In the past week I had the pleasure of meeting Jamie Hinton, Chief of the Magnolia Springs Fire Department. Jamie is one of the many examples of people who translate their awareness into action. Awareness is only the first step in committing to making changes that will help protect our planet.

Click here to read the my blog about Jamie and the Gulf Oil Spill on TreeHugger

On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day…there are millions of individuals in this country with a bit of free time and an overwhelming desire to take action to make their communities and their planet better; an army of willing individuals who are quietly changing the world but who need more help if they are to reach their full potential. Who are these agents of change? Look around you, I have no doubt you encounter them everyday…you may even have them in your home. That’s right…youth. The power they have is amazing.

A year ago I had the opportunity to work with a group of three middle school boys who, as part of a service project in their community, did some research and found that lead wheel weights through improper disposal cause a considerable amount of lead pollution in the environment. These young men took matters into their own hands and worked tirelessly to pass a law in the state of Iowa to phase out lead wheel weights on state vehicles. Then the EPA cited the program as one of the reasons they are re-assessing their position on lead wheel weights, a development that will affect 300 million Americans across the country. I have seen other projects as well, from Title 1 elementary school students in South Florida growing a garden and selling the produce into the local community,to a high school in Seattle reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by several tons each year . I have been all over the country and have seen countless programs such as these.

And now EarthEcho International has launched a campaign to bring much-needed resources and tools to build a community of best practice that will help to revolutionize this growing movement. In partnership with the leading youth service organizations and national education groups in the nation, we are launching a preview of the Water Planet Challenge (www.waterplanetchallenge.org) this week.This preview site includes a service-learning guide sponsored by Participant Media, and is being launched in tandem with the Disneynature film Oceans that premiers on Earth Day. This is only the beginning, however—we continue to develop the program and will constantly add more resources over the summer in preparation time for a full launch in the fall of 2010.

As the Greek philosopher Plato once wrote, “Youth are not vessels to be filled but flames to be lit.” The Water Planet Challenge will light the flames of a whole new generation, giving them the tools and knowledge to build the kind of sustainable future we all dream of.

Wow…if you haven’t visited my sister’s website it is high time. I have been traveling for the last few weeks and had limited internet access. When I got home last night I logged on to see some pretty fantastic videos and great blogs. From Botswana to India and beyond (currently she is in Jerusalem) my sister’s expeditions are pretty fantastic. I think my favorite video is Kanpur: Ganges Under Threat http://www.alexandracousteau.com/videos, I have never been to India before but am familiar with the Ganges River and how important it is to the culture of the Hindu people. When you think in Kanpur that 20 million litres or just over 5 million gallons of tannery waste as well as human waste get dumped into the river each day!!

When one thinks of the pollution and devastation that a river many people call the ‘Mother Ganges’ is suffering from; it is a poignant reminder of the link between human culture and the environment.

These are important stories and I urge you all to watch them.

With election day tomorrow comes a lot of responsibility for the new president and the citizens of the United States. There will be many issues that need to be addressed immediately and we don’t want environment to be swept under the rug. Our oceans are bearing the burden of our lifestyles and we must do something to ensure they are taken better care of, that our government is actively pursuing measures to protect and restore these valuable ecosystems. Below is an article about The Ocean Foundation’s blueprint to protect our coasts and oceans.

Coalition of 48 leading conservation organizations calls on the next administration to protect U.S. coasts and oceans

Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club among groups urging for strong coast and ocean protection during the next U.S. presidential administration

(October 22, 2008 - Washington, D.C.) Our coasts and oceans face a multitude of threats. Human activities have harmed the health of species and habitats in every corner of the vast ocean, from Arctic fisheries to tropical reef systems, from kelp forests to tidal estuaries. From climate change to pollution, to overfishing and habitat destruction, the threats also imperil the health of coastal communities and tens of thousands of jobs in fishing, recreation, and tourism that depend on healthy, functioning coastal and ocean systems.

In response to this dire need and recognizing the link between a healthy environment and a healthy economy, a broad coalition of conservation and research organizations has asked each presidential candidate to prioritize strong, effective coast and ocean conservation measures during the next presidential term.

Forty-eight organizations from 15 states and territories across the U.S joined in sending ‘A Blueprint for Coastal and Ocean Policy for the New Administration’ to each presidential campaign, urging decisive action on behalf of our oceans. The coalition includes organizations such as Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, Sierra Club, Reef Check Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, NAUI and PADI Worldwide, Marine Conservation Biology Institute, Save the Manatee Club, and EarthEcho International.

“The ocean touches everyone and everything. It is essential to life and human survival,” said Mark J. Spalding, President of The Ocean Foundation, which provided the original draft and organized the coalition. “The next Administration has a fantastic opportunity to start a new wave for coastal and ocean protection, a new wave that we will support.”

A Blueprint for Coast and Ocean Policy asks for action on the following ten marine conservation issues: (1) reducing coastal and ocean pollution; (2) clean and healthy coasts and beaches; (4) improving the health of our nation’s fisheries; (4) protecting coral reef ecosystems; (5) protection of other important marine species; (6) marine ecosystem restoration; (7) addressing the links between oceans and climate change; (8) resolving conflicts between healthy oceans and energy production; (9) underwater noise pollution; and (10) ocean governance.

Supplemental information:

Link to The Ocean Foundation web page: www.oceanfdn.org

To download a copy of Blueprint, visit: http://www.oceanfdn.org/index.php?tg=articles&topics=32

Beware of Greenwashing!
What is greenwashing and what can you do to protect yourself?

Companies have started realizing that doing good for the planet is good for business. Unfortunately, they’ve also figured out that making consumers think they’re doing good can be just as beneficial. This deception is known as “greenwashing.” The term refers to a marketing technique whereby a company falsely claims to have taken environmentally friendly actions.

According to a 2007 report by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, a large majority of environmental marketing claims are inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsubstantiated. Some good news can be had in the fact that the Federal Trade Commission is currently looking to tighten its voluntary environmental marketing guidelines. However, keep in mind that these will still be voluntary, not enforced.

The most blatant greenwashers are often large corporations that have had a controversial environmental past, such as chemical, oil and car companies. For example, an energy corporation might tout the fact that it’s investing millions of dollars in sustainable sources of energy while concurrently dumping toxins into public waterways.

A more easily identifiable form of greenwashing can be found at your grocery store. Numerous companies have started using the word “natural” on their household cleaning and personal care products to entice consumers who are looking for an eco-friendly alternative. “Natural” may sound healthy and planet-friendly but it means very little since there is no third-party certification required to make that claim.

Here are some ways you can identify greenwashing:

1. Examine the claim. Is the product certified by a legitimate third party organization? Are they claiming that the entire product is green or just some of the ingredients/materials?

2. Ask for proof. Is the company willing to provide a copy of the environmental standard or testing protocol? Is the process open, public and transparent? Does it address the product’s lifecycle and larger environmental effects?

3. Check for consistency. If this is an international organization, are they selling the same products in other countries? If they advertised themselves as ‘green’, are they still doing what they claim to be doing six months or a year after the ad came out?

4. Follow the money. What organizations is the company supporting? Who are they donating their money to?

To learn more about greenwashing and companies that are and are not doing it, check you these sites:

• Corp Watch

• The EnviroMedia Greenwashing Index

• Greener Choices

• Do The Right Thing

Lately I’ve been writing blogs from all over the world, but one of the things I’m most excited about happened pretty close to home. Last summer, my sister Alexandra and I filmed an interstitial for Curious George’s Sea Monkey episode at the Eco-Discovery Center at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It’s finally airing on PBS beginning this Monday, April 21st. Be sure to tune in to Curious George’s first underwater episode. More information from PBS below.

Turkey Day is past us, and the rest of the holiday season is right around the corner. In celebration, and to encourage you to buy green gifts for the holidays, we wanted to provide you with a list of green stores in the Washington, DC, area. I’ll keep the list short since you’re probably eager to get started right away!

• Eco-Green Living: Keith’s store has been around for a few years and offers a great variety of green and fair trade products, ranging from home and building to home and personal accessories to organic and fair trade clothing. It is located in Logan Circle, one street away from Whole Foods.
• Greater Goods: Recently opened, this store on U Street focuses on products for energy efficiency, water savings, and waste management. As a side note, Eco-Coach will be doing workshops there in the new year, so check out their website for an upcoming schedule!
• Hoopla: Another recently-opened store, this Adams Morgan store is for the green fashionista. They carry a range of fair trade, green, and eco-friendly jewelry, handbags, clothing, and art.

And if you want to take a break from shopping and get some good, sustainable food, here are some of our favorite restaurants for you to try out!

• Java Green: Absolutely wonderful vegan food - I’m not a vegetarian nor a food critic, but Java Green has a loyal following (yours truly being one of the disciples), not to mention that all the plastics used are biodegradable (down to the straws!).
• Hook: For those of you who like fish but don’t eat it because it’s not sustainable, I’ve got great news! Now there’s a place to go to get your fix! Did I mention that EarthEcho International helped them with their sustainability messaging? The food is great, can’t say enough about it!
• Restaurant Nora: A classic - or should I say two classics - Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora are both certified organic. Actually, Restaurant Nora was the first certified organic restaurant in the United States. Pretty exciting and, again, great food.

If you’re in other parts of the country, we’d love to hear what your favorite places are - and if you’re in DC and have discovered other green places, let us know!!

You’ve all heard of the Atkins diet, and the Miami Beach diet, but have you heard of the latest diet craze in green circles? It’s the “low carbon” diet and many of you are probably “dieting” without knowing it. If you’ve been reading this blog and others on how to “green” your lifestyle, and have been making changes to be green (or greener), then you’re on your way.
Why is this important? Because we (I’m referring to Americans right now, though really, it’s humans in general) are the biggest polluters on a per capita basis. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration states that the average American emits about 35,000 to 40,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. This includes home, work and recreational habits, as well as the products we consume.

So, how can we decrease our footprint? Here are some interesting facts, following on the heels of the last blog (Did you know?), but this time focusing solely on the action and carbon emissions generated by that action. As always, there are many sources available, and though the numbers may differ somewhat, this should give you an idea of the impact:

* Amount of carbon dioxide that is saved” or not released in the air.
I’m sure you’ve heard of carbon calculators, and I’ve covered them in a previous blog as well. A couple of others are the EPA and Live Earth ones—take a look and see which you prefer given the amount of information you have (some require you to have detailed information about monthly energy used, etc…). Happy dieting!

This week’s blog will be a little different than the rest, to keep you (and myself) entertained. Here are some things that you may or may not have known about the environment—ok, some of them are fun but some of them are scary. What did you expect??

1. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.
2. During the time it takes you to read this sentence, 50,000 12-ounce aluminum cans are made.
3. An aluminum can may be recycled ad infinitum (forever!).
4. We consume over 80 trillion aluminum cans every year.
5. The world’s tallest tree is a coast redwood in California, measuring more than 360 feet or 110 meters.
6. The world’s oldest trees are 4,600 year old Bristlecone pines in the USA.
7. Every day, American businesses generate enough paper to circle the earth 20 times!
8. Each year, Americans throw away 25 trillion Styrofoam cups.
9. Only 1% of the world’s water supply is usable, 97% are the oceans and 2% is frozen (for now).
10. Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots (just checking that you’re still paying attention!).
11. Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees (I’m guessing it’s about the same for more major papers’ Sunday editions).
12. On average, ONE supermarket goes through 60,500,000 paper bags per year!
13. An automatic dishwasher uses less hot water than doing dishes by hand—an average of six gallons less per cycle, or over 2,000 gallons per year.
14. The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.
15. Every time you open the refrigerator door, up to 30 percent of the cold air can escape.
16. Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour, most of which are thrown away!
17. Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.
18. A modern glass bottle takes 4000 years or more to decompose.
19. About one-third of an average landfill is made up of packaging material.
20. The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste. We toss out two billion plastic razors, a million and a half tons of paper towels, and 12 billion disposable diapers annually.
21. More than 20,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of tinfoil. All that foil is recyclable (guilty…now I know)!!
22. Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute.
23. If you walk a mile along an average US highway, you will see, on average about 1,457 pieces of litter (yuck!).
24. Consumer Reports tested disposable mops and found that they can cost $115+ a year, compared with $50 for a traditional sponge mop with replacement heads and cleanser (so get rid of that Swiffer!).
25. You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV (ok, now you can go take a nap).

These facts were taken from various sites, too numerous to list, but the figures kept popping up pretty consistently. Feel free to add any other eco-facts that you’ve come across.

If you haven’t heard of the Live Earth concerts last week and you’re reading this blog, please tell me that you’ve been on vacation in Bora Bora for the last couple of months!

And if you have heard of them, I’m sure you’ve formulated some opinion, which we, of course, would love to hear. Likewise, I won’t miss the opportunity to share my thoughts, since I was there, in New Jersey (NOT New York!), on the floor, close enough that I didn’t need binoculars to see the screens (or the artists on stage).

I’ll keep it short (though I don’t know about sweet), and, in usual fashion, I’ll bullet point it out (“bullet point” is now officially an action verb):

The Good

• Artist performances were, overall, great! There was a large variety, which appealed to different audiences (as could be seen from the different constituencies clapping when their artist(s) came on, especially for Bon Jovi—go Jersey!).
• There was public transportation (buses) provided to and from NYC.
• Inside the stadium, there were recycling bins and signs that the trash will be sorted out and 90% of it will either be recycled or composted (I saw one recycling area out in the parking lot, too).

The Not-So-Good

• Pepsi was there, asking everyone to recycle and when they did, they got a wrist band…made out of plastic! Ok, recycled plastic, but plastic as a give-away at a “save the earth” concert??
• Phillips was there giving out tips on energy efficiency but they packaged the tips to make them look like press passes, in plastic sleeves (how many CFLs do you need to offset the cost of producing those?).
• I asked one of the guys at the door, before going in, where the recycling was, and he had no clue—people were just throwing everything out in one container.

The Ugly

• I met one guy who was asked to throw out the top of his Nalgene bottle. The whole point of his bringing the bottle was to be eco-friendly, but apparently, the woman at the entrance missed the fact that if he threw out the top, he’d have to get a new bottle (or get a new top—does anyone actually just sell those?? they should’ve for this concert!).
• Wasn’t that enough? I’ll stop there.

That being said, it was a great concert and it’s awesome that awareness is being raised and that stars are getting in on the act. My guess is that it was such an enormous effort that some of the details fell through the cracks. And yes, we can fault the artists for the pollution they created flying all over the world, or for not knowing enough about global warming, or the venues for not doing all they could have, but I’d like to give credit where credit is due (after my grumblings). I also understand that TV watchers were sub-par, but on-line viewership was larger than any other event. That speaks to the type of audience it attracted—it was popular, just not with the traditional TV crowd.

So, thanks Al Gore & company for a great kick-off to what I hope will be an expanding and ongoing awareness-raising effort. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s a start. I think it really planted the seed in people’s minds that this is something that’s here to stay….oh yeah, and that TO BE GREEN IS TO BE HIP & COOL…so what are you waiting for?? At least calculate your carbon footprint! I do have to say that I was saddened to miss Leo DiCaprio’s appearance…must’ve been off waiting in line for the margaritas from a plastic bag (but really, they weren’t that bad!).