Posts filed under 'Activism'
March 29th, 2008
On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.
Why not douse the lights for an hour? You just might find that you don’t need as many burning as you have most evenings. Feel the power. Take steps toward a smaller footprint.
December 23rd, 2007
The photo on the cover of Neil Young’s latest album, Chrome Dreams II, is the hood of his “baby”, a 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV. That car, a 19′ long 2 1/2 ton cruiser is currently in Wichita KS being converted to a hybrid electric vehicle. The gas guzzling engine is being replaced by a combination of electric motor and a biodiesel powered diesel engine. 100 MPG highway is expected after the conversion, at which time, Neil will head for Detroit, where “Linc Volt” will visit its original factory.
Linc Volt, “Re-Powering the American Dream” is a documentary currently in production at Neil’s “Shakey Pictures” studios. The documentary will include footage of his Fall 2007 drive from San Francisco to H-Line Conversions in Wichita and all the gas stops along the way, including interviews and reaction from folks he met en route.
There’s a bit of CNN video here.
Pre-trip, Neil stopped by google to check out the RechargeIT charging station.
He’s no stranger to biodiesel. During his 2003 “greendale” tour, I photographed his buses being refueled with biodeisel in Moline, IL. The entire tour fleet, buses and tractor trailers alike, were biodiesel powered. He also drives a biodiesel powered Hummer. Linc Volt will be different, incorporating an electric motor with instant torque. The setup, with the fuel engine capable of generating power for the electric motor, is not unlike a modern train engine.
Not everyone can drop an estimated $40k converting their car to a hybrid but it’s nice to know that those who can, to raise awareness, will.
But I have to admit, part of me thinks Neil also wants a mini-biodiesel-locomotive he can drive every day.
Long may you run, Linc Volt.
April 30th, 2006
Since leaving office, Al Gore has traveled the world presenting one version or another of his “traveling global warming show”, a slideshow, for free. He’s been raising awareness and has made this presentation in his estimation, “a thousand times.”
Now, it’s a movie and by some accounts, a terrifying movie.
More info is available at climatecrisis.net where you’ll find global warming background and stats, a carbon footprint calculator, and a request to pledge to see the movie on opening day, May 24. View the movie trailer.
You may also setup an email reminder to see the movie. Which is handy in case you forget to remember the ice is melting.
April 22nd, 2006
Neil Young has long been a proponent of living in harmony with Mother Earth and humanity in general. He’s written many songs along those lines. He’s an active founding member of Farm Aid (helping Family Farmers) and runs Biodiesel in many of his personal vehicles, busses, and trucks on his tour. He helped his wife, Pegi Young, in founding the Bridge School for severely impaired children in the mid-eighties. Neil’s annual “Bridge Benefit†concerts have helped keep the school in operation to this day.
Neil Young is a friend of our planet.
He has recently recorded a new album called “Living With Warâ€. This is certain to be a controversial album – at least for a while. You’ll find lyrics to the new songs on his website (NeilYoung.com) and may listen to them in their entirety. While you’re there, we encourage our visitors to also look through the “Greendale†section of his website. Learn about the character “Sun Greenâ€, a teenage girl turned activist. And don’t miss the song “Be The Rain†in the “Listen” section of greendale. This blog is in fact a direct result of inspiration received from greendale a few years ago. The ripple effect works. I’d like to publicly thank Neil Young for his music, inspiration and commitment to good things over the years.
The new record, “Living With Warâ€, will excite some and anger others, but it’s good to know free speech is alive and well in America. Regardless of of the critics who discount his rights here as Canadian citizen, I for one am glad Neil Young is still willing to speak out for things he believes in for this country, and prove to the rest of us that we can do the same.
Randy Fisk
aSmallerFootprint.com
April 4th, 2006
1970 marked the Kent State shootings, and the first Earth Day — the birth of the modern environmental movement. 20 million Americans demonstrated for a healthy and sustainable environment.
as reported by EarthDay.net…
Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda. ” “It was a gamble,” he recalls, “but it worked.”
At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news.
Earth Day 2006 will launch a sustained, three-year campaign to educate consumers, corporations and governments worldwide on the urgent need to take concrete steps on climate change now – before it’s too late. The goal for Earth Day ’06 – 10,000 Climate Change Events Worldwide.
March 26th, 2006
London, Ontario is eyeing energy success in California.
as reported by The London Free Press…
California energy commissioner Arthur Rosenfeld and Steven McCarty of Pacific Gas and Electric, the state’s largest privately owned utility, were in Toronto last week telling how their state had achieved remarkable success in energy conservation.
The savings translated into two large generation stations that didn’t need to be built and soon will mean a third station won’t go up.
As guests of the Sierra Club of Canada, the Californians listed policies that include rebates for consumers of compact fluorescent light bulbs at point of purchase, not via a coupon that has to be mailed in.
Other policies include:
- Cash incentives to buy energy-efficient refrigerators, accompanied by a nominal cash payment for the old refrigerator.
- Signing up consumers for a lower electricity rate, on the condition that their air conditioning may be shut off on 24 hours’ notice during peak periods of heat.
- A program to paint home roofs white because they absorb less heat.
- Rigorous building codes to maximize buildings’ energy efficiency.
Steps toward a smaller footprint.
February 10th, 2006
Ken Luna is an 8th grade science teacher in North Babylon, New York. His plan; To get Oprah to help him give every child in America(PreK-12), just ONE Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulb to take home and plug into their favorite lamp. Helping to help fight global warming by reducing carbon emissions from electric power plants, saving Americans AT LEAST 2.3 BILLION dollars in electricity costs, and helping to put America on the path to environmental sustainability.
UPDATES — The Bright Idea is burning brighter with a donation of 5500 compact fluorescent bulbs from Home Depot, for local students. See the story. View the press release.
Editors note: The last sentence in our own FAQ sums-up the way we feel about energy awareness, sustainability and taking your first steps by switching to CFL’s. That line is simply “Do it for the kids”. Mr. Luna’s plan is not only for the kids, but engages and educates students in its process, demonstrating sustainability and the way that one motivated person really can make a difference. That’s a teacher — and this is a “teachable moment”. At CFLbulbs.com, we applaud Mr. Luna’s spirit and encourage our users to assist in his quest to replace so many energy hogging bulbs with efficient compact fluorescents.
February 10th, 2006
Recognized by Natural Home & Garden magazine as one of the “Top 10 Eco-Destinations in North America,†Inn Serendipity is one of nine small businesses named 2004 ENERGY STAR Small Business Network Award winners today. The firms had the foresight to undertake energy efficiency improvements that saved $40,000 in annual energy costs and more than 590,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually and those 2004 upgrades will be even more valuable this winter.
Inn Serendipity is a bed and breakfast and organic farm, owned by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko.
Starting with increasing the energy efficiency of the bed and breakfast, the owners incorporated an array of improvements and innovative strategies. The bed and breakfast installed double-paned, low-emissivity (low-E) windows, the attic space was insulated to a R-Value of R-19, caulking and weather-stripping was applied, and the water heater and hot water pipes were insulated. The only cooling used is an ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioner for the office. Much of the Inn’s water heating is provided by a solar thermal system, so guests shower with water heated by the sun. ENERGY STAR qualified screw-in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were used throughout the facility. Laundering of clothing and linens is accomplished by an ENERGY STAR qualified washing machine. Its refrigerator is an ENERGY STAR qualified Sun Frost.
Congratulations to the Ivanko’s! Nice work.
November 18th, 2005
The Student Taskforce for Environmental Partnership (STEP) has begun a new campaign, Yale Unplugged, to stop energy waste by encouraging students to unplug their appliances before leaving campus.
STEP decided to go directly to the students to try to reduce Yale’s total energy use this fall. The organization purchased 300 compact fluorescent light bulbs. Upon the positive reception of their first campaign and two new grants from the Office of Sustainability, STEP was ultimately able to give out 2,000 CFL light bulbs.
Well done!
Full Story>>
November 17th, 2005
More than three quarters of the Connecticut College student body will be using at least one compact fluorescent light bulb by the end of November.
When all 1,745 resident students are using a CFL in place of a standard incandescent bulb, the college will save nearly $6,400 annually in energy costs and emit less carbon.
The student-run Renewable Energy Club and the Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies purchased 1,000 bulbs for initial distribution. Those efforts will be supplemented by a light bulb exchange through Students Against Violence to the Environment. Savings are based on an estimated four hours use of light per day per academic year.
Full Story>>
