Take a Hike!
The first day of autumn – last Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – slipped by me unnoticed, because, well, it quite simply didn’t start to feel like fall until today. Now that the air is getting crisper, I’ve started taking blankets out of the closet each night. I’ve started thinking about wearing shoes that require socks. And I’ve been thinking that I can’t wait to go on my first autumn hike of the year to see the trees before, during, and after the leaves change.
If you’re thinking of taking a hike while you travel this fall, be sure to check out Trails.com’s trail finder. Simply enter the zip code of the area you are planning to visit, and hopefully you’ll find that there’s a hiking trail or two that you can check out during your trip. Or, if you live in or near a major metropolitan area, then visit LocalHikes.com for suggestions of where to hike near your city.
As with any physical pursuit, exercise caution before you exercise. Bring enough food and water, follow your trail map, and stay safe!
Green Patriot Posters
This weekend, I had the opportunity to check out the fourth installation of the National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (a Smithsonian Institution) in New York City.
The exhibition, called Why Design Now? (on exhibit through January 9, 2011), features contemporary concepts or objects designed to alleviate a particular social or environmental concern. Items on display include a compact public bike rack, plans for a hotel powered by water (and appropriately called a H2Otel), solar panels shaped to blend into a barrel-tile roof, and many other successful and prototypical design objects.
Some of the items seemed a bit too outlandish to ever be successful in a mass market while others seemed, well, too expensive. But one item on display, a Green Patriot Poster, caught my eye both for its creativity and its price – It’s free.
The Cooper-Hewitt website explains that part of what makes Green Patriot Posters so innovative is that the “project invites any designer or concerned citizen to upload posters to its Web site.”
Green Patriot Posters, produced by Canary Project 2010, presents “Posters for Energy Independence and the Fight Against Climate Change.” Designed to evoke the feel of WWII-era government propaganda, Green Patriot Posters are educational and clever. And, best of all, they’re free to download. My favorite is the “EnvironMEANT TO Do List” (“Do it. Don’t just meant to do it.”). But so many of the posters are fun and would be perfect for classroom use (or, at the very least, as computer desktop wallpaper).
GM Salmon Nears FDA Approval
Purchasing salmon is already a difficult task with little regulations and the constant wild or farm salmon. The FDA may make this task much more difficult as they are currently deciding on whether to approve Genetically Modified Salmon.
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/2665454889/}kevygee{/link}.
AquaBounty is pursing obtaining approval from the FDA so that it can genetically modify the eggs of salmon. This would allow farmed salmon to grown in half of the time they currently are being raised. This would allow the production of salmon to rise in order to meet a growing demand for fish and in particular salmon. If Aqua Bounty is able to receive approval by the end of this year, we could start to see GM salmon in stores within 3 years.
So how are consumers reacting to. Even Mitchell from the Food and Water Watch of Europe stated it nicely:
Consumers are … jammed up the White House telephone lines last week protesting any approval. Quite understandably the salmon industry is not happy either, as people will simply avoid all salmon rather than risk getting this stuff. Only those who stand to gain financially think this is a good idea.
Then why is the FDA allowing AquaBounty to proceed with this?
So the FDA is allowing salmon to be genetically modified just to have a cheaper salmon the market. What about the unknown consequences or the possible ecological damage that could be caused from this decision?
Genetically modified food is just not the way to go and we continue to see the public in outrage against it. No matter how much lab data is provided to say it is safe, we just don’t know the health consequences. There could also be an increase in environmental impact we currently are seeing with farmed salmon. The biggest impact is that wild salmon could go extinct because it would be too tough to face these special breed of salmon.
The only reason I can think of that the FDA is going to proceed with this is to help these big salmon producers make larger profits. They try to make the argument that it will make salmon cheaper for us. What most people don’t realize is that farmed salmon are just not as healthy as wild salmon. Also, would you really risk your health and the environment just to get salmon at a fraction of the cost?
What can we do?
We need to pressure the FDA so that they will not let this proceed. First you contact the FDA directly to let them know you thoughts either through their main page or through facebook. There are also several petitions available on the web that you can sign:
- Fresh The Movie’s: Stop GM Salmon Petition
- Alliance for Natural Health
Let’s continue to spread the word and hopefully we can stop GM salmon from happening.
Prevent Paper Waste in School
Paper has always been an essential part of our classrooms. Whether it be taking notes, handouts, assignments or tests, they all use paper. But have you ever thought that there is sometimes unnecessary paper waste in our classrooms no matter the level?
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethhudyphotography/4048477802/}Elizabeth Hudy{/link}.
The Problem
Paper usage is inevitable in all levels of schools. Teachers have to give assignments and tests. Waste happens though when teachers give packets or handouts that used one time or not at all. This is not a problem just seen in K-12 schools, but just as much so if not more at the university level .
I saw this problem all the time when I was an undergrad and I continue to see this as I am finishing up my graduate program. Teachers distribute the lecture slides that they are displaying during class, sometimes as long as 20-30 pages. Many students don’t use them or simply throw them out. In either situation, there is an unnecessary waste of paper.
Teachers are not the only problem. I often see students bring these same packets to class as well.
Scary Statistics
Did you know that nearly 100 million of paper and paperboard products were used in 2005 alone? On top of that, 34% of all of the waste we dispose of each year is paper. Regardless of whether the paper is recycled, those are staggering numbers that we need to take into consideration.
What to do?
It always angers me when I see this waste because there is no reason every student needs to have those slides when they are displayed in the front of the classroom. The answer is pretty simple, urge your professors or teachers to stop printing out the unnecessary packets of paper. I have done this on several occasions and my professors have been happen to comply. You could also ask your professor to post the lecture slides on their website if they are not already doing so. If you are a student printing these materials, consider bring a laptop to class or simply use a standard notepad in class.
Don’t forgot that you should always to recycle any papers that you no longer need from any class. It’s easy to just throw papers from a class out immediately upon exiting, even if it isn’t into a recycling bin. If there isn’t a recycling bin available, just take it home and recycle it yourself.
Have you encountered any paper waste in classes you have took?
Nissan Leaf Polar Bear Commercial
I recently saw a new commercial for the Nissan Leaf electric car that is expected to be released in the coming months. The commercial involves a polar bear leaving the Arctic to give a man who has a Leaf a hug. Take a look:
I found this video to be interesting and a metaphor for things to come. The mascot of global warming, the polar bear, is giving an electric car owner a hug for switching to a more environmentally friendly option.
Though electricity is still largely generated through coal, I think the video is trying to make a point that this car is the first step in right direction. We can begin rid our country from depending so much on oil and start plans on doing the same with coal.
What are your thoughts on the video?
Say “Adios” to Slash and Burn
Sash and burn farming is employed all of the World, typically in third world nations clearing land for a more profitable outcome than rainforest or bush. One of the biggest instigators for slash and burn farming is cattle. Recently the Rainforest Alliance and USAID launched a Standard for Sustainable Cattle Production Systems. It is designed to be a catalyst for more sustainable cattle practices, specifically in Latin and South America. The voluntary standard specifically focuses on solid environmental, social, and animal-welfare practices that can earn them the “Rainforest Alliance Certified” seal of approval.
What is Slash-and-Burn Farming?
Slash and burn farming has been growing like wildfire (sorry, bad pun) especially across Central and South America. As the Amazon and other previously remote, inaccessible, and forested areas become more open and accessible, the local people and foreign companies are harvesting as much as they can out of the land and the people. Slash and burn is a technique typically employed by poor individuals native to a country that are trying to find a way out of poverty. They “slash” the growing things like plants and trees, some harvest them for money, and then they “burn” the ground to clear the way for animals like cattle that can provide them a better income. The problem? First the biodiversity and habitat native to the area are completely demolished. But more importantly, this type of farming promotes increased deforestation. Since the land is burned it is only good for grazing cattle for a short period of time. It also leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions and often the animals are treated poorly. Lastly, it doesn’t provide a stable income for the individuals doing the farming, but it provides them with something.
Why Is This Important?
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 26% of the Earth’s surface is used for pasture land for cattle, and that cattle account for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Slash and burn farming may not be able to be stopped completely, but if farming practices are significantly improved to become more sustainable, it should reduce the amount of land that will be lost to deforestation and contributing to ghg emissions. Also of great importance is teaching and providing a more sustainable livelihood for the native people of these countries in an ever-changing world.
What Does It Entail?
This is the first tropical sustainable cattle standard that is voluntary. It is available for cattle farms in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. According to the Rainforest Alliance, this certification only applies to farms where cattle have access to pasture and relies on integrated management systems, sustainable pasture management, animal welfare, and carbon-footprint reduction. It works in conjunction with the Sustainable Agriculture Standard and was partially developed in Coasta Rica. The process included over 130 organizations from 34 countries as well as workshops throughout Central and South American countries. It received it’s International Standards Committee approval in July of 2010 and will be rolled out soon.
What is the US’s Role Now and into the Future?
Due to CAFTA-DR’s Environmental and Labor Excellence Program, issues like this can be addressed in a more open, voluntary, and secure way. Now CAFTA is not perfect legislation, but under this agreement it can help better secure, promote, and support more sustainable ways of treating the environment. The hope is that by obtaining the seal, these farmers will have a more secure and stable market for their cattle in the United States and possibly abroad. A security that is not typically offered for slash and burn farmers focused on making ends meet in an increasingly globalized and monetized world. Only time will tell if the farmers will accept, implement, and reap the benefits of sustainable farming practices or if it will put them at an economic disadvantage that pushes them further toward the more environmentally destructive practices.
What Can I Do?
Let’s support this international, multi-sector effort and see how it plays out. The Rainforest Alliance has been aggressively working to get their certification system in place, noticed and respected. Eco-labeling is still a bit like the Wild West, you never know who will win out in the end. But you can be assured that once this label hits the marketplace, it should gain a serious amount of credibility. This type of work is never easy, simple, or without its flaws. But that never means it’s not worthwhile.
Cheers to work being done on an international scale!
Slash and Burn Photo Credit.
Lungs of Earth Photo Credit.
And I would Bike 10,000 Miles…
Ton Snyders, the Biking Comedian makes The Proclaimers “I Would Walk 10,000 Miles” song sound wimpy. This guy loves a good bike ride. In fact he loves it so much he’s turned it into a living for himself. He broke the 150,000 mile bike touring record recently on a trip ( a mere 8,000+) to Mexico. This guy is dedicated.
He is also a comedian though, so his comedy is inspired by his bicycle travels on the road. From crazy road signs to just plain funny, he is a one of a kind show. He is currently on “bike tour”, a wopping 11,000 miles around the United States. So check him out to see if he is coming to a venue near you, or you can even book him at one of your events!
So how good is this guy? Good enough to have biked to his shows (and make a living off of it) for the past 20 years. He’s been on Good Morning America, Comedy Central, and ESPN. He also gives motivational speeches at business conferences after a near fatal accident. Funny enough…he even biked to Hawaii! He boarded a cruise boat in Canada and cycled 8 hours a day on a stationary bike until he reached Hawaii, all the while doing comedy as well.
