Earth Day 2009: something for today and the day after

It's April 22nd, Earth Day has arrived. And while it might appear more as a public relations stunt than something more substantial, it does have value in focusing attention on important environmental and conservation issues of the day. What becomes equally, if not more, important than the event itself, is what we do the day after.

There will be various events taking place worldwide today and through the upcoming weekend. You can check out what's happening at several web sites:

• The Earth Day Network (http://www.earthday.net/)
• Earth Day Television (http://www.earthdaytv.net/)
• Earth Day - U.S. Government Portal (http:www.earthday.gov/)
• Earth Day 2009 - Envirolink Resource Guide (http://earthday.envirolink.org)

Earth Day represents an opportunity for all of us to make a statement and then follow it up with sustained, proactive steps.

Refinery Pollution: U.S. Court closes loophole

In another piece of encouraging news, the U.S. Court of Appeals decided on Friday to close a gaping loophole in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on refinery pollution by striking down a provision that allowed refineries to exceed pollution limits during start-ups, shut-downs, and equipment outages.

According to a suit filed by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental defense firm, on behalf of the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, refineries have overused and/or abused this regulation, enabling them to spew tens of millions of pounds of excess toxic pollutants annually.

"We are elated," said Jesse Marquez, head of the Wilmington, CA-based Coalition for a Safe Environment, a plaintiff in the suit.

The court had ruled that the EPA's regulation exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act. This ruling will impact facilities nationwide, particularly in Southern California, Texas, and Louisiana where there are concentrations of refinery facilities.

RTSea Blog: dedicated to communicating in 2009

The sun is beginning to set on 2008 and, to say the least, it has been an interesting year. The RTSea Blog, in existence for more than a year, has been in its current format for six months now. It has been a very stimulating and motivating experience; I seem to learn as much as I mean to convey to others about some of the important environmental issues we are facing.

But now I would like to hear back from my readers as to any comments, ideas, or suggestions you may have to make it a better blog. I will probably always lean toward marine conservation issues, but if there are topics of interest you would like me to cover or changes in tone - more or less confrontational, more or less political, etc. - please let me know.

All comments come to me as emails for my review before being posted in the blog, so if you would prefer not to have your comment posted, just let me know in your comment.

Hopefully the year will end on a positive note. It would be a great precursor to 2009!

Consumers' Concern: Economy over the Environment

In addition to being a media producer/filmmaker, I also have a background in marketing: Here's an interesting article from the American Marketing Association regarding the results of the 2008 ImagePower Green Brands Survey (click here to view video podcast) published by the Landor agency. The survey covered a range of U.S/U.K. attitudes and perceptions regarding the environment and "green" brands or companies.
The results would indicate, perhaps not surprisingly, that the environment is taking a back seat to economic concerns. More people are thinking about the short-term consequences of energy (ie: gas). In line with their concerns on issues of immediate self-interest, the "green" brands most highly rated were those that represent products that went in or on the body, like food and personal care products. However, environmental issues were not completely off the radar. Respondents still expressed concern but responsibility was perceived differently in the two countries:

• Environmental pessimism. Sixty-seven percent of American consumers and 69% of Britons think we are in worse environmental shape now than we were five years ago.

• Responsibility and accountability. In the U.S., industry is perceived the most responsible for environmental problems with 36% of American consumers look to government to provide the policies and standards to advance environmental change. Conversely, U.K. consumers are more likely to accept their part of the blame.

So, we need to keep the flame alive, even if the consumer's interest may seem temporarily placed elsewhere. Particularly since many of our economic woes are in some degree or another tied in with environmental issues that are impacting us now or will impact us in the near future. Energy is a perfect example: our solutions to our energy crisis will be the result of our needs combined with what environmental impact they will impose (alternative energy, carbon emissions/footprint, global warming). Though we may be focused on one right now, the two - energy and the environment - are forever linked.

Thanksgiving 2007: Forward thinking for Nature's sake

On 11/12/07, RTSea wrote: As we in the U.S. approach our Thanksgiving holiday, I find myself thinking more about the challenges ahead than whatever bounty we have enjoyed over the past year. Today, I listened to a roundtable of respected journalists give their opinions as to whether corporations will truly embrace the necessary changes to address global warming. Their responses were not encouraging. Actions taken by individuals and corporations when it comes to climate change, must be the result of decisions based on long-term thinking, not short term. And that has always been a tremendous challenge - whether satisfying our personal finances or the needs of corporate shareholders.

There is no time like the present to re-orient our thinking when it comes to the long term demands of the environment. We cannot wait for some ecological disaster to occur and then we spring into action to save the day. Nature does not work like that. Think of Nature as one of those huge ocean liners. As it approaches port, to turn or slow down, the crew must initiate action many miles off shore. To wait until you see the dock only guarantees that there will be a tremendous crash.

While I do not accept all of the concepts behind the Gaia environmental theory, one concept I do see as valid is the fact that Nature will always seek a balance. It will do what it takes to try to continue to exist in some manner or another. And if that means the reduction or even extinction of a species - including humans - then so be it. So we must be conscious of what we are doing now as our actions will have a lasting legacy for years to come.

In regards to forward-thinking and the environment, Bill Clinton was recently quoted in Rolling Stone, "Think of this: As far as we can tell, the first Homo Sapiens rose up from the African savannah give or take 150,000 years ago. That means it took us 150,000 years to grow to our present population of 6.5 billion. Now all of a sudden, in the next forty-three years, we are going to go from 6.5 billion to 9 billion - at the very time we are facing climate change, resource depletion and real identity tensions all over the world. That is why I think more about fifty years from now than fifty days from now."