San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has proposed fines up to $1,000 for failure to sort recycling materials from trash.  Under the plan repeat offender residents and businesses could even eventually have their garbage services discontinued.  Should he proposal take effect it would be the first mandatory recycling and composting law in the United States.  Newsom said about the proposal:

“If we’re truly going to be the city we promote ourselves to be, a world-class, 21st century city that advances its values and principles, we’re going to have to try new things.  People are used to doing things a certain way. And when you change that, they say it can’t be done. Well, we’ve proved them wrong.”

Read the rest of this entry »

The State of California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting at 5pm PST today. Influential liberal mayors Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Gavin Newsom of California are both presiding over ceremonies at their respective city halls that began today at 5pm PST. Neither Mr. Newsom nor Mr. Villaraigosa have stellar records when it comes to marriage, but kudos to them on their efforts to support equal marriage rights for all. This is the first time the state will have same-sex unions since a brief stint in 2004 wherein the County of San Francisco began granting marriage licenses (they were later revoked then unrevoked then revoked and so on and so forth).

So far, the event has drawn little news coverage - probably due to the overwhelming interest in Tiger Wood’s stunning victory at the PGA US Open at Torrey Pines - but surely conservative pundits will be frothy mouthed within the next day or so.

Read the rest of this entry »

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie Halper:

“The First Time I Every Saw Your Face” May Be the First Time You Hear About Ewan MacColl

California’s Gay Marriage Ban Overturned & 5 Ways To Take Action

* * *
Nicole Hughes:

“Bottlemania” Book Takes Bottled Water Industry To Task

Arnold Tells Automakers To “Stop Whining” About Tougher California Emissions Standards

* * *

Andy Kondrat:

Department of Energy Forecasts Large Increase In Wind Power Usage

Edward Norton & Gavin Newsom Speak To Congress About Environmental Building Practices

* * *

Jon Popham:

Spencer Tunick Strips Hundreds Naked

Lichtenstein Sculptures At Fairchild Garden In Miami

* * *

Giulia Rozzi:

Does Being Ethical Pay?

Is the Anti-Female Genial Mutilation Campaign Offensive?

* * *

Gina Telaroli:

A Global Look At Media On Pangea Day

Everything Cinema: Brody Takes On the Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard

Edward Norton (awesome actor), Gavin Newsom (dreamy mayor of San Francisco who does some awesome things and some questionable things), and others (who I can only assume to be awesome) are in Washington, D.C. today to speak about how green building policies can save on energy costs and prevent global warming.  From the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (awesome committee),

The building sector is responsible for 48 percent of all heat-trapping emissions, and it is estimated that 76 percent of all electricity generated by U.S. power plants goes to operate buildings. As energy prices rise — increasing the costs of cooling, heating and construction — green building has become a popular mantra for homeowners, corporations and environmentalists alike.

Read the rest of this entry »

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out our most popular articles of the week on a variety of subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan Surfaces 120 Years Later

Hallelujah For American Idol, Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen

* * *
Nicole:

Google Gives Free Voicemail to San Francisco Homeless

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Turnes 80

* * *
Giulia:

Patrick Swayze’s Cancer Battle

Koby Bryant’s PSA for ASR

* * *
Gina:

Reese’s Empowering Bracelet

“Chop Shop” - Dreams In a Place of Despair

* * *
Kerry:

Bamboo Laptop: Will Apple Be Green with Envy?

The Explosive Truth About Twinkies

Google has teamed up with the City of San Francisco to help hundreds of homeless people get back on their feet by providing them with a free lifelong phone number and voicemail service. Project Homeless Connect will allow homeless individuals looking for employment to be able to put a callback number on a job application, and to give health clinics a phone number to receive test results over the phone. This free service will also allow for contacts from friends and family who might not be able to get in touch otherwise.

“How do you communicate as a homeless individual? ” SF Mayor Gavin Newsom asked. “How do you expect your life to turn around if you can’t even get information or if someone can’t even get in touch with you?”

Read the rest of this entry »