Business & Politics

Image credit: Transition Whidbey

I posted on Friday about Worldchanging's critic of the Dark Side of Transition Towns, in which Alex Steffen argued that the Transition Town movement is effectively burying its head in the sand—promoting ineffectual, perhaps folksy [I paraphrase], individual action instead of systemic or political change, and maybe even gleefully anticipating a social collapse. No sooner do I finish writing about the ensuing debate, that I come across a video that, I think, shows the true heart of Transition.

Business & Politics

Image credit: South Park/Comedy Central

As I noted in my post on The Art of the Eco-argument, we're often better off leading our own lives than telling others how to lead theirs. In fact, if eco-snobbery is left unchecked, it could lead to a major backlash against the environmental movement. But, having recently noted some negative reactions to folks who are very much just 'doing their own thing', another question bothers me. Can leading by example become a subtle but passive aggressive form of preaching? Can we, and should we, mitigate the way we communicate our own lifestyle changes, or should folks who get annoyed by our prius driving, bike riding, plastic bag eschewing ways just get a life?

Food & Health

Eat Me. You might possibly, perhaps be doing something good for the environment. Credit: Ethicurean

Last week's NY Times featured an op-ed entitled "The Carnivore's Dilemma"--an ostensibly enlightened response to the chorus of voices promulgating a vegetarian diet as a way to significantly reduce one's emission of greenhouse gasses (not least amongst these voices is Michael Pollan, author of "Omnivore's Dilemma"). Unlike "The Omnivore's Delusion"--a fluff piece by the industrial agriculture lobby that defends the status quo--the author of the Times' piece, Nicolette Hahn Niman, is no great defender of current industrial agricultural practices; she's a rancher and advocate of "traditional", grass-fed livestock production. Hahn Niman's argument focuses on debunking the notion that vegetarianism is inherently the most beneficial way of eating for the environment.

While Hahn Niman has several valid points, her arguments often fall short of a sale. She frequently compares best-case scenario meat consumption and worst-case scenario vegetarianism. She states, "It could be, in fact, that a conscientious meat eater may have a more environmentally friendly diet than your average vegetarian." First off, she doesn't say that this theoretical conscientious carnivore will be more environmentally friendly, she merely uses the more hopeful "could" and "may". Moreover, she never deigns to compare a conscientious meat eater to a conscientious vegetarian.

Travel & Nature

Photo via Exclusive Lifestyle. Artist's rendering of the Galactic Suite Space Resort.

You think you'd find the Galactic Suite Space Resort in a cartoon, comic strip or kitschy hotel in Disney World, right? Wrong. Whether you like it or not, it's real, and plans to open its super-future-like doors to paying guests in 2012.

Don't confuse this hotel however, with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic project, which plans to propel tourists into suborbital space at $200,000 a ride. Galactic Suite Ltd, the company behind the resort, has bigger, more "bling" plans in mind--a veritable space playground for the rich and famous.

A three night stay comes at a pretty 4.4 million dollar price tag and begs to question: at what cost for the environment?

Fashion & Beauty

Barney's Simon Doonan and Sesame Workshop's Gary Knell at Fashion Delivers/ K.I.D.S. gala in NYC. Credit: Thomas Iannaccone, Via WWD

Fashion Delivers, a non-profit organization that supplies victims of natural disasters with donated product, and Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) raised almost $1.2 million dollars at their annual charity gala in New York City Thursday night. Find out which Sesame Street Muppet in attendance asked "If a vegetarian eats vegetables, does that mean a humanitarian eats..?" After the jump.

Cars & Transportation

Credit: Dave Askins, homelessdave.com.

You don't need electricity to do the laundry. It's as easy as riding a bike.

My wife's 90-year-old aunt still washes her laundry by hand, and dries it with a wringer.

God bless her. But if you're a little busier, you can keep your clothes clean with pedal power. GreenovationTV has a segment on the low-tech solution.

Business & Politics

Images courtesy of Hopenhagen/Ogilvy & Mather.

This guest post was written by Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, as part of the Voices from Hopenhagen series.

In explaining the genesis of the name "The Beatles," John Lennon famously wrote, "A Man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them 'From this day on, you are Beatles with an A.'"

With its roots in such a story, the name of the band came to reinforce some essential characteristics of the thing it was naming: free imagination, inspired irreverence, and a dose of whimsical humility. Name and band were fused - and the John, Paul, George, Ringo foursome by any other name would not have been so sweet.

Business & Politics

A weekly wrap up of green and socially minded business news from the gang at TriplePundit.com.

Warrior Film-making: The Story of Free Range Studios - Startup Friday features the makers of The Meatrix today and the trials and tribulations of launching a media enterprise with a sustainable goal.

C.K. Prahalad Q&A: Lessons from the Bottom of the Pyramid - Jim Wiktin had a chance to interview C.K. Prahalad on the 5th anniversary of his seminal work, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Find out what's new!

Chocolate Goes Green: Kraft Rolls out Sustainable Sweet Treats - Kraft Foods is known more for junk food than quality, sustainably produced food. But a new partnership with Rainforest Alliance suggests change is in the air for one new brand of chocolate.

Barcelona Climate Talks End after a Week of Boycotts - The last meeting on the Road to Copenhagen emphasized the lingering stalemate between rich and poor nations, and the equally unmoving impasse between political factions in the United States. Is there a chance for progress?

The Fourth Bottom Line of Sustainability: Perspective - Steven Kenney suggests it's time to put a fourth P alongside people, planet, and profit: perspective.