Comments Alison Wiley has made

  • Good news: civil disobedience against coal plants

    I was outraged when I read the above news. Then I learned that Wendell Berry and Bill McKibben are leading a mass act of civil disobedience against coal plants in early March, and inviting us to join them. Details at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/join-wendell-berry-and-bill ...On EPA says ignore CO2 when issuing permits for coal plants posted 11 months, 2 weeks ago 3 Responses

  • perhaps the topic should be how to cut emissions

    I see 40 island nations sending an alarm call to the world because they are in the process of being submerged due to global warming. Maybe we should be talking and writing about how to reduce our emissions as sharply as they are suggesting.

    I suggest starting with travel, a huge carbon emitter: http://www.diamondcutlife.org/rethinking-the-entitlement- ...

    Alison Wiley at Diamond-Cut Life
    Portland, OregonOn Island nations call for steep emission cuts to curb rising seas posted 12 months ago 5 Responses

  • We can do better than that!

    The degree of change we need to navigate in the developed world is much greater than 18 percent fleet emission reduction by 2015. The auto industry needs to accept an ongoing downsizing (the world already has way more cars than it needs) and many autoworkers need to retrain for different industries.
    Moreover, everyone who has a car of any type has the option of reducing their own emissions by 18% right now (not waiting for 2015) by driving less via trip-chaining, carpooling, walking, biking, working from home, etc. More at http://diamondcutlife.org/
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn E.U. agrees on emission rules for cars posted 12 months ago 4 Responses

  • Solar Panel Roofs

    Very happy to hear that the Vatican, with all its leadership stature in the world, has invested in a solar-panel roof. Hopefully many will follow this example, especially businesses that use lots of energy. The largest solar-panel roof in the Northwest recently had its grand opening: http://www.diamondcutlife.org/living-out-the-triple-botto ...On Vatican goes solar posted 1 year ago 3 Responses

  • Less Power Is Real Power

    The utilties are spooked because it means lower profits for them, but for consumers to use less energy is the best possible thing for climate change, given that coal-burning is the most prevalent source of our energy. We've got to redefine what economic progress means, and using less energy and gasoline is part of that new definition.  We also need to buy carbon offsets to reflect what we DO use. My household just bought our offsets easily and inexpensively: http://www.diamondcutlife.org/buying-our-carbon-offsets/On Big drop in U.S. electricity consumption confounds utilities posted 1 year ago 14 Responses

  • Renewables vs. Energy Conservation

    While I support renewable energy wholeheartedly, the piece that is so often missing from this discussion is that we have got to use less energy, period. My household's electricity use is half the national average (and we're not even martyrs :)
    I share how here --  http://www.diamondcutlife.org/how-to-slash-your-electrici ...
    On IEA forecasts boom in renewables through 2030 posted 1 year ago 1 Response

  • Big Ethanol i.e. Food For Fuel

    I'm generally sorry to see any company go under because job loss means human suffering. However, I oppose ethanol because food should be feeding humans, not machines. I explain this further at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/food-for-biofuel/

    In terms of taking some constructive action ourselves (always a nice idea) I have suggestions here. http://www.diamondcutlife.org/rejecting-food-as-fuel-what ...
    On Ethanol industry struggling posted 1 year ago 2 Responses

  • Judge's Decision to do nothing on fuel efficiency

    Bad decision by the judge. Like many people, he or she was wanting to pass the buck rather than step into actual responsibility for reducing gas use and carbon emissions.
    I've written a practical piece (that's turned out to be popular) that can help anyone to use less gas
    http://www.diamondcutlife.org/how-to-save-money-on-gas/
    And on a slightly wonkier level, I offer a piece on the real cost of gas to our society:
    http://www.diamondcutlife.org/the-real-cost-of-gas-15gall ...On NYC cabs don't have to bump up fuel efficiency, judge rules posted 1 year ago 10 Responses

  • Carbon a here-and-now concern rather than luxury?

    Another way to interpret this news is that people and corporations are starting to see that climate change is a here-and-now-thing, needing action right now,  where it used to be seen as a long-term concern hovering out there on the horizon. I'm glad to hear the offsets market is staying strong at this point. I have a related article at
    http://www.diamondcutlife.org/paddling-the-carbon-lifeboa ...
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn Carbon offsets still booming despite financial crisis posted 1 year, 1 month ago 1 Response

  • Governor Palin & Deja Vu

    This reminds me of eight years ago when another Republican running mate was named who was wedded to fossil fuel interests. That didn't work out too well. We can do better! My post on this topic: http://www.diamondcutlife.org/another-vp-candidate-wedded ...
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn The eco-rundown on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's VP pick posted 1 year, 3 months ago 7 Responses

  • Wake-up call -- this is about all of us

    These kinds of pollution and carbon emission levels aren't just dangerous for Olympic athletes. All of us are endangered by global warming. I talk about living in the solution at http://diamondcutlife.org.
    Alison Wiley
    Portland, Oregon
    On Beijing skies clear a little, but Olympic athletes still wary posted 1 year, 4 months ago 2 Responses

  • Trading Doesn't Equal Reducing

    Concerning Australia's emissions-trading plan, my understanding is that cap-and-trade doesn't create actual reductions in emissions unless there's an absolute ceiling or threshold on the total number of emissions allowed on the 'trading floor'. But doing that would mean reconfiguring our civilization's model of growth -- which, unsurprisingly,is what has to happen if our culture wants to survive. I explain this further at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/learning-to-count/
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn Snippets from the news posted 1 year, 4 months ago 1 Response

  • Biofuel and World Hunger

    This is such a serious problem; I feel deeply troubled that starvation in the world is growing. While we heat our house with biodiesel made from vegetable oil discarded from restaurants, my understanding is that our source may be supplementing their biodiesel supply with "agrofuel" (made from food grown to be fuel) due to increased demand for biodiesel.
    I'm morally opposed to using food-based fuel, and I won't be willing to purchase or use it when it comes time to refill our tank. How are others handling this whole dilemma?
    Alison in Portland, OR
    http://www.diamondcutlife.org /On USDA pessimistic on hunger outlook posted 1 year, 4 months ago 11 Responses

  • Don't buy or use flat-screen TV's

    In keeping with the first comment, maybe we need to be more willing to say 'no' to products and activities that destroy our atmosphere, and 'yes' to the many good alternatives. I have a related post at   http://www.diamondcutlife.org/celebrating-the-fourth-diam ...On Chemical in flat-screen TVs is worsening climate change posted 1 year, 4 months ago 15 Responses

  • Ultimate cause, rather than proximate cause

    While I agree that the government should be held accountable for things like this, there is a more basic principle that needs attention: we shouldn't build or rebuild in flood plains, especially as the planet is heating up with global warming. My post on this topic:http://www.diamondcutlife.org/rebuilding-on-ten-feet-unde ...On Cheap materials, lax government standards at fault in toxic FEMA trailers posted 1 year, 4 months ago 2 Responses

  • Wal-Mart and consumers share the core problem

    While I like the fact that Wal-Mart is acknowledging the need for sustainability, I agree with the above criticisms. I see the core problems (not just the local produce issue) as being two things: both Wal-Mart's greed for ever-greater profits AND also consumers' desire for ever-more stuff at rock-bottom prices. My blog addressed Wal-Mart here:
    http://www.diamondcutlife.org/walmarts-green-face-are-we- ...
    On Wal-Mart gobbles up local produce posted 1 year, 4 months ago 23 Responses

  • Hearting something besides money

    Senator McCain may heart the Everglades, but his political party consistently champions the escalating destruction of habitats. How would he begin to hold them at bay if elected? I want to see both McCain and Obama talk about crafting an economy that is affordable both for us and for the planet we're dependent on. As things currently stand we're in a dying empire. We've got to rebuild it. More at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/.On McCain says he hearts Everglades, despite opposing bill with restoration funding posted 1 year, 5 months ago 7 Responses

  • Human-power over hybrid-power

    I appreciate innovation (and I was a progressive entrepeneur for a decade). But if our goal is sustainability, we need to use our own bodies for locomotion. Hybrid bicycles and hybrid cars are being over-hybed, I mean over-hyped. They're a way of out-sourcing and externalizing the core necessity of changing our lifestyles. My current post is on a  job opening in sustainable transportation. More at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/
    Alison Wiley
    Portland, OregonOn More hybrid electric bikes hit the streets posted 1 year, 6 months ago 26 Responses

  • Leadership in Paying Our Way

    I'm glad to see San Francisco taking a leadership role by setting this first, modest precedent. I've been writing in a similar vein at Diamond-Cut Life on the new situation of paying extra for our airline baggage. See http://alison97215.wordpress.com/On Bay Area initiates first-of-its-kind fee on biz greenhouse-gas emissions posted 1 year, 6 months ago 2 Responses

  • Carbon Reduction

    I like almost everything Alan Durning writes and says, and I've had the pleasure of meeting him in person. I can agree with the both/and approach of this article. What's missing (from sustainability voices in general including Alan's here) is a re-envisioning of a healthy economy and people's quality of life in general. The implicit assumption in this article is still that quality of life has to rest on the old model of unlimited business "growth" -- but wait, that model is built on extraction of resources that are actually in the process of collapsing. For more about the different model I propose, see Diamond-Cut Life  http://alison97215.wordpress.com/On Five ways BC's carbon tax shift can strengthen Cap and Trade posted 1 year, 6 months ago 2 Responses

  • Wal-Mart's New Green Face

    I try to 'think through' these Wal-Mart types of sustainability initiatives, rather than having a knee-jerk reaction (it's too easy just to love to hate the big corporations). And I came up with this:
    http://alison97215.wordpress.com/2007/11/04/walmarts-gree ...
    Alison Wiley in Portland, OregonOn Wal-Mart tightens safety standards for toxics in toys posted 1 year, 6 months ago 4 Responses

  • McCain Teaching Portland About Global Warming?

    As a resident of Portland, Oregon, I won't be rushing out this afternoon to hear Senator McCain tell us in person about how to deal with global warming. We're more on top of it than he is. If I WERE to attend, I'd bring a sign telling him to stop subsidizing agrofuel (i.e. the U.S.'s growing practice of raising food to fill our gas tanks). See my related piece on how to reduce our demand for agrofuel at http://alison97215.wordpress.com.On McCain to unveil new climate plan posted 1 year, 6 months ago 4 Responses

  • The Small-Car-Stampede is underwhelming

    I like to be positive-minded, but I find this piece of news overblown, even off-topic if we are serious about addressing global warming. The emissions reductions we need require behavior change, not just technology change. We're leaning our mental ladders against the wrong wall as long as our thinking is strongly car-dependent and ignores other, healthier transportation options. More at http://alison97215.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/stampede-to-s ...
    best,
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn Small cars gaining popularity in U.S. amid high fuel costs posted 1 year, 7 months ago 8 Responses

  • Let's take action on the ground!

    It's familiar news that most political leaders and business leaders are married to an oil-addicted, business-as-usual scenario, despite the now-famous need for us to sharply reduce our emissions. We citizens need to show leadership on the ground, by consuming less oil and creating fewer emissions. If even a small but solid minority of us do this, it can spur economic transformation and show politicians and businesspeople that change has GOT to happen -- and they'd better not get left behind. For one example of emissions reductions coupled with financial benefits, see my post on Carpooling Is Cool at http://alison97215.wordpress.com.
    best,
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn Bush, Big Oil offer more of the same posted 1 year, 7 months ago 6 Responses

  • Oregon is ahead of the candidates

    Thanks for this coverage. I have to say that we're doing somewhat better on climate change and emissions reductions than any of the candidates or advisers here in Oregon (though we still have a re-e-eally long way to go). Governor Kulongoski has come out in favor of peak-hour tolls, for instance. In terms of the journos doing poorly in addressing climate change, well, frankly when your writing has no paycheck attached to it (like mine and most bloggers) you can be more objective and tough. More  on peak-hour tolls etc. at Diamond-Cut Life http://alison97215.wordpress.com/.
    best,
    Alison Wiley
    Portland, OR On Presidential advisers discuss climate and energy on C-SPAN posted 1 year, 7 months ago 3 Responses

  • Carpooling Also Rocks

    I have bicycled to work in the past, but then I got a new job, the best one I've ever had in the field of sustainability -- 50 miles from where I live. I jumped into an existing carpool of five great people and am having the most productive commute of my life, both socially and in terms of getting work done. My blog post today is called Carpool Survivor; come visit at http://alison97215.wordpress.com
    Best,
    Alison in Portland, OregonOn 'State Farm can get you back behind the wheel' posted 1 year, 7 months ago 10 Responses

  • Happiness

    Excellent post. This should be on the front pages of mainstream newspapers. It parallels Juliet Schor's strong body of research on consumption and happiness. My piece written after hearing her live and another related piece, "The Peak of Happiness" are both on my blog http://alison97215.wordpress.com/
    Alison Wiley
    Portland, OROn Interesting research findings on wealth and happiness posted 1 year, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • Sterner and Sterner

    Good to hear that Australia is getting as serious as this about addressing global warming. I live and work in Oregon, U.S.A., which state recently issued a Climate Change Integration Report that calls for aggressive action to reduce emissions. It's focusing especially on transportation and land use, since the low-hanging fruit around energy and green buildings is already being harvested (at least in our state). Come read more at http://alison97215.wordpress.com/
    best,
    AlisonOn Australia's pivotal Garnaut climate report to back 100 percent permit auctions posted 1 year, 8 months ago 5 Responses

  • Coal Plants and Living In Reality

    Good post, crucial topic. Coal, like gasoline, needs to become several times more 'expensiver' than it currently is if we are going to start living, i.e. consuming, in reality. We're living in a dream world with the current prices . . . it's similar to when we were all teenagers still at home with our parents thinking it didn't cost anything to live. Moving out and paying for rent and groceries was a rude awakening -- and paying real costs of fossil fuels will be the same. I still think we can have a happy quality of life consuming less . . . . come visit my blog, Diamond-Cut Life, at http://alison97215.wordpress.com/  to see why I think that.
    best regards,
    Alison On Coal: getting expensiver posted 1 year, 8 months ago 11 Responses

  • Bear In the Woods, consumption and emissions

    Good post; it hits the nail on the head. I am fully convinced that the world's affluent (which probably includes most all of us on the Internet) are creating the most emissions. So I cultivate a relatively low-consumption lifestyle . . . . and am one of the happiest people I know. That is the focus  of my blog, in fact, called Diamond-Cut Life. Come visit at http://alison97215.wordpress.com and add your voice.

    best regards,
    Alison Wiley
    Portland, OregonOn Bear poops in woods, some observers say posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses