I received my monthly issue of Co-Op America recently, which mainly consists of information concerning investments and ways to cool the earth through them. This month however, there was an interesting article concerning the diet and it's effects on the environment, specifically meat diets. A 2006 study conducted by Drs. Pamela Martin and Gidon Eshel of the University of Chicago, http://geosci.uchicago.edul~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri.html, provided a neat graph that compared different meat (and non-meat) diets with their average annual greenhouse gas emissions. The results: Vegan: 0 tons, Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: .8 ton, Poultry: .9 ton, Avg. American: 1.485 tons, Fish: 2 tons, Red Meat: 2 tons. These diets are based on a 3,774 calorie diet. All diets including meat are calculated as 72 percent plant-based, 14 percent meat, 14 percent eggs and dairy. The lacto-ovo diet is 90 percent plant based, 10 percent eggs and dairy, reflecting the actual animal product consumption o the average lacto-ovo vegetarian. You might be asking yourself, why such an outrageous amount of calories when the usual average is 2000? Well- this 3,774 number is an "FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization) figure that represents the number of calories produced and distributed per person in the US, meaning that while we don't necessarily eat that much on average, we eat or waste that much at grocery stores and at home." This study took into account the entire life cycle of these diets. How much energy it took to grow, harvest , transport , and prepare them. The FAO released a report this past February stating livestock accounts for 18 percent of our world global warming emissions. Switching from a Toyota Camry to a hybrid Toyota Prius would save 1 ton of greenhouse gases annually while making the switch to a vegan diet would save 1.5 tons! After reading this article, it only reaffirms what I heard on Real Time a couple of weeks ago; "One can't be an environmentalist and a meat eater." These words spoken by a representative of PETA. What really surprises me is that the fish diet is equivalent to the red meat diet in avg. annual ghg emmisions. "I am a vegetarian, but I still eat fish" doesn't cut it anymore.
Interior officials messed with science, say witnesses at House hearing
Posted from the Daily Grist:
Think you've had a rough week? Imagine how the U.S. Interior Department feels. This week saw a heated House hearing in which activists and former officials testified about Interior's nasty habit of meddling with science. "This is an agency that seems focused on one goal: weakening the law by administrative fiat, and it is doing much of the work shrouded from public view," said Natural Resources Committee Chair Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.). Witnesses including former Fish and Wildlife head Jamie Rappaport Clark said politics had led to manipulation of research relating to the Endangered Species Act, but Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett insisted the agency was establishing an accountability board and was shocked, shocked to find politics in its establishment. Amidst the hubbub, the official who inherited Interior's messed-up-beyond-belief oil and gas leases, Johnnie Burton, announced plans to resign. And agency head Dirk Kempthorne was found huddled in a corner, muttering, "TGIF, TGIF."
A friend of mine and an environmental/progressive group at University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse put together a calendar of taseful nude photos of "greens" doing environmental friendly things like recycling, gardening, biking, etc. It was called the "Green is Sexy" calendar and even included some faculty from the university. The calendar was sold around the city and sponsored by local area businesses including advertisements. Check it out Type the rest of your post here.
Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to speak at KU LAWRENCE — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be this year’s Student Lecture Series speaker at the University of Kansas.
Kennedy’s lecture, “Crimes Against Nature,” will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Lied Center. Following the lecture, Kennedy will sign copies of his three best-selling books.
KU News Release
Student Union Activities Contact: Susan Hoffman or Jenny Schwering, Student Union Activities, (785) 864-SHOW. Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to speak at KU LAWRENCE — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be this year’s Student Lecture Series speaker at the University of Kansas.
Kennedy’s lecture, “Crimes Against Nature,” will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Lied Center. Following the lecture, Kennedy will sign copies of his three best-selling books.
Kennedy is a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Waterkeeper Alliance. He is also a clinical professor and supervising attorney at the Pace University School of Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and co-host of “Ring of Fire” on Air America radio. He was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River.
For KU students, tickets are free (a student ID is required) and will go on sale March 5 at the Student Union Activities box office in the Kansas Union. Tickets for the public are $10 and will go on sale March 15 at the SUA box office and the Lied Center.
For more information, call (785) 864-SHOW or visit the SUA Web site. For more information regarding other SUA events, e-mail Adam Collins, director of public relations.
The lecture is sponsored by Student Union Activities, Student Senate and the Lied Center.
GIS stands for geographic (or geospatial) information systems and is a powerful technological tool which can be used for studying a host of environmental and social problems. The number of applications for which it can be used are tremendous and are growing at a rapid pace. The technology includes many web-based applications (e.g., mapquest and terraserver) and is becoming a platform for interactive web-based exploration and education as well. Jack Dangermond, President of ESRI (makers of leading GIS software) will be presenting a lecture entitled "GIS Vision and Enabling Technology" on Thursday, March 8 at 1:30 in Fiedler Auditorium. I would encourage anyone with even a passive interest to attend.
Jack Dangermond, President of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) - makers of ArcGIS software - will present a Provost Lecture on Thursday, March 8 beginning at 1:30 in Fiedler Auditorium. The title of his talk is, "GIS Vision and Enabling Technology."
Walking the Green Carpet By alicia on February 22nd, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Unless your computer has an incredibly advanced filter for the plethora of award-mania, you most likely know that the Oscars are this Sunday. Following on the success of the Golden Green party held in conjunction with the Golden Globes, the Global Green pre-Oscar party was held last night.
As such movies as Blood Diamond and An Inconvenient Truth bring awareness through film, more and more stars are using their popularity to bring light to causes dear to their heart. While sincerity sometimes feels a bit transparent with some causes, green and fair trade movements allow actors to show, not tell, us how committed they are.
Orlando Bloom has converted his home with “solar panels on the roof, energy efficient light bulbs” while also bringing awareness to easier things everyone can do such as “unplugging their phone chargers and turning off the TV.”
Global Green isn’t stopping with this party, they’re taking the green to the Oscars via hybrid vehicles for a glamorous entrance for the stars, with an eco-footprint more inline with their dainty heels.
Now we just need to get those guys in some fair trade & organic gowns!
Once Hunted to near extinction, gray wolves in the western Great Lakes regions and the northern Rocky Mountains have rebounded so succesfully they no longer need federal protection, officals said.
U.S. Plans to Remove Gray Wolves from Endangered List January 30, 2007 — By John Flesher, Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Once hunted to near extinction, gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region and the northern Rocky Mountains have rebounded so successfully they no longer need federal protection, officials said.
The Interior Department said Monday it would remove about 4,000 wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin from the endangered and threatened species list in about a month. State and tribal governments will be responsible for keeping their numbers at healthy levels.
The department hopes to take the same action for about 1,200 wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming within a year.
"Today, through this action, we recognize a comeback of the wolves," Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett said in a conference call with reporters.
Government-approved bounty hunting nearly wiped out the wolf in the lower 48 states by the 1950s. Changing attitudes led to their protection in 1974 under the newly enacted Endangered Species Act.
The federal government will continue monitoring wolf populations for five years after they are dropped from the list and can return them on an emergency basis if necessary.
States and tribes are developing management plans dealing with touchy issues such as whether to allow sport hunting of wolves and how to deal with livestock depredation.
All three Great Lakes states would prohibit trophy wolf hunts for at least five years, while Idaho's governor has said he would push for immediate hunting to slash wolf numbers. Wyoming is pushing for greater authority to authorize killing wolves to protect livestock and wildlife.
"Restoring the wolf to its place in the natural world while addressing conflicts with people is a difficult balancing act," Scarlett said. But managers, scientists and educators in state wildlife agencies "have strong working relationships with local landowners and the ability to quickly deal with potential conflicts," she said.
The path to removing the wolf has been strewn with bitter arguments and legal challenges, and more are likely now that the government has released its plan.
A federal judge threw out an earlier version in 2004 because it combined areas where wolves were doing well with places where they were still in trouble. The latest proposal establishes the western Great Lakes as a separate wolf population region.
Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the agency had learned from the court case and believed its new plans would survive lawsuits.
At their low ebb, a few hundred wolves in Minnesota were all that remained in the Great Lakes region. After being listed, they quickly increased and migrated east. Latest estimates show more than 3,000 in Minnesota, over 460 in Wisconsin and more than 430 in Michigan, plus 30 on Isle Royale in Lake Superior.
"A classic Endangered Species Act success story," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of the environmentalist group Defenders of Wildlife. "The remarkable recovery efforts to restore the wolf have paid off, and the states are ready to assume the responsibilities of managing their own wolf populations."
But environmentalists said the proposal to delist Northern Rockies wolves was premature and that management plans drawn up in those states seemed designed for eradication rather than protection. Other critics say the government is moving too slowly to shield elk and other prey animals from wolves.
Climate change affecting where certain trees thrive....could lead to changes in ecosystems.
By Patrick O'Driscoll, USA TODAY Rising temperatures are allowing Southern trees to thrive farther north and stressing trees used to colder weather, according to new national guidelines issued by planting experts. The National Arbor Day Foundation last month updated the Agriculture Department's "hardiness zones" map, which was last issued in 1990. The group acted after noticing that some tree species were thriving where they had not before, while others were doing poorly in what had been a suitable region on previous maps.
The shift in zones may allow people in northern areas to experiment with flowering Southern trees such as apple and cherry where they used to plant only fir, spruce and pine, says group spokesman Woodrow Nelson.
The map divides the nation into 11 planting zones tied to average low temperatures. It shows significant boundary changes as the continent has warmed. For example, in southern Texas, the edge of one zone moved more than 200 miles north to the Panhandle. A few locations jumped two zones.
The map is based on 15 years of minimum temperatures from 5,000 observers used by the National Weather Service.
Last year was the warmest on record for the USA. Twelve of the top 25 warmest years have been since 1990.
The foundation cautions not to dig up gardens or cut down trees just because zones have shifted. The map is a guide for new plantings, especially for seedlings, which are more vulnerable to temperature change than mature trees.
The Agriculture Department has been reworking its map for several years using 30 years of data instead of 15 but has set no release date. The department's Kim Kaplan says the 1990s "were a very warm decade, but is that a weather cycle or is that a climate cycle? We think 30 years represents the best compromise, smoothing out the natural fluctuations of weather."
Nelson says the foundation will distribute 10 million seedlings this year. "Those need to be planted under the most up-to-date information."
Fast Facts Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer, the world's seventh-biggest exporter and fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports. (AP)
Gasoline gushing from a ruptured pipeline exploded Friday as villagers scavenged for fuel, setting off an inferno that killed up to 200 and left charred bodies scattered around the site in this oil-rich country of mostly poor people. Grim-faced rescue workers swung corpses into a mass grave as dozens of other scorched bodies awaited collection. It appeared some victims tried to flee the unfolding disaster only to be overtaken by flames spreading across the fuel slick. The stark outlines of white skeletons lay against a beach charred black by fire. Other bodies floated alongside dozens of plastic jerrycans in the nearby waters of the coastal mangrove swamp. The jerrycans, which had contained pilfered gas, were twisted by the heat of the explosion. More than 1,000 people in Nigeria, Africa's oil giant, have died in recent years when fuel they were pilfering from pipelines caught fire — and officials said it would likely happen again. "Because this thing has happened many times before, we thought it would be a deterrent, but apparently it wasn't enough deterrent for these people who died," said Lagos State Health Commissioner Tola Kasali, surveying the scene near Ilado, about 30 miles east of the main city of Lagos. "Anywhere you have a pipeline in this country, you have this problem because people are greedy and they want quick money," Kasali said. It was not known what set off the fire. An FBI official in Washington said the bureau was working on the case but did not explain whether foul play was suspected. The FBI often gets involved in criminal investigations abroad when Americans are involved or when asked by the host country. Police and rescue workers said villagers were collecting the gushing gas when the fuel ignited, and Lagos Police Commissioner Emmanuel Adebayo said 150 to 200 people died. The Red Cross had said it was treating survivors, but no live victims were seen. By day's end, about 100 of the dead had been interred, and Kasali said cleanup efforts would resume Saturday. He said the uncollected bodies pose a health risk to the millions of inhabitants of Lagos, whose skyline could be seen on the horizon. "We just decided to give them a mass burial because no one can recognize them — even their family members can't identify them," he said. "We're concerned that if we don't do that, we'll create a health emergency in Lagos since it happened by the shore and the water will just flow back into the city." The blaze took place far from the center of the fishing village of Ilado, and it was unclear if there were witnesses. Boatsmen said they heard an explosion before dawn and saw the glow of flames. The pipeline was run by Nigeria's state oil company and was used to transport gasoline across the country for national consumption. The impoverished people of Nigeria often tap pipelines, seeking fuel for cooking or resale on the black market. The highly volatile gasoline can ignite, incinerating those collecting it. In 2004 a pipeline exploded near Lagos as thieves tried to siphon fuel, killing as many as 50 people. A 1998 pipeline blast killed more than 700 in southern Nigeria. Most of Nigeria's oil is pumped in the southern Niger Delta region, far from Lagos. Pipes carry the crude to refineries across the nation. Nigeria, which normally pumps 2.5 million barrels of crude per day, is Africa's largest producer and the fifth-largest source of imports to the United States. It was unlikely Friday's blast would affect exports. The pipeline explosion slowed a drop in crude oil futures as the International Energy Agency sharply cut its forecasts for world oil demand. Nigerian militants have kidnapped foreign oil workers to press their demands for local control of oil revenues by inhabitants of the oil-producing south, who feel cheated out of the wealth produced in their backyards. Other groups have used kidnappings as bargaining chips to prod oil companies to increase jobs or improve benefits. Hostages are usually released unharmed. Three captive foreign oil workers in the oil hub of Port Harcourt were released Friday, a day after they were snatched from a bus as they headed to work, regional police commander Samuel Adetuyi said. It was the second attack this week on foreigners in Port Harcourt, where many oil companies keep their main Nigerian operations. On Wednesday, a gunman on a motorcycle shot and killed an American worker for the U.S. drilling equipment maker Baker Hughes Inc. The FBI is helping with the investigation.
Victoria Secret is finally changing their ways! WE DID IT! The DIRTY secret got out, consumers spoke up, and Victoria's Secret realized there is nothing SEXY about forest destruction.
Today, Victoria's Secret's parent company, Limited Brands, announced it will stop using paper from Endangered Forests like critical caribou habitat in the Albertan Foothills for its catalog. After two years of campaigning, Victoria's Secret started to and will continue to work to phase out the use of any Endangered Forests products. The company has ensured that at least 10 percent post-consumer waste paper will be used in it's main catalog.
This is a big step, not only for Victoria's Secret, but for the entire catalog industry. A strong environmental standard has been set and the entire industry will be hearing from us - forest destruction will no longer be tolerated! Today's decision is proof that consumers like you really can make a difference.
Let's give thanks! Send the CEO a nice big THANK YOU! Take Action!
When we began this campaign, two years ago, Victoria's Secret was printing 395 million catalogs every year on paper that contained NO recycled content. We made it clear that we were not going to stand by and watch one of our planet's most vital resources be destroyed to sell panties.
Now they've made commitments to use better paper and we couldn't have done this without YOU! Getting a multi-billion-dollar corporation to change its practices is no small feat and that's exactly what we've accomplished. We not only celebrate this victory but we also celebrate your support during the past two years to make this possible.
And while this is an important milestone, there is still work to be done. Victoria's Secret has outlined an excellent policy, but any policy has to be successfully implemented in order to be effective.
So, you'll be hearing from us in the near future. We've got lots of work to do to get the rest of the catalog industry to understand the impact their paper has on our forests. Victoria's Secret's steps today builds momentum for change within the entire sector at large.
Again, thank you! And, please take a moment to say thanks to the CEO of Limited Brands, Victoria's Secret's parent company, for going green! Take Action!
For the Forest, Liz Butler Organizing Director ForestEthics
By embracing the Gandhian method of satyagraha nonviolent resistance, the movement has prevented the destruction of thousands of trees since April 1973.
Got Trees? The Original Tree-huggers By Amy Laughlin
“What do the forests bear? Soil, water, and pure air.” While this may seem like an appropriate bumper sticker slogan, this phrase is the motto for the Chipko movement, an assembly of indigenous peoples in India fighting for their forests. By embracing the Gandhian method of satyagraha nonviolent resistance, the movement has prevented the destruction of thousands of trees since April 1973.
The word “Chipko” appropriately translates to “embrace” or “hug,” as the Chipko’s main nonviolent action is to cling to trees in an attempt to ward off tree-cutters. For them, tree hugging is serious business and a way to ensure their very survival.
The Chipko movement originated in the Uttarakhand region in northern India in the early ‘70s when the government began restricting areas of forest and auctioning them off to lumber companies. Natives who lived in the mountainous and hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh were losing the trees which provided them with food, fuel, fodder for cattle, and stabilized their soil and water sources. In an effort to protect their natural resources, the peoples of Uttar Pradesh split into many small, decentralized groups and followed axe men and tree-cutters to their prospective sites, demonstrated against the removal of the trees, and finished by hugging the trees. Their peaceful demonstrating reached its zenith in 1980, when India’s then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, implemented a 15-year ban on tree felling in India.
The movement has since spread to nearly all mountainous regions of India and can almost be considered the “sibling” of another, older environmental movement: the Bishnois. This western India-based religion is a sect of environmentally-aware followers who preserve plants, trees, and protect wildlife in an effort to uphold their sacred traditions.
The Bishnois originated in the 15th century in a village near Jodhpur. A local man, Jambhoji, adopted a philosophy that states “nothing—human or not—deserves to be killed.” Thus, he and his followers embarked on a new lifestyle that included a ban on killing animals and the felling of trees.
The story of Amriti Devi perfectly symbolizes all that the Bishnois look to achieve. She and 362 other Bishnois were sawed to death when they hugged trees in an effort to stop loggers from leveling a forest in 1730. This act of sacrificing oneself is not uncommon in the Bishnois way of life. They fiercely protect their environment by any means, whether it is by not hunting, waiting to use trees until they are dead or have fallen down, or by sharing their crops with hungry animals.
Before offering loggers her head, Amriti Devi is said to have uttered: “Sar Santey Rookh Rahe To Bhi Sasto Jaan,” which roughly translates to “If a tree is saved from felling even at the cost of one’s head, it’s worth it.” This credo is a reflection of the commitment and environmental awareness practiced by the Bishnois.
Both the Chipko and Bishnois movements are still in existence. Jodhpur is still the central area for many practicing Bishnois and a thriving community of very happy animals. The Chipko movement has grown to include concerned students and youth in the areas surrounding the original region of Uttar Pradesh (now Uttaranchal) and is still the original group of “tree huggers.”
Two Hualapai girls hold up a poster with the simple request, "SAVE THE PEAKS", save them from what? A resort that has and continues to pump artificial snow.
In the view of the American Indians here, the spirits that inhabit the San Francisco Peaks, certainly did not appreciate it when a ski run was built a quarter of a century ago on one slope. Now, treated wastewater is being piped up from Flagstaff and sprayed on the mountain so the resort can make more snow to ski on. Operators of the Arizona Snowbowl said it could go out of business without making snow because winter precipitation is so erratic in the high desert here. The resort, which has proposed the snowmaking under a plan to expand the ski runs, and the Forest Service, which approved the plan, both say the water would be cleaned to the highest degree, A-plus in the industry vernacular, though falling short of potable. This plan interferes with many of the tribe's religious practices, including the gathering of mountain water and herbs that the artifical snow would taint. The Sierra Club, who has backed the tribes unsuccessful attempts at stopping the resort, accuse the defendants, the resort and the Forest Service, of not adequately studying whether the effluent could harm people, especially children who consume artifical snow whether on purpose or not. This water is essentially treated sewage which they call reclaimed water. The resort balked at using fresh water since it is so scarce in Arizona to begin with. Mr. Mapatis, the Hualapai spiritual leader told the court that he gathered plants and flowers for use in healing ceremonies and that after a woman gave birth he brought the placenta to the mountain to ensure the newborn has a healthy life. Members of his tribe use water from the mountian in sweat lodge ceremonies and apart from the environmental aspect, these peaks are prominent in the Hualapai creation story. "It would be like putting death on a mountain," Mr. Mapatis said. To show their sensitivity to the tribes, the resort hired someone to close down a pumice mine used to make stone-washed jeans. Yet the snow-making resort is still in full-operation part of the year.
This is a collective blog for SEA at Kansas State University. Its purpose is to provide a dynamic forum for the collective sharing and discussing of environmental news both global and local. Want to write to this collective blog? Sign up here!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Your Diet and the Environment
I received my monthly issue of Co-Op America recently, which mainly consists of information concerning investments and ways to cool the earth through them. This month however, there was an interesting article concerning the diet and it's effects on the environment, specifically meat diets. A 2006 study conducted by Drs. Pamela Martin and Gidon Eshel of the University of Chicago, http://geosci.uchicago.edul~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri.html, provided a neat graph that compared different meat (and non-meat) diets with their average annual greenhouse gas emissions. The results: Vegan: 0 tons, Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: .8 ton, Poultry: .9 ton, Avg. American: 1.485 tons, Fish: 2 tons, Red Meat: 2 tons. These diets are based on a 3,774 calorie diet. All diets including meat are calculated as 72 percent plant-based, 14 percent meat, 14 percent eggs and dairy. The lacto-ovo diet is 90 percent plant based, 10 percent eggs and dairy, reflecting the actual animal product consumption o the average lacto-ovo vegetarian. You might be asking yourself, why such an outrageous amount of calories when the usual average is 2000? Well- this 3,774 number is an "FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization) figure that represents the number of calories produced and distributed per person in the US, meaning that while we don't necessarily eat that much on average, we eat or waste that much at grocery stores and at home." This study took into account the entire life cycle of these diets. How much energy it took to grow, harvest , transport , and prepare them. The FAO released a report this past February stating livestock accounts for 18 percent of our world global warming emissions. Switching from a Toyota Camry to a hybrid Toyota Prius would save 1 ton of greenhouse gases annually while making the switch to a vegan diet would save 1.5 tons! After reading this article, it only reaffirms what I heard on Real Time a couple of weeks ago; "One can't be an environmentalist and a meat eater." These words spoken by a representative of PETA. What really surprises me is that the fish diet is equivalent to the red meat diet in avg. annual ghg emmisions. "I am a vegetarian, but I still eat fish" doesn't cut it anymore.
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Posted by Hannah at 4:26 PM 7 comments
Labels: Environment, food, global warming
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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
US Dept of Interior Troubles
Interior officials messed with science, say witnesses at House hearing
Posted from the Daily Grist:
Think you've had a rough week? Imagine how the U.S. Interior Department feels. This week saw a heated House hearing in which activists and former officials testified about Interior's nasty habit of meddling with science. "This is an agency that seems focused on one goal: weakening the law by administrative fiat, and it is doing much of the work shrouded from public view," said Natural Resources Committee Chair Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.). Witnesses including former Fish and Wildlife head Jamie Rappaport Clark said politics had led to manipulation of research relating to the Endangered Species Act, but Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett insisted the agency was establishing an accountability board and was shocked, shocked to find politics in its establishment. Amidst the hubbub, the official who inherited Interior's messed-up-beyond-belief oil and gas leases, Johnnie Burton, announced plans to resign. And agency head Dirk Kempthorne was found huddled in a corner, muttering, "TGIF, TGIF."
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Monday, April 30, 2007
Green is SEXY!
A friend of mine and an environmental/progressive group at University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse put together a calendar of taseful nude photos of "greens" doing environmental friendly things like recycling, gardening, biking, etc. It was called the "Green is Sexy" calendar and even included some faculty from the university. The calendar was sold around the city and sponsored by local area businesses including advertisements. Check it out
Type the rest of your post here.
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Posted by Jeff at 10:34 AM 8 comments
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Monday, March 26, 2007
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Speak at KU
Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to speak at KU
LAWRENCE — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be this year’s Student Lecture Series speaker at the University of Kansas.
Kennedy’s lecture, “Crimes Against Nature,” will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Lied Center. Following the lecture, Kennedy will sign copies of his three best-selling books.
KU News Release
Student Union Activities
Contact: Susan Hoffman or Jenny Schwering, Student Union Activities, (785) 864-SHOW.
Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to speak at KU
LAWRENCE — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be this year’s Student Lecture Series speaker at the University of Kansas.
Kennedy’s lecture, “Crimes Against Nature,” will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Lied Center. Following the lecture, Kennedy will sign copies of his three best-selling books.
Kennedy is a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Waterkeeper Alliance. He is also a clinical professor and supervising attorney at the Pace University School of Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and co-host of “Ring of Fire” on Air America radio. He was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his success in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River.
For KU students, tickets are free (a student ID is required) and will go on sale March 5 at the Student Union Activities box office in the Kansas Union. Tickets for the public are $10 and will go on sale March 15 at the SUA box office and the Lied Center.
For more information, call (785) 864-SHOW or visit the SUA Web site. For more information regarding other SUA events, e-mail Adam Collins, director of public relations.
The lecture is sponsored by Student Union Activities, Student Senate and the Lied Center.
.
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Posted by Hannah at 9:47 AM 2 comments
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Thursday, March 01, 2007
Jack Dangermond coming to K-State!
GIS stands for geographic (or geospatial) information systems and is a powerful technological tool which can be used for studying a host of environmental and social problems. The number of applications for which it can be used are tremendous and are growing at a rapid pace. The technology includes many web-based applications (e.g., mapquest and terraserver) and is becoming a platform for interactive web-based exploration and education as well. Jack Dangermond, President of ESRI (makers of leading GIS software) will be presenting a lecture entitled "GIS Vision and Enabling Technology" on Thursday, March 8 at 1:30 in Fiedler Auditorium. I would encourage anyone with even a passive interest to attend.
Jack Dangermond, President of Environmental Systems Research Institute
(ESRI) - makers of ArcGIS software - will present a Provost Lecture on
Thursday, March 8 beginning at 1:30 in Fiedler Auditorium. The title of his
talk is, "GIS Vision and Enabling Technology."
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Posted by Jeff at 10:10 AM 1 comments
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Monday, February 26, 2007
Red Carpet or Green Carpet!
Walking the Green Carpet
By alicia on February 22nd, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Unless your computer has an incredibly advanced filter for the plethora of award-mania, you most likely know that the Oscars are this Sunday. Following on the success of the Golden Green party held in conjunction with the Golden Globes, the Global Green pre-Oscar party was held last night.
As such movies as Blood Diamond and An Inconvenient Truth bring awareness through film, more and more stars are using their popularity to bring light to causes dear to their heart. While sincerity sometimes feels a bit transparent with some causes, green and fair trade movements allow actors to show, not tell, us how committed they are.
Orlando Bloom has converted his home with “solar panels on the roof, energy efficient light bulbs” while also bringing awareness to easier things everyone can do such as “unplugging their phone chargers and turning off the TV.”
Global Green isn’t stopping with this party, they’re taking the green to the Oscars via hybrid vehicles for a glamorous entrance for the stars, with an eco-footprint more inline with their dainty heels.
Now we just need to get those guys in some fair trade & organic gowns!
UPDATE: An Inconvenient Truth Won!
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Posted by Hannah at 9:53 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, January 31, 2007
U.S. Plans to Remove Gray Wolves from Endangered List
Once Hunted to near extinction, gray wolves in the western Great Lakes regions and the northern Rocky Mountains have rebounded so succesfully they no longer need federal protection, officals said.
U.S. Plans to Remove Gray Wolves from Endangered List
January 30, 2007 — By John Flesher, Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Once hunted to near extinction, gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region and the northern Rocky Mountains have rebounded so successfully they no longer need federal protection, officials said.
The Interior Department said Monday it would remove about 4,000 wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin from the endangered and threatened species list in about a month. State and tribal governments will be responsible for keeping their numbers at healthy levels.
The department hopes to take the same action for about 1,200 wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming within a year.
"Today, through this action, we recognize a comeback of the wolves," Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett said in a conference call with reporters.
Government-approved bounty hunting nearly wiped out the wolf in the lower 48 states by the 1950s. Changing attitudes led to their protection in 1974 under the newly enacted Endangered Species Act.
The federal government will continue monitoring wolf populations for five years after they are dropped from the list and can return them on an emergency basis if necessary.
States and tribes are developing management plans dealing with touchy issues such as whether to allow sport hunting of wolves and how to deal with livestock depredation.
All three Great Lakes states would prohibit trophy wolf hunts for at least five years, while Idaho's governor has said he would push for immediate hunting to slash wolf numbers. Wyoming is pushing for greater authority to authorize killing wolves to protect livestock and wildlife.
"Restoring the wolf to its place in the natural world while addressing conflicts with people is a difficult balancing act," Scarlett said. But managers, scientists and educators in state wildlife agencies "have strong working relationships with local landowners and the ability to quickly deal with potential conflicts," she said.
The path to removing the wolf has been strewn with bitter arguments and legal challenges, and more are likely now that the government has released its plan.
A federal judge threw out an earlier version in 2004 because it combined areas where wolves were doing well with places where they were still in trouble. The latest proposal establishes the western Great Lakes as a separate wolf population region.
Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the agency had learned from the court case and believed its new plans would survive lawsuits.
At their low ebb, a few hundred wolves in Minnesota were all that remained in the Great Lakes region. After being listed, they quickly increased and migrated east. Latest estimates show more than 3,000 in Minnesota, over 460 in Wisconsin and more than 430 in Michigan, plus 30 on Isle Royale in Lake Superior.
"A classic Endangered Species Act success story," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of the environmentalist group Defenders of Wildlife. "The remarkable recovery efforts to restore the wolf have paid off, and the states are ready to assume the responsibilities of managing their own wolf populations."
But environmentalists said the proposal to delist Northern Rockies wolves was premature and that management plans drawn up in those states seemed designed for eradication rather than protection. Other critics say the government is moving too slowly to shield elk and other prey animals from wolves.
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Posted by Hannah at 9:12 PM 0 comments
Labels: Animals, Environment, Humans, news
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Thursday, January 18, 2007
Climate Change visible in trees.
Climate change affecting where certain trees thrive....could lead to changes in ecosystems.
By Patrick O'Driscoll, USA TODAY
Rising temperatures are allowing Southern trees to thrive farther north and stressing trees used to colder weather, according to new national guidelines issued by planting experts.
The National Arbor Day Foundation last month updated the Agriculture Department's "hardiness zones" map, which was last issued in 1990. The group acted after noticing that some tree species were thriving where they had not before, while others were doing poorly in what had been a suitable region on previous maps.
The shift in zones may allow people in northern areas to experiment with flowering Southern trees such as apple and cherry where they used to plant only fir, spruce and pine, says group spokesman Woodrow Nelson.
The map divides the nation into 11 planting zones tied to average low temperatures. It shows significant boundary changes as the continent has warmed. For example, in southern Texas, the edge of one zone moved more than 200 miles north to the Panhandle. A few locations jumped two zones.
The map is based on 15 years of minimum temperatures from 5,000 observers used by the National Weather Service.
Last year was the warmest on record for the USA. Twelve of the top 25 warmest years have been since 1990.
The foundation cautions not to dig up gardens or cut down trees just because zones have shifted. The map is a guide for new plantings, especially for seedlings, which are more vulnerable to temperature change than mature trees.
The Agriculture Department has been reworking its map for several years using 30 years of data instead of 15 but has set no release date. The department's Kim Kaplan says the 1990s "were a very warm decade, but is that a weather cycle or is that a climate cycle? We think 30 years represents the best compromise, smoothing out the natural fluctuations of weather."
Nelson says the foundation will distribute 10 million seedlings this year. "Those need to be planted under the most up-to-date information."
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Posted by Hannah at 5:03 PM 0 comments
Labels: climate change, Environment, news
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Friday, December 29, 2006
Gas Explosion in Nigeria
Fast Facts Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer, the world's seventh-biggest exporter and fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports.
(AP)
Gasoline gushing from a ruptured pipeline exploded Friday as villagers scavenged for fuel, setting off an inferno that killed up to 200 and left charred bodies scattered around the site in this oil-rich country of mostly poor people. Grim-faced rescue workers swung corpses into a mass grave as dozens of other scorched bodies awaited collection. It appeared some victims tried to flee the unfolding disaster only to be overtaken by flames spreading across the fuel slick. The stark outlines of white skeletons lay against a beach charred black by fire. Other bodies floated alongside dozens of plastic jerrycans in the nearby waters of the coastal mangrove swamp. The jerrycans, which had contained pilfered gas, were twisted by the heat of the explosion. More than 1,000 people in Nigeria, Africa's oil giant, have died in recent years when fuel they were pilfering from pipelines caught fire — and officials said it would likely happen again. "Because this thing has happened many times before, we thought it would be a deterrent, but apparently it wasn't enough deterrent for these people who died," said Lagos State Health Commissioner Tola Kasali, surveying the scene near Ilado, about 30 miles east of the main city of Lagos. "Anywhere you have a pipeline in this country, you have this problem because people are greedy and they want quick money," Kasali said. It was not known what set off the fire. An FBI official in Washington said the bureau was working on the case but did not explain whether foul play was suspected. The FBI often gets involved in criminal investigations abroad when Americans are involved or when asked by the host country. Police and rescue workers said villagers were collecting the gushing gas when the fuel ignited, and Lagos Police Commissioner Emmanuel Adebayo said 150 to 200 people died. The Red Cross had said it was treating survivors, but no live victims were seen. By day's end, about 100 of the dead had been interred, and Kasali said cleanup efforts would resume Saturday. He said the uncollected bodies pose a health risk to the millions of inhabitants of Lagos, whose skyline could be seen on the horizon. "We just decided to give them a mass burial because no one can recognize them — even their family members can't identify them," he said. "We're concerned that if we don't do that, we'll create a health emergency in Lagos since it happened by the shore and the water will just flow back into the city." The blaze took place far from the center of the fishing village of Ilado, and it was unclear if there were witnesses. Boatsmen said they heard an explosion before dawn and saw the glow of flames. The pipeline was run by Nigeria's state oil company and was used to transport gasoline across the country for national consumption. The impoverished people of Nigeria often tap pipelines, seeking fuel for cooking or resale on the black market. The highly volatile gasoline can ignite, incinerating those collecting it. In 2004 a pipeline exploded near Lagos as thieves tried to siphon fuel, killing as many as 50 people. A 1998 pipeline blast killed more than 700 in southern Nigeria. Most of Nigeria's oil is pumped in the southern Niger Delta region, far from Lagos. Pipes carry the crude to refineries across the nation. Nigeria, which normally pumps 2.5 million barrels of crude per day, is Africa's largest producer and the fifth-largest source of imports to the United States. It was unlikely Friday's blast would affect exports. The pipeline explosion slowed a drop in crude oil futures as the International Energy Agency sharply cut its forecasts for world oil demand. Nigerian militants have kidnapped foreign oil workers to press their demands for local control of oil revenues by inhabitants of the oil-producing south, who feel cheated out of the wealth produced in their backyards. Other groups have used kidnappings as bargaining chips to prod oil companies to increase jobs or improve benefits. Hostages are usually released unharmed. Three captive foreign oil workers in the oil hub of Port Harcourt were released Friday, a day after they were snatched from a bus as they headed to work, regional police commander Samuel Adetuyi said. It was the second attack this week on foreigners in Port Harcourt, where many oil companies keep their main Nigerian operations. On Wednesday, a gunman on a motorcycle shot and killed an American worker for the U.S. drilling equipment maker Baker Hughes Inc. The FBI is helping with the investigation.
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Posted by Hannah at 4:04 PM 0 comments
Labels: Environment, news
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Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Forest Ethics: Victoria Secrets
Victoria Secret is finally changing their ways!
WE DID IT! The DIRTY secret got out, consumers spoke up, and Victoria's Secret realized there is nothing SEXY about forest destruction.
Today, Victoria's Secret's parent company, Limited Brands, announced it will stop using paper from Endangered Forests like critical caribou habitat in the Albertan Foothills for its catalog. After two years of campaigning, Victoria's Secret started to and will continue to work to phase out the use of any Endangered Forests products. The company has ensured that at least 10 percent post-consumer waste paper will be used in it's main catalog.
This is a big step, not only for Victoria's Secret, but for the entire catalog industry. A strong environmental standard has been set and the entire industry will be hearing from us - forest destruction will no longer be tolerated! Today's decision is proof that consumers like you really can make a difference.
Let's give thanks! Send the CEO a nice big THANK YOU! Take Action!
When we began this campaign, two years ago, Victoria's Secret was printing 395 million catalogs every year on paper that contained NO recycled content. We made it clear that we were not going to stand by and watch one of our planet's most vital resources be destroyed to sell panties.
Now they've made commitments to use better paper and we couldn't have done this without YOU! Getting a multi-billion-dollar corporation to change its practices is no small feat and that's exactly what we've accomplished. We not only celebrate this victory but we also celebrate your support during the past two years to make this possible.
And while this is an important milestone, there is still work to be done. Victoria's Secret has outlined an excellent policy, but any policy has to be successfully implemented in order to be effective.
So, you'll be hearing from us in the near future. We've got lots of work to do to get the rest of the catalog industry to understand the impact their paper has on our forests. Victoria's Secret's steps today builds momentum for change within the entire sector at large.
Again, thank you! And, please take a moment to say thanks to the CEO of Limited Brands, Victoria's Secret's parent company, for going green!
Take Action!
For the Forest,
Liz Butler
Organizing Director
ForestEthics
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Posted by Megan at 2:50 PM 0 comments
Labels: Environment, news, take action
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Friday, November 10, 2006
Got Trees? The Original Tree-huggers
By embracing the Gandhian method of satyagraha nonviolent resistance, the movement has prevented the destruction of thousands of trees since April 1973.
Got Trees? The Original Tree-huggers
By Amy Laughlin
“What do the forests bear? Soil, water, and pure air.” While this may seem like an appropriate bumper sticker slogan, this phrase is the motto for the Chipko movement, an assembly of indigenous peoples in India fighting for their forests. By embracing the Gandhian method of satyagraha nonviolent resistance, the movement has prevented the destruction of thousands of trees since April 1973.
The word “Chipko” appropriately translates to “embrace” or “hug,” as the Chipko’s main nonviolent action is to cling to trees in an attempt to ward off tree-cutters. For them, tree hugging is serious business and a way to ensure their very survival.
The Chipko movement originated in the Uttarakhand region in northern India in the early ‘70s when the government began restricting areas of forest and auctioning them off to lumber companies. Natives who lived in the mountainous and hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh were losing the trees which provided them with food, fuel, fodder for cattle, and stabilized their soil and water sources. In an effort to protect their natural resources, the peoples of Uttar Pradesh split into many small, decentralized groups and followed axe men and tree-cutters to their prospective sites, demonstrated against the removal of the trees, and finished by hugging the trees. Their peaceful demonstrating reached its zenith in 1980, when India’s then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, implemented a 15-year ban on tree felling in India.
The movement has since spread to nearly all mountainous regions of India and can almost be considered the “sibling” of another, older environmental movement: the Bishnois. This western India-based religion is a sect of environmentally-aware followers who preserve plants, trees, and protect wildlife in an effort to uphold their sacred traditions.
The Bishnois originated in the 15th century in a village near Jodhpur. A local man, Jambhoji, adopted a philosophy that states “nothing—human or not—deserves to be killed.” Thus, he and his followers embarked on a new lifestyle that included a ban on killing animals and the felling of trees.
The story of Amriti Devi perfectly symbolizes all that the Bishnois look to achieve. She and 362 other Bishnois were sawed to death when they hugged trees in an effort to stop loggers from leveling a forest in 1730. This act of sacrificing oneself is not uncommon in the Bishnois way of life. They fiercely protect their environment by any means, whether it is by not hunting, waiting to use trees until they are dead or have fallen down, or by sharing their crops with hungry animals.
Before offering loggers her head, Amriti Devi is said to have uttered: “Sar Santey Rookh Rahe To Bhi Sasto Jaan,” which roughly translates to “If a tree is saved from felling even at the cost of one’s head, it’s worth it.” This credo is a reflection of the commitment and environmental awareness practiced by the Bishnois.
Both the Chipko and Bishnois movements are still in existence. Jodhpur is still the central area for many practicing Bishnois and a thriving community of very happy animals. The Chipko movement has grown to include concerned students and youth in the areas surrounding the original region of Uttar Pradesh (now Uttaranchal) and is still the original group of “tree huggers.”
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Posted by Hannah at 12:27 AM 3 comments
Labels: Environment, inspiration, nonviolence, victory
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Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Discussion
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Posted by Hannah at 4:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: Culture, Environment, news, Recreation
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