Category: Environment

Van Jones is a pioneer in the field of green jobs. Simply put, his work is fabulous and I have blogged about him extensively. His media presence has grown considerably over the past 18 months and he is closing out 2008 with a bang.

Now that the 2008 is in full swing (and not a moment too soon!), let’s pause to remember what makes us grateful. The spirit of gratitude need not be limited to Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day but should permeate our hearts and minds throughout the fourth quarter of each and every calendar year.

The waiting has ended! We now have full details about the United We Stand Expo, successor to the Green Earth Expo. It will take place in August, 2009 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, just outside the nation’s capital.

It is with great joy that I announce the formalization of the next annual Green Earth Expo. Jim Griffin, with whom I created the Expo, has worked miracles to relocate himself to Maryland and obtain the monumental commitment to the green movement of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac in the nation’s capital. This is truly huge!

Wondering when the next Green Earth Expo will be announced? The delay has been on account of the fact that Jim Griffin, with whom I created the Expo, has been working very hard to elevate the event to the global stage. He has succeeded!

As a staunch environmentalist, it will come as no surprise to you that I abhor coal. Sure, it allowed the Industrial Revolution to take place (we wouldn’t have the Internet without it) but the time has come for coal to go extinct. At the same time, I have nothing but compassion for communities which have coal mining as the center of their economic base. I know that they are in no hurry to see the mines close.

I am very proud to support the Environmental Defense Fund, EDF. Having visited their DC headquarters, I know of the breadth of their good work. One of the areas in which they excel is heralding the message of the need for a speedy response to climate change.

On Friday over at Keyboard Culture, I wrote about the short-term and long-term effects of Tropical Storm Fay. She was something else! The Kroehler household was fortunate to be spared the worst effects. In fact, since we suffered no flooding, Fay was good to us. Our lawn had been parched because the first half of August was very dry. No longer!

I wrote about the North Pacific Gyre the other day at Keyboard Culture. I encourage you to examine my thoughts as well as those of the good publishers of GreatGarbagePatch.org.

In my August 1 post at Keyboard Culture, I told you about Al Gore’s powerhouse policy speech on renewable energy. He laid down the gauntlet regarding America’s addiction to fossil fuels. Needless to say, I maintain that he did a very fine job.

Defenders of Wildlife is an invaluable ally in the environmental community. More than any other group, Defenders have taken up the cause of wolf slaughter and achieved many great victories. Now, through the end of November, they are offering a literature prize of $1,000 for the best submission about the author’s positive encounter with the beauty of America’s federal lands and waters.

Battlefield Earth was a poor film starring John Travolta back in 2000. Its ideas were solid but the script was terrible and the film quite understandably tanked at the box office. Given John Travolta’s broad range and screen power, I was intrigued by the idea of having him lead a science fiction flick but ultimately was quite saddened by the debacle.

A few folks pointed out that Mr. Gore’s plan will be much more viable if we aim for a 90% move off fossil fuels. They may be right but that is not the point at this juncture.