Corbett Kroehler - Global Warming

TogetherGreen.org from the Audubon Society Assists Cultural Effort Against Global Warming

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0600

I repeat the lesson of cultural change in the larger effort against global warming so often that I reasonably could be accused of redundancy. It’s just that important. So, when I note significant changes or tools to effect significant change, I must share them.

The good news is that awareness of the need to conserve energy has undergone an inspiring resurgence in recent months, coinciding, I’m sure, with the inauguration of President Barack Obama. For example, the Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois, which already meets stringent requirements for LEED certification from the US Green Building Council, has been targeted for a broad reduction in its base consumption of electricity of more than 75%! Wow!

Here’s what John Huston of American Landmark Properties, representing the partnership that owns the Sears Tower, had to say...

“Sears Tower, an iconic structure that defines the city’s skyline, will undergo a groundbreaking transformation that creates economic growth with positive impact on our environment, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. As the stewards of this icon, we take seriously our responsibility to make it relevant and successful, and the changes made and benefits realized through the bold sustainable initiatives at the tower serve as an example that a sustainable future is more than a concept, it is within our reach.”

Adrian Smith, a partner in AS+GG, the architectural firm involved in the refit, added...

“Our goal in the Sears Tower greening project is to create a holistic approach that integrates high-performance building technologies and design strategies for maximum energy efficiency. In the process, we hope to set a benchmark for how high-rise buildings throughout the world can limit their impact on the environment.”

So, how can we go about perpetuating the positive attitude toward conservation which is exemplified by the Sears Tower project? Online tools such as TogetherGreen.org from the Audubon Society can be very helpful. Assisting people with projects in four categories, LeadGreen, GrowGreen, BeGreen and GoGreen, TogetherGreen.org is a powerful source of information for people initiating green projects and seeking green projects.

I extend a hearty round of thanks to the Audubon Society for creating and maintaining this site. If you plan to start a green project or wish to volunteer on one in your area, TogetherGreen.org is a solid place to begin.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Reforestation Projects Provide Nearly Limitless Supply of Carbon Sequestration Opportunities

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0600

On behalf of everyone who breathes, I would like to congratulate the United States House of Representatives for passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act on June 26, 2009. Likewise, to every member of Congress who voted against it, I cry Shame! Shame! Shame!

Given the name of this blog and its body of content, my attitude toward those myopic congressmen who voted against clean air for future generations should come as no surprise. However, there is a specific element of the argument against this historic bill which I would like to address. When foes of progress realized that the bill had a 50/50 chance of passing, they pulled out all the stops. They organized a telephone campaign which brought the Capitol switchboard to a halt. To that I have no objection, per se, as democracy is about assuring that everyone has a voice. However, what bothered me greatly was the type of misinformation which opponents convinced their mouthpieces on Capitol Hill and beyond to spew.

Opponents of the American Clean Energy and Security Act had the unmitigated gall to claim that the technology for widespread carbon sequestration does not exist yet. Baloney! The opposite is true! In fact, since launching this blog in 2007, I have spent quite a bit of time covering reforestation and the varied and variegated reforestation projects which span the globe. While planting millions of acres of trees in order to return the carbon content of the planet’s atmosphere to levels not seen since the Industrial Revolution may not be as futuristic as burying tons of carbon in abandoned mines, I can assure you that it is every bit as valuable to the larger effort of fighting global warming.

Moreover, projects which support the halting of deforestation, which has a similar effect in terms of carbon sequestration as does reforestation, can have a more direct benefit to humanity than simply planting trees. To wit, I encourage you to read my recent thread on the Kyoto Box. You also may find that you enjoy perusing the reforestation category for additional inspiration and perspective.

In the coming weeks, as the United States Senate begins its work on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, let’s all remember that carbon sequestration on a mass scale can begin immediately. The only element missing from current projects in order to expand their reach is money, funds which will be generated by the passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act and enactment by President Obama.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

New Climate Change Report from Federal Government Explains Loss of Ambassador Species

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0600

On June 16, the government of the United States released its landmark report, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. While coming up short in several key areas, most notably the exclusion of Dr. James Hansen who no doubt would have refuted every point which does not call for immediate and sweeping action, there is much to celebrate in the report.

Under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, an interagency task force of long standing which is based just a short distance from the White House, the climate change report essentially states that we are very far past the tipping point on the subject of sea level rise. That most certainly is true and the release of the climate change report constitutes a very significant milestone in the fight against global warming.

The authors of the report, whose tenure extends back through multiple presidential administrations of both political parties, have taken it upon themselves to brief various colleagues in the federal government, including the United States Congress, in the hope of driving reforms. Moreover, many of those same authors are members of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which won the Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore in 2007.

On the whole, then, I am comfortable with the tenor of the report given the enormous (but otherwise denied) political pressure which was applied to every single author of the report in an attempt to dilute the language as much as possible. If you would like to read the report and/or watch the video of the press conference at which it was released, just visit

globalchange.gov

No matter how one feels about the report, however, one is left with a startling question. The report points to ambassador species, flora and fauna being harmed right now, at this moment, by climate change. What is to be done about them?

Well, if you have read my blog for any period of time, you know that I advocate a low-carbon lifestyle, just as I have lived since 2005. For details, please refer to the carbon section. However, one’s motivation to move to a low-carbon lifestyle may fall short simply by reading the climate change report.

Hence, I advocate a more personal approach. I recommend examining the ambassador species and determining how their loss impacts each of us. The good people at Environmental Defense have created a handy section of their website to facilitate doing just that. Called Warming and Wildlife, this page makes it easy to read and help imperiled species including the puffin, the pika, the sugar maple, the lynx, the monarch butterfly, the leatherback turtle and, of course, the polar bear.

I exhort you to visit the page today. Review the information. Learn about how these lovely ambassador species are being harmed right now, at this moment, by climate change. Then, take action which the Environmental Defense website enables you to do quite easily. The direct URL is

edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42590

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Airline Carbon Emissions Calculator from TRX Assists Travelers in Balancing Airline Choice and Carbon Footprint

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0600

With the summer travel season in full effect in the northern hemisphere and gasoline prices on the rise again, the debate between traveling by air and traveling by car is timely.

Which pollutes more, driving or flying?

Generally, if a modern automobile is utilized, driving pollutes less. Of course, when car pooling is involved, the car always is the cleaner choice. However, for summer vacation, two key commodities may be limited, time and money. Depending upon your preferred destination, driving may not be an option. What’s more, because of the struggling global economy, many airlines are offering compelling promotional fares. In some cases, flying could cost LESS than driving.

Hence, if you find that you will travel by air this summer, how can you reduce your carbon footprint? Well, I have posted several threads here on the importance of carbon offsets. My post regarding the inclusion of radiative forcing remains my favorite. However, since it is the airlines who choose the aircraft, is it possible for passengers to impact the fuel efficiency of the flight they choose?

The impressive airline carbon emissions calculator from travel infrastructure provider TRX, Inc. shows us that the answer is yes.

By determining the age and class of aircraft flown on popular routes between competing airlines, this wonderful tool from TRX allows for a convenient assessment in advance of purchasing a ticket. Passengers generally cannot choose their aircraft but most of the time they can choose their airline.

So, if your summer travel plans include air travel, consider determining the cleanest airline and route for your trip. The airline carbon emissions calculator from TRX makes it easy.

You will find the tool online at

carbon.trx.com

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

From the Ashes of General Motors Bankruptcy Rises a New Commitment for Fuel Efficiency

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0600

This time last year, I told you about the ridiculously inadequate requirements for automotive fuel efficiency imposed by the government of the United States, known as CAFE Standards. They were supposed to assure that the American automobile fleet was as fuel efficient as possible on average. However, since the early years of the program, the requirements themselves have been a political hot potato. The refusal of the political party in power to institute progressive stringency has allowed for automakers to feign an inability to produce modern vehicles capable of more than 30 miles per gallon of fuel.

In parallel, however, was the trend in Europe, where Ford and General Motors have lively sales forces. In Europe, automakers had no choice but to produce efficient vehicles because if they failed to do so, their prospective customers would patronize a competitor. In the end, a glaring contradiction took hold. We had auto executives in the United States telling the federal government and the people that efficient vehicles were impossible while selling impressively efficient models in Europe.

Luckily for them, their virtual market monopoly and the cultural isolation which Americans enjoy allowed for a diesel version of the Ford Fiesta widely available and advertised in Europe but denied to American consumers.

That situation is about to change. The bankruptcy of Chrysler and General Motors (and the many revenue woes of Ford Motor Company) have led to a sea chance during calendar year 2009. I, for one, believe that this change can’t come fast enough. So, if you read my blog post last year and were uncertain whether I exaggerated a bit, now you know how right I was. The efficient models existed all along but were denied from the American market and no bureaucrat or politician with enough power to change the situation did a thing about it. Only when the marketplace amplified the managerial dereliction of all 3 large American automakers which brought these once giants of industry to their knees was the truth revealed.

It is a desperately sad commentary on the power of energy companies to occlude the truth from millions of people for decades but at least now the truth rests comfortably in the sun! Specifically, look for new, high-efficiency models on Chrysler, Ford and General Motors lots next year.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Award-Winning Solar Cooker Fights Deforestation, Poverty and Global Warming

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:00:28 -0600

Two main themes which I give recurring coverage here on Keyboard Culture are deforestation and cultural change. If we really want to fight global warming, we must eliminate deforestation on a mass scale but we also must effect permanent social change so that living and working green becomes a matter of personal and professional pride for people the world over.

However, such concepts are wholly alien to the billions of people who live below the poverty line, struggling to survive (and often losing) every single day. They don’t have nice things like Internet access or the money to afford carbon offsets to green the planet while retaining access to material wealth. No, many of the poorest people in the world cause deforestation because their survival depends on it, not that they enjoy despoiling their home.

The island nation of Madagascar is a prime example. Already scarred by the loss of more than 90% of its boreal forest cover, Madagascar is home to many thousands of people who live in or near the remaining sliver of forest. However, they have neither the skills nor the tools to live in harmony with the forest. Instead, they slash more and more of it every day in order to make charcoal for cooking.

To us, this method of food preparation seems grossly inefficient. Of course, it is but these poor people have no practical alternative because they live in abject poverty.

What is to be done?

Enter innovations such as the solar cooker. Costing just €5, this device is ingenious in its simplicity. Called the Kyoto Box for its ability to aid developing nations in complying with their reductions in greenhouse gas emissions dictated by the global accord, the solar cooker recently won the Financial Times’ Climate Change Challenge and with good reason.

Why is it such a powerful product? Well, it allows people who ordinarily cook with charcoal wrested from endangered forests to use the power of the sun and leave the trees standing. Moreover, no greenhouse gas emissions are involved once the product is created and delivered because it is solar powered, solar-thermal powered to be specific. Last but certainly not least, the Kyoto Box can be reused many, many times whereas charcoal generally is useless after a very short period of time.

There are ancillary benefits, too. The Kyoto Box can be used to purify water, which can have a huge impact on the incidence of cholera and other water-borne diseases plus assist people in living father from dwindling sources of fresh water in the developing world. I commend inventor Jon Bøhmer for his work and exhort everyone to fight for adoption of exciting innovations such as Bøhmer’s Kyoto Box in the developing world.

To learn more, visit

kyoto-energy.com/kyoto-box.html

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Credit: greenlaunches.com

Permanent Evacuation of Carteret Islands Portend Future Impact of Rising Seas

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Nestled southeast of the Philippines and northeast of Indonesia are the Carteret Islands, coral atolls on which 2,600 people live, or, used to live. You see, the entire population of the Carteret Islands is preparing for permanent evacuation due to rising seas.

For more than a decade, the Island nation of Tuvalu has been used as an example of pristine areas which will be lost to global warming. Indeed, the flooding seen there this decade has been tragic and very costly to the residents, particularly subsistence farmers. However, the damage to Tuvalu has not yet caused the entire population to vanish. In the Carteret Islands, the situation is much direr.

You see, the highest point of the islands is 170cm above the sea, approximately 6 feet. Over the past few years the Carteret Islands have been repeatedly inundated by spring tides, wiping out the islanders’ vegetable and fruit gardens, destroying their subsistence and making their lives impossible. The islanders have no choice but to evacuate and if polar melting continues this summer the way it did in 2008, the islands could be all but gone very soon.

Under President Barack Obama and his allies in the United States Congress, America’s federal government has begun to take meaningful and concrete steps toward a permanent cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and an ultimate reduction to levels which the atmosphere can tolerate. However, as important as such work is, it will do nothing to help the people of the Carteret Islands or save their ancient heritage.

The next time you purchase a gallon of gasoline or flip on your light switch, take a moment to remember the very human cost of mankind’s arrogant abuse of fossil fuels.

credit: podfruits.com.au

credit: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert /Greenpeace

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Complete Loss of Multi-Year Arctic Ice Portends Faster Arrival at Ice-Free Arctic

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 -0600

In July of 2008, I warned of the arrival in just a few years of an ice-free Arctic due to continued acceleration of greenhouse gas production in the United States and around the world. This past winter, we saw many regions of the Northern Hemisphere experience unseasonably cold temperatures which led some global warming skeptics to doubt the phenomenon with greater passion.

Fortunately, science won the argument yet again with NASA’s explanation of the global warming hole. So, where does the science of global warming lie today? Well, NASA’s explanation of the global warming hole was helpful but many skeptics were unswayed by NASA’s scientific conclusions. In fact, the inability of some skeptics to understand how abnormally cold temperatures in a single region can be unrelated to the larger, global move toward a warmer future has stymied some environmentalists. Hence, science must intensify its message yet again.

In recent days, European scientists from INSU-CNRS completed a broad, comprehensive study of Arctic sea ice in an attempt to lay to rest once and for all the debate about the melting of polar ice during years when the Northern hemisphere experiences particularly frigid winters. They conducted literally thousands of examinations of core samples of Arctic sea ice. Sadly, their persuasive conclusions point toward a very bleak future:

• Transpolar drift has accelerated greatly (10% per decade) over the past century, indicating a loss of depth and stability of the permanent ice shelf.

• The mean deformation rate of polar ice has increased by half in recent years, both summer ice and winter ice.

• Summer ice no longer remains solid for 3 years. In other words, all of the ancient sea ice in the Arctic has melted. Everything which we see there is new. This is arguably the most damning statistic of all because it concludes that the abnormally cold winter of 2009 was inadequate to save ice from as recently as 3 years ago.

In conclusion, the number of convincing arguments against the causes and effects of global warming continues to dwindle right along with the thickness and lifespan of Arctic sea ice. We now can witness with our own eyes just how quickly the Arctic will be ice-free in the summer. Perhaps most frightening of all is the possibility that it will occur this year. For all our sakes, not to mention the fate of the polar bear, I hope that it does not happen.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval Goes Green and Helps Consumers Everywhere Fight Green Washing

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:00:00 -0600

With billions of dollars being hurled at the concept of green jobs in the United States and around the world, it is very easy for unscrupulous manufacturers and their allies to attempt to convince the public that a particular product or service is green, either good for the environment or benign when compared against its rivals.This type of deception is known as green washing. Needless to say, I despise it.

What’s to be done, however? After all, this blog has a monthly readership in excess of 1,000,000 people but even that is not enough to stem the tidal wave of green washing which crashes upon the shore of consumer households every day. The environmental community needs allies. What constitutes a good ally, though?

The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval is a logical fit. After all, it has existed for roughly a century and seldom steered people wrong. Skeptics may ask why a conventional magazine is so good a choice. For starters, the magazine has a circulation of 25,000,000 – a huge number. Better still, though, the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based environmental consultancy firm Brown & Wilmanns Environmental has been tapped to develop the underlying green criteria after the Good Housekeeping Research Institute can add the green rider to products which it already has granted the Seal of Approval.

At first glance, this initiative may seem a bit of a stretch but I find it fabulous. While not the ultimate solution, the greening of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval is a vital step in the right direction and I am happy to commend this fine publication to all of my readers, including you.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

News Corp. Continues to Deliver on Promises to Reduce Carbon Footprint with Various Successes including America’s First-Ever Carbon-Neutral Television Production

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:00:00 -0600

I take great pride in the fact that I have lived carbon-neutral since 2005 and am at the cusp of a carbon-negative lifestyle. However, it was relatively easy for me to make the change from average consumer to become one of the few who live carbon-neutral, certainly much easier than for a large multinational organization such as News Corp.

The harsh realities of the difficulties for News Corp. were exacerbated because the top man, Rupert Murdoch, was a global warming skeptic who made financial contributions to politicians and political organizations which deliberately stoked fears and falsehoods surrounding climate change. Then, at about the same time that I went carbon-neutral, Mr. Murdoch announced his commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

As a captain of the broadcast and news industry, Mr. Murdoch very easily could have surrounded himself with yes men and ignored the climate crisis. Instead, he announced publicly for his employees, shareholders, supporters, friends and the rest of the world that carbon emissions are the enemy of a healthy planet which must be vanquished.

Up until that point, Mr. Murdoch had been so intransigent in ignoring the environmental community that I fretted that his new commitment to reducing carbon emissions was a ploy to keep the environmental community confused. Moreover, since many months passed before News Corp. announced milestones and other achievements, I essentially ignored the organization’s progress.

Then, at the beginning of March of this year, everything changed. [italic]24[/italic], one of my favorite television programs and one of the most successful scripted dramas of the new millennium, became America’s first-ever carbon-neutral television production, a huge accomplishment.

However, as tremendous an achievement as the carbon-neutrality of [italic]24[/italics] is, arguably the most laudable aspect is the decision by Fox network to air public service announcements by two of the show’s stars inviting all viewers to visit the network’s website to learn more about what Fox and its parent, News Corp., are doing to reduce carbon emissions and spread the word.

Since the inception of this blog, I have told my readers that the most important thing we can do to fight global warming, after become carbon-neutral in our lives, is to make the green message cultural. News Corp. is doing precisely that, including with its dedication of valuable air time to run public service announcements which send a very clear message about the urgency of the climate crisis and the commitment of the entire News Corp. organization to do its part to go green.

You’ll find ample details regarding the global energy initiative of News Corp. at

http://gei.newscorp.com

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Van Jones, Creator of Green For All, Takes His Message of Green Jobs and Sustainability to the White House as Green Jobs Czar

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Green Jobs Now

Since 2007, it’s been my pleasure to share details with you about Van Jones and his fabulous organization, Green For All. Simply put, they do great work.

It’s also been my pleasure to refrain for engaging in politics here on Keyboard Culture Global Warming as much as possible because there is a great deal which every citizen of every nation on Earth can do irrespective of the leadership in power. Moreover, since the policies needed to reverse climate change and place us on the path of permanent environmental sustainability have been politicized to the extreme in recent years, shying away from the political aspect of the fight against global warming benefits most everyone.

Well, in mid-March, an announcement came from Green For All which must be shared with everyone because of the good news it heralds and despite its political overtones. Van Jones has been appointed to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. No matter who won the 2008 presidential election, I would be overjoyed with this decision.

So, what will Van Jones do in Washington? Here is an excerpt from his announcement:

“My job will be to help shape the administration's energy and climate policy, so that climate solutions produce jobs and justice for all Americans. I am going to be the Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.”

Amazing news, right? Absolutely but it is only half of the double whammy which environmentalists received on the same day. The successor to Van Jones at Green For All as Chief Executive Officer will be Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, a leader with key distinctions in her background from Van Jones but who is no less qualified to lead Green For All into its next evolutionary stage. Here is a quick excerpt about Ms. Ellis-Lamkins from the same announcement:

“As nearly everyone who lives in California already knows, Phaedra is a true superstar - widely recognized as one of America's most brilliant, creative and successful social justice leaders. She helped to expand health care access in San Jose and across California. She also helped to raise the minimum wage for low-income families in the South Bay - twice.

As a result, San Jose Magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful people in Silicon Valley. The Silicon Valley Business Journal called her one of ‘40 leaders to watch under 40.’”

One of the section titles of the announcement from Green For All regarding these two historic moves was [bold]Green Jobs: Moving From Inspiration to Implementation[/bold]. That is exactly what I advocate and as my readership numbers cross the monthly thresh hold of 1,000,000 pairs of eyes and growing, I will continue to disseminate the proof that we can fight global warming while simultaneously driving up wages and driving down air pollution, an example of the triple bottom line of sustainability which no one can oppose!

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Jim Griffin and Justin Sutton Broadcast Comprehensive Vision of Interstate Traveler and Project Green America

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0600

NOTE: audio for this post is available at the end

Last time, I shared with you the fabulous radio interview which my friend Jim Griffin gave on March 23. In it, he covered a great deal of material surrounding the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway (HyRail), particularly its ability to purify water bodies. Not surprisingly, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

In parallel, support for the HyRail and the United We Stand Expo continues to grow to such an extent that WNAV asked Jim to return and he brought Justin Sutton on the air with him. In their broad interview, Jim and Justin shared amazing insights about the true meaning of their parallel initiatives and I am delighted to share the recorded excerpts with you.

Embedded just below this text is the player through which you can listen to the 38-minute recording. I encourage you to take the time right now to listen to it and ruminate on the technological revolution which is about to fire off. I know that you will derive every bit as much inspiration from the recording as I do.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

Project Green America Continues Advocacy for Interstate Traveler

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0600

NOTE: audio for this post is available at the end

Jim Griffin of Project Green America is one of the good guys. Even has he has continued work on the United We Stand Expo to take place in August, his advocacy for the Interstate Traveler Hydrogen Superhighway (HyRail) has accelerated.

Since I last wrote to you about the HyRail, much has happened to bring it within baby steps of breaking ground. However, political pressure must continue to be placed on elected officials throughout the United States and the world to bring it to fruition. To that end, Jim Griffin gave a fabulous interview to a radio station near Washington, DC in which he explained several key points about the HyRail, including one which did not arise in my past coverage, the fact that it can clean polluted waterways.

I exhort you to listen to the entire 27-minute interview which is available below. I guarantee that when it ends, you’ll wonder why everyone doesn’t want the HyRail.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

KidsForSavingEarth.org Provides Multiple Tools to Help Families Live Greener

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0600

It is a well known fact that children are highly impressionable. It is an equally well known fact that children can be difficult to ignore. Hence, a well established method of advertising which has the goal of compelling parents to purchase specific wares for their children is to target those children with persuasive advertising.

The same principle can be used to effect the cultural change needed to reverse climate change in meaningful ways. For this reason, I am delighted to share with you the web address of

KidsForSavingEarth.org

Children have an inherent sense of right and wrong when it comes to the plight of those less fortunate than they are. What’s more, growing in frequency and intensity throughout the developed world, reaching children with environmental messages can have far greater impacts than even a few years ago.

For all of these reasons and more, I commend KidsForSavingEarth.org to your attention. Share it with every youngster in your circle of friends and family and marvel at the green results.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler

360° Paper Water Bottle from brandimage Takes Recycling to New Level

Keyboard Culture Global Warming Expert Corbett Kroehler — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0600

I’ve been telling you about the need to make cultural changes in order to fight climate change and global warming. I am firm in my resolve on this matter. No matter what I think, though (and no matter how many brilliant cultural campaigns are launched to make the change happen), humanity will need at least a decade in order to do away with its dirtier habits.

The single-use (one-way) beverage container is a prime example. Whether made from aluminum, plastic or steel, literally billions of single-use beverage containers are discarded every hour of every day around the world. This is a shockingly immense statistic. What is to be done? Yes, we most certainly must recycle but even in a utopian scenario, never will we capture 100% of the discarded containers.

Hence, the next best choice is to ramp up the quantity of recycled material used to create the beverage containers in the first place. With its 360° Paper Water Bottle, brandimage has done just that and then some.

The 360° Paper Water Bottle is made from recycled paperboard, not unlike that used to sell eggs in supermarkets. The top is torn off in order to access the liquid within and when empty, the container may be discarded with significantly less environmental impact than aluminum, plastic or steel. While no beverages sold in the 360° Paper Water Bottle have found their way to store shelves just yet, that will change in the coming months and I encourage you to keep a vigilant eye. The 360° Paper Water Bottle could well change the recycling industry for the better.

Fomenting the Triple Bottom Line

Corbett Kroehler