Read the full story at Environmental Leader.
Echoing the growth in corporate social responsibility reporting, a growing number of mostly small- and medium-sized companies are taking environmental and social stewardship further and becoming benefit corporations — companies that are legally bound to have a positive effect on society — according to a report by Worldwatch Institute.
Read the full story in Smithsonian Magazine.
In 1971, about 70 photographers, commissioned by the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency, set out to document the American landscape on just 40 rolls of film each. They trudged through coal mines and landfills, traversed deserts and farms and discovered big cities’ small corridors. The end result was DOCUMERICA, a collection of more than 15,000 shots capturing the country’s environmental problems—from water and air pollution to industrial health hazards—over six years.
Decades later, a new generation of photographers is collecting ”after” pictures. In the past two years, the EPA has collected more than 2,000 photos, all of which loosely depict the environment. The State of the Environment Photography Project, as the effort is called, asks photographers to take shots that match scenes from DOCUMERICA, to show how the landscape has changed since the 1970s. It also asks photographers to capture new or different environmental issues, with the idea that these modern scenes could in turn be re-photographed in the distant future; the EPA has released several of these shots for this year’s Earth Day. The project will accept submissions through the end of 2013.
Read the full story from Knox College.
From sets to costumes to paperwork, the Knox College production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle is shining a spotlight on reducing waste and promoting sustainability — in theatrical production as well as the larger community.
Students in Repertory Theatre Term with tote bags they made from recycled t-shirts.
A long-standing commitment to thrift means that Knox College theatre was already practicing much of what it’s preaching in The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Lumber and hardware are reused for years. Costumes are assembled from pieces of other people’s cast-offs.
This year, students raised the emphasis on sustainability to a new level by methodically examining every aspect of the production, down to paperwork.
SEJ’s awards honor the best environmental journalism in seven categories, bringing recognition to the most important stories on the planet. Journalism broadcast or published in print or online is eligible. Deadline to apply is April 1, 2013. Photos published, or stories published or broadcast from March 1, 2012 – Feb. 28, 2013 are eligible. Books published in 2012 are eligible for the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award.
SEJ’s 2013 Awards will be presented on Wednesday, October 2, 2013, at SEJ’s 23rd Annual Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Questions: Contact SEJ Awards Director Christine Bruggers at chrisbruggers@icloud.com or (502) 641-1844. See links to instructions and entry forms below.
Click here to see 2012 winning stories.
CLICK TO ENTER: Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-depth Reporting, Large Market: An investigative or explanatory feature or series on a single environmental topic, published between March 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Related stories published on the same day count as one part. TV & Radio stories must not exceed 60 minutes; Print and Online series must not exceed five parts. Multimedia links may be included in the cover letter. Eligibility: Print media: circulation of 200,000 or more; TV & Radio: national networks in the U.S. and elsewhere and top 10 markets in the U.S. as determined by Nielsen; Online: sites with 1 million or more monthly unique visitors. Cover letters must include a description of the reporting’s impact and must not exceed 1,000 words. Form accepts PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links.
CLICK TO ENTER: Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-depth Reporting, Small Market: An investigative or explanatory feature or series on a single environmental topic, published between March 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Related stories published on the same day count as one part. TV & Radio stories must not exceed 60 minutes; Print and Online series must not exceed five parts. Multimedia links may be included in the cover letter. Eligibility: All outlets and publications falling outside the large-market definition. Cover letters must include a description of the reporting’s impact and must not exceed 1,000 words. Form accepts PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links.
CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Beat Reporting, Large Market: Up to five broadcast or published news reports and/or commentary on a broad range of environmental topics published between March 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Entry must be the work of an individual, either alone or with a small supporting team. Related stories published or aired on the same day count as one story. Broadcast entries must have a combined total running time of no more than 60 minutes. Eligibility: Print media: circulation of 200,000 or more; TV & Radio: national networks in the U.S. and elsewhere and top 10 markets in the U.S. as determined by Nielsen; Online: sites with 1 million or more monthly unique visitors. Cover letters must not exceed 1,000 words. Form accepts PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links.
CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Beat Reporting, Small Market: Up to five broadcast or published news reports and/or commentary on a broad range of environmental topics published between March 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Entry must be the work of an individual, either alone or with a small supporting team. Related stories published or aired on the same day count as one story. TV & Radio entries must have a combined total running time of no more than 60 minutes. Eligibility: All TV, Radio, Print and Online publications falling outside the large-market definition. Cover letters must not exceed 1,000 words. Form accepts PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links.
CLICK TO ENTER: Rachel Carson Environment Book Award: A nonfiction book, published between January 1 and December 31, 2012, covering an environmental topic. Memoirs and picture books are not eligible. Cover letters must not exceed 1,000 words.
CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Feature Story: One environmental feature or commentary published between March 1, 2012, and February 28, 2013. Multi-part stories, sidebars and other supplemental material are prohibited. Eligibility: All TV, Radio, Print and Online entities. Cover letters must not exceed 1,000 words. Form accepts PDF or MP3 files, 20MB max, or links.
CLICK TO ENTER: Outstanding Photography: Up to five photographs on one or more environmental topics, published between March 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013. Only photos published as photojournalism will be accepted. Entered photos must not be manipulated or digitally enhanced in a way that changes the content and/or context of the image. A caption that describes the event or situation captured in the photograph must be included for each photo entered. Photos must be submitted as JPEG files, maximum 2MB. Cover letters must not exceed 1,000 words.
The 2013 EPA Community Involvement Training Conference: The Next Generation of Community Involvement will be held July 30 – August 1, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. This dynamic conference seeks to both inform and train EPA staff as well as Agency stakeholders and partners in best practices to enhance community involvement. In 2011, the conference brought together more than 450 community involvement practitioners.
The three-day conference features plenary sessions with guest speakers, topical discussions, multiple 90-minute information sessions, and dozens of engaging and interactive training sessions. Additionally, there will be field trips demonstrating effective community involvement and cooperative conservation efforts in the Boston area, a poster session, exhibits, a technology demonstration area showcasing new tools, technology, and software, and a variety of networking opportunities. Presentation and training proposals for the conference are being accepted through February 22, 2013.
For more information, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/ciconference
.
Read the full post on the Energy Blog.
When it comes to harnessing America’s vast geothermal energy resources, knowing where to look is half the battle.
Geothermal energy — the heat contained within the earth — represents a growing part of the country’s clean energy mix. Still, for continued growth of this industry, gaining easy access to reliable, comprehensive geothermal data remains a critical barrier.
To help solve this challenge, the Energy Department is partnering with the Arizona Geological Survey — among other public and private sector contributors — to create the National Geothermal Data System at www.geothermaldata.org. This interactive, open source database provides project developers and other industry partners with the critical information they need to cut the time to identify and develop new production areas and reduce upfront discovery costs.
Read the full story at Great Lakes Echo.
Latino voters showing their political clout in the presidential election have implications for Great Lakes environmental policy, especially in a city like Chicago. One strategist says the group equates clean energy with healthy communities, a hot button issue. The challenge for the environmental establishment is finding the best way to engage this growing political force.
When artists and designers take discarded materials destined for the landfill – everything from bottle caps to rusty machine parts – and add their imagination, vision and talent, what hatches from all that is something fresh. The results may be whimsical, or even practical, but are always decidedly, delightfully different and unexpected.
The I.D.E.A. Store will take that concept of reinvention and reimagination to a whole new level next spring with “Hatch,” a creative-reuse art festival expect
ed to draw participants from throughout Central Illinois and beyond.
The festival will take place March 1-3, 2013, in and near downtown Champaign, and will include a juried art exhibition and juried art fair.
They are currently are seeking creative-reuse artists and designers who wish to be considered for entry into the art exhibition and/or art fair. Artist information and applications are available on the festival website, www.AboutHatch.org. The deadline for applying for entry is Jan. 11, 2013.
The festival will kick off from 5-7 p.m. on March 1 with an opening reception at the exhibition venue, Indi Go Artist Co-op, 9 E. University Ave., in downtown Champaign. During the festival, the exhibitoin will be on view from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 2 and 1-5 p.m. March 3. The show will remain on view beyond the festival dates, through March 17.
Exhibited work – which must consist of at least 75 percent recycled or reused materials – is expected to range from assemblage, collage, jewelry, fiber and paper arts to reimagined decor for home and garden.
The festival’s art fair, set for 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on March 2 in the McKinley Fitness Center gym, 500 W. Church St., Champaign, is expected to host more than 30 creative-reuse artist-vendors who will be selling one-of-a-kind artwork and functional design such as jewelry, wearable art and accessories, collage, mixed media and sculptural work.
They also are hoping to add other activities – possibly a lecture and gallery talk – to the festival schedule as well. So, stay tuned and see what develops in the coming months!
“Right now, we’re hitting the ground running – focusing our priorities on attracting some of the most imaginative, top-shelf creative-reuse artists and designers around to the festival, and hope to fill in a few more auxiliary events as we go,” said The I.D.E.A. Store Manager Gail Rost.
“We’re excited to be able to expand on the work we’ve accomplished at The I.D.E.A. Store in our first two years of operation,” Rost said. “Plus, we’re thrilled to be continuing what we started our first year in business with the “Trash 2011″ exhibition at Indi Go.
Read the full post at Yale Environment 360.
On issues ranging from genetically modified crops to nuclear power, environmentalists are increasingly refusing to listen to scientific arguments that challenge standard green positions. This approach risks weakening the environmental movement and empowering climate contrarians.
Read the full post at NYT Green.
A California businessman chartered a fishing boat in July, loaded it with 100 tons of iron dust and cruised through Pacific waters off western Canada, spewing his cargo into the sea in an ecological experiment that has outraged scientists and government officials.
The entrepreneur, whose foray came to light only this week, even duped the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States into lending him ocean-monitoring buoys for the project.
