Pretty In Green.

Check Out These Articles!

2007-11-12T16:54:00.001-05:00

Young Entrepreneurs Target Global Warming

Civic Efforts for Global Environmental Change: Profiling Step It Up

Global Warming After Gore

I used these articles as research for my essay on the demographics of global warming. I found them very interesting!

Also, here is an article that represents the opposing view.
Generation Q

This is Amazing.

2007-11-05T18:10:00.000-05:00

It's a billboard in South Africa for a company called Eskom that generates the majority of South Africa's electricity.

I got this from TreeHugger!

P.S. I'm back! :)

Environmental Club at my school!

2007-09-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone! I am so so sorry for not writing the past few weeks. I haven't forgotten about the blog! School just takes up a lot of my time now.

Speaking of school I talked to my headmaster last week about starting an environmental club at my school and she approved!! I'm going to organize the first meeting within the next two weeks and I'll let you know what we're up to. There's a lot of students that are interested and I think it's going to be really great.

I'll do my best to write more!!

Green-Living Exibit at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont!

2007-09-06T21:33:00.000-04:00

Check this out!!

It looks amazing!
For more information check out http://www.shelburnemuseum.org/.

Anthony and Leah's Trip to Japan!

2007-09-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

Here are the details from the International Youth Conference on the Environment in Kyoto :) (See previous entry Conference in Japan).

In their presentation Anthony and Leah apologized on the behalf the United States for being the world's largest contributor to the issue of global warming. Following this apology they went into detail about what we can do to help and what is already being done. Their presentation and also those of students from Germany, China, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Mexico, France, Italy, Croatia and Ukraine were observed by quite the audience! There were students from all the countries listed above, TV reporters, Horikawa High School, Murasakino High School, family members and Kyoto officials! Anthony said that they were all very impressed by the presentations from all the students. Some of the points that other presenters brought up were using bikes for transportation, converting sludge into energy, building environmental centers and raising awareness in the classroom.

Anthony was part of a group that stayed at Horikawa High School during the day and tested the rain water and air of various cities. They even built their own machine to test rainwater! (More details on that later.)

While in Japan Anthony stayed with a Japanese host family which he says was one of his favorite parts.

"It was an awesome experience and also a wonderful opportunity to listen to each country's problems and how they want to fix it and most of all meeting new people. I have so many new friends now and I hope to go back and visit sometime in the future."

I wish I could've gone with them but I'm glad that I at least got to help out!

Here is one of Leah's pictures of all the students who presented from the nine different countries, some students from Murasakino High School, and some teachers.

Click to enlarge!

I circled Leah and Mr. Abbott :) I met with them and Anthony when I gave them advice on the presentation. Unfortunately Anthony is not in this picture . . . I'll update this entry as soon as I get more!

sayoonara! :)

Lobby Packet Delivery.

2007-08-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was my Project Hot Seat event! I went with my boyfriend Vinny, my good friend Noel and two great people that I met through the Project Hot Seat website named Audrey and Fabio. Audrey even brought her son. :) We met around 10:30AM and arrived at Michael Capuano's office right at 11. Michael Capuano was busy (as I had expected) so I asked to speak to a staff person. The woman at the front desk said that we wouldn't be able to do that either. She seemed to be in an awful mood. We handed over the lobby packet and signed his constituent book but that was all we could do for the day. Audrey is planning to make an appointment for us to go back and speak to Michael Capuano himself. :) The event didn't go quite as well as we had hoped but it was my first time doing anything like this so I think it was a good start!

When we go back for "Take 2" I hope to bring a lot more people!

Adiós! :)

Updates!

2007-08-22T18:50:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the lack of entries this past week. I'm currently gathering information for future posts! One of my neighbors is going to convert his car to electric and I get to help! Expect a post about that soon! Also, I still owe you the interview with my friend Anthony who went to Kyoto this August. (See entry: Conference in Japan).

My Project Hot Seat event is coming up! I've recruited five Greenpeace volunteers and I'm going to bring some of my friends as well. It's still not too late for you to sign up! I'll take lots of pictures and write about the meeting next week!

Thank you for your patience and expect a lot of new entries soon. :)

Swishing Parties! -- a cool new way to recycle :)

2007-08-16T18:18:00.000-04:00

"Consume less, share more" is a saying I like to go by. Every year teenagers spend hundreds of dollars buying back to school clothes but now there's a cheaper and more earth-friendly way to achieve a new wardrobe! Swishing is when you swap your (gently worn) clothes with friends!

"When the swishing officially began, we were allowed to grab anything that we wanted. Just imagine. Free clothes. And jewelry. And shoes. To take away forever. . . I left wearing a whole new outfit and a huge smile." -Anna Shepard, The Times
(quoted by Swishing.org)

Who would've thought that hand-me-downs would ever be cool?

You may not realize it . . . but constantly buying new clothes creates quite an issue for the environment.

New clothes means:
-more waste in landfills
-more energy used during production
-more pollution
-using up more resources

Take a look in your closet and I'm sure you'll find tons of clothes that you never wear, that don't fit, or that just aren't your style. Even if you don't care for them anymore, someone else might! Put them in a box and tell your friends to do the same. When you have enough people involved, hold a swishing party and exchange clothes! "One's trash is another's treasure!" :)

For more information visit Swishing.org.

ttyl :)

Phantom Power! Vampire Load! or. . . idle current.

2007-08-13T12:49:00.000-04:00

Sounds like something from Batman right? Idle current a.k.a. phantom power or vampire load means that your appliances use energy even when they're not in use! Your microwave oven, your stove, your DVD player, cable box . . . most of them display the time even after you turn them off. You may not realize this but this little time display is sucking a fair amount of power out of your sockets!

According to The Renewable Planet, "It has been estimated that about 10 percent of total home energy use is due to appliances and electronic equipment in standby mode."

A very unnecessary 10%!

So what can you do about this? Well, in my home after we discovered that vampire load was such an issue, we started using power strips. They look like this:

In this power strip we have the TV, DVD player, cable box, VCR, and printer all plugged in! Without the power strip this would cause an awful lot of vampire load. :(
BUT with the touch of the button on the left . . . the vampire load is stopped! It's as simple as that.

The prices of power strips can range from $5 to over $100. Just make sure you get one with an on/off switch and power surge protection if you are plugging in something expensive like a television or computer.

It's a good investment!
Vampire load be-gone!

ja mata :)

Down:2:Earth (D2E).

2007-08-12T12:26:00.000-04:00

Down:2:Earth - An exploration into sustainable living.

Similar to the Eco Trade Show I mentioned previously that has taken place in California, Down:2:Earth a.k.a. D2E will take place in Boston this March at the Hynes Convention Center!

D2E is a weekend dedicated to sustainable living. It will feature video presentations, booths for companies to promote their products, a fashion show, an art show, author readings, a bicycle rack design competition, and interactive seminars. It is a chance for people to see how many green options there are available. D2E will both teach why sustainable living is so important and show how to create a sustainable lifestyle.

The seminars are planned to include:
-Calculating your carbon footprint
-25 ways to help green your home
-Eating well for your children and grandchildren
-Greening your business
-Slow food -- where to buy what

Aiming to appeal to a wide range of age groups, D2E will promote businesses offering green alternatives to everything from fashion to finance.

It's going to be a great event and I'm excited to be a part of it!
I got my information from Nina Berger who is in charge of communications and publicity for the event.

Eventually D2E will have a website and as the planning progresses I'll let you know!

herete :)

Project Hot Seat.

2007-08-12T11:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I signed up to host an event for Project Hot Seat. Later this month a group of Project Hot Seat volunteers and myself will visit Massachusetts Representative Michael Capuano at his office and talk to him about the importance of the Safe Climate Act. If you want to do the same it's not too late! Visit Project Hot Seat and sign up to host an event in your area!

Warped Eco Initiatives (WEI).

2007-08-09T20:46:00.000-04:00

Today I went to the Van's Warped Tour '07. Apart from having a whole lot of fun there I was so excited to see the 40,000 watt Kevin Says Hot Topic solar powered stage! "Sustainable Waves" they called it! Here are two pictures I took. . .

You can see the sign in the picture above.

I have also learned that this year's Warped Tour has done even more for the good of the environment. They use a Biodiesel B20 mixture made for their tour buses, clean catering provided by Tada Catering, recycled paper, soy ink, and a WEI recycling program featuring clean-up volunteers. Tour vendors also used power provided by Biodiesel B20 and B100 (which is 100% biodiesel). I also came across a tent WEI had set up. Under the tent they had a TV connected to headphones so that you could watch An Inconvenient Truth right then and there and a petition to increase recycling in Massachusetts. I signed it of course. :)

FYI:

Biodiesel B20 -- Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is renewable and puts out 60% less CO2 than petroleum-based fuel. It is usually made from soybean or canola oil but can also be made from animal fat and recycled cooking oil. The only problem with this alternative fuel is it's cost, which is much higher than that of petroleum diesel. So to help lower the cost Biodiesel B20 was created. . . which is a mixture of 20% Biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. If you already have a diesel engine, then switching to Biodiesel B20 or other mixtures will not require any changes in your engine in order to run.

B100 -- 100% biodiesel!

Soy Ink -- Soy ink is exactly what it sounds like. It's ink made from soybeans, which is an alternative to petroleum-based ink that is much better for the environment and makes paper easier to recycle.

Clean Catering -- Tada Catering has been the catering company at Warped Tour for many years and this year decided that they wanted to reduce their waste. On the road they are using washable dishes! This is part of their new "reuse-and-recycle" program which also intends to turn many recycled items into cash for non-profit organizations.

I was very impressed with the efforts taken by Warped Tour this year! An event that would usually produce TONS of CO2 emissions and all sorts of waste has taken so many efforts to make such a fun day less damaging to the planet!

bye for now! :)

P.S. My boyfriend's band played at the 8/9/2007 Warped Tour and if you're into that kind of music you should give them a listen!
Myspace or PureVolume

Conference in Japan.

2007-08-08T10:35:00.000-04:00

Recently, I assisted my good friend Anthony on his global warming PowerPoint presentation that was presented last week in Kyoto, Japan. Our Japanese teacher selected Anthony to be a part of the International Youth Conference on the Environment in Kyoto. His job was to represent the United States at the conference and talk about actions that can be taken to stop the climate crisis. I met Anthony, Leah (another Japanese student helping out with the presentation) and teacher John Abbot mid-July to give them suggestions.

Anthony divided the presentation into five sections:
1. Home
2. School
3. City
4. State
5. Country

We came up with ways to help the planet in your home, school, city, state, and country. Most of these methods are obvious to any environmentally conscious person but I'll summarize them anyway.

Home:
- Recycle
- Maintain a garden/ plant trees to help reduce your CO2 output
- Upgrade to more energy efficient light bulbs
- Unplug all appliances when not in use
- Conserve water
- Use environmentally friendly cleaning products (ex. Method)

School:
- Reinforce recycling in schools
- Upgrade to more energy efficient light bulbs
- Solar power
- Make environmental studies part of the required curriculum to spread awareness to the next generation

City:
- Fund volunteer environmental projects. . . such as planting trees
- Have multiple recycling receptacles on streets
- Keep city streets clean
- Encourage the use of hybrid vehicles and public transportation

State:
- Reinforce company policies that prevent them from dumping and burning toxic waste
- Strengthen environmental laws that are neglected by the federal government
- Environment Massachusetts
- "Monkey see monkey do." If one state takes action on improving the environment, other states will soon catch on

Country:
- RATIFY THE KYOTO PROTOCOL!
- Educate the public about the dangers of global warming
- Support National Parks
- Strengthen Federal Environmental guidelines
- Form organizations to confront the issue and aim to improve

Those are some of the main points in the presentation. I will elaborate on some of these points later.

When I was on my way to meet Anthony that day, I was stopped by a man from Greenpeace who asked me if I would be interested in helping to stop global warming. I laughed and said, "I already am!"

I will have an interview with Anthony about his trip posted soon.

au revoir :)

Wellfleet Bay Mass Audubon Society!

2007-07-31T10:37:00.000-04:00

Last week I took a visit to the Wellfleet Bay Mass Audubon Society. If you love the environment, they are definitely an organization worth checking out!! The main building is 100% green, and they have massive solar panels outside of it. The building comes with composting toilets, solar power, thermal energy heating, and a greywater system. The floors are even made from recycled tires!!! For more information on this amazing building visit their Green Building Blog.

FYI:

Thermal Heating --
The ground below us maintains a relatively constant temperature. The thermal heating that is used by the Wellfleet Bay Mass Audubon Society comes from holes dug in the ground underneath the building. In the winter, this constant temperature from the ground helps to keep the building warmer, which means less heat will be needed to warm the building. And less heat means less energy being used! Then in the summer, the cooler air is brought up from the ground and keeps the building from getting scorching hot! :D

Greywater System --
The greywater system recycles the water used in a facility so that it can be used again. For example, dishwater, laundry and bath water will be used, proceed into a filtering system, and then used again to water your garden! The Wellfleet Bay Mass Audubon uses recycled water for their many gardens, and they also collect rain water on the roof to aid this process. The use of grey water lowers the amount of fresh water used and is great for plants! For more information visit Greywater Central.

As for composting toilets . . .
This concept still bewilders me a bit and I'll have to get back to you with more information.

Here is a picture of the solar panels at the Wellfleet Bay Mass Audubon:

ciao :)

California here we come.

2007-07-30T20:34:00.000-04:00

San Francisco is where it's at. They passed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, they no longer spend city funds on bottled water (very wasteful), they encourage the use of reusable shopping bags instead of plastic, and very recently CA has taken the lead in passing The Clean Alternative Fuel and Clean Vehicle Act of 2007 and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. According to Environmentcalifornia.org,"Together, the two bills would require by 2020 that 50 percent of new cars run on clean, alternative fuels, and that fuel providers reduce the carbon intensity of fuel in California by at least 10 percent." We need to follow this example!

Another thing I have noticed is that many earth-friendly clothing lines come from California as well. Two young girls from CA have started a clothing line called Velvet Leaf (they also have a website). Velvet Leaf is a clothing company that uses organic, earth-friendly materials to make high fashion clothing. Could that be any more awesome? When looking at their myspace you'll find links to lots of other small, organic clothing companies, most of which are ALSO in California. The Global Environmental Trade Show is also something worth checking out. Retailers that sell environmental products come to these ECO shows in New York and California to sell their green products and to buy from other green companies. When I discovered all of this I thought, "I should just move to California!" But then I realized that what would be even better is to help bring this green way of life to Boston . . . and everywhere else!

sayoonara :)