… so tired from working in the garden! Here are a few links to look at, relevant to topics that I cover on this blog:
ecology, and the environmental impact of animal-derived protein:
Unnatural selection: Fish growing up fast – A devastating look at the impact humans are having not only on the number of fish that remain, but also their average size, life spans, and breeding habits. The pressure of large-scale fishing is actually having an impact on the evolution of the ‘ones who get away’, and a fairly serious one. The article ends with a plea for ‘sustainable’ fishing. But killing fish for food when plant-based foods are available can never be ‘sustainable,’ because it is unjustifiable – killing individuals whose water-based existence is owed to millenia of evolution, chance, and miracle.
The world can be powered by alternative energy, using today’s technology, in 20-40 years, says Stanford researcher Mark Z. Jacobson – An interesting theoretical exercise by two university researchers concludes that using only today’s existing technology the world could go fossil-fuel free in only 20 to 40 years. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi sketch a world powered by solar and wind energy, with some geothermal and hydroelectric help. Though there are a number of problems with the generation of wind energy (such as deterioration of human health due to low-frequency noise generation, lethal impact on bats, and disruption of bird nesting sites), this report shows that, if we have the political will for it, we could swiftly and easily change course as a species – without even taking into account small-scale and emerging technologies.
The Renewable Future – A less optimistic scenario, that we could reduce our fossil fuel usage to 20% by 2050, but one that attempts to take into account the interests of the poorest people in the world. Both this and the previous report glaringly omit the impacts on the environment caused by industrial agriculture – both by the clearing of forests for pasture in the “heart and lungs” of the world, the Amazon rainforest, and also by the emission of methane and other gases which contribute significantly to climate change.
Going vegan for the environment – A really nice and simple break-down of those environmental costs of animal farming, and the readily-available alternative for anyone willing to embark on it (veganism!)
social and global justice:
Vancouver Media Co-Op | Local Independent News
vegan deliciousness:
Vegan Mischief: tofu florentine on a yam and potato latke with miso-tahini sauce (just the title is a mouthful!)
environmentally-friendly art supply:
Artists Going Green: Tips and Supplies for Sustainable Art – my blog is mentioned in this one!
