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Writing in the New York Times, Nicholas Kristoff profiles an Atlanta family who, at the prompting of their 14-year-old daughter, sold their luxurious home. They bought a smaller house and gave half the proceeds of the sale of their former home to charity.
Talk about taking a STAND FOR LESS. Don’t miss Kristoff’s piece: What Could You Live Without?
From KPBS: “People are finding creative ways to earn a little cash during this recession and recycling cans and bottles is no exception. KPBS Reporter Sharon Heilbrunn brings us part two of her series on recycling in San Diego.”
A young Theodore Roosevelt photographed in 1885. Roosevelt was a wilderness warrior, saving wild places for future generations. He also is one of history's great people.
Theodore Roosevelt was a great man whose actions altered the landscape of the United States. A new book on Roosevelt by historian Douglas Brinkley explores Roosevelt’s career from the perspective of his interactions with and choices regarding the natural world.
STAND FOR LESS recommends Brinkley’s book, The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.
The most obvious reason to study history is to learn from our mistakes so we can make better choices today and have a better life tomorrow. There are different theories when it comes to studying our collective past. One of these is the “great man” theory of history. The name predates our times—we now recognize that women have been pulling their weight too over the centuries.
The great man theory emphasizes influential individuals. These are the heroes and villains of history that changed the destinies of others. There are examples of many great individuals whose personalities, gifts and flaws altered the world. Critics of this view of history point out that it’s overly simplistic and that it fails to explain the complexities of the past. All the same, there have been great men and women who have had a substantial impact during their day and beyond. Without question Theodore Roosevelt is one such individual.
Brinkley’s new book is an outstanding and engaging analysis of Roosevelt. It’s been just over one hundred years since Roosevelt was president and we’re all better for the seven and a half years he spent in the White House.
Brinkley begins the book by reviewing Roosevelt’s childhood and his obsession with the natural world. As a boy and then a young man, T.R. was an adventurer with a purpose. He wanted to understand nature, its flora and fauna and endless diversity.
Early in his presidency Roosevelt had a problem. Exotic feathers were wildly popular fashion items in women’s hats. Millions of birds were being killed each year to satisfy the demand for feathers. Roosevelt was appalled by this situation but was initially unsure what he could do about it. Since the Civil War, Americans were massacring wildlife “for profit and sport” (Brinkley) at dizzying rates.
These slaughters upset Roosevelt. Passenger pigeons were in their final phases of dying out during his presidency. The buffalo barely survived the 19th century. Now rare and exotic birds faced extinction in the name of fashion. To stop it Roosevelt took a novel approach. He created the first national wildlife refuge to protect birds in Florida simply by declaring it so.
Roosevelt’s declaration held and by the end of his presidency he created fifty-one similar bird reservations. These were the beginning of the large federal wildlife refuge system that today covers more than 95 million acres. For Roosevelt this was just a start. His policies protected more land than any president that preceded him and set the stage for those who followed.
If you are interested in the natural world you will enjoy The Wilderness Warrior and you will enjoy learning more about America’s colorful and important 26th president. Roosevelt left office in March of 1909. He is undeniably one of history’s greats.
There are many inspiring people and organizations here in San Diego. One of these is the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.
Surfrider takes a STAND FOR LESS trash on our beaches through its regular beach cleanups. At least three times a month Surfrider is cleaning up a beach somewhere in the county. Last year Dave Matthews and members of his band pitched in to help with one of the cleanups. Surfrider doesn’t need cool celebrities to have fun though. We encourage you to become a Surfrider cleanup regular.
Surfrider’s “No B.S.” campaign is working to deal with the problems that are unique to the border with Mexico, including border sewage. The Tijuana River Citizens’ Council and Wildcoast have signed up to promote this campaign as well. Visit the campaign’s blog for many excellent posts on the problematic issues unique to our region because of the international border.
Surfrider is one of the more robust and active conservation groups in the area. Surfing is a signature sport here in San Diego County. Surfers have literally received some horrifying baptisms in the necessity of being responsible stewards of our oceans and our planet and many of our region’s top conservationists are also surfers. Every year many surfers get sick due to our sometimes toxic waters, mostly a result of raw sewage being dumped in the ocean from Mexico.
Surfrider is an effective advocate for cleaner oceans and beaches as well as good surfing.
Enjoy this amusing video from Surfrider with an important message:
The Governor’s office issued the following announcement:
Following through on his commitment to increase efficiency and make state government work better for the people, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced appointments to the new Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) including the appointment of Margo Reid Brown as chief deputy director and her designation as acting director. CalRecycle was established through the elimination of the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the consolidation of the California Department of Conservation’s Recycling Division, to more effectively manage the disposal of state waste and recycling efforts to protect public health and the environment.
“This is exactly the type of structural reform I have been fighting for since coming into office, action that puts California on stronger ground for the future with consolidated and streamlined government functions,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Margo has been a valued member of my Administration and she has the experience in waste management necessary to direct this new department to make better use of available resources to control waste, promote recycling and protect the environment to more effectively serve the people of California.”
Brown has served as chair of the Integrated Waste Management Board since 2006. She previously served as director of scheduling for the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2004 to 2006 and was the founder and president of Capitol Ideas Development Corporation from 2002 to 2004. From 1999 to 2000, Brown served as president of the Junior League of Sacramento and, from 1991 to 1999, she was the director of scheduling for the Office of Governor Pete Wilson.
“It is an honor to continue serving the Governor and the people of our great state. I am excited to get to work to streamline and increase efficiency in our waste disposal and recycling efforts so that we can better serve Californians and our environment,” said Margo Reid Brown.
Brown, 46, of Sacramento, earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in international relations and political science from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $132,179. Brown is a Republican.
The Governor also announced the following three appointments to CalRecycle:
Elliot Block, 49, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief counsel for CalRecycle. He has served the Integrated Waste Management Board as chief counsel since 2006 where he previously served as staff counsel III from 2002 to 2005. Block was staff counsel for the Fair Political Practices Commission’s Enforcement Division from 1989 to 1992 and managing attorney from for the Fair Housing Council of Orange County from 1984 to 1989. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $123,564. Block is a Democrat.
Lisa Macumber, 32, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of legislative affairs for CalRecycle. Since 2009, she has been legislative manager of the Office of Governmental and Environmental Relations for the Department of Conservation. Previously, Macumber was legislative analyst for the California Air Resources Board from 2001 to 2009. From 2000 to 2001, she was a substitute teacher for the San Juan Unified School District. Macumber earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $73,524. Macumber is a Democrat.
Alicia McGee, 25, of Sacramento, has been appointed communications director for CalRecycle. Since 2007, she has served as assistant director for communications at the Natural Resources Agency. Previously, McGee served as executive assistant to the communications director for Californians for Schwarzenegger 2006. McGee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $43,944. McGee is a Republican.
As part of the budget agreement last year, the Governor signed SB 63 by Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) to eliminate the California Integrated Waste Management Board to more effectively serve Californians and save taxpayer money, by merging the duties of the board and those of the Department of Conservation’s Division of Recycling into a single entity, the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
Housed in the California Natural Resources Agency, this department is made up of two divisions: the Division of Waste Recovery and Division of Recycling. The Division of Waste Recovery promotes the goals of Zero Waste California in partnership with local government, industry and the public. The division manages the approximate 93 million tons of waste generated each year by reducing waste whenever possible, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting the management of all materials to their highest and best use, regulating the handling, processing and disposal of solid waste, and protecting public health and safety and the environment.
The Division of Recycling manages the resource recovery program known as the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act, which was enacted in 1986. The primary goal of the Act is to achieve and maintain high recycling rates for each beverage container type included in the program. The division is responsible for participant certification and registration, overseeing compliance by program participants, and administering programs mandated in statute related to beverage container recycling. The division provides a number of services to achieve these goals, including enforcement, auditing, grant funding, technical assistance and education.
Author and food activist Michael Pollan discusses his new book on The Daily Show.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
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Take a stand for our San Diego County farmers markets this year.
San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria speaks at the Christmas tree recycling news conference.
Christmas tree recycling is in its 37th year in San Diego and going stronger than ever. The City’s Christmas Tree Recycling Program collected over 146,000 trees last year, diverting over 1,241 tons of material from the Miramar Landfill. This year, we are already seeing a huge volume of trees being left at our collection sites.
The Environmental Services Department provides 16 locations throughout the city for San Diego residents to conveniently dispose of their Christmas trees at no charge. The trees are then turned into mulch and compost products that the City provides to residents for free at the Miramar Greenery.
For more information on this and many other programs, visit our website at: www.recyclingworks.com.