Comments Chris Schults has made

If you don't want to play sleuth ...

... head to PCC Natural Markets!

In November, we stopped carrying products with high fructose corn syrup.

In August, we discontinued offering plastic bags at the checkout and increased efforts to encourage customers to bring their own bags.

As of last April, no more rBGH in dairy products and all products are free of artificial trans-fats.On When will the American public get snobby already? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 17 Responses

Link

http://www.dipdive.comOn Dipdive posted 1 year, 9 months ago 19 Responses

Two things ...

I tend to try to stay out of these comment threads, but I thought I'd just poke my head in to clarify two things for those following this thread ...

Few are going to say ... Spend long hours after you come home from your shit job to prepare delicious vegan meals from scratch.

While, as with all diets, there are some meals that might take hours to make, on average most of the vegan meals that I make from scratch take no more than one hour to prepare and cook -- often less.

Veganism is more than a diet. It is a quasi-religious mindset.

This might be true for some, but not everyone, which this statement suggests.On On the difficulties of going veggie posted 2 years, 4 months ago 65 Responses

I agree with miles44

Michael's observation was based on just two house parties in Austin. From what I saw in the live and on demand streams on MSN, there were plenty of young people in attendance.On Where were younger people at Live Earth house parties? posted 2 years, 4 months ago 19 Responses

fact check

d41295, if you're going to pollute Gristmill with your toxic comments, at least do a little research. Simply clicking on Clark's user profile reveals that he works for Sightline, the publisher of Scorecard.On Well, sorta posted 2 years, 5 months ago 24 Responses

Topics

Actually, I think people will more likely browse by the topics each story/post is tagged with.

For example, Aimee Witteman's latest post is tagged with the following topics: agriculture, ag subsidies, Congress, politics.

Dave, being the geek that he is, loves our new topic cloud, which can be refined by both type and number of results.

Breast milk is best

wiscidea, while not a parent, but a vegan, I believe most vegans support breast feeding. And as long as the mother eats a well-balanced and healthy diet, she should have no problems.On Educate yourself before going vegan posted 2 years, 6 months ago 39 Responses

Vegan babies can be healthy

Actually astetica, thousands of vegan moms give birth to healthy babies and those infants grow up just fine. The issue here is not about being vegan, but rather having a poor diet, which vegans and non-vegans alike can be guilty of.On Educate yourself before going vegan posted 2 years, 6 months ago 39 Responses

Support Grist

EnviroGal, in case you didn't know, when you click on a Powell's or Amazon link on Grist and then buy something, Grist receives a small commission. Also, if you're going to do some online shopping, check out the Grist store where we've rounded up some of the eco-friendly products available on Amazon.comOn Umbra on online shopping posted 2 years, 6 months ago 22 Responses

bio-d, hasn't he already reached zero???

And he obviously doesn't grasp the significance of the water in question.On Bad news from down south posted 2 years, 7 months ago 7 Responses

Theo

Theo Chocolate here in Seattle!

www.grist.org

Great research

Thanks Stephanie!

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But Shawn ...

Aren't comic book fans already exposed these types of issues with the likes of Captain America and Green Arrow? As stated above, the Captain America comic dealt with civil liberties. And according to the Wikipedia article on Green Arrow:

Throughout his first twenty-five years, Green Arrow was not a significant hero. In the late 1960s, however, writers chose to have him lose his fortune, giving him the then-unique role of streetwise crusader for the working class and the underprivileged. In 1970, he was paired with the more law-and-order-oriented hero Green Lantern in a groundbreaking, socially conscious comic book series. Since then, he has been popular among comic book fans and most writers have taken an urban, gritty approach to the character.

And I'm told that Aquaman, whose not explicitly an environmental crusader, does deal with green issues due to the nature of his character.

These are just a few examples of popular comic superheroes dealing social issues of the day. So why not environmentalism?

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Thanks for testing bio-d

Could you email us with specifics regarding your problem?

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That YouTube video ...

... rocks! Props to whoever found that!On From Handbags to Hooligans posted 2 years, 10 months ago 1 Response

Climate change abated! ... Asteroid strikes Earth.

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Speaking of coffee ...

... I just discovered the film Black Gold.

Multinational coffee companies now rule our shopping malls and supermarkets and dominate the industry worth over $80 billion, making coffee the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil.

But while we continue to pay for our lattes and cappuccinos, the price paid to coffee farmers remains so low that many have been forced to abandon their coffee fields.

Nowhere is this paradox more evident than in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Tadesse Meskela is one man on a mission to save his 74,000 struggling coffee farmers from bankruptcy. As his farmers strive to harvest some of the highest quality coffee beans on the international market, Tadesse travels the world in an attempt to find buyers willing to pay a fair price.

Against the backdrop of Tadesse's journey to London and Seattle, the enormous power of the multinational players that dominate the world's coffee trade becomes apparent. New York commodity traders, the international coffee exchanges, and the double dealings of trade ministers at the World Trade Organisation reveal the many challenges Tadesse faces in his quest for a long term solution for his farmers.

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Wal-Mart raises wages, inserts wage caps

Saw this while reading over someone's shoulder on the bus:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said its raising wages at nearly a third of it's 4,000 U.S. stores and introducing wage caps at all stores in an effort to remain competitive with other retailers and meet a need for workers and managers as it continues to expand.

Workers at more than 1,200 stores will see their paychecks grow by an average 6 percent, and the world's largest retailer said it will begin introducing wage caps for the first time on each type of job in all stores.

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OMG

Two juicy tidbits. The first:

Of course, you have to factor in ice-cap melt and the possibility that today's shoreline might move inland. The Al Gore scare film has some dramatic footage of the consequences of a 20-foot rise in sea levels. Most estimates I have read about talk about a three-foot rise at most, but let's not quibble. In the movie, oceans are seen rushing inland, implying some kind of inundation episode. But the waters will not rise so quickly, if they do at all. And if this threatens our cities one would think some form of sea wall would be in order. The Dutch have been doing this for years, there is no reason why we can't copy them.

A wall? Sure, let's build a wall along the entire coastline -- like that is going to happen. Can you say New Orleans?

And then there is this:

Granted, there will be some negative impacts in marginal areas. Some rare plant and animal species, hyper-adapted to highly specific climate conditions or micobiotic zones, are already unable to cope with the change. Many may go extinct; some already have. That's tough, but chalk it up to bad evolutionary choices. When those rigidly specialist species bet everything on a small part of the world in hopes it would never change, they made a very bad bargain. For our part, we have air conditioners, lightweight fabrics, and sunscreen. Why infinitely adaptable humanity has to pay the price for the evolutionary shortsightedness of other life forms is beyond me.

I'm speechless.

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True ...

... smp, but Wal-Mart CEO is quoted as saying:

To me, there can't be anything good about putting all these chemicals in the air. There can't be anything good about the smog you see in cities. There can't be anything good about putting chemicals in these rivers in Third World countries so that somebody can buy an item for less money in a developed country. Those things are just inherently wrong, whether you are an environmentalist or not.

It sounds like the rationale has moved beyond financial reasons (if you are to believe the above quote is sincere).

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CWWWETSMODTGW

CWWWETSMODTGW = consistent with what we expect to see more of due to global warming

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Equal opportunity maker funners

Hey Pandu. As one of Grist's resident vegans, I would of preferred that we would have at least mentioned in our own blurb that about 80 percent of the world's soy goes to feed livestock, it is important to keep in mind that Grist makes fun of everyone, not just vegetarians. We're equal opportunity maker funners -- no one is off limits.

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Speaking of beautiful windmills ...

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004682.html

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While I don't speak for Dave ...

... I'll take a guess as to why he hasn't refuted the statements here: it has been done many times over in Gristmill and elsewhere.

Quoting Dave from a related post:

ThinkProgress does the yeoman's work of refuting the claims in the release. For my part, I'm sick of knocking down the same zombie falsehoods again and again. The folks advancing these claims can no longer claim to be acting in good faith, so they won't get good faith responses from me. From now on, they get what they deserve: disdain and mockery. Wo0t!

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Photos ...

... on Flickr.

Have some of your own? Tag 'em with "southcentralfarm".

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Simulating climate change in Second Life

This Second Life resident ponders the use of virtual realities to simulate climate change:

Svarga shows some of the amazing potential of SL to mimick real life and demonstrate the delicate balance of earth's various life forms. Which makes me wonder about the political and educational possibilities of these kinds of simulated environments. If you wanted to get all Al Gore in here, you could have the island's balance fall apart as more and more residents visit, using up resources and trampling the soil. Or you could give residents control of small plots on the island to learn how to balance resources and land use wisely. Any businesses that operate on the island might have real impacts on the ecosystem based on the resources they use and the waste they create. The possibilities are endless.

While global warming might be an inconvenient truth that people don't want to face, creating more interactive, fun ways for people to learn about how the Earth operates might help convince new audiences of the importance of sound environmental policies. At the very least, it would be more appealing than watching Al Gore give a powerpoint presentation.

(Hat tip)

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In other Second Life news ...

Linden Labs, the company behind Second Life, has partnered with the real-world nonprofit Friends of the Urban Forest in an effort to plant trees in San Francisco.

Members of Second Life can use their Linden Dollars to purchase virtual trees. That virtual money gets converted to real-world currency, which then gets donated to FUF.

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Amy vs. Al

Al also promoted An Inconvenient Truth during "Weekend Update" where he debated climate change with Amy. Good stuff.

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clarification

First off, I agree that organic industrialized food production is better than conventional. If we have to live in a world where industrialized ag is a part of life, let it be organic at least.

Second, I didn't mean to suggest that food distribution should be incorporated into organic certification/labeling. I was commenting in general on the "bias against industrialized food production itself," regardless of how it was grown.

On the topic of the cost of organics ... while I agree that organic food should be more accessible, which, today, most likely means lowering the price, I often wonder if our perspective on food is out of whack. Perhaps we should value food more, and thus be more willing to pay more for healthy, local, organic, wholesome grub that was grown, harvested, packaged, shipped by people making a fair and livable wage. But this still doesn't address people's ability to pay more even if they wanted to. Sigh.

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toy imports

The map on toy imports is quite interesting as it appears the be the one map where the US is the largest. Am I wrong?

Vote for Grist in the 2006 Webby Awards magazine category.

More on global dimming

Thanks caniscandida. I didn't watch Nova last night, but did tape it.

For more on global dimming, there is this Grist article.

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Fair and balanced?

Hi Trisha. Just fired off an email to you. Sharing it here with the rest of the group in case others share the same sentiment.

-------------------------

Dear Trisha,

My name is Chris and I'm the web production manager for Grist. While I'm not part of the editorial team, and thus not involved with the reporting and writing that appears on Grist, I wanted to mention that this is not the only Wal-Mart piece that Grist has published.

If you consult our archives, you'll see that there is a wide variety of coverage:

In particular:

The Norman Conquest
Al Norman, anti-Wal-Mart activist, answers Grist's questions

A Good Switch or a Bad Switch?
Wal-Mart's eco-announcements generate a clash among activists

Another Brick in the Wal-Mart
On Wal-Mart

The Revolution Will Not Be Discounted
New Wal-Mart documentary may be a sign of upheavals to come

I hope that this demonstrates that Grist has addressed the Wal-Mart issue from different angles.

ChrisOn An interview with Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott posted 3 years, 7 months ago 22 Responses

McFuel

I particularly liked the idea of McFuel. Any reason why McDonald's can't turn their used veggie oil into biofuel?

Vote for Grist in the 2006 Webby Awards magazine category.

Are you now or have you ever been a member of ...

What is more disruptive: eco-terrorists or the DHS creating a culture of fear, distrust and suspicion?

I particularly enjoyed this bit (page 2): "Extremists may obtain critical information about a targeted company ... through their employment."

And this (under "Guidelines for Corporate Security" on page 4): "Substantiate and verify all all prospective employees's work experience and references. Aggressively resolve any questionable information on resumes and/or application forms."

What were once interviews will now be interrogations!

Vote for Grist in the 2006 Webby Awards magazine category.

Please comment!

Also, in addition to voting for us, please leave comments praising your favorite online magazine. Just click on "Grist Magazine" in the left column, then on the "write a review" button. Thanks!!!

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Dancing?

cityzenjane,

Who said I was dancing "happiliy to automakers tunes"? My point was that this car might not be the best subject for the type of subversive ads that were created in response to the Chevy Tahoe.

And like you wrote, 40 mpg is better than 15.

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Listen online

Anyone interested in Field Notes From a Catastrophe can now listen to an excerpt from the Simon & Schuster audiobook.

Listen in the Windows Media Player or the RealPlayer.On Three new books put the spotlight on our warming world posted 3 years, 7 months ago 2 Responses

A Chris and Dave production

No, Dave, this is your commercial.

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Umm...

Hi Jim, I see you're new to Gristmill. Welcome!

Remember, this is Grist: Gloom and doom with a sense of humor. While we do cover serious topics here, you'll encounter a few silly ones as well where we take some liberty with our titles.

And you're right, that "link page" is absurd, which was the whole point.

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Are Silent Hybrids a Problem?

While we're on the topic of hybrids ... Treehugger is hosting an interesting discussion on silent hybrids (the silent killer?). It is the pro-blind people versus those who want to run over the seeing impaired with oh-so-quiet Toyota Priuses.

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Funny

Icelander,

That was quite amusing.

Thanks for the laugh,

Chris

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what exactly is legal and illegal?

Jeff,

You're our resident lawyer. Could you investigate the law and explain (in layperson terms) exactly what animal rights and environmental activists can and can't do under the law?

Chris

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Really tough

You think voting for one out of five is tough, try choosing five out of twenty-five plus!

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My bad

Jeff, my bad. I must have glanced over the first part of his post.

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Explanation

economist,

The trouble is that this sort of discussion quite often leads to a shouting match between a small number of individuals, which I fear discourages others from joining in. There are thousands of registered Gristmill users, and I would really like to hear from them as well.

The purpose of this particularly thread was not to arrive at one absolute definition of "environmentalism" (as some here obviously believe they possess) but that there is a myriad of definitions and perspectives.

If you want animated discussion, there is plenty of it here in Gristmill. I direct you to:

Environmental ethics

The evolutionary reason for humans?

Truce Almighty

What a green wants: An index-card manifesto (first draft)

These are just a few.

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Comment police

Because Economist -- which tells where his priorities are -- criticized other posts, I'll criticize his.  Your points are both wrong.

Jeff,

Perhaps you missed the ground rules:

First, some ground rules. Responses can be as short or as long as you like. And as this is intended as an exercise to demonstrate the varying definitions of environmentalism, please refrain from criticizing other Gristmillers comments.

I want everyone to feel welcome to offer their own definitions without the fear of an attack by someone telling them that they are "wrong".

Think of this as a brainstorming session, where there are no bad ideas.

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Huh?

Backcut wrote:

There's 10 to 100 times MORE trees in the western forests than before the arrival of the white man.

I have to agree with Jeff on this one -- where in the world did you find this statistic?On It's time for conservationists to collaborate with an agency they've long demonized posted 3 years, 8 months ago 103 Responses

Google's fault

I did a Google Blog search for "environment" and got some interesting results in "Related Blogs".

One is for "Organic Matter", which hasn't been updated since October of last year. Another is "Wendy's Blog," which does link to Gristmill in a recent post. And then there is "CIE Thoughts," which  not only doesn't work, but is on a completely different type of environment (Common Information Environment).

Clearly Google is to blame.

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Thanks for playing

lloydalter, we're glad to have ya! If you're going to spend too much time in front of your computer, you might as well read Grist!

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Target audience

Jeff, don't confuse my comment with not supporting composting toilets -- I'm all for 'em.

It's just that I'd prefer the first encounter that the Current TV audience has with environmentalism be on another subject.

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Dealing with reality today

Let me take a stab at this ...

How could environmental justice "put a human face" on wildlife and wilderness issues, which are the most important enviro issues by far?  Do we even want to "put a human face" on these issues?  Humans need to get over themselves and start respecting other forms of life.

First off, while one of your ultimate goals for changing the mindset of many people is to have them "start respecting other forms of life," it may never happen for many people, or at least take a very long time to make a significant impact. As I asked you before, if people don't care about the worst-off of their own species, how can we expect them to care for other species? Even you, Jeff, acknowledged that a solution for this escapes us. So what do we do now? Do we only focus on plants, non-human animals, water, land, and air? Or do we take a broader and more strategic approach?

With environmental justice, we're talking about a variety of issues, but one often comes to mind: many poverty-stricken communities are located near the freeway, a power station, landfills, oil refineries, nuclear-waste repositories, factory farms, etc. Of course, all of this not only negatively effects the human community, but also the local ecosystem. But whose plight do you think the majority of Americans today will most likely respond to? Some frogs and birds? Or fellow human beings suffering from health problems while barely making ends meet? Now I realize that many don't even care about the latter, but if they had to make a choice, which one do you think they would choose? What message would resonate with the average person?

And by helping improve the communities of the poor, with participation from environmentalists, a positive difference for the ecosystem could also result. Yes, perhaps not the same outcome if the primary goal was to improve and protect the ecosystem itself, but an improvement none-the-less.

To put it another way, we could have little to no change in the short-term and mid-term while hoping that some day in the future we crazy humans will lose our self-interest and begin respecting other species, or we could start a series of incremental changes (yes, with many being human-centric) that could potentially lead to the changes in perception and behavior that you seek.

So, by putting a human face on an issue, we could in fact help wildlife and wilderness.

Now, if it sounds like that I'm suggesting that the environmental movement uses poor people simply as a means to an end, that is not my intention. I personally believe that we should protect the Earth and all of its inhabitants, even the ones who are messing it up, and especially those who dearly need our help whether they be human or not.

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WorldChanging on Video Bomb

Jamais Cascio has also written on Video Bomb and links it to his "Earth Witness" idea. Check it out.

On a side note, on the front page of Video Bomb this morning I discovered a video titled "Young Agrarians," which is about "young people [planting] the seeds for a sustainable future in this portrait of organic farming in California."

And then there is The Daily Show on the Cheney shooting incident.

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Under construction

If anyone notices something funky, please let us know here in comments. Thanks.

P.S. I'm still working on a few minor items.

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Saving energy or waste reduction?

Was I wrong in assuming that the primary (environmental) reason to recycle had more to do with reducing the amount of waste and raw materials used than saving energy?

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Just Ask Umbra

MsChancy:

Have you consulted Umbra? I believe she might have answered this question.On Umbra on choosing a laptop posted 3 years, 10 months ago 4 Responses

Good movie!

This was one of the first Japanese animated movies I saw, and I loved it! I've been eyeing this at my local video store -- I think it is time to rent it and watch it again.

For more info on the movie, consult IMDb.

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Good ol' boys saving the environment

Before the final farewell to the movies of 2005, I wanted to add another (unlikely candidate) to the list of green themed flicks ... The Dukes of Hazzard.

Yup, you read that right. Little did I know when I reluctantly decided to watch the movie on the plane back from Hawaii that it was about Bo, Luke, Daisy and Uncle Jesse saving the town of Hazzard from turning into a strip mine (the brain child of Boss Hogg).

Will wonders never cease.On A preview of this year's green-tinted movies posted 3 years, 10 months ago 1 Response

Ugh

And now in Miami, you can't even walk without getting stopped:

Miami police announced Monday they will stage random shows of force at hotels, banks and other public places to keep terrorists guessing and remind people to be vigilant. Deputy Police Chief Frank Fernandez said officers might, for example, surround a bank building, check the IDs of everyone going in and out and hand out leaflets about terror threats.

(Via BB)

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Painful

As the show was painful enough to watch, I couldn't bring myself to relive it by writing about it. Thank you Sarah for saving me from any more pain.

Last night's episode only demonstrates the need for enviros to work with Hollywood to get a more diverse representation of environmentalists into mainstream entertainment media. If not, shows like Wife Swap will make those choices for us, which will only perpetuate stereotypes.

There is more to environmentalism than radical, hippy freegans and mad scientists who think category seven hurricanes will be the norm if you don't buy a Prius today.

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Taken for a Ride

Dave,

I was just thinking the same thing yesterday after watching Taken for a Ride and the The End of Suburbia at the Seattle Environmental Film Festival.

In particular, Taken for a Ride provides the history of how General Motors conspired to strategically do away with the very popular, clean and efficient streetcars so that they could replace them with (their) buses which they knew would spawn the era of the personal vehicle (manufactured by GM of course). This in turn led to the development of the U.S. highway system and the suburbs, which also benefited GM and the other members of the highway lobby.

It angers me that we should pay the price for the mistakes of others. If only the streetcars, and the other forms of public transit that would follow, were allowed to evolve ... where would we be today?

And as noted in The End of Suburbia, it is ironic that the very system the created suburbia might be its downfall.

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Love thy (evangelical) neighbor?

I guess my doubt was misplaced, Dateline NBC's "In God They Trust" did include a discussion about the environment -- albeit a brief one. In those 60 or so seconds, Ted Haggard, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, representing 45,000 churches, told Tom Brokaw that the environment is one of his association's top priorities and that the Republican Party was missing the boat on the issue. On national television.

This is a person who apparently has a regularly scheduled weekly call with the White House. If this administration and the GOP in general, is going to seriously listen to a constituent group about environmental concerns, the NAE just might be it.

But this opportunity poses a dilemma to many greens who are compassionate about other issues, such as abortion and gay marriage, and who may disagree with evangelicals on those subjects. And there is a fear that this group already sways too much political influence. Would an influx of support from the environmental movement only strengthen that?

What is an enviro to do?

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Thank you Oprah!

Yes, it is true. DiCaprio and Oppenheimer were on Oprah's show yesterday. And as Leo suggested, every environmentalist should thank her for it.

Why? Because she dedicated 45 minutes of her show to an issue that much of her audience probably knows very little about: global warming. These are people who likely never heard of a compact fluorescent light bulb or still think you need to plug in a hybrid car (two topics that were discussed repeatedly).

Laurie David also educated viewers on how they can make small and easy changes in their home (where I learn that the Davids use the same toilet paper as I do). Leo also tours an eco (pronounced by Oprah as "echo") designed home by a couple who lost a daughter to cancer (most likely due to a polluted environment).

Leo also interviews a green car expert, who I believe to be Matt Petersen (someone who occasionally graces the pages of Grist), accompanied by reviews by Consumer Reports.

Now I'm sure that some of us could be nitpicky and point out that a fact or two was wrong or that a particular issue was misrepresented or that Leo wasn't as articulate live has he could be, but overall we share our gratitude with Oprah by thanking her. Seriously.

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Bikes are not toys

tobyboyd, I agree, that a bicycle is not a toy. I had to watch and listen to clip several times to hear if the guy actually said "A bicycle is not a toy ...," but I'm pretty sure I quoted him correctly. I'd like to be proven wrong.

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oh, but ...

But Sishongjerry, Grist is nothing without our shocking/punny titles! Have you checked out Daily Grist?

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Poisoning cute babies, so is poisoning the Earth

Sishongjerry,

The title "Are you a member of the Society for Poisoning Cute Babies?" was used just to get people's attention, and wasn't intended to be the focus of the post. Don't get me wrong, I think poisoning cute babies is bad, bad, bad. As is poisoning Planet Earth.

I wonder if smokers consider the negative environmental impacts of the production and distribution of tobacco products, nevermind the negative health effects. Were you even aware of them before reading Umbra's thoughts on the matter?

Considering the massive anti-smoking campaign, I would expect a major injection of support from enviros would only help snuff out the pervasiveness of smoking in our society.

But perhaps support from greenies would only mobilize the opposition more.

Chris

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Jumpstart Ford video activists

FYI: The Jumpstart Ford campaign is looking for video activists ...

Are you a video activist?

Or do you even just own a video camera that you'd like to use to support the campaign? Please shoot us an email right now!

We've got a really exciting project up our sleeves that we'd like your help with.

Email jumpstartford@ran.org.

Comedians of the world unite!

Dave,

It seems like comedians are heeding your call:

Aiming to prove that laughter is the best medicine--even for what's ailing the planet--Earth to America! kicks off The Comedy Festival with a two-hour event featuring America's comedy superstars. The event will be a gut-busting night of comedy where some of the planet's funniest people--including Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Jack Black and more--will make light of the world's plight, all for a good cause.

While the featured celebrities heat up the Vegas strip, the theme of Earth to America! focuses on the ultimate environmental issue, global warming.

From TBS via TH.

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The Big Apple

Don't forget New York City!!!

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I respectfully disagree

Hey bhurley, thanks for starting us off!

The problem with this approach is that it's too obviously preachy. When some tough cigar-smoking macho cowboy steps into a Prius instead of a Hummer onscreen, people's BS meters go off and they feel like they're being force-fed a message.

Which is why you don't do that.

I think it would be hard to subtly work in images of wind farms or solar collectors into mainstream Hollywood movies.

I disagree. And if I were a big shot movie producer with millions to spend, I'd prove it. But seriously, I'd like to see someone try. It worked in Sky Blue (granted it wouldn't qualify as a "mainstream Hollywood movie").

And besides, most people don't really care about energy or how it's produced...they're only interested in what they can do with it.

Well, according to the research conducted by the folks over at SmartPower, it sounds like one of the issues is that people are aware of renewable energy options, but they don't they that they work. As I quoted above:

The question has been befuddling everyone from environmental activists to utility executives. Nearly every American, it seems, understands that generating electricity from the sun, the wind, the earth's heat, or gases generated by rotting waste is good news for everyone -- the planet, people's health, national security, and the economy.

So, what's the problem? They just don't think clean energy works.

...

"No one's talking about it on television," was another comment Keane recalls hearing. "They could actually live with the fact that no one in their neighborhood has a solar panel. But if they saw it was on TV, they could understand it's potential. TV is the great validator of the day."

For any script writers out there, here's a suggestion: Have your main character be a solar panel or windmill tech. No need to go on about why solar or wind power is a good thing. Just show it in action as a back story. Something like: So-and-so was a well-liked solar panel technician in a quiet, small town. Everything was great in the world, until so-and-so's best friend was murdered. Ok, I'll stop there as I've got Daily Grist to publish and send.

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Thanks, but no thanks

Hi Joel! Thanks for the backgrounder on Seventh Generation. I personally won't be using Tide Coldwater or any other P&G product, but I might be inclined to mention it to those insisting on using Tide and its ilk.

I'm sort of surprised that the T.C. website doesn't list any explicit environmental benefits of using cold water or saving energy. Is it perhaps what Dave wrote about (citing you)? Or do you think they want to keep the message simple: Use coldwater, save money?

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Clarification

amazingdrx, you wrote:

But of course you all are concerned that it will alienate nascar dads.  Good for you. (my emphasis)

To be clear, I'm not "concerned". I was simply pointing out what the article reported.

It will be upsetting, though, if this doesn't get off the ground due to the belief that offering organic-farming majors implies that "traditional" farming is bad.

Isn't that like saying offering water color painting suggests that there is something wrong with oil painting??? (Ok, maybe not, but I tried.)

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show some restraint please

amazingdrx:

Is this comment (and this one) really necessary? If you must comment, at least contribute something productive to the discussion.

Chris Schults
Web Production Coordinator
Grist Magazine

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Paper, digital or synthetic?

While I do believe that there is no debating the fact that the production and distrubution of electronic devices is full of negative environmental consequences, let's assume that said devices will be produced regardless of the popularity of eBooks.

So, working on that assumption, is it better for the environment to purchase paper-based books or read eBooks on computers and other devices? Or perhaps neither, and we should push for those published on synthetic paper, such is the case with Cradle to Cradle?

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Credit where credit is due

Actually I think I first learned about the piece on TreeHugger. Thanks Mike!

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Get Reel

I have to agree with Umbra as I heart my push reel lawn mower. Granted, my yard is small and relatively flat, but so is a bunch of others that I see mowed with gas mowers.

Just keep it clean, well lubricated, and the blades sharp.On Umbra on lawn mowers posted 4 years, 4 months ago 12 Responses

Volunteers wanted

Cool idea. Let's just hope that the kids are indeed volunteers and not otherwise coerced into being the pump's energy source.

Here's one for the USA: construct "fitness centers" near water supplies so that people can help pump the water while they exercise! So after your gruelling workout you can be rewarded with a refreshing gulp of H20 pumped by you!

Ok, I'm going to go ride my stationary bike now so I can continue powering my computer.

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Eucalyptus trees

I particularly like this passage (in reference to Eucalyptus trees):

Picture a seedling in the year 1555. The English were burning clergymen at the stake at that time. Back then, in South America, Brazil -- which was named for the Portuguese word for the red color of brazilwood, which the early visitors would clear cut -- Brazil was being settled by the French. That's how long ago it was.

That seedling, grown and felled yesterday, to make a product manual that no one is going to read, and cardboard for boxes to ship it, and cardboard for that extra printed marketing sleeve that comes around the box. To make paper for laser printed documents that people will forget to pick up at the workgroup printer.

What a sad fate for these majestic trees!!!

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The Preserve Razor Recyclable

For those of you not ready to go straight, I wanted to share with you a suggestion several Grist readers have shared with us via email (not sure why they are not commenting here): The Preserve Razor Recyclable.

The handle is recyclable and is made of 100% recycled plastics (65% of handle plastic is recycled Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups).On Umbra on shaving posted 4 years, 5 months ago 28 Responses

Robot Swarms

Ok, so robotic personal assistants for each and everyone of us is far, far, far off in the future (perhaps a fictional one), but here is a robot item for the here and now (via Laramie Boomerang):

Swarms of small robots created by University of Wyoming scientists could someday save lives during a terrorist attack or a toxic spill ...

[The scientists] envision a team of robots that communicate with each other as they move toward the source of a chemical plume.

The robots could relay the information back to humans so the hazard could be contained. Or they could call on a larger robot to take care of the problem ...

A swarm of small roborts is more useful than a single robot because they can cover a larger area more quickly, and if one of the members runs into trouble, the others can take up the slack.

Each robot will be configured with a sensor to detect the chemical's density and an anemometer to determine wind speed and direction. The robots will use the information, combined with mathematical formulas, to pinpoint the source of the problem.

The technology could also be adapted to find biological toxins.

Let's hope that they don't start self-replicating in a pool of toxic nastiness.

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Trendy Bush

So, if Umbra is correct, doesn't this make Bush a hygridder???

Who thought he could be so trendy?

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Store Wars

Tofu-D2 ... I love it!!!

And for those of you who want to stay within the Grist domain, you can also watch the Meatrix here.

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Ed Norton!

Ed Norton!

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It all began in Sin City

johnmcc793:

The genesis for this discussion can be found here (if you're actually interested):

Sin City
So tell us ... what's your dirty little environmental secret?
By Lou Bendrick

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I'm not a morning person

My problem is getting up in the morning. On a good day, which is quite rare, I can get up to catch the last #16 bus that gets me to work on time. The 16 is great since it stops right by home. If I miss that, which is usually the case, I can be dropped off at the park 'n' ride not too far away and catch the speedy #76. But those days are hard to come by as well. So, I usually end up being, ahem, chauffeured to the office.

Ok, so now that I've confessed in this public forum, does this preclude me from getting an earful from the rest of the Grist staff? On the plus side, I do travel in a Honda Civic Hybrid and take the bus home.

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Thanks & article on increasing MPG

First, I'd like to thank everyone who has been willing to share their hybrid experiences.

jschmit, I have to echo your last paragraph. The reason I bought my Civic hybrid was not to save money -- it was to reduce gasoline consumption and decrease emissions. Plus, I hoped it would be a conversation piece that would lead to friends and family considering joining the hybrid crowd. No purchases yet, but my girlfriend's parents are toying around with the idea.

My Civic hybrid's MPG also declined in winter (38 from 42). You may want to check out GreenHybrid.com, which was mentioned above. In particular, check out "Why Can't I Match EPA Mileage Figures?".

river2sea72, you may want to direct your brother to the same article. Where you live, how you drive and the tempature can make big differences when it comes to gas mileage. As the posts above reveal, hybrid cars can get the MPG that is advertised.

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Can't compete with anime greats, but still good

Yeah, the story can't compare to the likes of Ghost in the Shell, Princess Mononoke and you can't leave out Spirited Away.

But what I enjoyed and appreciated (being that I work at an environmental news magazine) was the backstory: environmental degradation due to human activity and the plight of an underclass fighting against eco-injustice. And it was nice to see the huge windmill farms!

Has anyone else seen Sky Blue? If so, your thoughts?

How about other movies (heck, I'll even take television shows) that touch upon enviro concerns -- do you have a fave?

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Why compost you say?

And for those of you not hip to the composting scene, here is the low-down on why you should be from Grist's local public utility:

Organic matter improves soil and plant health, prevents erosion, and holds moisture and nutrients in the soil. However, when dumped in a landfill, decaying organic materials create dangerous methane gas and acids which react with other materials and create toxic leachate, which may contaminate groundwater.

Backyard composting is less expensive, more efficient, and better for the environment than sending yard trimmings to the landfill or even centralized composting facilities.

Of course Grist's Umbra Fisk has something to say about composting as well.

And for you Seattle residents, Seattle Public Utilities is offering a pretty good deal on food and yard waste compost bins. Download the order form. (Orders must be placed by the end of March.)

This is how I obtained my green cone last year and the amount of my garbage has significantly decreased!

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Invasive Tree Species Infestation Spotted

From ENN courtesy of the Associated Press:

Researchers using a sophisticated sensor aboard an aircraft flying at the edge of space were able to spot an invasive tree species starting to take over native forests near the Big Island's Kilauea Volcano, according to a study published Monday.

The sensing instrument pinpointed where Myrica faya trees, originally from the Canary Islands and the Azores, are starting to take over native ohia trees in and around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Who would have thought NASA would be involved in the fight against invasive species???

By using NASA's Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer from an ER-2 aircraft flying up to 12 miles above the earth, [researchers] were able to measure the concentration of leaf nitrogen and water content in the plants on the ground.

The Myrica trees, which unlike the ohia are able to draw nitrogen from the air, gave off much higher levels of nitrogen than the native plants.

No word yet if the invasion is due to terrorists or some careless citizen.

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For PETA, animals are the primary issue

I'm sorry the fish are in pain. Really, I am! But somehow it's hard to get worked up about this when there are, well, bigger fish to fry.

Yes, one might say that there are more pressing issues -- if your primary concern is the environment. However, PETA's first concern is with animals, though they do address environmental concerns regarding commercial fishing within this campaign and others.

Here's PETA's mission statement:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 800,000 members, is the largest animal rights organization in the world. Founded in 1980, PETA is dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals. PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.

PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in laboratories, in the fur trade, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds and other "pests," and the abuse of backyard dogs.

PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.

The environment is not mentioned at all, so I don't find it surprising that PETA's campaigns don't always resonate strongly with environmentalists. Kind of like how some people feel like that there are more important issues other than the environment. I'm not sure the best approach is to pick on animal rights campaigns while others are doing the same thing to environmental campaigns.

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The skinny on the vegan study mentioned above

For another take on the study written about in the article provided by couloir007, I offer you an article by VegSource.com.

In particular, the article points out:

Was this based on carefully conducted research? No. Was it based on structured study with control groups and meticulous monitoring of what children ate? No. Was it perhaps based on a large number of children eating a normal vegan diet who were found to have a greater than usual risk for illness? No. Her basis for this bizarre and completely unfounded declaration was her experience in Africa. Children who had been eating nothing but corn and beans were given a little meat and their health improved. Not children on a normal, healthy vegan diet - children who had been eating nothing but corn and beans. Adding almost anything to their diet would have caused improvement.

I also suggest another article from the Vegetarian Resource Group titled Feeding Vegan Kids.

But this is Gristmill. So, if we are to continue on this topic, may I suggest we discuss veganism in the context of the environment. For example, see VeganOutreach.com.

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Poll Results

Ask and you shall receive:

The word enviro is: (672 votes)
Demeaning = 19%
Endearing = 18%
Who cares? Rome is burning! = 51%
What the heck is an enviro? = 12%

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Let's focus on the environment people

Dear meanandgreen:

As the Grist audience has differing beliefs, values and behaviors, so does the Grist staff. While some's diet consists of eating other animals (gasp!), others follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, such as myself.

I'm not sure why Dave decided to make this post. Perhaps this is his attempt to change the perception that "not every environmentalist is an anti-hunting, anti- medical research vegan" as discussed here. But I would encourage Dave and others to convey this differently, rather than possibly alienating Gristians such as you. Shouldn't Grist be a uniter not a divider???

I think Dave should take a cue from Umbra and limit the scope of discussions to environmental issues. The PETA campaign in question, to me, seems to be based on more ethical concerns. I believe a more appropriate conversation (for Grist) would be about the ecological impacts of eating fish.

And in the spirit of framing (again, I direct you to this post), I encourage animal right advocates to concentrate on relevancy when speaking to environmentalists. People decide to change their diet and lifestyle for a variety of reasons, such as human health, ethics and the health of the planet. To be effective, it is important to consider what message will resonate the most with the listener/viewer/reader.

Lastly, meanandgreen, I would like to point you to the disclaimer at the bottom of the page, which says:

The comments of Gristmill users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist Magazine, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?

Dave may work for Grist, as well as manage the Gristmill, but his comments don't speak for all of us.

Chris Schults, Web Production Coordinator for Grist Magazine

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Yvon Chouinard interview on Grist

You can read a Grist interview with Yvon here.

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