“I know what you’re thinking – what is international action star Ed Begley Jr. doing talking to his blossoming children about sex? Well as a matter of fact, I’m saving the world!”

So begins one of three new PSA videos featuring Ed Begley Jr., an actor known for his appearances on the television series “St. Elsewhere” and Christopher Guest’s series of mockumentaries like “Best in Show.” But Begley is also an avid environmentalist: he previously co-hosted the green living reality show “Living with Ed” with his wife Rachelle Carson from 2007 to 2010, and now he has teamed up with the Center for Biological Diversity to add a dose of humor to the fight to increase awareness of some serious ecological issues plaguing our planet.

The new PSA series follows a simple but amusing premise. Each begins with Begley in a strange scenario: dumpster diving, wearing night vision goggles to read in his darkened living room, or, as in the above quote, lecturing his adult children on the best ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies (he cites socks-and-sandals and fedoras as two great tips). But the funny lines don’t obscure the true message of these PSAs: that issues like energy waste, food waste, and unsustainable population growth are wreaking havoc on the environment, and that there are effective actions that people can undertake every day to be part of the solution.

The PSAs are aptly titled “Better than Ed.” While Begley offers unsustainable (or frankly odd) responses to such issues as the fact that the United States wastes 40 percent of its food supply, calling on people to dumpster dive and enjoy such delicacies as pizza with Cheerios and Goldfish and Band-Aid tacos, the PSAs also offer real-life ways that consumers can combat these problems.

“You don’t have to dumpster dive like Ed Begley Jr. to save the planet,” offers an off-screen voice, noting that people should simply be aware of what they buy and endeavor not to waste food at home.

Similarly, reading in night-vision goggles may not be the most convenient way to fight the fact that the United States uses four times as much energy per year as the global average (nor is it “some new sort of Hollywood method acting,” even if, as Begley notes, he is “saving energy and looking fleek.”) But people can, for example, speak up for cleaner, smarter energy and promote the installation of solar roof panels.

“Sometimes you have to poke fun at serious problems to draw attention to real solutions,” says Ed Begley Jr. of the new PSAs. “But you don’t have to eat garbage or be famous to help save the world.”

Adding a touch of humor to these real-life solutions helps make them more approachable and – perhaps most importantly – starts a conversation.

“Most people know that runaway growth and waste have terrible environmental consequences, but it can be tough to know how one person can make a difference,” says Stephanie Feldstein, the Center’s population and sustainability director. “These are big, complicated issues to tackle, but with Ed’s help, we hope to show that everyone has a role to play in solving them.”

Related on EcoSalon
This Super Precise Technique Could Reduce Food Waste in a Major Way
Scientists Send Food Waste on the Road for Good
Leonardo DiCaprio is an Environmental Activist (But Does it Matter?)

The post Ed Begley Jr. Shows Us We Don’t Need to Eat Garbage to Save the World appeared first on EcoSalon.

 Thousands of species are in critical danger of becoming a part of this animal planet’s history—swaying into extinction without another option—and thousands more are heading in the other direction, towards nearly unstoppable levels of overpopulation.

A dystopian future-earth is often portrayed as a barren wasteland in movies. It’s a planet void of life except for the layers of urban decay–the dark slums where the only creatures left are humans, a rat or two, and of course, cockroaches. But it’s the humans, primarily, who are left, gluttonous and exhausting all resources without a shred of guilt.

And while we are certainly seeing massive die-offs—the World Wildlife Fund estimates a loss of between 0.01 and 0.1 percent of all species every year—the flip side is just as grim. Populations of lionfish, kangaroos, zebra mussels and our beloved dogs and cats, are escalating out of control, and paint a different picture of life on earth in the not-so-distant future.

Credit climate change, the use of chemicals, and disasters like Fukushima for throwing the animal planet’s populations out of whack. It’s no longer unusual to hear of situations like these, reported by Collective Evolution:

5th May 2012 – 50,000 Fish found dead in a pond in Shenzhen in China.
5th May 2012 – Mass Bird death discovered in waste water in Finland.
4th May 2012 – 2 TONNES of dead Fish found in a River in Jinzhou China.
4th May 2012 – Mass Fish kill found in Muttar River causing panic in India.
3rd May 2012 – Dead Fish are washing up on shore of Lake Houston in America.
2nd May 2012 – Large number of fish found dead in River in China.
2nd May 2012 – Many dead Fish washing up dead in Village causing panic in Turkey.
30th April 2012 – Hundreds of Bull RedFish found dead in Alabama.
28th April 2012 – 1200 Pelicans found dead in Peru.
27th April 2012 – Mass Fish kill on Lake Elsinore in California.
26th April 2012 – Mysterious Death of possibly thousands of Storks in Thailand.
25th April 2012 – 11,000 dead Fish found in River in Kettering, America.
25th April 2012 – 28,000 dead Fish found in River in Strongsville, America.
25th April 2012 – Porpoises dying in alarming numbers, causing concerns of a local “ecological catastrophe” in China.
25th April 2012 – 4 Dolphins wash ashore dead at Bandra Bandstand in India.
22nd April 2012 – Thousands more Fish wash ashore dead in Pakistan.
19th April 2012 – Thousands of Fish, also Cows and Dogs killed in Pakistan.
17th April 2012 – Thousands of fish (30 species) dead in a creek in Tennessee.
17th April 2012 – Thousands of fish continue to turn up dead in the Zandvlei Estuary in South Africa.
17th April 2012 – Several thousand Fish found dead in River in India.
17th April 2012 – Thousands of Dead Fish found floating in Pond in India.
13th April 2012 – Mass Bees falling dead in Canyon Country California.
13th April 2012 – Hundreds of dead Fish litter Ocean Floor in Durban South Africa.
11th April 2012 – 300 more Dolphins found dead on beaches in Peru.
11th April 2012 – 14,000 Fish dead in Creek in Missouri.
9th April 2012 – Thousands of fish found dead in Lake in India.
9th April 2012 – 3 Whales wash up dead in India.

The Western Black Rhinoceros, which was recently declared officially extinct in the wild, is a massive loss to the planet’s diversity. To lose such an ancient, giant creature from our catalog of species illustrates the fragility of our changing ecosystems. But while the rhino has disappeared, the even bigger African elephant is becoming a nuisance in South Africa, according to Salon. Even though elephant poaching–which is still a major issue on the continent—continues to decimate elephant populations, South Africa is seeing too many elephants, thanks to successful breeding and reintroduction programs. It’s becoming such a problem that rangers in the area have resorted to birth control in order to mitigate the issue.

Head north from South Africa and you’ll find threatened gorilla populations in the Congo. Over in Borneo, orangutans are also struggling to keep their canopy homes as clear-cutting for the palm oil industry is an ongoing threat. But in India, langur monkey populations are soaring out of control. With no real predators in the urban environments, monkeys in cities like Delhi have become quite crafty at scoring food (and often lots of sugar), and are quickly becoming a health and safety threat. A deputy mayor in Delhi died in 2007 after falling from his terrace during an attack by a monkey. Tens of thousands of monkeys are trapped each year in Delhi alone, but it’s barely a dent in the situation, according to officials.

Jellyfish are now so abundant in the oceans that there’s major cause for concern. Without any real predators and hefty appetites, they could take out vulnerable marine species for good. They’re also a threat to power plants and difficult to kill off. “One reason jellyfish blooms are so disastrous is that they’re almost impossible to get rid of. In fact, cutting some species open actually creates exponentially more of them. When the cells of one species, named the Benjamin Button jellyfish, are released through post-mortem decomposition, they somehow find each other again and form a whole new polyp,” reports Quartz. Freaky, eh? And let’s not forget just how deadly they can be to humans. The box jellyfish is considered to be the deadliest creature on the planet.

Our future-earth scenario may indeed be void of pandas, polar bears, rhinos and blue whales, but it won’t be lifeless. While the human population is also on a dangerous rise towards a self-inflicted extinction, we also seem to be breeding species that excel at consuming our food supply and then some.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

The Black Rhinoceros: My Time with an Extinct Animal
Breeding Endangered Species: Should We be Giving Pandas Viagra?
Banned: Costa Rica Says Keeping Zoo Animals is not a ‘Natural Experience’

Image: Ray Morris1

The post Crazy Animal Planet: Overpopulation Vs. Extinction appeared first on EcoSalon.

If green parenting web sites, organic applesauce, and reusable diapers are any indication, eco mommies are on the rise. But so are women who say that even baby feet leave a major carbon footprint. And they’re opting not to have children as a result.

Last year, Oregon State University released a study showing that going childless is a better way help the environment than recycling, driving an energy-efficient car, or using compact fluorescent bulbs. It’s 20 times more effective, in fact. Raising a kiddo in the United States can tack an extra 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide to a person’s carbon legacy. By having a single child, one individual’s environmental impact will increase almost six-fold.

While some women cite the environment as their primary reason not to have children, others say it’s an added benefit to the childfree lifestyle. These women are part of the GINK movement (that’s Green Inclinations, No Kids) as coined by Lisa Hymas in an article for Grist last week. GINKs opt not to procreate for many reasons – not enough time, money, or desire, to name a few – and they see their decision as a boon to the environment.

“Here’s a simple truth,” said Hymas. “For an average person like me – someone who doesn’t have the ability of an Al Gore to reach millions, or of a Nancy Pelosi to advance (if not actually enact) landmark environmental legislation, or of a Van Jones to inspire (and piss off) whole new audiences – the single most meaningful contribution I can make to a cleaner, greener world is to not have children.”

In a 2007 article I wrote for the Colorado Springs Independent, Peter Wenker, a member of a social club for childfree couples called No Kidding, cited similar feelings. “If you are not the kind of person who wants to [parent], it’s not going to be fair, given the fact that the planet doesn’t need your kids. It’s important to make sure that if you do have kids, that it will be good for you and the planet.”

Whatever the rationale, GINKs are not alone in opting not to have children. According to U.S. census data, in 1980 just 36.7 percent of women between the ages of 18 to 44 were childless. Thirty years later, we’re up to 45 percent for a similar age bracket (15 to 44).

Going childfree isn’t for everyone, of course – most people don’t do it. What are your thoughts?

Image: kevindooley

The post GINK Is the New DINK: Going Childfree for Mother Nature appeared first on EcoSalon.

National Super Bowl ads have been universally fun or relatable through the years, making up for their glib materialism with some entertainment value and giving fans of pop culture but not the sport a reason to watch. Cute frogs croaked for beer (“Bud-wei-ser!”) and babies sang off-key (eTrade) in memorable campaigns.

But this year, CBS and the Super Bowl – which drew more than 95 million viewers in 2009 – are kicking up political dust allowing an anti-abortion ad in the national broadcast. The first religious-political ad CBS has approved to air in the entire history of the Super Bowl hails from the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family.

It features Pam Tebow, who recounts her decision to carry a pregnancy to term, against the advice of doctors who feared for her life and recommended an abortion. By her side is thankful son Tim Tebow, Florida Gators quarterback and Heisman trophy winner. The privilege of airing the ad cost Focus on the Family an estimated $2.5 million media buy, plus more to produce it.

Debate has been raging in the blogosphere. Is Tebow too controversial to get drafted now? What’s appropriate for broadcast during the Super Bowl? Should American women have the right to choose? And with teen pregnancy and teen abortions on the rise, shouldn’t we be focused on improving sex education, first?

No matter where you stand on such matters, or whether you’re one of more than 35 million women over the age of 18 likely to watch the Super Bowl this year (according to Nielsen research), it’s hard not to think of the positive human or environmental impact that a couple million dollars could have made, if redirected to help the already-born children of Haiti, for example.

Finally, there’s another question the anti-abortion movement raises, constantly, and again with this ad: should women be encouraged to have kids at all costs, when overpopulation is wreaking havoc in the form of air, water and noise pollution, loss of species and habitat, and a low life expectancy for humans where you find the fastest growing populations?

BASIC READING:

“Although people no longer talk about a catastrophic ‘population bomb,’ world population continues to grow. Unfortunately, the most affected countries are also the ones least able to support more people.” – Interactive feature on the environmental and social costs of over-population at National Geographic

“Do we really want to start seeing anti-abortion”¦messages on Super Bowl Sunday? Do you know what [this sports blogger] doesn’t want to see? “˜Issue-oriented’ ads. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. The only issue I want to deal with is replenishing the queso dip. Are you listening Tim Tebow?” – A blog post by Jeff Schulz for Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Tebow and his mom’s Super Bowl ad”¦will tell America how [Ms. Tebow] was young and not sure she wanted a baby, but then she had Tim who’s now a star about to make gobs and gobs of money… Ergo, you’d be crazy to consider an abortion, ladies, and gents and those not of child-bearing age, don’t even think about supporting a woman’s right to choose, because how could you choose not to gestate and give life to a person as successful and handsome as Tim Tebow?” – A blog post by Elizabeth Gettelman for Mother Jones

FURTHER RESOURCES:

An Associated Press article about Pepsi’s decision not to advertise in the Super Bowl 2010, unrelated to Tebow

A conservative opinion-editorial piece by Jan Crawford for CBS News online about her reaction to the network’s decision to air a pro-life, or anti-choice ad during the Super Bowl 2010

A blog maintained by researcher Richard Heinberg that frequently discusses the impact of overpopulation on the environment and related topics

Overpopulation.org, a website with scientific and historical data on overpopulation, maintained by researchers and activists who seek to improve the environment by curbing overpopulation

A news feature by Nena Carpenter for Helium on the links between various environmental issues and overpopulation

“It appears that Americans have completely forgotten about the profoundly dangerous relationships between overpopulation, resource depletion, environmental degradation, and our standard of living.” – A letter to the editor of Chicago’s Daily Herald by Jim Peterson

This is the latest installment of EcoMeme, a column featuring eco news, trends and tech highlights by Lora Kolodny.

Image: Landshark Stadium, where Superbowl 2010 will be played, by Chris Acuña

The post EcoMeme: Super Bowl Ad Controversy appeared first on EcoSalon.