The sixth edition of EcoVision Festival will take place in Palermo, Italy, in June 2010.

All fiction and documentary feature films, short films or videos will be accepted by EcoVision Festival 2010.

The Festival aims at exalting and promoting cinematographic and environmental productions dealing with subjects such as man-environment problems, environment protection, human rights, deforestation, the relationship with the city and new technologies, radioactive experiments in various areas of the world, sustainable development, how the concept of environment in rich countries differs from that belonging to poor countries, but also mere descriptions of meaningful environmental areas, as well as all the productions concerning any aspect of environment and nature.

Works from any country, realized from 2008 to 2010, can take part in the EcoVision Festival 2010, having as topic the object of the Festival: the “environment”, considered both as natural and cultural environment, with all questions correlated with it. The Festival will consider as a preferential title, the unpublished films presented.

Fiction and documentaries, reports and animation films, which last no more than 30 minutes can take part in the competition. However, we will accept films longer than 30 minutes that can be screened in or out competition at the discretion of the Jury. Films produced in the following formats: 16 and 35 mm films, Betacam SP, NORMAL or DIGITAL, DVC Pro 25 or 50, HD Cam or DV Cam must be re-recorded on DVD  only in PAL standard for the preselection, the copy sent will not be used for the screening at the Festival. It is therefore necessary to send copy of the film in the format required at point 20, penalty the exclusion. In addition, the festival will not accept Mini-DV copies for the preselection. There will be four thematic areas in the Festival:

- Environmental

- Sociological

- Eco Tourist

- Panorama (works concerning any subject)

The works will be judged by an international Jury, composed by eminent personalities of the artistic, scientific, cultural and cinematographic world, as well as journalists, university teachers and directors. The Jury’s decision is final.

The Jury will award to the Best Film of all categories the following:

Great Prize Best Film “EcoVision Festival 2010”

The Jury could indicate, moreover, with especial mentions, films in competition with a particular value.

www.ecovisionfestival.com

And now, still learning educating and training the younger generation’s to involve individually and collectively in all eco-development activities and decision makings  I have individually conducted hundreds of seminars and converted them to eco-actions,

24 hour x 7 days Snake Rescues along with a trained team,

Free seminars, slid shows and movie for the all local and surrounded educational institutions,

Conservation based weed removal action for Tribal livelihood development trainings

Clean renewable energy solar lamp implementation to rural and tribal those not accessed with power,

And many innovative initiatives like craft from the plant lantana camera which is considered as a weed destroying native forest and farm lands, GREEN CROSS eco action clubs, and more to bring a change in the un-mind full living of the most populace   even though we find very tuff and hard to move every step without any support, I believe that we can make it, I also swear that what ever happens I am not going to quit my duty towards nature, of conserving the only home at least in this 11 hour... 

The Ki is hosting a CleanTech Road Rally along with our premium sustainable lifestyle event.  The road rally will have checkpoints at Bio-dynamic and organic wineries in addition to the Gaia Hotel and Spa in Napa Valley, eventually ending at The Ki flagship event.  The goal is to raise awareness about the need for clean, efficient vehicles and demonstrate technologies that exist today.  We are accepting entries including electric cars, clean diesel vehicles, hybrids or alternative solutions.  Would love to talk to some people about our event and interested participants.  Please check out our website at www.theki.net and e-mail me at david@theki.net for more information.

The Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 PASSED!

The Committee of the Whole approved the Committee Report on B18-150, the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 without question or discussion.
We still have a second and final vote in two weeks; however, since it was unanimous, it's going through. Please thank all council members involved for passing this bill.
www.TrashFreeAnacostia.com

What does the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 do? 

* Place a 5-cent fee, paid by consumer, on all disposable recyclable plastic and paper carryout bags from Retail Food Establishment license holders (including grocery stores, food vendors, convenience stores, drug stores, restaurants) and Class A & B liquor licensees.
* Ban non-recyclable plastic carryout bags.
* Require that if a plastic carryout bag is offered, that it must be recyclable and clearly labeled as such.
* The retail establishment will get 1 cent of fee returned tax exempt to the retailer.
* Retailers who choose to offer a carryout bag credit program will retain an additional cent, for a total of 2 cents per bag.
* The remaining fee per bag will be deposited into a new Anacostia River Cleanup & Protection Fund.

Please visit IPTF (International Plastic Task Force) at http://www.ecologycenter.org/iptf/southamerica/Problemofplasticreport.html or http://www.ecologycenter.org/iptf/index.html

also...http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html

Why isn't more being done?

I don't claim to be an expert nor the best speaker or writer in the world. I am a student of 19, I'm from Spain and this is something I feel strongly about.

More needs to be done in the way of reducing the use and abuse of plastic bags. I currently live in England and am pleased to say that I have seen some changes in the past year particularly in supermarkets. This is where I would argue most plastic bags are picked up while doing the weekly shopping. Supermarkets here (like Waitrose for example) have stopped leaving plastic bags out for the customer to pick up at their leisure without a second guess. Although this doesn't eliminate the problem by any stretch of the imagination because these bags are still available but it starts a process by which plastic bags are no longer there for consumption and abandon. The customer now has to ask for a bag, or two or as many as they think they need. Like I said, this don't solve the problem, the bags are still there and will still be thrown away a subsequently get dumped in a landfill somewhere and most likely end up choking up water ways and possibly and animal or two. It's about changing habbits. We have become far too acustomed to getting to the end of the checkout and finding a pile of bags. We have become far too concerned with our own conveniece, taking 6 bags instead of 4 because we want to 'even out the weight a bit'. This has to stop.

I have also seen a rise in the sale and use of more durable plastic bags. These cost somewhere between 20 and 60p. Not much. I myself have not purchased any because again I don't believe this is truly solving the issue. They are, however, another important step in changing the way we think. Unlike the other less durable bags, these are on display and every now and then the cashier will ask you if you want to buy one. This needs to be stepped up. Yes it may get annoying but it's all about raising awareness. Maybe to you should buy one if only to shut them up. By paying for these bags it encourages the customer to re-use them and to hopefully think twice about the real cost these bags and, crucially, our actions have on the environment. But this is not enough.

Another thing I've noticed and am happy to see is the rise again in the sale and more importantly the use this time of canvas bags in supermarkets. I feel this is the way to go. We need more people to step up and encourage the use of these bags. I myself have five. Not only are they more durable than even the sturdier plastic bags being sold, but they have a far greater weight capacity and more fits in them (thus reducing the need for more bags). What you can fit in 3 plastic bags (also taking into account weight) could quite easily fit and be carried in a single canvas bag. Moreover, they are far more comfortable to carry both in your hand and on your shoulder. Also, on a personal note, it feels great to get the checkout and being asked 'would you like a bag', replying 'no thank you' and taking out my own canvas bag.

I still feel that this is not enough. Don't get me wrong, these are great steps towards raising awareness and reducing the use of plastic bags. These schemes are, to an extend, working. It's great to see manufaturing companies stepping up and doing something about the problem rather than waiting for the government to pass some soft of legislation forcing them to manufacture and sell durable plastic bags and canvas bags. We shouldn't have to wait. We should take responsibility for what we as consumers are doing to the environment and what we are voters can do about it. In fact, if we did wait for the government, not only can we not afford to wait in the first place, but you'd probably find people complaining about their solutions (like, say, charging you for using any kind of plastic, or raising taxed on gas etc.) 

I want to see companies doing more. It's not enough to just sell more durable bags. It's not enough to put (in small print most of the time) 'this bag has been made from X% of recycled material' or 'please re-use this bag' or 'please recycle this bag'. Though these are all commendable initiatives and should be applauded especially as not all stores do this but still, more need to be done. I know, as I'm sure most people know, that plastic bags should be re-used and recycled. It's great that 'this bag has been made from X% of recycled material' but who cares? Realisitcally speaking, this won't have much of an effect on the customer. In fact, by telling me that is recycled might encourage me to use it. We need to discourage the use of ALL plastic bags, whether durable or not, recycled or not.

I would propose a scheme much like the one used to discourage smoking. We've all seen those big black and white messages on cigarette packs, most notably (the shorted and thus the biggest) 'Smoking Kills'. I would like to see this being implemented in an attempt to a) raise awareness. One of the biggest problem I believe is the fact that people can see and therefore don't know the direct and indirect effects of using and throwing away plastic bags. Where do they end up? What happens from that point? What are the dangers to wildlife? To the environment? What effect does it have of pollution and Global Warming? What can I do to stop it? If all these questions were answered in the form of facts, numbers and causes, consequences and solutions printed in a similar in impact and size (proportionally) to that of the cigarette packets, hopefully people won't be so quick to pick up a plastic bag. And if they do, at least they'll have made a conscious decision to ignore to facts and continue destroying the environment. But at least they'll know now exaclty what they're doing. People will, with some luck, feel less comfortable walking down the street carrying a plastic bag with a message to the effect of 'Plastic Bags Destroy the Environment' or 'This Bag May Kill' displayed across it. We need to give people a chance to make up their own mind by providing them with the information and knowledge upon which they can base their decision on. We can't expect people to make the right decision regarding plastic bags or anything for that matter if we don't make the consequences clear. While we're at it, let's put these on plastic bottles too. Far too many are finding their way into landfills.

We're living in an age where we have access to so much information, let's put it to good use.

Alzuria