Google Earth Gone Green
By Jenna Kirkman
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 1 Comment
Google Earth lets you zoom through three-dimensional Appalachian mountains, map out your dream vacation in Tahiti, or “fly” to a high-resolution satellite image of your very own home. The newest version comes equipped with close-up street views, 3D buildings, and stargazing abilities, but it is more than just fun and games – Google Earth is becoming one of the most important eco-tools of our time.
Already, Google Earth 4.3 comes with a Global Awareness feature that calls attention to eco-attractions like Fair Trade Certified Farms, Greenpeace Climate Control Areas, and Unicef Water and Sanitation Projects. Other businesses have been teaming up with Google Earth to provide add-on downloads in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format in order to showcase international issues.
Basically, these KMLs enhance your view and global knowledge by painting a layer of interactive data and information over the Google Earth globe. Popular add-ons include: Disappearing Forests, Green Buildings, and EDGE Endangered Mammals. The Climate Change in Our World application, created by Google and Met Office Hadley Centre, not only shows current temperature stats, but also projects possible warming trends from now until November 2099.
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has joined Google to create two add-ons that help American businesses, communities, and the general public track the main source of environmental evil – pollution.
In the first add-on, the EPA pinpoints locations from the United States Emissions File, which divides pollution into seven major point-source sectors; Cement Facilities, Chemical Manufacturing, Electric Generating Units (EGU), Natural Gas Pipelines, Oil and Gas Production, Petroleum Refineries, and Pulp and Paper Industries.
On the map, sectors are color-coded and can be clicked to reveal the company’s name, location, and a summary graphing total emissions from six common pollutants; carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. Pretty cool.
Even cooler, though, is the EPA’s second add-on, Air Now, which shows you the current Air Quality Index (AQI) for certain areas of the United States, updated every hour, and forecasts 
tomorrow’s AQI, too. An area’s AQI predicts how the air quality will affect your health, and is based on a color-coded scale from 0 – 500, with 0 (green) being completely safe, and 500 (red) the most hazardous.
The UK Air Quality Archive has a similar Air Pollution add-on, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has produced a similar emissions application that maps pollution in Canada and Mexico in addition to the US, but a worldwide air pollution and emissions add-on is yet to be found.
Still, Google Earth’s revolutionary display of global data and statistics, and its ability to connect cultures in a creative new way, has made details about air pollution and emissions easily accessible and of interest to everyone.
Individuals who are searching for a vacation destination or a new home will steer clear of heavy pollution. As a result, new real estate and tourist attractions will be built in lower-risk areas. Businesses will move or implement new branches within less polluted communities, which will motivate these regions to sustain their green reputation. And most importantly, these trends will help inspire communities and businesses in heavily polluted areas to lower emissions and clean up their act.
Want to check out Google Earth for yourself?
- Read over the User Guide, and download the free version of Google Earth.
- Browse Google Earth 4.3’s already awesome features located in the bottom left navigation window, or search for downloadable KMLs that spark your interest.
- Visit Google Earth Outreach to find businesses, non-profits, and individuals who want to share a global message, or to seek help in creating your own KML.
Posted on September 26, 2008 |
How Are You Going To Carry All Those books? An Eco Backpack Review
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, News & Reviews | 2 Comments
It’s that time of year again. Days are shortening, shadows are lengthening, and the air is cooling. As fall once again creeps silently onto the scene, people of all ages are getting preped to head back to school. Companies still give us little opportunity to be environmentally responsible with our choices in pens, highlighters or binders, and the debate over using post-consumer recycled paper or taking notes on your laptop remains heated. One thing that we can choose to be responsible with this year is what we stash and transport all of our heavy books in: our backpack. Continue reading How Are You Going To Carry All Those books? An Eco Backpack Review…
Posted on August 25, 2008 |
Behind The Label: Fair Trade At The Olympics
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under The Big Picture | 2 Comments
Unlike past Olympics, this year’s games saw a worldwide protest that swept in to challenge the frequent abuse of human rights, aggression against Tibet, and environmental hazards that China is notorious for. There’s nothing like a billion-dollar, media-happy, corporate-sponsored international event like the Olympics to shed some light on matters of social justice and environmental responsibility and to inspire opportunities for the export behemoth to make positive changes.
That’s where the Play Fair 2008 Campaign comes in. Organized by the Clean Clothes Campaign, the International Trade Union Confederation, and the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers Federation, Play Fair 2008 is an international campaign pushing for respect for worker’s rights in the global sporting goods industry.
Even as the fair trade and green movements grow larger and stronger, we still cannot seem to resist the temptation to inexpensively produce goods in China and place them on our shelves in Europe and North America. There are responsible, local businesses in most countries who make it their policy to fairly compensate the manufacturers of their products such as Washington state-based Fair Trade Sports, but this remains a rarity. Continue reading Behind The Label: Fair Trade At The Olympics…
Posted on August 20, 2008 |
BALLE: Creating A Community-Based Global Economy
By Jenna Kirkman
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 2 Comments
After reading last month’s article on food miles, it is clear that the corporate centralization of global food supply means ‘efficient’ mass production that works against all standards of environmental responsibility and health. Without an alternative, eating a fresh, healthy diet would be a hard fought battle, yet thankfully, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) has a firm grasp on the issue.
BALLE is a network that inter-connects sustainable businesses throughout the world. The businesses involved share a common desire to reduce energy use, produce less waste, support localized economies, and explore new green opportunities including fair trade, fair wages, and healthy work environments for an integrated, sustainable economy. Continue reading BALLE: Creating A Community-Based Global Economy…
Posted on August 4, 2008 |
Natural Sunscreen 101
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Green Living, News & Reviews | 7 Comments
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who are concerned with sunburns, skin cancer, or pre-mature aging, then you’re probably no stranger to sunscreen. Surprisingly, even with all the slathering on of sunscreen in this country, incidents of skin cancer have tripled in the US in recent years. There are even some studies that say your conventional, chemical-based sunscreen may actually be partly to blame. Many of these chemicals have been found to generate free radicals that can cause cancer while they’re supposedly protecting you from it.
Another unexpected danger from sunscreen use is that it may be harming coral reefs and fish. Sunscreen from beachgoers and snorkelers washes off into the ocean and causes UV ray interference to the corals, leading to viral infections and coral bleaching. Scientists have found fish off the coast of California that have had ovarian tissue growing in their testes. They believe that oxybenzone (a main ingredient in many conventional sunscreens) is responsible. Other dangerous chemicals to look out for include octinoxate, diethanolamine (DEA), and parabens The best choice is a sunscreen containing naturally occurring zinc oxide. Naturally occurring titanium dioxide is a close second, although there has been some controversy around titanium dioxide as well.
The safest and most eco-friendly way to prevent burns is to limit your time in the sun, and to wear a hat and cover up when you’re exposed to it. If you must use sunscreen, be sure to read the label; many sunscreens that claim to be all natural or eco-friendly contain those nasty little sea-creature-killing chemicals. Here’s a bit of insight into some of the major brands of “natural” and “organic” sunscreens you may find at your grocer or drugstore.
Alba Botanica Organic Lavender Sunscreen
Alba Botanica Organic Lavender Sunscreen is one of those sunscreens where you really have to be careful and read the label. Although this sunscreen does contain a few ingredients that are organic (like the lavender, aloe vera, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, and green tea), the active ingredients include 7.5% octinoxate and 6.0% oxybenzone, making the sunscreen as a whole far from certified organic. This sunscreen is neither organic nor completely natural, and not high on the list of recommended sunscreens for the safety of you or the environment.
MSRP: $9.95 for 4 oz ($2.48/oz)
Continue reading Natural Sunscreen 101…
Posted on July 8, 2008 |
Can Wal-Mart Trade Fair?
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 2 Comments
Wal-Mart is a word that typically conjures up images of bulldozed forests making way for big box retail, swarming shoppers, low cost & low quality products, CEO’s with fat paychecks, and sweatshops in China. Its bad reputation has inspired mass protests, websites devoted to outlining its wrongdoings (such as WIPE, short for Wal-Mart Is Pure Evil), and popular documentary films like Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices. Though with increasing consumer demand for products that make positive environmental and social impacts, even Wal-Mart is making an effort to conserve waste, promote sustainability, and support Fair Trade.
On April 1st, as part of its “Earth Month” initiatives, Wal-Mart released a detailed press release about their plan to launch six new coffees under their Sam’s Choice brand that would include organic, Fair Trade certified, and Rainforest Alliance certified blends. A Fair Trade certification requires certain environmental, social and economical requirements to be met and, most importantly, the producer group to receive a fair price with a set minimum. The Rainforest Alliance certification program also carries heavy requirements that target longterm sustainability and environmental health. The coffees will be roasted by Cafe Bom Dia, a Brazilian Fair Trade cooperative that is one of the first roasters to become Carbon Neutral. Continue reading Can Wal-Mart Trade Fair?…
Posted on July 3, 2008 |
FSC-Certified Rubber: Helping The Amazon To Bounce Back
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
Some of us have heard the term “FSC-certified” before, especially when shopping for furniture or paper products. The Forest Stewardship Council was established in 1992 to improve forest management worldwide and has been certifying wood-based products for more than 15 years. But there’s a new certification trend in town: eco-friendly rubber?
Rubber is used to manufacture thousands of our every day products. We use it to rub out our mistakes (pencil erasers), rub elbows on the tennis courts (tennis shoes), and even rub up against each other (condoms). Rubber is ubiquitous, but one rarely thinks of where it comes from…rubber as a product sourced from the Amazon Rainforest.
The rubber tree produces a sap that is extracted just like maple syrup. This sap is known as latex, and is typically harvested when the trees are 5-6 years old. Incisions are made just deep enough to tap the vessels without harming the tree’s growth, and the sap is collected in small buckets. This process is known as rubber tapping.
Though most rubber tree plantations are found in Indonesia, rubber trees are indigenous to the Amazon Rainforest. When Amazonian “rubber tappers” a.k.a. “seringuieros” are able to make a living wage from harvesting in the forest, it reduces greatly the likelihood that they may sell their land to timber companies for a quick, one-time payoff. This is a perfect example of when conscious commerce lends to both social and environmental sustainability at the same time, while also turning a profit a.k.a. serving the Triple Bottom Line.
Many companies in the US and Europe are starting to realize that they can participate in sustaining healthy economies and ecosystems abroad while sourcing the highest quality raw materials for their products. Anne O’Loughlin uses FSC-certified rubber to make the soles of her sneakers at her fair trade shoe company, Autonomie Project. According to Anne, “All natural rubber certified by the FSC is truly the most environmentally-friendly alternative possible for the soles of the shoes…The rubber earns its certification because it is completely natural with no added toxins or chemicals, and is tapped from a tree…in a sustainable manner.”
Interested in the Forest Stewardship Council? Take action!
- Look for the label and ask for FSC-certified products when buying lumber, paper, and rubber
- Source FSC-certified materials, if you manufacture items with rubber, paper, or wood
- Become a FSC member and vote on issues at the FSC General Assembly
Posted on May 27, 2008 |
Fair Trade Joins Google Earth!
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
After brewing a cup of my favorite organic Fair Trade coffee from Equal Exchange the other morning, I was awakened by some exciting news. We can now find our favorite Fair Trade coffee producers on Google Earth! For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, Google Earth lets you virtually swoop around the world viewing satellite images on your computer of literally any and every corner of the globe.
Loved by school children, superman wannabe’s, architects, and voyeurs alike, the latest version of Google Earth features a close-up street view with 3D buildings, detailed descriptions of landmarks, and even a “sun” feature that lets you play God and control the sunrise and sunset of any location you wish…great for checking out the passive solar potential of your future real estate acquisition.
Proudly, the team at Google Earth has always had a social conscience and uses its technological savvy to raise awareness about international affairs and human rights issues. In the recent past, they’ve focused their mapping efforts on highlighting the New Orleans post-Katrina floods and the conflict crisis in Darfur.
Their newest feat is bringing you close-ups and stories about Third World producers participating in the international movement of Fair Trade. Fair Trade is an alternative, more sustainable, and all around better way of doing business. Rather than using sweatshops and importing massive amounts of goods from China, Fair Traders work closely with small, independent owners and cooperatives located for the most part in rural parts of the developing world. Fair Trade producers are paid a fair price for their work; do not use child labor; are not held to abusive overtime pressure; have safe and healthy work environments; and are usually recipients of other well-being initiatives and community programs, such as health clinics and micro-credit programs. Continue reading Fair Trade Joins Google Earth!…
Posted on May 20, 2008 |
World Fair Trade Day
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 1 Comment
World Fair Trade Day is celebrated every second Saturday of May. It is a day devoted to bringing awareness to the what, where, why and how of Fair Trade. Where we get our morning cup of coffee directly effects farmers and agricultural communities all over the world and can mean the difference between an impoverished community and a thriving one. Whether it’s coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice, sugar, handicrafts, or even sports gear, asking for Fair Trade at the stores you shop at is key. Check out this beautiful piece on Fair Trade coffee by eq.tv.
Take Action: Support Fair Trade in your community.
- Celebrate World Fair Trade Day at an event near you
- Buy Fair Trade products
- Look for the Transfair USA Fair Trade symbol on imported staples (coffee, tea, sugar, rice, and bananas)
- Ask your grocer what Fair Trade products are available in their store
Posted on May 10, 2008 |
Putting The Fair Trade In Sports
By Mathew Gerson
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 3 Comments
Scott James redefines the term good sport. Scott and his wife Susan have pioneered the North American market in Fair Trade equipment for soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, and rugby with their company, Fair Trade Sports. Pakistan is the number one producer of sports balls in the world, and Fair Trade Sports is one of the few sport retailers that can truly guarantee their products are made by adults who are paid a fair wage in a decent working environment. If you play sports or know someone who does, this is the brand for you.
What inspired you to get into the Fair Trade sporting good biz?
I was in the Fair Trade movement already, doing coffee, tea, and cocoa, when I saw a note from FLO (Fairtrade Labeling Organization International, Transfair USA’s parent company) that sports balls became an official certified Fair Trade product during the run-up to the last World Cup in 2006. I’m a lifelong soccer player, so it caught my eye and the idea stayed in the back of my mind for a few years…I felt it was time for someone to lead the efforts here in North America and I wanted to bring a new, fun, sexy product to the Fair Trade movement to show consumers we have more than just agricultural products. Our line consists of eco-balls for soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby, and more.
Where are your balls made and by whom?
Our sports balls are hand-stitched by our adult workers at our certified Fair Trade facilities in Sialkot, Pakistan. It’s a town of about three million people, most of whom are involved in the sports ball creation industry. Amazingly, more than 75% of all sports balls in the world come out of this one town….
Our adult stitchers are folks like Sameena, who lives in a village called Chak Gillan, near Sialkot. Sameena is one of 11 siblings, seven sisters and four brothers. Two of the older ones also stitch balls. Stitching wages are low - only the Fair Trade buyers from our international group pay enough to enable the three to provide their family with all the basic necessities. Continue reading Putting The Fair Trade In Sports…
Posted on April 29, 2008 |
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