I thought this a pretty courageous act to directly implement some change. Tim's actions exposed a corrupt system into which literally anyone off of the street could bid for and win land that would be used for oil drilling. Not just any land, but areas next to national and state parks. At this point Tim's sentence is still being decided, but it will be interesting to see where his case goes come June when he will be sentenced.

Green Towns

I though this was pretty cool, www.greentowns.com is a website in which towns can trade information on local sustainability efforts and green events.

Another Side of Tilapia, the Perfect Factory Fish

From reading this article its clear that regulations worldwide for farmed fish need much improvement. Consumers also need to made more aware about where their fish is coming from. Especially if it coming from un regulated areas outside of the US.

At State Level , G.O.P. Seeks Big Environmental Cutbacks


I found this article particularly upsetting because one of the biggest cuts proposed was by Florida Governor Rick Scott. Apparently eliminating millions of dollars for land conservation, taking 17- 50 million dollars away from everglades restoration thus the loss of hundreds of jobs is a great way to stimulate our sunshine state economy. When most of our revenue comes from tourists who want to experience Florida wildlife, wouldn't you think it would be something worth investing in?

This is more of a note than a post on an article but felt it was something I wanted to share. I have become increasingly irritated lately at myself, because even though I work at making my carbon foot print less and less in my daily activities I seem to dismiss it when it comes to most of the art supplies I buy and use, especially when it comes to the toxic chemicals I use when oil painting and transferring images. I've been doing a little research on some alternatives to use instead of mineral spirits or gamsol, and have decided to start using natural citrus solvent. Another product I plan on replacing is spray fixative, which is rather harsh to use and be around.

natural citrus solvent

natural pastel fixative

I feel this is only the tip of the iceberg and at some point hope to use only sustainable art materials.

"Buy Local" Campaigns Actually Work Really Well

With the constant impending doom of big business, its nice to know that "Buy Local" initiates are actually making a change. I feel that if we are ever going to get the United States on a path of sustainability and self reliance we need to support locally owned and operated businesses.

Sustainism: It's Got a Name, Now Do it

Sustainism is a term that has come to mean the way we design and build with the environment in mind. The upside is that with technology new opportunities for sustainable design are increasing. What makes this an uncertain practice however is that a set of standards has not yet been adopted. It is a change in thinking and will take time to develop.