26 Jun Fave posts from the week #3

via my Green4th.com, my experimental newsfeed:

1. “PODER”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/poder.html
“People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources”
Susana Almanza formed PODER 18 years ago with a collaborative mission: to redefine environmental issues as social and economic justice issues, and set a community-driven agenda to address these concerns as basic human rights. PODER has been extremely effective, improving quality of life in Austin’s unfairly-zoned minority neighborhoods. Community leadership we can strive for!

2. “Old world business, New world balance”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/old-world-print-shop-achieves-new-world.html
Austin is a town with talented artists, builders, crafters, and do-it-yourselfers. Bison Print Shop (Bellingham, WA) — founded & run by musicians — has secured a niche crafting keepsakes, “at a sustainable speed.” Looks good to me.

3. “Social Networks that support a Green Lifestyle”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/social-networks-that-support-green.html
So many AENers are leading the way, helping Austin become environmentally sustainable, if not beneficial! And so many of us want to do more. Here’s a review of: Big Carrot, Carbon Rally, Celsias, Change.org, Creative Citizen, Greenvoice, How You Eco, and MakeMeSustainable. These networks offer things varying from helping you buy the best carbon offsets to raising money for green causes to starting your own grassroots campaign…

4. “US Military greening”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/us-military-greening-strategy.html
We all know this is important. Our military is seeing the value in fuel efficiency (saving money), and off-grid electricity generation (fuel security). Look to the military to become a strategic leader in this area…

5. “Doug Tompkins”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/doug-tompkins-eco-baron.html
Austin has been struggling with rapid growth for some time now. From an environmentalist perspective, restoring and preserving habitat may be the most central facet to carbon reduction, species protection, and sustainability itself.
Founder/CEO of ESPRIT Fashions and The North Face, Doug Tompkins, has leveraged his wealth to eco-preserve more than 2,000,000 acres in Canada, Argentia, and Chile. Tompkins conservation philanthropy is profiled in a new book, “Eco Barons.”

6. “White roofs, please”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/white-roofs-across-america.html
“Hot summer” started late, but with a bang. High temps were all above 100 this week. I recommend morning swims at the Springs! Energy Secretary Steven Chu told the world that if we painted all our roofs sun reflective white, and made our roads opaque (instead of black) — the heat reduction would equivalent to removing all automotive vehicles from US roads for 11 years. Let’s get started?

7. “Massey Coal vs. NASA science”
http://www.green4th.com/2009/06/massey-coal-vs-nasas-science.html
Even though Austin leads the US in clean energy subscriptions, we derive the majority of our electricity from burning coal. EVERYBODY seems to know that burning coal is the most environmentally destructive thing happening right now — everyone except the CEO of the largest coal mining company in West Virginia that is, who recently challenged global warming pioneer James Hansen to a duel, er… debate.

Thanks for reading.
Be sure to check out the Cool House Tour (Sunday) & see you next week! Chris