Skimming through an article from the Los Angeles Times titled “Saving the Amazon may be the most cost-effective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions” that Sara shared with the group, I found it relevant and intriguing enough to write this week’s blog on it. As absorbing as it was, I admit I was sucked in by “omg! yahoo” to check out “What were they thinking?!” instead of reading and analyzing the article. I scrolled through the page to get to this week’s fashion atrocities to find a post that not only dealt with the environment, but also was connected to a reading on public policy we were assigned. The album was titled “Green Glam” (http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/green-glam/3663) and was composed of photographs taken at Global Green USA’s Oscar pre-party.

Although the album’s text was focused on who wore what, I wanted to know more about the organization behind the event and went to their website (http://www.globalgreen.org/) Well played, yahoo, well played. I was overwhelmed by the variety of publications on the site and found my way to the article on the event featured on yahoo. (http://www.globalgreen.org/events/101) Proceeds from the event will aid the organization’s green building initiatives, particularly building eco-friendly and inexpensive houses and schools.

Their Greening Affordable Housing Initiative works to aid in the development of green communities, which reduces the cost of energy bills while protecting the environment, through several tactics that can be seen on their website. (http://www.globalgreen.org/greenurbanism/affordablehousing/learnmore/) Next, I read up on the benefits of green schooling (http://www.globalgreen.org/greenurbanism/schools/). Global Green argues that green schools will protect the health of staff and students, increase performance of students, reduce costs of operation, and can display the important of eco-friendly buildings to students.

I plan to read more of their proposals, but in the interest of not turning this blog post into a book-sized narrative, I’ll cut to what held the most significance to me. This would be the ability of the media to shape public opinion. Internet surfers can happen upon the album of photos from the Oscar pre-party, as I did, and see famous people in support of an organization. This brings green issues to the public, bringing it closer to landing a high space on the public agenda.

Here's a video of interviews during the event:

-Steph Fitzgerald