Jessica C. Kraft
Jessica C. Kraft is a San Francisco-based cultural journalist and educator trained in anthropology and art. She teaches sustainable design students at UCBerkeley Extension. She's written for Common Ground, Positive Thinking Magazine and various contemporary art publications. In her spare time, she loves to identify trees, dance on her rooftop, and agitate for social change.
Blog
Charge it to the Earth Jul 10, 2008
Green Credit Cards Offer Carbon-Free Shopping
For a conscious consumer, there is no end to the ethical dilemmas of credit cards. Not only do they facilitate the massive over-consumption that our nation is criticized for, but they are tools of self-destruction for insatiable shoppers caught in... more
Eliminating Capitalism? Jul 4, 2008
Terracycle Turns Trash into Useful Stuff
Archaeologists from the future might think that the most valuable product from contemporary society is our garbage. The Egyptians and Incans horded gold in royal tombs, and we horde our plastic refuse in giant landfills! But what if we could... more
Your Rubbish is Someone's Gold Jun 26, 2008
Re-Sell Your Way to Green Living
Even though you don't want that lumpy old chair from Grandma's country house anymore, someone else might! As any city-dweller knows, sometimes all you have to do to get rid of something is to put it out on the street... more
Questioning Carbon Offsets Jun 19, 2008
Do Voluntary Funds Spur Innovation or Just Offset Carbon Guilt?
As everyone knows, greenhouse gases are causing Earth’s climate to change and warm, which will have catastrophic results if we do not take action now. Although the US is only 4.5 percent of the world's population, it's responsible for 25... more
New Energy Source: From Pond to Pump Jun 16, 2008
Algae Fuels New Bioenergy Development
In the language of investment, diversity is the golden rule.After our flawed fossil-fuel focus of the last 150 years, the best strategy for 21st century energy will be to take a portfolio-approach to fuel. From wind and solar to biodiesel... more
Paperless Banking is Good for your Green Jun 10, 2008
Save money and resources with online financial services
I was an early adopter of online payment services, so I’m excited that more and more people are switching over to paperless billing for their banking statements, credit card payments and utility bills. Back in 2000, I decided to try... more
New Devices Measure Your Carbon Footprint May 28, 2008
Get Accurate Readings on Your Carbon Emissions
It’s fashionable these days to measure your carbon footprint using any number of online calculators. But most of these rely on your guesstimates about how often you travel and the cost of your energy bills. Once you know your carbon... more
Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind into Gold May 26, 2008
Community-Based Wind Power is Growing
Europe has long led the local wind power movement, starting in the middle ages, when Dutch farmers put up wind mills to grind grain and pump water. They’ve also managed to avoid the corporatization of wind power. In Germany, much... more
New Report: Doubts Grow about Global Warming May 14, 2008
Divide Deepens between Dems and Repubs
If you thought the red state/ blue state divide was extreme in our nation’s politics, now there’s evidence for increasing polarization between green states and grey states… of mind. How you feel about global warming these days largely depends on... more
Banning Plastic Bags Boosts Bioplastics: Is a Biodegradable Car Coming? May 12, 2008
Compostable -- Not Disposable -- Goods on the Rise
With the outlawing of plastic bags in San Francisco, China and other eco-minded cities and nations, shoppers are forming new carrying habits with canvas and compostable grocery sacks. It’s too bad for the manufacturers of the old plastics which languish... more
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