Archived Features April 07
Sunday April 22, 2007
Earth Day celebrations are going on all over the world. Simple, complex, groups, individuals…it doesn't matter how you celebrate, how you spend the day honoring the planet, it matters that you DO.
Check out what we were up to this April and grab a few ideas to celebrate Earth Day in your neck of the woods.
Guerrilla Gardening
Guerrilla Gardening is not a new concept, it's beeen around since at least the 1970s but it's taking hold in major cities around the globe as residents look at barren, littered lots and empty planters and see possiblity.
Thanks in part to the internet, like minded folks can now group together to transform larger spaces in just a few hours.
Like gardening? Like Beauty? Tired of that trashy planter or lot? Check out Guerrilla Gardening to find groups already at work in your area or start one of your own.
Guerrilla Gardening doesn't have to be a group effort, for those who find solace in solitary gardening or for those who just need a bit of inspiration to get going, check out this video, it's worth it!
Also, coming soon from author David Tracy, a guide to greening cities - with or without permission…
Pre-order direct from New Society Publishers.
A Kinder, Gentler Wolfgang
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is cooking up kinder, gentler menus. As part of a new initiative to fight animal cruelty, Puck said Thursday he will no longer serve foie gras, the fatty liver produced by overfeeding ducks and geese.
His 14 fine-dining restaurants, more than 80 fast-casual eateries and 43 catering venues will use only eggs from hens that have lived cage-free; veal from roaming calves; and lobsters that have been removed from their ocean traps quickly to avoid crowded holding tanks.
Puck said guests at his restaurants want to know their food is made with fresh, organic ingredients and that the animals were treated well. "We want a better standard for living creatures. It's as simple as that," Puck said.
The move came after three years of protests by Farm Sanctuary, an animal-rights group that launched wolfgangpuckcruelty.org - relabeled Wolfgang Puck Victory as of Thursday - and organized a leaflet campaign outside Puck's restaurants.
Puck worked with the Humane Society of the United States on the new initiative. He said he wasn't responding to pressure from animal welfare advocates, but instead believes the best-tasting food comes from animals that have been treated humanely.
"We decided about three months ago to be really much more socially responsible," he said. "We feel the quality of the food is better, and our conscience feels better."
Chicken and turkey meat served at Puck's restaurants will come from farms that are compliant with progressive animal welfare standards, and menus will feature more vegetarian selections, he said.
The venues also will only serve certified sustainable seafood.
Puck's chefs will continue to kill lobsters by cutting them in half while they're still alive, rather than by using stun guns. And stingray-like skate and Russian caviar, both of which are on an "avoid" list compiled by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, remain on his menus. His restaurants include Spago and Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Express.
The Humane Society applauded the efforts.
EarthJustice Victories
Earthjustice's lawyers are continuing to win crucial cases that help advance our work in protecting the environment and human health, including two important victories at the end of this month:
Last Friday, we had exciting news in our legal challenge to stop hugely destructive mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. In a case brought by Earthjustice, a federal judge in West Virginia ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers illegally issued permits allowing mining companies to bury streams under millions of tons of waste.
Earlier this month, in a case that may set a precedent about how the Clean Water Act is interpreted nationwide, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals gave a ruling that will prevent a goldmining company from fulfilling its plan to dump toxic mine trailings into Alaska's Lower Slate Lake.
Certify Your Backyard for Wildlife
Open your backyard to wildlife, enjoy the wonders of native plants and have your yard certified by the National Wildlife Foundation!
Get started in just four easy steps!
1. Grow native plants. They may be growing already, they are native after all. Trees, shrubs and other plants that are native to an area offer pollen, nectar, acorns, nuts, cones, berries or other seed as food to native wildlife.
2. Give them a drink. Add a birdbath, water features or even a shallow dish for wildlife.
3. Add protective cover. Grow a meadow style garden, dense shrubs or even evergreens which will all provide cover for wildlife. Rock piles and hollow logs placed in gardens create more than just eye candy, they make fantastic homes.
4.Build a birdhouse. Flying friends need homes too and building or painting a birdhouse is an excellent family project.
NWF's Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program