Editor’s note: With all the bad news out there, why not bid farewell to the week with a easy-to-digest roundup of our favorite forward looking and generally optimistic stories from the fine folks at The Stimulist. We’re just getting the series started, and would love to hear your feedback, good or bad. Email feedback@takepart.com to let us know what you think.

While the world turned its eyes to the Staples Center for Tuesday’s touching MJ sendoff (which was more spectacle than memorial if you ask Carlos Watson), you can bet that the Ayatollahs in Tehran were happy to be out of the spotlight. Despite a new round of Iranian protests and crackdowns, it doesn’t look like the #iranelection Twitter revolution is going to result in a non-virtual one—for now. Revolutions are not built in a day, and Iran’s last great revolution in 1979 took more than nine years to come to fruition.

Up north in Alaska, Sarah Palin was attempting a revolution of her own. The would-be vice president raised eyebrows by declaring her independence from the governor’s mansion a day before the Fourth of July, leaving politicos to ponder her motives. Whether you think Palin is gunning for a 2012 presidential bid or a spot in the Conservative pantheon, there’s no doubt that she’s going to be making major bank with book deals and endorsements on the horizon, not to mention the estimated $1 million in lawyer fees she’ll save by dodging the executive ethics lawsuits that were coming her way. Read the rest of this entry >>

Although the smoke may have cleared, the noxious chemicals released by the hundreds of fireworks shows that took place over the July 4th weekend still linger over America’s cities and waterways. Toxins like cadmium, barium, arsenic and perchlorates that are released into the atmosphere when the fireworks are set off can remain in the soil and water supply for years, causing irreparable damage to local ecosystems and human health.

The main ingredient in fireworks is gunpowder, composed of sulfur, charcoal and potassium. When that potassium is released into the atmosphere, it breaks down into perchlorate which is known to cause thyroid conditions including goiter and cancer. Although the majority of toxins are believed to be incinerated in the air, a study published earlier this year in the Environmental Science & Technology journal reported that following fireworks shows perchlorate levels in nearby bodies of water can be up to 1,000 times acceptable levels and take up to 80 days to subside. Heavy metals like strontium and copper used to give fireworks color can also have lasting effects on childhood development and cause health problems ranging from skin lesions to lung damage.
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It’s the Fourth of July, and that can only mean one thing–Muppets!

Hey…what’s the Swedish Chef doing in there? Anyhow, have a happy and safe holiday, and don’t forget to scroll down the page for all sorts of good July 4th coverage from us here at TakePart!

When did the Fourth of July fireworks show get so contentious? That shirtless dude 12 Coors deep is just trying to have a good time.

The most American of American holidays can start a shouting match faster than Jenny Sanford blaming her husband’s infidelity on gay marriage. Your grandmother laments the noise, your brother complains about air pollution, and your dad tells him to get off his goddamn soapbox.

John Adams did, after all, write that July 4 should be marked with “illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forevermore.”

But head to the park and you can’t swing a cat without hitting a college freshman discussing how the city could feed the homeless population with the money it spends on the annual firework display. It’s a popular argument. So popular you’ll hear the same crowd grousing about how the city could feed the needy with the money it spends on its Christmas decorations.

Even with the environmental issues that abound, canceling the traditional Fourth festivities is a tall order. But this year, Montebello, Calif., has done just that. Read the rest of this entry >>

I figured that this 4th of July I would do one movie list that was appropriately thematic in terms of the content of films and one movie list that was based solely on “thematic” film titles.

Thus I give my Top 10 Movies with “American” Titles. All the films below contain America or U.S.A. in the title.  A few actually deal with what it means to be American while others are simply movies that should be seen.

Enjoy and as always let me know if I missed your favorite

10. The American President - This movie may be pretty typical Hollywood fare and a bit cheesy but I still really like it.  For some reason intellectual, idealized romcoms set in The White House don’t bother me (think Dave). Perhaps I just like seeing good people in charge of things?  And the speech below is simply a great movie moment. Read the rest of this entry >>

Photo: notjake13's flickr photostream

If you’re like me you like keeping your Fourth of July party planning simple and streamlined, so I’ve gathered a few sustainable suggestions to help cut down on waste and hassle, allowing you to make the most of your Independence hoot-nanny.  Even if you’re not hosting a party this year, you can always bring along these ideas to which parties you’re crashing or save them for your next shindig.

1.  BYO Dishware

While biodegradable party kits are definitely a snazzy, earth-friendly alternative to piles of plastic plates, the dirty truth is that your home compost bin probably doesn’t get hot enough to break them down, and not every town offers commercial composting (ask for it!).  So, when people ask what they can bring, tell them to bring their favorite (or wackiest) plate and cup to use!  Not only will you cut down on the production, waste and clean-up that come with disposable plates, but individualized plates will definitely spark some great stories.  Guests can also use their plates to bring home leftovers and cut down on wasted food (although I wouldn’t recommend people take “road sodas” with them, if you know what I mean). Read the rest of this entry >>

This 4th of July if you need to escape the heat I recommend hanging out in an air conditioned room and putting in one of these films.   My Top 10 Films That Feature True Patriotism are all about people and events that don’t directly have the stamp of American pride but instead showcase what it means to live in a country that allows you the right to fight for a better world and to fight for yours and others’ rights.

In honor of the 4th of July I wanted to limit all the films on the list to films made in America and set in America (I was able to do it with one small exception).

Enjoy and let me know if I missed a film that is near and dear to your heart!

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10. To Kill a Mockingbird - There is no greater act of patriotism than standing up for someone whom no one else will.  Harper Lee’s story exemplifies what it means to be American and the principles by which we should lead our lives.

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Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar  announced this morning on the Today Show that the interior of the Statue of Liberty will reopen on the Fourth of July.  The exciting news comes at a time when the United States really could use a renewed sense of hope, and hopefully signals a bright new chapter in our country’s story.  Personally, I’m glad my childhood efforts to preserve the statue have finally paid off (Story after the jump):

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After the Fourth of July this year, we discussed the impact fireworks had on the environment, and I thought it might be a good idea to revisit the topic in preparation for New Year’s Eve. Back in that post, we highlighted the fact that fireworks are pretty much awful for the environment, so now, why don’t we see what some people are doing to try and clean up this mess?

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote an article a few months back in which the issue of green (not literally) fireworks was discussed. The most important thing to note, I think, is that none other than the United States military is looking for cleaner fireworks, and their money should be able to drive some pretty good research.

However, no less patriotic an institution than the U.S. military is seeking more eco-friendly pyrotechnics. The same environmental concerns are common to both fireworks and military equipment such as signaling flares and airborne weapons. Defense agencies are financing research by scientists, including…explosives experts at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Among the concerns is the cumulative contamination of military testing grounds and training sites.

As we noted in our original post, Disney has worked to make their fireworks shows much greener, some of that stemming from environmental concerns, and some from simply needing quieter and less smoky fireworks (Disneyland, after all, is in Anaheim, right there in Orange County). But it appears that an industry around more environmental fireworks won’t evolve unless regulations are tightened. Read the rest of this entry >>

I decided not to write about this before the Fourth of July as to not be a buzzkill, but now that the festivities are over I’d like to point you in the direction of this article from the Los Angeles Times that discusses how awful for the environment fireworks are. Turns out the answer is “really bad.” In fact:

Throughout the Los Angeles region, concentrations of fine particles, or carbon soot, skyrocket for up to 24 hours after the Independence Day shows, reaching levels as high as those from wildfires. [...] Also, traces of poisonous metals, which give fireworks their bright colors, and perchlorate, a hormone-altering substance used as an oxidizer, trickle to the ground, contaminating waterways. One Environmental Protection Agency study found that perchlorate levels in an Oklahoma lake rose 1,000-fold after a fireworks display, and they stayed high in some areas for up to 80 days.
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