Greener.Ideal

How Toxic Is Your Tee? The Truth About Cotton And Pesticides

Mark Spowart — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:45:46 +0000

Have you ever read that label “wash before wearing” and thought, “Na! It will be fine”? Think again.

Cotton is the most common material around the globe accounting for over 50% of the globes fibre requirements. Millions, dare we say billions of people probably have it in their possession in some form or another. However research suggests that this simple noble material may not be good for your health.

Beth Doane, founder of Andira International a import and distribution company recently wrote on the potential impacts commercial cotton may have. She found:

1. The majority of cotton is grown using extremely toxic chemicals and pesticides

2. Some of these chemicals and pesticides are considered to be the most lethal toxins in the world.

3. According to womenshealth.gov, the health risks of pesticide exposure can include birth defects, reproductive disorders and a weakened immune systems.

4. According to the World Health Organization, pesticides cause the poisoning of nearly five million people across the globe each year.

5. Formaldehyde is an identified neurotoxin and carcinogen (known to cause cancer and negatively affect our bodies nervous system). It is used in the apparel industry to set dyes and keep clothes “wrinkle free”. This also why most of our apparel comes with a “wash before wearing” label. Sadly, the majority of us have no idea just how important it really is to wash our clothes before they are in contact with our skin, which can absorb these toxins within 30 minutes of direct contact.

6. Most of the dyes used on cotton tees are synthetic dyes made from petrochemicals, which are chemical products made from the raw material of petroleum. Like any other product containing petroleum or oil, the mining and refining needed to create these dyes pollutes our environment and our bodies with poisonous chemicals.

So, the next time you see, “wash before wearing” you may want to think twice. Either about washing, or buying the product in the first place.

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6th Annual Chevy Chase Green Auction Has Great Prizes From Celebrities

Ian Andrew — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:28:41 +0000

Starting today and running until November 24 is the 6th Annual Chevy Chase Green Auction, and this year may have some of the best prizes up for grabs from some of the biggest celebrities yet. This year, all of the proceeds will be donated to the GREEN Community Schools organization.

This environmental organization, part of the MGR Foundation, is unique in that it creates strong partnerships between schools, local community residents, stakeholders and available resources to promote sustainability in students’ lives, both in school and out of school. The goal of this year’s project is to create green schools in both Chicago and Detroit which will be models of sustainability.

And with the prizes up for auction this year, it seems very likely all of the funds needed to carry out this project will be raised. Take a look at the items below the cut.

Click on any of the links to be taken to their auction page:

• Spend a Day in the Studio with Howard Stern

• Meet Oprah Backstage

• Meet Stephen Colbert on the Set of The Colbert Report

• 2 Tickets to Saturday Night Live

• Attend the Premiere of “Due Date”, Starring Robert Downey, Jr.

• Meet the Dave Matthews Band After the Concert of Your Choice-Summer 2010!

• Paul Shaffer’s Late Night Worn-Suit and Sunglasses

Click here to see the full list of prizes, including a full day on set with Dustin Hoffman, a meeting with Chevy Chase himself on the set of the hilarious new comedy Community, and tickets to a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

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Toyota’s Prius Hybrid Does It Again

Mark Spowart — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:18:45 +0000

They are still jumping at Toyota.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy announced on October 15 the Toyota Prius Hybrid leads all 2010 model cars in fuel efficiency at 51 miles per gallon on the highway and 48 in city driving conditions.

Not only are they leading, they are a full 10 mpg (miles per gallon) ahead of the two model who share second place. The Ford Fusion Hybrid FWD (front wheel drive) and the Mercury Milan Hybrid FWD which come in at 41 miles per gallon highway and 36 miles per gallon in the city.

On the other end of the spectrum, the least, or most wasteful coming in at 11 miles per gallon on the highway is the Lamborghini Murcielago. Other luxury car makers Bugatti, Bentley, and Ferrari were slightly better.

The Fuel Economy Guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost for each vehicle listed. There is an online version allowing consumers to input local fuel prices, driving habits and the guide will produce fuel cost estimate. The guide is available at www.fueleconomy.gov

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E-Book, With A Focus On Environment

Mark Spowart — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:58:11 +0000

LG is betting they have found the missing ingredient to make E-books attractive to consumers.

A recent study by Cleantech Group finds e-readers could have a major impact on improving the sustainability and the environmental impact of the publishing industry, one of the world’s worst polluting sectors. In the U.S. alone in 2008 the book and newspaper industries harvested over 125 million trees, add to this the wastewater that produced and its’ huge carbon footprint.

The report “The environmental impact of Amazon’s Kindle” suggests with just over 1 million units sold to date, E-readers remain a niche group, and really haven’t had much of an impact on the environment, as the units still require charging from the electrical grid.

Enter LG with a solar powered e-reader. Outfitted with a solar 10 cm wide solar panel, that is 9.6 percent efficient and adds around 20 grams to the product. The panel requires 4-5 hours of sunlight to power the device for a full day. Last year LG introduced a display that can be illuminated by sunlight rather than a backlight when used outside.

With their ability to store thousands of books worth of information, E-books are starting to gain a lot attention. Amazon’s Kindle is projecting an uptick in sales possibly reaching 14.4 million units sold by 2012.

In the United States, Amazon holds 45% market share of e-readers with Sony being the only other major competitor at 30%.

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Buried Report From Bush Era Found

Mark Spowart — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:36:28 +0000

Using the Freedom of Information Act, a reporter with the environmental news publication Greenwire uncovered a 2007 report authored by then Environment Protection Agency scientists recommending the United States should take swift action to regulate greenhouse gases.

“The conclusions should have been made public and should have been considered” said EPA spokesperson Adora Andy.

Known as an endangerment finding, it is reported to echo some of the same points found in the report ordered by President Obama last April.

Some sections of Obama’s endangerment report offer the same viewpoints on climate change as the suppressed Bush report word for word, including a statement that the U.S. and the rest of the world are experiencing the effects of climate change now. The Obama version, which is still in a period of public review is expected to become the canonical document because it contains a greater level of detail than the results contained in the Bush document. The 2009 endangerment finding is expected to give the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gasses by the end of the year.

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Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery Faces Development of Gold and Copper Mine

Mark Spowart — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:27:34 +0000

The world’s most productive salmon fishery in Alaska’s Bristol Bay is receiving support from the Natural Resources Defence Council in the United States, to save the fishery from the possible development of a large gold and copper mine.

The Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska is a copper-gold-molybdenum deposit equally owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., based in Vancouver Canada, and Anglo American PLC based in London, UK.

“There are few hum activities as toxic as large-scale mining” an official with NRDC said in statement last week. “The Pebble Mine project could lead to widespread water contamination, which would destroy the salmon runs of the Bristol Bay watershed, and thereby devastate the native communities and abundant wildlife the salmon have supported for thousands of years”.

Located at the most eastern arm of the Bering Sea, Bristol Bay is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery as well as strong runs of chum salmon, silver salmon and king salmon.

The project calls for three of the tallest dams in the world to be constructed to hold up as much as 9.1 billion toxic mining discharge including cyanide, sulphuric acid, arsenic, selenium and other toxic substances over a 10 square mile region.

In the past NRDC has had success forcing Mitsubishi and the Mexican government to cancel plans to build a massive industrial salt plant on a lagoon in Southern Baja California. A region that is a critical breeding area for the Pacific gray whale, and persuaded the Timber Products Company in Alaska to drop plans for a veneer mill that would have threatened the Tongass National Forest.

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Greener Ideal Giveaway: Win A Copy of Climate Cover-Up by James Hogan

Ian Andrew — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:23:55 +0000

Update: Contest is closed, as we have found a winner!

It’s time for a little game of fastest fingers! We’ve partnered with our friends over at the DeSmogBlog to hold a great contest for our readers, where one of you is going to win a copy of the new book by DeSmogBlog co-creator James Hogan. The book is called Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade To Deny Global Warming, and deals with the issue of powerful public relations companies starting fake grassroots movements to create the image of genuine public opinion, and confuse important issues like climate change. It’s called “Astroturfing” and although it’s been going on for years, it’s having a terrible effect on the public’s opinion of the real science behind climate change.

Some celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, David Suzuki, and Neve Campbell, have already raved about the book - DiCaprio called it “an imperative read for a successful future” - and you can get yourself a free copy if you are the first one to answer just TWO of the following questions:

1. The American Petroleum Institute increased its lobbying budget by what percent in the second quarter of 2009, relative to 2008?

2. How many lobbyists representing the Oil and Gas industry were registered in the US in 2008?

3. What percent of American energy demand is filled by renewable energy sources?

After you check out the video after the jump, and you track down your answers, be the first one to leave them in the comments and we’ll announce who got the right answer the fastest, and send you your copy of Climate Cover-Up.

It may take a few minutes, but I assure you the answers are available through Google searches. If you’re really determined to learn about what Big Oil’s Lobbying has been up to, how many oil and gas lobbyists there were in in 2008, or are set on finding out how much renewable energy do we use, we’re sure you’ll find the answers.

**BIG HINT** The bolded phrases are the key!

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The Road To Copenhagen Climate Conference

Darren Hanton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:49:03 +0000

In December 2009, Denmark will play host to the most important meeting since the signing of the Kyoto Accord. The (UN) United Nations climate conference, to be held in Copenhagen, will seek new global agreements to tackle climate change to replace Kyoto when it expires in 2012.

The Kyoto protocol was fully ratified back in 1997. National limitations, predominantly for developed countries were set, ranging from 8% greenhouse gas reductions for the (EU) European Union, to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan and 0% for Russia. Within the EU, the (UK) United Kingdom was set a country specific target of a 12.5% reduction.

The UK target reduction of 12.5% was immediately considered by many environmentalists as not far reaching enough. However, the new Labour Government of the day seemed determined to pick up the gauntlet of climate change and tackle the environmental issue head on. Whether for political gain or genuine concern or even both, is a matter of speculation.

In November 2008 the ‘Climate Change Act’ was introduced as law into the UK. This act sets out a new approach to how we will manage and respond to climate change in the UK. Significantly, the act has even more ambitious and legally binding targets. Set against a baseline of 1990 levels the UK now has a self-imposed legally binding target to cut by 80% its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. An earlier reduction of at least 34% has been set to be achieved by 2020. Several groups have reacted fiercely to aviation and transport emissions not being fully included within the provision of this act.

On the 5th June 2009, World Environment Day, the UK announced that its greenhouse gas emissions were expected to be about 23% below the levels of 1990 – a figure well above the 12.5% level set out by the Kyoto agreement.

Joan Ruddock, Minister at the Department for Energy and Climate Change said, “Our latest report to the UN shows what can be achieved when Government, communities and business work together to reduce emissions. We already have significant achievements under our belt, but we know there is more to be done – we must continue to work urgently to reduce our emissions further and faster.”

The UK is far from being the golden child when it comes to the issue of global warming. However, this writer at least believes the UK has now stepped up to the mark and is now looking to its peers to help in the crusade against global warming. As we approach the United Nations meeting in Copenhagen, Demark, the stakes for all of us could not be more important. More than 180 countries will discuss and thrash out the actions and policies that will determine how the global community will face the threat of global warming over the next 50-years and beyond.

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Manitoba’s New Rule For BioFuels

Donald Iain Campbell — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:21:17 +0000

The Province of Manitoba has become the first jurisdiction within Canada to require the blend of renewable fuel with all diesel fuel, says Energy Minister Jim Rondeau.

The September 9, 2009 announcement states oil companies must sell a blend of biodiesel with their own product made from a variety of sources, including vegetable oils made from canola, soybeans, and sunflowers. Initially, the percentage of renewable fuel in diesel fuel will be 2% - which is estimated to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the province by 56,000 tonnes, or the equivalent of removing 11,000 cars off the road. However, in the 2007 provincial campaign, the New Democratic Party pledged a minimum 5% biodiesel mandate. Clearly the province has decided on a more gradual approach to cater to the industry concerns regarding “transition.”

Speedway International of Winnipeg is a licensed biodiesel producer that can easily supply 20-22 million litres of biodiesel on an annual basis, and the provincial government intends to incrementally increase the required ratio of renewable fuel in diesel. Currently, Rondeau states that oil companies must blend as much as 5% biodiesel into diesel fuel during the summer months with a minimum of 2% biodiesel in the winter.

The law coming into effect will be beneficial in creating an important new market for Canadian farmers who produce oilseed that falls below food-grade standard. As an incentive, the provincial government will provide a 14-cent-a-litre subsidy to biodiesel producers. The Harper government has already announced its intent to impose a national mandate for biodiesel by 2012; Manitoba is unwilling to wait that long. In addition, the province of British Columbia will introduce legislation on biodiesel fuel on January 1, 2010.

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Village Green & Microsoft Partner on SMARTweb®, Carbon Tracking Tool

Ian Andrew — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:57:31 +0000

Anyone who’s been paying attention to recent environmental efforts knows by now that carbon emissions tracking solutions are going to be a big business, so it should come as no surprise that Microsoft, the world’s most prominent software developer, is already tackling the challenge.

This week, Microsoft announced its partnership with Village Green Environmental Solutions, and launched SMARTweb®, an online tool which will enable governments to gather very detailed data about carbon emissions, as well as automated reporting, which previously hadn’t been possible with manual systems.

By targeting governments with the tool, Village Green also believes there will be a trickle-down effect to businesses in the areas as well. Ideally, local governments would purchase licenses for their small businesses and put the work in the hands of those who can change it. Since SMARTweb tracks electricity use, water consumption, natural gas, and waste along with carbon emissions, many of its clients begin saving 15-20% of their overall costs. What’s good for a sustainable business is also good for the environment.

The other benefit this industry will have is that of green job creation. The carbon tracking industry is expected to create 68,000 jobs for environmental auditors in the coming years.

The launch of SMARTweb® puts Village Green and Microsoft in a position to quickly become the market leader in carbon emissions tracking, with their eyes set on capturing 40% of the US market within 2-5 years. If SMARTweb is a tool you think could help your business or government, visit Village Green’s official site to learn more about the online environmental management tool.

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Whirlpool To Produce 1 Million Smart Energy Clothes Dryers by 2011

Ian Andrew — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:59 +0000

As Smart Grids continue to gain popularity, and begin to be implemented by utility providers across the US, appliance manufacturers are going to be releasing compatible products to help optimize energy usage in your home. One of the first to hit the market is Whirlpool, best known for clothes washers and dryers and dishwashers.

This week, Whirlpool announced it will produce 1 million Smart Grid compatible clothes dryers by 2011 as part of the US Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Investment Grant program, with every appliance produced by Whirlpool to be Smart Grid compatible by 2015.

The appeal of these appliances is their ability to calculate the best time of the day to run in order to save money. As the Smart Grid develops, many areas may see time-of-use pricing implemented, meaning you’ll be charged more for the power you use in the middle of the day than at night. If that’s the case, your appliances will know to run at a time when it will save you money. With one million of the dryers on the market shifting energy consumption away from peak times, it may mean saving the equivalent of 10 coal burning power plants.

As great as that sounds, a Smart Energy clothes dryer will probably only save you around $20-$40 per year, and likely cost more than a standard dryer upfront. But once all of your appliances are Smart Grid compatible, and your home becomes more energy efficient, you’ll see an overall benefit on your monthly hydro bill, and on your environment as well.

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Apple Sets New Standards for Environment

Ian Andrew — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:08:48 +0000

After Apple’s latest ad campaign touting the environmental benefits of the latest line of MacBooks, it’s no surprise to see the company taking a strong stance and promoting the environmental benefits of their products. In keeping with the trend, the technology manufacturer launched a new section of their site, apple.com/environment, where they go into great detail on the topics of recyclability, energy efficiency, and an example of a product’s lifecycle (seen above).

On the topic of recyclability, Apple promotes the longer lifecycle of its computers, iPods and iPhones compared to its competitors. The longer track record you can get out of your device, the less waste is produced. Also, by being made of highly recyclable materials like aluminum, polycarbonate and glass, they are more valuable to recycling depots. That’s also why Apple will take responsibility for recycling your old monitor, computer, iPod, or mobile phone.

To make their computers more energy efficient, Apple has developed new highly efficient power suppliers, installed low-power components into the hardware, and developed power managing software to allow the computers to save the maximum amount of energy when possible.

The most insightful part of Apple’s new Environment section is the comparison between the current iMacs, and the iMacs from 1998, and laptops from 2006 and 2008. The iMacs now emit half as much CO2 as they did 11 years ago, and are about on par with a 60W light bulb, while the notebooks emit almost half as much as they did only 2 years ago.

These features, along with a noticeable reduction in packaging materials, truly gives Apple a sustainable business policy to be proud of, and one that its competitors should aim to contend with.

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Air Miles Launches ‘My Planet’ Promotion, Rewards Canadians For Green Purchases

Ian Andrew — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:17:24 +0000

Any Canadian who happens to be reading this who doesn’t have an Air Miles card yet - it’s time to get on it. Why? Because now, in addition to receiving Air Miles when you make regular purchases like groceries, dry cleaning, or home products, you now get huge bonus Air Miles when you purchase green products, or use green services.

As of yesterday, 18 major retailers in Canada, including Metro, Safeway, and RONA, began offering bonus reward miles to Air Miles card holders that buy sustainable products, with many more expected to come on board soon. In fact, yesterday also marked the addition of Bullfrog Power to Air Miles’ Participating Sponsors, meaning you can now receive Air Miles for your monthly energy bills.

Along with providing card holders more miles for sustainable choices, Air Miles has also introduced many new reward incentives for the card holders. Now, instead of flying across the country with your miles, you can opt to instead ‘buy’ a solar back-up kit, a monthly metro pass, or a discount on energy-efficient vehicles.

This is a great new incentive program which will hopefully turn many more Canadians onto making greener choices. To learn more about the sponsors of the My Planet program, visit Air Miles - My Planet.

If you haven’t registered for an Air Miles card yet, click here and sign up right away - it’s free, after all.

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Las Vegas’ CityCenter: One Of The World’s Largest Sustainable Developments

Ian Andrew — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:38:06 +0000

When Las Vegas’ newest and most exciting addition to the strip opens this December, there’s going to be more to celebrate than only new resorts, residences, and community areas - the CityCenter also going to set the bar for sustainable developments in the city.

The 18-million square foot development was designed by 8 world-renowned architects, and once it’s finished will qualify for a combination of silver and gold LEED certification ratings. The most impressive environmental feature of the CityCenter is undoubtedly its 8.5 megawatt natural gas co-generation plant, which creates a large amount of energy to be used for the entire area, while using the waste heat of the plant to produce hot water for the area.

Other impressive features are water conservation technologies which save between 30% and 43% indoors and 60% outdoors in landscaping and irrigation, clean-burning compressed natural gas powered limousines so guests can arrive in style, and a new large-scale recycling plant which has already recycled or reused over 260,000 tons of construction waste.

Also, inside the casino are unique slot machines with floor air-conditioning units built in, not only to keep the gamblers’ feet cold, but also to conserve energy by keeping the cold air as close to the ground as possible.

If you’re planning a getaway to Vegas anytime soon, the CityCenter may be just the spot to keep your trip as green as possible. To learn more about the hottest new destination on The Strip, visit the official CityCenter website.

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EA Clock Is Energy Aware, Stylish Energy Monitor

Ian Andrew — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:35:07 +0000

Monitoring your energy consumption, although redeeming environmentally and financially, can be a pain. One way around that is to make your energy indicator a little more stylish.

Take for instance the EA Clock (which stands for energy aware). Much like a TED: The Energy Detective system, the ea clock is able to display the peak times of energy usage throughout the day and track just how much everything - or everyone - in your house is using.

The difference is that it looks cool on display and won’t be something you cringe looking at on your counter, and will probably be something you or your family will be more willing to look at throughout the day.

If you haven’t considered picking up an energy monitor because it has seemed too techy or difficult to understand, the EA clock may be the energy monitor for you. There are even more of these cool designs for energy monitoring accessories at Design Boom.

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Terraskin Tree-Free Paper: Made From Stone

Ian Andrew — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:16:40 +0000

You may not be able to get blood from a stone, but now you are able to get paper from a stone, thanks to a new company called Terraskin. The unique paper product is made without the use of any trees whatsoever, and opts instead to use mostly mineral powder and a small amount of non-toxic resin. Plus, making it requires no water, and it produces no pollutants into the water when it’s done.

Although a sheet of Terraskin looks and works almost like real paper, it’s incredibly soft to the touch, tough to tear, and doesn’t absorb ink like regular paper, meaning you’ll use around 30% less ink as you would on paper pulp from trees.

And just like regular paper, it’s degradable. After 6 months left outside, Terraskin paper returns to its natural form as mineral dust.

The high end product may not have any real day-to-day usage because of its price point, but Terraskin would certainly be an ideal choice when sending something such as wedding invitations that you want to go above and beyond Forestry Stewardship Council Certified.

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