1. Global Warming
2. National Security
3. Nuclear Energy
4. Offshore Drilling
5. Ethanol
6. Energy Costs
7. Food and Product Safety

You can click on the links above to read more about what the candidates think about each issue, but here is a brief overview, as well as who I think is the “winner” for each (ie, who has the better policy):

Global Warming

Obama: Aim to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, regular cap-and-trade to include a pollution credit auction, pursue aggressive renewable energy goals, create millions of “green collar” jobs

McCain: Aim to cut emission by 60% by 2050, allot credits to polluters (no auction)

Global Warming Winning Policy? Although Obama’s plan is ambitious and may overpromise a bit, I agree that credit should be auctioned off, and I like his job creation goals. Round one, Obama.

National Security

Obama: Has a $150 Billion plan to lead the US away from foreign oil within 10 years, focusing on alternative energy

McCain: Also wants to get away from foreign oil, focusing on nuclear pow and offshore drilling for US oil production

National Security Winning Policy? Again, Obama’s plan may be ambitious, but looking toward a future of alternative energy is much better than investigating bigger and better oil and nuclear options. Round two, Obama.

Nuclear Energy

Obama: Doesn’t oppose nuclear power, but does focus his energy plan instead on renewable energies

McCain: Plans to construct 45 new plants by 2030, possibly increasing the cost of coal and funding government subsidies

Nuclear Energy Winning Policy? I don’t like McCain’s focus on nuclear energy, but at the same time, I don’t think it can be completely overlooked as Obama seems to be doing. Round three, draw.

Offshore Drilling

Obama: Offshore drilling is only a small piece to Obama’s energy plan, which instead focuses on alternative, renewable energy sources

McCain: Offshore drilling is McCain’s primary energy initiative, and he hopes it will help with the current economic slump

Offshore Drilling Winning Policy? Obama is clearly the winner here. Offshore drilling, although safer than it was in the past, still is dangerous for the environment, and experts agree that it probably won’t help lower prices. Most believe it would only help over the next 10 years, and then we’d be right back where we started. Round four, Obama.

Ethanol

Obama: Originally, Obama was all about corn-based ethanol, and many of his advisors had strong ties to those in the ethanol industry. As the truth about ethanol’s less-than-perfect characteristics have come to light, he’s been close-lipped about the subject, but earlier this year, he supported ethanol strongly.

McCain: McCain has opposed strong subsidies for corn-growers and in the past, he has supposed the use of ethanol, but only as a small piece of his energy plan.

Ethanol Winning Policy? It seems as though Obama got a bit caught up in corn-based ethanol like many Americans did. It is easy to hear “renewable energy” and think the product is great, but in actuality, McCain is in the right here to have a more “wait and see” policy, since ethanol creates almost as much pollution as oil and is a strain on the environment. Round five, McCain.

Energy Costs

Obama: Plans to pursue an $1000 energy rebate to families, invest in hybrid car technology, and require local utilities to use 35% renewable energy by 2025 - these plans would drive costs up in the short-term, but stabilize and lower prices in the long-term

McCain: Plans to offer a $5000 tax break for purchasers of zero-carbon vehicles and offer a $300 million prize to the manufacture who can first make electric cars feasible. Also plans to eliminate the current 54-cent/gallon tax on imported ethanol, improve energy efficiency of the federal government, and use SmartMeters in households to inspire less spending. These plans would drive down prices moderately.

Energy Costs Winning Policy? I actually like both of these plans, but I’m giving the edge to McCain here because of his government energy efficiency plan. The US government is the single largest consumer of energy, and by cutting consumption, he’ll reduce demand, which could lower prices (and it is better for the environment). Round six, McCain.

Food and Product Safety

Here’s where things get tricky…neither candidate has policies regarding the safety of food and products. Traditionally, Democrats have been more forward thinking about these issues, but neither side has spoken out about plans to remove toxins from our homes and require better labeling. So, this is a draw as well.

The Bottom Line?

I’m an Obama supporter, in part because I believe he has better policies about energy than McCain does. However, I think both parties can learn from one another. I hope that whoever enters the White House puts environmental issues at the forefront.

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One word: Wow.

Maybe my expectations were set low, but the business cards BizCard.com sent me are gorgeous. The best part? They’re green!

The business cards I ordered were “slims.” They’re a little smaller than regular business cards, using 25% less paper, but they still look very professional. Depending on the cards you order, they’re also 30% - 100% recycled paper…but you’d never know it. In addition, keep in mind that BizCard.com buys paper from the Forest Stewardship Council, which certified sources and mills. They recycle ALL of their paper waste, use EnergyStar equipment, and using low VOC solvents and sequence printing to save ink.

That’s not to mention that for EVERY order, the company plants a tree in a Global Releaf ecosystem with America Forests. That means that they plant 100 new trees for every 1 tree they use.

You can read more about the BizCard.com commitment to going green here. They do really nice work, and were a pleasure to work with. If you’re going to order business cards in the next few weeks or months (or years), check out what they have to offer - I can’t recommend them enough!

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Now, their fleet is going green too. They’ve partnered with Penske to replace their current regular trucks with and all-new hybrid, low-emission refrigerated fleet. You can read more about this here.

In addition, the organization used Cargo Bikes to handle small pick ups. Each insulated cart is driven by someone hired and trained on the bike and can hold up to 500 pounds of food. Each bike travels about 2,100 miles a year - the distance from New York to Montana! Check out pictures here.

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“Today’s commercial kitchens are being squeezed by high operating costs driven by energy prices and a reduction in discretionary spending by consumers,” said Steve Kurtz, vice president at FoodServiceWarehouse.com. “Our customers wanted a way to reduce their operating costs while becoming more ecologically responsible, which in turn would make their establishment more appealing to patrons. The program we developed allows our customers to achieve these goals, while putting them further down the path toward other types of certifications.”

To kick-start their new certification program, FSW is giving away a green commercial kitchen valued at up to $40,000 to one qualifying business. According to their website, The Certified Green Commercial Kitchen Program is open to all business kitchens, and participants will have access to LEED-qualified certification experts during their time in the program.

There are five categories of green in this program:

• Energy Conservation
• Water Conservation
• Waste Reduction
• Green Cleaning
• Education

When you buy an energy-efficient product or otherwise go green in one of these areas, you accumulate points. In each category, there is a set number of points you must acquire. When you reach that goal number in all five categories, you’ll receive certification.

There are rewards other than a piece of paper though. If you sign up for this program, you’ll receive extended product warranties, discounts, and more from partnering companies. So this is a win-win program! If you run a commercial kitchen, you can read more about the program’s details here.

Pictures via sxc.hu.

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• An eco-poetry slam
• An organic vegan pastry contest
• Live music
• Recycling stations
• Water filling stations
• Used sneaker recycling
• An eco-friendly fashion show and clothing swap
• Bike valet services
• Activities for the kids
• Environmental films

You can check out the GreenFest Philly 2008 website for more information or head to The Daily Green to read more.

GreenFest is coming to 2nd and South Street in Philly on Sunday, September 7, starting at 11 AM, so head our and enjoy the day!

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Green Spot Market and Fuels in Dallas, Texas is changing the way we think about gas stations. Organic living is important to people, and co-owners Bruce Bagelman and Alvaro Garza realized recently that they could take green concepts and apply them to a business that isn’t exactly green - the gas station convenience store.

The Green Spot market and Fuels is redefining “going green.” Here are some of the specifics:

• They sell products such as fresh flowers, sushi, and tea.
• You can buy biodiesel here, not just regular fuel.
• You can’t buy lottery tickets or cigs here.
• Their cups are made from corn plastic
• Their wallpaper is made from recycled paper grocery bags.
• They have a cafe with free Wi-Fi.
• They’re working with local farmers to provide locally-grown herbs and meats.

In the future, Green Spot also hopes to have a kitchen where they can prepare organic grab-and-eat foods, especially for breakfast. So far, they’ve been fairly successful, and if that success continues, they’ll expand to open more locations. Hopefully, this trend will catch on and more green gas stations will begin to pop up all over the country.

This might not be a totally environmentally-friendly business, but it is one that we can’t live without, so let’s make ‘em as green as possible!

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Before I jump up and down, though, and have a few questions:

• What is going to happen to the old plastic cards? They’re used over and over again, and while it does make sense to use a biodegradable product when these wear out, what about the ones that are perfectly fine?
• Did manufacturers use recycled wood?
• Will these cards have to be continuously replaced - and if so, what is the carbon footprint involved with making them?

I guess I’d just like to find out  little more before praising the idea!

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The Endangered Species Act currently protects all animals at rick of extinction. Section 7 of this law deals with federal agencies, making them consult the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before doing anything that could harm a species on the list.

The changes will prevent the ESA from “being used to regulate climate change.” In other words, carbon emissions is no longer enough to prove adverse effects on a species unless a direct connection can be made. In addition, with these changes, agencies could use their own consultants rather than seeking the advice of a third party.

In my opinion, these changes are huge steps backwards. The government wants to by-pass red tape, so they’re amending a law to create a loophole for themselves. Frankly speaking, I’m not a crazy PETA person (and I’m not implying here that all PETA people are crazy). While I respect animals, I’m not a vegetarian, nor do I think it is wrong to hunt or farm animals as long as it is done so in a respectful way, not for sport.

I am definitely, though, in support of protecting endangered species. I’d like my grandkids, someday, to know what a polar bear is. I find these proposed changes highly offensive to the collective intelligence. All this is going to do is make the government less accountable for their actions.

Comments are welcome on this bill until mid-September, so I encourage you to read more about the Endangered Species Act and the proposed changes, and then contact your state leaders to voice your opinion. Changes to this act have been stopped in the past due to public response, so they can now too.

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When I first heard about this story, I assumed that people were pointing fingers at Clorox for greenwashing, but the problem here is a little different. NAD believes, after a complaint by rival S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., that the Green Works products aren’t clearly advertised.

The issues is that the Green Works line is made up of just general cleaners that work well on traditional soils, but their ads imply that they contain disinfectants, kill germs, cut through grease, and are a leading brand when compared to conventional cleaning products.

Clorox thinks that NAD is splitting hairs here, but at the end of the day, this is a kind of greenwashing - making a typical product green and then not fully explaining how it is different from that first product. Clorox has agrees to modify its advertising and pull some of their ads altogether.

You can read more about this story here and here.

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Recently, people have been updating houses to make them green, but a new report reveals that a whopping 93% of buyers will not pay more for a house with green features. The New York Times Customer Insight Group surveyed 700 prospective home buyers from across the country, focusing on young, affluent groups. You can read the full report here.

What they found is that, while consumers are generally interested in going green, they won’t pay more for green features that are expensive and provide no return on their money.

So, while energy-efficient appliances might entire home buyers, huge investments, like solar panels, probably don’t make sense.

You can read more about this report at Environmental Leader.

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