Think Green Live Clean

In one of New York’s public housing complexes, a recent grassroots recycling education effort has taken place. Gloria Allen, at the young age of 82, has started a community recycling education program for all of the 4500 residents. Historically, recycling in New York’s public housing projects has been horrendous with only 17 percent of household waste recycled. The City of New York has made it mandatory to recycle by passing a law that forces residents to recycle their waste, but unfortunately a law is sometimes not all that it takes. “It takes time, patience and energy” say Ms. Martin and much of that energy is coming from Martin and her associates. Read more…

The era of praying and wishing for US leaders to take big steps in fighting global warming may soon come to an end.  The US took arguably the biggest domestic step in combating climate change recently as the house of representatives narrowly passed the Climate Change Bill.  This 1500 page document requires large companies which include oil refineries, utilities, and manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 from 2005 emissions levels.  If the senate passes this bill and it becomes law, it will be the first time in the history of the country that there will be enforceable limits on CO2 emissions……This is BIG news.

If passed, this bill will fundamentally change the fossil fuel based society that has infiltrated the US.  It is a sign that America has decided to pursue the route of sustainability and provide a habitable country for generations to come.

Though the bill still must pass through the senate and it will be a couple years before the changes begin to occur, the ice has been broken in climate change policy.  Now, we can only expect and demand the enforcement and continued passage of effective climate change policy. Washington has delivered a clear message that climate change will no longer be an issue put on the bookshelves for a later date.

Check out the full article at Reuters