The Most Profound Environmental Video I’ve Ever Seen
Plastic pollution is killing our oceans, wildlife, fish, food; overrunning our landfills and it is truly insane. We can stop contributing to this madness, right now. Make your pledge. Get involved. You matter and you can make a difference.
We all know that our planet is suffering from pollution. We all know that plastics are overunning our landfills and strangling the ecosystems worldwide. But, really, does that plastic shampoo bottle, that plastic gallon of milk, today’s throw-away bottled water really make any difference? You know it does, but it’s easy to justify. If you want to stop being in denial and join with others around the globe who not only are “aware” but actually “care,” watch this video: http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/2010/10/our-today-is-forever/
And then make your pledge to kick the plastic habit and join up (it’s free! or make a donation if so moved) to make a difference at http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/
New Mexico Takes The Lead in Carbon Emission Reduction
What will it really mean to be the leader in carbon emission reduction? It will be interesting to see...
On Nov. 2, 2010, New Mexico adopted the most comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions reduction rules in the nation and, in the process, stands to attract major clean energy investments in the state.
In a 4-3 vote, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) approved the measure, clearing the way for New Mexico’s participation in a regional greenhouse gas reduction program organized by the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a consortium of seven Western states and four Canadian provinces collaborating to reduce carbon emissions.
Clean energy supporters hailed the decision not only because it makes New Mexico a national leader in the creation of a new, 21st-century U.S. energy policy, but because it puts the Land of Enchantment out in front of other states in attracting clean energy development and tens of thousands of jobs from an estimated half-trillion-dollar clean energy investment pool.
“This will bring in the investment cash for New Mexico’s clean energy sector at a time when our economy really needs the boost,” said Jim Graham, a general contractor in the Las Cruces area. “In spite of the unfounded rhetoric we’ve been hearing from the opposition, this new rule is a jobs creator.”
“I applaud the board’s leadership and their willingness to take a stand for New Mexico’s future,” said New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry. “This is a great opportunity to promote the state’s clean energy economy by reducing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.”
In addition to the program adopted by the EIB Tuesday, a coalition of 17 New Mexico organizations—headed by New Energy Economy (NEE)—has spent two years urging the EIB to pass its carbon reduction program. The board is expected to vote on that proposal on Dec. 6. NEE president Dr. John Fogarty said that Tuesday’s vote on the WCI proposal is good news for the state’s economy.
“We’re thrilled. Whether it’s our proposal or the state’s—all we want to see is a commitment to reduce carbon emissions,” Fogarty said. “This regulation sends a clear signal: New Mexico is open for business in the new energy economy. It will attract new investment to the state and create good, high-paying jobs in the solar and wind energy industries.”
Click here to view details of the new rule.
This press release reprinted courtesy of Lilia Diaz, Program Director, New Energy Economy, www.NewEnergyEconomy.org
Want To Stop Phone Books and Catalogs?
You can stop delivery of unwanted phone books!
When was the last time you used a phone book? I mean, the paper kind, not the Yellow or White Pages Online. Are these voluminous, outdated tomes piled in a closet or garage, or used as a door stop? I often wonder why they keep arriving each year and what I’m supposed to do with them. I know, phone book printing is a big business that makes money from advertising revenues, and some other businesses still think they need to spend a ridiculous amount to be listed in them…but, eventually that will change. In the meantime, you can opt-out.
For most internet-connected people, the phone book delivered to your door or driveway each year (often several from different companies), is an archaic and useless event. Garbage dump archeologists have found that phone books buried beneath debris for 60 years are still very readable, meaning they do not readily decompose. They are, in my opinion, part of the ecological disaster we’ve created (waste of trees and pollution from pulp mills, inks and distribution).
According to a blog by Dave Dempsy, “avoiding the production of a ton of phone directories is estimated to reduce air emissions by approximately 1.28 metric tons of carbon equivalent. It’s also estimated that avoiding the production of 500 books could save between 17 and 31 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, 587 pounds of air pollution, 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,077 kilowatt hours of energy.”
If you are ready, you can unsubscribe from phone books forever by visiting this Yellow Pages Association website. Enter your ZIP code, follow the publisher link or links to opt out, and that’s it: no more phone books!
If you want to stop catalog delivery, go to Catalog Choice. Enter the code on the back of the catalog you want to cease and desist delivery, and the company (if a participant, as many are), will be notified of your request to opt-out. Your opt-out process only takes a few seconds. The stoppage of the catalog may not happen immediately. It may require more than one attempt to opt-out before the merchant stops deluging you with glossy catalogs, but it’s worth the effort. Think of the clutter and landfill you save! (You can always opt back in later if you change your mind).
Troubled Waters in the Gulf of Mexico
As the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill enters its seventh week of gushing millions of gallons of oil into the fertile Gulf of Mexico, my first thought every morning since the accident occurred is “Have they found a solution yet to stop the flow?” Grief and anger churn in my guts, and I feel powerless to be of any assistance to the devastated environment.
Aerial view of oil approaching the Louisiana coastline mid-May 2010
But there are ways we can help with our time, our money, and our voices. Read the full article for a list of organizations actively involved in the Gulf Coast’s environmental crisis, working to prevent further damage (although at this point that seems to be steamrolling out of control), and to begin the lengthy process of clean-up and restoration. It will be decades if not centuries if not ever that this beautiful place on our planet will be restored. Much has been lost forever: wildlife and entire eco-systems, people’s livelihoods and the culture that defines them, pristine beaches and marsh lands, and any confidence (of whatever little remained prior to this tragedy) that the oil industry “cares”.
The Story of Stuff
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Santa Fe’s Choice Restaurants – A Survey
What’s Your Favorite Santa Fe Restaurant?
With well over 200 restaurants in Santa Fe, why do I have such a tough time finding ones I love? I’ve lived here 10 years and still, I’m often at a loss for recommendations. We’d like to know the places you frequent, and your reasons for choosing them.
We invite you to join our online survey with your restaurant recommendations and reasons. Take the Survey and Give Us Your Feedback.
What Good Is A Home Energy Audit?
by Bob Taylor
Home energy audits take the guesswork out of assessing the energy efficiency, quality and functional aspects of a building. They provide a measured and quantifiable means by which to determine the performance of a house and point to specific remedies to improve it. HERS (Home Energy Rating System) is typically used for new construction, while BPI (Building Performance Institute) analysis is used for existing homes.
Why would a homeowner want to have an energy audit?
In some cities, local energy or “green” codes for new construction are now requiring it. Other cities are requiring energy audits for all houses prior to sale. But besides regulations, buyers may want an energy audit as part of the inspection process during the escrow period to consider the energy efficiency of the home. And homeowners may want an audit before they remodel to find the weaknesses in their home’s thermal envelope and heating systems, so they can decide where to maximize investment in energy-related building systems.
By Water All Things Find Life
By Marka Smith
There’s an Hawaiian proverb that says, “By water all things find life.” A metaphor for our inner life, but also a truth about our beautiful planet.
Listening to a recent broadcast of the Lannan Foundation Readings & Conversations Series with Maude Barlow, a Canadian water-rights activist and the founder of the Blue Planet Project, I was struck by the sense of urgency with which she speaks about the water crisis that is speeding quickly toward a point of no return.
Here in the high mountain desert of New Mexico, water is a precious resource and our awareness of and contributions to the status of clean water is essential to our health and economy. The Santa Fe Watershed Association “works to return the Santa Fe River to a living river, from Lake Peak to the Rio Grande, balancing human uses with natural resource protection and restoring the heart to our community.” according to their website. (An interesting fact: the Santa Fe River Watershed is 285 square miles – from Lake Peak (12,408’) in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the confluence with the Rio Grande at Cochiti (5,220’).)
Eat, Pray, Salsa in Santa Fe
By Marka Smith
Being an aficionado of live acoustic music in its myriad of forms, but especially Latin and African, my passion is always sparked by local bands that feature world music. One particular highlight on the Santa Fe music scene these days is Changui Son, an acoustic ensemble that performs authentic Cuban street music. Their repertoire originates in the streets, hillsides, kitchens, and social clubs of Cuba before the advent of nightclubs and the introduction of American jazz and big band sounds.
A five-piece ensemble of musicians, three of whom grew up in Cuba, Changui Son draws upon the rich roots of Cuban music with songs spanning back to the 1700’s. Defined by the rhythms carried to Cuba by the early influx of slaves from Africa combined with European instruments and musical styles introduced by Spanish immigrants, the merging of the Spanish guitar and lyrical traditions with African polyrhythmic compositions creates a soulful kind of music that reaches beyond the barriers of language and time.
Santa Fe’s New Green Building Codes
By Bob Taylor
On July 1, 2009 Santa Fe, New Mexico became one of the first cities in the U.S.A. to implement a Green Building Code for new residential construction.
It was the first of a family of codes that will include codes for remodeling and commercial construction.
The new Santa Fe Green Building Code is based on the Build Green New Mexico program with revisions to reflect the northern New Mexico climate and tradition of passive solar adobe and other vernacular and regional construction methods.
