Science a la Joe Camel - washingtonpost.com

No Environmental Film in Classroom to Please Exxon Mobil
At hundreds of screenings this year of “An Inconvenient Truth,” the first thing many viewers said after the lights came up was that every student in every school in the United States needed to see this movie.

The producers of former vice president Al Gore’s film about global warming, myself included, certainly agreed. So the company that made the documentary decided to offer 50,000 free DVDs to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for educators to use in their classrooms. It seemed like a no-brainer.

The teachers had a different idea: Thanks but no thanks, they said.

In their e-mail rejection, they expressed concern that other “special interests” might ask to distribute materials, too; they said they didn’t want to offer “political” endorsement of the film; and they saw “little, if any, benefit to NSTA or its members” in accepting the free DVDs.

Gore, however, is not running for office, and the film’s theatrical run is long since over. As for classroom benefits, the movie has been enthusiastically endorsed by leading climate scientists worldwide, and is required viewing for all students in Norway and Sweden.

Still, maybe the NSTA just being extra cautious. But there was one more curious argument in the e-mail: Accepting the DVDs, they wrote, would place “unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters.” One of those supporters, it turns out, is the Exxon Mobil Corp.

Datestamp: November 27th, 2006

FOX NEWS INTERNAL MEMO

“Be On The Lookout For Any Statements From The Iraqi Insurgents…Thrilled At The Prospect Of A Dem Controlled Congress”

Fair and Balanced at its best.

Datestamp: November 19th, 2006

Tonight at Columbia University

The Center for the Study of Science and Religion, The Earth Institute at Columbia University
Sustainable Development—Can it Save the Creation?

November 16, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

A Conversation Between Edward O. Wilson and Jeffrey D. Sachs,
Introduced by Dr. Robert Pollack

Datestamp: November 16th, 2006

Map of Industrialization

Earth Lights Image

This photograph was taken by a NASA satellite over a 24 hour time span, so as to capture the view of Earth at night from space in every time zone. It shows quite dramatically the global spread of industrialization, as evidenced by the lights of human civilization.

Datestamp: November 12th, 2006

WorldChanging: The Book

WorldChanging
Worldchanging: A Users Guide for the 21st Century is a groundbreaking compendium of the most innovative solutions, ideas and inventions emerging today for building a sustainable, livable, prosperous future.

From consumer consciousness to a new vision for industry; non-toxic homes to refugee shelters; microfinance to effective philanthropy; socially responsible investing to starting a green business; citizen media to human rights; ecological economics to climate change, this is the most comprehensive, cutting-edge overview to date of what’s possible in the near future — if we decide to make it so.

Datestamp: November 12th, 2006

KyotoUSA

Kyoto in the USA, despite Bush refusal

KyotoUSA is a grassroots effort to encourage U.S. cities and their citizens to take action to address global warming.

Global warming is the most serious threat facing the planet today. Studies conducted by the world’s most respected climate scientists conclude that we must act collectively and immediately to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are being released into the atmosphere. Our failure to act now will result in catastrophic and irreversible consequences for all life on this planet.

Countries around the globe are attempting to address this problem. In an agreement known as the Kyoto Protocol, most industrialized countries have agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, the United States refuses to to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and is doing little to reduce the greenhouse gases for which it is responsible.

Datestamp: November 7th, 2006

Lard 4 Fuel Project in 1995

Lard Car
In the first kitchen-grease powered road movie, five women tour America fueling up on the waste fat their fellow travelers have left behind.

Datestamp: November 7th, 2006