President of the EarthDay Network Kathleen Rogers summarizes their comprehensive new ranking of cities’ environmental quality of life, including the vulnerability of your urban population and what individual cities are doing to combat that most global of problems, climate change: "What we’ve provided is a roadmap for community groups to go to their mayors and talk to them about areas where they need improvement." Listen here, read up on your city, and then head to City Hall! LISTEN (12 min)
Author Archives: William Craven
EarthDay Network’s Urban Environment Report
- Monday, 26 February 2007 18:48
- Written by William Craven
- 0 Comments
Dr. Dickson Despommier: Vertical Farms
- Monday, 26 February 2007 18:37
- Written by William Craven
- 0 Comments
Columbia Department of Environmental Health Science Microbiologist Dr. Dickson Despommier breaks down the science nonfiction idea that he says is a key component to any serious solution to the Earth’s growing population pressures: Vertical Farms, urban skyscrapers housing productive, efficient, sustainable, and extremely local agriculture for an increasingly urbanized world: "Over the next 50 years there’ll be 3 billion more people on this planet." Are Vertical Farms part of the answer? Dr. Despommier gives his take (yes), and points out that these structures can also serve as water treatment plants and other valuable public infrastructure. LISTEN (8 min)
Lead In Our Children’s Vinyl Lunch Boxes
- Thursday, 22 February 2007 18:39
- Written by William Craven
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The Center for Environmental Health has discovered dangerous levels of lead in our children’s vinyl lunch boxes. And guess who’s covering up their own research on lead and vinyl products? If you guessed the Federal government, then you’ve probably been listening to EcoTalk’s ongoing coverage of how our government has continually sold off public health to the highest bidder. Alexa Engelman, Public Interest Litigation Coordinator for the CEH, tells Betsy about the latest suppression of science, and what you need to know about lead and vinyl. LISTEN (11 min)
Charting Wal-Mart’s Progress
- Thursday, 22 February 2007 18:28
- Written by William Craven
- 0 Comments
Do you go green with the company you’d like to have, or the company you’ve got? Wal-Mart Vice President of Sustainability Andy Ruben tells Betsy how Wal-Mart is attempting to accomplish its three ambitious and open-ended goals:
1. Be supplied by 100% renewable energy.
2. Create zero waste.
3. Sell products that sustain our resources and environment.
He explains how the Green Xanadu of Wal-Marts in Kansas City uses 20% less electricity to operate and how their customers’ green living can begin with a lightbulb.
PART ONE (7 min) PART TWO (12 min)
MIT’s Sustainable Business Lab
- Thursday, 22 February 2007 18:17
- Written by William Craven
- 0 Comments
Professor of Management and Engineering Systems John Sterman of MIT’s Sloan School of Management tells Betsy why being a green MBA is less of a lonely pursuit than when he was at Sloan, and of the launch of their S-Lab, a way of harnessing students’ demand to include sustainability in their bottom lines, and to begin working in the big leagues right away. LISTEN (8 min)