Sundance Channel

Agenda 21: First, they came for the light bulbs

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:07:12 +0000

Remember when threats of a global government were symbolized by black helicopters and implied by the phrase "New World Order." They're so 20th century, it turns out: these days, the phrase "Agenda 21" and compact fluorescent light bulbs are the new signs of "They're coming to get you." Agenda 21 - it does sound a little spooky. You might think of it as a plan for world domination cooked up by a cabal of wealthy evildoers in a dark backroom. In truth, it's much more innocuous: Agenda 21 is the title of a non-binding plan released at the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. No secrets or backrooms here: Agenda 21 even has its own UN website.

Crack gardening, or how to turn a pothole into a work of art

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:09:02 +0000

Potholes and sidewalk cracks are an ugly reality of urban living - but they don't necessarily have to be ugly! East London guerrilla gardener Steve Wheen sees such blemishes as opportunities "to put smiles on peoples faces and alert them to potholes" (as well as show authorities "how shit our roads are"). As the video above shows, Wheen goes beyond just sticking a plant into a hole in the pavement: he creates very small themed gardens in the crevices he finds in his part of the city.

Occupying the mountaintop–Tennessee’s prayers for the planet

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:09:49 +0000

While those of us following the Occupy movement online or on television may see it as a fairly conventional protest movement, complete with marching and chanting, a quick look at various encampments (or remnants thereof) around the country shows something quite different: alternative communities that value the input of all participants. Those communities themselves are the real protest: by living something quite different, even temporarily, Occupiers are able to highlight the absurdities of the current political structure.

Dirty hippies and ice: green docs at this year’s Sundance Film Festival

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:52:11 +0000

If filmmakers are poets, than documentarians stand out for their use of synecdoche: the most powerful docs almost always rely on stories that point to issues bigger than themselves. AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH isn't just about climate change, but also about human shepherding of resources. GASLAND isn't just about fracking, but corporate power, and its effects on the lives of individuals. Two documentaries premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival not only follow in this poetic tradition, but even revel in it.

You can pry the steering wheel out of Chevy Volt owners cold, dead hands (despite fiery rumors)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:00:32 +0000

Heard about the Chevy Volt fires? Seems like you're most likely to answer "yes" to that question if a) you're a true car geek, or b) you get your news from right-leaning media. Conservative commentators have latched onto news about fires in two of the vehicles after test crashes as proof of everything from the immaturity of the battery technology to logical outcome of government investment in the auto industry. In response, General Motors has not only worked closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on its preliminary investigation, but also offered Volt owners loaner cars and even buy-backs to address potential concerns.

Ten-year-old tar sands activist/YouTube hit

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:08:16 +0000

Heard much about the Keystone XL Pipeline? If you get most of your news from mainstream sources, probably not. While there hasn't been a lack of news about the transcontinental pipeline that would run from the Alberta tar sands to the Gulf Coast, it hasn't exactly been hitting any front pages. Oil spills get that kind of coverage, but proposed pipelines, not so much. Regardless, the environmental community has taken to the streets, and luminaries within the movement, from writer Bill McKibben to actress Daryl Hannah to scientist James Hansen, have all spent some time in handcuffs because of their vocal opposition to the pipeline.

Los Angeles community garden tangles with City Hall – and wins

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:19:52 +0000

Food gardening seems like a pretty innocuous activity. Even "radical" acts like guerrilla gardening are pretty tame in the overall scheme of things. But we've already seen one instance in which a gardener faced jail time - simply for gardening (and, no, there weren't any illegal plants involved). You might be tempted to argue "Oh, but that was small town Michigan. Of course they're going to respond negatively to something different." But before you hang your hat on that argument, consider the case of Ron Finley, a fashion designer and Los Angeles resident. After taking a gardening course at the Natural History Museum, Ron decided to turn the 10 x 150-foot parkway in front of his home - the whole thing - into a food garden. Living in the Crenshaw neighborhood, Ron had taken his instructor's words about edible food gardens in urban "food deserts" to heart, and began to share produce with his neighbors once it began to ripen.

Barbie’s dirty secret: rainforest destruction

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:57:47 +0000

Think what you will about Greenpeace and their often aggressive brand of activism... they do know how to create clever, eye-catching campaigns around important environmental issues. Rainforest destruction is a big one for them (as well as most of us), and after tracing the pulp source of packaging for toys from brands like Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, and Disney back to Indonesian rainforests, they did what any responsible organization would: they broke the news to Barbie's longtime companion Ken. You can see the fallout in the video above...

THE LAST MOUNTAIN: one community’s fight against mountaintop removal

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:03:54 +0000

When did you first hear the term "fracking," the shorthand for hydraulic fracturing, a decades-old natural gas extraction technique that's come under scrutiny from both activists and governments alike? It was probably around the time of the release of Josh Fox's GASLAND (which won a Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival). No doubt that director Bill Haney and the producers of THE LAST MOUNTAIN (an official selection at Sundance this year) hope their activist documentary will bring similar attention to the practice of mountaintop removal by coal mining companies... another extraction method that's been in use for years, and received a ton of attention within environmental and activist circles, but that hasn't hit a tipping point in terms of general awareness of the damage it does to Appalachian communities in West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky (as well as watersheds that feed huge portions of the Eastern US).

Riding a bamboo bike across America

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Bamboo's been touted as the ultimate green material, both because of its quick ability to renew itself, and its durability. While the environmental aspects are complex, the tropical grass has become a favorite material for everything from building materials to fabric to bicycles. A team of riders set off on a cross-country journey yesterday to tout the material itself, as well as the economic potential of growing it in the United States... specifically, in Alabama.

Student music video trains peers on recycling

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:00:46 +0000

Ever get frustrated when you see someone throwing away a recyclable item... right next to a recycling bin? Or throw a recyclable item in the wrong container? High school junior CJ Joseph certainly has, and has played the role of "recycling police" (or "recycling nazi" if you prefer) at Queens' The Renaissance Charter School: "If I see somebody I'm like, 'You're throwing that out in the wrong bin. Follow the signs people! I know you’ve heard it: Papers go in the blue (bins), and bottles in the green." But as many of us have learned, badgering only gets you so far... so CJ decided to apply her other passion, music, to her recycling fervor, and wrote the song "R to the E to the Cycle." If you read the lyrics, you'll see they're not much different from her "recycling police" instructions... but definitely more catchy!

Earth week activism: students protest coal fired power in their underwear

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:38:40 +0000

College kids running around campus in various states of undress... doesn't sound that unusual, huh? If you see such a thing this week, though, it may be an activism event. PACT Underwear, a company that makes its products from organic cotton, and donates 10% of its sales to a variety of environmental non-profits, has released its "Beyond Coal" line of underwear... and students are protesting coal power on campus in the fashionable undergarments... and nothing else.

National PB&J Day: lower your lunch’s environmental impact

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:00:59 +0000

This Saturday, April 2nd, is National PB&J Day. While such an event seems aimed at our sense of childhood nostalgia, the folks at the PB&J Campaign have latched on to it (they didn't add it to the calendar... they swear) as an opportunity to get us all thinking about the environmental impact of our lunch choices.

The Fresh Kills landfill comes to film

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:51:38 +0000

A couple of year ago, I took a look at New York City's 20+ year plan to transform the closed Fresh Kills landfill into the city's largest park. That plan represents the end of the story: for years, residents and leaders on Staten Island worked to get the landfill closed... with some even threatening "secession" from the city over the health hazards and sensory displeasure created by the US' largest dump.

The Boston Tea Party meets urban agriculture

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:30:07 +0000

Think "strict constitutionalists" have control of the Boston Tea Party as metaphor? Not so fast... sustainable food activists in Boston itself are latching on to this seminal act of American revolt to "catalyze a movement" around urban agriculture, fresh food access, and green space creation this Spring.

Sundance environmental films: activism

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:30:24 +0000

Enjoy a good David vs. Goliath story? Or perhaps a tale of a passionate person who lets his/her zeal turn from good to ugly? This year's Sundance Film Festival has you covered. Both of the environmentally-themed films in the US Documentary Competition address activism and activists... warts and all. Bill Haney's THE LAST MOUNTAIN delves into an issue that's become very hot among environmentalists over the past decade: mountaintop removal by coal mining companies. Focused on West Virginia's Coal River Valley, the film explores the community's fight against this practice, which damages both the natural environment, and the people living in the vicinity. Check out the trailer above.

Environmentalists fighting Christo Arkansas River project… and each other

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:29:14 +0000

Six miles of fabric panels suspended over a portion of Colorado's Arkansas River? Yep... it's a planned Christo project. The artist known for transforming large spaces and objects has been conceptualizing his Over the River project for seventeen years... but many local green groups hope all of that thought and planning goes by the wayside because of concerns over environmental impact. There's a hitch, though... all the greenies aren't on the same page on this one.

Green hip hop vs. the plastic bag

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:18:19 +0000

Let's face it: an awful lot of environmental activism leans towards the stern and dour side. Getting artists involved (particularly as artists, not spokespeople) can shake that up... and even add an element of fun to a serious message. That's the approach non-profit Green Sangha took to its Rethinking Plastics campaign. Yes, the campaign page has all sorts of good scientific information on the costs of single-use plastic shopping bags, but to make the message a bit more catchy, they also produced a hip hop video featuring socially conscious artists AshEl Eldridge and Jenni Perez. The information here is also solid: "Plastic State of Mind" ties in everything from litter to the BP Oil Spill to dioxins in breast milk into its rap. The ultimate message: ban the bag.

Amazonia: art meets science to celebrate Amazon’s biodiversity

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:45:32 +0000

For environmentalists, scientists, and even celebrities, the Amazon rainforest has served as a vivid symbol of ecological and social degradation created by rapid global development. Artists Lucy and Jorge Orta traveled Peru in 2009 to see this environment for themselves in 2009, as well as to assist scientists in data collection. Their experience with the region's biodiversity inspired them (of course); the Natural History Museum in London commissioned them to work with this inspiration, and is now has the resulting work on display.

Stephen Colbert: environmental activist

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:46:13 +0000

If you haven't heard of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative before, no worries... neither had I (and I watch out for these things). But, while most of us have been watching for news of climate change legislation out of Washington (that's still hung up), President Obama launched this effort "...to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect Americans to the outdoors" back in April. There have been listening sessions around the country all Summer long. And now, the deadline for a report from the the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is coming due (on November 15th).

Kids protest farmed frog legs in Virginia

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:55:13 +0000

You probably associate frog legs with French cuisine and its offshoots (they're pretty popular in Southern Louisiana where I grew up)... but the United States is challenging France as the world's leader in frog eating. That's happening, in large part, because some restaurant chains now carry frog legs... which they generally import from farms in China.

Sigourney Weaver narrates Google Earth tour of Belo Monte dam impact

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:40:30 +0000

In April, I took note of James Cameron's efforts to stop the building of the Belo Monte dam on Brazil's Xingu River. Actress Sigourney Weaver (a co-star in Cameron's AVATAR) joined Cameron on one of his trips to Brazil, and has now collaborated with Amazon Watch, Movimento Xingu Vivo Para Sempre (Xingu River Forever Alive Movement), and International Rivers to produce a 10-minute video (above) showing the probably impact of the dam project on indigenous people in the region, biodiversity, health, and even climate change (which were outlined in the previous post).

The music of the Gulf oil spill

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:27:33 +0000

Last week, Lafayette, Louisiana crawfisherman Drew Landry brought a meeting of the White House oil spill commission to awed silence as he sang a song he'd written about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the economic environment in Southern Louisiana. Landry's become a bit of an internet sensation... watch the video above, and you'll see why -- but he's just one of numerous musicians that have tried to encapsulate the Gulf tragedy in song.

Community organizing meets weatherization: WeatherizeDC

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:14:10 +0000

Critics from both right and left have pounced on President Obama's Oval Office address last night as lacking in substance, and even purpose. But David Roberts at Grist noted that weatherization, an important element of any energy and climate plan, was one of the specifics Obama did mention as means of lessening the country's reliance on fossil fuels (and also lessening the potential for disasters like the Gulf oil spill).

World Naked Bike Ride starts this Saturday

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:00:28 +0000

Combine the issues of sustainable transportation and body image, and what do you get? For many around the world, the answer is the World Naked Bike Ride, an annual global event dedicated to promoting cycling, community-building, peace of mind, and "...the indecent exposure of people and the planet to cars and the pollution they create."

Neil Young’s GREENDALE comes to print

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:00:14 +0000

Iconic rocker Neil Young wasted no time in crafting a response to the launch of the war in Iraq, and the larger political and cultural forces he saw motivating it: the concept album Greendale came out in August, 2003, a mere six months after the first attacks were launched. Since then, Young has recrafted the story of Sun Green and her family into a live rock opera, a film (which he directed under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey), and, of course, a website (though, as you might expect, not the usual promotional site).

Hiking for the global water crisis

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:05:33 +0000

According to Denver-based non-profit Water for People, 884 million people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water, and 6000 people die every day from water-borne illness. That's a bit overwhelming, but a father-son team from Independence, Missouri has decided to do something about this crisis... by hiking the Appalachian Trail. Steven Spydell and son Matt began their journey along the 2178-mile trail on April 5th, and are using their hike to raise funds for Water for People. They've set a goal of $10,000, but will likely surpass that: a graphic on their Hiking for Water website shows over $9400 dollars raised already... and they're only into Virginia at this point.

Clash of the titans: James Cameron vs. the dam

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:34:25 +0000

Is blockbuster producer/director and self-proclaimed "king of the world" James Cameron powerful enough to take out a dam single-handed? Well, no... but the creator of AVATAR has apparently been moved by his own film's exploration of "the destruction of the natural world by expanding industrial interests, and the consequent impact to Indigenous populations." Since February, Cameron has become passionate about stopping the building of the Belo Monte dam in Brazil, and has joined with indigenous leaders and activists to protest the opening of the bidding process for the project (set to begin on April 20th).

It’s time for TED

Perrin Drumm — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:45:56 +0000

Ever since TED nixed the personal invitations and opened its doors to anyone who can afford the $6,000 ticket, the response has been so overwhelming they've had to extend the event to a satellite campus in Palm Springs, 100 miles away from the main event in Long Beach. The Palm Springs location, dubbed TEDActive, is also completely sold out, but you can still sign up for the livestream, which entitles you access to the everything the TEDsters in California are seeing for $1,000 (TED encourages you to split it with 10 friends).

Climate Quilt panels on display in Copenhagen

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:00:26 +0000

As world leaders gather in Copenhagen this week to negotiate continued international action on climate change, they'll have one good example of the kinds of pledges they'll need to make: the Climate Quilt. A project of Habitat Heroes and The Green Schools Alliance, the Climate Quilt Campaign asks school kids from around the world to make "pledge patches" (from recycled materials, of course) that display individual promises "to preserve the future of the planet." While the finished quilt won't be available until Earth Day, 2010, panels from kids in New Jersey and Australia have made their way to COP15.

Cap and trade: more of the same?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:54:15 +0000

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo. With the Copenhagen Climate Conference just around the corner, world leaders, environmentalists, and economists are all debating the best mechanisms by which we can combat global climate change while continuing to grow the world economy. Most of these discussions (though not all) center on the concept of "cap and trade." If you're a little fuzzy on the idea, or know it but have a tough time explaining it to others, you're not alone: it's fairly complex on its face, and presents policy makers with a range of choices for harnessing market forces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Planting hemp seeds on DEA front lawn gets farmers arrested

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:26:04 +0000

Industrial hemp may be one of the most versatile and environmentally benign crops out there, but because of its relationship to marijuana, the cultivation of this crop has been banned in the United States since the late thirties. Last week, a group of farmers, along with David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, staged a protest in front of the Drug Enforcement Agency in Washington, DC, and were promptly arrested for planting hemp seeds on the agency's front lawn.

Vote for climate justice: download a song

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:22:17 +0000

Ever signed an online petition? Made a short video as part of a campaign directed an issue that's meaningful to you? These have been ways activist organizations have tried to demonstrate numbers and unity. This week, Kofi Anan's Time for Climate Justice campaign (aka TckTckTck) will add a new tool to the activism arsenal: a song download.

Time for a global warming wake-up call?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:00:15 +0000

OK, quick quiz...

What's the status of the ACES bill in Congress?
What's happening in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 7-18?

If your answer to both questions was "I don't know" (and "What the hell is ACES?"), you're probably not alone. Here in the US, climate change and clean energy legislation has taken a back seat to the health care debate. Even as we approach the Copenhagen Summit, where the follow-up to the Kyoto Treaty should be rolled out, much of the world seems to have hit the snooze button on the climate crisis. Global alliance TckTckTck thinks it's time for a wake-up call...

Post-Labor day special: 5 organizations promoting a green collar economy

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:47:06 +0000

You likely associate Labor Day with long weekends, family cook-outs, the last trip of the season, or even putting away certain articles of clothing (yes, I grew up in the South). Of course, the holiday was created to celebrate the contributions of blue collar workers to our country's economic growth and development. This year, some might find that a bit ironic, as our current economic woes have put many of these people out of work.

West Virginia Tree Sitters Halt Mountaintop Removal Blasting

Sundance Channel — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:14:30 +0000

Two tree sitters with the Climate Ground Zero campaign have forced coal giant Massey Energy to cancel blasts on a mountaintop removal mine above Pettry Bottom, a Coal River Valley town in Raleigh County.

Chicago gets Carrotmobbed

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:56:20 +0000

Carrotmobbed? WTF? If you haven't heard of it yet, Carrotmobbing is one of the newest forms of green activism. Rather than boycotting or protesting companies doing bad things, Carrotmobs offer (you guessed it) a "carrot" to businesses for doing the right thing. Local businesses commit to greening themselves in order to receive a mob of customers on a particular day and time. So far, the concept's worked well in San Francisco, Kansas City, and Brooklyn.

Waxman-Markey takes first step towards a cleaner, more efficient energy economy

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:59:07 +0000

Friday's passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) signaled a definite shift in US policy towards energy use and climate change. Though the bill had its detractors -- most notably Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and even progressive Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) -- ACES, or Waxman-Markey, set new standards for clean energy adoption, energy efficiency, and, most notably, greenhouse gas emissions.

Green blogs unite to ask “Brother/Sister, can you spare $1?”

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:04:32 +0000

Think of a blogger as some crazy guy/gal who sits around in their pajamas all day composing half-sane rants? OK, that's probably not far off in some cases; most of us, though, do get dressed, and do give a lot of thought to the ideas we share. No matter how passionate we are about those ideas, though, that's where many of us stop -- it's our version of "doing our part." David Quilty, founder of the long-running blog The Good Human, recently noted "As writers, we know that part of good stewardship is sharing information, but even the most intelligent among us can not make change without DOING something."

European Union leaders thank activists for pressure on global warming

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:12:07 +0000

"It was only thanks to your massive pressure over the past six months that we could so dramatically shift our climate-change policies.... To those who were arrested, we thank you." Ever heard such a statement from a politician? Me either. Yet, last week, EU leaders thanked European citizens who'd participated in months of non-violent direct action on the causes of global warming, and noted this activism had resulted in the political will to address climate change in a meaningful manner.

Guerrilla community activism: create your own green space on Park(ing) Day

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:45:20 +0000

Had a chance to watch HIGH LINE STORIES yet? If so, you've witnessed not only how abandoned infrastructure can be transformed into useful green space, but also how community activists, officials, and even celebrities can come together and organize a project of this magnitude. The contributions of all players provide a model for empowering other budding change agents. But what if you simply don't have the time, or other resources, to spearhead an effort like the High Line? Creating change in your community doesn't have to involve months or years of full-time work... in fact, it may be as simple as claiming a parking space. That's the idea behind Park(ing) Day, an initiative created by San Francisco-based art collective Rebar in 2005. The premise is simple: on a single day, citizens transform metered parking spaces into Park(ing) spaces, or "temporary public parks." While these parks only last for a day, the idea is to get people discussing green space in their communities... and how parking is often a bigger priority than parks.

Robert Redford: the importance of Earth Day

Robert Redford — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:48:10 +0000

Image: NASA On its 39th anniversary, Earth Day still feels vital to me, but I know that some of you out there think that its time has passed. Every day should be Earth Day, you say. Choosing just one, single day to say you care about the planet we call home — what good is [...]