Daily Loaf

Last Saturday (October 24) was the International Day of Climate Action — the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. People from over 180 countries participated in different ways to show our world leaders that we want them to establish stricter rules on global carbon emissions when they meet in Copenhagen in December to reach an agreement on a new climate treaty.

There were over 5,200 events staged internationally and over 19,000 photos taken of the various events that day — from the US to India, Australia to Iceland. See photos submitted to Greenpeace, the Huffington Post, TreeHugger, and check out 350.org’s page for photos and current updates of the movement.
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Dialogue on Climate Change and Coastal Conservation- Friday, October 23; 9 am-12 pm. On October 23rd, participate and be part of a lively discussion on climate change adaptation strategies and ways to maintain our coasts as places where people and wildlife can thrive. The Dialogue on Climate Change and Coastal Conservation will explore what we must do to prepare for the challenges of a changing coastline. The Dialogue will build on and increase cooperation for protecting natural resources and the economy in response to the effects of global warming. Free event. Seating is limited so please reserve your seats now. Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

2009 Audubon Assembly- Friday and Saturday, October 23-24. Come and enjoy two days of Audubon fellowship. Connect with nature and birds on expert-led and self-guided field trips. Celebrate Audubon chapter milestones, too: St. Petersburg Audubon turns 100 and Clearwater Audubon is 50 this year. Deepen your knowledge at exciting learning sessions. And share your stories of how climate change is affecting your life and the places you care about. See the full Assembly schedule. Register here. Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716.

Green Halloween- Friday, October 23; 3:30-6:30 pm. Who says Halloween has to be unhealthy? And who says healthy can’t be fun? Green Halloween® is about making Halloween happy and healthy and about creating community traditions we can all be proud of. Divine Events will host Tampa’s inaugural Green Halloween on Friday, October 23, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Hyde Park Village. Event activities include a pumpkin patch cake walk, bobbing for organic apples, make your own Halloween bag out of old TBPM magazines, “best green costume” contest, and much more! National Sponsors Cascadian Farms, Glee Gum, Larabar & Surf Sweets will be providing healthy snacks for kids. Divine Events will also be collecting used children’s Halloween costumes, in good condition, to donate to The Alpha House of Tampa for use by less fortunate children. Local sponsors include Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine, Seedlings, My Green Home, and Nicole Geller Photography.  To read all about Green Halloween® and find fun events near you, visit GreenHalloween.org/Tampa. You can learn how to get involved locally, sign up for the super nifty newsletter, and share DIY costume ideas, recipes, and more on the new discussion board. There’s even a trick-or-treat bag design contest for kids! For more information visit www.greenhalloween.org/tampa or contact Barbara Keskiner at barbara@divinetampa.com or 727.403.5868.
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On October 24, people from Tampa will join Greenpeace to hear the importance of acting now for the climate and gather together to take a stand for the climate and a clean energy future as part of the largest global day of climate action ever.

The event is one of more than 3,000 events in over 150 countries to call on President Obama and other world leaders to secure a fair, ambitious and binding global deal in Copenhagen this December at the UN Climate Change Conference. Greenpeace is calling on President Obama to lead the world toward a solution to the climate crisis that is based on the latest science, not the demands of oil and coal companies and their backers in Congress.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Eco Chic: Bracelets and cuffs from recycled vinyl records- These bracelets are a great way to enhance your favorite outfit while showing your love for music and the environment all at the same time.

700 people pose nude in a French vineyard for Greenpeace- Stripping down for a good cause.

Stylish, eco-friendly yoga mat totes- Check out these new eco-friendly yoga bags made from recycled items such as recycled juice boxes and feed sacks.

Ed Begley Jr. to talk about sustainable living in Tampa- The actor, also the host of the cable channel Green Planet’s Living With Ed, said that one of the things he’ll be talking about at USF is GreenSwitch, a new concept developed by Magnum Energy Solutions. GreenSwitch uses wireless technology to turn off electrical outlets and light switches, helping home owners to reduce energy consumption by as much as 25 percent.
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Many groups are trying to make their voices heard over the issue of climate change, trying to get world leaders to attend the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December. Some groups are taking more extreme approaches than others. For instance, a group of 700 volunteers in Burgundy, France, stripped down and posed for the photographer Spencer Tunick to illustrate the threat of global warming, especially its effects on wine and agriculture in France, through art.

I’m guessing that living in a tree for months on end or chaining themselves to heavy machinery wasn’t getting the message across. According to Greenpeace’s website:
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

St. Petersburg College’s new Natural Science, Mathematics and College of Education building is certified LEED® Gold- St. Petersburg College recently announced that for the second time in as many months, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded LEED Gold certification for one of its new campus buildings.

Best of the Bay of the Day: Best organic smoothie- Believe it or not, algae and bee pollen add up to a delicious drink called the Spirulina Power Buzz. Read this to find out where to get one.

Tips to improve gas mileage (and save some green)- Do you have a lead foot or drive an inefficient automobile?  Here are a few simple tips to improve gas mileage and save a bunch of green!

Living Sustainably in Tampa Bay: Darren Brinkley, owner of REAL Building- Brinkley is the owner of REAL Building and home that he built for his family in St. Petersburg is the first home in Florida to achieve the LEED for Homes Gold Rating.
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Our love for fancy, multi-layered toilet paper has major environmental consequences. Did you know that what you wipe with has a huge impact on the world?

I bet most of you probably never thought about it, but it takes a lot of trees just to wipe your butt. Millions of trees are cut down each year, then turned into pulp and bleached just to make that soft, cushy two- and three-ply toilet tissue that most of us deem a necessity in our lives.

I came upon this entertaining little video that really puts into perspective what goes into what we wipe with and “how our love for incredibly soft and fragrant paper is causing more environmental harm to the world than our love for gas guzzling SUVs, big houses, or fast food.”

Video after the jump
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

The Earth Charter: How ethics can change the world (video) – The Earth charter was created by thousands of people representing hundreds of countries aiming at a universal ethical code of conduct for human beings. How do we treat each other? How do we treat the world? These questions were raised and answered.

City of Tampa Green Business Designation Program- As of this week, the City of Tampa became one of just a handful of cities nationwide to start a green business designation program.  Outside of the West Coast (California and Washington state), Tampa will join major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia and Knoxville in rewarding private businesses that have become or want to become more environmentally-friendly.

Why buying recycled, repurposed products is so important- Preserving the Earth’s natural resources is vital to the future of the planet and all of its inhabitants. Buying recycled and repurposed products is a great way to make a positive impact on the environment by cutting back on waste and the resources needed to make new items.
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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 »

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 »

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week:

Stretching your diet and exercise comfort zone: moving through a plateau: contributor Kelly Rothwell lists a few ways to work through your diet and exercise plateaus.

Greenpeace comes to Tampa with bad news about Florida’s emissions: Joshua Michael Poll takes a look Greenpeace’s report that Florida is one of the biggest emissions producers in the world.
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You might be interested to know that Greenpeace has come to town and has just opened an office in Temple Terrace. They held their first press conference last Wednesday, the 27th, at the Florida Aquarium. Greenpeace, known for their environmental campaigning and non-violent action, dropped a bomb on Florida.

Matthew De Vlieger, the Florida Field Organizer at Greenpeace, declared Wednesday that “Florida emitted more global warming pollution per capita from 1960-2005 than 164 countries, including Denmark, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom!” Read the rest of this entry »