Man Made Stars....

starry night, originally uploaded by Eagpic.

So beautiful... we just need to find a way to light our night with renewable energy.

Then it won't be a problem.

Human Cloud

Just for fun!

Sunny has a good blog: Wild Foods Plants

wildfoodplants.com

Another Great Blog: Great Green Goods

I like this one too!

New find: Keesta!

Great Blog!

Sundance Channel's: Friday on the Farm

What a great short film about the value of a community farm. Done in still photography instead of with a video camera. Very effective. Sundance has a bunch of green programs on Tuesday each week. Definately worth catching.

Heading to Boston for a few days

Hope to see the Big Dig! Leaving computer behind and going off line for until I get back. Hope to see evidence of green in Boston.

New film coming out that might be worth seeing...

WATCH THE TRAILER:http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/landscapes

This looks like it's going to be one of those films that sticks with you for a long time. Here are the places it is showing: Click here. (Guess where it is NOT showing.... FLORIDA or course. We like to hide our heads in that sand and pretend nothing is happening around us!)

Darwin's Nightmare

We watched Darwin's Nightmare on Sundance Channel after we watched "It's Not Easy Being Green." Two totally different worlds! I sat there with my mouth open the whole time as I watched "Darwin's Nightmare." It usually takes me a day or two of thinking about something like this before I can really comment. My heart went out for the solider/guard who was shown several times throughout the documentary. I also felt sad for the woman whose job it was to take the heads of the fish and lay them on the boards so they would dry in the sun. I wanted to know their names so I could write them a letter and send them some money. (My husband would laugh and say that was dumb! He's an economist. I'm the bleeding heart in the family.)

I am glad I don't eat fish! I think that being a vegetarian helps clear your mind and make you think about killing differently. It was easy for these people to kill. It didn't matter what they were killing. Some ate, some didn't...some made money, some didn't... some lived, and others died... that was the law of the jungle. It's a different jungle when the jungle is filled with herbivores.

It was apparent in this film that the difficult thing for some of the people their consciences. Their participation in human suffering was hard at times for them. But they were able to push it aside and get on with business, even if it meant exploiting the weakest and neediest children. If I ate fish, I know one thing for sure; I'd want to know where it came from and what it was doing to the land, the people and the morals of those involved. "Darwin's Nightmare" is the kind of documentary that you wish you could forget, but you can't once you have seen it. My rating: *****

Great T-Shirt!

For the artist and store where this is sold:

Click here

Made Green

Good video on Green ways to live.

I feel like I died and went to Green Heaven!

I was listening to Sundance Channel's Eco Bizz Podcast featuring a store in New York called ABC Home and Carpet. The items in the store were so scrumptiously gorgeous and eco-friendly too. It was too much! What a wonderful role model for others to follow. It just goes to show that green doesn't have to mean old yucky leftover things that nobody wants. The owner even makes sure her packaging is environmentally friendly!

Time is running out!

Time is running out!,

originally uploaded by OzBandit.

All we lack is the political will power....

The protest of the melting snowman

The protest of the melting snowman,

originally uploaded by Rik Shaw.

Sometimes its good to remember the lighter side of things...

Planet i

Planet i, originally uploaded by Unfurled world.

I see this and I think, tears....

Running the Numbers by Chris Jordan. Eco-Art that will blow you away!

There is no way you can see this exhibit and not be moved by it. Chris Jordan of Seattle took statistics of the United States' current rate of consumption and disposal in our "Throw Away Society" and made art pieces that help to explain the numbers visually so that anyone can understand those numbers in a new way. His work is showing at Von Lintel Gallery in New York from June 14th to the end of July. The show is called: "Running the Numbers." / To see an online version click here. I promise you will be blown away...

What to check out the air quality in cities in the US?

Air Now: An interesting site that lets you see where the air is...

Newspaper begins new daily section for "Green Energy"

Let's here it for MercuryNews! Their newspaper has decided to add a new daily feature called: Green Energy! Why don't other newpapers around the country do the same? California and Washington are leading this new drive for Clean/Green Energy.

Radiant Energy

Will somebody please tell me, why is the Sunshine State number one?

Why NOT?

I read today about new company that will sell renewable energy in the Central Florida area! YEAH! The name of the company is NEW POINT ENERGY SOLUTIONS! Why has take Florida so long to get onboard? You would think since Florida is the "Sunshine State" that we would be number one. Let's hope we can make up for lost time!

A call for Ecofiction

Interesting blog entry titled: Ecofiction: Storytelling, social change, and ecoliteracy from the Bioneers website. This blogger is arguing that we get people thinking about eco issues through the art of storytelling. Sundance Channel has some great eco-cartoons that tell the story in a funny way. One guy for example, has turned activist because he met the girl of his dreams. But it’s not going to change anyone’s mind by watching it either.

The hard thing about this "Save the Earth" message is that it's too serious issue. Humor is a powerful weapon and should not be ignored. However if the message is one that we should take seriously how do we make it funny? A good example would be World War II. How would you make a comedy about World War II? I'm sure there was plenty of satire about the bad guys, but this time, we are the bad guys. Our life style is out-stripping the planet. Anyone want to go chew on roots instead of have a glass of delicious red wine? I'm not going to volunteer. Our desire for creature comforts puts us in a pickle. Future generations can blame us for trashing the planet but I’m not going to go live in a cave to make them happy. Right wing whacko’s will poke fun at us and say we are just a bunch of eco-hypocrites while criticizing every thing we say or do. (Frank Luntz said he wasn’t going to talk to environmentalist because they are “mean people.”) "The World is coming to an end? People have been saying that since the beginning of time, so what makes it different this time," they will argue.

Mother Nature will rid herself of the problem. When she can no longer sustain the life on this planet, things will die. People, creatures, plants, etc, will simply go extinct. Scientist are already predicting that within this century one third of all species on this planet will go extinct. In fact, there is even a book called, "The Sixth Extinction." But of course, some of those things going extinct are bugs and critters that most people don't see or even know about so it doesn't seem significant.

Can someone creative and talented come along and write fiction stories that people can understand that don't bore or scare someone to death? One author I recommend is: Carl Hiaasen. He has two wonderful fiction stories that wrestle with environmental issues in a delightful way: "Hoot" and "Flush". We need more talented writers to develop stories about the environmental concerns that allow us to learn without throwing us into a state of despair. So all of you would be eco- authors, get writing!

Meet the Greens

Here's a new online cartoon for kids teaching them about environmental issues.

Our innovative capacity has not yet been scratched... here's why!

Quiet Revolution… a unique design for a highway wind turbine was presented by an Arizona student named, Joe. He posted this on the Archinect school blog. The wind turbine is designed to harvest the wind created by fast-moving automobiles sending power back into the grid.

This shows that innovation can and will happen when we stop saying that it “can’t be done” and start putting our efforts into something other than coal, oil and natural gas. We won't eliminate these carbon fuels overnight but until we make a real concerted effort to find a viable alternative we will make not progress. Joe has shows that we have the ability to think creatively outside the box about the problem of CO2 emissions. Now all we need to do is concentrate investment capital on creating and developing green energy sources that won’t fry the planet.

Who are the Green Billionaires?

Forbes has put together a list of the list of the green billionaires.

Quantum shift TV: Does Organic Farming help fight Global Warming?

Click here to see the video

Citizens are talking back to the big corporations and letting their voices be heard. Here is an interesting vlog about how Organic Farming helps reduce green house gas emissions in a way that industrial farming doesn't. The author; a Canadian Farmer. This farmer, Percy Schmeiser received Mahatma Gandhi Award for battling Monsanto over genetic modified seeds and their effort to make all farmers use their product, "Roundup". Regular citizens fighting back....

Happy Ending for 239 Lucky Tortoises

Thanks to Carissa and David who organized a community effort, 239 lucky gopher tortoises were saved from being buried alive in a new subdivision being developed in Geneva, Florida. One tract of land that was fifty five acres had over 239 tortoises! The developer paid his $100,000 to "take" the tortoises, but Carissa called him up and convinced him to try and rescue as many tortoises as possible. He essentially paid twice for these tortoises because Plan B meant he had to pay for a back-hoe that cost $1,000 a day to rent. It took several weeks to dig 15 feet into each gopher tortoise burrow to rescue each and every one that could be found. This developer generated a whole bunch of good will for his project. There was a tremendous response from the Orlando area and everyone wanted to help. At one point the rescue effort had to turn people away because they had such an overwhelming response to the call for help and were not prepared to train so many people. It just goes to show that people do care.

This new subdivision is just one of hundreds that are being developed all over Central Florida. One developer cared enough to do the right thing. I wonder how many unlucky tortoises are buried alive elsewhere. Carissa and David are local eco-heroes and so are the many people who assisted in the rescue effort.

A gopher tortoise can live for a year in its burrow dying a slow death of starvation and dehydration because it can not get out of the burrow once it is buried. There were 239 luck tortoises thanks to Carissa and David and a community that cared. Her e-mail is attached in the comments. And thanks to all who helped spread the word!

Missing Bumble Bees

I wish I were kidding when I write that Nationwide 25% of the domestic bees are missing.

"Managed honey bee colonies have collapsed at alarming rates, 25 percent nationwide, and scientists still have not fully discovered why. But the latest declines are part of a larger trend, with honey bee colonies down 50 percent in the past 50 years."

Two bills are making their way through our Federal Government to study the cause...

Hundreds of dead seabirds...

July 04, 2007 — By Bruce Smith, Associated PressCHARLESTON, S.C.

Hundreds of dead seabirds that washed up along the Southeast coast in recent weeks apparently starved to death, but experts don't know why.

The deaths of the birds -- similar to gulls and called greater shearwaters -- have wildlife officials worried about possible changes in the ocean that could have affected the fish that the birds usually eat.

Interesting idea: H.R. 2847 Establish an energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program

H.R. 2847 is just now being debated in the house. It would establish a "green collar" training program in our country. It will be interesting which groups come in to oppose it. Let's keep track of it so we can be sure to NOT buy their products!

Sponsor: Rep. Hilda Solis [D-CA]

Cosponsor: Rep. Jerry McNerney [D-CA]

Cosponsor: Rep. John Tierney [D-MA]

Wise Earth: The Eco-grandaddy of them all

Thanks to a podcast I heard yesterday, I learned about Paul Hawkins' website he started up called Wise Earth. It is an open source, all inclusive website for anyone and everyone that has something to say about our planet and how to make it better. Diversity rules on this green web community. I have been so encouraged to learn about all of the Green happenings around the world. There really are an army of people who are making this change happen. We are storming the gates of power and forcing them to change.

For a long time, I didn't know whether or not one voice made a difference. It is the net sum of all of the one voices that are crying out around this planet that is beginning to be heard.

Sundance Channel's Big Idea Contest

I enjoyed listening to the eco-friendly ideas the people submitted for the Big Idea Contest. The negative thing about a contest though, is that we should be encouraging all ideas, not matter how small. It doesn't have to be a "winning" idea to have value. Every idea that helps move us toward a sustainable, eco-friendly, green life style has merit and value. A contest however, helps generate ideas... That being said, you may want to take a look at the ideas people submitted. I had trouble downloading these on my computer. It ran really slow. Aside from that, it was fun listening.

Click Here

72% of American's don't know plastics are made with oil!

Click here to see their article

Treehugger reported that a recent nationwide online survey showed that, 72 percent of the American public does not know that conventional plastic is made from petroleum products, primarily oil. Moreover, 40 percent of the respondents believe that plastic will biodegrade at some point.

So what's the solution? Bioplastics are one possible solutions. (biopolymer)

America the Green Podcasts

TODAY’S ECO WAKE-UP CALL

I found a great source for Green Podcasts from the Green Money Journal. The Podcast interviews the editor of Green Money. Good ideas for promoting change with your shopping dollars. You decide which companies grow when you shop!

Notice how Florida is absent on the sustainability map?

Click here to go to their report

I said earlier that Florida was so far behind in growing sustainable environmentally responsible business. I did find small examples recently, but BP's Sustainable global report shows that Florida is "no where on the map!"

What is green design?

Click to see

Eco Friendly Designs

I like to help people connect with Green Products. I found this website that lists clothing suppliers who sell green.

Where to buy eco-friendly products online:• Alternative Outfitters• Coco's Shoppe• Eco-artware• Gaiam• The Green Loop• Little Earth• Loomstate• Moo Shoes• Otsu Vegan Mart• Pangaya• Vickery

Ask an Eco Geek

The sad thing about the environmental websites and blogs that I read is that they seem to be filled with "light weight" ideas or “the world is coming to an end” doom and gloom. I wonder if China had not come on line and the majority of the Chinese were still leaving their rural lives, if America would have found their "green soul"? Suddenly, we realize we are not the only fish in the sea. Corporate America has done too good of a job selling their goods and services around the world. Around the world people have started to desire our life style. We have been very egocentric in our world of the world. We are slowly wakening to the rest of the world. We will be asking our kids how to clean up OUR MESS!

Anyway, I liked this blog: Ask an Eco Geek. It looks like ther are lots of ideas that are way out there, but it takes that kind of thinking to get the creative juices going.

Lime Green a good resource for Green News

This is like the blog Treehugger. Lots of good info and shows on the blog.

Simply Green with Danny Seo

Florida is still the backwaters, but we are takinng baby steps toward sustainability

We are light years behind the West Coast but at least we have a website and have started down the sustainability path.

Where have all the mountains gone?

I have flown into Charleston, West Virginia's airport. It sits on top of a mountain. When you fly over West Virginia, you can see huge areas land where the mountain tops that have been removed. It's not quite as big as the Grand Canyon, but it's bigger than anything you can see from the sky except for that. I stumbled upon this slide show today that talks about what is happening in West Virginia. I wonder why coal miners have such a sway over that state. People are so afraid of the coal companies. West Virginia has a sad history of mining abuses. I can see from this that they have not changed their ways.

Paving Mt Everest

solitude : march to everest 2004, originally uploaded by mojo.d.

I read today that Mt. Everest is in the process of being paved in preparation for the upcoming Beijing 2008 Winter Olympics. It really shocked me. It really shows how things are changing in China. Who woul dhave ever thought that would happen?

The Secret Campaign of President Bush's Administration To Deny Global Warming

Slide Show: Inside the Bush Administration’s Denial Campaign Against Climate Change

Rolling Stone has published a report on how Bush has clouded the science about global warming and climate change. The report states:

"But a new investigation by Rolling Stone reveals that those distortions were sanctioned at the highest levels of our government, in a policy formulated by the vice president, implemented by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and enforced by none other than Karl Rove. An examination of thousands of pages of internal documents that the White House has been forced to relinquish under the Freedom of Information Act - as well as interviews with more than a dozen current and former administration scientists and climate-policy officials - confirms that the White House has implemented an industry-formulated disinformation campaign designed to actively mislead the American public on global warming and to forestall limits on climate polluters."

Human Survival & the Destruction of Nature

Interesting website