Eco-Housing and Utah Lands

Below is a link to an article about housing made from old shipping containers. It's pretty amazing what they are able to do.
The Daily Green

And another about the House lands bill that seems to be a pretty positive step for Utah. Not sure if this is what you went to DC to support, Des, but sounds kind of like it. Can you trust Deseret News?
Deseret News

*Typo Edit*

Oops typo. Keynote speaker is Majora* Carter.

Salt Lake Sustainable Building Confrence

If you haven't heard, the 4th Annual Salt Lake Sustainable Building Conference is a week from Tuesday, April the 7th at the Salt Palace. It should be a pretty interesting day, I especially can't wait to hear Major Carter speak.

If you are interested, students can register for $30 with the promotional code "STUD" (case sensitive) and save $45. I heard that student registrations are limited so you may want to register as soon as you decide you are going to ensure a spot.

For more info: www.saltlakesbc.com

-Jack

Obama's Cap and Trade Plan

I hope everyone is enjoying their Spring break! I am not sure if everyone is having too much fun to check the blog, but I figure I'll give it a shot.

I have been following Obama's cap and trade plan and I would like to know what everyone thinks of the proposal. Is it what Nordhaus and Shellenberger were recommending? Does it address the most critical issues of climate change? Should it be postponed while the economic crisis is addressed?

Here are a couple links with some more information:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_11/b4123022554346.htm

-Jack

Everything is Fine, No One is Happy

How do you define progress? This is a simple question with no simple answers. It seems that we are driven to progress with all of the choices we make. Whether it is taking the promotion, buying the nicer car, or bigger house - it seems that progress is the root of these decisions.

I have attached two links that should provide some food for thought. The questions that I am grappling with are:
1. Generally speaking - Why are Americans so unhappy?
2. How important is it to be happy?
3. How can we all be happy when we all have a different idea of what it takes to be happy?
4. If we are happy, does this mean that we will take a different perspective on all that sustains us?
The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard offers a quick, concise and accessible take on our current state of consumption. www.storyofstuff.com

Everything is Fine, No One is Happy - Just in case this link doesn't work I have added the address here. This one is a lot of fun and gives a little perspective on how disenchanted we have all become. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus

Finally, in light of the stimulus package to prop up our struggling economy - that I will benefit from due to purchasing a home this year. Would it be so bad to let it all whither and die and remake itself in a newer and more sustainable manner? I cannot advocate for such a situation because I don't understand what the ramifications would be, but I also wonder why the mode of progress always falls on the bottom line of an earnings report. What about big "N" - nature progress, regarding the stuff that really sustains us? We are environment and unquestionably a part of Nature and this is the stimulus package we all need.

Small Steps: Political Cartoons

When Barack Obama was elected there was an outpouring of positive press. The political cartoon artists were on board as well. If you are feeling especially ambitious, why not submit a political cartoon?

Small Steps: Write an Editorial

The great American newspaper is on the ropes. It is seeing readership shrink an astounding amount in the past ten years. News sites on the Internet contribute to the loss of interest in the printed word. Growing up in rural Montana posed a problem to my dream of delivering newspapers on my bicycle. The roads were rutted and distances too great to cover in the morning hours before dawn. These facts did not completely discourage my dream, and many sleep-overs in town began with a Saturday morning delivery session with a friend. This friend taught me the art of the end over end toss with just enough on it to land on the porch, but to not hit the door. Quietly, we would pedal along, one hand on the handlebars and the other fishing and tossing papers as we went along. Finally we would reach the end of the route and pedal home to breakfast, fingers covered in black newsprint, and stomachs grumbling.

Were it not for newspapers I would not have this experience. Were it not for newspapers we would not have the opportunity to voice our opinion, and to be published! Yes, the hallowed ground of the academy may frown upon the Editorial page as mere drivel. No, you will probably not gain any ground on your path to tenure, but you will be talking to America. In Foundations class we discuss how to reach out from the ivory tower of the academy and inform decisions about resource use.

Why not write an editorial? I know you think you don't have time, but do it anyway.

Salt Lake Tribune: E-mail: letters@sltrib.com