Scanning the green news columns today, I came up with 5 great pieces of news for Mother Earth. I’m always up for some good news; I’m sure you can find your own bad news out there without my help! Celebrate the good, green news with me and leave me a comment.
- Sustainability in American cities is gaining ground. The Environmental News Network highlights 5 cities who are setting a great example. Well, I guess I’m just in the wrong place, either that or I need to get out and start some change right here in the Kansas City metro. New York City is not one of the trend-setting cities either, but according to The New York Times they are planning a green retrofit of the Empire State Building. Included in the refit will be 50 new windows per day – 130 days of replacing windows. That’s a lotta windows! MSNBC also has “the take.”
- Would you like pesticide with that? McDonalds are setting out to reduce the pesticide content of their fries. Considering that McDonalds are the biggest single buyer of potatoes in the USA, potato producers, including the oft-mentioned ConAgra, could be in for a shock. “Good on you, shareholders” for getting McD’s to act on this. You can read more at The Daily Green and Yahoo Green.
- Power us up with green: according to Secretary Salazar we could replace coal power with wind power generated off the east coast. Take your pick and read the Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, or the San Francisco Chronicle. Not got wind? The cost of solar power is also dropping, or maybe you’d prefer pig poo for biofuel? Having lived next to a pig farm, I can tell you the odor is not pleasant. I’m all for conversion to something useful!
- Treehugger has Obama’s 7 greenest ideas so far. It’s hard to choose my favorite, but I’m going to go for the choo choos. You simply can’t grow up in the west of Scotland without becoming fond of trains – I used to ride them to college every day for years. “Way to go Obama” on funding a high speed rail corridor. With all the kids who love Thomas the Tank Engine, I’m sure there will be some happy train-spotters out there.
- Have a little green fun. Laugh along with funny, green carbon-cutting videos made by Canadian college students. My favorite quote, “Goodbye meat. I love you.” Well, if you don’t think Canadian college students are cute, how about Asian Irawaddy dolphins? They are smaller than the average human and live in brackish bays. Give a cheer because a thriving population of 6,000 of these cute guys have been discovered – read the story at The New York Times. Or if your idea of fun is winning energy-saving stuff, pop on over to Amazon.com for their Earth Day Sweepstakes.
What’s happening with you? Were you a green superhero today? Did you save a plastic bottle from the garbage, or plant a seed? What’s your news?
Related posts:
About McDonald’s: Out of curiosity, does that include the use of GMO potatoes? Because some of those were altered to include pesticides within the potatoes themselves. Maybe that’s the ConAgra one, I’m not sure.
It is nice to hear that the fast food giant is getting with the program!
Peace and Laughter!
Cristina
I found you via Problogger.
Nice list! It’s good to see some positive environmental news.
Cristina, that’s a good question. I’d like to know the answer to that too. If I get a moment here later I’ll try to look it up.
Hey Darren, thanks for visiting.
I saw the report the other day on those dolphins. Pretty amazing what can hide out there.
Yes Stephanie, that’s two weeks in a row there has been good news on animals found – orangutans last week and dolphins this week.
Some good conservation news for once!
Hmm…appreciate your concern , but nations as a whole also have to do away with Nimbyism !