Daily Loaf

Following the release of Greenpeace’s report, “Slaughtering the Amazon” and pressure from activists, sneaker-giant Nike agreed to revise its policies to ensure that they stop buying leather from deforested areas in Brazil. Now, it’s time for Timberland to act to stop destructive practices in the Amazon.

“Nike has set a great precedent for Timberland, Adidas, Reebok, and Clarks to follow,” says Greenpeace forests campaigner Lindsey Allen. “Brazil’s cattle industry, which supplies leather for shoes, accounts for about 80% of all deforested areas in the Amazon. In fact, the Brazilian cattle industry is the largest single source of deforestation anywhere in the world. And deforestation in turn causes one-fifth of all the greenhouse gas emissions in the world, more than all the world’s cars, trucks, trains, planes, and ships combined. Nike has taken the necessary steps to make sure they aren’t contributing to the problem. Timberland, Adidas, Reebok, and Clarks need to adopt policies to protect the Amazon and the climate, as well.”  Read Nike’s press release. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you looking for a way to advance your skills in organizing? Are you interested in learning how to do your part for the environmental movement? Do you want to learn how to lead your community in making real change against Global Warming? Do you know someone who wants to learn new skills, but doesn’t know how?

I’d like to share this opportunity to join Greenpeace’s Organizing Term (GOT) for the Fall semester.

The GOT is a semester training program where students will learn the skills necessary to create change!   Read the rest of this entry »

Below, is an interview I just conducted with Arlen Slobodow, a local filmmaker who just completed a documentary about air pollution caused by fossil fuels in the Tampa Bay area and how it affects our health and the health of our planet. Also, see my last post which goes more in depth about the film.

The following interview was conducted by phone on the evening of Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

Matt De Vlieger (M): How did you get involved in documentary filmmaking?
Arlen Slobodow (A): I have always been interested in social change work and have found mass media a good way to accomplish that. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, I received an email from a local filmmaker, Arlen Slobodow of Public Media Productions, asking me to take a look at a 17-minute video he just completed on public health and the environmental consequences of air pollution in the Tampa Bay area.  Because I am such a supporter of local independent media production, things that inspire action for the public good, and combating big polluters, I thought I’d share it.  Also, be sure to check out my interview with the film’s writer/director/producer, Arlen Slobodow, in my next post.

Video after the jump
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Have you ever heard the Vietnam-era quote, “war is not healthy for children and other living things?” It is a staunchly obvious and painstakingly reasonable appeal that cuts to the ethical core and casualties of war.  I read an article this week that reminded me of it, but instead of war, the murderous culprit in this story is climate change.

A new report by the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) says that global warming already kills about 300,000 people a year.  If that projection is not startling enough– or if you have more of an economic mind, and are not much swayed by stacks of human figures—the report also says that climate change costs around $125 billion in economic losses annually.
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