Globalbriefs
More Student Farmhands Go Organic
More liberal arts students seeking an academic break, meaningful work or training and engagement in social change are headed to farms this summer. It’s a way to act on their growing enthusiasm for locally raised food, concerns over food safety and the environmental impact of conventional agriculture.
The New York Times reports that interest in summer farm work among college students has never been so high, according to dozens of farmers, university professors and people who coordinate agricultural apprenticeships. Katherine L. Adam, of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, says that 1,400 farms sought interns this year; that’s almost triple the number 2 years ago.
Stipends are generally modest, with room and board included. Academic credits may also be offered.
Find internship directories by state at organicvolunteers.com and attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/internships.
Groundbreaking Films
New Wave of Movies with a Message
Food, Inc. by filmmaker Robert Kenner, opening this summer, lifts the veil from our nation’s food industry. It exposes the highly mechanized underbelly hidden from consumers with our government’s consent. “Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations,” the movie notes. “We also have new strains of e-coli, widespread obesity particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”
Fuel, an award-winning production 11 years in the making by activist/director Josh Tickell, that has been touring schools and town halls around the country, tracks the rising domination of the petrochemical industry. Then it reveals a gamut of available solutions to re-power America with sustainable, clean energy sources.
The Story of Stuff, a 20-minute online video by activist Annie Leonard, is a simple, stark assessment of how much stuff Americans waste, which is proving popular in classrooms. It spells out the disastrous environmental consequences of a consumer-driven economy and lists 10 ways to use less stuff.
Learn more at FoodIncMovie.com (includes online petition); TheFuelFilm.com; and TheStoryofStuff.com.
Eco Spoilsports
U.S. Consumers Rank Last Worldwide
Again in 2009, Americans as a whole came in at the bottom of National Geographic’s Greendex survey, which scores consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 17 countries. Yet, we maintain a stronger-than-average
belief that an individual’s environmental efforts can make a difference.
Survey responses indicate that Americans are less concerned about the environment than those polled in the other countries. In particular, they are less likely than average to feel that their personal lifestyle is harmful or to feel guilty about their environmental impact. They also are less likely to feel that environmental problems are bad for their health or to agree that global warming will worsen their way of life. Meanwhile, they insist on driving alone daily and in large vehicles, while being least likely to use public transportation or to walk or bike to destinations.
Still, Americans exhibited some incremental improvements in housing, goods and food categories the past year. These included keeping heating/cooling settings on low, laundering in cold water, using their own bags in stores and preferring to repair, rather than replace, broken items.
Food is the only category monitored in which Americans aren’t dead last, ranking 13th out of 17 countries. Factors contributing to their biggest improvement of the year include eating locally grown foods several times a week and drinking less bottled water. Americans also continue to be relatively infrequent consumers of imported foods.
For details, visit NationalGeographic.com/greendex.
Country Life
Where to Have Fun on the Farm
Each year, 62 million people enjoy finding things to do at farms and farmhouses, ranches and wineries as guests, visitors or volunteer workers, according to RuralBounty.com. Agritourism is often a fast-growing dimension of regional tourism. Many family farmers now welcome the public onto their properties so they can sustain their agricultural lifestyle.
From hayrides to cattle drives; from gathering free-range eggs to sugaring maples; and from picking cherries to walking fields of lavender, it’s all available and waiting. Inquirers can tap into a vast array of local food production and garden nursery experiences at AgritourismWorld.com. Here, they can search by category or specific interest, as well as state or country. Information on tours is also provided.
Vacation Biking
Rent Any Type of Bike Onsite Online
Coast-to-coast, independent bicycle dealers in 144 cities now make it easy to hook up with everyone’s bicycle of choice by the hour, day, week or month. Reserve anything from a comfort or recumbent bike to a road, mountain or kid’s bike at RentaBikeNow.com. Trailers and accessories can be specified right along with destination and travel dates, like with booking a hotel or car. Route information, too, is available at a click of the mouse.
The new service addresses three critical issues making headlines these days: environment, gas prices and health awareness, notes company President and Founder George Gill.
Connect with a convenient bike shop at RentaBikeNow.com, a division of Go. Play. Everywhere. LLC.
Wild Zones
Congress Gets Going on Wilderness Conservation
This year has seen big wins in preserving America’s wilderness heritage. The first new National Land Conservation System in a generation now unites more than 26 million acres in permanent protection and restoration status. Areas encompass more than 850 of the most scenic, ecologically and historically significant lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. These include national monuments, conservation and wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers and scenic and historic trails.
Also, another two million acres of wilderness across nine states have been added to public lands permanently protected in the National Wilderness Preservation System, bringing the total to about 110 million acres. That’s five percent of the country. The additional acreage approved by Congress and President Obama is in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Oregon.
The victory will help restore and maintain the healthy, resilient landscapes essential to helping ecosystems and the species that depend on them adapt to climate change. Grassroots voices contributed to another victory, this one for Arctic wildlife. Earlier this year, a federal court vacated the Department of the Interior’s five-year plan for oil and gas leasing in Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast.
Source: The Wilderness Society, Wilderness.org
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