Shanghai's First PETA Benefit Gets Wild

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:00:31 GMT

This is a guest post by Rebecca Kanthor, a journalist based in Shanghai. Who showed up to Shanghai's first anti-fur benefit show on a recent Thursday night? Local indie pop band Candy Shop and opening emo band Forget and Forgive rocked, rapped, screamed and headbanged their way through an energy packed set to a almost packed house of mostly young Chinese people. Two hundred sixty people squeezed into local rock venue Yuyintang on a weeknight to hear the bands and experience the results of the volunteer effort.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Interview and Video: Director of VBS.tv's "Heimo's Arctic Refuge" On the Most Far Out Americans

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:30:02 GMT

Survivalism may be going mainstream, what will all the new cave men and off-gridders. But for Heimo and Edna Korth, survival in the wild has been a way of life for three decades. The last humans to be living in the 19.5-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and living 130 miles above the Arctic Circle, they are quite possibly the most remote Americans. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New York's Health and Design Chiefs Talk Design That Makes Us Healthier (Video)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:20:25 GMT

New York City's health kick isn't just limited to cigarettes, calorie labels and a possible sugar tax. Mayor Bloomberg and his forward-thinking administration are thinking carefully about how good "active design" -- of sidewalks, streets and buildings -- can not only cut electricity and carbon and brighten up urban spaces, but make New Yorkers fitter and happier. And not a moment too soon: while New Yorkers walk more than most urbanites, the city's rate of obesity is on the rise. Last week, the city fired the latest salvo in its effort to design fitness into the city with the Active Design Guidelines, a handbook of best practices for designers, private developers, contractors and the others who can help build a more fit city. After the release at the Center for Architecture, I spoke with the city's health and design commissioners about the reasons for active design, and the chances it will take root in New York and beyond.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Digging Into Urban Outfitters' Perfectly Good Trash

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:35:22 GMT

The other night around 9.30 pm, I was walking up 14th st. and 6th Ave. when I passed a bunch of boxes next to the trash outside Urban Outfitters. The boxes were all marked "Broken" or "Broken Glass." With my suspicion that their definition of "broken" was different from mine -- and with the H&M saga fresh in my mind -- I pried one open. Inside were all manner of your typical Urban Outfitters ephemera -- gag notepads, a disco ball, mugs, hipster tchotchkies, even an iPod speaker system. The stuff wasn't brand new -- some of it, like the mugs, was damaged; most of it was just worn or rough around the edges, and totally usable. I took some of it, including a hamburger phone (it worked), and kept on walking, expecting other passersby to partake. I didn't realize just what was still inside, and what would happen next.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Blaming China for Copenhagen Won't Help the Climate

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:21:03 GMT

The Copenhagen Accord was a deal and not a deal, and its real implications remain uncertain. Nonetheless, thanks to fly-on-the-wall accounts by participants like Ed Milliband and Mark Lynas ("How do I know China wrecked the Copenhagen deal? I was in the room"), China's been taking heavy blame for keeping the champagne bottles corked. The country I hoped could have emerged as a promising global environmental leader may have come out looking like the world's "more assertive" environmental enemy. Now I was only down the hall from the room. But before we call China or anyone the bad guy of the Copenhagen summit, I think we need to take a good look in the mirror.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How Do We Feel Post-Copenhagen?

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:00:10 GMT

Words, Words, and a Word Cloud of Our Responses With such great expectations and such great limitations, any sort of agreement that came out of the Copenhagen summit was always going to be considered a deal and not a deal, as both a disappointing failure and a "significant step forward." And given that the deal's real meaning is still uncertain -- its real test will come when the US Senate picks up climate legislation again, or when countries submit more details next month, or begin preparing for the next round of climate talks in Bonn this summer -- we're left to our informed guesses and our guts. Now that we've aired some of our immediate reactions (registered in the word cloud above, which you can click to expand), how are we all feeling now about what happened or didn't happen at Copenhagen? No need to join hands in a big confidence-building campfire circle; just tweet us with the hashtag #cop15reaction, hit us up on Facebook or leave a comment below.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Poor Nations' Leader Makes Angry Plea to Obama After Copenhagen: Not Just For Obama (Video)

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:23:34 GMT

"Help Those Who Need to Be Saved From Climate Change" When Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, the chairman of the G-77 group of developing countries at Copenhagen, came to the press center at 1 AM last night, he was not there to pontificate or yell. Looking weary, Lumumba spoke with a calmness that belied his disappointment and anger over the deal forged last night between the US and the world's biggest developing economies. For developing nations, the ones who have done least to cause global warming but who will suffer most, the deal was "the worst development in climate change negotiations in history." After the Sudanese chairman likened Obama to his predecessor for working "against the hope, against tradition of transparency and participation on equal footing by all nations and parties." I asked him if he had a message for the President. He did.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Deal and No Deal: The Copenhagen Uncertainty Principle

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:31:15 GMT

UPDATED The Copenhagen Uncertainty Principle By the time the world learned of President Obama's announcement about an "unprecedented breakthrough" to close these climate talks, called the "Copenhagen Accord," Obama was already on Air Force One. And not a moment too soon. Hours later, as African negotiators were leading an uproar over the accord and civil society groups were protesting outside, it was still unclear which other countries were willing to support a backdoor deal forged by just five countries outside the typical UN process. "It looks like we are being offered 30 pieces of silver to betray our people and our future," said Ian Fry of Tuvalu, one of a few tiny Pacific islands for whom climate change is a matter of survival.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Copenhagen FAIL

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:50:52 GMT

The presidential limousine parked outside the Bella Center Copenhagen Accord Agreed to by China, South Africa, India and US President Obama has announced a "meaningful" climate agreement. But the document's only meaning is "let's keep discussing." In the space of a few days, the most important climate summit -- the most critical and closely-watched meeting in the history of the United Nations -- dissolved into a chaotic mess before evaporating in a cloud of global warming gases. The full text is below.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Greenpeace Director Explains Final Day at Copenhagen in Five Minutes (Video)

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:50:36 GMT

Before the speeches and scrambling to secure some kind of agreement in Copenhagen, I caught Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International, on the way to work in the Bella Center. He kindly explained for us the major sticking points on the final day of negotiations, the big holes that remain in the current climate pledges by developed countries, and why the world can't wait for the next climate summit. (Read TreeHugger's interview with Kumi)... Read the full story on TreeHugger

As Weak Draft Text Emerges, Obama Offers Nothing New to Desperate Summit (Video and Text)

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:02:51 GMT

UN Reportedly Asks Delegates to Extend Their Stays President Obama offered the Copenhagen summit a curt, no-nonsense summary of the challenges still facing the conference, and emphasized he's here to act, but offered no new commitments. Following an impromptu meeting between Obama and 20 heads of state (Canada was inexplicably absent) and a testy, rousing address by Brazilian President Lula de Silva, Obama's speech sounded tones of urgency (over the crisis) and impatience (over continued sticking points like China's transparency and the decades-long negotiating process). The speech -- which sounded like it could have been delivered at the start of the conference two weeks ago -- was met with silent stares across the chaotic Bella Center, where some hoped the President would deliver a breakthrough to this turgid drama befitting America's obligation, like a deus ex hybrid machina. Below, a video of the speech and a copy of the draft text.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Henry Waxman at Copenhagen: "We Have to Follow the Science"

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:10:18 GMT

The US's current carbon cutting commitments, along with the rest of the developed world, put current projections for a rise in temperatures above a dangerous 2 degrees. And even 2 degrees Celsius, say small island countries, would mean catastrophe. Rep. Henry Waxman, co-author and chairman of the committee behind American climate legislation, thinks better is needed. Follow more of TreeHugger's Copenhagen coverage.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Video Q&A: Optimistic, Thom Yorke Comes to Copenhagen to Ask World Leaders to "Get Their Shit Together"

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:00:36 GMT

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is no tourist in the climate activism world -- he's defended fair trade, campaigned for Friends of the Earth, edited a climate change edition of the Observer, and sought to make Radiohead's tours low carbon affairs. And now he's come to Copenhagen, just hours before a possible agreement, determined to find reason for optimism -- and perhaps set world leaders straight. When I spoke to the head Radiohead this afternoon, he had recently come out of a meeting with the UK environment minister Ed Milliband. Video below.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Jane Goodall on Why She's REDD-Faced: Copenhagen's Big Market-Based Plan to Keep Forests Alive (Video)

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:15:13 GMT

Though it's likely to be lost in the bombast and disappointment around a messy framework, there may be at least one tangible result from the Copenhagen summit: REDD, or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, is essentially a mechanism to pay developing countries to keep their trees standing, thereby maintaining habitats and preventing the release of carbon that happens through deforestation. The REDD text is mostly hashed out, and got a boost yesterday when the US announced it would pour $1 billion into a $3.5 billion fund called REDD+, which aims to protect and manage tropical forests until the system begins in full. On Wednesday night at an event to celebrate REDD+, hosted by Maya Lin and featuring speeches by a handful of African presidents, the doyenne of forest protection herself Jane Goodall shared her thoughts with me on how REDD is shaping up and what she's hoping to see come out of Copenhagen.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

One of the Few Activists Allowed Into Climate Talks Fasts for a Deal (Video)

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:20:46 GMT

Thoughout the Copenhagen climate summit, the massive Bella Center has felt something like an airport at Christmas time, with NGOs playing the role of information-dispensing attendants, skycaps helping to ferry along good ideas, and police, making sure that no one was trying to sneak policy bombs onto the climate deal plane. But the real police, along with the UN, haven't taken kindly to them. After a number of demonstrations and amidst concerns about overcrowding and disruptions, authorities have now all but prevented the world's civil society, young and old, from entering the summit, leaving the conference to dark suited officials and dazed journalists. Chelsea Howard-Foley was one of only 12 young NGO representatives admitted today by the UN. She spent the day roving through the crowds of officials with a sign declaring that she's joining millions around the world in a 24-hour fast until the end of climate talks and in the hopes of a fair and binding agreement. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Copenhagen Endgame: Will the World Get a Good Foundation For Progress or a Greenwash?

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:27:12 GMT

US Congressmen in Copenhagen (Alex Pasternack) Temperatures are rising in the Bella Center, expectations are weak, and anger is stewing, as the clock winds down toward some kind of climate agreement. The conference-shaking finance pledge today seemed to put pressure back on China to commit to transparency, helped further fracture the developing nations bloc, and paved the way for a late-night meeting among G-20 leaders. For now, they and the rest of the heads of state are at a dinner hosted by the Queen. They were joined by two protesters from Greenpeace, who unrolled a banner that read, "Politicians Talk Leaders Act." That sentiment was echoed widely by developing nations today -- along with the acknowledgement that the world would have to settle for a mediocre framework for moving forward. Indeed, as a leaked UN report details, the current proposals on the table would raise temperatures more than 3 degrees, one degree over the limit this conference was intended to achieve.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Yes, Obama Is Still Coming to Copenhagen

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:53 GMT

The rumor has been making the rounds at Copenhagen today that Obama was going to cancel his trip to Copenhagen in the face of dismal progress on a climate deal. The COP15 website posted a note about it on Thursday morning. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton sparked more rumors with a cryptic statement to reporters: "The president is planning to come tomorrow, obviously we hope there will be something to come for." But Nancy Pelosi, who spoke to the President last night, told me we should be hearing a speech from Obama soon. Will his appearance here end as dismally for him as the last time he showed up, to help Chicago win its Olympic bid back in October? Hot Air puts the political stakes in context. If Obama can get a commitment from China on transparency -- which will help secure the support of the US Congress and the American people -- and ratchet up the US's carbon cuts beyond it's still low pledge, he'll have at least give a climate agreement a running start to the next climate change Olympics, COP16 in Mexico City.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

US Revives Copenhagen Talks With $100 Billion Pledge to Developing Nations

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:30:46 GMT

flickr/marcn Delegates, NGOs Respond Just as climate talks hit their lowest point, Hillary Clinton descended on Copenhagen like a deus ex machina, putting on the table a $100 billion-per year package of worldwide climate aid starting in 2020, provided that a deal can be reached with China over http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/china-mrv.php. (Video here.) "I understand the talks have been difficult," said Clinton, who was heading into talks with the Chinese prime minister. "There is a way forward." For now, the announcement has restarted talks that this morning seemed on the brink of going up in smoke, and put new pressure on China and developing nations to capitulate to a deal, however weak it may be. Though talks are sputtering along, China sounded hopeful for a deal, contrary to an earlier report, and talks remain open on two tracks. "Hold tight and mind the doors," said UN climate chief Yvo de Boer. "The cable car is moving again." Can Obama and others bring the political will to steer it forward?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Copenhagen Activists, Youth Start Protest March, Sit-In, Inside Climate Talks Venue (Video)

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:31:10 GMT

NGO Shut-Out As climate talks continued to creep forward and heads of state prepared to pose for a group portrait in the plenary hall of the meeting site, the Bella Center, a crowd of youth, activists, indigenous peoples, and perhaps some delegates, began a chant of "Climate Justice Now!" and "Reclaim Power!" in the middle of the Center's main space. Hundreds of cameras came out (we spotted actress Daryl Hannah among the videographers -- see the second video, below) as the group began its march out of the center towards the gates of the building, where as many as 10,000 people were planning to meet them. But Danish police were out in force this morning, arresting at least a hundred and preparing to fend off other approaching demonstrators.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Copenhagen Forecast: Snow, Protest, Apocalypse; Can Obama Clear the Air?

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:30:01 GMT

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse March Through Copenhagen / Greenpeace The Final Stretch Citizens around the world have called for a fair deal at climate talks, and in Copenhagen, they plan to make that call louder tomorrow with civil disobedience. The world's leading mayors have also called for a real deal, as have some of America's leading businesses. But where it counts, in the negotiating rooms, something is, sorry to say, still rotten in the state of Denmark. No one said bringing all the world's countries together to hash out a deal -- or really, the foundations of a deal -- would be easy. But after nearly half a decade of facing the inconvenient truths of climate change, and its economic, political, and moral imperatives, does it have to be this hard? ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Oxfam Policy Director: Fair Climate Deal Threatened by Industry (Video Interview)

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:45:49 GMT

When I sat down to talk with him at the Fresh Air Center in downtown Copenhagen this afternoon, Phil Bloomer looked a bit like he'd been to hell and back. No wonder: the director of campaigns and policy at Oxfam has been working hard here to get developed countries to stop their lengthy "assing about" and heed the call of the world to bring about a fair and binding climate deal. Specifically that means bridging the gaps on long-term financing for developing countries and greenhouse gas cuts, and refining the draft agreement text by Thursday, in time for the signatures by heads of state on Friday. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

What an Urgent Global Call for a Real Climate Deal Looks Like (Video)

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:30:10 GMT

As the clock ticks louder, the eyes of the world aren't the only things keeping world leaders honest at Copenhagen; demonstrations, vigils and actions around the world in recent days have emphasized just how important this is for millions. The record-breaking march in Copenhagen on Saturday -- capped by a candlelight vigil hosted by Archbishop Desmond Tutu -- was only the tip of the breaking iceberg. People organized more than 3,200 events in 139 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: there were vigils, marches, wall-signings, and on Sunday, thousands of churches and temples ringing their bells 350 times to signal the urgent need for action. Images from these events are being played on screens as delegates and media walk to negotiating rooms at the Bella Center; TckTckTck made a video, above. Can a global citizen outcry have the force to break through the deadlock at Copenhagen and create the foundation for a serious climate treaty? That's like asking if we should spend so much to fight climate change: fail to fight hard now, and we'll be fighting an uphill, and possibly losing battle later.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

At Copenhagen, Young Americans Are Disappointed in Their Country But Still Hoping for Change

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:10:20 GMT

Q&A with Jessy Tolkan, Energy Action Coalition Even if they aren't being let into Copenhagen's Bella Center for the final crucial days, non-governmental organizations have started a full court press for a fair and binding deal that would give developing nations the aid they need. Last night, US negotiators Todd Stern and Jonathan Pershing met with members of one of those groups, the youth campaign SustainUS, for a candid conversation about the US's still weak commitments. Frustrations were shared, tears were shed, and in the end, the young campaigners walked away crestfallen. One participant told me that last night he "kind of lost faith in the Obama administration." In this video, I speak with Jessy Tolkan, the executive director of the US Energy Action Coalition, about the mood of campaigners today, the hurdles that remain on the path to a real climate deal, and her hopes that Obama will heed the call for serious action being sounded by young generations in the US and around the world.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

It's Humanitarian Day at Copenhagen: How Will the Developed Countries Honor It?

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:47:43 GMT

Getting Ready for the Big Day A day after African nations suspended talks to protest the death of Kyoto, the threats that global warming poses to the poorest countries is back in the spotlight on humanitarian day. But in the plenary room and in high level back rooms, humanitarian concerns are taking a back seat to the lingering rifts that continue to pollute the atmosphere in Copenhagen. Disappointment is high, focused largely on the developed countries which are reluctant to make the pledges the most endangered countries need. In meetings the sound of crying voices is not uncommon, while inside and outside the Bella Center anger is spreading, registered in protests yesterday and more plans for action tomorrow. Barring serious cuts and/or financing to the developing world, some are privately saying that collapse of the summit is preferable to a weak deal. Others are counting on the only remaining hope: will the world's still-reigning most valuable player, Barack Obama, make a hail mary pass to the developing world's de facto leader, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Mayor Bloomberg Covets Denmark's Huge Offshore Wind Farm, Dreams of a New York Version (Video)

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:33:25 GMT

As hundreds of delegates and reporters faced a crush at Copenhagen's Bella Center, which was packed to capacity at the start of the final week of climate talks, New York's Mayor Mike Bloomberg took off in a helicopter to survey the world's largest offshore wind farm, the 209 megawatt Horns Rev 2. Bloomberg -- who may be both the most visionary American public official on energy, and the most energy-intensive -- gushed over the sight of hundreds of turbines, expressed confusion over the oft-heard complaint in the U.S. that wind farms ruin views, and delighted at the possibility that New York could soon crush Denmark in the wind war with its own 700-megawatt endeavor.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Rajendra Pachauri at Copenhagen: Attempts to Discredit Climate Science "Will Not Work" (Video Interview)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:20:43 GMT

Nobel Laureate and IPCC chairman R.K. Pachauri pities the fools that doubt the scientific findings of his UN group. But the skeptics keep coming, especially after the "Climategate" affair. While the skepticism has remained marginal here in Copenhagen, some have wondered how the climate change science doubters will impact the work of the IPCC at Copenhagen and beyond. When I spoke to Pachauri on Sunday, he said they had not been a distraction for the IPCC at the Copenhagen summit, apart from references to it "by one or two countries."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

African Nations Lead a "Walkout" at Copenhagen; Talks Continue (Video)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:45:20 GMT

African countries raised the "nuclear option" this morning in Copenhagen, suspending climate talks in protest of wealthy nations' resistance to discuss binding emissions reductions. Though African nations have walked out for the day, they are not leaving the talks permanently. "Africa has pulled the emergency cord to avoid a train crash at the end of the week," said Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International. "Poor countries want to see an outcome which guarantees sharp emissions reductions yet rich countries are trying to delay discussions on the only mechanism we have to deliver this - the Kyoto Protocol."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How History's Biggest Climate Change March Almost Got Lost in the Media Smog

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:40:49 GMT

If you weren't in Copenhagen yesterday, you might be excused for thinking the big climate march was all about violence and protest. That was the message blasted out in headlines across the internet, all variations on the same theme of destruction and danger. "Hundreds of Protesters Arrested at Climate Talks," read the New York Times front page, just above the headline "Protesters Compared to 'Hitler Youth." But if you were here, you might have known that the biggest rally against climate change in history was, like much of the rest of the sideline activity in this cozy city, mainly about hope, play and compassionate concern. By the time the march ended -- with a civil candlelight vigil outside the Bella Center -- the greatest violence was registered only in a few broken windows at the foreign ministry.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Tuvalu Negotiator Delivers a Tear-Jerking Call for the Toughest Climate Treaty at Copenhagen

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:26:42 GMT

Earlier this week, Ian Fry, the lead negotiator for the small island nation of Tuvalu -- one of a handful of countries severely threatened by climate change -- called for the strongest of possible agreements: a legally-binding treaty that would demand developed countries help bring atmospheric CO2 down to 350 ppm. It's a bold demand that the US and other developed countries will not accept, and which developing countries, bent on a renewal of Kyoto, also reject. Today he delievered a speech that, according to Jamie at 350.org, "had delegates from around the world in tears." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

As Massive March Descends On Climate Negotiations, Copenhagen On Edge

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:20:30 GMT

Krus Krug Climate talks may be moving forward only in fits and starts at Copenhagen, but on Saturday afternoon a march of thousands proceeded with determined speed to the main negotiating hall, the Bella Center. Marchers held aloft enormous emergency-yellow signs, with slogans like "Act Now," "There is no Planet B," and "Change the Politics Not the Climate." Demonstrators in polar bear costumes carried a banner that read "Save My Kids" and Greenpeace ferried an enormous inflatable snowman along the city's prim streets as people cheered from windows. Spread along the route too were hundreds of police wagons and armed police, also dressed in neon yellow vests -- a stern reminder of the potential for violence. UPDATE at 5:30 pm: around 500 protesters, some of them wearing face coverings, were cordoned off and arrested by police before reaching the Bella Center. The NGO Climate Justice Action has issued a statement citing human rights violations. The only reported damage were broken windows at the foreign ministry.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Alex Pasternack, New York, NY