Bike to Work Video (funny)
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Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Difference of Environmentally Friendly Printing
Recently I posted an article about Shaver Design and how they now offer environmentally friendly printing. Since then, I have been receiving comments asking what the difference is between traditional printing methods and “green” methods. In this article I will explain some of the major advantages to “green” printing.
Eco-friendly printing uses soy and other vegetable inks instead of petroleum based inks. Soy ink is created using soybean oil that is slightly refined and combined with pigment, resins, and waxes. Soybean oil is naturally clearer than their petroleum based counterparts and in turn requires less pigment to create more brightly colored inks. This reduces the amount of chemicals put into the ink.
Soy ink can also be more easily removed from paper which reduces the amount of damage done to paper fibers during recycling and increases the yield of reusable product. Furthermore, the waste produced by recycling soy and vegetable inks is not hazardous and can be treated much more easily.
The paper used is 100% recycled and is processed chlorine-free which has obvious effects on the environment. The recycling process will always require some amount of virgin pulp, which is pulp that has never been used in the production of products before. Eco-friendly printers use sustainable tree farms to collect virgin pulp unlike other printers who rely on old-growth forests.
There are even more benefits regarding how “green” printing facilities are operated including being run on 100% wind power and investments in renewable energy credits. This dramatically reduces their impact on the environment.
By combining the advantages of soy inks, recycled paper, and environmentally friendly facilities you can make a big difference on how you’re impacting the Earth. “Green” printing is also very affordable when compared to traditional printing and the products produced have a very ethereal and professional look and feel. There is really no downside to involving yourself in eco-friendly printing practices.
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Thursday, June 19, 2008
Green Jobs Act
Congress is now deciding which federal programs will be funded in 2009. Among those programs are the Green Jobs Act, which would invest $125 million in green-collar job training programs, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, which would authorize grants to local communities to help improve their energy efficiency and increase renewable energy. Now we must make sure that Members of Congress keep their promise and fully fund these programs.
Please ask your Senators and Representative to support full funding for the Green Jobs Act and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant in this year’s Appropriations Bill. Take a moment to personalize your letter: Using your own words will deliver the most powerful message!
Go to this link for a sample letter to send to your congressmen. Personalize the letter and tell them why it is so important to have legislation that will move our country forward.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Eco Friendly Printing
People are always looking for more inventive and unique ways to reduce their carbon footprint from hybrid cars to electric bikes. It's always a treat when you find a way to help the environment in a way that costs no more than traditional methods would which is why I was pleased to find out about another company that can help you make a positive impact in the way the world works.
I've recently been introduced to the Director of Design at www.ShaverDesign.com, which utilizes eco-friendly printing methods that use 100% recycled paper and only water based coatings and soy and vegetable inks. The printing factory itself is run on 100% wind power so you are not only saving the environment in the products you buy, but the companies you choose to do business with are supporting the environment as well.
It may not seem like much but the statistics show how real the impact can be. By ordering, for example, just 500 "green" business cards instead of ones printed using traditional techniques; you will save 0.02 fully grown trees, 4.4 gallons of water, 1 pound of solid waste, and 1.6 pounds of greenhouse gases. Numbers don't lie. The fact of the matter is that they add up to make a very real impact in the environment.
If you are ever in need for business cards, brochures, flyers, or any other printed material make sure to check out a company that offers eco-friendly printing along with their custom design services such as Shaver Design.
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Monday, June 16, 2008
Sumatran Tigers are being sold into Extinction
The Sumatran Tiger is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. If some conservation doesn't go into effect quickly these majestic creatures will be extinct along with three other sub species of tigers; the Javan Tiger, Caspian Tiger and Bali Tiger. Each of these of tigers became extinct due to habitat loss and poaching.
Laws to protect the Sumatran tiger are failing to prevent body parts of the critically endangered animal from being sold openly in Indonesia, according to a report released February 14th 2008. Tiger body parts, including canine teeth, claws, skin pieces, whiskers, and bones, were on sale in 10 percent of the 326 retail outlets surveyed during 2006 in 28 cities and towns across Sumatra. Outlets included goldsmiths, souvenir shops, traditional Chinese medicine shops, and shops selling antique and precious stones.
Because of poor enforcement the Sumatran tiger is slipping through our fingers," said Leigh Henry, program officer for TRAFFIC North America. There are only about 400 Sumatran tigers left and such a small population can't sustain this level of poaching. If enforcement and political will are not bolstered the Sumatran tiger will be wiped out just as the Javan and Bali tigers were.Sumatra's few remaining tigers are also under threat from rampant deforestation by the pulp, paper, and palm oil industries. The combined threats of habitat loss and illegal trade (unless tackled immediately) will be the death for Indonesian tigers.
The Sumatran tiger is already listed as Critically Endangered on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, the highest category of threat before extinction in the wild," said Jane Smart, head of IUCN's Species Program. "We cannot afford to lose any more of these magnificent creatures.All in all, tigers are a beautiful and rare species and we should do everything we can to stop them from becoming extinct. I think it would be a tragedy if these animals were wiped off the earth. The more people that are aware of these useless killings the more we can come together and help to take action to stop it.
Why the species is important?
The tiger is a powerful symbol of admiration among the variety of cultures that live across its range. They command respect, awe or fear from their human neighbors. Even in places where tigers have become extinct or never existed in the wild, they live in myth and legend.As top predators, they keep populations of wild ungulates in check, thereby maintaining the balance between prey herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed. A whole myriad of other life-forms are essential to support a healthy tiger population.
link to donate
https://secure.worldwildlife.org/ogc/index.cfm?sc=AWY0807WCG00
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Sunday, June 15, 2008
Algae as a Scrubber and Fuel Source
A reader of this blog was wondering why algae hasn't been a topic of discussion on this blog. I have heard about the super efficacy of algae for biofuels before but never seriously looked at it due to its infancy at the time. To my amazement, reading about algae as a scrubber and fuel source makes perfect sense.
Now people are beginning to actively promote algae as a carbon dioxide scrubber and biofuel producer. An article from New Scientist has proved that CO2 can act as a feedstock rather than a waste byproduct. In what some call an algae bioreactor, algae is fed carbon dioxide as a fuel to flourish the algae in conjunction with sunlight which can then produce an algae that can be used for biodiesel or even hydrogen for local and domestic transportation. This project has already been successfully piloted and should be getting more attention than those that would like to promote carbon sequestration (the storage of carbon dioxide in the Earth).
My friend who is promoting this concept through his blog has a great take on the future of bio algae. There is also a link to a do-it-yourself algae reactor which gives the amateur a chance to build a mini reactor and begin transforming carbon dioxide into a potential fuel source.
The reasons to go algae as stated from oilgae.com:
1. The yields of oil from algae are significantly higher than those from traditional oilseeds
2. Algae can grow in places far from farmlands & forests, minimizing damages caused to the environment and food chain.
3. Algae can be grown in sewages and next to power-plant smokestacks where they convert the pollutants and give us oil!
The innovation can be realized after watching the following youtube video.
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
Humpback Whales making a comeback!
A new study released May 22, 2008 has shown that the population of Humpback whales in the pacific ocean are dramatically improving. There are now nearly 20,000 swimming in the Pacific Ocean compared to the 1,400 counted in 1966.
Thankfully to prevent extinction the International Whaling Commission introduced a ban on commercial humpback whaling in 1966. Conservation programs are much to thank for these dramatically improved numbers. Although humpback whales on the coast of Asia are still fairly endangered, conservationists are very optimistic they can bounce back. The world needs to see more examples like this to prove that it is possible to make a difference.
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Monday, June 9, 2008
Wanna be a Green Author?
Chelsea Green Publishing is a green publishing company that is a sponsor for some of the books on this site that The Environmental Blog team has reviewed. They are currently hosting a contest to get more authors with a focus on the politics and practice of sustainable living.
For complete contest rules, check out their blog. If I can ever get a full proposal done I would love to submit one myself. For those of you who are English teachers or freelance writers out there, this could be your chance.
I believe the winner of the contest will get a $1000 royalty advance and a publishing contract with Chelsea Green Publishing. Who wouldn't want to be published? Check it out and good luck. =)
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Endangered Giant Pandas
One of the most adored and rare animals of the whole world is the Giant Panda. Their population is pretty alarming at a low 3,000. It is one of the most critically endangered species in the world because there are only about 1,000 left in the wild. They are threatened by [poaching], human encroachment, habitat loss and trouble breeding in captivity. This is why it is important for people to learn about them so that they do not disappear forever. Many of them are in captivity and very few are displayed at zoos in the US. The sustainability of these animals is very difficult due to the fact that Pandas have no desire to mate once in captivity. Chinese pandas have even been given Viagra in hopes of boosting their desire to mate. Many other strategies have been attempted including cloning panda embryos, also what has been dubbed as "panda-porn"- explicit video of pandas mating, traditional herbs and insemination. So far researchers haven't made much progress with any of those methods.
I found it interesting that these animals are so popular that US zoos pay the Chinese government $2 million a year basically to rent a pair of giant pandas. These pandas are on a 10 year contract and any babies born results in an increase pay up yo 600,000 more. Giant Pandas are on loan to zoos in Atlanta, Washington D.C., San Diego, and Memphis. Theres an impression in China that US zoos are very rich because when they come over the zoos are beautiful and so we pay much more than the 300,000 annual rate that Australia and Thailand pay. Now that doesn't seem fair does it? US zoos are barely breaking even with such high costs and maintenance. Not only is the annual payment pocket breaking , the upkeep for their 100% vegetarian diet is very high. Pandas eat 84 pounds of bamboo daily which costs five times more than that of the next most expensive animal, an elephant. Luckily, in Atlanta 400 volunteers grow bamboo in their backyards to help out. These animals are on the "red list", which means they are critically endangered. Many people in the world love Giant Pandas and there are even such a thing as "pandaholics". Not only that but there is live web cams people watch on zoo websites just to keep an eye on their favorite animals. With so much love going around for these docile animals there has got to be a way to help keep them around for good.
To help keep Giant Pandas around, you can Adopt A Panda through the World Wildlife Foundation.
Written by: Angie
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Electric Bicycles - Eco Transportation
I wanted people to know that I am on a mission to boycott driving my nice Honda Civc Hybrid. Even though I am driving a hybrid, the price of oil on the market and the rising cost of gasoline has forced me to boycott the oil companies. I have been experimenting the best way to get to my work in an eco friendly way, which is 7 miles away. It is not that far, so I tried an old electric scooter I had which only got me about half way to work. I had to call my co-worker to come pick me up. Then I thought about riding my bike, but I need to buy a city cruiser bike because my mountain bike which is not suitable for city bicycling.
But a recent eco-tip from Scooters N' Bikes had opened my eyes to an electric bicycle. I guess in the back of my head I always knew they existed, but I have never really seen anyone or heard about anyone ever using one. So, I challenge all my readers to think long and hard about how close you live to work, and the viability of using one of these electric bicycles instead of driving. These are the stats for this innovative mode of transportation:
Obviously you would have to compare the prices of your own local energy provider to find out how much money you would actually be saving. But no matter how much your energy costs are, this mode of eco transportation would be cheaper than driving a car for sure.
I am placing my order after the completion of this blog. I seriously don't understand why more people aren't using this as a primary mode of transportation, especially if you live in a downtown area like I do.
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Saturday, June 7, 2008
A Closer Look at Seal Hunting
Seal hunting is the personal or commercial hunting of seals for their pelts and blubber. Hunting also ensures the population does not reach levels that would threaten other species. But is it really necessary to put these animals through extreme pain and suffering just for a measly waterproof jacket? I recently learned that high end designers such as Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabana and Versace sell fur coats, accessories and trinkets made from seal pelts. The main targets for these inhumane killings are baby seals that have just grown out of their white coats. The age of these hunted baby deals are usually 12 days to 4 months old. I say inhumane because it TRULY is a brutal killing. The most common weapon used is called a Hakapik which is a heavy wooden club with a hammer head and a metal hook at the end. Some people may argue that the weapon is designed for a quick painless death but that is far from the truth.
Reports in 2001 have shown that 79% of the clubbers did not check to see if the animal was dead before skinning it. It has also shown that 40% of the kills from a seal hunter had to strike the seal a second time presumably because it was still conscience after the first blow; 42% of killed seals examined were found to have minimal or no fractures suggesting a high probability that these seals were conscious when skinned. There are regulations for these killings and a lot of them are not being followed. They state that: "Every person who strikes a seal with a club or hakapik shall strike the seal on the forehead until its skull has been crushed," and that "No person shall commence to skin or bleed a seal until the seal is dead," which occurs when it "has a glassy-eyed, staring appearance and exhibits no blinking reflex when its eye is touched while it is in a relaxed condition.
It seems to be a losing battle to save these animals from this painful death, especially now that the world demand for seal pelts is now growing. Pelt prices are at their highest in years and fashion industries are even thinking of new ways to market these products to change what was once a struggling industry. If you want to make sure seal killings don't continue you can do so by not taking part in purchasing such brands. So if you ever find yourself shopping at one of these designer stores for a new wallet you might think twice about where it came from. It's up to us to make sure these industries aren't profitable!
Written by: Angie
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Thursday, June 5, 2008
The Presidential Candidates and Where They Stand on the Environment
Now that Barack Obama has secured the Democrat's party nomination, the list of presidential front runners becomes increasingly shorter; this also means the list of possible policies that effect the environment becomes that more definitive. But where does each candidate stand exactly? In order to help you be more informed come November, very helpful website, OnTheIssues.org, attempts to list "Every Political Leader on Every Issue," including the issue of the environment. The site displays a verbose list of stances, quotes and even past voting records on legislation all pertaining to environmental issues. So let's see how your favorite candidate stacks up: Sen. Barack Obama (Democrat, IL):
- Regulate animal feeding operations for pollution. (Feb 2008)
- Will end the notion of Yucca Mountain nuclear storage. (Jan 2008)
- Promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards. (Dec 2007)
- Protect the Great Lakes & our National Parks and Forests. (Aug 2007)
- Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)
- Support much tougher regulations on emission requirements. (Jan 2008)
- Economic & environmental interests not mutually exclusive. (Sep 2007)
- 1996: Put 3.5B acres of land into wilderness protection. (Jan 2004)
- Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
- End commercial whaling and illegal trade in whale meat. (Jun 2001)
[Photo Credits]
Written by: AJ Papa
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Blogging For A Cause
BIGCARROT GIVES BLOGGERS WAYS TO CROWDSOURCE ADVOCACY USING INDUCEMENT PRIZES
WHO: BigCarrot (www.bigcarrot.com), the Web’s premier resource for creating, funding and claiming inducement prizes, is leading the way for consumers and organizations alike to take advantage of them to facilitate innovation and change. BigCarrot was founded to allow those with common interests to collaborate and pool their resources to create an inducement prize—a method for innovation previously only available to those with substantial fiscal capital.
WHAT: BigCarrot is offering bloggers an opportunity to advocate for their causes through the creation of inducement prize on the BigCarrot Web site. Bloggers who are looking to spur innovation or promote change are invited to submit their inducement prize concept(s). Once concepts are received, BigCarrot will choose ten prizes, from among the submissions, for inclusion on the BigCarrot site. As part of the promotion, BigCarrot will waive the initial inducement prize fee of $100. In addition, BigCarrot will help launch the prizes with a minimum initial contribution of $250. The value of the prizes will increase once interest and demand for the prize grows among the site’s visitors.
BigCarrot welcomes inducement prize concepts in the areas of: computers, electronics, environment, mathematics, household, medicine, science, society and sports.
WHEN: Inducement prizes proposals are being accepted until June 15, 2008.
HOW TO SUBMIT: BigCarrot is now accepting submissions via e-mail. Please send a brief description of your proposed inducement prize to: myprize@bigcarrot.com. Submissions must be received by June 15, 2008. The prizes that are chosen will be notified via e-mail.
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