Merkel's Pet Issue

A week ago, the European Union announced that they may decide to levy trade sanctions against the US and China if those two nations continue to refuse international carbon restriction agreements. For example, the EU leaders agreed last year that they will attempt to cut CO2 emissions 20% by 2020. The trade sanctions threat is an interesting one. The EU argues that their corporations will be at a competitive disadvantage internationally, since US and Chinese goods will have been produced using cheaper carbon.(information from source below).

For example, Angela Merkel (see pic below) was quoted as saying, "Industry, faced with global competition could be exposed to a real disadvantage if no international climate accord is struck, but we in Europe have very strict rules." Angela Merkel has made climate change her pet issue and has done a lot of important and interesting work both in Germany (where she is chancellor) and abroad.(1)

France's own President Sarkozy also added, "Our main concern is to set up a mechanism that would allow us to strike against the imports of countries that don't play by the rules of the game on environmental protection."(1)



Unquestionably, the recent economic downturn, lead by the US, has caused worry among EU nations who have committed to decreasing carbon emissions. It is much easier to think about low-carbon production when the economy is strong than when it is in recession. This issue also highlights the problems that environmental efforts face when relying on such strong international cooperation. In my opinion, it might be almost impossible to expect countries to lower their carbon emissions by enough to make a difference - simply because of this interrelationship between carbon relations and market prices. The idea of tariffs is interesting, although the part of me that is strongly free-market balks a bit at the idea of purposefully hindering market functioning.

Do you all think it is moral/smart to use such economic punishments in order to induce international cooperation?


1. Much of the information quoted in this blog is from an article written by the Associated Press and published at:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2008/03/15/eu_warns_china_us_over_carbon_emissions/

Egg Hunting

Today is Easter, which means that I woke up this morning to my mom trying to sneak a basket full of candy into my room at some ungodly hour. We take our holidays very seriously at the Rowan household. Later in the afternoon, we celebrated the traditional Rowan Easter party complete with an Easter egg hunt for the kids. This took me back to years past, when my mom included lacy thongs and other raunchy items in the eggs. My sister and I were about 15, and mortified.

Anyways, I thought that today was an important time to write a little something about the relationship between Christianity and environmentalism.

There are a number of groups which encourage connections between spirituality and nature - some of these groups are politically active and others less so or not at all For example, REEP is a religious charity which "provides unusual and thought-provoking resources for teachers and learners promoting the links between religions and the environment." They work with religious groups of any denomination to raise awareness of environmental issues and are oriented around educational, rather than political issues.

Do you think that religion can play an important role in the environmental movement?

Environmentally Suave

Following companies as they "go green" is a perverse hobby of mine. I say perverse because even though I truly believe that the private enterprise is crucial to environmentalism in this country, I am usually quite cynical about voluntary attempts by corporations to be more environmentally correct (see previous blog post about Coke's new campaign). In a similar vein, Nordstrom's, an upscale department store, has recently declared that it will phase out its old shopping bags and replace them with 100% post-consumer material bags. Kim, a blogger at the Nordstrom's blog, "From the Floor", see: http://fromthefloor.nordstrom.com/my_weblog/2008/03/eco-chic.html)
writes, "Hi friend! You know how I feel about being environmentally suave. It's a priceless quality, and becoming almost as important as a sense of humor."

I love that, "environmentally suave." Of course, the real question is, what the **** does that mean? That it is important to be environmental, but only if the effort will also make you more chic, cool and fashionable? That environmentalism is a fad, as uncomplicated as buying vintage clothing or the latest cut in fabric? Am I alone in believe that a true commitment to environmentalism forces us to ask difficult questions and make important choices for the long term?

Well, I am being a bit too harsh. In fact, post-consumer recycled material in shopping bags seems like a great idea. I know that in Europe, this same effort has met with considerable success. It makes sense that shopping bags (which are only briefly used and then thrown away) should be made out of recycled material. In addition, tote bags seem like a great idea. For inspiration, and a laugh, check out the shopping tote bag manufactured by Origins (an organic beauty store).

Five Ways to Travel Green

The Green Passport Campaign is a new effort to increase awareness of environmental issues, particularly climate change, in the tourism industry. It was borne out of the World Summit on Sustainable Development that occurred in Johannesburg in 2002 and is largely sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme.

This is especially relevant since traveling is a significant source of carbon emissions and also because tourism can profoundly influence the host country's environment, for good or ill.

In the spirit of this campaign, and also recognizing that it is Spring Break season, I decided to write a Top Five List of things you can do during your vacation to limit your environmental impact.

1. Ecolodge. Generally, when I hear about EcoLodges I assume that they are both expensive and difficult to get to. However, it turns out that there are many hotels all over the world which are environmentally friendly and (somewhat) cheap. I didn't believe it either, but I am from the DC area - and there are about 10 certified "green" hotels nearby. Check out www.greenvacationhub.com to find even more lovely, environmental vacation options!


2. Rent a hybrid. . .I know I fantasize about driving a Prius around, so why not rent one during your vacation, saving a little money on gas as well? Budget offers Prius rentals - try, www.budget.com


3. Travel domestically, rather than internationally.

4. Use public transportation as often as possible, especially trains over longer distances.

5. Stay longer in several quality areas, rather than moving from spot to spot.


Oh yeah, and try to avoid using hotel mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I know they are tempting, but they are also a huge waste of plastic.

Any other ideas about how you can limit your environmental impact over vacation?

Biodegradable Plastic?

The other day, I was standing in line at Pi Cafe, Wesleyan's little shop that sells coffee, tea and sandwiches. I bought a delicious falafel, and as I was about to throw out the plastic container it came in, I noticed that the container was labeled as "biodegradable." The only other information it gave me was that this plastic, which looked like every other plastic I had ever seen, was in fact made from corn and would biodegrade over a relatively short period of time.

Now, having done a little research, I can tell you that this astounding event is true - there are a number of companies selling corn-based biodegradable plastic. For example, 2WPlastic has created a resin called NatureWorks PLA - and they use it to create disposable (compostable) plastic products that look exactly like normal ones. The only (small) catch is that these plastics only function up to 110F - which makes them less usable in industrial settings than other types of plastic. PLA stands for polylactide, and as the name suggests, this plastic is made from lactic acid formed during fermentation.

To read more about biodegradable plastic, click here:

or visit:
http://www.2wplastic.com/index.htm

Is McCain Faking It?

The election race is really starting to heat up - and the neatest part of it is that people our age are extremely engaged with the issues and candidates. This being a energy oriented blog, I am going to spend a little time on the environmental records of the candidates.

I'm at Wesleyan, a university renowned for its liberal edge, and so the environmental pros and cons of Obama and Clinton are frequently brought up in discussion. However, the GOP candidate, McCain is often excluded from student conversation here - and when someone brings him up, there is considerable skepticism over his record of environmentalism. He talks like he has a long environmental record, but we must ask, "is he faking it?"

McCain is an old school conservative when it comes to environmental issues. He loves the idea of national parks (although he has voted for increased road building in conserved areas), voted to end whaling, he supported a carbon cap and trade proposal in 2003 and opposed oil drilling in ANWR.



On the other hand, McCain recently got in a lot of trouble over a couple of endangered grizzly bears in Montana. A group of scientists requested money to study the genetic makeup of these bears, but McCain argued that the money was pork, a special interest and waste of time. He even advertised his rejection of the proposal in an ad series.

So, what do you think, is McCain for real?

Right Around the Corner

Spring Break means a lot of things, but it is definitely the time when those of us who haven't quite figured out our summer (and/or life) plans should take some time to do so. My break doesn't start for another week, but I figured I would give you all a head start by introducing you to some summer internship opportunities. Obviously, summer internships are a great opportunity for undergraduates, but the lesser known part is that they are also a great idea for recent graduates. If you are unsure what you are going to be doing next year, taking a summer internship can buy you time to plan and apply to jobs. It can also provide needed experience for your resume, or give you an "in" at a non-profit. (I say non-profit because often times NGOs hire based on grants and openings, and if you are interning there you will be in a better position to take advantage of these opportunities). Here are the results of my findings:

1. Palo Alto, California. Who wouldn't want to intern there??


Now, luckily, you all have the chance. The City of Palo Alto is hiring a number of interns to work on various municipal projects. These include library organization, economic development, public administration and city planning using GIS. However, there seems to be a lot of flexibility in the type of project you undertake. If you are interested in energy and utilities, there are a number of projects detailed on the website which would be great opportunities. They will also pay you between $12 and $20 dollars an hour. . .schweet.

Application details:
Please submit a cover letter describing internship preference, why the individual is applying, what he or she hopes to learn from an internship and the time commitment he or she can make. Additionally, submit a current resume with references.

To check out this internship, go to:

http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/hrd/news/details.asp?NewsID=316&TargetID=137,138

2. Research Support Intern at RightFish, a subsidiary of Careerbuilder.com
This looks like a primarily marketing related internship, but also includes elements of data analysis and market research. You get paid competitively, and would get a great experience in internet marketing. The application is due on April 1st. To see more, check out:

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/ApplyOnline/ApplyStart.aspx?ipath=
EXEXP&siteid=exp01&Job_DID=J7X1BZ5YK6JMXRWJG3Q&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=fedb1dad3686418a9d191
afe1b60cd02-257795992-WV-2

or use the search function at experience.com!

3. Finally, my personal favorite. The Chicago Botanic Garden is hiring summer interns at $9/hour. They are also hiring 2 research assistants, for those of you with a background in plant research. Check out all the details at:

www.chicagobotanic.org/internship