Excerpt from a Great Lakes Boating Federation press release,
June 24, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
"One Bighead Asian carp has been found in Lake Calumet, the first that has been discovered above the Electric Barrier System designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent any Asian carp from swimming into the Great Lakes." (read more)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
SHUTTING THE LOCKS ON THE ASIAN CARP
Excerpt from a Great Lakes Boating Federation press release,
Dec. 2, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
"As the struggle to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp continues, environmental agencies will add a pesticide to the mix." (read more)
Dec. 2, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
"As the struggle to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp continues, environmental agencies will add a pesticide to the mix." (read more)
ASIAN CARP ADVISORY
Excerpt from a Great Lakes Boating Federation press release,
Nov. 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
Nov. 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
"The Asian carp have worked their way up the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, moving closer and closer to entering the Great Lakes and to decimating their ecosystems." (read more)
ASIAN CARP: ONE RAINSTORM AWAY FROM THE GREAT LAKES
Excerpt from a Great Lakes Boating Federation press release,
Oct. 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
"The Great Lakes Boating Federation urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to quickly enact new measures to prevent Asian carp from advancing into the Great Lakes." (read more)
Oct. 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Tobacman
"The Great Lakes Boating Federation urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to quickly enact new measures to prevent Asian carp from advancing into the Great Lakes." (read more)
More information on the blog's content
In addition to green independence, this blog will focus on other environmental issues. These include invasive species, especially the difficulties with Asian carp on the Great Lakes. I've written extensively on this topic for Great Lakes Boating, and will be posting some press releases and, perhaps, articles, describing the evolution of the situation and the reasons for the concerns that the Asian carp could establish a self-sustaining population in the Great Lakes, and destroy the food web there.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment on the blog.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to comment on the blog.
VeganMania Festival to celebrate vegan, green lifestyle
Lots of samples to introduce new foods, products too
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, Sept. 29, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
Chicago is about to experience a festival that celebrates all things vegan and will showcase how living a vegan lifestyle is about more than food.
The free, first Chicago VeganMania is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wicker Park's Pulaski Park field house between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Free samples of vegan food, live music, an art show, speakers, vendors and a fashion exhibit are on the schedule of events. The first 100 people who show up will be awarded bags of food and body care samples donated by a wide array of companies, says John Beske, co-founder of the event with his wife Marla Rose.
Along with free admission, all attendees will receive free tickets for five samples among the vendors at the festival. There will be many tastes available, from vendors including The Chicago Diner, Delicious Cafe, Great Taste Cafe (formerly The Balanced Kitchen), and Chicago SoyDairy.
"We know diet is such a huge factor in the future of the planet," Rose says, "This deserves a place in sustainability. We want to show it [veganism] is eminently possible."
Rose and her husband also are co-founders of EarthSave Chicago, which educates individuals about healthy food choices. After organizing five conferences in five years for EarthSave Chicago, Beske and Rose decided to celebrate veganism. "We felt like it was time to dedicate an entire festival to the vegan options in town, including food, non-profits, clothing and cruelty-free" organizations, Rose says. Everyone involved in the event is a volunteer, she notes.
Chicago VeganMania will showcase at least four bands and different genres of music, including contemporary acoustic folk by Bryan Harrell, energetic funk rock by Darmata, electronica by Dreamlogicc, and teenage riot-girl rock by Circular Convention. SPUNN will perform spinning poi and dance, and Deserae will delight the audience with belly dancing.
"It should be a really good, fun mix of entertainment," Beske says.
The festival will also include a room with speakers, including Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals, who has done exposes of the food industry, Dr. Michael Greger of the Humane Society of the United States and Caryn Hartglass, executive director of EarthSave International, who created EarthSave TV and hosts its signature show, "Going Green with Caryn Hartglass."
There will also be an inspirational workshop on vegan food conducted by Rae Sikora and JC Corcoran of Plant Peace Daily. Chicago VeganMania will feature a children's room, too.
Every presenter at the festival is vegan. "We wanted to show veganism in a different light, to showcase the diversity of the community," says Rose.
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, Sept. 29, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
Chicago is about to experience a festival that celebrates all things vegan and will showcase how living a vegan lifestyle is about more than food.
The free, first Chicago VeganMania is coming up on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wicker Park's Pulaski Park field house between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Free samples of vegan food, live music, an art show, speakers, vendors and a fashion exhibit are on the schedule of events. The first 100 people who show up will be awarded bags of food and body care samples donated by a wide array of companies, says John Beske, co-founder of the event with his wife Marla Rose.
Along with free admission, all attendees will receive free tickets for five samples among the vendors at the festival. There will be many tastes available, from vendors including The Chicago Diner, Delicious Cafe, Great Taste Cafe (formerly The Balanced Kitchen), and Chicago SoyDairy.
"We know diet is such a huge factor in the future of the planet," Rose says, "This deserves a place in sustainability. We want to show it [veganism] is eminently possible."
Rose and her husband also are co-founders of EarthSave Chicago, which educates individuals about healthy food choices. After organizing five conferences in five years for EarthSave Chicago, Beske and Rose decided to celebrate veganism. "We felt like it was time to dedicate an entire festival to the vegan options in town, including food, non-profits, clothing and cruelty-free" organizations, Rose says. Everyone involved in the event is a volunteer, she notes.
Chicago VeganMania will showcase at least four bands and different genres of music, including contemporary acoustic folk by Bryan Harrell, energetic funk rock by Darmata, electronica by Dreamlogicc, and teenage riot-girl rock by Circular Convention. SPUNN will perform spinning poi and dance, and Deserae will delight the audience with belly dancing.
"It should be a really good, fun mix of entertainment," Beske says.
The festival will also include a room with speakers, including Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals, who has done exposes of the food industry, Dr. Michael Greger of the Humane Society of the United States and Caryn Hartglass, executive director of EarthSave International, who created EarthSave TV and hosts its signature show, "Going Green with Caryn Hartglass."
There will also be an inspirational workshop on vegan food conducted by Rae Sikora and JC Corcoran of Plant Peace Daily. Chicago VeganMania will feature a children's room, too.
Every presenter at the festival is vegan. "We wanted to show veganism in a different light, to showcase the diversity of the community," says Rose.
A new local eco-friendly clothing line is launched
Wearing green is catching on in the Windy CityAs seen in A Fresh Squeeze, Aug. 4, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
A growing number of local environmentally friendly clothing designers are hitting the fashion scene in Chicago. And as green clothing becomes more mainstream, Chicago-area stores Connect Chicago and Pivot are leading the way, offering customers an array of eco-friendly lines.
Most recently, Connect Chicago , at 1330 N. Milwaukee Ave., launched artless, a house brand that is environmentally and socially responsible, says Jonathan Shaun, the store's co-owner. Connect Chicago will begin selling the artless collection to other retailers in February 2010 and will offer it online in the fall. The collection includes T-shirts, V-necks, polo shirts, long-sleeved shirts and fleece, zip, organic hoodies made from reclaimed materials, some of which are limited-run bolts of fabric from old Burberry and Armani clothing, Shaun says. If not resold, this surplus clothing would be dumped into landfills, he adds.
"Each piece is a very special and a rare piece," he observes. "There are no more than 12 of the same one. In the future, we're ramping up production to 1000."
Pivot, at 1101 W. Fulton Market, has carried environmentally sound clothing choices since it opened in September 2007, including dresses, tops, sweaters, pants, skirts and jackets, says Jessa Brinkmeyer, store owner. "I'm very excited to be part of the green community, and to raise the profile of eco-design and fashion in the city," she says.
The boutique sells clothes by several designers who make sustainable clothing and products with organic cotton that are chemical-free, Brinkmeyer says. Pivot sells clothing by local designers, including Lara Miller, Frei Designs, and Elise Bergman. "We're lucky to have a number of great eco-fashion designers and my goal is to support them as well as I can and to [support] customers learning about eco-fashion," Brinkmeyer says.
Connect Chicago's artless collection are priced from $36 for the T-shirts to $88 for the hoodies, Shaun says. The hoodies, in particular, are environmentally friendly partly because local retailer Wired makes the zipper pulls from reclaimed bicycle chains that would otherwise be thrown away, Shaun says.
The brand name, "artless," means purely unaffected by the outside world, Shaun explains. Many of the clothes are produced in solar- and wind-powered factories in Pennsylvania and India, Shaun says. Connect Chicago also carries organic cottons by the Portland-based Nau brand and Topo Ranch; it also sells Holden outerwear, another eco-friendly brand.
"Our manifesto is to be aesthetically pleasing, highly sustainable and performance-oriented," Shaun says.
Brinkmeyer has a similar vision for Pivot.
"I thought it was really important to highlight eco-fashion and show the more conscious side of the fashion industry," Brinkmeyer says. "Eco-fashion has a long way to go; people, in general, are not aware of the difference with buying organic." She compares the delayed awareness with the local and organic food movement, which took some time to grow in popularity. "Eco-fashion has been gaining more ground in the past four to five years," Brinkmeyer says.
Brinkmeyer's business is growing. She recently launched online commerce at her Web site, and she incorporated a vintage section into the store last winter. Brinkmeyer also holds events about once a month, often designed with educational and community-building components, she says.
The next one is scheduled for Aug. 19, with a vegan theme that includes food and will feature vegan clothes, including coats from the local business, Vaute Couture.
Connect Chicago hosts events as well, about once every six weeks, including fundraisers. A fashion show is in the planning stages for late August. The retailer also donates 3 percent of all online proceeds to the nonprofit organization, the Central Asia Institute, and, within the next month, will donate proceeds from artless sales, too, says Nate Lindsay, another Connect Chicago co-owner. The Central Asia Institute promotes and supports community-based education, especially for girls, according to the group's Web site.
[Update: Brinkmeyer's store has since closed in Chicago, but her clothes are still available online.]
Chicago banking goes green
Some promoting their own green practices and for lenders too
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, July 7, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
A handful of Chicago banks are making environmental friendliness part of their daily business. ShoreBank, a local lending institution with branches on the South and near West sides of the city, and in the northwest suburbs, is leading the way with a $35 million tax credit from the federal government’s economic stimulus package, says Joel Freehling, manager of ShoreBank’s Triple Bottom Line Innovations program. The New Markets Tax Credit will help ShoreBank focus on environmental and community development, to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building. Its borrowers include nonprofit and faith-based organizations, individuals, and small business and real estate owners.
ShoreBank will achieve these goals by helping small businesses decrease carbon emissions by offering new services and products, and commercial building owners to make their properties more energy-efficient by including green design in remodeling efforts.
If individuals are interested in retrofitting their homes with environmentally friendly features or systems, they can benefit from ShoreBank’s green lending practices by applying for mortgage loans that cover these improvements. These types of loans are available to current or future homeowners, according to the bank.
Another newcomer expected to join the Chicago green banking scene soon is GreenChoice Bank, which received approval by federal regulators to open, with a target date slated for November. “We’re not even open yet, but people are demonstrating their desire to bank with us on a daily basis via e-mail and phone calls,” says Jon Levey, the bank’s chief lending officer and a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP)
“Our community is responding to the values-based option for banking we represent,” says Levey. Half of GreenChoice Bank’s management team has earned the LEED AP accreditation, which indicates expertise in green building. The bank aims to add a boost to the local economy by lending to individuals that, despite strong financial records, are currently unable to renew their bank loans because of the recession, says Levey.
GreenChoice Bank’s offices will be located in the Green Exchange, a building under construction on the North Side of Chicago that aims to house America’s largest green business community. The Green Exchange and GreenChoice Bank will apply for LEED Platinum status after construction is completed, Levey says. Platinum is the highest level in the internationally recognized LEED certification system. GreenChoice Bank plans to attain Platinum level by incorporating specific green materials in its construction and work environment, including energy-efficient lighting and reclaimed wood, Levey says.
Both ShoreBank and GreenChoice Bank abide by the philosophy, “People, planet, profit,” known as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Coined in 1994 by John Elkington, the phrase means taking into account not only company profits, but also the impact on community and environment.
ShoreBank is investing in this idea through its financial services and educational initiatives, partly by encouraging customers to make green home improvements with competitive loans it’s offering, Freehling says. The bank’s educational programs for customers, including 1,200 non-profits, offer solutions to green problems, including where to find, and how to use, healthy cleaning products, Freehling notes.
“Sometimes you need a ladder to reach the low-hanging fruit,” Freehling says. “We try to show people how easy it is to reduce energy costs and consumption.”
Like ShoreBank, GreenChoice will offer consumers competitive options, like higher rates of interest on deposits. It will also work to limit paper usage by offering banking services electronically, an option that is also available through most other mainstream banks.
“Sustainable business practices have informed each aspect of the bank’s operations and we will be rewarding our clients for the sustainable greener choices that they make,” says GreenChoice’s Levey.
As seen in A Fresh Squeeze, July 7, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
A handful of Chicago banks are making environmental friendliness part of their daily business. ShoreBank, a local lending institution with branches on the South and near West sides of the city, and in the northwest suburbs, is leading the way with a $35 million tax credit from the federal government’s economic stimulus package, says Joel Freehling, manager of ShoreBank’s Triple Bottom Line Innovations program. The New Markets Tax Credit will help ShoreBank focus on environmental and community development, to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building. Its borrowers include nonprofit and faith-based organizations, individuals, and small business and real estate owners.
ShoreBank will achieve these goals by helping small businesses decrease carbon emissions by offering new services and products, and commercial building owners to make their properties more energy-efficient by including green design in remodeling efforts.
If individuals are interested in retrofitting their homes with environmentally friendly features or systems, they can benefit from ShoreBank’s green lending practices by applying for mortgage loans that cover these improvements. These types of loans are available to current or future homeowners, according to the bank.
Another newcomer expected to join the Chicago green banking scene soon is GreenChoice Bank, which received approval by federal regulators to open, with a target date slated for November. “We’re not even open yet, but people are demonstrating their desire to bank with us on a daily basis via e-mail and phone calls,” says Jon Levey, the bank’s chief lending officer and a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP)
“Our community is responding to the values-based option for banking we represent,” says Levey. Half of GreenChoice Bank’s management team has earned the LEED AP accreditation, which indicates expertise in green building. The bank aims to add a boost to the local economy by lending to individuals that, despite strong financial records, are currently unable to renew their bank loans because of the recession, says Levey.
GreenChoice Bank’s offices will be located in the Green Exchange, a building under construction on the North Side of Chicago that aims to house America’s largest green business community. The Green Exchange and GreenChoice Bank will apply for LEED Platinum status after construction is completed, Levey says. Platinum is the highest level in the internationally recognized LEED certification system. GreenChoice Bank plans to attain Platinum level by incorporating specific green materials in its construction and work environment, including energy-efficient lighting and reclaimed wood, Levey says.
Both ShoreBank and GreenChoice Bank abide by the philosophy, “People, planet, profit,” known as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Coined in 1994 by John Elkington, the phrase means taking into account not only company profits, but also the impact on community and environment.
ShoreBank is investing in this idea through its financial services and educational initiatives, partly by encouraging customers to make green home improvements with competitive loans it’s offering, Freehling says. The bank’s educational programs for customers, including 1,200 non-profits, offer solutions to green problems, including where to find, and how to use, healthy cleaning products, Freehling notes.
“Sometimes you need a ladder to reach the low-hanging fruit,” Freehling says. “We try to show people how easy it is to reduce energy costs and consumption.”
Like ShoreBank, GreenChoice will offer consumers competitive options, like higher rates of interest on deposits. It will also work to limit paper usage by offering banking services electronically, an option that is also available through most other mainstream banks.
“Sustainable business practices have informed each aspect of the bank’s operations and we will be rewarding our clients for the sustainable greener choices that they make,” says GreenChoice’s Levey.
Roosevelt University goes "green" with new student center
As seen on GreenBeanChicago.com, Nov. 5, 2009
By Jessica Tobacman
Roosevelt University has begun plans for a new student center, incorporating a new eco-friendly edge into their design. The lobby of the university’s Auditorium Building currently houses a model that includes this structure and an artistic rendering of the institution’s new project. Located at 421 to 425 S. Wabash Ave., the Wabash Development Project is scheduled to be completed for the 2011-2012 academic year.
The new building is designed to serve three main functions: academics and administrative space, student life, and dorm areas. It will be used as an academic space primarily, with chemistry, biology and physics labs. The building will also house the Walter E. Heller College of Business, an advising center with dean and faculty offices. The new structure will also be used as a student union, bookstore, food court, gymnasium and workout area. This area will include meeting space for student groups and more conveniently located registration, financial aid, admissions, and Bursar’s offices. The building will feature a residence hall with 600 beds for undergraduate and graduate students. The project includes plans to tear down the Herman Crown Center, which is located at 425 S. Wabash Ave., to make room for the new building. 300 of the 600 new beds for students will replace those that previously existed in the Herman Crown Center. Faculty and administrators have helped to design the Wabash Development Project, which will interconnect with the adjacent Auditorium Theatre in several places.
Energy efficiency is a goal for the new building. Charles R. Middleton, Ph.D., president of Roosevelt University, said that the university will apply for LEED® Silver Certification. To achieve this Silver standard, the Wabash Development Project must score a minimum of 50 out of a total of 100 points under the new LEED® Rating System. The project is graded in categories including sustainability of the building site, water and energy efficiency, materials and resources used in construction and operations, indoor air quality, location in the community, and awareness and education of those who will use the building. Roosevelt University’s plans to obtain the LEED® Silver level include installing low-flow plumbing fixtures, green terraces with outdoor rooftops and trees, energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning, and lights with motion sensors. Aiming for LEED® Silver level will help to maintain low operational costs and to reduce energy usage by 10 to 20 percent, Middleton said. The university has retained Jim Vallort of Environmental Systems Design as its independent Commissiong Agent. According to the LEED® for New Construction and Major Renovations 2009 Rating System, Vallort must review and oversee the completion of the commissioning process activities. Middleton also said that the building permit for the project will be applied for through the City of Chicago Green Permit Program.
Another innovative aspect of the new student center is that the outside of the building will be completely made of glass. This will greatly reduce electricity usage and allow in a large amount of light. “This reflects the 21st century openness of society, and is a public expression of the values of the university and the transparency of the environment,” Middleton said. On every two or three floors, the university will provide areas to relax, with tables and chairs and wireless access internet. The University president added that the new student center will be, essentially, a vertical campus. “It will take the version of a campus in a smaller town or rural area, and stack it vertically.” To limit the energy consumption of the building, the design incorporates high-performance glazing for the windows, and high-efficiency chillers and boilers for cooling and heating. The new building will also have a combined, efficient mechanical heating and air-conditioning system, designed to conserve space and energy as it ventilates and cools the building. It will also use highly efficient condensing boilers to decrease energy costs by using less gas. The finished building will contain laboratory exhaust systems that decrease energy usage when hoods are inactive. “The systems have been selected based on proven technologies which have been in use for a number of years to ensure reliability,” said Robert Tazelaar, PE, LEED-AP, the mechanical engineer for the project, of WMA Consulting Engineers, Ltd. “However, the system design has been implemented in a manner which takes advantage of recent advancements in equipment design and efficiency. They have proven to be effective at maintaining comfort conditions in the past.” Dave Eckmann, PE, SE, of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, is the structural engineer for the Wabash Development Project. The City Council will vote in the next few months on whether to authorize the construction project, Middleton said. Roosevelt University already has the support of the Plan Commission, the Chicago Loop Alliance and multiple civic groups. Although Roosevelt University will preserve the historic façade of the Fine Arts Annex, it does not yet have the backing of the Landmark Commission, a private agency. The new University center will raise the residential capacity of the school by 300, to more than 700 out of Roosevelt’s 7,700 students. “The project will help continue to support the growth of higher education in the city center and the South Loop,” the University President said. “It changes the dynamic of downtown and the neighborhood. It’s a win-win-win, especially for the students.”
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Will County protects aquifer recharge zone
Excerpts from an article published in Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Winter 2007 issue
By Jessica Tobacman
"An intergovernmental agreement has resulted in the creation of 730-acre Prairie Bluff Preserve from land in Crest Hill, Illinois, that served as a buffer for nearby Stateville Prison.
After six years of negotiations led by State Rep. Brent Hassert, R-Romeoville, commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Will County unanimously approved the agreement.
...
Residents of Romeoville and Crest Hill depend entirely on groundwater for their drinking water supply, so protecting the recharge zone is a high priority." (read more)
Wet work
Excerpt from an article published in the Chicago Tribune's Sunday magazine, Oct. 7, 2007
By Jessica Tobacman
"IN SOME PLACES around the world, just dangling your hand in a river is a good way to catch a horrific disease. But how likely are you to get sick if you ply Chicago-area waters?" (read more)
By Jessica Tobacman
"IN SOME PLACES around the world, just dangling your hand in a river is a good way to catch a horrific disease. But how likely are you to get sick if you ply Chicago-area waters?" (read more)
Electric avenues
Excerpt from an article published in the Chicago Tribune's Sunday magazine, Feb. 11, 2007
By Jessica Tobacman
"ARE BUMPER STICKERS far off that say, "My other car is a toaster?" At last month's Detroit Auto Show, General Motors unveiled the Chevy Volt concept car, its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). It would be a totally electric car ..." (read more)
By Jessica Tobacman
"ARE BUMPER STICKERS far off that say, "My other car is a toaster?" At last month's Detroit Auto Show, General Motors unveiled the Chevy Volt concept car, its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). It would be a totally electric car ..." (read more)
Filling the void
As seen in In These Times magazine, Nov. 20, 2006
By Jessica Tobacman
With the federal government failing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, many mayors are beginning to think globally and act locally.
By Jessica Tobacman
With the federal government failing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, many mayors are beginning to think globally and act locally.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is leading the local battle to stem global warming
With the Bush administration offering little more than empty rhetoric to combat global warming, mayors in cities across the country have begun to accept that responsibility. In particular, Salt Lake City is leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its successes stem from environmental efforts led by the city’s Democratic mayor, Rocky Anderson.
“What we have done to combat global warming has been received very well,” Anderson says. “Nobody disagrees with decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, saving money and cleaning up the air locally.”
Started in 2001, Salt Lake City’s Green program is “one of the most comprehensive municipal environmental programs in the nation,” according to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), a Toronto-based group that connects governments around the world working toward environmental sustainability. The Green program has combated deteriorating air quality, automobile dependence and sprawl by promoting transit- and pedestrian-oriented development with a growing regional light-rail system and a new Intermodal Transportation Hub that will connect different modes of transport.
One aspect of the Green program, the Local Climate Action Plan, has decreased the city’s carbon dioxide emissions by more than 23,000 tons. The city purchased 1.5 million kilowatts of wind power and upgraded its traffic signals to a new type of light, light-emitting diodes or LEDs, that will save the city more than $50,000 each year. The city has also decreased the amount of energy demanded from coal-fired power plants—and saved taxpayers more than $33,000 a year—by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs at the City and County Building. In 2005, Salt Lake City had already achieved the Kyoto goal of reducing its global warming pollution by 7 percent by 2012—seven years early.
The success of local greening efforts is especially important because of what Anderson calls “a vacuum of leadership on the national level” in combating global warming. The U.S. government has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol or otherwise take a proactive stance on global warming.
By the time the Kyoto Protocol became legally binding on February 16, 2005, 141 nations had ratified it. Those nations emit about 55 percent of greenhouse gases and have pledged by 2012 to cut their emissions by an average of 5.2 percent below levels in 1990. U.S. output of carbon dioxide, a principle greenhouse gas, is the largest of any country at 24 percent. Had it had ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the United States would have been required to cut its emissions by 7 percent of 1990 levels.
“We’re at a major turning point,” Anderson says. “Now we need to move toward zero emissions. It’s absolutely possible. We have the ability. We need the will.”
“There have got to be major changes [so we can] catch up with the rest of the world economy,” Anderson continues. If more localities get “on-board with local communities and people see [what’s] accomplished, it will be very difficult for the federal government not to get on-board. We can solve the most urgent problem facing our world today.”
Anderson hasn’t been alone in this fight. More than 30 mayors across the country met in Sundance, Utah, from November 12-14 for the Sundance Summit, which aims to drive climate protection through local action. The summit is building on efforts begun in February 2005, when Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels drafted the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The agreement includes provisions to reduce global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990 levels before 2012 and calls on Congress to decrease greenhouse gas emissions using bipartisan legislation. By August 10, 279 mayors representing over 48.5 million Americans had endorsed the agreement, pledging to “strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution by taking actions” locally.
One of those signatories, Patrick Henry Hays, mayor of North Little Rock, believes the issue of global warming crosses party lines. “Climate change is not about right or left, but what is important for this country,” Hays says. “Everybody loves their children.”
Introduction
This blog begins soon after Independence Day 2010 in the United States. This is an opportunity to celebrate not only freedom, but to work toward more energy independence. There are many ways to move forward on this journey, by taking steps back from dependence on oil and other fossil fuels: adding green remodeling to your home or apartment; purchasing eco-friendly clothing, locally-grown food or fuel-efficient vehicles; and increasing the number of environmentally-friendly practices in your life. These might include driving less, and taking public transportation and walking more; buying items locally; and simply, unplugging appliances when not in use. These ideas have been and continue to be explored in other forums; a goal of Greener Focus is to present the green possibilities available to individuals, and ways to make life greener.
We should also remind ourselves why we are doing all of this work: both to protect the environment for the future, for sons and daughters (not just our own); and because it's a beautiful world. Let's invest in it, and enjoy it.
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