ReGeneration Roundup - 2008-05-15
Reuse Ideas Give Everyday Products New Life
We blogged recently about the importance of reusing products you would normally throw away or even recycle. To help us with this, lifehacker presents a fantastic reader-submitted list of clever re-uses for common products. CD-R spindles, corks, twist-ties, tissue boxes and dryer sheets, just to name a few, are given new life thanks to these brilliant suggestions.
Does Smoking Legislation Affect Our Environment?
I spotted something worth mentioning in the Reuters Environmental Blog today. The blogger, Alister Doyle, asserts that the smoking bans that have been enacted the world over may actually be contributing to global warming due to the extra energy it takes to heat outdoor smoking areas. I’m not really sure what to make of this, but included it because he does make a very intriguing point. Perhaps more importantly, this piece highlights the fact that sometimes the solutions in our humble mission to save the planet are complicated and require some thought and discussion. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.
Wine Growers View Insects in a New Light
Wine merchants are starting to view insects in a new light. Once seen as pests that must be eradicated through chemical pesticides that don’t discriminate between friend and foe, many vintners are starting to create ideal habitats for the bugs that prey upon the cutworms, phylloxera, and mites that enjoy consuming the grapes as much as we do. They are also increasingly using more sustainable grape cultivating methods that replace the harsher chemicals with more benign pesticides. Santé!
Conversation with Jena Thompson
Jena Thompson oversees The Conservation Fund’s Go ZeroSM program, an innovative climate change initiative that has generated significant support from individuals, organizations and Fortune 500 businesses.
Prior to overseeing Go Zero, Jena led the marketing and communications division of The Conservation Fund - building overall brand and messaging strategies that positioned the organization as the nation’s top-rated environmental charity.
She has also worked as a conservation associate for Resources Law Group in California and director of international sales and marketing for Austin Logistics, a private financial services software firm in Austin, Texas.
Jena holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas and enjoys scuba diving, travel, and the outdoors.
Winners Chosen in the Graffiti Contest
After considering almost 4,900 entries and receiving more than a half a million votes from the community, our judges have finally selected the art and text winners in our Facebook Green Graffiti contest. The top 150 art submissions that remained after the voting ended are nothing short of phenomenal. I can only imagine what the judges went through to select the winners.
And now, without further ado, the winners in the Graffiti portion of the contest. Best Overall will receive a green Inspiron laptop, and the winners in the other categories will each get Dell 22′ Ultrasharp Widescreen Flat Panel Monitors:
Best Overall:
Nick Tustin (USA)
Show Us How You Can Improve the Environment Now:
John Calder (Canada)
Creative Vision of a Green Future:
Anna Leychenko (USA)
Most Inventive Green Technology:
Benjamin Rennich (Canada)
Sustainable Architecture:
Craig Nolin (Canada)
The winner in the text portion of the contest also will be receiving a green Inspiron laptop. The entry encapsulated the spirit of the ReGeneration movement beautifully with an interpretation of a classic Japanese haiku. I love the concept of ReNewal and ReTurning expressed in the entry, as if time were cyclical, and we can look to the future simply by considering our past. But enough words from me. I’ll let the entry speak for itself:
Text Entry:
“The old pond;
a frog jumps in -
the sound of water.
- Matsuo Basho
For me, it is not just going green, it is going back to green. This famous Japanese haiku has a zen peace that is in essence the color green. An overgrown mossy pond, an olive green frog, and even the splashy sound of green. Now if we can truly regain the reverence and respect the ancients had for our world, we can then move forward and actually go green.”
Kevin Todd (USA)
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to the entire community for helping to make this contest a success. We have a lot of exciting stuff planned for the future, so be sure to join the movement and share your green ideas. Some interesting discussions are taking place in Cafe RE, and I’m in there often myself, so stop by for a chat by when you’ve got a spare moment. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on greening our planet.
