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."