Published on January 6th, 2009
One in 12 American’s water supply comes from the Colorado River. Increased mining and drilling for oil, natural gas, and uranium on its shores is threatening that supply.
[Creative Commons photo by Wolfgang Staudt]
The areas along the river are already suffering from drought, and getting at the resources there uses and pollutes the precious remaining water. Research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography estimates that the river could dry up in as little as 13 years.
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Published on January 6th, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama is asking every person in the United States to help transform Martin Luther King Day, January 19th, into a national day of community service. Obama is encouraging all of us to act locally to improve our own neighborhoods, to promote mutual responsibility, and to also make an ongoing commitment to help those in need.
Pat and James shovel mulch for the Latona Community Garden in San Francisco.
Published on January 5th, 2009
Responding to a blog I posted earlier about governmental preparations for peak oil, one self-labeled “alarmist” commented with a plug for his own resource, a networking web site called Bright Neighbor. I thought the site was worth checking out.
According to the peak oil experts, we need better personal and collective plans for fossil fuel depletion. Randy White, an early member of Portland, Oregon’s Peak Oil Task Force, agrees. His Bright Neighbor is taking on the practical functions that he believes should be executed by the powers that be—were they up for the job. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on January 5th, 2009
Friends of the Earth’s “New Roads = New Pollution” campaign is calling for President-elect Obama to focus his infrastructure plan on clean endeavors instead of new road construction
[Creative Commons photo by Tobias Pro User]
Pollution from motor vehicles is responsible for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog). Cars and trucks are not the only culprits - road construction causes greenhouse gas emissions both during and after the work is done. A Sightline Institute analysis (pdf) found that building 10 miles of new four-lane highway construction is the equivalent of putting 46,700 Hummers on the road, once you account for factors like materials, maintenance, congestion, and new traffic.
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Tags:
activism,
cars,
Friends of the Earth,
infrastructure,
petition,
pollution,
public transportation,
Road to Nowhere,
smog,
stimulus package,
trucks
Published on January 3rd, 2009
The Tennessee Valley Authority and the EPA reported that levels of pollutants such as lead and arsenic were below safe levels for drinking water in areas affected by the Kingston coal ash spill. An environmental group’s tests had dramatically different results.
[Creative Commons photo by Andrew Ciscel]
Appalachian Voices teamed up with scientists at Appalachian State University to test water samples downstream from the spill. They found contaminant levels far above what is considered safe for drinking.
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Published on January 2nd, 2009
If you’ve been thinking about installing a solar system, 2009 may be the year to take the leap, especially if you live in California.
After a long stalemate in Congress, a renewal of the 30% investment tax credit for solar installations finally passed as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Applicable for both businesses and residential projects, the credit applies through 2016. In addition, a rebate from the California Solar Initiative covers another 20-25% of the cost.
Of course, solar isn’t for everyone. According to Solar Santa Monica, a city-run program that assists those looking to reduce energy use and reliance on fossil fuels, ideal candidates have:
- An electricity bill of at least $100/month
- 200 square feet of ground or roof space to house the installation
- Southern exposure, including Southeast or Southwest
- 6-8 hours of direct exposure daily
If this sounds like you, now may be the time to investigate the move to a sun-powered home.
Published on January 1st, 2009
A recent study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found a strong correlational link between “active transportation” (defined as the percentage of trips taken by walking, bicycling, and public transit) and obesity rates in seventeen industrialized nations. It appears that the more we sit on our butts and drive automobiles, the fatter we all become.
David Bassett of the University of Texas and John Pucher of Rutgers University present their findings in “Walking, Cycling and Obesity Rates in Europe, North America and Australia”; they conclude that “Countries with the highest levels of active transportation generally had the lowest obesity rates. Walking and biking are far more common in European countries than in the United States, Australia and Canada. Active transportation is inversely related to obesity rates in these countries.” Nowhere is this more apparent than in the United States, where less than 12% of the population walks, rides a bike or takes mass transit, and one in three of us is obese.
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Published on December 31st, 2008
My neighbor Alyssa and I spent this afternoon making paper pots to propagate wildflower seeds for our neighborhood community garden. Anyone can create these simple recycled pots using just an empty can or jar and paper; we used cut up grocery bags and old newspapers for our organic planting project.
Alyssa displays her completed paper pot filled with planting soil.
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Published on December 31st, 2008
A California architect has constructed a home that heats itself from the warmth of its appliances. Homes like this have been popular in Germany, where a local architect built the first of its kind in 1991, but they are only just starting to catch on here in the States.
[Creative Commons photo by KeWynn Lee]
Nabih Tahan’s “Passive House” on Grant Street in Berkeley is the first one in California. It uses a ventilator to recycle the heat that radiates from the appliances, reducing the use of heat from fossil fuels by 80%-90%.
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Tags:
activism,
architecture,
conservation,
energy audit,
energy saving,
green building,
heating,
home improvement,
insulation,
Passive House,
winter
Published on December 31st, 2008
Phoenix christened the first 20-mile stretch of its new light rail system on Saturday, the culmination of decades of planning, four years of construction, and $1.4 billion in investment. The opening attracted 150,000 riders in its first two days of operation.
Phoenix is the nation’s fifth most populous metropolis and the biggest U.S. city without a public rail transit system (the city shut down it’s original trolley system 60 years ago). The sprawling metropolitan area has been characterized as “car crazy” and critics suggest ridership will be limited by the areas urban sprawl and grueling summer heat.
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