Sustainablog

Gator Glyss: Natural Soap Funds Biodiesel Production

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:11:05 +0000

Like many schools, the University of Florida has developed a number of programs and efforts to produce and promote renewable energy. Mechanical and aerospace engineering major Eric Layton saw an opportunity to learn in a proposed biodiesel plant, and threw himself into the project whole-heartedly: according to the Gainesville Sun, “He helped build and maintain [...]

Dive Inside America’s Food Activism Scene

ziggy — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:02:34 +0000

I love books like The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved. They stir me up and get me all fiery, and instill a lot of passion in my soul. Most of the book really just reinforces a lot of my current feelings (about food, in this case), but it’s great to be reminded of why I’m [...]

Ice Melting Faster Everywhere

Earth Policy Institute — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:36:24 +0000

By Alexandra Giese From the Arctic sea ice to the Antarctic interior and the mountainous peaks of Peru, Alaska, and Tibet, ice is melting at an alarming rate. The accelerating loss of ice sheets, sea ice, and glaciers is one of the most powerful and striking indicators of a warming climate. The most notable ice loss [...]

Last-Minute Environmentally-Friendly Gifts: a Meta-Guide

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:54:40 +0000

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmiehomeschoolmom/ / CC BY 2.0 If you’re anything like me, crunch-time shopping is an annual ritual: despite ample warnings starting in October, the holidays just seem to sneak up. I’ve got mine done, but you may still be looking for that perfect gift for the greenie on your list. Fortunately, holiday guides of eco-friendly gifts [...]

The Missouri Department of Agriculture responds…

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:30:11 +0000

Editor’s note: This morning, I was pleasantly surprised by a response from Dr. Jon Hagler, Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, to Sunday’s post on the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture, and the issues that have been raised by activists concerning the proposed agenda for the event. With permission, I’m publishing his response… I hope [...]

Stabilizing Climate: Beyond International Agreements

Earth Policy Institute — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:48:50 +0000

by Lester R. Brown from Book Bytes Note: the following was written in July 2009, before the Copenhagen climate change conference. From my pre-Copenhagen vantage point, internationally negotiated climate agreements are fast becoming obsolete for two reasons. First, since no government wants to concede too much compared with other governments, the negotiated goals for cutting carbon emissions will [...]

Goat Song: Rediscovering Food by Raising Goats

ziggy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:17:22 +0000

Recently, I was fortunate to stumble upon a copy of Goat Song in my local library, a book that not only beautifully articulates the wonders of raising dairy goats, but more importantly than that, draws attention to the importance of living simply and closer to nature, and developing crucial relationships with our land and food [...]

Online Shopping: How Green is It?

Ann Smarty — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:09:42 +0000

The Online Shopping Survey conducted by GfK in 2008 showed that about 70 % of people think shopping online is good for the environment as it helps to reduce the carbon footprint. But is it really that simple? Too many variables come in to play: when you live, how much you buy, who delivers the purchase., [...]

sustainablog 3.0: The Same Blog + Green Shopping

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:00:14 +0000

If you’ve come by through the sustainablog domain in the last few days, you may have scratched your head and asked “Am I at the right place?” Yep… welcome to sustainablog 3.0! After a great couple of years as a part of the GO Media Network, I wanted to try something new: namely, the blog [...]

Can an Agriculture Conference not include Small Farmer Concerns?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:17:30 +0000

With all of the recent attention given to the environmental and social impacts of large-scale agriculture, and the benefits of organic and natural foods (yep… a link to sustainablog store), you might expect to see a strong focus on small-scale, more sustainable agricultural methods at farming conferences…right? According to small farm activists here in Missouri, [...]