Green is Good

The Religious Right and the Environment

2007-08-24T12:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening I watched the 3rd part of a CNN report titled God's Warriors. The issue of Evangelical Christians and the environment was discussed. In recent months more and more Evangelicals are starting to join the movement to reduce carbon emissions to save our planet. But this doesn't come without criticism from the Religious Right's loudest voices. If more Evangelicals join the movement to "Go Green" it could ensure a win for the most Earth-friendly candidate in 2008.

The First 100 Hours

2007-01-08T00:17:00.000-05:00

The new Democratic House and Senate under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid have set their agenda for the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress. On Thursday January 18th the new Congress plans on ending subsidies for big oil and also plans on investing in renewable energy; let's hope they deliver!

Smog in America

2006-12-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

Over half the people living in 10 of the 11 most populous states in the U.S. are affected by smog. This means that over 158 million people are living in areas where the smog is so bad it exceeds safety standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In five of the ten states, 75% of the counties fail to attain EPA air quality standards. One state, New Jersey, is so bad that every single resident suffers from smog. Not far behind is California, with a 94% rate of suffering, and New York, with 85%.
One problem is that many states lack enough inspectors to moniter industrial emissions. On average, each inspector is responsible for 145 facilities. Texas actually has only one inspector for every 352 sites. The reason for this is that funding has been cut back. Federal grants to state and local air quality agencies have declined by 25% and Bush's 2007 plan calls for yet another cutback. Smog can cause a number of diseases, including respiratory illness.

The Best Solution for Evolution

2006-12-02T18:52:00.000-05:00

As John mentioned in a previous post, hemp is often used as an environmentally friendly approach to making items typically manufactured in large polluting factories. One os the best things that has developed out of the exposure of this is eco-friendly clothing articles.
Earth Ragz is my personal favorite example of these clothes, although companies such as Little Earth and Ixchel have adopted the same ideas. The most often donned garmet from Earth Ragz is the baja pullover, although they produce everything from pants to bookbags and more. Every garmet is made from 100% recycled fibers making them a perfect pick for the hippie in all of us. Although natural hemp made clothing tends to be a bit pricey, it is expected as almost all organic and natural products from food to toilet paper are tad more expensive than the generic brands. However, the pretty penny you save by switching to a clothing brand that is not genuinely recycled won't do you any good when you don't have a planet to live on anymore. The fibers are extremely durable and although not wind-proof, they are a perfect addition to your winter wardrobe since they are cozy and warm. A plethora of colors and patterns exist and the great part is that most are handmade so your garmet is 100% original. If you'd like to purchase some clothing from Earth Ragz, simply go to www.heavenlyideas.com/earthrags.htm
Like their motto implies, it really is The Best Solution for Evolution.

Environmental Science

2006-12-02T18:31:00.000-05:00

Many people feel strongly about helping the environment. They may enjoy the outdoors, avoid littering at all costs, and sign petitions against deforestation and illegal dumping. A few decades ago, these people were looked at in a very different light than today. Before the effects of global warming became prominent and the neo-bohemian revolution began, the environment wasn't something that many people worried about. Obviously, it is a different story today. The fact is, people back then (our parents and grandparents generation) didn't see a need to promote a healthy outdoor environment not because they were ignorant but because they were uneducated about it. If the statistics of today had been exposed years and years ago, I'm sure that many more people would hav tried to do their part to make the world we live in today a healthy and happy place. This may not seem relevant to this day in age, but in fact, it is.
The generations before us may not have exactly done their part to help us, but we can do our part to help the generations coming after us. If more people were informed of the facts, we can help our children live in a world that isn't in fear of suddenly being surrounded by water. One way that younger people can do this is by taking advantage of an obscure yet important field of study; environmental science.
Environmental science wasn't always an option for college and high school students alike to become involved in. Science usually consisted of chemistry, biology, and physics, none of which concentrate on the earth and it's deterioration. Thankfully, with more and more people getting involved and interested in the environement, it is now offered at most any school in the united States and abroad. Although this is a small step, it shows that our generation is trying to do our part for the future by preserving our natural environment in the best ways we know how.
Environmental science focuses on everything from climate change, and biodiversity to water and soil contamination. It's not an easy science; contrary to popular belief environmental science majors aren't necessarily tree-huggers with nothing better to learn about. It is a complex study and is completely legitimate for a degree with high paying career opportunities. If you are interested in the environment and may want to make it your career, I strongly urge you to look into environmental science as an option. The world needs more people to care.

Magnetic levitation trains to cut smog

2006-11-30T13:21:00.000-05:00

Ports are considering using magnetic levitation trains to cut smog when transporting cargo containers from Los Angeles to Long Beach ports. This is the first freight application of the technology anywhere in the world. The officials see this new technology as a clean, high-speed way to move goods inland, ease traffic congestion and reduce pollution. Maglev, or magnetic levitation, trains produce no air pollution along their routes and are powered by magnetic fields in guideways that pull them along at speeds up to 300 mph. So far this has been done in Japan and China but they were built for commercial passenger services. The plan will cost 2 billion dollars but it definately shows that at least some states are realizing the seriousness of pollution. Hopefully a dominoe effect will ensue, causing other states to realize the benefits of this. The state is also looking at alternative rail systems to help out pollution. We're already polluting the planet, and in future years we are going to have alot more people and cars, therefore a bigger chance for pollution. We need to start now if we want to help out the environment and save the planet.

What the F*%@ is A Clean Air Act?

2006-11-30T13:15:00.000-05:00

A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legal bills relating to the reduction of smog and pollution in general. The United States Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Clean Air Act Amendment in 1966, the Clean Air Act Extension in 1970, and Clean Air Act Amendments in 1977 and 1990. Numerous state governments and local governments have enacted similar legislation, either implementing federal programs or filling in locally important gaps in federal programs.
The use of the federal government and state and local governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement of the health of Americans and a longer life span for Americans. Critics argue it has also sapped corporate profits, and contributed to outsourcing abroad, while defenders counter that improved environmental air quality has increased more jobs than it has decreased. A Pennsylvania legislative supporter of clean air standards, Mark Cohen of Philadelphia , said "Vast progress has been made toward the development of clean air, but sufferers of asthma and other diseases need us to make much more progress in the future."
The Clean Air Act has spurred considerable action by individual states in the U.S. to pass parallel laws addressing air quality maintenance and enhancement. Just in case you were interested. :)

Hemp

2006-11-30T13:12:00.000-05:00

Our nation's illegal War on Drugs is a great failure. Instead of going after criminals who commit violent crimes authorities are always going after dealers and users. I never knew that a person using marijuana was hurting others more than a pedophile. When cannabis is used to make non "drug" products it known as Hemp. Hemp production is illegal in the United States. Hemp is a safe renewable source of clothing. It doesn't harm the environment whatsoever but our earth killing government feels it necessary to ban hemp production. The ban of cannabis and its products is just like the prohibition during the 1920s which was unsuccessful and eventually that law was repealed, maybe one day the prohibition of cannabis will be repealed.

Global Warming: Even More Issues

2006-11-30T13:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, once again, I am going back to global warming and another list of problems it may cause as a result of another scientifci study. It may seem excessive, but the first step in solving these problems is exposing them. So, it seems that carbon dioxide builup in the upper atmosphere may have negative effects on both GPS signals from satellites and falling debris from spacecraft. First of all, I'll describe the GPS issue. GPS satellites send signals back to earth that allow anything from a cell phone to a jet to have their exact location pinpointed. Carbon dioxide builup is causing the upper atmosphere to cool and contract, pulling closer to earth. This less dense atmosphere will be a psitive thing for GPS satellites flying in low orbit; they will be able to maneuvere more easily. The problem, however, is that the ionosphere resides in this part of the atmosphere. The ionosphere helps reflect radio waves back to earth. Changes in the ionosphere have been known to disrupt the way radio waves travel through the atmosphere. Scientists are unsure whether or not these cooling temperatures in the upper atmosphere will disrupt the radio waves significantly, but unforeseen consequences are always possible.

Another situation in this part of the atmosphere involves debris. Spacecraft often jettisone rockets and other debris back towards earth through the atmosphere. The dense upper atmosphere usually burns the debris up before it can reach the earth. With this atmosphere cooling and becoming less dense from carbon dioxide, though, it is possible that we masy have to rethink how we dispose of this debris, because it may not burn up.

Pollution rating rude awakening

2006-11-30T12:59:00.002-05:00

The pollution ratings from the Sierra Legal defense Fund, focusing mainly on the poulltion of the Great Lakes in Canada and America. London, Canada got a pathetic C+ but they faired better then cities right here in the United States. Cleveland pulled out a D+ and Detroit managed a D. Although we had some bad cities, their are cities that are actually doing the right thing. Green Bay was at the top of the list with a B+ rating and and Dulith, Minnesota pulled out a B rating. The study found about 90 billion liters of untreated water enters the Great Lakes every year through both storm- and sanitary- sewer overflows. The irony in this is that a lot of people use the same lakes from which we get our drinking water as a toilet. London actually gets its drinking water from both lakes Erie and Huron. Billions of gallons of untreated urban sewage and toxic fluids are finding their way into the lakes each year, threatening fragile ecosystems and risking the water we all drink. Both the Canadian government and the United States government need to come together on this issue and try and resolve it. If we don't stop pollution we aren't going to get anywhere. I mean Detroit got a D rating, that's just pitiful. The government should be doing a lot more to help our cities out, a D and a D+ is just horrible. This just goes to show how much the government really cares about pollution.

Don't Move to Vermont

2006-11-30T12:59:00.001-05:00

I recently found out about an ongoing situation from my friend who goes to school in Vermont. He told me that one of the dozens of organizations who are trying to "help" the environment and make a better name for themselves had the bright idea to burn old used tires for energy and/or to produce electricity. This seems like a great idea; getting rid of waste while creating new alternitive forms of energy. However, the problem comes because of the toxic fumes that are created. THis company that is oh so concerned with our environment failed to take into consideration the fact that tires aren't simply made of rubber. There are thousands of other chemicals and compounds that are pressed together to create these tires. When some of these chemicals are burned, the fumes rise and blow the toxic air all over New England. This is occuring in New York. The thing is that people in New York aren't bothered by these fumes because they simply blow over their precious state and pollute areas foreign to New Yorkers. Mainly Vermont and New Hampshire. The actions of this company have been brought to the attention of many important figures, however, the UNited States seems to have put it on the bottom of their To-Do list. Also, the United States recently was the only industrilized country to NOT sign the revised Clean Air act which would make the non-regulated burning of tires illegal. Obviously, the people who happen to be in office don't seem to be very concerned with our earth.

The Third World and Kyoto

2006-11-30T12:59:00.000-05:00

While I believe the United States should sign on to the Kyoto Protocol I don't like the idea that Third World countries, like emerging superpowers of China and India, don't have be upheld to the same guidelines. China is probably the most powerful nation in the world and they are being given special privileges while other nations in Europe are held to strict rules. Now I wouldn't complain about this issue with President Bush because his solution to problems usually is a unending war, like Iraq. Instead of finding alternative energy he decided to make his friends in the oil business happy by going to war with a sovereign nation, overthrowing its leader and "liberated" a country that didn't want to be liberated. I could just imagine the new Democratic Senate approving the Kyoto Protocol and then having our President find a reason to go to war with China, that is war we CANNOT win!

Prehistoric Predator

2006-11-30T12:55:00.000-05:00

I had to add the photo because it was what originally drew me to this article. When I started reading, it only got better. This type of old environmental stuff can be pretty interesting. This photo is the skull of an old fish whose bite, researchers say, could rival the power of T-rex. Researchers discovered this when studying the jaw on the skull of this giant fish known as Dunkleosteus terrelli, or "terrible fish". This 33 foot long ocean predator lived 400 million years ago in the area that would now be Ohio.

When scientists used this fish's skull to recreate the musculature of it's head, they found it's bite could deliver 1,100 pounds of force. This power was focused at it's front fangs, where it could deliver 8,000 pounds per square inch of pressure- enough to crack concrete. Researchers believe this fish was at the top of the food chain and could feed on anything in it's environment at will. It's jaw could literally sheer sharks in half. They believe it was one of the world's first rulers of the food chain.

Save a Breath, Buy a Hybrid

2006-11-30T00:41:00.000-05:00

So, I decided I’d start reading some news as to complete the 11 blog entries assignment, and found some interesting stuff.
Apparently the amount of carbon dioxide humans have been pumping out into the air has since the 1990’s more than doubled. In the last four years the amount has increased significantly as each year comes to pass. This is some pretty ridiculous stuff.
As of now about half of the carbon dioxide that we pass from cars and certain power plants goes straight into the atmosphere; the other half is absorbed into the land and oceans. As we increase the level of emissions, the amount in the atmosphere will also increase, leaving us with polluted, filthy air.
The obvious cause for all this is our automobiles. The bigger, the cooler, and the better, is our American outlook. This is a horrible attitude, and if we don’t start to shift our thinking we might not have the breath to speak. Hybrids, hybrids, hybrids! Buy one, ditch your SUVs; we’ll be just as safe if we are all driving tiny hybrid cars, and you’ll still be just as “cool,” I promise.
The other easy solution is to convert the entire nation to the wonderfully clean nuclear power. So, if you are reading this and have some sort of political power, lets get some plants made, try and convince ole Georgey. This might be a difficult process since the last ones built were in the 70’s, but good luck.

Rehydrate-Replenish-Refuel

2006-11-30T00:10:00.000-05:00

One-fifth of the population of the entire world is lacking clean drinking water.
This fact stuck me as fascinating. Water seems like something I so greatly take for granted. Whether I’m taking a shower, washing clothes, or just taking a drink from the fountain, I never even think about the fact that this water has been filtered and purified to cleanliness.
Pollution along with climate changes, i.e. drought, are lowering the level of clean water available. These are not only third-world countries that are being affected by this crisis. Parts in New York, China, and England as well are lacking the quantity of water necessary for health and survival.
The solution starts with the individual. We must watch what we hurl out our car window, or what trash we drop as we walk. Also, protesting against polluting industries can be effective. This as well as petition composure and signing can truly change the planet. Get out there when u have free time and help cure the thirst of our world.

Hunger on the Holidays

2006-11-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

The holiday season is here. Time to spend, spend, spend, laugh, and be merry.
This is the time of the year where money doesn’t matter. We hop in our cars and travel any lengths to get that special present.
I’m not going to try to bring down your holiday spirits with environmentalist bitching, but I will encourage you to help in anyway possibly the poor and less fortunate people of the world. Whether it is donating time or money, anything helps. Just as animals, trees, and plants are part of the environment, so are humans. And some of us aren’t so fortunate.
Here are some places to check out regarding this blog:
www.salvationarmyusa.org
www.goodwill.org
www.thehungersite.com

A Solution That Cannot Be Seen

2006-11-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

One of the largest problems for the the U.S. Department of Energy is the hundreds of billions of groundwater contaminated uranium and other toxic chemicals. A solution has been found for this problem, however, in a tiny microorganism too small to be seen by the naked eye. This microorganism, known as Geobacter sulferreducens, passes electrons onto metal in order to get energy from it's food. Humans do this too, except we breathe in oxygen to break down our food. So basically through this process these microorganism cause the hazardous metals in the groundwater to be converted from a dissolved to a solid form. Because of this, the metals fall out of the groundwater. According to Derek Lovley, a microbiologist, it will be easier to extract the metals from the water once they are solid and in a discreet area, rather the dissolved in the water over a widespread area.
Though this is a great solution to the problem, it has not yet been put into effect because Lovley and his colleagues are still in their third year of developing the Geobacter for the project. It is much needed, however, because current solutions are not very productive. Right now the department of energy pumps groundwater to the surface, where it is treated for contaminants, and injected back into the ground. This process usually does not completely remove the contaminants and cannot remove certain contaminants such as uranium. Uranium is a major contaminant because back in the Cold War the United States produced millions of tons of uranium oxide to build nuclear bombs. When mills were shut down, the radioactive waste was left behind. Luckily, geobacter sulferreducens will specialize in removing uranium.

Self Examination

2006-11-28T00:59:00.000-05:00

Today I was in deep thought on my basic ideals concerning my “environmentalist” title and I’m kind of thinking they are lies.
I drove miles on a highway in order to have band practice with my friends. We plugged in our energy eating amps and jammed away for hours. With the lights on, music blasting, we cared little (not at all) about our energy consumption. And I know I do stuff like this all the time, whether it be burning gasoline or natural gas, I just do what I want and to hell with what I’m destroying.
I suppose I could be a lot worse. I don’t litter, and I appreciate the environment in all her glory. I mean, I’m doing this blog for God’s sake; that’s gotta be worth something.
Do what you do, and try to keep a look out for the environment, even if it just as small as picking up a gum wrapper, or turning off some lights you aren’t using. You don’t need to be a legend. It’s the little things you do and don’t do everyday that can change the world. So look out for the things you should be doing and aren't, and the things you are doing that you shouldnt, change yourself a bit, and enjoy the world.

meat is murder?

2006-11-28T00:39:00.000-05:00

My little sister told me over the weekend that she is now a vegetarian. That struck me as shocking at first, and now I’m starting to question myself. Plants and animals alike are an important part of the environment. So should I, as an environmentalist, not eat animals? I took some time over break to mull this over a bit and here’s what I came up with.
Feeding off of Mr. Charles Darwin, we are the fittest being on Earth and we should exemplify our superiority by surviving. Me must eat, sleep, and procreate. Healthy eating includes proteins and other things found in animal meat. That is why we eat them, to stay healthy, full, and fat; i.e. be the “fittest” animals alive. Since we too are part of this world, we should be allowed to eat other animals without distress, and continue our survival.
My second theory was that we should all be vegetarians. Mankind has evolved so to the point where we can artificially generate what we gain from eating meat. We don’t need to barbarically slaughter animals and consume their flesh, and fashion their skin to our liking. But we do. And we like doing it. The chief reason we eat it is because of taste. Our society no longer needs to worry about eating to survive; we are beyond that phase in evolution. In fact, most of the nation is worrying about eating too much to survive. We are humans, we are selfish, and we are pigs. We eat for pleasure and meat is our lure.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is more than just a day where Americans overconsume food. During Thanksgiving and the Holiday season we should think about how thankful we are for all the material goods we have. We should think about how we can limit ourselves so that we don't hurt the planet with unncessary consumption.

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."
-George W. Bush

Holly-pollution?

2006-11-17T12:41:00.000-05:00

Hollywood is a major pollution problem in California? No way! I think it's pretty obvious that Hollywood is a major part of the pollution; I can't believe it took this long for someone to do a study but they finally did. According to a study by the UCLA, Hollywood produced more pollution then five other sectors that were researched in the study. The only thing that was worse then Hollywood was a petroleum manufacturing company. Also, Hollywood emits 140 tons of ozone and diesel emissions each year. With all the huge amounts of cars, trucks, generators, and just general special effects they are creating so much air pollution in California. I mean look at the all the movies they produce are you kidding me? No wonder why Los Angeles and other cities are so polluted out in California. Hollywood should be finding more efficient ways to control their air pollution. I mean if we don't try and save it now, we're going to be screwing generations after us; there is no reason to pollute it anyway. It's really unnecessary.

Sit Back and Enjoy the World

2006-11-16T02:08:00.000-05:00

This blog is titled “Green is Good,” but we’re always just complaining about the crummy condition our environment is in and will be in the future, but this entry will be different. It will be reasons why we should be working on this problem.
This weekend I went home. At some point I went and took a walk, somewhere around 1:00 AM. I started it by walking through our beautiful green yard. The wet grass made my shoes shin in the moonlight. I then proceeded into the forest in my backyard. I walked under the darkness of the tree and listen to the crickets and whatever other animal that was bad there, maybe a groundhog or something. I came to the oh-so-ugly off-white fence that led me into the parking lot of the middle school located near my house. The cool air and fog went through to my skin, giving me comforting chills as I walked. I got to the playing field behind the school and just sat on a hill above the football field. I laid back and watched the stars and the moon. With the moist grass on my back and the light light (ha) from the sky I was completely happy and in awe of the world that we are in.
Thinking that any of this would ever change because we fucked it up would make me so very sad. I think just sitting in the grass and watching star is plenty enough for anyone to realize that we need to do our part in preserving the world as it is for our children, and their children. It just wouldn’t be fair to rob them of this place we take for granted everyday. So please, look at our links and our blogs and go out and stand up for the Earth, because Mother Nature has a bit of trouble defending her life.

SUVs and Cowboys Hats

2006-11-16T01:52:00.000-05:00

Every generation contributes to this world in its own different way. With the industrial revolution, pollution was terrible. Gradually people realized what they were doing and began to change their ways a bit. The steps taken to eliminate the exhaust from during the early 70’s helped and demonstrated that we are not as horrible for the world as we had been.
Granted changes are due, and people are still doing horrible things to the environment, but I think people in our current day are getting a bad rap. I mean, we got hybrids next to our fuel eating SUV’s, and we got our lovely resource overindulging airplanes, and our lovely oil heated homes, but we need all these things, right? Right? I mean, we’re Americans.
I don’t go two minutes driving without seeing a goddamn SUV or a truck. Generally these five or seven passenger vehicles are containing only one person. The respected businessman sitting high above the little cars; he’s important, he can afford the gas he’s burning away and doesn’t think twice about the environment he’s killing. Not to mention all the car accidents involving SUVs and cars. In most cases both passengers get hurt or killed. The SUV is something like 5% safer for the driver of it and like 40% more fatal for the car in which they run down. I consider myself part of the environment, so I am offended as an environmentalist as well as by the death threat every time I go driving.
It’s our damn pride that we must work on omitting, because we are ridiculous. Bigger, better, faster, all phrases we hear in commercials to buy their products. We need to drop our insecurities and all get hybrids and/or use public transportation more.

Our Disgusting Beaches

2006-11-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

Marine debris, often called litter, has become a problem along shorelines, coastal waters, and oceans throughout the world. It is defined as any man-made, solid material that enters our waterways directly (by dumping) or indirectly (washed out to sea via rivers, streams, storm drains, etc.). Objects ranging from detergent bottles, hazardous medical wastes, and discarded fishing line all qualify as marine debris. In addition to being ugly, it poses a serious threat to everything with which it comes into contact. Marine debris can be life-threatening to marine organisms and humans and can wreak havoc on coastal communities and the fishing industry.
There are two different sources from which debris pollutes our oceans. The first is from the land and includes users of the beach, landfills, solid waste, rivers, and streams, and litterbugs. Marine debris also comes from combined sewer overflows, and storm drains. Typical debris from these sources includes medical waste, street litter and sewage. Land-based sources cause 80% of the marine debris found on our beaches and waters. The second source of marine debris is from ocean sources, and this type of debris includes galley waste and other trash from ships, recreational boaters and fishermen and offshore oil and gas exploration and production facilities. Adding to this problem is the population increase along our nation's shores. More people means more paved area and wastes generated in coastal areas. And that sucks. These factors; combined with the growing demand for manufactured and packaged goods, have led to an increase in non-biodegradable solid wastes in our waterways, which seems to be the ultimate problem.
Any visitor to a local beach can tell you that this is no longer a problem that can go overlooked. It has become prominent in our society and we have to do whatever we can to help save the favorite vacation spots for parents and kids for centuries. Everything from hypodermic needles to used tampons can be found littering the gorgeous sands of our beaches all along both the east and west coasts. That's gross.
For more information on the the problems that we have on our beaches or for general information about perserving our natural environment, check out www.epa.gov which is the homepage for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

PETA: Animal Advocates or Domestic Terrorists?

2006-11-14T23:21:00.000-05:00

Most people are familiar with the so called "animal rights" organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also known as PETA. The organization's motto is "animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment." PETA is against four major animal issues that include: factory farming, fur farming, animal testing, and animals in entertainment. PETA is also against fishing, pest treatment, and euthanizing animals. Despite the fact that I disagree with PETA trying to impose a vegan lifestyle on Americans I do agree with their efforts to regulate the treatment of animals. While PETA does have the right to speak freely some members have done things that are violent like bombing labs that use rats and vandalizing fur coats in public. These acts are inappropriate and give a bad name to mainstream animal rights activists.

Toxic Dumping

2006-11-13T20:52:00.000-05:00

On the Ivory Coast at the port city of Abidjan, tons of chemical sludge was dumped at different sites around the city leading to thousands of cases of vomiting, diarrhea, and nosebleeds. Ten deaths ended up being reported after the incidents, leading to an outcry from environmentalist groups to tighten the controls over waste shipments. The waste was illegaly dumped after being offloaded from a tanker, and investigations are underway to find out why the incident occurred. Pierre Portas, deputy executive secretary of the Basel Convention Secretariat, describes a likely situation as to how the toxic waste got into the Ivory Coast, a question many would like to have answered. His scenario goes something like this: the tanker probably picked up a load of low grade gasoline, and refined it to remove the sulfur. It most likely then traveled to the Amsterdamn, where officials noticed the high toxicity level and the tanker would have had to pay a $300,000 disposal fee. The tanker then most likely traveled to the Ivory Coast and had a local disposal company get rid of the waste for about $12,000. The waste would be loaded into company trucks to get it to the local landfill, but the strong smell of the waste prompted residents to blockade the dump. Then, the trucks most likely were abandoned or dumped around the city. The possibility of this scenario is unknown, but it is true that Western countries closely track incidents of illegal dumping within their borders, while in places like Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean it is much more difficult to obtain accurate data.

Raisng Your Kids Vegetarian

2006-11-13T18:34:00.001-05:00

As vegetarianism becomes more prevalent and popular, many parents may wonder if kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all the nutrients necessary for growing up healthy and strong. Avoiding meat may sound like a bad idea, but most dietary and medical experts agree that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat.

Of course, special care must be taken when feeding kids and teens a vegetarian diet, especially if it doesn't include dairy and egg products. And as with any diet, you'll need to not only ensure that your child is getting enough of all the necessary nutrients, but understand that the nutritional needs of children change as they grow.

Before you or your family switches to a vegetarian diet, it's important to note that all vegetarian diets are not alike. Some of the major vegetarian categories include:

ovo-vegetarian - eats eggs; no meat
lacto-ovo vegetarian - eats dairy and egg products; no meat
lacto-vegetarian - eats dairy products; no eggs or meat
vegan - eats only food from plant sources

Many people who call themselves vegetarians are actually semi-vegetarians. They may have eliminated red meat, but may eat poultry or fish.

There are many reasons why children or families may follow a vegetarian diet. Younger vegetarians are usually part of a family that eats vegetarian meals for health or other reasons. Older children may decide to become vegetarians because of concern for animals, the environment, or their own health.

In most cases, you shouldn't be alarmed if your child chooses vegetarianism. The best way to handle your child's choice is to discuss what it means to him or her and how he or she wants to implement it - making sure your child makes healthy and nutritious food choices

Vegetarian parents should give their children a variety of foods that provide enough calories and nutrients to enable them to grow normally. The majority of pediatric experts say a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (eating dairy products and eggs, but no meat) is a healthy choice for most children (although allergists suggest not introducing eggs until after 1 year of age).

Offering young children a diet filled with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps them to learn healthy eating habits that may last for a lifetime. And a diet rich in fruits and veggies will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy body weight.

What Can I Do?

2006-11-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

Environmental activism dates back nearly 400 years. The first such recorded instance is that of the Bishnois of Rajasthan, India when a number of Bishnois embraced death to defy the cutting trees in their villages, by the king's men of that region. Though it was not a conscious movement at that time, it showed a community concern for the upkeep of environment -- a necessary attribute of environmentalism -- for the first time. The Environmental Movement (a term that sometimes includes the conservation and green movements) is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement. In general terms, environmentalists advocate the sustainable management of resources, the protection (and restoration, when necessary) of the natural environment through changes in public policy and individual behavior. In its recognition of humanity as a participant in (not enemy of) ecosystems, the movement is centered around ecology, health, and human rights. Additionally, throughout history, environmentalism has been incorporated into religion. The movement is represented by a range of organizations, from the large to grassroots. Due to its large membership, varying and strong beliefs, and occasionally speculative nature, the Environmental Movement is not entirely united. At its broadest, the movement includes private citizens, professionals, religious devotees, and extremists. Environmentalists are also often linked with other social movements, such as human and animal rights and pacifism.

Tarantulas to Track Deforestation

2006-11-13T17:24:00.000-05:00

I found this article interesting and a good exampleof the lengths some people are taking to save our diminishing environment. Tenesse biologist and curator Steve Reichling, with the help of Memphis Zoo, will be using about 50 tarantulas to measure the degree of damage to rainforest habitats in Belize. The tarantulas will be surgically implanted with radio transponders and placed in different spots throughout the Belizean rainforests. Scientists will be able to track the damage to the rainforest based on when the tarantulas die out and are replaced. It is expected that this project will go on for about 20 years.

Tarantulas are being used because they are very good indicators of environmental change. They can live up to 20 years and remain in one burrow for their whole life, making them easy to relocate continuously. The tarantulas will be placed at different sites containing mature old-growth forest, long-barren open pastures, traditionally managed forest, and sites newly cleared for farming. The only problem that has arised with the experiment was getting the radio transponders implanted in an animal that molts annually. This type of procedure had never been attempted. They eventually were able to plant rice grain sized transmitters into their abdomen.

Irreversable Global Warming

2006-11-12T17:31:00.000-05:00

I recently found some information that diminished my hopes on immediate solutions to global warming. This information involved the concept of thermal inertia- the idea that changes in the global climate are delayed because water takes longer than air to heat up and cool off. Researchers, usoing this concept and computer models, found that even if we stopped burning oil and coal tomorrow, we have put enough greenhouse gases into the atmosphere already to raise temperatures and sea levels for the next 100 years. Specifically, air temperatures would raise at least 1 degree, and sea levels 4.3 inches, only if we stopped everything tomorrow. The sea level estimates also do not account for metling ice sheets and glaciers, which would at least double the numbers. This, obviously, is unrealistic and impossible. So basically, this research is saying any changes we make today won't provide results until a century later.

Researcher Tom Wigley of the National Center for Atmospheric Research conducted a similar study estimating the affect of global warming in the next century under different circumstances. If we lower our emissions in a "fixed concentration" scenario, air temperatures could raise 1.8 degrees Farenheit, and sea levels 4 inches per century. If we continue to emit gases at our present rates, air temperatures could raise 3.6 to 10.8 degrees Farenheit by 2400, and sea levels 9.8 inches per century. Under the worst case scenario, if our rates increase, we could be looking at a rise in air temperature of 6.3 degrees Farenheit by 2100, and an increase in ocean levels by 12 inches.

The biggest concern to researcher Tom Wigley was the best case scenario of a rise of sea levels per century of 4 inches if we slow down greenhouse gas emissions. He claims even this slow rate of increase will have an inevitable, diastrous effect on ow lying communities, and vulnerable ecosystems. I agree wih him, and wonder what the effects will be if our emissions do not decrease, which is highly likely.

Have a......tree?

2006-11-11T18:35:00.000-05:00

The United Nations is actually stepping up and doing its part in the world. They are launching a new campaign, they are going to plant billions of trees around the world to help reverse the effects of climate change and global warming. The United Nations has set some high hopes for the program, the mininum amount of trees to be planted is one billion. Also by planting the trees, the United Nations is hoping to save over 80,000 species of indigenous trees from extinction. The campaign is only a small step in trying to help out the environment but if we can keep taking more small steps like this maybe people will start to open there eyes. This alone isn't enough, so it's up to everyone to take a part. If everyone could just look at the environment a different way, and actually start to care about it we could do something about it. Forests are cut down everyday by people, whether it be from a fire or a saw. We're taking away from the enviornment and it's up to us to put back what we've taken. Even if you don't plant a tree people can still make a difference at home. Try turning off more lights when you're not in the room or house, turn off your tv when it's not in use, doing all of these little things can come a long way if everyone will start to do it.

Election 2006 cont.

2006-11-10T01:37:00.000-05:00

The Earth won the election on Tuesday. Senator Rick Santorum who was one of the League of Conservation Voters "Dirty Dozen" was kicked out of the Senate. Rick Santorum was a voice for the oil companies that have been running our nation for so long. Other anti-conservation officials were not reelected which means we will see great change in our nation's environmental policy, despite the fact that Bush is still president.

Deforestation

2006-11-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

Many foods originally came from tropical forests, and are still mostly grown on plantations in regions that were formerly primary forest. Tropical rain forests are also the source of many medicinal drugs, with over half the medications originating from the rainforest. Tropical rainforests also provide timber as well as animal products such as meat and hides. Rainforests also have value as tourism destinations and for the ecosystem services provided

Tropical and temperate rain forests have been subjected to heavy logging and agricultural clearance throughout the 20th century, and the area covered by rainforests around the world is rapidly shrinking. It is estimated that the rainforest was reduced by about 58,000 km² annually in the 1990s. Rainforests used to cover 14% of the Earth's surface. This percentage is now down to 6% and it is estimated by some environmental groups that the remaining natural rainforests could disappear within 40 years (mid-21st century). Biologists have estimated that large numbers of species are being driven to extinction, possibly more than 50,000 a year, due to the removal of habitat with destruction of the rainforests. Protection and regeneration of the rainforests is a key goal of many environmental charities and organizations. Every minute about 40 hectares (100 acres) of the world's tropical rainforest is destroyed. At this rate, it is possible that all the rainforests in the world will have been destroyed by the year 2025. About half the worlds’ species of animals and plants depend upon these forests for their survival.

Making money off of the dead?

2006-11-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

It seems a new trend is beginning to sweep across the nation, labeling our food. Restaurants are playing to people's emotions by labeling their food with things such as "cage-free," "certified humane," and "free-range. I mean just because it has that label then it must mean that they really cared for these animals before they killed them right? No. It's just another ploy to make people feel better about themselves. They could care less about how humane they treat these animals, in they're eyes they are all going to be slaughtered anyway aren't they? People are actually paying more money, sometimes even double the cost just for these labels! I guess by paying more and reading the label it's making them feel better about themselves. Also according to a food consultant whom spoke to the New York Times was quoted as saying "such assurances make consumers feel better about devouring the lesser species. I mean this is pitiful, a label is supposed to make me feel better about eating a dead animal? I really don't mind eating meat, but these labels are the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. It seem's like it's just another damn thing for people to waste their hard earned money on. Don't let the label's bullshit you, you're never gonna know unless you are there to see it.

2006 Elections

2006-10-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

One week from today voters will go to the polls and vote for candidates on the local, state and federal level. The Sierra Club has endorsed candidates in all of the federal and state elections and has even endorsed some local candidates. The most competitive U.S. Senate races are in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. The Sierra Club has endorsed candidates from both parties in each of those races. In Florida Bill Nelson (D) is running against Rep. Harris (who is responsible for Bush's 2000 win in Florida). The Sierra Club has endorsed Bill Nelson in that race because of his great support for environmental issues. In Maryland the Sierra Club endorsed Ben Cardin (D) who is running against moderate Republican Lt. Gov. Steele. The Sierra Club chose Ben Cardin over Steele because they feel that a Democrat will be more effective than a Republican in times like now. The Sierra Club also endorsed Robert Menendez (D) who is running against moderate Republican Tom Kean Jr. The Sierra Club explained that Tom Kean Jr. while in the state legislature was supportive of environmental issues but that Menendez has shown a greater commitment in his campaign. In Rhode Island the Sierra Club endorsed Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee who is considered to be the most liberal Republican in the Senate. In Pennsylvania Bob Casey was endorsed. Casey is running against Rick Santorum who was on the League of Conservation Voters "Oil Sick Seven" List. We can save our Earth and slow down the Climate Change if for once we vote our conscience and not our wallets.

IUCN's Endangered Species List Expands

2006-10-30T16:57:00.000-05:00

The World Conservation Union announced today that 40 %, or 16,000, of the species on their Red List of threatened species are threatened with extinction. Specifically, this refers to an eighth of the world's birds, a quarter of its coniferous trees, a third of its amphibians, and a quarter of its mammals. Some new species added to were the polar bear and the hippopotamus. Polar bears are diminishing in number because increased global warming is melting sea ice they roam on to hunt seals. With less ice, they risk starving on land or drowning trying to swim long distances. The IUCN also took a closer look at shark and ray species, specifically 547 of them. They found that about one fifth of these surveyed species face extinction, probably because of overfishing.
The IUCN's Red List is ovften considered the best worldwide system for ranking endangered species because they are so unbiased, unlike some other ranking systems that are, ridiculous as it sounds, subject to political pressures that can affect their numbers. Though the IUCN provides no direct solutions to saing the species on their Red List, their findings have helped to save certain species by exposing their endangerment, like the white- tailed eagle and the Indian Vulture. Unfortunatly, their 40,000 species studied only represent a small fraction of all the world's species, which is estimated to be 10-100 million.

Air Pollution

2006-10-29T11:55:00.000-05:00

Air pollution, another type of pollution that people don't even stop to think about. I think that the government probably does the worst possible job with this pollution though, it reall takes the cake. According to Traffic World, if we would send 213,000 truckloads annually down intermodal rail, insteada of driving over-the-road, we would "prevent 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide being released to the atmosphere." Now if you think about it that's alot, a real lot. The government is finally starting to make some headway though. The Environmental Protection Agency reached a $13.9 million settlement with an oilseed processor to cut pollution emissions in eight states. The oilseed processor was apparently making modifications that increased emissions. It's good to finally see part of the government step up to the plate and do something. Stuff like this happens all over America, but alot of people just turn the other cheek toward it. We can't keep doing that though, we're ruining the earth by it. Look at China, they're air is so polluted that the sky is almost black. We're not at that point yet but will we reach it soon? I think so unless we start getting tighter restrictions on air emissions from cars, trucks, factories, and business'. All of those things cause air pollution, some might cause it more then others but we need to look at them as a whole and figure something out before we totally screw ourselves in the future.

Wasting Paper

2006-10-26T13:50:00.000-04:00

I get really annoyed when people (like the people on the WCU campus yesterday) hand out papers that are only going to be thrown out. When a street preacher or protestor hands you a paper or pamphlet what do you do with it? I can tell you that I almost always see people throw out the paper in the garbage on the next block. We cannot afford to be wasting trees like these extremist protestors have for so long. We need to conserve our paper. Also I do not like it when professors are always making us print 50-75 pages worth of power point slides. I find it funny how my science professor has us print more in her class than I do in any other class because she is an enviornmentalist!

This Rutgers University website is really helpful when it comes to conserving paper: Enviro-Purchasing - Conservation

stop murdering animals dammit.

2006-10-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

Almost everybody knows that they are supposed to cut the plastic rings from soda and beer packs. They know that they aren't supposed to throw bottles, papers, and fishing lines into rivers and streams. But guess what? Almost 30% of all trash and trash like items that are discarded improperly in rivers or on the ground are forced into streams and national rivers and injure or kill innocent animals. Things like oil spills which account for almost 40% of all animals deaths worldwide may seem inevitable...however if they oil liner manufactorers really cared about what they were doing to the environment, I'm sure that they would be able to substitute their harmfel chemicals and faulty tanks for something that would be more earth friendly. The only thing is...they don't care.
Animals have fallen victim to the environmental ignorance of our society. People may say that they care about the enviroment....BUT THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING TO BACK IT UP. I have seen people throw styrofoam cups out the car window and then swerve to avoid hitting a squirrel. Talk about hypocritical. The point is, people pretend to care about caring about animals, but unles they take action and do something about our slowly depleting wildlife, it means absolutely nothing.

Lovely Philadelphia

2006-10-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went down to Temple University to visit some of my friends from high school. If you really want to view an environmental unfriendly place, I suggest you visit Philly. There are a million little things that you see that make you feel sad about how poorly we are treating this wonderful Earth.
First off, I took the train down. That dirty mess of metal burns tons of fuel, and makes a million stops, which lessens its efficiency. All along the ride I looked out the window to see trash and tree stumps, and just a wreck of filth. Finally after getting off the train I walked out onto the lovely paved city of Philadelphia.
There are like two trees for ever nine buildings down there, that's exaggerating, but it’s still not an eco-friendly place. All along the roads was nothing but trash and garbage. The smells coming up from the subway lines tell you that they can't be good for the atmosphere, let alone all the different building pumping out black smoke, and all the cars and buses' exhaust.
Granted, I love the city, I think certain aspect of it are lovely, what with the beautiful architecture and wonderful sites and shops, and the food is glorious, but from the view of an environmentalist, Philly's a bad place and is polluting the world.

Wind Energy

2006-10-18T18:56:00.000-04:00

I recently attended the annual Farm Aid concert which was in Camden, NJ this year. At the concert Silk(R), which is a company that makes soy milk, was handing out information on wind energy. Using windmills for power is not a new idea and is probably the most efficient and clean source of energy. If we were to switch our power plants to run on wind energy we would have a much more clean environment and our energy costs would be a lot lower. The amount of energy you get from a windmill in one year is what you get from a typical polluting power plant in four years. Wind mills are four times more efficient than what we are using now, I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to have a cleaner environment and save money at the same time.

Marine Environment

2006-10-18T17:58:00.000-04:00

The enviornment isn't just forest's and rivers, alot of people don't even think about the marine environment. Everyday sewage is dumped into our ocean's all over the world. For an example take a look at China. Less than half of the wastewater pumped into the sea is treated, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Program. I mean come on, thats just disgusting, you know how many people China has? But it doesn't even stop there. 317 billion tons of wastewater, both treated and untreated, were discharged from the China in 2005, this is double the amount that it was in 2000. Something needs to be done about this too, pretty soon we aren't even going to be able to swim in our own oceans. China isn't the only one to blame, ship's constantly throw out trash and empty out waste into our oceans. Other countries are doing their part to help though. In Bendingo, Australia they are building a plant to recycle sewage water into drinking water. Alot more still has to be done but stuff like this is a step in the right direction.

Rapidly Disappearing Rain Forests

2006-10-18T16:38:00.000-04:00

In the 2-million square mile Amazon River Basin, about a quarter of the total rainforest has already disappeared. Deforestation in the region is at a steady rate of about 1% a year, and if these current rates continue, it will be disastrous. A Penn State professor discovered in recent studies that if these rates continue the Amazon rain forests could reach a "point of no return" within 10-15 years. A "point of no return" does not mean the rain forest is totally wiped out, but that it can no longer maintain it's unique ecosystem and the life it supports. This will happen because the rain forests are dependent on trees to return moisture to the air. At the current deforestation rates, the rainforests will not be able to support the life inside of it as soon as the next decade because the trees will not regenerate and thrive fast enough.
With these new studies, we are looking at destroyed Amazon River Basin rain forests in 10-15 years, and perhaps a complete wiping out of all the rain forests in Brazil within 40-50 years. This is alarming and is calling for environmentalists to act faster because older models predicted a complete loss of rain forests in Brazil within 75-100 years. Countless species that depend on the rain forest will face extinction not from the complete loss of it in 40-50 years, but from the possibility of an unfunctional rain forest in 10-15. It is tough to halt deforestation, however, when you have millions of poor people living around the rain forests that depend upon it for their livelihood.

benefits of the environment

2006-10-18T11:11:00.000-04:00

I don't think people really stop and think what the environment does for us before they litter or pollute. I mean if it wasn't for the environment we wouldn't have alot of medicines that we do today. Alot of medicines have come from the earth, people have been using herbs and plants to help themselves get better. Next time you go to the emergency room and they're putting you to sleep, well that wouldn't be happening with out help from the environment. Next time you go to eat a fruit or a vegetable and your thinking wow where the fuck did this come from? Oh yeah, the environment.

I don't think people even take into account how much the environment has given them, without the environment where the hell would we be? We sure as hell wouldn't have all the stuff that we do now. I mean we're lucky that we have the environment, it really benefits us. But I think others need to take into account what the hell they're doing to the environment. It doesn't just affect the animals and the rivers, it also affects us too. We're basically destroying ourselves if we don't stop and help the environment.

We Are Pathetic

2006-10-09T18:52:00.000-04:00

i know i dont have the facts to back up anything really that i'm attepmting to argue, but ill type what i type and let u complain. i love the world and the woods and trees and the environment as much as the next tree hugging smelly hippie weirdo does, but i think they might be being a bit harsh on humanity. i mean, as a whole, we havent destoyed THAT much of the planet, right. what, we've been around...hmm roughly 250,000 years, and the earth's been around something like 4.57 billions years and we have only partly destroyed the earth because of our lovely wars, machines and industry. gosh, and if we keep it up the way we're going we might get another 200 years untill we completely detroy the place. i say we DONT find alternatives to gasoline burning, and we DONT stop making nuclear bombs and other ridiculous weapons that will one day detroy us and the world around us, and we DONT re-plant trees. Damn, the Earth's only been around like 20,000 times longer then us, why the hell should we respect it enough to keep it going another hundred years or so?

Global Warming in the Arctic Regions

2006-10-05T13:25:00.001-04:00

This is Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the United States. The 1,800 residents of this town 335 miles above the arctic circle do not see the sun from November to January. Global warming, however, is causing the Polar regions to warm at a rate much faster than the rest of the planet. Average temperatures in this Alaskan town, and other regions in western Canada and eastern Russia, have risen 4-7 degrees Farenheit over the past 30 years. This nearly doubles the average global rate. These rising temperatures in the Poles are melting glaciers at an increasing rate, as seen in places like Montana's Glacier National Park, where the number of glaciers has reduced from 150 to 30 since 1910. This may very well cause flooding of low lying towns in the near future.

Toxic Waste

2006-10-05T13:25:00.000-04:00

Waste is something that does effect everyone. Big business and small business alike have been dumping waste into rivers, lakes, streams, and burying it in the ground so they wouldn't have to deal with the waste themselves. They may or may not have known the effects that this would have but all across the country it's caused illness and death. There's actually a river back in my town that was one of the most polluted in the county, I guess that's why there's never any fish in it. Something needs to be done about toxic waste, it's not only affecting humans who drink it but it's really killing the environment. Polluted rivers no longer have fish in them, and if there is fish they're all deformed because of the toxic waste that they live in. They need to do more to clean up these toxic waste sites before the environment gets even worse.

Littering

2006-10-05T13:24:00.000-04:00

over 32 billion cigarette butts are discarded in America each year. At this rate, in three years, there will be enough improperly discarded butts to c ircle the planet 16 times. This is fucking disgusting. Not only are cigarette butts being littered, but also glass and aluminum bottles and cans, plastic bottles and bottle caps, etc. Littering DIRECTLY KILLS our environment, and not only plants, trees, and natural resources. It kills living, breathing creatures. Our ignorance as a society to the lives of those not included in our species is horrendous and it is shown through examples like the amount of trash and dumping that occurs worldwide and on a daily basis. Although we can't single handedly stop people from throwing their shit on the groud instead of walking a mere few feet to a trash recepticle, we can do our part as environmentalists to at least not contribute to this problem. We can speak out against the people who do and make them realize what they are doing to the environment, and in time, themselves.

The Earth is What You Eat

2006-10-05T13:23:00.000-04:00

Although I am not a vegan or vegetarian I do think about the environment before I eat. By consuming (or not consuming) certain foods we can save our planet. Beef production is one of the largest threats to the earth. The majority of Brazil's destroyed rain forests were the affect of cattle pastures. There is currently a topsoil shortage in the United States, this lack of topsoil is an affect of the soil erosion that occurred because of cattle production. Most of the water consumed in the United States is consumed by cows, imagine how much more water we could have if we ate less beef. Most countries do not consume as much beef as the United States. If every nation in the world consumed beef like Americans there would be no more oil in the world, with no oil left in the world George W. Bush would have a cow (no pun intended).