AKA Activist: For the little activist in everyone: Environment Archives

November 23, 2008

Think About It: Polar bears in Life Jackets

No, this isn't a real product, but it is a concept by Swedish design group ADDI. The purpose is to get people thinking about the impact our products are having on the environment and the creatures with which we share this world.

Posted by Jason at 9:36 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2008

How far would you go to make a point?

I haven't posted to this blog in quite a while. Not that I haven't had a lot to say or pass along; rather life has gotten somewhat busy. That said, I have some new concepts brewing that I'll be launching in the coming months. I hope they will prove to be inspiring to you as well as me.

In the mean time, here is a video that I slept on a number of months ago. What strikes me about the video is not the message (although it is a good one) but the extent to which photographer, Lucas Oleniuk went to share this message. You see, his video -- Airsick -- is comprised of 20,000 photos! Take a few minutes and it check out .

As you watch the video, remember that you don't need to take 20,000 photos to share your feelings about the environment. Talk to a family member, a friend, a neighbour or your local political representative. You don't need to preach, just inspire others with your knowledge, passion and actions.

Posted by Jason at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2008

An Ocean In Peril

If you get a chance, flip to the Science & Ideas section of the Globe and Mail (Saturday, May 17th). In it you'll find an excerpt of a speech given by actor Ted Danson (aka Sam Malone of Cheers) to the Economic Club of Toronto. Mr. Danson talks about the staggering decimation of the world's fisheries and how countries like Canada need to work with the WTO to shape international trade policies. Danson states that government subsidies totalling $20 billion each year are given to fishing fleets. These subsidies facilitate unsustainable fishing practices.

Mr. Danson is a board member of Oceana an international organization working to save the world's oceans. You can find more information about Oceana's campaign to combat overfishing here.

Posted by Jason at 11:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 16, 2008

Heads Up: Community AIR Event

A message from my lovely wife:

This is for a GREAT cause. Community Air is a grass roots organization working to shut down the Toronto's island airport so that the dream of a Clean, Green Waterfront can be realized. It is run by volunteers working to take back our waterfront and improve the environment.

It would be great if you could come to the event - there will be food, music and exciting auction items such as free trips (by train of course), artwork and signed novels to name a few.

If you can't make it but are interested in supporting the cause, you can still buy a ticket and we will see that it is provided to a member of the media or to someone who cannot afford one (such as a student).

Thank you!!!

Visit communityair.org for more details.

Posted by Jason at 11:17 AM

March 29, 2008

Lights off! Earth Hour 2008

Today's the day. Lights out at 8pm. No arguments! :)

Check out the video below and don't forget to sign-up. It's never too late to show your support for the planet.

I've also included a little Flickr slideshow of Earth Hour images from around the world.

Posted by Jason at 9:56 AM | Comments (0)

January 3, 2008

California vs the EPA: Let get it on!

Score the first round for the EPA, but California vows it's coming out swing...and it's bringing friends. California sued the U.S Environmental Protection Agency yesterday after the EPA denied California's request for a waiver allowing the state to set its own emission standards. California wanted to set tougher standards than those proposed at the federal level. California's standards would require all new cars and trucks to raise their average mpg to 36.8 mpg and lower their emissions by 33% by 2016. The federal plan calls for a gas mileage average of 35mpg and a 30% cut in emissions by 2020. Fifteen states plan to join California in this suit.

This battle royale is definitely one to follow in '08.

Posted by Jason at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007

Coalition of the Unwilling

So much for not "cutting and running". Instead of honouring our country's promise, Stephen Harper would rather play politics and act the diplomat. Warning to you Mr. Harper: The Coalition of the Willing failed miserably, so will the Asia-Pacific Partnership. Read more here.

Posted by Jason at 10:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 22, 2007

Happy Earth Day!!!

The way things have been going, I'm thinking we need to make this an Earth Year. In any case, hoping you reduced your carbon emissions if only for one day. Check out earthday.ca to learn more about this important event.

Posted by Jason at 8:51 PM

March 3, 2007

Making the World Better Place: Innovative Technologies

An interesting showcase of new "green" technologies on the Business 2.0 website. Is it me or has everyone gone green? Whatever, let the love-in continue!!!

Posted by Jason at 6:38 PM

January 11, 2007

Save Our Climate Campaign: I love this psa!

If you haven't seen this psa on tv, visit the World Wildlife Canada website and click 'Our Campaign". I wish I created this spot. Cool stuff!

Posted by Jason at 9:47 AM

September 29, 2006

Citizen Activism Really Works!

What a week! Starting with pigskins and ending with pigs. Here's an interesting story of citizen activists in Alabama who worked with the Sierra Club to reel in a polluting hog factory. Believe it or not, the husband and wife team aka environmental activists, spent two years collecting water samples and keeping up an "odor log" as evidence against the company. It really goes to show you that patience truly works when trying to make change.

Posted by Jason at 5:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 6, 2006

Maybe now he'll give a hoot and won't pollute

December 14, 2005

Solar Energy Gets A Financial Boost

Some good news for those environmentalists out there...

Calif. regulators unveil $2.9 billion plan to expand solar power

It will be really interesting to see if the solar panel market gets catalyzed should the Commission approve this proposal in January. Let's hope so.

Tag(s):
environment
solar energy

Posted by Jason at 5:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 23, 2005

Selective Logging Practices Damage Amazon Basin

An informative (albeit slightly technical) article on a new study analyzing the impact of selective logging on the Amazon Basin. Using a new, ultra-high-resolution satellite-imaging technique, the study reveals that selective logging has damaged the Amazon Basin by more than two times what experts originally thought.

Interesting Facts: The Amazon Basin contains the largest contiguous rainforest on Earth. This region is nearly as large as the continental United States and contains many of the world's diverse plant and animal species. Experts estimate that illegal logging practices destroy over 10,000 square miles of rainforest per year!!!

Posted by Jason at 5:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 7, 2005

Heads Up: Five minutes of Garbage Film Competition

This sounds pretty interesting. Pass it along to any aspiring film-makers/environmentalist you know.

0footprint and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival announced today a new and exciting collaboration. For the first time a revolutionary environmental enterprise and a leading entertainment brand have come together to launch the first annual Five minutes of Garbage, a film competition that uses humor to explore the dirty world of garbage and what we can do to clean things up.

These comedic films must be five minutes in length and must be about garbage generated by a typical high rise office tower, characteristic of any urban setting. Read the rest here.

Posted by Jason at 5:29 PM | TrackBack

September 19, 2005

Samurai Surfers

A little inspiration to start off your week.

I just found this article/video on Frontline's Rough Cut. It's the story of "El Doctor" a Puerto Rican surfer-cum-activist who took on the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps were violating U.S clean water laws by dumping harbour dredge in a live reef near El Doctor's favourite surfing spot. A nice example of how the little guy can make a big difference.

Posted by Jason at 11:07 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 15, 2005

This Hybrid Car Brought to You by the Sierra Club

Wired magazine reports that Ford's new 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid made its debut at the Sierra Club's National Environmental Convention and Expo. This product endorsement is part of the Sierra Club's I Will Evolve campaign. The goal of the campaign is to promote environmentally sustainable automotive technology. Other manufacturers of hybrid vehicles such as Toyota and Honda, were also invited to participate.

In many ways, this endorsement is more than just an endorsement: it's a marketing partnership with serious implications. For Ford, they get instant credibility for a new product line and direct access to environmentally-conscious early adopters. As for the Sierra Club, I fear the move could be much more complicated. On the one hand, they position themselves as the environmental conscience for the automotive industry. On the other, keeping such close quarters with a corporation could bring the Sierra Club's reputation as an arms-length environmental organization into question. I suppose in these environmentally desperate times, the strategy of "keeping your friends close and your enemies closer" is a good one. Either way this is a bold move and could mark the beginning of a new era in eco-marketing.

Posted by Jason at 10:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 30, 2005

Ideas on Urban Environmentalism

A nice op-ed piece by Neal Peirce in the Seattle Times. Peirce highlights some innovative environmental initiatives that help reduce energy consumption in cities. He also lambastes the U.S Congress' new energy bill for its lack of commitment to the environment.

An interesting factoid:

Buildings account for two-fifths of America's energy consumption and generate a third of its carbon dioxide emissions.

Makes sense when you really think about it. Makes me want to look into what the city of Toronto is doing in the energy efficiency arena.

Posted by Jason at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2005

Monsanto's Quest to Patent Pigs

Yes, you read correctly. Greenpeace reports that Monsanto is seeking to patent breeding techniques of pigs and the pigs themselves!! A quote from the article:

"If these patents are granted, Monsanto can legally prevent breeders and farmers from breeding pigs whose characteristics are described in the patent claims, or force them to pay royalties," says Then. "It's a first step toward the same kind of corporate control of an animal line that Monsanto is aggressively pursuing with various grain and vegetable lines."

This company is unbelievable. Watch The Corporation to learn more about Monsanto's despicable corporate practices.

Posted by Jason at 12:31 AM | Comments (0)

July 8, 2005

Employment Opportunity: Earth Force

I've been a little bogged down with a website I'm working on. In the mean time, here's an opportunity for someone.

Program Manager
Earth Force

Background: Earth Force is a national nonprofit organization that engages young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future.

The Opportunity: To support partner organizations, corporations and educators who are implementing watershed monitoring and protection projects, and incorporating environmental education and civic engagement into the classroom. The GREEN Program Manager builds partnerships among students, teachers, local environmental organizations, government agencies and corporations. This position will work on model programs to encourage additional districts to adopt civic education practices that prompt students to address community problems. This position is based in or around Ann Arbor, MI.

The Position: This employee is responsible for creating and sustaining public-private partnerships to engage youth in protecting watersheds. Specifically, this position will create and support partnerships among educators, local environmental organizations, volunteers from corporate sponsors and community stakeholders to engage young people in watershed research-to-action projects.
Specific duties include:
∑ Sustaining community-corporate partnerships for supporting and funding local schools in watershed research-to-action projects. Position involves locally-based trainings of watershed organizations, educators, school district officials and corporate employees who serve as mentors in the classroom and field. Ongoing support is provided by facilitating communication among Earth Force, corporate mentors, educators and watershed partner organizations.
∑ Supporting civics-based watershed education programs in communities to engage students in creating lasting solutions to environmental problems in their local watershed. This employee will work with teachers from social studies, science and language arts at multiple schools at one time. Ongoing support can include: classroom presentations, teacher meetings, resource development, equipment ordering, evaluation, end-of-year student summits, and community and media outreach.
∑ Building a national network and coalition through regional meetings, training workshops and presentations about watershed assessment, service-learning, youth voice and community partnerships.

The Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate will be a creative problem solver who is equally comfortable working with corporate partners, educators and nonprofit managers and has a proven track record of success. The candidate should have 2-3 years of experience working in the environmental nonprofit field and have a background in watershed assessment or water quality monitoring, as well as some experience working with educators.

Candidates must be able to regularly travel to locations around Michigan and to national conferences and meetings several times a year. Earth Force is looking for innovative thinkers who are committed to engaging young people and educators in the process of community decision making around environmental issues.

Closing Date: Until filled
Salary: Commensurate with experience; competitive benefits package
To Apply: Send resume and cover letter to Alyssa Hawkins, Director of GREEN, 1908 Mt. Vernon Ave., 2nd Floor, Alexandria, VA 22301, jobs@earthforce.org

Posted by Jason at 11:16 AM

June 10, 2005

Big Brains At MIT Take On World Energy Crisis

Glad to hear that the smart folk over at MIT have announced the creation of an Energy Resource Council. The goal of the council is to "spearhead efforts to address the world's mounting energy problems."

Now, if we could only get similar initiatives running at places like Harvard's The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy and the countless law and business schools that produce our politicians and CEOs. Technology is only part of the equation; leadership from within the business, political and media communities is also key.

Thanks to Wolfe for the heads up.

Posted by Jason at 10:10 AM

May 30, 2005

FBI: You say eco-activist, we say eco-terrorist

Just read this on GNN. Apparently, there is a growing concern at the federal level that "extreme" environmental activist groups pose a terror threat to U.S interests. Despite the high level rumblings coming from the FBI, my guess is this won't go anywhere. On the other hand, stranger things have happened. Check out the CNN link for additional info.

Posted by Jason at 12:29 AM | Comments (1)

May 26, 2005

Technology meets Activism

Here's a really interesting post on mezzoblue.com. It discusses Google Maps and the ability to keep tabs on the activities of corporations. In this case the offending companies are those that clear cut forests. As mentioned in the post, companies and government have always had the technological advantage over the public. With technologies like the internet and now Google Maps, the tide appears to be slowly turning. Corporations can no longer rely on the adage "Out of sight, out of mind." Little brother is watching.

Thanks to Diego over at metacool for hipping me to this post.

Posted by Jason at 11:13 AM

May 5, 2005

Greenpeace Mourns the Loss of Bob Hunter

Bob Hunter, one of the fathers of Greenpeace and eco-activism, died this week. Although a flawed individual (who isn't)I believe the world is a better place as a result of his life and accomplishments.

Posted by Jason at 12:08 PM

February 22, 2005

Gesundheit! Kleenex vs Ancient Growth Forests

Found this on the CorpWatch site.

Last November, Greenpeace Canada and the Natural Resources Defence Council launched a campaign against Kimberly-Clark, producers of the Kleenex brand. The issue at hand is Kimberly-Clark's wasteful practices in developing paper products and the impact on Ancient Forests such as Canada's Boreal Forest.

If you get inspired to make a change, considering purchasing brands like Cascades. The Canadian company has committed to using sustainably managed forests for use in its paper supplies.

Posted by Jason at 8:30 PM

February 15, 2005

Jan 16th: Countries Start Your Engines! (Just kidding)

After eight years, the Kyoto Accord finally takes affect.

Notable absentees: U.S.A (accounting for over 20% of the world's carbon emissions), China and India (accounting for approx. 14% of the world's emissions combined). Note: India and China get a free pass until 2012 because they are developing nations.

Analysis to follow shortly (I promise).

Posted by Jason at 11:18 PM

January 4, 2005

Take the One-Tonne Challenge!

Thanks to my cousins' in-law and the Rick Mercer commercials, I've decided to take the "One-Tonne Challenge".

The One-Tonne Challege is a program sponsored by the government of Canada asking Canadians to reduce their Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by one tonne. Sounds like a huge task but it really isn't when you learn how much GHG's we can reduce with little changes in our behaviour. For example, did you know that "70% of vehicles have at least one tire that is over or under-inflated? Maintaining the correct tire pressure could reduce your GHGs by at least 1/8 tonne each year and save $50 in fuel costs."

Take the challenge!

Posted by Jason at 6:53 AM

December 24, 2004

When A Fake Christmas Tree Just Won't Do

I own a fake Christmas tree. It's convenient, creates less mess and doesn't require cutting down the real thing. The thing is sometimes I miss the real deal. I miss the smell, the look and the overall Christmas vibe you get when you go searching for the perfect tree.

The Original Living Christmas Tree Company might just have the cure for my holiday nostalgia. They rent out Christmas trees and replant them in the new year. A nice environmental compromise when fake trees just won't do.

Posted by Jason at 10:57 AM

December 16, 2004

Kenyan environmentalist earns Nobel Peace Prize

A nice segue from yesterday's post. Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Green Belt Movement - a reforestation project that has planted over 20 million trees throughout Africa. Why the Nobel Peace Prize? Maathai is not alone in her belief that many of the world's wars are waged over natural resources (e.g. the Middle East, Darfur).

Posted by Jason at 8:09 PM