Green Gal

Earlier this afternoon, UC Santa Cruz student leaders from a unique selection of campus groups gathered in the Stevenson Event Center to talk about sustainability, environmental and social justice, democracy, the green economy, and the future with a "globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean energy economy," Van Jones . There were students in the room with a variety of different interests, but all were drawn to the event by the promise that Van Jones would be an inspiration to hear from and speak with, and at least in my opinion, that promise was fulfilled. But before I go into what he said earlier today, let me share a little about Van Jones. He is the best-selling author of The Green Collar Economy and served as the green jobs advisor to President Obama. He is currently a senior fellow at the Center For American Progress and a senior policy advisor at Green For All... Jones is the founder of Rebuild the Dream, an engine helping to drive the m...

This week's Change the World Wednesday Challenge (CWWC) was: This week, "plan an oven- and stove-free day, and no cheating and going out to eat! Have sandwiches, cut up fruit, veggies with dip, leftovers from a previous dinner that you can heat in the microwave**. Plan ahead and make a pasta salad you can eat cold for a few days. Have hummus, feta cheese, and spinach on a pita or wrap. There are tons of healthy, delicious meals you can have without having to turn on the stove! As an added plus, many of the meals are quick and easy to prepare!" **I'd like to bump up What A Card's challenge ... how about including microwave-free, as well. So today, I am going without a stove, oven or microwave. It's difficult to plan a day without using them, so it's a good challenge. For breakfast, I did use electricity to toast some bread in a toaster oven (which some may argue violates the challenge). I had coffee made in a coffee maker (not a stove or oven, but ...

Education should have been my first tip--it is by far the most important thing to combating global warming, shrinking your carbon footprint, and learning to appreciate and respect the Earth. First, educate yourself. Search Google, get e-newsletters from valuable organizations like Sierra Club , National Geographic , and the Center for Biological Diversity . Read books with information about what is going wrong with the way humans treat the planet, like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Pick up a book that will show you the beauty and fragility of our planet, or watch something like Planet Earth , which shows the diversity of our planet and gives you a picture of how the many living things on Earth can easily be destroyed with the warming of the Earth and the destruction of the ozone layer. If you have never gone camping, spent an afternoon outside in a field, gone on a hike, or climbed a tree, chances are you don't understand the value of ...