Imagine if we could just EAT our enemies! I mean we’d end war AND famine. Not into cannibalism? No problem. For one very unassuming enemy, you don’t have to be. Check out what John Rosser, founder of Sustainatopia, and his gang are cooking up for the planet, and if you’re in the south Florida area April 19 – 25th, check out this Sustainatopia Super Event!

[Excerpt Below]

Lion Eyes: Eat the Enemy  (w/REEF Foundation)

Native to the Indo-Pacific, lionfish are voracious eaters with no known natural predators in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Spreading rapidly throughout the region, lionfish are consuming both fish and shrimp at unsustainable rates and unmitigated impacts are predicted to be severe.

The good news is that local control can be effective and that lionfish are great to eat: as they say in the Bahamas “eat ‘em to beat ‘em”.

Come enjoy delicious lionfish appetizers and an informational presentation about the lionfish invasion and what control  programs are being implemented throughout the region- led by Lad Akins, Director of Reef Environmental Education Foundation, and Alexa Elliott, Producer of  the WPBT (PBS) television show ‘Changing Seas’, which won an Emmy Award for their coverage of the issue.

This unique event is being co-sponsored by and held at 15th Street Fisheries, Fort Lauderdale- which was voted South Florida’s best waterfront restaurant in a poll by readers of the Sun-Sentinel newspaper. (http://www.15streetfisheries.com)

Net proceeds go to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (http://www.reef.org).

Click here to find out more!

In Portland, Oregon, locals are taking it upon themselves to steal parking lots in order to plant trees.

Okay, it’s not stealing. It’s “de-paving.”

For years we’ve been paving paradise to put up parking lots, but according to these local tree-huggers, oversized driveways and abandoned parking lots need to kick rocks.

Depave, a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon is committed to promoting the removal of unnecessary paved areas to create more green spaces. Since 2007, the Depave crew and volunteer army have reverted more than 94,000 square feet of paved parking back to tree-filled parks, public green spaces, urban gardens, playgrounds and more.

See the problem is pavement. Paved surfaces keep the rain from the soil, diverting it to other waterways, picking up and carrying pollutants from antifreeze to pesticides along the way. Think about all the junk you see on streets and in parking lots – yeah now think about drinking it.

In addition to poisoning our water supply, in the summertime, paved urban areas are at least ten degrees hotter than their rural neighbors. Not only does this contribute to excessive use of electricity to power fans and A/C units, but it also promotes the formation of ground-level ozone (the main culprit of smog). Who knew parking lots were such troublemakers?

As if toxic water, sweltering summers and suffocating smog aren’t enough, here are some more reasons to steal parking lots and plant trees.

• More trees mean more shade for natural cooling
• Trees also protect structures by blocking harsh winds
• More oxygen is produced while less pollution is created
• Vegetation can be aesthetically pleasing and provide privacy
• More nature means more land for habitat restoration and wildlife
• More urban farming provides food for local residents and supports sustainability

If you’re in the Portland area you can check out Depave’s upcoming projects to get involved. If you’re not, they have an entire page online dedicated to teaching people how to depave  in their own communities.

At the end of the day, there really isn’t a good reason NOT to Depave paradise. Heck even if you just want to get out some aggression, taking a sledgehammer to an unsuspecting parking lot could almost be therapeutic.

Almost two years ago to date, emails regarding global warming and the human involvement/intervention sparked the internet by storm. This past weekend, new emails were released anonymously about the strange phenomenon that is global warming. There were three apparent themes present in the new batch of emails: “(1) prominent scientists central to the global warming debate are taking measures to conceal rather than disseminate underlying data and discussions; (2) these scientists view global warming as a political “cause” rather than a balanced scientific inquiry and (3) many of these scientists frankly admit to each other that much of the science is weak and dependent on deliberate manipulation of facts and data.” [1]

The new emails raised some questions regarding the nature behind the global warming debate. Is this a political scheme or are scientists predetermining the public’s view on Global Warming? What’s more shocking is that the emails reveal, “more than revealing misconduct and improper motives, the newly released emails additionally reveal frank admissions of the scientific shortcomings of global warming assertions.” [2] Some researchers believe scientists have spun the temperature effect as a political ploy, while others find the global warming debate to be true and potentially believable. You decide.

[1] and [2]: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2011/11/23/climategate-2-0-new-e-mails-rock-the-global-warming-debate/2/

Photo credit: http://global-warming-articles.org

We make our mark without leaving one.  The company has strict processes, but at the end of the day we feel good about our company and what it stands for.  We are a random band of family and friends that are passionate about the environment. Our company is a great pathway for us to get our message out and help others with the same mission.  That about sums it up.

INDIE PEACE is 100% organic cotton, which means that the cotton does not go through chemical processing as 100% cotton does. This allows the threads to remain intact for two times as many washes as regular cotton. This means that INDIE’s clothing offers quality, allowing the consumer’s clothing to not have as much give and stretching due to wear and washes. INDIE PEACE only uses water based prints, which allows for INDIE’s clothing to not have pasty printing that can peel off from old age or too many washes. INDIE PEACE offers style and variety for the consumer with various designs to choose from. INDIE is exclusively USA made and 100% designed by our founder Lawton Ursrey.

The 2012 collection is available now.

“Greening Forward helps establish, engage, and empower a diverse global green movement of people for the protection of the environment,” according to Charles Orgbon, CEO and founder of Greening Forward.

I had the privilege of meeting Charles in late September and was immediately star struck by his drive to create something far more immense and complex than himself. Greening Forward was created in 2008 in response to a recycling project Charles was required to complete at his local high school in Charleston. At the then age of 12, Charles was in awe at the world around him, “[noticing] there was a problem around him;” a school littered with trash. He felt “lost” but discovered and created a passion guided by his drive to help the environment. Thus, Earth Savers was created before the now known Greening Forward took its name. His new school sponsored club consisted of 3 people, at first, but gained headway later in 2008, climbing to a presence in 6 states, Asia and Africa.

Currently, Orgbon offers a platform for students, schools and organizations to take part in, holding environmental summit, educational nights and fundraisers. For example, Orgbon offers advice on his website and blog including resources on getting involved. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an organization turning environmental issues into a global and local priority. LCV “advocates for sound environmental policies [and] elects pro-environmental candidates who adopt such policies.

In the past year, “so much has happened,” Orgbon commented, “as an organization, we are where we want to be, creating 32 partnerships and “[empowering] different communities to join the green movement.” For now, Orgbon will finish his high school education and continue on to peruse a degree in environmental science.