Change the Margins

Friedman on the Federal Gas Tax

Thomas L. Friedman has a piece in today's New York Times about the necessity of imposing a gas tax if we really and truly want to stimulate a green economy.

There has to be a system that permanently changes consumer demand, which would permanently change what Detroit makes, which would attract more investment in battery technology to make electric cars, which would hugely help the expansion of the wind and solar industries — where the biggest drawback is the lack of batteries to store electrons when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining. A higher gas tax would drive all these systemic benefits.

While the thought of more taxes has my wallet running for cover, I am in complete agreement with Friedman. Personally, I loved seeing prices come down at the pump, knowing that it would now take less than $50 to fill the tank on my zippy little Toyota. But there was also a part of me that got very, very nervous when I saw gas prices decreasing. 

I'd love to believe that the green movement over the last couple of years is something more than a fad, but I'm cynical. Unfortunately Friedman, who has been through this cycle more times than myself, seems to confirm this. While I believe that a small minority of Americans will maintain their commitment to a more sustainable future, I believe that most need to be economically stimulated. We'll see if the new administration agrees. 

Read the full piece here.

Google & Warner Bros. Head Honchos on CA's AB 32

I stumbled across this piece on The Huffington Post today from Eric Schmidt (CEO, Google) and Alan Horn (President & COO, Warner Bros. Entertainment). The two encourage the California state air resources board to implement the landmark Global Warming Solutions Act, known as AB 32. The measure calls on Californians to reduce our global warming pollution to 1990 levels over the next 12 years through a variety of tactics.

Energy efficiency is the cheapest and fastest way to reduce global warming emissions from burning fossil fuels, but we can also benefit economically by developing our capacity to generate clean power. California is blessed by its natural resources, including prodigious amounts of wind, sun and geothermal energy. It's nature's gift to us, but so far we've squandered most of it. Why not capture that free energy and simultaneously become the market leader in designing and manufacturing clean power technology for the rest of the world?

I'm proud to live in a state that has often been on the leading edge of change. President-elect Obama has stated many times that a clean energy economy is a priority. I'm hoping that once again, CA will act as an example of how important goals such as this can be accomplished.

Use Both Sides

Wanted to give a shout out to USE BOTH SIDES, another grassroots campaign aimed at saving paper. This initiative out of the UK has a simple goal, as stated on their website:

To give paper another chance.
We hope to convince everyone that we can - and should - use both sides of the paper.

There's a nifty intro video, as well as several different poster designs. They've also started a Facebook group.

Thanks to Michael Leddy, both for leading me to the Use Both Sides campaign and for posting a link to Margins on his blog Orange Crate Art.

Poster for USE BOTH SIDES

Broadway Goes Green

Two usually disparate parts of my life -- acting and eco-activism -- merged today with the announcement of BROADWAY GOES GREEN, an industry-wide initiative to green up the Great White Way. If I were a character in a musical, I'd be bursting out in song right about now about how thrilling this is to me! 

The project is a collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and includes efforts to work more eco-friendly practices into all aspects of Broadway production, from theatre venue operations to the day-to-day running of shows to the creation process. They've started a website www.greenbroadway.com to help people stay informed about the initiative.

Current changes already in progress include replacing marquee lights with more efficient lighting, washing costumes in cold water whenever possible and using re-chargeable batteries in sound equipment.

One of the things that excites me so much about this initiative is that it's another example of how small change enacted on a large scale can make a real difference. Changing the type of batteries used in one wireless mic may not seem like a lot, but multiply that by all the cast members in all the shows, and suddenly that one action has a much larger impact. 

I'd love it if Broadway Goes Green could adopt efficient margins for printing scripts, both during the development and production process. If anyone reading this has a contact at the NRDC or to a higher-up on the Broadway production food chain, please forward them this post. Many thanks!

For more info, you can read the full press release here.

A Great Relationship With My Brother

As many of you know, I recently got a new printer. Today I hit the first li'l maintenance check - replacing the toner cartridge. I'm happy to report that Brother makes it super-easy (and free!) to responsibly dispose of your old cartridges. Just go to their website and print out a pre-paid label, box up your old cartridge and pop it in the mail.

According to the verbiage on Brother's site:

Brother currently has a recycling program in place for used Brother branded consumable items. Some of the select components that are returned to us will be remanufactured. Others are broken down so that all of the appropriate metal and plastic components can be recycled.

CNN Eliminates Science Unit

In a rather disturbing post on the New York Times Dot Earth blog, Andrew C. Revkin reports that CNN is eliminating its seven-person unit covering science.

CNN is eliminating its seven-person unit covering science, the environment, and technology, saying its “Planet in Peril” programs do the trick. Curtis Brainard, who assesses environmental coverage for the Columbia Journalism Review online, in a comprehensive piece on the move, said: “[T]he decision to eliminate the positions seems particularly misguided at a time when world events would seem to warrant expanding science and environmental staff.”

While the article in the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution claims that the decision is an editorial one as opposed to an economic choice, I have a tough time buying this (pun intended). Given the recent high cost of gas prices, and the emphasis placed on climate and energy concerns in the US presidential election, cutting science coverage at this point it time does not compute for me.