Poverty · Eco-Chick

Browsing all posts tagged with poverty

Andrew Revkin and the NY Times

With all the recent global warming coverage in the mainstream media, I find it reassuring that some journalists, though certainly not enough, are writing about the implications for people who live in poverty. Environmentalism—whether we’re talking about climate change, organic food, or access to green space— is a class issue.

In last Monday’s International Herald Tribune, Andrew Revkin reported, “Over the last few decades, as scientists have intensified their studies of the human effects on climate and of the effects of climate change on humans, a common theme has emerged: in both respects, the world is a very unequal place.”

Covering a similar story for last Sunday’s New York Times, Revkin wrote, “Africa accounts for less than 3 percent of the global emissions of carbon dioxide from fuel burning since 1900, yet its 840 million people face some of the biggest risks from drought and disrupted water supplies, according to new scientific assessments.”

I guess before I buy a Prius and cross “stop global warming” off my To Do list, there is some additional work on the horizon.

As an aside (and since I’m feeling snarky), despite Revkin’s commendable reporting, I’m still not ready to renew my subscription to the Times. If the corporate owners of America’s major newspaper chains wonder why they’re in financial crisis, I would suggest to them that it’s not all about the “changing business model.” In their complete failure to cover the early days of Bush’s War with any kind of journalistic acumen, the Times, among others, rendered itself largely irrelevant. Until the newspaper business quits acting like a personal public relations firm for the rich and powerful, it’s probably more reliable to get information from your friendly neighborhood blogger. At least here at eco-chick, Starre and her girls are not so easily owned.

(Special thanks to Miami-based contrarian Shaun Wimberly for, among other things, sending me the Tribune article.)

Africa, Bush, business, car, carbon, climate change, Eco-Chick, emissions, Food, Global Warming, mainstream, media, model, New York Times, News, NYTimes, Organic, organic food, paper, poverty, prius, reference, spa, stop global warming, water

Sting Does It Old School at the Grammys

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by Starre Vartan · 02/12/07

Warning: Gratuitous Sting-Loving Ahead

How freakin’ awesome was Sting at the Grammys last night? Reuniting with The Police, showing off his incredible guns, and doing an amazing rendition of Roxanne. Bestill my heart.

Sting is a longtime environmentalist, yogi, and infamously, practicer of tantric sex. But it’s his love for planet Earth that I find the hottest thing about him

From a 2005 interview (bolding mine):

Jonathan Dimbleby: “Sting, at the Live 8 concert you changed the words of your song ‘Every Breath You Take’ and you sang ‘We’ll be watching you’ directing it at the G8 leaders. You haven’t got too much faith in what they might deliver by the sound of that?”

Sting: “I have to say that I have to be optimistic, you have to optimistic even in the face of all of these problems. I was very much in favour of the Live 8 mandate to reduce the debt and to double the aid. I think Africa is in the front line of all of these problems – whether it’s AIDS, whether it’s poverty, whether it’s disease, or whether it’s famine or drought. Most of all, I’m concerned about the environment. I think we can turn Africa’s economics around – we can do that. We can create stable economies, we can create the infrastructure for health and for education but without the environment all of this will count for nothing. We’re back to square one. This is my main concern. It needs to be linked to the environment.”

Jonathan Dimbleby: “You’ve been talking about these issues and campaigning about them for a very, very long time. You haven’t exactly been polite about President Bush’s contribution so far. Do you think it can be done without America or not?”

Sting: “No, I don’t think it can. I think we need to convince Mr Bush that global warming is in fact a reality.

Africa, Bush, Global Warming, health, interview, liver, News, poverty, reduce, spa

Branson Pledges $3 Billion To Fight Global Warming

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 09/21/06

British billionaire Richard Branson pledged approximately $3 billion dollars today toward developing renewable energy sources in an effort to combat global warming. The funds are to come from all of the profits from Branson’s hugely successful Virgin airline and train companies. The NY Times reported that Branson was inspired by Al Gore, who visited Branson in the past few months to remind him that “with great power comes great responsibility,” as Branson paraphrased to news reporters today.

The Times noted that according to some in scientific research, the pledge is the largest individual commitment of money given to fight climate change. This announcement came on day two of the Clinton Global Initiative, a three-day philanthropic event focusing on poverty, reconciling religious conflicts, and climate change, among other world concerns. Former President Bill Clinton is hosting the event in Manhattan.

business, climate change, community, conflict, Energy, farm, Global Warming, Manhattan, News, NYTimes, poverty

Google Gives Some Green

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by Starre Vartan · 09/19/06

As reported last Thursday in the NYTimes, Google is setting up a for-profit philanthropy arm. Called Google.org, and begun with seed money of $1 Billion (is that all?) the group has specific aims to fight povery, disease, and global warming. Of course global warming only exacerbates poverty and disease, so by working on that front, Google’s founders will kill many birds with one stone.

The most interesting part of all of this is that Google.org will be a for-profit institution, meaning it can grant monies to start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists, and can lobby in D.C. (Non-profits are tax-exempt, and are not allowed to make money or influence government officials/political races.)

One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy’s nontraditional approach. According to people briefed on the program, the organization, called Google.org, plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.
The philanthropy is consulting with hybrid-engine scientists and automakers, and has arranged for the purchase of a small fleet of cars with plans to convert the engines so that their gas mileage exceeds 100 miles per gallon. The goal of the project is to reduce dependence on oil while alleviating the effects of global warming.
Google’s founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, believe for-profit status will greatly increase their philanthropy’s range and flexibility. It could, for example, form a company to sell the converted cars, finance that company in partnership with venture capitalists, and even hire a lobbyist to pressure Congress to pass legislation granting a tax credit to consumers who buy the cars.
The executive director whom Mr. Page and Mr. Brin have hired, Dr. Larry Brilliant, is every bit as iconoclastic as Google’s philanthropic arm. Dr. Brilliant, a 61-year-old physician and public health expert, has studied under a Hindu guru in a monastery at the foothills of the Himalayas and worked as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur.
In one project, which Dr. Brilliant brought with him to the job, Google.org will try to develop a system to detect disease outbreaks early.
Dr. Brilliant likens the traditional structure of corporate foundations to a musician confined to playing only the high register on a piano. “Google.org can play on the entire keyboard,” Dr. Brilliant said in an interview. “It can start companies, build industries, pay consultants, lobby, give money to individuals and make a profit.”

While declining to comment on the car project specifically, Dr. Brilliant said he would hope to see such ventures make a profit. “But if they didn’t, we wouldn’t care,” he said. “We’re not doing it for the profit. And if we didn’t get our capital back, so what? The emphasis is on social returns, not economic returns.”

Go Google, Go!!