commonground

The taskmasters over at Treehugger Inc., entrusted me to edit this week's issue of Carnival of the Green. Weekly gleanings of all things green from around the blogosphere. Passing the torch from Philobiblon, on the week leading up to Earth Day. For the secular Humanists among us that's Gia worship with a twist of politics. Christians will observe the event in their own way. And I say good for them.

Since blogs are characterized as being all about the cult of "Me!" I thought I'd give myself top billing. After all I'm special and I do deserve it for volunteering.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview eco-entrepreneurs Ric & Terry Krazewski, co-founders of Whale Tails. A snack food company with integrity baked right into the business. IMHO the husband and team represent a third wave of environmentalists currently taking hold in the Nation. Whereas prior eras of the environmental movement concerned themselves with conservation and regulation, a new strain of environmentalism is pervading boardrooms and start-up companies.

Why the sudden shift to go green? Terry Kellogg, executive director of One Percent for the Planet, calls it the Bush Effect. Lobbyists are rewriting environmental regulations, we lost a city and are in the process losing a war. Way to go Bushie! Green Your Geek writes: It is a sad state of affairs for our government and for America when we do what is better for business than its citizens.

Melanie poses a rhetorical question: Why save Water? When you begin to that realize hundreds of million of people around the world rely on glacier- fed rivers to provide drinking water and irrigate crops. It's not something not to be squandered. Especially in draught stricken areas like the much anticipated Dust Bowl that's expected to become of the American Southwest.

The Frugalist calls into the question the validity of planting trees to offset carbon emissions especially when tied to credit cards. Likening the practice to the Middle Age practice of purchasing indulgences from the Church. It was one way for feudal lords and merchants to pass through the pearly gates after a lifetime of bad behavior. Unfortunately, wracking up credit card debt won't stopped global warming. Otherwise the United States would be world leaders in curbing CO2 emmissions.

Fellow science blogger Jeff Bruno also points to research that suggests reforesting in cooler climes won't have the intended effect of reducing green house gasses. In fact it might have the opposite effect, a finding that might needle a lot of people fond of pine trees.

Beginning a blog entry with rape usually pricks the conscience. But in this instance Words and Picture
blogger is referring to fuel derived from rape- seed, a plant showing some real promise as a source for renewable energy that's currently proliferating in the English country -side.

Bio fuel does hve potential. But presently rate- paying activists in England are feeling so buggered over the extensive use of coal to the extent they're willing to chain themselves to equipment. The action was part of a campaign to bring great awareness to carbon emissions of which cola burning plants are major culprits.

Thankfully, green bloggers are still raising a ruckus. Asserting themselves, giving power
back to the people.

Rabble rousers are Ribble River saving.

Saving a wetland from destruction.

And getting arrested.

Lastly, the eco-lifestyle purveyors over at TreeHugger have kindly provided browsers with an Earth Day portal page.

http://earthday.treehugger.com/

Brother Nick writes:

Since 1970, Earth Day has changed from counter-cultural protest to cute grade school celebration. We here at TreeHugger think it's time for the next evolutionary phase of Earth Day: this isn't the counter-culture anymore, we don't need to chant slogans for attention or sing songs about trees. It's about living healthier, living better, living more efficiently.

Well Nick got it half right. It's not cute any longer. The task of the 21st Century
for governments and citizens will be undoing the damage already done to the Mother Nature
over the past 150 years. Averting a global ecological disaster and finding ways to ccommodate the six billion people (and counting), will be a huge undertaking. A heruclean effort will require good governance, sound science, and some sacrifice. No singing required. Amen.

Although next week The Evangelical Ecologist is going to get all Jesusy on your ass.