the greener side

Update: Where's the new news?

I just updated this map of emerging online news sources that I made earlier this year for the Community Media Workshop. Now it includes environmental news sites such as InvestigateWest, Great Lakes Echo and Facing South.

As struggling local newspapers continue to abandon the printed page, foundations, entrepreneurs and journalists are launching "hyperlocal" and watchdog news Web sites. Where and who are they? What do they tell us about the new media landscape?

Check out the panel about nonprofit news at last weekend's conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Please comment with new additions and subtractions to the international map!  

View Where's the new news? in a larger map

Update: Where to share a car?

Since I first posted this chart in the fall, Americans have been freaking about oil supplies peaking, telecommuting to avoid the pinch at the pump, and flocking to car-sharing services in city centers. Plus, our transmission gave out, forcing me to walk about an hour a day, minimum, and burn perhaps the greenest fuel of all: calories--no joke when you live on this hill. Car-less, I've been shopping a small bag at a time, shoving organic chocolate in my backpack and pedaling away.

For bulk groceries, it still seems that taking a taxi from the store is cheaper than sharing a car, plus it drops you off at your door for good so you don't have to march home from the lot. Now that a Zipcar office opened a block from work, however, I'm tempted to try it. Should I cave into the ever-expanding Zipcar empire, support the rival Flexcar, or support the local nonprofit City CarShare? See if the chart speaks for itself. What's your favorite? Continue to the next page to view or download the chart (you'll need Java enabled--or try here-but maybe I'll add an image later)

Carnival of the Green #5

Cheers to Great Green Goods for last week’s recap of the highlights in the green blogosphere. This fifth Carnival of the Green--a roving weekly display of what's on the minds of green bloggers--started with a bang. Francois, aka the Radical Libertarian, submitted his "top 10 list of signs you are a Greenie." Noted among his "top 4 activities of greenies" was: "Having sex and making children... while believing that human activity is inherently harmful. Perhaps they think it's okay as long as you can brainwash your children to become "caring" Greenies like they are." (Not what green bloggers such as Common Ground have in mind when we talk about making sustainability sexy.)

Triple Pundit fired back with this message for the Radical Libertarian: "Although amusing, these complaints expose a woefully outdated way of looking at "environmentalism" that is held by those who choose to see extremists as representative of the entire movement, and possibly mask their own concern for wellbeing with an aloof front." Thanks to Nick for taking the words out of my mouth.

Speaking of gratitude, George at Dirty Greek lost sleep cooking for 24 hours but relished his organic Thanksgiving meal. The morning after, many green bloggers rolled out of bed with the intention to observe Buy Nothing Day rather than race to the mall for the busiest shopping day of the year.

Others geared up for holiday gift giving by looking at greener ways to shop.

• Green LA Girl urged us to "Fuck Amazon—Buy Local!" and cited a study finding that “local stores returned $68 for every $100 to the local economy, while chain stores returned only $43 of $100."
• City Hippy spotlighted green shopping at a discount.
• Greenthinkers posted a fun gift idea guide.
• Dee's Dotes put up an evolving list of "out of the norm holiday gift giving ideas that are more friendly to our planet."
• Great Green Goods picked out ways to wrap presents without wasting paper.
• Urban Eco came up with a handy Eco-Electronic Buying Guide.

The gadget on my gift wish lift? The battery-free Pedalite bike light found by Unplugged Living. For a faster, green two-wheeler, check out plans by Micah Glasser of Event Horizon to build an electric motorcycle with the chassis of a Suzuki GS500E.

If you celebrate Christmas but don't want to breathe in pesticides along with the aromatherapeutic pine when you bring home a tree, check out the Blue Voice's guide to organic tree shopping in "How Toxic Are Thy Branches?" And don't leave wildlife out in the cold this winter; TreehuggerMum provided parent-friendly tips on feeding backyard birds in chilly climes and times.

Catch up on news you may have missed at Groovy Green, which summarized "This Green Week in U.S. Politics." Look for Carnival of the Green #6 at Jen's Green Journal next Monday. Find out more about the carnival through its founders, City Hippy and Triple Pundit.