It’s all very well when well-off schlubs like me go on about reducing their environmental impact, but the fact of the matter is, there are lots of people in the world who only wish they could make environmental impact. That’s why I think the folks at the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) are real eco-heroes. […]
Environment
Al Gore’s new campaign
It’s late and I can’t write much but I want to say something in praise of the new “We” campaign Al Gore launched today. Through the Alliance for Climate Protection, he’s kicking off a $300 million, 3-year campaign to educate the public about global warming and urge action from political leaders. ”We’re trying to get […]
The “needle exchange” approach to planetary damage
There are two ways to reduce the harm to the planetary habitat we depend on for our health, happiness and security. One is to reduce the amount of resources we consume or degrade–air, forests, atmosphere, water, etc–and the other is to make the consumption of those resources less harmful. In other words: Resources Used x […]
First to green wins, Clorox decides
I’ve written before that the big companies should make enviros the target market. To be enviro, these days, is to be cool, ethical, caring and driven by values. And as people become aware that enviro-concerns are really human concerns, that toxins in our environment mean toxins in our bodies, and that a happier planet makes […]
How I don’t blow my brains out
I get depressed about the state of the world, no doubt. That some people don’t have water and some people don’t have food and the Antarctic ice shelf is about to break off (thanks, Dad, for the link). Plus, my kind readers email me just about every piece of bad news the internet can muster […]
I agree with George W. Bush
I can’t help it. Once in a while you have to say or write something just because you know it’s going to upset your parents. To wit, the headline of this post. Hi Mom! Hi Dad! But credit where credit is due, and I try to discuss policy not politics, and besides, kudos to George […]
Conspicuous UNconsumption
If you’ve been following the story of the No Impact project at all, you’ll know that my little family did not start out as Birkenstock-wearing, reusable-bag-toting environmentalists. In fact, Michelle and I made a habit of crying for the polar bears while blasting the air conditioners. I, in particular, was a liberal shlub who had […]
Lady Liberty ditches her automobile boyfriend
The other week, I had lunch with Transportation Alternatives (TA) Executive Director Paul Steely White and I told him about my recent blog posts discussing how both the planet and the people could be happier if we built villages instead of suburbs and public transportation networks instead of highways. I mentioned that there had been […]