Cameron Diaz Delivers Her Green Message

Long-time environmentalist Diaz criss-crosses the country in this documentary asking people basics like do you know where your water and food comes from to provoke conversation. What will it take for you to get involved, she querries.

What will it take?

Story of Stuff Enriches School Discussions and Hits the NYT

The New York Times ran a front-page piece today on how the runaway viral video success, "The Story of Stuff," has become a part of curriculum in some schools. The 20 minute animation describes the history of consumerism as a lifestyle choice using humor and simplicity.

While teachers favor its use over say that other hit, "Inconvenient Truth" for a few reasons, one of which is duration, some parents aren't so happy about the results. When one daughter came home with a lesson plan for her family, her dad took it to the board.

The New york Times reports that:

Most parents take such needling with humor. But Mark Zuber, a parent of a child at Big Sky High School in Missoula, had a stronger reaction when a teacher showed the video to his daughter last year. “There was not one positive thing about capitalism in the whole thing,” Mr. Zuber said.

Corporations, for example, are portrayed as a bloated person sporting a top hat and with a dollar sign etched on its front.

He described the video as one-sided. “It was very well done, very effective advocacy, but it was just that,” he said.

Mr. Zuber argued before the Missoula County School Board that the way in which “The Story of Stuff” was presented, without an alternative point of view, violated its standards on bias, and the board agreed in a 4-to-3 vote.

Makes us wonder whether the number of hours our kids consume of commercials on television should count as homework.

The Story of Stuff blog reports that:

Toni Rehbein, the School Board chair, who confirmed that the board’s intention was not to prevent use of The Story of Stuff in classrooms or to squelch much needed attention on environmental issues, as long as such discussions welcome diverse opinions. She told us that the emails of support for Story of Stuff which the Board received from around the world had made a big impact and she assured us that the Board planned to issue a statement clarifying their position. We look forward to seeing that statement.

Meanwhile, in School Board elections on May 4th, Missoula citizens removed incumbent Rick Johns, one of the School Board members who had supported Mr Zuber’s concerns, further securing the majority of those who welcome environmental discourse and promote academic freedom.

Climate Activists Make Use of the Windy City's Power

Great piece of action from these serious environmentalists who hoisted up 6 wind turbines in downtown Chicago to demonstrate that they wanted wind power to come to their windy city. The turbines have already been taken down, but was nonetheless inspiring. According to Greenpeace USA, a passing Chicago woman pointed out the turbines to her kids and said, "This is your future".

Michael Krasny, Host of KQED's Forum, Talks with Winners of the Goldman Environmentalist Prize

In the second half hour of this radio show, host Michael Krasny opens the Forum to two grassroots activists who received this year's Goldman Environmental Prize. Maria Gunnoe, a West Virginian talks about her people's battle against King Coal and mountaintop removal, and attorney Rizwana Hasan her work to regulate the dangerous ship breaking industry in Bangladesh.

Go 24 minutes into the show to reach the second segment.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Returns

You can watch full episodes of Captain Planet and the Planeteers, the 1990 animated series produced by Ted Turner over the next 12 months on the Mother Nature Network.

Ashley Judd Rails Against Mountain Top Removal

During the I Love Mountains rally in Frankfort on Feb. 17, 2009, actor Ashley Judd took the podium to speak out against mountain top removal mining and in support of the Stream Saver Bill in this video.

(video courtesy of David Stephensen, Lexington Herald-Leader)

Household Cleanser Makers Face House Cleaning

From the LA Times Greenspace:

The makers of Tide, Ajax and other common household cleansers are being asked to come clean about their ingredients. Environmental and health activists announced plans for a lawsuit to make Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and two other major firms reveal the chemical ingredients of their cleaning products and their research on their effects.

FUEL Runs on People Power

"FUEL"

Winner of this year's Sundance Audience Choice Award for best documentary, "Fuel" premiered in Southern California over the weekend. The director-narrator Josh Tickell weaves his personal story with interviews from environmentalists, "green" celebrities, educators and policy makers to expose the manipulated world of fossil fuel oil industry and the hopeful promise of biofuel as an alternative.

Instead of going to a movie to escape
from your problems, go to a movie
that might solve your problems.

To have the documentary "Fuel" shown in your area, the filmmakers recommend you send this sample letter to your local theater.

For more information on the movie and the community it is trying to engage, go to the Fuel website.

Michael Pollan Discusses Impact of Food Production Facing New Administration

In this video, Michael Pollan offers a new plan for America's food production in this Web 2.0 2008 discussion held in San Francisco in early November. Pollan, gifted with a great sense of humor as he exposes hard truths about our food production and eating patterns, suggests that President-Elect Obama use the bully pulpit to:

• replace 5 acres of pristine Whitehouse lawn and replace it with organic crops, providing a backdrop for all those news segments that sends a new message to Americans;
  
• appoint someone like Alice Water, who values organic and sustainably grown food, as head chef;
• additionally, appoint an organic farmer to a Whitehouse post, in order to elevate the perceived value of farming.

San Francisco Supervisor Mirkarimi Rebuffs PG&E Attack

Luke Thomas of Fog City Journal, San Francisco posted this short and sweet video interview with Green Party member and Supervisor, Ross Mirkarimi. In the video, he responds to PG&E's attack on a bill up for vote this Tuesday to do a feasibility study on Public Ownership of the Utilities in the cit by the Bay. He says that the PG&E flyer intends to instill fear in voters who would in turn apply pressure on supervisors to vote the study down. Mirkarimi cites that the nine municipalities who do have a publicly owned utility supply its customers with cheaper energy, something that a monopoly power company just might not want citizens to consider for very long.

My Plastic Lays Over the Ocean, My Plastic Lays Over the Sea

One thousand miles offshore, lays a floating mess of micro-plastic, too difficult to fish out with a net. This video crew went out to see this persistent organic pollution for themselves. While they were expecting to see large masses of floating material, what they found was even more disturbing.

"This is levels beyond pollution," one reporter said. "We've changed the composition of ocean water."

"The world is plastic. It's a plastic fantastic world," snarled the ship captain. "It's our society. It's our way of life. It's our food delivery system. They deliver every meal in plastic."

Language warning for those shy of a sailor's tongue.

Thanks to alternative media channel VBS.TV for hosting Toxic Garbage Island, part 10 of 12 as well as a lot of other interesting alternative media.

Polidoc Crew Explores Green Party Presidential Hopeful Kent Mesplay's Home Turf

The Polidoc Crew is in the San Diego area to find out more about Presidential candidate Kent Mesplay.

Mesplay, an environmental scientist and political activist, knows the odds are against him and his Green Party, but he is still hopeful that this campaign will shed light on issues of security and sustainability, cornerstones of his platform.

Next week, we'll have a short piece about him ready for you to view and wow - has he ever developed while on the campaign trail.

Candidates Perform Green Dance to Garner Gore's Favor

Former Vice-President, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and last but not least, Academy Award winning Al Gore's superdelegate endorsement is the prettiest girl at the dance. Hoping to monopolize that dance card at the Democratic Nominating Convention, Senators Clinton and Obama are talking up Green initiatives.

Nice tight article here from MSNBC with the hopeful conclusion that, regardless of who becomes President, the whole world is expecting a big shift in the United States Energy Policy.

read more | digg story

Bloomberg Flourishes Green as a Sustainable Practicality

Big business is turning green with opportunity. It's part of every corporations' marketing campaign, including the oil business.

Mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg stood before guests of Newsweek's second annual ‘Global Environment Leadership Conference' and urged big business leaders gathered that sustainable businesses cannot only thrive in, but improve the environment.

“Now, for far too long, environmentalism has gotten pitted against economic development. But that’s a myth that ought to be laid to rest. Arnold (Schwareznegger) talked about that at last year’s conference. He spoke about how we can protect the environment and also protect the economy.

“Today, I’m not only going to second that idea, but take it one step further. Because the fact is that we can actually improve our environment while growing our economy. Certainly, growing our economy is a major concern in Washington, and throughout the nation, too. It’s not going to be easy or simple. It’s going to require leadership in the public and private sectors and change in our public and private lives.
“One thing that I’ve learned in government is that there’s always a good reason to do nothing. But business – and government, too – both increasingly recognize that going green is the best – indeed the only – pro-growth strategy, not just for the long term, but in the short run as well.
“The other participants in today’s conference can vouch for that, too. Let’s start with the private sector, where today green business is clearly good business. Just ask the representatives here today from Starbucks, Saatchi & Saatchi, Stoneyfield Farms, and Fetzer Vineyards, who will be on a panel entitled ‘Profitability through Sustainability.’
“They’ll tell you that going green helps the bottom line by reducing energy consumption and lowering energy costs. It’s also a plus in recruiting and retaining top employees – men and women who are often very environmentally conscious and active. And in today’s highly competitive economy – where the best people can and will go where they feel most comfortable – that’s an increasingly, and even overridingly, important factor.
“Cities are intensely competitive with one another, too. Increasingly, quality of life provides the winning edge in that competition. It’s often what separates the front runners from the also-rans in the global economy. Believe me, I know where I want New York City to be in that race. And I know that – as big as the benefits of environmentalism are, and as big as the risks of climate change if we don’t act – a lot of people would still rather do nothing.
“It takes courage to ask people to change – even if it won’t really cost them much. Political leaders today are afraid of their constituents. As Evan Thomas notes in this week’s Newsweek, ‘it takes a very great leader to extract sacrifice from the voters, but if we wait until the water starts lapping over Manhattan to really do something to affect climate change, it will be too late.’

Hopefully, environmental activists and inventors who have long sought business reforms, can take some pleasure in this greenwashing, though it's unlikely that much gratitude will come their way for their decades of efforts. While it might take a great leader to extract sacrifices from the voters, it will take a humble activist to stop from saying, "I told you so."

Kent Mesplay Considers Effects of Nader's Independent Run on Green Party Convention

Kent Mesplay, campaigning for the Green Party nomination for President, suggests that Ralph Nader's Independent run for President might boost his delegate count in the second round of this summer's Green Party Convention.

Though Nader won significant popular vote in several key states, including California with the largest constituency, many state parties have successfully pushed for bylaws which require a candidate to be a signed member of the party.

"Ralph Nader is basically doing his own thing, as he always does. I think strategically, he’s making a mistake if it is his intent to be the nominee (of the Green Party). If I criticize the man it’s not because he’s running an independent candidacy. He’s saying some important things and pointing out that there’s too much money in politics. People who were drafting him allowed his name to be used, so there are many who are disappointed." He continued, "Nader has elder status in that he helped the Green Party get going. Some people just have not been able to let him go."

Mesplay contends that, as in 2004 when he ran against Nader and Cobb, Nader's delegates may be attracted to his particular platform, which emphasizes sustainability .

"Things get interesting in the second round," said Mesplay, when the number of promised delegates pledged to Nader could select one of the remaining candidates, including himself. "I intend to win the nomination."

Cynthia McKinney, former Democratic Congresswoman of Georgia who recently signed up to be a Green appears to be the frontrunner. McKinney draws into the party a much sought constituency of the black and urban communities. Her platform emphasizes social and economic justice, a much heralded but little played tune from the party's ten key values. Her record of standing up in Congress to others in office and of opening up matters that most have ignored gained her the respect of many Greens, while her public persona took a beating from fellow Democrats and the media. To date, her campaign has demonstrated the most organizational and fundraising muscle.

When asked about fellow candidate Jesse Johnson's recent vote of support from Democratic Presidential candidate Mike Gravel, Mesplay said, "I’m pleased for Jesse, because it shows that people are starting to pay attention to the Green Party. It shows how creative we can be and how creative we must be in order to attract media attention."

Mesplay hopes that in the 100 days before the convention, his additional campaign work will attract enough state delegates to offer good competition at this year's convention. This weekend, he will be a guest speaker at the Harvey Mudd College Goal 5 Conference, along with a number of other distinguished environmentalists. In late April, he intends to protest the exclusion of the Green Party at the Science Debate 2008 , a nationally sponsored debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates for President. Difficult to not see the irony that the Green Party would not be included in an event like this. It remains to be seen if Ralph Nader will be attending, either as an invited or unwelcomed guest.

To hear more of BlogTalk's interview Kent Mesplay, use the media player below, and check out other blogtalk radio shows. There are a surprising number of third party candidates voicing their opinion and it's a good thing to know there's an alternative to the corporate media out there.


For more information, go to Mesplay's campaign website.

Blog Talk Dec. 2007 Interviews of Presidential Candidates: Mesplay and Schriner

Pulling this out from the recent past is an interview by BlogTalk of two candidates who are seeking the Green Party nomination for President. Kent Mesplay and Joe Schriner first met at the Green Party Convention in 2007 held in Reading, PA.

Mesplay, who has been a member of the Green Party for more than ten years, is an environmental scientist from San Diego. He ran for the Presidential nomination in 2004 as well as the California Senate in 2006.

Schriner thinks it would be good to have just an average guy in DC. A part-time journalist and activist, he became a Green in 2007 at the Convention. Though he has not been recognized as a Green Party candidate on the National He (and his family) have been traveling for over six years campaigning for the Presidency. They drive around in a old trailer