Blogs & Ecology

As you read this, someone close to you may be cleaning, stuffing, or slicing a turkey. Over 45 million turkeys were purchased for Thanksgiving out of the 265 million raised this year alone. The vast majority of these birds were grown on industrial farms. Perhaps your bird is organic, free range, or locally grown, but odds are you won’t be dining on a heritage turkey this holiday. You may be surprised to learn just how much healthier these birds are, how crucial they are for the future of our food system, and why its hard for this niche to turn a profit.

The free-range turkey we bought for this year's Thanksgiving was ordered through a local organic and natural foods store. And it was about three times the cost of the conventional turkeys they were selling at the mega-supermarket.

But our turkey was raised naturally, without genetically-modified feed grown with synthetic, nutrient-depleting fertilizers. The feed wasn't covered in pesticide residue either. There was also minimal processing, minimal storage, and transportation was less than 30 miles.

Unlimited Wind Tower Image: mishox

Modern air-conditioning has become an essential commodity in many parts of the world, and guzzles more than its fair share of energy as it shifts heat around buildings. But while scientists sweat to find solar solutions to cool this burning energy issue, over a thousand years ago ancient cultures had discovered sustainable precursors to air-conditioning, albeit by and large just for the privileged few. Here are three of the coolest indoor-cooling innovations from those environmentally-savvy ancients – and not a chemical in sight.

Green Building Retrofitting: How do you promote green building when building, green or not, has ground to a halt? You take green to the existing building stock. Existing green builders and young green retrofit companies are emerging at a time when national, state and local governments are embracing programs to promote energy efficiency and green retrofitting.

Traditional Home Builders See an Opportunity

Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the World Conservation Congress. The Congress is a ten-day forum for leaders in academia, business, government, NGO’s and the UN. Led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this year’s event in Barcelona drew over 8,000 participants. Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the IUCN, declared, “The clear message coming out of this meeting is that biodiversity underpins the well-being of human societies and their economies.”

By George Grattan, Earthwatch Institute. NOTE: The opinions expressed here are the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Earthwatch.

“Honey, can we afford the environment this month?”

Okay, that’s not exactly how I phrased it. But when my wife and I sat down for one of those bill-paying/family budget review sessions that I’m sure you love as much as we do, that was the gist of my question: how much could we afford to spend on organic food and/or restocking some green cleaning supplies before the next payday?

Fiberglass windows, polystyrene insulation, and HRV’s. We’re doing and trying it all in our scramble to develop more energy efficient living. And we’re always waiting for that next, new invention to save the day, (and our standard of living!).

At a talk from 1:30 to 3:00 at the San Jose Convention Center, attendees gathered to tap into the power of sustainable branding.

“America better prepare for some uncomfortable changes. Things might get really ugly.” – A Farmer, recently quoted in Esquire

No, this guy’s not talking about the recent economic crisis, but the cost of food. Yes, food. "The American food system today faces unprecedented challenges," says Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President of Bon Appetit Management Company. "High oil prices threaten farmers' already slim profit margins. Consumers' grocery bills have skyrocketed. Food safety risks are increasing.”

Will green jobs create new momentum for the US economy? That's a question that's gained some traction since the mortgage crisis started claiming victims.

The new administration may be the most important player in creating essentially an entirely new jobs segment and they´re advised to dish out some hefty investments by the authors of a recent report entitled Green Recovery: A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy.

One More Reason to Take Confcalls in Your Underwear
Cisco unveils its new “Virtual Office,” a wireless internet router and phone system employees can take home with them. This innovation will keep employees from having to commute, which saves them time and keeps their carbon footprinting asses off the road. Fred Kost, Cisco's Director of Security Relations, reminds us that flexible work also boosts employee morale and satisfaction.

We don’t eat lions, tigers or bears for protein, so we shouldn’t eat shark, tuna or swordfish either. We need to be eating further down the ocean food chain if we want an ocean food chain from which to eat in the future.

Those are statements from Paul Johnson made on a panel during Changemaker’s Day at Slow Food Nation this weekend in San Francisco, CA. The panelists and audience were interested in how fishers, distributors, and chefs could work together to ensure the viability of the oceans upon which their livelihoods depend.

Manufacturers and other parties involved with biofuels have agreed on a global green biofuel standard. The new standard hopefully will eradicate the controversy and confusion that surrounds biofuels at the moment. Its main guarantee is food security and signatories include BP and Shell.

On this week’s episode: Cheap gas prices in China bolster SUV sales. Find out how walk-able your neighborhood is. People Cube helps offices become sustainable.