TreeHugger

Captain Planet Foundation Set to Host 14th Annual X-MAS Party to Save Planet

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:56:31 -0500

If you’re familiar with the Captain Planet Foundation, then you know what a great job they do giving out grants to teachers looking to bring environmental learning into their schools and classrooms. And without question, the annual X-MAS party and fundraiser coming up looks like it’s got some great, great items worth bidding on with proceeds going to a great environmental cause. Just check out some of the fun, creative stuff they’ve come up with… ...

A Different World: Globalization Teaching Tool Kit Goes Online

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:02:51 -0500

Image: From A Different World Tool Kit website
Educating teens and pre-teens about globalization cannot be an easy thing. Teachers face plenty of obstacles in captivating impressionable attention spans that are routinely molded by 30-second television commercials and consumerist social mores. Yet, the far-reaching potential of the Internet can be an ally in the educational arena. The interactive multimedia web tool-kit called "A Different World: An Educational Tool Kit for Building Global Justice", developed by Montréal-based non-profit the Social ...

Photo of the Day: Venice's Worst Floods in 22 Years

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:37:24 -0500

Image: Flooding in Piazza San Marco (Photo: AFP/Getty)
The venerable city of Venice, named by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage sites threatened by climate change, was inundated by five feet of water (1.5 metres) yesterday. More than 95 percent of the old city centre - including many tourist sites - were flooded. The rise in sea levels was caused by consistently high southerly winds, heavy rain and snowfall in northern Italy. Because of its geographic location, situated on marshy islands and inlaid with a network of canals, Venice endures frequent flooding during high tides (most recently, 50 floods betwee...

Canada Allows Killing of Over 500 Narwhals

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Getty Image In a heartbreaking move, the Canadian government decided it would rather allow 500 narwhals to be shot one by one at an air hole in the ice, rather than bring in icebreakers to help free the whales. ...

Knut the Polar Bear Needs a New Home

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:15:00 -0500

Photo via Seabamirum Knut – a polar bear we’ve loved to watch grow up here on TreeHugger – is the latest housing market victim. The Berlin zoo can no longer afford to house the big bear, who needs a larger compound to match his ever growing size and activity needs. So they’re putting up a “Polar Bear Seeking New Home” sign. Where is Knut head...

Chicago Parking Meters Up To A Buck An Hour: Equivalent Of Congestion Tax?

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:52:06 -0500

In a budget balancing move, Chicago is upping the parking meter rate from a quarter per hour to at least a dollar an hour, starting next year. Done by privatizing.

Rates for most city parking meters will increase to $1 an hour in the coming months as a result of Mayor Richard Daley's deal to lease the spots for $1.1 billion to a private firm... The most expensive meters, which are found in the Loop, cost $3 an hour now. They will increase to $3.50 an hour next year and $6.50 by 2013.

Via:Chicago Tribune, Clout Street, Most city parking me...

Argentinean Environmental Secretary Dismissed from Office

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:45:58 -0500
Photo: Perfil. Romina Picolotti, Argentina's Environmental Secretary for the last 28 months, was asked to resign from office by president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, several media outlets announced last night. Media informed that causes include the support the minister gave to the glacier law that the president ended up vetoing and embezzlement of funds. Details in the extended....

LEDs Light Up Covent Garden

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:25:08 -0500
TreeHugger photograph Christmas lights are so beautiful, sometimes, and so wasteful. But creative and good looking solutions are being found--last year Carnaby Street had festive paper chains with a holographic finish. This year Covent Garden is decking the halls with LED's. Created by UVA, a group better known for doing backdrops for bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Massive Attack and U2, they have taken an environmental approach to the job. ...

Stair of the Week: The Well of Chand Baori

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:47:00 -0500
The stepwell at Chand Baori, India, is a hundred feet deep and has 3500 steps. Legend says that it has so many steps to make it impossible for someone to retrieve a coin if it is dropped into the well. ...

Photo Essay: Bees and Beekeepers In Crisis

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:30:29 -0500
Photo: Golden Millet, Beekeeper, St. George, Utah, July 2007 (Photo: Kate Kunath)
The mystery of bees disappearing all over the world is continuing to baffle scientists and beekeepers alike: is it parasitic mites? Or Bayer's pesticides? Reports of bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) happening in the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, France and Germany have prompted beekeepers to Wall Street Journal,
Gen. Jones is the president and chief executive of the Insti...

International Environmental Court of Justice Proposed by British Lawyer

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:23:00 -0500
International Criminal Court photo: Michael Veenman One of the prime problems with any international environmental agreement, beyond getting nations to actually ratify it, is enforcement. It’s difficult enough domestically—a lawsuit against the Canadian government for failing to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments went nowhere fast—and internationally its even worse. There simply isn’t an international body which has specific autho...

Obama National Security Advisor Outlines Energy Policy Priorities (Video Clip)

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:33:00 -0500

Unilever Cutting Ink Colors to Save Millions and Reduce Waste

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:55:00 -0500
Photo via unleashingmephotography Reducing the number of colors used in printing packaging for a sliver of their products is going to save Unilever millions of dollars every year, and could save the industry as much as $5 billion annually if other companies follow suit. Unilever took a hard look at their spreads and dressings packaging in Europe and has decided to cut down from 100 hues used in printing to just six, using a program called Project Rainbow. Other major manufacturers could save a ton of mone...

From Egregious to Green: 5 CEOs Who Made an Environmental U-Turn

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0500
Image courtesy of Chiefport A chief executive officer wields an awesome power over his companies’ policies, employees and principles—and just how sustainable each will be. So when a previously ungreen CEO decides to adopt an ecologically responsible agenda, the effects can be wide-reaching, and exceptionally inspiring. Here’s a list of the top 5 formerly environmentally oblivious business execs who’ve changed their tune for the greener. ...

Bill Clinton Kicks Off First (and Last) Charity Summit Overseas

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:00:22 -0500
Clinton with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Victor Fung, chairman of Hong Kong's Li & Fung Group. Reuters Bill Clinton opened the first Clinton Global Initiative Asia summit in Hong Kong on Tuesday, amid questions over how the global economic slump and his wife's new role as U.S. Secretary of State would affect his international crusade. One effect: in an attempt to eliminate conflicts of interest related to Hillary's new job, no more CGI conferences will be held outside of the U.S. But as the two-day summit began away fro...

Think Eco-Logical Pushes IT Sustainability Home with Businesses

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:46:00 -0500
Think Eco-Logical is a new program launched today by BPM Forum and Rackable Systems to educate businesses that sustainable IT practices are what will get them through the recession, and is the only way forward in the climate crisis. The initiative addresses business issues like digital media, entertainment, Internet, data trafficking, and eCommerce and shows how these areas of business can be handled in energy effective and environmentally friendly ways,
Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:35:16 -0500
Andrew Lih China has a big counterfeiting problem, but it's not DVDs or clothing or cars. It's pollution statistics. We've mentioned it before, and wrote about it recently at The Vine, but as the UN worries about giant smog clouds over Asia and Beijing considers Richard Masoner TreeHugger has been supportive of incentive programs that give rebates for installing photovoltiac systems, like the ones we covered in San Francisco and Washington State. But we have also noted that the cheapest and easiest source of energy is efficiency and conservation, and agree with Van Jones that “the main piece of technology in the green economy is a caulk gun.” Shari Shapiro at Green Building Law makes the point that perhaps these incentives are not the most efficient investment. She writes:

To date...

Green Ergonomic Office (Part 2): Voodoo Ergonomics, Advice from Tony Biafore (a.k.a. The Ergoman)

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:43:05 -0500

Personal Computer Environments Photo credit to ifyr A "green ergonomic office" can refer to several different things. Today, we are looking at salvaging and reusing your current office equipment, rather than purchasing a whole new set. You may think that new and improved "ergonomic" stuff will vastly improve your office performance and comfort, when in truth, it may not be as much improved as you think. Voodoo Ergonomics Tony Biafore of Ergonetics has been in the ergonomic business for 25 years, plus...

Cool Eco-Campaign: Climate Change Melts Man in Buenos Aires

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:45:31 -0500

Photo: Red Cross of Argentina
A young man melting into a puddle of himself is something you don’t see everyday, much less in a busy public square. Yet this humourous but surprisingly effective spectacle is the latest effort by the Red Cross of Argentina to raise awareness about climate change. Located in Buenos Aires’ Plaza Francia, the oozing young man passes out fliers urging spectators to use public transportation, conserve water, reduce, reuse, recycle and to use energy-efficient appliances. This imaginative piece of guerril...

Green Ergonomic Office (Part 1)

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:25:58 -0500

Photo credit to Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com Setting up a green office has less to do with buying high tech ergonomic equipment, and more with using what you already have correctly. Buying less office equipment, means less chance for your old stuff ending up in the landfill somewhere, and quite frankly, no matter what you currently have, it is probably a lot more functional than you may realize. Sometimes the best way to reuse old office equipment, is to have never thrown it away in the first place. We spoke with one of the foremost experts on office ergonomics, Tony Biafore, to fin...

Be Careful What You Wish For in Canada: A Greener Coalition Government May Happen

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:22:16 -0500

Just after the Canadian election last month we imagined the Liberal leader going to the Governor General and saying:

"Climate change is too important for petty politics. The four parties with strong pro-environment, pro-Kyoto platforms got 61% of the vote and control 163 seats to the conservatives' 143. We are forming a Coalition against Climate Change and intend to ask the Governor-General to let us form the government."

Now, because of some real political stupidity on the part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, it just might happen; his minority government may fall next week. ...

Richard Branson Backs Legal Bid to Protect Virgin Island Mangroves

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0500

The outcome of a case pitting an environmental charity organization against the British Virgin Islands (BVI) government and several developers could determine the future of the Caribbean environment and set the groundwork for the creation of an international environment court, writes The Independent's Robert Verkaik. The Virgin Islands Environmental Council (VIEC), whose legal efforts are being backed by none other than Sir Richard Branson (who, it must be said, owns a family home on Neck...

Ramsar Wetland Convention Meeting in Korea: Peat, Bogs And Poetry

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:24:00 -0500

Photo from Indonesia: Greenpeace activists working with locals to halt drainage by constructing dams on peatlands. This will prevent the peatland from drying out and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Peat-forming wetlands are an estimated 60% of all the wetlands distributed globally. Do peatlands remain in the "grey zone" seemingly unattractive to the conservation movement? I was reminded of Digging, the poem by Seamus Heaney:...

Ramsar Wetland Convention Meeting in Korea: Getting The News From International Conferences

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:00:36 -0500

(Photo from the International Institute for Sustainable Development) I have participated in a number of international conferences, including United Nations meetings, WTO events, and whatnot. I have often felt frustrated that delegates are so isolated from the public. Important topics are debated with implications for everyone. Yet, only a few non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are usually present to try to propose solutions and suggest ways forward. Big Media tries to cover these events, but at the end of the day, we mostly get soundbytes. Indeed, my experience is that very few independent experts are a...

Ramsar Wetland Convention Meeting in Korea: Protecting Rice Paddies

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:22:29 -0500

(Photo of rice paddy farmers from WETecol) Earlier this month, the important UN Ramsar Convention held its 10th meeting in South Korea. Some 2000 delegates from governments, NGOs and industry participated. Among the issues were resolutions concerning the relationship of wetlands to climate change and biofuels, and protection for rice paddy fields. The convention is one of those amazing global treaties tha...

Western US Governors Caught Over-Stuffing Obama's Suggestion Box

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:10:36 -0500

Image credit: RH Communication Services, Regional Accent Modifications A US regional interest group is positioning on environmental and energy issues - well before the January 2009 Presidential inauguration. So, the West has been heard from (see below). Now what, the New West? The South? Great Lakes States? The Coasts? The Mid-Atlantic? The Southeast? The Southwest? Red Blue and Green and In-Between States? Ya diddy yah. Are we not one nation under the sun, in the wind, and above the geothermal, divisible over natural gas, oil and coal?

Th...

Doubting Renewable Energy

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:00:20 -0500

Last week I spoke to a small group of investors about renewable energy, and the potential we see for certain renewable energy stocks in 2009. Now I don't typically do a lot of these types of meetings. Maybe four or five a year. To be honest, I'd rather these folks just read my weekly updates. This way, I don't have to jack up my carbon footprint by flying all over the country. However, for investors that are new to this sector, certainly it helps when you can ask direct questions and get direct answers. Now over the years, I've come to expect two things from these types of meetings: A genuine interest in Orin Optiglot Will San Francisco succeed where New York City and others have failed? The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Cabanatuan reports that the City by the Sea is weighing a congestion pricing proposal that would require motorists to pay a $3 fee to enter, leave or pass through certain parts of SF during peak hours. Though the city's Board of Supervi...

Run Cars on Green Electricity, Not Natural Gas

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:20:27 -0500

Pickens Meets Obama Image credit:Cleveland, Real-Time News from Around the Nation By: Jonathan G. Dorn, Staff Researcher at the Earth Policy Institute, where he works on energy issues. With the dramatic increase in oil prices earlier this year translating into higher prices at the gas pump in the United States, concerns over U.S. dependence on foreign oil are once again part of the national discussion on energy security. Combined with the growing understanding that carbon emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels are drivi...

Buy Nothing Day: Remember Jdimytai Damour

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:34:39 -0500

Crowds wait behind closed doors shortly before the opening of Wal-Mart in Valley Stream. When the doors opened the crowd rushed into the store, a number of people were knocked down including a Wal-Mart worker who subsequently died. (Nakea Augustine / November 28, 2008), from Newsday Today is Buy Nothing Day in the world outside the USA that didn't have a Thanksgiving holiday. Whereas yesterday I expressed some ambivalence about the holiday, concerned for those who worked in shops and those who ...

Wolves In The Night - What's The Political Climate?

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:30:08 -0500

Wolf's eye taken at the Smithsonian Naturalist Center in Leesburg, VA. Image credit:Steeve-o, Night Wolf, Flickr In the nights just before this Thanksgiving, Canadian cold air flowed over the wilderness cabin I was staying in, reaching a night time low of zero degrees F, and blanketing skies with myriad stars, such as I could never have seen from any US city. Sometime after midnight of the first night, the cabin grew very cold, forcing me to get up to stoke the wood stove. Reluctantly, I stepped out into the night to answer 'nature's call.' Transfixed by the brill...

The U.S. and Turkey: Akin on Kyoto?

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:26:00 -0500

Photograph of pro-Kyoto protest in Istanbul via NTVMSNBC. Though separated by language, culture, religion, and thousands of miles--not to mention attitudes about, say, safety and punctuality--Turkey and the United States have one big thing in common: neither country has ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. ...