Sustainability: Environment
 
The impact of pollution, climate change due to human activity and the need for sustainability versus using up the earth's resources is on the minds of thinking women and men! We publish information in this section about combating pollution, improving our local and regional environment, finding steps to take to gain political ears about what we would like to see happen to protect and improve our great region.
Featured Links:
 Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover
News or Press Release
While Portugal may have received more bad publicity from appearing to be following Greece into possible fincnial problems, there is really good news coming from there. Elizabeth Rosenthal reports in the New York Times about how Portugal has succeeded in applying green power primarily through wind so well that this year its power grid will by 45% renewable!
The Global Megacity: Inevitable or Unenviable?
J. Lee Lehman
A recent article in Foreign Policy had the headline, "Beyond City Limits. The Age of Nations is over. The new urban age has begun." This thought provoking article by Parag Khanna notes the trend in Asia and the Islamic Middle East is toward the development of megacities: cities with populations easily exceeding 25 million, and topping out at over 100 million. The author's perspective
was to discuss how these cities are stepping out into trade global relationships that are completely outside the foreign policies of their titular federal government.
But when I look at the pictures of the buildings, I cannot but ask the question: is this not the face of overpopulation? And when you realize that the rapid growth of these cities in India is being fueled by a highly water-subsidized agriculure in one of the areas of the world with the highest rates of groundwater overpumping, isn't it easy to wonder the mgeacatastrophe just waiting in the wings? Isn't this in every way the antithesis of the kind of vibrant local community so many of us are working to establish
in Western North Carolina?
News or Press Release
Asheville -- RiverLink, the non-profit organization that speaks up for the French Broad River and her tributaries, has added another voice - the River Whisperer blog.
more...
The Secret History of the War on Cancer
News or Press Release
Davis, Devra Lee. The Secret History of the War on Cancer. New York: BasicBooks, 2007.
This work presents extremely disturbing information about how virtually all information about the relationship between many synthetic chemicals and cancer have been blocked by both industry and government - leading to the conclusion that we are further behind in our understanding of this situation than researchers were in 1936. Dr. Davis also demonstrates the hypocrisy in which the same kind of experiments which are allowed to "prove" safety are considered inadequate to prove toxicity. Frankly,
this makes
the junk science of the Bush Administration look like a walk in the park.
more...
J. Lee Lehman
In the November/December 2009 issue, Mother Jones reports on the rebranding of various trash fish to change them from unutilized to trendy fish fashions. What makes a fish a trash fish? Either some unpleasant property, or something else that fishermen for years figured was not worth catching. In our overpopulated times, apparently everything is worth catching. Interestingly, some of these former trash fish have become so popular through rebranding that
now they are endangered from overfishing. But it's up to you as to whether you want to eat them! more...
J. Lee Lehman
Ecofeminism has been defined by many as the intersection between feminism and deep ecology - and that's true. But we would argue that it goes beyond that. We have instituted this section on ecofeminism at Sheville - because it's time. more...
The Story of Stuff
Sheville Staff
A suggestion from Peggy
hello friends - normally i only send out info about my own work but this little DVD is excellent. ordering it for your local library, school, etc, would be a great way to help ourselves and the planet in our global predicament, all the best, peggy seeger
click here
Greenhouse Gases Footprint
Sheville Staff
So which has the bigger greenhouse footprint: cars, or livestock? Guess what?
It's livestock. Click
here to read the United Nations report
Greenwashing as an Advertising Style
Sheville Staff
The BBC Online has run an interesting opinion piece by Rebecca Swift on greenwashing as an advertising phenomenon. Briefly, her contention is that advertising companies are picking up green themes to sell products that have little or nothing to do with the environment. Click
here to read Rebecca Swift's piece
Sheville Staff
(WNC resources are listed first, with some really great North Carolina and national resources listed at the bottom) – All kinds of information on keeping the planet viable. Listing everything from how to get a green job, to recycling, state and federal agencies doing 'green' work and more! more...
 Asheville Adventure Guide - Local. Outdoor. Adventure.
News or Press Release
Outdoor Adventure in Asheville, NC
Welcome to the Asheville Adventure Guide-your guide to hiking, biking, running, paddling, family friendly, events, and dog friendly adventures in Asheville, NC including Pisgah National Forest, Bent Creek, DuPont State Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mountains to See Trail, and more. Asheville Adventure Guide
Annelinde Metzner
Evenings, a salt breeze cools the skin.
Pelicans plunge deep, intensely focused. more...
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What’s Not There