Low Overhead Recycling

Katherine Mieszkowski of Salon writes about the nuances of scaveging in her most recent article:

Taking in the Trash

The article is mostly about The Scavenger's Manifesto recently released by Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson of the SF Easy Bay Area.

It might be a lot of work, but much better than the work it would take to get what would otherwise have been trash to the landfill.  Good luck scavengers!

Trend in the making: Sustaining Bankers

The New York Times reported in its article Wall St., A Financial Epithet, Stirs Outrage about ex-bankers going into social cause lines of work.   It mentions an emerging very cool company GreenSoulShoes that is going to sell some pretty hip looking sandals that support underpriviledged children in Cambodia.   

the mess of the Bush EPA

Rebecca Clarin writes a very informative article in today's Salon regarding what has happened to EPA toxicity studies under the Bush Administration.

The EPA's Stalin Era

Basically, the IRIS database is an extensive database that has public health data regarding toxic chemicals.  One would think that it behooves a society with unexplained toxicity concerns to conduct as many studies as possible where there are suspicions of contamination.  

Sadly, under the Bush administration, getting IRIS studies approved became much more complicated.  This was achieved via an alliance between conservatives John Graham at the OMB and George Gray at the  Office of Research and Development.  Changes in the process included lowering the value of a human life by $1m (to $7m) and quantifying toxicity as a range instead of a single number, plus more emphasis on cost benefit analysis. If that's not bad enough they added more layers of approvals outside of the EPA, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy.

 

 So the math here is:

Cost Benefit Analysis for IRIS Studies at the EPA

IRIS Study Benefits = Vaguer toxicity assessment number with low range x Lesser value of human life = Lower benefit number for toxicity study

IRIS Study Costs = The same cost number for toxicity study

Initial Assessment = More often, Costs>Benefits = Fewer IRIS studies are worth the cost

Final Assessment = Fewer IRIS studies worth the cost +DOD endorsement + DOE endorsement = Way Fewer IRIS Studies

The article cites the egregious contamination situation that exists near Kelly Air Force base, San Antonio, where tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, was used extensively as an airplane degreaser and then dumped in shallow waste pits, causing contamination of a 4 square mile area known as "the plume".   Residents of the plume have severely elevated levels of cancer, not to mention liver, heart, lung, kidney disease, recurrent sinus infections and low birth weights.   The EPA hasn't completed a study in 10 years, and currently officially proclaims the air and groundwater safe.  However, the 25% of sick households with cancer and other illnesses in this area says otherwise.

The Obama administration can reinstate the old IRIS process with "a flick of a pen,", according to the author.  Hopefully, said pen flick is forthcoming.

LED Lights in Tanzania

Our friends at Dissigno are replacing kerosene lighting with LED lights with a grant from the World Bank (part of Lighting Africa initiative).  Six hours of pedaling stores enough energy to light 6 homes for 30 days.  San Francisco-based Dissigno is currently on site in Tanzania.  

About 2 billion people have no electric lighting a home.  Fuel (typically kerosene) is expensive, inefficient, unhealthy, and unsafe.  The costs of fuel dependency and subsidies are very high.  Lack of lighting is directly linked with the cycle of illiteracy and poverty.  You Tube video:  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2nASqdJw3rg

Dissigno was recently written up in Discover mag and on the Wired Science blog.  Pretty cool stuff.

Photos: John Dickey

Global Warming and Frozen Markets

Dan Shapely of The Daily Green assembles a few points about the environmental movement that come to the forefront given the large losses in the capital markets:

1. Green power creates jobs, however contributions from the private sector will be more scarce.

2. Annual environmental losses outweigh financial ones (deforestation alone costs as much as $5 trillion/year, BBC News recently reported), and take much longer to reverse than capital markets. 

3. Carbon tax may see more support (Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia U) as it requires less financial engineering than the Cap-and-Trade programs favored in Kyoto.  

Financial capital is a huge part of assuaging global warming:  particularly when it comes to alternative power generation, like offshore wind farms and solar projects. 

Financial Turmoil, and Thoughts on Green

When jobs implode, business credit lines are yanked and the bills are due, keeping green might not be at the top of anyone's list.  Historically, in tough economic times, people are going to focus on their own needs first.   We're already reading about the impact of disappearing banks, lost jobs, foreclosures and the immediate effects on personal spending.   It's down.  Predictions for the rest of the year: way down.

Here's some thoughts on general trends in the markets.

• More people trying to make ends meet to supplement income.  This boosts the supply of stuff sold by small business and individual internet sellers on venues like craigslist and ebay.
  
• Price sensitivity and lower demand for goods in general.  
  
• Decline of interest in luxury brands. 
  
• Increased demand for used items, bargain items, and products with lower markups.  
  
• Less charitable giving.  

Buying green typically has status associated with it.  However, many things green can become desirable in a recession.  

1. Lead with practical goods.
   
2. Focus on cost savings.
   
3. De-emphasize status.
   
4. Show the human element of who benefits from the sale.  
   
5. Add items with lower price points.
   

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Economy Takes Bike Industry on Joyride

Checked out wired's blog today... Yes, it makes sense that eco-consciousness, high gas prices and obesity worries would blend together and accelerate things for somewhat sleepy bike industry.  Not such a bad thing, especially since there are less enjoyable thing to do than go for a bikeride. 

Happily now included in the family are electronic bikes, ebikes, which you may say are really battery powered scooters (shhh).  But these gizmos are picking up speed in terms of popularity, very much so, especially in China.  It's the future, and therefore, very soon Brangelina will be pictured riding on them.