A More Efficient Dishwasher

Your dishwasher seems pretty harmless. It just hums away, loyally cleaning all those dishes and not complaining about dish pan hands. But slight tweaks in the way you run your dishwasher could have a big impact on your utility bill and environmental footprint.

Here are some quick tips on making your dishwasher just a little bit better...

• Never run your dishwasher until it is full.
  

• Only use dish washing detergent that is natural, biodegradable and phosphate free. Like THIS BRAND for example.

• Don't pre-rinse your dishes before loading them into the machine. Most new models do not require pre-rinsing. Just get the big pieces off.

• Air dry your dishes. Turn off the heat dry function, its unnecessary. If you have a problem with spots, use Wave Jet.

• Reduce the number of dishes you use by using the same glass for water throughout the day rather than grabbing a new glass for every drink. Keep an eye on the number of dishes you use and look for ways to reduce that number.
  

• Most dishwashers heat the water coming into them. However, they also draw water from the hot water heater. So its doing the same job twice and charging you for it. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees so you aren't paying to heat it twice.

• You can make your own dishwasher soap at home using this recipe: Mix baking soda and borax with dishwasher soap. Fill a container half full with the dishwasher soap then a quarter baking soda and quarter borax. You can also use vinegar instead of Jet Dry in the rinse dispenser.

NBC News - Pacific Salmon Disappearing Fast

An order issued by fishing authorities prohibits any fishing of Pacific Salmon because stocks have declined drastically over the past few years for an unknown reason. Several theories have been suggested ranging from ocean temperature warming to disease. Whatever the cause, there is serious fear that the Pacific Salmon is quickly facing possible extinction.

Watch the story below.

Environmentalists Target Coal

From the LA Times...

Every time a new coal-fired power plant is proposed anywhere in the United States, a lawyer from the Sierra Club or an allied environmental group is assigned to stop it, by any bureaucratic or legal means necessary.

They might frame the battle as a matter of zoning or water use, but the larger war is over global warming: Coal puts twice as much temperature-raising carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as natural gas, second to coal as the most common power plant fuel.

Read the full article HERE

Green Wedding Tips

Every year, about 2.3 million couples are married in the United States. With an average wedding budget of about $20,000, over $72 billion is spent annually on weddings. Amid all of this spending a cottage "green wedding" industry has sprung up in recent years to offer eco-friendly couples the opportunity to have an environmentally friendly wedding.

Of course you can choose to pay someone a premium to make your wedding "greener" or you can follow a few simple tips that will likely save you money and reduce your wedding's environmental footprint.

Wedding Dress & Tuxedo:

• Avoid the impulse to buy a new dress. The average wedding dress costs $18-20 thousand. Borrowing a dress from a relative adds more emotion to the occasion. You can have it altered to your body and taste. Make sure the dress is dry-cleaned using non-toxic chemicals. If you cannot find a relative with a dress you like, consider other options described in THIS Smart Money article.
  

• Donate your wedding dress when you're done so someone less fortunate can have their own special day.
  

• Rather than buying a true wedding dress, find an attractive evening gown you would wear to another occasion. This is true for tuxedos too. Find a handsome suit that could be used again in the future.

• BYO-Suit/Dress...If you invite your wedding party participants to choose their own clothes while sticking to a specific style, color, tie, etc. you ensure they can wear something they already own or something they'll wear again.
  

• Go vintage and buy classic dresses and suits that will add sophistication to your wedding.

• Or just go casual and wear comfortable clothes, especially in an outdoor wedding, that you will likely wear again.
  

Invitations:

• Choose only 100% PCW recycled invitations processed without chlorine. Encourage guests to recycle their invites. Or choose these invitations that have seeds embedded in them and will sprout when planted.
  

• Skip the extra envelope for RSVP cards by using reply postcards instead. They will be cheaper in the long run and will reduce the need for paper.
  

• For internet savvy guests, consider only sending electronic invitations that link to a wedding site with all the event information and where they can RSVP via email. This system makes it easier to RSVP and it makes it easier to track your guest list in one place. Its also a time and paper saver.

Flowers:

• Instruct the florist to stick to locally grown flowers only. Flowers shipped from other states or countries require a lot of fuel and special refrigeration that uses harsh chemicals.
  

• Use wildflowers. They grow naturally and can be nearly any color or size.
  

• Decorate with potted plants rather than cut flowers so your guests can bring home the plants rather than just putting them in the garbage.
  

Dishes/Glasses:

• Reusable glasses, plates and silverware are always preferable to disposable varieties. This is especially true with regard to any Styrofoam supplies. However, if you want to be really eco-friendly, consider bio-degradable disposable items made of natural products.
  

Honeymoon:

• Avoid the traditional Niagara Falls honeymoon and opt for an eco-vacation where you can be among the beauty of nature and observe creatures in their natural habitat.

• I did a post on eco-vacations you can READ here. Some of the really interesting options are in South American countries near the rain forests.

• Use the back of your wedding program to educate your guests on your honeymoon location and invite them to contribute to some of the great organizations that are working to preserve natural habitats and forests.

• You, or your guests, can donate money to a carbon offsetting organization so that the carbon emissions from your honeymoon will be neutralized by the development of renewable energy sources or from the planting of trees.
  

Martha on Sustainable Home Renovations

Found this interesting video from Martha Stewart with different home renovation materials that are eco-friendly. Enjoy!

Click HERE to watch.

"Grow a Tree" Kit

With Earth Day approaching, you might be thinking of ways to contribute something eco-friendly to the planet. Planting a tree is always a good choice. Trees provide a multitude of benefits to our planet including: homes for birds, oxygen, carbon absorption, shade, etc.

If you are a little nervous about planting a tree, you can buy a $10 kit from canoeonline.net that includes all the necessary ingredients for successfully growing a ponderosa pine tree.

According to canoe, the ponderosa pine is good choice for almost anyone because..."Ponderosa Pine tolerates heat and drought, and is extremely cold-hardy. It can be cultivated almost anywhere, and is a beautiful and statuesque tree at every stage of its life."

Buy the kit HERE for yourself or for a friend.

Baby Diapers: Cloth vs. Disposable

While watching National Geographic's "The Human Footprint," I learned that in an average American baby's pre-potty trained years, they will use about 3,000 disposable diapers.

A lot goes into manufacturing disposable diapers and most people know they don't quickly break down in the dump. This raised the question in my mind, what is better cloth or disposable diapers?

As with most issues related to the environment, this is not a simple question to answer.

First, cloth and disposable diapers are changed at different rates by parents. Cloth diapers are changed10 times a day, while disposables are changed 5 times a day. This means each year a child will use about 3,100 - 3,700 cloth diapers or about 1,800 to 2,900 disposables. This is largely true because older children will need several diapers to absorb liquids sufficiently.

In terms of energy units over the course of one year, disposable diapers use less net energy. Disposable diapers burn 6,900 MJ's of energy. The vast majority comes from manufacturing, which requires petroleum products. The rest comes from packaging and shipping. Cloth diapers burn about 9,600 MJ's of energy. Almost all of that comes from the laundering process, which accounts for 8,200 MJ's.

With regard to solid waste (garbage), disposable diapers lose out. Cloth diapers create about 160kg of solid waste, whereas disposable diapers create about 260kg of waste. In terms of volume (the amount of space in the garbage dump), disposable diapers take twice as much space as cloth diapers., filling the dump much faster. Eighteen billion disposable diapers are thrown away every year and they can take up to 500 years to decompose. They represent the third largest source of solid waste in dumps.

In terms of natural resources, the results are mixed. To diaper all the babies in the United States with disposable diapers, 82,000 tons of plastic and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp are required. However, cloth diapers require 50-70 gallons of water every three days. If parents or a diaper service use laundry detergent without phosphates to wash cloth diapers, the output is water free of toxins or pollution. To manufacture disposable diapers, companies put bleach, solvents and dioxins into water. Of course, both cloth and disposable diapers require agricultural products which are not likely organically grown and contribute pesticides and insecticides to the environment.

Some studies have shown that disposable diapers pose a greater rash threat to a baby's skin. In addition to their poor "breathability," disposable diapers also contain several unnatural ingredients that may have long term health effects on your children. Dioxin is a chemical by-product of the paper bleaching process necessary in manufacturing disposable diapers. Dioxin can cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage and skin diseases. Because the chemical is a by-product of the paper bleaching process, its not found in high concentrations in the actual diaper, but may still be present. Sodium polyacrylate is the absorbent gel that keeps the disposable diapers dry. This product has been removed from feminine hygiene products in the past and there are currently no studies that show the effect of long-term exposure to the product on babies.

All of this is a lot of information to absorb. Keep in mind that if you have cloth diapers laundered by an outside service, this decreases the impact of the diapers on the environment significantly. Less water and less energy is used by diaper laundry services.

If I had to make a decision about which diaper to use on my baby, I would fall on the side of using both. Cloth diapers are difficult to manage when you are out and about. They are more feasible during those times when you will be staying close to home. Disposable diapers are very expensive and result in dumps filling faster with products that will not degrade any time soon. My impression is that a careful balance is the best you can do until they learn to use the potty.

Conserve Water This Summer

The 2007 Spring season in the Southeast region of the United States was the driest since the National Climactic Data Center began keeping records in 1895. We all remember the images of wildfires in the West ravaging dried forests last year. Cattle ranchers were selling their stock from lack of grass on the fields. Lake Okeechobee, America's second largest fresh water body was drying up. Things got so bad in Georgia by the end of the Summer that residents were organizing prayer gatherings to pray for rain fall.

There is no way of telling what this Spring and Summer might bring us, but if last year was any indication, we should start conserving water now.

There is a lot you can do around your home to conserve water. In the long-run, making these changes will also reduce your water and sewer bills.

Lets start with the bathroom:

• Replace your shower head with an efficient unit like this ONE. Go even further and add a switch to turn off the water while you soap up, see this ONE. If you want to get your family to conserve water, but the 5-minute shower timer HERE.

• Make sure you keep those showers under five minutes.
  

• Purchase a sink faucet aerator to reduce the amount of water coming out of each faucet in your home, must water just goes down the drain anyways.

• Place a milk jug filled with water in your toilet's tank. Most toilets use far more water than necessary.
  

• Check for leaky faucets and tighten them.

• Put Kleenex in the garbage rather than flushing them down the toilet each time you sneeze.

• Turn off the faucet while you brush.
  

Next, the kitchen:

• When washing dishes, don't let the water run. Fill the sink and turn the tap off.

• Save 1,000 gallons of water by ensuring your dishwasher and clothing washer are full before running them.

• Designate one glass per person as the "water glass" and re-use it for each drink of water. You'll use less glasses and run the dishwasher less. Keep water in a pitcher in the fridge for a cold drink. This way, all the water ends up in you and none down the drain.

• Tighten any leaky faucets.
  

Finally, in the outside and in the yard:

• Check your sprinklers frequently to ensure they are hitting the grass, not the wall or sidewalk. Water your lawn in the early morning hours.

• Install covers on pools and spas to avoid evaporation.

• Save 80 gallons of water every time you clean the driveway or sidewalk by using a broom or blower rather than the hose.

• Run your sprinklers for shorter periods of time twice a day rather than longer periods once a day. Your yard will only absorb so much and the rest just runs off into the sewer.
  

• Only water your lawn when its necessary. Check by stepping on the grass, if it doesn't stand back up, it needs water.

• Run your lawn mower blades on a higher setting. Longer grass creates shade for the root system so it can stay moist longer.
  

• Use a commercial car wash that recycles the water rather than washing your car at home. Or wash your car on the grass.
  

Hillary & Obama Dust-Up Over Oil Contributions

A war of words has been unleashed between Democratic Presidential candidates Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton since Obama began airing an advertisement that states he has not taken any campaign contributions from oil companies.

FactCheck.org took Obama to task for this claim, saying it was misleading. According to FactCheck.org, a law has been on the books for over a century that prohibits individual companies from giving campaign contributions to Presidential candidates.

In addition, the site points out that Obama has accepted more than $213,000 from individuals and their spouses who work for oil and gas companies. Two of Obama's contribution bundlers are executives at oil companies and have raised $50,000 and $100,000 for him.

In response to Obama's claims, Hillary has released a radio ad that points out Obama's misleading characterization of his relationship with oil & gas companies while also highlighting the fact that he voted for Dick Cheney's 2005 Energy Bill. In the ad, she appropriately calls that bill a "pinata of perks" for the oil industry.

There really is no reason why any of these candidates should be taking money from the oil and gas industry. Both Hillary and Obama have successfully raised millions of dollars from their online contributors, why in the world would either create relationships with these corporations for a mere $50,000 or $100,000? To get past the strangle-hold of the oil & gas companies, we have to learn to say "no" to their money.

Listen to Hillary's ad HERE (It takes a few seconds to get to the ad)

Read the FactCheck.org piece on Obama's claims HERE

Green DC: Earth Day in DC

This post is part of a new weekly feature where we will focus on events and issues, related to the environment, happening in our own back yard of Washington, DC. Come back next Wednesday for another post.

If you live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and you want to get in on the Earth Day action this year, below are some of the best options in the city. Don't forget, you can always grab some garbage bags and pick-up all those beer bottles and Doritos packages littering just about every part of our beloved city.

• April 19th - National Zoo, Rock Creek Clean-Up: I participated in a Rock Creek clean-up last week with with the Friends of Rock Creek's Environment (FORCE). The group pulled out a bbq, television, shopping car and probably about 30 bags of garbage from our little area by Adams-Morgan. Next Saturday, the Zoo will have their own clean-up of the area directly surrounding it. If you want to volunteer, you can see the details HERE. If you've ever jogged or ridden a bike around the Zoo, you know its overdue for some cleaning.
  

• April 20th - Green Apple Music Festival on the National Mall: This event will be one of the biggest Earth Day celebrations in American history! Elected officials, guest speakers, celebrities and musicians will gather alongside educational demonstrations on greener living on the National Mall. Among the bands performing are: The Roots, Gov't Mule, Thievery Corp., and more. You can learn more HERE

• April 21ist - Green DC Day on Freedom Plaza: Come to Freedom Plaza from 10am to 4pm for the Green DC Day where there will be plenty of information and experiences geared toward living an eco-friendly life in the District.
  

• April 26th - Anacostia Watershed Clean-Up: Since the new Nationals ballpark opened, everyone is more aware of just how filthy the Anacostia River really is. Come help clean it up from 8:30am to 2:00pm during the 14th annual Watershed Clean-Up. Volunteers get a free t-shirt and are invited after the clean-up to a party with food, live music and fun at the Seafarers Yacht Club. Sign-up to volunteer HERE.

• April 26th - Alexandria Earth Day: This is the 15th Anniversary of the Alexandria Earth Day. From 10am to 2pm, come out to Ben Brenmam Park for a tree sale, tree plantings, used products drop-off, a run, a youth fair and opportunities to measure your environmental footprint. To get all the info, go HERE

• April 26th - Montgomery County Earth Day Celebration: Come out to 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville to see the county's recycling facility. You will learn about where you recycling goes when you put it in the bin and how it is processed. Get tips on how to compost and to pick-up compost bins for your home. You can also drop-off electronic waste for recycling and have your confidential paperwork shredded for free. Check it all out HERE

I also encourage you to use Earth Day as an opportunity to make some easy changes around your home and your neighborhood so they are greener and cleaner this year.

A Must See: The Human Footprint

Last night, we were fortunate enough to be invited to a premier screening of the National Geographic Channel's newest film, The Human Footprint, at the National Geographic Society's headquarters here in Washington, DC.

To give you a quick backgrounder on the film, it was a cooperative project between the Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Geographic Society. The goal of the project was to create a film that, without judgment, showed the American viewer just how much food, fuel, appliances, natural resources, etc. they consume in one lifetime. The best part of the film is that they accomplish this goal through stunning visuals, like an entire front yard covered in the 12, 129 hamburger buns an average American will consume in their life.

Elizabeth Vargas, co-host of ABC's 20/20, is the guide in the film. She describes the incredible statistics and visuals by beginning with an average American baby and following that child through their lifetime. We start by seeing the huge pile of 3,796 diapers used by an American baby in their first few years, then Elizabeth reveals the many liters of petroleum, pounds of plastic and tree trunks necessary to manufacture those diapers.

By the time the film is over, we've seen 12,888 oranges, 5,054 newspapers, and much much more. The Producers of the film go into incredible detail to visually reveal the enormous volume of goods, from around the world, that go into the life of an American. At one point, Elizabeth Vargas is standing on a map of the world with the pieces of an average Ford vehicle laid atop the country where the piece is manufactured. The sheer number of nations involved in manufacturing a Ford vehicle is impressive.

Two things struck me while I was watching the film:

First, the images on the screen merely showed a single American's consumption habits. Multiplied by 300 million people, its amazing we're not all swimming in a sea of garbage and pollution. At one point, the film points out that if all people, all over the world, consumed as many natural resources as Americans, we would need four planet earths to sustain.

Second, the threat to natural untouched places, many thousands of miles away, because of our desire for the newest technologies and material goods. The film describes a beautiful, wild place in Africa where animals are able to roam freely and tribal villages co-exist peacefully. In this place is a key metallic element that nearly every cell phone requires for operation. The race to mine this element to supply America's growing demand for it has disrupted the ecosystem and invited violence among locals competing for the great wealth available.

I think the message to take away from the film is not that we should all be ashamed of ourselves, but that we should all be aware of our impact on the planet. Everything is so convenient now that we overlook how much goes into our cozy, comfortable lives. Cutting back just a little bit and remembering to recycle, reuse, and conserve can make a huge difference. Just think, if we all recycled our cell phones, that beautiful part of Africa where animals once roamed freely can return to its former self.

The film, The Human Footprint, will air on the National Geographic Channel this Sunday at 9:00pm (EST).

To learn more about it, visit the website HERE.

Take Action With the "We Campaign"

You may have seen some new advertisements on TV promoting a project called the "We Campaign." This is an effort by the Alliance for Climate Protection to educate Americans about the value in ordinary citizens working together to stop global climate change.

What I love about this campaign is that it does the same thing I try to do with this blog: urge people to take personal environmental responsibility. We have the power of the purse when it comes to influencing the corporate world's environmental efforts, but only if we choose to buy energy efficient, organic, sustainably manufactured goods from eco-conscious companies.

Its also necessary for us to hold our elected officials to a high standard when it comes to environmental & energy policy reform. We can speak louder than the well-funded special interests if we speak with one voice.

You and I can start making a difference today with the "We Campaign." On their website, the "We Campaign" lists four action items that can be tackled immediately...

• First, sign the petition urging international leaders to sign a treaty pledging reduced carbon emissions in their home nations.

• Second, email your friends the newest advertisement from the "We Campaign" to spread their great message.

• Third, urge the media to start pressing our leaders on how they plan to address global climate change.

• Fourth, ask money lenders to consider the environmental impact of coal power plants before funding them.
  

Why Organic Cotton?

If you're like most people, you probably have a tough time keeping up with all the different ways we're supposed to save the planet. It seems as though a tidal wave of interest and information has arrived and many are trying very hard to keep up. There is one consistent concept though that can help simplify some of your eco-choices: go organic.

While you stress over deciding which kind of florescent light to buy or which plastic bottles you can recycle, you can relax knowing that when confronted with the option, organic is always better. Why should you stick with organic?

Putting aside the fact that the term "organic" is very broad and could encompass a variety of factors, choosing organic food and products means you are definitely reducing the amount of toxic chemicals dumped onto our planet.

The pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers used by farmers to increase their crop yield are having a devastating effect everywhere. Each time it rains, excess fertilizer gets washed into rivers and streams, which lead to the ocean or gulfs, where it increases phosphate levels, killing off sea life and destroying the saltwater ecosystem. Pesticides and insecticides have been linked to developmental abnormalities among children, cancer growth among adults, and they can easily find their way to our drinking water supply.

One of the best choices in organic that you can make is to buy clothing made of organic cotton. Here are some reasons why...

• Cotton not grown organically accounts for 25% of the the world's insecticide use and 10% of the pesticides. These pesticides are among the most dangerous available.
• One pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are necessary to grow just three pounds of non-organic cotton that is necessary for a t-shirt and pair of jeans.
  
• Pesticides and insecticides cause acute poisoning and chronic illnesses among farmworkers who pick non-organic cotton.

If you're ready to take the plunge and begin buying organic cotton clothing, there are several great shopping options available.

• Loomstate is one of the original manufacturers of clothing made of organic cotton. They're collection includes all types of clothing, including jeans. You can find a store near you HERE.
  
• If you are looking for socks, pajamas, baby clothes and accessories, you can shop at Maggies.
• American Apparel sells clothing made from organic cotton. Their choices include long and short sleeves shirts and underwear for men and women.
• REI also sells clothing that is "eco-sensitive" consisting of recycled and organic materials.
  
• Amazon.com sells a huge array of clothing for babies, children, men and women that are made from organic materials. You can see the list HERE
• Finally, Simple Shoes sells an entire line of sneakers and other footwear made from organic cotton, hemp and recycled products.
  

Stop the Catalogs and Save the Planet

If you have ever stepped foot into a Victoria's Secret store and purchased anything, you will start receiving their catalog. Through some magic electronic relationship between your credit card and Victoria's Secret' marketing department, you could buy some hand lotion and commit yourself to a lifetime of their catalogs.

This is true of many retail stores across the country. For Christmas, my mother bought me some wine glasses from Crate & Barrel and had them sent to my office, rather than having them sit outside my condo. Now I get Crate & Barrel catalogs in my work mailbox on a regular basis.

Apparently I'm not the only one dealing with this influx of catalogs. Every year, Americans receive 19 BILLION catalogs. That amounts to 170 catalogs per household per year. This results in the destruction of 53 million trees and 3.6 million tons of paper. In addition, the energy used to manufacture all of these catalogs equals 38 TRILLION BTU's or enough energy to power 1.2 million homes per year. We're looking at carbon contributions to global warming equivalent to the annual emissions of 2 MILLION cars.

Yikes!

Don't get me wrong, the occasional catalog is a fine way to see what is for sale. However, I should be able to pick my catalogs, not the other way around.

Now you can do just that. Catalogchoice.org allows consumers to create a FREE account where they can enter the address where catalogs are received, then choose which catalogs to block. Its extremely easy and takes just a few minutes. If you have the catalogs you want to block handy, you can enter your customer ID number to guarantee the company knows who you are, but its not necessary.

One bonus feature of catalogchoice.org is that you can choose the reason why you are blocking the catalog. One of the options is "For the Environment." This might persuade retailers to reduce the number of catalogs they are sending and to use recycled paper.

If you love perusing through catalogs but you don't want to chop down all the beautiful forests to do it, Google has a searchable database of catalogs online that you can quickly and easily flip through on your computer.

Check it out!

Where is Our Green Party?

There isn't an American alive who is not aware that this year's presidential election is historic. Not since 1928 has the United States faced the prospect of a presidential candidate field that hasn't included either an incumbent President or Vice-President. At age 72, John McCain is facing the prospect of being the oldest President ever elected. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could make history as either the first African-American or female President of the United States.

As I said, you are probably well aware of these facts. What hasn't been covered as extensively is the possibility of several third party candidates in this year's election. This year, third parties are looking to make a historical impact on the Presidential campaign. Once again, Ralph Nader is running for President. The media has long speculated that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg may also be considering an independent run for President. Once John McCain secured the Republican nomination, there was talk that socially conservative Republicans may prepare a run to rally their Christian supporters. Now Bob Barr, the Georgia Congressman has announced he will run on the Libertarian ticket after years of criticizing the Bush Administration.

Of course, these third party campaigns exist on the fringes of the American political system. The appeal of a third party candidate has less to do with electability and more to do with moving marginal policy issues into the mainstream. Undoubtedly, if the Christian-Right chose to run a candidate in this election, John McCain would be forced to address socially conservative issues to avoid losing an important Republican block of voters. Nader's participation in this election is designed to encourage Democrats to embrace pro-consumer and anti-corporate platforms. A Bloomberg ticket would put pressure on candidates from both major political parties to move to the center and away from their more extremist bases.

In all of these conversations about the 2008 Presidential Election, and how history making it will be, isn't there a crucial voice that has been missing? What happened to our Green Party?

There is an unprecedented opportunity in this Presidential campaign to put the environment center stage. Our national security and foreign policy is tied intimately to our reliance on foreign oil. The powerful influence of the oil & gas industry has prevented us from moving toward clean, renewable energy sources that could provide a wealth of new jobs and lower energy costs. Dwindling supplies of water in the Southeastern and Western states are leading to civil war between these regions and their water-wealthy neighbors to the North. The spread of coal and "clean coal" power plants is having the dual effect of increasing global climate change and destroying mountain eco-systems. We are seeing global temperature increases that will undoubtedly lead to increased climate-related health problems. Climate change has affected wind and ocean currents so weather systems dump snow or rain on one region, while other regions face drought. The challenges faced by the U.S. due to our unhealthy environment are intertwined with almost every important policy issue in our country.

Knowing all this, shouldn't there be a candidate for President who can unveil a series of policy reforms that address our nation's environmental challenges in a thoughtful and innovative way?

Some may argue that a serious third party candidate from the Green Party is unnecessary because all of the Presidential candidates, even the third party ones, have embraced an environmentally friendly platform. However, a Green Party candidate can offer a highly customized approach focused exclusively on environmental policy that incorporates cutting-edge technological advances, experimental approaches and politically controversial ideas. This is the same type of benefit, in terms of policy, that a social conservative, pro-consumer, or small government candidate can offer. By bringing these new, innovative ideas into the public debate over environmental policy, it helps move them more rapidly from the fringes to the political mainstream.

Also, while it is true that the candidates for the Republican and Democratic party have addressed environmental concerns in their platforms, their talk doesn't match their past action.

John McCain is known as a maverick. At one point in time, he lived up to this reputation on environmental issues. He was the first among his peers to call committee hearings on global warming. He was the first to propose renewable energy mandates and cap-and-trade markets. But that McCain has been silenced in exchange for a business friendly presidential candidate who appeals to his party's base. Just last year, McCain's rating with the League of Conservation Voters was zero. He failed to vote on any of the legislation that organization considered important to the environment.

Barack Obama has been a friend of the nuclear, coal and ethanol industry throughout his political career. He has taken campaign donations from the same Illinois nuclear company his current Campaign Manager once advised. Obama also voted for Dick Cheney's 2005 Energy Bill that was written behind closed doors by oil and gas lobbyists. Neither Hillary Clinton nor John McCain voted for the law. Obama has also sponsored and co-sponsored legislation in the Senate that would expand coal mining and provide federal loans to construct more coal burning power plants.

Hillary Clinton's energy and environmental platform is detailed and well thought out. She has been a very active and vocal proponent for environmental protection in the Senate. But she isn't currently winning the Democratic primary and there are votes that undermine her credibility on the issue of energy reform, like her support for expanded oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Green Party is presented with a great opportunity to nominate a candidate who addresses our nation's problems from an environmental perspective and by a person who has a consistent record of supporting environmental reforms.

In the United States there is a national Green Party. Their candidates hold close to 300 offices across the nation. They also have several candidates running for office in the 2008 election. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that they are taking advantage of this rare opportunity to influence the national debate and improve their brand through the Presidential election.

The leading contender for the Green Party presidential nomination is former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. McKinney has a storied political career. She was elected in 1992 as a Congresswoman, only to be unseated in a 2002 Democratic primary by an inexperienced new-comer. On that election night, McKinney's father blamed Jewish people for her loss, while she suggested it was a GOP conspiracy that influenced the open primary. She has made claims that Judge Joe Brown told the Congressional Black Caucus that it wasn't the well known "murder rifle" that killed Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2004, McKinney stated in an interview with Jet Magazine that while in the Congress a, "White, rich Democratic boys club wanted [her] to stay in the back of the bus." While participating in the "Citizens' Commission on 9-11" she made suggestions that the government was somehow involved or covering up aspects of the September 11th attack. Most recently, McKinney has been in the news for a physical confrontation with a Capital security guard after he asked her to show her name tag. She lost the 2006 Democratic primary for her Congressional seat and shortly after decided to run for the Green Party's Presidential primary.

Is this the best the Green Party can do?

The Green Party internationally has earned itself a strong reputation. There are members of the Green Party holding high offices in legislatures all over the world. Now is a great time for the United States Green Party to grab the mantle of environmental leadership and present a candidate who is relatable and shows a grasp on the issues that will capture the attention of the political main stream.

Reducing Your HDTV's Carbon Footprint