This looks like Cousin Itt’s house, but it’s actually a proposal from Swedish architecture firm Belatchew, which wants to outfit this Stockholm building with an energy-collecting piezoelectric toupee. Could you start seeing hairy buildings in your neighborhood? Will you someday live in a hairy house?
Well, probably not — the technology is still pretty new. The idea is that these millions of piezoelectric “straws” blow in the wind, collecting energy out of thin air to power the building. But, says Treehugger, there are still a few challenges:
[H]ow do you clean all those piezo-strands? How much noise might they make on a windy day? In addition, most piezo-electric generators are sheets or plates installed where people move about, and underneath the collectors is wiring to bring the generated energy to where it can be used.
Last but not least, piezo-electricity isn’t very efficient. Not yet, at least.
Yeah, that last part’s a bit of a buzzkill. But at least this theoretical skyscraper would look sweet as hell, and not suffer the undermining of confidence that comes from building pattern baldness.
Don’t freak out, but there’s a problem with green roofs: They’re not necessarily greener than ordinary roofs. Soooooo kind of a major problem. With a little extra effort, though, green roofs can be efficient AND locally sourced — you just can’t take the easy way out.
[R]ooftop vegetation has to be able to survive the high winds, prolonged UV radiation and unpredictable fluctuations in water availability. To resist these harsh environments, a majority of green roofs are planted with sedum, a non-native species that can survive wind and long periods without rainfall. A roof planted with sedum, however, is no greener, from the standpoint of sustainability, than is ordinary tar or asphalt.
Sedum, it turns out, absorbs sunlight, just like a tar roof would, and isn’t particularly good at absorbing water. Planting your green roof with sedum is like hiring employees based on how long they can physically sit in an office chair instead of how good they are at doing the work. Sedum plants are hardy, but they don’t do anything: “They’re just there,” one scientist studying the plants told SciAm.
But, hey, there’s another way of doing this: Plant diverse groups of native species. Only problem with that is that it might take a little bit of effort to keep them thriving. Someone might have to visit the green roof of the corporate office building every once in a while. Sounds terrible.
Anyone who’s visited Chicago can see it was once a hub for rail industry: Abandoned tracks criss-cross The City of Big Shoulders like scars on a brawny boxer. Converting this brutal urban landscape into swaths of green might seem like a stretch, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel has pledged to create 800 new parks, recreation sites, and green spaces throughout the city over the next five years. The centerpiece of that effort includes two of the nation’s most ambitious urban parks: the Bloomingdale Trail and the Burnham Wildlife Corridor.
Come early summer, work begins on the Bloomingdale Trail, a 2.7-mile, elevated “sky park” that will replace an abandoned industrial rail line in northwest Chicago. Like a super-sized version of Paris’ Promenade-Plantee or New York’s High Line (which stretches a mere 1.4 miles), the $92 million Bloomingdale Trail will link to five ground-level parks, serve as a main transportation route for bicyclists and pedestrians, and function as an extended backyard for locals.
Then, in August, the Chicago Park District will put out a historic call for volunteers to help plant a staggering 125,000 trees and shrubs in one day for the new Burnham Wildlife Corridor, offering sanctuary for some of the 5 million birds that follow the lakeshore into the city during migration seasons — and often meet their ends when they collide with glass skyscrapers. The smudge of land, now choked with invasive species, is located on the city’s South Side, hemmed in by rail on one side and bustling Lake Shore Drive on the other.
One park is for the legged populace, another for the winged. But both reflect a recent awakening, in Chicago and elsewhere, of a desire to make more room for nature in cities. In some ways, planners say, greening these ghosts of industry past will make restitution for that rugged history.
The Bloomingdale Trail consists of 38 bridges along the former route for the Canadian Pacific Railway. At its highest point, the trail rises 18 feet off the ground. Ramps leading off the trail and into the adjacent neighborhoods will strengthen Chicago’s rep as a major biking hub, and could even spur economic development in the culturally diverse neighborhoods where they connect, says Beth White, director of the Chicago Region of The Trust for Public Land (which is managing the project).
Initiated by Friends of The Bloomingdale Trail, who once promoted the idea of the trail by posting Burma-Shave-style quizzes along Humboldt Boulevard (“What’s 18 feet off the ground and gives great views of the city?”), and 10 years in planning, the trail will offer public art, native plants, an outdoor observatory, and small theatre and concert venues. The park’s proximity to Lake Michigan and its fluctuating temperatures also make it an ideal ecology installation: From end to end it will be planted with indigenous trees that will alternately bloom and leaf out in sequence. Scientists who monitor these blooming and leafing periods over several years could gain precious clues into climate change’s effect on local botany. Paid for by state and federal funds and private donations, the trail is expected to be completed by the fall of 2014. If it receives a good public response, the trail will eventually be extended east to the Chicago River.
Meanwhile, the 2.2-mile-long, 40-acre Burnham Wildlife Corridor continues an ongoing plan by the park district to restore both prairie and woodland habitat along the lakeshore. Thousands of native oaks and fruit-bearing shrubs will offer food and respite to woodcocks, warblers, hawks, owls, and other bird life. While Chicago has dropped to the third-largest human population in the country, its location on the shore of Lake Michigan makes it a major hub for migrating birds, and the Burnham Wildlife Corridor will help keep it that way.
“On a good morning, the number of birds landing along the corridor could be in the thousands,” says Judy Pollock, director of bird conservation of Audubon Society’s Chicago Region. “When the birds come off the lake at dawn, they’re looking for a place to land. When they look down and see these wonderful green spaces in Chicago, I imagine they are saying to themselves, [in reference to the classic John Belushi Saturday Night Live skit about Chicago’s Billy Goat Tavern] ah, ‘cheeseburger, cheeseburger.’”
Stretching from 31st to 47th streets, the corridor borders neighborhoods that have endured years of economic hardship. As the trees and habitat flourish, a walking path will be added, helping to connect residents with nature, increase desirability, and possibly even revitalize the neighborhoods.
“Urban planning began right here in Chicago in the early 1900s,” says Doug Farr, an architect and author of Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature who also chairs the Congress for New Urbanism. “It was a time of land grabs and making the big buck. And somehow, we forgot about the people and spaces and nature.
“But we’re rethinking it now,” Farr says, “retrofitting long-gone industry and unused space with things that flourish and grow.”
Spring cleaning time! Here are a few quick and dirty questions that have been lingering in my inbox. Hope this helps — keep ’em coming!
Q.Dear Umbra,
Do you have any suggestions for the best way to get my eyeglass lenses clean?
Monique M.
Plymouth, N.H.
A. Dearest Monique,
I have the perfect eco-solution for you. It is called: Your Breath and a Swipe of Your Shirt. Yes, you will look a bit like your high-school algebra teacher, but it gets the job done. If that doesn’t appeal, might I suggest our old friend white vinegar. Seriously, people, there is nothing white vinegar cannot do. Dab a little on your lenses, wipe with a soft cloth, and enjoy the streak-free shine.
When I was growing up, a Fisk hound chewed the legs off my favorite Barbie. Did he ingest Bisphenol A along with those deliciously petite feet? I asked the good folks at Mattel, who would say only that the materials they use are “considered safe by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.” It does appear that Barbies are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is worrisome. Longtime readers will recall my firm rule — “No on vinyl, and that’s final” — and this overview gives a sense of the global uprising against PVC. A better choice would be to buy or make toys that don’t contain any plastic at all. Healthier for the children in your life, healthier for the planet — and healthier for the occasional overzealous canine.
Skipperly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Is it OK to put broken glass (drinking, window pane, etc) in my recycling container?
Aisha E. Philadelphia, Penn.
A. Dearest Aisha,
While it goes against my deep urge to recycle absolutely everything, the conventional wisdom is to wrap up broken glass and put it in your trash. This is for two primary reasons: First, glass objects like drinking vessels and window panes are not typically recycled by many municipalities, whether broken or not. (Check with yours to be sure.) Second, even if these objects are recycled in your area, you don’t want to risk slashing the hands of your friendly local hauler.
I will, however, go out on a limb and say if you break a beer bottle and your recycling is picked up by a mechanized truck, you can probably sneak the shards into your bin. Of course, you could always look into reuse too. Need any mosaics?
Craftily,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Congratulations on your witty, informative column! I would like to know how to recycle used spiral-bound notebooks. I have about 10 of them waiting for disposal. Please don’t tell me I have to tear out all the paper!
Thank you! And are these notebooks your journals from fourth grade onward? If so, I urge you to keep them. I destroyed mine a decade or so ago, and I sometimes wish I could revisit the woes of young Umbra. The teacher who refused to debate the finer points of roadless rules, the junior-high locker that wasn’t big enough for my unicycle — that sort of thing. But if you’re ready to part with yours, check with your local waste authority to see whether you need to disassemble them. Some recycling plants can handle an intact notebook, others can’t. If separation is required, think of this little project not as “tearing out all the paper” but as simply removing the binding. Once you get started you might find it rather satisfying – and you can even look into creative ways to reuse the metal when you’re done.
Confidentially,
Umbra
Q.Dearest Umbra,
For those of us who get headaches from fragrances, staying in motels and hotels is a real stinky problem. But I recently stayed at a resort where they do not use heavily scented cleaners. My question for you: Is there a website that lists the non-smelly hotels and motels?
Rob C. Ridgway, Colo.
A. Dearest Rob,
How hotels love their scents. Roses, vanilla, tobacco, old books — these things apparently create “transitional portals” and emotional attachments. Or, in the case of many guests including you, headaches. Happily, I have resources to suggest: Green Vacation Hub offers a clickable map of green hotels that includes a special filter for fragrance and air quality. And the Safer Travel Directory is an old-school list of hundreds of establishments that are sensitive to the needs of the chemically sensitive ($17 PDF, $19-$25 hard copy). At larger hotel chains you can also inquire about allergy-free rooms — some use air purifiers and fragrance-free products that can minimize, if not entirely do away with, your discomfort. Of course, you’ll still have to make it through that old-book-scented lobby.
Vagabondly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
How do I get rid of a big-ass tube TV?
Hanna W. Seattle, Wash.
A. Dearest Hanna,
Do you know how many old TVs are sitting in storage in American homes? A whopping 99 million, according to an EPA estimate [PDF]. That was a few years back, and I bet it’s grown since then. This means — and here I am extrapolating just a tad — that you are not alone in your dilemma. What the heck do we do with old TVs, indeed? We are rightfully hesitant to toss them, because they are full of lead and mercury and other nasties that can contaminate our soil and water (eventually contaminating us). In fact, many places, including your very own King County, will not allow TVs in the trash. Luckily, TV recycling is getting easier and more common, thanks to local recycling centers, programs set up by major retailers such as Best Buy, and electronics manufacturers. Start with EPA’s Electronics Donation and Recycling page and King County’s handy directory, and promise me you won’t stop until you’ve found the beast a proper resting place.
Spring cleaning time! Here are a few quick and dirty questions that have been lingering in my inbox. Hope this helps — keep ’em coming!
Q.Dear Umbra,
Do you have any suggestions for the best way to get my eyeglass lenses clean?
Monique M.
Plymouth, N.H.
A. Dearest Monique,
I have the perfect eco-solution for you. It is called: Your Breath and a Swipe of Your Shirt. Yes, you will look a bit like your high-school algebra teacher, but it gets the job done. If that doesn’t appeal, might I suggest our old friend white vinegar. Seriously, people, there is nothing white vinegar cannot do. Dab a little on your lenses, wipe with a soft cloth, and enjoy the streak-free shine.
When I was growing up, a Fisk hound chewed the legs off my favorite Barbie. Did he ingest Bisphenol A along with those deliciously petite feet? I asked the good folks at Mattel, who would say only that the materials they use are “considered safe by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.” It does appear that Barbies are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is worrisome. Longtime readers will recall my firm rule — “No on vinyl, and that’s final” — and this overview gives a sense of the global uprising against PVC. A better choice would be to buy or make toys that don’t contain any plastic at all. Healthier for the children in your life, healthier for the planet — and healthier for the occasional overzealous canine.
Skipperly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Is it OK to put broken glass (drinking, window pane, etc) in my recycling container?
Aisha E. Philadelphia, Penn.
A. Dearest Aisha,
While it goes against my deep urge to recycle absolutely everything, the conventional wisdom is to wrap up broken glass and put it in your trash. This is for two primary reasons: First, glass objects like drinking vessels and window panes are not typically recycled by many municipalities, whether broken or not. (Check with yours to be sure.) Second, even if these objects are recycled in your area, you don’t want to risk slashing the hands of your friendly local hauler.
I will, however, go out on a limb and say if you break a beer bottle and your recycling is picked up by a mechanized truck, you can probably sneak the shards into your bin. Of course, you could always look into reuse too. Need any mosaics?
Craftily,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Congratulations on your witty, informative column! I would like to know how to recycle used spiral-bound notebooks. I have about 10 of them waiting for disposal. Please don’t tell me I have to tear out all the paper!
Thank you! And are these notebooks your journals from fourth grade onward? If so, I urge you to keep them. I destroyed mine a decade or so ago, and I sometimes wish I could revisit the woes of young Umbra. The teacher who refused to debate the finer points of roadless rules, the junior-high locker that wasn’t big enough for my unicycle — that sort of thing. But if you’re ready to part with yours, check with your local waste authority to see whether you need to disassemble them. Some recycling plants can handle an intact notebook, others can’t. If separation is required, think of this little project not as “tearing out all the paper” but as simply removing the binding. Once you get started you might find it rather satisfying – and you can even look into creative ways to reuse the metal when you’re done.
Confidentially,
Umbra
Q.Dearest Umbra,
For those of us who get headaches from fragrances, staying in motels and hotels is a real stinky problem. But I recently stayed at a resort where they do not use heavily scented cleaners. My question for you: Is there a website that lists the non-smelly hotels and motels?
Rob C. Ridgway, Colo.
A. Dearest Rob,
How hotels love their scents. Roses, vanilla, tobacco, old books — these things apparently create “transitional portals” and emotional attachments. Or, in the case of many guests including you, headaches. Happily, I have resources to suggest: Green Vacation Hub offers a clickable map of green hotels that includes a special filter for fragrance and air quality. And the Safer Travel Directory is an old-school list of hundreds of establishments that are sensitive to the needs of the chemically sensitive ($17 PDF, $19-$25 hard copy). At larger hotel chains you can also inquire about allergy-free rooms — some use air purifiers and fragrance-free products that can minimize, if not entirely do away with, your discomfort. Of course, you’ll still have to make it through that old-book-scented lobby.
Vagabondly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
How do I get rid of a big-ass tube TV?
Hanna W. Seattle, Wash.
A. Dearest Hanna,
Do you know how many old TVs are sitting in storage in American homes? A whopping 99 million, according to an EPA estimate [PDF]. That was a few years back, and I bet it’s grown since then. This means — and here I am extrapolating just a tad — that you are not alone in your dilemma. What the heck do we do with old TVs, indeed? We are rightfully hesitant to toss them, because they are full of lead and mercury and other nasties that can contaminate our soil and water (eventually contaminating us). In fact, many places, including your very own King County, will not allow TVs in the trash. Luckily, TV recycling is getting easier and more common, thanks to local recycling centers, programs set up by major retailers such as Best Buy, and electronics manufacturers. Start with EPA’s Electronics Donation and Recycling page and King County’s handy directory, and promise me you won’t stop until you’ve found the beast a proper resting place.
Spring cleaning time! Here are a few quick and dirty questions that have been lingering in my inbox. Hope this helps — keep ’em coming!
Q.Dear Umbra,
Do you have any suggestions for the best way to get my eyeglass lenses clean?
Monique M.
Plymouth, N.H.
A. Dearest Monique,
I have the perfect eco-solution for you. It is called: Your Breath and a Swipe of Your Shirt. Yes, you will look a bit like your high-school algebra teacher, but it gets the job done. If that doesn’t appeal, might I suggest our old friend white vinegar. Seriously, people, there is nothing white vinegar cannot do. Dab a little on your lenses, wipe with a soft cloth, and enjoy the streak-free shine.
When I was growing up, a Fisk hound chewed the legs off my favorite Barbie. Did he ingest Bisphenol A along with those deliciously petite feet? I asked the good folks at Mattel, who would say only that the materials they use are “considered safe by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.” It does appear that Barbies are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is worrisome. Longtime readers will recall my firm rule — “No on vinyl, and that’s final” — and this overview gives a sense of the global uprising against PVC. A better choice would be to buy or make toys that don’t contain any plastic at all. Healthier for the children in your life, healthier for the planet — and healthier for the occasional overzealous canine.
Skipperly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Is it OK to put broken glass (drinking, window pane, etc) in my recycling container?
Aisha E. Philadelphia, Penn.
A. Dearest Aisha,
While it goes against my deep urge to recycle absolutely everything, the conventional wisdom is to wrap up broken glass and put it in your trash. This is for two primary reasons: First, glass objects like drinking vessels and window panes are not typically recycled by many municipalities, whether broken or not. (Check with yours to be sure.) Second, even if these objects are recycled in your area, you don’t want to risk slashing the hands of your friendly local hauler.
I will, however, go out on a limb and say if you break a beer bottle and your recycling is picked up by a mechanized truck, you can probably sneak the shards into your bin. Of course, you could always look into reuse too. Need any mosaics?
Craftily,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
Congratulations on your witty, informative column! I would like to know how to recycle used spiral-bound notebooks. I have about 10 of them waiting for disposal. Please don’t tell me I have to tear out all the paper!
Thank you! And are these notebooks your journals from fourth grade onward? If so, I urge you to keep them. I destroyed mine a decade or so ago, and I sometimes wish I could revisit the woes of young Umbra. The teacher who refused to debate the finer points of roadless rules, the junior-high locker that wasn’t big enough for my unicycle — that sort of thing. But if you’re ready to part with yours, check with your local waste authority to see whether you need to disassemble them. Some recycling plants can handle an intact notebook, others can’t. If separation is required, think of this little project not as “tearing out all the paper” but as simply removing the binding. Once you get started you might find it rather satisfying – and you can even look into creative ways to reuse the metal when you’re done.
Confidentially,
Umbra
Q.Dearest Umbra,
For those of us who get headaches from fragrances, staying in motels and hotels is a real stinky problem. But I recently stayed at a resort where they do not use heavily scented cleaners. My question for you: Is there a website that lists the non-smelly hotels and motels?
Rob C. Ridgway, Colo.
A. Dearest Rob,
How hotels love their scents. Roses, vanilla, tobacco, old books — these things apparently create “transitional portals” and emotional attachments. Or, in the case of many guests including you, headaches. Happily, I have resources to suggest: Green Vacation Hub offers a clickable map of green hotels that includes a special filter for fragrance and air quality. And the Safer Travel Directory is an old-school list of hundreds of establishments that are sensitive to the needs of the chemically sensitive ($17 PDF, $19-$25 hard copy). At larger hotel chains you can also inquire about allergy-free rooms — some use air purifiers and fragrance-free products that can minimize, if not entirely do away with, your discomfort. Of course, you’ll still have to make it through that old-book-scented lobby.
Vagabondly,
Umbra
Q. Dear Umbra,
How do I get rid of a big-ass tube TV?
Hanna W. Seattle, Wash.
A. Dearest Hanna,
Do you know how many old TVs are sitting in storage in American homes? A whopping 99 million, according to an EPA estimate [PDF]. That was a few years back, and I bet it’s grown since then. This means — and here I am extrapolating just a tad — that you are not alone in your dilemma. What the heck do we do with old TVs, indeed? We are rightfully hesitant to toss them, because they are full of lead and mercury and other nasties that can contaminate our soil and water (eventually contaminating us). In fact, many places, including your very own King County, will not allow TVs in the trash. Luckily, TV recycling is getting easier and more common, thanks to local recycling centers, programs set up by major retailers such as Best Buy, and electronics manufacturers. Start with EPA’s Electronics Donation and Recycling page and King County’s handy directory, and promise me you won’t stop until you’ve found the beast a proper resting place.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Illinois Chapter/Chicago, IL
USGBC Illinois, a non-profit organization focused on advancing buildings and communities that are sustainable, prosperous and healthy is seeking an Executive Director. This leader will be responsible for managing the professional staff, leading day-to-day activities, achieving program goals, executing funding strategy, managing and balancing the budget, and representing the Illinois Chapter, in line with the Chapter mission and strategic plan.
We are considering an outstanding visionary leader with:
• 10+ years of proven notâ€forâ€profit management experience as Executive Director or Development Director from a related community.
• Innovative fundraising experience via multiple channels (sponsorships, grants, membership, advocacy, program development, etc.) Established resources and connections helpful.
• A strong passion and alignment with USGBC mission.
USGBC Illinois achieves this mission through education, advocacy and collaboration. As Illinois’ green building advocate and education resource, USGBC-Illinois currently provides more than 100 educational programs, events, building tours, research studies and advocacy initiatives each year, through a five-branch, state-wide network. The Illinois Chapter’s 1,300 members represent the spectrum of the Illinois green building community. The organization is one of 77 independent chapters, 13,000 member organizations and 181,000 LEED professionals that share the same vision of a sustainable built environment, and are part of the national U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
For confidential consideration please send resume and salary history to: hr@usgbc-illinois.org
A vast plain of poisonous green slime stretching to the horizon, bobbing gently on the waves — that was the view of Lake Erie from Cleveland just a couple years ago. It could become a permanent feature if humans don’t scramble to do something about it.
Take a closer look at the boxed-in area in the above image (larger version), captured by NASA’s Aqua satellite in October 2011:
That’s toxic cyanobacteria swirling in the lake waters north of Cleveland. At the time, this slippery stuff covered nearly one-fifth of Erie’s surface, becoming the biggest bloom in the lake’s recorded history. It looked and smelled awful, turned fishing into a hook-detangling nightmare, and killed untold numbers of marine creatures by hypoxia.
Worse, the algae’s loaded with foul substances harmful to the heart, blood, and skin of many creatures. A dog that ingests one byproduct called microcystin can curl up and die within hours. (In humans it can cause flu-like symptoms, just in case you’re about to eat a bowlful.) The algae might also cause fish to change sexes.
The monstrous algae invasion represented a biological throwback to the 1960s, when tons of phosphorus in the Great Lakes seeping from agriculture, sewage systems, and industry summoned up bloated algal titans of an immensity never before seen. These blooms disappeared for the most part after the ’70s thanks to the U.S. and Canada enacting the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. But it appears we’re mired once again in the days of floating slime, with algae levels creeping up since the ’90s.
Who’s to blame here? The likeliest culprit is the agricultural industry with a helping hand from global warming, according to researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science. The scientists conducted a detailed postmortem on the 2011 muck-up using satellite imagery and computer models. As in past years, the process began with farmers spreading phosphorus-based fertilizer in the fall to prepare for spring planting. Because of ideal growing conditions, they were especially fertilizer-happy in the autumn of 2010.
Much of this fertilizer was then washed into the lake by rain, where it acted as a “nutrient load” (aka dinner) for a legion of tiny microorganisms. The river washing was especially intense in May 2011, because a number of massive storms swept great amounts of sediment into Erie. The algae was not only well-fed but encouraged to grow by warmer temperatures and a weak water circulation that kept the stuff near the sunny surface. The result was a bumper year for algae farmers, which might actually become a thing in the future if the algae-based biofuel industry ever gets off the ground.
You can see the growth happening in this series of NASA shots starting in June 2011 (top left), where the swollen rivers are dumping solids into Erie’s western basin. The algae quickly covers much of the lake, resulting by October (bottom right) in contaminated water that resembles that ancient Ghostbusters Ecto Cooler drink:
NASA / University of Wisconsin-Madison [PDF]With climate change leading to hotter seasons and more savage storms, Great Lakes residents might be seeing a lot more of these abnormally bloated algae blooms. According to a Carnegie write-up of the study:
To determine the likelihood of future mega-blooms, the scientists analyzed climate model simulations under both past and future climate conditions. They found that severe storms become more likely in the future, with a 50% increase in the frequency of precipitation events of.80 inch (20 mm) or more of rain. Stronger storms, with greater than 1.2 inch (30 mm) of rain, could be twice as frequent.
The authors believe that future calm conditions with weak lake circulation after bloom onset is also likely to continue since current trends show decreasing wind speeds across the U.S. This would result in longer lasting blooms and decreased mixing in the water column.
The researchers say the potentially looming Algaeworld might be avoided if those in the agricultural industry use “better management practices.” Having the U.S. agree to a solid climate treaty probably wouldn’t hurt, either.
Last year was the hottest on record for the continental United States, and it wasn’t an outlier. The last 12 years have been the warmest years since 1880, the year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began tracking this information. And climate scientists predict that the devastating blizzards, droughts, hurricanes, and wildfires we’ve been experiencing lately will worsen due to climate change.
In many ways these punishing weather events feel like Mother Nature seeking revenge for our failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary cause of global warming. Despite abundant evidence, the U.S. government has yet to pass a law that would force a reduction in these emissions.
During his first term, President Obama did make climate change a priority, both in his campaign and in office. The American Clean Energy and Security Act that Congress produced passed through the House in June 2009 by a narrow margin. Yet the bill never reached a vote in the Senate, and it died quietly.
Environmentalists have been flummoxed ever since. One prominent cause-of-death theory says that large mainstream (and predominantly white) environmental groups failed to mobilize grassroots support and ignored those who bear a disproportionate burden of climate change, namely poor people of color.
With Obama in for a second term and reaffirmed in his environmental commitments, climate legislation has another chance at life. Now, observers are wondering if mainstream environmentalists learned the right lessons from the first climate bill failure and how they’ll work with people of color this time around.
Anatomy of a conflict
To hear some environmental leaders tell it, their defeat wasn’t due to a lack of investment in black and brown people living in poor and working class communities, but to an over-investment in Obama. For example, Dan Lashof, climate and clean air director for Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), has blamed the president for having the audacity to push healthcare reform and he’s pointed the finger at green groups for being too patient with Obama.
Asked what environmental advocates who led the first climate bill effort could have done differently in 2009, Bill McKibben, founder of the online grassroots organizing campaign 350.org, says their game plan was too insular. “There was no chance last time because all the action was in the closed rooms, not in the streets,” he tells Colorlines.com.
Yet that “action” took place behind closed doors for a reason: Major mainstream green groups including the Environmental Defense Fund and The Nature Conservancy teamed up with oil companies and some of the biggest polluters and emitters in the nation to form the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP). This ad hoc alliance was the driving force behind the failed 2009 bill and there were no environmental justice, civil rights, or people-of-color groups at the USCAP table.
Obama can’t be blamed for the blind spots of major groups. As recent Washington Postand Politico articles have pointed out, their leadership and membership simply don’t reflect the race or socieconomic class of people most vulnerable to climate change’s wrath.
Sarah Hansen, former executive director of the Environmental Grantmakers Association, argued recently that the mainstream has been stingy with funding and resources and inept at engaging environmental justice communities. In a National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) study, “Cultivating the Grassroots: A Winning Approach for Environmental and Climate Funders,” Hansen reported that philanthropies awarded most of their environmental dollars to large, predominantly white groups but received little return in terms of law and policy. Meanwhile, wrote Hansen, too few dollars have been invested in community- and environmental justice-based organizations.
According to the NCRP report, environmental organizations with $5 million-plus budgets made up only 2 percent of green groups in general but in 2009 received half of all grants in the field. The NCRP also found that 15 percent of all green dollars benefited marginalized populations between 2007 and 2009. Only 11 percent went to social justice causes.
In January, Harvard professor Theda Skocpol released a study of the first climate bill campaign’s failure and faulted green groups involved for choosing direct congressional lobbying over grassroots organizing. Some of the major organizations did spend money on field organizers, wrote Skocpol, but only to push public messaging like billboards and advertisements.
“The messaging campaigns would not make it their business to actually shape legislation — or even talk about details with ordinary citizens or grassroots groups,” Skocpol wrote in the report. The public “is seen as a kind of background chorus that, hopefully, will sing on key.”
Take one for the team?
That the environmental movement thought billboards and ads could replace educating and organizing actual people was their biggest flaw, a position shared by Hansen and Skocpol. In comparison, health reform advocates took a lobbying and grassroots approach while the climate-change bill made the rounds and got a law passed.
“If you want to gain the trust of the emerging non-white majority, it’s not just a messaging thing,” explains Ryan Young, legal counsel for the California-based Greenlining Institute, a policy research nonprofit focused on economic, environmental, and racial justice. “It’s a values thing. You must understand the values of these communities and craft policy around that.”
Why does this matter?
Consider how the website of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) recently featured an article on city bird sanctuaries from the group’s print magazine titled “Urban Renewal.”
Having people of color on staff might have helped NWF understand that for some, “urban renewal” signifies a historical legacy of black and Latino neighborhoods being effectively erased by development projects such as sports stadiums. Cultural snafus like this have led to white environmental groups being clowned in influential outlets including The Daily Show.
In an interview about the unintended message of “Urban Renewal,” Jim Lyon, NWF’s vice president for conservation policy, told Colorlines.com that the group doesn’t “always get everything right” and that “he’d take it back to his staff.” (Ironically, one of the harshest critiques of urban renewal came from Jane Jacobs, a white conservationist.) On the topic of staff diversity, Lyon said the organization isn’t where they want it to be, but that they’ve made “good progress.” He would not release staff demographics, but said NWF achieves diversity through partnerships with other groups and programs like Eco-Schools USA, which he says “engages more than 1 million children of color” daily.
Beverly Wright, who heads the New Orleans-based Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, says racial oversights of traditionally white groups are the main reason black and Latino environmentalists have formed their own organizations. The culturally divided camps sometimes use the same words, but they’re often speaking different languages.
Take “cap-and-trade,” a scheme that would commodify greenhouse gas emissions for market-trading as a way to reduce those emissions. The first climate bill centered on cap-and-trade because most major environmental groups supported it. But cap-and-trade was anathema to environmental justice because it did nothing to curb local co-pollutants such as smog and soot, direct threats to communities of color. That’s not to mention that cap-and-trade was the brainchild of C. Boyden Gray, a conservative member of the Federalist Society and leader of FreedomWorks, today a major Tea Party funder.
Wright says major green groups tried to coax environmental justice organizations into supporting cap-and-trade by claiming it was for the “greater good.”
“But that meant white people get all the greater goods and we get the rest,” says Wright. “Until they want to have real discussions around racism, they won’t have our support. That’s what happened last time with the climate bill. It did not move, because they did not have diversity in their voices.”
“Diversity” doesn’t just mean hiring more people of color. As the 30-year-old Center for Health, Environment and Justice stated in March, the diversity conversation “really needs to be about resources and assistance to the front line communities rather than head counting.”
What’s next?
So in the new round of climate bill talks, will large environmental groups meaningfully engage community-based environmental justice groups?
The prognosis is mixed. Look at MomentUs, a mammoth collaborative started in January to ramp up support for new climate legislation. While MomentUs claims to be a game-changer, the strategy behind it seems very similar to that of USCAP’s — the one that failed to deliver a climate-change law the first time around. On its website, MomentUs describes its board of directors as “cultural, environmental, business, and marketing leaders who offer the diversity of viewpoints and keen insight vital to advancing MomentUs’s mission.” At press time, all of the directors are white. So is the staff, except for one office administrator.
Looking at MomentUs partners, it appears that the same traditionally white environmental organizations who teamed up for USCAP are now working with corporations including ALEC funder Duke Energy, predatory subprime mortgage king Wells Fargo, perennial labor union target Sodexho, and Disney. At press time there are no environmental justice or civil rights groups involved.
On the other side of the spectrum, The Sierra Club — one of the nation’s largest and whitest green groups — has had an expansive role in environmental justice and advocacy, particularly in the Gulf Coast. In January it joined the NAACP and labor unions in launching the Democracy Initiative, which will tackle voting rights, environmental justice, and other civil rights concerns.
To be sure, it’s way too early to make a conclusion about MomentUs or the Democracy Initiative, but the latter appears to be a step in the right direction in terms of highlighting the intersection between poor environmental outcomes and racism.
McKibben, the 350.org founder, has helped cultivate a multicultural fight against the Keystone XL pipeline project, but he admits that the overall environmental movement has “tons of work to do” on racial equity and inclusion.
“The sooner [mainstream environmentalists] absorb the message and are led by members of the environmental justice movement, the better,” he says.
In that case, the question is a matter of timing and power, of who decides when and which environmental justice activists get to lead.
Green Way Pavements/Binghamton, NY (North East Territory )
Job Description:
Green Way Pavements seeks enthusiastic self-motivated and committed salespersons interested in “Green
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product training, available as "hands-on" training on site, with the added convience of available "on-line" training as well.
Job position/Income:
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• Key Sales Personnel: $75 K+ begins Corporate Sponsorships)
• Associates: $100 K+ (High-caliber Sales Professional responsible for an Exclusive Territory and Corporate Sponsorships)
Job Requirements:
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If you are highly motivated, creative and desire high earning potentials, send a cover letter and your resume.
Thank you.
Company Profile:
Green Way Pavementsâ„¢ is an Exclusive Northeast USA Distributor for Purus North America, Inc., distributing
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At Green Way Pavementsâ„¢ we spell success with morality, sincerity, and honesty. Our team is committed to delivering
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