David Korten: Agenda for a New Economy

A friend sent this to me today. If you have ten minutes, watch this clip about how Obama's economic stimulus plan doesn't get to the heart of our current economy's problems:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/26/david_korten_agenda_for_a_new

David Korten does a good job of linking together our concerns about consumerism, sustainable living, and not having our lives dictated by our jobs. Can we do this all while stabilizing our economy? He definitely has some ideas that are worth listening to.

On Exhibit in DC - Green Community

The National Building Museum in Washington, DC recently opened an exhibit called "Green Community" where people can see how communities worldwide are creating more sustainable futures through smart planning and design. The exhibit is free and runs through October 2009. The museum is also hosting a "Sustainable Communities" lecture series starting in January.

I haven't been to the exhibit yet, but was intrigued by a little factoid in the Washington Post's review - did you know that Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the White House in 1978? And that Ronald Reagan had them removed? Who knew?!?

There's a review of the exhibit in the Washington Post's Weekend Section from last Friday.

Cleaning Green at Home

Here's an article from the UK about the potential health impact of the traditional cleaning products that you use at home. The article gives scary facts, such as:

the air in [your house] is about two to five times more polluted than the air outside – due entirely to the amount of chemicals in your everyday cleaning products

and

basically, whatever you put down the drain ends up in your drinking water, so as you drink more water, you get a higher concentration in your body. It ends up in our fish and in plants, which we eat, too.

Scary, huh?

I like this article because it lays out the problems in common ingredients, so you know what to avoid and why. Check it out -- your body will thank you.

Blue Ocean Fishphone

This is the coolest thing since Google Text.

If you're out to dinner and want to order seafood, but can't remember which fish is environmentally sustainable, just text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish. The Blue Ocean Institute will text you back with the answer.

Check it out: Blue Ocean Fishphone

Thanks to JW for this tip!

The Bridge at the Edge of the World

Renowned environmentalist James Gustave Speth has released a new book today: The Bridge at the End of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability.

Gus Speth is also the Dean of my school, the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He has been instrumental in the environmental movement as a whole, and these days continues to educate us on many things, including on the effects of consumerism on ourselves and the environment. His book speaks to this as well as how we as individuals can make a positive difference for the environment.