Author Archive
Monday, May 12th, 2008
The Bats and the Bees
The “white-nose syndrome” killing bats in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts has now spread to Connecticut and northeast Vermont according to a recent NPR report, and possibly into Pennsylvania, as well. Scientists still have not identified or determined a cause for the disease which kills up to 90% of the bats in infected caves, leading […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Agriculture & Food, Environment & Wildlife, GMOs by Leslie Berliant
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
The Urban Green Revolution
It is no mystery why many environmentalists are critical of the green building revolution taking the form of $2 million, 4500 square foot homes in tony suburbs or homes that are considered environmentally friendly because they take advantage of nature somehow, like the German Tree House. But there is another green revolution happening simultaneously. […]
No Comments » - Posted in Green Building, Recycling by Leslie Berliant
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Exxon Founders Advocate Change
If necessity is the mother of invention, it can also be the catalyst of change. Public Radio International reports that the Rockefeller family is taking on the CEO of Exxon Mobil, the company founded as Standard Oil by their great, great grandfather John D. Rockefeller in 1870. And this rare public engagement of the family […]
No Comments » - Posted in Coal & Oil, Industry by Leslie Berliant
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Pangea Day - May 10
Back in 2006, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, the creator of the documentary Control Room, won the TED Prize and $100,000 to activate an idea to change the world (some background on this). That idea was to bring the world together through film. Pangea Day, the name she gave the project is coming to fruition this Saturday […]
No Comments » - Posted in Alerts - Events by Leslie Berliant
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
Kenyan Lions and Hippos Poisoned by Pesticide
Kenyan wildlife is being poisoned by a highly toxic pesticide, carbofuran, which is manufactured and sold by Chinese companies Topsen Biotech, SinoHarvest and others. The toxin has caused the deaths of five hippopotamuses and paralysis in four lions that fed on their bodies. The chemical, banned in the European Union and, as of January 2008, […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Environment & Wildlife by Leslie Berliant
Monday, May 5th, 2008
Investigating Interference at the EPA
The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a report (pdf) looking into EPA interference from industry lobbyists and politicians. The findings won’t be any surprise to those that have been following the goings on at the EPA over the last 7 ½ years, but they are disturbing nonetheless. Through dozens of interviews with current and […]
No Comments » - Posted in Global Warming Science, Politics, Industry by Leslie Berliant
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Calculating the Carbon Footprint of an Email
In what may seem like a silly undertaking, Sun Microsystems is setting out to quantify the carbon footprint of e-mail. It seems obvious, the carbon footprint of e-mail as long as it’s not printed out (if you haven’t already done so, add this tag to the bottom of your e-mail signature: Please consider the […]
No Comments » - Posted in Computing by Leslie Berliant
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Calculator Madness (No Pocket Protector Required)
It used to be that getting excited about a calculator was the ultimate sign of geekdom. But now it seems that everybody these days is coming up with a calculator and that people, especially the cool kids, are actually excited to use them. Here are a few that seem worthy of a whirl:
The Low Carbon […]
No Comments » - Posted in Global Warming Action by Leslie Berliant
Friday, April 25th, 2008
American Public Opinion and Global Warming
First, the good news. A new Harris Poll reports that 2/3 of Americans not only believe that global warming is real, but they also believe that humans are a main cause of it. And of the remaining 1/3, only roughly half of those believe that human activity has nothing to do with climate change. This represents a slight change from the previous years. One in ten Americans has looked up their carbon footprint, with younger people taking a more active interest in defining their footprint (18% of 18 — 31 year olds). This seems to bode well for the next generation’s willingness to take personal responsibility. The fact that only 6% of people 63 and older have assessed their carbon footprint, though, may point to a technology gap rather than a gap in desire to change. Keep reading to find out.
1 Comment » - Posted in General by Leslie Berliant
Monday, April 21st, 2008
Agriculturally Rich Kenya Facing Food Crisis
In August 2006, I traveled to Kenya. Traveling through the country with a guide that should have been a political science professor, an agronomist and a linguist all rolled into one made it one of the most fascinating trips I have experienced. I discovered that despite repatriation of land, some of the most agriculturally viable […]
No Comments » - Posted in Agriculture & Food by Leslie Berliant
Sunday, April 20th, 2008
A Million Acres
Since 1987, the Rainforest Alliance, headquartered in New York City, has set standards for land use (PDF) that promote sustainability, conserve wildlife and wild land, and promote the well-being of workers and communities. On April 15th they announced they have now certified over one million acres of farmland, spread over 18 countries, as being compliant […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Agriculture & Food, Consumerism, Industry by Leslie Berliant
Friday, April 18th, 2008
Bye Bye Bisphenol A
Canada has just given us one more reason to use metal, glass or ceramic water containers. According to the CBC, Health Canada’s classification of bisphenol A (BPA) as a dangerous substance is imminent.
The chemical, found in plastic water and baby bottles, food containers, toys, sippy cups, pacifiers and nalgene bottles has raised red flags for […]
3 Comments » - Posted in Health by Leslie Berliant
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Bush, the Environmental President
It seems that President Bush is keen to find a legacy other than “left us a mess in Iraq”. He tried for peace in the Middle East, but instead was trumped by aforementioned mess in Iraq. He made a historic, for him, trip to Africa. People seemed to like him there, they really liked him. […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Carbon Market, Politics by Leslie Berliant
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly Not at All
Photo: Greenpeace
As far as European countries go, Spain is on the front lines of climate change. An already arid part of the world, Spain is currently experiencing the worst drought in 60 years, with the Catalonia region in the northeast declaring a state of emergency. The amount of rain over the past six months is […]
