LA Film Festival Screens Green

The Los Angeles Film Festival opens tomorrow (June 18) in Westwood Village, and is set to screen five green and environmentally-themed films, No Impact Man, The Cove, Big River Man, The Last Beekeeper; and Bananas!

No Impact Man documents environmentalist Colin Beavan who embarks on a green living experiment by attempting to have as little negative environmental impact as possible for a year-including: no takeout, no taxis, and no toilet paper.

The Cove centers around Richard OBarry, dolphin trainer for televisions beloved Flipper, and photographer turned filmmaker Louie Psihoyos. The pair lead the audience on a suspenseful voyage of discovery in this activist documentary. OBarry has long been convinced of the cruelty of domesticating these highly intelligent animals and feels responsibility for the growth of an economy of sea parks and swim-along programs.

Big River Man, tells the story of an out-of-shape-beer-drinking Slovenian man and his journey swimming the Amazon River.

The Last Beekeeper takes a close look at the struggles of three American beekeepers as they deal with the devastating effects of economic and ecological change when a mysterious illness among bees threatens insects and businesses.

Bananas! is a documentary revealing the human cost of banana cultivation by chronicling the case of Nicaraguan laborers, represented by L.A. attorney Juan Dominguez, against the companies who they believe poisoned them. Between the films completion and its screening at this years Festival, critical new elements of the case have come to light. What happens when a story continues to evolve after the shooting stops? This case study and screening will explore the relationship between documentary filmmaking, objective and subjective point of view, as well as the rights and responsibilities of activist filmmaking.

For further information on these films and to purchase tickets, head to the Los Angeles Film Festival website.

Stay tuned for reviews on The Green Dove.

What Exactly is Eco Tourism Anyway?

Besides having less of an impact on the planet when you travel, what exactly defines eco tourism?

According to the Centre for Ecotourism, Hector Ceballos-Lascurain created the term “eco tourism” in 1983 to mean “nature-based travel to relatively undisturbed areas with an emphasis on education.”

The term “eco” is a combination of three words environment, culture and oriented travel. The International Ecotourism Society says eco tourism can be defined as “responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people”. In short, ecotourism is an insightful, mindful and participatory travel experience to natural and cultural environments, assisting the well-being of the local cultures and environments for future generations. Eco tourism, however, is different from nature tourism because it puts more emphasis on conservation, education, traveler responsibility and active community participation.

Turning Old Into New

Reusing commonly tossed items is not only a great way to save on cash, it’s a great way to be green.

Reuse can help reduce waste disposal and handling costs, because it avoids the costs of recycling, municipal composting, land filling, and combustion. The Environmental Protection Agency also officially gives reuse the thumbs up.

Up Close and Personal

Your next vacation can be as much about education as it is about relaxation.

“Eco” Celebs a Paler Shade of Green

By Cynthia Morgan

I glanced at the latest cover of Vogue with Cameron Diaz and next to her name was the headline “Queen of Green.” Heres what I dont get: how can a woman who goes on national talk shows telling us plebeians how to change our light bulbs to be more “green” not understand that by consuming meat (she is quoted as saying she “loves” hamburgers-they are her “weakness”) that she is contributing to the single greatest cause of environmental destruction on the planet?

American Idol: How Green Can You Go?

With the American Idol final coming up this week, one question remains: who is going to follow in the footsteps of songstresses Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler? Were not talking about mass votes or album sales.

Eco Travel Arrives at TripSay

Travel networking site, TripSay.com has launched an eco-travel theme. The site’s co-founder Jussi Huotari (pictured right) says he believes eco-travel will continue to be one of the fastest growing segments of travel. The Dove wanted to know more, so headed straight to the source…

THE GREEN DOVE: What is your definition of eco-travel?

JUSSI HUOTARI: This is a very good question. At TripSay we think most definitions of eco-travel focus way too much on technology and arbitrary calculations, such as carbon footprints. We think eco-travel is traveling to see the natural wonders of the world. For example: you travel to the Great Barrier Reef to experience the clean waters, colorful corals, and a myriad of different fishes. The locals make their living out of the reef and it is in their best interest to maintain the reef vivid and lively to keep travelers coming back and telling their friends about the amazing underwater sceneries. An ecotraveler goes to places, where nature is not a resource but a value as such. In doing so, she enables the locals to make their living out of the nature in sustainable way. I wrote about this in my personal blog.

Patti Penn, Reiki Master

They say one good deed leads to another. The Dove Project is a series of questions, passed on, by each interviewee, to the person they believe is doing their part to ensure a greener, healthier future, through action and inspiration. Join us as we share earth-loving information courtesy of those who have taken it upon themselves to believe, through action and leading by example, that one person can truly make a difference. Tree by Nick Radford

Name: Patti Penn
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Profession: Reiki Master
Website: www.reiki-eft.com

Oils Spills and Paper Dust

Dear EarthTalk: What were the environmental impacts of the huge coal ash spill in Tennessee this past December? — Dave S, Lynnfield, MA

Environmentalists call for an end to the age of coal-one of the dirtiest and most common of all the fossil fuels we now use-took on new urgency this past December when some 525 million gallons of wet coal ash, enough toxic slurry to flood more than 3,000 acres of nearby land, spilled into the nearby Tennessee River and surrounding areas when a retaining wall at a power plant in the town of Harriman gave way.

The sludge destroyed 12 homes, though no one was directly injured. However, an unprecedented fish kill occurred in the Tennessee River and area tributaries in the aftermath of the spill. According to John Moulton, a spokesman for the Tennessee Valley Authority which owns the plant, a test of river water near the spill site found elevated levels of lead and thallium, both of which have been linked to birth defects and nervous and reproductive system disorders. He reassured locals that, although these substances exceeded safety limits for drinking water, they would be filtered out by normal water treatment processes.

But some area residents arent so sure that they are safe from the effects of the spill, which is estimated to have been over 40 times bigger by volume than the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. Calling it an “environmental disaster of epic proportions,” Carol Kimmons, a local resident who works at the non-profit Sequatchie Valley Institute, told reporters that the nasty black ash flowed into “the water supply for Chattanooga and millions of people living downstream in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky.” She added that the spill was 70 percent bigger than a similar one in Kentucky in October 2000 (306 million gallons) that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) referred to at the time as “one of the worst environmental disasters in the Southeastern United States.”

More than a year after that Kentucky spill, researchers found levels of lead downstream from where the spill took place that were 400 times higher than the EPAs safe limit. And levels of Beryllium were 160 times higher than acceptable EPA levels.

“Coal contains huge amounts of heavy metals, and when coal is burned, the organic matter burns off, but many of the nasty chemicals stick around, in higher concentrations,” said Kimmons. “Also, coal is ‘washed’ using some really nasty chemicals, which are also left over in coal slurry.” The bottom line, she concluded, is that “coal slurry is really, really toxic stuff.”

Ironically, on the very same day as the huge Tennessee spill, a coalition of 39 non-profit groups delivered a letter to then President-elect Barack Obama asking him to overturn a pending Bush administration rule change that would ease regulations on coal waste disposal. The groups contend that coal ash has already polluted 23 states and that the proposed new rule would only allow more pollution and more risks to human health and the environment. Now-President Obama has pledged to undertake a comprehensive inventory of liquid coal ash waste and propose new regulations to ensure its safe disposal.

“This disaster proves that regulations around coal slurry impoundments need to be tightened, and not loosened,” says Kimmons. Only time will tell if verbal commitments from Washington materialize into help on the ground.

CONTACTS: Sequatchie Valley Institute, svionline.org; Tennessee Valley Authority, tva.gov.

Dear EarthTalk: I run a sorting machine at the post office, and am worried about all the paper dust swirling around the building. I asked both management and our union if this was a health or safety problem and both said no, but Im not sure they really know. Can you set the record straight? — J.G. Eddins, Phoenix, AZ

One of the drawbacks to the increasing mechanization of postal facilities is the increase in paper dust. The machines doing the grunt work loosen the dust and send it airborne where workers can breathe it in copiously. Contrary to what management and the union may say, paper dust can be a hazard to postal workers, causing and exacerbating respiratory problems. Sorting machines could also theoretically disperse contaminants (such as anthrax) intentionally sent through the mail into postal facilities, further adding to the risk of the job.

“Theres no federal safety standard on it, so its a real problem,” reports Bob Williamson, president of the San Francisco chapter of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). “Weve had people who have developed occupational asthma from breathing the fine dust.” Other reported problems include bronchitis, allergic reactions, migraines, bacterial infections, conjunctivitis and sore throats.

In the Fall of 2008, more than 450 current and former postal employees, many in the Chicago area, signed a petition to occupational health officials and postal unions blaming health problems on paper dust fibers inside post offices. Some are seeking health benefits to pay for related medical treatment.

“I do believe that my life is going to be shortened,” Delphine Howard, a former manager at two local post offices, told Chicagos ABC7 News. “I started having severe bronchitis attacks, severe asthma attacks, and severe chest pains.” She worked for the postal service from 1987 until 2005 when her doctor diagnosed her with “a medical condition that is affected by unclean air, dust particles and residue in volumes in her present employment areas.” Several other Chicago area postal workers complained of similar symptoms as a result of ongoing exposure to postal dust.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) studied the issue in 1998 and found no direct link between health and postal dust, but did discover that sorting machines could send potentially carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (such as ink) and other irritants like dust mites, into the air. The USPS told ABC7 News it had “only received two direct complaints of respiratory problems in the last several years.”

Diligent cleaning of the machines can help keep the problem in check. “Vacuum and wipe down the machines every day rather than resorting to the quicker method of blowing the dust off the machines and into the air,” says the APWUs Williamson, adding that workers can also wear masks to minimize breathing in of postal dust and any contaminants in the air with it. He also recommends that post offices rotate their workers around to different duties to avoid perpetual exposure to potentially harmful or aggravating activities. Besides dealing with paper dust, mail sorters frequently suffer from muscular-skeletal problems associated with repetitive motion strain.

CONTACTS: American Postal Workers Union (APWU), apwu.org; U.S. Postal Service, usps.com.

EarthTalkTM
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook

Each week on The Green Dove, EarthTalk features questions submitted by readers on a wide range of environmental topics — from recycling to rainforests; and from the global village to your backyard.

Young Hollywood Helps Garden Program Take Root

The Environmental Media Association (EMA) and LA Unified School District (LAUSD), with personal care brand Yes To Inc., has announced an ongoing partnership to support organic gardens and greenery in urban schools across Los Angeles. EMA and Yes To will directly support a number of school gardens through funding and celebrity mentoring from EMAs Young Hollywood Board.

Board members include Amy Smart, Nicole Richie (pictured left at the 18th Annual Environmental Awards), Maroon 5, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rosario Dawson, Maria Menounos, Matthew Rhys, Lance Bass, Emily VanCamp, Anna Getty, Olivia Wilde, Carter Oosterhouse and others. Each member will adopt a school to raise awareness for the program and help kids with environmental education.

As the school gardens grow and evolve, student gardeners learn invaluable life lessons such as team work, problem-solving, service-learning, ecology and patience. The program will launch in early summer with a special event at one of the 25 schools.

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