green | rising

Sustain-a-Links #8

September 25th, 2006 by Vihar Sheth | Posted in Recent Readings

Has it been that long? First things first. I don’t know if I’ve ever suggested signing up for Grist’s newsletters but I’m doing it now, so do it. I’ll wait. Grist gave me two of today’s ten articles, and for that I thank them. Apologies for my absence last week. Travel for work and a general level of “hectosity”.

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Agriculture | 2 in CNMI get $20K grant for agricultural research | I’m in favor of micro-grants and micro-lending in depressed areas of the world. A little money can go a long way in changing our habits. Hopefully the money makes the crabs happier. Too bad someone’s still going to eat them.

Blog | Making Love Sustainable |  This entry doesn’t have to do with sustainability in the environmental sense but we can always use a little more love in the world. | Wendy Strgar

Development | Green, sustainable development in Hermitage renovation plan | “A year after the New Camaldoli Hermitage, perched 1,300 feet above the Big Sur coastline, was founded in 1958, a fire destroyed all but one building on the property. With little money and limited resources, the hermitage, home to 20 or so monks at any given time, was rebuilt quickly and with volunteer labor. The resulting structures — still standing today — were not built to last.” Now a $40 million remodeling aims to make them durable and long-lasting.

Energy | Tobacco and oil ballot issues draw big money | Tax the cancer that plagues us and fund research for a cure. Seems like a good idea, no? Well, “Oil companies since January have pumped in the bulk of about $35 million contributed to kill Proposition 87, which would impose a tax on oil producers in California. The tax would range between 1.5 percent to 6 percent, depending on the price of oil per barrel. The aim is to raise $4 billion for researching and producing alternative fuels and energy.” | Lynda Gledhill, Matthew Yi, SFGate.com

Farming | U.S. Soil: Changing the Way We Farm Throughout America | “Established in 1947, U.S. Soil works tirelessly to promote sustainable agriculture and the use of a bioactive mineral foundation.” These guys are holding a conference in November in Columbia, Missouri, not too far from my home town. The keynote is Joel Salatin, the guy who started the free-range chicken movement. If there ever were a movement to start . . . | Market Wire

Fundraising 1 | Branson pledges $3B to fight global warming | “Billionaire Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson Thursday committed an estimated $3 billion over the next 10 years, or all of the profits from his airline and rail businesses, to combating global warming.” This link and following on really make me optimistic about our future. If only we could change people’s behavior so that we didn’t need such huge commitments to solving problems created by our own laziness, greed and ignorance. | Reuters

Fundraising 2 | Clinton raises billions for world issues | “A conference hosted by Bill Clinton on world problems ended Friday [9/22/06] with the former president announcing a total of $7.3 billion in pledges to help reduce global warming and fight Third World poverty, disease and ethnic strife.” I wish I could convince people to give ten figures to a cause. I miss you Bill. | Beth Fouhy, Yahoo News

Organization | Farm Aid | “The mission of Farm Aid is to keep family farmers on their land. Family farmers are our only guarantee for fresh, local food. Our goal is to bring together family farmers and citizens to restore family farm-centered agriculture. Family farmers ensure safe, healthful food, protect natural resources, and strengthen local economies.”

Solar | Iowa State Advances Thin Film Solar Technology | “With solar cell manufacturers around the globe scrambling to find a solution to the silicon shortage, Iowa State researchers are hoping their recent discoveries in materials science and plasma chemistry will boost the performance of thin film solar cells by 40 to 50 percent.” I know solar technology still has a long way to go but this is great. Shine on. | Renewable Energy Access

Style | How Green Are My Blue Jeans | “Levi Strauss will debut more than a new CEO when current COO John Anderson takes over in November. The company will also introduce Eco jeans, its first organic-cotton line. The target customers: upscale shoppers, the kind of eco-consumers for whom price ($250) will be less important than the tag it’s printed on (recycled paper, soy ink). Levi’s will launch the naturally dyed “green” jeans, handcrafted in the U.S., in select Levi’s stores. In early 2007 the company will roll out cheaper versions — $65 to $80 — in department stores, followed by jeans costing $40 to $60 in the fall.” | Product Peek, Business Week

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Check check check it.