Climate Battlefields

Climate change lawsuits against corporations are gaining steam in US courts! From NY TIMES article "Courts as Battlefields in Climate Fights" by John Schwartz

"Kivalina, an Inupiat Eskimo village of 400 perched on a barrier island north of the Arctic Circle, is accusing two dozen fuel and utility companies of helping to cause the climate change that it says is accelerating the island’s erosion.

In recent months, two federal appeals courts reversed decisions by federal district courts to dismiss climate-change lawsuits, allowing the cases to go forward. In Connecticut, environmental lawyers joined forces with attorneys general of eight states and the City of New York seeking a court order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In Mississippi, Gulf Coast property owners claim that industry-produced emissions that contribute to climate change increased the potency of Hurricane Katrina in 2005."

However, this doesn't mean these suits will ever see their day in court. Read more about the uphill battle to fight corporate polluters and have them take responsibility for destroying the planet and its inhabitants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/business/energy-environment/27lawsuits.html?th&emc=th

Green Drink Baby!

Green drinks NYC is having an annual holiday party with special guest...Dr Sylvia Earle, critically acclaimed oceanographer, national geographic explorer in residence. And Ladies Lotto Community Relations sweetheart, Dylana Dillon is one of the geniuses behind this event.

When: 7-11pm on Tuesday December 8, 2009

Where:The Prince George Ballroom

15 East 27th Street, NYC

Please visit the following link for tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com /event/87118

A Call To Female Artists: Younity Presents Two Awesome Projects!

FRESHER: Re-Create, Re-Design, Re-Shape a new YOU!
DEADLINE: June 1st, 2009

This year Younity's 3rd exhibition entitled FRESHER! will host 40 female urban artists who will participate in an exhibition indoors and outdoors dedicated to bringing community awareness to environmental issues like recycling, consumerism, global warming, pollution, health, and renewable energy. Along with the exhibit, YOUNITY will self-publish its second collectors' book series to keep the message alive. Throughout the exhibit, YOUNITY will host youth workshops, mural projects, and panel discussions to help educate the community about the importance of living GREEN.

FRESHER! CALL FOR ENTRIES (WORLDWIDE)
10-15 new artists will be chosen to showcase their work at the Younity FRESHER exhibition in the fall of 2009.
Each artist is asked to create a piece based on one or more of the environmental issues listed below.

- recycling
- consumerism
- global warming
- pollution
- health
- renewable energy

* Please note that if your work is chosen each artist will be responsible for shipping it to and from YOUNITY NYC studio.
* Please be conscious of size, weight, and fragile artwork.

REQUIREMENTS
- Entry Fee: $10.00 per submission (limit: 3 submissions per artist)
- Paypal: contribute@theyounity.com
- For Checks or Money order payments, please email us: info@theyounity.com
- E-mail your JPG submission to info@theyounity.com with the subject heading: FRESHER SUBMISSION

- Please include the following:

Artist Name
City
Website link and/or myspace link
Size
Title
Medium
Short Bio

RE-FRESH THE STREETS!
DEADLINE: June 1st, 2009

Artists / crews worldwide are asked to participate in a street art/mural project entitled "RE-FRESH THE STREETS" using one or more of the following environmental issues below. The street art/mural created must include Younity's FRESHER! stencil logo provided to be able to unite and identify the project worldwide. We will select 10-15 images from various cities/ streets/ communities which will be included in the 2009 "FRESHER!" exhibit.

REQUIREMENTS
- ENTRY FEE: $10.00 per street art/mural submission (limit 3 submissions per artist)
- Paypal: contribute@theyounity.com
- For Checks or Money order payments please email us at: info@theyounity.com
- E-mail a JPG submission to: info@theyounity.com with the subject heading: RE-FRESH THE STREETS SUBMISSION
- Please include the following:

Artist or Crew Name
City
Website link and/or myspace link
Size
Title
Short Bio

* * * DEADLINE: JUNE 1st 2009 * * *

--
Younity Arts™
Female Stylez, Ideaz, and Skillz!

WEBSITE: www.theyounity.com
BLOG: www.theyounity.wordpress.com
MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/younityspace

The Younity Stencil (for Re-Fresh the Streets):

20 Ways to Live Green(er)

Organic material--food and paper, for example--rot and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, when sent to the landfill. When the liners meant to seal landfills eventually crack, toxic substances can leach into the water table, causing hard to trace illnesses in faraway communities.

But perhaps the worst thing is, when we throw something in the landfill to be buried in the ground (or worse, in an incinerator to be burned into our air), it represents a waste of resources that we took from the earth in the first place.

For these reasons, I've put together this list of 25 ways to avoid making trash suggest by readers of the No Impact Man blog:

1. Keep your own cutlery with you so you don't have to use the plastic versions
2. Cut up your old clothes for use as rags and avoid paper towels
3. Use mason jars to carry everything from drinking water to a packed lunch
4. Use a handkerchief instead of tissue
5. Make notepaper from the blank side of junk mail
6. Give your old eyeglasses to the local Lions Club for distribution to those in need
7. Make cardboard egg cartons into biodegradable seed starters
8. Cut yogurt containers into strips and use them to label garden plants
9. Use cloth bags for the bulk bins at the grocery store
10. Empty out vacuum cleaner bags and reuse
11. Use cloth napkins instead of paper towel
12. Cook from scratch to avoid food packaging
13. Use shaving soap bars to avoid throwaway bottles
14. Make your own yogurt so there are no plastic tubs
15. Wash and reuse ziplock bags
16. Use the waxy liners of cereal boxes to wrap sandwiches
17. Use scrap office paper for kids coloring books
18. Carry a cloth for drying your hands and wrapping things in
19. Pack a lunch in a reusable container instead of buying lunch in plastic packaging
20. Use rechargeable batteries

Thanks to No Impact Man for the tips.

Don't be a Pill

Don't wanna resort to flushing or tossing pills you don't need? Donate them to Madre's Helping Hands - a human rights organization that donates unused meds to people who need them in developing countries. Just grab what you've got (over-the-counter antihistamines or Rxs like insulin and penicillin - check out the full wish list); make sure everything's sealed, labeled, and at least 6 months from expiration; and drop it off at MHH's Chelsea location. Not putting them into our water stream keeps us from drinking prescription cocktails (trace amounts of pharmaceuticals end up in our taps because treatment plants can't filter 'em out). Go before November 25, in time for MHH's shipment to Nicaragua.

Madre's Helping Hands, drop off at 121 W. 27th St., #301, b/t Sixth and Seventh Aves. (212-627-0444). Check out the latest Daily Tip on flushing meds.

Bicycle Commuter Act

Starting in January 2009, people who use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation for their work commute will be eligible for a $20/month, tax-free reimbursement from their employers for bicycle-related expenses. In return, participating employers will be able to deduct the expense from their federal taxes.

The Bicycle Commuter Act amends the federal tax code, allowing employers to offer employees this benefit. If you bike to work, ask your employers if they can provide this benefit. Employers can click on the links below to learn more about this and other commuter benefits for your employees.

Bike Credit FAQs

Accor Services USA

TransitCenter

Don’t forget to bike, walk or carpool to the voting booth on November 4th! Visit nycommute.org for carpooling assistance.

Changing a Life Begins with a Single Step...

Talk about shopping for a good cause. TOMS is announcing the TOMS Shoes pop-up store. Now through Oct. 22 shopping has a good cause, for every pair of shoes purchased TOMS will donate a pair to a child in need. Since its beginning in May 2006, TOMS has given over 10,000 pair of shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000 pairs to children in South Africa. In 2008 TOMS plans to give 200,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the country.

Visit the TOMS pop up store at: 1617 Abbot Kinney Venice, CA 90291 (Between Venice and Main) or visit TOMS for more information.

Stephanie Simek's Wearables

Stephanie Simek does an incredible job at using natural resources such as sand dollars and quail eggs. But who can pass up the Pussy Willow earrings above? Visit: http://stephaniesimek.com/wearables/

Green your Wiki

Wikia, the leading provider of information on every topic under the sun, has today announced the launch of Wikia Green, a website that will be home to a breadth of information about the ever-evolving eco-world.

Created by Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley, Wikia Green was the love child born when Wales met Al Gore, just before Gore received his Nobel Prize. After researching existing green resources, Wales realized that information about green topics was scattered and often overly scientific. Wikia Green took shape from his desire to unite the passion of the green community into one highly accessible resource. He also wanted information to be understandable to eco-neophytes.

Much like Wikipedia—also the brainchild of Jimmy Wales–Wikia Green is a collaborative repository of content that can be instantly updated to reflect the most current information in the rapidly evolving world of eco-consciousness. Unlike a stagnant dictionary definition, Wikia Green will be an incredibly dynamic, user-friendly resource of environmental ideology.

So when you find yourself scratching your head, wondering what the heck parabens or carbon footprints really are, you now know where to look.

Bike-Sharing Goes North-To Montreal

This summer saw the launch of Montreal's bike-sharing program. Known as the public bike sharing system, or "PBS", the program makes use of innovative bike design, solar powered stations, wireless management and software to create a unique, technologically advanced program for the city of Montreal. More info on the system can be found on their website here.

Perhaps most interestingly, riders can find available bicycles via web browsers on their cell phones.

Read about bike sharing programs in Paris, Barcelona, Mexico City and Washington, DC here.

C'mon New York, step up your game!

Good call!

Samsung’s newest phone may be simple but the casing is made of a tasty corn-based bio-plastic, the packaging is made of recycled materials, and it has cool eco-features, like a warning to unplug it when it’s fully charged. You won’t get all of the intrigue of a Blackberry or an iPhone, but getting one would be a pretty clean call, should you be in the market for a new mobile phone (but, remember, if the one you have does the job, stick with it). Also remember to recycle your old device - many zoos have set up collection boxes to benefit animals and their disappearing terrain.

Going Green - how to get started

Reposted from No Impact Man

Does the idea of going green appeal to you, but you just don't know where to start? Here is a comprehensive list of things you can do to improve your life and the world around you. Do one, do all 40, it's up to you!

1. Don't buy food that comes in plastic or paper packaging.
2. Read the heartbreaking article "Plastic Ocean".
3. Buy fewer things. Don´t buy on impulse. Ask yourself if the thing you're buying is something that you really need.
4. Understand the impact of the products that you buy on the environment, from resource extraction through to disposal (watching The Story of Stuff will help).
5. Eat less meat (read here to understand why).
6. Getting your fingers dirty by growing your own food--even if it is just some basil on your windowsill--is the quickest way change your thought patterns about other green issues.
7. Stopped using my dryer and use a clothes line or drying rack--and enjoy saving the cash.
8. Drive less.
9. Fly less.
   
10. Organize your community to lobby state and local officials to pass a suite of laws increasing energy efficiency, clean-tech funding, and public education campaigns.
11. Walk more, and walk *to* places. Ideally, walk to the grocery store.
12. Start buying food and household products that are only made of things they can pronounce.
13. Make your own non-toxic household cleaning products.
14. Collect all of your trash each day and so you can see how much you produce.
15. Start with one or two things (take the bus one day a week, use cloth bags, etc) and make it a habit. Then move on to another and another.
16. Stop using your car for journeys of less than 2 miles--walk or bike.
17. Try to go a month without making any purchases other than food and energy.
18. An easy quick tip: stop using papertowels and paper napkins. Keep cloth towels on hand for cleaning and cloth napkins for mealtime (read why getting away from paper products is important here).
19. Find a "green" mentor. Someone whose actions and philosophy you admire. Have them recommend reading, start discussions, teach practices, and lend support. Doing this together is the best part!
20. THINK about how running the tap wastes water. THINK about how lights on in rooms not occupied wastes energy.
    
21. Avoid bottled water (read why here and here).
22. Join Freecycle, where you can give away what you don't need and get second-hand stuff for free.
23. Go to a good carbon footprint calculator so you can learn in what areas of your life you are using energy and carbon needlessly.
24. Don't waste.
25. Be mindful of how your actions affect others. Everything else stems from mindfulness.
26. Make a contribution of time or money to a green organization.
27. Tithe.
28. Recognize that happiness in life is related to relationships with other people, not shopping.
29. Reach within to determine what inside yourself doesn't feel right, what isn't working for you and start making changes from there.
30. Pray.
31. When the activity is fun, good for the environment, and also affects personal health (physically and also psychologically), it's much easier to maintain. So if you like biking, bike. If you like cooking, cook local.
32. Never use your car for a trip of less than two miles. Walk or bike. Notice the benefits to your physical fitness.
33. Swear off plastic bags.
34. Spend more time in nature, taking a class or reading about the environmentalist movement, whatever will make an impact deeper than the desire to be trendy in an era of greenwashing.
35. Skip sodas, juices, things that come in bottles and cans--for a week.
36. Bring your own mug to the cafe and carry your own water container (read about the ultra-cool reusable water bottle and coffee cup here and here).
37. Make a detailed budget and track spending habits (if you realize exactly how much your car costs you, you may choose a bike).
38. Switch to CFL lightbulbs, turn down your thermostat, and put a blanket on your water heater.
39. Stop your junk mail.
    
40. Join grassroots efforts to push the government to pass legislation that moves us quickly off fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

Feel free to add your own and share your ideas with us! Happy greening.

Shoe Umbrellas for the Fall!?

Shuella is an umbrella for your shoes. Designed by Chicago's Rebecca Miller in hopes to ease the pain of walking through rainy streets with out ruining a good pair of shoes, Shuella is a reusable product that can be stored in your purse (depending on its size). It comes in black, yellow, green, yellow and pink (shown above).

White Hart Recycled

Our friends Rebecca Diaz and Lan Phan have launched an online boutique, White Hart Recyled, filled with recycled and vintage accessories for men and women.

With a passion for high-end and one of a kind vintage accessories, denim, leather, military memorabilia and footwear. They take great pleasure in scouring for rare gems where most shoppers will not tread. Traveling throughout the world searching for unique, quality upmarket and vintage accessories. Whether it be high-end consignment stores, estate sales, local artisans, designers, stylists, antiques markets or our mothers' closets, they've scoured high and low to bring you the loveliest recycled accessories they could find.

Plus, one of the unseen benefits of shopping vintage is reducing your carbon footprint. Vintage is not only stylish, it's the next level of recycling. Why buy new when you can reuse, restyle and go retro?

REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.

Movie Billboard Clutches

For those of you who seek green fashion these clutches are made from repurposed movie billboard posters. There's more to chose from here.