By: Juan Arellano It has been 7 days since the Great Water March set off, on February 1, 2012, from the heights of Celendín, Cajamarca, Peru, where the lakes threatened by the Conga [es] mining project are located. The march has unfolded practically without incidents, and is currently halfway to Lima, its final destination. Meanwhile, the media are reporting on its progress, and publishing editorials[es] on [...]
Changing our everyday lives to be greener and more environmentally friendly is, in many ways, just as important as the next big renewable energy policy change on the governmental or national level. Without changes on all levels of society any single change in one area is not likely to be as effective as it ultimately could be when all things [...]
via Justmeans It’s hard to think of better places than colleges as hubs of sustainability ideas and their dissemination. These are places of research and a tradition in innovation; for that reason, campuses are ideal breeding grounds for sustainability and related disciplines. And it’s happening. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) recently revealed that solar [...]
By: The Story of Stuff Project When we released The Story of Cosmetics a year ago this week to rally support for the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, we weren’t terribly surprised when the Personal Care Products Council—an industry front group—called the movie “a repugnant and absurd shockumentary.” After all, for years the multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry had been largely left alone to decide [...]
By: Mong Palatino The situation in Thailand is improving as floodwaters are receding but the death toll has now reached more than 600, according to Saksith Saiyasombut: Now that the worst seems to be over and the tide are slowly, but steady receding in many parts of the country, a sense of normalcy returns to Bangkok. However, the suffering for many in the affected [...]
Director’s note: The world is warming and the climate is changing, whether we like it or not. And it’s going to impact each one of us in some way or the other. The next time a heat wave hits you or a mosquito bites, think about it. But change is inevitable and humans have the gift of shaping their own future to [...]
In the small, sea-side town of Kessingland, England sits an old butcher’s shop with bicycles parked outside. On the outside, it looks like a quaint, tourist-town bicycle shop. But on the inside, something is happening that could change the bicycle industry: Recycled bicycles. Cycle Recycle, as Matt Rump’s shop is called, is taking an ethical approach to business- offering customers [...]
By: Janet Gunter Our story is from the wild north of Mozambique, a poor country in Africa of roughly 20 million people where 70% of the population are small-scale farmers. Mozambique’s post independence history has been a rollercoaster ride of civil war and changing economic models. Mr. Júlio dos Santos Pêssego, from the province of Niassa, is a survivor. He grew up in a [...]
E-waste represents 2% of America’s trash in landfills, but 70% of our overall toxic waste. Background: Electronic waste, or e-waste, is electronics equipment that isn’t properly recycled. Computers, cameras and cell phones are filled with highly toxic materials, like lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants. To make matters worse, much of our e-waste is recycled (often illegally) overseas using sub-standard [...]
