Category Archives: Living Green

Polar Bears At Threatened Status!

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

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Do to climate change the status of the Polar Bears has changed, but the Endangered Species Act, to threatened. Meaning that if something is not done to stop the Global Warming then The Polar Bear status will change once again from Threatened to Endangered. The Polar Bears are the First to be protected under the Endangered Act Because of threats attributed to global warming. What what mammal will be the next?

Under the Endangered Species Act the Government must take steps to protect the threatened animal”s critical Habitat. The Polar Bear”s Habitat is Artic Sea Ice and studies show that do to Global Warming the melting rate of the Artic Sea ice is alarming. Polar Bear depend on the Arctic Sea Ice to hunt and to travel. As this Ice melts the polar bears have a harder time hunting and must travel farther and farther away for there meals, Because the ice is melting at alarming rates the travel must be done by swimming and many Polar Bears have not survived the dangerous and long journeys. Many pregnant females looking to den and males looking to hunt have been found dead at the shore under weight and to weak to survive. It is estimated that the number of Polar Bears left to roam the Arctic is significantly down from their historic numbers and only about 22,000 are left to roam this Arctic area.

As I am sure you have heard and many do not believe Global Warming and Climate Change are due to emissions of greenhouse gases and the burning of fossil fuels, most of which is CO2, coming from automobiles and power plants. The burning of fossil fuels, Such as Gasoline and coal, for power and energy, release carbon dioxide and other green house gases into the atmosphere. This release of green house gases makes like a “wall” in the Earth”s atmosphere which traps heat near the Earth instead of it being released back into the atmosphere. This results in Higher Earth Temperatures and The melting of the Polar and Arctic ice.

The environmentalist groups have been fighting for the courts to protect the Polar Bears, If this protection is granted then It will have great Long term benefit for not only the Polar Bears but also the health of the planet.The Act requires the government to protect anything that might be threatening the protected species habitat. For the Polar Bears that means gas and oil discovery and production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and throughout the Polar Bears habitat. This protection though would not stop at just inside the Polar Bear Habitat. It would also have to include the worlds use of Fossil Fuels that cause green house gases. The world must change or it will be not just the Polar Bears that we loose. Each animals habitat is beginning to change due to global warming and we must all do something before we loose large numbers of other species as well as the Polar Bears.

To see what you can do look at our Recycle and Save category, and there is more ways to help stop global warming to come.

When the time comes Will you be the one who can stand up and say I saw the problem and did what i could to fix it? or will you say, I saw the problem and was to scared to change and helped the world die.

Lets all save the Polar Bears and the world, A little change by everyone will make a world of difference.

Peace and Love to you all.

Tree Hugger’

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Energy Revolution

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

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Climate change is a threat to the existence of humans, what needs to happen in order to open the eyes of people world leaders. This world has the technology for a change in energy use. What is needed is an energy revolution, a plan to cut CO2 emissions in have, a plan to put a stop to global warming. The world is in need of a plan that will work now and in the future one that will allow for energy increases caused from more people without greenhouse gases. Unless the emissions of greenhouse gases are intensely decreases climate change will become a more serious threat as time goes on. Are we going to tell our children and their children we could have done something but didn’t? We had the chance and knowledge to stop climate change and global warming but not the strength to go through with it. Or are we going to tell our children and their children that they live in a world filled with people that worked together and did what they had to do to make the world livable.

The land and water on the earth is now hotter then it has been for over 100 years Global Warming is changing Plants and animals, growth rates, population size, timing of flowering and migration. It changes the Size of the storms and how often they happen, leaving us with fewer storms but severe ones, longer droughts, and more fires. The record high water temperatures have caused 10% of the coral reef to die just in 1998 alone that does not included how much has died in the years after. Loss of coral is also a loss in reef fish that some people live off of.  Trees are dying due to insects and disease from longer summers.

The natural resources we use today for energy are running out. That is the reason for the increases in prices for them. These resources such as gas, oil, and coal are some of the leading causes of greenhouse gases. If we manage to continue the use of these fossil fuels the consequences will be severe. We are loosing drinkable water, caused by less rain and droughts, we are loosing food because of less vegetation and migration patterns. Each year there are about 150,000 additional deaths because of the temperature rise.

Renewable energy is Energy that is generated from nature from things that will never run out.. For example the sun, wind, rain, all of these sources are naturally replenished. In 2006 only 18% of the worlds energy consumption was from renewable sources . The Institute of Economic Affairs Reported if the current energy use was replaced by the new technology (renewable energy) We could help to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050, which they also believe that this is important because the current policies are not suitable for the environment. Not only do large fossil fueled powered companies need to change their energy source but power companies, utility companies, and even rural areas. If everyone would rethink there energy strategy and learn from mistakes made there would be a strong foundation for a sustainable energy supply.

Though newer technologies could cost a little bit more the need for energy will reduce. The power in renewable energy sources is much larger then that of fossil fuels. With the rise of crude oil, Natural Gas prices, and coal prices the pay out will be the same but with these energy sources we are doing nothing to help the CO2 that is being thrown into the atmosphere. To make a real change in the world there are certain steps that need to be taken. But these steps will never happen if the world does not stick together. Not only is it our governments responsibility but it is also the peoples.

In order to make the energy revolution real there are steps to be taken.

  • Cut out all fossil fuels and nuclear energies.
  • Demand energy efficiency  for all energy consuming appliances, businesses, and vehicles.
  • Establish real plans to input renewable energy sources.
  • Reform electricity markets to guarantee access to renewable power generation.
  • Find investors to lower the cost for others and provide a stable return.
  • Place environmental labels on thing so people know what it could do to the world around them.
  • Research and study more about renewable energy and energy efficiency.

With technology today we could reduce the Co2 emissions by 50% in 2050 with those same technologies the CO2 emissions in 2090 will be down to almost 1%. That is with just what we know today. If there is more research in efficiency and energy that 1% would come even sooner. There are people out there that do not think that we are the reason for global warming and climate change. The climate has changed before what makes this own fault? Before when the climate changed it was not caused by greenhouse gases, until us there was little fossil fuels being burned. The biggest point of all is even if we are not to blame, why risk it. Why not change, even just to prove it won’t make a difference and what if?

When you children are suffering and ask you why, will you tell them that you could have helped but did not believe in it. Will you tell your children we had what we needed but did not use the technology or you will you be able to smile at you child and say we did what we needed to before it was to late and we changed the world.

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3 Ways to Slash Your Trash: Zero Waste Is Recycling

March 19, 2010   Sarah   2 Comments

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3 Ways to Slash Your Trash: Zero Waste Is Recycling 2.0

Zero waste programs are taking hold around the world, helping communities reuse, recycle, compost or avoid nearly all materials that otherwise go into landfills. Here’s how you can go zero waste at home.

:: By Mary Jo Cameron http://community.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/3WaystoSlashYourTrashZeroWasteIsRecycling20.htm
Admit it — you take out the trash and try not to look at how much garbage you create in your house. But zero waste experts say Americans need to stop looking the other way and start seeing their opportunities to be part of the solution.

“Each American creates about a ton of garbage every year, and about 90 percent of that is reusable, recyclable or compostable,” says Eric Lombardi, executive director at EcoCycle, a nonprofit zero-waste service in Boulder, Colo. “We have a system that takes a valuable resource from nature, uses it once and then destroys it. We need to stop managing waste and start eliminating waste.”

Zero waste advocates aim to put the world on that path by promoting reuse, recycling, composting or rethinking of most materials that otherwise go into landfills. America is recycling about 30 percent of its waste — but countries including Germany, Canada, Holland, Japan, the Philippines, Norway and New Zealand have successfully implemented comprehensive zero waste policies that eliminate 80 percent or more of all landfill waste. U.S. cities including San Francisco, Seattle, and Boulder, Colo., have adopted zero waste programs.

While most U.S. communities still lack commercial zero waste pickup services like EcoCycle, experts we talked to say there’s a lot you can do right now to get closer to zero waste.

1. Reduce, reuse and recycle (in that order).

Even the most efficient recycling process uses energy and resources that can often be avoided. “First reduce your waste by choosing products that use less packaging and by reusing items whenever you can,” says Robin Burton, EcoCycle’s zero waste program administrator. Here are some ideas for reducing and reusing:

  • Use washable drinking containers vs. buying bottled water. Put a filter on your faucet or get an (energy efficient) refrigerator with a built-in filtered water dispenser on the door.
  • Use a refillable coffee mug vs. paper cups from the coffee shop. Some chains offer a discount if you bring your own container.
  • Keep a clean reusable container in your car so it’s easy to grab for carrying leftovers when you eat out.
  • Keep fabric bags or old paper or plastic ones in your car or bag so they’re convenient when you stop at the market. (San Francisco recently banned plastic shopping bags and mandated biodegradable alternatives, and other major cities are considering similar policies.)
  • Buy in bulk and avoid single-serving packages.
  • Avoid processed and frozen foods whenever you can; their packaging creates excessive and hard-to recycle waste.
  • Look for ways to reuse containers. Large plastic tubs make great storage containers for toys or crafting supplies.
  • Use rechargeable batteries. You’ll save $200 a year by using them instead of disposables in just one CD player used two hours a day, reports Earth 911.
  • Shop farmer’s markets and/or grow some vegetables at home to reduce your usage of produce packaging.
  • “Precycle” by choosing products and packaging made with recycled content.
  • If you don’t like how a company is packaging their product, tell them — and opt for an eco-friendlier alternative.Sell, exchange or give away your unwanted items. Have a garage sale, ask friends and neighbors, or take advantage of an online reusable-items exchange program such as FreeCycle.

While reducing and reusing should come first, recycling is still important — and it’s worth the effort. Recycling uses 40 to 95 percent less energy than manufacturing with raw materials, according to The National Recycling Coalition. And EcoCycle reports that recycling creates 10 to 25 jobs for every one job in landfilling.

Recycling also helps fight climate change: If you recycle just half your household waste, you’ll reduce your carbon dioxide footprint by 2,400 pounds — more than the emissions from a commercial flight from New York to Los Angeles.

“Be sure you’re informed about what your recycler collects,” advises Burton. “It’s usually better not to put something in the bin if you’re not sure it’s recyclable. Handling those items adds costs to recycling,” she adds, noting that plastic containers are a common trouble area. Contact your collection service for a guide to what they accept and how to sort it.

For items your curbside service won’t accept, look for a drop-off center or other alternatives to the landfill. Earth 911 offers a national directory of companies that accept hard-to-recycle items such as cell phones, computers and packing materials. They’ll also help you find a curbside service if your neighborhood doesn’t have a regular pickup service.

2. Start composting at home.

“Landfills are sealed over every day,” Lombardi points out. “In that environment, organic waste like food scraps and yard waste creates methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. But if it’s made into compost instead, organic waste can return valuable nutrients to soil.”

“Some people think of composting as kind of a ‘hippie’ thing to do,” says Burton. “But it’s actually pretty simple to set up a composting area in your backyard, and it’s not smelly the way you might think. You can turn vegetable scraps, used paper towels and egg shells into a really valuable soil amendment.” Get started with our article “5 Tips on Making Compost in Your Yard.”

3. Ask for zero waste programs in your community and at work.

If you can’t find zero waste or composting pickup services in your area, write to the office that oversees waste management in your community (usually the city council or county supervisor’s office). The Grassroots Recycling Network offers resources including a model resolution, zero waste event guide, and zero waste tool kit for local governments.

If your office is recycling only paper, talk to your office manager about recycling glass and plastic bottles, aluminum, and steel, which can be collected in a single bin in many communities. Then encourage your company to ask waste haulers and city officials for commercial collection of additional recyclables, as well as compost.
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14 Ways to Reuse Your Trash

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

One of the best resources you have for saving money and at the same time saving the environment is in your trash can. That’s right, a lot of the stuff we throw away can easily be reused for something worthwhile. Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to examine the things I throw away and see if any of them can be reused. Here are fifteen techniques I’ve found that minimize my waste and also save a bit of money.

I save covers from issues of The New Yorker (I get a gift subscription every year) to use as gift wrapping. They’re gorgeous and they’re free, so why not? Taping multiple covers together can make really beautiful and interesting gift wrapping, and a single cover can wrap small gifts. I also save newspaper pages for just this purpose. This saves big-time on wrapping paper.

I keep used dryer sheets and put them in with clothes in storage. This saves them from smelling musty when I pull them out later, which can save me another laundry load.

I take rubber bands from the Sunday paper and the mesh wrapping from fruit to make kitchen scrubbers. Seriously, I just ball up the mesh wrapping, tie some rubber bands around it, and start scrubbing with it. It works about as well as a Brillo pad or the green side of a sponge.

I take orange and lemon peels and use them for air fresheners. I leave them out on a saucer to make the house smell fresher. Why use Glade?

I take empty Kleenex boxes and use them for under-the-sink storage, especially plastic bags. You can jam a lot of empty plastic grocery bags into a single Kleenex box, plus the “pop up” nature of the box makes it easy to just pull out one bag at a time.

I keep leftover chopped up vegetables in a bowl and mix them all up for ploughman’s stew in a night or two. If I cut up vegetables and find myself with some left over, I save the leftover chopped up veggies in a bowl, then in a night or two, I brown some ground beef (half a pound or a pound), add two cups of water and a can of tomato soup, and dump in the leftover vegetables. Almost all vegetables work in this and it makes a delicious stew.

I save a smaller bottle of many common household things (laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, shampoo), then buy the liquid inside in bulk and just fill up the small bottle from the big one. This way, I’m only tossing out the occasional large bottle instead of frequent small ones, putting less plastic in landfills and saving money by buying in bulk.

I keep everything wooden for kindling. We go camping regularly, so anything wooden (especially fruit crates and the like) is saved for fire kindling. I just put the wooden stuff near our camping supplies – and if I have a few moments, I go ahead and break it down into small pieces so it’s easier to use when we camp.

I use the water for boiling vegetables and use it to water house plants. This provides the majority of water for our house plants in one swoop.

I cut up old tee shirts and use them as kitchen rags. They do a great job for floor scrubbing, counter scrubbing, and other such simple uses.

I take egg shells, grind them up a bit, and dump them in the garden. Many flowers (especially roses) love the stuff, plus it keeps out a lot of pests. Even if you don’t have a garden of your own, putting egg shells in any area where plants are growing is better than just tossing them out with the garbage.

I use junk mail envelopes as grocery lists (and other quick list and note papers). I take an envelope and attach it to the refrigerator with a magnet. Throughout the week, I jot down what I need on the back, thus giving the envelope a second use. This is a great way to deal with junk mail envelopes and get more use out of them.

I use sturdy containers (like oatmeal cans) for storage. These hold pens, note cards, and lots of other stuff; just label ‘em with a big marker and put them on a shelf where you would keep them.

I use old socks for dusting and window cleaning. I just pull them over my hand and then just wipe down everything I need to; most of the time, I don’t even need to use Pledge or anything with this technique.

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What One Person Can Do

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

Ideas to help out your community and earth

  1. Start to recycle: if you don’t want to take the stuff in yourself see if you can find a service to do it for you.
  2. 2. Clean the trash: try to get a few friends together to walk around and pick up litter. Clean a park. Every bit helps the earth.
  3. 3. Plant a plant: sometimes it is hard to plant a tree. But plants clean the air too. If you live in an apartment, get as many plants that you can handle. The more the green the cleaner the air.
  4. 4. Walk more: not only will that help you stay fit. You would use less fuel and you wouldn’t be polluting the air with more gas. You don’t have to walk everywhere just if you can then walk.
  5. 5. Make people smile: I believe the more happy people in this world the healthier the world. Pick some flowers and hand them out. Greet people, say have a nice day. Anything you never know if you have brightens someone’s day.
  6. 6. Tell others: tell others what you are doing and see if you can get more people to help along side of you.

A lot of people in this world just need some one to stand up and tell them how they can make their worlds better. Others may just need the problem pointed out to them. ONE PERSON CAN DO A LOT!

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The Many uses for Hemp

March 19, 2010   Sarah   2 Comments

Hemp or hemp made products has been used for many things though out time. Though now we see hemp in necklaces and some clothing there are many other uses for hemp. The first American flag was made from hemp cloth, and the declaration of independence was made from hemp paper. This is one plant that different parts of the plant can be used for different things.

  • Seeds- can be used to make oils for cooking, lubrication and fuel. The seeds are a cholesterol- lowing source of protein. The leaves and flowers are also edible.
  • Stalk- can be used for fuel, paper, fabric and other commercial uses. The hemp is dried and broken down into two parts. The first part is the fibers of the hemp and the second is the “hurd” or pulp. Each has its own purpose.
  • Foliage- and or the buds can be used for medicine, food, and relaxation. Cannabis has many medical purposes, relieving pain, relaxation, and helping with anxiety. It has also been use to help with illnesses such as glaucoma, cancer, nausea, AIDS, plus many more. Hemp flowers and leaves are eaten for many therapeutic, religious and relaxation purposes.
  • Bark fibers- These long fibers are cleaned and then spun to make thread, rope and yarn that is the woven or knitted into strong durable, high quality textiles for clothing jewelry, canvases, and fabrics of many textures.
  • The inner core- after the fibers are removed from the stems what is left is what is called hemp “hurd” are used to make dioxin-free paper, non toxic paints and sealants, industrial fabrication materials, construction materials, hemi-cellulose for plastics and much more. Hemp is the best sustainable source of plant pulp for biomass fuel to make charcoal, gas, methanol, gasoline or even produce electricity.
  • Roots- Even the hemp roots can be used for important things. They anchor and aerate the soil to control erosion and mudslides. Hemp can help save family farms, create jobs, reduce acid rain and chemical pollution, and reverse the green house effect.

We worry about deforestation yet one acre of hemp can produce as much useable fibers as 4 acres of trees and 2 acres of cotton. Plus trees that take from 50 to 500 years to grow to produce paper, Hemp only takes as little as 100 days. Hemp can produce 4 times more paper over a 20 year period the trees.

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Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

The “Greenhouse effect” is an increase in the planets temperature caused by heat energy from the sun that has been trapped in the atmosphere. The energy is being trapped do to Greenhouse gases that are put into the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide and water vapors. When the greenhouse gases are released in to the air they allow more sun light to pass through them and also, absorb the heat that is reflected back from the earth causing the temperature rise. Because of these greenhouse gases there has been a large increase in the world’s atmospheres average temperature. This increase in temperature is called Global Warming. Global warming in large amounts could cause a planetary climate shift, changing life as we know it. There has been a large temperature increase in the world’s atmosphere in the last 50 years.

Currently icecaps in the artic are melting at fast rates because of the temperature change. The malting of this ice has already affected many that live in the artic area. Polar bears, walrus, and seals are changing their feeding and migration patters because the ice once kept a fresh water lake enclosed but now that fresh water is draining into the ocean. The change in the feeding and migration of wild life in the artic is making hunting for the native people harder. There are villages along the artic coast lines that have had to move their homes because of the danger of it turning to swamp. The artic temperature raising has also affected Alaska where the spruce bark beetles are breeding an extra generation each year and are eating a lot of the Alaskan forest. This artic ice melting will also affect the rest of the earth, because the ice reflected sunlight. The melting of this ice and snow will now make it possible for the earth to absorb that heat making the temperature of the earth rise to even greater lengths.

The main ice covered landmass in the world is Antarctica in the South Pole. The ice that covers Antarctica is about 7000 feet thick and if this ice ever melted sea levels would rise about 200 feet. Though, it would take large increases in temperature over the world in order for this ice to melt. There is a large amount of ice in the North Pole that will melt at quicker levels however. Greenland has a large amount of ice that covers it and if Greenland’s ice melted it would add a extra 20 feet to the ocean levels. Once again the more Ice that melts the less sun light will be reflected from the earth and the earth will absorb this heat raising the temperature even higher and melting even more ice.

Other then the burning of carbon fuels and gases, a large factor of global warming and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is deforestation. Trees are 50 percent carbon and when they are cut and turned into paper or what ever else the carbon that is stored in them is released back into the air. Trees and plants are also one of the main things on earth that can remove the carbon from the air. There are about 34 million acres of trees cut and burned every year. The destroying of tropical rain forests is putting over a hundred million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. In Siberia we are losing about 10 million acres of temperate forest per year and the trees that we are losing are the same that absorb around two billion tons of carbon annually.

Scientists believe that because of global warming a large amount of our marine life will become extinct many before we ever even discover them. They say that this will effect many of our food crops such as nuts, grapes, and potatoes. The warming is effecting the weeds that grow around the world making them large and able to produce

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Global Warming

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

The changes in our climate have already affected many places in our world. It has affected many of our lives and if nothing is done about it then it will have a great impact on our children’s life and futures.

Researchers in the United States and Europe say that there is a large increase in carbon dioxide, the largest greenhouse gas that causes global warming, that has been brought on by pollution from vehicles, power plants, and deforestation. The levels of carbon dioxide have reached their highest level in the past 650,000 years.

Carbon dioxide acts as a think blanket causing the planet to over heat. The over heating of our planet threatens our health, our economy, and the natural environment. Theses changes in our climate are making it harder for the plants to go because they are use to a certain type of climate. Without the trees and plants we have no way of removing the carbon dioxide from the air and no source of new oxygen.

In the earths past there has been changes in that orbits of the earth and sun that contributed to warming periods, but those obit cycles only have caused 7% of the climate warming that we see today. Greenhouse gases caused by human activity cause the other 93% of the global warming.

Though global warming and climate changes are a large-scale problem small changes in our everyday lives can make a large difference. Using public transportation, biking, or walking can save on pollution in the air from vehicles. Reading things online and printing as little as possible will help save on paper and trees. Use energy-efficient light bulbs, you will save about 100 pounds of carbon and you will save money on your electric bill. Recycle and use recycled products, recycled products use less energy to manufacture then products made from new material.

These are just some of the things that you can do to help but the first step in helping the problem is know there is a problem.

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Why Worry About Global Warming Now.

March 19, 2010   Sarah   No comments

When many of use think about Global Warming we think of something that has not yet happened. But in all actuality we need to be worrying about it now. There are many signs of global warming around us and by the time many of us realize the damage done it will be too late to change. Several effects have already started to be seen in the world’s climate. Because of the growing problem we currently are experiencing major global climate changes, the polar icecaps are melting, and rising sea levels. Global Warming affects us all and if nothing is done to help stop it; it could affect all living things on earth.

There are many things that we can do to Help stop Global Warming, but we as the people of this world need to stick together and all do would part.

  • Less the amount of Electricity needed- By energy saving light bulbs, turning off lights and anything that may use less energy. The coal burned to produce electricity is the largest cause of carbon dioxide going into the air. If we lower the amount of electricity needed we can reduce the amount of CO2 released.
  • Decrease the use of you motor vehicle. If it is possible to get there with out a car then walk. We can ride the bus or ride with a co-worker.
  • Plant a tree. Deforestation in another large part of Global Warming. Trees and plants use CO2 and turn it into oxygen for us all to breath. The more trees and plants on earth the less CO2 in the air.
  • Reduce, Reuse, And Recycle. There are many benefits to reusing and recycling. Find out where you can take your recyclables. Try to buy things made of recycled products and reuse what you can. With a little creativity there are many things you could do with you trash, other then throwing it away.
  • Write a letter to your government asking them to do what they can to help this large problem.

We all have taken advantage of the things this earth has given us. If we do not change our actions soon it will be the end of all we know. We as the people of this world need to work together to save what we have, if we do not who else will.

What good are all the things we have or have accomplished in this world if there is no world left?

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