Monday, 17 May 2004

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now

Freecycling Turns Your Trash into Someone Else's Treasure

One year ago this month, Deron Beal launched an email listserv that helps folks give away stuff they might otherwise toss in the trash. Thus was born "freecycling," a community-based movement that has exploded virtually overnight, finding its way to the pages of People magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and now, finally, Grist -- so you know it's arrived! More than 550 cities in the U.S. and beyond now have freecycling groups with thousands of members who merrily hand off everything from old cars to furniture to mismatched socks. Michelle Nijhuis investigates the spontaneous growth of the "gifting economy" -- today on the Grist Magazine website.

Backstroke

Bush Administration Will Continue to Protect Wild Salmon

Responding to a hurricane of criticism over its plans to count hatchery fish along with wild fish in determining which species to protect under the Endangered Species Act, the Bush administration is now pledging to safeguard wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest. It announced on Friday that "conservation of naturally spawning salmon and the ecosystems upon which they depend" will remain the central focus of its policy and that 25 of 26 salmon runs currently listed as endangered or threatened will likely remain so. The surprising announcement was met with guarded praise from enviros, who said the true test will come when the full policy is announced later this month. Business and development groups, in sharp contrast, reacted with outrage. Attorneys for the Pacific Legal Foundation, which has filed suit over salmon listings in the past, promised to take the administration back to court over the issue.

Adore Matt

Progressive Editor Matthew Rothschild InterActivates

The Progressive magazine recently celebrated its 95th anniversary -- something Grist looks forward to in a mere 90 years -- and for the last 10 years it has been piloted by the capable hands of editor and writer Matthew Rothschild. Boasting regular work from such lefty luminaries as Howard Zinn, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Molly Ivins, The Progressive has set the standard for forward-thinking, left-leaning media. Rothschild not only edits, he writes regular features, records radio commentaries, and runs the Progressive Media Project, which distributes op-eds from diverse perspectives. He talks about his busy schedule and the roots of his own environmentalism in InterActivist -- today on the Grist Magazine website.

Growing Controversy

U.N. Food Agency Supports Biotech Crops

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization waded into the debate over genetically modified crops today, and anti-biotech activists are none too happy about the development. A new report from the FAO argues that biotech crops hold "great promise" for alleviating the suffering of the world's poor, as they can reduce the use of herbicides, increase yields, and enhance nutrition by boosting vitamin content. The report also claims that GM crops have not been proven to have any negative environmental or health effects. However, it questioned claims by biotech-industry groups that GM crops currently help the poor. The FAO points out that most biotech research is focused on crops such as soybeans and corn that are grown in rich countries; it's calling for research into biotech varieties of crops like cowpeas, millet, and sorghum that serve as staples in developing countries. Anti-biotech organizations responded to the report with outrage. The world's food problems "are not technical, they're about access to markets, access to credit, land," said Greenpeace's Doreen Stabinsky.

Taking the LEED

Green Landscaping and Building Catches on in Cities

Here at Grist, our unflagging good humor is bulletproof, but we imagine less-medicated enviros need the occasional boost. The place to get one, strangely enough, might just be in the crowded urban area nearest you. Property owners large and small are starting to think green. Urban landscape architects are getting hep to "green roofs" covered in vegetation and gardens based on native plants and wild growth. Green office towers are sprouting up all over, like the Washington, D.C., office of the National Association of Realtors, which like many green buildings is certified by the Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The council has, as one consultant put it, "helped take [green building] out of the earthy, crunchy alternative image and brings it into the mainstream." Meanwhile, private homeowners are finding that recycled building materials and eco-friendly techniques for insulation and air circulation save more money than they cost. Green, green, everywhere! And you were all gloomy.

Virtuous Cycle

It's Bike-to-Work Week!

Put down the car keys and hop on the ten-speed: It's national Bike to Work week! According to the Census Bureau, 99.7 percent of Americans burn gasoline on their way to work, so yes, we're talking to you. As to the potential benefits, we turn over the mike to cycling enthusiast Julius "Juby" Aulisio of Lakeland, Fla.: "The country would be so much better if everybody commuted [by bike]. We probably wouldn't have gone to war in Iraq because that was all about oil. The environment would be so much cleaner, and you wouldn't have road rage because they'd be getting rid of all their excess energy riding. Even if we could get 5 or 10 percent of the people commuting, the benefits to society as a whole would be incredible." Amen!