Dan Imhoff on the Nightmarish Farm Bill 13 April 2008

Op-Ed piece in the L.A. Times that clearly discusses the horrific idea that is the 2008 Farm Bill subsidy package. Written by Dan Imhoff, a hero in the sustainable-living community, as well as my local community, and someone I feel lucky to know.

The great news is that both Dems and Repubs are equally guilty of screwing us over with these massive subsidies. What? Ralph Nader said what, again? And what? You clapped your hands over your ears again?

PLEASE, SPEND THREE MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE READING THIS.

What else do you have to do? Why read it? Because, as Dan puts it, “There is still time to let everyone in Congress know that they should vote on the farm bill as if the nation’s very health, future and security is at stake. Because it is. And we deserve better.”

No, Really. The Fish Are Almost Gone. 3 April 2008

Study after study (you’ve been reading them right, because I’ve little inclination to provide links to the stockpile o’ studies) have shown that fish stocks all over the world are in serious, serious decline. As in, 90% of the big fish have plumb disappeared. That is, disappeared into our bellies. A number of predictions have these same species going extinct altogether no later than the middle of the century. Yet, we remain in denial. THERE ARE SO MANY TUNA, after all, right? How can we possibly eat every last salmon?

Remember the passenger pigeon? The American bison? (check the pile of bison skulls above…just a few days of hunting…can you even fathom this?) Will we ever learn?

The answer is a resounding maybe. The U.S. government, long known the world over for its progressive attitude toward our fellow species (okay, compared to some), is now considering a total ban on salmon fishing off the U.S. Pacific coast. Pretty staggering, if you ask me. Yes, it’s an economic decision, one based on keeping fisheries afloat in the long haul (we daren’t kill them all today, when we want to kill them tomorrow!), but no matter which way you slice the sushi (dear god, did I just type that?), it’s a sound notion. READ MORE HERE. Then pick up the telephone and call your representatives. Urge them to vocally support this plan.

Herman Miller Leads the Charge 19 February 2008

A very informative article from the Harvard Business Review. Full text is here.

The article itself details Herman Miller’s efforts to become truly sustainable by 2020, a goal which needs to be championed by ALL OF US or we’re in for serious hurt. While HM’s plans are to be applauded, it’s the exchange in the comments below that is the most informative. I won’t excerpt this time. Just take a moment to do some reading; it’s worth the effort.

Thanks to Jib Ellison at Blu Skye Sustainability Consulting (involved in the HM project) for sending the article along. Jib’s company is a global leader in bringing truly sustainable practices to clients small and large.