Friday

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Authority Upheld for Clean Air Act

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) in Washington D.C. June 10, 2010.
Photo Courtesy Justin Short.

Just when people and pundits had been saying that the Climate and Energy bill traveling through the Senate wouldn't get anywhere near the attention that the Dems' pet Health Bill received, the Gulf Oil Gusher, our nation's worst environmental disaster to date, hit. 

The terrible upside to disasters is that they spotlight disastrous situations and systemic failures and weak links.

Meeting this past Thursday in Washington D.C., California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke with Henry A. Waxman, co-author of the Waxman-Markey Bill who also chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee (D-California) and also U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. 

Schwarzenegger and Sebelius in D.C. Photo Courtesy Justin Short.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that he applauds the U.S. Senate for blocking the Murkowski resolution and upholding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to fight global climate change by enforcing the Clean Air Act and the new federal vehicle emissions standard modeled after California’s nation-leading standard:

 

“I applaud the U.S. Senate for rejecting this attempt to block national clean energy efforts, even as oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of trying to go backwards, Congress should be helping the nation move forward and prepare for the clean energy economy of the 21st century.

 

“California is leading the way in enacting ambitious policies and programs that are reducing our dependency on oil, growing our green economy and combating climate change. And, because of our forward-thinking policies, some of the most advanced technology companies in the world are investing in California and creating jobs. I urge Congress to continue moving forward to pass a comprehensive federal clean energy plan this year.”

 

Earlier this week in California's gubernatorial primaries, Meg Whitman, former CEO of EBay, cruised into the top spot as Republican candidate for the upcoming General Election. Jerry Brown runs as the Democratic candidate.

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Wednesday

Skin Cancer, Sun Exposure And Jane Iredale Cosmetics

NPR's Your Health reported yesterday that, "Young women are the biggest users of tanning salons, and many cite peer pressure as a reason. And, researchers have found that many women who visit tanning salons show symptoms of addiction."

Listen to the complete interview HERE.

"About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV rays, so we are thrilled to receive The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation in an effort to help spread awareness on preventable measures against this deadly disease," says Jane Iredale, President and Founder of Iredale Mineral Cosmetics.  "We are not only committed to developing quality products to enhance color, but also the overall health of the skin – including skin cancer prevention."

The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation has set the criteria for effective UV protection for more than 30 years.  Products were evaluated by the Foundation's Photobiology Committee, composed of leading U.S. dermatologists who are experts on how the sun interacts with the skin.   Secondly, each product underwent testing for safety and efficacy standards, including an SPF of 15 or greater, validation of the SPF number by testing on 20 people, acceptable test results for phototoxic reactions and contact irritation, and substantiation for any claims that a sunscreen is water- or sweat-resistant.

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, products that contain sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or more should be applied daily for prevention against harmful UV rays.  jane iredale's Amazing Base, PurePressed Base, Dream Tint, LipDrink and Powder-Me SPF in Tanned and Translucent range from an SPF of 15 to 30.  

Made with the highest grade of micronized minerals, PurePressed Base is a pressed mineral foundation that provides superior yet weightless coverage with unsurpassed skin care benefits.  Amazing Base is a loose mineral foundation that provides a natural barrier to the sun's harmful rays, with a very water resistant SPF of 20.  It's your skin, only better!

  • Contains no talc, oil, FD&C dyes, parabens, synthetic preservatives or fragrance.
  • Non-comedogenic.
  • Minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are naturally anti-inflammatory, helping to calm inflammation.
  • Extracts of sea minerals soothe and nourish the skin and also aid in hydration.
  • Micronized minerals provide very water resistant, broad spectrum, chemical-free sun protection of SPF 20.
  • Minerals naturally diffuse light to create a luminous, smooth appearance.

Dream Tint SPF 15 is an award-winning, oil-free tinted moisturizer.

  • Sea lipids help to improve skin's elasticity and prevent trans-epidermal water loss.
  • Titanium dioxide calms and soothes inflammation and provides instant broad spectrum sun protection of SPF 15.
  • Boron nitride creates a soft-focus effect to minimize the appearance of fine lines and enlarged pores.

LipDrink is a colorless, moisturizing, protective lip balm in a base of macadamia nut oil.

  • Edible zinc oxide provides an SPF 15 and broad spectrum sunscreen.  
  • Combines a variety of waxes and oils – some with small molecules in order to penetrate, moisturize and condition the delicate lip membranes, and some with larger molecules to provide a protective shield by lying on the surface.  
  • Contains the antioxidants green tea extract, and vitamins E and C.  
  • The flavor is a mixture of lemon and orange oils.  
  • Feels more moist on the lips than a traditional lip balm.

Powder-Me SPF in Tanned and Translucent is an all-over face and body powder that helps protect against both UVB and UVA rays with an SPF 30 and a very water-resistant rating.

  • Physical, not chemical, sun protection that works instantly so you can brush on and head straight for the sun
  • Powder-Me SPF is packaged in an innovative dispenser for quick and even coverage
  • Applicator has a mirror for easy, fault-proof application
  • Formulated with active ingredients like titanium dioxide and a unique clay that contains minerals to nourish and calm the skin
  • Completely free of contaminants and atmospheric pollutants
  • The all natural ingredients are safe to use on children
  • Translucent – no appearance on the skin
  • Tanned - a golden bronze

For more information about The Skin Cancer Foundation please visit www.SkinCancer.org/Seal

 

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World Cup: The Good, The Green And The Wash

By Gina Williams

[Gina is a blogger for the AutonomieProject.  Orginally published on the AutonomieProject]

As far back as my brain can remember, I patiently wait every four years for the magical, exhilarating and largest sporting event on the planet: THE WORLD CUP! I was raised in a football, ah well since this is the States I will say soccer, family. As a family we ate, breathed, and drank soccer. Myself,  siblings,  father, and mother all have played, refereed, and coached soccer through the years. I can remember where I watched every World Cup Final game for the last 22 years or so! Perhaps my favorite memory, is driving home from Oregon to California and stopping in a furniture store with my Dad to watch Brazil and France duke it out in 1998.

Click HERE for PLANET GREEN's Top 5 Eco Athletes

Anyway, I am not alone in this sheer excitement and anticipation, as most of the world, sans the majority of the US, will be glued to any television available to catch all the matches in this year’s cup. That is right, 2010 is a World Cup Year and I am counting down the days( I have even downloaded the  World Cup Countdown App to be sure I keep on track)!

From CNN:  Others believe the World Cup is a lost opportunity for South Africa to be a world leader in making sport greener.

"I think South Africa has missed a trick in not seeking, of its own volition, to host the first 'carbon neutral' mega-event," Anton Cartwright, co-founder of Promoting Access to Carbon Equity told CNN.

Read More On CNN...

Ok so now you are probably wondering, why on Earth would Autonomie Project, a Fair Trade and Eco friendly Fashion company be discussing a sporting event? Well, not only am I a HUGE fan of the sport, but we recently were made aware of some interesting details. This year’s cup is hosted by South Africa and preparations for the tournament began long ago. Like many modern events, a focus on making the event carbon neutral was an early goal for South Africa. However, with a mass frenzy to build the infrastructure for the World Cup, there seems to be a bit of greenwashing going on.

It is true that South Africa has made serious efforts to keep the games Green, such as their carbon offset program, where they have planted over 800,000 trees in various cities. Many South African environmentalists aren’t quite buying it though. Bobby Peek of Friends of the Earth South Africa reiterated this point, “Once carbon is produced, claiming that offsetting is ‘neutralizing’ the carbon footprint is nothing more than ‘greenwash.’” We somewhat agree with this idea, however, planting trees is always a great improvement for a city. On top of carbon offsetting, South Africa has improved its public transportation for the event, making it easy and efficient to travel between stadiums.

When preparations first began, the country was toting itself as creating a Green World Cup. Environmentalists inside the country were frustrated when a new stadium was built, rather than using the old stadiums in Durban. Many were outraged that new construction materials were adding to the overall carbon footprint of the tournament. This definitely may be true, however construction on the new stadium is very eco-friendly. Not only did they re-use much of the concrete and o ther building materials from the demolished stadium, but the new stadium is also built with PTFE which provides natural light, has natural ventilation, energy efficient heat, and collects rainwater.  Even though we agree that keeping the old stadium would in large be more eco-friendly, at least the new stadium was built with some re-used materials and with green architecture in mind.

Beyond the country of South Africa, this year’s “World Cup 2010 Kits,” created by Nike, are claiming to be the most Environmentally friendly kits ever. The jerseys to be worn by the most famous players such as Ronaldo, and by the average soccer fans at home, are made from recycled plastic bottles. They say that they used enough plastic bottles to line the whole coast of South Africa into the uniforms. A Nike spokesperson told GreenMyStyle.com the kits are sustainable in other ways, “We use a variety of environmentally preferred materials such as PET, organic cotton, ‘green’ rubber, and many of our inputs into our shoes are recycled materials from factory production.” This sounds all well and good, however, GreenMyStyle and others are questioning Nike’s credentials, as they haven’t always been the most ethical company in the past and do not provide transparency into where the materials actually come from or provide certification. Also, recycling is great but probably not the most sustainable method of production, as the process itself emits pollution.  On another note, Nike has been the subject of labor rights issues, with sharp criticism from both the Fair Trade and Labor Rights movements.

Although, it seems serious steps are being made by the South African government and World Cup planners, as well as private industry to make the 2010 World Cup Green, there is still disappointment. It was reported that the 2010 World Cup has a carbon footprint 6 times larger than the 2006 World Cup, held in Germany. It should be noted the 2006 numbers did not include transportation and most qualifying teams are from Europe, cutting down the impact of distance traveling. It seems most environmentalists feel South Africa dropped the ball on making the event green and think bigger steps should have been made. However, there are a couple of great things that will come from this including more efficient public transportation, more green space, drawing attention to the environmental sector in the country, and encourage the next World Cup (held in Brazil) to go even more Green!

While knowing that the biggest way the World Cup could cut their carbon footprint is to lessen world travel, it sort of defeats the heart of the  cup. Much like the Olympics, the World Cup is seen as a time for harmony and for the world to come together. There may come a time when the matches may need to be played in a more central location and possibly only the finals in distant lands. Whatever the future holds the environmentalist in me is happy to see some changes and is hoping for more, but the soccer lover in me is anxiously awaiting June 11th. In fact, as we speak my  World Cup Countdown App says we have 7 days, 21 hours, 44 minutes, and 41, 40, 39, 38 seconds…

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Tuesday

Produced By Produces Crowd

Produced By Conference attracted boat loads of attendees this year - again! Good to see that "green" is getting integrated with mainstream programming. One of TV's greenest sets, 24, recently signed off declaring it had run its course. A Fox-produced program, the same set where the Produced By Conference was held this year (Sony Studios, last year) we're looking forward to seeing who takes up the reins of green movie sets now that 24 has blazed its trail.

PGA President Emeritus Marshall Herskovitz and newly elected PGA Co-President Hawk Koch welcome the crowd to the event; Photo: Michael Quinn Martin

LOS ANGELES (June 7, 2010) – The Producers Guild of America announced today that more than 1,100 people attended the second annual Produced by Conference held June 5-6, 2010 at 20th Century Fox Studios. With speakers like Ted Turner, Mark Cuban, Larry Gordon, Bruce Cohen, James L. Brooks, Jon Landau, Paula Wagner, Marshall Herskovitz, Douglas Wick, Mark Gordon, Tim Gibbons, Hawk Koch, Alan Ball and 130 other masters of their craft, attendees were endlessly inspired throughout the two-day celebration of the producing art.

Featured PBC speaker, media entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and moderator Variety Group Editor Timothy M. Gray. Photo Credit: Michael Quinn Martin

 Featured PBC speaker, media entrepreneur and maverick Mark Cuban and moderator The Los Angeles Times’ Dawn Chmielewski. Photo Credit: Michael Quinn Martin

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BOLD NATIVE, indie film about animal liberation, premieres in LA


Los Angeles, CA, June 1, 2010 – Bold Native, the first fiction film about the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a non-centralized group of animal liberators and economic saboteurs that the FBI calls their top domestic terrorist priority, answers conscious film-enthusiasts calling for scripted material of action and substance. 
In Bold Native, Charlie Cranehill (played by Joaquin Pastor), an ALF member wanted by the government for domestic terrorism, emerges from the underground to coordinate a nationwide action, while his CEO father (Randolph Mantooth, Emergency) tries to find him before the FBI does. Simultaneously, a young idealist campaigns for more humane treatment of farmed animals on behalf of a large nonprofit organization, and a woman from Charlie’s past threatens to undermine his plans. 
“Vegetarians, environmentalists and activists often get only documentaries supporting our points of view,” says long-term raw vegan and Bold Native actress, Tonya Kay (Secret Girlfriend, Who Wants To Be A Superhero, STOMP).  “Bold Native is a scripted film - with well-known actors moving a powerful storyline.  This kind of art can affect change on a deeper level than many documentaries because viewers relate to well-acted characters more personally than factual image sequences.”
Tonya Kay plays I Rock, the film’s comedic relief.  You have seen Tonya Kay most recently on Glee, House MD, American Idol w/Rhianna and on Criminal Minds.  “As a raw vegan, I end up bringing my own juice and salad to the film/tv set, since most catering departments aren’t aware of how many vegetarians, vegans and raw fooders there are among us.  Bold Native isn’t just a film about animal compassion, it is a film that lives animal compassion - we had an entirely vegan set and rescue animals were often there during filming.  In fact, one of Bold Native’s rescues, Jumper the piglet, appears as himself in the actual film!  The entire production company is vegan and Open Road Films gave preferential treatment in casting to “vegetarians, vegans and others with intimate knowledge of ‘the subject’.”  
Bold Native’s cast of 60 includes numerous cameos, including veteran activist Peter Young, who served two years in federal prison for releasing thousands of mink from fur farms; actor/activist Chris DeRose, founder of Last Chance for Animals; pioneering animal rights lawyers Shannon Keith and Odette Wilkins; famed first amendment lawyer Louis Sirkin; John Feldmann, lead singer of seminal pop-punk band Goldfinger; rapper MC Supernatural; and television stars Dianna Agron (Glee) and Whitney Mixter (Showtime’s The Real L Word).
The film reflects a growing cultural debate about the use of animals for food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research. The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) of 2006 enabled the prosecution of activists as terrorists if their actions result in economic damage to corporations in animal industries like factory farms, slaughterhouses, research labs or fur farms. In addition to narrative storytelling, the film incorporates undercover footage from labs, farms, and real-life animal liberations for stunning realism. 
“The animal rights movement is often called the newest social justice movement and is unique both in seeking to endow rights to sentient beings currently classified as property, and in terms of government targeting, indicting and imprisoning activists, even for involvement in above-ground, constitutionally protected protest activity,” said producer Casey Suchan. “The ALF does break the law, but they outright forbid any action that might cause harm to humans or non-humans – a track record unmatched by even the FBI itself.”
“Bold Native is first and foremost an adventure story about people who risk their freedom for the lives of the innocent and defenseless, and while it’s a film about a serious subject, it’s also a celebration of life, so it has a sense of humor and playfulness that people don’t expect,” said writer/director Denis Hennelly. 
“This film was motivated by real events that are happening right now,” said producer Mary Pat Bentel. “Billions of animals are at this very moment living and dying under horrific (but) legal circumstances. Our country and planet need to confront the question of animal use and exploitation. And this timely picture prompts us to do just that.”
 
Bold Native will screen for activists and high-profile Hollywood supporters in a red-carpet premiere June 16 at the historic Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood. An encore screening featuring live music and guest speakers will be held outdoors at the Mark Taper Amphitheater at TreePeople in Beverly Hills’ Coldwater Canyon Park on June 18. 
The premiere events kick off an independently booked West coast tour as part of Bold Native’s hybrid distribution strategy.  Screenings are set for June 24 in Portland at the Let Live Foundation 2010 Animal Rights Conference; June 29 in Seattle at the Northwest Film Forum; and Washington DC July 16 at the Animal Rights 2010 National Conference. For ticket information please see http://boldnative.com.
Follow Bold Native
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Editor’s Note: Seating is extremely limited at Los Angeles premiere events. For press passes please contact Gary Smith, Evolotus PR, gary at evolotuspr.com or call 818-783-0569.  For radio, video and print interview with Bold Native film makers, contact press at tonyakay.com.  High resolution set photography available.

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