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Micah Leinbach

Political Science, but for real this time. - 2 views

m.nypost.com/...science_wG03sB8eLQPoygAxguOA0K

humor politics science

shared by Micah Leinbach on 13 Sep 11 - No Cached
  • Micah Leinbach on 13 Sep 11
     
    A (humorous - but maybe kind of serious) op/ed on testing political philosophies scientifically. Quote that helps sum it up: "What do politicians do when they think they have a great idea? They just go and implement it. It's like someone thinking he's got a cure for cancer and immediately injecting it into everyone he can. That's a madman, not a scientist. You always have to at least try out your idea on monkeys to make sure it doesn't kill them."
Jim Proctor

Green, but Still Feeling Guilty - NYTimes.com - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...30guilt.html

green lifestyle guilt diapers sustainability

shared by Jim Proctor on 30 Sep 10 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 30 Sep 10
     
    Guilt, anyone?? An entertainingly written article covering a few of the icons of the green-living movement. Guess what many of them do?  Hints: they're a cardinal sin in green circles, and they go on the bottom of a baby.
Julia Huggins

Telling the truth about climate change is good politics - 2 views

mail.google.com/mail

climate change politics climate

shared by Julia Huggins on 26 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 26 Oct 10
     
    A plea for more initiative on both sides of the political fence to start talking about climate change honestly and openly. With the current political mess around this though, I again question whether or not politics really is the place for environmental action.
  • Zach Holz on 26 Oct 10
     
    (I think you pasted the wrong link... unless you want us to go to our gmail pages...)
  • Julia Huggins on 26 Oct 10
     
    Well I cant delete it now that "someone else has commented on it" haha. Here's the link: http://www.grist.org/article/2010-10-08-telling-the-truth-about-climate-change-is-good-politics
Jim Proctor

Freedom : A Novel Jonathan Franzen - 2 views

us.macmillan.com/freedomoprah64

fiction mountaintop removal overpopulation biodiversity

shared by Jim Proctor on 15 Jan 11 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 15 Jan 11
     
    Zach Holz recommended this book to me before the break, and I heartily pass on his recommendation now that I've finished it.  There is a great deal of ecological relevance -- overpopulation, mountaintop removal mining, songbird protection -- in the storyline, but ultimately it is about a family, dysfunctional in basically all ways. Just now mulling over the ending (which I won't spoil), I wonder whether it takes someone as utterly disconnected from humanity as Walter (the dad) was to see the ecological truth of our trivial actions, such as letting cats outdoors?  And so, what does this mean for those of us who don't qualify as misanthropes?
Julia Huggins

Stephen Hawking Asks, What Is Reality? - 2 views

www.time.com/...0,8599,2017262,00.html

reality nature

shared by Julia Huggins on 15 Dec 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 15 Dec 10
     
    So, we can (and should) address domestic poster-child questions such as "what is nature?", but let's not get complacent about the bigger questions: this article talks about the fact that the reality in which we're trying to sustain our existence may not even exist. What to do?
Jim Proctor

Why Energy Efficiency Does not Decrease Energy Consumption - 2 views

thebreakthrough.org/...ergy_efficiency_does_not.shtml

energy technology ecological modernization rebound effect consumption

shared by Jim Proctor on 29 Sep 10 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 29 Sep 10
     
    Here's one of those studies that apparently shatters our intuition: energy efficiency won't help reduce the use of energy??  Read on for the reason why, all about the "rebound effect" and indirect vs. direct energy consumption.  Again, looks like sustainability requires that we address the bigger picture.
  • Julia Huggins on 30 Sep 10
     
    This brings up some concerns I have about the environmental movement in general. I often feel like our emphasis is in the wrong place. Even before it was acceptable to question environmental activism (without being labeled a no-good capitalist hippie-hater) I have felt uncomfortable with some of the campaigns and goals out there. Alternative Energy is a key one for me. I dont think we have an energy source crisis, I think we have an energy use crisis. I dont just mean "energy use" in terms of petroleum (CO2 emitting) energy either. Even if we find alternate energy sources (like the solar panels article I posted on the LCENVS220 group), or more efficient machines/lights, we still will expect the same (or more) amount of work to be done from external energy sources. I think we should focus on realizing what energy already exists in our natural systems and learn to synchronize with that to accomplish our goals, instead. This, I think, will address broader (and dare I add more important?) problems than CO2 emissions.
Julia Huggins

Pooping out plastic not a painful process - 2 views

www.grist.org/...-plastic-not-a-painful-process

poop platic technology ecological modernization waste

shared by Julia Huggins on 29 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 29 Oct 10
     
    If this counts as ecological modernization, then I'm all for it.
  • Elijah Probst on 29 Oct 10
     
    I feel like with great ideas like this one, I am always waiting for the catch, because this solution seems too good to be true. That being said, I am in complete support and I think that more thought could be put into the whole concept of human waste. Especially on campus I think there are opportunities for experiments with other methods of dealing with waste than flush toilets. I know that at other schools there are composting contraptions, point being the way we deal with waste now is not necessarily the best way.
  • Julia Huggins on 29 Oct 10
     
    I know what you mean about the catch... but if you think about this, it makes a lot of sense. Poop is compact energy sources that we just throw away (or better yet, use to pollute our water resources). It's energy just waiting to be used and if we can think of a way to get a little more use out of that material, then we should. This is exactly the kind of creative thinking we're gonna have to start doing. We've gotta realize that we dont have an energy crisis in the sense that we're running our of energy sources: we have an energy crisis in that we think we have to use external energy. We let so much that already exists in our local systems just pass us by! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanure
Julia Huggins

Is LEED No Longer in the Lead? - 2 views

www.triplepundit.com/...leed-longer-lead

leed energy technology campus buildings

shared by Julia Huggins on 07 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 07 Feb 11
     
    As we are currently pursuing a LEED platinum certification for our new dorm building, this might be a good time to ask ourselves if following the status quo "green fads" is really the best way to be a "leader in sustainability"... especially if those fads could be falling out of popularity and assumed legitimacy
Micah Leinbach

Natural Rights (for nature) in Law in Bolivia - 2 views

www.guardian.co.uk/...nshrines-natural-worlds-rights

law nature

shared by Micah Leinbach on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Micah Leinbach on 11 Apr 11
     
    Impressive show by a nation, I wouldn't have expected this from anywhere.
Julia Huggins

The Dish on Disposable Dishes - 2 views

earth911.com/...the-dish-on-disposable-dishes

sustainability waste

shared by Julia Huggins on 20 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 20 Oct 10
     
    We in ENVS are all over the bon for composting waste at catered dinners/events. But do we need that waste in the first place? And what about in the lunch room -- where there's a dishwasher! -- paper cups for the special drinks? Really? And until they stop putting them out in those lines, I'm looking at you, ENVS students; plastic cups are only a few steps away.
  • ...3 more comments...
  • Zach Holz on 20 Oct 10
     
    Agreed. Today, though, they just put out a rack of the standard plastic cups in the special drink line. Albeit, there are still the paper cups right next to them... I think this tailors nicely with some of the ideas we were talking about yesterday on companies providing what they deem to be the best for the consumer. I've chatted with some people in the Bon on how they feel about those paper cups being there, and the most common response has been, "well, at least they're compostable," followed by a little shrug. I know the Bon says officially that they have been using paper cups for those special drinks because to use the regular plastic cups would be a new strain on the dishwasher and staff, and an added cost. Even from simply an efficiency standpoint, this argument seems flawed. Surely buying those cups (which are probably sold at a premium, them being sourced from "sustainable resources" and being compostable as well) costs more than running the dishwasher and sanitizer one more time (or, perhaps I am deluded in thinking that the use of the water is less expensive...). I'm curious what level of analysis has actually gone into the decision to use the paper cups, and if the data actually support the statement. Either way, from simply a cursory glance around the Bon, many seem pretty complacent in simply grabbing for what is provided for them.
  • Zach Holz on 20 Oct 10
     
    Here is a link to one of the major cup companies, Solo, who markets the "Bare" paper cup as an alternative to regular cups: http://www.solocup.com/Sustainability/bare_solo_products.html I think their statement, "Since there is no one right answer for everyone, Solo provides a variety of product choices to satisfy differing priorities," is exactly what we would expect a company to say. Consumers have different tastes, and there is no "right answer" for any one of them, so the sustainable cup is just another flavor of disposable dishware. There is an inherent neutrality to this statement, and seems to connote that Solo sees their Bare sustainable line of cups as just another market option to fill a demand.
  • Julia Huggins on 21 Oct 10
     
    Who would be disadvantaged by having to use reusable or compostable cups??? this is why i dont understand economics
  • Lucy Roberts on 21 Oct 10
     
    Not only do the disposable cups in the Bon suck, but at the meet your major events bottled water was served, while there are water fountains just down the hall. I don't get it. And I have a big problem with Maggie's and DoveCote not selling reusable mugs or promoting the fact they have mugs you can use if you stay there.. How can we discourage this practice?
  • Lu'ukia Nakanelua on 22 Oct 10
     
    Lucy I totally get what your saying. I know that Maggies has the reusable mugs but they don't advertise them, however dovecote doesn't--they do have cups though. Maybe that can be a topic we could bring up with the sustainability task force? Jim what do you think?
Jim Proctor

The Mystery Indicator of Sustainability | Sightline Daily - 2 views

daily.sightline.org/...ry-indicator-of-sustainability

sustainability equity ecological modernization

shared by Jim Proctor on 01 Jul 11 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 01 Jul 11
     
    How's this for a forceful justification of the role of equity in triple-bottom-line sustainability?
Jim Proctor

Going Green but Getting Nowhere - NYTimes.com - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...green-but-getting-nowhere.html

climate change cap and trade individual action economics

shared by Jim Proctor on 08 Sep 11 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 08 Sep 11
     
    Good green behaviors get us nowhere?  This economist has some provocative arguments, albeit getting a bit mainstream toward the end.
Jim Proctor

Grocers respond to changing shopping habits - 2 views

www.oregonlive.com/...rs_respond_to_changing_sh.html

food news economy supermarkets

shared by Jim Proctor on 17 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 17 Oct 10
     
    Recent stats suggest general food shopping patterns that do not, shall we say, reflect the prevalent sentiment expressed by participants in last week's Symposium. One trend, for instance, is that food is now frequently purchased in big-box and convenience stores: "Amazon.com and other online retailers carry basics, from mouthwash to large bags of dog food. Target and Wal-Mart have a full grocery lineup at certain stores, and though there are few locally, both discounters are set on expanding into more urban markets. Convenience stores -- seeing double-digit sales growth in recent years -- are stocking salads and whole fruit."
Jim Proctor

Resisting the Green Dragon - 2 views

www.resistingthegreendragon.com

environmentalism religion critique

shared by Jim Proctor on 17 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Jim Proctor on 17 Oct 10
     
    This one just forwarded to me. Before you visit what I'm sure you'll consider to be a rather explosive site, what do you think the "green dragon" is?  Who do you think would advocate resisting it?? (Don't look at my giveaway tags...)
Julia Huggins

New Maps Show Racial Segregation in Vivid Color - 2 views

www.utne.com/...gregation-American-Cities.aspx

environmental justice segregation demographics GIS

shared by Julia Huggins on 05 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 05 Oct 10
     
    Looks a lot like GIS to me. But what's this? Not using a broad tract system to generate region averages, but instead more detailed and neighborhood specific system? These maps only show racial segregation, but its a promising basis for the improvements for which Davidson advocates in EJ analysis.
  • Julia Huggins on 06 Oct 10
     
    Here's Portland's map: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/4982015862/in/set-72157624812674967/ This is an important and significant perspective. Compared to other cities, we're not working with a lot when we talk about diversity and segregation in regards to environmental justice. Comparing our EJ mapping to EJ mapping in cities with much more significant segregation would be interesting! (Who wants to do some more GIS mapping for fun over fall break??)
  • Julia Huggins on 06 Oct 10
     
    This (http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?chicagodots) is Bill Rankin's website, the cartographer who first produced one of these detailed maps in 2009 and inspired Eric Fischer to produce all the others (found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/sets/72157624812674967/with/4981417821/). Check out the downloadable files on Rankin's website (there's one for race and one for income); he includes includes a traditional GIS map of the same data for comparison. (I recommend saving them to your computer and viewing them at a smaller scale to see the patterns more easily.) This is from his website: "There are indeed areas where changes take place at very precise boundaries... But transitions also take place through gradients and gaps as well, especially in the northwest and southeast. Using graphic conventions which allow these other possibilities to appear takes much more data, and requires more nuance in the way we talk about urban geography, but a cartography without boundaries can also make simplistic policy or urban design more difficult - in a good way."
Darya Watnick

In Kansas, Climate Skeptics Embrace Cleaner Energy - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...19fossil.html

energy technology alternative energy news climate change

shared by Darya Watnick on 19 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Darya Watnick on 19 Oct 10
     
    This article forced me to look at environmental issues from the perspective of religious conservatives. It also gave me hope that people can change if the facts are presented in the correct way. These Kansans do care about the environment but for some different reasons than I do. I was surprised at the amount of overlap though. They want to make sure future generations enjoy life in the same way they do and leave the world better than they found it. Overall, this article gave me some hope.
Julia Huggins

Donating, Buying, and Swapping Secondhand Clothes - 2 views

www.grist.org/...nd-swapping-secondhand-clothes

clothing donations second hand

shared by Julia Huggins on 05 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 05 Oct 10
     
    An opinion piece that offers a few thoughts to try on regarding this ever so popular LC fashion source.
Kathryn Yeh

East African Participatory Environmental Governance - 2 views

www.lead-journal.org/...10200.htm

politics east africa

shared by Kathryn Yeh on 12 Sep 11 - No Cached
  • Kathryn Yeh on 12 Sep 11
     
    This is an in depth look into how we need to change the way we look at changing government in the context of East Africa
Julia Huggins

8th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing... - 2 views

www.epa.gov/...2011_p3.html

sustainability funding grants

shared by Julia Huggins on 05 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Julia Huggins on 05 Oct 10
     
    A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet This grant is open to college student applications with proposals for in the following areas: Energy, Built Environment, Materials and Chemicals, Water, Agriculture. Anticipated Type of Award: Grant Estimated Number of Awards: Approximately 64 awards for Phase I; Approximately 15 awards for Phase II Anticipated Funding Amount: Approximately $2,310,000 total for all Phase I & II grant awards. Potential Funding per Award: Up to $15,000 per Phase I grant including direct and indirect costs. Any proposals requesting an award of more than $15,000 will not be considered. Proposals for Phase I grants must be for only one year. Upon the successful completion of Phase I, grant recipients will have the opportunity to apply for a P3 Phase II grant of up to $90,000 total for two years including direct and indirect costs (see Background section for more information). Proposals for Phase II grants requesting an award of more than $90,000 will not be considered. Cost-sharing is not required for either Phase I or Phase II grants. Anyone interested in working on a proposal? Permaculture garden/research center maybe? Sustainability House? Others?
Michelle Moulton

Kenya drought worsens hunger risk - 2 views

news.bbc.co.uk/8211753.stm

food news kenya hunger

shared by Michelle Moulton on 12 Sep 11 - No Cached
  • Michelle Moulton on 12 Sep 11
     
    Annual rains in Kenya have failed to come, as a result crops are failing and cattle are dying. 2.5 million people are receiving emergency food aid, many rural farmers are moving to the slums in towns and cities
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