We’ve all heard the meat is murder argument, and chances are if it hasn’t inspired you to become a fourth level vegan yet it probably never will. There is another argument for vegetarianism that may have a bigger impact on peoples choice in cuisine. Cutting down, or completely stopping on eating meat can reduce your carbon footprint more than giving up your car.
There are many factors that contribute to global warming. The biggest are waste production, electricity and transport. Next on the list is food production. We all try to turn our lights off and walk when we can, but have you ever considered how your diet is effecting the planet, let alone your hair?
A Study in New Scientist magazine reported that the production of one kilogram of beef produced as much greenhouse gasses as three hours of driving. The greenhouse gas emission of animals was calculated by considering the production and transportation of grain, as well as the methane emissions from animals. Continue Reading / Additional Photos / Videos
Sir David Attenborough’s documentary Can We Save Planet Earth. The show presents potential solutions to global warming, followed by a panel discussion about the road ahead. Acknowledging the scientific consensus on the issue, the debate will steer clear of the pointless “skeptics vs. alarmist” angle and focus on what we can do as individuals, a nation and a species to avert the impacts of climate change.
Attenborough’s film lays out seven components of a sane response to global warming – strategies and targets from the household to big industries and government. But each one has implications, and many – like a growing reliance on nuclear power – are highly contentious. Our goal is to debate these strategies in a positive and constructive spirit: combating the paralysis of swirling fears with concrete ideas for informed action.”
Bob Mills, Alberta Tory MP, Chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development
Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party
Terry Glavin, Author, Waiting for the Macaws
Mark Nantais, President, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association
Glen Murray, Chair, National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
Ever wonder what you could do to make a difference in the world? Hopefully we’ve all asked ourselves this question and have taken action in our own way. If your name is Paul Watson, you may have decided to dedicate your life to saving marine life by whatever means necessary –- including flying your own brand of the Jolly Roger at the head of your own “navy”, ramming whaling ships, and chasing illegal fishermen. But you might have also looked into the eye of a dying sperm whale during one of Greenpeace’s first anti-whaling expeditions and had a revelation peculiar to few terrestrial-bound “hominids,” coming to know that humans don’t have a monopoly on understanding and conscience.
So, who is Paul Watson? By his own immodest account, he’s the only true protector of marine life, policing marine sanctuaries across the globe with his rag-tag band of ships known as Neptune’s Navy, occasionally getting into a scuffle or two, and pulling miles of illegal fishing nets out of the water. A recent article in New Yorker magazine profiles the “Captain” of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and his resume reads as an impressive mix of 1960s anti-establishment hippie and full-scale environmental activist.
In this five part video interview on CNN, Carl Sagan talks with Ted Turner about Global Warming, CO2 gas and the insane idea of nuclear war. He quickly illustrates how just a few hundred nuclear weapons would create a nuclear winter, which would not only destroy the nation on the receiving end of the bombs, but also the nation who launched them. All of this makes me think about how short term greed by the small number of people at the top, effects us all. Instead of using our minds and abilities to build a green future, we waste our time thinking of new ways to destroy the only planet we can call home.
For me, this video makes me reflect on the current focus of the green movement. Yes, organic food and cool modern green homes are important steps to a green future. But if we continue to turn a blind eye to the massive waste of human capital, money and resources in the pursuit of war, we won’t have a planet left, let alone a green one. (4 more videos after the jump)
In its annual World Energy Outlook report, the International Energy Agency states that an immediate investment in sustainable energy is the only hope in preventing a global crisis in the complete depletion of oil. According to the report, the intensification of worldwide energy usage will, within a generation, create an immense global climate change, threaten energy security, and bring on the possibility of oil shortages worldwide.
Because of the enormous economic growth of China and India, the IEA has become more concerned about the situation at hand, and feels that we must find a way to move beyond fossil fuels in order to ward off such a crisis.
According to the 675-page report, China will surpass the USA as the world energy leader. By 2015, their energy needs will grow 5.1% annually. Their need for fuel will also quadruple for their growing fleet of vehicles which is estimated to reach 270 million by 2030. India’s projections are just as frightening. Even though the growth of these two countries has improved the lives of billions of people, the consequences create an alarming global energy demand. The IEA states that there is enough oil to last us through 2030. Yet oil in Mexico, Canada and the North Sea are rapidly depleting, causing an increase in global dependence on the unstable Middle East.
Here is a very interesting interview we did with John Picard, one of the Advisors for the BP Oil company. His job was to help them go green. See how he explains their thinking at the time and how they changed the companies name for British Petroleum to Beyond Petroleum. A name they thought would announce their new direction as world leaders in the new clean renewable energy market. Clean and green, is what BP wants to present, but reality is a whole other thing. Just ask the people living in the Gulf Coast.
John Picard is a name that you may not be familiar with… yet. This pioneer in sustainability has been quietly revolutionizing homes and businesses across the country. Here’s a brief history of his achievements:
– He started out as a builder and entrepreneur and is now a renowned building efficiency and sustainability expert.
– He was a core member of President Clinton’s “Greening of the White House” team.
– He’s president and founder of E2 Environmental Enterprises, whose clients include Microsoft, BP, eBay, Sony, Ford, The Gap, MGM, CAA and Live Earth, to name a few.
A look back at Pearl Jams Concert Protest against BP Oil to protect the Great Lakes. BP has a long history of being the root of major oil disasters. The current major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico isn’t the first evidence of BP making bad choices in the name of making a quick buck.
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder was once quoted as saying that when he saw himself on the cover of magazines at the supermarkets, he “hated that guy”. Not sure how the rest of the band felt about him, but one thing is certain: you can add BP Amoco to the list of things Vedder and Pearl Jam hate.
While the oil giant is often considered more enviro-conscious than their oily competitors, their Whiting Refinery in Indiana has a new permit that gives them permission to dump over 1,500 lbs. of ammonia and almost 5,000 pounds of suspended solids into area lakes. And Pearl Jam doesn’t approve.
Pearl Jam has done one better. At Lollapalooza, they performed a new song, “Don’t Go To BP Amoco”, which you can see in the video below, shot by someone in the audience.
Most of my friends are halves. I didn’t seek them out. It just turned out that way. One of my nearest and dearest is Nikki Bedi, half Indian, half British, a voice of the BBC and perfectly positioned to provide insight on the differences between East and West, developed and developing.
Take recycling. This concept has only really been around in the West since the ‘70s. Nowadays of course, we’re actively encouraged to recycle, to think before we toss something into the ever expanding landfill of our disposable society. We still have a long way to go, but at least recycling is a choice. In India, it’s a necessity that results in almost everything imaginable being recycled, from bottles to newspapers – even toxic metal from the World Trade Center.
Next up: global warming, the effects of which have been felt around the world, including on the Indian sub-continent. Heavy monsoon rains have caused severe flooding (which brings with it disease and hunger), and glacial retreat has been recorded in the Himalayas.
Are people really making engines run on french fry grease? Apparently they are. You may also know by now that Mr. Rudolf Diesel premiered the engine at the 1900 World’s Fair to run on peanut oil. So, this is nothing new.
But I still don’t get it. I have no idea what the difference is between biodiesel and a grease car, other than the fact that one is a chemical mixture of organic materials and the other is straight veggie oil. But isn’t it all the same? No. Lets break it down before Josh Tickell (Mr. BioDiesel) joins me for an extended chat on The Real G Room 101. Here’s what I know so far (the rest will get cleared up when we speak)…
Petroleum: 87/89/91 grade fuel. Good old Gasoline.
“Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of aliphatic hydrocarbons and enhanced with aromatic hydrocarbons toluene, benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, primarily used as fuel in internal combustion engines.” Continue Reading / Additional Photos / Videos
Lets all come clean here, for most of us, eating processed foods is a way of life. Practically from day one, we are fed something which has made it’s way through the factory food shaping machines. For most of us, it started innocently enough with our baby formula and then spontaneously moves on to weekly happy meals, which we chase down with gallons of Coke Cola. It’s so universally excepted, we never think twice about it and that is always when something goes wrong. When we stop asking questions and just take what is given us. This is what the new documentary Processed People is all about. The film takes an in-depth look at the history of the industry and the health crisis it has produced in billions of people around the world.
Some of the shocking facts from the film:Two hundred million Americans are overweight and 100 million are obese. More than 75 million Americans have high blood pressure. 24 million people are diabetic. Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death for men and women, followed by stroke and obesity-related cancers. Obesity has overtaken tobacco as the No. 1 cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Over 50% of bankruptcies are caused by what has become known as “medical debt.”
Processed People features interviews from nine preeminent health and environmental experts/advocates. They discuss how and why Americans got into this mess, and what we can do to break the “processed people” cycle. You see more about the film and even buy a dvd at the movies site, processedpeople.com
Portland always seems to be in the news because it’s considered one of America’s greenest cities. It’s also referred to as Bike City, USA because of its ranking as the top bicycling city in the U.S. and the city with the highest percentage of bike commuters. But it’s not a result of jumping on the green train — Portland has long been a bicycle-friendly city. In the 1970s, long before it was commonplace, the city encouraged cycling by creating bike lanes on major roads.
And in the last decade, Portland’s two-wheeling community has shown its appreciation by helping grow and nurture the city’s economy.
In addition to riders, Portland has a large cycling industry – from independent bike frame builders to local cycle clothing companies. Of course, there are also Portland-headquartered national companies such as Nike and Columbia Sportswear that contribute to the city’s bicycling interests, but a recent New York Times piece focused on local businesses like Team Estrogen, an online retailer that sells cycling clothing for women.
NAU reached out to its customers today in an effort to have an open honest conversation about the true cost of the clothing on our backs. We thought this would be great opportunity for NAU to speak directly to all consumers, not just their current customers. And yes, many staff members here at G Living are current customers. I myself own more than 30 NAU Clothing items and you will see me in a NAU shirt most days of the week. So, I guess you can say I am more than a little curious to hear what they have to say. I understand the issue of cost and find myself weighing cost vs usage. How many times will I really wear something and what does that cost workout to be. Most of the time it works out to be pennies, so it makes it worth the up front investment.
Tell us what you think about pricing of green clothing. If you have an opinion, please say something in the comments.
The following is from nau.com about us section: The post is titled, Our case for a new value equation.
In any economic climate, and particularly in one as difficult as this, it’s natural to consider the price of the products we buy, and whether their value justifies their cost. In recent months, we’ve received a number of comments on The Thought Kitchen regarding the prices for Nau products. One poster commented that “the clothing is great and unique but the pricing is outrageous,” while another wrote “You have to own the grid to afford those prices.” At Nau, we’re big believers in making considered choices, so we understand our customers’ desire to understand what value our prices reflect. So here’s a look at the true cost of producing Nau clothing.