Message in a Bottle Bill

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:50:22 GMT

Over the past 20 years, more than 80 billion bottles and cans have been returned and recycled through New York's bottle bill, and more than five million tons of plastic, glass and metal have been kept out of New York's landfills and incinerators. It is New York's most successful recycling and litter prevention program, but now it needs improvement. For the past two years, New York's State Assembly has passed legislation, known as the "Bigger Better Bottle Bill," but the bill has died in the State Senate. This year, the bill was passed again by the State Assembly and is being supported by Governor Spitzer. It needs support. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Oakland: There is a Green There There

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Gertrude Stein famously said about her home town, Oakland, California, that "there isn't any there there." Surely she would have a different opinion if she were there today and, in fact, many green urban advocates like us wish we were there. Oakland is the working class home to 500,000 people and one of the nation's most racially diverse cities. Although it has one of country's largest ports, many manufacturing jobs have disappeared. In its poorer neighborhoods, 40% of young people suffer chronic respiratory ailments, there are no supermarkets, and ten thousand people are on probation or parole. Recently, however, hope has arrived in green robes with the potential to build an ecological and equitable economy. Last year, Ron Dellums was elected mayor after promising to grow a local green economy. Then, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights helped convene the Oakland Apollo Alliance (associated with the National Apollo Alliance). The Alliance has brought together labor, environmentalists and social justice activists with a mission to create "green collar" jobs for Oakland residents and to build a local sustainable economy. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Shop Locally, Share Locally

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:53:26 GMT

For the past four years, the Interra Project has developed an ingenious model for people to use financial networks to support their local communities and sustainability. Recently, Interra rolled out its first project -- Boston Community Change - in partnership with Boston Main Streets. Boston residents can get a free (at least for now) Boston Community Change card that they present to participating local merchants. Every time the card is swiped on the merchant's credit card terminal, portions of the transaction are returned to the user as a cash rebate, donated to a local community based non-profit or school of the user's choice, and donated to the local Main Streets organization. Merchants sign up for free, and decide how much of a rebate to grant to users. The Boston Community Change card is not a payment card, and users can pay for their purchase with any payment form accepted by the business. Users receive monthly electronic statements detailing total rebates and donations. As Paul Ray, author of the "The Cultural Creatives," has said: "The Interra model is a brilliant social and financial invention that can help bring a green economy into greater practicality. This is hot stuff, and needs all our support. It functions rather like an alternative currency or an airline miles program, to help encourage mutual loyalty among green/socially responsible consumers. In particular, it does a better job of incentivizing a mutual loyalty of businesses and customers who share the same values." Interra has identified more than 100 cities for possible roll-out over the next 3-5 years. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Do Carbon Emissions from a Coal Mine Have Significant Environmental Impacts?

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 09:20:48 GMT

What kind of question is that? Isn't the public finally convinced that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming and coal is one of the biggest culprits? Unfortunately, the legal system has still not resolved this issue -- proving Dickens' point that the "law's an ass," and a particularly stubborn one at that. One of our most venerable environmental statutes, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), requires that the federal government assess and publicly disclose the environmental impact of its actions. If the impact might be significant, the government must investigate, respond to public comments and compare alternatives. Many states, and other countries, have similar laws. U.S courts have been mixed on whether, and to what extent, greenhouse gas emissions must be considered in the assessment. A court in Austrialia, however, recently ruled that the impact that large projects have on global warming -- such as the coal mine planned for Anvil Hill (viewed above) -- must be considered. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

A Personal Computer for the Planet

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 09:35:00 GMT

If computers are going to help solve the sustainability crises -- and we believe they will -- then they must stop being part of the problem. A small Boston company, Tech Networks of Boston, is doing something about it. Last year, Tech Networks released it's Earth-PC and Earth-Serve machines that use at least 25 percent less power than standard computers, and can save between $20-$45 in electricity costs per year. For a business, school district or organization with many computers, annual savings can easily be in the thousands.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

An Inconvenient Tax

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:00:00 GMT

It's basic economics that the price of goods and services should reflect (or "internalize") all the societal costs of those goods and services. Yet the price of many products -- including electricity, gasoline and other fossil fuels -- frequently does not include all costs, particularly those related to global warming. This is not suprising given that most of us had no idea that there was any external "cost" to greenhouse gas emissions until the late 80's. One proposal often floated to "internalize" the costs of greenhouse gases is a carbon tax, but because of American's great aversion to taxes, the proposal is usually discarded even before it is considered. Now comes the Carbon Tax Center -- a much needed forum for discussion about carbon taxes. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Growing the Sustainable Web

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:23:20 GMT

Perhaps the most important proposal affecting sustainability currently before Congress has nothing to do with the environment -- at least not on its face. It's the "net neutrality" law that was introduced last week that will assure that the Internet remains single-tiered, and is not divided into a fast lane and a slow lane (see story here). Any website today, no matter how big or how small, has equal access to web users. For years, however, cable and telephone companies, have advocated for a two-tiered Internet that will grant users high-speed access to companies who pay large fees. Users of start-ups', non-profits' and individuals' websites who can't afford the high fees will be relegated to second class. Although the battle is being portrayed as pitting supporters such as Google, Yahoo, and Amazon against carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, it has critical consequences for all of us. Net neutrality is necessary to preserve the Internet's role in promoting new businesses, free expression and the collaboration necessary to move us toward sustainablity. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Spitzer and Sustainability

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 01:15:57 GMT

Those of us who care about sustainability have high hopes for New York's new Governor Eliot Spitzer. During the campaign, Spitzer said that his top priorities would be "environmental stewardship, expanding energy conservation and renewable energy sources, and reducing greenhouse gases (see his environmental promises here). Spitzer promised to close the two Indian Point nuclear plants and, our personal favorite, as Attorney General he earmarked funds in an acid rain litigation to install solar panels in municipal buildings in New York (see related post here). Given that sustainability and climate change are the paramount issues of our time, we need bold initiatives from the Governor and we need them fast. It's too bad that the new Governor did not mention the environment or energy at all in last week's Inaugural, and he didn't mention details in his State of the State address until the hour-long speech was nearly finished (page 17 of a 21 page text -- see full text here). Spitzer's State of the State did include some details about energy and the environment, and in ordinary times, his words would be encouraging. But -- as evidenced by this winter when daytime temperatures in New York have mostly been in the fifties -- these are not ordinary times, and Spitzer's first statements as Governor were, frankly, disappointing. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

TreeHugger Welcomes Writer Stephen Filler

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:57:57 GMT

"The new and developing Internet technologies -- such as wikis, networking, and the semantic web -- are the collaborative tools that can keep the Earth diverse, abundant and glorious for our grandchildren." Stephen Filler is an attorney, consultant and strategic thinker who has worked for many years with technology, media and Internet companies on contracts, licensing, intellectual property and business development issues. He is co-founder of New York Climate Rescue and serves on the board of Clearwater and the New York Solar Energy Industries Association. His law practice, consulting and writing (see his GreenCounsel blog) focus on facilitating businesses, technologies, relationships, policies and communications that combat global warming and create a sustainable future.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Stephen Filler, Tarrytown, New York