One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for the Environment - Oklahoma Family Fights Keystone Pipeline And Wins

Opponents of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline won a small and perhaps only symbolic victory this week when TransCanada abandoned an eminent domain claim on the property of an Oklahoma family.- HuffPost Green

 

This David and Goliath like story teaches us that when we come together as a community and rally against companies/industries that have the potential to cause great harm to our environment and effect our quality of life, we can impact change.

Companies like TransCanada use the Great Recession as an opportunity to prey on families facing financial hardships to convince them that building a pipleline like this is actually for the public good. Then they undercompensate these families or steal the land (when they can) using eminent domain to move forward with their agenda which is supposedly for the "public good." Who decides that? Do they survey the communities and poll opinions or do they just look at their balance sheets and see a profit so decide it must be for the public good. And what happens when the pipeline bursts and causes catastrophic damages to our environment like the BP Oil spill? Is that then considered still for the "public good?"

Each of you have the power to effect change. Remember that the next time you come against an obstacle that seems to hard to battle. We put our fate in the hands of our government to handle, but please remember, you cast that vote that puts each of those officials in office and they depend on our support to keep them there.

Thank you Sue Kelso and family for fighting for having the courage to fight "Goliath" for our right to a clean environment!

Must See - I AM

For those of you in Atlanta, please go check out this film. It's playing at:

UA Tara Cinemas-Atlanta

2345 Cheshire Bridge Road N.e.
Atlanta, GA 30324
(404) 634-5661

This week only!!!

 

Atlanta's Largest Single-Day Eco-Collection Event Scheduled for April 23

From the Atlanta Daybook:

With more than 400,000 pounds of electronic equipment collected since its inception, Atlanta’s largest and most popular single-day recycling event is proudly celebrating nearly a decade of caring for the environment.

This year, the City of Atlanta’s Electronics Recycling Day, will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at Turner Field (Gold Lot). The first 100 cars will receive a free one-gallon can of Legacy Recycled Paint and will have the opportunity win for a free rain barrel.

On April 23, residents can bring their paint and electronic items to the Gold Lot at Turner Field from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. during the City of Atlanta’s 2011 Recycling Day. The event is part of a wide-range of activities planned all week in celebration of Earth Day in Atlanta.

If you live in Atlanta, this is the day to rid your home and garage of all of your unused latex paint and unwanted electronic items and without harming the environment.

“We are pleased to be adding paint recycling to this event thanks to our newest partner, Atlanta Paint Disposal. It has been a frequent request of many city residents,” said Councilmember Smith. “Since the inception of this event, so many other cities in our area have followed Atlanta’s example to reduce, reuse and recycle for the sake of our planet. Through this single-day event we have created a regional community that cares about the environment.”

The goal of this initiative is to promote the recycling of obsolete electronic equipment and to encourage reuse of latex paint. During the event neighborhood groups will also have the opportunity to acquire 5-Gallon containers of paint for neighborhood projects. This opportunity is for city of Atlanta Neighborhood Associations and Community Groups that serve within Atlanta City. For more information please visit www.District1Atlanta.com.

All Latex Paint products will be accepted. NOTE: No commercial paint or paints from contractors will be accepted.

The following E-Scrap items will be accepted at the City of Atlanta’s Recycling Day:

• COMPUTER MONITORS
• TELEVISIONS ($10 fee required)
• MICROWAVE OVENS
• COMPUTER CPU’s
• TELEPHONES
• LAPTOPS
• COPIERS
• CB RADIOS
• PRINTERS
• VIDEO MACHINES
• CD PLAYERS
• DISK DRIVES
• VCRs and DVD Players
• PORTABLE RADIOS
• FLOPPY DRIVES
• CAMCORDERS
• CELL PHONES
• TEST & NETWORKING EQUIPMENT
• CAMERAS
• KEYBOARDS
• MODEMS
• RECORD PLAYERS
• SCANNERS
• CURCUIT BOARDS
• SPEAKERS
• ELECTRICAL PANELS
• TYPEWRITERS
• UPS / BATTERY BACK-UP
• FAX MACHINES
• CD ROMS
• PROJECTORS
• CABLES
• COMPUTER MOUSES
• STEREOS

The following items will not be accepted: consoles, projection televisions, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, freezers, de-humidifiers or humidifiers, gas-powered equipment, tires, household trash and NON-electronic equipment.

For more information, please call Councilmember Smith’s office at (404) 330-6039 or visit

www.livethrive.org

Introducing Six Magazine - The "Green" Vogue of the Fashion World!

Fashion enthusiasts around the world (including myself) are buzzing about the launch of Six Magazine, a publication that celebrates the designers, individuals, independent brands and companies who are creating a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry.  From their Website:

 We stand for slow fashion, respect for clothes and those who created them, and the return to individuality.

 SIX magazine heralds the way all fashion should be.

 It represents the sixth sense we all have: style and value.

 SIX. Sense. Fashion

Click here to check out their first issue.

Six Magazine behind the scenes at London's fashion week: 

 <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/20098429">London Fashion Week BEHIND THE SCENES by Nyco Dyszel</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6067452">SIX Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Six Magazine meets students from the London College of Fashion:

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/20370332">Six Magazine meets students from the London College of Fashion</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user6067452">SIX Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

World Water Day: Water for Cities - How you can get involved

Click here to view the World Water Day Live Webcast!

The most important natural resource and commodity in this world is water. Because it flows to use so easily to us in different forms (ie. tap, bottled, flavored, sparkling), we sometimes take it for granted. World Water Day calls international attention to the plight of communities with inadequate access to water and sanitation. 

International World Water Day is held annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater.

This is the first time in human history that most of the world's population live in cities: 3.3 billion people...and the urban landscape continues to grow.

38% of the growth is represented by expanding slums, while the city populations are increasing faster than city infrastructure can adapt.

The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems. 

This year's theme, Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge, aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenges of urban water management.

Resources:

• World Water Day Official Brochure
• World Water Day 2011 Programme
• World Water Day 2011 Advocacy Guide

 In celebration of this day, Huffington Post offers 8 ways you can get involved: 

1. Charity: Water - dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to communities in developing nations. They fund 3,811 projects, which provide water for more than 1.7 million people by digging wells, harvesting rainwater and installing filters. Volunteer and attend monthly volunteer nights in New York City. Schools can get involved in Water for Schools, a student-led campaign that helps bring water to schools in developing countries.
2. Water.org - Cofounded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org provides communities in developing countries with adequate water supplies by building partnerships with local organizations. Water.org has projects based in 11 countries including an initiative in Haiti, to provide safe water and sanitation for 50,000 people. Supporters can follow Water.org's progress on my.Water.org, like it on Facebook, or follow it on Twitter. It also offers lesson plans for teachers and fundraising kits for supporters interested in running their own fundraisers.
3. The UNICEF Tap Project was started in New York City in 2007. The concept: participating restaurants ask patrons to donate at least $1 for tap water usually served for free. Funds collected go to UNICEF's water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Their Celebrity Tap Project gives participants the chance to win "some ridiculously famous water," drawn from the homes of celebrities "more famous than you." Donate $5 to enter the sweepstakes or find a restaurant in your hometown participating in the UNICEF Tap Project during 2011 Global Water Week (March 20-26).
4. Living Water International - This Houston-based nonprofit was founded in 1990 when a group of travelers went to Kenya and noticed the lack of clean drinking water available. Today, Living Water International trains, equips and consults nationals in 26 countries to create sustainable, long-term, local solutions for 9.5 million people. Make a donation, or volunteer at home or in the field. You can also create an advocacy page or show support for LWI on Facebook from the comfort of your computer.
5. The Samburu Project provides clean, safe drinking water to communities in Wamba, Samburu, Kenya. They drill shallow wells, which are easy to access and operate by locals. In the Samburu District, women and children walk up to 12 miles every day in search of water, which is often contaminated. Clean water in the region supports education, health care, livelihoods and women's empowerment. This Sunday in Hermosa Beach, Calif., the Samburu Project will participate in the 2nd Annual Walk For Water -- a four-mile fundraising walk to support the organization's water projects. Sign up for the Walk For Water and learn more about the Samburu Project.
6. A Drink For Tomorrow (ADFT) works with the drink and beverage industry to raise money for clean water projects and help the approximately 884 million people without access to clean water. The organization uses cause marketing partnerships and community events so the drinks consumed in America today can go towards providing clean water for someone in a developing country tomorrow. Establish a business partnership in your community with A Drink For Tomorrow or find an event year you.
7. Drop in the Bucket, based in Los Angeles and Gulu, Uganda, installs water wells and sanitation systems at large rural schools in sub-Saharan Africa. Since its inception 11 years ago, Drop in the Bucket has constructed over 90 water wells and numerous sanitation systems in places including Tanzania, Mozambique, South Sudan, Chad, Kenya and Uganda. Find a fundraising campaign or learn how to raise money and name a well.
8. Innovation, collaboration and urgent action -- these are the tools the Safe Water Network believes will solve the global water crisis. Safe Water Network uses a small team of specialized practitioners who adapt the latest technologies for local solutions. Their work using safe water kiosks and rainwater harvesting initiatives have given over 80,000 people access to safe water in Ghana, Kenya and India. Learn more about Safe Water Network or make a donation.

ShelterBox Kits to Offer Sustained Relief in Japan

From Earth911.com:

A week after a giant earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, relief workers are turning their focus from search and rescue to helping displaced survivors – and that’s where ShelterBox comes in.

The UK-based charity, which dispatched an international team to Tokyo immediately after the disaster struck, now has about 500 of its emergency aid kits on the ground in Japan, another 400 en route and 5,000 on stand-by. The team is working to distribute the kits in the country’s worst affected areas on the northern coast.

Food and medicine are of course critical after such a disaster, but what’s unique – and sustainable – about ShelterBox is its focus on longer-term shelter and self-sufficiency in the weeks and months that follow.

Each heavy-duty box is packed for a specific emergency, but generally contains:

• Tent designed to hold 10 people and withstand extreme temperatures, heavy rainfall and high winds up to one year; it also includes privacy partitions to divide space as needed
• Thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets
• Water filtration system good for three years, plus water storage containers
• Tool kit with an ax, hammer, saw, shovel, pliers, wire cutter for building latrines, chopping firewood and eventually home repairs
• Steel stove that can burn wood or any other fuel, plus steel pans, cooking and eating utensils, bowls and mugs
• Children’s pack with coloring books and crayons

“These materials are used over and over,” says Tiffany Stephenson of Shelterbox USA, one of the organization’s 18 affiliates.

“Last year, a team returned to Mexico three years after a disaster there and a family was still using the box.”

ShelterBox’s custom tent, by manufactuer Vengo, is redesigned every year for durability, Stephenson adds. “People are living in them every single day; these are not your camping trip tents.”

The stove, which the agency’s website notes can even burn paint, is also crucial in this sense, she points out. “It helps families feed themselves without having to wait for the next handout.”

Such delays can be the difference between life and death.

“It’s extremely cold here and we are hearing reports of people having to sleep in their cars while evacuation centers remain full and overcrowded,” ShelterBox international director Lasse Petersen told NPR. “We’re committed to doing everything we can to help Japan’s people at this extremely testing time.”

 

 

 

Aerotropolis Atlanta to feature Georgia's largest solar plant

As a resident of Atlanta, it always pleases me to see my city embrace green initiatives. One of Atlanta's prominent developers, Jacoby Development, is in the process of creating a new office, hotel and retail space that will incorporate solar canopies over 30 acres of airport parking at the Hartsfield-Jackson Int'l Airport. These solar canopies will provide power to the $1.5 billion project spanning 100 acres. See an excerpt of the story below from the Green Building Chronicle:

An abandoned Ford assembly plant site near Atlanta’s airport could soon become the largest clean energy producer — by far — in the state of Georgia.

With a capacity of up to 10 megawatts, the arrays would generate nearly 10 times the amount of electricity of any other solar project planned in the state — and more than 20 times the amount of any existing facility.

The solar arrays would serve as roofs for 30 acres of airport parking that represent the first of Jacoby Development’s planned Aerotropolis Atlanta project.

The solar project isn’t yet under construction, but Jacoby Development has already secured a power-purchase agreement with a “local utility” to buy up to 10 megawatts of electricity from Aerotropolis. The 10 megawatts represent one-third of the entire needs of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Go here to read the full story on the Green Building Chronicle.

EcoSense for Living TV series premieres in Georgia during Earth month

Jennie Turner Garlington, Creator and Executive Producer of EcoSense for Living

EcoSense for Living exposes everyday tips and topics to simultaneously save money and the environment. Episodes will premiere in Georgia during Earth Month and are slotted for Tuesdays April 5, April 12, April 19 and April 26 at 7:30 pm on GPB.

An excerpt from the show's creator and executive producer, Jennie Garlington:

“People think being green means spending more money,” Jennie said. “Our series reflects the opposite. There are ways – lots of them – to save money while helping the environment. In EcoSense for Living we have created an outlet to communicate to everyone just how easy it is to save money and to join in saving our resources for our children, whether you are a single homeowner, a huge corporate entity or an elementary school student. It’s all about saving our world for the generations to come and I can’t think of a better time to spread the word in Georgia than during Earth Month.”

EcoSense for Living: Episode 1, will premiere on GPB Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 pm.

EcoSense for Living: Children & Nature, episode 2, profiles the importance of getting children outside and more involved in nature. Richard Louv identifies the phenomenon of dwindling exposure to nature as “nature deficit disorder” in his book “Last Child in the Woods.” Louv is interviewed in this episode which will premiere on GPB Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 pm.

EcoSense for Living: Green Jobs, episode 3, explores how corporations large and small are making a difference in America with green jobs. The Louisiana Green Corps, a small pizza place called Pizza Fusion, and Coca-Cola’s Spartanburg plant, a model of sustainability and material recovery, are all profiled in this episode. It will premiere on GPB Tuesday, April 19 at 7:30 pm.

The newest episode, EcoSense for Living: Green Buildings, profiles homes, a school and even Atlanta’s Phillips Arena to illustrate how energy efficient buildings reduce our carbon footprint in remarkable ways. Phillips Arena was retrofitted with energy efficient systems and it now uses 21% less electricity than other arenas of similar size. This episode also profiles Arabia Mountain High School which focuses on environmental learning throughout its curricula using Promethean boards (to reduce paper and enhance learning), outdoor classrooms, and even energy- and water-efficient rest rooms. Green Buildings compares modular, new, completely green homes to modified older homes with energy efficient systems and opens by touring the Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC for a glimpse of the cutting edge green building designs being developed across the globe. Sponsored by the Department of Energy, the Decathlon is a competition showcasing design and designers, many of them college students, from Germany to California. Episode 4 will premiere on GPB Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 pm.

Watch GPB on these nine stations across Georgia: Atlanta – Channel 8.1; Albany - WABW/14.1, Augusta - WCES/20.1, Chatsworth - WCLP/18.1, Columbus - WJSP/28.1, Dawson - WACS/25.1, Macon - WMUM/29.1, Savannah - WVAN/9.1, Waycross - WXGA/8.1. www.gpb.org

You know I'll be tuning in! For those of you not in GA, don't worry...I'll recap each episode here on my blog. Stay tuned!

 

"Vegan Revolution" story on CNN

Vegan 101: Tips to help you survive the week long Vegan challenge

Ok, so now that I have my ladies all in to join me on my odyssey to healthy living, I need to become the provider of information to help them succeed! I already know that they're not going to do the research, so let me taylor my approach to each of them in a way to make the challenge more appealing.

Take for instance Miss Silverspoon Vanderwooden, who's always going about the town - living the fabulous life of dining out, going to parties and charity events - places where she can be seen. Expecting her to cook every night will definitely set her up to fail, so I'm providing a list of Vegan restaurants around Atlanta that she can run to for refuge: VegDining.com. Who knew that there are 88 vegan restaurants in Atlanta!

The Female Fatale Fitness Bootcamper likes to mix things up in the kitchen and actually enjoys cooking! So to give her some recipe ideas, there's Vegan Lunchbox, Dinner with Dilip, or Post Punk Kitchen for blogs that teach people about Vegan cooking.

The Quickwitted Office Assassionator and the Lazy Greek Goddess will almost immediately try to find a reason to drop out of this challenge, so I'll use sweets to try to keep them interested by sending them over to My Sweet Vegan for dessert ideas.

We all love wine, but pairing vegan food with wine may be challenging for those who rely on the standard of "white with seafood and red with meat." Read this article for ways to compliment your healthy vegan diet with a glass of wine or this blog entry for specific pairings of wine and vegan food.

See you at the finish line ladies,

XOXO

 

 

 

 

Going Vegan...for a week at least!

So the other night, I caught a show on Oprah where she challenged her staff to go Vegan for a week. I've always been curious about Vegans and their lifestyle...but not in a way that made me want to join the cause. It seemed like the staffers who took the challenge seriously saw a significant change in the way that they felt and one even lost 11 pounds. So with this in mind...I've decided to start my own challenge and pull in some of my friends and co-workers to see 1. Who's bold enough to try it for a week, and 2. As sort of a funny experiment to see who would fail miserably and who would actually take this Vegan challenge serious. I tried recruiting my family, friends and co-workers - but only a few brave ones stepped up to take this challenge on:

1. Miss Silverspoon Vanderwoodsen

2. The Female Fatale Fitness Bootcamper

3. The Lazy Greek Goddess

4. The Quickwitted Office Assinater

5. Myself of course - The Eco-Diva Extraordinaire!

I'm already putting my bets on whose going to bail out first. This shall be a very interesting experiment indeed! The challenge starts on Monday...so ladies, put on your game face because it's on!!!

XOXO

Petition: Ask Peru's President to Protect Uncontacted Tribes

All of these peoples face terrible threats – to their land, livelihoods and, ultimately, their lives. If nothing is done, they are likely to disappear entirely.

Uncontacted tribes are extremely vulnerable to any form of contact with outsiders because they do not have immunity to Western diseases.

International law recognises the Indians’ land as theirs, just as it recognises their right to live on it as they want to.

Following first contact, it is common for more than 50% of a tribe to die. Sometimes all of them perish. That law is not being respected by the Peruvian government or the companies who are invading tribal land.

What can we do about it?
Survival is urging the Peruvian government to protect these isolated Indians by not allowing any oil exploration, logging or other form of natural resource extraction on their land.

The government must recognise the Indians as the owners of their land.

After a Survival campaign in the 1990s, in collaboration with local indigenous organisation FENAMAD, the oil company Mobil pulled out of an area inhabited by uncontacted tribes in south-east Peru.

Please help us fight for the rights of the world’s most vulnerable peoples.

Act now to help the Uncontacted Indians of Peru
Your efforts are crucial in defending the Uncontacted Tribes. Get involved in this urgent effort in the following ways.

•Writing a letter to the Peruvian government can make a real difference.
•Donate to the Uncontacted Indians campaign (and other Survival campaigns).
•Write to your MP or MEP (UK) or Senators and members of Congress (US).
•Write to your local Peruvian embassy
•If you want to get more involved, contact Survival…

The Story of Bottled Water

Best and worst bottled water brands

I'm guessing that a lot of you out there made some new year resolutions regarding your health, and that somewhere in your new "healthier you" clause, there's a commitment to drinking more water...WELL...there's something you might want to know about your favorite brand before jumping in head first. This paragraph sums it up:

"How much do you know about the bottled water you drink? Not nearly enough, according to a new report released today from Environmental Working Group (EWG). "Bottled water companies try hard to hide information you might find troubling," says Jane Houlihan, senior vice president of research for the Washington D.C.-based research and advocacy group."

The Environmental Protection Agency says on its website that consumers have the right to know where their water comes from and what's in it so they can "make informed choices that affect the health of themselves and their families." Tap water is regularly tested and consumers can find their local water info online. That's not necessarily the case with bottled water, which is not required to disclose that information to consumers. "Bottled water is a food product and every one of these companies is complying with federal law," says Tom Lauria, of the International Bottled Water Association.

While I was a bit nervous that my favorite brand would end up on the list...I'm very pleased to see that it didn't make the cut :o) So here's a list of the top 10 that did make the cut:

How does your bottled water brand stack up? Here's a look at the 10 top-selling* U.S. brands:

1. Pure Life Purified Water (Nestle), EWG grade = B

2. Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = C

3. Aquafina Purified Drinking Water (Pepsi), EWG grade = D

4. Dasani Purified Water (Coca-Cola), EWG grade = D

5. Deer Park Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

6. Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

7. Ozarka Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

8. Poland Spring Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

9. Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D

10. Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water (CG Roxane), EWG grade = F

Filtered tap water received the best grade (an A) from EWG because if you change your filter regularly, EWG says it is purer than bottled water, plus it saves money (bottled water can cost up to 1,900 times more than what flows from your tap).

Drinking tap water also takes less of a toll on the planet. EWG offers plenty of tips for filtering your tap water so that you can drink the healthiest water possible.

Pick 5 for the environment

To help protect the environment, I pledge to:

1. Save energy at home. Choose energy-saving appliances if they’re available. Look for Energy Star!
2. Reduce. Cut back on the amount of 'stuff' that could later end up as waste.
3. Recycle metals, plastics and paper.
4. Don't litter! Properly dispose of trash and waste.
5. When purchasing goods, opt for sustainable, recycled or reused resources. Choose items in less packaging.
6. Talk to a friend about Pick5!
7. Raise Awareness! Talk to others about the state of the environment, locally or globally.

Pledged Saturday, January 1, 2011.