The Armchair Ecologist http://planet-u.com/blog Empowering individual actions that create a better planet. Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:56:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesAdd to Any Feed Reader Going paper…less trees http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/nrkidqCShZc/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/06/going-paperless-trees/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:52:19 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=57 Hey we may have another thing in common! Really. We both have been paying bills and receiving a few paper statements that still make their way to our mailbox despite our green efforts.

You can log on to your account and go paperless. And, it is easier than ever. Every utility company, credit card, or other service I interact with now offers this as a convenient option. That is a magic word for humans right? “Convenient.”

This is not necessarily something folks didn’t know, but have you acted on it yet? I have taken advantage of it in the past and recently. Some offer automatic billing and/or they will email you an e-copy of your bill with plenty of lead time before it is due. There are often many options from which you can select. I love it.

Some companies like AT&T will even plant a tree in your honor for going paperless.

Try it…you’ll like it.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/06/going-paperless-trees/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/06/going-paperless-trees/ Earth Month revisited http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/hwtZyNFCORE/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/05/earth-month-revisited/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 18:09:50 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=56 I took an oath not to be preachy or make attempts to prod people into making hefty contributions during Earth Month (ya know…April).  That oath was limited to the blog. That did not stop me from promoting it in businesses.

It was very interesting to see how quickly people were ready to contribute when provided with a recycling opportunity within close proximity to where they worked.

The picture below is from one of the break rooms at a large corporation after a week of collection. Everything you see in the box would have made it into the trash and our landfills.

The organization already recycles paper, aluminum, and plastic bottles. For the week-long challenge, people were encouraged to recycle their paper cups and glass bottles.

There would likely have been more on any other week. The reason? Most people also brought in a mug or cup for their favorite beverages to reduce the resources used. Every little bit makes a difference.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/05/earth-month-revisited/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/05/earth-month-revisited/ Earth Hour – turn out the lights on 3/27 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/yzgAntQPuLg/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/03/earth-hour-turn-out-the-lights-on-327/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:15:47 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=53 Planet U will turn off all non-essential lighting for Earth Hour, and we encourage organizations and individuals to do the same. This will be awesome!

Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change and toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. 2010 marks the third year of the event, which attracted more than 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York’s Empire State Building.

Notable U.S. landmarks such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Sea World in Orlando, the strip in Las Vegas, New York’s Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral, California’s Santa Monica Pier and the Space Needle in Seattle are among the hundreds of sites that will turn off non-essential lighting for the hour, in what is expected to be the largest-ever call to action on climate change.

Are you willing to make the 1 hour commitment? Join here (pretty please).

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/03/earth-hour-turn-out-the-lights-on-327/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/03/earth-hour-turn-out-the-lights-on-327/ Fixin’ to pitch that fir (tree)? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/4eaYPoXr2Zc/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/01/fixin%e2%80%99-to-pitch-that-fir/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:13:11 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=52 Although I celebrated this holiday without any tree (live or artificial), some of you had.

If you are like most, you’re now ready to get that beautiful “live” tree out of your home to pitch it. Please remember that many local municipalities have programs that allow you to leave the tree at the curb for recycling.

They will then come by on specific dates to shred the tree. Some areas compost where others use it for mulch. It sure beats sending it to a landfill.

One of my friends even likes to submerge them as structure in ponds that have little shelter for aquatic animals.

Happy new year everyone!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/01/fixin%e2%80%99-to-pitch-that-fir/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2010/01/fixin%e2%80%99-to-pitch-that-fir/ Cereal gets serious…with the environment in mind http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/Ij8Zk3mb2do/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/11/cereal-gets-seriouswith-the-environment-in-mind/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:09:11 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=51 Three Sisters Cereal is a newer cereal I started purchasing during my short treks to the local Whole Foods Market. What intrigued me the most… it comes in a plastic bag.

I know, you may be saying to me… “How is that good for the environment?”  Well, that is a good question and I am glad you are challenging the thought process to make greener choices.

Consider the alternative, boxed cereals have a plastic liner. Three Sisters Cereal eliminates the use of paper altogether and uses the plastic for storage. Plus, each bag comes with a handy zip seal that keeps the cereal fresh (I like that a lot).

I have tried three of the six flavors thus far: Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, and Sweet Wheat – all are yummy. And, yes I have a sweet tooth when it comes to cereal mom (hence my choices in flavors).

Want another reason to opt for this brand…Three Sisters Cereal uses environmentally conscious business practices that include recycling and using wind energy to produce their cereals. Woohoo!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/11/cereal-gets-seriouswith-the-environment-in-mind/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/11/cereal-gets-seriouswith-the-environment-in-mind/ Disney starts a new kind of “club” http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/HiVF0Z-fhcA/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/disney-starts-a-new-kind-of-club/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:54:48 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=49 I have always been a huge Disney fan…and their recent efforts to place their eco-mindedness (Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green) at the forefront and helped generate more interest on environmental awareness. Check out this article from Treehugger.com on the subject – very cool stuff.

What do you think about it? Feel free to comment.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/disney-starts-a-new-kind-of-club/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/disney-starts-a-new-kind-of-club/ The buzz about Colony Collapse Disorder http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/MqCwc0vtPnE/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/the-buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:28:54 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=48 I hope you are doing well.

PBS replayed the program “Silence of the Bees” which originally premiered on 10/28/2007. The program has everything to do with investigating the causes related to Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD) and the decline in bee populations since winter of 2006. The topic also made it to one of the trivia questions in the hot environmental board game Mission Kijani. :)

I watched the program again and found myself glued to the television. Although I have a post that relates, I had not done a specific one on this topic. I wanted to be sure that I gave it attention here.

Without giving it away, I recommend you visit PBS.org for updates on the topic and even the chance to watch an episode. It is very educational and absolutely fascinating.

I hope you enjoy it. I know I did!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/the-buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/the-buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder/ Move over trash — hello green! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/tl9-k8V0--g/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/07/move-over-trash-%e2%80%94hello-green/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:52:05 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=47 Are you going to participate in a family move or work at a business that is relocating? There can be a lot of trash generated as part of a move. The key is to separate the usable “material” from the “true trash”.

This can include recycle worthy or reusable paper products, office supplies, books/magazines, furniture, plastic containers, etc.

A friend of mine recently went through a corporate move. A friend of mine stepped into action after noticing the company was creating trash piles in an empty office that included the above examples.

What did they do? They called a few local schools and non-profit organizations to see if they wanted any of the spare office supplies that one would have wasted.  It sounds like the organizations were absolutely tickled to have the opportunity to reuse “material” that folks were just going to throw away.

Kudos to you my friend! That is a great example of taking a proactive choice to help people and the environment.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/07/move-over-trash-%e2%80%94hello-green/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/07/move-over-trash-%e2%80%94hello-green/ Take action to make an Act stronger http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/uWl8VnKKNIg/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/take-action-to-make-an-act-stronger/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:42:15 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=46 Yes, I am all for the Waxman-Markey Climate Change bill, now called the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This is another example of a step in the right direction for Mother Nature and Humankind. It’s also a step that helps open another door to a clean energy economy. But, is this step big enough?

The goal is to reduce our impact on carbon emissions/global warming. It involves fostering more U.S. energy independence with the bonus of assembling clean energy jobs by the millions while saving Americans several hundred billion dollars in energy costs. Woohoo! There are four areas of focus:

  1. Creating a clean energy economy that helps protecting American consumers and industry by creating more green jobs
  2. Promoting clean electric vehicles, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, renewable sources of energy, and the smart grid and electricity transmission.
  3. Increase energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy (i.e., industrial, transportation, construction, equipment/appliances, etc.)
  4. Limiting Greenhouse emissions by cutting the U.S. contribution to global warming pollution by 17% compared to 2005 levels in 2020, by 42% in 2030, and by 83% in 2050.

What really gets me is how tame the goals are for the emissions targets. I mean, this is America people…the land of “Go Big or Go Home”. I feel it needs a revision to achieve a higher standard. For example, Sweden’s goal is to free itself from oil by 2020. I know that is not an apples to apples comparison…I just liked how short their timeline is for a significant change.

If you are in the area and want to express your support or concerns…RePower Illinois has organized a panel discussion. Located at the Congregation Beth at 2075 Deerfield Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 7:30pm.

Illinois resident? Feel free to contact Congressman Kirk with your support!

P.S. I also want to be sure that President Obama continues to be a visible player in any activity that acts like this one promote. Another great opportunity for leadership and individuals to do the right thing for the planet.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/take-action-to-make-an-act-stronger/feed/ 0 http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/take-action-to-make-an-act-stronger/ I sea ice and no rise. See! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheArmchairEcologist/~3/vZnyd3r3nlo/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/i-sea-ice-and-no-rise-see/#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:50:22 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=45 Back on April 5th 2009 a “New York City” sized “chunk” of the Wilkins Ice Shelf (in Antarctica) broke off and floated away. That amounts to nearly 270 square miles of ice that dispersed.

However, don’t panic…this ice came from ice shelves that were already floating in the ocean (sea ice). That means the ice was already displacing the water. You should NOT expect the volume of water that this large amount of sea ice contains to make any substantial impact in rising sea levels.

Discover more: a few ice cubes and place them in an empty glass. Fill it to a desired level and mark the water level with tape or a marker. Wait for the ice to melt. And, bingo…that is a crude example of what generally takes place in the above event.

So, what are the greatest influences of rising ocean water levels? I am so glad you asked.

  1. The retreat (melting) of land ice (glaciers) and
  2. Thermal Expansion (water takes up more space as it gets warmer).

P.S. the impact this has on changing the ocean’s salinity is a good topic for another time.

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