not another climate change video

hydraulic fracturing

in this article, the effectiveness of governor of new york andrew cuomo in relation to new hydrofracking policies is discussed. the major question is not the capability of cuomo's leadership, but the decision to make major inroads against hydrofracking.

unfortunately, loads of money and lobbying efforts have been made to communicate with the public that the economic and environmental effects of fracking are entirely beneficial. the real issue is figuring out the steps that our leaders must take in order to ease our inevitable transition to a fossil fuel-free society.

common threads initiative

i don't have a lot of money to spend, but i like to make sure that the items i do purchase are good quality. sometimes this means i can afford a jacket or pair of gloves from patagonia. what i like about patagonia is their honesty in regards to what it means to be sustainable. in their latest sustainable endeavor, they encourage their customers to reevaluate the things they think they need.

the common threads initiative urges consumers to think more deeply about their needs and weighing those against their environmental impact. it is highly important to take into account how much we produce and how necessary this is. i couldn't agree more. oftentimes i find that consumerism manages to be the root of many problems in our society. at the very least, we need to consider what we truly need and realize the impact (according to this video, we are currently using the resources of one and a half planets) of living beyond our means even if we technically can afford it financially.

conclusion

hopefully over the course of these past months this blog has been able to effectively communicate the importance of living sustainably.

preservation road is a blog that not only brings to light ways to live more sustainably, but also calls attention to current and relevant events that deal either with increased consciousness of the environment or a blatant disregard for the well-being of the earth. at the very least, calling attention to the issues that have the potential to massively alter how we live. 

here are some websites that i've used in the past to stay updated and informed on important and influential sustainability issues:

ecogems
huffpost green
inhabitat
sustainable earth
conservation magazine

capitalism vs. the climate

here's an interesting article from the nation. essentially it addresses the phenomenon of global warming as a conspiracy. the content of the article is fairly infuriating, seeing as the real ploy is to convince americans that global warming is farce. it is hard to believe that there are actually people putting their time, money, and effort into fueling this rumor.

the heartland institute pours hundreds of thousands of dollars into essentially falsified scientific reports and studies. i think my favorite reason that global warming is not harmful is because "warmer is better" i sincerely hope that their supporters and followers are rapidly dwindling. 

the article itself is very lengthy, and even delves into occupy wall street territory, which is important as it is controversial. but in short, the article allowed me to see and understand better the true political and selfish motives of the deceit in the denial of global warming.

the sustainable prisons project

this project takes sustainable practices and  to an area that i've never really thought about. taking strides towards sustainable prisons. the sustainable prisons project is a self-described partnership between prisons and nature by beginning with education, then implementing sustainable practices, and finally research and science projects.

personally, this idea/initiative could not be more useful, helpful etc--primarily because prison reform is a major issue in the US and much like sustainability, is chosen by most to be ignored (out of sight, out of mind, essentially). i think it is truly a shame that the vast majority of inmates are given little to no responsibility yet expected to better themselves in prison. with the help of programs such as the sustainable prisons project, it is possible to reduce our impact on the environment and care for the forgotten members of our society.

greenpod sustainable homes

here's a bit on sustainable architecture and design via greenpod intelligent environments. designer ann raab builds compact modular green homes with an emphasis on indoor air quality, environmental impact, and durability.

the "intelligent environment" aspect comes from a respectful use of resources, environmentally smart design, concern for health, safety, and the future, utilization of a closed loop cycle, encouragement of local sustainability, and lastly savings in construction cost, maintenance, and use of utilities.

this may not be a feasible option for everyone, but greenpod homes claims to be much more affordable than other custom sustainable options.

forks over knives

in the realm of eco-cinema, one film that has been brought to my attention is "forks over knives" which is essentially a commentary on the western diet of today. here's the trailer.

the ideology of the film stems from the rejection of animal-based and processed foods. and personally, i love eating meat. but it is undeniable the negative effects that the "american" diet has produced for us and our society. this film takes a look at the possibility of a radical diet change in relation to disease in the united states. 

i like the idea of taking a more holistic approach to health as opposed to continuing the use of medication to temporarily remedy various health problems (which no doubt have been caused by improper nutrition, which is sadly not linked to a lack of food but to a lack of healthy food). it's going to take some drastic changes in the western diet in order to reverse the effects we've brought upon ourselves, but it is more than worthwhile to examine the root of america's health costs and problems in an attempt to start living more sustainable and healthier lives.

more on food

i stumbled across this article the other day which gives an interesting perspective on the issue of "big food" and corporate control over marketing and production of food in america.

the article is a brief interview of bruce bradley who was a former executive in the big food industry and has since decided to take a stand against processed foods. unfortunately i think this is a rare case where someone in power chooses to acknowledge the facts that go against "tradition" or the way things have been done (in this case i suppose it would be taking any and all measures to cut costs, GMOs, etc).

i think an interesting point that bradley made was the use of "self-serving" research that massive corporations use in order to make false information about their appear truthful and beneficial to the general public. it is truly up to consumers to decide which companies they want to get behind and support and what kinds of food products they are will to put in their bodies.

michael pollan on the colbert report

a great colbert episode was topped off with a great interview with michael pollan, who wrote the omnivore's dilemma and also appeared in such documentaries as king corn and food, inc.

 

the interview was essentially to promote and discuss pollan's latest book food rules: an eater's manual that was published in 2009 and has recently been illustrated by maira kalman and edited to include new 'food rules' as well as a new introduction. i think it's really interesting that a lot of these food issues are directly health related (however obvious that sounds) but we still manage to justify eating it. this interview was very entertaining ("wow, that is a slam on the apple industry...") as well as informative (false advertising, cutting through bullshit, the idea of taxing soda). hope you enjoyed it. below are a few different food rules set to illustration's from pollan's book.

plastic ocean

the other day i stumbled across an interesting article on the huffington post. sometimes this news source has a tendency to dramatize for the sake of popularity, but after reading this article i realized the incredible magnitude of this problem--we have truly created a plastic ocean.

it is called the "great pacific garbage patch" and it was 'discovered' by captain charles moore on a trip from hawaii and california in 1997. the issue here is the fragility of the ocean ecosystem as well as how vast the area of this garbage is. beaches accumulate the plastic, fish and birds mistake it for food, and the plastic debris are destroying coral reefs all over the world.

arguably, the extreme weather experienced in recent years has stemmed from man-made climate problems, and the devastating tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year has left 20 million tons of debris in the ocean, which is drifting towards hawaii.

the image above is actually from the atlantic ocean. moore describes these garbage patches as more of a "plastic soup."

fireclaytile

fireclaytile is an ingenius and revolutionary company that has decided to take sustainable practices incorporated with business seriously. they haul away and recycle discarded products (in this instance, toilets) and then in turn make useful (not to mention beautiful!) tiles for the bathroom or kitchen (this company has even sold their products to an aquarium in monterey, CA). the tiles are made in the traditional way and are also manufactured in the united states, so no exporting labor and no known maltreatment of employees. fireclaytile is based in california. the largest impact that this company is making is taking vast efforts to keep usable materials out of landfills and finding ways to use them in everyday life.

energy efficiency and weatherization fair

on october 28, 2011, the community action committee will be hosting the energy efficiency and weatherization fair at the l.t. ross building on western avenue. the fair lasts from 10 am to 2 pm and is free and open to knoxville residents and businesses.

there will be demonstrations on ways to "weatherize" a home, business, or apartment,  use of other energy-efficient products, as well as tips and advice for reducing monthly utility bills. renewable energy companies and non-profit organizations support energy-efficient initiatives will have booths at the fair with information for the public on what they are doing to become and help others become more energy-efficient.

cac is also home to many housing and energy efficiency programs such as the green incentive rebate program and the pace-10 residential program who aid business, residents, and low-income families alike in becoming more sustainable. cac even has an emergency home repair program, whose applicants must meet certain income and other eligibility requirements.

putting the 'con' in conagra

here's an article i found via eco-gems. it is about the anti-GMO lawsuit recently filed against conagra for labeling foods as "natural" or "organic" in spite of the fact that they contain multiple GMOs.

at this point, the simple fact of knowing that a company will tell you their product is "natural" despite what it actually contains is not enough to expose the deceit exercised here. as of now, the only products that require any sort of labeling regulation are meat and poultry.

this would be an interesting way to begin changing the food industry as a whole--with various labeling policies. as far as i can tell, the food industry entails taking any measure to ensure that people will still buy your product even though you've skimped on quality in order to increase production and decrease various costs.

as long as companies are allowed blatantly lie to their customer base, the customer will lose, in more ways than one. i know that sounds basic and probably oversimplified. i think companies should at least be required to say whether or not their products contain GMOs. the real issue is that these companies have enough monetary power and influence to heavily affect the actual processes that make certain laws and regulations.

“ If they have to put the word ‘natural’ on a box to convince you, it probably isn’t.“

- Eric Schlosser, author, FAST FOOD NATION

the denialist

perusing huffington post, i found this article which addressed a question many have had for a while now: why is it that americans seem to ignore climate change? is it pride? is it laziness? this article briefly discussed the influencing factors of americans' opinions on climate change.

i think it is important to realize that this debate has indeed become more polarized in spite of increasingly undeniable evidence of climate change. i think one aspect that is unique to america is the (over) quality of life that we are used to. we are accustomed to instant gratification (for the most part) and able to get almost whatever we need almost whenever we want it. 

this environment also plays into the attitude of what we ignore can't hurt us. i don't believe that this is an intentional or conscious decision, but more of an internal submission. this american climate denial has been called an "allergy."unfortunately, climate denial has been incorporated into the conservative movement, enabling many to support the notion without even assessing the evidence first. the fact that it has morphed into solely a political platform rather than a global issue has only hurt its chances of being accepted as truth. 

urban farming in detroit

i heard this story on npr yesterday morning about the revitalizing of certain areas of detroit (suffering from intense urban decay) where only a few people may live for many blocks. not only has this proven to be dangerous, but it is also a true waste of land, land that can be used for much more sustainable practices.

this lack of livable land, however, works to the advantage to urban farmers such as paul weertz. he has 10 acres in the city, and among many other things, produces about one thousand bales of alfalfa every year. another nearby farm provides produce for 27 neighboring families. carolyn leadley's farm is so convenient to the farmer's markets in the city, she is able to deliver her home-grown flowers and tomatoes by bicycle.

there are some issues, however. because parts of these plots are still owned by the city, they have the power to uproot them if they choose to sell the land, or find violations such as high vegetation in a residential neighborhood. unfortunately, there are not any policies supporting urban farming and agriculture yet in detroit, while there are many that could get in the way. across town, a community farm in cass corridor is having to move, as part of its land has been sold to a dog daycare business.

from all that i can garner, this urban farming revival serves more than enough positive purposes including beautification of the city, providing sustenance for families, utilizing wasted space, and providing jobs. hopefully the city of detroit can continue to make progress in this area of sustainable living.

china's electronic waste village

i was pretty shocked that i hadn't heard of this (maybe that just means i should pay more attention). guiyu, china is responsible for breaking down much of the world's electronic waste or "e-waste," 80% of which comes from places other than china, including the united states.

there are 5,500 different businesses in guiyu alone whose primary purpose is to break down waste electronics. most of these are small and family-run. the industry provides not only jobs but also metals like gold and silver that are extracted from the various items. in guiyu, this industry generates of $75 million a year.

in relation to sustainability, this industry is undoubtedly poisoning the environment through different sources such as ash from the burning of coal. places like these (that can also be found in india and africa) are more common in underdeveloped countries as it is cheaper to break down e-waste there.

there are high rates of lead poisoning among guiyu's children, an elevated rate of miscarriages, and the highest level of dioxins in the world (which are cancer-causing).

in spite of all these phsyical and ecological threats, the e-waste industry continues on in different parts of the world. it is practices like these that need to be stopped for so many reasons, but are prevented by indifference and economic gain.

orange --> green

thursday afternoon i was one of the many attendees of ut's make orange green kickoff. the event featured many local and national companies, organizations, and programs that are working harder to promote sustainability and put those ideas into practice.

i mostly explored the farmer's markets, ut bike store, and the free ice cream (how could i resist?). but it was encouraging to see that ut is so serious about making changes and implementing programs in order to become a more sustainable campus. it was important as well as meaningful to have the chancellor speak at an event like this as well.

there were fully electric vehicles on display from various manufacturers such as mitsubishi, nissan, and chevrolet. i really liked seeing the mix of local businesses side by side with major companies and governmental programs such as tva and kat.

here are some shots from the market square farmer's market simply because i love the farmer's market. i think there's something really important about relying on local resources for sustenance, and supporting them appropriately. i haven't been yet, but i am very excited about the ut farmer's market, every wednesday from 4-7 pm in the ut gardens, until october 26.

overall i felt the event was a successful step in the right direction for ut's sustainability as a campus as it was well-organized, very informative, and convenient for many of ut's students.

and let's be real. that cruze ice cream is so good. i hope you guys got some.

morningstar fishermen

you've heard the saying: "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." morningstar fishermen are a group specializing in aquaponic research and training that essentially teaches people how to raise their own fish and vegetables in areas suffering from food shortages or unusable or fallow land.

as of now, the group has worked in nicaragua, haiti, and malawi and is wanting to expand their research and training programs. they specialize in sustainable aquaculture and hydroponics (therefore it is called aquaponics) and their primary research and training facility is located in dade city, fl.

this is a very important project in that it encourages not only sustainable living but addresses a prevalent problem in many struggling countries--lack of food and resources to produce that food due to climate change and/or a failing economy. although the aquaponic industry is still young, i feel that this is a promising solution to issues relating to global economies, food supply and climate.

seatbelt style

this week my roommate came home after attending a focus group for the company maggie bags, who make a sustainable tote bag made of recycled seat belts. i realize this isn't the most riveting subject matter...but i needed a post, and this seemed to be apropos.

the maggie bags "tote of many colors"

the bags come in a variety of styles i.e. messenger, handbag, bucket tote, or backpack and are durable as well as eco-friendly. an interesting detail my roommate informed me that relates to anyone who associates themselves with UT: the US postal service recently ordered a large number of orange seatbelts but were dissatisfied with the color and decided not to use them (how wasteful is that?). now the company has decided to use this would-be waste product to make a line of UT-inspired bags.

maggie bags repurposes millions of yards of seatbelt fabric each year, after they are rejected by various auto makers for color variation or other "imperfections" to make practical, affordable and durable bags. i think it is extremely important for growing companies (and all companies) to practice policies that divert and prevent perfectly usable materials from going to landfills as well as utilizing resources to their fullest potential as opposed to wasting and abusing a surplus of man-made materials.

strides toward sustainable farming

i stumbled upon an interesting development in the sustainable farming community yesterday. in the past year, a church out in smyrna, tn has partnered with the refugee community in surrounding areas (specifically those from myanmar/burma) to build and maintain a sustainable farm on the church's property.

i am a huge fan of this for a few reasons:

1) sustainable farming--the farm produces crops native to myanmar as well as chile peppers and other vegetables. the refugees receive 10% of the produce and the rest is sold locally or given to food pantries. in my opinion, this is a win-win-win situation.

2) integration of the refugee community--what better way to exchange knowledge and foster a community spirit (that is integral to encouraging sustainable living) than working towards a common goal? these refugees were farmers in myanmar before coming to the US, and they have valuable knowledge of working the land that many americans can benefit from in order to lead more "green" lives

3) steps toward self-reliance and sustainability-- the burmese refugees also grow pumpkins, and they eat everything including the stalk which they strip and then cook. learning new ways to prepare food is a step towards self-reliance which is an important part of sustainable as well as healthy living.

okra in the community garden

chili peppers, which the burmese typically grind up into a sauce

magenta zinnias, for looking

just thought this was interesting! these last three pictures were taken by my parents who went out to the farm last saturday.

"a southerner talks music"

for this next post, i decided to do a little research/reading up on sustainable music festivals. seeing as music is one of my favorite aspects of culture and society, i was curious about the lengths various music festivals are able to go in order to provide an equally eco-friendly and mind-blowing musical experience.

glastonbury 2010

the most helpful and informative document i was able to find was this guide to sustainable music festivals as an organizer, artist, attendee, or participant in any manner.

electric forest at rothbury, mi

the primary goals of a sustainable music festival (according to this particular guidebook) include saving money in the long run, progressing the movement to a sustainable society, and giving the event a competitive edge over others without sustainable practices. a lot of the guidebook is very practical and deals with the planning aspect of putting on an event at such a large scale. the importance of cultural and social expression through music and creativity is also stressed along with a strong sense of community in order to progress sustainable practices and give attendees and locals alike a unique and positive experience to identify with.

the guidebook goes on to detail efficient use of energy, volunteer workers, garbage-free production, and encouraging a wholly sustainable society. one of the reasons this document is helpful is it evaluates each process of the festival and rates the challenges and expenses required to complete a certain stage. i'm not entirely sure how applicable this is to everyone's daily life, but i thought it dealt with quite a  necessary and present issue in the United States as well as across the world. 

back to the start

don't know if y'all have seen chipotle's latest creative endeavor, but i do know that i'll gladly support any conglomeration of pedal steel guitar, burritos, sustainability, and willie nelson. 

this animated short film provides an interesting and quite relevant commentary. the work brings up the notion of going "back to the start" via sustainable farming as well as other practices i.e. supporting local business and utilizing resources wisely. as a corporation, chipotle is one that is (as far as corporations go) pretty great at advocating for sustainable living.

interestingly and slightly unrelated, though, i stumbled upon this story recently about the discovery that their pinto beans are cooked with bacon, and this fact is not broadcast. this poses a problem for vegetarian, vegan and religious folk alike. i'm not exactly sure whether or not i have any particular feelings toward the "issue," other than i think companies should practice honest advertising (honesty in general?) as much as possible (is there even such a thing as honest advertising?).

either way, i support chipotle's choice to bring awareness to the importance of sustainable practices, even if they have failed in the past to bring awareness to the bacon-y secret to delicious pinto beans.

haven on earth

i was recently enlightened about the earthaven ecovillage outside asheville, nc. formed in 1995, the community strives to achieve an entirely sustainable and holistic existence.

the ecovillage is fairly controversial, however, even within its borders. practices of sustainability can venture one of two ways: a reversion to a simpler way of life, or an embrace of progressing technology in sustainable living. Even though many members of earthaven disagree on the best way to put sustainability into practice, the community manages to function"off the grid"with self-sustaining power, water, and sewer systems. They are connected to the outside world via telephone.

earthaven holds classes as well as other events to educate the general public on the feasibility of sustainable living, to bring in revenue, and also for entertainment and enjoyment.

my initial reactions from reading about earthaven were positive, but i realized that in comparison to the level of comfort most people, particularly in the US experience daily, the earthaven way of life would be considered an utterly radical change, and utilizing technology in order to find more "socially plausible" ways to integrate sustainable living would not only be a positive use of time, but could also potentially be easier to adapt to for large groups of people.

is the theater really dead?

i don't know exactly where it would technically be located-- the atmospheric theater, the global theater?-- but we are fighting a war against our habits and we are losing. as any war, its affects are far-reaching, long-term, and deadly.

i don't mean to be dramatic. too late?

i would bet money (or my veckatimest vinyl) that you have heard about the famine and drought decimating the horn of africa. i recently read an article about the linking of frequent devastating natural disasters to global warming.  

TOP: a mother cradles her malnourished baby in a field hospital in a refugee camp in dadaab, northeastern kenya on wednesday, august 3rd 2011. boris ressler, dpa/landov

the article essentially focuses on chris funk, a researcher who works primarily in eastern africa, studying causes and effects of droughts, ultimately attempting to figure out how to predict these disasters. these specific and obvious changes in amount of rainfall and temperature, funk says, compound to form an unforgiving and fatal cycle.

not only is the intensity of the droughts increasing, this compounding of factors affects their frequency. in order to find the cause of this phenomenon, funk and his team found that collected data showed weak winds over the ocean carrying less moisture to land as well as overall warmer oceanic temperatures. now taking into account the natural occurrence of la niña, the team used a model to predict the combined effects on the horn:

He and Funk began looking at data from past La Niña years, and eventually determined that that there was a 50 percent chance that two droughts would strike in a row -- one in the fall, and another in the spring.

This possibility of back-to-back droughts combined with a variety of other factors -- including the long-term warming trend that Funk and his colleagues had just identified, high food prices in the region and the lingering effects of the droughts that choked East Africa in 2007, 2008 and 2009 -- led them to realize that if back-to-back droughts occurred, it would be catastrophic.

while social action towards positive change is on the rise, funk's point is the apparent structural and large-scale issues worsening and causing significant and permanent global damage, and this will continue if nothing changes.

it is almost unbelievable to realize that our way of life has such intensely terrible global effects. why wouldn't anyone want to work towards a change?

-for immediate relief

-for long-term relief (cliche, i suppose? but helpful nonetheless)