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unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

I'll believe it when I see it....

It was hard to get through, but I listened to the State of the Union Address the other day. Ok, so I kinda got bored and started making dinner halfway through, but I tried to listen. Luckily the full text of the speech is available online, in case anyone missed it. It sounded a lot like last year's in certain respects, except that Bush got very excited (or pretended to be anyway) about saying 'Madam Speaker' over and over again. (Well, having Nancy Pelosi as our Speaker of the House is pretty damn exciting I guess!)

Anyway, I was impressed that Bush gave some face time to domestic and social issues before diving into discussions of the war on terror (at which point he continued to confuse the nation by blurring the lines between 9/11 and Iraq, as usual). I'm not sure how much of what he said will come true, or how the speech affected his approval rating *snicker*... but he actually wants to reduce our dependence on foreign oil (didn't he say this last year, too?) and reduce our use of gasoline by improving efficiency standards and promoting alternative energy. Unfortunately, Bush seems to think that "clean energy" means coal, which is about the opposite of clean. Not only does coal require strip mining which dramatically alters the natural landscape, but burning coal dumps all kinds of pollutants into our air. It's pretty far from the clean energy Bush claims it is, and I think we should focus on more environmentally conscious energy sources (such as geothermal, solar, wind, and, on a small scale, hydroelectric). But perhaps coal and nuclear energy (both technologies I don't think are good ideas in the long run) will need to be part of our diverse energy mix until the technology is ready for cleaner, greener forms of energy production to take over.

Here are Bush's comments on energy and the environment from the State of the Union Address:

It is in our vital interest to diversify America's energy supply - and the way forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power - by even greater use of clean coal technology ... solar and wind energy ... and clean, safe nuclear power. We need to press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles, and expand the use of clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel. We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol - using everything from wood chips, to grasses, to agricultural wastes.

We have made a lot of progress, thanks to good policies in Washington and the strong response of the market. Now even more dramatic advances are within reach. Tonight, I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal. Let us build on the work we have done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next 10 years - thereby cutting our total imports by the equivalent of 3/4 of all the oil we now import from the Middle East.

To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by setting a mandatory Fuels Standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 - this is nearly 5 times the current target. At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks - and conserve up to 8.5 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017.

Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but will not eliminate it. So as we continue to diversify our fuel supply, we must also step up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways. And to further protect America against severe disruptions to our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Well, Mr. President, I'll believe it when I see it. Hopefully having a Democratic majority in Congress will help ensure that some strides are taken to curb global warming and improve clean and renewable energy technologies. In the meantime, perhaps we should focus on convincing Americans to use less energy (especially gasoline) and get back to a simpler, greener lifestyle.

Labels: environment/sustainability, politics

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Congress Finally Gives a Hoot!

For possibly the first time since Bush took office, the government actually did something to help the environment instead of Big Oil. The CLEAN Act (Clean Long-Term Energy Alternative for the Nation Act of 2007) was passed this week. The bill reduces subsidies, closes tax loopholes, and collects royalties from Big Oil. Royalties collected will then be used to promote renewable and clean energy. It seems that the recent shift in power in Congress has led to the environment being more of a priority. Well, it's about damn time! :)

I learned of this news from a post on Green Options, a new green lifestyle blog. Author Michael dEstries reports that this shift to green energy can be a boost to our economy and reduce our dependence on foreign oil (all while reducing the use of fossil fuels, which is always a good thing). dEstries says:

In an independent study, investments in alternative energy will potentially create 3.3 million new jobs to the nation's economy, while stimulating $1.4 trillion dollars in new GDP. If anything, people are simply shocked to see attention paid to domestic policy, something that's been in short supply while at war overseas.

Good news for the environment and all of us that are fighting for it! :)

Labels: environment/sustainability, politics

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

The Amazon and Idaho's Wolves: In Crisis

I read a very informative article in National Geographic about the Amazon rainforest that unplug readers may want to check out. The Amazon, one of the most bio-diverse places left on the planet and an important tipping point of global warming, is in peril. According to the article, by Scott Wallace, "During the past 40 years, close to 20% of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down - more than in all the previous 450 years since European colonization began." Greedy land-grabbers, large multi-national corporations, and weak protection enforcement have all contributed to the attacks on this fragile ecosystem. The article looks at the Amazon from many varied viewpoints, from poor and indigenous people living on the land, to the "King of Soy" - the largest producer of soy in the world, who operates in the Amazon. Soy is one of the Amazon region's largest exports (along with timber, which is often cut illegaly). Corn, cotton, and beef are also raised on Amazon land, much of which is exported to the US and Europe.

The destruction of the Amazon should not be news to anyone, but it is still continuing, and still largely ignored. In a recent Adbusters magazine article, I read that the logging of the Amazon has reached a tipping point. The article, by Jerry Toth, mentions that "30% of the Amazon rainforest has been wiped out or partially deforested. Scientists now predict that once the forest loss hits a critical threshold of 40%, the Amazon will slip into an irreversible, self-perpetuating cycle of deforestation and drought... whereupon the world's largest jungle will convert itself into the likeness of a desert." One reason this happens is because the Amazon produces half its own rainfall from the moisture it releases into the atmosphere. As the forest is cut down, less and less moisture is released and less rain falls, creating a dangerous cycle. Depressing news, indeed. Reading about the Amazon has raised many questions in my mind, such as which companies operate in the Amazon, and if the tofu I eat on occasion could have been made from soybeans grown on land that should be rainforest.

Ecosystems are delicate, and as they continue to get more and more polluted, thinned out, and destroyed, we'll continue to see more negative side effects, such as more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, more global warming, and the destruction of more species.

Another issue I've been concerned about lately, and one that's a bit closer to home for me, are the wolves here in Idaho. Idaho is planning to remove wolves from the Endangered Species Act after their controvesial reintroduction into Idaho wilderness and subsequent increase in numbers. There are many ranchers and hunters in this state that are vehemently opposed to wolves being protected. If wolves are de-listed, the state is poised to kill up to 75% of the wolves living in the Lolo district of the Clearwater National Forest (which is one of the areas I enjoy backpacking and wildlife-watching in). As a wildlife proponent and someone who does not believe in raising animals for food or hunting, I've gotta say I disagree with the ranchers and hunters. Maybe I'm a bit biased because my dog Juneau is a close relative of wolves, but I think the wolves deserve to stay in what little wilderness is left, and they need our protection to keep from dying off and upsetting the fragile balance of the area's ecosystems.

Defenders of Wildlife has a campaign on this issue and I have submitted a letter to the US Fish & Wildlife Service asking that wolves continue to be protected. I hope you'll do the same. Friends of the Clearwater is another oranization concerned with protecting wildlife that I support. They are a local organization based here in Moscow, and there is plenty of information, event listings, and even a satellite photo of clearcuts in the Clearwater river area on their site.

The natural world is in crisis, these issues are just two of many examples. It's hard not to feel overwhelmed when I hear such terrible news, but it's important to remember that one person CAN make a difference, and that change has got to start somewhere. Keep on fighting the good fight! :)

Labels: environment/sustainability, news/current events

Monday, January 08, 2007

Living Your Ideals

Well, it's 2007. And as usual, I have a whole list of New Year's Resolutions. Who knows how many I'll actually keep, but my resolutions (and my goals, in general) over the past few years have a bit of a pattern: I want to live my ideals. I want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. It's a constant struggle, especially because I have pretty high aspirations and I tend to dream big. In 2005, my boyfriend and I started eating organic food whenever possible, and have been shopping at the Farmer's Market and the Co-op ever since. This was also about the time he went vegetarian (after I had been veg for over 6 months), another milestone in lining up our lives with our beliefs & ethics. In 2006, our goal was to get a car we could convert to run on waste vegetable oil, a carbon-neutral way to power your car (from a renewable source). We got our diesel volkswagen vanagon and ordered a Greasecar kit, and now collect waste oil, filter it, and run our van on it. It's a work in progress of course (as any VW is).

In the spirit of bringing change in the new year, I've come up with a list of possible New Year's Resolutions that can bring your lifestyle in line with progressive ethics and sustainability. There's lots of things you can do to lessen your negative impact on the earth, and lead to a more positive impact on everything around you.

Get Informed by dedicating more time to reading up on local and world news (preferably from independent media sources) and researching issues you are concerned about. Then, put your knowledge to use by doing something about it!

Simplify your life and reduce the amount of waste you produce. There's many ways to do this, including going through your home & donating unused items to charity, repairing and maintaining the things you already have instead of replacing them, re-using containers, and simply buying less stuff. Another great way to add time to your day is to stop watching TV (I don't miss it, you won't either).

Support Causes you believe in whether it be volunteering for a local animal shelter or donating money to a charity organization. Use your skills to help organizations you support, or even get a job with one!

Change Your Lifestyle one bit at a time until you're living your ideals. Start changing your life and changing the world every day. This could mean dropping things like meat, high fructose corn syrup, or overly-processed foods from your diet. Or it could mean carpooling, walking, or riding your bike to school or work instead of driving a car. You chould start reading labels and buying sweatshop and cruelty free items. Simple changes can have huge effects!

Switch Your Lights to energy-saving bulbs (a la An Inconvenient Truth. Also switch your appliances when they wear out with energy-efficent models (look for the Energy Star logo, or come up with your own standards).

Speak Out and get more involved in issues you care about. Whether it's passing out leaflets, participating in a peace demonstration, or volunteering for a local non-profit, you can help change minds & support your community.

Be Picky when you must buy something. Look for products that use recycled or renewable materials, that are manufactured in green factories (or at least not in sweatshops), or that are Fair Trade Certified or Certified Organic. And whenever possible, but locally grown/made products from the people that produce them: you'll be helping your local economy and supporting small businesses & farms.

There are probably a million more small things you could do to turn your life into a manifestation of your ideals. These are just a few I've done or am working on. Please leave a comment if you have other suggestions to add to this list! :)

Happy New Year!

Labels: activism, environment/sustainability, lifestyle