The revelation that invading and occupying Iraq was driven entirely by oil comes as no surprise to many.
There’s seldom any satisfaction in proving someone wrong, especially if it’s someone you respect. It’s a sad and tragic vindication for those of us who tried to reason with our blindly idealistic friends and family that the Iraq war was about anything other than oil. After nearly eight years of this, “I told you so” just doesn’t do it justice.
What’s even more troubling is what we’ll likely discover when Bush and Cheney finally leave office. Just today, we learn that Cheney’s “office was involved in removing statements on health risks posed by global warming from a draft of a health official’s Senate testimony last year.” If this is the tip of the iceberg, we’re not sure we can handle the whole enchilada (at the risk of mixing our metaphors).
“Former chairman of the Federal Reserve [Alan Greenspan], safely out of office, confessed in his memoir, ‘Everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.’ He elaborated in an interview with The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, ‘If Saddam Hussein had been head of Iraq and there was no oil under those sands, our response to him would not have been as strong as it was in the first Gulf War.’”
Bush and Cheney’s motives for war go hand-in-hand with their criminal policies toward global climate change. It’s all about protecting and enriching Big Oil.
“At a Congressional hearing this week, James Hansen, the NASA climate scientist who exactly twenty years ago alerted Congress and the world to the dangers of global warming, compared the chief executives of Big Oil to the tobacco moguls who denied that nicotine is addictive or that there’s a link between smoking and cancer. Hansen, whom the administration has tried again and again to silence, said these barons of black gold should be tried for committing crimes against humanity and nature in opposing efforts to deal with global warming.”
Only about six months left, folks. What’s the worst that could happen?
Eco-Libris balances your reading footprint
If you’re a tree, you curse the day the printing press was invented. For people, though, it sparked a revolution (some might say a renaissance) in thought and fueled a mass enlightenment that continues to this day. The downside to reading, one might argue, is that it consumes all of those trees. Another might make the case that those trees and books trap carbon, so as long as they don’t end up in a landfill, we’re doing OK. Either way, you can still appreciate the mission of Eco-Libris, which balances our reading footprint by planting one tree per book.
The company works with book readers, publishers, writers, bookstores, and others in the book industry to balance out the paper used for books by planting trees. Here’s how it works:
- You decide how many books you want to balance out with Eco-Libris. About 20 Million trees are cut down annually for virgin paper used for the production of books sold in the U.S. alone. That’s definitely a problem – trees are one of the most valuable natural resources we have. They literally form the foundations of many natural systems and provide us with numerous benefits (carbon dioxide absorption, soil and water conservation, avalanche control, desertification prevention to name a few).
- Eco-Libris is providing you now with a simple and affordable way to do something about it. All you have to do is to choose how many books you want to balance out with Eco-Libris, pay for it online, and a tree will be planted for each of these books.
- Eco-Libris works with its planting partners to plant your trees in developing countries. Our planting partners are organizations that work in developing countries. Their planting and conservation activities are an integral part of their efforts to help local communities in these countries move towards a sustainable future. We make sure that your trees will be planted where they provide significant value for both the environment and the local communities, who are very much involved and play an important part in the planting projects.
- You receive an Eco-Libris sticker for every book you balance out. The Eco-Libris sticker, which is made from recycled paper, is designed for you to put on the cover of the books you balance out, to show your commitment to sustainability and responsible use of natural resources. We hope you show off these books and inspire your family, friends and colleagues to take responsibility for their books as well.
Eco-Libris maintains profiles on MySpace, Facebook, Digg, Care2, NewsVine, and Twitter. And they also publish a company blog.
Colbert calls out McCain on his greenwashing
“We need to think of global warming as an invasion of our homeland by heat. All we have to do is build a border fence made out of air conditioners.”
The top 10 stories of the week (4/20/2008), as viewed through the Max Gladwell lens
1: Food Shortages: How will we feed the world
“Bob Watson, the chief scientist at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, puts the rise in the price of commodity crops such as wheat down to a number of factors: higher demand for grain to feed livestock in China, where increasing affluence means more people want to eat meat; drought in Australia for three years, meaning it has had to import wheat; market jitters brought on by the sight of several countries stopping exporting grain; speculators seeing a chance to make money; and, of course, the sudden extra demand for food crops such as maize for use in biofuels, in both Europe and the United States.”
This is one of the biggest challenges the world faces moving forward. The era of cheap energy and cheap food is over.
2: Talk to Dove…before they destroy paradise forests
The sword cuts both ways. Dove made viral-marketing history with its YouTube transformation campaign. Now, Greenpeace uses the same tactic to expose deforestation that’s being fueled by demand for palm oil from companies like Unilever.
3: Opposition for Opposition’s Sake: Thomas Friedman gets a pie in the face
A fundamentalist is a fundamentalist is a fundamentalist. What next? Flying planes into buildings? This is an assault on reason, humanity, and the American constitution. These people are sh*tting on the same freedoms that allow them to express their opinions and demonstrate (peacefully) in the first place.
4: Affordable Electric Cars Coming to US in 2009
The Th!nk City electric car is the product of Norwegian firm Th!nk Global, an auto manufacturer backed by Silicon Valley funding who has plans to assemble the cars in Southern California.
5: The Green Ad Effect
A recent survey from Burst Media revealed that green advertising has a stronger than average impact with consumers. Good, right? Well they have higher recall, but they aren’t necessarily buying into the messages. Maybe that’s due to the overwhelming amount of green claims consumers have been hit with.
6: Beta Launch for YouTube Updates
YouTube launches beta versions of three new feature updates to improve overall management of your messages, contacts and videos. These tests are already being served to a small percentage of randomly selected users, but anyone can choose to opt in and test them out. Once logged in to your account, click the following links to start using the beta versions of the new Inbox, My Contacts and My Videos features.
7: Peak Coal as Early as 2025
Many experts are saying yes. Professor David Rutledge of CalTech believes that world coal reserves are grossly overstated and could be substantially exhausted this century. This is in stark contrast to earlier forecasts.
8: TIME Magazine’s Top 15 Green Blogs
Curiously, Max Gladwell is not among them: Grist.org, TreeHugger, EcoGeek, Dot Earth, Climate Change, Real Climate, Environmental Capital, No Impact Man, Ecorazzi, Switchboard, Mongabay, ClimateEthics, Climate Progress, WorldChanging, PlanetArk
9: Earth Day & Digg
Digg has been recognized as a key source of environmental news by The Daily Green and its “Heart of Green” award. The Environment topic on Digg has become one of the biggest sources for environmental content anywhere on the Web.
10: Want to Green Your Job? Stay Home.
If everyone who could perform a job remotely did so just 1.6 days per week, $4.5 billion worth of fuel would be spared. That would prevent the release of 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Images, videos, logos, jokes, and messages from this 38th Annual Earth Day celebration, featuring NASA, YouTube, Obama, StumbleUpon, and more…
NASA Earth Photos via CNET:
Message from Senator Obama via Care2:
“Earth Day is not just an urgent call to action; it is a reminder that what is now a global effort began as a grassroots movement for change. Nearly forty years ago, our nation was at war, recession loomed on the horizon, and Americans were losing faith in their own government. [Yet it seems like just yesterday.] But in the face of division and despair, young Americans came together around a common purpose. In high schools, and on college campuses, in small towns and big cities, they rose up to demand that Washington help solve our growing environmental crisis and establish Earth Day. While our planet is in greater peril now than it was forty years ago, we are now better prepared to protect it.” More…
Web Logos:
IBM Earth-Saving Video Game: PowerUP
Being Part of the Solution:
Lastly, some Earth Day comic relief from JibJab
Flock debuts special eco-edition browser for the social web
The self-described “social web” browser, Flock, launches a special Eco Edition with 10% of proceeds going to an eco cause selected by users.
The browser comes loaded with features that seamlessly integrate social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, Digg, and YouTube. It also integrates many of the most popular green news bookmarks and feeds e.g. Treehugger, ecorazzi, and Grist. But you’ll have to add Max Gladwell’s RSS manually. Curiously, there are no pre-loaded green social networks like Care2, Gather, or Gaia. Flock is powered by the Firefox platform, so the basic tools and features will be familiar to Firefox users. The refresh button is fashioned as the universal recycling symbol, which is a convenient reminder.
“This is a new way of thinking about using a browser,” explains Flock vice president of marketing Dan Burkhart. “We are creating an out of the box experience — gathering the best of the best.”
“The environment requires people to be informed,” says Burkhart. “Collectively, this is how we can influence change.”
Amen. MG will give it a thorough test drive and report back with a full review. In the meantime, here is the quick Flock social-web browser:
Media conglomerate NBC Universal will air a week’s worth of “green-themed content” across its 42 NBCU brands and 28 websites, all under the aegis of “Green is Universal”. It’s quite the double entendre. Festivities start this Sunday, April 20th.
This will mark the network’s second “green week”, and if memory serves the first one often came across as forced. It seemed as if execs went to the producers and writers with a mandate to inject green angles into shows like “My Name is Earl” (well after the script had already been written) and channels like CNBC. So the writer asks, “How does a spoofy red neck like Earl go green?” And the CNBC reporters ask, “What’s the profit motive in going green?” I recall that the CNBC hosts were none too natural (even skeptical) in exploring many of these topics. It’s just not their bag. So what you inevitably get are cliches that annoy regular viewers by forcing green on them in uncomfortable and even discordant ways.
According to the company, “Raising environmental awareness and making a real impact is not something that happens overnight, which is why ‘Green Week’ is more than just a one time event for us,” said Lauren Zalaznick, Chair of the NBC Universal Green Council. “We are extremely encouraged by the number of viewers, community members, advertisers and NBCU employees that are engaged in ‘Green.’”
We agree that media attention is key. We applaud legitimate and sincere efforts to cover green issues and to even think up original programming that integrates green issues as a natural part of the story lines and characters, as long as they aren’t cliches. We applaud NBCU’s efforts and its dedication. But every program, channel, and website doesn’t have to wear the green veil. Sometimes we just want to watch a funny TV show.
In any event, the lineup looks pretty good on paper (after the jump). But parent-company GE was still ranked as the nation’s seventh largest air polluter. Perhaps GE execs will be watching this week and get inspired at how Earl Hickey goes green. If he can do it, so can GE.
NBC News- “Dateline NBC” kicks off the week on April 20th with a segment on the melting snow in the Bolivia Mountains. In addition the newsmagazine will examine and compare the presence of a variety of chemicals in two families, one, which is completely green, and another that eats and uses more conventional products. “TODAY” will feature daily segments on different sources of renewable energy. The show will also launch a “Green Screen” drive in New York, encouraging consumers to recycle their used electronics. In addition, “TODAY” will broadcast a special live “Earth Week” concert by Alicia Keys on Monday, April 21st. MSNBC will report on the presidential candidates’ positions on environmental issues.
CNBC will broadcast a variety of green-themed programming, including an all green episode of “High Net Worth,” “Green Stocks to Watch,” and a full episode of “The Big Idea,” dedicated to green business. In addition, CNBC’s “Mad Money” will feature discussions with CEOs of green companies and profiles of green stocks. CNBC will also air “Green Collar Economy,” a special report on the green movement, and green opportunities for job seekers and investors.
CNBC Europe will conduct interviews throughout the week with CEOs and other senior business leaders, focusing on various green issues including water management.
Late Night- NBC’s top-rated late-night talk shows will incorporate comedic green themes throughout the week. “Green” comedian Ed Begley Jr. will be a guest on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” “Last Call with Carson Daly” will feature guest Darryl Hannah. The segment will focus on organic skateboards and surf companies, midnight gardeners and other ways young people are getting involved in green.
Cable Entertainment- USA Network will change its popular “Characters Welcome” tag to “Environmentalists Welcome” for the week, and will broadcast a variety of green-themed character-driven and eco-friendly programming vignettes, including “Character To Watch: The Color Green,” and “Character With a Cause.” Bravo will re-broadcast an episode of “Real Housewives of Orange County,” which features “Green” pop-up tips, as well as Tim Gunn’s “Green” PSA’s. In addition, “Top Chef” will also have “Green” tips throughout the week. Bravo will also air the Sundance Channel’s “Ecoists” vignettes and an episode of “Big Ideas for a Small Planet.” Oxygen will feature “Green” tips from some of the network’s talent and will extend its “Go Green” message to the Oxygen website. SCI FI will broadcast cautionary natural disaster-themed movies throughout the week, with a block to run throughout Earth Day.
NBC Sports will air a green-themed segment focusing on a unique green partnership between the David Suzuki Foundation and the NHL Players’ Association, which have partnered to encourage players to become more eco-friendly.
Telemundo will extend the “Green is Universal” effort through its own green campaign, “Alerta Verde,” in “Al Rojo Vivo.” The theme will also run throughout network programming during the week in “Cada Dia,” “Al Rojo Vivo Weekend,” “Nitido,” “12 Corazones,” “Caso Cerrado” and “Titulares y Mas.” In addition, Telemundo will air a green-themed “The More You Know” PSA featuring Maria Celeste, which will also be available on Yahoo!Telemundo.com. Also, mun2, Telemundo’s youth-cable channel, will air a news special titled “Toxic City: This is Where I Live”.
Local Media- The NBC owned-and-operated stations will incorporate environmentally-themed stories throughout their newscasts and on the web. The stations will also air a half-hour special on “Greening the Earth,” that explores many of the green projects currently being conducted in cities around the country (check local listings for more information).
“The More You Know,” NBC Universal’s award-winning public service campaign, will run environmentally themed PSAs across all platforms. The messages will focus on global warming, pollution and recycling, and will provide viewers with ways to make a positive impact on the environment.
iVillage’s iGoGreen channel will launch “Your Life Recycled,” which will feature content from across the site to help users apply the three R’s (reuse, reduce, and recycle) to all aspects of their lives, from vintage clothes shopping to teaching kids how to be kind to the environment to waste management 101. “Your Life Recycled” will also highlight tips from the first and largest community of women online, including resourceful ways to extend the life of household items, creative ideas for reusing plastic bags, and the iVillage community’s “Top 10 Dumpster Discoveries.” In addition, supermodel, mom and TV personality Emme will blog about her own green efforts throughout Earth Week.
The Sundance Channel will broadcast episodes of “Big Ideas for a Small Planet,” the 13-part series that features the innovators and innovations on the cutting edge of the environmental revolution, and will have “Green Documentary Day” on April 21st. The channel will also air “Mayoral Moments,” profiling ten mayors who are at the forefront of innovative thinking and action on climate change, hosted by Robert Redford. Additionally, Sundance will broadcast “Green” interstitials throughout the week.
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution’s talk and magazine shows such as, “Access Hollywood,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” “Lyons & Bailes Reel Talk,” and “Maury” will feature various green storylines and segments on-air and online.
Universal Pictures- A “Green” premiere of BABY MAMA will be held April 23rd at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. All of Universal Pictures’ premieres are as ecologically mindful as possible, including the use of recycled paper and soy ink for all printing, recycling of all trash, the use of environmentally-friendly china and glassware, and transportation provided by as many hybrid cars as possible.
Universal Pictures International will hold a green-themed media event forNim’s Island on April 20th.
Universal Studios Hollywood will celebrate the week with incentives for park guests and employees, including free parking for hybrid vehicles and the launch of a new employee carpool program. The week will culminate with a free eco-fair on Saturday, April 26, featuring celebrities, interactive exhibits and more than 30 participating organizations. The park will also host a collection of hazardous waste materials with the city and county of Los Angeles.
Universal Orlando Resort will celebrate Earth Week with a concert by Earth Wind & Fire, in which all participants will receive a complimentary bag of seeds. The park will also hold several eco-friendly volunteer efforts, including a recycling project at the Ronald McDonald House and Keep Orlando Beautiful. In addition, the park will incorporate daily “Earth Week” activities for both visitors and employees, including Green Transportation Day, where all hybrid vehicles will get free valet parking.
The IMPACT channel – and the MySpace home page – is going to look a little different on Earth Day: it’s going dark to save energy and symbolize that the actions we take in our everyday lives can help preserve the planet.
As part of the Earth Day celebration, the IMPACT channel will be streaming the largest Earth Day event in the country – tune in at 5pm on April 22 for A-list musical performances from Green Apple Festival events nationwide.
You can also check out the official launch of the first MySpace book: OurPlanet: Change Is Possible.
We dug (digged?) a story about Amazon tribes using Google to battle illegal loggers and ultimately deforestation in the most sensitive part of the planet, which is affecting all of us. See the Digg page and Digg it for yourself. At the time of posting, we had 408…wait, 409 Diggs. Let’s get some more. And please friend us at the Max Gladwell Digg profile.
Have you ever looked at two bins of apples, one labeled “organic,” and the other “conventional,” and wondered if the apples might not be the same? I have. And since discovering a little secret of the produce industry, I’ve found that you really have to be a detective in the aisles these days.
The secret is the price look-up (PLU) codes. They’re an international numbering standard that identifies each type of produce, so that computerized cash registers can ring up the cost of fruits and vegetables automatically. They’re also a powerhouse of information for savvy shoppers. The code indicates whether the item is a conventional, organic or genetically modified (GM) crop.
The codes are based on four-digit numbers for conventional produce, to which an extra digit is added to indicate organic or GM status. If the number is five digits beginning with a 9, then the item is organic. If the item is five digits beginning in 8, then it is a genetically modified crop.
For example, the PLU code for bananas is 4011. If the PLU sticker on the banana bunch reads 94011, then they are organic bananas. If the PLU sticker reads 84011, then the bananas are a genetically modified variety.
read more | digg story