1. pets
2. large animals

San Diego
Earth Times
Special Earth Day Issue
April 2015
EarthFair in Balboa Park
Sunday, April 19 – “Nurture Nature”
California vs. Big Plastic
Plastic industry fighting popular bag ban
Art Benches for Balboa Park
Art you can sit on
Thank you
Toyota.
For being the Most Fuel-Efficient
Full-Line Automotive Manufacturer
- Earth
Based on NHTSA Final Industry MY12 CAFE data for Toyota Motor Sales.
Contents
CUT TO THE CHASE – FROM THE EDITOR
Sit on this!
L
LOCAL ISSUES
California vs. Big Plastic.................................................5
Having lost in the court of public opinion, plastic bag
manufacturers try a ballot measure to let them continue to sell
polluting, wasteful single-use plastic bags.
SANDAG misinformed & misled the public....................6
A lawsuit was required to force the agency to pay attention to
California environmental laws.
by Carolyn Chase
ooking at photos from 100 years ago
allows us to conjure ghosts of what
used to be in the places that we inhabit
today. Balboa Park is celebrating it’s centennial this year, and perusing photos revealed to
me something that’s very much on my mind
today: park benches. Dozens of park benches
can been seen in and around El Prado and the
Lily Pond.
They are gone today. Pity the aging park lover. While a few
new benches have been installed by tram stops, I believe the public
deserves – nay, requires – more park benches. I’ve had foot surgery
along my life’s path, and I’m not getting any younger, so as both a
user and lover of parks I have my own needs to consider. So in my
little way, I got a Big Idea.
This is also the 25th anniversary of the Earth Day Fair in Balboa
Park. People started asking me: how are you going to celebrate both of
these worthy anniversaries? Hence my Big Idea about park benches.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY
China moves to curb ivory markets as consumer
awareness grows ........................................................7
Illegal poaching threatens the very existence of elephants and
rhinos in the wild.
Greenpeace canned tuna ranking finds most brands
fail consumers on ocean safe tuna.............................9
But there are good choices!
A tale of two spokes: Taiwan’s solution to greener
commutes can work here, too...................................10
EARTH DAY 2015
EarthFair 2015 in Balboa Park on April 19..................11
What you can see and do that this 25th annual event.
Attend Awards Reception in honor of Earth Day.........11
Award inspiration..........................................................12
EarthFair 2015 Program and Map.................................15
Hungry? Step inside the Garden of Eating!..................20
Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas
emission than all forms of transportation combined. Change
your diet and help preserve your planet.
Meet Big MaMa Earth....................................................20
Art benches?
Yes, art benches… not just park benches, but park benches that
are turned into works of art by local artists in honor of Balboa Park
100 and San Diego Earth Day 25.
Art benches extend a long tradition of celebrating event or places
with fancifully decorated common objects. Do you remember those
large plastic cows that were decorated by artists and placed in public
spaces? I’ve also seen bears (Zürich and Paris) and bison (South
Dakota). Each figure is a plastic sculpted work of art. This was my artinspiration – why couldn’t we apply this art-concept to park benches?
Of course we could.
THE ECONOMY
Manifesto for a post-growth economy..........................23
ENERGY
California nearing huge milestone in solar deployment....25
How many electric cars do we need to save the planet?.....26
CLIMATE CHANGE
Scientists warn climate change is threatening
world’s most expansive temperate rainforests.........27
In search of an eco-bench
Little did I know, it was not simple to find an environmentallysensitive bench that can be used as a canvas. While many public park
benches are now made from recycled plastic, they are also treated to be
graffiti resistant. The manufacturers claimed they could not be painted.
In searching for a sustainably-sourced wooden bench… well, I
couldn’t really find one. It turns out that there are only a lot of cheap
wooden benches for public or home use. Sadly, there is a high likelihood that most of them are made from unprotected tropical rainforest
woods or worse, from illegally logged forests.
MARINE ECOLOGY
Scientists call for new stewardship of the deep ocean:
earth’s last frontier....................................................30
Special thanks to Jennifer Hewitson for donating this year’s “Nurture Nature” artwork, first used on an Earth Day brochure in 1990!
Cover photo: California Tower in Balboa Park. After being closed for
many years, you can now go up in the tower on tours conducted by
the Museum of Man. The view is outstanding! Contact the Museum
for details. Photo by Carolyn Chase
Acting locally
San Diego Earth Times
Since I couldn’t find a certified sustainable bench we could use,
what did we do? We ending up purchasing recycled plastic bench
ends and building the bench seat and back out of recovered, recycled
plastic. The plastic boards had been recovered from a deck, where
they had weathered in the desert for many years, roughing and drying
the surface, making it perfect for paint.
These benches – as many as we can sponsor – will be placed during 2015 in honor of Balboa Park 100 and San Diego Earth Day 25.
is published by Earth Media, Inc. Our internet version is printed with
recycled electrons and can be found at www.SDEarthTimes.com.
Staff
(Continued on page 5)
April 2015
Communication
Editor/Publisher: Chris Klein
Editor/Features: Carolyn Chase
Assignments: Alice Martinez
Editors: Liz Dexia, Arlene Fink
3
Mail: P.O. Box 99179
San Diego, CA 92169
Phone: (858) 272-7423
Email: [email protected]
Twitter:@EarthDayMom
Facebook: San Diego Earth Day
San Diego Earth Times
San Diego Earth Times
4
April 2015
Local Issues
California vs. Big Plastic
C
alifornia vs. Big Plastic is not just
the reality of fighting for a statewide
single-use plastic bag ban. It’s also the
name of the coalition of local officials and
environmental, labor, and business groups
supporting the state’s plastic bag ban. They
are asking local jurisdictions to pass local bag
ban ordinances, in response to a measure that
will be on the November 2016 ballot opposing a ban. The ballot measure was funded by
the plastic industry.
by Alice Martinez
lion into a challenge to oppose California’s
plastic bag ban on the November 2016 ballot.
Five companies drive this effort, via a plastic
industry trade group misnamed “American
Progressive Bag Alliance.” Their true goal
is to keep plastics flowing, regardless of the
costs.
“It’s not surprising that after spending
more than $3.2 million, 98 percent of which
is from out of state, the plastic bag industry
has bought its way onto the California ballot to protect its profits,” said Mark Murray
of Californians vs. Big Plastic. “Every poll
shows that Californians strongly support the
law, and the $30 million to $50 million it will
vibrant communities and beautiful coastline,
as well as a healthy ocean, and that’s why the
pollution caused by billions of these singleuse plastic bags simply can’t continue,” says
San Diego City Council President Sherri
Lightner.
“Surfrider Foundation has been working
tirelessly over the past seven years in communities and at the statewide level to address
the issue of plastic pollution,” states Surfrider
Legal Director Angela Howe. “It’s disturbing to think that the plastics companies can
swoop in and undo a major statewide victory
Historic statewide plastic bag
for our coasts, but rest assured that Surfrider
ban
and our coalition partners will continue to
California became the first
fight for this ground-breaking
state in the nation to ban single“It’s not surprising that after spending more than environmental law to come to
use plastic carry-out grocery
fruition in California.”
$3.2 million, 98 percent of which is from out of
bags. Gov. Jerry Brown signed
While it’s more than a year
state, the plastic bag industry has bought its way
the groundbreaking law that had
before the election, local juonto the California ballot to protect its profits,”
support from a wide coalition,
risdictions can still take action
including local governments,
in your neighborhood. Contact
business groups, workers unions, retailers, cost the plastics industry to launch a full- your local representatives and ask their posiand environmental organizations.
fledged campaign in 2016 will be proven to tion on banning single use plastic bags.
For more information, visit www.CAvsMore than one-third of Californians now be an act of political malpractice, particularly
live in communities with no single-use plastic since nearly half the state will no longer have BigPlastic.com and follow us on Twitter @
CAvsBigPlastic.
grocery bags. In California, 128 cities and plastic bags by election day.
counties have joined those across the world
Murray continues, “Single-use plastic
banning plastic shopping bags, reducing lit- shopping bags pose a costly burden on our enter and ushering in a new culture of reusable vironment and our economy. After listening to
(cont. from page 3)
carryout bags.
the public, hundreds of local elected officials,
If you see one, have a sit and enjoy the
the state legislature and the Governor have
bench
aspect, but first, wonder at the art
moved
to
eliminate
plastic
bags.
Virtually
all
12 minutes of convenience,
aspect, too. Then upload your photos online
of
the
plastic
bags
sold
in
California
are
procenturies of damage
duced by just three out-of-state corporations. and tag them with #BalboaPark.
Non-biodegradable, plastic bags persist And these corporations and their chemical
in the environment for decades, while their suppliers have made it clear that they will Be inspired
Even though these art benches will be
useful life is typically measured in minutes. do and say anything, and pay any price, to
removed at the end of 2015, I’m hoping
Plastic bags pollute our waterways and continue to sell plastic bags in California.”
that having even a few, additional benches
beaches, litter our neighborhoods and parks,
Vote YES to support the ban
in Balboa Park will inspire us all to support
and gravely threaten wildlife.
“It’s a shame that deceptive tactics in new, permanent park benches, and convince
California cities and counties spend an
estimated $428 million annually to clean up collecting signatures allowed this referendum the city to reinstate past policies permitting
litter and prevent marine pollution. Based to qualify,” said Kathryn Phillips, Director of individuals or groups to pay for the placeon litter data from San Jose and Los Angeles Sierra Club California. “Fortunately, Califor- ment of new memorial park benches (out of
Counties, plastic bags contribute $34 million nians are smart voters. Once they understand environmental sensitive materials!).
the real intent of this measure, they’ll vote
to $107 million to these costs.
with the environment. They’ll vote ‘yes’ to You can help
Big Plastic strikes back
Please visit ArtBench.org to see the
retain the reasonable statewide bag ban.”
(Continued on page 7)
Big Plastic has poured more than $3 mil“The citizens of San Diego treasure our
Park Bench
April 2015
5
San Diego Earth Times
SANDAG misinformed & misled the public
T
ransportation projects are taxpayer
investments with some of the largest,
longest lasting environmental and
growth impacts. Like all projects, they must
comply with the state’s environmental laws.
For projects like these, two important statutes
are the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA), and SB 375. State law SB 375
specifically aims at reducing greenhouse gas
emissions through improved regional transportation planning.
Yet for years, environmentalists have
watched as the San Diego region’s $65 billion Regional Transportation Plan (RTP),
administered by the San Diego Association
of Governments (SANDAG), has sidestepped
or ignored these legal requirements.
After years of dutifully participating in
the public processes, volunteering on Citizen
Advisory Committee(s), sending in comments, giving public testimony, speaking and
listening to SANDAG Board members and
staff, local activist Carolyn Chase, volunteering at that time for the Sierra Club, was fed up.
“It became obvious that the only method for
progress was to mount a lawsuit,” Chase said.
The resulting legal action, Cleveland
National Forest Foundation v. San Diego
Association of Governments, sought to determine whether the San Diego Association
of Governments complied with CEQA and
SB 375, including the impacts of its 2050
RTP/Sustainable Communities Strategy on
climate change.
Cleveland National Forest Foundation
(CNFF), Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and two community groups all
sued SANDAG over its approach, noting that,
under the agency’s plan, regional greenhouse
gas emissions would increase dramatically by
the year 2050.
The clear judgment of the courts was
that the RTP was inadequate. Both the
superior and appellate courts agreed that the
San Diego-area planning agency failed to
fully assess and mitigate against the climate
risks associated with its plan, which invests
heavily in freeways and subsidizes sprawl at
the expense of public transit.
by Alice Martinez
Inadequate Planning
Several important issues in the case that
were resolved by the California State Court
of Appeals:
• SANDAG’s mitigation for the 2050 RTP
(“Plan”) climate impacts was legally inadequate
• SANDAG’s analysis of the Plan’s air
quality/public health impacts was legally
inadequate, and the agency failed to identify proper mitigation for those impacts
• SANDAG’s analysis of the Plan’s agricultural impacts was legally inadequate
• SANDAG failed to analyze a proper range
of alternatives to the Plan, including alternatives that would reduce driving in the
region
Under the Court of Appeal’s holding,
SANDAG will be required to: develop more
robust mitigation for the climate impacts
associated with its plan; complete a more
rigorous analysis of the air quality/public
health, and agricultural impacts of its plan;
and develop a full range of alternatives to its
(Continued on page 31)
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San Diego Earth Times
6
April 2015
Global Ecology
China moves to curb ivory markets as consumer
awareness grows
Illegal poaching threatens the very existence of elephants and rhinos in the
wild, with China being the major market for the poached ivory and horn. This
underscores the importance of government attempts to curb ivory markets as
consumer awareness grows.
C
hinese consumer awareness of the ivory and rhino horn trade’s devastating
impact on African wildlife has grown
rapidly over the past two years. This is the
result of major public awareness campaigns
by wildlife organizations and state media,
according to WildAid, the African Wildlife
Foundation and Save the Elephants.
With this growing awareness, the Chinese government has announced increasing
commitments to curtailing the market, with
the State Forestry Administration imposing
an immediate ban on African ivory carving
imports to mainland China.
The reports summarize surveys conducted
on ivory and rhino horn from November 2012
to November 2014 in China’s three largest
cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Findings demonstrate a significant improve-
Park Bench
(cont. from page 5)
progress of this little “big idea” of building
beautiful and practical art benches. As of this
writing, four artists have agreed to participate.
All we need now is additional funding from
anyone and everyone who has ever enjoyed
Balboa Park, the EarthFair in Balboa Park or
any park bench, anywhere. It’s more challenging than ever to mount a free public event.
This Art Bench project is a way for anyone
to chip-in and help – in any amount.
.
Carolyn Chase is co-founder of San Diego
EarthWorks, the non-profit organizers of the
annual Earth Day Fair in the heart of Balboa
Park, San Diego. She also served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of San Diego,
and was a founder of Move San Diego (now
Circulate San Diego), committed to improving
the sustainability of transportation choices in
the San Diego region.
April 2015
ment in awareness of how rhino horn and
ivory are obtained, and as how the trade in
these products is devastating elephant and
rhino populations and supporting criminal
networks in Africa and Asia.
By the numbers
The surveys also found that 95 percent of
respondents supported an ivory ban, while an
equal percentage favored stricter punishments
for rhino horn trade offenders.
Key survey findings on elephant ivory:
• There was a 51.5% increase in those
who believed that elephant poaching is a
problem (70.6% in 2014 compared to just
46.6% in 2012).
• The surveys found a 44.8% increase in
those who believed that elephants were
poached for their tusks (47.8% of respondents in 2014 compared to only 33% in
2012). Residents believing tusks are obtained only from natural elephant mortality
fell from 33.8% in 2012 to just 10.5% in
provided by African Wildlife Foundation
2014.
• 95% of residents agree that the “Chinese
government should impose a ban on the
ivory trade to help stop the poaching of
elephants in Africa.”
Key survey findings on rhino horn:
• Respondents who believe that rhino horn
has medicinal effects dropped by 23.5%
(from 58.2% in 2012 to 44.5% in 2014).
• 95% of residents surveyed who don’t
consume rhino horn agree that the Chinese
government should take stricter action to
prevent rhino horn consumption, while a
surprising 87% of rhino horn consumers
agree with stricter regulations.
• 90% of residents who had viewed the campaign’s public service messages starring
Yao Ming or Jackie Chan said they would
not buy rhino horn.
• 50% of respondents believe that horns
come from poached rhinos, a 51.5% increase in awareness since 2012.
(Continued on page 9)
Looking for Good Wood
W
hen looking for a park bench – or anything else made of wood, for that
matter – woods such as mahogany, tropical plywood (sometimes called
lauan or meranti in stores), teak, ipe, greenheart, ekki, ramin, wenge, cocobolo,
zebrawood and paduk should all be avoided. Demand for these species is driving
devastating logging, legal and illegal, throughout the rainforests of the world.
The United States is the second largest importer of tropical hardwoods. The
plywood is used as paneling, doorskins, sub-flooring, sub-roofing, furniture backing and picture frame backing. The other woods are found mostly in furniture
(including benches), futons, frames and even tool handles.
Smart Wood
Avoid any wood produce that you cannot identify as domestic and second
growth. For plywood, use domestic software (pine or spruce) or hardwood (maple,
birch or beech). Avoid tools with wooden handles unless they are oak, ash or
hickory. Always ask if tropical woods are independently certified as sustainably
managed – these are OK to buy.
7
San Diego Earth Times
San Diego Earth Times
8
April 2015
Greenpeace canned tuna ranking finds most
brands fail consumers on ocean safe tuna
More than 80% of the tuna sold in the US comes from
unsustainable, destructive sources
provided by Greenpeace
n its first-ever US canned tuna ranking, identified as the best choices for US tuna can stretch for miles. The longline fishery is
Greenpeace found that the vast majority of consumers – all offering ocean-safe products. less regulated and can be highly destructive
the tuna sold in the American market fails Each brand has a comprehensive approach to when measures are not employed to mitigate
to meet fundamental sustainability standards. sustainability and strive to be fair and socially bycatch. Thousands of tons of seabirds,
Among the worst performers are the big three responsible. Whole Foods finished near the sea turtles, sharks and other marine life are
brands representing a combined 80% of the top tier for selling only more responsibly hooked and then left to die on the lines. Up
US tuna market: Bumble Bee, Chicken of the caught tuna. Hy-Vee and Trader Joe’s also to 35% of the longline catch can be species
ranked near the top but continue to have some other than tuna, many of which are already
Sea and StarKist.
The ranking, included in
vulnerable.
“While the biggest brands have thus far refused
Greenpeace’s 2015 Canned
“Unfortunately, dolphin
Tuna Shopping Guide, to offer sustainable tuna, the silver lining here is safe does not mean ocean
looked at 14 well-known that other companies are stepping up to provide safe. Turtles, sharks and
US national and private la- ocean safe options for their customers.”
other vulnerable ocean life
bel supermarket brands and
are collateral damage in tuna
concluded that most do not have adequate outstanding sustainability concerns.
fisheries that supply the US market,” added
measures in place to address both sustainForbes. “The big players have a responsibility
ability and the human welfare and labor issues Slave labor and death
to join forward-thinking brands in building a
The sourcing policies and practices of the more responsible tuna industry. As the market
that plague the industry. Eight of the 14 tuna
brands evaluated received a failing score, 14 brands were evaluated, including whether continues to shift, selling products that are bad
the fishing method used to catch their tuna for our oceans will be bad for business.”
including retail giants Walmart and Kroger.
The US tuna ranking is part of a global
“Consumers should know that popular harms other marine life, whether they avoid
and trusted canned tuna brands are contribut- shark finning, and whether they can trace Greenpeace campaign to transition toward
ing to ocean destruction at an alarming rate,” their products back to the sea. In addition, fair and sustainable global tuna fisheries
said Greenpeace Seafood Markets Lead Gra- Greenpeace examined how equitable and for our oceans and ocean-dependent people.
ham Forbes. “While the biggest brands have socially responsible the brands are. Poor In addition to the ranking, Greenpeace has
thus far refused to offer sustainable tuna, the working conditions are systemic in the tuna developed a “Decoding the Can” page to assilver lining here is that other companies are industry, and in the worst cases, human rights sist consumers in understanding the various
labels and options on a tuna can. To view
stepping up to provide ocean safe options for violations and slave labor take place.
The US is the largest market for canned the entire Canned Tuna Shopping Guide,
their customers.”
tuna in the world and the primary global please visit: www.greenpeace.org/usa/
Sustainable choices
market for albacore tuna, a species mostly tunaguide.
Wild Planet, American Tuna and Ocean
caught by longlines. Longline fishing conNaturals received the top scores and were
sists of multiple hooks on a single line that
I
Ivory
(cont. from page 7)
The campaign trail
In early 2013, public awareness campaigns focused on reducing demand for both
rhino horn and ivory were launched by WildAid and Save the Elephants, respectively.
The campaigns use public service announcements, billboards and subway ads
featuring some of China’s biggest celebrities,
including former NBA superstar Yao Ming,
action hero Jackie Chan and top Chinese
April 2015
actress Li Bingbing, as well as The Duke of
Cambridge (Prince William), David Beckham, actor/director Jiang Wen and others. A
documentary film about elephant and rhino
poaching in Africa, featuring Yao Ming, was
also produced and released in both China and
the United States. Media partners in China
donated an estimated $90 million last year
in pro bono broadcast and media placement
for campaign messages.
“The fight to save Africa’s elephants and
rhinos continues to rage on the ground, but
these results and other small but hopeful signs
9
of progress suggest that efforts to tackle the
trade in both supply and demand countries are
working,” said African Wildlife Foundation
CEO, Dr. Patrick Bergin. “We’re on the right
path and increasingly we’re seeing signs that
China wants to be on that path too.”
“This poaching crisis was started by increased demand and will only end when it’s
reduced. A ban on legal sales of ivory in China
already proposed by members of the consultative body at the National People’s Congress
is the greatest single step that could be taken
(Continued on page 10)
San Diego Earth Times
A tale of two spokes: Taiwan’s solution to
greener commutes can work here, too
Cheap & Easy
Kaohsiung had a wonderful bike share
system called C-Bike, with stations in every
location that has high concentrations of
people: parks, mass rail trail stops, museums,
schools and shopping centers.
This first bike-sharing system in Taiwan
was implemented in 2009 and came with an
irresistible incentive: all bikes are free for the
first hour, and only 10 NT (35 cents) for each
Ivory
(cont. from page 9)
for elephants and would clearly be a popular
move,” said WildAid CEO Peter Knights.
Killing grounds
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save
the Elephants, said, “China holds the key
to the future of Africa’s elephants, and it’s
encouraging that those surveyed are increasingly aware that buying ivory kills elephants.
Their voices can’t be heard soon enough:
100,000 elephants were killed for their tusks
in just three years between 2010 and 2012.”
Though some domestic ivory sales remain legal in China under a governmentcontrolled system, the Chinese government
has taken encouraging steps in the right
direction over the past two years. China’s
accomplishments include:
• February 2015: China’s State Forestry
Administration announced a one-year
suspension of import permits for African
San Diego Earth Times
By Angela Shen, UC San Diego Alumna
half hour thereafter for members. The fee for mornings. School children used them to get
nonmembers is only 20 NT (70 cents). The home from school in the afternoons. Families
bike share programs in Taiwan are heavily used them for leisurely rides along the city’s
subsidized by the government, which explain many well-lit bike paths in the evenings.
their incredibly low rental prices. The systems
were designed to complement existing public Bike sharing in San Diego
Last fall, I was thrilled to read that a
transportation and are maintained as such.
C-Bike became massively popular, and bike share system was being implemented in
bike sharing programs were adopted in the San Diego, a city that I consider my second
(Continued on page 22)
capital city of Taipei as well as adjacent New
Taipei City soon thereafter. C-Bike
now has a fleet of over 2,500 bikes
and 157 rental stations.
The YouBike system in Taipei
has grown to be even more extensive, with 6,406 bikes, 196 stations,
and a daily ridership of 70,000
people. In fact, YouBike is one of
the most used bike share systems in
the world. For me, it was fantastic
to see that, in addition to being a
great convenience for tourists, the
bikes were seamlessly integrated
into the everyday lives of ordinary
citizens. Senior citizens used them One of Kaohsiung’s C-Bike stations. The pillar in
to do their grocery shopping in the the center of the row of bikes is the payment station.
Photo blogger.irving.tw
A
s a southern California native, I was
born and raised in a car culture.
Having grown up in a Los Angeles
suburb and studied at UC San Diego as an
undergraduate, I relied on cars to get me from
point A to point B for most of my adult life. It
wasn’t until I moved to Taiwan’s second largest city, Kaohsiung, that I experienced biking
as a viable means of commuting. Back home,
I was used to paying hundreds of dollars for
gas and car maintenance every year, not to
mention having the guilt of contributing to
global warming. In Kaohsiung, I could bike
from school to home every day without even
having to own a bike.
ivory carvings.
• May 2014: Prime Minister Li Keqiang
pledged $10 million in foreign assistance
to African countries for wildlife protection
and conservation.
• April 2014: The Chinese government
strengthened a wildlife consumption law
by mandating jail sentences for eating or
buying products made from 420 wildlife
species considered rare or endangered.
• January 2014: The government crushed
6.1 tons of confiscated ivory carvings and
tusks.
• September 2013: Visitors traveling from
China to Kenya received SMS text alerts
from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and its embassy in Nairobi, requesting that
they do not buy ivory, rhino horn or any
other wildlife products during their stay.
About the surveys
The ivory and rhino horn surveys were
conducted in November 2012 and November
2014 in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
10
The November 2012 surveys polled a sample
of 961 urban residents on ivory and a sample
of 963 residents on rhino horn. Both followup surveys in November 2014 polled a sample
of 935 residents on ivory and rhino horn. The
margin of error for the samples is plus or
minus 1.84%.
Founded in 1961, the African Wildlife
Foundation (AWF) is a leading conservation
organization focused solely on the African
continent. AWF’s programs and conservation strategies are based on sound science
and designed to protect both the wild lands
and wildlife of Africa and ensure a more
sustainable future for Africa’s people. Since
its inception, AWF has protected endangered
species and enmdangered land, promoted
conservation enterprises that benefit local
African communities, and trained hundreds
of African nationals in conservation—all to
ensure the survival of Africa’s unparalleled
wildlife heritage. For more information,
(Continued on page 12)
April 2015
Earth Day 2015
EarthFair 2015 in Balboa Park on April 19
A quick guide to what to see and do at the 25th Anniversary event.
E
arthFair 2015 is San Diego EarthWorks’
25th anniversary event. EarthFair in
Balboa Park is the largest free annual
environmental fair and Earth Day celebration
in the world!
Produced by 400 volunteers, EarthFair
2015 will feature more than 300 exhibitors,
theme areas, a food pavilion, a special Kids’
Activity Area, four entertainment venues, the
Children’s Earth Day Parade, and the eARThGallery eco-arts and crafts show.
Earth Day is a “big tent” celebration,
encompassing everyone and everything that
concerns the care and preservation of our environment. EarthFair mirrors this broad view.
Exhibitors
The exhibitors are the heart of EarthFair.
They represent every type of environmental
organization, governmental program and commercial enterprise with goods, services, and
causes that address our environment and quality of life. EarthFair exhibitor fees are graduated to allow everyone to participate, from
the smallest club to the largest corporation.
It’s impossible to list everything you’ll
find at EarthFair: traditional conservation
organizations; wildlife preservation groups;
green building; products made from natural
and organically grown crops; organic gardening information; alternative energy vehicles;
eco-tourism opportunities; many alternative
and traditional health care products and
services; pet adoption services; clean air and
clean water products; habitat preservation
groups… the list goes on and on.
If your organization, club, or company is
interested in exhibiting at EarthFair, please
visit www.EarthDayWeb.org.
Special for Kids
In our Children’s’ Activity Area you’ll
find crafts, games, face painting, story-telling,
and hands-on activities for children of all
ages. Activities are designed to educate, entertain, and inspire youth in the spirit of Earth
Day. Participants can take part in a number
of eco-friendly projects and crafts, including Jeanne’s Garden Program for Children.
Our Children’s Stage features performances
throughout the day.
Children’s Earth Day Parade
The Children’s Earth Day Parade begins
at 10:30am; see the centerfold map for the
route. County Supervisor Dave Roberts is
Attend Awards Reception
in honor of Earth Day
S
an Diego EarthWorks presents the 24th
annual V.I.P. Reception (Very Important Planet) and E.A.R.T.H. Awards:
Thursday, May 28, 6:00pm-9:00pm
9601 Ridgehaven Court, Kearny Mesa
Business and community members will
gather at the V.I.P. Reception to celebrate
Earth Day, acknowledge individuals and
organizations who have taken extraordinary
action on behalf of our environment, and support San Diego EarthWorks programs. The
evenings activities will include:
•A Silent Auction with eco-friendly goods,
services and entertainment packages.
April 2015
•A buffet dinner.
• San Diego EarthWorks’ “E.A.R.T.H.”
Awards.
V.I.P. Reception sponsors include San
Diego County Air Pollution Control District,
San Diego Gas & Electric, and the City of
San Diego Department of Environmental
Services. To purchase tickets, donate to
the silent auction, or volunteer, please visit
VIPReception.org.
For more information, visit VIPReception.org, email [email protected],
or call (858) 272-7370.
11
by Chris Klein
Grand Marshall of this year’s parade. Participants are invited to dress up as endangered
species or present their favorite earth-friendly
messages. To find out more, see photos of
previous parades, or to register, visit www.
EarthParade.org. Entry is free!
eARTh Gallery
The eARTh Gallery features crafts made
from recycled, discarded or waste materials;
and artwork depicting “Endangered Spaces”
in San Diego County. The Gallery is locared
close to the corner of Park Blvd. and Presidents Way, next to our Food Court and the
Moon Stage. For information about displaying or selling your eco-arts or -crafts, please
visit www.SDEarthGallery.org.
If You Care, Repair
The San Diego Reuse & Repair Network,
The County of San Diego, the City of Chula
Vista, abd the City of San Diego are sponsoring a special area at EarthFair to showcase
“higher use” ways to keep items out of the
(Continued on page 13)
On-line EarthFair
Exhibitor Finder
We list the names of our exhibitors on our website, with links to their
websites. However, searching through
hundreds of exhibitors is daunting.
To help you find specific exhibitors, we are providing a special webbased service.
Go to EFExh.org. You will find
a list of 60 topics, like “Climate
Change”, “Peace”, “Solar-electric”
and “Waste Reduction.” Check off
the topics you are interested in, press
the “Show Exhibitors” button, and
the system will list the exhibitors that
address those topics, their exhibit description, and a link to their website.
One week before EarthFair we will
also list their exhibit location.
San Diego Earth Times
Award inspiration
Nominate a deserving individual or group for an E.A.R.T.H. Award
O
ften, the people making extraordinary efforts on behalf of the
environment and our quality of
life are unappreciated beyond a small circle of friends and associates. EarthWorks’
E.A.R.T.H. Awards (Environmental Action &
Restoration T hat Helps) honors these special
individuals and groups, gives them the wider
acknowledgment they deserve, and encourages others to follow their example.
You may know individuals or groups worthy of an E.A.R.T.H. Award. For example, it
Ivory
(cont. from page 10)
visit awf.org and follow them on Twitter @
AWF_Official and on Facebook at facebook.
com/AfricanWildlifeFoundation.
WildAid is the only organization to focus
on reducing the demand for wildlife products. WildAid works with hundreds of Asian
and Western political figures, celebrities
and business leaders, including the Duke of
Cambridge, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, Edward
Norton and Sir Richard Branson, to dissuade
San Diego Earth Times
could be a student that has set up a recycling
program at school, a restaurant that has converted to recycled paper products, a government department that has eliminated pesticide
use, or an organization that is promoting zerowaste. The possibilities are endless.
EarthWorks asks YOU to nominate potential recipients for the E.A.R.T.H. Awards.
The nomination deadline is May 10, 2015.
Self-nominations are welcome.
A nomination form can be filled out at
the EarthWorks on-line registration system:
people from purchasing endangered wildlife
products. WildAid’s public service messages
and educational initiatives reach hundreds of
millions of people per week in China alone
through donated media space. “When the
buying stops, the killing can too.” For more
information, visit wildaid.org. Follow them
on Twitter @wildaid and on Facebook at
facebook.com/wildaid.
Save the Elephants (STE) works to secure
a future for elephants in a rapidly changing
world. To battle the current surge in ivory
12
by Alice Martinez
• Go to sdew.earthmedia.bz/login
• Register yourself on the system as a New
Associate
• Click the E.A.R.T.H. Award 2015 Nomination button and fill out the form.
If you don’t have web access, please call
the EarthWorks office at 858-272-7370. The
awards will be presented to the winners on
Wednesday, May 28 at the 25th annual V.I.P.
Reception (see story on page 11).
poaching, the STE/WCN Elephant Crisis
Fund is identifying and supporting the most
effective global partners to stop poaching,
thwart traffickers and end demand for ivory.
Leaders in elephant science, STE also provides cutting-edge scientific insights into
elephant behavior, intelligence, and longdistance movement and applies these insights
to the long-term challenges of elephant conservation. For more information visit www.
savetheelephants.org and facebook.com/
savetheelephants.kenya
April 2015
EarthFair 2015
(cont. from page 11)
landfill. There will be business and non-profit
booths, demonstrations, and many fun and
creative ways to fix or repurpose items to
extend their usefulness.
The Reuse & Repair area is between the
UN Cottages and the Pan American Plaza.
Cleaner Car Concourse
The Cleaner Car Concourse features
alternative-fuel and high-efficiency privatelyowned vehicles of all descriptions (hybrids
included). See the vehicles and hear enthusiastic owners talk about them. The vehicles
will be on display in the Pan American Plaza.
Do you have a vehicle that belongs in the
show? Visit www.EarthDayWeb.org for
more information and to register.
In the Plaza de Panama you can view
Toyota’s latest energy-ffficient offerings. In
addition, San Diego Gas & Electric is sponsoring an “all-electric plug-in car” display
in the Plaza. Come and see what’s available
today.
First, you have to get there
EarthFair attracts around 60,000 visi-
Social
Media
S
ocial media is a great way to connect to San Diego EarthWorks
and the EarthFair. We will be using
Facebook pages and Twitter profiles
to post updates, share news, and
promote EarthFair events, exhibitors, and supporters.
We invite you to “like” San Diego
Earth Day (Facebook.com/SanDi-
egoEarthDay) and be sure to use the
hashtag #EARTHFAIR on your Tweets
to share your EarthFair experiences,
expectations, and tips. Post your favorite EarthFair photos and share your
favorite exhibits.
You can also find out about performances and special events. Have
an question about EarthFair? Ask our
visitor support staff that will be monitoring our Facebook and Twitter accounts
throughout the day.
April 2015
tors. That’s a lot. It you plan on arriving at
EarthFair after 11:00am, there will be little
or no car parking close to the park. Instead
of sitting in your car looking for that one
needle-in-a-haystack parking place, try one of
these alternatives: bike; use transit; or use
off-site parking with a free shuttle ride.
You can find maps and more at www.
earthdayweb.org/EarthFairTransportation.html.
Ride a bike
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
will offer free, guarded bike parking in two
locations (see map on pages 12-13):
• On Village Place (off of Park Blvd., south
of the Zoo) behind the Natural History
Museum.
• In the California Quadrangle (across the
street from the Museum of Man entrance,
just after you cross the Cabrillo Bridge).
If you don’t want to ride the entire way to
the park, drive part way, park in a convenient
spot, and ride the rest of the way.
College. From the trolley stop on Park Blvd.,
cross to the east side of Park Blvd. and walk
up to Russ Blvd. The shuttle stop is close to
the corner of Russ Blvd. and 16th Street.
Off-site Parking and Free Shuttles
Free shuttle services will take you
between the Fair and two free off-site
parking locations: at City College, and
at Petco Park. The shuttles will run from
10:30 am to 6 pm. NOTE: EarthFair shuttle
buses cannot accommodate bicycles.
To get to the two City College lots,
from the 163 freeway, exit on Park Blvd. and
follow the signs: turn right (south) on Park,
then turn left (east) on C St. From C you can
either: (1) turn left (north) on 16th, and go
straight ahead to the parking structure across
from Garfield High, or (2) go straight ahead,
turn right on 17th, and park in the multi-level
parking structure.
The shuttle stops are marked with a sign.
(Continued on page 26)
Ride public transportation
There is a trolley stop about a ten-minute
walk from the Park. See the details in the Try
Transit for Earth Day on the left.
Trolley and Free Shuttle
Take the free shuttle service from City
T
Try Transit for
Earth Day!
ake any Blue or Orange Trolley
Line to the City College Station
in downtown San Diego. The station
is located between 11th Ave. and
Park Blvd., and C St. and Broadway.
The Route 7 bus stop is just steps
away at the corner of 11th Avenue
and C Street. Remember to get a
Day Pass when you start your trip
on the trolley.
Use the Transit Trip Planner
on-line at transit.511sd.com. For
automated schedule info, call: 619685-4900.
Remember, riding MTS buses
and trolleys make every day “EARTH
DAY.” When you use transit instead of
driving a car you reduce greenhouse
gases, slow global warming, and improve our air quality. Saving just one
gallon of gas can eliminate 19 pounds
of carbon dioxide emissions.
13
I
Bring Old Cell
Phones, Tablets
to ecoATM
t you are going to EarthFair,
ecoATM is the most convenient
way for you to recycle your old
phones, MP3 players and tablets at the
same time – and they will pay you cash
for them. ecoATM kiosks evaluate your
used electronics, search online for the
best price, and if you agree buy your
items on-the-spot.
Note that your device must be
charged when you bring it in. They
will accept accessories for recycling,
but cannot pay for them.
The majority of the devices
ecoATMs receive are reused, while
the remaining devices are recycled. For the devices that ecoATM
collects for which they cannot find
a second life, they partner with the
best e-waste reclamation facilities to
ensure those materials are reclaimed
and reused in place of mining new
materials and precious metals from
the Earth.
Vist the ecoATM exhibit at
EasrthFair 2015 in the Pan American
Plaza; ask at an Information Booth
for detailed directions.
San Diego Earth Times
San Diego Earth Times
14
April 2015
EarthFair Sponsors
San Diego EarthWorks acknowledges and thanks our
sponsors and supporters without whose generous
support the EarthFair would not be possible.
City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture
San Diego Toyota Dealers
San Diego 6 The CW
City of San Diego Dept. of Environmental Services
Walmart Stores
San Diego Gas & Electric / Sempra Utilities
NRG Energy
Sungevity
San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union
Republic Services
Renovate America / The HERO Program
Fair World Project / Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Sambazon • Guayaki Yerba Mate
ecoATM
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
County of San Diego
Solid Waste Planning & Recycling
City of Chula Vista Environmental Services
EDCO Waste & Recycling Services
San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
Urban Corps of San Diego
Zero Waste San Diego
Loma Media
KYXY 96.5 FM • New Energy 103.7 FM
105.7 MAX FM • Mighty 1090
Radio Latina 104.5 FM
Big MaMa Earth Entertainment
Moon Stage
Park & Presidents Way
Produced by Spirit Soul & Friends
11:55 Opening – Spirit Soul And Friends
12:00 Lion Dancing; Tai Chi with Rey Leal; Bill Helm
& The Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego; Martial
Arts featuring Jacob Ellis
12:45 Wilferd Guenthoer & Ted Takeuchi – acoustic
duo / reggae / top forty
1:45 Elijah Bustos – Singer/acoustic guitar
2:45 Spirit Soul And Friends – A Musical Peace
Troupe – World Music / Peace Songs / Kirtan
3:45 Quad IX – Progressive Rock
Garden of Eating Stage
Plaza de Panama
Produced by SanDiego350’s Planet-Based Diet Team
Sponsored by RobGreenfield.tv & Jimbo’s
Healthful eating demonstrations, tips &
samples throughouot the day.
See page 21 for stage schedule.
Zero Waste at EarthFair
San Diego EarthWorks presents…
EarthFair has a goal of Zero Waste, meaning everything that is thrown away will either be recycled
or reused. Last year, almost 80% of our waste was
diverted from the landfill.
If you have food, paper or other waste, don’t
just put it in a trash can. Instead, go to one of the
30 Zero Waste Stations throughout EarthFair and
recycle! Each station, under a big umbrella, will
have blue Recycling and green Composting bins,
and our volunteer Trash Talkers who can answer
any recycling or composting questions you have,
and help you get your waste in the right bin.
EARTHFAIR 2015
April 19, • Balboa Park • 10am - 5pm
www.EarthDayWeb.org
Food Court
Garden of Eating
Guarded Bike
Parking
Dynamount.com presents…
Guarded Bike
Parking
Sun Stage
City of San Diego Exhibits
Federal Bldg. Lawn
Produced by Mike Russo of Psychothermia
100% eCars
Butterfly
Garden
Installation
Dr. Wilderness
Family Magic Show
Children’s
Sky Stage
Hosted by Jacqueline Silva
Magic Stage
11:30am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm
Children’s
Activity Area
10:00 Sierra West – singer/songwriter
11:00 The Liquorsmiths – folk rock
12:00 The New Rich – alternative rock
1:05 Restoration One – reggae/funk
2:10 Hazmatt - reggae/rock
3:20 Todo Mundo - reggae/rock
Children’s Sky Stage
eHome
Green Home
Children’s Area
Reuse & Repair
Area
Produced by Brianna Rendon
Cleaner Car
Concourse
Worldbeat
Multicultural
Earth Day
Beer Garden
Sun Stage
Make a world of difference…
Volunteer for EarthFair!
Info and Register at
www.EFVol.org
10:00 Dance Scene San Diego – Variety of Dance
12:00 Guitars in the Classroom Presents:
Ocean Beach, Sunset View & Silvergate
Elementary Schools
1:00 Capoeira Brasil San Diego – Brazilian Martial
Arts/Dance
2:00 Guitars in the Classroom Presents:
Sandburg, Hage & Normal Heights Elementary
Schools & Friends
3:00 Tumble Wee & Dance Performances
4:00TBA
Moon Stage
Social Media
at EarthFair
Food Court
“Like” San Diego Earth Day on Facebook
and Tweet with #EarthFair
eARTh Gallery
Recycled arts and crafts
Upcycled gifts
• Share your favorite exhibits, activities, events
• Post your favorite EarthFair photos!
• Find out about performances, special events
• Ask questions of our event staff on-line
EarthFair Exhibitors
As Of 3/21/15
David Guggenheim
Academy of Arts and Sciences
Admirals Experience
American Cetacean Society – San
Diego
Amnesty International Group 137
Anthem Vegan
B ‘N’ B Kettle Corn
Bags and more by Tess
Baha’i Faith
Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
BCA Radio
Be Love
Ben & Jerry’s
Bicyle Warehouse
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
BMW of San Diego
Botany For Kids
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun
Violence
Brahma Kumaris
Buddha’s Light International
Association
CaboandCoral.com LLC
California Coastal Commission
Public Education Program
California Connections Academy
California Straw Building Assoc.
California Wolf Center
Center for Sustainable Energy
Cheetah Conservation Fund,
Southern California Chapter
Christian Vegetarian Association
Christians for EarthCare
Christopher Ward for City
Council
Circulate San Diego
Citizens Oversight Projects (COPS)
City of Chula Vista
City of La Mesa, California
City of San Diego –
Environmental Services Dept.
City of San Diego Water
Conservation
City of San Diego – Public
Utilities Dept / WTD
Coastal Kona
Colleen Tkoch
Committee Opposed to
Militarism and the Draft
Condoms for Trees
County of San Diego, Vector
Control Program
County Supervisor Dave Roberts
Cruisin Juice
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Interpretive Association
Didjeridoo Daddy & ReWear
Clothing
Donate-a-Pack Foundation
doTERRA
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Dr. Wilderness Inc.
Earth Made Snow Cones
ecoATM
EcoCork Sustainable Handbags &
Accessories
EDCO Waste & Recycling Services
End Malaria Now
Environgentle
Erika Gonzalez
Essential Addictions
Evolution Fast Food
Fair World Project
FairLeaf
Fiesta Island Dog Owners
Fleet Readiness Center Southwest
Food For Life San Diego
Foundation for Wellness
Professionals
Friends of Humane Society de
Tijuana
Gabina’s Cuisine
Gerson Institute
Go Raw
Goodliferoots
Goodwill Industries of San Diego
County
Govinda’s Center
Graceful Departure Pet Center
Green Energy EPC
Green Party of San Diego County
Greenpeace
Guayaki Yerba Mate
HandsOn San Diego
Heifer International
HempTrend
Henna Trendz By Wardah
Herfindahl Chiropractic
Hostelling International USA, San
Diego
Human and Earth Rights
Organization
IBEW Local 569
Inika Small Earth
Inspection Perfection
Inspirational Imports
ISKCON
J R Organics CSA
Juice Wave
Kahal Am-The Humanistic Jewish
Community of San Diego
Kearny Mesa FIAT
KIIN
Kill the Cup
Knitting by Marilee
Kodama Forest
Koinonia Family Services
KYXY 96.5 FM
La Jolla Bamboo Boutique
La Maestra Foundation –
Generations Program
La’Vera Delight FKA Manila BBQ
& Grill
Laguna Mountain Volunteer
Association
Last Chance for Animals
Lean and Green Kids
Ledesmas Foods
Libs Chiropractic Center
Live Well San Diego Lions Club
Love, Create & Help
LucysRoom
Lunatec, Inc.
Mercy For Animals
Mission Trails Regional Park
Foundation
Montroses UP-RE BOUTIK
MOVA International
MOVI San Diego
MRM
Mystic Clay
Natural Body & Bath
Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Southwest
Pacific Coast Naturals
Palm Springs Vintage
Palomar Mountain Water
Peace Pies
Peace Resource Center of San
Diego
Pine Valley Crafts
Plant With Purpose
Poster Heaven
PowerSave Campus
Rayne Water
Re-Pac Bags
Real World Scholars
RED Sambusas
Regeneration-Art
reInterpret
Renovate America / The HERO
Program
Rivers Eden
Rob Greenfield
Rooftop Solar
Sahaja Meditation
Salvadorean Food Pupusas
Sambazon
San Diego 6 The CW
San Diego Beekeeping Society
San Diego County Air Pollution
Control District
San Diego County Democrats for
Environmental Action
San Diego County Fair
San Diego County Farm Bureau
San Diego County Office of
Education
San Diego County Parks
San Diego Drums & Totes
San Diego House Rabbit Society
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego Marriott Marquis and
Marina
San Diego Metropolitan Credit
Union
San Diego Peace Corps
Association
San Diego Reuse & Repair
Network
San Diego Veterans For Peace
SanDiego350
SanDiego350.org
Save The World Fridays
SaveMissionTrails.org
Scientists & Environmentalists for
Population Stabilization
Sea Shepherd Conservation
Society
Seal Conservancy of San Diego
Self-Heal School of Herbal
Studies and Healing
Share Network San Diego
Sharp HealthCare
Sharp Hospital Outpatient
Pavilion Health Library
Shiny Handmade Cosmetics
Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter
Signs of San Diego
Sisters of Perpetual indulgence
SoCal Parrot
Solaire Energy Systems
Solana Center for Environmental
Innovation
Solar Ease
Soleil Communications
Spay Neuter Action Project
Spirit Soul & Friends Musical
Peace Troupe
St. Paul’s Cathedral
STAY COOL for Grandkids
Sungevity
Surfrider Foundation San Diego
County Chapter
Sustainable Surplus Exchange
T.E.A.M. (Training and Education
About the Middle East)
Table for Two
Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office in Los Angeles
Tammy Gillespie Artist
Terawet Green Technologies, Inc.
The Camping Bares
The Center For Natural Dentistry
The Conscious Cook
The Food Waste Fiasco
The Friendly Feather Shop
The Garden of Eating
The Life Connection
The ManKind Project San Diego
The Raptor Institute
The Supreme Master Ching Hai
The Veteran Asset
The Waldorf School of San Diego
Toner Recycling Company
Traveling Stories
Trilogy Sanctuary
TUWA Elements of the Earth
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv., Office
of Law Enforcement
U.S. Green Building Council / San
Diego Chapter
UCCE Master Gardeners
United Way of San Diego County
Urban Corps of San Diego
Urban Corps of San Diego County
Urban Octopus
Vegan Pizza
Verge Apartments/Monogram
Apartment Collection
Viridian Energy
Vitality Chiropractic
Viva Pops
VRM
Water Conservation Garden
WateReuse Association – San
Diego Chapter
World Resources SimCenter
YaYa Bamboo
Zik Originals
Zipcar
100% Silicone Lid / Ceramic
Grater
April 2015
19
San Diego Earth Times
Hungry? Step inside the Garden of Eating!
We don’t need action by politicians or corporations to begin drastically
lowering emissions by switching from an animal-based to plan-based diet
will do it.
M
any of us take pains to do the right
thing for the environment. We
recycle, take shorter showers, and
turn the lights off when leaving a room. But
did you know that you can eat your way into
making an even bigger difference?
It’s true: food choices matter in so many
ways. The great news is this is an area where
personal health and happiness partners with
conserving resources, building community,
and addressing climate change – not to mention more compassion for the animals who
share this planet with us.
At this year’s EarthFair in Balboa Park,
SanDiego350’s Planet-Based Diet Team
invites you into the Garden of Eating, where
you can experience the pleasures of good
food, good life, and good earth – and we
promise, it’s anything but rabbit food!
Why check it out?
An overwhelming body of research
shows that plant-based is planet-based. The
UN says, “The livestock sector emerges as
one of the top two or three most significant
contributors to the most serious environ-
mental problems at every scale from local
to global.”
How can this be? In short, we are currently rearing 70 billion livestock animals
annually on a planet of 7 billion people,
with both numbers growing each
year. It takes a lot of our finite
resources to accommodate these
animals before they end up on
our plates – and causes
a shocking amount of
environmental damage.
Got drought?
Freshwater depletion is
an excellent example of the
problem generated by animal
agriculture. According to the Pacific Institute, the largest portion of drought-stricken
California’s water footprint is the result of
growing livestock feed.
However, “Eating lower on the food
chain could allow the same volume of water
to feed two Americans instead of one, with no
loss in overall nutrition” (Scientific American,
“Growing More Food With Less Water”).
by Lorelei Plotczyk
National Geographic says the average vegan
(plant-only) diet saves 600 gallons of water
per day! With California’s water supply running out, there’s no single more effective
way to preserve it.
Animal agriculture is also a
leading cause of deforestation, water pollution, rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat
loss, topsoil erosion,
and ocean dead zones.
The documentary film
Cowspiracy explains
this in great detail.
The climate is
changing
Greenhouse gasses (GHG) drive climate
change. Animal agriculture is responsible
for more GHG emissions than all forms of
transportation combined, according to the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization. One
recent WorldWatch Institute study finds it
responsible for 51% of total emissions!
Although energy and transportation are
also major contributors, animal agriculture
Meet Big MaMa Earth
B
ig MaMa Earth is a walk around environmental theme character, a new
and inspiring way of life and group
of dedicated supports who belief in children’s
education and environmental conservation.
To support this movement, the Big MaMa
Earth Learning Academy a not-for-profit
organization was formed. Big MaMa Earth
San Diego Earth Times
Learning Academy is the first children’s
environmental educational online academy
that offers real live solutions with over 60 categories including but not limited to: climate
change, teacher share portal, e-waste solutions, recycling, animal rights and protection.
Mike Miller, co-founder of Big MaMa
Earth, also co-developed a new, fun 33-in-1
indoor/outdoor family game that promotes
family activity and environmental awareness
called Beanbag Billiards. The Beanbag Billiards game will be offered on KickStarter
May 1st and Mike is asking for your support.
A portion of revenues received from the sales
of the game will be donated to the Big MaMa
Earth Learning Academy.
To further environmental awareness,
the Big MaMa Earth Learning Academy is
20
provided by Big Mama Earth
producing a children’s 30 minute TV show
called Big MaMa Earth and ME! The TV series will be fun, entertaining and dedicated to
inspiring children to be “Earth Ambassadors,”
encouraging them to inspire others to be part
of the change that society needs.
Big MaMa Earth Learning Academy is
also seeking donations and support from the
public and private sectors to continue their
work and gather the resources needed to
produce this all important TV series. For more
information please review their website at
www.bigmamaearthacademy.org or call
Mike Miller at 951-244-8444.
Meet Big Mama Earth and Mile at the
Children’s Area at EarthFair 2015.
April 2015
is responsible for 35% of the methane and
65% of the nitrous oxide emissions, which
trap more heat than carbon dioxide.
According to Deutsche Bank Research,
“Greenhouse gas emissions from meat eating
warrant the same scrutiny as do those from
driving and flying.”
Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
begs us, “Please eat less meat – meat is a very
carbon-intensive commodity.” He adds that
doing so is the most immediate and feasible
way to reduce emissions in a short period
of time.
too many fish from
the ocean sets off a
chain of events that
further warms the atmosphere. Scientists
say that, at this rate,
the oceans will be
completely depleted
by 2048.
Do fish count?
What about
grass-fed
beef and
cage-free
eggs?
Fish is often considered a more environmentally friendly option. However, the
demand for seafood is simply greater than the
oceans are capable of producing.
Outrageously, one third of all fish removed from the ocean – most of which is classified as unwanted “bycatch” – is fed to livestock or farmed fish. Additionally, removing
Those opposed to
factory farming may
be reassured by meat labeled grass-fed, cagefree, local, organic, or sustainable. But what
impact do these words really have? Although
the impact may be smaller, producing animals
for food still uses far more resources and
creates more greenhouses gasses than raising
Rob Greenfield at a Food Waste Fiasco, surrounded by food he rescued
from dumpsters to show how much perfectly good food is wasted. Visit
a “Fiasco” at the Garden of Eating at EarthFair
Garden of Eating Stage Schedule
10:00 My Plant-Based Diet for the Environment – Anne Marie Tipton
10:30 Eat the Rainbow Recipe Demo & Samples – Tracy Childs & Ami
Chitalia / Veg-Appeal 11:00 Food Waste Fiasco – Rob Greenfield / RobGreenfield.TV
11:30 Recipe Demo and Samples – MaiAda Huddle / Hummingbird
12:00 Steph Johnson Trio – Soul-Jazz
12:30 Food Waste Fiasco – Rob Greenfield / RobGreenfield.TV
1:00 Recipe Demo and Samples – Jacob Bell & Tom McCann / Sol Cal
Cafe
1:30 Got Drought? – Lorelei Plotczyk / Truth of Drought
2:00 Recipe Demo and Samples – Patrick Murray / Anthem Vegan
2:30 Eating Healthfully on a Budget – Joan E Marrero / JR Organics
3:00 Political & Economic Impact – Mitch Wallis, Attorney / Evolution
Fast Food
3:30 Krista Richards – Singer-Songwriter
4:00 Recipe Demo and Samples – Nastasha McKeon / Choice Juicery
plant foods, under any circumstances. Far
more plant-based foods can be produced on
a given acre of land, using fewer resources,
than any animal-based foods.
Need, not greed
Finally, consider the fact that one-third of
all arable land on earth is used to grow livestock feed, while millions of human beings
starve to death each year. The World Hunger
(Continued on page 22)
EarthFair 2015
50,000 Visitors – 300 Exhibitors
Managed by 400 Volunteers…
and YOU!
Make it happen.
VOLUNTEER
at EFVol.org
April 2015
21
San Diego Earth Times
Bike sharing
(cont. from page 10)
home. San Diego and Kaohsiung share quite
a few characteristics. Both are coastal port
cities and are home to large military populations. Both have beautiful parks and tourist
attractions as well as a bustling downtown
area. Both have sunny weather almost year
round, although San Diego experiences much
more temperate climates than sub-tropical
Kaohsiung.
Kaohsiung has spent the past decade
expanding its cycling infrastructure in addition to the bike share system. San Diego has
a bike master plan that looks promising, and
of course there’s the new DecoBike system.
I had the opportunity to try out DecoBike
on sunny day in February. The $12 for two
Garden of eating
hours rental price was, of course, much more
expensive than that of C-Bike in Kaohsiung,
but comparable to the prices at other private
bike rental places that I had encountered
in southern California beach areas. As my
friends and I rode from Petco Park to the
Convention Center and Seaport Village, then
around the outskirts of Downtown, I was reminded of all the times I spent in Kaohsiung
cycling along the river that runs through the
city. We came across several other people
along our route who had the same idea, and
we rang our bike bells in solidarity.
Looking east, looking west
The bike sharing systems are proof that
there are sustainable solutions to cutting
carbon emissions. Even car-obsessed Los An-
geles is investing in a bike-share system that
is expected to open in 2016. In Taiwan, bike
sharing is just a small part of its larger plan to
“green the country.” It has also invested heavily in renewable energy and has drastically
reduced its production of household waste
with green initiatives that include mandatory
environmental education starting in kindergarten. The citizens of Taiwan understand
that global climate change is a reality that
everyone must work together to solve. This
type of collective buy-in is critical, and it is
my hope that California can follow Taiwan’s
example to ensure a greener future for our
planet.
To find out more about the DecoBike
system, visit http://www.decobike.com/
sandiego/
to animal-based products are getting better
and better, and are now available in most
grocery stores.
tiny fraction of what we found but is a good
sampling of the variety of perfectly good food
that these stores are tossing out.”
According to Rob, one in seven AmeriThe food waste fiasco
cans don’t have enough food, yet we are
In addition to encouraging plant-based
throwing away enough food to feed every
eating, the Planet-Based Diet team is also
hungry American five times over. “My soluDeath and taxes… and meat? tackling food waste. Tragically, about one- tion is real simple. Grocery stores need to stop
dumping and start donating!”
Given the destruction caused by animal third of all food produced in the world gets
Rob asks you to go to dumpsters with
agriculture and fishing, why are meat and thrown away. All the resources used to proyour smart phone and take a picture or video
animal products still so widespread? Apart duce the food are wasted, and the food itself
if you find a lot of food. Upload the media
from current preferences and habits, it’s a generates large amounts of greenhouse gases
while
rotting
at
landfills.
and tweet, Facebook, or gram it at the wasteclear case of profit over planet. Large tax subful company with #DonateNotsidies keep the price of meat
Dump.
products artificially low and
“Human consumption of meat and dairy products is
Be sure to stop by Food Waste
mask the cost of irreplacea major driver of climate change.” –Chatham House, Fiasco and see what he’s up to
able natural resources used
when you visit the Garden of
to produce them. The true
the Royal Institute of International Affairs
Eating.
environmental cost will be
This is where Planet-Based Diet team
deferred to future generations.
Visit the Garden
member and local rock-star environmental
At the Garden of Eating, plenty of samactivist Rob Greenfield comes in. “Every time
But where do you get your
ples, demos, speakers, performers, factoids,
I open a dumpster there’s food in it,” he says.
protein?
and other features await you once you step
“I’m not going to stand for that anymore!”
inside. Jimbo’s, San Diego Soy Dairy, and
Is a plant-based diet healthy? Yes. The Rob’s national Food Waste Fiasco, which will
JR Organics have generously donated food
American Dietetic Association states that be part of the Garden of Eating area, shows
and supplies for our food demonstration
vegetarian and vegan diets are “healthful, just how much perfectly good food – much
stage. Vegetarians and omnivores alike are
nutritionally adequate, and may provide of it directly from grocery stores – is going
welcome; no “vegan police” will be present.
to
waste.
health benefits in the prevention and treatment
The hope is simply for you to come away
Rob and his helpers will extract safe and
of certain diseases [and] are appropriate for
inspired and excited about plant-based eating.
individuals during all stages of the life cycle.” edible food from dumpsters, and displays
The Garden of Eating will be located at
If our closest relative, the gorilla, can thrive it beautifully at the event. The amount of
EarthFair adjacent to the Plaza de Panama
perfectly good wasted food is shocking,
as an herbivore, so can we!
and Timkin Museum. Please see the full stage
Fortunately, plant-based eating is a trend and typically creates plenty of interest from
(Continued on the right))
that’s here to stay. Plant-based alternatives passers-by. Says Rob, “What you see is a
(cont. from page 21)
Program at Brown University found that a
plant-based diet can feed billions more people
than our current one. This seems like reason
enough to give veg eating a try, no?
San Diego Earth Times
22
April 2015
The Economy
Manifesto for a post-growth economy
What single change stands to give Americans more free time,
healthier ecosystems, and more meaningful jobs?
by James Gustave Speth
Editor’s introduction: Gus Speth has been a
e tend to see growth as an unal- And now something
co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense
loyed good, but an expanding completely different
Council, an advisor to presidents Jimmy
body of evidence is now telling
Here’s the good news: We already know
Carter and Bill Clinton, the head of the
us to think again. Economic growth may be
United Nations’ largest international assisthe world’s secular religion, but for most it the types of policies that would move us
tance program, and Dean at Yale University’s
is a god that is failing – underperforming for toward a post-growth economy that sustains
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
most of the world’s people, and creating more both human and natural communities. It is
possible to identify a long list
We already know the
of public policies that would
types of policies that would
Economic growth may be the world’s secular
slow GDP growth, thus sparing
move us toward a postreligion, but for most it is a god that is failing –
the environment, while simulgrowth economy that susunderperforming for most of the world’s people, and
taneously improving social and
tains both human and natucreating more problems than it solves for those in
individual well-being. Such
ral communities.
affluent societies.
policies include:
“Right at the time I
• Shorter workweeks and
should be settling into a
longer vacations
problems than it solves for those in affluent
rosy retirement,” Speth says, “I find I am
• Greater labor protections, including a “livsocieties.
instead quite alarmed about the appalling
ing” minimum wage, protection of labor’s
future we’re on track to leave our grandchilWe’ve had tons of growth in recent
right to organize, and generous parental
decades – while wages stagnated, jobs fled
dren.” His new book, America the Possible:
leaves
our borders, life satisfaction flatlined, soManifesto for a New Economy, is about how
transformative change can come to America,
cial capital eroded, poverty and inequality • Guarantees to part-time workers
mounted, and the environment declined. The • A new design for the twenty-first-century
what life would be like in the attractive future
corporation, one that embraces rechartering,
that is still within our power to build, and
never-ending drive to grow the overall United
new ownership patterns, and stakeholder
what we need to do to realize it.
States economy has led to a ruthless internaprimacy rather than shareholder primacy
tional search for energy and other resources,
In this excerpt, adapted from America
the Possible, Speth takes on the tricky issue
failed at generating needed jobs, and rests on • Restrictions on advertising
a manufactured consumerism that does not • Incentives for local and locally owned proof post-growth prosperity. For more specific
duction and consumption
details about the policies under discussion
meet the deepest human needs.
here, check out the book.
Americans are substituting growth and • Strong social and environmental provisions
in trade agreements
ever more consumption for doing the things
that would truly make us and our country • Rigorous environmental, health, and consumer protection (including fees or caps
better off. Psychologists have pointed out,
(cont. from page 22)
on polluting emissions and virgin materials
for example, that while economic output per
extractions, leading in turn to full incorporaperson in the United States rose sharply in
schedule on page 21.
tion of environmental costs in prices);
recent decades, there has been no increase in
Bring your appetite, and we’ll see you
life satisfaction. Meanwhile, levels of distrust • Greater economic equality with genuinely
there!
progressive taxation of the rich (including
and depression have increased substantially.
The Planet-Based Diet team works as
a progressive consumption tax) and greater
Politically, the growth imperative is a big
a group under SanDiego350, an all-volunincome support for the poor
part of how we the people are controlled: the
teer San Diego County organization raising
necessity for growth puts American politics • Increased spending on neglected public serawareness, developing leaders, and advocatvices; and initiatives to address population
in a straitjacket – a golden straitjacket, as
ing for climate change action. SanDiego350
growth at home and abroad.
Tom Friedman would say – and it gives the
will also have two regular booths at EarthFair
In this mix of policies, Juliet Schor and othreal power to those who have the finance
– one focusing on the ills of fracking, and the
and technology to deliver that growth – the ers have stressed the importance of work-time
other on moving San Diego to 100% clean
reduction. For example, if productivity gains
corporations.
energy. Those booths will be located on the
result in higher hourly wages (a big “if” in
North side of the Prado near the Museum of
(Continued on page 24)
Man.
W
Garden of eating
April 2015
23
San Diego Earth Times
Post-growth economy
(cont. from page 22)
recent decades) and work time is reduced correspondingly, personal incomes and overall
economic growth can stabilize while quality
of life increases. She points out that workers
in Europe put in about three hundred fewer
hours of work each year than Americans.
Taken together, these policies would undoubtedly slow GDP growth, but quality of
life would improve, and that’s what matters.
The growth we need
Of course, even in a post-growth America, many things will still need to grow. We
need growth in all the following areas:
• The number of good jobs and the incomes
of poor and working Americans
• The availability of health care and the efficiency of its delivery
• Education and training
• Security against the risks attendant to illness, old age, and disability
• Investment in public infrastructure and in
environmental protection
• The deployment of climate-friendly and
other green technologies
• The restoration of both ecosystems and
San Diego Earth Times
local communities
• Research and development
• In international assistance for sustainable, people-centered development for the
world’s poor
These are among the many areas where
public policy needs to ensure that growth
occurs.
Jobs as job one
Jobs and meaningful work top that list because unemployment is so devastating. Given
today’s unemployment picture, America
should be striving to add far more jobs than
likely future rates of GDP growth will deliver. The availability of jobs, the well-being
of people, and the health of communities
should not be forced to await the day when
GDP growth might somehow deliver them.
It is time to shed the view that, for working
people, government provides mainly safety
nets and occasional Keynesian stimuli. We
must insist that government have an affirmative responsibility to ensure that those seeking
decent-paying jobs find them.
The surest, and also the most costeffective, way to that end is direct government spending, investments, and incentives
24
targeted at creating jobs in areas where there
is high social benefit, such as:
• Modern infrastructure
• Child and elder care
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency
• Environmental and community restoration
• Local banking
• Public works and childhood education,
where there is a huge backlog of needs
Creating new jobs in areas of democratically determined priority is certainly better
than trying to create jobs by pump-priming
aggregate economic growth, especially in
an era where the macho thing to do in much
of business is to shed jobs, not create them.
Another path to job creation is reversing the
United States’ gung-ho stance on free trade
globalization. To keep investment and jobs at
home, journalist and author William Greider
urges that Washington “rewrite trade law, tax
law, and policies on workforce development
and subsidy.”
Visions of post-growth
prosperity
In Managing Without Growth, Canadian
(Continued on the right)
April 2015
E n e r g y zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
California nearing huge milestone in solar
deployment
zzz
zzz
zzz
zzz
zz
provided by Solar Energy Industries Association
C
alifornia has secured its place as jobs and protecting the environment, Califorincreases last year across all solar sectors.
America’s solar leader, according to nia is leading by example,” said Rhone Resch,
Of the new capacity added, 615 MW were
the recently-released US Solar Mar- president and CEO of the Solar Energy Indusresidential, 307 MW were commercial and
ket Insight 2014 Year in Review. The state is tries Association (SEIA). “To put the state’s
3,395 MW were utility scale. Together, these
poised to become the first state
installations represented an $11.7 bilin the nation to have 10 gigalion investment in the state.
From an environmental perspective, solar installations in California are helping to offset more than
watts (GW) of installed solar
California’s notable 2014 projects
11.7 million metric tons of harmful carbon emiscapacity – enough to power
include:
sions, which is the equivalent of removing 2.5
• Desert Sunlight, which was recently
nearly 2.5 million homes.
million cars off state roads and highways.
completed by developer First Solar.
Watts up
This photovoltaic (PV) project has the
“When it comes to creating clean energy remarkable progress in some context, today
capacity to generate 550 MW of electricCalifornia has 10 times more installed solar
ity – enough to power more than 160,000
capacity than the entire nation had in 2007.
California homes.
• Mojave Solar is also among the largest soWe congratulate Gov. Brown, his adminislar installations in California at 250 MW, .
tration, legislative leaders and the people of
Completed in 2014 by Abengoa Solar, this
California for being the ‘little engine that
concentrating solar power (CSP) project
could’ and demonstrating to America the
has enough electric capacity to power more
viability, as well as the reliability, of clean,
than 61,000 homes.
affordable solar energy.”
• Many large retailers in California also
In 2014, California added 4,316 megainstalled solar installations last year, inwatts (MW) of solar electric capacity, bringcluding: Walgreens, Johnson & Johnson,
ing its total to 9,977 MW – just 23 MW short
A portion of the Desert Sunlight project,
Walmart and IKEA.
of
cracking
the
10
GW
barrier.
The
report
near Blythe, CA, with a capacity of
(Continued on page 27)
went on to point out that California had big
550MW of electricity.
Post-growth economy
(cont. from page 24)
economist Peter Victor presents a model of
the Canadian economy that illustrates the
real possibility of scenarios “in which full
employment prevails, poverty is essentially
eliminated, people enjoy more leisure, greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced,
and the level of government indebtedness
declines, all in the context of low and ultimately no economic growth.” Here are some
of the policies and resultant social changes
that Victor says could get us there in 30 years:
• A stiff carbon tax is used to control emissions of the principal greenhouse gas,
carbon dioxide
• Labor productivity gains are taken as
increased leisure time
• Population growth levels off
• Unemployment declines due to worksharing arrangements
April 2015
The model succeeds in generating these
results, however, only if no-growth is phased
in over several decades, not imposed immediately. In his discussion of policies needed
for the transition, Victor mentions caps on
emissions, resource-harvesting limits that
take into account the environment’s assimilative capacity and resource regeneration rates,
government social policies to eliminate poverty, reduced work time for employees, and
other measures.
It is time for America to move to a
post-growth society, where working life, the
natural environment, our communities and
families, and the public sector are no longer
sacrificed for the sake of mere GDP growth;
where the illusory promises of ever-more
growth no longer provide an excuse for
neglecting our country’s compelling social
needs; and where true citizen democracy is
no longer held hostage to the growth impera-
25
tive.
James Gustave Speth adapted this article
for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit
media organization that fuses powerful ideas
and practical actions. He is an environmental
lawyer, advocate, and author, most recently of
The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from
Crisis to Sustainability. From 1999 to 2008,
he was dean of the Yale School of Forestry
and Environmental Studies. From 1993 to
1999, he served as administrator of the U.N.
Development Programme and chair of the
UN Development Group. Prior to his service
at the UN, he was founder and president of
the World Resources Institute; professor of
law at Georgetown University; chairman of
the US Council on Environmental Quality;
and senior attorney and cofounder, Natural
Resources Defense Council.
San Diego Earth Times
How many electric cars do we need to save
the planet?
by Mike Walker, Founder and CEO of AlterAction
ompared with conventional cars, plug- vehicles. EV sales have grown faster out of Emission Vehicle Action Plan. That plan
in electric vehicles (EVs) dramatically the gates than hybrid cars first did.
promises 3.3 million EVs will hit the roads by
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
But we can – and should – do much better. 2025. There is a lot of work to be done in these
This is true even after accounting for the Indeed, late last year EVs made up only about states to meet these commitments. Recently,
power plant emissions from the electricity 0.85% of total US auto sales.
a coalition of businesses and NGOs provided
to charge them. That’s why environmental
some specific recommendations and urged
groups have been calling on policy makers, Going to market
the governors of all the Northeast and MidSierra Club, the major environmental Atlantic states to ramp up their EV programs.
auto makers, the media, and the public to
support an accelerated switch to plug-in cars group, hired AlterAction, a behavior change Special opportunities
while simultaneously slashWe shouldn’t ignore
ing fossil fuel emissions in
Today we can more accurately estimate that
other ways – like improving we’ll have roughly 400,000 EVs on the road by certain other pockets of the
mass transit and expanding
the end of 2015. … But we can – and should – do country where we can also
accelerate EV adoption. For
solar power.
example, Georgia is among
In his State of the Union much better.
the most popular states for
address four years ago, President Obama said, “[We] can break our depen- consultancy, to produce an in-depth analysis EVs because of its generous $5,000 EV condence on oil… and become the first country of the US EV marketplace. One finding really sumer credit, which advocates are currently
to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road struck us: The United States needs 10 million fighting to defend. A recent report shows that
by 2015.” Today we can more accurately es- EVs on the road by 2025 to have a shot at EV drivers in Georgia are currently saving
timate that we’ll have roughly 400,000 EVs avoiding the worst effects of climate change. a combined $10 million a year in fueling
Even AlterAction’s sunniest market pro- costs, and last year these Peach State drivon the road by the end of 2015. We will likely
hit the 1-million mark around 2018. Still, not jection indicates that we’ll have only 4 to 5 ers prevented 22,000 tons of greenhouse gas
a bad start for a new category of passenger million EVs on the road by 2025 if we charge emissions. Additionally, Kansas City Power
ahead at the current modest pace of growth. & Light recently announced it plans to install
But we believe an aggressive campaign pro- 1,000 EV charging stations, which could boost
moting the most effective EV programs and EV sales in part of the Midwest.
(cont. from page 13)
policies in the right locations could bump
In California, Pacific Gas & Electric anthat number to 6 to 8 million EVs by 2025. nounced its plans to install 25,000 new EV
Note: there is a $5 fee to park all
And with many more NGO, government, and charging stations at two of the most imporday at Petco. To get to Petco Park: from
I-5 southbound, exit Imperial Ave., drive corporate stakeholders making this a priority tant types of locations for EV chargers: at
west and turn left onto Park Blvd. From I-5 issue, we could actually reach that 10-million- workplaces and multi-unit dwellings. The air
quality is so bad in parts of south and central
northbound, take exit 15A toward CA-94, EVs mark within the next decade.
California that policy makers have set a goal
merge onto 19th St, turn left onto J St, then
A
plan
of
action
to electrify nearly all passenger vehicles on the
left onto Park Blvd.
How do we get there? As we have pre- road by 2032. Translation: Even the Golden
And… VOLUNTEER!
vioously noted, some EV programs clearly State, the EV capital of the US, needs to sigIt takes about 400 volunteers to produce are already working and should be expanded nificantly ramp up its ambitious EV programs.
Getting to 10 million EVs in the U.S. by
this event. In fact, without this community and replicated. These include high-level EV
participation, EarthFair as we know it would taskforces put in place by state government 2025 will be a major challenge, but we know
not be possible. Come make a difference, and leaders, consumer incentives that make EVs a lot already about what works and on what
help create a fun, safe, productive event for cheaper to buy and more convenient to oper- to focus. In our next post, we’ll lay out a viate (such as cash rebates and carpool lanes sion for how to get the public charged up and
60,000 of our closest friends.
There are 18 different volunteer jobs. access), initiatives that encourage the installa- demanding these cars.
Reprinted from huffingtonpost.com.
Some are active and physical, others mental tion of charging equipment at places of work,
and social, still others almost contemplative. and utility programs (such as off-peak charg- Mike Walker is the founder and CEO of AlterAction, and his blog is alteractionconsultNo experience required – you will be trained ing rates and outreach to their customers).
And where in the country do we focus ing.com/category/alter-action-blog/. Gina
so you know exactly where to go and what to
do. Work one 3-hour shift, or pitch in all day. our attention? Part of the answer is the eight Coplon-Newfield is the Sierra Club’s Director
Northeast and West Coast states whose gov- of Electric Vehicles Initiative. Emily Norton
Your choice. Check it out: EFVol.org.
ernors have already committed to the Zero and Jeff Fisher also contributed.
C
EarthFair 2015
San Diego Earth Times
26
April 2015
Climate Change
Scientists warn climate change is threatening
world’s most expansive temperate rainforests
provided by PRNewswire
nternational climate change and rainfor- Grave predictions
• Entire rainforest communities in southest experts warned that without drastic
ern Oregon and northern California may
Applied climate models predicted the fuand immediate cuts to greenhouse gas
shrink, while in southeast Alaska and
emissions and new forest protections, the ture distribution of eight rainforest conifers of
British Columbia rainforests may expand
world’s most expansive stretch of temperate commercial value and broad rainforest comupward in elevation as glaciers recede.
rainforests from Alaska to the coast redwoods munities across a 2,200-mile stretch of coastal • Most of the region’s parks and wilderness
rainforests in the Pacific Northwest, British
areas do not include localized pockets of
will experience irreparable losses.
relatively stable vegetation and
Using global climate
climate suitable for rainforest
models, researchers as“... without drastic and immediate cuts to greenhouse
sessed changes in temgas emissions and new forest protections, the world’s species to find refuge from a
warming climate.
perature and precipitation
most expansive stretch of temperate rainforests
Dr. Marni Koopman, Climate
from recent to future clifrom Alaska to the coast redwoods will experience
Change Scientist, Geos Institute,
matic conditions if emisstated, “Our results provide the
sions from burning fossil
irreparable losses. … there is still time to act”
first comprehensive assessment
fuels and deforestation
Columbia, and Alaska. Published by Science of climate change shifts likely to affect comcontinue to rise.
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Direct in the online global reference “Earth mercially valuable conifers and rainforest
Dominick A. DellaSala, Chief Scientist of Systems and Environmental Sciences,” key communities across two countries (US and
Canada) and four states (Alaska, Washington,
Geos Institute, “In the Pacific Northwest, findings include:
the glass is half empty as the climate may no • Coast redwood could lose up to 23% of its Oregon, California).”
current distribution as the climate changes
longer support rainforest communities like
more drastically in the southern rainforest There is still time…
coast redwood, while on the Tongass National
region.
Forest in southeast Alaska the glass is half full
The study concluded that there is still time
as cooler, moister conditions may prevail as • Alaska yellow-cedar could lose up to 21%
of its current distribution and already to act, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
a refuge for rainforest communities that can
is experiencing extensive dieback from and protecting rainforest vegetation. Priority
migrate in time.”
I
warming and reduced snow pack.
Solar milestone
(cont. from page 25)
• Campbell’s Soup installed one of the largest corporate PV systems in the state with
2,300 kilowatts of solar capacity at their
location in Sacramento.
The solar home
The residential market also continued to
flourish last year, with installed system prices
dropping again – and down a total of 49%
since 2010. The upswing in residential installations is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, especially in light of a new report
by the California Energy Commission, which
shows that more than a quarter of all new
homes being built in Southern California are
being constructed with solar energy systems.
Presently, there are more than 2,000 so-
April 2015
lar companies at work throughout the value
chain in California, employing 54,700 people.
These companies provide a wide variety of
solar products and services ranging from solar
system installations to the manufacturing of
components used in PV panels. From an environmental perspective, solar installations in
California are helping to offset more than 11.7
million metric tons of harmful carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of removing
2.5 million cars off state roads and highways.
“Today, the US solar industry employs
174,000 Americans nationwide – more than
tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook and
Twitter combined – and pumps nearly $18
billion a year into our economy,” Resch
added. “This remarkable growth is due, in
large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit
27
(Continued on page 28)
(ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). By
any measurement, these policies are paying
huge dividends for both the economy and
environment.”
Celebrating its 41st anniversary in 2015,
the Solar Energy Industries Association® is
the national trade association of the U.S. solar
energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry
to power America. As the voice of the industry,
SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies
to champion the use of clean, affordable solar
in America by expanding markets, removing
market barriers, strengthening the industry and
educating the public on the benefits of solar
energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.
San Diego Earth Times
connected ••••• to the environment
We applaud San Diego Earth Works for their ongoing commitment to help
preserve our region’s natural resources. As a sponsor of environmental efforts
in the San Diego region, we’re strong believers in the power of sustainability.
And we proudly support those organizations that share our vision.
Connect at sdge.com.
©2015 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All copyright and trademark rights reserved. 0315
San Diego Earth Times
increase by another 4 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit
wildlife over the long term.”
North Pacific coastal rainforests represent by mid-century. These areas need protection
35% of the world’s total temperate rainforests. if they are to survive.
For a copy of the study abstract: www.
Globally, most of Europe’s temperate rainforests and the coast redwoods are already gone sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
due to logging and development, while tem- B9780124095489093672 . For additionperate rainforests on the Tongass and Great al information on temperate rainforests:
Bear (British Columbia), Tasmania, Russia, www.geosinstitute.org/gis-consulting/
mapping-portfolio/1165-temperate-andand Chile remain relatively intact.
The impacts of human-caused climate boreal-rainforest-viewer-2.html
change are scientifically indisputable and
Alaska is already experiencing some
of the most rapid and severe changes
in the world. During the past thirty
years, Alaska has experienced sharp
reductions in snow-cover, shorter
river- and lake-ice seasons, melting
glaciers, sea-ice and permafrost
retreat, increased depth of summer
thaw, and displacement of aboriginal
villages from traditional lands. Actions taken now should explicitly
address such issues to avoid exacerbating consequences for Alaska’s Older forests on north-facing slopes in the Pacific
natural resource-based economies Northwest may provide a refuge from a warmer
as temperatures are projected to drier future climate -
D. DellaSala (PRNewsFoto/Geos Institute)
(cont. from page 27)
areas include north-facing slopes with older
forests in the Pacific Northwest, which are
likely to maintain cooler conditions in a
warmer and drier climate, and extensive oldgrowth rainforests on the Tongass National
Forest where rainforest communities could
find refuge despite declines in some species
(e.g., yellow-cedar).
DellaSala added, “The Tongass is our best
hope for holding onto the verdant rainforest
web-of-life that has sustained native peoples
for millennia and supported the subsistence
economy of southeast Alaska but only if the
old-growth forests are protected for their
climate and wildlife benefits.”
Dr. Patric Brandt of the Research Program on Climate Change Agriculture and
Food Security, which specializes in global
warming research, participated in the study,
adding, “We know from studies around the
world that if rainforests are stressed by the
combined impacts of climate change and
land-disturbances, there is little hope in maintaining their ecosystem benefits for people or
photo:
Rainforests
28
April 2015
April 2015
29
San Diego Earth Times
! w D zdK)
Marine Ecology ( c 9 o ^ L #
Scientists call for new stewardship of the deep
ocean: earth’s last frontier
Scripps scientist warns that growing industrialization threatens the deep
ocean’s ecosystems
T
he deep ocean, the largest domain
for life on Earth, is also its least
explored environment. Humans are
now encroaching more vigorously than ever
into the ocean’s deep regions, exploiting the
deep’s resources and placing its wealth of
vibrant habitats and natural services for the
planet at risk.
Lisa Levin, a biological oceanographer
at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at
UC San Diego, believes the vital functions
provided by the deep sea – from carbon
sequestration to nurturing fish stocks – are
key to the health of the planet. As humans
ramp up exploitation of deep-sea fish, energy, minerals, and genetic resources, a new
“stewardship mentality” across countries,
economic sectors, and disciplines is required,
San Diego Earth Times
Levin says, for the future health and integrity
of the deep ocean.
Levin was joined by several other experts
at a recent symposium and news briefing,
“Deep-Ocean Industrialization: A New Stewardship Frontier,” held at the annual meeting
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Chicago.
Targeting the deep
As the human population has more than
doubled in the past 50 years, demand for
food, energy, and raw materials from the sea
has risen with it.
“At the same time human society has
undergone tremendous changes and we rarely,
if ever, think about these affecting our ocean,
let alone the deep ocean,” said Levin, who
30
provided by UC San Diego News Center
has conducted research on the deep sea for
more than 30 years. “But the truth is that
the types of industrialization that reigned in
the last century on land are now becoming a
reality in the deep ocean. As we exhaust many
coastal stocks, commercial fishers have turned
towards deeper waters.”
Beyond marine life depletion, the deep
sea also is being threatened by the search for
new sources for energy and precious materials. Oil and gas exploration now routinely targets seabeds in more than a thousand meters
of water depth. Demand for modern technology devices – from cell phones to hybrid car
batteries – has fueled a push to deep waters
by the mining sector in search of new sources
of metals and other materials.
“Vast tracts of deep seabed are now be-
April 2015
ing leased in order to mine nodules, crusts,
sulfides, and phosphates rich in elements
demanded by our advanced economy,” said
Levin. She added that rising carbon dioxide
emissions are exposing deep-sea ecosystems
to additional stress from climate change
impacts that include warmer temperatures,
altered food supplies, and declining pH and
oxygen levels.
The costs of extraction
“Extraction from the deep sea is a tradeoff. Is the value of what we’re extracting
greater than the damage?” asks Linwood
Pendleton, director of the Ocean and Coastal
Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute for
Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke
University. “Are there ways to extract that
might be more economically costly but have
lower ecological impact? How can we repair
the considerable damage that has already been
done to the sea floor through trawling, pollution, and other practices? These are questions
that we need to answer before industrial activity gets ahead of scientific understanding.”
Levin’s stewardship efforts for the deep
sea go hand-in-hand with her role as director
of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and
Conservation at Scripps, which has been addressing stewardship challenges for the past
12 years. The center brings together social and
natural scientists to address issues critical to
the ocean environment, including overfishing,
contamination, climate agreements, and the
creation of marine reserves.
Such efforts, born at Scripps Institution
of Oceanography, continue a long history of
stewardship for the planet.
Keeping track of changes
The California Cooperative Oceanic
Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) program,
as an example, is one of the world’s premier
ocean observation programs. Now 64 years
old, CalCOFI conducts regular cruises and
sampling off the California coast to help the
state manage its fisheries and living marine resources. Led by Scripps, NOAA’s Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, and the California
Department of Fish and Game, CalCOFI’s
legacy features a vast observational data resource. This has led to a range of insights vital
for fisheries, resource management, understanding climate impacts, and other aspects
that enable a comprehensive understanding of
the oceans and in turn well-informed policy
April 2015
decisions.
CalCOFI exemplifies an approach to science that is common at Scripps: the making
of long-term observations and the accumulation of data over many decades. Almost
as old as CalCOFI is the Keeling Curve, a
measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide
levels that has taken on icon status since it
began in 1958. The steady and ultraprecise
measurement has been the underpinning
of much modern climate change research.
Charles David Keeling, the namesake creator
of the measurement series, also contributed to
early complementary measurements of ocean
acidification in the 1980s.
Other programs at Scripps include earthquake monitoring and natural hazard earlywarning systems to enhance public safety.
The deep sea, however, represents a unique
challenge since it represents an area of the
ocean that is woefully underexplored, a
fact that is prompting scientists to act with
urgency before damage occurs prior to fully
understanding what’s at risk.
The deep sea holds a nearly infinite
amount of genetic diversity, some of which
could provide novel materials or future
therapeutics to treat human diseases, but if
not protected, these could be disturbed or lost
before we discover them.
A new way of thinking
The need to preserve deep-sea ecosystems
in the face of growing industrialization of the
deep ocean, Levin says, requires a new “precautionary” mode of thinking about the deep
sea that promotes sustainable, ecosystembased management across industrial sectors
and governance realms.
“We need international cooperation and
an entity that can develop and oversee deepocean stewardship,” said Levin. “We also
need multiple sources of research funding
that can help provide the scientific information that we need to manage the deep sea. All
of this will require efforts that bridge several
disciplines and engage stakeholders in these
discussions.”
“It is imperative to work with industry
and governance bodies to put progressive
environmental regulations in place before
industry becomes established, instead of after
the fact,” said Cindy Lee Van Dover, director
of the Duke University Marine Laboratory.
“One hundred years from now, we want
people to say, ‘they got this right based on
31
the science they had; they weren’t asleep at
the wheel.’”
“From a legal perspective, the deep ocean
is filled with contradictions. Deep sea mineral
resources located beyond national boundaries
are part of the ‘Common Heritage of Mankind’ under international law, but the fish and
octopi that swim just above the seafloor are
not,” said Kristina Gjerde, senior high seas
advisor to IUCN – the International Union
for Conservation of Nature. “To prevent harm
that we can never hope to repair, precautionary rules need to be in place to guide all human uses of the deep ocean across boundaries
and across sectors.”
Other AAAS participants with Levin
included Samantha Smith (Nautilus Minerals) and Bronwen Currie (National Marine
Information and Research Center). The scientific symposium was sponsored by the DeepOcean Stewardship Initiative and the Center
for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at
Scripps.
With its decades-long history of deep-sea
exploration, Scripps is recognized as a world
leader in investigating the science of the deep
ocean, from exploring the deep’s geological
features and researching its exotic marine
life inhabitants, to development of sensor and
sampling technologies.
For more information or to get involved
visit the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative
web page, www.indeep-project.org/deepocean-stewardship-initiative.
SANDAG
(cont. from page 6)
proposed plan, including options that would
reduce driving in the region.
Carolyn Chase, who was instrumental in
laying the groundwork for the lawsuit under
the auspices of the Sierra Club’s San Diego
Chapter, Environmental Legal Clinic, had
this to say, “While it’s satisfying to see the
ongoing victories in challenging the Plan, it’s
a shame that this had to be the path. Sadly,
after years of trying to improve the Plan using the public process provided, it became
obvious that suing them to comply was the
only option. It remains to be seen if they will
become more responsive in the future.”
San Diego Earth Times