July 2011

President Obama Announces New Fuel Economy Standards

7/29/11 | Anonymous | 4 comments

Today, President Obama announced the first substantive update to American fuel efficiency standards in thirty years. Earth Day Network commends this critical step toward reducing America’s dependence on fossil fuels while addressing the tremendous impact automobiles have on the climate crisis.

A Crusade for Healthier Children Begins

7/28/11 | Education | 4 comments

This month, the USDA unveiled an initiative to help communities become more involved in school health and nutrition. This plan will be put into action through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Kabul: The Model City of the Future?

7/27/11 | Earth Day Network | 5 comments

With a population of almost five million people Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan is already bigger than every single city in the United States other than New York. Even more impressive is the fact that almost a decade ago the population of the city barely topped 500,000. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see that Afghanistan is in the middle of a huge urban boom. Today 1 of every 6 Afghans lives in Kabul. For a traditionally rural country, the huge influx of people into urban areas is putting major stress on the capacity of the city.

The Struggle for Healthy Kids Continues

7/13/11 | Education | 1 comment

Imagine walking into a grocery store and hearing a child beg his parents to buy him strawberries, apples, or yogurt. In reality, you are far more likely to hear kids plead for ice cream or sugary cereals. For this reason, the healthy foods movement has recently gone to great lengths to begin to regulate the types of foods advertised to children. These new regulations could bring this imaginary scenario closer to a reality.

Rapid Response: Don't Let Congress Cut the Lights on Energy Efficiency

7/8/11 | Earth Day Network | 4 comments

The U.S. Congress is threatening to roll back a key energy efficiency victory our movement won in 2007. The "BULB Act" (H.R. 2417) attacks standards that would require new light bulbs to achieve higher efficiency levels - and it may reach a VOTE as early as Monday.

How Would You Like to Vacation on a Plastic Island?

7/7/11 | Earth Day Network | 6 comments

Right around this time of year millions of people across the world are heading to the beaches for a summer vacation to enjoy the sand and splash around in the water. Maybe you are even one of them? If the answer is yes, here is something to think about:

A glimpse into the future

7/6/11 | Education | 0 comments

We’ve had a busy week here in the education department at Earth Day Network. The Green Schools Program, with the support of the UPS Foundation, recently produced a webinar detailing the importance of biodiesel, and how to integrate its production into schools. This resource was created in conjunction with our work to build two biodiesel production labs at schools outside of both Boston and Seattle.

US Court Rules on EPA Oversight of Aircraft Emissions

7/6/11 | Earth Day Network | 3 comments

Today a US District Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must move forward under the Clean Air Act and determine whether carbon emissions from aircraft endanger society.

This is an important move - air traffic accounts for vast amounts of pollution and fuel consumption. U.S. airlines alone used over 16 billion gallons of fuel for scheduled flights in 2010, a figure that is projected to increase.
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Building a Green Economy in Australia

7/5/11 | Kathleen Rogers | 3 comments

Traveling through Australia, every day I am here I see examples of growing a green economy and creating new jobs while mitigating the dangerous effects of climate change.

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