Wading through the sources of lake contamination

Contamination of urban lakes and streams by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is widespread and has been increasing over the last 40 years in the United States.

PAHs are Toxic

These PAHs can be toxic to bottom-dwelling organisms, can cause tumors in fish, and several are believed to cause cancer in humans. 

In this study, researchers examined five sources of PAHs in 40 urban lakes from across the United States, including coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat, coal combustion, oil combustion, vehicle emissions and wood combustion.

Sealcoat Contributes to PAH Contamination

Of the five sources studied, sealcoat was the strongest contributor to PAH contamination in lake sediment. This research can help those trying to reduce pollution levels in the urban environment by providing them with a better understanding of PAH sources. 

This study, "Sources of PAHs to urban lakes in the United States," was conducted by USGS at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemist  

African dust is making it across the ocean.

Increasing quantities of African dust have blown across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean and Americas over the past few decades. During that time, the dust's composition has changed.

In this study, African dust air masses in Africa and the Caribbean were analyzed for persistent organic contaminants and metals.  These potentially toxic contaminants can originate from the burning of plastics, biomass and waste; widespread use of pesticides, plastics, and pharmaceuticals; and increased industrialization.

Multiple pesticides and other contaminants, including carcinogens, suppressors of immune systems, disruptors of endocrine systems, and nervous system or liver toxins were identified from all sample sites.  All are known to persist in the environment, accumulate in organisms, and are toxic at very low concentrations.

This study, "Chasing clouds of dust: transoceanic transport of synthetic organic pollutants and trace metals with African dust," is from USGS at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 

Sometimes the ancient tug of the arts is the best way to get in touch with our deepest insights. Ecopsychology is a new approach to understanding nature as our habitat and part of our very being. It's an intriguing journey of discovery for modern professionals who are immersed in concrete, speed and business stresses.

Ecopsychology is on the cutting edge of a shift in how we see the world and ourselves. It views many of the problems we face today as being caused by our separation from our roots in the natural world. It finds many useful solutions through reestablishing connections to those roots. As a discipline, eco-psychology studies the interaction of human beings and their environments. As a therapy it seeks to return people to a balanced relationship with their environment.

-- Allison Ewoldt

Professional and In-depth Sources

Ecopsychology, or eco-psychology as it is sometimes called, is situated at the intersection of a number of fields of enquiry, including environmental philosophy, psychology, and ecology, but is not limited by any disciplinary boundaries. At its core, ecopsychology suggests that there is a synergistic relation between planetary and personal well being; that the needs of the one are relevant to the other.

International Community for Ecopsychology

A Novel about Ecopsychology

Sitting with the Enemy by Sarah Edwards

After years of pulse pounding stress and ambition, Rose and Mark Whitman's universe is rich, glamorous, high speed - and empty - a run-a-way train about to crash. They've lost meaning, magic, and soon each other ... until an unexpected turn on the tracks takes them to a remote mountain village and a community struggling to preserve an idyllic, but endangered way of life. Mark and Rose are drawn into a circle of friends who are confronted with painful decisions about what they're willing to do to save their community. When the village breaks into factions, violence erupts fed by fear, greed and prejudice and the group learns the true meaning of community - what destroys it and what preserves it and its role in the quality of their lives and the future of their children.

Enjoy a journey of gentle exploration...you'll smile a lot ... I guarantee it!

Carolyn

CEO training for tomorrow can come from a new pool of Green MBA students. Values, environment and system thinking are part of Aspen Institute's approach to recruiting business students into the green business sector. Social change and financial change can be partners in making a green economy grow and flourish.

Environmental and social impact can shape a greener bottom line.

www.aspeninst.org

Sustainable South Bronx is fighting for "THE PROMISE OF AMERICA" by using the green economy to help people grow out of poverty and the dirty community that results from environmentally degrading industry traditions. Restoring the environment can also restore the people who live there because we are PART of the ecosystem. Unemployment, asthma, crises...they have personal and financial stake in the environment.  Their BEST program  trains youth for ecological restoration: urban forestry management, green roof installation, brown field restoration, etc.

Environmental Justice

through innovative, economically sustainable projects

that are informed by community needs.

VIDEO with Majora Carter, founder

 

Founded in 2001 by life-long South Bronx resident, Dr. Majora Carter, SSBx also addresses land-use, energy, transportation, water & waste policy, and education to advance the environmental and economic rebirth of the South Bronx, and inspire solutions in areas like it across the nation and around the world.

Watch video clips from the 2008 Aspen Environment Forum

http://www.aspenenvironment.org/live-from-the-forum

The Mayors' Alliance for Green Schools, a coalition of mayors seeking to strategically harness the leadership and creativity of mayors across the country has been formed to promote the benefits of green schools in their communities.

Developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Alliance will work to accelerate implementation of programs supporting the 2007 U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) resolution calling for green schools for all children within a generation.

"As mayors, we know all too well that schools are the heart of our communities, as they represent the promise we make to our children and future generations, a promise of learning and of opportunity," said Mayor Diaz, President of the US Conference of Mayors. "With this alliance, we are coming together and reconfirming our promise to the health and learning of our children, and ensuring that future generations are mindful of the importance of protecting our environment."

"I've seen the enormous impact mayors have when they unite around a common goal," said Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle, who launched the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2005, which advances the goals of the Kyoto Protocol and now boasts nearly 900 mayor signatories. "This new coalition of mayors will shine the light on the countless opportunities to make our schools greener, our students and teachers healthier and our communities stronger."
 
"As first responders to the needs of their communities, mayors are the vanguard of sustainable development in our country," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC, "and USGBC wants to do all we can to support them, especially in this critically important initiative. "We have Green School Advocacy Committees in 80 local USGBC chapters throughout the country, and we are putting them at the mayors' disposal to advance opportunities, programs and initiatives that champion green school causes and help them publicly celebrate their successes."

Together with Mayor Diaz and Mayor Nickels, Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, Cal; Mayor Will Wynn, Austin, Texas; Mayor Sheila Dixon, Baltimore, Md., Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines, Iowa; and Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids, Mich.; have put forth a call to mayors around the country to join this important effort to support green schools for all children.

"This new Alliance dovetails perfectly with Baltimore's new Sustainability agenda," said Mayor Sheila Dixon. "It also will provide more ways to support our ongoing efforts to promote the health and well-being of our students as we improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of our school facilities."

Mayors across the country are leading efforts to deliver the benefits of green schools to their communities. For example, EcoMedia is working with mayors in Miami and San Francisco to leverage innovative public‐private partnerships that create new opportunities for green school projects.

Other Alliance initiatives will work to:

• Develop and create public‐private partnerships with a local business to allow schools to plant a green roof, install a solar garden or start a recycling program.
• Help school districts green their existing facilities through the Clinton Climate Initiative's K‐12 Retrofit Program.
• Encourage state legislatures to create policies and incentives for green school improvements.
• Engage in a national dialogue about green schools, green jobs and green infrastructure.

Transportation costs can be reduced on the wheel and in the landfill when quality retread tires are used on fleets of trucks, cars and other equipment.

Retread Tire Solutions for Public Sector Fleet Managers in Cities, Counties and States

With the worldwide downturn in the economy facing cities, towns, counties, states, provinces and even villages everywhere, it is more important than ever for fleet managers to manage their tire costs, a significant part of the transportation budget.

Retreads can be the cost saving, and green answer.

Not only are retreaded tires very environmentally friendly, they are far more economical than comparable new tires. The larger the tire size the greater the savings. In fact, for most tire sizes retreads can cut your tire costs by 50% and sometimes even more!

Retread Tire Safety and Reliability

The safety and reliability of today's top quality retreads (quality matters!) has been proven by millions of vehicles throughout the world over billions of miles.

All major commercial and military airlines use retreads - even on the largest planes flying - as do fire engines and other emergency vehicles, school and municipal buses, taxi fleets, race cars, small package delivery services such as FED EX, UPS and even the U.S. Postal Service, along with all types of other commercial and passenger vehicles.

U.S. Federal Executive Order (13149) even MANDATES the use of retreaded tires on selected federal fleet vehicles.

Objective information is available for fleet managers who wish to evaluate the benefits retreads have to offer and much of it can be found on the Tire Retreat & Repair Information Bureau web site, www.retread.org.

Take a look at their extensive information about the true causes of tire debris (also known as rubber on the road & road alligators).

The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau is a worldwide association and our materials are all non-commercial and available at no cost to interested readers everywhere.

Information about Retread Tire Solutions

They will send a CD and two DVDs to those who wish to learn more. Their latest DVD, "Reputable Retreading," contains a virtual retread plant tour, along with testimonials from public sector fleet managers and is very convincing to those who are not certain about retreads.

This nonprofit retread organization will also arrange a tour of an actual retread plant in your area. They encourage "doubters" to take a tour because it is very convincing to see how much care goes into the retread process.

You can do get the attention of taxpayers and the environmentalists in your area by using retreaded tires on your public sector fleet vehicles. Your agency can do well and good at the same time by making the switch to this recycled solution of tires -- definitely a problem for communities that must deal with the millions of discarded tires that end up in landfills!

To order the retread tire information CD and DVDs, or to arrange for a retread plant tour or for more specific information contact the organization:

Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau
www.retread.org
info@retread.org,
Toll-free: 888-473-8732. From other parts of the world call +831-372-1917

Trade associations are taking a leadership role in developing sustainability standards for their member companies and often leading the charge with their own association operations. One such association is the OFA.

OFA is an Association of Floriculture Professionals -- a national organization of greenhouse growers, garden center operators, nurseries, retail and wholesale florists, interior plantscapers, green industry suppliers, students, and educators.

They have implemented sustainable methods in their own offices, promoted the topic in education courses and cosponsored a national conference on sustainability.  

On October 29-30, 2007, the Leonardo Academy and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) co-hosted a meeting to start soliciting stakeholder input on SCS-drafted language to create a national standard for producers and handlers (including retailers) who want to make a claim of engaging in sustainable agriculture (includes ALL crops, including greenhouse and nursery crops) practices.  The intent of SCS is to get these draft standards adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) no later than April 2010. However, plans sometimes go awry.  The US Department of Agriculture has challenged the process undertaken by Leonardo Academy. 

OFA's website also provides a wealth of information about sustainable practices for their member companies.

And the OFA Short Course, July 11-14, 2009 has a theme of "Make It Your Business". The Monday sustainability sessions will cover everything from the proposed sustainability standard to methods for marketing sustainability to practical ideas for becoming more sustainable.

Trade associations are taking a leadership role in developing sustainability standards for their member companies and often leading the charge with their own association operations. One such association is the OFA.

OFA is an Association of Floriculture Professionals -- a national organization of greenhouse growers, garden center operators, nurseries, retail and wholesale florists, interior plantscapers, green industry suppliers, students, and educators.

They have implemented sustainable methods in their own offices, promoted the topic in education courses and cosponsored a national conference on sustainability.  

On October 29-30, 2007, the Leonardo Academy and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) co-hosted a meeting to start soliciting stakeholder input on SCS-drafted language to create a national standard for producers and handlers (including retailers) who want to make a claim of engaging in sustainable agriculture (includes ALL crops, including greenhouse and nursery crops) practices.  The intent of SCS is to get these draft standards adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) no later than April 2010. However, plans sometimes go awry.  The US Department of Agriculture has challenged the process undertaken by Leonardo Academy. 

OFA's website also provides a wealth of information about sustainable practices for their member companies.

And the OFA Short Course, July 11-14, 2009 has a theme of "Make It Your Business". The Monday sustainability sessions will cover everything from the proposed sustainability standard to methods for marketing sustainability to practical ideas for becoming more sustainable.

Renewable energy is a high priority for President Elect Obama.  His jobs program emphasizes rebuilding the infrastructure, including roads and bridges, schools and weatherizing homes.  This slideshow synthesizes the energy priorities established by Obama during his campaign and in the days of the transition. Renewable energies, including energy efficiency figure prominently in his energy plan.