The art may be from children and teenagers but the cause is one that affects us all. Today the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is holding their "Paint for the Planet" art auction in New York City showcasing 26 paintings from kids all around the planet. The painting all have the theme of climate change and money raised will go to help the children most adversely affected by global warming.
CNN reports that pre-bids indicate that all 26 paintings will be sold for at least the opening bid of $500 apiece. Some painting express the damage caused by global warming while others, like the one above by Daniela Melendez, 14, of Colombia are more optimistic about the future of alternative energy. Live bidding starts tonight at 8 p.m. ET at the Harvard Club in New York and you can also bid online through eBay.
The Clinton Foundation has recently concluded its philanthropy tour of Africa, where the former President worked tirelessly to reduce treatment costs for malaria and spoke in support of public health efforts to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS among children. He also helped celebrate the opening of a $1 million, 180-bed hospital in Rwanda. The foundation's Travel to Africa Blog followed Clinton on his multiple stops throughout the continent between the end of July and August 6 and includes video of some of Clinton's speeches during his visit.
Bill Clinton established his eponymous foundation during his second term as President. The foundation has grown to support programs focused on combating climate change, HIV/AIDS and other health concerns and childhood obesity.
Wecansolveit.org (WE) is an environmental organization that was founded by former Vice President Al Gore. WE's ultimate goal is to halt global warming. Their work includes changing government policies and urging corporations to use clean energy solutions as well as educating people in the US and around the world that the climate crisis is both urgent and solvable. WE teaches that clean energy solutions will not only save the environment but also help rebuild the economy. I always picture the polar bear as a sort of mascot for global warming, and recent efforts from WE have the polar bear joining the list of endangered species, an action that will help guarantee that protective measures are taken on it's behalf. Learn more about this important organization, the climate crisis deserves all of our immediate attention and joining or supporting WE is one of the most effective ways to add your voice to the cause.
Plastic water bottles just aren't cool anymore, what with the environment falling apart and landfills filling up at breakneck speed. Sigg bottles have been a staple of many a "green" water drinker for years, and now in the name of fighting global warming they've gone designer. In a collaboration between Elle magazine and environmental activist Laurie David 14 designers (including names like Donna Karan, Kenneth Cole, and Stella McCartney) have each designed a Sigg bottle and put it up for auction, with the proceeds benefiting StopGlobalWarming.org.
Which one is your favorite? Mine would have to be the one by DVF, followed by a close second of Derek Lam's.
When it comes to fighting global warming and preserving the rainforests Marriott certainly gets points for trying, although how they're choosing to go about that effort is pretty surprising. Instead of doing what most hotel and resort chains do (switch to eco-friendly energy sources and recycle recycle recycle) they've hooked up with the Brazilians and are going to start paying villagers in the Amazon to not cut down trees. Of course it's a lot more complicated than just sending some Amazonians a check for every day they refrain from logging illegally, but apparently that's the essence of the new deal. Strange? Yes. A marketing scheme? Yes. Over-all still beneficial to the environment? Yes. I say good for them.
When you buy expensive luxury items are you helping to kill the planet? Depending on your favorite brands you just might be. In a recent study done for WWF it came to light that many luxury brands are making use of environmentally damaging materials and practices, and although some did worse than others none of them did very well. The study looked at the top ten luxury brands and found them all seriously lacking in some way. The solution? Some say getting this information out to the public (you can download the entire report for free here) and calling for celebrities to use their endorsement powers for the greater environmental good is the first step. What's your take?
We are back to talking about screwcap versus cork with wine closures. After I attended the Unified Grape and Wine Symposium I was pretty sure that the debate was over, screwcap was the future of the marketplace. But Decanter has some news that could change everything. According to recent tests conducted by Cairn Environment for Oeneo Bouchage in France, screwcaps produce the biggest carbon footprint. The production of screwcaps gives off far more CO2 than the production of both corks and synthetic closures.
Will this make a difference in how screwcaps are perceived by the world? With the increasing push toward green products this news could have an impact. Another thing that the article doesn't mention but that might also be a consideration is the recycling of wine closures. In that case I would suspect that cork might also come out ahead.
With global warming becoming such an unavoidably huge issue, pretty much everybody has a soft spot for all things "eco." But that being said, not everybody takes it quite as far as Ted Turner's daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, and her husband did when they decided to built the biggest environmentally friendly home in the United States, the EcoManor.
It wasn't cheaper to build, although with features like recycled water from the showers irrigating the drought-resistant lawn, and rainwater-filled toilets, it will be cheaper to maintain -- 80 to 90 percent cheaper than other homes of similar size in the area. And with beautiful white linen wallpaper (made of recycled newspaper, of course) and natural lighting via solar tubes, the Seydels didn't have to sacrifice any style while they were doing their part to help the environment.
Although I have fretted quietly (and sometimes not so quietly my friends can report) about climate change for some time, I've never actually been in a room with a climatologist before. It's one thing to hear Al Gore or scientists on the Discovery Channel talk about it but it is another thing altogether to hear it live from people who studied it and to hear it related specifically to one of my favorite subjects, wine.
The consensus among the Climate Change panel members at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium was that change is imminent, indeed it is already happening. How that change will continue to manifest remains uncertain. The one constant that I took from the panel is that temperatures will continue to rise over the next few years and this will directly affect at least some of the wines we love. If you have been following the tribulations of ice wine producers during this season, you may already be aware that some wines are changing. Without question, the future of winemaking will be different than it is today.
If you are a fan of ice wine you may want to stock up now because it looks like there may be a shortage next year. I've been seeing a bunch of reports from various states and Canada about the ice wine harvest, or more precisely, the lack thereof. Ice wine makers need to harvest the grapes when they are frozen and that hasn't been happening because of the warm weather across the Northeast and Canada. Even if the weather turns icy and the harvest is saved there will be likely be less ice wine. The good news is that whatever grapes are harvested may yield a tastier wine. As often happens with winemaking, grapes left on the vine longer, or subjected to temperature stressors can sometimes yield richer and more complex wines. The diminished harvest may also lead to higher prices for the sweet golden elixir. All the more reason to buy now and stock up for what may well be a lean season.
With yesterday being Earth Day, there
has been much talk about the future of the environment. One thing I hadn't seen discussed until I read this Observer article is the effect of
global warming on wine. A recent conference called 'Global Warming and Wine' looked at the issue
in depth. Grape growing may, in the next 40 to 70 years, may no longer be possible in the Catalonian wine regions of
Spain. The Bordeaux region could also be in peril. Water restrictions will also change the future of wine making. If
you like wines that grow in warmer climates ( Petit Verdot, Grenache, Touriga, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Viognier and Muscat
among others) then you are in luck. The article also points out that red wines may be able to be grown in areas that
are traditionally too cold for red grapes.
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