Sundance promotes eco-friendliness February 4, 2008
Posted by raffiki07 in Energy, Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: Fields of Fuel, Flow-For Love of Water, Sundance
add a comment
Reduce, Reuse, and Renew- this was the mantra Sundance promoted at this years film festival. Sundance, the spot Al Gore chose to premiere his movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” has been dedicated to promoting energy conservation for decades, and did not slow down this year. Celebs received goody bags loaded with trendy eco-friendly fashion, such as shoes made out of tires, earrings made from bottle tops, and a skateboard made from bamboo. Also, Sundance premiered several eco-conscious movies this year, such as “Flow-For Love of Water,” and “Fields of Fuel.” Looks like I’ll be hittin’ up blockbuster for some eco-friendly films!
It’s a Smorgasbord of Cardboard! January 25, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Climate, Pollution.Tags: California, cardboard, compost, Fiberwood, humanure, hydroseeding, landfills, mulch, Sacramento
add a comment
I’ve been reading a lot lately about humanure (a term which, I believe, is self-explanatory), but I gotta say, this concept is a little less… icky. Fiberwood, based out of Sacramento, CA (yay California!!!!), is a company that’s making mulch out of cardboard. In brief: tons of manufactured goods are constantly coming into the state, mostly in cardboard boxes. The cardboard winds up in landfills if not recycled. So Fiberwood is putting it to use–up to 100 tons a day!–for hydroseeding (mixing water and mulch at a ratio of 100 gallons for every 75 lbs. and then adding seeds to the mix; one application of this would be to restore ground cover in areas devastated by forest fires), and hydromulch (the mix minus the seeds; used to cover landfills in order to cut down on the smell emanating from them; 1/4″ thick layer of this mixture does the trick as well as a 6″ thick layer of soil). Thank God for people who are thinking outside of the (cardboard) box.
When I Am Laid in Earth… January 21, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: alternative coffins, Ane Brun, burials, cremation, Laid in Earth, mercury emissions
add a comment
(which, by the way, is a fabulous song by Ane Brun)… do not cremate me. Cremation, in a nutshell, requires the same amount of energy for a 75-minute burning stint as one person tends to use in their home in a month, a staggering amount of both gas and electricity. In addition, mercury emissions and dioxins are released, further polluting the atmosphere. For my crossing-over, a cardboard box will do just fine, preferably with a tree planted atop my remains (yes, I’m doing my coffin-shopping now, while y’all are rocking your skinny jeans!). Cardboard or solid wood, such as bamboo or pine, which can decompose and then allow my body to decompose into the earth, is a better bet than the expensive coffins most commonly used in burials. These tend to be nothing more than a thin layer of wood on top of chipboard, which contains formaldehyde–good for preservation of dead people, bad for preservation of the earth.
Green in ‘08…and Beyond! January 16, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Climate, Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: Ceres principles, energy-efficient buildings, GM, microcredit, renewable energy, sustainable economies, The Good Earth, Worldwatch Institute
add a comment
Good news, folks. Worldwatch Institute’s “State of the World 2008″ report has encouraging findings. Governments and businesses around the world are finally realizing the necessity/profitability of green projects (energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy) and sustainable economies–ones that employ renewable energy, practice effective recycling with almost no waste, have air that is as clean as possible, and, especially, that provide for the lowest-income members of the population. Even GM is adhering to a code of environmental principles, such as careful disposal of chemical and industrial waste. Most likely, resistance to a globally beneficial way of living will continue from certain sectors, due to ignorance, laziness, and greed; however, there’s a constant increase in the number and variety of people jumping on the greenwagon. This good earth isn’t finished yet.
Candidates On the Greenwagon January 11, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Climate, Pollution.Tags: Barack Obama, cap-and-trade, Democrats, environment, Hillary Clinton, plug-in hybrids, presidential elections, public transportation
2 comments
It’s a good bandwagon to be on. With B-rack and Hils duking it out for the love of the people in ‘08, we’ve got ‘em both promising mega-change for the environment, with reassuringly comprehensive plans. Their plans mirror each other in a lot of ways–mainly their cap-and-trade system (companies are allowed a certain amount of pollution, and can essentially buy the ability to pollute more from those companies polluting less–up to a point), with an auction of pollution permits whose profits would go to help low-income families have energy-efficient homes. Obama has a more detailed vision for transportation, including allotting a bigger budget to public transport (which significantly decreases CO2 emissions) and investing in other non-driving options. Clinton’s transportation angle is investing in plug-in hybrid vehicles (with these, the electricity cost is much less than the cost of gas and there are less greenhouse gas emissions). My feel, for what it’s worth, is that Clinton tries to tackle a lot of different areas but is slightly vague in the execution, and I think the details are where it’s at.
(Thanks to Grist.org for a summary of the issues)
Beckham’s Feet Stink! January 9, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Energy, Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: carbon footprint, Carbon Trust, cars, David Beckham, Radiohead, soccer
2 comments
David Beckham uses his feet for good, or, at least, for the world’s entertainment. His footprint, however, is another matter. Carbon Trust has calculated that, for the second year in a row, due to his 15 gas-guzzling cars and near-constant time spent in the air to and from soccer matches and other glorious celeb commitments (over 250,000 miles just last year!), Becks has the biggest carbon footprint in the world. Perhaps he would do well to learn from Radiohead and start using his own head a bit more.
Beware the Bottle January 7, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Lifestyle, Pollution.Tags: bottled water, BPA, Nalgene, plastic, tap water
add a comment
So the debate about bottled water, (which, among other problems, requires millions of barrels of oil and energy for transportation) has a new angle– plastic bottles are potentially harmful to your health. Washing and reusing those intended for single-use causes them to degrade and leach out chemicals that interfere with male sexuality–so totally not worth it! As if there aren’t enough problems with that already… But I digress. Even our revered Nalgene bottles pose a threat. Nalgene is a number 7 plastic, which can leach bisphenol A, a chemical that adversely affects growth, hormones, and the neurological system. Give me an M! Give me an E! Give me a T! Give me an A! Give me an L! Go-o-o-o-o metal bottles and tap water!
Ethanol, worth the hype? January 6, 2008
Posted by beanstockd in Energy, Pollution.1 comment so far
Ethanol is all the rage these days, but does it live up to its expectations?
Made from corn or sugar cane (mmm…sugar), ethanol is used as an alternative fuel to gasoline, and more than 80% of Brazil’s cars run purely on ethanol. Seems like a sweet deal since ethanol’s a clean-burning, renewable fuel.
However, there are some downsides. The nitrogen-based fertilizer used to nourish the corn and sugar crops often trickles into major water sources, polluting the water and killing the fish and other sea life living in what is now known as the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Ethanol also contains less energy than gasoline, is way more expensive, and still causes damage to the environment.
So what’s so good about Ethanol? It’s not gasoline. Other than that, we’re not sure the pros outweigh the cons. RS
Fat as Fuel: Bloody Brilliant January 4, 2008
Posted by shomriel in Energy, Pollution.Tags: biodiesel, carbon footprints, Earthrace, LED lights, liposuction, sustainability
1 comment so far
I have heard recently of using leftover grease from meals as fuel, but I hadn’t extended my thinking to human fat. Apparently some people have. The eco-boat Earthrace is embarking around the world on March 1, using low-emissions engines, LEDs, non-toxic hull paint, and biodiesel as fuel, in order to bring about environmental awareness and the sustainable use of resources, and, hopefully, a blow to the oil industry. Earthrace’s skipper, Pete Bethune, along with a couple of other volunteers, donated their liposucked fat to contribute to the biodiesel fuel supply. I’d say this could be filed under the category of “thinking outside the box.”
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
add a comment
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!
