There is a new movie that is starting to come out this month called “No Impact Man.”  It’s about a man named Colin Beavan and his family in New York who decide to not only “go green,” but create a zero impact on the environment for one whole year.  This guy goes extreme, getting rid of his TV, stops buying non-essential items, eating local in season foods, starts riding a bike everywhere, not throwing ANYTHING away, turning off his refrigerator and possibly driving his family crazy at the same time!

I like the appeal of this movie for multiple reasons and can’t wait to go see it.  First, I love the discipline this guy has.  To be able to endure 12 months of cold turkey getting rid of many habits in your life to save the environment is nothing short of a major accomplishment.  Second, this is a great look into how a person who is living in the city and not on some farm can make a difference.  This documentary is a lot like the rest of us who live in urban areas and are trying to figure out what we can do to make a difference.  Though this is an extreme example, its a humble example of how we can all do more.  Check here to see if there are any theaters showing it near you, www.noimpactman.com

It starts with one green person in the family

I can’t help but relate to this movie.  I have always been a project guy, but when I started doing green projects around the house, it definitely took my family some getting used to.  At first we started recycling…like everything.  I was digging through the trash for all the recyclables and going behind people and picking the stuff out of the trash when they put it in the wrong container.  I then bought a 3 bin trash can so people could do it themselves.  A year ago I started composting and that was actually a pretty easy transition.  Putting all of our vegetable scraps and egg shells in coffee containers and then me dumping it out in the bin out back a couple times a week.  Rainwater harvesting was no issue at all, except for removing a rose bush that was in the way, my wife wasn’t happy.  We are doing more, changing lightbulbs, limiting A/C and mostly trying to conserve first.  My wife and daughter have really been supportive and actually think its fun.  Sure, you get “looks” now and again from family, but you have to start somewhere. I’m curious to see if I take my family to go see this movie if they will be inspired to do more.  Hopefully it will!

Get the book

Today, the No Impact Man book is for sale.  I will be buying this book and he has constructed the book in the most low impact manner.  You can buy it here, No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process

The No Impact Man Trailer

Many times when I am working, I will play music, a podcast or a movie in the background to keep things moving.  I haven’t really spent that much time on hulu.com and I thought I would go see if there was anything interesting.  That is where I ran across a truly mind blowing documentary, The Future Of Food.  My wife, daughter and I have been talking about planting a garden for some time now and recently we started getting the ball rolling.  I know it’s late in the season, but there are still some things we can plant.  My garden will be “organic.”  I came to that conclusion after watching my gardener dump chemicals on my lawn for years and the “bug man” spray our WHOLE yard with a mystery “safe” chemical.  For that reason and others, I canceled their services.  The chemicals they could have been using, may have been safe, but I really didn’t know.  I think that’s the point of this documentary.  Some of the foods that have been coming to our table for years have been genetically modified.  Do you know what that means?  How do you think they get our corn looking so perfect, with no blemishes, full size and crunchy?  The truth is, that corn that you have been eating for years has been genetically engineered to look that way and it’s happening all across the globe.  The problem is that one company, Monsanto, is slowly gaining control of the foods we eat.  They literally have the power to decide what we eat, when we eat it and how much they are going to produce.  Do you really want one company having that much power over the worlds food?

Watch the documentary

Below is the full documentary on hulu.com.  It’s long, a little over an hour, but very intriguing and very disturbing.  I didn’t want to ruin the movie for some, so the last part of my review will be below the film.

The Future of Food review

After watching the movie you kind of wonder, how did we get to this place.  Have you ever walked through the produce section at the supermarket and you see an employee going through the fruit and randomly picking up pieces and throwing them away?  I wonder how many other people have done that before that was the employee’s job?  I kind of look at the Genetically Modified (GM) food the same way.  The companies are doing that job for us.  The thing is, we didn’t ask them to.

It is no surprise that organic food in most grocery stores is usually displayed in weird places and looks damaged. The bananas are classic.  They usually have organic bananas displayed behind the enhanced bananas.  The contrast is incredible.  The organic looks older and bruised, while the enhanced bananas are bright green and yellow.  Which one would you select?  As long as enhanced food is cheaper than organic, grocery stores will always sell it and people will always buy it.

I think the most disturbing section of the movie was learning that Monsanto’s seeds have been so genetically modified that they only germinated when activated by their companion product Round-Up.  So, you could put all the water you wanted on the product and it may or may not grow, but if it did, it may not even bear the edible portion of the plant or fruit!  What if Monsanto decided to not sell Round-Up to farmers who weren’t buying enough of their seeds?

Monsanto’s actions constitute nothing less than extortion.  This corporation has become so large and powerful that they are influencing markets and politics.  Ashcroft received the largest donation during his campaign from Monsanto.  Later Ashcroft went on to endorse Monsanto.  It’s clear we are dealing with a corporation that is performing sweeping acts of terrorism, under the guise of capitalism and world hunger.  Why this has gone unchecked for so long is unfathomable.  If this were the tech industry Microsoft, Apple or Google would be under an anti-trust investigation about now.

It’s time to grow and buy organic

We can minimize our exposure to GM’d foods, by buying and growing our own organic fruits and vegetables.  The end of the movie seemed very optimistic about the resurgence of the importance of organic foods.  The part that resonated with me the most, is that organic farmers seem to take a more holistic approach to farming.  They are stewards of their own land and feel that their is a strong social component to what they are doing.  Its almost as if there is a collaboration between the farmer and customer.  What is happening is that food is special again.  The value that is being created, is not quantity, but rather quality.

Are you a green business?  Do you want to make your business green?  Do you want to start a green business?  A large part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, $60 Billion to be exact, is earmarked to environmental projects.  These projects range from building retrofitting, to renewable energy infrastructure to research to transportation.  This is arguably the biggest investment in green projects that this country has ever seen.  It will create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, help small businesses grow and lay a significant foundation to conserve our resources for years to come.

So how do you get access to the Stimulus funding?

Green for All is providing a webinar on September 9, 2009 to introduce their Capital Access Program, which is designed to help small businesses and nonprofits get access to the Stimulus funding.  If you are ready to be a part of this new green economy that gets this country back to work and brings in revenue to your business, this is an event you do not want to miss.

What: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: A Webinar for Small Businesses and Nonprofits

When: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT

Registration: Capital Access Program Webinar

Details: Green For All’s Capital Access Program (CAP) is pleased to announce the release of its premiere publication – “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: A Guide for Small Businesses and Nonprofits.”  This guide is intended to educate and direct businesses and nonprofits on opportunities to access funding and support from the Recovery Act.  We will be hosting a webinar on September 9, 2009 at 4pm EDT.  The webinar is being co-hosted by Tides Center, AEO and Green America.  Our goal is to highlight emerging opportunities to leverage stimulus dollars, and to offer examples of best practices from across the country.

This was a small well done event. Promoted by San Diego Loves Green, the event let the running for congress Lt. Governor, John Garamendi, give some insight into how California Legislators, and himself, feel about sustainability in California.

The Venue

The event was held at the newly built conference center, Scripps Seaside Forum adjacent to the Scripps Pier.    It was a unique complex and the main hall is where we heard Garamendi speak.  The building is very modern and unique.  As the sun set, it came right through the front windows and into our eyes. It was a little difficult at times to see Garamendi up at the podium.  The hall isn’t that big, but the acoustics were great.  We could hear him speak clearly with and without the mic.  Another cool thing I liked about this complex is that they published how the complex was built green by creating a green fact sheet right on their website.   It gives you a glimpse as to the extent they went through to make the building green. It was a great venue, but I wish I could have spent some more time there looking around.

The Speech

The title of the speech was Future of Sustainability in California.  Renewable Energy was largely the most talked about topic.  California, as a whole, has the unique opportunity to take advantage of many renewable energy technologies, besides the obvious, Solar and Wind. Geothermal, Tidal Power and Wave Power are additional technologies that California can take advantage of because of our close proximity to the ocean.  There is no doubt that the future of California is the use of conservation and Renewable Energy.

Other highlights in his speech that I found interesting were small discussions around, Feed-in Tariff , Government Oil Subsidies and Title 24, California’s Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings.

Feed-in Tariff is essentially a new tax that would raise everyones energy bill by pennies so that we can subsidize the growth of renewable energy in California. Basically the state of California would make it obligatory for power companies to buy renewable energy instead of old carbon based energy.  This would help finance the renewable energy growth and scale it rapidly.  The U.S. has used this method before in the 80′s, but several countries in Europe have had great success implementing similar programs, increasing renewable energy use by 20%.  Everyone tends to shy away from any sort of new tax, but in the end, it’s all the same thing, whether we are subsidized or not.  The Feed-in Tariff is more policy based and would have more chances of success, because it moves a large population towards sustainability faster than volunteer rebates, which is what we have now.

Right now California is the largest producer of oil in the country, providing up to 15% compared to other states.  Oil and California have a long history.  As our energy consumption continues to grow and fossil fuels get more difficult to produce, the oil and gas industries have seen record profits in the realm of hundreds of billions.  Subsidies were set in place a long time ago to help these energy producers grow and flourish.  The movement now is that these subsidies should be given to the renewable energy companies to do the same thing.  It just doesn’t make sense to still subsidize an industry that is turning out hundreds of billions in profits.  It is obvious that they don’t need our help anymore.

Title 24 is one of 28 titles of the California Code of Regulations that was established in 1978 to reduce California’s energy consumption. The last update was made in 2005 and the most recent update is set to go live January 1, 2010.  Looking at the most recent changes to the Standards, it seems there is much more emphasis on insulation.  Basically, retaining the energy that you already have.  This means putting into law, the installation of more efficient windows, water systems and heating and cooling methods.

The Take-Away

For a short period, energy is going to continue being expensive.  This is good, because we need to use less.  Many of the buildings in our infrastructure are not energy efficient, so keeping the costs high allow for the subsidized growth of the renewable energy sector while at the same time keeping everyone in check to use less.  As our buildings, habits and technologies improve, these sources will get cheaper.  Feed-in Tariff lays the foundation for growth, Title 24 allows for more efficient energy use in our buildings and restructuring oil subsidies provides more money to the renewable energy sector while making the fossil fuel industry more responsible for its sustainability.

My Take:

The California Center for Sustainable Energy is a great place to go and find out the latest policies and events happening at the state level.  They hold a lot of workshops and provide an extensive amount of education on their site to help people go green.  This is a great resource for anyone near San Diego and even if you live farther away, it would make for a great day trip.  Have fun this weekend!

Event Details:

Join CCSE in celebrating a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at our second annual Sustainability Fair. It’s a place for San Diegans to learn about reducing their carbon footprint, lowering energy costs and curbing waste and water consumption.

What:

San Diego event showcasing energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy and other green products and services

Who:

Commercial and residential green-conscious consumers

When:

Sunday, August 9, 2009 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Where:

California Center for Sustainable Energy
8690 Balboa Ave., Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92123

My Take:

I’m going to this event.  I don’t know much about John Garamendi, but I am impressed with what he has accomplished.  My interests in going are to find out more about how politicians view sustainability in business in California.  I would like to know the governments take on this and how the impact of the recession has changed, if any, the views of how businesses operate in California.  In a nutshell I would like to know what sustainability in business means to him.  What is your take?  How do you view sustainability in business in California?

Description:

Date:  Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Time:  4:45pm – 5:45pm

Location:  Scripps Seaside Forum

Street:  8610 Kennel Way (formerly Discovery Way)
City/Town:  La Jolla, United States

Phone: 619-634-2720
Email: dawn@sandiegolovesgreen.com

Link:  Future of Sustainability Event Link

Come hear Lt. Gov. Garamendi as he shares what is in store for California and our sustainable future. As a State Senator, Assembly Member and Lt. Governor, John Garamendi has been a champion for our environment and sustainability policy. For those concerned with reversing Climate Change and Global Warming, John is one of California’s most important assets. Come out and be inspired at this FREE public event!

Brought to you by the Sustainability Alliance of Southern California, Heartland Foundation-United Green and Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Join today’s brightest leaders and innovators at the forefront of the green business revolution.

Forge new strategic partnerships and explore the latest in sustainable strategies and best practices to lead your organization to success.

Get the inside view on the hottest topics, trends and technologies at the premier green business event focused on creating new opportunities through sustainability.

This looks to be a great event!  If you have the time and can afford it, you can register at Opportunity Green.

This book caught my attention.  Its a wild ride!  Make no mistake, this book is a call to action and a cry for help.  Whatever your opinion on climate change, the fact that resources are running low and our economy is suffering is something that cannot be ignored.  Van Jones is emotionally charged and continuously challenges your ideas and beliefs throughout the book.  He pushes you.  He makes you uncomfortable.  He is trying to send a message.

On the surface the book has a strong overtone of race relations in the United States.  He continues that overtone throughout the book.  I found myself re-reading sections because I really wanted to get through some of the outer-lying issues and get to the meat of what he was trying to say.  I think that everyone who reads this book needs to understand that.

The title says it all.  The United States could become the poster child for sustainability and conservation.  We have a very unique time in our history to start again and to right some wrongs.  Since this books publication we have made several steps in that direction.  Now we are seeing “Green” everywhere.  Things are moving forward and we can do more.

Van Jones did not set out to write a “How to Go Green” book.  He does not claim to have all the answers.  He does however offer many suggestions and possible direction.  Implement Green policies from the top and jump-start this country.

Not everyone is going to like this book or what Van Jones is trying to say.  I think there are strong ideas in this book that this country and many businesses can take to heart.  This book is an alarm.  We just have to decide how much we are going to listen.