From the category archives:

Environment

A bodhi leaf

Despite my sparkling new social media diet — which is off to a shaky start today — I’m still using and enjoying my key networks. Twitter remains my favorite. If you can look past the occasional Fail Whale, it remains the simplest gateway to and active and diverse online community.

One of the things I’ve ignored of late is EcoMonday. Now that we have the ability to make lists on Twitter, it’s easy to display groups of recommended users: just put them on a themed public list. People can browse and follow as they wish, and we avoid cryptic-looking posts with the #ecomonday hashtag and long groups of Twitter screen names (a tactic spammers have learned to slip into your Mentions column).

But I miss the opportunity to highlight Twitter users from whom I draw high value in the areas of environment and sustainability. So I’m going to start recommending them here. It will give me the opportunity to be a bit more specific about why I’m singling out particular users. Let’s give it a try, shall we?

See this week’s list

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Piggy bank with earth overlayAs environmental publishers, we know that part of good stewardship is sharing information, but even the most intelligent among us can not make change without doing something.

So this site and Lighter Footstep, along with The Good Human, Twilight Earth, Grass Stain Guru, My Green Side, The Smart Mama, A Little Greener Every Day, Fake Plastic Fish Allie’s Answers, and Natural Papa have teamed up to carry our message with one strong and united voice.

The message is that there are great organizations out there which are suffering in this economic downturn through decreased donations … and they need our help! So we have decided to give you, our readers, a voice and a choice. We have decided to take on a very simple fundraising mission, and we are asking you to donate just $1.00.

 A single dollar — that’s all.

 Who cannot afford a buck even in these times? We know you can spare a dollar to help out our fellow humans!

 But how do we all decide which charities to give 100% of all monies raised to? We’re going to put it to a vote and let you make that choice. The participating websites have picked five charities for all donors to vote for, and we are asking you to choose which two of them will receive the all monies donated.

 Our purpose in doing this is three-fold:

  • It gives YOU a voice. As loyal readers and stewards of our environment, we want to offer you the opportunity to make a difference without breaking the bank.
  • It gives the two charities with the most votes some much appreciated funds to continue their mission
  • It allows all of us an opportunity to connect as a community of like-minded people working for the common good of ourselves, our families and our planet.

If the community of folks who care about our planet cannot come together to rise up to a challenge, who will? That is why we are asking you for a $1 donation. While $1 may seem insignificant all by itself, by pooling our resources together we really can make a difference in these tough economic times. $1 is less than the price of a candy bar and can usually be found under the seat cushions of your couch. Won’t you help 2 of these charities with your $1 donation? (Now, if you want to give more, please feel free. We won’t stop you! And by all means, send this to everyone you know so we can raise even more!)



Over at Lighter Footstep, you’ll find a poll and a Paypal donation link asking you to choose from the five suggested charities. We ask that you please donate a dollar to the donation pool if you are going to vote, and know that even if your absolute favorite does not finish first or second, all the money donated will be going to worthwhile causes. If everyone we know who reads our sites, our Twitter feeds, our Facebook sites, etc. donates just $1, imagine the impact we can have as a group. And please, spread the word!

Please take a moment to vote for your favorite and to donate just a single dollar to these charities. Times are tough, but our collective might can really help them out. The results will be tallied two weeks from today, and we will write another article detailing the amounts and the two charities who garnered the most votes and will be receiving the money collected. It’s only $1, so please donate!

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Monitor with sunflowerThis is the first of what I expect will become a continuing feature: Ecolinks, a quick-read collection of environmental and green living articles. The idea will be to hit some of the more interesting and current material out there in a format that won’t tie you down for more than about five minutes, assuming you chase and scan a few of the links.

Most of the articles will be coming from the sites I subscribe and browse on a daily basis. But I’d like to invite your contributions, particularly if you happen to be a green publisher or writer. Just connect with me and send along your links, along with a  brief note on why you think they’re important. The more material I receive, the more often I’ll publish. You can also see the latest information I’m sharing through Google Reader in the sidebar feature What I’m Reading, which is updated more-or-less continuously.

  • How will General Motors’ impending bankruptcy effect the company’s green auto plans? GM stock dropped to junk pricing today on the expectation that the auto giant will file for protection Monday. But the GM-Volt blog says the company’s greatly anticipated electric hybrid program shouldn’t be interrupted. The rumored plan is said to transfer GM’s best assets to a new — and debt free — company with 90 days. Production within these cherry picked programs should continue through the bankruptcy process.
  • Virgin is the best of the worst when it comes to airline environmental impact. Greenopia released another one of its product ranking features today: a list of what they consider the ten greenest airlines. Let’s face it: There’s just nothing green about burning tons of jet fuel and blowing carbon dioxide through the stratosphere. But Greenopia gives both Virgin and Continental props based on things like fleet age, carbon offset purchases, and how green the airlines are on the ground. One caveat — the supporting article volunteers very little detail on how these factors were actually weighted. So take it with a grain of salt, and see the raw list here.
  • To earn your Master’s degree in green communications, you must literally change the world. How is this for a final exam? Treehugger reports that the University of Texas, El Paso, is setting up a Master’s level green communications program at four international locations. To graduate, you must demonstrate how you have changed the world. Measurable social change is your final thesis. Until the program’s directors are satisfied you’re actually making a difference, it’s no diploma for you. Check our their eight-page brochure here (650KB PDF download).

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The Seven Stones of Simpler Living

21 March 2009
A stack of river stones

Learning to live a simpler, greener life isn’t about the latest eco-friendly product. It’s about finding the important things — and setting them in balance.

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A Lesson About Greenwashing and Laundry

21 November 2008
Green laundry drying on a line

The GreenWashBall claims it can eliminate laundry detergent and save consumers money. Is it an eco-revolution — or another case of greenwashing?

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It’s Time to Can the Green Gloating Over Fuel Prices

29 June 2008
Gasoline prices

Some environmentalists continue to cheer on rising oil prices even as people feel pain at the pump. But green gloating is the fast track to popular irrelevance.

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