Sierra Club

Daily Roundup

Volkswagen's new Jetta TDI beat out all the others to be crowned the 2009 Green Car of the Year... A Wal-Mart store in Anchorage, Alaska is now selling wild salmon from Bristol Bay... The price of crude oil closed below $50 per barrel for the first time in more than three years. (read more)

Cocaine's Environmental Impact

There's new weapon in the war on drugs: eco-guilt. Every gram of cocaine snorted destroys four square meters of rainforest, Francisco Santos Calderon, Colombia's vice president, told British police officers on Wednesday. Santos launched the "Shared Responsibility" campaign in London in May. John P. Walters, the United States' "drug czar," said in 2002 that Columbia has lost rougly 3 million acres of rainforest, and cocaine processors release more than 370,000 tons of chemicals into the fragile ecosystem every year. Since illegal growers are unlikely to switch to organic, shade-grown, fairly-traded cocaine, it's fair to say that blow is no friend of the earth. (read more)

Climate-Change Extravaganzas Underway

At the Governor's Global Summit, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is flexing his environmental muscles along with governors from four other states to host more than 800 attendees at the Beverly Hills Hilton. And it'll open with a video in which Barack Obama states that recent economic turmoil won't take greenhouse-gas issues off his agenda. (read more)

Green Your Thanksgiving: Leave No Trace

After tripping on tryptophan and overloading on carbs, the last thing you want to deal with after a hefty Thanksgiving dinner is leftovers. This year, ask guests to bring their own Tupperware containers to reduce the use of tinfoil and save space in your fridge. Or find a local soup kitchen or shelter that will take prepared foods. (read more)

Daily Roundup

The EU is hoping to raise awareness about the effect of declining bee populations on the world's food supply. If things keep going the way they are, these pollinators may not be back again. (read more)

Chime In For Change

President-elect Barack Obama wants to hear from you. The Obama-Biden Transition team will use the Web site Change.gov to solicit ideas and feedback as they prepare for White House. So far, environmental concerns are high on the agenda: Obama has pledged to invest $150 billion in green technology and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050. What do you think Obama should do to protect the environment? Share your comments at Change.gov. (read more)

Stephen Colbert Takes on Big Oil's Funny Business of Greenwashing

The fake-news titan's typically tounge-in-cheek video segment says it all. (read more)

Wave Hello to Renewable Energy

A British engineer, Alvin Smith, is experimenting with harnessing the power of water waves. His Searaser uses water displacement from waves' crests and troughs to produce energy; the point of the device is to create enough pressure to pump water uphill so that it can be stored and released similar to the way dams produce electricity. (read more)

Green Your Thanksgiving: Spare the Turkey

For some, it's all about the bird. But if having the greenest possible Thanksgiving is your goal, a vegetarian or vegan feast is the solution. With more than 45 million genetically modified turkeys raised in overcrowded factory farms for Thanksgiving day alone, dispelling tradition can be a greener, kinder, healthier alternative. (read more)

Daily Roundup

Cycle Justice: A Portland, Oregon man is sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving at high speed with a bicyclist clinging to the hood of his car during a road rage incident. Treehugger Eco Skateboards: A Canadian green business produces skateboards from sustainable bamboo. Skateboard production is reportedly the largest cause of maple deforestation. Inhabitat Lame Duck: President Bush gives the green light for Oil Shale development in three western states. New York Times Fuel Cell Phones: A Swedish company is developing non-toxic technology that will power energy intensive mobile devices. CleanTechnica Pedestrian Comment: The “Walkability” of a city is not only environmentally friendly, and convenient. According to some it’s also an issue of social justice. World Changing -- Mario Aguilar (read more)