Radiohead: True Givers December 28, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Energy, Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: Best Foot Forward, car-pooling, carbon footprints, In Rainbows, Radiohead, Thom Yorke
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In addition to giving their latest album, “In Rainbows,” away for however much the individual sees fit to pay, the members of Radiohead are trying to be conscientious in other ways. They paired with a sustainability consultancy known as Best Foot Forward to find out how much of a negative impact their concerts have on the environment and how to cut down on their carbon output. They suggest that their devoted fans carpool, fly less, and take buses when possible. For their part, they’re going to try to fly less themselves, sea-freight their gear, and play shows in centralized locations where fans can avail themselves of public transportation. Good looking out, guys!
A Good Use of $20 Mil December 26, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Lifestyle.Tags: Julia Roberts, Malibu, Pretty Woman, solar panels, sustainable forests
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Julia’s putting $20 million of her money to good use. Her new mansion in Malibu is not only solar-paneled but is also made from wood from sustainable forests (forests cared for in a way that the soil is not degraded, the wildlife is sustained, and seed trees remain for future growth). In addition, her bathroom uses recycled tiles. This pretty woman’s lifestyle is something for us all to smile big about.
UPS: Undeniably, Pretty Smart December 24, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Uncategorized.Tags: greenhouse gas emission, hydraulic hybrid, UPS
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UPS has some brilliant ideas. I mean, we all love those men in brown, but now here’s more reason to appreciate them. The company has come up with new software that maps out delivery routes and eliminates left-hand turns whenever possible, saving 3 million gallons of gas last year alone. They’ve also unleashed an hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle, which cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions and ups fuel efficiency. Not to mention it has really cool flames on the sides!
All That Glitters… December 24, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: aquatic life, gold pills, medication, Tobias Wong
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I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that while your average American may, at any given time, be on some sort of medication –antidepressants, antibiotics, painkillers–she is NOT ingesting gold pills for fun. However, regardless of the color of your waste, substances that don’t degrade in the body also don’t degrade in the environment. As a result, drugs and other chemicals (those from hair products, for example) can get back into our water supply, potentially harming both us and the aquatic life. Let’s all try to be just a bit more natural!
If Only the US and France Could Be Friends… December 21, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: environment, france
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…We have so much we could learn from them. In an effort to catch up with the rest of Europe, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has introduced many environmental measures, including a tax on cars that emit too much carbon dioxide (over 160 g/km), and, conversely, bonuses on clean-air cars (ones that emit less than 130 g/km). The States, on the other hand, continue to lag behind.
Meat IS Murder…of our planet December 19, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Energy, Lifestyle, Uncategorized.Tags: Gidon Eshel, global warming, Morrissey, Pamela Martin, vegetarianism
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Some pretty recent findings have discovered that eating meat may affect more than just the consumer and the animals–it may affect the entire planet. Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin, assistant professors of geophysics at the University of Chicago, have found that the energy used throughout the cycle of raising animals and turning them into food is, not surprisingly, significantly more than that used for a vegetarian diet. Just one more reason to side with Morrissey on this one.
….and a Happy LED Year! December 17, 2007
Posted by shomriel in Energy.Tags: carbon emissions, LEDs
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LEDs (light-emitting diodes, for those of you not yet in the know…read: myself until today) are all the rage this year. Christmas lights (such as those on the Rockefeller Center Tree and on our lovely Capitol’s tree), stop lights, street lights, and bridge lights are all being replaced with LEDs. They save a whopping amount of energy, last longer than regular lightbulbs, and reduce carbon emissions. Here’s to a very Merry Christmas!
Brad Pitt goes green December 13, 2007
Posted by beanstockd in Energy.Tags: Brad Pitt, Global Green, New Orleans
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Not only is Brad Pitt a talented actor and a good father (oh yeah, and quite attractive), but he’s environmentally and socially conscious as well.
The perfect man is partnering with the non-profit international organization Global Green to launch a design competition for a 12-unit apartment complex. This housing will be affordable and environmentally-friendly, cutting energy costs (fluorescent lighting, fans to cool air) and using healthier building materials.
Pitt has promised to contribute $5M of his own dough to rebuilding homes in New Orleans. In an interview this past July, Pitt acknowledges, “I’ve really had a fortunate life. And it’s time for me to share that a bit.” Nice.
L.A.–City of beautiful people and soon, beautiful trees December 10, 2007
Posted by beanstockd in Pollution.Tags: Los Angeles, Million Trees LA, Trees
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LA may soon rise above its reputation as a dirty, artificial, smog-filled city. With the Million Trees LA initiative launched by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, this city will get some much-needed cleansing and beautification. According to the Center for Urban Forest Research, 1 million trees planted will, among other things, remove over 2 million pounds of air pollutants and save $10 million in energy costs each year, as well as increasing a home’s property value. Some less quantifiable but nonetheless valid facts are that trees increase the health and well-being of the inhabitants and generally decrease stress in the surrounding areas. Trees provide shade and oxygen and send out their own natural energy to combat the constant barrage of artificial energy. Perhaps in the next several years we will see an overall upgrade in the quality of life of LA’s inhabitants. Shomriel
