Business & Politics

Well, everyone has their cards on the table now. Following the US's announcement yesterday that it will bring an emissions reductions target "in the range" of 17 percent of 2005 levels to Copenhagen, China has announced its own commitment: a 40-45 percent reduction of 2005 levels in what it calls "carbon intensity." The pledge is being met with tepid acceptance.

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Image Credit: EraPhernalia Vintage via Flickr

TreeHuggerForever wants to rethink Thanksgiving:

Growing up, along with the stuffing and the cranberries, most of were also fed lies each Thanksgivng...Imagine if kids knew the truth: that our country was founded on greed, lies and taking what wasn't ours...I love Thanksgiving, but maybe we need to have a different meaning behind this holiday...This holiday is simply a harvest festival, and a day in which to reflect on all that we are thankful for, and perhaps express our gratitude to those we take for granted. It's a day of loved ones coming together to share a feast, a symbol of bounty that can reflect on the bounty in our lives.

So what do you think? Is it time to redefine what Thanksgiving's all about? Join the conversation.

And don't worry: no one's saying get rid of the mashed potatoes.

Plus, check out TreeHugger's guide to keeping Thanksgiving green.

TH Exclusives

Ken Ahroni, inventor of the plastic wishbone. Photo credit Puget Sound Business Journal

Finally, the answer to one of life's great problems, the annual Thanksgiving fight over who gets the wishbone! Unclutterer shows us the Lucky Break Plastic Wishbone.

This is a huge advance in manufacturing and marketing; Back in the day we just had planned obsolescence, or just made products so cheap that people threw them away instead of fixing. Now we actually have a product that is designed to be broken and thrown away as soon as you open the package!

Science & Technology

Photo via chrisdlugosz

Unless you're living in a cave or as a survivalist in Montana, you've noticed that phones have become incredible all-in-one devices. Recombu has a great article about gadgets that smart phones have made or are making obsolete. But the list is a little short. If you're planning on shopping on Black Friday, here's a list of things you can cross off your list of things to look for.

Business & Politics

Dumped construction debris. Image credit:BLM

Earlier this month, construction and building professionals from around the globe met in Phoenix, for the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Green building has grown dramatically in recent years and according to the latest SmartMarket Report from McGraw-Hill Construction, Sustainable Construction Waste Management: Creating Value in the Built Environment, by 2013, the green building market will be up to 25% of all new construction starts and along with an increase of 20-30% in retrofit and renovation activity, which will equate to a $140 billion market.

Business & Politics

Image credit: Chelsea Bay

Having pleased a few people with my post on 5 Things I Love About America, and having annoyed a few more with my ramblings on 5 Things I Hate About America (the folks at GlockTalk.com will likely never forgive me)—I thought I'd add one more to the love side.. So let's hear it for Thanksgiving!

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Credit: Parsons

Following close on the heels of Pratt's exploration of green fashion; 'Ethics + Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion', Parsons The New School for Design presents an installation of ecologically and socially conscious work by fashion design students in its Associate in Applied Science (AAS) program. Click through for details.

Culture & Celebrity

Photo via tap water bottle.

Remember when every celebrity hand in nearly every celebrity picture was clutching an expensive plastic water bottle? Hydration was the byword. Bottled water is up to 2,000 times more energy intensive than the tap, giving it a big carbon footprint. Rob from Toronto is leading the trend back to the bottle - the reusable glass bottle. Toronto company tap water is selling sturdy rubber-stoppered bottles, and Rob says it's a breeze to get merchants everywhere to refill that bottle for free:

"I want to see everyone using glass water bottles instead of those throw-away plastic things.. and I love products that have a sense of humor that makes helping the environment fun."