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string(32) "Daily Roundup: September 3, 2010"
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string(2166) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" target="_self">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" target="_self">Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" target="_self">AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" target="_self">National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" target="_self">NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" target="_self">BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" target="_self">CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" target="_self">Grist</a></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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string(2166) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" target="_self">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" target="_self">Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" target="_self">AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" target="_self">National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" target="_self">NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" target="_self">BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" target="_self">CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" target="_self">Grist</a></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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["title"]=>
string(32) "Daily Roundup: September 3, 2010"
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string(2166) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" target="_self">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" target="_self">Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" target="_self">AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" target="_self">National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" target="_self">NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" target="_self">BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" target="_self">CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" target="_self">Grist</a></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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string(25) "2010-09-03T18:01:00-07:00"
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["summary"]=>
string(78) "Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries."
["atom_content"]=>
string(2166) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" target="_self">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" target="_self">Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" target="_self">AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" target="_self">National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" target="_self">NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" target="_self">BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" target="_self">CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" target="_self">Grist</a></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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string(79) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/green-gloves-for-food-prep.html"
["title"]=>
string(25) "Food-Prep Gloves Go Green"
["link"]=>
string(79) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/green-gloves-for-food-prep.html"
["description"]=>
string(107) "ConServe gloves are compostable, which will prevent millions of plastic ones from being sent to landfills. "
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string(1332) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Food gloves" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-300wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 260px;" title="Food gloves" /></a> Not typically known for its eco-endeavors, the food-service industry is taking a step in the right direction by debuting the first set of <a href="http://www.genpak.com/cfm/biodegradable.cfm" target="_blank">compostable</a> food-prep gloves. FoodHandler's <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/brands/foodhandler-conserve/" target="_blank">ConServe gloves</a> are made from a compostable resin, which we hope will prevent millions of traditional plastic and polyethylene gloves from being sent to landfills each year. </p>
<p>Cafeterias, restaurants, and delis should have no problem implementing the eco-friendly alternative, since it complies with food-safety regulations. <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">FoodBizSupply</a><a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">.com</a> sells the gloves along with 400 other biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable products geared toward food preparation.</p>
<p><em>--Allison McCann</em></p>"
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["dc"]=>
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["subject"]=>
string(32) "Business and MoneyFood and Drink"
["creator"]=>
string(10) "Green Life"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-03T16:24:44-07:00"
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["summary"]=>
string(107) "ConServe gloves are compostable, which will prevent millions of plastic ones from being sent to landfills. "
["atom_content"]=>
string(1332) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Food gloves" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-300wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 260px;" title="Food gloves" /></a> Not typically known for its eco-endeavors, the food-service industry is taking a step in the right direction by debuting the first set of <a href="http://www.genpak.com/cfm/biodegradable.cfm" target="_blank">compostable</a> food-prep gloves. FoodHandler's <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/brands/foodhandler-conserve/" target="_blank">ConServe gloves</a> are made from a compostable resin, which we hope will prevent millions of traditional plastic and polyethylene gloves from being sent to landfills each year. </p>
<p>Cafeterias, restaurants, and delis should have no problem implementing the eco-friendly alternative, since it complies with food-safety regulations. <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">FoodBizSupply</a><a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">.com</a> sells the gloves along with 400 other biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable products geared toward food preparation.</p>
<p><em>--Allison McCann</em></p>"
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string(107) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/class-acts-4-college-students-making-an-eco-difference.html"
["title"]=>
string(55) "Class Acts: 4 College Students Making an Eco-Difference"
["link"]=>
string(107) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/class-acts-4-college-students-making-an-eco-difference.html"
["description"]=>
string(109) "It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful."
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string(4580) "<h2><span style="font-size: small;">It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful:</span></h2>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-1.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo courtesy of the <em>Statesman Journal</em>/Kobbi R. Blair</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Jeff Bennett, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong>Willamette University, Salem, Oregon</strong></p>
<p>"A professor suggested that I put together a wind turbine on campus and offered a grant to pay for it. I found some open-source material on turbines, but I struggled at first because the information wasn't complete. So my project partner, Albert Wright [right], and I did a lot of experimenting. We decided to overengineer the generator—that is, make it stronger than necessary. I hand-carved the blades using the instructions from a book, then made modifications. We did this outside regular classes, for no credit. It was a labor of love."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-2.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Chris Floyd</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Bethany Pratt, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Centre College, Danville, Kentucky</strong></p>
<p>"I helped start an organic garden on campus with the goal of providing our dining service with fresh, local, organic produce. It was an extension of my environmental education. We're celebrating Kentucky's farming tradition as well as showing the entire college the benefits of eating locally. Our hope is that if students take pride in their garden and food, it will encourage them to continue the habit—and that future volunteers will expand the garden and crop variety to support a large portion of the dining service's needs."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-3.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Danny Katz</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Christina Aalto, class of 2011</strong></span><br /><strong> University of Colorado, Boulder</strong></p>
<p>"I began working on energy-efficiency issues after I took a course that introduced me to the need for change in that area in the residential rental market. There's no financial incentive for landlords or tenants to invest in efficiency.</p>
<p>I helped start a program that sends teams of students to dwellings with interested tenants. The students give out compact fluorescent lightbulbs, low-flow showerheads, weather stripping, and educational material. I've gotten a lot of real-life experience dealing with barriers to change in energy policy."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-4.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Sterling College</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Hannah McHardy, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, Vermont</strong></p>
<p>"The inactive asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain in Vermont sparked my interest when government agencies began investigating the impacts of its colossal piles of tailings. For my senior project, I researched the mine's economic, environmental, social, and health impacts on the local community. I explored how the 30 million tons of asbestos tailings could be cleaned up. A professor and I have been researching native fungal species that break down the asbestos. Our hope is to render it nontoxic."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>--reported by Kyle Boelte</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>"
}
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["subject"]=>
string(19) "EducationTechnology"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-03T14:38:44-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(109) "It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful."
["atom_content"]=>
string(4580) "<h2><span style="font-size: small;">It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful:</span></h2>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-1.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo courtesy of the <em>Statesman Journal</em>/Kobbi R. Blair</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Jeff Bennett, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong>Willamette University, Salem, Oregon</strong></p>
<p>"A professor suggested that I put together a wind turbine on campus and offered a grant to pay for it. I found some open-source material on turbines, but I struggled at first because the information wasn't complete. So my project partner, Albert Wright [right], and I did a lot of experimenting. We decided to overengineer the generator—that is, make it stronger than necessary. I hand-carved the blades using the instructions from a book, then made modifications. We did this outside regular classes, for no credit. It was a labor of love."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-2.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Chris Floyd</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Bethany Pratt, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Centre College, Danville, Kentucky</strong></p>
<p>"I helped start an organic garden on campus with the goal of providing our dining service with fresh, local, organic produce. It was an extension of my environmental education. We're celebrating Kentucky's farming tradition as well as showing the entire college the benefits of eating locally. Our hope is that if students take pride in their garden and food, it will encourage them to continue the habit—and that future volunteers will expand the garden and crop variety to support a large portion of the dining service's needs."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-3.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Danny Katz</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Christina Aalto, class of 2011</strong></span><br /><strong> University of Colorado, Boulder</strong></p>
<p>"I began working on energy-efficiency issues after I took a course that introduced me to the need for change in that area in the residential rental market. There's no financial incentive for landlords or tenants to invest in efficiency.</p>
<p>I helped start a program that sends teams of students to dwellings with interested tenants. The students give out compact fluorescent lightbulbs, low-flow showerheads, weather stripping, and educational material. I've gotten a lot of real-life experience dealing with barriers to change in energy policy."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-4.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Sterling College</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Hannah McHardy, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, Vermont</strong></p>
<p>"The inactive asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain in Vermont sparked my interest when government agencies began investigating the impacts of its colossal piles of tailings. For my senior project, I researched the mine's economic, environmental, social, and health impacts on the local community. I explored how the 30 million tons of asbestos tailings could be cleaned up. A professor and I have been researching native fungal species that break down the asbestos. Our hope is to render it nontoxic."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>--reported by Kyle Boelte</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>"
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string(78) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/movie-review-friday-green.html"
["title"]=>
string(26) "Movie Review Friday: Green"
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string(78) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/movie-review-friday-green.html"
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string(97) "It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences."
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string(3192) "<p>Escape to the movies with one of our <a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/entertainment/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Movie Review Friday</span></a> selections. Each week we review a film with an environmental theme that's currently in theaters<a href="http:///"><span style="color: #0066cc;"> </span></a> or available on DVD<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/video/"></a>. Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us <a href="mailto:%20lifestyle.editor@sierraclub.org"><span style="color: #0066cc;">a short review</span></a> and look for it in the next Movie Review Friday.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/">Green</a></em> (2009)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/" target="_self" title="Green the film">Watch online here</a></p>
<p>
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<p>In light of <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92b469aa-b72f-11df-839a-00144feabdc0.html" target="_self" title="Burger King and Sinar Mas">Burger King’s decision this week</a> to stop purchasing from Sinar Mas, the Indonesian palm-oil company notorious for its rainforest-clearing practices, we thought it timely to recommend a documentary called <em>Green,</em> which has won more than 20 awards.<br /><br />It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences – and our role in it. By focusing in on one orangutan named Green, filmmaker Patrick Rouxel concentrates our compassion and concern. Green is ill and injured after her lush rainforest home is flattened. She’s taken to a hospice and tended to by merciful humans. During these scenes, her wizened facial expressions are easily read, her surrender apparent. <br /><br />Spliced in are sequences of how she got there. We’re shown serene wilderness panoramas teeming with animals, establishing what stands to be lost. We see the requisite splitting, booming deforestation scenes replete with roaring chainsaws and grinding tractors. <br /><br />Most significantly, though, we see short, intelligent montages about consumerism: trucks in procession heaving with harvested raw materials, factories polishing up the goods we giddily buy, stores brimming with those goods. Rouxel, who often invokes hypocritical juxtaposition, manages to make viewers understand cause and effect, and their role in it, more than most other filmmakers or journalists who attempt the same. <br /><br />His cinematography’s not perfect but his ability to highlight poignancy is stellar. Especially considering that not a word is spoken throughout the film’s 48 minutes. <br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
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["summary"]=>
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string(3192) "<p>Escape to the movies with one of our <a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/entertainment/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Movie Review Friday</span></a> selections. Each week we review a film with an environmental theme that's currently in theaters<a href="http:///"><span style="color: #0066cc;"> </span></a> or available on DVD<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/video/"></a>. Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us <a href="mailto:%20lifestyle.editor@sierraclub.org"><span style="color: #0066cc;">a short review</span></a> and look for it in the next Movie Review Friday.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/">Green</a></em> (2009)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/" target="_self" title="Green the film">Watch online here</a></p>
<p>
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<p>In light of <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92b469aa-b72f-11df-839a-00144feabdc0.html" target="_self" title="Burger King and Sinar Mas">Burger King’s decision this week</a> to stop purchasing from Sinar Mas, the Indonesian palm-oil company notorious for its rainforest-clearing practices, we thought it timely to recommend a documentary called <em>Green,</em> which has won more than 20 awards.<br /><br />It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences – and our role in it. By focusing in on one orangutan named Green, filmmaker Patrick Rouxel concentrates our compassion and concern. Green is ill and injured after her lush rainforest home is flattened. She’s taken to a hospice and tended to by merciful humans. During these scenes, her wizened facial expressions are easily read, her surrender apparent. <br /><br />Spliced in are sequences of how she got there. We’re shown serene wilderness panoramas teeming with animals, establishing what stands to be lost. We see the requisite splitting, booming deforestation scenes replete with roaring chainsaws and grinding tractors. <br /><br />Most significantly, though, we see short, intelligent montages about consumerism: trucks in procession heaving with harvested raw materials, factories polishing up the goods we giddily buy, stores brimming with those goods. Rouxel, who often invokes hypocritical juxtaposition, manages to make viewers understand cause and effect, and their role in it, more than most other filmmakers or journalists who attempt the same. <br /><br />His cinematography’s not perfect but his ability to highlight poignancy is stellar. Especially considering that not a word is spoken throughout the film’s 48 minutes. <br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
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["about"]=>
string(83) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/daily-roundup-september-2-2010.html"
["title"]=>
string(32) "Daily Roundup: September 2, 2010"
["link"]=>
string(83) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/daily-roundup-september-2-2010.html"
["description"]=>
string(100) "Boats are getting stranded in the Amazon River; water levels are the lowest they've been in decades."
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array(1) {
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string(1666) "<p><strong>Not Again: </strong>An Mariner Energy oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico; 13 people went overboard but none were killed. Some reported seeing an oil sheen at the site. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/02/louisiana.oil.platform.explosion/ " target="_self">CNN</a><br /><br /><strong>Earl-y Warning: </strong>Hurricane Earl, a category 3 storm, is expected to batter the Virginia and North Carolina coasts with 115 mile-per-hour winds. <em><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/weather/dp-nws-earl-main-20100902,0,2184505.story " target="_self">Daily Press</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Mais Oui!</strong> France plans to be able to source 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2015, the result of a $12 billion project. <a href="http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/08/30/france-to-have-3000-mw-of-offshore-wind-by-2015/ " target="_self">CleanTechies</a><br /><br /><strong>Redefining “Navigable”: </strong>The Amazon River’s water level near its source in northeastern Peru is lower than it’s been in more than 40 years. Boats are getting stranded. <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7978046/Amazon-at-lowest-level-for-40-years.html " target="_self">Telegraph</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Brilliant or Blasphemous? </strong>Positioning himself as the Charles Darwin of physics, Stephen Hawking is stating his case that no god was necessary to create the universe. <a href="http://ksjtracker.mit.edu/2010/09/02/times-of-londons-eureka-mag-hawking-says-physics-enough-to-explain-creation-no-god-needed-same-as-no-god/ " target="_self">Knight Science Journalism Tracker</a><br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["creator"]=>
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["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T18:01:00-07:00"
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["summary"]=>
string(100) "Boats are getting stranded in the Amazon River; water levels are the lowest they've been in decades."
["atom_content"]=>
string(1666) "<p><strong>Not Again: </strong>An Mariner Energy oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico; 13 people went overboard but none were killed. Some reported seeing an oil sheen at the site. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/02/louisiana.oil.platform.explosion/ " target="_self">CNN</a><br /><br /><strong>Earl-y Warning: </strong>Hurricane Earl, a category 3 storm, is expected to batter the Virginia and North Carolina coasts with 115 mile-per-hour winds. <em><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/weather/dp-nws-earl-main-20100902,0,2184505.story " target="_self">Daily Press</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Mais Oui!</strong> France plans to be able to source 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2015, the result of a $12 billion project. <a href="http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/08/30/france-to-have-3000-mw-of-offshore-wind-by-2015/ " target="_self">CleanTechies</a><br /><br /><strong>Redefining “Navigable”: </strong>The Amazon River’s water level near its source in northeastern Peru is lower than it’s been in more than 40 years. Boats are getting stranded. <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7978046/Amazon-at-lowest-level-for-40-years.html " target="_self">Telegraph</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Brilliant or Blasphemous? </strong>Positioning himself as the Charles Darwin of physics, Stephen Hawking is stating his case that no god was necessary to create the universe. <a href="http://ksjtracker.mit.edu/2010/09/02/times-of-londons-eureka-mag-hawking-says-physics-enough-to-explain-creation-no-god-needed-same-as-no-god/ " target="_self">Knight Science Journalism Tracker</a><br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
}
[5]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(84) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/plant-finds-friends-on-facebook.html"
["title"]=>
string(32) "This Plant Eats Facebook Friends"
["link"]=>
string(84) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/plant-finds-friends-on-facebook.html"
["description"]=>
string(78) "With 3,528 fans and counting, it won't be starving for attention anytime soon."
["content"]=>
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string(1545) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Feed me with facebook friends" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-200wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 200px;" title="Feed me with facebook friends" /></a> If <em>Little Shop of Horrors</em> were written for the digital age, carnivorous plants might feed on Facebook fans and wall posts instead of human blood. Turns out this tech-driven scenario is not a work of musical fiction, but a real-life garden, equipped with a <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/08/31/meet-eater-facebook/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29" target="_self">water- and nutrient-delivery system that's triggered by social-media interaction</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/meeteater?v=app_349285803981" target="_self">Meet Eater</a>, an experiment that's been running for 74 days, was created by design student Bashkim Isai for <a href="http://www.uq.edu.au/ict/meet-eater" target="_self">a course at the University of Queensland, Australia</a>. Its system responds to physical contact as well as online interaction and will "call for quiet time" if it's getting too much stimulation.</p>
<p>With more than 3,500 fans and counting, we imagine the Meet Eater plant won't be starving for attention anytime soon.</p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(36) "MediaPop CornerSocial LifeTechnology"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T16:21:40-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(78) "With 3,528 fans and counting, it won't be starving for attention anytime soon."
["atom_content"]=>
string(1545) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Feed me with facebook friends" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-200wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 200px;" title="Feed me with facebook friends" /></a> If <em>Little Shop of Horrors</em> were written for the digital age, carnivorous plants might feed on Facebook fans and wall posts instead of human blood. Turns out this tech-driven scenario is not a work of musical fiction, but a real-life garden, equipped with a <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/08/31/meet-eater-facebook/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29" target="_self">water- and nutrient-delivery system that's triggered by social-media interaction</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/meeteater?v=app_349285803981" target="_self">Meet Eater</a>, an experiment that's been running for 74 days, was created by design student Bashkim Isai for <a href="http://www.uq.edu.au/ict/meet-eater" target="_self">a course at the University of Queensland, Australia</a>. Its system responds to physical contact as well as online interaction and will "call for quiet time" if it's getting too much stimulation.</p>
<p>With more than 3,500 fans and counting, we imagine the Meet Eater plant won't be starving for attention anytime soon.</p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
}
[6]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(96) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/eco-contests-channel-kids-competitive-urges.html"
["title"]=>
string(44) "Eco-Contests Channel Kids' Competitive Urges"
["link"]=>
string(96) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/eco-contests-channel-kids-competitive-urges.html"
["description"]=>
string(77) "Children are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. "
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(4692) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="Kids and science" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 320px;" title="Kids and science" /></a> College students aren't the only <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/coolschools/" target="_self">young people getting rivalrous</a> in the race to save the planet. Even sixth graders are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. Considering that science fairs and math contests have long been extracurricular staples for grade school whizzes, it's natural that the format should expand to include environmental issues.</p>
<p>Last year's <a href="http://siemens.discoveryeducation.com/" target="_blank">Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge</a>, an annual, nationwide K-12 contest that encourages students to develop Earth-preserving ideas, "opened doors," said Hector Ibarra, an Iowa teacher who mentored the winning team. "It opened students' eyes as to what the possibilities really are."
</p>
<p>Ibarra's Team Dead Weight, from West Branch Middle School, researched the lead weights used to balance car tires. With a local scientist's help, the students followed EPA protocol and determined that the weights were poisoning waterways, soil, and air. The students then traveled to Washington, D.C., to share their findings with federal officials, a meeting that encouraged the EPA to recognize lead wheel weights' toxicity and to pass legislation to phase them out. Later, California legislators used the children's research to help pass a statewide ban.</p>
<p>More than 2,000 students participated in the 2009 Siemens challenge—double the number that signed up in 2008. "Everybody likes to participate in something where they can showcase what they've learned," Siemens president Jeniffer Harper-Taylor said. "Team Dead Weight had the chance to impact legislation on a national level, which is a pretty big deal for a middle school student."</p>
<p>In California, the <a href="http://sce.com/edisonchallenge" target="_blank">2010 Edison Challenge Environmental Science Competition</a> drew entries from 67 middle and high schools. Medea Creek Middle School, in Oak Park, won for its campaign to raise awareness about vampire energy (the electricity sucked up by appliances that are plugged in but not in use), and Santa Monica High School won for its testing of ocean bacteria. The winning teams got a weeklong trip to Catalina Island, and their teachers received stipends ranging from $150 to $500.</p>
<p>Competition, however, isn't the only way to promote responsible living, said Laura Hickey, senior director of Eco Schools USA. "Contests are big for the moment," she said, "and environmental education is something that should be integrated into the curriculum. If the school can parlay a contest and the enthusiasm for green activities and incorporate it into their daily practice, that would have a much longer effect."</p>
<p>Most schools that participate continue their green efforts after a contest has ended, according to Katy Perry, who coordinates the <a href="http://greencupchallenge.net/" target="_blank">Green Cup Challenge</a>. More than 200 elementary, middle, and high schools in 22 states entered Green Cup's 2010 four-week energy-reduction competition, focusing mainly on small efforts such as turning down thermostats and shutting off lights. Afterward, power consumption among these schools fell an average of 5 percent, with some reducing their energy use by as much as 28 percent.</p>
<p>"It helps to energize a culture shift within a school," Perry explained. "Any time you want to change something, you need to be able to measure it, so putting it in terms of the competition helps them to quantify their progress."</p>
<p>For Jackson Smith, a third grader at Manhattan's P.S. 166, the Richard Rodgers School of the Arts and Technology, a Green Cup Challenge regional winner (the school slashed its energy consumption by almost 18 percent in a matter of four winter weeks), the contest tapped into existing motivations. "We really didn't think we were going to win, but we still put a lot of effort into it," he said. "It showed us what we could do and how it would help the earth, and that's why we pushed ourselves. It wasn't just the Green Cup Challenge."</p>
<p><em>--Jessi Phillips</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(9) "Education"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T15:30:00-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(77) "Children are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. "
["atom_content"]=>
string(4692) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="Kids and science" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 320px;" title="Kids and science" /></a> College students aren't the only <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/coolschools/" target="_self">young people getting rivalrous</a> in the race to save the planet. Even sixth graders are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. Considering that science fairs and math contests have long been extracurricular staples for grade school whizzes, it's natural that the format should expand to include environmental issues.</p>
<p>Last year's <a href="http://siemens.discoveryeducation.com/" target="_blank">Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge</a>, an annual, nationwide K-12 contest that encourages students to develop Earth-preserving ideas, "opened doors," said Hector Ibarra, an Iowa teacher who mentored the winning team. "It opened students' eyes as to what the possibilities really are."
</p>
<p>Ibarra's Team Dead Weight, from West Branch Middle School, researched the lead weights used to balance car tires. With a local scientist's help, the students followed EPA protocol and determined that the weights were poisoning waterways, soil, and air. The students then traveled to Washington, D.C., to share their findings with federal officials, a meeting that encouraged the EPA to recognize lead wheel weights' toxicity and to pass legislation to phase them out. Later, California legislators used the children's research to help pass a statewide ban.</p>
<p>More than 2,000 students participated in the 2009 Siemens challenge—double the number that signed up in 2008. "Everybody likes to participate in something where they can showcase what they've learned," Siemens president Jeniffer Harper-Taylor said. "Team Dead Weight had the chance to impact legislation on a national level, which is a pretty big deal for a middle school student."</p>
<p>In California, the <a href="http://sce.com/edisonchallenge" target="_blank">2010 Edison Challenge Environmental Science Competition</a> drew entries from 67 middle and high schools. Medea Creek Middle School, in Oak Park, won for its campaign to raise awareness about vampire energy (the electricity sucked up by appliances that are plugged in but not in use), and Santa Monica High School won for its testing of ocean bacteria. The winning teams got a weeklong trip to Catalina Island, and their teachers received stipends ranging from $150 to $500.</p>
<p>Competition, however, isn't the only way to promote responsible living, said Laura Hickey, senior director of Eco Schools USA. "Contests are big for the moment," she said, "and environmental education is something that should be integrated into the curriculum. If the school can parlay a contest and the enthusiasm for green activities and incorporate it into their daily practice, that would have a much longer effect."</p>
<p>Most schools that participate continue their green efforts after a contest has ended, according to Katy Perry, who coordinates the <a href="http://greencupchallenge.net/" target="_blank">Green Cup Challenge</a>. More than 200 elementary, middle, and high schools in 22 states entered Green Cup's 2010 four-week energy-reduction competition, focusing mainly on small efforts such as turning down thermostats and shutting off lights. Afterward, power consumption among these schools fell an average of 5 percent, with some reducing their energy use by as much as 28 percent.</p>
<p>"It helps to energize a culture shift within a school," Perry explained. "Any time you want to change something, you need to be able to measure it, so putting it in terms of the competition helps them to quantify their progress."</p>
<p>For Jackson Smith, a third grader at Manhattan's P.S. 166, the Richard Rodgers School of the Arts and Technology, a Green Cup Challenge regional winner (the school slashed its energy consumption by almost 18 percent in a matter of four winter weeks), the contest tapped into existing motivations. "We really didn't think we were going to win, but we still put a lot of effort into it," he said. "It showed us what we could do and how it would help the earth, and that's why we pushed ourselves. It wasn't just the Green Cup Challenge."</p>
<p><em>--Jessi Phillips</em></p>"
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string(7115) "<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The fantasy draft: We scouted university catalogs nationwide to patch together a dream team of all-star teachers and sure-hit courses. Here are the academic picks for which we'd shell out private-school tuition:</strong></span></p>
<div style="border: 2px solid #00abbc; padding: 5px; width: 250px; float: right; background-color: #ecf8f9;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">CLASSES</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Green Buildings and Behavior, <span style="color: #826244;">Stanford University</span></span></strong></p>
<p>To get into this limited-enrollment class, you have to write an essay about why you think campus sustainability is important. Once in, you get to dig through trash at Stanford’s recycling center and learn to implement a campus-wide energy plan. Students also get coached to draft and deploy conservation messages. After finishing the course, students are eligible to be sustainability coordinators of campus buildings.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Innovation Practicum, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Washington</span></span></strong></p>
<p>This seminar preps students for UW's annual <a href="http://eic.washington.edu/" target="_blank">Environmental Innovation Challenge</a>, during which teams build prototypes and develop business plans for products that will help solve environmental problems. Bonus: The team that develops the winning gizmo gets $10,000.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Foundations of Ecopsychology, <span style="color: #826244;">Lewis & Clark College</span></span></strong></p>
<p>During this graduate-level class, Thomas Joseph Doherty, editor of the journal <em>Ecopsychology,</em> helps students examine the healing effects of natural places and guides them through ways that people develop "environment identities."</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Ecogeomorphology, <span style="color: #826244;"> </span></span></strong>          <strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #826244;">UC Davis</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students get their feet wet during this multidisciplinary, 12-person class about watershed issues. Experts from Davis's Center for Watershed Sciences help students prepare peer-reviewed reports for publication. The fun part: a two-week trip into a watery ecosystem. Past excursions have gone to Alaska's Copper River, British Columbia's Skeena River, or Oregon's Grand Ronde.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Ethics and Policy, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Missouri-Kansas City</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students pondering law school would do well to take this class, which examines the value of nature, as well as human obligations to other animals and future generations. Professor Jim Sheppard, a fan of such thinkers as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Stuart Mill, helps students grasp why environmentalism is a matter of personal responsibility.</p>
</div>
<div style="width: 350px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">PROFESSORS</span></p>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">MICHAEL POLLAN, Journalism, UC Berkeley </span></strong>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Pollan.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Alia Malley</span></div>
<p>Rarely do a book's ideas seep so thoroughly into the collective mind as did those from Pollan's bestseller <em>The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals</em>. Though his theories resonate in diverse academic circles—food science, genetics, agriculture, ecology, dietetics—Pollan is by trade a journalist, and that's what he teaches at Berkeley. His recent classes have included Getting Over Wilderness, Science Reporting: Covering the Food Chain, and our favorite, The Editor as God.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JARED DIAMOND, Geography, UCLA</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Diamond.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of UCLA</span></div>
<p>The Pulitzer-winning author of <em>Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</em> is one of the world's foremost experts on how humans' impact on nature can lead to disaster. Diamond's degrees are in physiology and biochemistry, but his classes, including Past Societies and Their Lessons for Our Own Future, are anchored in history. He's also a trailblazer in conservation biology, studying why some species are prone to extinction.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">ELINOR OSTROM, Political Science, Indiana University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Elinor.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Chris Meyer / Indiana University</span></div>
<p>Last year, Ostrom became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics. A pioneer in studying the management of communal resources, she teaches such opaque-sounding courses as Institutional Analysis and Development: Micro. But her topics are specific: how humans make collective decisions and whether individuals govern resources better than institutions do.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">AL GORE, Interdisciplinary, Middle Tennessee State University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Gore.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Anne Hamersky</span></div>
<p>A polarizing figure? Perhaps. But the former VP has much to teach. After persuading 51 million people to vote for him to be leader of the Western world, he's clearly qualified to teach a class called Community Building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JAMES HANSEN, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Hansen.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Arnold Adler</span></div>
<p>The world's most famous climatologist, and the first to speak out loudly about a potential global-warming apocalypse, Hansen is an adjunct professor at Columbia. His class, Introduction to Planetary Atmosphere and Climate Change, must be popular, because he won the university's Teaching Excellence Award in the Humanities and was named Outstanding Teacher in the Core Curriculum.</p>
<p><em>—Avital Binshtock</em></p>
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<div style="border: 2px solid #00abbc; padding: 5px; width: 250px; float: right; background-color: #ecf8f9;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">CLASSES</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Green Buildings and Behavior, <span style="color: #826244;">Stanford University</span></span></strong></p>
<p>To get into this limited-enrollment class, you have to write an essay about why you think campus sustainability is important. Once in, you get to dig through trash at Stanford’s recycling center and learn to implement a campus-wide energy plan. Students also get coached to draft and deploy conservation messages. After finishing the course, students are eligible to be sustainability coordinators of campus buildings.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Innovation Practicum, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Washington</span></span></strong></p>
<p>This seminar preps students for UW's annual <a href="http://eic.washington.edu/" target="_blank">Environmental Innovation Challenge</a>, during which teams build prototypes and develop business plans for products that will help solve environmental problems. Bonus: The team that develops the winning gizmo gets $10,000.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Foundations of Ecopsychology, <span style="color: #826244;">Lewis & Clark College</span></span></strong></p>
<p>During this graduate-level class, Thomas Joseph Doherty, editor of the journal <em>Ecopsychology,</em> helps students examine the healing effects of natural places and guides them through ways that people develop "environment identities."</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Ecogeomorphology, <span style="color: #826244;"> </span></span></strong>          <strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #826244;">UC Davis</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students get their feet wet during this multidisciplinary, 12-person class about watershed issues. Experts from Davis's Center for Watershed Sciences help students prepare peer-reviewed reports for publication. The fun part: a two-week trip into a watery ecosystem. Past excursions have gone to Alaska's Copper River, British Columbia's Skeena River, or Oregon's Grand Ronde.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Ethics and Policy, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Missouri-Kansas City</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students pondering law school would do well to take this class, which examines the value of nature, as well as human obligations to other animals and future generations. Professor Jim Sheppard, a fan of such thinkers as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Stuart Mill, helps students grasp why environmentalism is a matter of personal responsibility.</p>
</div>
<div style="width: 350px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">PROFESSORS</span></p>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">MICHAEL POLLAN, Journalism, UC Berkeley </span></strong>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Pollan.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Alia Malley</span></div>
<p>Rarely do a book's ideas seep so thoroughly into the collective mind as did those from Pollan's bestseller <em>The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals</em>. Though his theories resonate in diverse academic circles—food science, genetics, agriculture, ecology, dietetics—Pollan is by trade a journalist, and that's what he teaches at Berkeley. His recent classes have included Getting Over Wilderness, Science Reporting: Covering the Food Chain, and our favorite, The Editor as God.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JARED DIAMOND, Geography, UCLA</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Diamond.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of UCLA</span></div>
<p>The Pulitzer-winning author of <em>Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</em> is one of the world's foremost experts on how humans' impact on nature can lead to disaster. Diamond's degrees are in physiology and biochemistry, but his classes, including Past Societies and Their Lessons for Our Own Future, are anchored in history. He's also a trailblazer in conservation biology, studying why some species are prone to extinction.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">ELINOR OSTROM, Political Science, Indiana University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Elinor.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Chris Meyer / Indiana University</span></div>
<p>Last year, Ostrom became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics. A pioneer in studying the management of communal resources, she teaches such opaque-sounding courses as Institutional Analysis and Development: Micro. But her topics are specific: how humans make collective decisions and whether individuals govern resources better than institutions do.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">AL GORE, Interdisciplinary, Middle Tennessee State University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Gore.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Anne Hamersky</span></div>
<p>A polarizing figure? Perhaps. But the former VP has much to teach. After persuading 51 million people to vote for him to be leader of the Western world, he's clearly qualified to teach a class called Community Building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JAMES HANSEN, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Hansen.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Arnold Adler</span></div>
<p>The world's most famous climatologist, and the first to speak out loudly about a potential global-warming apocalypse, Hansen is an adjunct professor at Columbia. His class, Introduction to Planetary Atmosphere and Climate Change, must be popular, because he won the university's Teaching Excellence Award in the Humanities and was named Outstanding Teacher in the Core Curriculum.</p>
<p><em>—Avital Binshtock</em></p>
</div>"
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string(1675) "<p><a href="http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/"></a><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486a2dfbd970c-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="Unplug appliances" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486a2dfbd970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486a2dfbd970c-400wi" style="width: 360px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="Unplug appliances" /></a><a href="http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/"> No Impact Man</a>, a.k.a. Colin Beavan, took a yearlong vow to live a zero-waste lifestyle in New York City. The experiment inspired a blog, a book, a film - and others to embrace green habits. This week's tips will help you try a one-week carbon cleanse. <a href="http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageNavigator/NAT_noimpact">Sign up here</a> to share the results of your own No Impact Project.</p>
<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><strong>Tip #4: Unplug Appliances</strong></span></p>
<p>If you can't <a href="http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml" target="_self">buy green power</a> in your state, look for ways to reduce your energy consumption. Instead of relying on electrical appliances this week, you might hang laundry to dry on a clothesline or trade TV time for a family game night. Remember that computers, VCRs, and microwaves can suck power even when they're turned off, so unplug "<a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2008/06/green-tip-unplu.html" target="_self">vampire appliances</a>" when they're not in use.</p>
<p><em><strong>Share your tips: How do you reduce energy use at home?</strong></em></p>"
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<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><strong>Tip #4: Unplug Appliances</strong></span></p>
<p>If you can't <a href="http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml" target="_self">buy green power</a> in your state, look for ways to reduce your energy consumption. Instead of relying on electrical appliances this week, you might hang laundry to dry on a clothesline or trade TV time for a family game night. Remember that computers, VCRs, and microwaves can suck power even when they're turned off, so unplug "<a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2008/06/green-tip-unplu.html" target="_self">vampire appliances</a>" when they're not in use.</p>
<p><em><strong>Share your tips: How do you reduce energy use at home?</strong></em></p>"
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string(1959) "<p><strong>Case of the Munchies:</strong> Canadian authorities will spare the lives of at least 17 black bears that were repeatedly fed dog food by marijuana farmers. The bears, discovered during a drug bust, will be fed until winter hibernation, which officials hope will disrupt their dog-food habit. <em><a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Grow+bears+dine+food+until+winter+ministry+declares/3466175/story.html" target="_self">Montreal Gazette</a></em> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iTLwiCTwfymx2tmuGj2X4uHIe5AQ" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Eco-Extreme:</strong> A population-control activist took hostages at the Discovery Channel's Maryland headquarters, then was shot and killed. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/01/maryland.discovery.suspect/?hpt=Sbin" target="_self">CNN</a> and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38957020/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/" target="_self">MSNBC</a></p>
<p><strong>Cove Continued:</strong> Japan's annual dolphin hunt began today in Taiji. <a href="http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/09/01/dolphin-hunt-kicks-off-in-japan/" target="_self">Ecorazzi</a></p>
<p><strong>Just Say No:</strong> The Bahamas suspended the consideration of new oil-exploration applications. <em><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HVBLPG0.htm" target="_self">Bloomberg Businessweek</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Before the Storm:</strong> Some North Carolina barrier islands have been evacuated as Hurricane Earl approaches the East Coast. A few surfers plan to ride the waves. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVWjsPEiqe1tEu2mhBIRaxxGi8owD9HVB2J01" target="_self">AP</a> and <em><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/01/2010-09-01_as_hurricane_earl_bears_down_on_east_coast_nyc_surfers_get_ready_to_ride_the_wav.html" target="_self">New York Daily News</a></em></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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<p><strong>Eco-Extreme:</strong> A population-control activist took hostages at the Discovery Channel's Maryland headquarters, then was shot and killed. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/01/maryland.discovery.suspect/?hpt=Sbin" target="_self">CNN</a> and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38957020/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/" target="_self">MSNBC</a></p>
<p><strong>Cove Continued:</strong> Japan's annual dolphin hunt began today in Taiji. <a href="http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/09/01/dolphin-hunt-kicks-off-in-japan/" target="_self">Ecorazzi</a></p>
<p><strong>Just Say No:</strong> The Bahamas suspended the consideration of new oil-exploration applications. <em><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HVBLPG0.htm" target="_self">Bloomberg Businessweek</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Before the Storm:</strong> Some North Carolina barrier islands have been evacuated as Hurricane Earl approaches the East Coast. A few surfers plan to ride the waves. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVWjsPEiqe1tEu2mhBIRaxxGi8owD9HVB2J01" target="_self">AP</a> and <em><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/01/2010-09-01_as_hurricane_earl_bears_down_on_east_coast_nyc_surfers_get_ready_to_ride_the_wav.html" target="_self">New York Daily News</a></em></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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["about"]=>
string(83) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/daily-roundup-september-3-2010.html"
["title"]=>
string(32) "Daily Roundup: September 3, 2010"
["link"]=>
string(83) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/daily-roundup-september-3-2010.html"
["description"]=>
string(78) "Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries."
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(2166) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" target="_self">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" target="_self">Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" target="_self">AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" target="_self">National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" target="_self">NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" target="_self">BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" target="_self">CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" target="_self">Grist</a></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(14) "Current Events"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-03T18:01:00-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(78) "Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries."
["atom_content"]=>
string(2166) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" target="_self">AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" target="_self">Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" target="_self">AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" target="_self">National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" target="_self">NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" target="_self">BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" target="_self">CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" target="_self">Grist</a></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
}
[1]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(79) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/green-gloves-for-food-prep.html"
["title"]=>
string(25) "Food-Prep Gloves Go Green"
["link"]=>
string(79) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/green-gloves-for-food-prep.html"
["description"]=>
string(107) "ConServe gloves are compostable, which will prevent millions of plastic ones from being sent to landfills. "
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(1332) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Food gloves" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-300wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 260px;" title="Food gloves" /></a> Not typically known for its eco-endeavors, the food-service industry is taking a step in the right direction by debuting the first set of <a href="http://www.genpak.com/cfm/biodegradable.cfm" target="_blank">compostable</a> food-prep gloves. FoodHandler's <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/brands/foodhandler-conserve/" target="_blank">ConServe gloves</a> are made from a compostable resin, which we hope will prevent millions of traditional plastic and polyethylene gloves from being sent to landfills each year. </p>
<p>Cafeterias, restaurants, and delis should have no problem implementing the eco-friendly alternative, since it complies with food-safety regulations. <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">FoodBizSupply</a><a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">.com</a> sells the gloves along with 400 other biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable products geared toward food preparation.</p>
<p><em>--Allison McCann</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(32) "Business and MoneyFood and Drink"
["creator"]=>
string(10) "Green Life"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-03T16:24:44-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(107) "ConServe gloves are compostable, which will prevent millions of plastic ones from being sent to landfills. "
["atom_content"]=>
string(1332) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Food gloves" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486d03fdc970c-300wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 260px;" title="Food gloves" /></a> Not typically known for its eco-endeavors, the food-service industry is taking a step in the right direction by debuting the first set of <a href="http://www.genpak.com/cfm/biodegradable.cfm" target="_blank">compostable</a> food-prep gloves. FoodHandler's <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/brands/foodhandler-conserve/" target="_blank">ConServe gloves</a> are made from a compostable resin, which we hope will prevent millions of traditional plastic and polyethylene gloves from being sent to landfills each year. </p>
<p>Cafeterias, restaurants, and delis should have no problem implementing the eco-friendly alternative, since it complies with food-safety regulations. <a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">FoodBizSupply</a><a href="http://www.foodbizsupply.com/" target="_blank">.com</a> sells the gloves along with 400 other biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable products geared toward food preparation.</p>
<p><em>--Allison McCann</em></p>"
}
[2]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(107) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/class-acts-4-college-students-making-an-eco-difference.html"
["title"]=>
string(55) "Class Acts: 4 College Students Making an Eco-Difference"
["link"]=>
string(107) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/class-acts-4-college-students-making-an-eco-difference.html"
["description"]=>
string(109) "It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful."
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(4580) "<h2><span style="font-size: small;">It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful:</span></h2>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-1.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo courtesy of the <em>Statesman Journal</em>/Kobbi R. Blair</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Jeff Bennett, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong>Willamette University, Salem, Oregon</strong></p>
<p>"A professor suggested that I put together a wind turbine on campus and offered a grant to pay for it. I found some open-source material on turbines, but I struggled at first because the information wasn't complete. So my project partner, Albert Wright [right], and I did a lot of experimenting. We decided to overengineer the generator—that is, make it stronger than necessary. I hand-carved the blades using the instructions from a book, then made modifications. We did this outside regular classes, for no credit. It was a labor of love."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-2.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Chris Floyd</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Bethany Pratt, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Centre College, Danville, Kentucky</strong></p>
<p>"I helped start an organic garden on campus with the goal of providing our dining service with fresh, local, organic produce. It was an extension of my environmental education. We're celebrating Kentucky's farming tradition as well as showing the entire college the benefits of eating locally. Our hope is that if students take pride in their garden and food, it will encourage them to continue the habit—and that future volunteers will expand the garden and crop variety to support a large portion of the dining service's needs."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-3.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Danny Katz</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Christina Aalto, class of 2011</strong></span><br /><strong> University of Colorado, Boulder</strong></p>
<p>"I began working on energy-efficiency issues after I took a course that introduced me to the need for change in that area in the residential rental market. There's no financial incentive for landlords or tenants to invest in efficiency.</p>
<p>I helped start a program that sends teams of students to dwellings with interested tenants. The students give out compact fluorescent lightbulbs, low-flow showerheads, weather stripping, and educational material. I've gotten a lot of real-life experience dealing with barriers to change in energy policy."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-4.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Sterling College</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Hannah McHardy, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, Vermont</strong></p>
<p>"The inactive asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain in Vermont sparked my interest when government agencies began investigating the impacts of its colossal piles of tailings. For my senior project, I researched the mine's economic, environmental, social, and health impacts on the local community. I explored how the 30 million tons of asbestos tailings could be cleaned up. A professor and I have been researching native fungal species that break down the asbestos. Our hope is to render it nontoxic."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>--reported by Kyle Boelte</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(19) "EducationTechnology"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-03T14:38:44-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(109) "It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful."
["atom_content"]=>
string(4580) "<h2><span style="font-size: small;">It's easy to get discouraged sometimes about the future of the planet. Here are four reasons to stay hopeful:</span></h2>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-1.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo courtesy of the <em>Statesman Journal</em>/Kobbi R. Blair</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Jeff Bennett, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong>Willamette University, Salem, Oregon</strong></p>
<p>"A professor suggested that I put together a wind turbine on campus and offered a grant to pay for it. I found some open-source material on turbines, but I struggled at first because the information wasn't complete. So my project partner, Albert Wright [right], and I did a lot of experimenting. We decided to overengineer the generator—that is, make it stronger than necessary. I hand-carved the blades using the instructions from a book, then made modifications. We did this outside regular classes, for no credit. It was a labor of love."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-2.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Chris Floyd</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Bethany Pratt, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Centre College, Danville, Kentucky</strong></p>
<p>"I helped start an organic garden on campus with the goal of providing our dining service with fresh, local, organic produce. It was an extension of my environmental education. We're celebrating Kentucky's farming tradition as well as showing the entire college the benefits of eating locally. Our hope is that if students take pride in their garden and food, it will encourage them to continue the habit—and that future volunteers will expand the garden and crop variety to support a large portion of the dining service's needs."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-3.jpg" width="203" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #000000;"> Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Danny Katz</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Christina Aalto, class of 2011</strong></span><br /><strong> University of Colorado, Boulder</strong></p>
<p>"I began working on energy-efficiency issues after I took a course that introduced me to the need for change in that area in the residential rental market. There's no financial incentive for landlords or tenants to invest in efficiency.</p>
<p>I helped start a program that sends teams of students to dwellings with interested tenants. The students give out compact fluorescent lightbulbs, low-flow showerheads, weather stripping, and educational material. I've gotten a lot of real-life experience dealing with barriers to change in energy policy."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<div style="width: 205px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/ClassAct-Mug-4.jpg" width="203" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Illustration by Aesthetic Apparatus, photo by Sterling College</span></div>
<p><span style="color: #008000; font-size: medium;"><strong>Hannah McHardy, class of 2010</strong></span><br /><strong> Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, Vermont</strong></p>
<p>"The inactive asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain in Vermont sparked my interest when government agencies began investigating the impacts of its colossal piles of tailings. For my senior project, I researched the mine's economic, environmental, social, and health impacts on the local community. I explored how the 30 million tons of asbestos tailings could be cleaned up. A professor and I have been researching native fungal species that break down the asbestos. Our hope is to render it nontoxic."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>--reported by Kyle Boelte</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>"
}
[3]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(78) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/movie-review-friday-green.html"
["title"]=>
string(26) "Movie Review Friday: Green"
["link"]=>
string(78) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/movie-review-friday-green.html"
["description"]=>
string(97) "It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences."
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(3192) "<p>Escape to the movies with one of our <a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/entertainment/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Movie Review Friday</span></a> selections. Each week we review a film with an environmental theme that's currently in theaters<a href="http:///"><span style="color: #0066cc;"> </span></a> or available on DVD<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/video/"></a>. Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us <a href="mailto:%20lifestyle.editor@sierraclub.org"><span style="color: #0066cc;">a short review</span></a> and look for it in the next Movie Review Friday.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/">Green</a></em> (2009)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/" target="_self" title="Green the film">Watch online here</a></p>
<p>
<object data="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qfd0H9gmluo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" height="292" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="361">
<param name="data" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qfd0H9gmluo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" />
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</p>
<p>In light of <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92b469aa-b72f-11df-839a-00144feabdc0.html" target="_self" title="Burger King and Sinar Mas">Burger King’s decision this week</a> to stop purchasing from Sinar Mas, the Indonesian palm-oil company notorious for its rainforest-clearing practices, we thought it timely to recommend a documentary called <em>Green,</em> which has won more than 20 awards.<br /><br />It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences – and our role in it. By focusing in on one orangutan named Green, filmmaker Patrick Rouxel concentrates our compassion and concern. Green is ill and injured after her lush rainforest home is flattened. She’s taken to a hospice and tended to by merciful humans. During these scenes, her wizened facial expressions are easily read, her surrender apparent. <br /><br />Spliced in are sequences of how she got there. We’re shown serene wilderness panoramas teeming with animals, establishing what stands to be lost. We see the requisite splitting, booming deforestation scenes replete with roaring chainsaws and grinding tractors. <br /><br />Most significantly, though, we see short, intelligent montages about consumerism: trucks in procession heaving with harvested raw materials, factories polishing up the goods we giddily buy, stores brimming with those goods. Rouxel, who often invokes hypocritical juxtaposition, manages to make viewers understand cause and effect, and their role in it, more than most other filmmakers or journalists who attempt the same. <br /><br />His cinematography’s not perfect but his ability to highlight poignancy is stellar. Especially considering that not a word is spoken throughout the film’s 48 minutes. <br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(29) "AnimalsEntertainmentFilmMedia"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-03T11:24:11-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(97) "It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences."
["atom_content"]=>
string(3192) "<p>Escape to the movies with one of our <a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/entertainment/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Movie Review Friday</span></a> selections. Each week we review a film with an environmental theme that's currently in theaters<a href="http:///"><span style="color: #0066cc;"> </span></a> or available on DVD<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/video/"></a>. Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us <a href="mailto:%20lifestyle.editor@sierraclub.org"><span style="color: #0066cc;">a short review</span></a> and look for it in the next Movie Review Friday.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/">Green</a></em> (2009)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.greenthefilm.com/" target="_self" title="Green the film">Watch online here</a></p>
<p>
<object data="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qfd0H9gmluo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" height="292" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="361">
<param name="data" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qfd0H9gmluo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" />
<param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qfd0H9gmluo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" />
<param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" />
</object>
</p>
<p>In light of <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92b469aa-b72f-11df-839a-00144feabdc0.html" target="_self" title="Burger King and Sinar Mas">Burger King’s decision this week</a> to stop purchasing from Sinar Mas, the Indonesian palm-oil company notorious for its rainforest-clearing practices, we thought it timely to recommend a documentary called <em>Green,</em> which has won more than 20 awards.<br /><br />It’s a thoughtfully shot and edited film that shows deforestation’s devastating consequences – and our role in it. By focusing in on one orangutan named Green, filmmaker Patrick Rouxel concentrates our compassion and concern. Green is ill and injured after her lush rainforest home is flattened. She’s taken to a hospice and tended to by merciful humans. During these scenes, her wizened facial expressions are easily read, her surrender apparent. <br /><br />Spliced in are sequences of how she got there. We’re shown serene wilderness panoramas teeming with animals, establishing what stands to be lost. We see the requisite splitting, booming deforestation scenes replete with roaring chainsaws and grinding tractors. <br /><br />Most significantly, though, we see short, intelligent montages about consumerism: trucks in procession heaving with harvested raw materials, factories polishing up the goods we giddily buy, stores brimming with those goods. Rouxel, who often invokes hypocritical juxtaposition, manages to make viewers understand cause and effect, and their role in it, more than most other filmmakers or journalists who attempt the same. <br /><br />His cinematography’s not perfect but his ability to highlight poignancy is stellar. Especially considering that not a word is spoken throughout the film’s 48 minutes. <br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
}
[4]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(83) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/daily-roundup-september-2-2010.html"
["title"]=>
string(32) "Daily Roundup: September 2, 2010"
["link"]=>
string(83) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/daily-roundup-september-2-2010.html"
["description"]=>
string(100) "Boats are getting stranded in the Amazon River; water levels are the lowest they've been in decades."
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(1666) "<p><strong>Not Again: </strong>An Mariner Energy oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico; 13 people went overboard but none were killed. Some reported seeing an oil sheen at the site. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/02/louisiana.oil.platform.explosion/ " target="_self">CNN</a><br /><br /><strong>Earl-y Warning: </strong>Hurricane Earl, a category 3 storm, is expected to batter the Virginia and North Carolina coasts with 115 mile-per-hour winds. <em><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/weather/dp-nws-earl-main-20100902,0,2184505.story " target="_self">Daily Press</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Mais Oui!</strong> France plans to be able to source 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2015, the result of a $12 billion project. <a href="http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/08/30/france-to-have-3000-mw-of-offshore-wind-by-2015/ " target="_self">CleanTechies</a><br /><br /><strong>Redefining “Navigable”: </strong>The Amazon River’s water level near its source in northeastern Peru is lower than it’s been in more than 40 years. Boats are getting stranded. <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7978046/Amazon-at-lowest-level-for-40-years.html " target="_self">Telegraph</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Brilliant or Blasphemous? </strong>Positioning himself as the Charles Darwin of physics, Stephen Hawking is stating his case that no god was necessary to create the universe. <a href="http://ksjtracker.mit.edu/2010/09/02/times-of-londons-eureka-mag-hawking-says-physics-enough-to-explain-creation-no-god-needed-same-as-no-god/ " target="_self">Knight Science Journalism Tracker</a><br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T18:01:00-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(100) "Boats are getting stranded in the Amazon River; water levels are the lowest they've been in decades."
["atom_content"]=>
string(1666) "<p><strong>Not Again: </strong>An Mariner Energy oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico; 13 people went overboard but none were killed. Some reported seeing an oil sheen at the site. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/02/louisiana.oil.platform.explosion/ " target="_self">CNN</a><br /><br /><strong>Earl-y Warning: </strong>Hurricane Earl, a category 3 storm, is expected to batter the Virginia and North Carolina coasts with 115 mile-per-hour winds. <em><a href="http://www.dailypress.com/news/weather/dp-nws-earl-main-20100902,0,2184505.story " target="_self">Daily Press</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Mais Oui!</strong> France plans to be able to source 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2015, the result of a $12 billion project. <a href="http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/08/30/france-to-have-3000-mw-of-offshore-wind-by-2015/ " target="_self">CleanTechies</a><br /><br /><strong>Redefining “Navigable”: </strong>The Amazon River’s water level near its source in northeastern Peru is lower than it’s been in more than 40 years. Boats are getting stranded. <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/7978046/Amazon-at-lowest-level-for-40-years.html " target="_self">Telegraph</a></em><br /><br /><strong>Brilliant or Blasphemous? </strong>Positioning himself as the Charles Darwin of physics, Stephen Hawking is stating his case that no god was necessary to create the universe. <a href="http://ksjtracker.mit.edu/2010/09/02/times-of-londons-eureka-mag-hawking-says-physics-enough-to-explain-creation-no-god-needed-same-as-no-god/ " target="_self">Knight Science Journalism Tracker</a><br /><br /><em>--Avital Binshtock</em></p>"
}
[5]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(84) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/plant-finds-friends-on-facebook.html"
["title"]=>
string(32) "This Plant Eats Facebook Friends"
["link"]=>
string(84) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/plant-finds-friends-on-facebook.html"
["description"]=>
string(78) "With 3,528 fans and counting, it won't be starving for attention anytime soon."
["content"]=>
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string(1545) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Feed me with facebook friends" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-200wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 200px;" title="Feed me with facebook friends" /></a> If <em>Little Shop of Horrors</em> were written for the digital age, carnivorous plants might feed on Facebook fans and wall posts instead of human blood. Turns out this tech-driven scenario is not a work of musical fiction, but a real-life garden, equipped with a <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/08/31/meet-eater-facebook/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29" target="_self">water- and nutrient-delivery system that's triggered by social-media interaction</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/meeteater?v=app_349285803981" target="_self">Meet Eater</a>, an experiment that's been running for 74 days, was created by design student Bashkim Isai for <a href="http://www.uq.edu.au/ict/meet-eater" target="_self">a course at the University of Queensland, Australia</a>. Its system responds to physical contact as well as online interaction and will "call for quiet time" if it's getting too much stimulation.</p>
<p>With more than 3,500 fans and counting, we imagine the Meet Eater plant won't be starving for attention anytime soon.</p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(36) "MediaPop CornerSocial LifeTechnology"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T16:21:40-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(78) "With 3,528 fans and counting, it won't be starving for attention anytime soon."
["atom_content"]=>
string(1545) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Feed me with facebook friends" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486aa99a0970c-200wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 200px;" title="Feed me with facebook friends" /></a> If <em>Little Shop of Horrors</em> were written for the digital age, carnivorous plants might feed on Facebook fans and wall posts instead of human blood. Turns out this tech-driven scenario is not a work of musical fiction, but a real-life garden, equipped with a <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/08/31/meet-eater-facebook/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29" target="_self">water- and nutrient-delivery system that's triggered by social-media interaction</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/meeteater?v=app_349285803981" target="_self">Meet Eater</a>, an experiment that's been running for 74 days, was created by design student Bashkim Isai for <a href="http://www.uq.edu.au/ict/meet-eater" target="_self">a course at the University of Queensland, Australia</a>. Its system responds to physical contact as well as online interaction and will "call for quiet time" if it's getting too much stimulation.</p>
<p>With more than 3,500 fans and counting, we imagine the Meet Eater plant won't be starving for attention anytime soon.</p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
}
[6]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(96) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/eco-contests-channel-kids-competitive-urges.html"
["title"]=>
string(44) "Eco-Contests Channel Kids' Competitive Urges"
["link"]=>
string(96) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/eco-contests-channel-kids-competitive-urges.html"
["description"]=>
string(77) "Children are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. "
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(4692) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="Kids and science" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 320px;" title="Kids and science" /></a> College students aren't the only <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/coolschools/" target="_self">young people getting rivalrous</a> in the race to save the planet. Even sixth graders are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. Considering that science fairs and math contests have long been extracurricular staples for grade school whizzes, it's natural that the format should expand to include environmental issues.</p>
<p>Last year's <a href="http://siemens.discoveryeducation.com/" target="_blank">Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge</a>, an annual, nationwide K-12 contest that encourages students to develop Earth-preserving ideas, "opened doors," said Hector Ibarra, an Iowa teacher who mentored the winning team. "It opened students' eyes as to what the possibilities really are."
</p>
<p>Ibarra's Team Dead Weight, from West Branch Middle School, researched the lead weights used to balance car tires. With a local scientist's help, the students followed EPA protocol and determined that the weights were poisoning waterways, soil, and air. The students then traveled to Washington, D.C., to share their findings with federal officials, a meeting that encouraged the EPA to recognize lead wheel weights' toxicity and to pass legislation to phase them out. Later, California legislators used the children's research to help pass a statewide ban.</p>
<p>More than 2,000 students participated in the 2009 Siemens challenge—double the number that signed up in 2008. "Everybody likes to participate in something where they can showcase what they've learned," Siemens president Jeniffer Harper-Taylor said. "Team Dead Weight had the chance to impact legislation on a national level, which is a pretty big deal for a middle school student."</p>
<p>In California, the <a href="http://sce.com/edisonchallenge" target="_blank">2010 Edison Challenge Environmental Science Competition</a> drew entries from 67 middle and high schools. Medea Creek Middle School, in Oak Park, won for its campaign to raise awareness about vampire energy (the electricity sucked up by appliances that are plugged in but not in use), and Santa Monica High School won for its testing of ocean bacteria. The winning teams got a weeklong trip to Catalina Island, and their teachers received stipends ranging from $150 to $500.</p>
<p>Competition, however, isn't the only way to promote responsible living, said Laura Hickey, senior director of Eco Schools USA. "Contests are big for the moment," she said, "and environmental education is something that should be integrated into the curriculum. If the school can parlay a contest and the enthusiasm for green activities and incorporate it into their daily practice, that would have a much longer effect."</p>
<p>Most schools that participate continue their green efforts after a contest has ended, according to Katy Perry, who coordinates the <a href="http://greencupchallenge.net/" target="_blank">Green Cup Challenge</a>. More than 200 elementary, middle, and high schools in 22 states entered Green Cup's 2010 four-week energy-reduction competition, focusing mainly on small efforts such as turning down thermostats and shutting off lights. Afterward, power consumption among these schools fell an average of 5 percent, with some reducing their energy use by as much as 28 percent.</p>
<p>"It helps to energize a culture shift within a school," Perry explained. "Any time you want to change something, you need to be able to measure it, so putting it in terms of the competition helps them to quantify their progress."</p>
<p>For Jackson Smith, a third grader at Manhattan's P.S. 166, the Richard Rodgers School of the Arts and Technology, a Green Cup Challenge regional winner (the school slashed its energy consumption by almost 18 percent in a matter of four winter weeks), the contest tapped into existing motivations. "We really didn't think we were going to win, but we still put a lot of effort into it," he said. "It showed us what we could do and how it would help the earth, and that's why we pushed ourselves. It wasn't just the Green Cup Challenge."</p>
<p><em>--Jessi Phillips</em></p>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(9) "Education"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T15:30:00-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(77) "Children are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. "
["atom_content"]=>
string(4692) "<p><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="Kids and science" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e20133f386d1a3970b-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 320px;" title="Kids and science" /></a> College students aren't the only <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/coolschools/" target="_self">young people getting rivalrous</a> in the race to save the planet. Even sixth graders are vying to reduce their consumption and innovate green solutions. Considering that science fairs and math contests have long been extracurricular staples for grade school whizzes, it's natural that the format should expand to include environmental issues.</p>
<p>Last year's <a href="http://siemens.discoveryeducation.com/" target="_blank">Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge</a>, an annual, nationwide K-12 contest that encourages students to develop Earth-preserving ideas, "opened doors," said Hector Ibarra, an Iowa teacher who mentored the winning team. "It opened students' eyes as to what the possibilities really are."
</p>
<p>Ibarra's Team Dead Weight, from West Branch Middle School, researched the lead weights used to balance car tires. With a local scientist's help, the students followed EPA protocol and determined that the weights were poisoning waterways, soil, and air. The students then traveled to Washington, D.C., to share their findings with federal officials, a meeting that encouraged the EPA to recognize lead wheel weights' toxicity and to pass legislation to phase them out. Later, California legislators used the children's research to help pass a statewide ban.</p>
<p>More than 2,000 students participated in the 2009 Siemens challenge—double the number that signed up in 2008. "Everybody likes to participate in something where they can showcase what they've learned," Siemens president Jeniffer Harper-Taylor said. "Team Dead Weight had the chance to impact legislation on a national level, which is a pretty big deal for a middle school student."</p>
<p>In California, the <a href="http://sce.com/edisonchallenge" target="_blank">2010 Edison Challenge Environmental Science Competition</a> drew entries from 67 middle and high schools. Medea Creek Middle School, in Oak Park, won for its campaign to raise awareness about vampire energy (the electricity sucked up by appliances that are plugged in but not in use), and Santa Monica High School won for its testing of ocean bacteria. The winning teams got a weeklong trip to Catalina Island, and their teachers received stipends ranging from $150 to $500.</p>
<p>Competition, however, isn't the only way to promote responsible living, said Laura Hickey, senior director of Eco Schools USA. "Contests are big for the moment," she said, "and environmental education is something that should be integrated into the curriculum. If the school can parlay a contest and the enthusiasm for green activities and incorporate it into their daily practice, that would have a much longer effect."</p>
<p>Most schools that participate continue their green efforts after a contest has ended, according to Katy Perry, who coordinates the <a href="http://greencupchallenge.net/" target="_blank">Green Cup Challenge</a>. More than 200 elementary, middle, and high schools in 22 states entered Green Cup's 2010 four-week energy-reduction competition, focusing mainly on small efforts such as turning down thermostats and shutting off lights. Afterward, power consumption among these schools fell an average of 5 percent, with some reducing their energy use by as much as 28 percent.</p>
<p>"It helps to energize a culture shift within a school," Perry explained. "Any time you want to change something, you need to be able to measure it, so putting it in terms of the competition helps them to quantify their progress."</p>
<p>For Jackson Smith, a third grader at Manhattan's P.S. 166, the Richard Rodgers School of the Arts and Technology, a Green Cup Challenge regional winner (the school slashed its energy consumption by almost 18 percent in a matter of four winter weeks), the contest tapped into existing motivations. "We really didn't think we were going to win, but we still put a lot of effort into it," he said. "It showed us what we could do and how it would help the earth, and that's why we pushed ourselves. It wasn't just the Green Cup Challenge."</p>
<p><em>--Jessi Phillips</em></p>"
}
[7]=>
array(8) {
["about"]=>
string(104) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/us-colleges-5-best-eco-professors-and-green-classes.html"
["title"]=>
string(54) "U.S. Colleges' 5 Best Eco-Professors and Green Classes"
["link"]=>
string(104) "http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2010/09/us-colleges-5-best-eco-professors-and-green-classes.html"
["description"]=>
string(77) "We scouted catalogs nationwide to draft a dream team of teachers and courses."
["content"]=>
array(1) {
["encoded"]=>
string(7115) "<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The fantasy draft: We scouted university catalogs nationwide to patch together a dream team of all-star teachers and sure-hit courses. Here are the academic picks for which we'd shell out private-school tuition:</strong></span></p>
<div style="border: 2px solid #00abbc; padding: 5px; width: 250px; float: right; background-color: #ecf8f9;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">CLASSES</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Green Buildings and Behavior, <span style="color: #826244;">Stanford University</span></span></strong></p>
<p>To get into this limited-enrollment class, you have to write an essay about why you think campus sustainability is important. Once in, you get to dig through trash at Stanford’s recycling center and learn to implement a campus-wide energy plan. Students also get coached to draft and deploy conservation messages. After finishing the course, students are eligible to be sustainability coordinators of campus buildings.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Innovation Practicum, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Washington</span></span></strong></p>
<p>This seminar preps students for UW's annual <a href="http://eic.washington.edu/" target="_blank">Environmental Innovation Challenge</a>, during which teams build prototypes and develop business plans for products that will help solve environmental problems. Bonus: The team that develops the winning gizmo gets $10,000.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Foundations of Ecopsychology, <span style="color: #826244;">Lewis & Clark College</span></span></strong></p>
<p>During this graduate-level class, Thomas Joseph Doherty, editor of the journal <em>Ecopsychology,</em> helps students examine the healing effects of natural places and guides them through ways that people develop "environment identities."</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Ecogeomorphology, <span style="color: #826244;"> </span></span></strong>          <strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #826244;">UC Davis</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students get their feet wet during this multidisciplinary, 12-person class about watershed issues. Experts from Davis's Center for Watershed Sciences help students prepare peer-reviewed reports for publication. The fun part: a two-week trip into a watery ecosystem. Past excursions have gone to Alaska's Copper River, British Columbia's Skeena River, or Oregon's Grand Ronde.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Ethics and Policy, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Missouri-Kansas City</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students pondering law school would do well to take this class, which examines the value of nature, as well as human obligations to other animals and future generations. Professor Jim Sheppard, a fan of such thinkers as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Stuart Mill, helps students grasp why environmentalism is a matter of personal responsibility.</p>
</div>
<div style="width: 350px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">PROFESSORS</span></p>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">MICHAEL POLLAN, Journalism, UC Berkeley </span></strong>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Pollan.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Alia Malley</span></div>
<p>Rarely do a book's ideas seep so thoroughly into the collective mind as did those from Pollan's bestseller <em>The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals</em>. Though his theories resonate in diverse academic circles—food science, genetics, agriculture, ecology, dietetics—Pollan is by trade a journalist, and that's what he teaches at Berkeley. His recent classes have included Getting Over Wilderness, Science Reporting: Covering the Food Chain, and our favorite, The Editor as God.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JARED DIAMOND, Geography, UCLA</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Diamond.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of UCLA</span></div>
<p>The Pulitzer-winning author of <em>Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</em> is one of the world's foremost experts on how humans' impact on nature can lead to disaster. Diamond's degrees are in physiology and biochemistry, but his classes, including Past Societies and Their Lessons for Our Own Future, are anchored in history. He's also a trailblazer in conservation biology, studying why some species are prone to extinction.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">ELINOR OSTROM, Political Science, Indiana University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Elinor.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Chris Meyer / Indiana University</span></div>
<p>Last year, Ostrom became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics. A pioneer in studying the management of communal resources, she teaches such opaque-sounding courses as Institutional Analysis and Development: Micro. But her topics are specific: how humans make collective decisions and whether individuals govern resources better than institutions do.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">AL GORE, Interdisciplinary, Middle Tennessee State University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Gore.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Anne Hamersky</span></div>
<p>A polarizing figure? Perhaps. But the former VP has much to teach. After persuading 51 million people to vote for him to be leader of the Western world, he's clearly qualified to teach a class called Community Building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JAMES HANSEN, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Hansen.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Arnold Adler</span></div>
<p>The world's most famous climatologist, and the first to speak out loudly about a potential global-warming apocalypse, Hansen is an adjunct professor at Columbia. His class, Introduction to Planetary Atmosphere and Climate Change, must be popular, because he won the university's Teaching Excellence Award in the Humanities and was named Outstanding Teacher in the Core Curriculum.</p>
<p><em>—Avital Binshtock</em></p>
</div>"
}
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject"]=>
string(14) "BooksEducation"
["creator"]=>
string(15) "The Sierra Club"
["date"]=>
string(25) "2010-09-02T11:50:06-07:00"
}
["summary"]=>
string(77) "We scouted catalogs nationwide to draft a dream team of teachers and courses."
["atom_content"]=>
string(7115) "<p><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The fantasy draft: We scouted university catalogs nationwide to patch together a dream team of all-star teachers and sure-hit courses. Here are the academic picks for which we'd shell out private-school tuition:</strong></span></p>
<div style="border: 2px solid #00abbc; padding: 5px; width: 250px; float: right; background-color: #ecf8f9;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">CLASSES</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Green Buildings and Behavior, <span style="color: #826244;">Stanford University</span></span></strong></p>
<p>To get into this limited-enrollment class, you have to write an essay about why you think campus sustainability is important. Once in, you get to dig through trash at Stanford’s recycling center and learn to implement a campus-wide energy plan. Students also get coached to draft and deploy conservation messages. After finishing the course, students are eligible to be sustainability coordinators of campus buildings.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Innovation Practicum, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Washington</span></span></strong></p>
<p>This seminar preps students for UW's annual <a href="http://eic.washington.edu/" target="_blank">Environmental Innovation Challenge</a>, during which teams build prototypes and develop business plans for products that will help solve environmental problems. Bonus: The team that develops the winning gizmo gets $10,000.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Foundations of Ecopsychology, <span style="color: #826244;">Lewis & Clark College</span></span></strong></p>
<p>During this graduate-level class, Thomas Joseph Doherty, editor of the journal <em>Ecopsychology,</em> helps students examine the healing effects of natural places and guides them through ways that people develop "environment identities."</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Ecogeomorphology, <span style="color: #826244;"> </span></span></strong>          <strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #826244;">UC Davis</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students get their feet wet during this multidisciplinary, 12-person class about watershed issues. Experts from Davis's Center for Watershed Sciences help students prepare peer-reviewed reports for publication. The fun part: a two-week trip into a watery ecosystem. Past excursions have gone to Alaska's Copper River, British Columbia's Skeena River, or Oregon's Grand Ronde.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Environmental Ethics and Policy, <span style="color: #826244;">University of Missouri-Kansas City</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Students pondering law school would do well to take this class, which examines the value of nature, as well as human obligations to other animals and future generations. Professor Jim Sheppard, a fan of such thinkers as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Stuart Mill, helps students grasp why environmentalism is a matter of personal responsibility.</p>
</div>
<div style="width: 350px; float: left; padding-right: 10px;">
<p><span style="font-size: large; color: #008000;">PROFESSORS</span></p>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">MICHAEL POLLAN, Journalism, UC Berkeley </span></strong>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Pollan.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Alia Malley</span></div>
<p>Rarely do a book's ideas seep so thoroughly into the collective mind as did those from Pollan's bestseller <em>The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals</em>. Though his theories resonate in diverse academic circles—food science, genetics, agriculture, ecology, dietetics—Pollan is by trade a journalist, and that's what he teaches at Berkeley. His recent classes have included Getting Over Wilderness, Science Reporting: Covering the Food Chain, and our favorite, The Editor as God.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JARED DIAMOND, Geography, UCLA</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Diamond.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of UCLA</span></div>
<p>The Pulitzer-winning author of <em>Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</em> is one of the world's foremost experts on how humans' impact on nature can lead to disaster. Diamond's degrees are in physiology and biochemistry, but his classes, including Past Societies and Their Lessons for Our Own Future, are anchored in history. He's also a trailblazer in conservation biology, studying why some species are prone to extinction.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">ELINOR OSTROM, Political Science, Indiana University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Elinor.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Chris Meyer / Indiana University</span></div>
<p>Last year, Ostrom became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics. A pioneer in studying the management of communal resources, she teaches such opaque-sounding courses as Institutional Analysis and Development: Micro. But her topics are specific: how humans make collective decisions and whether individuals govern resources better than institutions do.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">AL GORE, Interdisciplinary, Middle Tennessee State University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Gore.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Anne Hamersky</span></div>
<p>A polarizing figure? Perhaps. But the former VP has much to teach. After persuading 51 million people to vote for him to be leader of the Western world, he's clearly qualified to teach a class called Community Building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">JAMES HANSEN, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University</span></strong></p>
<div style="width: 125px; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><img alt="" border="1" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/images/CS_Hansen.jpg" /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: Arnold Adler</span></div>
<p>The world's most famous climatologist, and the first to speak out loudly about a potential global-warming apocalypse, Hansen is an adjunct professor at Columbia. His class, Introduction to Planetary Atmosphere and Climate Change, must be popular, because he won the university's Teaching Excellence Award in the Humanities and was named Outstanding Teacher in the Core Curriculum.</p>
<p><em>—Avital Binshtock</em></p>
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string(118) "Computers and microwaves can suck power even when they're off, so unplug "vampire appliances" when they're not in use."
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<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><strong>Tip #4: Unplug Appliances</strong></span></p>
<p>If you can't <a href="http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml" target="_self">buy green power</a> in your state, look for ways to reduce your energy consumption. Instead of relying on electrical appliances this week, you might hang laundry to dry on a clothesline or trade TV time for a family game night. Remember that computers, VCRs, and microwaves can suck power even when they're turned off, so unplug "<a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2008/06/green-tip-unplu.html" target="_self">vampire appliances</a>" when they're not in use.</p>
<p><em><strong>Share your tips: How do you reduce energy use at home?</strong></em></p>"
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string(1675) "<p><a href="http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/"></a><a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486a2dfbd970c-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="Unplug appliances" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451b96069e2013486a2dfbd970c" src="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b96069e2013486a2dfbd970c-400wi" style="width: 360px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="Unplug appliances" /></a><a href="http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/"> No Impact Man</a>, a.k.a. Colin Beavan, took a yearlong vow to live a zero-waste lifestyle in New York City. The experiment inspired a blog, a book, a film - and others to embrace green habits. This week's tips will help you try a one-week carbon cleanse. <a href="http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageNavigator/NAT_noimpact">Sign up here</a> to share the results of your own No Impact Project.</p>
<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><strong>Tip #4: Unplug Appliances</strong></span></p>
<p>If you can't <a href="http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml" target="_self">buy green power</a> in your state, look for ways to reduce your energy consumption. Instead of relying on electrical appliances this week, you might hang laundry to dry on a clothesline or trade TV time for a family game night. Remember that computers, VCRs, and microwaves can suck power even when they're turned off, so unplug "<a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2008/06/green-tip-unplu.html" target="_self">vampire appliances</a>" when they're not in use.</p>
<p><em><strong>Share your tips: How do you reduce energy use at home?</strong></em></p>"
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string(1959) "<p><strong>Case of the Munchies:</strong> Canadian authorities will spare the lives of at least 17 black bears that were repeatedly fed dog food by marijuana farmers. The bears, discovered during a drug bust, will be fed until winter hibernation, which officials hope will disrupt their dog-food habit. <em><a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Grow+bears+dine+food+until+winter+ministry+declares/3466175/story.html" target="_self">Montreal Gazette</a></em> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iTLwiCTwfymx2tmuGj2X4uHIe5AQ" target="_self">AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Eco-Extreme:</strong> A population-control activist took hostages at the Discovery Channel's Maryland headquarters, then was shot and killed. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/01/maryland.discovery.suspect/?hpt=Sbin" target="_self">CNN</a> and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38957020/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/" target="_self">MSNBC</a></p>
<p><strong>Cove Continued:</strong> Japan's annual dolphin hunt began today in Taiji. <a href="http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/09/01/dolphin-hunt-kicks-off-in-japan/" target="_self">Ecorazzi</a></p>
<p><strong>Just Say No:</strong> The Bahamas suspended the consideration of new oil-exploration applications. <em><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HVBLPG0.htm" target="_self">Bloomberg Businessweek</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Before the Storm:</strong> Some North Carolina barrier islands have been evacuated as Hurricane Earl approaches the East Coast. A few surfers plan to ride the waves. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVWjsPEiqe1tEu2mhBIRaxxGi8owD9HVB2J01" target="_self">AP</a> and <em><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/01/2010-09-01_as_hurricane_earl_bears_down_on_east_coast_nyc_surfers_get_ready_to_ride_the_wav.html" target="_self">New York Daily News</a></em></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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<p><strong>Eco-Extreme:</strong> A population-control activist took hostages at the Discovery Channel's Maryland headquarters, then was shot and killed. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/01/maryland.discovery.suspect/?hpt=Sbin" target="_self">CNN</a> and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38957020/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/" target="_self">MSNBC</a></p>
<p><strong>Cove Continued:</strong> Japan's annual dolphin hunt began today in Taiji. <a href="http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/09/01/dolphin-hunt-kicks-off-in-japan/" target="_self">Ecorazzi</a></p>
<p><strong>Just Say No:</strong> The Bahamas suspended the consideration of new oil-exploration applications. <em><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HVBLPG0.htm" target="_self">Bloomberg Businessweek</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Before the Storm:</strong> Some North Carolina barrier islands have been evacuated as Hurricane Earl approaches the East Coast. A few surfers plan to ride the waves. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVWjsPEiqe1tEu2mhBIRaxxGi8owD9HVB2J01" target="_self">AP</a> and <em><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/01/2010-09-01_as_hurricane_earl_bears_down_on_east_coast_nyc_surfers_get_ready_to_ride_the_wav.html" target="_self">New York Daily News</a></em></p>
<p><em>--Della Watson</em></p>"
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string(2026) "<p><strong>Too Hot to Handle:</strong> Wildfires in Russia's Volgograd region killed eight people and destroyed more than 500 buildings. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iX-16FttPkCulMdckFjFJyOJCXlAD9I0J5R82" >AP</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJob1CJIw2OkXH2hVQ6EE2Lckxmg" >AFP</a></p>
<p><strong>Checking it Out:</strong> Government officials launched an investigation into the recent Mariner oil-rig explosion. No oil appears to be leaking, says the Coast Guard. <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469650972438666.html" >Wall Street Journal</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/03/business-financials-la-gulf-platform-louisiana_7902575.html" >Forbes</a></em></p>
<p><strong>All Shook Up:</strong> An earthquake, registering between 7.0 and 7.4, hit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihsQimD80kg2_FHiYslx-Q-O6qKQ" >AFP</a>, <em><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/photogalleries/100903-new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-pictures/" >National Geographic</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/03/129629938/new-zealand-hit-by-magnitude-7-2-earthquake" >NPR</a></p>
<p><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong> Key evidence was recovered from the BP spill site – a 300-ton blowout preventer, which failed to stop oil from gushing into the Gulf. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11185296" >BBC</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/gulf.oil.disaster/?hpt=T2" >CNN</a></p>
<p><strong>Outstanding Organics:</strong> Organic strawberries contain more antioxidants than conventional strawberries, according to new research, which also found that organic soil is richer in nutrients. <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/new-study-weighs-in-on-organicconventional-debate/" >Grist</a></p>
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