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Green Penalty Box - Nevada Power's Reid Gardner coal-fired power plant

And on the flip side of our Green Hero award is our Green Penalty Box delegate. We only put people and organizations into our Green Penalty Box who deserve it - they have been cited by the EPA for environmental violations or have been caught by others doing things that negatively impact the health and environment of others.

The first company we're throwing into the box is Nevada Power for their Reid Gardner coal-fired power plant. According to the Environment News Service, this plant has a higher emission rate of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide than any other power plant in the United States, citing a new ranking issued today by the Environmental Integrity Project.

The Environmental Integrity Project is a nonprofit group created by former U.S. EPA enforcement attorneys. Their report ranks the 378 largest power plants in the country based on company-reported data.

ENS notes the 12 states with the heaviest concentrations of the dirtiest power plants, in terms of total tons of carbon dioxide emitted, are - Texas, which has five, including two of the top 10 dirtiest plants; Pennsylvania with four; Indiana with four, including two of the top 10 dirtiest plants; Alabama with three; Georgia with three, including two of the top three dirtiest plants; North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia have three apiece; while Wyoming, Florida, Kentucky and New Mexico each have two.

I found this section of the article to be particularly telling (and disturbing):

Environmental Integrity Project attorney Ilan Levin said, “While Congress is poised to seriously consider legislation to limit the greenhouse gases that made 2006 the hottest year on record, the electric power industry is racing to build a new fleet of coal-fired power plants that rely on conventional combustion technologies that would only accelerate global warming."

Once utility companies secure their air pollution permits, Levin expects them to argue that these new plants should be grandfathered, or exempt from any pending limits on greenhouse gases.

Levin says today's rush to coal reminds him of the 1970s.

"When the original Clean Air Act was passed in 1970," he said, "the electric utility industry persuaded Congress to not impose strict pollution controls on old power plants, because they would soon be replaced by newer state-of-the-art facilities. Yet despite the industry's promises, many of the nation's oldest and dirtiest power plants continue to operate today."

The full article can be found here.

Green Hero of the Day - George Folsom

Congratulations to the first official "Green Hero" of the day for the new GreenforGood.com - George Folsom of Fresno, California.

This is a new feature that we are incorporating into the Green Dirt blog and soon, into the new GreenforGood.com site.

Mr. Folsom was selected for our Green Hero title today because he was awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award for the work he does as a leader of two Fresno area non-profit organizations – the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust.

According to a press release issued by the EPA, "Folsom actively recruits volunteers and helps with fundraising events. Folsom’s passion and knowledge as a dedicated volunteer has led him to help preserve and protect thepublic’s enjoyment of the San Joaquin River.

EPA Administrator Steven L Johnson noted, “Dedicated volunteers like Mr. Folsom are inspiring others to join them in delivering America a brighter, healthier future."

The full copy of the release is posted below.

Three cheers for Mr. Folsom - America (and the world) need more Green Heroes like you!

--------------------

EPA ADMINISTRATOR  RECOGNIZES FRESNO CITIZEN WITH PRESIDENT’S
VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD


For Immediate Release:  August 8, 2007
Contact:  Margot Perez-Sullivan, 415-760-9161,
perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov

SAN FRANCISCO - Yesterday, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson honored
George Folsom with the President’s Volunteer Service Award following an
address to the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Roundtable in Fresno, CA.

As a leader of two Fresno area non-profit organizations – the San
Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, and the Revive the San
Joaquin, a grassroots organization, Folsom actively recruits volunteers
and helps with fundraising events.  Folsom’s passion and knowledge as a
dedicated volunteer has led him to help preserve and protect the
public’s enjoyment of the San Joaquin River.

“Today we honor George Folsom for answering President Bush's call to
serve a cause greater than himself,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L.
Johnson.  “Dedicated volunteers like Mr. Folsom are inspiring others to
join them in delivering America a brighter, healthier future."

During his travels across the country, Administrator Johnson meets with
individuals like Folsom who are answering the call to volunteer service,
environmental education and pollution prevention.

Folsom has helped to protect the San Joaquin River basin which is 38,000
square miles in size, originating in the high Serra Mountains and
flowing through the San Joaquin Valley out to the San Francisco Bay.
Since 1996 George has served as a member of the board and on the
Executive Committee of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation
Trust, a 22 mile linear greenway of conservation lands with river
access.

He chaired the restoration committee for Hallowell Center for River
Studies
located on the San Joaquin River.  This interpretive center is an 1890
ranch which was restored thanks to George Folsom’s volunteer efforts and
chairmanship of the Restoration Committee.   More than 16,000 people a
year visit the Center.  He also chairs the River Center Committee for
outdoor programs which bring people to the river for education programs.
George is also Board President and a founding member of Revive the San
Joaquin, a non-profit focused on restoring water flows and salmon to the
San Joaquin River

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on
all Americans to make a difference in their communities through
volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White
House, to strengthen and expand volunteer service. Americans are
responding to the President’s Call to Service. Go to www.volunteer.gov
or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service
opportunity in your area or to find more information about service
programs, including national service programs such as the Peace Corps,
AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Citizen Corps. USA Freedom Corps is also
highlighting youth volunteer service. Visit www.volunteerkids.gov for
games and ideas to see how America's youth are making a difference.

The President's Volunteer Service Award was created at the President’s
direction by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
The Award is available to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50
or more hours of volunteer service; to individuals 15 and older who have
completed 100 or more hours; and to families or groups who have
completed 200 or more hours. For more information about the Award,
please visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

                                 ###

What To Do If You Break A Compact Fluorescent Bulb

If you happen to break a compact fluorescent bulb containing trace amounts of mercury, you can do the cleanup yourself, without renting a moon suit or contacting authorities.

The EPA advises the following treatment:

1. Open a window and leave the room for at least 15 minutes (to let the mercury vaporize).
2. Remove all materials (i.e., the pieces of the broken bulb) without using a vacuum cleaner. You don't want even a small amount of mercury lurking in your vacuum. To do so:
   • Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available. (Never touch the bulb pieces with your bare hands.)
   • Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard (you don't want the stuff to get on your broom or dustpan either).
   • Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe. Sticky tape, such as duct tape (yet another use for the versatile material!), can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
3. Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it. If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available). If your state doesn't allow this, consult the local hazardous-waste authority for safe-recycling information. Some hardware stores will also accept old bulbs; to find a recycler near you (see below), try Earth 911 , or (800) CLEAN-UP, for a location near you.
4. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
5. The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

Full details can be found in http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

LOCAL RECYCLER:

Southwest Recycling and Transfer Station

Municipal Drop-Off 425-388-3425

21311 61st Place West MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, WA 98043

Web Site

Service limited to residents of:
SNOHOMISH COUNTY

New Studies Broaden Scientific Support for Five Dimensions of the Organic Benefit

This post comes courtesy of The Organic Center and its most recent newsletter.

If you are not familiar with this organization you should really check it out. Lots of great articles and resources for any person or organization interested in all things Organic.

Like many, it took me a long time to learn more about all the benefits associated with using Organic products as much as possible.

One of the more disturbing aspects to me is the linkage established between pesticides and Autism. Most people know that we have seen an increased percentage of children diagnosed with various degrees of Autism over the past 50 years.

I have long felt that it was not a coincidence that this development matched the huge increase of pesticide use in our food chain. As the Organic Center newsletter points out, there are now studies to show that there is indeed a link.

So I just shake my head when I hear a "debate" about the "supposed" health benefits of eating organic food but it's nice to have some verbal ammo to use if and when I'm caught in this discussion.


I. Linkage Established Between Pesticides and Autism

For years epidemiologists have seen hints of a link between pesticide exposure and autism. As of July 30, 2007, these days are over. Scientists working for the California Department of Health Services have found that pregnant women living near fields sprayed with the common insecticides dicofol and endosulfan were six-times more likely to give birth to children with "Autism Spectrum Disorders" (ASD) than women living many miles from treated fields.

Six-times higher risk - it is very rare for such a large and statistically significant difference to be found in a study of this kind. Plus, the authors report that the closer a mother lived to treated fields, and/or the more pounds of pesticides applied, the greater the risk.

These two insecticides are the last widely used organochlorines - the family of insecticides including DDT, chlordane, aldrin, and toxaphene, among others. Both are known endocrine disruptors, they are persistent in the environment, and bioaccumulate up food chains. Residues of these insecticides, in particular endosulfan, are common in conventional fruits and vegetables, especially imports. This study should compel the EPA to finally take decisive action to end exposures to these two insecticides.

The full study appeared in the online version of Environmental Health Perspectives and is available free of charge.

II. Organic Milk and Meat Dramatically Enhances the Nutritional Quality of Mom's Breast Milk

Mothers consuming mostly organic milk and meat products were found to have about 50 percent higher levels of rumenic acid in their breast milk. This Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is responsible for most of the health benefits of CLAs in milk and meat. The authors of this European study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in June 2007 report that the greater reliance of organic beef and dairy farmers on pasture and forage grasses increases the levels of CLAs in milk and beef, and in turn in the breast milk of women eating organic animal products.

Details on the study are on the Center's website.

III. Organic Farming Practices Improve Water Quality in Minnesota

A team of University of Minnesota scientists studied the impact of organic and sustainable agricultural practices over three years on subsurface drainage and water quality in southwestern Minnesota. Their focus was on corn-soybean farms.

They found that organic and sustainable systems reduced the volume of subsurface drainage water discharges by 41 percent – a major benefit for the farmer, especially in dry years when lack of soil moisture cuts back yields. Organic and sustainable systems also reduced the loss of nitrate nitrogen by about 60 percent, allowing farmers to reduce fertilization rates by nearly half without sacrificing yields in most years. The improved soil quality on the organic/sustainable plots, coupled with more diverse land use patterns, were credited by the team with improving the efficiency of nutrient uptake and water infiltration and use, especially in average to wet years.

The full text of the University of Minnesota study is available free of charge.

IV. Organically Grown Melons Deliver More Vitamin C and Polyphenols

During the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science, a team from Colorado State University reported encouraging results from a two-year comparison of organic and conventional melon production systems. The team highlighted the impact of crop genetics on total antioxidant activity, which varied over ten-fold across varieties. Crop genotype accounted for 65 percent of this variation, with production system accounting for most of the rest. Organic management was found to increase both vitamin C and polyphenol.

The team's work is ongoing, and has expanded to include some key Colorado vegetable crops.

V. Pesticide Exposures Increase Risk of Gestational Diabetes

The Agricultural Health Study, underway for over a decade, has produced valuable data on the impacts of pesticides on human health. In an important March 2007 paper in "Diabetes Care," a team of government scientists found that pregnant women exposed to pesticides occupationally (i.e., spraying, mixing pesticides) had more than double the risk of developing gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy). Four herbicides, including two in the phenoxy herbicide class that also includes 2,4-D (see the item on pesticide use and biotech crops below), plus three insecticides were found to be associated with elevated risk of gestational diabetes.

Additional information on this study is on the Center's website.

Back Blogging - with a new name

You know what they say - the only constant in life is change. And we're continuing to experience a lot of change here at GreenforGood.com.

After testing our beta site for nearly 6 months we pulled it down and went back to the drawing board to incorporate changes/suggestions made from users as well as friends and family.

The new and improved site will be live very soon and we are quite excited to pull back the curtain.

Among the other changes made we've also changed the name of our blog - and are starting to fire it up again. I took a sabbatical from writing for a few months while I focused on the new design and strategy for GreenforGood.com as well as planning, building and launching of GreenMediaList.com - a media directory and resource for public and medial relations professionals and companies who are trying to get their Green message out.

And touching on my background and experience as the co-founder and CEO of a successful high tech PR agency, I've also teamed with some high quality professionals to offer public relations and communications programs for companies committed to sustainable business practices and/or Green & eco-friendly products through my new firm, GreenBuzzPR.

And there is more fun to come!

There are a few new features that we'll be including on the Green Dirt Blog (as well as sites within the new GreenforGood.com network). Two of them are related: Green Heroes and the Green Penalty Box.

Green Heroes will focus on people, organizations and companies who step up and go above and beyond the call of duty to help protect or improve the environment.

The Green Penalty Box will be used for people, organizations and companies who do very bad things to the environment and need to be called out for it. These will go beyond the simple lousy service or minor accident and will focus on major spills, fines from the EPA and all around bad environmental behavior (BEB for those who need another acronym).

The other feature will be a Green Article of the day. This will be a wild card - it could be from the mainstream media it could be from the green media or it could be from a press release. It just will depend on the day, topic and my mood.

It's fun to be writing again and I'm looking forward to be doing lots more of it as we get ready to launch all of our exciting Green projects here in Edmonds, Washington.

David R. Kaufer
Founder and Chief Green Officer
GreenforGood.com
GreenMediaList.com
GreenBuzzPR

Nasa scientist accuses White House of global warming cover-up

It's always interesting to read how media from different countries cover the same event/information.

Case in point: read these two articles about recent testimony from Dr. Jame Hansen the director of Nasa's Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York.

The first comes from The New Zealand Herald and is more direct and forthcoming about Hansen's charges against the White House. The second comes from the New York Times and it treats Hansen's written testimony as almost an afterthought (while playing up another compelling piece of the story focusing on a former oil lobbiest turned White House staffer who took the liberty of serverly editing government climate reports - in spite of having no scientific background).

The Herald blasts away from the lead through the first couple of paragraphs:

James Hansen, the Nasa scientist who first warned the US Government about global warming, yesterday delivered a withering critique of the way the White House has interfered with climate scientists working for the space agency.

Dr Hansen, the director of Nasa's Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York, said that the space agency's budget for studying the Earth's climate has been slashed and that its scientists have been systematically gagged about speaking of their concerns.

In detailed written testimony delivered yesterday to the US House of Representatives, Dr Hansen said that there has been creeping politicisation of climate change with the effect that the American public has been left confused about the science of global warming.

It includes a damning quote: "In my more than three decades in government, I have never seen anything approaching the degree to which information flow from scientists to the public has been screened and controlled as it has now," he says.

Meanwhile, the Times lead focuses on the drama surrounding Philip A. Cooney, the former chief of staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (and previously, the "climate team leader" for the main oil industry lobby, the American Petroleum Institute):

A House committee released documents Monday that showed hundreds of instances in which a White House official who was previously an oil industry lobbyist edited government climate reports to play up uncertainty of a human role in global warming or play down evidence of such a role.

In a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the official, Philip A. Cooney, who left government in 2005, defended the changes he had made in government reports over several years. Mr. Cooney said the editing was part of the normal White House review process and reflected findings in a climate report written for President Bush by the National Academy of Sciences in 2001.

It's not until the 9th paragraph that Hansen's testimony is mentioned:

The hearing also produced the first sworn statements from George C. Deutsch III, who moved in 2005 from the Bush re-election campaign to public affairs jobs at NASA. There he warned career press officers to exert more control over James E. Hansen, the top climate expert at the space agency.

Testifying at the hearing, Dr. Hansen said editing like that of Mr. Cooney and efforts to limit scientists’ access to the news media and the public amounted to censorship and muddied the public debate over a pressing environmental issue. “If public affairs offices are left under the control of political appointees,” he said, “it seems to me that inherently they become offices of propaganda.”

Republicans criticized Dr. Hansen for what they described as taking political stances, for spending increasing amounts of time on public speaking and for accepting a $250,000 Heinz Award for environmental achievement from the Heinz Family Philanthropies, run by Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts.

Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, proposed that Dr. Hansen, by complaining about efforts to present two sides on global warming research, had become an advocate for limiting the debate.

Dr. Hansen replied, “What I’m an advocate for is the scientific method.”

South Korea Government Backs Low Interest Loans for Eco-Friendly Projects

I hope that our government staffers and Presidential hopefuls are paying attention to this development in South Korea.

According to Reuters, South Korean companies will be eligible for cheap loans when they build facilities aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The loans will be provided by eight major commercial banks, including Kookmin Bank and Industrial Bank of Korea, at an annual interest rate of 2.5 percent, lower than the usual rate of 4.5 percent, it said in a statement.

The government will pay the difference in interest income for lenders out of a 30 billion won ($31.68 million) state-run fund designed to finance projects aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the ministry said in a statement.

I believe that providing these kinds of tax incentives in the US would send a strong signal that the country is serious about tackling our role in global warming as well as help boost the emergin green business sector even more. Get this into leglislation now!

David R. Kaufer
Founder and Chief Green Officer
Green for Good, Inc.

Additional debunking of UK Climate Change "documentary"

Earlier this week I wrote about the US-based scientist who said he was duped into appearing on a "documentary" that was shown on UK Channel 4 last week. The focus of The Great Global Warming Swindle was that all of the scientific reports and media coverage about global warming being man-made are false and part of a great hoax.

Now more reports are emerging that demonstrate what a half-ass production "The Great Warming Swindle" really was and how it can't be taken seriously.

The blog Section 15 provides a nice summary of the lies and misdirection used in the film - I'm sure even more will emerge in coming days.

David R. Kaufer
Founder and Chief Green Officer
GreenforGood.com

Another PR/Marketing Firm "Goes Green"

And now the herd has officially formed and is starting to stampede across the country.



Public relations and marketing firms have "found Green" and the rush has begun to stake ground (and clients and accounts) in this field now that it has received so much attention in the media.

The latest? San Francisco-based Cohn & Wolfe. They sent out a release last week announcing that it was launching a "new Green practice" that focuses on Sustainable Businesses, Alternative Energies and Environmental Strategies.

Not that there is anything wrong with this of course. I do believe that this is a growing field and one that has the need for sound PR and marketing counsel as it emerges from the niche sector and into the mainstream.

But there is a sense of "me too" in this and the MWW announcement I referenced earlier that is a bit annoying and amusing. I have no idea if Cohn & Wolfe or MWW or any of the other larger firms do bring expertise that is especially relevant to the Green industries beyond what they have done for others.

But I do know there is already a solid group of committed professionals who saw this need long ago - and pursued it BEFORE it was economically obvious to do so. Here in Seattle there are at least 2-3 firms I can think of (The Bellwether Group, Egg) and I know another great firm in Pasadena (Clean Agency) who has been at this for years too.

When I decided to leave my last corporate job and pursue the green lifestyle and profession for myself, I was very tempted to launch a green firm as well. But I found that with twin baby boys and the work and time that goes into launching an exciting new start up such as GreenforGood.com, there simply wasn't the time for me to devote to this as well.

But don't be surprised down the road if you see some new business services emerging from our little corner of the world...

David R. Kaufer
Founder and Chief Green Officer
Green for Good

Global Warming Nay-Sayers - Yikes!

Now that key Green issues such as global warming, organic food and eco-friendly products are really hitting the mainstream, we're starting to see the inevitible counter-attack from those on the far right who are attempting to stem the growing momentum by propping up phony scientists, taking comments out of context and flat out lying.

There are a number of topics I monitor on a daily and consistent basis and while I've been thrilled to see the coverage grow exponentially in all forms of media, over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a growing number of conservative bloggers attempting to debunk global warming in particular.

Check out this excerpt from a press release sent out by the notoriously conservative Cato Institute promoting an upcoming speech by the Czech President:

"Klaus recently took issue with global warming alarmists, asserting "Global warming is a false myth and every serious person and scientist says so. It is not fair to refer to the U.N. panel. The IPCC is not a scientific institution: it's a political body, a sort of non-government organization of green flavor. It's neither a forum of neutral scientists nor a balanced group of scientists. These people are politicized scientists who arrive there with a one-sided opinion and a one-sided assignment." Klaus also said, "other top-level politicians" do not express their global warmingdoubts because "a whip of political correctness strangles [their] voice."

It sounds like he would fit right in our very own neo-conservatives. But that's another story.

The general statement that the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is "not a scientific body" must be a talking point created by conservative think tanks and sent out to all related organizations because it is popping up frequently. As is often the case with using this sort of tactic, while the principle statement may technically be true, it totally (and deliberately) misleads the audience.

Here is a brief exerpt of the IPCC's mandate and membership from its own web site:

"Recognizing the problem of potential global climate change, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. It is open to all members of the UN and WMO.

The role of the IPCC is to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC does not carry out research nor does it monitor climate related data or other relevant parameters. It bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature (emphasis added). Its role, organisation, participation and general procedures are laid down in the "Principles Governing IPCC Work

So let's be clear, this is an organization that is open to all members of the UN and WMO - it is not a self-selected group of Greenies out to prove a point. And the reports it issues is based on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature - a very standard and accepted procedure.

History has shown time and again that those who benefit from harming others and the environment will say and do almost anything to prevent change from happening - just think of the millions who have died due to the lies and negligence of tobacco and chemical companies, to name but two industries who have been found guilty in these and other areas.

But it is very frightening to have those in high government posts (even within smaller countries such as the Czech Republic) as well as the media (more on this in a bit) spouting lies and cow-towing to the nay-sayers when it has been so well established that global warming is primarily human-caused and is rapidly changing the environment we live in.

On the media front, there was much anticipation in some conservative blogs about a "documentary" that claimed that "man-made global warming is a myth." It was to feature a US scientist Carl Wunsch, professor of physical oceanography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as one of the leading proponents of its hypothesis. The show aired last Thursday on Channel 4 in the UK.

Here's the problem: According to the Guardian (UK), Wunsch "said the film, The Great Global Warming Swindle, was 'grossly distorted' and 'as close to pure propaganda as anything since World War Two'." He is considering legal action.

More from the Guardian's coverage:

He says his comments in the film were taken out of context and that he would not have agreed to take part if he had known it would argue that man-made global warming was not a serious threat. 'I thought they were trying to educate the public about the complexities of climate change,' he said. 'This seems like a deliberate attempt to exploit someone who is on the other side of the issue.' He is considering a complaint to Ofcom, the broadcast regulator.

All of this serves as a reminder that whenever disruptive forces emerge (such as the growing mainstream environmental movement), one can - and should - expect immense resistence from those who still benefit (via profit or power or both) from maintaining the status quo as long as possible.

David R. Kaufer
Founder and Chief Green Officer
Green for Good

Nike's Corporate Duplicity

Newscloud by way of Alternet: Nike leading race to the bottom.


This is really the central contradiction with corporations promising to clean up their acts, isn't it?

They do the PR thing and get all the kudos, then it's back to business as usual, all because they have to make ungodly profits.

Substitute "Wal-Mart" or "GM" for Nike and it's pretty much the same story. Wal-Mart promising to reduce carbon emissions is one thing: Doing it with a business model requiring truck and air transport over vast distances world-wide is quite another. As the Nike article notes, there are small victories here and there. But with global warming there's the problem of 20 or 30 percent reduction not really being enough, anyway.

Not to sound defeatist, but there are limits to the lengths that reality can be stretched. At what point does climate disruption become a matter for personal, individual and corporate sacrifice? Who will be the first to say, You know, I'm not going to fly to Madrid or the Seychelles this year?

global warming ecological footprint carbon footprint GreenforGood sustainability green lifestyle