Green Daily

Shark Week 2009, one of the Discovery Channel's most popular annual features, is wrapping up. Those of us who grew up during "The Jaws Years" will probably always view these muscular creatures with a healthy dose of fear, but these days sharks also have a healthy and active fan club.

Several organizations, like Ocean Conservancy and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, hope to capitalize on the cultural phenomenon of Shark Week and draw attention to the plight of sharks around the world.

Every year millions of sharks are killed by "shark finning" -- fishermen slice off their fins and throw the bleeding carcases back into the sea, where the helpless, maimed sharks bleed to death, starve, drown or are eaten by other fish. The majority of the fins are used in shark fin soup, a delicacy in Asian cultures.

(Photo by Getty Images)

In this country, we're lucky to have the freedom to choose to act any way that we please -- whether it's good or bad for the environment.

Fortunately, more and more Americans are picking energy smart appliances, walking instead of driving, and encouraging our elected officials to support legislation that creates clean energy jobs.

On that last note, Repower America has a 4th of July pledge on their site, letting you declare that you want our country to:

This was a pretty exciting week for me. I got a "personalized" email from Alpha Green Al Gore, asking me to support Repower America's efforts to convince Congress to pass aggressive climate legislation. I think he's the greatest! (And I hope/believe he's secretly doing something to get Laura Ling and Euna Lee released from that North Korean labor camp.)

You may remember Al's awesome speech to the Daughters of the American Revolution, when he challenged America to get 100% of our power from clean energy sources within 10 years. Repower America is the organization that grew in response to that challenge, with over 2 million members across the country.

The video above is the latest ad from Repower America, and it's just plain-talking awesomeness. The totally crusty, hardworking, traditional-seeming gentleman who stars in it hits all of the high points -- like how we're "held hostage by foreign oil" and "borrowing money to buy oil from dictators who don't like us" and "burning it in ways that kill God's green earth" -- using language that makes these ideas accessible and palatable to non-bleeding heart liberals. You know, like the majority of the country.

(Photo by Getty Images)

I have to admit that as a resident of San Francisco, with our "no plastic bags" rule, high Prius-density, and museum with a grass covered roof, I always took our green primacy for granted.

We even have an uber-green Mayor McHottie Gavin Newsom who's now running for Governor ... Of course SF is the greenest city in the U.S.! I mean, who can challenge us besides Berkeley with their subsidized solar panels?

With this attitude, you can just imagine my surprise when I heard that Philadelphia plans to take the title of "Greenest City in America" for themselves! They want to make Philadelphia "the city of the future" with smart energy, environmental and social policies.

(Photo by Getty Images)

World Oceans Day is less than a month away, and this year it's official, so you might even be able to get the day off from work! Hey, it's summer time, give it a shot.

Since 1992, on June 8th, a growing number of people around the globe have been celebrating oceans, one our planet's most influential natural resources. Oceans provide oxygen, regulate the climate, and are a vital source of food. Our survival is inexorably linked to the health of the water that cover the majority of the planet.

This year the United Nations finally recognized World Ocean Day as an international observance, and there are celebrations happening at aquariums, schools and zoos all over the world. Some of the goals for the day include:

• Reflection -- think about what the ocean means to you, and how you can help conserve it for the future
• Discovery -- oceans are literally vast and deep, and they contain some of the most exotic and fascinating creatures on the planet
• Conservation -- we can all take steps to help keep our oceans clean, healthy and filled with life

The theme for this first official year of celebrations is "one ocean, one climate, one future" and you can find local events -- and ones around the world -- by checking the events listing on The Ocean Project.

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California festivities will go on through the weekend and include book readings by Joel Harper, author of All the Way to the Ocean, on Saturday, and Brad Herzog, author of S is for Save the Planet on Sunday. The family-friendly festivities include crafts and face painting for kids.

In Florida there will be events at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, on June 6th, and on June 7th at the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, where face painting will also play a prominent role in the festivities.

In Honolulu, Hawai`i, on June 8th, there will be a special event at the Hawai`i State Capitol auditorium featuring a lecture from Dr. Anthony Andrady, one of the world's leading researchers in the field of microplastics and the marine environment. The free event will be presented by the Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i.

In several locations, groups will screen A Sea of Change, a documentary about ocean acidification and the impact of this chemical change on the seafood chain. Screenings of the film are taking place in Australia, Europe, North America, and the Hawaiian Islands. Linking the screenings will be a live webcast panel emanating from the Beacon Institute in Beacon, NY.

Do you live far from an ocean? You can still find a way to celebrate World Oceans Day, even if it's putting on a pair of board shorts, grabbing a beer, and watching some big wave surfing videos on YouTube. The important thing is to starting thinking about our relationship with oceans, and the effect our actions have them.

As a matter of fact, surfers are actually great roles! It would be pretty radical if more people tried to emulate the dudes who are trying to Save our Seas!

Even though HRH Prince Charles has been an environmental crusader for many years, lately he's been catching a lot of flack for all of the CO2 he emits while crusading against climate change.

(People! He's a prince! Royalty! He's never going to fly economy class from London to Rome. Never! If for no other reason than it's a huge security hazard for the other passengers!)

The Prince's preference for private jets aside, he is a very smart man who has spent years studying -- and crusading for -- ways to conserve the wild places in the world. In advance of the big climate summit in Copenhagen, he is kicking off a new campaign to save rainforests, with help from celebrities like Daniel Craig, the Dalai Lama, Joss Stone, Harrison Ford, and of course, Kermit the Frog.

I say "of course" because Kermit is always sticking his cold green area-that-would-be-a-nose, if he had one, into environmental causes. And also because the star of the campaign is another frog, a surprisingly lifelike animated frog that appears alongside the stars and "ribbits' at humorous moments.

The campaign is part of "The Prince's Rainforest Project" which has two goals:

• to raise awareness of the damaging effects for everyone of deforestation
• to identify appropriate incentives that will encourage rainforest nations to stop burning down vast areas of valuable trees.

My favorite part of this video is when Prince Charles points out that one way to save the rainforests to make the trees as valuable when they are alive and "breathing" as when they are chopped down for timber and to clear farm land. See? The Prince is a smart guy! And surprisingly practical for someone who mostly lives in castles with tons of servants, and who refers to himself in the plural.

Most importantly, he's a guy who is using his position to help save the world. It's almost enough to make me forgive him for the whole Princess Diana thing. In fact, if he can stop climate change, I'm willing to call it even.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Happy Earth Day! In 1970, 20 million Americans celebrated the first Earth Day, thanks to an inspired idea from U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and a strong response from the fledgling grassroots environmental movement.

Today the green movement is practically mainstream, with hybrid cars, LEED buildings going up across the nation, and a Sigg bottle in every backpack. But there is still plenty of work to be done to keep our planet healthy, and today is the day to think about the big and small ways you can go a little greener.

Like most people, I have great intentions, but sometimes life gets so hectic that I fall back on old (bad) habits. In honor of Earth Day, here's my reminder list of regular life stuff I can do to make a difference every day. Feel free to add your ideas in the comments!

• Remember to carry a reusable grocery bag -- there are so many cute, convenient ones out there! I love the Envirosax graphic series because they fold up tiny! Now they offer an organic series, too, made of organic bamboo, linen or hemp.

• B.Y.O. Cup -- whether you're drinking coffee, tea or water, skip the disposable cup and fill up a mug or water bottle. Did you know that Starbucks coffee cups are not recycleable or compostable? That means over 2 billion cups get sent to landfill, just from that one chain!

• Try a green diet for a day -- or a week! Eliminating meat from a meal once in a while cuts down on your carbon footprint, and can be surprisingly tasty, too. Think local and organic, and remember that the farmers' market is your friend!
  
  Seafood lovers, remember to check the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch List before you bake, broil or fry. As delicious as Chilean Seabass may be, it's endangered so we all must abstain.

• Ask what your power company can do for you. Does your local power company offer alternative energy options? How about rebates? Take a minute to check; you might be surprised to find that you can save money, and help the planet. And remember, a lot of those Energy Star appliances also help with taxes, too!

• Break Up With Your Car for a Day. Americans have a love affair with their vehicles. But even if you have the most energy efficient hybrid or biodiesel car available, a little space is good for every relationship. Walk, bus or bike it once in a while.

• Unplug -- If you're not using it, it doesn't need to be plugged in. Maybe even go a step further, and take a break from the TV, video game, or computer. You could play cards, go for a walk, or take a nap.

• Let it air dry -- Nice weather has arrived in most parts of the country. Try hanging your load of laundry on a line instead of using the clothes dryer. While you're at it, how about letting your hair dry naturally, too? Come on, one day of wild frizzies won't kill you!
  

• Seriously, do you still have "regular" lightbulbs? Swap 'em out for compact fluorescent bulbs! They're even dimmable now.

• Recycled toilet paper has come a long way, I promise you -- it's quilted now! Check out Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's, or Marcal's new Small Steps line.
  

• Volunteer to plant a tree, landscape a park, or clean up a beach -- however you'd like to help, there is a non-profit in need of your skills. A quick search at VolunteerMatch.org will find you the volunteering opportunity of your dreams!

I'm sure I missed a bunch, which will come to me while I eat raw sunflower seeds and watch An Inconvenient Truth yet again. That Al Gore -- smart and sexy!

Ouch. The news just keeps getting worse for GM. Even though the Volt has enjoyed unprecedented hype for the last 2+ years, and Jay Leno thinks its a superior ride, President Obama's new car task force is not super impressed by the long-range hybrid. They've begun questioning the Volt's commercial prospects as they take a good hard look at GM's sustainability plan. From their report:

"GM is at least one generation behind Toyota on advanced, "green" powertrain development. In an attempt to leapfrog Toyota, GM has devoted significant resources to the Chevy Volt. While the Volt holds promise, it is currently projected to be much more expensive than its gasoline-fueled peers and will likely need substantial reductions in manufacturing cost in order to become commercially viable.

One of the biggest concerns is that GM's 'leapfrog' strategy relied on selling the Volt at a loss, not exactly great for sustainability in the near term. While no official price has been set for the Volt just yet, all signs seem to indicate a price tag right at $40K. At that price, the Volt will be competing with the very sporty, very classy-looking Tesla Model S all-electric sedan. What do you think about the Volt's commercial appeal?


[via Treehugger]

Thanks to the toughest dish detergent regulations in the nation, residents in Spokane, Washington are now heading across state lines to get their illegal suds. No joke. In order to protect water quality, the Washington legislature passed a law back in 2006 which banned dishwasher detergents that contained polluting phosphates.

As the phosphate ban is slowly being phased in this year, many consumers are in open revolt as they realize that green detergents like Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Trader Joe's aren't quite up to snuff. In fact, it appears that many law-abiding Washingtonians have become quite addicted to their squeaky clean dishes. Many are crossing into Idaho to buy Cascade. In fact, there may even be an emerging black market for suds. Says real estate agent Patti Marcotte:

"Yes, I am a smuggler ... I'm taking my chances because dirty dishes I cannot live with."

Supporters of the ban are blaming hard water as the reason green detergents are leaving dishes crusty with yesterday's spaghetti.

CARB, or the California Air Resources Board to the layperson, has been on somewhat of a regulation rampage so far this month. A couple of weeks ago, CARB started batting aroudn the idea of banning of all dark colored paint jobs in order to lighten the load on your car's A/C, and therefore improve air quality (supossedly).

After scrapping that horribly misguided proposal, they went ahead and adopted a measure to require that all of California's auto maintainence businesses to ensure that your tire pressure is at factory reccomended levels. This, according to CARB would save the average Californian $12 per year on gas which will probably be offset by rising mechanic prices. As weird and draconian as regulating tire pressure may sound, at least it would almost certainly result in greater fuel economy across the board. That can't be said for the nonsense about outlawing cars with black paintjobs.

California's tire industry argues that the regulation -- which requires pressure readings and times listed on all invoices -- will be burdensome and expose mechanic shops to new forms of litigation from trial lawyers.

[via AutoblogGreen]

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]

Wow, just yesterday we discovered that the Rio Grande had been placed on the WWF's Top 10 Rivers at Risk list, and then I find news that the US Border Patrol is going to hasten the river's demise. After outcries to take bold action, the Border Patrol has announced plans to poison all plant life on a 1.1 mile stretch of the river in order to make it easier to find and apprehend drug smugglers, robbers, and illegal immigrants.

Here's the rub: if it's successful (meaning the bare patch deters smugglers and other villains) the Border Patrol may perhaps expand the tactic to another 130 mile section of the river. Crazy. It's kinda hard to decide whether you want mission to succeed or not when its success means destroying all vegetation up and down a major river. According to reports, the poisoning could take place as soon as Wednesday the 25th. Is the government rushing this herbicidal rampage to beat the news that the Rio Grande's now a heavily threatened river? Who knows?

To be fair, policymakers are in a tough spot as violence between drug cartels and the Mexican army is spirals out of control, and people on the US clamor for tighter security.

This should not be a news item, but it has been popping up on green news sites and pages all over in the last couple of days.

The EPA has said that greenhouse gases are dangerous to our health. They've said it before. But this time, it appears the White House is listening. This means that we can officially start regulating greenhouse gases, which has not always been a priority of the nation's leadership.

Some lawmakers have already been working on carbon cap-and-trade CO2 program, which would require polluters to buy permits according to the amount of pollution they release into the atmosphere.

The move is already producing warnings from some legislators, who are worried about the massive amount of regulations on businesses that could result. This is explained further over at Bloomberg. Either way, we're going to be hearing a lot more about greenhouse gases in the coming days and months.

Last Friday a group of fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary joined Michelle Obama on the White House lawn with shovels in hand. The long anticipated organic vegetable garden reported earlier by Christina is now under construction. The 1,100-square foot garden will include peas, onions, a variety of greens and perennial herbs. Garden walkways will be lined with veggie friendly flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums and zinnias.

Seedlings will be raised in the White House's greenhouse and transplanted as soon as they are ready. The resulting produce will go to feed the first family and their guests while extra will be sent to nearby Miriam's Kitchen, a place for the area's homeless to get healthy, homemade meals.

Michelle Obama announced, "this is a big day. We've been talking it since the day we moved in" and led the kids in raucous cheers for vegetables and fruits. She also expects all of the family members to take a role adding that even though her husband is "leader of the free world," he will still be expected to do some weeding.

Will the green glow of America's carbon-conscious energy future be tinted with a radioactive overtones? The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently sitting on requests to build 26 new reactors, and they expects to receive applications for seven more by the year's end. With public sentiment for nuclear energy in relatively positive territory, you and a nuclear reactor could soon be neighbors.

According to a recent survey, 73% of Americans say that it would be "acceptable to build a new reactor within 100 miles of their home." Of course, build it closer, and support erodes rather quickly. Still, with a pro-nuke Energy Secretary, and a growing realization that renewable energy is going to struggle in today's energy market. "Aspirations for lower-carbon, or zero-carbon electricity, are unattainable without nuclear in the mix," says global generation expert Daniel Kruger. Right now, there are 104 nuclear power plants in the US, which pump out about 20% of the nation's electricity. Obviously, adding another 33 could make huge gains in terms of greenhouse emissions, but are we really ready to confront the disposal of radioactive waste?