Environmental Politics – Page 15

Manhattan Beach, The South Bay’s Greenest City

January 7, 2009June 5, 2009citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, green building, recycling, water conservation3 Comments

obama-is-new-green Happy New Year!

I hope you’re as happy and energized as I am about Obama’s impending Presidency and his game-changing energy and environmental appointments. If you’re not, then you’re probably part of the problems we’ve been having and your unhappiness is something I can live with.

The Creative Greenius says you can now expect a bold United States policy on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a rapid shift away from carbon-based fuels to renewables and a science-based approach to water policy and other critical resources. In fact, you can bank on our country following the green lead that’s been set here in California. And again, if that bugs you – so much the better. Change is but mere weeks away.

It’s all coming eight years later than it should, but the Climate Change Calvary has now arrived and they’re riding hard and fast.

More about what all that means to you, and your family and your job to come in our next Creative Greenius post, but first let me tell you what’s happening in Manhattan Beach, California just a few miles up Pacific Coast Highway from my home.

Continue reading ➞ Manhattan Beach, The South Bay’s Greenest City

Inside The Green Task Force

December 8, 2008October 15, 2009carbon producers, citizen volunteer, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, green buildings, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability4 Comments

main_image For more than a year now in this blog I’ve been researching and reporting on climate change, energy and transportation issues and related environmental stories covering them on both a personal and a global perspective. I haven’t been breaking any hard news, I’ve just been spreading the news that doesn’t get enough attention and adding my take on top of it for the majority of my readers who don’t have the time to dig as deep as I do.

I have to admit I’ve shared a pretty dire world view when it comes to the current and coming impacts of climate change.

That’s what happens when you start each morning reading blog’s like Joseph Romm’s Climate Progress and following the work of Dr. James Hansen and the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change.

But during this same past year, I’ve also been attending the meetings of the South Bay Cities Green Task Force.

I’m there as one of the only independent citizens – and of course as the Creative Greenius, but I’m mostly there because I’m an aspiring policy wonk and I eat the content of these meetings up. The truth is, I’m unabashedly fascinated by and truly interested in the work they’re doing. And the work they’re doing brings California’s leading edge fight against global warming right into my neighborhood and into my home. It is, as the cliche puts it, where the rubber meets the road, and the road is the street I live on.

Continue reading ➞ Inside The Green Task Force

Ten Things President Obama Needs You To Know Right Now

November 19, 2008November 20, 2008carbon producers, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability3 Comments

While the rest of America has been transfixed by the spiraling, ever-worsening economic crisis, the auto industry bailout and the Obama transition team leaks about Hillary Clinton and John McCain’s new roles in the Administration, I’ve been in Chicago engrossed in meetings with people I promised I’d never admit having met with. So lets just say I went for the blues and the BBQ.

Along with the pulled pork I enjoyed finding out that these Chicago guys are smart enough to know what’s really going on out there and sharp enough to know they’ve got to get the rest of the country up to speed before January 20th rolls around.

It’s not like they gave me any secret briefing information or anything. And it’s not like they told me what to write – not in so many words anyway. But if you’d like to help the President hit the ground running – and be able to keep up with him along the way – here’s what you need to know.

Continue reading ➞ Ten Things President Obama Needs You To Know Right Now

Angry McCain Wants To Kill You – If That’s What It Takes To Make America Great Again

November 1, 2008February 13, 2010carbon producers, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, renewable energy, solar power, Sustainability3 Comments

A furiously venom-filled John McCain angrily admitted to this blogger in a just-finished phone interview that he has been in a state of unstoppable rage that has kept him terminally pissed off at the United States of America ever since we chose to end the Vietnam war. “You’re damn right I am, you little jerk,” he said.

Before I could even respond he exploded again like Yosemite Sam. “You’re ALL a bunch of little jerks!” he screeched out to me on my VOIP line,” all you word happy blah-blah-bloogers – especially you environmentalists.” He spat out the word as if talking about a pedophile, but I could sense he was using air quotes at the other end.

Continue reading ➞ Angry McCain Wants To Kill You – If That’s What It Takes To Make America Great Again

“Unrepentent” Bomber McCain Spent Years in Prison. “I’d Do It Again” Says Senator

October 24, 2008October 24, 2008carbon producers, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, renewable energyLeave a Comment

What if the same Republicans who ran both of George Bush’s campaigns and who are now in charge of John McCain’s campaign were working for the Democrats – ANY Democrat – and running against John McCain as the opposing candidate? What kind of press releases, surrogate talking points and commercials would we be seeing then?

Continue reading ➞ “Unrepentent” Bomber McCain Spent Years in Prison. “I’d Do It Again” Says Senator

Wake Up And Smell the Presidential Coffee

October 10, 2008October 11, 2008campaign, election, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, hate mongering, politics, solar power2 Comments

As new President Barack Obama said on Wednesday,

“The question isn’t whether you’re better off than you were four years ago, the question is whether you’re better off than you were four weeks ago.”

Unless you are in the repo, liquor or foreclosure business the answer is no.

“President Barack Obama” you ask? Isn’t that pushing the presumptuous envelope a mite? Perhaps you’re thinking, “arrogance much?”

Not really. It’s my job to be ahead of the curve and deal with what’s coming next.

Continue reading ➞ Wake Up And Smell the Presidential Coffee

Shove That Coal Back In Its Hole – The Greenius Goes Solar

August 23, 2008October 25, 2009climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, renewable energy, Saving Energy, solar power, Sustainability1 Comment

I’ve had it. Your Creative Greenius has reached his tipping point.

The more I learn about the latest news on climate change and how much time we really have left to do anything about it, the more I feel like like the late Italian political theorist, Antonio Gramsci, who wrote in his Gramsci: Letters from Prison,

“I’m a pessimist because of intelligence,but an optimist because of will.”

And it is that will that makes me declare that enough is enough, damn it. New evidence is presented every single day of the week it’s time to act decisively now. But we are not living in sane times. We are living in the Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs era. that would convince any sane person that

With greenhouse gases pouring into the skies and building up faster than the deficit with each passing day; with the price of coal electric rates soaring up up up across the country; and with sell-out lizard brain politicians pimping oil as they croak out, “Drill here! Drill now! Hell, drill my wife if it means I’ll get your vote!”; the Greenius is taking matters into his own hands and going solar.

I can’t wait any longer. It’s either go solar, or go postal and believe me, nobody wants a Rambo Greenius. I’m dangerous enough with a broom in my hands.

Continue reading ➞ Shove That Coal Back In Its Hole – The Greenius Goes Solar

DRILLING US TO DEATH: “Welcome To The Gas Chamber,” Says The Man Who Knows

August 14, 2008August 23, 2008carbon producers, climate change, environment, Environmental Politics, fossil fuels, renewable energyLeave a Comment

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” — Hunter S. Thompson

Times have never been weirder here in the land of your Creative Greenius where even the 99 Cent Stores cannot buck the psychological impacts of this virtual recession being experienced by avatars everywhere. Earthquakes, fires, budget deficits and Real Estate that isn’t quite so “real” anymore and no longer feels like any kind of “estate” has harshed our mellow here in the Golden State.

It’s times like these when I invite The Man Who Knows over for a visit. I don’t really want to see him when everything is copacetic because part of what makes the good times so good is not having The Man Who Knows around telling you what you don’t want to hear.

But today’s weirdness calls for some simple truths and The Man Who Knows wasted no time in laying them on me as he lay on my couch.

Continue reading ➞ DRILLING US TO DEATH: “Welcome To The Gas Chamber,” Says The Man Who Knows

Funniest. Candidate. Ever. McComedian In The House

August 11, 2008October 30, 2009climate change, Environmental Politics, Uncategorized2 Comments

If you know the Creative Greenius then you know how much I like to laugh and how I crave a clever comedy.

From The Daily Show to 30 Rock to The Simpsons to anything Albert or James L. Brooks do, I like me some laughs.

In fact I need me some laughs – especially when so much of what I learn every day about climate change and how much worse it gets with each passing 24 hours adds up to us being as doomed as doomed can be.

But thank God for John Maverick McCain, who refuses to be worried about the serious facts and goes for the funny bone every chance he gets.

In a world of bad news and inconvenient truths the good old Straight Talk Express is still chugging along like a coal-fired comedy choo-choo making us all laugh out loud.

Continue reading ➞ Funniest. Candidate. Ever. McComedian In The House

“The question isn’t whether you’re better off than you were four years ago, the question is whether you’re better off than you were four weeks ago.”

I’ve had it. Your Creative Greenius has reached his tipping point.

“I’m a pessimist because of intelligence,but an optimist because of will.”