the important one: What materials are left for a stylish green gal to tote?

I just went through a sustainable vs. eco-friendly decision matrix with shoes, so it shouldn't be a surprise that bags are an issue too. Just last month I did a post on socially responsible and chic summer bags, like the black straw Kelly Starfish bag from Claire V. But now I have to wonder about the vegan Matt & Nat bags that I adore so very much because they're made of vinyl.

There will be more on this topic -- I might be willing to give up steaks once in a while, but no amount of C02 or poisonous dyes will ever make me carry a brown hemp bag. There must be a fashionable solution out there!

No Leather, No Vinyl - Are Organic Cotton Bags the Only Green Option? originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can Businesses Save the Bees? At Least They're Trying!

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Food, News, Plants and Wildlife

Scientists and agriculturalists and beekeepers continue to struggle to find an explanation -- and a solution -- for the worldwide disappearance of honey bees.

Maybe disappearance is the wrong word -- one in three bee colonies is actually dying. This phenomenon is known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and has been linked to cell phones, climate change, parasites, and even UFOs. As in, aliens are coming to Earth, landing in fields, collecting our bees, and flying away.

In other words, we just don't know why it's happening!

One of the biggest benefits of having bees around is that farmers depend on them to pollinate crops, including one third of the produce grown in the U.S. So when you don't have any bees ... no pollination ... and no produce.

This is galvanizing some companies, like wild blueberry producer Wyman's of Maine, to take an active role in bee management and reserach. Literally every blueberry plant must be pollinated by a honey bee. As Wyman's president, Ed Flanagan, says, "It's simple: no bees, no blueberries!"

Wyman's is a family owned company that has been growing blueberries for 125 years. This year they will bring in approximately ten thousand hives, which equals about 200 million honeybees to pollinate more than 7,000 acres of wild blueberry crop in Maine and on Prince Edward Island.

Recognizing their dependence on bees for survival, Wyman's supports CCD research efforts, both through political actions like testifying before Congress, and by donating money to the CCD research at Penn State.

Another company that needs bees for business is ice cream giant Haagen Dazs, and they also donate to the CCD research at Penn State. Last week they did a big promotion, giving away a free scoop of "Bee-built" flavored ice cream to help raise awareness about CCD. Their website, called Help The Honey Bees, has ideas for how people can help, and the best bee costume dance videos around.

How can you help?

Donating to research centers like Penn State or University of California Davis, is always a good step -- all researchers love money!
Vote with your dollars by support the companies like Wyman's and Haagen Dazs that are bringing attention to CCD.
Right in your own backyard you can plant flowers that bees like -- it's a start!
Watch the videos and tell everyone about them -- the more people know about CCD, the more support there will be to find a solution.

Can Businesses Save the Bees? At Least They're Trying! originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 22 May 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Year Later, The Pandas Are Doing Okay

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: News, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Getty Images)

Last week was the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake on May 12, 2008, that destroyed the Wolong Panda sanctuary in the Sichuan province of China. The surviving pandas were sent to other sanctuaries around the country, and eight of the pandas had an extended stay at the Beijing zoo over the summer.

Most have now moved to their new luxurious sanctuary in Bi Feng Xia. Jennifer Keating from the San Diego zoo took a trip to China and reports that the dedicated keepers and adorable animals are all recovering nicely and adapting well to their new location.

While reading about the status, I stumbled across news of a movie that was being filmed at Wolong when the 8.0 earthquake struck. The Disney film is the story of an orphan boy who finds a lost panda cub, and helps the cub find his mother. The surprising thing is that they used real pandas -- not animated -- to tell the story.

The Chinese filmmakers had the cooperation of the Wolong research center, but they were only allowed to film each panda for 90 minutes a day. And even then, they had to get lucky and hope the panda just naturally wanted to sleep, or play, or do whatever was called for in the script, because they weren't allowed to train, prod, or otherwise "forcefully" motivate the cubs.

One way they managed was to use six different cubs to play Pang Pang (which means "Chubby" in Chinese) the star of the film. They also adapted the script along the way. But tragedy almost shut down the movie before they finished, when the earthquake hit just days before they wrapped filming.

Twenty-eight crew members were stranded in the mountains and had to hike for three days until they were rescued by the Chinese military. And sadly, Mao Mao, the panda who played Pang Pang's mother, was one of the pandas killed in the earthquake.

The filmmakers persevered, and on May 8th this year, almost one year to the date, they released "Trail of the Panda" in China. If it does well in there, Disney plans to redub it and distribute it around the world. Since pandas are so irresistible, that probably means we'll see it in time for the holidays!

One Year Later, The Pandas Are Doing Okay originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 21 May 2009 12:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did the Obama Administration Just Fail the Polar Bear?

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: News, Activism, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Getty Images)

The big environmental news over the weekend was an announcement that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar would not overturn an 11th hour Bush rule that limits Endangered Species Act protection for polar bears.

Environmentalists, activists and scientists have been lobbying to get the rule reversed since it went into effect in December. And it was a shock to most Democrats that Salazar didn't use his special authority to undo the Bush damage.

Salazar's explanation was that the Endangered Species Act is the wrong way to pursue corporate green house gas emitters, and he left open the possibility that he would enact other laws to strengthen environmental protection for polar bears and other animals whose habitat is threatened by climate change.

This actually sound sort of logical to me, and hints that the Obama administration might even have some other, bigger environmental changes in the works. But it was not good enough at all for environmental activists like Greenpeace. They're foaming at the mouth!

As soon as they heard the news, Greenpeace did a "direct communication" action outside of Salazar's office: Two activists ("solemnly") walked into the pond in front of the Department of the Interior building and dropped off a symbolic drowned polar bear.

Yeah, they sacrificed a big, white stuffed animal in a corporate water feature. How very PETA of them.

Actually, let me take that back. If PETA had been running that protest, the activists would have been topless, pregnant women, wearing polar bear masks. With duct tape over the mouths. In cages.

Maybe next time!

Did the Obama Administration Just Fail the Polar Bear? originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 11 May 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You'll Get Luckier - At Least With a Chimp - If You Buy Dinner First

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: News, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Getty Images)

Hey, Friday night, date night! Are some of you menfolk feeling like you could use some special loving from your loved one? Try getting her in the mood with a big, juicy steak!

Sorry if I just rattled a bunch of vegetarian cages, that wasn't my intention! I'm just passing along some new primate related research that shows male chimps who share meat get more sex action from the lady chimps. In fact, they double their mating chances when they pass the leg bone!

The old "boom boom" doesn't happen when other behaviors, like groomings, are exchanged. In fact, grooming usually just gets you more grooming. Yawn.

Naturally, since we're all descended from primates (except for those nice folks who were supernaturally deposited from spaceships over the past few thousand years -- welcome to our planet!) the next step is to investigate how this behavior plays out with humans.

In other words, more research needs to be done to see if humans also have "the dude you date" vs. "the guy who does your hair" categories. And if the dude you date gives you carne asada, do you reciprocate with caliente amore?

As interesting as that will be, I think most of us are familiar with the dinner = nookie paradigm. The really important question is, "Do vegetarians get more or less sex than meat eaters?" Let's find out!

View Poll

You'll Get Luckier - At Least With a Chimp - If You Buy Dinner First originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's a Baby Boy - or Girl - Giraffe at the San Francisco Zoo!

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: News, Plants and Wildlife

Proud San Francisco Zoo giraffe parents, Kristin and Floyd, are pleased to announce the birth of a new giraffe calf!

The baby giraffe was born this week, and is the second calf born to the herd this year. In January, Bititi received a bundle of leggy joy named Camilla.

The zoo vets are keeping an eye on this new calf, who seems to be healthy. They don't know if it's a boy or a girl -- they haven't done a physical exam yet, and apparently these things aren't super-obvious, even to the trained eye.

Here's another little pearl of wisdom you might not know -- the gestation period for a giraffe is 14 to 15 months! Also, giraffes give birth standing up, and baby giraffes are up to six feet tall when born.

Admit it -- right this minute you're glad you're not a pregnant giraffe.

The San Francisco Zoo is seeing a bit of a baby boom lately. In addition to the two giraffe calves, there's also the irresistible baby gorilla Hasani and a baby howler monkey. They're celebrating with a four month long Baby Bonanza in May, June, July and August, inviting visitors to bring their babies to see the babies at the Zoo.

A word of advice if you decide to come visit San Francisco and see the Baby Bonanza at the Zoo this summer: please remember to pack a winter jacket! Those jokes about cold summers and fog? All too true!

It's a Baby Boy - or Girl - Giraffe at the San Francisco Zoo! originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earth Hour Around the World

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: News, Activism

Saturday night was the big event -- Earth Hour where landmarks, organizations and regular folks shut off the lights for an hour at 8:30pm local time.

There was a candlelight walk in Washington D.C., crowds gathered as the mayors of Nashville and LA switched off the lights, and even Las Vegas shut off the Strip! Vegas visitors got glow sticks to keep the party illuminated, while the marquees went dark.

They even turned off the lights in Thomas Edison's laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey.

It's amazing to check out photos of all of the landmarks around the world. I found a bunch of before and after images which show you how much of a difference it makes to turn off the lights.

Gallery: Earth Hour Around the World

Earth Hour Around the World originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US Home Sizes Shrink for First Time in 10 Years

Josh Loposer — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Home, News, GreenFinance

Is McMansion culture finally coming to an end? Current data about new homes in the US seems to indicate that the economy -- and possibly an increase in energy and environmental awareness -- is affecting the tendency to fixate on a home's square-footage above all else. From the second to fourth quarter in 2008, average new home square footage in the US plummeted from 2,629 to 2343.

While it took a major mortgage and economic meltdown to reverse the bigger is better trend, there's some real hope out there that the change will leave a lasting impression. According to VP of the National Association of Home Builders Gopal Ahluwalia: "this will remain a trend. I don't expect this (home size) to come back up ... family size has been declining for the past 35 years." Is the economy forcing us to realize what we've already knew about energy-efficiency, maintenance, and sustainability? KB Homes, one of the nation's largest builders, has watched its average home size shrink from 2,400 sq-ft to just 1,600 over the last two years. In Houston, they've started selling an 880 sq-ft house for $63,995.

[via TreeHugger]

US Home Sizes Shrink for First Time in 10 Years originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Legislators Hope to Initiate Solar Bonanza

Josh Loposer — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Polit-eco, Alternative Energy

If you've ever spent time in the Lone Star State, it quickly becomes obvious -- sometimes painfully so -- that Texas enjoys an abundance of burning, scorching sunshine. While not everyone views these rays as a resource yet, lobbyists, policymakers and politicians (the three most dreaded groups in the state) are working on an incentive package to make Texas a leader in solar energy.

Thus far, 69 renewable energy bills have been introduce in this Texas legislative session, and 50 of them focus on boosting the state's solar resources. Some representatives have even taken to calling this the "solar session." According to representative Mark Strama:

"There are senators and representatives that are talking about solar that have never mentioned the word probably in their lives. We've actually heard the term 'global warming,' and two years ago that was called 'the G word' - you didn't talk about it."

Considering the state's success with promoting wind energy, it's easy to imagine that much of the momentum will start to spill over into becoming the preeminent force solar energy as well. Austin Energy just gave the green light to the largest solar farm in the nation, so that's a start.

[via Earth2Tech]

Texas Legislators Hope to Initiate Solar Bonanza originally appeared on Green Daily on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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