The Green Community week in review: Tampa green biz program, cypress mulch protest, harmful water bottles and more

By Katie Machol Simon on Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 1:13 pm

Natural remedies to combat that pesky Swine Flu- Dr. Carol Roberts gives us more tips on natural remedies for combating the Swine Flu.

Nike improves Amazon deforestation policy, Timberland must act (video) - Following the release of Greenpeace’s report, “Slaughtering the Amazon” and pressure from activists, sneaker-giant Nike agreed to revise its policies to ensure that they stop buying leather from deforested areas in Brazil. Now, it's time to take action to get Timberland to help stop destructive practices in the Amazon. Check out the "Every Step Counts to Save the Amazon" video within.

Pecha Kucha Night Vol. 3 this Saturday in Ybor (video) - Grant Rimbey CNU features the upcoming Pecha-kucha night, Saturday, August 1 where designers, activists, artists, advocates and generally creative people are given 20 slides shown for 20 seconds a piece to present an idea, theme, cause, or project.

Stop uncontrollable junk mail and wasteful telephone directories- Easy and (mostly) free ways to lighten your junk mail load and reduce paper waste.

Cypress mulch protest for the Save Our Cypress campaign- Saturday, August 1st, the Gulf Restoration Network worked in alliance with the Save Our Cypress campaign to defend the Cypress trees by protesting the selling of cypress mulch at the Home Depot on Dale Mabry and 275.

Going Green Film Festival now accepting film submissions via the internet- Are you an aspiring filmmaker looking to reduce your carbon footprint but you don't know how to get started? Then the Going Green Film Festival might be right up your alley.

Zora Neale Hurston: Florida folklorist and explorer- Linda Taylor looks at the author Zora Neale Hurston's background in Florida, and how the nature and her surroundings inspired her literary works.

The environmental impacts of bottled water- Annually, Americans dispose of 29-billion water bottles, requiring 1.5-million barrels of crude oil (enough oil to keep 100,000 cars running for one year), resulting in the release of 2.5-million tons of carbon dioxide. In addition, scientists have found that over time, plastic bottles can leach chemicals linked to birth defects, miscarriage and prostate cancer into the water, reports Jason Green.

Don’t forget to check out our Green Community Calendar for green events and workshops in the Bay Area!

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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

The Earth Charter: How ethics can change the world (video) - The Earth charter was created by thousands of people representing hundreds of countries aiming at a universal ethical code of conduct for human beings. How do we treat each other? How do we treat the world? These questions were raised and answered.

City of Tampa Green Business Designation Program- As of this week, the City of Tampa became one of just a handful of cities nationwide to start a green business designation program. Outside of the West Coast (California and Washington state), Tampa will join major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia and Knoxville in rewarding private businesses that have become or want to become more environmentally-friendly.

Why buying recycled, repurposed products is so important- Preserving the Earth’s natural resources is vital to the future of the planet and all of its inhabitants. Buying recycled and repurposed products is a great way to make a positive impact on the environment by cutting back on waste and the resources needed to make new items.