Ecotopia

October 20, 2009

Tonight our topic is sustainability, and we talk with Scott G. McNall, Executive Director of the  Institute for Sustainable Development at CSU, Chico. He’s going to talk to us about the “This Way to Sustainability” a conference at Chico State, November 5-8, and about the institute for sustainable development.

Defining “Sustainability”

Although there is widespread agreement about the importance of “sustainability,” it is also a term which evades clear and easy definition.  To some it might mean zero waste; to others, it might mean zero new “things” on the planet; to still others, it might simply mean cutting down on consumption and pollution to the point that the earth becomes stable rather than being in danger of roasting or burning out prematurely.

Tonight we want to draw on a website, SustainableMeasures dot com, which has tackled a the question of defining the movement. The primary staff member of this organization is Maureen Hart, a consultant on sustainability problems, who also has a book on the topic.  Her description of sustainability caught our eye because she uses the same three terms that we draw on for Ecotopia, where we explore economic, environmental, and social ecosystems.  Maureen Hart says that a sustainable community results when those three systems are in balance or harmony.  She writes:

Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community – [where] the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community residents, present and future.

Maureen Hart’s Sustainable Measures dot com website has  also has collected a number of definitions of sustainability from activist groups, committees, and councils all over the world, including:

Friends of the Earth Scotland  “Sustainability encompasses the simple principle of taking from the earth only what it can provide indefinitely, thus leaving future generations no less than we have access to ourselves.”  http://www.foe-scotland.org.uk/campaigns/sustainable-scot/

World Business Council on Sustainable Development   “Sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity. Companies aiming for sustainability need to perform not against a single, financial bottom line but against the triple bottom line.”   http://www.wbcsd.ch/

From another perspective, we were impressed by this statement from the Hamilton Wentworth  Regional Council (Ontario), which emphasizes the process of developing a sustainable community:

“Sustainable Development is positive change which does not undermine the environmental or social systems on which we depend. It requires a coordinated approach to planning and policy making that involves public participation. Its success depends on widespread understanding of the critical relationship between people and their environment and the will to make necessary changes.”   http://www.hamilton-went.on.ca/vis2020/thevis.pdf

The Sustainable Measures website shares that view of coordinated policy planning with public participation, and warns against treating the three elements of economy, society, and the environment separately. for:

• Solutions to one problem can make another problem worse. Creating affordable housing is a good thing, but when that housing is built in areas far from workplaces, the result is increased traffic and the pollution that comes with it.
• Piecemeal solutions tend to create opposing groups. How often have you heard the argument ‘If the environmentalists win, the economy will suffer,’ and its opposing view ‘If business has its way, the environment will be destroyed.’
• Piecemeal solutions tend to focus on short-term benefits without monitoring long-term results. The pesticide DDT seemed like a good solution to insect pests at the time, but the long-term results were devastating.    http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/index.html

We would add to that our own observation that in our time, the democratic process has produced a proliferation of city, county, state, national, and even global committees, policy boards, and regulatory agencies that, while generally well intentioned, often fragmented efforts at sustainability.

Our Questions for Scott McNall

In the studio with us tonight is Scott G. McNall, Executive Director of the   Institute for Sustainable Development at CSU, Chico. He’s going to  talk to us about “This Way to Sustainability,” a conference, co-  sponsored by CSU, Chico and Butte Community College in conjunction with the Associated Students of each being held on the Chico State  campus, Nov. 5-8, and about the work of the Institute for Sustainable Development.

• We’d like to start by focusing on the conference coming up November  5-8.
• What is the purpose of “This Way to Sustainability”?
• How did Chico State and Butte College begin this collaboration?
• How  long have you been doing this and how has it developed over the years?
• Who do you hope will come to the conference?
• Tell us about some of the major speakers who will be presenting.
• One thing we really like about the conference is the various strands or themes that are directed to different audiences and needs. Can you  tell us something about that?
• You also give a number of awards at the conference. What are these for?
• The conference itself also makes a real effort to be “green.” What are  some of the efforts to create a small footprint for the event?
• What other aspects of the conference would you like to highlight? What  are you most looking forward to or excited about?

We’d also like to ask you  about the work of the  Institute for Sustainable Development.

·         What are the mission and goals of the Institute for Sustainable  Development? How long has it been in operation? What do you see as its major  accomplishments?

·         The Institute seems to have activities or be linked to activities in all aspects of campus life. Can you tell us about these various efforts?

o       Academic programs and courses

o       Student activities

o       Community and civic activities

o       Research and creative activity

·         The campus also engages in a number of sustainability practices. Can you describe some of those?

·         How do you get everyone on board with the efforts to emphasize sustainability? For example, do you provide incentives for faculty to  develop courses or aspects of courses that emphasize sustainability?

·         Is there a reward system for staff who develop new sustainability measures?

·         Other than the“This Way to Sustainability” conference, what are some  ways that the community can become involved in university  sustainability efforts?

Playlist for Ecotopia #56: This Way to Sustainability

1. Carry Me Off   3:54  The Dillards     Roots And Branches/Tribute To The American Duck

2. Clear Blue Skies (LP Version)     3:07  Crosby, Still, Nash & Young       American Dream

3. Supernova      4:42  Liquid Blue       Supernova International

4. Black Moon (Album Version)      6:59  Emerson, Lake & Palmer        Black Moon

5. Earth Anthem  3:54  The Turtles      Go Green: Songs for Earth Day

6. Weave Me the Sunshine    4:28  Peter, Paul And Mary     The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

7. Doctor My Eyes (LP Version)      3:20  Jackson Browne     Jackson Browne

8. Sunny Day      3:52  The Dillards     Roots And Branches/Tribute To The American Duck

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Tonight our program focuses on the health and welfare of farm animals and the humans who consume them.   We  have two guests tonight.

In the first part of the show we talk with Robert Martin, Executive Director of the independent Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), which was formed to conduct an examination of key aspects of the farm animal industry.

Our second guest is Nicolette Hahn Niman, attorney, livestock rancher, and author of  Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms . She has also written three essays on the problems resulting from industrialized livestock production for the New York Times.

Some (Relatively) Good News About Animal Welfare

For example, From PR Newswire, a business media service, comes this from The American Humane Association describing their program providing independent certification of the humane treatment and care of farm animals. They explain:

American Humane Certified is the United States’ first animal welfare program dedicated to the humane treatment of farm animals. [The labeling program represents] more than 60 million farm animals through American Humane’s science-based program. Contracted third-party auditors are rigorously trained in American Humane Certified species-specific standards. […] American Humane Certified believes animal welfare should not only be good for animals, but also economically viable and feasible for producers. American Humane Certified works with agriculture to educate and motivate producers and demonstrate the economic and social benefits of animal welfare.[…]

You can read the full press release at news.prnewswire.com.

From Farm and Dairy, September 28, 2009, is this press release from Ohio State University, where an October symposium will address farm animal welfare issues. They quote Ohio State ag extension specialist Naomi Botheras :

“Animal welfare is a prominent issue in Ohio and the U.S. and even the world. It’s a topic of interest to producers, consumers, veterinarians, health care professionals, legislators and anyone who has a stake in sustainable animal agriculture”

[The press release explains that he symposium will include] Well-known animal welfare experts and social scientists from around the world [who will] discuss the scientific, ethical, legal and social contexts embedded in the animal welfare debate.

[Conference topics will provide an opportunity to learn abut animal welfare, agriculture issues, legislation and regulation, and]  “what the science says about the welfare of animals in different housing systems.”

http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/symposium-set-to-address-farm-animal-welfare-issues-oct-16/13183.html

DVM NEWSMAGAZINE, an online source for veterinarians, reported on Oct 2, 2009 that “Michigan lawmakers pass farm-animal welfare bill.”  Reporter Brendan Howard writes from Lansing, Michigan that

. . . lawmakers passed legislation that mandates housing requirements for veal calves, egg-laying hens and pregnant sows.[…]The new law will restrict housing for veal calves, pigs and hens by requiring that “any pig during pregnancy, calf raised for veal and egg-laying hen that is kept on a farm” be housed so the animal can lie down, stand up and turn around freely. Exemptions include research, veterinary treatment, transportation, at rodeos and state fairs, during slaughter and, in the case of pregnant sows, housing seven days before expected birth. Michigan farmers will have three years to comply with the veal-calf restrictions and 10 years to comply with the rules for pregnant sows and egg-laying hens.

http://vertinarynewsdvn360.com.

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/HSUS-helps-Mich-amend-farm-bill/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/630457?contextCategoryId=378

Of course, California’s controversial Proposition 2 passed in November of 2008 with 63.5% of the vote. Ballotpedia reports that:

Prop 2 creates a new state statute that prohibits the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. Voters in other states have voted to eliminate calf and pig crates, but Proposition 2 in California […] is the first […] to eliminate the practice of confining chickens in battery [small, confining] cages.”  Ballotpedia reports on specific provisions and expected impact of the initiative.  The site also lists opponents and supporters of the measure. Not surprisingly, many egg producers and food services opposed the measure.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_2_%282008%29

Our Questions for Robert Martin:

Robert Martin Executive Director of the independent Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), which was formed to conduct a comprehensive, fact-based and balanced examination of key aspects of the farm animal industry.

• Please give us a little background. How and why did the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production come into being?
• Tell us about the assessment that PCIFAP recently conducted of the animal industry. What was the Commission trying to learn? How did they conduct the assessment?
• Who are the commissioners?
• What did the commission, in fact, learn? What are the most important findings? (report issued on April 29, 2009) What most surprised, interested you, or shocked you? (This will likely lead to the big concerns about antibiotics, which we should spend some time on. Are there any findings about hormones?)
• What are some of the practical recommendations of the report? Who are these recommendations directed toward? What “force” do they have?
• How do you use the findings of the Commission? Do you go to farmers directly? Do you work through political channels? Government policy groups (FDA, CDC, EPA)? Are there farming organizations that you target?
• What indications do you have that things are changing or might change?

You can learn more about the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP) by going to their website, http://www.ncifap.org

Our Questions for Nicolette Hahn Niman

Nicolette Hahn Niman.

She is an attorney and livestock rancher living here in California. Much of her time is spent speaking and writing about the problems resulting from industrialized livestock production, including the book, Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms (HarperCollins, 2009). She and her husband, Bill Niman, were featured in an August 2009 TIME magazine cover story about America’s food system

• Your book, Righteous Porkshop, has gotten rave reviews as among the best books on industrial animal farming ever written. Why did you write Righteous Porkchop?
• What are your biggest concerns about factory farming? What should we be most worried about? (Antibiotics will be a major part of this discussion. Other pharmaceuticals? Hormones?) What is the environmental impact of industrial farming?
• What concerns do you have about the animals themselves?
• What alternatives do we have to eating industrial animals (and eggs)? What should we be aware of? What can we do to become good consumers?
• What do you hope will be the impact of your book and your other writing and speaking?
• Are things changing? What do you see for the future?
• Tell us about how you got started as an animal and environmental activist.
• You’re married to Bill Niman, whose farms are famous for naturally produced meat and healthy animals. You have access to very good meat. Why are you a vegetarian?

We’ve been talking with Nicolette Hahn Niman, environmental and animal activist. Her book is Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms published by HarperCollins this year.

The Ecotopian Library

Listeners who phone in a pledge to KZFR can take their choice of these fine Ecotopian books–available while the supply lasts.

Daniel Arnold. Early Days in the Range of Light: Encounters with Legendary Mountaineers.

Amy Bach, Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court.

Anthony Barnosky, Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming.

Dan Chiras. Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity.

Greg Grandin. Fordlandiai: The Rise Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten City.

Chip Haynes, Wearing Smaller Shoes: Living Light on the Big Blue Marble

Richard Heinberg, Blackout: Coal, Cliimate, and the Last Energy Crisis

Peter Laufer, The Dangerous World of Butterflies: The Startling Culture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists.

Parker, Graham. Fair Use: Notes from Spam.

Alvin Powell: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird: The Discovery and Death of the Po’ouili.

Christopher Steiner, How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better.

Tristram Stuart. Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal.

Playlist for Ecotopia #55: Industrial Animals

1. Pigs, Sheep, And Wolves   3:58  Paul Simon       You’re The One

2. Farm Animals  3:20  Spook Less      Trail Riding Edition

3. Factory Farms 3:40  Trouser       Factory Farm Songs

4. Farm     2:57  Imagination Movers       Juice Box Heroes

5. Nature’s Way  2:40  Spirit        Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

6. Weave Me the Sunshine    4:28  Peter, Paul And Mary      The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

7. Rain On The Scarecrow    3:46  John Mellencamp       Scarecrow

8. Piggies   2:04 The Beatles         The Beatles (White Album

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6 October 2009

Tonight we will be looking at endangered species. Our guest is Alvin Powell, Senior Science Writer at the Harvard University News Office who has written a book called The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird (Stackpole 2008).  It’s about the Hawaiian Po’ouli, and it has implications for endangered species everywhere.

Background and News on Endangered Species

As background, we’d like to bring you some background info on endangered species, as well as several alarming stories about wolf hunting in Montana and Idaho.

From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the agency that–along with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration—administers the act, comes this brief history of the Endangered Species Act:

[A precursor to the ESA was the] Endangered Species Preservation Act [passed by Congress] in 1966, providing a means for listing native animal species as endangered and giving them limited protection. […]  A 1973 conference in Washington, D. C. led 80 nations to sign the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which monitors, and in some cases, restricts international commerce in plant and animal species believed to be harmed by trade.

[With the strong support of the Nixon administration] Later that year, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It

* defined “endangered” and “threatened” […]

* made plants and all invertebrates eligible for protection […];

* applied broad “take” prohibitions to all endangered animal species […]

* provided funding authority for land acquisition

[…]; and

* implemented [the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)] in the United States.

Congress enacted significant amendments in 1978, 1982, and 1988, while keeping the overall framework of the 1973 Act essentially unchanged, [Our editiorial comment: but not without efforts from various groups to blunt its effects.]

[For example, in 1978: The Act was weakened by] allowing Federal agencies to […] remove jeopardize listed species if the action [was] exempted by a Cabinet-level committee convened for this purpose; [and by allowing for] economic and other impacts of designation […]  to be considered in deciding on boundaries,

[In other words, in the 1978 revision, economic factors were allowed to enter into the equation, creating lots of room for arguments over whether the economy or endangerment were more important—for example, the Snail Darter and the Spotted Owl, which have slowed dam building in Tennessee and lumbering in Oregon.]

[However in] 1982 [the economic factor was removed, so that]:

Determinations of the status of species were required to be made solely on the  basis of biological and [international] trade information, without consideration of possible economic or other concerns.

[This meant, essentially, that science would supposedly rule over economic concerns.]

In 1988: [new elements were introduced] including

provision for monitoring recovered species, subjecting recovery plans to public review, and cost estimates for federal intervention.

But in 2004 [under the Bush administration] :

A “National Defense Authorization Act […] exempted the Department of Defense from critical habitat designations [under certain conditions].

[War, we have to note, is unhealthy for humans and other living things.]

You can get detailed statistics on endangered species listings at http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/wildlife.html.  We’ll read just a few paragraphs from our guest, Alvin Powell’s book, summarizing some of the main impacts of the act over it thirty-five year history.  [Read highlighted text pp. 207-9)]

A few of the many conflicts that have grown out of the Endangered Species Act is over the Grey Wolf out in the northwest. Originally on the Endangered Species list, its populations rebounded so much that it was   removed from the  list by the Bush administration. Lawsuits have ensued, but in Montana and Idaho, there is now a wolf hunting season.

We’ll read from three recent news stories about wolf hunting in Idaho. An official wolf hunting season opened October 1, with permits granted to 30 hunters to bag the grey wolf.

In the Idaho Statesman Journal, Robert Klavins argues against the hunt and says that “Protecting wolves promotes a healthy landscape”

After eliminating wolves from […] most of the west, the species has begun to make a comeback. Now, without protections as an endangered species, many have a bullseye on their backs. In Idaho, scientists and conservationists are fighting anti-wolf interests in court to stop a state-sponsored slaughter after the species was removed from federal protection. […] Though Idaho claims to be undertaking the hunt to “manage” the wolf population, history suggests otherwise. In 2001, Idaho passed a law calling for the eradication of wolves “by any means necessary” and have already sold over 10,000 hunting tags. Idaho’s Fish and Game Commissioner stated last month that there’s going to be “either a state-authorized [hunt] or an illegal one.”

[Klavins editorializes:] Either he can’t do his job, or has chosen not to.

[He concludes] The decision to kill an endangered species should not be taken lightly (imagine a hunt to reduce bald eagle numbers by one-half).

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20091002/OPINION/910020310/1049

KREM-TV news in Spokane reported on October 1 that the “Fight over wolf hunt[ing] continues as Panhandle hunt opens”

The Idaho Panhandle Region joined the rest of the state and today, opened wolf hunting season. Hunters are allowed to kill 30 wolves in the Northern part of the state, but the battle over the controversial hunt may not be over.

“If I get a wolf, that’d be like winning the lottery,” said Carl Zmuda. Zmuda’s pickup truck is dotted with wolf hunter stickers. He doesn’t plan to actively look for wolves, but if he sees one he won’t hesitate.  “Wolf hunting should be part of the management program that fish and game has. I think there’s enough for hunters and people that think we should have wolves,” said Zmuda.

People like Stephen Augustine with North Idaho Wolf Alliance, the group that protested outside fish and game in August, have a different opinion. “We are […] saddened that this is happening,” said Augustine.

Wolf hunting season in Idaho only started after a federal judge in Montana allowed it to happen. The grey wolf had been on the endangered species list, but its population has rebounded.  Fish and game hopes hunters will keep the predators under control, allowing elk and deer populations to stabilize.  “Now that [the hunt is] here, there’s not much we can do from a legal standpoint. But we are recommitted to doing it again and trying to influence the population around us,” said Augustine.

The alliance points again to the federal judge in Montana, even though he allowed the hunt to begin, he believes the animal was delisted illegally. So, while legal action looms, hunters look to take advantage.

“Sometimes I think they’re just another group of people that don’t want to see anybody hunting,” replied Zmuda.

http://www.ktvb.com/news/agriculture/ktvbn-oct0109-panhandle_wolves.1d5f1d67f.html

And from the Associated Press comes this story about a rogue wolf hunter in Idaho: “Idaho parachutist shot at wolves from sky”  Associated Press – October 1, 2009 6:34 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho (AP) – A shotgun-wielding motorized parachutist fired on a pack of wolves earlier this year from the eastern Idaho sky, something forbidden even under a state permit that allows aerial gunning of foxes and coyotes.  Carl Ball, a sheep rancher, was flying his [motorized parachute] June 5 near St. Anthony above a 160-acre sheep pen when he saw at least four wolves, according to an Idaho Department of Fish and Game law enforcement report.  Ball reported he believed one animal outfitted with a radio collar had been killed, though state and federal wildlife officials who arrived hours later never found a carcass. Even though the federal government earlier this year lifted Endangered Species Act protections from more than 1,000 wolves in Idaho and Montana and both states have a legal hunting seasons, that’s only for people shooting from the ground or trees.  Blasting wolves from the sky remains off limits – because they’re considered big game animals by state wildlife managers, not predators like foxes or coyotes.

Idaho Fish and Game has dropped an investigation, however, citing lack of a wolf carcass.

And of course, we can’t help recalling that former Alaska Governor [Sarah Palin endorsed aerial wolf hunting in her state. http://www.slate.com/id/2199140/]

The controversies over endangerement extend to California as well, which is second only to Hawaii in the number of species on the endangered list, Jeanne Cooper, reports that “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently counts 330 imperiled species in Hawai’i, with California the closest at 309.”

In a recent LA Times story, Bettina Boxall reports on disputes over the Sacramento Delta, with President Obama, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and our own Governator weighing in.  She writes:

In a bow to a summer of angry complaints about water cutbacks to Central Valley farms, the Obama administration said Wednesday [September 30 that] it would invite the National Academy of Sciences to examine the environmental measures restricting some water shipments from Northern California. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he would ask the academy to conduct an independent review of the science underpinning federal pumping limits imposed under the Endangered Species Act to protect smelt and salmon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In a letter to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who had requested the review, Salazar said he was confident that the fish protections were “scientifically sound.” But he said he would like the academy to determine if there were other actions that could be taken that would have less of an effect on water supply.

[So on the surface, this move would simply be in the spirit of good science.  But, reading the lines and between the lines of Boxall’s story, we learned that]:

The delivery cutbacks have hit agribusiness on the west side of the valley the hardest because they have junior rights in the huge federal irrigation project that supplies much of the region. State water officials say most of the delivery cuts from the delta are the result of drought – not the fish protections – but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Central Valley congressmen have repeatedly denounced the endangered species restrictions as placing fish above people.

[Boxall continues:]  Responding to similar rhetoric […]  Salazar said it was wrong to blame California’s water problems on environmental regulations.  “Labeling this as a man-made disaster, a regulatory drought, ignores the real issues,” he said.

Cynthia Koehler, senior consulting attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, which is active on delta issues, said she did not interpret Salazar’s academy request as an attempt to undermine the federal reports.

bettina.boxall@latimes.com

We will continue to cover this story—fish against agribusiness, politicians and economists versus science—on Ecotopia.  And one question we have for our guest, Alvin Powell is about evidence from his book that there are often political pressures placed on scientists as they research endangered species.

Our Questions for Alvin Powell

Our guest today is Alvin Powell, Senior Science Writer for the Harvard University News Office. His book is called The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird: The Discovery and Death of the Po’ouli. (Poh-oh-OO-li)

Part I: The Story of the Po’ouil

• Your book basically covers a period of thirty years, in which a previous unknown bird is discovered in Hawaii, and it is immediately recognized as endangered.  First please tell us a little about the Po’ouli and how you became interested in it.
• How does the story unfold?
  • The original discovery
  • Endangered species listing
  • Banding the birds in the ‘90s
  • Capture success and failure
• Hanawi (Ha-nah-VEE) Reserve is a wild, mountainous, wet, foggy area. Have you visited it?
• Your book is especially interesting because you discuss the complexity of ways in which the Po’ouili was threatened. Perhaps you could tell us about some of these threats:
  • habitat loss
  • the pigs, cats, and rats
  • malaria

Is it even possible to identify a “cause” of the Po’ouli’s fate?

• Your book is equally rich in details about the efforts to save the bird. Please talk about how these fit together, including:
  • just finding them in the first place
  • banding and tracking the birds
  • alternative strategies for rescue
    • bringing the three birds together
    • saving the habitat—the fence project
    • captive breeding
• The book also talks a good deal about bureacracy—problems with overlapping agencies, costs, private and public agency competition.  How did those elements affect the Po’ouil’s fate?
• Chapter 16 is called “After 11 Weeks” and describes the fate of the captive bird. What happened?  As you say, a new set of protocols kicked in after the bird died.  What were they?
• We’ll talk more about endangered species after the break, but this question comes up with the Po’ouli and many endangered species cases—Spotted Owl, Snail Darter: Was it worth it?

Part II: Implications for Endangered Species and the ESA

• [ Continuing from before the break—In general, what is the value of preserving endangered species?}
• Your book begins with the discovery of the Po’ouli  in the early 1970s, just about the time that President Nixon signed the initial Endangered Species Act.  Toward the close of your book, you do an extensive and even-handed review of the successes and failures of the ESA.  Please tell us a little about those:
  • success rate
  • funding
  • loopholes
  • “popular” species (grizzlies, wolves)
  • competing preservation theories
  • political pressures
  • business pressures
  • good science and skewed science
• If you were in charge of the Endangered Species Act and its implementation and enforcement, what steps would you take to strengthen or alter it?
• There is a lot of interest in going green and sustainability at the moment. (Even the oil companies are trying to create the impression that they are green.) Do you think this movement bodes well for endangered species? 
• What’s your next project?

Thank you Alvin Powell, author of The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird. It’s published by Stackpole Books—they’re on line at www.stackpolebooks.com

Do-It-Yourself: Saving Endangered Species

We come now to the Do-It-Yourself part of the program, and we’d like to share just a few of the wealth of resources available to listeners who are concerned about Endangered Species. As Alvin Powell pointed out, the causes of species decline and salvation are complex; thus we think the issue calls for systematic, Ecotopian solutions

Steve: An especially good site on this topic is endangeredspecies.com

It’s designed mainly for kids, but extremely useful for adults as well.  Some if its recommendations for do-it-yourself include:

Make Space For Our Wildlife, even in your backyard.

Recycle, Reduce, And Reuse

Plant Native Plants That Are Local To The Area

Control Introduced Plants and Animals

Join or Start a Conservation Organization

Make Your Voice Heard by writing to legislators, writing for the local paper, and spreading the word among family and friends.

Especially for kids they recommend:

Drawing Pictures of endangered species in your area and drawing  pictures of the biggest threats to their survival.

Making Masks based pictures of endangered species, Costumes – Based

Making Puppets.

[As time permits, let’s talk a little about the Parade of Species in Olympia]

Making A Storybook – Select a single, or many, endangered species that interest you. Write and illustrate a storybook and share it with others.

Doing Personal Reading – Read and learn as much about endangered species as you can

Their recommended additional info sources include: Sources of Information: Greenpeace Canada, WWF Canada, Geocites, and Environment Australia

The US Fish and Wildlife Services also has excellent info and resources.  http://www.fws.gov/ Their site includes such topics as:

Budget
Coastal areas [ocean-based endangered issues are the province of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which also has an excellent web site, though without a great deal of info on endangered species]
Congressional/Legislative Affairs
Conservation Partnerships
Contracting and Facilities Mgt.
Duck Stamp
Environmental Contaminants
Fisheries and Habitat Conservation
Grants
History
Human Capital
Hunting
Images
Import / Export
International Affairs
Invasive Species
Law Enforcement
Library
Migratory Birds
Native American Issues
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
Planning / ABC
Policy and Directives
Pollinators
Public Access Civil Rights
Science
Videos
Volunteer  Opportunities

In California, The Planning and Conservation League Foundation focuses on regional issues http://www.pclfoundation.org/index.html and has an excellent summary of resources and issues in Butte County, including a “grassroots directory”and a CONSERVATION STORY “Volunteers with Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance Defend Against Invasive Weeds–the Spanish Broom weed.”

Finally: We want to remind you that coming up in November is the Sustainability Now Conference sponsored by Chico State and Butte College, at CSU November 5-8, 2009. This whole conference is dedicated to issues of sustainability and thus to endangered species as well.  They have an information page website, and they are now accepting preregistration for the conference.  The fee is $25, but there are discounts available for students and others.

http://www.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/

Playlist for Ecotopia #54: Endangered Species

Supernova    4:42    Liquid Blue     Supernova

Blue Hawaii  2:35    Elvis Presley   Blue Hawaii

The Rape Of The World      7:08    Tracy Chapman    New Beginning

Hawai’i Aloha           1:57    Israel Kamakawiwo’ole     IZ in Concert – The Man And His Music

Trophic Cascade      4:12    Ronn Frye     Endangered Animals (Environmental Jenga)

Weave Me the Sunshine   4:28    Peter, Paul And Mary     The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

Blackbird       2:18    The Beatles    The Beatles (White Album)

Little White Dove      4:06    Voices On The Verge   Live In Philadelphia

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Tonight we celebrate the fall equinox which rolled through the Northstate at 2:19 pm today.  This is the fourth Ecotopia that we have dedicated to the changing of the seasons, and that reminded us that this edition of Ecotopia is #52—so we’re celebrating a year on KZFR community radio as well as one spin of the earth about the sun.

We begin our celebration of fall with a poem by  Emily Dickinson, “Nature XXVII, Autumn”:

The morns are meeker than they were

The nuts are getting brown;

The berry’s cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I’ll put a trinket on.

So just what is the autumn equinox?  Here’s the technical and scientific skinny from Time and Date. Com  http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/september-equinox.html

The September equinox occurs at 21:19 […]Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on September 22, 2009 [which translated to 2:19 pm today Northstate Time]. It is also referred to as the autumnal or fall equinox in the northern hemisphere, [and] as the spring or vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere […].

[Regardless of which hemisphere you find yourself in, the September Equinox occurs when] The sun crosses the celestial equator . . . ]. The location on the earth where the sun is directly overhead at solar noon is known as the subsolar point. [. . . .]This is the time when many people believe that the earth experiences 12 hours of day and night. However, this is not exactly the case.

It is important to note that day and night during the September equinox is not exactly equal length. During the time of the September and March equinoxes many regions around the equator have a daylight length of about 12 hours and six-and-a-half minutes. Moreover, the day is slightly longer in places that are further away from the equator and the sun takes longer to rise and set in these locations.

[September solstice dates also jump around on the calendar, coming as early as the 21^st and as late as the 24^th.]

[…] The varying dates of the equinox are mainly due to the […] Gregorian calendar, which has 365 days in a year, [while the “true” or topical year]  is approximately 365.242199 days, but varies from year to year because of the influence of other planets.   The exact orbital and daily rotational motion of the Earth, such as the “wobble” in the earth’s axis (precession), also contributes to the changing solstice dates.

Of course, such observations are largely Earth-Centric and based on the narcissistic assumption that we humans are the absolute center of the solar system. Since the earth travels around the sun, the sun doesn’t actually “rise” or “set” at all.  Nor in the grand scheme of the solar system and the universe does the sun actually “cross” the equator, even though it might seem to from the perspective of earthlings.

Here’s an autumn poem by Robert Frost, “Gathering Leaves.”

Spades take up leaves

No better than spoons,

And bags full of leaves

Are light as balloons.

I make a great noise

Of rustling all day

Like rabbit and deer

Running away.

But the mountains I raise

Elude my embrace,

Flowing over my arms

And into my face.

I may load and unload

Again and again

Till I fill the whole shed,

And what have I then?

Next to nothing for weight,

And since they grew duller

From contact with earth,

Next to nothing for color.

Next to nothing for use.

But a crop is a crop,

And who’s to say where

The harvest shall stop?

Here is  “Autumn,”by Alice Cary

Shorter and shorter now the twilight clips

The days, as though the sunset gates they crows,

And Summer from her golden collar slips

And strays through stubble-fields, and moans aloud,

Save when by fits the warmer air deceives,

And, stealing hopeful to some sheltered bower,

She lies on pillows of the yellow leaves,

And tries the old tunes over for an hour.

The wind, whose tender whisper in the May

Set all the young blooms listening through th’ grove,

Sits rustling in the faded boughs to-day

And makes his cold and unsuccessful love.

The rose has taken off her tire of red—

The mullein-stalk its yellow stars have lost,

And the proud meadow-pink hangs down her head

Against earth’s chilly bosom, witched with frost.

The robin, that was   busy all the June,

Before the sun had kissed the topmost bough,

Catching our hearts up in his golden tune,

Has given place to the brown cricket now.

The very cock crows lonesomely at morn—

Each flag and fern the shrinking stream divides—

Uneasy cattle low, and lambs forlorn

Creep to their strawy sheds with nettled sides.

Shut up the door: who loves me must not look

Upon the withered world, but haste to bring

His lighted candle, and his story-book,

And live with me the poetry of Spring.

Earlier in the show, we poked fun at the human tendency to see ourselves as being at the center of the solar system, even if we know better. Actually,we have always been amazed at the observations and speculations of astronomers across the milennia. Whether they believed in an earth-centered or sun-centered system, they were incredibly perceptive in observing the apparent movement of the stars:

[The] Greek astronomer and mathematician [,…] Hipparchus, [who lived approximately 190 to120, Before Common Era, is generally credited for]  discovering the precession of the equinoxes, the slow movement among the stars of the two opposite places where the sun crosses the celestial equator. Hipparchus made observations of the equinox and solstice. Astronomers use the spring equinoctial point to define their frame of reference, and the movement of this point implies that the measured position of a star varies with the date of measurement. Hipparchus also compiled a star catalogue, but this has been lost.

The word “equinox” derives from the Latin words meaning “equal night” and refers to the time when the sun crosses the equator. […]The September equinox has been used as a reference point in many calendars in the past, including the French Revolutionary Calendar. Although very little is known about the ancient Macedonian calendar, some believe that the first month began after the atumnal equinox.

That, and other information about constructs of time, date, and seasons are available on line at timeanddate-dot-com. [There you can]

calculate the approximate time and date (according to Coordinated Universal Time) of the March equinox, as well as the June and December solstices and the September equinox.  [You can also] Find out more [using a] Seasons Calculator and links to useful tools, such as the Day and Night World Map, Moon Calculator, Moon Phase Calculator, and Sunrise Calculator.  [And timeanddate dot com has a] World Clock [that] can … be used to find sunrise and sunset times, as well as the current position of the sun in major cities around the world.

Here is “Autumn Fires,” by Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

As you can imagine, the equinoxes have linked to many myths, legends, superstitions, festivals, and observations over time.  Here are just a few noted by Time and Date.Com and by Religious Tolerance dot Org  [http://www.religioustolerance.org/fall_equinox.htm]

For example:

According to Jewish superstition, when Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac at the autumnal equinox, and blood appeared on his knife. Another superstition relating to the four Tekufot, which refers to the equinoxes and solstices, is that during the September equinox a mysterious precipitation poisoned all water, which was not be drawn or drunk.

In Greek mythology autumn begins as the goddess Persephone returns to the underworld to live with her husband Hades. It has also been believed that magically it was a good time to enact rituals for protection and security as well as reflect on successes or failures from the previous months. Animals associated with the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere are dogs, wolves and birds of prey. Mythical creatures associated with this time of the year include gnomes, minotaurs and the sphinx.

Higan, or Higan-e, is a week of Buddhist services observed in Japan during both the September and March equinoxes when day and night are equal at length. Both equinoxes have been national holidays since the Meiji period (1868-1912). Before World War II, they were known as koreisai, or festivals of the Imperial ancestors. After the war, when the national holidays were renamed, they became simply spring and autumn equinoxes. Higan means the “other shore” and refers to the spirits of the dead reaching Nirvana after crossing the river of existence. It celebrates the spiritual move from the world of suffering to the world of enlightenment and is a time to remember the dead by visiting, cleaning and decorating their graves and reciting sutras. Buddhist prayers, rice balls and sushi are offered. It is a time for the Japanese to worship their imperial ancestors.

The Christian church replaced many early pagan equinox celebrations with Christianized observances over the years. For example, Michaelmas (also known as the Feast of Michael and All Angels), on September 29, fell near the September equinox because it was associated with the beginning of autumn. During the middle ages it was celebrated as a holy day of obligation but the tradition waned in the 18th century. It is still celebrated in some places as the “festival of strong will” during the autumnal equinox.

Neopaganism is a group of [contemporary] religions which are attempted re-creations of ancient Pagan religions. Of these, Wicca is the most popular; it is loosely based on ancient Celtic beliefs, symbols and practices, with the addition of some more recent Masonic and ceremonial magic rituals. [While] Monotheistic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, tend to view time as linear [, starting] with creation–the world as we know it [and ending] at some time in the future, Aboriginal and Neopagan religions see time as circular and repetitive, with lunar (monthly) and solar (yearly) cycles. Their “…rituals guarantee the continuity of nature’s cycles, which traditional human societies depend on for their sustenance.”  For example, among the Neopagans, Wiccans  recognize eight seasonal days of celebration. Four are minor sabbats and occur at the two solstices and the two equinoxes. The other are major sabbats which happen approximately halfway between an equinox and solstice. Wiccans may celebrate Mabon [(May-bun)] on the evening before, or at sunrise on the morning of the equinox, or at the exact time of fall equinox.  […]  Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary comments: “The Goddess manifests in Her Bountiful Mother aspects. The God emerges as the Corn King and Harvest Lord. Colors are Orange, Dark Red, Yellow, Indigo, and Brown. It is the festival of thanksgiving.”

Here’s a poem entitled Mabon by Akasha

Autumn colors of red and gold

As I close my eyes tonight

Such a wonder to behold

I feel the God/dess hold me tight

Watch leaves turning one by one

Though it grows dark, I shall not fear

Captured bits of Autumn Sun

For Divine Love protects all here

Soon they’ll fall and blow away

Through the night, until the morn

The golden treasures of today

When the shining Sun’s reborn

When the trees are bare

Time to sleep, time to dream

And the ground grows cold

Till warm gold rays upon me stream

These warm memories

I’ll still hold….

From http://www.paganspace.net

In China the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is celebrated around (but not precisely) the time of the September equinox. This occasion dates back more than 3000 years and occurs around the time of the full moon. It celebrates the abundance of the summer’s harvest and one of the main foods is the mooncake filled with lotus, sesame seeds, a duck egg or dried fruit. This tradition originated from the ancient tradition of making offerings to the sun in the spring and to the moon in the autumn. It is also a time for families to get together and people often travel long distances to be with their loved ones. The streets are decorated with lanterns, incenses are burned and fire dragon dances take place.

Here is a Chinese story about the [full] moon at the time of the Latern Festival.  From http://chineseculture.about.com

Fish for the Moon in the Well

One evening, the clever man, Huojia went to fetch some water from the well. To his surprise, when he looked into the well, he found the moon sunk in the well shining. “Oh, good Heavens, what a pity! The beautiful moon has dropped into the well!” so he dashed home for a hook, and tied it with the rope for his bucket, then put it into the well to fish for the moon.

After some time of hunting for the moon, Haojia was pleased to find that something was caught by the hook..[…] He pulled hard by the rope. Due to the excessive pulling, the rope broke into apart and Haojia fell flat on his back. Taking the advantage of that post, Haojia saw the moon again high in the sky. He sighed with emotion, “Aha, it finally came back to its place! What a good job! He felt very happy and told whomever he met with about the wonderment….

The month of September also marks the ‘Wine Moon,’ the lunar cycle when grapes are harvested from the arbors, pressed and put away to become wine…The full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox is known as the ‘Harvest Moon,’ since farmers would also harvest their crops during the night with the light of the full moon to aid them.” [Shine on, harvest moon!]

We are observing the September or Autumnal solstice, which took place just a few hours ago, at 2:19 Pacfic Time.  Can you feel the difference?  Perhaps it’s because at the same time, the sun entered the sign of Libra—the constellation of the balance of scales.  Traditionally libras are:

Diplomatic and urbane
Romantic and charming
Easygoing and sociable
Idealistic and peaceable

But they can also be:

Indecisive and changeable
Gullible and easily influenced
Flirtatious and self-indulgent

Happy Equinox, Libras. May your better traits dominate!

http://www.astrology-online.com/libra.htm

The CHUMASH are a Native American tribe from Southern California. They celebrate their fall equinox sun ceremony during their month of Hutash (September). It takes place “after the harvest is picked, processed and stored….”

Here’s a retelling of the legend of the Rainbow Bridge by 15-year-old Jesse Moon.

(colleenwhorley.com/poems.htm)

The Chumash people have lived for centuries along the California coast between San Luis Obispo and Malibu, whose very name calls forth the memory of the Chumash village Humaliwo, meaning “The Surf Sounds Loudly.” Here they created a special way of life, and while some other California tribes had similar customs, no other Native Americans lived in exactly the same way. Their invention and use of the ocean going redwood plank boat (Tomol), their complex village and religious life and their extraordinary craftsmanship are what make the Chumash unique. Even their language, with eight regional dialects, belongs to the Hokam language family, which is the oldest in California. This suggests that Chumash-speaking peoples were living in this part of California for thousands of years.

According to legend, the First Chumash people were created on Li-Mu Island, which we now call Santa Cruz Island. This island lies off the coast near Santa Barbara. The people were made from the seeds of a magic plant by the Earth Goddess whose name is Hutash.

Hutash is married to the Sky Snake, the Milky Way. He can make lightening bolts with his tongue. One day, he decided to make a gift to the Chumash people, so he sent down a lighting bolt that started a fire. After this, people kept fires burning so that they could cook their food and be warm.

After the Sky Snake gave them fire, the Chumash people lived more comfortably. More babies were born each year, and the villages grew larger and more noisy. The island was growing very crowded and the noise began to bother Hutash, keeping Her awake at night. She finally decided that some of the people would have to leave the island and move to the mainland, where no one lived. Hutash wondered how to get the people across the water to the mainland. Then She had an idea. She built a bridge out of a very long, very high rainbow, which stretched from the tallest mountain on the island all the way to the tall mountains near Carpenteria.

Hutash told the people to go across the Rainbow Bridge, and fill the world with people. So the Chumash people began to cross the bridge. Most got across safely, but some made the mistake of looking down. Far, far below the water shone, and the fog swirled. They got so dizzy that some of them fell off the Rainbow Bridge, down, down, through the fog, into the ocean. Hutash felt terrible about this, for she had told them to cross Her bridge. She did not want them to drown, so She turned them into dolphins. Later, when the Chumash went to sea in their plank Tomol, they always remembered that the dolphins were their brothers. And in September, they honor Hutash with a great Harvest Festival, which is named after Her.

Here’s a poem about Autumn Night by T. E. Hulme

A touch of cold in the Autumn night—

I walked abroad,

And saw the ruddy moon lean over a hedge

Like a red-faced farmer.

I did not stop to speak, but nodded,

And round about were the wistful stars

With white faces like town children.

This is Ecotopia on KZFR, and we are exploring customs, stories, and poetry about the fall equinox. Here’s an interesting supersition about the fall equinox:

Many people believe that since the equinox is a time of balance where the daylight hours and nighttime hours are equal, that — by some mystical force — one can balance eggs on their end on these days. Some believe that one can only balance an egg within a few hours before or after the exact time of the equinox.

[KZFR listeners: We are still in that time frame! Get an egg and give this a try at home!]

[But] Philip Plait (a.k.a. the Bad Astronomer) [brings us back to annoying reality]:

“Usually you cannot stand a raw egg because the inside of an egg is a very viscous (thick) liquid, and the yolk sits in this liquid. The yolk is usually a bit off-center and rides high in the egg, making it very difficult to balance. The egg falls over. However, with patience, you can usually make an egg stand up.

None of […this, he concludes, has] anything to do with the passage of the seasons. So, a person probably has as much luck standing an egg on its end on the equinox as on any other day of the year.

Autumn is also the time for traditional celebrations. Here’s:

~ HALLOWEEN ~

By Harry Behn

Tonight is the night

When dead leaves fly

Like witches on switches

Across the sky,

When elf and sprite

Flit through the night

On a moony sheen.

Tonight is the night

When leaves make a sound

Like a gnome in his home

Under the ground,

When spooks and trolls

Creep out of holes

Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night

When pumpkins stare

Through sheaves and leaves

Everywhere,

When ghouls and ghost

And goblin host

Dance round their queen.

It’s Halloween.

Along with Hallowe’en, which has become a global holiday, in late October and early November many observe Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Here’s a poem by Julia Sopetran, a Spanish poet, “Beauty which Departs but Returns to Mixquic”:

The small floating island travels through the canal.

– Open the door, mother! So that we can surprise

that wandering soul who has arrived at our offerings;

the mirrors of the waterways have blinded her…

but she can feel her way, alone, to our house.

Prepare the food. That death may see

that this love of life we offer as a gift

so that she may better understand what the mystery

has bequeathed.

Yes, dear daughter. Our house, clean, welcomes our

visitor.

Lights. Incense. Tamales. Chairs.

The bed is made with flowers which we bought.

The little floating house is beauty that traverses

by the unparalleled road of all the river banks

we get on and then… Will we return?

Source: Poem found in Mexico City, Mixquic & Morelos- Through the Eyes of the Soul, Day of the Dead in Mexico

And everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving as in this anonymous, “Ode to Thanksgiving”

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

http://www.guy-sports.com/humor/thanksgiving/thanksgiving_poems.htm

We close in praise of October, one of the most beautiful months in Northern California:  “October’s Bright Blue Weather” by Helen Hunt Jackson

O sun and skies and clouds of June

And flowers of June together,

Ye cannot rival for one hour

October’s bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,

Belated, thriftless vagrant,

And goldenrod is dying fast,

And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fringes tight,

To save them for the morning,

And chestnuts fall from satin burs

Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie

In piles like jewels shining,

And redder still on old stone walls

Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things

Their white-winged seeds are sowing,

And in the fields, still green and fair,

Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks

In idle, golden freighting,

Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush

Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunt

By twos and twos together,

And count like misers hour by hour

October’s bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,

Count all your boasts together,

Love loveth best of all the year

October’s bright blue weather.

Playlist for Ecotopia #52: Autumn Equinox

1. The Four Seasons: Violin Concerto in F Major, RV 293, “Autumn”: III. Allegro3:12 Candida Thompson, Henk Rubingh, Jan Jansen, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Liz Kenny, Maarten Jansen & Stacey Watton   Vivaldi: the Four Seasons

2. Les feuilles mortes (Autumn Leaves)  4:49    Andrea Bocelli & Veronica Berti    Amore

3. First Day Of Autumn       5:03    Anne Hills    Bittersweet Street

4. Harvest Moon       5:05    Neil Young     Neil Young: Greatest Hits

5. Shine on Harvest Moon 3:12    Leon Redbone   Double Time

6. Thriller (Single Version) 5:12    Michael Jackson      The Essential Michael Jackson

7. Weave Me the Sunshine           4:28    Peter, Paul And Mary

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15 September 2009

Tonight we will be working on the dream of reducing waste. Our guest will be Chip Haynes, author of a new book, Wearing Smaller Shoes. He starts with the now familiar 3Rs of Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse, and adds a fourth, Refuse. He has myriad ideas on how we can reduce our ecological footprint right around home.

Does Recycling Work? Some Global Opinions

In preparing for this show, we were curious about an assertion that we have heard from time to time: that recycling is a drop in the environmental bucket, inconsequential, a “feel-good” activity for greenies.  We wondered, “Does recycling work?”

In our research, we learned, first, that there is no easy yes-no answer to that question, and second, that recycling is so complex an issue that one has to search for multiple answers.

Much of the controversy can be traced back to 1996 New York Times Magazine article by John Tierney called “Recycling Is Garbage.” He began the article by following around some third graders who found a lot of trash and learned the point of their teacher’s lesson: that we throw away too much stuff.  But, Tierney also observed that most of what the kids found was not worth recycling and was probably most economically disposed of in landfills.  Tierney then went on to describe what he regarded as the myth of recycling.  He wrote:

Rinsing out tuna cans and tying up newspapers may make you feel virtuous, but recycling could be America’s most wasteful activity.

A grand national experiment [was] begun in 1987 […] back when the Three R’s had nothing to do with garbage. [The new 3Rs became a mantra of environmentalists and journalists: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle]. That year a barge named the Mobro 4000 wandered thousands of miles trying to unload its cargo of Long Islanders’ trash, and its journey had a strange effect on America. The citizens of the richest society in the history of the planet suddenly became obsessed with personally handling their own waste.

Believing that there was no more room in landfills, Americans concluded that recycling was their only option. Their intentions were good and their conclusions seemed plausible. Recycling does sometimes make sense — for some materials in some places at some times. But the simplest and cheapest option is usually to bury garbage in an environmentally safe landfill. And [John Tierney contined] since there’s no shortage of landfill space (the crisis of 1987 was a false alarm), there’s no reason to make recycling a legal or moral imperative. Mandatory recycling programs aren’t good for posterity. They offer mainly short-term benefits to a few groups — politicians, public relations consultants, environmental organizations, waste-handling corporations — while diverting money from genuine social and environmental problems. Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America: a waste of time and money, a waste of human and natural resources.

http://www.nrdc.org/cities/recycling/recyc/appenda.asp

John Tierney’s article has been rebutted regularly since then by numerous individuals and groups, including the National Resources Defense Council, which marshaled evidence showing that:

• Recycling conserves natural resources, such as timber, water, and mineral ores, from domestic and imported sources.
• Recycling prevents pollution caused by manufacturing from virgin resources.
• Recycling saves energy.
• Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration and helps avoid the pollution produced by these technologies.
• Recycling helps protect and expand manufacturing jobs in America.
• Recycling engenders a sense of community involvement and responsibility.

http://www.nrdc.org/cities/recycling/fover.asp

NRDC also cites recycling milestones going back to 1970.  Their website observes.

People have reused and recycled materials for centuries out of necessity. But recycling legislation and curbside programs in the United States date back only to the 1970s. Here is a brief timeline of how recycling of waste from households, schools and businesses has evolved over the last several decades.

1970 – The first Earth Day brings national attention to the problem of increasing waste and the importance of recycling.

1971 – The first “Bottle Bill” is born: Oregon introduces a refundable deposit (a nickel) on beer and soda bottles as an incentive to recycle.

1973 – Berkeley, California starts the nation’s first curbside recycling program.

1976 – The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is enacted to close open dumps, create standards for landfills, incinerators and the disposal of hazardous waste.

1988 – The number of curbside recycling programs increases to about 1,050.

1990 – McDonald’s stops using Styrofoam containers. Earth Day’s 20th anniversary theme is recycling.

1992 – Curbside programs continue to pop up around the country, bringing the total to 5,404.

1996 – The U.S. recycles at a rate of 25 percent; EPA sets a new goal of 35 percent.

2000 – The EPA confirms a link between global warming and waste, showing that reducing our garbage and recycling cut greenhouse gas emissions.d.

2007 – Five states pass laws requiring that unwanted electronics be recycled. San Francisco becomes the first U.S. city to prohibit the distribution of plastic bags by grocery stores.

In an article on the Past, Present, and Future of Recycling, the National Defense Resources Council identifies current recycling issues and problems, observing:

The amount of material we recycle today — 81 million tons a year — equals the total quantity of garbage the United States produced in 1960. Today, Americans create 250 million tons of municipal waste in a year, and about 15 billion tons a year of all other types of industrial wastes. Experts say that continuing to increase our recycling rates will help pull us out of the garbage heap and reduce global warming emissions. And that a necessary counterpart to that strategy is to cut down on the waste we produce in the first place

[…] Here are some other ways to work towards zero waste:

Keep organics and recyclables out of landfills and incinerators. More than 60 percent of household waste in the United States is recyclable or compostable. But Americans only compost 8 percent of their waste. Composting prepares organic waste like leftover food and lawn trimmings for reuse as fertilizer instead of leaving it to decompose in landfills or to combust in incinerators, which emit greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. Creating more municipal composting programs would boost composting rates. Such programs exist in only a few cities, and they’re outnumbered more than 2 to 1 by curbside recycling programs.

Put trash cans on diets. Much of the waste we dump in our trash cans doesn’t need to be there. Cutting back on product packaging, promoting reusable bags over paper and plastic, using sponges instead of paper towels, and favoring mugs or glasses over disposable containers are just a few ways to reduce waste

Manage electronic waste. Discarded electronics — old computers, broken cell phones, obsolete television sets — form the fastest-growing element of our waste stream. Americans threw out 2 million tons of tech trash in 2005 and only recycled about 380,000 tons. Nine states have laws in place that require the recycling of electronics, and several other states are working on new e-waste laws. NRDC supports laws that put the responsibility on manufacturers to recycle their used products, and for designing less toxic, more recyclable gadgets in the first place.

Expand bottle bills. In 2005, 2 million tons of plastic bottles in the United States ended up in the trash instead of in recycling bins. State container deposit laws, known as “bottle bills”, are long overdue for an upgrade. Container deposit laws have proven to be the most effective approach to collecting bottles and cans. But right now, only 11 states have bottle bills, and most of them include only beer and soda bottles — not water bottles, which accounted for 14 percent of bottled beverages in 2005. A national bill with a higher deposit would give a huge boost to our bottle recycling rates.

Ditch plastic bags. According to the EPA, the United States consumes about 380 billion plastic bags a year and recycles less than 5 percent of them. Getting in the habit of reusing shopping bags — as is common in some other countries — could reduce that number significantly and prevent billions of plastic bags from ending up in landfills (not to mention in the ocean, on trees and floating by your window).

http://www.nrdc.org/cities/recycling/fover.asp

Finally, in discussing whether or not recycling programs are effective, Cecil Adams writes on StraightDope dot Com:

Forget the esoteric arguments about externalities, finite resources, and so on–in the end recycling will (or won’t) work because it is (or isn’t) cheaper than throwing stuff away. This varies with the material being recycled. As a general proposition, any manufactured product that is (a) heavy or expensive in relation to its bulk, (b) homogeneous, and (c) easily separable from the waste stream by consumers can be recycled economicly. Metals, notably steel and aluminum, are the obvious examples; both have high recycling rates. Surprisingly, so does newsprint. The poor candidates, at the moment, are plastics and mixed paper (including magazines). Plastics are too light and heterogeneous, while mixed paper contains too many contaminants. In the end we may conclude that this junk is best consigned to landfills. But given the advance of technology, who knows? We’re in the midst of a great national experiment, and we’d be foolish at this stage to prejudge the results.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2346/is-recycling-worth-it

Our Questions for Chip Haynes

Our guest tonight is Chip Haynes, author of Wearing Smaller Shoes.

• What motivated you to write this book?
• You warn people about greenwashing. What is greenwashing? Can you give some examples? You talk about shopping in other parts of the book. What are some guidelines you would recommend to people when they shop?
• The three Rs are in pretty common currency, but you recommend the four Rs. What are they? (BTW, we interviewed a vermiculture and recycling expert a couple of weeks ago, and his fourth R was Rot—which is great for composting—both conventional and worm compost.)
• Can you tell us a little about the process you went through to downsize your footprint? What did you do first? What was the easiest thing you did to simplify your lives? What was the hardest thing you’ve done?
• You spend a bit of the book talking about oil as a significant impact on your decision to decrease your footprint. Can you explain your thinking on this issue?
• You also say that you think recycling is less than trendy? Do you think that’s in the process of changing? If so, why? If not, why not?
• You have lots of tricks for decreasing our use of energy at home. Tell us about some of them. Tell us about what surprise energy users are in our houses? And what exactly do energy star ratings mean?
• I was a little surprised that you sort of poo-poo solar and power. Why? Are there situations where you support those technologies? What better ways are there for creating electricity?
• Do you have advice for those of us who do use lots of gadgets for reducing our power use? (huge power used by new TVs, BUT less radiation produced!)
• So much of what you describe that allows a reduction of the use of power seems tied to living in Florida. How can these ideas be adapted for my friend who live in Michigan? And what about people who don’t have huge shade trees or the best placement of their house for prevailing winds?
• Tell us about some of your suggestions for saving water. Why is that important?
• Have you considered getting rid of your grass?
• You claim early in the book that you and your wife recycle about 95 percent of everything you use. That seems like a lot of recycling! How have you gone about achieving that number? Describe your formal and informal recycling programs.
• How much time does all your recycling take you? Your process seems very complicated.
• What do you know about what happens to recycled materials?
• Tell us how you handle your food waste.
• How  can we better transport ourselves?

The book is Wearing Smaller Shoes: Living Light on the Big Blue Marble, by our guest, Chip Haynes. The book is published by New Society Publishers of British Columbia.

Playlist for Ecotopia #51:  The 4Rs

1. Working On A Dream     3:30    Bruce Springsteen    Working On A Dream

2. Recycle Reuse Reduce 2:46    Heidi Howe    Give a Hootenanny!

3. reduce, reuse, recycle    3:35    The Junkman (Donald Knaack)    Junk Music 2

4. The 3 R’s   2:54    Jack Johnson    Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies For The Film Curious George

5. Glorious     5:19    MaMuse    All The Way

6. Weave Me the Sunshine           4:28    Peter, Paul And Mary    The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

7. Mother Nature’s Son       2:48    The Beatles    The Beatles (White Album

8. Beautiful Day       4:08    U2    All That You Can’t Leave Behind

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