Latest Articles

Guess That Makes Us Punstitutes

BLM focuses on drilling at expense of wildlife, critics charge Wildlife biologists at the Bureau of Land Management office in Pinedale, Wyo., are finding their talents put to unusual use: reviewing drilling-permit requests. Western Wyoming has been a natural-gas drilling mecca for the last five years, during which its populations of mule deer and breeding […]

Sludge Dread

Post-Katrina sludge puts kids at risk, says NRDC Government officials have been downplaying the public-health risks posed by the post-Katrina sludge coating greater New Orleans, which is spiked with potentially dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, and petrochemicals. So says a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, based on U.S. EPA data. NRDC is […]

But Who’s Responsible for Seafoam Green?

R.I. jury finds paint companies liable for billions in lead cleanup A six-person jury in Rhode Island made history yesterday when it found Sherwin Williams Co., Millennium Holdings, and NL Industries liable for lead paint contamination in hundreds of thousands of homes — and on the hook for potentially billions of dollars to clean it […]

Bleg

Does anyone know, off the top of their head, of a company that's making money by working with poor people to improve their environmental and economic conditions?

(Random question, I know.)

(Definition of "bleg" here.)

Umbra on vacations

Dear Umbra, My wife and I want to celebrate our 25th anniversary by taking a significant trip. We are thinking of a 10-day European vacation, possibly the Greek islands. I am conflicted by my dedication to celebrating this milestone and my dedication to living eco-friendly. What advice would you have for those wanting to travel […]

How the feds make bad-for-you food cheaper than healthful fare

If you’re going to talk about poverty, food, and the environment in the United States, you might as well start in the Corn Belt. So good, and so good for you — until it’s turned into soda. Photo: stock.xchng. This fertile area produces most of the country’s annual corn harvest of more than 10 billion […]

One fish, two fish, red fish, ew fish

As part of their Last Days of the Ocean special package this month, Mother Jones magazine has a feature entitled "Toxic Fish and Poor Communities." An interview with eco-justice fighter Sharon Fuller of the Ma'at Youth Academy, the story begins like this:

In San Francisco's tony restaurants, one can feast on perfectly seared ahi tuna or sample butter drizzled mahi mahi accompanied by a $50 bottle of wine. Just across the Bay, however, is a whole different world -- fishermen in Richmond live on toxic fish caught from a place that is recognized as an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site.

Continue reading.

Discover new species in the Caribbean, a new reef off Thailand, and an ocean-centric MoJo issue

Ahoy, mateys! Welcome aboard the good ship Something Fishy, a biweekly blog column focused on all things, um, fishy, and oceanic, and marine biological, and whatnot. It's sure to shiver your timbers ... if you know what I mean. (Should I have stopped at "ahoy"? Methinks the eye patch is on a bit tight. Aarrr!) Pirate lingo aside (for now ... there may be mention of a "poop deck" later on), this first column will focus on the theme of buried treasure -- from new species to new reefs to an ocean-centric issue of Mother Jones. Read on ... or I'll make you walk the plank!

The future

This makes me want to cry.

Poverty and sustainability

Basing information on the Earth Council website, the world has 2.1 hectares of biologically productive area per capita at a population level of 6 billion people. That population is currently using the resources of 2.8 hectares per capita, meaning that humans are consuming more than can be replenished. In the U.S., we consume the equivalent of 10.3 hectares per capita.

In order for the world to be sustainable, in theory anyway, humans would have to reduce consumption of resources by over 33% from current levels. For comparison, we would have to maintain a lifestyle similar to the average person in Turkey or Jordan. And this is assuming zero population growth. If population growth is factored in we would need to live like the average Chinese peasant.

In order for Americans to acheive the level of 2.1 h/cap, we would have to reduce our consumption by 80%. I do not see how by simply being green we can acheive that drastic reduction. I think we delude ourselves when we think we can live sustainably while maintaining our standard of living. Technology alone cannot bridge the gap. Take a look at your own lifestyle and think through what it takes to maintain every aspect of it.