Tag: environment

Posted on

‘General Hospital’ Kills Off Gay Character + RuPaul’s New Movie + More

Adrian Anchondo as "Mario Rios" on General Hospital (via Instagram)

Happy Friday! Some news stories for you as we head into the weekend:

• Queerty: Almost a year to the day that General Hospital premiered the gay character of “Marco Rios” played by uber-handsome Adrian Anchondo (above), the ABC soap has killed him off. #BuryYourGays

• Instinct Magazine: In the upcoming high-stakes adventure/comedy STOP! THAT! TRAIN!, RuPaul plays the President of the United States, leading an ensemble cast of ‘Drag Race’ alums and familiar Hollywood faces (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lisa Rinna, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and more). Set to hit theaters on June 12. Continue reading “‘General Hospital’ Kills Off Gay Character + RuPaul’s New Movie + More”

Posted on

Trump Admin Rolls Back Greenhouse Gas/Environmental Safeguards

The latest in a litany of Donald Trump’s rollback of climate and environmental safeguards -- the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life.

The latest in a litany of Donald Trump’s rollback of climate and environmental safeguards — the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten human life.

The EPA has decided the endangerment finding, a 2009 scientific conclusion that greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to Americans’ health, “overstated” the risks of those emissions.

Note – The endangerment finding was based on more than 200 pages of research and evidence.

This effectively ends the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet. Continue reading “Trump Admin Rolls Back Greenhouse Gas/Environmental Safeguards”

Posted on

Earth Day 2020: Uniting The World For Climate Action

(image via TheOUTfront.com)
Guest post by Lawrence Pfeil, Jr. While a picture is worth a thousand words, some images tell stories which change the course of humanity and whose values are immeasurable by any standard known to mankind. Such is the case of the photograph taken in 1968 by the crew of Apollo 8 and became globally known as “Earthrise.” Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains:

Today the Blue Planet marks not only the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but even during a global pandemic and social distancing, the world is coming together in one common goal, Climate Action. The vision is straightforward and simple. From the website:

“Our world needs transformational change… As an individual, you yield real power and influence as a consumer, a voter, and a member of a community that can unite for change… When your voice and your actions are united with thousands or millions of others around the world, we create a movement that is inclusive, impactful, and impossible to ignore… The time is long overdue for a global outpouring of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to create a new plan of action for our planet. Earth Day 2020 can be the catalyst that galvanizes an unparalleled global collaboration.”

How can you help S.A.V.E. our planet? For 24 hours “Earth Day Network” will be inspiring change with streaming content bringing viewers together for performances, teach-ins, calls to action, and global conversations meant to empower people to make a better environmental future for our planet.

Earth Day Network LIVE

“We must build the largest, most diverse online mobilization in history in defense of the environment. Our world needs a united response for bold action. On Earth Day 2020, we say enough is enough. We say we believe in science. We say that everyone can make a difference. We say that the protection of our planet and the wellbeing of the people who live upon it are the top priorities. On Earth Day 2020, we say that we’re committing to vote, we’re registering to vote and we’re showing up to vote. Human health and planetary health are inextricably linked. Learn more about Earth Day activities, Climate Change information, and joining forces with others around the world making a difference in their future at EarthDay.org

Our Planet Our Home credit: Ernesto Yerena Montejano)

Lawrence Pfeil, Jr., is a freelance writer/playwright who has reviewed film and theatre, both on and off-Broadway, for media outlets including The Randy Report, the New York Blade, and Edge Publications. You can follow him at TheOUTfront.com.

Posted on

A Man Plants A Tree Every Day For 37 Years

Um, wow.

Jadav Payeng has planted a tree in the same place everyday for 37 years.

Take a look at what he’s accomplished. This is awesome.

Posted on

California Bans Plastic Grocery Bags

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law the first ban of plastic grocery bags in the country:

SB270 prohibits stores from providing disposable plastic grocery bags to shoppers, and requires them to charge for paper bags. The bill, which proponents called a national model, represents a step toward elimination of the plastic checkout bags which have been a standard for American shoppers since the mid-1970s. Bag manufacturers, however, have vowed to repeal the bill through a ballot initiative.

“This bill is a step in the right direction – it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself,” said Governor Brown. “We’re the first to ban these bags, and we won’t be the last.”

While opponents of the legislation (namely, the plastics lobby) point to a charge for paper bags that would “burden” lower class families, the fact is many stores have been giving a credit ranging from five to ten cents per reusable bags brought by customers.

Personally, I have several reusable bags in my trunk at all time. The reusable bags hold more, and more securely. I’d much rather carry two strong bags than 10 half-empty plastic bags.

An then there’s the obvious – it’s better for the environment.

Period.

Posted on

NYC: Over 300,000 take part in The People’s Climate March”

Ahead of this week’s United Nations Climate Summit, over 300,000 people from around the world marched through Manhattan to bring awareness to the growing concerns for man’s affect on the environment.

Among those attending the march were U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, former U.S. vice president Al Gore, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and actors Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The next time someone tells you “no one cares about climate change,” show them this picture.

Posted on

Big majority of America support limits on greenhouse gases

In a rare case of liberal and conservative agreement, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows strong support for federal limits to green house gas emissions.

AND, the poll shows that folks are willing to pay a bit more for a cleaner environment.

A surprisingly solid 70% of Americans feel the government should be involved in limiting the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment by existing power plants.

Fifty-seven percent of Republicans, 76 percent among independents and 79 percent of Democrats support state-level limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced new standards today which would lead to a 30% cut in carbon emissions by 2030.

More at the Washington Post.

Posted on

Happy Earth Day 2012!

Earth Day inspires and brings out different actions in each of us.

I wanted to share with you some favorite suggestions for Earth Day “to dos.” You may want to adopt some of these ideas and put them on your list of favorite family activities – for Earth Day or any day:

• Get your “glee on” out in Nature – Get outside, sing a song, do a dance, have a picnic, BBQ, go camping, walk on the beach or take a hike. Whatever gets you there, gather your family and spend some time outdoors. Talk to you kids, introduce them to nature better yet, let them introduce nature to you! Remind yourself and the kids in your life of the treasures nature has given us, and why we need to fight so very hard to protect them.

• Memory Lane Walk Down the Red Carpet “Favorite Earth Day Movies”– Watch, enjoy, lose yourself in the moment and learn something too. Movies for everyone: The Lorax, Chimpanzee, Avatar, Planet Earth, Wall-E and March of the Penguins. Documentary movies for older kids and adults: Queen of the Sun-What are the Bees Telling Us? Tapped, Gasland, Bag It, An Inconvenient Truth, Revenge of the Electric Car, Moby Duck – Learn something important., and have fun at the same time.

• Spring Cleaning and Letting the Sun Shine In – Open the windows wide and get the kids to help you clean them. You’d be surprised to see what a difference a little water and vinegar, or even just a crumbled piece of newspaper can do to “shine up” and “clean up” your windows! Pack up winter clothes, in particular those that don’t fit anymore and give them to a local charity. Got other items you don’t need but someone else might use, consider selling them on Green eBay or giving them away at Craigslist, or Free Cycle! Get your kids to help you change the air filters in your air conditioner (maximum energy efficiency). Also, make sure there are no leaky faucets in or outside your house. Change your light bulbs to energy efficient CFLs or LEDs, and consider putting your outside lights on timers. Saving energy not only reduces power plant pollution but it can also save you money too.

• Get “Down and Dirty” – plant a tree, or better yet plan a garden with the kids in your life. Vegetable, herb, or flower – the garden can be as big or small as you have room for…Herbs grow great on window sills, and corn, pumpkins and beans are fun and easy to cultivate and very cool to watch grow! Have you heard of a rain garden? This is a “trending topic” all on it’s own and a great way to plan for and mitigate storm water run off that some of us are having to get used to as heavy rain events are becoming a more frequent occurrence of our changing climate. Consider getting a rain barrel too!
(source)