Jobs vs. Environment Posted by Denise Robbins on November 16, 2010(1 Comment)
Why there has been so much opposition in the U.S. to any sort of climate legislation? When looking into this question, it is important to understand how the environmental movement is viewed, how it has been framed. One of the biggest misconceptions to become engrained into our society is the idea that we need to choose between environmental protection and our economy, par... Read More
Emotional Victim Posted by Denise Robbins on November 9, 2010(No Comments)
Last week, I had a meeting with an administrator at Cornell, let’s call him/her Alex. This meeting was to discuss ways to possibly reduce plastic bag usage in the Cornell store, to provide an incentive, implement a tax, simply discourage customers, etc. Alex was a really good-hearted person; already knew and was talking about all the horrors of plastic bags before I eve... Read More
A Truly Global Work Party Posted by Denise Robbins on October 12, 2010(1 Comment)
Sunday was an important day for environmentalism; maybe even more important than Earth Day. October 10th, or 10/10/10, marked the day of the Global Work Party, a concept started by Bill McKibben of 350.org. This is a day that gave momentum to the environmental movement, bringing it to all corners of the world. 350.org is an international campaign that is focusing to un... Read More
Imagining Sustainable Investment Posted by Denise Robbins on September 27, 2010(No Comments)
Two weeks ago, Greenpeace organizers on campus coordinated a Week of Action, in order to prevent BP from drilling off of Liberty Island. Just to recap, Liberty Island is built of 34 acres of gravel that BP placed 5 miles off the coast of Alaska. They plan to drill off of this island, 2 miles down and 8 miles horizontally to reach an oil reserve so that they can techni... Read MoreA Green Revolution Posted by Denise Robbins on September 14, 2010(1 Comment)
The environmental movement is becoming more than just a movement; it is a revolution. The majority of the public supports environmental protection (even though it may not be the top priority for most people). There are more and more environmental agencies and organizations gaining support, almost every big company has a “sustainability” objective, and the pressure bein... Read More
A Slick Summer in Review Posted by Denise Robbins on August 30, 2010(1 Comment)
Hello to all Cornellians, environmentalists, earth-lovers and other assorted readers. I hope that you have all had wonderful summers, spending as much time outside as possible, going to farmers markets, eating granola, hugging and climbing trees, hugging and climbing each other. This is a precarious world we are living in, and it’s time to start making each second count... Read More
PVC follow up Posted by Denise Robbins on April 30, 2010(No Comments)
One thing that struck me about the whole PVC incident was that my roommate who bought the curtain got offended when I wanted to get rid of it; she had bought it wanting to a nice thing for the apartment. I completely understand and appreciate this. I tried to make it clear that my short-lived activist fantasy wasn’t an attack against her. I was grateful at the intentio... Read MorePVC Posted by Denise Robbins on April 30, 2010(No Comments)
Last Monday, Lois Gibbs came in to tell her story about the Love Canal and to give a lecture about PVC. Her story was an extreme and devastating one; when she moved to Niagara Falls, she discovered that her neighborhood, Love Canal, was built on top of a toxic waste dump. Her seven-year-old son and her newborn baby girl both got very sick for no explainable reason. She ... Read MoreTransparency Part 2 Posted by Denise Robbins on April 19, 2010(No Comments)
Last week I wrote about the individuals who turn a blind eye to the environmental impact of what they purchase. This week, I will explain some difficulties in actually making this information available to the public. Currently, most companies seem to be waiting around for Americans to put enough pressure on their governments to enforce regulations on transparency, resp... Read More
Transparency Part 1 Posted by Denise Robbins on April 12, 2010(1 Comment)
Definition of transparent: 1. To show through. 2. Free from pretense of deceit. 3. Easily detected or seen through. 4. Readily understood. 5. Not subject to misinterpretation. 6. Visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices. (1) Lately, there has been increased demand for transparency. Why? Because the level of obscurity behi... Read More
