Blogs & Ecology

Roasted Cinderella Pumpkin

Using 2008 as a reference point, 2009 promises a blizzard of political debris, lofted by an un-closeting of science. And, if history be any guide, the chatterboxes of US radio and TV will try to bury the ideas of a barely-formed green sub-culture in drifts of insensible talking points.

The prospect of a Green Renaissance is faint indeed, seen through the lens of 2008. No wonder I am reluctant to let go of this fall's imagery: like the roasted pumpkin on my stove top, pictured here. And others....

Image credit:AdventureBlog, Pop Quiz, animation excerpt

Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on July 1, 1960.

If ever there was a time for Big Scientists and Big Engineers to take leadership roles in government, this is it. We now have reason to be optimistic. The incoming US Federal administration has signaled its intent to put a Nobel Prize-winning physicist at the helm of the Department of Energy, a Chemical Engineer to Administer the Environmental Protection Agency, and, if what I just heard is correct, a Harvard-educated architect in charge of the Department of Housing & Urban Development.

Business Nerds Out, Techno-Geeks In

By: Alan Fortescue (Note: The opinions expressed here are those of the author’s, not necessarily Earthwatch’s.)

Melamine (The New York Times)

This weekend leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies gather for the G20 summit. Gary Gardner and Michael Renner, Worldwatch Institute senior researchers, believe the G20 summit should discuss creating a Global Green Deal.

The strategic objectives of the GGD, as outlined by Gardner and Renner, are transitioning to a renewable energy economy, launching an efficiency revolution, investing in green infrastructure, and working for a fairer distribution of wealth.

By Inimai M. Chettiar

We don’t yet know who will win the White House on November 4th. But what we do know is that the next administration will need to deal with a triplet of crises in the economy, environment, and energy. We’re watching the upward tick of the cost of a gallon of gas, the downward spiral of our economy, and the steady march towards 390 parts per million of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Any one of these issues could make for a disaster. But as the three fronts converge, what we have is the perfect storm.

A post by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom: At this vital juncture in our country's history, it's clear that we must take climate change seriously. America is spending more than $200,000 per minute on foreign oil -- $13 million per hour. More than $25 billion a year goes for Persian Gulf imports alone. Our dependence upon oil, especially foreign oil, affects not only our economy but our national security.

We must take real steps to end our reliance on foreign oil. At last night's presidential debate, I was pleased to hear Senator Obama say that energy independence will be the number one priority of his administration.

We must follow words with action.

MEMO: You own the Housing industry now, Here is what you should do with it.

Now that the United States Government owns all the mortgages, the guarantors of the mortgages, and the reinsurer of all the insurers, and possibly pretty soon $700 billion worth of foreclosed houses, what should you do with it?

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is on a roll with initiatives aimed at placing the city at the forefront of urban sustainability. At a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, the mayor discussed his commitment to "actionable implementation," something he said was currently lacking at the state and federal levels. Under his leadership, Newsom believes San Francisco is well positioned to demonstrate the economic benefits of an integrated clean energy economy.

Pictured here is a mountain-top removal, coal mining site in southwestern Virginia.

Have faith readers: what had seemed impossible only months ago may yet come to pass. Although the coal mining industry seems determined to move many more mountain tops, both leading candidates for President of the USA have decided (according to recent campaign statements) this should no longer be done.

The following quote comes from the Charlestown Sunday Gazette Mail, a West Virginia (coal country) newspaper.

Last week, presidential candid...

Bookmark/Search this post with:

• Delicious
• Digg
• Reddit
• Technorati

Source: TreeHugger

SustainLane's rasison d'etre has always been elusive, but one thing they've done consistently well, and improved upon year after year has been their various city rankings - including the sought after award of "most sustainable city in the US". This year they've outdone themselves with a lot more in-depth reporting, more explanation of how the rankings were derived, and a nifty new look and feel for their website to boot.

Take the Lipstick Off the Renewables Subsidy Pig and it's a Different Animal.