HopenSource by Grist

Now for a little environmental optimism. I’ve stumbled across Grist‘s clever side project, HopenSource a few times and would highly recommend swinging by next time you’ve got the chance. It’s a joint blog and twitter account (including its very own hashtag to allow everyone to join in the conversation) dedicated to the discussion of the good news in the environmental …

The Case Against Whaling: Whale Feces

With the International Whaling Commission considering legalizing whaling with quotas, Australian scientists have found more reason than before not to – the positive effect of whales against the impetus of global warming.

Rethinking Green Attitude

Maybe I’ve just been looking for them these days, but I couldn’t help but marvel at the swarm of hybrids on the roads these days, in particular the very popular and well known Toyota Prius. It seems like every car company is on a similar marketing blitz these days claiming, “we had the first hybrid” or “we have the best …

Go Green Seattle 2010

Next week hails the long and widely publicized green-business event of the season, Seattle’s 2010 Go Green Conference. Over 60 speakers from all over the Pacific Northwest will converge on the 3rd floor of the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seattle to discuss, share and learn about the latest in sustainable business practices. For months now, downtown and the financial district …

The Environmental Impact of Everyday Things

Well, maybe not every day, but certainly every month. That’s right ladies and gents, we’re talking about the environmental impact of feminine hygiene products: tampons, pads, the whole deal. Now before I get into this topic I want to address the readers who might be cringing here. While acknowledging that public discussion of menstruation is a bit on the taboo …

Food as an Environmental Issue

While thinking about and writing my posts on natural groceries and organic delivery services, it came to my attention that the concept of food is not inherently an environmental issue in the minds of many people. I’ve got to admit that this kind of blew me away. To me, food is so essentially an environmental issue that to not think …

Natural Groceries Part 2: Spud! Organic Delivery Service

I had the chance to try out and review Spud! Local and Organic Delivery this past week. After reviewing Whole Foods in order to have something to compare Spud with, I had high hopes for the delivery service, but mixed results in the end. But more on that later. Spud (short for Small Potatoes Urban Delivery) was dreamed up in …

Earth Hour 2010

Earth Hour is starting to crop on the calendar. If you’ve never heard of it yet, you can visit Earth Hour’s site. During Earth Hour, participants turn out all their lights for one hour. It was started by the World Wildlife Fund three years ago as a way to speak up and raise awareness about climate change. While largely a symbolic act showing …

Seeing the Forest for the Trees (Part II)

Continued from Part I of Seeing the Forest for the Trees. Last week I attended Dr. Peterson’s lecture, “Climate, Forests and Future: A View from Treeline” at the University of Washington as a part of the School of Forest Resources and the College of the Environment lecture series, Sustaining our Northwest World. There were two subjects within the lecture that …

Seeing the Forest for the Trees (Part I)

Last Thursday evening I attended the public lecture “Climate, Forests and Future: A View from Treeline” by Dr. Dave Peterson – forest service scientist, professor and co-nobel prize winner.  He spoke at the University of Washington as a part of the School of Forest Resources and the College of the Environment lecture series, Sustaining our Northwest World. Initially his talk …