Mission Statement
SUSTAINABILITY
& PERMACULTURE LINKS
The Biodiesel
Revolution
Fuel
Independence
while saving the Earth,
and stopping oil tyrany
World Environmental Sustainability
Index (ESI)
Dow Jones
Sustainability
Indexes
San Juan Islands
County Fair
Sustainability Exhibit
Photos - 2003
Lightman's
Dream Garden Layout
Bullock's
Permaculture Portal
Sustainable
Human Cultures
source: by Tad A. Beckman
Choose Food
Choose Farming.org
Cob Cottage
Free eBook Download
Soon to be released
Book by Bruce Conway
and lightwatcher.com
....Welcome to the new Lightwatcher.com sibling
site - Sustain U.S.
The objective of Sustain U.S. is to weave individual threads
of sustainability into a complete and vibrant wholistic tapestry.
Our goal is to examine crucial issues pertaining to air, water,
food, energy, transportation, economics, and community, and promot
inplimenting them into our daily lives.
....Definition of sustainability: "A key concept for the 1990s,
promoted by the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, and subsequently G7/G8
conferences and governments at all levels. Essentially it is
about living, working and ordering society in ways which are
environmentally "sustainable", encouraging reduction
of pollution, re-use of resources, promoting biodiversity etc.
The core idea is that "current generations should meet their
needs without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs". It is also in some quarters associated
with promoting social justice and a fairer society."
....Sustainable Quote: "Another factor in maintaining
balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's
future, we -- you and I, and our government -- must avoid the
impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease
and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot
mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking
the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want
democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become
the insolvent phantom of tomorrow." - President Dwight D.
Eisenhower, 1961, parting speech
Visit Lightwatcher's
new sibling site:
How can we achieve energy independence,
preserve the Earth's damaged ecosystems, and stop the multinational
oil cartels dead in their tracks? By developing the potential
of Biodiesel. Biodiesel is a sustainable fuel for diesel cars,
trucks, space heaters, and power generators. It is produced from
domestically grown crops, such as soybeans or flax, and will
run in any diesel engine withour any modifications. Biodiesel
fueling stations are springing up throught the country, and around
the world.
....This feature section of Sustain
U.S. investigates the marvels of this renewable energy source.
Click here to jump to the
Sustain U.S. Biodiesel Revolution Section
Sustain U.S. Feature Article
The
New Victory Garden - achieve true homeland security by planting
the seeds of peace.
source: by Bruce
Conway / www.lightwatcher.com
One of the most successful civilian
programs in WWI and WWII was the widespread cultivation of home
victory gardens. The Federal Government did not support this
program at first, due to the belief that it would be a poor allocation
of resources and essential labor for a tiny yield of output.
But as many of America's farmers went overseas to fight, domestic food production dwindled. This caused shortages and strict rationing of foodstuffs. Victory gardens quickly became an essential part of the civilian war effort. These small gardens supplied low cost and nutritious produce, and helped build morale during the hard times. By growing victory gardens, our grandparents resolved their food shortages through practicality and common sense.
Today, we Americans are confronted
with similar dilemmas which could imperil our very survival:
an economy in deep recession, a devalued U.S. dollar, war in
the Mideast, totalitarian repression at home, contaminates in
the food chain, and the criminal stupidity of government policy
makers. Add to this the decline of small and family farms, the
explosive growth of global factory farming, genetically modified
seeds and foods, declines in...
Colorado Design Firm Turns Earth-Friendly
Theory into Practice
source: Social
Funds.com / CSRwire
Environmental sensitivity ranks high among the hip trends in
culture and design. But one Boulder design firm reaches beyond
the hype, to innovate and lead within the sustainable design
movement. Sustainability takes architectural design to the next
level, combining environment responsibility with profitability,
social proactivity and innovation. Boulder Associates, Inc.,
a 50-person architecture and interior design firm specializing
in healthcare and senior living, is setting a new standard for
sustainability in its staffing, designs and corporate policies.
With a new Sustainable Design Director, the nation's first LEED(R)
Certified hospital, a benchmark of sustainability and a company
culture dedicated to sustainable business practices, BAI is moving
the "green design" trend from theory to practice...
Call for Papers: Sustainable Corporate
Governance
source: CSRwire
The 3rd International Summer Academy of the Institute for Ecological
Economy Research (IOEW), "Corporate Governance" so
far predominantly refers to the responsibilities of the management
towards their shareholders. This interpretation seems to be too
narrow, not only in the light of the various corporate scandals
of the past years, but also against the background of growing
corporate power and scope, which particularly transnational corporations
(TNCs) have gained in the course of liberalisation and globalisation.
At the same time state autonomy and power are regarded as being
declining, and governance deficits concerning environmental protection
and sustainability can be witnessed. As a consequence, corporations
are increasingly requested to take societal responsibility, in
order to maintain their "licence to operate" and their
societal legitimisation. At the summer academy "Sustainable
Corporate Governance", international experts will discuss
instruments of governance systems for sustainability including
corporate self control, control by civil society and background
control by the state, particularly addressing the interfaces
between them. This will take place from the 27th until the 29th
of September 2004 in Potsdam.
Please find the complete Call for Papers at: http://www.ioew.de/governance/index.html
Canada biodiesel plant plans large
increase in production
source: wastenews.com
Biox Corp. plans to scale up its 1 million liter per year Hamilton,
Ontario, biodiesel pilot plant to a 60 million liter plant, the
company said June 9. Biox's proprietary process converts oil
and greases, such as vegetable oil, agricultural seed oil, waste
animal fat and recycled cooking oils into ASTM D6751 and EN14214
grade biodiesel fuel. The fuel's cost is competitive with petroleum
diesel, said Tim Haig, Biox president and CEO. Biox is headquartered
in Oakville. The Hamilton facility will increase North America´s
supply of biodiesel fuel by some 50 percent when completed. Biodiesel
not only converts waste products into fuel, but also reduces
less greenhouse gases than traditional petroleum diesel fuel...
Report: Regional Footprint 33 Times
Too Large for Sustainability;
Individuals, Local Governments Can Work Together to Reduce Impact
source: U.S. Newswire
/ Melissa Haynes / Redefining Progress
OAKLAND, Calif., May 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A new analysis of
the Bay Area's ecological impact by Redefining Progress, done
in conjunction with the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities,
shows that the Bay Area relies on the equivalent of more than
146 million acres to sustain itself. This area is nearly the
size of the states of California and Oregon combined. The Ecological
Footprint accounts measure the use of nature by humanity. A population's
Ecological Footprint index is the biologically productive area
required to produce the resources and absorb the wastes of that
population. Since people use resources from all over the world,
Ecological Footprint accounts add up the extent of these areas
by converting the resources used by a population into land area
- wherever those resources may be located on the planet. Nearly
all things consumed by humanity require land area to produce
them, as well as energy to transform them into food, products,
and services. Fossil fuel-based energy production requires land
area to sequester the associated carbon dioxide emissions. Footprints
can be compared to the biological capacity of a region...
One
step beyond recycling - Freecycling!
source: www.freecycling.org
It is often said that "one man's trash is another man's
treasure." Every day countless tons of these potential valuables
are disgarded, ending up in garages, basements, and in overflowing
landfills. These items include appliances, tools, furniture,
recreational equipment, and many household electronics.
....Old electronic components are good
examples. These are not easily recycled, but often retain value
and utility. Some may appear non-operational, but only need a
little tinkering to get working again, others can be salvaged
or used for spare parts.
....Item such as these are tossed away
in every community day. Most of us would prefer to pass the items
on to someone who can use them, instead of throwing them away.
This is where Freecycling comes in. Freecycling is a worldwide
movement dedicated to recycling useful items within communities.
On Freecycle.com, you can find new homes for things you no longer
need and receive items you are looking for as well--free. Clean
out your attic and garage, keep useful stuff out of the landfill,
and help others at the same time!
Suffolk town to join 'slow movement'
source: EADT.com
A Suffolk town could join a "slow" movement. Consideration
is being given to entering Woodbridge in an international scheme
which encourages people to have more time for each other, their
environment and local producers and, as a result, to slow down
the pace of life. Two Norfolk towns, Diss and Aylesham, have
already joined the scheme which was launched in Italy five years
ago and is called Cittislow. The Countryside Agency has selected
eastern England as the pilot area for the UK adoption of the
scheme. It encourages local people to improve and promote local
services, food and goods, to reduce pollution, boost recycling,
create new public spaces and improve tourist facilities...
Fight against
the clock - Slow Movement - Brief Article
source:
by Neil Clark / New Statesman
"Time is money."
"Lunch is for wimps." "You can't beat a Big Mac."
If you violently disagree with all these statements, then the
Slow Food movement is for you. It was launched in Italy in 1986
by the left-wing journalist Carlo Petrini as a pressure group
to oppose the opening of a McDonald's in Rome's famous Piazza
di Spagna. Slow Food has, in the intervening 16 years, grown
into an international movement with more than 70,000 members
in 40 different countries. But while the organisation's stated
aims are "to celebrate the diversity of culinary traditions
and culture, promoting ecologically sound food production and
reviving the dinner table as the centre of leisurely pleasure
and social interaction", the movement has evolved into one
concerned with more than just matters gastronomic. In the words
of its founder, Slow Food wants to fight "the insidious
virus of the modern age -- "fastness" -- which is making
us "forgo much of what makes us human". "We have
lost our sense of time," bemoans Petrini. "We believe
that we can add meaning to life by making things go faster. But
the problem is that we don't know how to spend our time wisely."...
The Swift Wind Turbine - a giant leap
forward for sustainable home power
source: renewabledevices.com
Renewable Devices have developed the Swift Rootop Wind Energy
System™, the worlds first silent, building-mountable wind
turbine. This rooftop Wind Energy System has been designed to
be environmentally sustainable. The product produces more energy
in its lifetime than is incorporated in the materials and processes
used to manufacture it - it is therefore "harm neutral".
On average, a single rooftop system installed in the UK will
save: 2.81 Tonnes CO2 per annum. Water heating is currently responsible
for 23.7% of domestic energy consumption in the UK, and for 4.1%
of UK CO2 emissions. The rooftop Wind Energy System contributes
to emissions reduction in line with recent government energy
policy stating that UK carbon dioxide emissions be reduced by
60% by 2050. The Swift is especially suitable for sustainable
housing developments where it can be integrated into a hybrid
RE design...
Sustainability and Green Buildings:
Fantasy, Fad or Fact?
source: by Terry
E. Townsend, P.E. / contractingbusiness.com
You've undoubtedly heard a lot about sustainability and green
buildings. Here are some questions that I am frequently asked.
My sources for answers come from publications and materials that
are available from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC). What's the meaning of sustainability and how
does it apply to green buildings? One definition of sustainability
is "any action that takes into account that 'tomorrow matters.'"
Green buildings represent the result of a team effort (owners,
designers, contractors, and facility managers) to produce and
maintain a facility that is energy efficient, has a healthy environment,
and provides comfort to its occupants while minimizing the impact
on natural resources...
Bush Officials Weaken Organic Food Standards
- Changes Made With Zero Public Input
source: Bush Greenwatch.org
The Bush Administration is giving Americans new reason to watch
what they eat. Over the course of 10 days last month, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued three "guidances"
and one directive -- all legally binding interpretations of law
-- that threaten to seriously dilute the meaning of the word
organic and discredit the department's National Organic Program.
The changes -- which would allow the use of antibiotics on organic
dairy cows, as well as synthetic pesticides on organic farms,
and more -- were made with zero input from the public or the
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the advisory group that
worked for more than a decade to help craft the first federal
organic standards, put in place in October 2002. The USDA insists
the changes are harmless...
Sustainability Report Awards Reward
Disclosure on Environmental, Social Performance
source: by William
Baue / SocialFunds.com
Earlier this month, the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible
Economies (CERES) and the Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants (ACCA) announced recipients of the second annual
North American Sustainability Reporting Awards. Alberta-based
Suncor Energy (ticker: SU) won top honors for the best sustainability
report of the 32 submitted. Texas-based Dell (DELL) took home
the award for the best environmental report of the 12 entered.
Kinko's, a privately-held company that is also based in Texas,
won the best first-time report. The awards seek to "encourage
better reporting on sustainability," "reward best practice
and provide guidance" to others publishing sustainability
reports, and "increase accountability for impacts and responsiveness
to stakeholders," according to...
The Art of Nothing
source: by Thomas
J. Elpel / primative.org
Westerners who first met the Shoshonean bands of Indians in the
Great Basin Desert typically described them as being "wretched
and lazy". Many observers remarked that they lived in a
total wasteland and yet seemed to do nothing to improve their
situation. They built no houses or villages; they had few tools
or possessions, almost no art, and they stored little food. It
seemed that all they did was sit around and do nothing. The Shoshone
were true hunter-gatherers. They spent their lives walking from
one food source to another. The reason they did not build houses
was because houses were useless to them in their nomadic lifestyle.
Everything they owned they carried on their backs from place
to place. They did not manufacture a lot of tools or possessions
or art, because it would have been a burden to carry.We often
expect that such primitive cultures as the Shoshone must have
worked all the time just to stay alive, but in actuality these
were generally very leisured peoples....
The Development of Organic Farming
in Denmark
source: by Tomas
Fibiger Norfelt
Organic farming has its roots in alternative farming systems,
and these systems have existed for many years both in Denmark
and other countries around the world, questioning whether intensive
agriculture, which uses artificial fertilisers and sprays to
provide the greatest possible yield, is the best way to produce
foods that promote human health. Furthermore agreeing that the
impact of the production method on the surrounding environment
should be included as a parameter of quality. Roughly speaking
the alternative systems have been significant in two periods
in modern times. The first period was 1920-1940, and the second
period was from 1960 and onwards. In the 1920´s Denmark
experienced a widespread interest in natural living and natural
foods, not least influenced by the biodynamic agricultural system
from Germany...
Sustainability in the City:
Santa Monica Reduces Ecological Footprint on the Planet by 167
Square Miles, But Is It Enough?
source: U.S. Newswire
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Redefining Progress releases an innovate
study analyzing the changes in Santa Monica's Ecological Footprint
-- which tracks the amount of natural resources that humans consume.
Results showed that between 1990 and 2000 Santa Monica's Ecological
Footprint shrank 5.7 percent, 167 square miles. At 20.9 acres
per capita the city's Footprint is considerably smaller than
the US average. "In the year 2000, the US became the country
with the largest average Ecological Footprint on the planet requiring
24 acres per person. This makes the city's progress all that
much more impressive" said Jason Venetoulis, co-director
of the Sustainable Indicators Program at Redefining Progress.
Dr. Venetoulis and the City of Santa Monica's Sustainable City
team worked together in measuring and analyzing the city's Footprint.
While their findings showed that the per capita and total Footprint
was significantly reduced since the inception of the Sustainable
City program...
Sustainability of farms in the UK and
Denmark
source: Ben Dyson,
October 2001
The health of our environment is an important issue today, especially
for agriculture. My study takes a look at a few aspects of environmental
improvements in agriculture, and is centred on the case studies
of a few individual farms from the UK and Denmark. The farms,
organic and conventional, were selected on the basis that they
all demonstrated a commitment to the environment or to the sustainability
of farming. I made visits to 7 farms in total, 4 from the UK
and 3 in Denmark. Two of the UK case studies are National Trust
tenant farms. The other two UK case studies are demonstration
farms for the integrated farming charity LEAF (Linking Environment
and Farming). My intention was to understand, from the farmer's
perspective...
Earth Day 2004 - April 22
source: By Karin
Czulik / KING5.com
Earth Day - to preserve what we have! Earth Day was first celebrated
in the United States in 1970 in one of the largest demonstrations
of its kind. Millions expressed their fear over what was happening
to the environment and their dismay over the indifference by
political leaders. Since then, Earth Day has emerged as a day
observed by people all over the world.
It's a day that celebrates our planet, but also reminds people
to take care of it, and to preserve and protect its natural resources.
Many groups will use Earth Day 2004 to call for an increase in
renewable energy and for responsible political leadership...
Tidal Power Systems - Overview
source: Australian
CRC for renewable energy Ltd.
Tidal power utilises the twice daily variation in sea level caused
primarily by the gravitational effect of the Moon and, to a lesser
extent the Sun on the world's oceans. The Earth's rotation is
also a factor in the production of tides. Tidal power is not
a new concept and has been used since at least the 11th Century
in Britain and France for the milling of grains. An understanding
of the principles which give rise to tides is essential to explain
tidal power. Whilst a thorough understanding of the interactions
involved is quite complex, the origin of tides can be explained
in general terms by investigating the gravitational effects of
the Moon and the Sun on the ocean and the effect of...
Discovery may spur cheap solar power
source: CNN /
Reuters
A major European chip maker said this week it had discovered
new ways to produce solar cells which will generate electricity
twenty times cheaper than today's solar panels. STMicroelectronics,
Europe's largest semiconductor maker, said that, by the end of
next year, it expected to have made the first stable prototypes
of the new cells, which could then be put into production. Most
of today's solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity,
are produced with expensive silicon, the same material used in
most semiconductors...
Building a green economy from the grassroots
up
source: By Johanna
Schultz - http://www.greenbiz.com
Riding on the momentum of its Green Festival, nonprofit Global
Exchange is leading the development of a Global Citizen Center,
which promises to be a hub for organizing the local green economy
while providing employment and traing opportunities for individuals
within the community in which its located. The Green Festival,
held last November in San Francisco, was a trailblazing event
that illustrated the potential of the local green economy. Produced
by Global Exchange, Co-op America, and Bioneers, the Green Festival
"helps stimulate more green business, fair trade and fair
wages, local cooperation, community building, and accountability ÷ and
creates more connections among the people and organizations working
on the...
NOF Civic Memory Intranet - An interactive online
database
source: http://www.navigatingourfuture.org
The Navigating Our Future online collaboration space is open
and ready for everyone to begin getting familiar with it and
to begin loading information on to it in preparation for our
conference October 24-26th. This is a tremendous tool that can
help us in our before, during and after the conference! it will
be used to archive resources and documents, and facilitate communications
for the Navigating Our Future Conference...
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
source: Dow Jones
Sustainability http://www.sustainability-index.com/
The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are a cooperation of Dow
Jones Indexes, STOXX Limited and SAM Group. By bringing together
the expertise of two leading index providers and the world-renowned
pioneer in sustainability investing, the DJSI family rests on
a strong foundation to meet the growing market demand for professional,
objective and reliable sustainability benchmarks... (click on
URL above to read entire article)
The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI)
source:
World Economic Forum / The Yale Center for Environmental Law
and Policy/ Columbia University
CIESIN http://www.ciesin.org/indicators/ESI/
The Environmental Sustainability
Index (ESI) is a measure of overall progress towards environmental
sustainability, developed for 142 countries. The ESI scores are
based upon a set of 20 core "indicators," each of which
combines two to eight variables for a total of 68 underlying
variables. The ESI permits cross-national comparisons of environmental
progress in a systematic and quantitative fashion. It represents
a first step towards a more analytically driven approach to environmental
decisionmaking. (Global Sustainability Index - Ranked by countries
- http://www.ciesin.org/indicators/ESI/rank.html)
Progress and its Sustainability
source:
John McCarthy/ Professor of computer science emeritus, Stanford
University
This Web page and its satellites
are aimed at showing that human material progress is desirable
and sustainable. People have worried about many problems. These
pages discuss energy in general, nuclear energy, solar energy,
food supply, population, fresh water supply, forests and wood
supply, global engineering, pollution, biodiversity, various
menaces to human survival, the role of ideology in discussing
these matters, useful references. Other problems are discussed
in the main text including minerals and pollution. The sustainability
pages are essentially done, although I plan to improve them and
respond to > > > inadequacies people find.... (click
on URL above to read entire article) Local News and Current Events
Sustainability in action
source: by Ari
LeVaux / everyweek.com
Last Tuesday, August 12, the second Sustainability Tour of 2003
made the rounds, visiting some of Missoula's finest examples
of housing built from local materials, with an eye toward minimizing
waste and maximizing energy efficiency. The tour was organized
by HomeWORD, a Missoula organization dedicated to developing
affordable and sustainable housing options for low-income individuals
and families. Home construction consumes over 40 percent of the
world's energy and raw materials, while accounting for 44 percent
of landfill material, HomeWORD claims. By building sustainably,
with local and recycled materials when possible, and with the
employment of energy-efficient design and wise use of space,
much can be done to reduce this waste...
The Great Work and the Economics of
Sustainability
source: by Stuart
Cowan / Annals of Earth, 14 (2): 24-26. 1996.
I would like to begin by invoking the words of Thomas Berry,
a gifted cultural historian and self-described geologian still
active in his eighties. He uses the following words to describe
his own place, the Hudson River Valley: Tell me a story, a story
that will be my story as well as the story of everyone and everything
about me, the story that brings us together in a valley community,
a story that brings together the human community with every living
being in the valley, a story that brings us together under the
arc of the great blue sky in the day and the starry heavens at
night, a story that will drench us with rain and dry us in the
wind, a story told by humans to one another that will also be
the story...
Green oil could solve sustainability
problems
source: by Michael
Boyd / Ferret.com
The vast majority of the industrial world uses oil. The problem
is, its supply is far from unlimited.
It lubricates our machines and flows in our factories, yet as
fast as we can dig it up, we know that it won't last forever.
What is more, the petroleum products we burn and the mineral
oils we use as lubricants are all toxic, slowly poisoning the
planet. "Most fuels, oils and associated derivatives that
we come across in our daily lives are produced from mineral oil.
This is a resource that is set to reach a peak of production
in 2004 with declining reserves thereafter," Dave Preskett,
a researcher at Bangor University in North Wales, said. Preskett
knew that there had to be a solution, and he has found it close
to homein humble vegetable oil...
Going Green - Untangling the ridiculously
obvious yet alarmingly complex ideas behind sustainability
source: By Davina
Baum and Sara Bir / Metroactive / Sustainable Sonoma.org
It's mind boggling, like
taking apart a Rubik's Cube -the pieces just don't mean anything
by themselves. Breaking down the idea of sustainability is just
not possible, because the very nature of sustainability is interwoven,
each piece inextricably linked to the other in so many ways.
Food issues lead to water issues lead to land-use issues lead
to shelter issues, and every combination thereof. So breaking
down the sections below is both an academic exercise and an attempt
to present the issue simply and clearly. Green living is all
the rage. Even San Francisco magazine, that bastion of Bay Area
commercialism, tackled it in a recent issue. Although every week
the Bohemian highlights people and groups doing good...
Planting seeds of sustainability
source: By David
Burke / Reporter
Stephen Milstein is, by his own admission, not an expert gardener.
In fact, he admits he's a rank amateur.
But the Whistler psychologist hopes the seeds he planted in his
backyard greenhouse in Alpine Meadows just a few short weeks
ago will grow into something more than just lettuce, radishes
and carrots to feed to his family and friends.It has worked so
well, in fact, that Milstein is encouraging others to grow their
own vegetables in Whistler. In fact, he'd like to see it become
a community sustainability project. As Milstein envisions it,
a number of citizens would establish greenhouses in sunny spots
in Whistler. Inside, they would grow vegetables, and a percentage
of the yield would be donated to the Whistler Food Bank...
The Magical Sustainability Tour - Daily
Acts' ongoing Sustainability Tours series is an idea with legs
source: By Sara
Bir / Metroactive.com
Reading about straw-bale construction in a magazine can be inspiring,
and hearing a story on the radio about organic waste composting
can spark some interest. But it's much easier to get geared up
about concepts of sustainability when you can actually see people
putting them into action, and can look and feel and touch and
smell and ask questions. It's that concept--seeing is believing,
and maybe even a little bit more--that propels the Sustainability
Tours organized by the group Daily Acts. Since the first tour
last year, folks have seen how biodiesel is made, nibbled on
organically grown medicinal herbs, and...
Sustainability needs an ethical dimension
source: FoodNavigator.com
As European politicians make hesitant steps towards sustainable
agriculture through reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP), scientists assert that the main focus of agricultural
research has shifted from production to assessing environmental
impact and the quality of the whole production chain. At a meeting
in Turku, Finland on 4 July, 400 scientists underlined the important
contribution that should be made by research to sustainable economic
and environmental policy. Consumer concerns often relate to food
safety, animal welfare and care for the environment. Though European
agriculture continues to pursue further mechanisation and technology,
the congress highlighted organic production methods and precision
farming as tools of sustainable development. Support policy should
also favour production suited to local conditions and improve
the eco-efficiency of farms, maintained the scientists. Professor
Johan Bouma from Wageningen University in the Netherlands argued
that modern agriculture should respond to people's concerns.
Scientists should be more involved in decision-making on enviro...
An End to Fossil Fuels/Here comes the
sun (power, that is)
source: David
Hochschild
The sun is rising from the west these days. This week, workers
began installing solar panels on the roof of San Francisco's
Moscone Convention Center, soon to be home to one of the largest
solar electric systems in the nation. The $7.4 million project
is the city's first solar-energy installation since voters approved
a $100 million bond to pay for solar, energy efficiency and other
renewable energy sources for public buildings in November 2001.
The solar panels, which will provide clean electricity from the
sun for more than 2 million visitors to the Moscone Center each
year, are a dramatic, visible reminder that the campaign to wean
America from fossil fuels can be led by cities. But what makes
this project particularly appealing in these fiscally difficult
times are the cost savings. By combining the new solar roof with
inexpensive major energy efficiency upgrades, the convention
center will lower its electricity bill by more than $200,000
a year...
Independence Declared From Hazardous
Chemicals
source: worldwildlife.org
/ Helen Vanada
On the eve of the Fourth
of July holiday, more than 10,000 Americans from all 50 states
have signed the "U.S. Declaration of Independence from Hazardous
Chemicals," says WWF, the conservation organization. Spurred
by policy reforms underway in Europe, citizens from around the
country have demonstrated their support for improved protection
from chemical hazards. WWF is one of the 60 environmental, health,
and trade groups that have endorsed the declaration. "From
Anchorage to Atlanta, Albany to Albuquerque, Americans are proclaiming
their right to be free from hazardous chemicals that threaten
wildlife...
Severe weather prompts unprecedented global warming
alert
source: The Independent
- UK
In an astonishing announcement on global warming and extreme
weather, the World Meteorological Organisation signalled last
night that the world's weather is going haywire. In a startling
report, the WMO, which normally produces detailed scientific
reports and staid statistics at the year's end, highlighted record
extremes in weather and climate occurring all over the world
in recent weeks, from Switzerland's hottest-ever June to a record
month for tornadoes in the United States - and linked them to
climate change. The unprecedented warning takes its force and...
Global
warming: shadow of extinction for people, plants, animals?
source: By George
Monbiot / The Guardian
It is old news, I admit. Two hundred and fifty-one million years
old, to be precise. But the story of what happened then, which
has now been told for the first time, demands our urgent attention.
Its implications are more profound than anything taking place
in Iraq, or Washington, or even (and I am sorry to burst your
bubble) Wimbledon. Unless we understand what happened, and act
upon that intelligence, prehistory may very soon repeat itself,
not as tragedy, but as catastrophe. The events that brought the
Permian period (between 286m and 251m years ago) to an end could
not be clearly determined until the mapping of the key geological
sequences had been completed. Until recently, palaeontologists
had assumed that the changes that took place then were gradual
and piecemeal. But three years ago a precise date for the end
of the period was established, which enabled...
Bush Fries Climate Change
source: by Derrick
Z. Jackson
UNDAUNTED BY accusations of cooking the books for war, President
Bush deep-fried the data on global warming. The New York Times
reported yesterday that the White House took a draft report on
the state of the environment by the Environmental Protection
Agency and deleted critical portions on climate change. The White
House knocked out references to studies that directly mentioned
industrial pollution and vehicle exhaust as contributors to global
warming. The administration took out a phrase that said, ''Climate
change has global consequences for human health and the environment.''
It replaced it with gobbledygook...
Support
20% Clean Energy by 2020
source: Union
of Concerned Scientists
On April 29 Senator Jeffords (I-VT) introduced S. 944, a renewable
electricity standard (RES) bill that would require utilities
to generate 20% of their electricity from clean renewable sources
by 2020. S. 944 would save consumers money on their utility bills,
benefit farmers, create jobs, spur economic development, and
improve our energy security. Encouraging the use of renewable
energy would also reduce air pollution and heat-trapping emissions
that threaten public health. Please urge your senators to move
us toward a cleaner energy future by cosponsoring S. 944 and
insisting that any energy bill emerging from the Senate must
include a strong RES. (email
our Senators)
Concept
of the month: "Deconstruction"
by Helen Vanata
/ Sustainable San Juans / Good Newz#3
The careful disassembly of buildings and other structures to
maximize reuse and recycling of materials. The nonprofit Institute
for Local Self Reliance (www.ilsr.org)
reports that the deconstruction business is booming; a trained
deconstruction crew can recover as much as 85% of a single-family
house. Examples of reused building items can be seen at the 10-yr
old ReStore in Bellingham (www.re-sources.org/restore);
a ReStore crew deconstructed Friday Harbor High School during
its latest remodel.
Exchange celebrates 20th Anniversary
source: San Juan
Islander.com
Nestled among the fir trees on Orcas Island, the Exchange has
been a Horseshoe Island institution for the past 20 years. Bicycles
diverted from a trip to the transfer station, lean against trees.
Lamps no longer needed after a resort remodel are lined up on
shelves. And in the center of the thousands of items are works
of art. George Post started the Exchange as a way to recycle
items which were being thrown away. To celebrate its 20th anniversary
and Earth Day, islanders were invited to create art from Exchange
merchandise...
Century 21 Islands Food Security Project
source:
Lopez Community Land Trust
The overall goal of the Island Food Security Project is to provide
a greater portion of the food that we eat in San Juan County
from local sources. This will involve both improving the options
for farmers to process and sell their products locally, and improving
access to those food products for island families. Building a
Food Processing Center and offering education and training to
maximize its use is the foundation for creating more options
for farmers, other entrepreneurs, and consumers to farm, do business,
and eat locally. Food Distribution..
Home stores reduce impact on landfills
source: By Dan
Nephin / Associated Press
In an old manufacturing plant on the east end of Pittsburgh,
savvy renovators can find bargains on building materials ranging
from floor tile to roof shingles and just about everything in
between.
Kitchen sinks range from $10 to $20. Used doors are priced anywhere
from $5 to about $35.
The store, Construction Junction, is part of a growing trend
called building materials reuse centers. They're like thrift
stores, but they stock cabinetry, bathroom fixtures, hardware
and various contractor overrun. The items are donated mostly
by homeowners or contractors from renovations, and can be older
items or surplus materials from new projects...
Subscribing to sustainability
source:
Jonathan Brincman / Oregonian.com
It's hard to imagine a worse time to launch a business magazine
in Portland. Oregon has been losing jobs for two consecutive
years and, along with Washington, consistently has one of the
nation's highest unemployment rates. Magazine subscriptions and
print advertising aren't top spending priorities for businesses.
Nik Blosser and Brian Back, however, see opportunity. As co-publishers
of the Sustainable Industries Journal, they say a dampened...
D.C. developer buys green power for
13 of its buildings
source:
By GreenBiz.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Tower Companies, a Bethesda,
Md.based commercial and residential building developer,
has announced the purchase of more than 24 million kilowatt hours
of green power. Thirteen of Tower's largest office and apartment
buildings in the Washington, D.C., metro area will each purchase
between 25 percent and 50 percent green power from
Green-e certified renewable biomass sources. Tower is buying
green power...
What's holding up wind power? U.S.
lags far behind Europe
source: By Gillian
Flaccus / The Associated Press / AP
TOUCHET, Walla Walla County - The largest wind farm in the world
begins along Highway 730, just past an abandoned minimart and
a pot-holed parking lot. Hundreds of white, spindly turbines
stretch for miles across the ridges of the Columbia River Gorge,
their blades whirring in the relentless wind like a forest of
gigantic pinwheels. On a recent spring day, the turbines hummed
at full power in winds that averaged nearly 45 mph. Miniature
dust tornados...