What happens when Dr. Who meets Captain Kirk meets Greenpeace?

This video

Wikia Green

Another great resource for making sustainable lifestyle choices and a place to share what you know - Wikia Green.

Here's an article on Sustainable Storytelling.

Always remember, doing a little is more fulfilling than thinking that a little won't matter.

Greenpeace Green Piece

This past Friday as my daughter and I left our downtown bookstore I spotted a young volunteer with a clipboard.  Now, I'm involved, I believe in walking my talk, and yet when I saw that clipboard I veered off to the right (how Freudian) in order to not be spotted.

Luckily for me, Brenna hailed me down.  Turns out she was visiting our sleepy burg on behalf of Greenpeace.  Wow, haven't thought about them for awhile - I'm all NRDC, WeCanSolveIt.org, solar, geothermal.........

After we spoke, I happily pledged my $15 and signed on as a sticker sporting Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior and then came home. This morning while cleaning out my bag I came across the pamphlet I'd received and decided, yeah, I'll write about Greenpeace, see what they're up to now.

There's plenty of material on YouTube and the video above is a great trip into history - remember when those people put their lives in danger to protect whales, seals, oceans, forests, you and me?         I do. 

I just haven't thought about them because today's activism happens more in a courtroom than jumping from a dinghy onto the harpooned body of a whale out in the deep international waters of our oceans.  Today, I sign up online, blog online, join in the petitions online.  All good things to do.  It's given me a pipeline to activism that lets me keep my day job (or would, if I had one).

So, while you and I are making our uncomfortable and inconvenient sustainable lifestyle choices, let's remember two things:

The early pioneers of Greenpeace and

Doing a little is more fulfilling than thinking that a little won't matter.

Thank you, Kris in Indiana

Check out this very good blog by Kris in Indiana about CFL's.  We've heard about 'em, we've read about 'em - they make alot of sense, economically and environmentally.  In San Luis Obispo County the Integrated Waste Management Authority has a unique "SLO Take Back Program".  If your local waste management agency doesn't offer this, forward this on to them and inspire them to get started.

Remember, doing a little is more fulfilling than thinking that a little won't matter.

FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

I'm contacting our local waste management agency to see what headway I can make in our local government agencies converting to sustainable water for their offices and sustainable trash bags.

Meanwhile, I read that San Francisco, a miracle of sustainability-minded government, announced a challenge on September 30, 2008.  According to sfenvironment.org, Mayor Newsom challenged SF businesses to go solar by this time next year!

If you thought Al Gore's challenge was, well, challenging, take a look at SF's plan to make it not only possible, but attractive for businesses to get on board. 

According to the release, the 1,500 businesses who have been invited to join the Solar Founders' Circle "have the potential to install 170 megawatts of solar on their roofs - more than 30x's the amount of solar currently installed in SF, and enough to power 42,ooo local households."

It sounds like an exciting initiative and I'll be checking in to see what's become of this.  This is exactly the kind of sustainability leadership that will make Al Gore's 10 year goal achievable.

What can YOU do? Send us YOUR story. What choice did you make today to live a more sustainable life? Send your first name, last initial, general locale, and what the greentech was. You will educate and inspire others to make the changes they can and more that they may have thought they couldn't.

ALWAYS REMEMER DOING A LITTLE IS MORE FULFILLING THAN THINKING THAT A LITTLE WON'T MATTER.

Renewable Energy and Efficiency Tax Incentives Renewed

It wasn't perfect and it wasn't pretty, but the renewable energy industry got the boost from Congress we all need it to have.  The tax incentives for installing renewable energy technologies were extended as part of the $700 Billion bailout.  

Greg Wetstone, senior director of governmental and public affairs at the American Wind Energy Association, said in a statement, "We salute Members of Congress in both parties who fought under difficult conditions to keep the renewable energy production tax credit and small turbine investment tax credit on the agenda until the very end, and then pushed them across the finish line." "These tax credits are essential to the continued growth of wind energy, to the economic and energy security of the United States, and to a successful beginning in the fight against global warming," said Wetstone, as reported by the Environment News Service on October 3.

I also spoke with a representative from Solarponics who felt this was definitely a cause for celebration.  The tax incentives for the consumer will boost the ability of the middle class American to invest in renewable energy technologies.  I was told it would increase what had been a maximum of $2000 tax credit to approximately $9000.  This is a sizeable chunk of the low estimated cost for a 3 bedroom residence at $25,000.

Al Gore has lain a bold challenge before us in his speech, Repowering America, A Generational Challenge.  Our elected officials are slowly and surely moving toward making it possible.  We can all do our part to answer this challenge with a strong, loud - YES, WE CAN!

What can YOU do? Send us YOUR story. What choice did you make today to live a more sustainable life? Send your first name, last initial, general locale, and what the greentech was.  You will educate and inspire others to make the changes they can and more that they may have thought they couldn't.

Always remember: doing a little is more fulfilling than thinking that a little won't matter.