Tag Archives: video

Eco-pimp my dirty job

Posted on by
Reply

Enjoy a lazy Sunday! by ucumari Although it’d be easy to dismiss “The Lazy Environmentalist” as a simple product placement vehicle for Brita filters and GE CFLs, it can be an entertaining and informative show1. In this Sundance Channel series media personality Josh Dorfman tries to convince small business owners and hobbyists from all walks of life to adopt alternative products and techniques. If you don’t subscribe to this premium channel, recent episodes are also available via Comcast On Demand and clips of episodes can be viewed on the series website. Check it out next time you feel the need to become one with the couch, but there’s nothing good on.

Also for your enjoyment, a 45 minute discussion by Josh to Google employees about his approach to environmentalism:

1. The enlightenment can also be frustrating when many of Josh’s challenges can’t see the forest for the trees, but interspersed are plenty of pleasant surprises.

Saturday: 4th Annual BLS Youth CAN Global Climate Change Summit

Posted on by
Reply

Boston Latin Youth Climate Action Network
Enjoy a great day of climate workshops, presentations, green vendors, youth displays, and climate related activities. Film a public service announcement. Create a sustainability message at the YouTube booth. Take workshops about green architecture, eating sustainably, futuristic carbon-free energy and many more. All who register (online) will be entered into a drawing for door prizes including iPods, gift certificates, and more.

An afternoon networking session will give Summit attendees to become part of Youth CAN’s Massachusetts Education for Sustainability Campaign aimed at requiring education for sustainability at the secondary level.

Event is free, including breakfast and lunch. Register online as soon as possible to obtain a slot in the workshop of your choice. More information.

Check out a video of last year’s summit:

Existential Crisis of a Plastic Bag

Posted on by
1

Helen Smith, A few facts about plastic bags by Topsy at Waygood “The Plastic Bag” directed by Ramin Bahrani, this 18-minute film chronicling the life of a plastic bag, and questions the environmental impact of consumerism in a world that treats it like trash. “The Plastic Bag” has been screened at many film festivals, and was commissioned by the Independent Television Service through a project in which 11 filmmakers were asked to examine issues in the United States and dramatize the potential consequences. The series includes another environmentally themed film called “Seed,” about a future in which genetically modified seeds dominate the world and organic seeds are illegal.

recycled plastic cheesecake factory bags basket by sarahracha Of course plastic bags don’t have to be modern tumbleweeds. Besides being easy to recycle there are several interesting projects one can do with them including making your own messenger bag or crochet as in the image at left. Apropos, San Francisco’s bag ban is being reviewed in court.

And then there’s the equally problematic cousin of the bag, the plastic bottle…

How does your garden grow?

Posted on by
1

Jen's hands by jbrownell

April is National Garden Month, so get out there and get grubby! It’s an excellent way to get some Vitamin D, and fresh produce. Larger plantings or vines may also shade your home from the brutal sun of summer.

If you don’t have a yard, consider container gardening or applying for a plot in a community garden. Either way, you may want to take advantage of the city’s annual rain barrel sale so that you can water your plants with no-cost chlorine-free water. You can also feed your plants for free with compost available during normal recycling center hours (T&R 4–7:30PM and S 9–4PM) thanks to the city’s compost program and the local businesses and homeowners who contribute their food waste.

If you are lucky enough to have a yard, consider seeking Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification from the NWF. You should also have you soil tested for lead, especially if you plant to grow any root vegetables, herbs or leafy greens for the table. UMass Amherst offers a low-cost “standard test” which will warn you of any problems with lead, as well as provide information about basic plant nutrient levels.

To learn more about the stuff you’ll playing in for the next few months check out Dirt! The trailer is below, and if you missed the recent showing at the Boston Public Library, it will be playing on WGBH soon during Independent Lens. It is currently scheduled for April 20th at 10PM, but will certainly be repeated a few times afterward.

Meanwhile, in Your Big Backyard

Posted on by
Reply

Ranger Rick The NWF is often upstaged by bigger names—pun intended—but they too strive to raise awareness and help restore balance between man and environment through various programs and publications including that magazine named for our furry friend to the right. I recently discovered that they also have a YouTube channel featuring a very brief weekly video news digest in addition to other clips such as the somewhat amusing news reel spoof below.
Continue reading →

Extreme documentaries

Posted on by
Reply

Are there cars in heaven? by eqqman

Last week’s episode of NOVA Extreme Cave Diving was an interesting foray into “blue holes,” and the evidence they offer of paleo-climate. If you missed it, check the website to view it online. Similar, though less-breath taking evidence is offered in a recent paper from Yale.

This week’s Extreme Ice, provides a stunning and more in-depth review of the photographic documentation of glacial melting by James Balog, which we have mentioned before.