GoodGuide Brings Conscious Consumerism to Your Fingertips

GoodGuide is one of the handiest, easy-to-use apps for people that want to make smarter, greener, more ethical purchasing decisions. The iphone app has a barcode scanner so you can learn about the social and environmental impacts of a brand right while you are shopping. GoodGuide provides a great resource so consumers don't fall victim to greenwashing. The only problem is that it makes running errands take a bit more time...but all for a good cause!

Long Weekend TV Pick: Years of Living Dangerously

Showtime's hit documentary series, Years of Living Dangerously, explores the current effects of climate change around the globe. The star studded cast is fun to watch and gets you fired up to take action! If for some reason the long weekend is rainy, plop on your couch and get caught up on this amazing series. (I am OBSESSED!) If you don't have Showtime, the first episode is FREE on the Years of Living Dangerously website (which is also fun to explore, BTW).

Squeaky Leaks Project & Fundraiser

Did you know old pipes cause natural gas to leak into our air? The Squeaky Leaks Project is tackling this issue in Cambridge and Somerville. In June, their team will drive down every street in Cambridge and Somerville with a high-precision methane analyzer. With the information they collect, they will post the maps of the leaks to the public, pinpoint the worst leaks, and create a national website where any community can post a map of their leaks and organize citizens to call those leaks in until they are fixed.

Why is this important?

• Natural gas (before it is burned) is a potent greenhouse gas; 34 times more destructive than CO2.
• The gas is delivered through pipes under our streets.  Many of these pipes were installed pre-1950. These ancient pipes rust and leak gas, damaging our climate, suffocating our trees, and potentially cause explosions.
• The utilities pass the cost of this waste onto you in your gas bill, forcing you to pay for hurting the planet.  The total cost for lost gas in Massachusetts alone is $640 million per year at the minimum (according to Sen. Ed Markey).

Help further support this initiative by attending their upcoming fundraiser!

Squeaky Leak Fundraising Mixer

The Asgard Irish Pub and Restaurant

350 Massachusetts Ave

Cambridge, MA 02139

Tuesday, June 3, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)

#SaveCitySoil Day of Action

Zoo New England, under pressure from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), has formally asked City Soil to leave their land in Mattapan.

City Soil staff has a meeting with Secretary Sullivan on Wednesday, May 14th, but the formal eviction letter is not a good sign. Before the meeting we need to make sure that Governor Patrick understands that our community stands with City Soil;

ON TUESDAY, May 13th, please call AND e-mail Governor Patrick and respectfully ask him to stop the eviction of City Soil.

Phone: 617-725-4005

E-mail: goffice@state.ma.us, jwalsh@devalpatrick.com info@devalpatrick.com

Please let Everett of City Soil (everett@citysoil.org) know when you've called/emailed so that they can keep track of our impact.

If the meeting does not go well, there will be a rally on Saturday:

Rally to #SaveCitySoil!

SATURDAY, MAY 17th

11 a.m.

City Soil & Greenhouse site

415 American Legion Highway, Mattapan 02126

Stay tuned to learn how the meeting goes and if we will need to mobilize. Thank you so much for your support!

Take Action Now to #SaveCitySoil

source image courtesy of The Boston Globe

City Soil operates its composting site at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan. They have partnered with the Suffolk County Conservation District to develop the Mattapan Ecovation Center, an enclosed composting system and intensive 4-season urban agriculture demonstration on state-owned land leased from Zoo New England.

Unfortunately, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently announced a plan to evict City Soil from 50% of their leased site – including the area dedicated for the innovative urban agriculture project. Why? An out-of-town corporation, Landscape Express, has strong-armed the DCR into evicting City Soil and awarding the leased land to them for sales and parking space, under a no-bid expansion of their contract to manage the DCR’s neighboring site.

To prevent this eviction, hundreds of City Soil supporters such as the Conservation Law Foundation, Higher Ground Farm, Boston Natural Areas Network and more called State Senator Pacheco and Environmental and Energy Affairs Secretary Sullivan. Pacheco called the founder of City Soil that day and let him know that he heard the message loud and clear, but he's not sure  he can do anything about it. City Soil then made its next move and collected over 200 signatures on a petition to send to Governor Patrick.


You can help support city soil by joining the twitter campaign #savecitysoil and by calling Secretary Sullivan or Governor Patrick's Office:

Secretary Rick Sullivan

Phone: 617-626-1101

Email: rick.sullivan@state.ma.us, rachel.kreitz@state.ma.us

Governor Deval Patrick

Phone: 617-725-4005

Lessons from #FutureofNature Population

Monday night was the first event in the 2014 Future of Nature Series hosted by The Nature Conservancy. The topic was population and how to deal with the projected growth to 10 Billion people by 2100. Included in the panel were academics, economists, activists, and aid workers who shared their experiences and predictions.

SHOCKING STATISTICS:

• 1 million people are added to the global population every 4.5 days
• For every $1 spent on family planning, $6 is saved
• The population of Pakistan is approximately 400 million. The country is the size of Texas, which is home to just 26 million.
• The "ideal" population for the planet - for everyone to have a high quality of life without putting strain on natural resources, and without incorporating future developments in technology - is 2 billion.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Overpopulation is a threat to global security
• Family planning is now legal and supported by many governments and religions around the globe
• Managing population growth while encouraging economy growth may be a challenge
• Consumerism and first-world lifestyles are much more devastating to environmental resources than overpopulation
• As populations urbanize, population growth rates will go down
• Educating men as well as women will encourage better support for family planning
• The biggest challenge in healthcare and family planning services is distribution - getting to remote communities is costly. 

While the talk was somewhat unnerving (10 billion people on earth would be insane!) it was also hopeful. Through education, funding, and technological development, we can hopefully find a solution to this global worry.

Join the next #FutureofNature conversation:

INVESTING IN NATURE: CONSERVATION AND THE BOTTOM LINE: MAY 12, 2014

Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, Roberts Theatre

527 Tremont Street, Boston

Reception 5:30 p.m.; panel 6:30 to 8 p.m.

How can environmentally sound investment provide competitive economic and ecological return for businesses and for society? Can market-based solutions create a stronger economy and a healthier environment?

Speakers will include: Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy and author of Nature’s Fortune; and Howard Stevenson of Harvard Business School.

Today is Fashion Revolution Day

Turn your clothes #insideout today and tweet / instagram it as part of the first annual Fashion Revolution Day. Today marks the one year anniversary since the tragic garment factory collapse in Bangladesh. For people around the world, this was an eye-opening moment. Our clothes are often made by unethical and unsustainable means, but as consumers, we have the power to change that. Be part of the movement today!

Movie Night Suggestion

image courtesy of tumblr

If you haven't already seen the eye-opening documentary Blackfish, I highly recommend you get on Netflix and watch it ASAP! As a lover of wildlife, I was horrified to learn of the conditions in which many orcas are kept around the globe. While SeaWorld claims that much of Blackfish is false or misleading, the documentary certainly does a good job of making people think of the human-animal relationships in zoos of all types. There are always more than one version of the truth, but an opinion on orca captivity simply should not be made without viewing this film. 

Think Dirty App Simplifies Makeup Shopping

I am obsessed with this *free* phone app. Simply type in a cosmetic product you use and the app will instantly tell you if it is safe or not and why. It is as if you have the entire Skin Deep Database at your fingertips! Think Dirty also has a mechanism for favoriting products so you already have a list of safe products handy next time you hit the drug store!

The Story of Stuff

If you haven't watched this influential classic, take 10 minutes out of your day to get caught up!

How to Make the Healthiest Food Choices

image source

In the last decade, countless buzzwords have emerged to describe the food. With numerous labels and signs promoting “organically grown”, “locally sourced”, “grass fed”, “artisan”, “fresh”, “all natural”, and others, it’s hard to keep track of what they all mean. While many of us strive to make the best decisions we can when it comes to what we put in our cart and on our dinner plates, what exactly does this entail? Let’s discuss some of those words and find out what they really mean.

Natural is used to describe many types of food - from meat to vegetables to packaged potato chips. For many people, the term "natural" conjures images of wide, open fields, a single farmer working fifteen hours a day, and everything done by hand, and of course with no chemicals. Packaging certainly plays a large role in this, with green being widely used, and smiling cows, chickens and other farm animals showing just how happy the organic life is. But is it, really? Technically, the term natural simply means derived from natural matter. Therefore, if you trace anything far enough back, it is certainly natural. Instead, look for organic products that have the USDA organic label.

While it is good to choose organic where possible, organic isn’t the be all and end all of ethical eating. For example, if you are concerned about the companies behind your food, organic isn’t necessarily the way to go. Many large corporations now have an organic line, so it is important not to be fooled into thinking that you are supporting a small family when you buy organic.

Additionally, you are not necessarily supporting local farmers. Organic food can, and does, come from anywhere in the world. Depending on where you shop, it can often travel thousands of miles to get to your supermarket. Many people are aware that “food miles” matter when it comes to making ethical and environmentally friendly decisions. Choosing food that is grown overseas and imported doesn’t make much sense, and is often less fresh, but can still most certainly be organic.

Although organic produce is a step in the right direction, and it is important to be aware of the benefits that eating organic can deliver, it is equally important to realize that there are other factors to consider when making ethical choices regarding the food that you and your family eat.


Author: Kurt Jacobson is a surfing enthusiast with a background in real estate. Having moved 10 times in the past 7 years, he thrives on helping others learn from his experiences. When he's not out shredding waves he writes about rental homes for www.rentfinder.co.

Right Now! rocked the house and encouraged action

For those who were unable to make it to the Right Now! event by We Are Music, here is a brief breakdown:

• The exhibit hall featured some great local business, such as Greentown Labs, City Soil, Social Boston Sports, and more (there were free samples galore, Pop Chips, anyone?).
• The impressive speakers included:
• Dan Schrag, Professor of Geology at Harvard University. Dan also serves on President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
• Jack Healy, Head of the Human Rights Action Center. Jack was also a key organizational figure in the "Human Rights Concerts" series, when he served as Executive Director of Amnesty International USA between 1981-1993.
• Michael Mann, Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. Michael is a well-renowned climate activist and co-founder of Real Climate.
• Cameron Wake, Director of Carbon Solutions New England, Cameron helps lead the New Hampshire Energy and Climate Collaborative, established to track and facilitate the implementation of New Hampshire's 2009 Climate Action Plan. (And, he has the best first name ever!!! 
• The event included an open oyster bar courtesy of Island Creek Oysters! A delicious treat, oysters are also one of the most sustainable seafood choices.
• There was also a special message from Bill McKibbon! Though it was kind of hard to hear, the video was inspiring and set a tone of urgency and action.
• Oh yeah, the live entertainment was excellent! DJ Ryan Brown, Bearstronaut, DJ Juan Maclean, and   Escort  got everyone dancing!

I had a great time. In fact, I was one of the last ones to leave! (proof below). I can't wait to see more events by We Are Music!

Panel on The Role of Regulation in Furthering Sustainability

WHEN: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

WHERE: The Venture Cafe, Cambridge Innovation Center, 5th Floor, 1 Broadway, Cambridge, MA

WHY: This month's Boston Area Sustainability Group meeting is co-hosted by the New England Women in Energy and the Environment (coordinated by Boston Green Blog!) The theme of the evening is using legislation and regulation to promote environmental sustainability. As long as a capitalist economy fails to capture the costs of negative externalities, there is little incentive for corporations to reduce their environmental impact.  However, as shown through the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Dodd-Frank, among other local, national, and international laws, businesses are required to evaluate and report their risks and impacts.  That requirement can provide incentive for more sustainable actions. The following speakers will present information about successes and challenges in using regulation, legislation, and legal action to drive change for a more sustainable world.

• Ann Brewster Weeks, Senior Counsel, Legal Director at Clean Air Task Force
• Erica Mattison, Legislative Director, Environmental League of MA
• Lea Reynolds, Senior Policy Analyst, M.J. Bradley & Associates, LLC, Concord MA
• Steve Long, Director of Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy

REGISTER HERE!

Win Tickets to Right Now! Climate Change Awareness Concert!

****Boston Green Blog is giving away 2 free tickets to this event!****

see below for details

WHEN: February 1, 2014, 6 pm - 12 am

WHERE: Brooklyn Boulders, 12A Tyler St, Somerville, MA ‎

WHY: Presented by We Are Music, RIGHTNOW! will bring awareness to climate change and proceeds from ticket sales will benefit post-typhoon rebuilding efforts in the Philippines.

RIGHTNOW! is more than just a concert. The night will feature a panel of acclaimed climate scientists, and will be catered by local New England food and drinks vendors including: Narragansett Beer, High and Mighty Beer, Rising Tide Brewery, Deep Eddy Vodka, Privateer Rum, Slow and Low Whiskey, 4 Rose Bourbon and, Pop Chips. There will also be an open oyster bar from Island Creek Oysters!

Climate Scientists Michael Mann and Jack Healey are set to speak and the concert portion of the evening features Escort, Juan Maclean, and Bearstronaut!

HOW TO WIN: All you have to do is tweet the following phrase: "Hey @BosGreenBlog plz send me to RIGHTNOW! @WeAreMusicNow on Feb 1 - http://bit.ly/LH4MPK #ClimateChange"

A winner will be randomly selected (using an app) and announced at noon on Thurs., Jan. 30. Each tweet counts as one entry, and participants are invited to enter as many times as they'd like. Good Luck!

What to watch on Netflix this weekend

This 2011 documentary, available for streaming on Netflix, takes an inspirational look into the brief, but landmark, presidency of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. The Maldives are the lowest lying country in the world, and may very well disappear as a result of climate change. Nasheed heads to the U.N. and to Copenhagen to face adversaries like China and India in the hopes that they can come to an agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Island President is informative, witty, and motivating - two thumbs up!

Avoid Spreading Invasive Insects through Christmas Trees

source image courtesy of Miss 604

This holiday season, The Nature Conservancy in the greater Boston area wants to make sure people know the facts about possible invasive species that threaten our trees. For example, fir trees are very popular Christmas Trees, and several species of fir trees are under attack from the balsam woolly adelgid, a tiny bug that distorts tree growth that can kill the tree. Maple trees, which provide syrup for our pancakes, are under attack from the non-native invasive Asian longhorned beetle. This insect kills maples (and many other species of trees), which could  seriously impact the maple syrup producers in the Northeast.

By now, most of you have already purchased your Christmas Trees, so the important thing is to dispose of them properly:

• Dispose of your tree safely. When Christmas is over, don’t just toss it in the backyard to sit around. If there are any invasive bugs on the tree, - they may spread to trees in your yard or
neighborhood. Search for local municipal tree collectors who will properly chip and dispose of
the tree.

• Don’t move firewood! Remember that warm toasty fire? Make sure those logs came from a
nearby area. Transporting firewood for long distances can spread invasive pests and start a new
infestation in your neighborhood. Instead, buy your firewood from a local, reputable seller or
burn it on the property where it was cut. (This also applies to camping. When you go camping,
don’t bring your firewood with you. Buy it at or near the campsite.)

Green Events Needed for 2014

source image courtesy of Phoebe Wahl

2013 is wrapping up - which means its time to start figuring out our calendars for the new year! What green events are going on in 2014? We hope to fill the Boston Green Blog event calendar with some great happenings! 

Send all upcoming event info. to bostongreenblog@gmail.com

Add More Recycling Bins

source image courtesy of ideastream

According to the L.A. Times, $14 Million worth of recyclables end up in U.S. landfills each year. This means, not only are we wasting environmental resources, we are wasting a decent amount of capital as well. One of the easiest solutions to this problem is to place a recycling receptacle next to every single waste basket in your home and office. This will reduce the urge to be lazy and through recyclables where they don't belong. This is a great new years resolution - so add it to your list!

How to Save the Oceans

Last Thursday, the New England Aquarium hosted the 11th lecture in its free fall series: Meet Your Local Garbage Patch. During the lecture, attendees were introduced to the Rozalia Project, an organization that works on implementing solutions for clean oceans. Trash in our oceans is of increasing concern as we discover more about the toxics that can leech from plastics and other man-made materials. After digesting  Rachel Miller's inspiring lecture, I present to you, 6 tips to save the ocean:

1. Stop smoking. In addition to the health concerns, cigarette butts take about 7 years to biodegrade in the ocean, and are one of the most common trash items found by the Rozalia Project on sea floors.

2. Use a refillable waterbottle. Water might be good for you, but plastic bottles take a lot longer to biodegrade than cigarettes - about 450 years! Avoid plastic bottles!

3. Watch out for urban trash cans. When they overflow, the trash can get swept up in rain water, down our storm drains and into the harbor. Wait until you see a non-overflowing trashcan to dispose of your trash - or better yet, alert area officials that the recepticle is in need of emptying.

4. Switch your facewash. Plastic beads from cosmetic exfoliants are of increasing concern to our oceans because of the incredible difficulty required to clean them. Use a facewash with naturally derived beads - or even better, switch to bar soap.

5. Picnic consciously. Unsurprisingly, most of the trash that the Rozalia Project finds in the harbors is food related - plastic cups, beer cans, food wrappers, etc. All are evidence that we love spending time at the beach and on the water, so make sure when you do these things that you dispose of all your trash appropriately.

6. Get educated. Learn about threats to the ocean and get involved with the solutions by following the Rozalia Project and other ocean-themed organizations.

What You Need to Know About Asbestos

Fact sheet courtesy of Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

To learn more about Asbestos and Mesothelioma, check out these resources: http://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/ and http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/