Category Archives: burning reduction methods

Copenhagen Wraps Up With An Agreement As Thin As Gruel – Cold gruel at that

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First it is Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVs6X9yIM_k

Things have gone pretty dismally in Copenhagen. The Developed Countries tried to bully the Developing Countries. The Newly Industrializing Countries sniffed at the DeIndustrializing Countries. The US yelled at China and China yelled back and jingled the coins in its pockets. After all that excitement I must say:

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t291-e4FLs

GRUEL

Gruel is a food preparation consisting of some type of cereal— oat, wheat or rye flour, or also rice— boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk than eaten and need not even be cooked. Historically, gruel, often made from millet or barley, or in hard times of chestnut flour and even the less tannic acorns of some oaks, has been the staple of the human diet, especially that of the peasantry. The importance of gruel as a form of sustenance is especially noted for invalids[1] and recently weaned children.

Gruel consumption has traditionally been associated with poverty. Gruel is a colloquial expression of any slop that is of unknown character, e.g. pea soup; soup is derived from sop, the slice of bread which was soaked with broth or thin gruel.[2

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM77dUW-DBI )

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/dec/18/copenhagen-climate-change-summit-liveblog

 

Copenhagen climate change summit – final day live blog

World leaders are still trying to thrash out a last minute compromise climate deal. These are the final day’s main developments:
• In a disappointing speech Obama admitted that the talks are in the balance.
• Leaked documents showed a draft agreement is extremely weak.
• Obama held two crucial talks with the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Matthew Weaver Posted by Matthew Weaver Friday 18 December 2009 08.14 GMT guardian.co.uk

4.43pm:
Greenpeace has expressed its disgust at the draft Copenhagen accord currently doing the rounds.

Its climate campaigner Joss Garman said:

This latest draft is so weak as to be meaningless. It’s more like a G8 communique than the legally binding agreement we need. It doesn’t even include a timeline to give it legal standing or an explicit temperature target. It’s hard to imagine our leaders will try to present this document to the world and keep a straight face.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dnrosVyamY

All this haggling is going to get us right where the top 500 POLLUTERS want us, sucking up their soot and poisons:

4.57pm:
A third draft of the climate is agreement being considered by world leaders, according to AP. But they are some way off the pace, according to our environment editor John Vidal – he’s looking at sixth version.

For what its worth the third version reinstates targets omitted from earlier ones. It says rich countries should reduce their greenhouse emissions by at least 80% by the year 2050.

It adds that developing countries’ emissions should be 15-30% below “business as usual”.

Stay tuned for more details on that later version.

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jw-ifqwkM )
This not the way that JESUS would have acted:

5.28pm:
Tim Jones climate policy officer from World Development Movement, joins the chorus of disgust.

This summit has been in complete disarray from start to finish, and now appears to be culminating in a shameful and monumental failure that will condemn millions of people around the world to untold suffering. The leaders of rich countries have refused to lead and instead sought to bribe and bully developing nations to sign up to the equivalent of a death warrant. The best outcome now is no deal. Leaders of rich countries should go home and adopt new year resolutions to become low carbon economies and pay their climate debt. Then we may have a chance of a properly just and effective agreement in 2010.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3354flS1KJs&feature=related

On A Happier Front:

Energy-thrifty White House turns deeper shade of green 

By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The White House complex and the federal government are going green — and not just with Christmas trees and holly.

As President Obama meets with world leaders at the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen today, the government he runs at home is quietly engaged in an unprecedented effort to reduce its carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, cut waste and more.

In the complex that includes the White House, that means more efficient heating and cooling systems as well as organic paint, low-flow toilets and lights that turn off by themselves. Even the 800 Christmas ornaments adorning the 18-foot tree in the White House Blue Room were recycled from previous administrations in a nod to the environment and the bad economy.

 

GREEN HOUSE: Eco-friendly living tips

In many of the federal government’s other 500,000 buildings, the effort to go green includes cutting the amount of garbage produced in half and installing more efficient lights.

“This is a big leap forward for the federal government,” says Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of Obama’s White House Council on Environmental Quality. And the effort will be “sustainable itself beyond this president.”

Sutley says the federal government is the country’s single largest energy consumer, using 1.6% of all the power used nationwide, so reducing energy consumption will mean big savings.

The nation is the world’s second-largest producer of greenhouse gases, behind China, and the cuts could help there, as well, environmentalists say.

Erich Pica of Friends of the Earth says, “There are many economies of scale that President Obama can achieve by forcing the federal government to rethink its energy habits.Dot Dot Dot (as they say)

Environmental groups say Obama’s efforts go far beyond what’s been done before. “There’s real substance behind the rhetoric,” says Joel Makower, editor of GreenBiz.com, which reports on the greening of mainstream business.

Under a 15-page executive order Obama signed in October, government agencies must implement a host of changes, Sutley says. Among the requirements:

• Agencies must reduce waste by 50% by 2015.

• Agencies must show a 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020.

• All new buildings and any major renovations to existing buildings must be eligible for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification given by the U.S. Green Building Council to environmentally responsible buildings. In and around Washington, the Pentagon and the ornate 121-year-old Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House are in the process of becoming LEED-certified.

• The government’s 600,000 vehicles must operate with 30% less petroleum by 2020.

Pentagon officials, Sutley says, are “thinking about how they can power their vehicles in different ways, so they don’t have to transport as much fuel,” a change that would save money and improve safety for servicemembers.

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So Copenhagen was pretty much a bust but it’s Christmas so let’s rock out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQXMT_QhguI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYcCnL7cu10&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBKPhD1LIqA

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So How Do All The Climate Liars Get To Copenhegan – Is someone paying their way

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No one bothers to ask themselves, “how does a parellel anti-global warming conference get set up in Copenhagen”? We know how the pro-climate people got there. The world’s environmental organizations sent them. Some of them live there or are close enough to drive. The Government people got there on their countries dime as did the UN people. But how did the aptly named Lord Mockton get there? The answer is easy – The Carbon Industry sent them:

http://motherjones.com/special-reports/2009/12/dirty-dozen-climate-change-denial

Assignment 2020, Climate Change, Copenhagen Climate Talks, Corporations, Environment, Top Stories

In 2006, according to the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of Americans saw “solid evidence” for global warming. By this fall, that figure had dropped to 57 percent—and just 36 percent said they believed that humans are to blame. That’s good news for climate change skeptics and deniers, who have spent years trying to perpetuate the illusion that the reality of climate change is up for debate. Never mind that the scientific consensus is firmly on the side of global warming—for anyone seeking an alternate view, there’s an entire parallel universe where junk science and bogus statistics ricochet through an echo chamber of kooky blogs, “nonpartisan” institutes, and fake “green” and “citizen” groups that are often acting on behalf of the oil and coal industry.

With Copenhagen kicking off and the overblown “Climategate” scandal making headlines, the deniers have even more fodder for their campaign to kill serious action to slow climate change.

Here’s a guide to the dozen loudest components of the climate disinformation machine.

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This is one of the most comprehensive articles I have seen and I urge everyone to read the whole thing. These pricks think they can BURN us off the planet. I hope they are wrong.

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Alice In Greenland – Guest poster Jed Morey has his say

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I rarely have “guest posters”, mainly because nobody asks but also because I like to run my mouth. I forget how I found Jed’s Column but it makes so much sense in such a short space that I actually ASKED Jed if I could use it. How rare is that? So far that would be 2 people Jed and Dan Piraro soooo without further ado (I always wanted to say that…damn).

http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/12/09/alice-in-greenland/

Alice In Greenland

Written by Jed Morey on Dec 9th, 2009 and filed under Columns, Off The Reservation. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Want to take a trip down the environmental rabbit hole? Spark a discussion about climate change and watch human warming reach extremes far greater than any place on the globe.

To the right you have the laughable stance adopted by the conservative movement that humans are having no effect on climate and the atmosphere. At the other extreme are non-scientist policy makers and pundits holding “The End Is Near” signs on every street corner claiming that Iowa and Chad will be beachfront property by the end of next year.

Personally, I’m not qualified to discern which side is closer to representing the truth.

What I do know is that the debate should remain in scientific circles because I have yet to meet anyone qualified to entirely explain the variances in global temperatures. While world leaders are dithering in Copenhagen and arguing over hacked e-mails about tree rings versus thermometers, the public needs to close its ears to the noise produced on both sides of the global warming debate and focus on the tangible aspects of industrial pollution.

You don’t need to be an expert on carbon emissions or reference “parts per billion” to understand that we are seriously screwing up the planet. Public health has been compromised by the rise of industry. While there are several factors that contribute to the decline in public health, much of the discussion centers on energy production and sources because it’s the baseline driver of industry. So let’s look at it.

First of all, there is no such thing as clean coal. True, you can clean coal emissions, but the process of scrubbing coal to burn cleaner is just as much of an environmental disaster. There is no such thing as clean nuclear energy either, for that matter. True, the emissions are carbon neutral, but at some point every nuclear facility must dispose of the spent fuel used in production. The spent fuel must be stored somewhere and wherever that place is, it’s no place you want to be near.

Large wind farms in lakes and oceans are unrealistically expensive and remarkably inefficient. The Danes will tell you differently and espouse the virtues of wind power—just look at the marvel that is Copenhagen—but the fact remains that they are the largest manufacturers of wind turbines and have a vested economic interest in, shall we say, massaging the numbers. However, wind, solar and geothermal energy present viable options on a micro level and should be encouraged in every corner and backyard of the world. Individuals and small businesses need affordable access to clean energy solutions, not just municipalities.

Economically, there is no such thing as cheap oil anymore. Whether or not the Saudis or Venezuelans care to admit it, we have hit peak oil in the largest, most accessible oil fields around the world. Period. Are there places on Earth with large reserves of oil and natural gas? Yup. Is it easy to get to? Nope. Expensive to retrieve? Yup. Environmentally secure to extract? Nope.

As far as Cap and Trade is concerned—please. Giving large corporations and polluters the ability to buy their way out of cleaning their emissions is a lousy practice. Lisa Jackson from the EPA is on the right track by simply drawing a line in the sand and taking it out of the hands of Congress. The message from the Obama administration is clear: Clean it up. If Cap and Trade is allowed to continue one can only imagine Goldman Sachs creating a derivatives market that bundles pollution credits in with mortgages on homes with inefficient boilers and selling them to school boards in Greenland. No more government-backed securities bought by large corporations and sold on opaque markets, especially if they contain something as ethereal as carbon credits.

This is it folks. We have reached the tipping point. The only option heretofore is conservation.

If you wish to comment on “Off the Reservation,” send your message to jmorey@longislandpress.com.

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Can’t say it any better than that. By the way those who know me know I disagree with Jed about renewables, broadly stated, to replace fossil fuels but as he says “Cheap nope, time consuming Yup”. Thanks Jed.

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The Top 50 Environmental Blogs – All good things must come to an end

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People have been saying to me, “There is climate summit going on, oil speculators about, and the EPA just declared it will regulate CO2 and other noxious gases because they threaten human health under the Clean Air Act and you are wasting your posting on the Blog about web sites. That’s just wrong.” To which I say nana nana toddle do” or something equally intelligent. I mean I will get to that but today we will finish up this list and then get to the HARD news reporting. Today’s post literally fell into my hands. But first I have to say:

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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As I said, this story literally fell into my lap. I was at a site that I have already sited in this series of posts. It is an accumulation of some of the most popular environmental sites around. There was a site listed there that I had never seen before but it was to cool to be true. When I clicked on it I went to a list of environmental sites and I though my work for the day is done:

Cool Site:

http://www.hippiemagazine.com/

Cool List:

December 9th in Resources by Cyrus .

18 excellent green blogs to follow

These are some of our favorite blogs that deal with the climate crisis. We strive to bring you excellent resources to incorporate into your green lifestyle. If you have your own eco favorites, feel free to add them as comments below!

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I feel gratified that many of my faves are on the list but here are a few I overlooked.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/green/

ALL EYES ON COPENHAGEN

Island Nations Fight For Survival.. WATCH: The Powerful Big Ag Lobby That Rarely Makes News.. WATCH: Climate Denier Lord Mockton Calls Activists “Hitler Youth”.. Follow The Events LIVE On Twitter

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This name says it all:

http://poorplanet.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 7, 2009

“I am sorry” – Greenpeace 2020 Banners


The UN summit on climate change kicks off in Copenhagen as I write this. Many people have stopped believing in the head of developed countries as having the power and courage to take the right decisions, even if this means sacrifice. Barack Obama received the nobel peace price but ironically decided to send an extra 30,000 soldiers to war in Afghanistan. Let’s see if he can do better in terms of environment. The USA have to lead the world in taking action against global warming and other issues. How could we ask China or India to reduce their CO2 emissions if the leading countries are not doing the expected efforts?

Greenpeace, along other associations, are putting pressure on the leaders, or at least trying to. Since last week, travelers arriving in the Copenhagen’s international airport will come across the following banners. These depict different leaders of developed nations apologizing in 2020 (ten years from now) for not taking the right decisions. I’ll let you judge by yourself.

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This is a very happy and upbeat site.

http://www.environmentastic.com/blog/

This past weekend (November 2o, 2009, to be exact), filmmaker Robert Stone introduced a showing of his newest film, Earth Days.

In Robert’s own words, he wanted to make a movie “not about the present, not about the future, not doom and gloom, but about how we got here.” In doing so, he hoped to show how today, politics tends to be the issue when it comes to environmentalism, and he also hopes that movie will “point a way forward.”I’m not a professional movie reviewer, in fact, I go to movies less often than your typical hermit, but I’ll do my best here to give this film it’s due.Stone immediately lays politics out as part of his statement, as the opening scene shows statements about the environment being made by presidents starting with John F. Kennedy, all the way through George W. Bush (who’s statements on the environment for his entire eight-year tenure in office were limited to, apparently, “We are addicted to oil.” Duh.).

Stone then introduces nine “pioneer” environmentalists, each with a different background and modus operandi:

  • “The Radical” – Stephanie Mills
  • “The Conservationist” – Stewart Udall
  • “The Astronaut” – Rusty Schweickart
  • “The Biologist” – Paul Ehrlich
  • “The Motivator” – L. Hunter Lovins
  • “The Futurist” – Stewart Brand
  • “The Organizer” – Denis Hayes
  • “The Politician” – Paul (Pete) McCloskey
  • “The Forecaster” – Dennis Meadows

The film speaks of some of the typical “demons” of the environmental movement, including the interstate highway system and automobiles, and theorizes that one of the core problems of the environmental movement is that it asks human beings to move outside of their instinctual “reaction” mode. Early humans faced many risks, and those who survived were the ones who, when faced with immediate threats or opportunities, made a choice rooted in the moment – without having to consider the long-term consequences of their actions. In other words, “cavemen,” when faced with a woolly mammoth, ran. They didn’t have to consider where to run, nor what they would do once they escaped the creature. Conventional business works – even today – in much the same way. Short-term considerations are most important, if the long-term is even thought about at all.

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Many many many people will say that this should have been higher on my list, but it is just a catalog..I mean a damn good catalog:

http://www.inhabitat.com/

GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Gifts That Give Back

by Yuka Yoneda, 12/10/09

Inhabitat Gifts that Give Back Guide, Green Gifts that Give Back, green gifts, eco gifts, sustainable gifts, charitable gifts, donations, holiday donations, humane society

The holidays are a time for fun and family, but they’re also about the spirit of giving selflessly and charitably to those who are less fortunate. So this year, why not give a gift that is both meaningful and special to the recipient and gives back to a cause that is near to their heart? It won’t cost you any extra and if you need ideas, we’ve got a ton in our Gifts that Give Back Guide. Whether you want to give a stylish reusable water bottle that supports the environment or delight someone with an adorable rescued doggie or cat, check out our guide for our top picks!

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This is another site that people would place a lot higher…again this is just stuff and if you have seen the stuff movie –http://www.storyofstuff.com/ you know that stuff is problematic still I can’t leave em off the list:

http://www.ecotoolbox.com/blog/index.php

4 Battery Solar Charger

No operating cost, charging by solar is safe, fast and easyWith unique design and can charge 4pcs “D”/”C”/”AA”/”AAA” size rechargeable batteriesWith all weather durable fiber glass board 7V solar panelFull set of multi-plug and cable wire is provided for easy connection to many appliancesWith adjustable stand for adjusting the best angle to absorb maximum sunlight for faster chargingA blocking diode is built into the circuit to prevent the reverse flow of electricity at night timeEquipped with a portable handle for easy carryingAll weather resistant:}

And Finally TADA

http://www.worldchanging.com/

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010868.html

Letter from Copenhagen: An Update from Alex

Alex Steffen, 9 Dec 09

I’m in Copenhagen, where I’m speaking at the Bright Green Expo (NYT coverage here) and the Copenhagen Climate Summit for Mayors, delivering a lecture for the Blekinge Institute of Technology, participating in several other events and giving a lot of media interviews. Meanwhile, the full mayhem of the COP15 summit itself is unfolding here.

COP15 is a pretty astonishing event, with thousands of delegates, journalists and advocates swarming around (or at least standing in lines in) Copenhagen’s large convention center. (You can get the flavor of the event by reading the dispatches from Katie Fehrenbacher, Jonathan Hiskes and Kate Sheppard.)

Though Worldchanging isn’t covering breaking news — I’m here in Copenhagen more to be quoted than quote others — I am updating my Twitter feed frequently, keeping folks abreast of the happenings. You can find follow me at @AlexSteffen.

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That was harder than it looked

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50 Top Environmental Blogs – We broke 35 yesterday which makes this the biggest list on the internet

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It is true. I started this meditation on Environmental Blogs in part to make fun of the idea, to also show that experts only really have their opinions about what is the Best Blog and to point out the question – where do you stop? See now that I have done a list of 50…someone will surely come along and do 60 or maybe 75 and 100 of the best of the web. Before I start though I must say:

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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OK today it is the lawyers. No I do not believe lawyers are bad or should be made the butt of jokes. In a society where we have a hit TV show about ad men call MAD MEN, where we tolerate used car salesmen and cosmetic sales women, I don’t think lawyers are at the bottom of the dung heap. The good hearted ones actually make the world a better place. As for the oft used quote, “first we kill all the lawyers”, that is proceeded by “how shall we recreate the world of kings”…so please get off it. All of you who have been through a bad divorce or been sued need someone to blame…right?

First up, what is not to like about an attorney who is LEED certified:

http://www.greenbuildinglawblog.com/

The 50% Rule or Why Emails and Statistics Don’t Matter

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Shari Shapiro

We have heard a chorus of voices over the past few days raising the moribund concept that climate change is not happening, and is some global liberal conspiracy to devalue oceanfront property in Palm Beach.

At the center of raising the hydrahead of the Palm Beach Conspiracy was the discovery of  some emails from the University of East Anglia where climate change scientists were engaging in the age-old academic practice of arguing with one another.  For a “pro” climate change perspective, Gawker explains the situation here, for an “anti” climate change perspective, the Weekly Standard provides this analysis.

I was guest lecturing at Princeton a few weeks ago, and I used the opportunity to propogate one of my favorite ideas–I call it the 50% Rule. It can be used to explain the Palm Beach Conspiracy, statistics about climate change, and as a means of deflating your brother-in-law’s wild stories about catching a 45 foot trout during holiday meals. Here it goes–when you hear a statistic or a scandal or a wild trout fishing tale, assume the information is off by 50%.  One-half.  Then determine whether the information still matters.  If your brother’s trout was only 22.5 feet, not 45, that’s still a mighty large fish.  Similarly, with climate change, if scientists’ statistics about sea level rise or drought are off by 50%, we are still looking at a serious problem.  The result? We still need to do something about it.

With respect to the Palm Beach Scandal, Micheal Oppenheimer from Princeton on NPR explained it beautifully. The consensus of hundreds of scientists, using many different methodologies, all in competition with one another have reached a consensus that climate change is real and caused largely by man’s actions.  Even if 50% of the data is wrong or subject to bias or manipulation,  that is still hundreds of the world’s best scientists coming to a consensus (which if you have ever had two scientists in a room is a feat in and of itself) coming to the same conclusion.

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She is cute too. Oh sorry.

http://www.greenenergyanddevelopmentlaw.com/

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Brad Mondschein

Centerbuild 2009

Hello from the ICSC’s Centerbuild 2009 conference in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona.  While it is certainly cold here at night, the great weather was an added bonus to a conference that was chock full of great information.  The theme this year “Get Smart” lived up to its billing.  The speakers, workshops and roundtables did not disappoint the conference-goers.  The focus of every event was to share information with the latest technologies and Green issues.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to host a workshop on incentives for green shopping centers.  At the conference, I promised to post our PowerPoint presentations on this blog.  Here is my presentation along with Kent Jeffreys and Greg Stark.  I will post Jim Westberg’s next week.  Due to technical limitations, I cannot post that now.

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I know these are hard core sites but you asked for the BEST right? Why China you ask? Well that is where the action is going to be for the next 100 years if our species lasts that long.

http://www.greenlaw.org.cn/enblog/

he Prospects for Global Cooperation to Address Climate Change at Copenhagen and After

Filed Under Climate Change, Feature Article By Greenlaw · December 8, 2009 · Leave a comment

Download Article (PDF, 141KB)

Download Article (PDF, 141KB)

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Representatives from China, the US and all of the other countries of the world will soon gather in Copenhagen, where they will work towards an international agreement to address climate change for the period after 2012.  While there has been enormous progress this year, many observers have begun to worry that countries will be unable to fully bridge their differences in Copenhagen.  Taking both the progress and remaining difficulties into account, we are optimistic that the global community will succeed in creating an international structure for equitably, effectively, and collectively addressing one of the greatest threats to humanity.  Progress will be made at Copenhagen, but for a number of reasons, hammering out the full international agreement may take into next year.

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Then there is the movie star:

http://www.brockovichblog.com/

Million Baby Crawl

Remember when the million man march, a vast grassroots movement, conveyed to the world a different picture of the African American man?

Move over men, it’s baby time.

There’s another march on the way, only it’s not for a million men. It’s not a march either–it’s the Million Baby Crawl.

Seventh Generation has invited me to be a spokeswoman for the Million Baby Crawl, a movement to focus public attention on toxins in household products.

Currently the government only tests 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals on the market. Who knows how many dangerous ingredients are sitting on our own shelves?
This movement is around to focus attention on protecting our families from toxins secreted in products on the shelves in every American home.

Yes, under our kitchen cabinets, there’s a hotbed of toxic chemical soups marketed as cleansers, polishes, insecticides, etc.

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I periodically tout a Blog that appears to have died or become fixed in time. I don’t really care why that happens, it is the content that matters and this site is pretty good:

http://www.sustainabilitylawblog.com/

August 18, 2009

Portland and Seattle Among Test Markets for Electric Vehicle Program

The U.S. Department of Energy has funded a pilot program by eTec Corporation and Nissan North America to deploy up to 5,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in five U.S markets in 2010, including Portland and Seattle. Program participants will have the opportunity to buy new Nissan EV’s at about the cost of an average family sedan, which are expected to be able to travel about 100 miles on a single charge. The federal money is part of a $2.4 billion program to fund battery research and manufacturing, EV development and installation of EV infrastructure.

Portland General Electric (PGE) has already installed 20 EV charging stations in the Portland Metro area and Salem. The program will work with PGE and three Seattle utilities to install an additional 2,550 charging stations in Portland and Seattle, and will install personal charging stations at no cost in the homes of program participants. ZipCar, a popular car sharing service, will also participate in the EV program in Seattle.

I already use ZipCar and love it. I think I’ll look into participating in the pilot program.

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Anyway I wish I already had a ZipCar, damn it. These guys focus on New England but again very very into the actual law:

http://renewableenergylaw.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Carbon Harvest Energy

Carbon Harvest Energy’s proposal to turn old landfills into no-waste energy producers has been in the news lately, with stories both in the Burlington Free Press and on Vermont Public Radio. Carbon Harvest Energy will be taking a defunct landfill-based methane facility in Brattleboro and turning it into an active, zero-waste, energy-producing facility. According to the Free Press article, the electricity, heat and carbon dioxide produced by the methane-fueled generator will all be utilized. The former landfill will be able to sell the electricity, heat a greenhouse and a fish tank, and use the carbon dioxide as a contribution to an algae farm. The Vermont Food Bank will be the main recipient of the food and fish raised in the facility, and the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources is partnering with Carbon Harvest to study the algae produced.
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Some of these I got from:

http://www.criminaljusticeusa.com/blog/2009/50-best-blogs-about-environmental-law/

50 Best Blogs About Environmental Law

See I am not the only one.

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The Top 50 Environmental Blogs – This is business day

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I plan on breaking 35 Environmental Blogs viewed today. Today we are going to focus on Blogs that take a “business” point of view. This is a tough category and I picked these Blogs for their content more then that they are they the BEST. Everyone knows the place you have to start is Wall Street. But first I must say:

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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As I said all business practices start in New York City and it gets no better than this:

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/

December 8, 2009, 3:57 am ‘People’s Summit’ Sets Alternate Agenda

By LARS KROLDRUP

PhotoLars Kroldrup Sandbags are part of a display highlighting the threat of rising seas in India and Bangladesh, at KlimaForum09 in Copenhagen — the “people’s summit.”

As the formal United Nations climate talks got under way in the belly of Copenhagen’s Bella Center on Monday, just up the road, a broad coalition of Danish and international environmental movements, civil society organizations and freelance campaigners were busy launching a self-described “people’s summit.”

“The Bella Center is the biggest case of disaster capitalism,” Naomi Klein, the author of a book on corporate backlash and the guest of honor at the opening, declared. “The deal we really need is not even on the table.”

KlimaForum09, as the event is called, is positioning itself as a shadow summit to the far more conspicuous one that has drawn tens of thousands of government officials, business leaders and environmental organizations for 12 days of talks in Denmark.

“We don’t represent vested interests such as bureaucrats, politicians, business or civil servants,” the Web site for the event has touted for weeks. “We do represent scientists, grassroots activists, academics, writers, artists and people from all walks of life.”

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http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/12/07/10-best-practices-building-green-teams

10 Best Practices for Building Green Teams

By Deborah Fleischer

Published December 07, 2009

GreenBiz.com and Green Impact have partnered to release a new report, “Green Teams: Engaging Employees in Sustainability.” Based on interviews with green team leaders from Intel, Yahoo!, eBay and Genentech, as well as a review of the latest literature on employee engagement and green teams, the report provides an overview of the best practices companies are using to support and guide green teams.

It is divided into four key sections: making the business case for green teams; getting started; four emerging trends; and green team best practices.

It is a great resource for companies and organizations just beginning to think about creating a green team and for those ready to take their existing program to the next level.

What is a Green Team?

Green teams are self-organized, grassroots and cross-functional groups of employees who voluntarily come together to educate, inspire and empower employees around sustainability. They identify and implement specific solutions to help their organization operate in a more environmentally sustainable fashion. Most green teams initially focus on greening operations at the office, addressing such issues as recycling in the office, composting food waste, reducing the use of disposable takeout containers and eliminating plastic water bottles.

This focus on operations is evolving and some green teams are beginning to focus their efforts on integrating sustainability into employees’ personal lives, while others are bringing consumers into the equation and aligning their efforts to support broader corporate sustainability objectives.

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http://www.businessweek.com/investing/green_business/

Israel’s cleantech advantage

Posted by: Yoni Cohen on November 25

As Business Week recently reported, Israeli cleantech is red-hot. Need additional evidence? On Nov. 15, both authors of the House-passed cap and trade bill participated in conversations about the burgeoning Israeli cleantech sector. Congressman Henry Waxman spoke at the Saban Forum in Jerusalem while Congressman Ed Markey addressed a packed house at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge.

But can a tiny nation really be a global cleantech leader? Absolutely. There are several reasons to believe that Israeli cleantech is here to stay.

First, human capital. “Israel has one of the world’s highest concentrations of scientists and engineers. It is similar to Boston and San Francisco. Within a fifty mile drive, you’ve got a half dozen of the world’s top research universities, ” said Jonathan Shapira, a business lawyer at Goodwin Procter and the founder of the Boston-Israel Cleantech Alliance.

Second, natural resources and lack thereof. Israel has plenty of sun, which enables it to serve as a laboratory for solar innovation. It lacks water and oil, which provides a strong and persistent incentive for the country to be a world leader in desalination and wean itself off fossil fuels.:}

http://blog.businessgreen.com/

Obama’s cool climate moves leave opponents floundering

I know this is hardly original an original observation, but President Obama really is one very cool customer.

The administration’s ability to steadily advance its low carbon agenda while facing conflicting pressures from Republicans (and some Democrats) angry at the proposed US climate bill, and diplomats in Copenhagen demanding the US shows more ambition, has been little short of a master class in political positioning. There is a long way still to go before he can declare victory, but you get the impression Obama will see some form of climate legislation passed early next year – and what is more, his opponents will not be quite sure how he did it.

The influential political blogger Andrew Sullivan has repeatedly observed how throughout both his campaign and his first 12 months in the White House, President Obama has outmanoeuvred rivals through almost preternatural displays of calmness and detachment.

Echoing Muhammad Ali’s famous rope-a-dope strategy, Obama has let opponents expose their own position, unleash wave after wave of ill-conceived attacks, and reveal their strength and weaknesses, while all the time he quietly and coolly weighs up his options. Then, just when his rivals think they are heading towards victory, he has acted with swiftness and no little ruthlessness to land his own decisive blows and end up with exactly what he wanted.

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http://webecoist.com/

Real-Life Water World: 12 Futuristic Offshore Building Projects

real-life-waterworld-main

As rising seas overtake the shores and the human population continues to grow, some experts believe we’ll eventually have no choice but to live in a real-life ‘water world’, building hotels, homesteads and even entire cities on the open ocean. Forward-thinking architects are already planning for this possibility, and their futuristic designs range from Star Wars-inspired marine research facilities to luxurious undersea hotels.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot

George Monbiot blog

The denial industry case notes

My Guardian Comment column this week is about how the climate denial industry achieves its aims. What follows is a list of footnotes and references to go with that article

1 The public persuasion campaign

In 1991 the Western Fuels Association, National Coal Association and Edison Electric Institute set up a group called the Information Council for the Environment (Ice). Its founding documents were leaked. The text has been made available online by the scientist Naomi Oreskes. The strategy was spelt out in a document produced by the Western Fuels Association: to “reposition global warming as theory (not fact)”.

Ice was given $510,000 to test its messages in key markets, all of which happened to be the homes of members of the energy and commerce or ways and means committees of the US House of Representatives. The purpose was to “demonstrate that a consumer-based media awareness program can positively change the opinions of a selected population regarding the validity of global warming.” If it worked, Ice would “implement program nationwide”.

It identified “two possible target audiences”: “Target 1: Older, less educated males”. These people, Ice said, would be receptive to “messages describing the motivations and vested interests of people currently making pronouncements on global warming – for example, the statement that some members of the media scare the public about global warming to increase their audience and their influence … ”

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Business can sometimes be exciting.

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Top 50 Environmental Blogs – Going where no man has gone before

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Let me start with a little house keeping. By my count and it is the only one the matters I have posted 24 Environmental Blogs that I think are the best on the planet and a little chunk of each blog. This includes 4 lists of Blogs many of whom I did not think were all that great or at least belong say in the last 25 of the best. I also included one Blog that has not been updated for nearly a year. However its content is still one of the best on topic – in this case Biomass. I do not even know if that person died, got bored or got a real job and I do not really care.

Today we tackle the issue of disposable diapers or more importantly Mothers and Babies. There is nothing more dangerous then to comment on women pumped on hormones or little cute tikes. Also HUGE disclaimer, I have no kids. I must say however that Disposable Diapers are just wrong. Before elaborating, first I must say:

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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To continue this rant, first using oil for anything should be carefully regulated. IT IS A FINITE RESOURCE. We need it for things like Moon Rocket Parts, and medicines. Not plastic shopping bags and disposable diapers. Second the garbage dump is the last place for feces and urine (pay attention pet owners). We have elaborate water treatment plants set up to handle that stuff and that is where it should go. This is no “carbon” argument. Washing and drying diapers takes a lot of energy. Even if you use a clothesline to dry them it is still a huge energy bite. I am not unmindful of the labor that this requires for already harried mothers BUT making them out of biodegradable materials doesn’t solve the problem. 14 cloth diapers should get a kid to other forms of underwear and they probably should last through 2 kids, so there! I have said my piece. Plus if we were using all the pee and poo that exists on this planet to fertilize the Earth we would be off of oil based fertilizers all together but we would have to create a system for that with careful monitoring…People really do learn to “throw stuff away” and “burn stuff up” at an early age.

OK so back to what I call Mommy sites BUT many people call Parenting Sites:

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Here is a list:

http://www.reducereuserecycle.co.uk/greendirectory/kids_green_sites.php

Here is another list:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/7701

I by the way like the Green Daily people a lot but they are awfully pure. Here is another:

http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/green-infant

I will give you 4 sites that I like and you can go from there

http://www.gogreenbabyshop.com/

Welcome to Our New Website!!

If you’re new to Go Green Baby Co. (GGBC) – please take a moment to learn more ‘about us‘. We are a family owned retail store in Salisbury, MD. We compiled all of our favorite natural & organic baby products and put them all in one place for you.

We’re so excited to bring you so many new products. We have the BRAND NEW Thirsties Duo Diaper…this is a fabulous new diaper! The Flip & Econobum diapers are IN STOCK! Smartipants?! They’re in stock too! Kate Quinn Fall/Winter collection is here and so is Under the Nile’s fabulous Fall line along with brand new plush toys. Looking for holiday gifts? We just re-stocked all Plan Toys!!

Don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Why do I like them? They sell cloth diapers right up front. Next up

http://www.greatgreenbaby.com/

Bamboo-Baby-Cap-2

This isn’t a cap for bamboo babies as the title might suggest, but a baby cap manufactured from 95% bamboo.

The big advantages of bamboo are it’s antimicrobial properties as well as giving protection to 98% of harmful UV rays.

Apart from that, they stay in place on the head and they look great.

Available from Babybambu

Price $5

http://www.babybambu.com/Bamboo-Baby-Hat-p/bamboo-baby-cap.htm

This isn’t a cap for bamboo babies as the title might suggest, but a baby cap manufactured from 95% bamboo.

The big advantages of bamboo are it’s antimicrobial properties as well as giving protection to 98% of harmful UV rays.

Apart from that, they stay in place on the head and they look great.

Available from Babybambu

Price $5

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Why do I like them besides the Bamboo cuddly apparel. they suck on ever nuck before they recommend them. Next up:

http://mindfulmomma.typepad.com/

Fair Trade Gift Ideas + $165 Worth of Giveaways!!

As you rack your brain trying to come up with the ‘perfect’ gift for Grandma or that little something for your favorite babysitter, it’s important to remember that there is more to gift giving than the gift itself. There are people behind the gift.  People who work in the fields, operate machines, package it up and send it on its merry way.

So when you make a purchase, you’re really making 2 decisions.  One for the gift itself and the other for the manner in which it was made.  When you buy Fair Trade you can be assured that the people who made the product were treated fairly and the process was an equitable one.  Some of the benefits for buying Fair Trade include:

  • Fair wages for workers
  • Safe and healthy working conditions
  • Equitable partnerships between producers and marketers
  • Long-term working relationships
  • Environmentally sustainable practices followed

To create a little excitement about buying Fair Trade, I contacted some of my favorite Fair Trade vendors about doing a giveaway.  And WOW did they ever come through with some wonderful prizes!!  Read on to learn out about these terrific companies and some of the really great Fair Trade products they have to offer.

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Fair Trade and Babies? WOW Finally:

http://eco-chick.com/ Eco-Chick · The modern girl’s guide to living green & fabulous.

Smoky Eyes How To with Christopher Drummond Natural Makeup

^ More

Into the Hermitage: Low-Impact Gypsy Life on the Road

Comments No Comments

by Stephanie Rogers · 12/07/09

hermitage-1

Few of us can even begin to imagine whittling our possessions down to just a few boxes full of items and living in a room that measures barely eight feet wide. But what if that room was a recycled gypsy home on wheels, with an ever-changing view of the Scottish countryside out of reclaimed leaded glass church windows?

Welcome to the utterly enchanting reality of artist Rima Staines and her partner Tui, a musician. The talented pair live a nomadic existence in their wooden horse box turned charming miniature home, complete with a double bed, rows of bookshelves and a wood stove – all documented on their blog, Into the Hermitage.

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OK everyone is going to holler, the Eco-Chick has nothing to do with babies, or being a mother or educational programs for kids. To them I say, Exactly. There is more to being a woman then being a mother. Eco-Chick is slick, entertaining, sophisticated and FUN. Every Mother (excuse me) Parent should have one.

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The Top 50 Environmental Blogs – What about the media mopes

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Its Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yc2leWX56A

But first I gotta say:

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7olsf7IlRI )
It seems like everyone has lists of green blogs. There is list for babies, mothers, products and even the media gets into the act:

http://www.greenedia.com/

Greenedia: The Best of Green Social Media

 

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Latest Environmental Headlines

December 04, 2009

 

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Conservative Appears to Have Won in Honduras

Porfirio Lobo’s main opponent conceded in the presidential election that many hoped could help Honduras after the crisis caused by last summer’s coup.

 

image

 

Markets Rally Across Asia as Dubai Fears Recede

Key indexes in the Asia-Pacific region rebounded Monday, as investors’ worries about potential fallout from Dubai’s debt troubles eased.

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Greenbuild 2009: Monumental – Building Priorities Briefing

GREENBUILD 2009– The Empire State Building plans to trim 38 percent from its monumental 11 million dollar annual energy bill with an energy efficiency retrofit. This month we hear from a person who’s

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7lHHF7-kNY )

These are their favorite Blogs (notice Hugger and Mill are 2 and 3 so this list is pretty good):

http://green.autoblog.com/

Fisker Karma – Click above for high-res image gallery

What does Joe Biden have to do with Fisker Automotive? On the surface, the answer would seem to be nothing at all.. or at least it did until the Vice President himself revealed the startup automaker’s plans to introduce a new series of electric vehicles under the Project Nina banner. Not only that, Fisker just so happens to have decided to build cars in Biden’s home state of Delaware. Coincidence?

According to Fisker spokesman Russel Datz, coincidence is exactly what it is. There were a number of good reasons to choose the former GM plant in Wilmington, Deleware, and the fact that it’s Biden’s home state is not one of them. First, the plant is relatively new and hasn’t been shuttered for a long period of time, meaning that it’s in good shape.

Second, the plant is about the size Fisker was looking for. Further, the plant is already set up to install GM’s 2.0-liter Ecotec engine, which is what will be installed in the Karma sedan and convertible. Moving along, GM had recently upgraded the plant’s paint shop, leading to the quality kind of paint jobs that Fisker is looking for. Finally, the plant has easy access to shipping lanes and a UAW workforce that will require very little training.
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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58bWg0_nTOc )
http://news.mongabay.com/bioenergy/

Thursday, December 11, 2008

From bioenergy to smart conservation

People come and go, and so do websites. With Biopact, we have tried to promote bioenergy in Africa as a way to help small farmers make a better living. We did so by pointing at possible strategies to use natural resources in as intelligent a manner as possible, and by connecting initiatives dealing with agriculture, forestry and bioenergy. We hinted at the role Europe could play by re-writing trade rules, farm subsidies and international development policies.

The small group of dedicated people who wrote for Biopact have learned a lot during these past few years. We learned, for example, that large-scale biofuel production may do a lot of harm, while small-scale, locally rooted bioenergy initiatives may change lives for the better. We gained an insight into new farming techniques, like biochar, which may help tackle key problems in the developing world. We changed perspectives when it became clear that the interrelated threats of climate change and energy insecurity require far more action on the part of individuals, communities and governments. And above all, we came to think that the few patches of untouched nature we have left on this planet, need to be conserved.

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYeJRiaRSK4&NR=1 )

http://www.desmogblog.com/

The oily echo machine behind “climategate”

The most vocal organizations around the University of East Anglia hacked email story (aka. “climategate”) have been involved in a decade-plus campaign to delay action on climate change.

The goal of this campaign, which began around the time of the first Kyoto Protocol negotiations, was to assemble a group of like-minded “free-market” think tanks and pseudo-experts that would bring into question the scientific realities of climate change, create doubt with the public and politicians and effectively delay the introduction of clean energy policy in the United States.

It’s no coincidence that the groups pushing this story the hardest have a long history of taking money from oil and coal companies to attack the conclusions made by climate scientists.

What I wouldn’t do to have a few of these organizations private emails over the years!

Here’s a few of the groups I’m talking about and a very brief background on their previous activities, as well as funding sources:

Center for a Constructive Tomorrow: owns and operate ClimateDepot.com, which has been a main clearinghouse for the right-wing climategate echo chamber. ClimateDepot.com is managed by Marc Morano, former aide to Republican Senator James Inhofe. CFACT has received grants from Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and well-known right-wing foundations like the Carthage Foundation and the Sarah Scaife Foundation.
Read more: The oily echo machine behind “climategate

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I knew it! Sooner or later I would be able to put up a picture of that schitzoid lieing worthless Glenn Beck. Thankyou Green Media.

So now for something different

(  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB0scwvIuI8&NR=1 )

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Top 50 Environmental Blogs Of All Time – Well at least at the moment…

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Yes it is true. It will take most of next week probably to get to 50 environmental blogs out of the 1000s of environmental blogs out there but we shall prevail. Notice I have not said anything about this blogs focus which is energy and its misuse which is damaging the planet. These are just eco blogs, some technical some not, that purport to reuse, recycle, repair, replenish, reincarnate, and my personal favorite (to protect my girlish figure) reduce. Excuse me I must

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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Speaking of being reduced by a Blog. I made mild fun of a Blog yesterday called, Gardening Naked. The woman that writes that Blog is amazing. She sent me an email yesterday and I have been reduce to kneeling before her in surrender:

 http://www.gardeningnude.com/

Giving From The Heart – 2009 Holiday Green Gift Guide Resource Ideas

Two little girls sharing time playing games together. We live in an increasingly materialistic society in the United States, and often take all the “stuff” we have for granted. With our communities surviving a very difficult economic time, it seems important to pull back on the gift giving and push forward with giving from the heart. It is not about how many gifts we give; it is about the love in our hearts when we give them.

When you do give a gift, consider giving a good-for-the-earth-gift. Green and sustainable gifts are the best gifts because they keep on giving even after the holidays are over. Try gifting your friends and family with green and sustainable presents this season and make a difference for our world. Below are a few of the best green gift giving guides online; great resources for you and your family to tap into this holiday season.

Sustainability expert and landfill rescuer, Kay McKeen, runs a School & Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education center in Illinois, also known as “SCARCE”. This organization has rescued millions of books from the landfills for free donation to local and international schools. SCARCE staff spends hundreds of hours educating locals on the benefits of living green and this year have built a terrific online green gift guide. To view SCARCE’s local-to-Shopper at local resale shop Chicagoland Green Gift Guide online, visit their web site – http://s-c-a-r-c-e.org or telephone (630) 545-9710.

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So she would be what number 21 or 22 on the list. I lost count. Also while on the “catalog” of environmental blogs yesterday, I found another catalog. This is beginning to sound a little like green porn or something.

Anyway that “catalogue” (pardon my British) is:

http://www.bestgreenblogs.com/

Going through their list I came upon a site that raised a question in my head. I did a series last year about environmental groups around the world which was fascinating to me but until I saw this Blog I did not think “how hard must it be to be environmentally conscious in a third world country”? So we go from taking stuff home from a landfill to living in a land fill.

http://greenbitch.wordpress.com/

HARI MALAYSIA: 16 SEPTEMBER 2009

September 16, 2009 · Filed under HOLIDAY, home · Tagged

 

 

Sabah_old_map

What is Malaysia Day ? Why isn’t it on the 31st August but instead 16 September ? 31st August 1957 is the day Malaya or better known than as the Federation of Malaya got their independence from British colonial rule.

Malaysia Day is held on September 16 every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963, the joining together of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia.

Malaysia Day is not a public holiday.

I personally think that Malaysia Day should be given equal if not more importance, since it is the day our beloved nation came together as ONE. In order to get the whole nation to rally in the 1Malaysia concept, everyone should be make aware of the formation of MALAYSIA. It is a day every Malaysia should be proud of, and shout it out loud ” Saya anak bangsa Malaysia.”

anakmalaysia

To all fellow Malaysian wherever you are, HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY.

green bitch/witch ;)

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Or From a Bus in Northern Scotland (Brrrrrrr)

http://theblackbuscompany.blogspot.com/

horsebox.jpg

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Or even in the wilds of France where they make great French Fries:

 http://www.smileandsavetheplanet.com/

3 décembre 2009

GOLD SAVE THE GREEN par CECILE DUCROT-LOCHARD

On a plissé des yeux devant la violence de « Lord of War ». On s’est repassé en boucle « Blood Diamond » (pas que pour Léo, on préfère Nicolas Cage d’abord) et on a bien décrypté le processus : le diamant, c’est définitivement pas du propre côté social, pas plus qu’environnemental d’ailleurs. La puissante De Beers a dû plier sous la pression des associations et la filière diamantaire, gouvernements et industriels réunis, a mis un peu d’ordre dans ses tablettes même si tout n’est pas encore brillant-brillant.

Qu’en est-il de nos gourmettes, alliance, collier, piercing (il en faut pour tous les goûts) ? D’où provient l’or qui pend à mon cou ? Une autre responsabilité me pend-t-elle au nez ?

bague-JEL-b4668

Hyperconsommatrice de mercure et de cyanure, l’extraction de l’or génère des tonnes de déchets toxiques. L’exploitation minière artisanale contribue au déboisement, à la dégradation des sols, à la pollution de l’air par le monoxyde de carbone, du sol et de l’eau… N’en jetez plus ?!!! Ben si : sur le plan sanitaire, elle peut engendrer des maladies respiratoires par l’inhalation de gaz et poussière…

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Excuse my French as they say.

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The Top Fifty Environmental Blogs – Well we are getting there

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I know. With this installment we will be nearing 20 Blogs but after tommorow we will be halfway there. Big yaaaaay for us and we start off with CleanTechies which are our friends on Facebook www.facebook.com/Doug Nicodemus though they are not our friends on Myspace www.myspace.com/dougnicodemus  :+{ oh but first I must say

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Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

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I got these from a list that claims to be a “catalog” of green blogs but it includes things like Gardening Nude and its first blog is Green Seduction. Now I am sure that these are real nice folks and I BET they get a lot of hits but…they ain’t Cleantechies:

http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/technology/environment/

http://blog.cleantechies.com/

Clean Tech in Finland, Ice Baths & Hot Saunas

Ian ThomsonPublished on Tags December 2nd, 2009 by Ian Thomson  Share

Finland's Saunas

This seems to be the Finnish response to RMI’s Amory Lovins’ “Hot Showers and Cold Beer.” I arrived in Helsinki about 10 hours ago, though thanks to an airport worker’s strike and a spirited bout of jet lag, I’m only now getting to walk around the city. I have yet to get my vitamin D for the day, the weather was foggy and rainy when we arrived, and the sun set predictably early at around 4PM, which meant that my three hour nap killed any possible exposure, and I won’t lie, I feel it.

From my research in preparation for this trip, Finland has made some impressive commitments to both the environment and stimulating clean tech initiatives. What it doesn’t have in sun resources for much of the year, it makes up for in tremendous water, biomass and commitment to pursuing technological solutions. Thanks to the Finnish government’s interest in promoting the country’s clean energy leadership – and me winning a spirited game of rochambeau (rock-paper-scissors) with my colleagues for the chance to accept their invitation – I will spend the next three days visiting Finnish clean tech companies and organizations.

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Then there is one of my favorites because I hate the fact that we are turning oil into plastic shopping bags. What will our grandchildren say about us when they realise what we have done.

http://www.myrecycledbags.com/

 

Recycled Flat Bottom Plastic Tote Bag

Blue Plarn Tote

This week I present my recycled plastic flat bottom tote bag. This tote bag features a wide flat bottom so it is very roomy and can stand up. I also added regular worst yarn to the handles for color and to make the handles more comfortable when you carry this bag on your shoulder or by hand.

Here is a closeup the bag bottom so you can see how this bag is worked in rounds, without seams and is flat.
Flat Bottom Bag Closeup
Flat Bottom Bag Closeup2
You can add a piece of cardboard or plastic canvas for extra strength and stability to the bottom. Here is a photo with a piece of cardboard added. You can click on any of the photos to super-size them for more details.

So this wraps up this week’s recycled bag project. Below you will find the complete free crochet pattern and details. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you make it a great day today!

Flat Bottom Recycled Tote Bag Pattern

Materials needed:
One very large ball of plastic bag yarn “Plarn”
Approx. 60 plastic grocery bags
Here is my picture tutorial on how to make plarn from plastic bags
1 oz worst yarn for trim

Hooks: “N” U.S. size metal hook for bag
“H” Hook for trim

Description: Recycled Flat Bottom Plastic Tote Bag
Bag measures 15” wide and 13” long with 14” handles and 6? wide at base

Directions:
Using N hook, Ch 22. (more…)

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Then there is the guy who puts his money where his mouth is. His blog is largely video so I don’t really feel like going to all the time and trouble to put the content here but:

http://andersbekekenblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.blogger.com/profile/03525824349121098783

and if you go to his profile you can see a list of the Blogs he follows. The dude must read all day.

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Milieunet Foundation

 

Milieunet Foundation is a non-profit organisation focused on awareness and change of behaviour by means of communication about waste, energy, sustainability, nature, environment, climate, human rights and international development cooperation.

Translate Blog Now

My Headlines

 

Anders Bekeken

Headlines by FeedBurner

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More Tomorrow and the day after and the day after and….

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