http://www.cchange.net Covering the transformations to social, environment and economic sustainability Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:08:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Sea Change Radio covers the transformations to social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Change is accelerating in positive and negative directions: the clock is ticking in the race to see which will tip first—the problems or the solutions. Join Sea Change's Host, Alex Wise, as he provides in-depth analysis to help our audience understand possible remedies and potential pitfalls. Sea Change interviews sustainability experts including Paul Hawken, Stewart Brand, Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Lester Brown, and many others. Sea Change airs on over 30 radio stations around the country. Alex Wise clean Alex Wise awise@cchange.net awise@cchange.net (Alex Wise) 2007-2011 Making Connections for Sustainability Sustainability, Climate Change, Human Rights, Environment, Corporate Responsibility, Socially Responsible Investing, Accountability, Stakeholders, Clean Tech, Renewable Energy, Green Jobs, Wealth Divide http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/cwr-images-archive/SeaChangeRadioTAG_square144_sm.jpg http://www.cchange.net Weekly http://www.cchange.net/2010/12/27/cream-skimming-cows-cleantech/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/12/27/cream-skimming-cows-cleantech/#comments Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:12:04 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3071 http://www.cchange.net/2010/12/27/cream-skimming-cows-cleantech/feed/ 0 alex wise,blaisdell,brie johnson,Clean Tech,clean technology,dairy processing,dcm,milk production,sea change radio,straus family creamery,tom blaisdell,vc Today's first guest is Brie Johnson from Straus Family Creamery who talks about practices that make milk production a more sustainable, less polluting and cleaner enterprise. Our next guest is venture capitalist, Tom Blaisdell of DCM, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Tom-Blaisdell1.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Brie-Johnson-150x150.jpg)What does it look like when a dirty industry goes clean?  And can an ethical company be a profitable one?  This week on Sea Change Radio, host Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) talks to two people who work in very different industries: dairy processing and capitalism.  His first guest is Brie Johnson from Straus Family Creamery (http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/) who talks about practices that make milk production a more sustainable, less polluting and cleaner enterprise.  Then he speaks with venture capitalist, Tom Blaisdell (http://www.dcm.com/team-tom-blaisdell.php) of DCM, (http://www.dcm.com/)about Clean Technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_technology) – where the concept of efficiency links the strange bedfellows of investment capitalism and sustainability.(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/cow-150x150.jpg) Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/22/saving-landfills-from-unnecessary-waste-and-cleantech-innovation-from-undue-corporate-influence/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/22/saving-landfills-from-unnecessary-waste-and-cleantech-innovation-from-undue-corporate-influence/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:59:19 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2447 http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/22/saving-landfills-from-unnecessary-waste-and-cleantech-innovation-from-undue-corporate-influence/feed/ 0 alex wise,Clean Tech,compost,corporate influence,daniel hunt,diapers,earth-baby.com,earthbaby,green business,karen nelsen,landfills Sea Change Radio West Coast Correspondent Alex Wise speaks with Karen Nelsen, co-founder of EarthBaby, which produces compostable diapers.  Alex also talks with clean tech analyst and green business investor, Daniel Hunt, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DanHunt1-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/EarthBaby1-150x150.jpg) Sea Change Radio West Coast Correspondent Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) speaks with Karen Nelsen, co-founder of EarthBaby (http://www.earth-baby.com/home.php), which produces compostable diapers.  Alex also talks with clean tech analyst and green business investor, Daniel Hunt, about corporate interests crowding out ecological progress. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/24/whose-commonwealth-is-it/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/24/whose-commonwealth-is-it/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:45:07 +0000 Francesca Rheannon http://www.cchange.net/?p=2408 http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/24/whose-commonwealth-is-it/feed/ 0 back to the future,Clean Tech,clean technology,Commonwealth,Dan Juhl,David Bollier,digital sphere,energy expert,green economy,intellectual commons,kerry buckley,mass humanities Journalist and policy strategist David Bollier tells us about the idea of the commons, wind energy expert Patrick Quinlan talks about how wind power in Massachusetts has become a battleground over competing definitions of the commons, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Bollier_photo_June_10082-150x150.jpg) Welcome to the final episode in our Sea Change series, Back to the Future. Journalist and policy strategist David Bollier tells us about the idea of the commons; wind energy expert Patrick Quinlan talks about wind power in Massachusetts and how it has become a battleground over competing definitions of the commons; wind developer Dan Juhl talks about community wind power; and historian Kerry Buckley sums up the lessons of our series. Each month, Back To The Future looks at what we can learn from the past, when we used far less fossil fuels than we do today. We explore practices we can adapt as we move toward a lower carbon future. Last month (http://www.cchange.net/2010/02/17/cool-industry-for-a-cooler-planet/), we looked at how water power in Holyoke, Massachusetts helped fuel the industrial revolution in the U.S. and is powering the birth of a green economy in Holyoke. This month we look at how the ancient idea of the commons can be adapted to ensuring the survival of the ecological commons. We also take the case of wind power in Massachusetts to examine how controversy has erupted over conflicting ways people define the common good. David Bollier (http://www.bollier.org/) is a journalist and policy strategist whose work focuses on the politics, economics and culture of the commons.  He's the editor of the web portal and blog OntheCommons.org (http://www.onthecommons.org/ ) and also co-founder of Public Knowledge (http://www.publicknowledge.org/), a public interest group defending the rights of the  intellectual commons in the digital sphere.  Lately he's been thinking about how to establish a international legal framework for protecting the ecological commons. Patrick Quinlan is Associate Director of the Wind Energy Center (http://www.umass.edu/windenergy/)at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He's been actively involved in wind power and clean technology development since 1982.  He was an advisor to the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy and worked for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Washington office, serving the Federal wind energy, solar energy, geothermal, and hydrogen technology programs. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/juhl_wind-104x150.jpg)Minnesota-based Dan Juhl of Juhl Wind (http://www.juhlwind.com/) is one of America's pioneers in community wind power. Sea Change Radio interviewed him (http://www.cchange.net/2008/07/16/the-community-building-power-of-wind/) originally in 2008. Kerry Buckley is executive director of Historic Northampton (http://www.historic-northampton.org/). He's the author of several books and editor of A PLACE CALLED PARADISE (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Place-Called-Paradise/Kerry-W-Buckley/e/9781558494855). This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Francesca Rheannon clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/climate-bill-pass-or-fail/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/climate-bill-pass-or-fail/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:58:07 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=908 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/climate-bill-pass-or-fail/feed/ 2 carroll muffett,center for american progress,Clean Tech,Climate Change,climate policy,Climate Progress,Green Jobs,Greenpeace,joe romm,Renewable Energy,Sustainable Innovation,Sustainable Public Policy The Waxman-Markey Climate Bill is making its way through Congress, and stirring up controversy within the environmental movement between those who support it as a necessary first step, and those who think it's fatally flawed. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/joeromm-140x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/carrollmuffett-150x150.jpg) The Waxman-Markey Climate Bill (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.+2454:) is making its way through Congress, and stirring up controversy within the environmental movement between those who support it as a necessary first step, and those who think it's fatally flawed.  Sea Change Radio talks with both sides.  Joe Romm (http://climateprogress.org/about/), editor of the ClimateProgress.org (http://climateprogress.org/) blog and a senior fellow (http://www.americanprogressaction.org/experts/RommJoseph.html) at the Center for American Progress, favors passing the Bill.  Carroll Muffett (http://members.greenpeace.org/blog/carroll_muffett) of Greenpeace (http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/) says the bill fails to address key issues in solving the climate crisis. HR 2454: The American Clean Energy and Security Act (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.02454:). A draft (http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090331/acesa_discussiondraft.pdf) of the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill, as it's better known, was released by the Energy and Commerce Committee on March 31st (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1560). Greenpeace immediately greeted it as a “good first step, but improvements needed (http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/waxman-markey-bill-a-good-firs).” ClimateProgress blogger Joe Romm agreed, grading the bill a B+ (http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/31/waxman-markey-energy-global-warming-bill/). By the time the Bill came out of Committee (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1630:energy-and-commerce-committee-passes-comprehensive-clean-energy-legislation&catid=122:media-advisories&Itemid=55), however, it had undergone significant changes – changes that Greenpeace (and a broad coalition of environmental organizations (http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/broad-coalition-criticizes-cli)) lambasted for “failing to impose necessary reductions (http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/climate-change-legislation-fai)” And Romm downgraded the Bill to a B- (http://climateprogress.org/2009/05/13/waxman-markey-deal-renewables/). Despite the Bill’s flaws, though, Romm supports it, and criticized Greenpeace (http://climateprogress.org/2009/05/17/greenpeace-attack-waxman-markey-european-trading-scheme/) for its attacks on the Bill. Sea Change Radio spoke first with Joe Romm.  The conversation started with discussion of the problems in the Bill.  Despite these problems, Romm considers passage of the Bill essential for solving the climate crisis.  He sees US climate policy as a multi-stage process, with this Bill as a starting point.  As climate science gets stronger, future emissions reduction targets can be strengthened.  Romm also discusses the role of emissions allocations, defending the shift from a regime of 100 percent auction of allocations as promised by Barack Obama on the campaign trail to a percentage of free allocations. Romm and other supporters of the Waxman Markey bill argue that the first order of business is to get the knobs in place that can then be ratcheted up in the future to tighten controls on greenhouse gas emisisons. They say, if we spend all of our time arguing over what the settings are, we'll never get the knobs on the climate console. Romm is no starry-eyed optimist, however.  Even if the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill becomes law, he predicts a mere 10 to 20 percent of averting disaster.  He says that "the human race does not have many examples of instances where the world collectively got together and transformed itself before something bad happened." To hear the complete interview with Romm, click here (http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/joe-romm-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/). Bill Baue clean 29:41 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/carroll-muffett-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/carroll-muffett-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:57:07 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=926 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/carroll-muffett-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/feed/ 1 Clean Tech,Climate Change,Renewable Energy,Sustainable Innovation,Sustainable Public Policy Sea Change's complete interview with Carroll Muffett of Greenpeace on the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/carrollmuffett1-150x150.jpg)Sea Change's complete interview with Carroll Muffett of Greenpeace on the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill. Bill Baue clean 20:39 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/joe-romm-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/joe-romm-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:53:15 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=922 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/03/joe-romm-on-waxman-markey-climate-bill/feed/ 1 Clean Tech,Climate Change,Renewable Energy,Sustainable Innovation,Sustainable Public Policy Sea Change's complete interview with Joe Romm of Climate Progress. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/joeromm1-140x150.jpg)Sea Change's complete interview with Joe Romm of Climate Progress. Bill Baue clean 24:48 http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/08/closing-the-climate-feedback-loop-with-everyday-citizen-opinions/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/08/closing-the-climate-feedback-loop-with-everyday-citizen-opinions/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:58:53 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=759 http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/08/closing-the-climate-feedback-loop-with-everyday-citizen-opinions/feed/ 2 Alternative Economic Models,Carrick McCullough,Clean Tech,Climate Change,Colin McCullough,Community Economic Engagement,corporate governance,Green Jobs,Green Living,Lars Klüver,nell minow,OurRenewableNation Lars Klüver of the Danish Board of Technology talks about the World Wide Views on Global Warming project he directs that will gather opinions of everyday citizens in 45 countries globally in September 2009 to feed into negotiations at the United Nation... Lars Klüver (http://www.tekno.dk/subpage.php3?page=sekretariatet/person.php3&toppic=om_os&id=1&language=dk) of the Danish Board of Technology (http://www.tekno.dk/subpage.php3?page=forside.php3&language=uk) talks about the World Wide Views on Global Warming (http://www.tekno.dk/subpage.php3?article=1497&toppic=kategori11&language=uk&category=11) project he directs that will gather opinions of everyday citizens in 45 countries globally in September 2009 to feed into negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (http://en.cop15.dk/) (COP15) in Copenhagen in December 2009.  And Colin and Carrick McCullough of OurRenewableNation.org (http://www.ourrenewablenation.org/index.htm) talk about their "cross-country eco-video adventure" where they will visit, video, and interview folks advancing sustainability solutions -- as well as everyday folks on their thoughts about climate change and this shift toward renewable energy.  Finally, this week's Sea Change ViewPoint comes from Nell Minow (http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/info.php?id=62) of The Corporate Library (http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/) with commentary on first steps on toxic assets. Last year at a monthly get-together here in Amherst, Sea Change Co-Host Bill Baue met Dick Sclove, and the two chatted over a beer or two.  Sclove worked for years with a nonprofit that coordinated community consultations around the world, and now he's senior advisor to World Wide Views on Global Warming.  That's an initiative spearheaded by the Danish Board of Technology to gather input to COP15 -- the United Nations Conference on Climate Change happening in  Copenhagen in December 2009.  WWV is coordinating community consultation meetings in 45 countries two months before the conference to gather opinions from everyday citizens on what kinds of climate change policy they'd like to see enacted at COP15.  Baue recently spoke with WWV director Lars Klüver from his office in Denmark. Klüver has agreed to coordinate with Sea Change Radio to cover the events of September 26, and continue following up with interviews of WWV participants around the world. On the day of producing this episode of Sea Change Radio, the New York Times ran an article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/business/energy-environment/08greenoil.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper) on big oil companies expressing skepticism about the shift to renewable energy.  On the other end of the spectrum, the McCullough family is full of optimism.  They're gearing up to embark on what they're calling a "cross-country eco-video adventure" to visit, video, and interview folks working hard to make the transition to  renewable energy a reality -- no matter what big oil says.  They're heading out from central Massachusetts in early May, and you can follow their progress on the web at OurRenewableNation.org (http://www.ourrenewablenation.org/index.htm).  Sea Change Radio Co-Host Bill Baue spoke with Colin and his nine-year-old son Carrick, who has been nominated for the President's Environmental Youth Award (http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/peya/index.html). The McCulloughs have agreed to send dispatches from the road to Sea Change Radio with interviews of folks working on renewable energy and everyday folks' views on how to tackle climate change. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/18/gaviotas-a-village-to-reinvent-the-world/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/18/gaviotas-a-village-to-reinvent-the-world/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:48:53 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=683 http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/18/gaviotas-a-village-to-reinvent-the-world/feed/ 0 Alan Weisman,Alternative Economic Models,Chelsea Green Publishing,Clean Tech,Climate Change,Gaviotas,Green Building,Green Living,Local Living Economies,Renewable Energy,Robert Weissman,Sustainable Agriculture Journalist Alan Weisman talks about his book , reissued late last year by Chelsea Green Publishing on the 10th anniversary of its first edition.  And in the News Analysis, Rob Weissman of Wall Street Watch talks about its new report, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/alanweisman-150x150.jpg) Journalist Alan Weisman (http://www.chelseagreen.com/authors/alan_weisman/) talks about his book , reissued late last year by Chelsea Green Publishing (http://www.chelseagreen.com/) on the 10th anniversary of its first edition.  And in the News Analysis, Rob Weissman (http://www.cptech.org/staff/rob.html) of Wall Street Watch (http://www.wallstreetwatch.org/) talks about its new report, Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America (http://www.wallstreetwatch.org/soldoutreport.htm). And support Sea Change in the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Changing Climate Change Contest by clicking here (http://www.justmeans.com/showideadetails?ideaid=8382&isread=y).  Finally, Sea Change is on Twitter (http://twitter.com/cchange) -- we'll tweet you if you tweet us. Is it possible to create a sustainable community in the harsh environment of a treeless savannah?  Yes, if you use affordable, small scale technology that respects people and the planet.  That's what the villagers of Gaviotas, an "unintentional" community in the largely uninhabited eastern part of Colombia, say.  Journalist Alan Weisman chronicled the making of this sustainable community in his book, GAVIOTAS. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/see-saw-150x150.jpg)The interview begins with Weisman talking about what that community looks like today.  He talks about innovative uses of energy there -- including kid power: a see-saw doubles as a water pump. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/hospital-150x150.jpg)In the midst of a country plagued by violence, no one has been killed in Gaviotas in the 40 years since its founding. One remarkable reason is the hospital Gaviotas built that treats all comers -- whether impoverished farmers, indigenous people from the area, or even rebels and paramilitaries. The hospital was designed with ideas from residents, Indians from surrounding areas, and a young engineer from one of Colombia's top universities, Esperanza Connell. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/solar-150x150.jpg)But Gaviotas hasn't kept it's innovations to itself. It's teamed up with poor urban communities in Colombia to bring small, appropriate technology that leaves a light footprint on the planet.  For example, solar collectors. Bill Baue clean 29:28 http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/04/the-mindful-path-to-sustainability/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/04/the-mindful-path-to-sustainability/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:24:37 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=616 http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/04/the-mindful-path-to-sustainability/feed/ 2 Alternative Economic Models,Aron Cramer,business for social responsibility,Clean Tech,Climate Change,Community Economic Engagement,corporate governance,environmental action,Green Living,Labor Rights,Renewable Energy,stephanie kaza Stephanie Kaza links buddhism and sustainability in her new book, .  Sea Change Co-Host Francesca Rheannon covers coal protests at the Mount Tom Power Plant in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where she interviewed local activists Glen Ayers and Tina Clarke. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/stephaniekaza-150x150.gif)Stephanie Kaza (http://www.uvm.edu/~skaza/) links buddhism and sustainability in her new book, (http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-583-6.cfm).  Sea Change Co-Host Francesca Rheannon covers coal protests (http://petervickery.blogspot.com/2009/03/mount-tom-demo.html) at the Mount Tom Power Plant (http://www.firstlightpower.com/generation/mttom.asp) in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where she interviewed local activists Glen Ayers and Tina Clarke.  And finally, this week's ViewPoint comes from Business for Social Responsibility (http://www.bsr.org/) CEO Aron Cramer (http://www.bsr.org/about/staff-bio.cfm?DocumentID=2), who proposes three corporate reforms. Witnessing the unfolding disaster of our ecological crisis can be a lonely burden to carry. And our loneliness also keeps us from being able to do anything about it. Now environmental educator and meditator Stephanie Kaza has stepped in to lead us on the “green practice path.”  In her book, MINDFULLY GREEN: A Personal and Spiritual Guide to Whole Earth Thinking, she offers a simple, Buddhist-inspired philosophy for taking up environmental action in ways that overcome our separation from ourselves, each and our world. Kaza is a Professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources (http://www.uvm.edu/~envnr/) at the University of Vermont (http://www.uvm.edu/).  Her previous books (http://www.uvm.edu/~skaza/?Page=publications/default.html) include (http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-57062-475-9.cfm),  (http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-172-2.cfm), and   (http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-57062-251-9.cfm). Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/04/news-analysis-protesting-coal/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/04/news-analysis-protesting-coal/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:21:58 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=623 http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/04/news-analysis-protesting-coal/feed/ 0 Bill McKibben,Clean Tech,Climate Change,Glen Ayers,global warming,Green Jobs,Renewable Energy,sustainability institute,Sustainable Innovation,Tina Clarke Peaceful protesters gathered at the Mount Tom Power Plant in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on March 1, a chilly Sunday. They were demonstrating against coal, the fossil fuel that spews global warming carbon dioxide and toxins such as mercury into the air. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mttompowerplant.gif)Peaceful protesters gathered at the Mount Tom Power Plant (http://www.firstlightpower.com/generation/mttom.asp) in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on March 1, a chilly Sunday. They were demonstrating against coal (http://petervickery.blogspot.com/2009/03/mount-tom-demo.html), the fossil fuel that spews global warming carbon dioxide and toxins such as mercury into the air.  They were piggy-backing on the Capitol Climate Action (http://www.capitolclimateaction.com/) coal protests happening the next day in Washington, DC.  Sea Change Radio spoke last week (http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/25/bill-mckibben-urges-civil-disobedience-against-coal/) with that event's organizer Bill McKibben (http://www.billmckibben.com/).  Co-Host Francesca Rheannon covered the Mount Tom protest for Sea Change.  There, she spoke with Glen Ayers, a public health agent and soil scientist.  She also caught up with Tina Clarke, who works with the Sustainability Institute (http://sustainer.org/) in Vermont. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/25/bill-mckibben-urges-civil-disobedience-against-coal/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/25/bill-mckibben-urges-civil-disobedience-against-coal/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:00:56 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=597 http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/25/bill-mckibben-urges-civil-disobedience-against-coal/feed/ 3 Al Gore,Bill McKibben,Clean Tech,Climate Change,clinton global initiative,Gandhi,jim hansen,MLK,peaceful protesters,Renewable Energy,ruckus society,Sustainable Innovation Sea Change Radio speaks with Bill McKibben about the Capitol Climate Action protest against coal in Washington, DC.  And Caroline Rees of the Harvard team behind UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights John Ruggie talks about BASESwiki, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/billmckibben-150x150.jpg) Sea Change Radio speaks with Bill McKibben (http://www.billmckibben.com/) about the Capitol Climate Action (http://www.capitolclimateaction.com/) protest against coal in Washington, DC.  And Caroline Rees (http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/caroline-rees) of the Harvard team behind UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights John Ruggie (http://www.business-humanrights.org/Gettingstarted/UNSpecialRepresentative) talks about BASESwiki (http://www.baseswiki.org/En), a new wiki to help human rights abuse victims resolve grievances with companies -- outside the courtroom.  The Sea Change ViewPoint comes from Arvind Ganesan (http://www.hrw.org/en/bios/arvind-ganesan) of Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/) on the Employee Free Choice Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_Free_Choice_Act). Civil disobedience (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience) -- the term conjures historic figures, from Thoreau to Gandhi to MLK, who all believed in trespassing against civil law in the name of higher laws.  As the climate crisis heats up, the laws of nature are trumpeting calls to action.  The target?  Coal, a leading source of global warming, according to the EPA (http://www.thisisreality.org/). On Monday, March 2, peaceful protesters are gathering to enact civil disobedience against coal power in Washington, DC.  The site?  The Capitol Power Plant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Power_Plant), the coal-fired facility that provides electricity to Congress.  Al Gore first floated the notion of protesting coal at the September 2008 Clinton Global Initiative (http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=2953&srcid=2827 ). Environmentalist authors Bill McKibben and Wendell Berry took up the cause in a December 2008 open letter (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/12/10/104251/55) announcing their plans to conduct civil disobedience.  Climate scientist Jim Hansen is urging participation (http://www.capitolclimateaction.com/?page_id=91), and NGOs such as Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, and the Ruckus Society are handling logistics.  A week before, Sea Change Co-Host Bill Baue spoke with Bill McKibben, director of the climate activist organization 350.org (http://www.350.org/), about the Capitol Climate Action. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/18/making-the-case-for-a-green-stimulus/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/18/making-the-case-for-a-green-stimulus/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:15:23 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=566 http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/18/making-the-case-for-a-green-stimulus/feed/ 0 Clean Tech,Climate Change,EPA,global warming,Green Building,Green Jobs,Green Living,nicholas stern,Renewable Energy,stimulus,Sustainable Agriculture,Sustainable Innovation Alex Bowen, a Principal Research Fellow at The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment of the London School of Economics, discusses An Outline of the Case for a ‘Green’ Stimulus, a report he co-authored with Lord Nicholas Stern, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/alexbowen.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/greenstimulus.jpg)Alex Bowen, a Principal Research Fellow at The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/granthamInstitute/Default.htm) of the London School of Economics, discusses An Outline of the Case for a ‘Green’ Stimulus (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/granthamInstitute/publications/An%20outline%20of%20the%20case%20for%20a%20'green'%20stimulus.pdf), a report he co-authored with Lord Nicholas Stern, the man behind the 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (http://www.occ.gov.uk/activities/stern.htm).   And in the ViewPoint, Donald Bartlett of the investigative journalism team Bartlett and Steele (http://barlettandsteele.com/index.php) advances the idea of a Federal Reserve for health care (http://barlettandsteele.com/blog/?p=10). President Obama signed a $787 billion dollar stimulus package into law this week --and many say it's good news for the green industry (http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/obama-signs-stimulus-packed-with-clean-energy-provisions/). Obama declared it would "double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years" and help transform the way we use energy. That's all to the good. But is it enough? Forty percent of the package is in the form of tax cuts, which most economists think are much worse at stimulating economic activity than spending (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/02/06/afx6019551.html). Mass transit supporters were discouraged by the small portion given over to light rail. (Although there was a last minute infusion for high speed rail (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18924.html).) Throwing a lot of money at roads and bridges instead of public transportation doesn't exactly help the climate. We've talked a lot on this show about how going green is good for the economy, too. But when the economy is in free fall, many argue the priority is a stimulus that is "timely and targeted"-- and that means getting the political will behind quick passage with the sweetener of tax cuts and funds for "shovel ready" projects like repairing roads and bridges. But a new report says we can get the stimulus right and green. "An outline of the case for a 'green' stimulus" is jointly out from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (http://www.cccep.ac.uk/Default.htm). They're both connected to the London School of Economics. Sea Change Radio Co-Host Francesca Rheannon spoke with the report's lead author, Alex Bowen. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/11/envisioning-a-green-economy/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/11/envisioning-a-green-economy/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:22:58 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=550 http://www.cchange.net/2009/02/11/envisioning-a-green-economy/feed/ 0 Clean Tech,Climate Change,economic security,Green Building,green business,green economy,Green Jobs,Green Living,greenbiz,joel makower,john harrington,Obama This week, green business guru Joel Makower encourages us to envision success in creating a clean, sustainable economy that averts climate catastrophe and improves our environment, communities, and lives.  And shareholder activist John Harrington urges... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/joelmakower.jpg) This week, green business guru Joel Makower (http://www.makower.com/) encourages us to envision success in creating a clean, sustainable economy that averts climate catastrophe and improves our environment, communities, and lives.  And shareholder activist John Harrington (http://harringtoninvestments.com/johnharrington.aspx) urges banks bailed out with Troubled Asset Relief Program funding to make sure they stabilize US economic security. Green is the buzzword of the day, when it comes to business and the economy.  But what is a green economy, and how do we distinguish between a coat of green painted on the old, now failing economy -- and a truly clean, sustainable economy?  These are the questions Joel Makower has been asking for decades.  He founded the Green Business Letter in the early 1990s, and then launched GreenBiz.com (http://www.greenbiz.com/) in the early 2000s.  The Associated Press calls him the "guru of green business."  His latest book, (http://www.makower.com/book.html), came out this year.  Joel spoke with Sea Change Radio Co-Host Bill Baue from San Francisco on the heels of the release of the annual State of Green Business (http://www.stateofgreenbusiness.com/) report from GreenBiz. Makower started by discussing the good news, how business is greening in amazing ways, often under the radar screen of mainstream media.  Makower calls this effect "greenmuting," a term coined by Bob Langert of McDonald's (http://www.crmcdonalds.com/publish/csr/home/_blog.category.2254307.html), and he notes the irony that companies like McDonald's may be greening more than most individuals.  Makower also discusses the bad news -- that business is not greening enough, or fast enough, to avert environmental, social, and economic crises such as climate catastrophe, human rights abuses, and the financial meltdown. Baue poses the specific example of GE to illustrate this paradox of good and bad news.  Makower consulted on GE's Ecomagination (http://ge.ecomagination.com/) initiative, encouraging the company to set rigorous standards.  The conversation expands to the broader issue of standards for a green economy, and Makower opines that green jobs, which currently lack clear definition, may be the next greenwash (http://readjoel.com/joel_makower/2009/02/will-green-jobs-become-the-new-greenwash.html). Makower ends with inspiration, using the example of Obama's campaign of hope as a launching pad for encouraging us all to envision what success would look like in achieving a green economy (http://readjoel.com/joel_makower/2009/01/obama-and-the-vision-thing.html)that not only saves the world, but also improves our lives. Bill Baue clean 29:30 http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/28/after-capitalism-prout-as-a-sustainable-democratic-economic-model/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/28/after-capitalism-prout-as-a-sustainable-democratic-economic-model/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:14:18 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=470 http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/28/after-capitalism-prout-as-a-sustainable-democratic-economic-model/feed/ 0 Alternative Economic Models,Clean Tech,Climate Change,climate policy,Climate Progress,Community Economic Engagement,corporate governance,corporate social responsibility,EPA,greenhouse gas emissions,joe romm,Lisa Woll Today, Dada Maheshvarananda meditates on the alternative economic model of Progressive Utilization Theory, or PROUT. Joe Romm of Climate Progress analyzes the climate resolve of the Obama Administration. Lisa Woll of the Social Investment Forum propose... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/dadamaheshvarananda-150x150.jpg) Today, Dada Maheshvarananda meditates on the alternative economic model of Progressive Utilization Theory (http://www.prout.org/), or PROUT. Joe Romm of Climate Progress (http://climateprogress.org/) analyzes the climate resolve of the Obama Administration. Lisa Woll of the Social Investment Forum (http://www.socialinvest.org/) proposes (http://www.socialinvest.org/documents/ObamaAdministrationFINAL1.14.pdf) an Office for Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility to the Obama Administration.  And auto and environment expert Jim Motavalli (http://www.jimmotavalli.com/index.html) comments on the significance of President Obama's executive order (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090126/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_greenhouse_gases) directing the EPA to reconsider its refusal to grant California a waiver allowing it to regulate greenhouse gases from autos. Capitalism, in the highly deregulated form currently practiced, is showing signs of collapse.  What happens After Capitalism?  Dada Maheshvarananda meditates on this very , which outlines the alternative economic model of Progressive Utilization Theory, or PROUT.  Maheshvarananda directs the PROUT Institute of Venezuela (http://www.priven.org/).  Last Thanksgiving, he visited our studios, soon after he had published a commentary (http://vcr.csrwire.com/node/11848) entitled "The Human Cost of Economic Meltdown and Its Alternative." Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/28/newsanalysis-lisa-woll-proposes-federal-office-of-csr-innovation/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/28/newsanalysis-lisa-woll-proposes-federal-office-of-csr-innovation/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:14:05 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=467 http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/28/newsanalysis-lisa-woll-proposes-federal-office-of-csr-innovation/feed/ 0 Clean Tech,Climate Change,corporate governance,corporate social responsibility,government accountability office,human rights,kenan institute,Lisa Woll,Obama,Renewable Energy,Shareholder Engagement,shareholders The Social Investment Forum (SIF) submitted a letter to President Obama listing a series of policy proposals, from proxy access allowing shareholders to nominate board candidates to "say on pay" giving investors a vote on executive compensation. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/lisawoll.jpg)The Social Investment Forum (http://www.socialinvest.org/) (SIF) submitted a letter (http://www.socialinvest.org/documents/ObamaAdministrationFINAL1.14.pdf) to President Obama listing a series of policy proposals, from proxy access allowing shareholders to nominate board candidates to "say on pay" giving investors a vote on executive compensation.  SIF also urges the Obama Administration to establish an Office for Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR.  This idea dates back to the early 2000s, propounded (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article1251.html) first by Susan Aaronson at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, and supported by a Government Accountability Office report (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/1817.html) finding major lack of coordination on federal CSR initiatives.  SIF CEO Lisa Woll explains the rationale behind the recommendations, and how they will promote advancement toward sustainability. Bill Baue clean