Green Blog Community

Green School Project

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:18:11 +0000

I am a student at Michigan State doing a "green" project and would appreciate it if you took our short, 17-question survey:
http://broad.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_6hzLtJsKrC55JfC&SVID=Prod

Thanks!

Broadband & the Environment

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:39:45 +0000

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to share with you some of the great environmental benefits of broadband. If you're reading this, you are most likely using broadband! But did you ever stop to think about how broadband allows you to "green" your daily routine?

People can work from and shop online, reducing or eliminating a daily commute and a trip to the mall. In fact, The American Consumer Institute estimates that "telecommuting will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 247.7 million tons due to less driving, 28.1 million tons due to reduced office construction, and 312.4 million tons because of energy saved by businesses." (Joseph P. Fuhr Jr. And Stephen B. Pociask, "Broadband Services: Economic And Environmental Benefits," The American Consumer Institute, 10/31/07)

On behalf of Broadband for America, I urge you to visit the Broadband for America website to learn more about how you can utilize broadband to help the environment. You can also share how your life is greener due to broadband on our Facebook Page. Or, if you prefer, follow me on twitter @codiprachar to stay up-to-date on conserving energy with broadband!

Codi Prachar
Broadband for America

Million Baby Crawl

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:42 +0000

Seventh Generation and millions of babies are crawling to Washington to demand a law that will regulate toxic chemicals found in household products. Erin Brokovich has officially signed on as our spokesperson!

Check it out: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/million-baby-crawl/, create a crawler on the website to support the cause! And spread the word!

Molly Claxton

Here are some fun videos about the cause:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SeventhGeneration#p/c/597EF95B76FBC492/2/a7b67Ul0YP0
http://www.youtube.com/user/SeventhGeneration#p/c/597EF95B76FBC492/0/LQ4qeaGIW54

Stand with African Delegates at the UN Climate Talks

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:17:37 +0000

People in more than 180 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5000 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

Right now, at the United Nations climate talks in Barcelona -- the last negotiations before Copenhagen this December -- African delegates are taking a stand for strong targets. They refuse to accept that rich countries will not commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly and put the planet on the path to 350 parts per million, the safe level of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere.

SIGN IT: http://action.350.org/t/10118/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1653

Green Web Awards (By Nigel's Eco Store)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:04:12 +0000

Hi All

NigelsEcoStore.com are running the Green Web Awards again this year
http://www.nigelsecostore.com/green-web-awards/

Please consider voting for my site http://www.envirogadget and any other green site (like Enviro-Space.com and Green-Blog.org)

Dan

Are you getting the H1N1 Vaccine?

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:15:56 +0000

NOOOOOOOO DONT TAKE IT!

ITS A CONSPIRACY BY LIBERAL ELITE SCIENTISTS WHO ARE FUNDED BY COMMUNISTIC SOCIALIST FASCIST OBAMA!

No seriously. I will probably get the vaccine out of respect for others. I dont want to infect someone who has a bad immune defence or is in one of those high risk groups.

And when it comes down to it it's not about saving your life that the governments offers this vaccine to everyone. It's to lessen the damage done to the social infrastructure. We dont want a majority of our firemen, health personal etc to be sick. Because then society will be in knee-deep trouble.

What I am trying to say is, don't be so selfish and only think of the possible consequences for you. You will most likely be fine, even if you get the flu, but many other people might not.

Wind powered garden light

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:54:05 +0000

Hi everyone, me and my teammates from school are gathering information about a new product idea for our marketing class. Please help us out by taking our quick survey regarding your gardening habits! All responses will be kept confidential. Thank you so much and have a great day!!!

http://bumanagement.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_dnbvxD8qP5mw0h6&SVID=Prod

"Is this haunting picture proof that chimps really DO grieve?"

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:21:07 +0000

Look at this picture and judge for your self.

"United in what appears to be deep and profound grief, a phalanx of more than a dozen chimpanzees stood in silence watching from behind the wire of their enclosure as the body of one of their own was wheeled past.

This extraordinary scene took place recently at the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon, West Africa. When a chimp called Dorothy, who was in her late 40s, died of heart failure, her fellow apes seemed to be stricken by sorrow."

Read more: http://www.dailymail...-DO-grieve.html

Heartbreaking Photos of Pollution in China

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:31:45 +0000

October 14, 2009, the 30th annual awards ceremony of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund took place at the Asia Society in New York City. Lu Guang (卢广) from People's Republic of China won the $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for his documentary project "Pollution in China."

You can watch all of the images here!

The Case for Separated Bike Lanes in NYC

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:07:56 +0000

Advocates from Transporation Alternatives, The Project for Public Spaces, and The Open Planning Project join "Gridlock Sam" Schwartz and Enrique Penalosa to call for New York City to consider experimenting with some physically separated bike lanes in the near future.

Wow. The USA is so far behind everyone else its sad.

The Yes Men on High-Minded Climate Prankery

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:45:36 +0000

The Yes Men on High-Minded Climate Prankery

Grist interviews the high-minded pranksters, The Yes Men, about runaway climate change, getting arrested, civil disobedience and their film, The Yes Men Fix the World, which comes out on October 7th.

Fun Facts: The Yes Men launched 22 survivaballs into the East River to reach world leaders at the U.N. during climate talks last week. One was arrested and held in jail for 26 hours. They printed fake newspapers and distributed them across New York City with headlines screaming out the effects of climate change.

To learn more and about BeyondTalk and to sign up for what The Yes Men are hoping will be the largest international climate civil disobedience action of all time , click here - http://www.beyondtalk.net/

More about their film, The Yes Men Fix the World - http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/

If Tokyo had gotten the Olympics they would have built a stadium powered entirely by the sun

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:41:14 +0000

If Tokyo had gotten the Olympics they would have built a stadium powered entirely by the sun. In fact their whole Olympics bid was geared around creating an efficient, low-impact (in the environmental sense) event.

Inhabitat writes: "On top of the solar stadium, Tokyo will work to reuse current facilities and rework them, rather than building brand new facilities which requires the use of virgin resources and more energy during construction. Many of the facilities will include green roofs to help reduce stormwater runoff. And with Tokyo already being a dense and compact city, 97% of the facilities and venues used for the 2016 games will be located with an 8km radius of the Olympic Stadium and Village."

But Tokyo didn't get the Olympics. Brazil did. Does anyone know if Brazil plan on doing a "green" Olympics?

Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:08:59 +0000

The Nobel Peace Prize of this year goes to Barack Obama

What do you think of this decision? Did the Swedish committee make a bad or a good decision?

Do You Think Climate Change is Getting Better or Worse?

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:49:38 +0000

Climate change is a big topic especially with upcoming talks in Copenhagen in December but do you think it's actually getting better with all the awareness or is it all just talk and now just getting worse?

Socialists Wins Over Conservatives In Greek Election

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:23:10 +0000

"Greek voters angered by repeated scandals and a faltering economy ousted Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in an early election Sunday, returning the Socialists to power after five years of conservative governance, initial results indicated. Final projections issued by the company carrying out the vote counting indicated that former foreign minister George Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, would win with a landslide, gaining 43.8 percent of the vote with Karamanlis' New Democracy trailing with 33.9 percent."

[...]"The Greek Communist Party, far right-wing LAOS and the small Left Coalition are expected to retain their representation in Parliament, while the Ecologist-Greens were hovering on the fringe of the 3 percent threshold for entry."

Read more at: http://www.huffingto...t_n_309085.html

Small facts you learned today

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:15:56 +0000

Reading an article about how eating habits affect our climate, I stumbled on some (for me) surprising facts. This topic however is not meant for only facts about the environment. Just post about any small fact that you feel you want to share.

Did you know that Denmark has the world record in eating meat per citizen? That's right, according to a recent consumer investigation by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) 'a dane' consumes about 146 kg meat a year. That's 20 kg more than americans, almost double what germans do and between 20-40 kg more than citizens of other EU countries (I'm not really sure if they mean countries part of the European Union or just european countries). I thought for sure that USA would be top of the list. Guess I was wrong.

According to the same article 18% of our (Denmark's?) greenhouse gas emissions come from the production of milk and meat - more than the totality of the emission from transport. I doubt that this will affect eating habits though. If people are going to eat less meat, it will be because of health concerns and not environmental concerns.

Obama going to Denmark to make Olympics pitch -� but won't go to the UN climate meetings there in December?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:49:51 +0000

Photo credit: cmaccubbin

Tomorrow President Barack Obama will visit Denmark to try to raise support for Chicago's Olympic bid for the 2016 summer games. First lady Michelle Obama arrived in Denmark earlier and will, with the support of Oprah Winfrey, also try to help out with the lobbying.

Do you think Barack Obama will go to Copenhagen in December for the climate talks?

View the full article

should roman polansky be pardoned

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:53:14 +0000

i've been following this story with interest,polansky is one of my favorite directors but shouldn't he have to face the consequences of his actions like everybody else?here is the article
Switzerland waits for Roman Polanski extradition request from the US

Roman Polanski arrested on sex charges
Switzerland awaits extradition request
Victim had asked for charges to be dropped

OSCAR-winning director Roman Polanski is in detention in Switzerland after his arrest over a 1977 child sex case in Los Angeles, as his lawyers vowed to fight his extradition to the United States.

The controversial 76-year-old Polish-French director was arrested late on Saturday, as he arrived to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich film festival.

US authorities have been pursuing the director of Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist for many years.

The Swiss Justice Ministry said it was now waiting for a US extradition request.

Polanski fled the United States in 1978 before sentencing on a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

r.p.

here is the grand jury testimony of samantha gailey

testimony

Congratulations Greens in Germany for your successful election today!

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:27:34 +0000

I just want to congratulate the Greens in Germany for their very successful election today!

Last election the Greens in Germany received 8,1% of the votes - this election they will get around 10%, sources say. It's just to bad that Merkel and the rest of the right-wing, climate-wrecking and pro-nuclear parties will remain in power...

You can read more about Merkel here http://www.green-blog.org/tag/angela-merkel/ and why George Monbiot calls Germany "the new dirty man of Europe".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8277526.stm

Man kills a pregnant Hawaiian Monk Seal. There are only 1000 in the entire world. He gets only 3 months.

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:04:16 +0000

Man kills a pregnant Hawaiian Monk Seal. There are only 1000 in the entire world. He gets only 3 months. Shouldn't we put more value on the lives of endangered animals?

"LIHU'E, Kaua'i � A 78-year-old Kaua'i man who shot and killed a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal in May pleaded guilty yesterday to violating the U.S. Endangered Species Act and began serving a 90-day term in the federal detention center on O'ahu.

Charles Vidinha "knew it was a Hawaiian monk seal at the time he fired his (Browning .22-caliber) rifle at her" on May 21 at Pila'a Beach, according to the plea agreement entered before Judge Barry M. Kurren yesterday."

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090926/NEWS20/909260329/-1/localnewsfront

Men In Military Fatigues Snatch Up G20 Protester in USA

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:54:27 +0000

At the moment no one can clearly say this video is fake. No one can either clearly say this video is real. We just have to wait until we get some more reports on this that can explain what we just viewed. Hopefully the media will do it job for once...

Still I think we all have to agree that it's a shocking video.

Video Description:

An arrest that was made occurred on a side street near Baum Ave & S Millvale Ave.

The "Group of 20" is meeting today and tomorrow in Pittsburgh. People have been demonstrating to counter the G20, a group of the richest, most powerful people from the richest, most powerful countries who make decisions which impact all of us. The past few times they have met they decided to bail out big banks, including the biggest, baddest bank of them all, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which does nothing to help people. In addition, G20-style globalization policies have harmed the environment and threatened democracy everywhere.

Demonstrators went on the march through Pittsburgh without a permit, and police tactics effectively split up the group after about 45 minutes of marching. In the end only about 26 arrests were made. Demonstrators are expected to march again tomorrow for a permitted and family-friendly rally and march, endorsed by many large organizations, which will start at Craft and Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh at 11:30 AM.

Update: Picture from the event:

Blog Action Day '09 Climate Change

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:17:24 +0000

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance and this year's theme is Climate Change.

I registered today to participate in this great campaign and thought I should let everyone here know too. This all happens on Oct 15 so register today if you want to be a part of a great discussion. http://www.blogactionday.org/

Global Climate Wake-Up

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:57:58 +0000

On September 21st, thousands of us are getting together in public places across the world to hold "wake-up call" events pressing our leaders to take urgent action on climate. Global leaders have only three months to get their act together and sign a strong Climate Treaty in Copenhagen. With all kinds of events in 5 continents organised by Avaaz and our partners in the campaign, we will show our leaders that our movement is massive and unstoppable.

Click here to look at our global map and find events near you. Sign up to attend an event and invite your friends to join!

Why supervillains hate global warming

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:13:13 +0000

The melting of the polar ice caps has supervillains all in a panic. It's not just that global warming has stolen their thunder (though that doesn't help). The melting ice has also revealed their secret Arctic lairs.

ZACKENBERG RESEARCH STATION, GREENLAND�Claiming it to be one of the most dramatic and visible signs of climate change to date, researchers said Monday that receding polar ice caps have revealed nearly 200 clandestine lairs once buried deep beneath hundreds of feet of Arctic ice.

Read it: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/melting_ice_caps_expose_hundreds

Translucent frog photo taken by National Geographic

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:10:14 +0000

Nature is plain and simply Awesome. With an big A.

The age of stupid

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:01:12 +0000

Are we actually replacing stuff so many times because we want to stay in touch with modernity, or just for fun, just because out of habit or because we are bored?

Is fun shopping a fundamental right on leisure, considering our incredible efforts that we spend on our job, or do we do it just because we are bored?

Do we buy pre-packed and pre-cooked food because we have terribly busy life and we can't spare a minute. Or are we just being lazy, and we don't care enough about our health?

Are we going on holiday so many times by airplane because it is one of the few opportunities to relax from our busy, productive life? Or do we lack the fantasy to amuse ourselves closer to home and without touroperator?

Are we going by car to our work because it is the only efficient way, and we need a private moment, and public transport is terrible? Or is our car a status symbol, and we don't really care about the effect of cars on the environment?

Do we have trust in our farmers and science to produce safe food without impact on nature to worry about? Or are we just interested in the price of food, and we don't really care where food comes from and how it is has been produced?

I tend to be more and more dualist in my thinking about sustainable development, although my preference goes out for pluralism. What the hell do I mean? I mean that it seems that two main assumptions are driving people in their consumption behaviour. One is: believing that we can still gain productivity because of still endless possibilities for division of labour and subsequent economies of scale in the production process. Caring for the environment is a luxury that we can pay from our ever growing production (the "productivists"). The other is: we were able to reach our current productivity because of over-exploitation of human and natural resources which is not sustainable in the long run. We need to find satisfaction in a more modest behaviour (the "ecologists").

Purely based on arguments, the productivists are clearly loosing grounds. Fresh water, food, energy, rare metals, phosphor, signs of depletion of resources have been on red the last years, scaring many people. Even the link has been made between the price of oil, reflecting its scarcity, and the economic crisis in which we all are amidst. Now you see the two thought strands radicalising.

The productivists are calling on their last trump. There is enough oil in the ground for centuries to go, and in the meantime our scientists will come up with something, like they have always did, to deliver us cheap energy. Like nuclear fusion or something. The ecologists say: we haven't the time, and we can't be sure! And here is where it is radicalising. The productivists started to accuse the ecologists of self-fulfilling prophecy. They spread fear that humans are not creative enough to cope with shortages of resources. Instead of stimulating innovation and economic growth, they advocate backwardness and economic stagnation. If the ecologists will gain sufficient power they make their own fear come true. On the other hand, we have the ecologists saying: it is an illusion to think that economic growth will enable us to limit environmental and social degradation sufficiently. We have to limit our greed. And it is greed that is driving economic growth. Anyone that is not respecting the precautionary principle of the UN Rio Treaty of 1992, is performing a criminal act against humanity.

Until recently everybody believed in the merits of economic growth, except for a few hippies. It changed very rapidly. Now it has become difficult to take the "nuclear fusion argument" really seriously. On the other hand there is still no serious economic model for "no growth". Is there a middle way argument? Or will an ideological war begin?

My organisation RebelFarmer is in a strange position. One the one hand we would like to help ordinary people, that are struggling with their quality in their life, because they lack access to a good environment, nice food and rich nature. On the other hand: we are in the middle of spoiled, fat and bored consumers who are lacking drugs when the economy is in a crisis. Can we clearly recognize our "target group"? No, not really. In fact the ideological war is taking place in ourselves. We all have a bit of both of it in ourselves, and we all doubt. So we will just muddle through. Investing not really enough in our ecosystems and in our social fabric in order to cope with a post-peak resource reality and investing too much in money squandering schemes like CO2 compensation so that the world economy is not able to thrive like it should in order to create pleasures for the working class.

It is astonishing to see that the amateuristic capitalism-hippy fights of the 60's became an ideological conflict on world scale in such a short time. We are forced to choose sides. But it is the dualism in all of us, of all times with which we are kept being confronted: finding resistance to our own gravings for drugs, competition instincts and power abuse.

Eco-documentaries for the masses:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPIY7SrKdsg

New ways of measuring gross domestic product (GDP):
Report by the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress

Holidays will never be the same again!

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:33:00 +0000

Touring might be a little slower....

Greenpeace activists try to shut down the Tar Sands in Alberta

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:00:12 +0000

It's good that tar sand is getting more media coverage.

Like Al Gore said: "Junkies find veins in their toes when the ones in their arms and their legs collapse� Developing tar sands and coal shale is the equivalent."

Fort McMurray, Canada � On the eve of the Harper-Obama meeting in Washington D.C., Greenpeace activists are locking down and blockading a giant dump truck and shovel at Shell�s massive Albian Sands open-pit mine in northern Alberta to send the message that the tar sands are a global climate crime that must be stopped.

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/recent/stop_the_tar_sands

Environmental Philosophy

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:05:31 +0000

I am currently reading about philosophy and how it can help us understand and solve our environmental problems in an morally and ethical right way.

My question is: Can environmental philosophy help us, or be a support, in our efforts to understand and solve our environmental problems?

I will later write a short essay on this subject. So I would like to use this topic as a "thinktank" to get some sort of discussion going, get inputs and ideas from other people than myself.

Denmark: Shut it down!

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:31:03 +0000

Coal is the most damaging fossil-fuel for the climate. We need to close down the coal power plants if we want to stop the climate-catastrophy. SHUT IT DOWN is the name of a non-violent mass civil disobedient action which will close down a coal power plant in Copenhagen. It'll go down on the 26'th of september, and we wan't you to be a part of it! SHUT IT DOWN is a wake up call to the politicians and the rest of the world. Coal is killing - We need to act now!

WHERE: Copenhagen, Denmark
WHEN: 26 September 2009

WEBSITE: Shut it down

Background information [en]

How often do you come here?

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:44:41 +0000

At the time that I write this there are supposedly 487 members of Enviro Space. That doesn't say much about how many real members there are, and glancing at the number of threads and replies it would seem there aren't that many. I'm not going to leave this place or anything, I just want to get a feeling of what to expect and who to expect. So what I want to know is how often do you visit? What forums do you like?

As for myself the answers are that I'll probably be viewing this site once every day or every other day, and the forums where you'll find me are mostly located in general talk, specifically Politics & Religion, Entertainment and Everything Else, but I'll probably also be responding to interesting topics in other forums. I miss a forum for philosophy, but I'll hopefully find something similar in the Politics & Religion forum.

I'm from Europe by the way. I hope we have members from all over the world. I came here looking for that. Not just a forum where people from all countries can come, but a forum where the members value people from all over the world.

Now that is one big...

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:08:51 +0000

Now that is one big...

...spider!

Cuba shows that planet Earth can be saved with the help from environmentally sustainable socialism

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:15:49 +0000

Photo credit: Deivis

During a recent visit to Cuba, we stopped by an agricultural cooperative on the outskirts of Havana. Its farmers and cooperatives across the country are part of what's widely acknowledged as the world's largest organic farming experiment. Hundreds of thousands of farmers at the grassroots proudly proclaim themselves part of Cuba's "environmental movement."

In 2008 Cuba was devastated by three full force hurricanes that caused some $10 billion in damage, including 400,000 homes destroyed and widespread crop damage. Cubans link the growing destructive power and frequency of the hurricanes with global climate change. Understandably, environmental awareness and the need for radical measures to curb global warming run high.

Remarkably, in 2006 the World Wildlife Federation rated Cuba as the only country that combined high human development standards as defined by high literacy and health indexes with a low ecological footprint including electricity consumed and carbon dioxide emitted per capita.

This got me interested in the path of sustainable socialist development Cuba has chosen and how environmental consciousness developed. How could an underdeveloped country with limited economic resources have an environmental record better than its wealthy neighbor to the north? The story gives one great hope that planet Earth can be saved.

View the full article

Tell Verizon: Don't Sponsor Mountaintop Removal Rally

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:08:44 +0000

What are you doing for Labor Day? Sponsoring a rally to cheer for blowing off the tops of mountains and destroying one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots? If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, you may not know it, but you are.

Verizon Wireless is cosponsoring a Labor Day rally dubbed "Friends of America," backed by the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States: Massey Energy. The rally supports dangerous mountaintop-removal coal mining, hosts a speaker who denies global warming is happening, and is aggressively anti-union.

The Center for Biological Diversity is in an all-out fight to take on dirty-energy projects and stop destructive mining that harms our nation's wildlife and wild lands.So the news that Verizon supports this pro-mountaintop removal rally hit close to home -- because our staff use Verizon cell phones.

We sent a letter to Verizon's CEO yesterday (see below) demanding the company immediately withdraw sponsorship and explain their support for mountaintop removal mining -- or we'd be forced to find a wireless service that isn't actively undoing our work to protect the environment and endangered species.

This rally is a chance to bring much-needed attention to the corporate backing of this environmentally damaging practice. Please, demand that Verizon withdraw its irresponsible and alarming sponsorship of the rally.

Verizon Wireless should not support this destructive mining practice or ignore the fact that greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired powerplants are the largest single contributor to our current climate crisis.

Send an email right now to Lowell McAdam, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless, and demand Verizon withdraw sponsorship immediately from next week's "Friends of America" climate change-denying, anti-union rally.Insist the company explain its support for the ludicrously destructive practice of mountaintop removal.

Click here to find out more and take action.

If you don't dispose of plastic properly, this may happen...

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:34:34 +0000

Found on Reddit

Inside a Creepy Global Body Parts Business

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:49:39 +0000

The German company Tutogen's business in body parts is as secretive as it is lucrative. It extracts bones from corpses in Ukraine to manufacture medical products, as part of a global market worth billions that is centered in the United States.

Anatoly Korzhak, a pensioner and former engineer, died in Kiev on August 5, 2004. His body was picked up at 2 a.m. and taken to the forensic medicine institute in the Ukrainian capital. That same night, Korzhak's daughter, Lena Krat, received a telephone call and was asked to come to the institute immediately in the morning, where she was told she would receive further information.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,645375,00.html#ref=rss

Make up your mind. He can't be all four!

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:36:36 +0000

If you have been following the current health care discussions in the US of A this picture will make a lot of sense to you (or not!):

Found it on Reddit

This makes you think about population growth

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:21:39 +0000

http://www.breathingearth.net/

The World Without Us

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:24:05 +0000

I just finished the book "The World Without Us" by Allen Weisman(correct if I'm wrong with the author's name). I thought it was a very intriguing, yet scary at times book. Has anybody else read it? or currently reading it?

The little tiny sign...

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:18:21 +0000

I've understood the purpose behind pesticides, but I never really understood why people would want to put such a poison into the ground..especially at their own residence. I have also wondered why lawn spraying companies such as Tru-Chem or Green Thumb only have to put up little tiny signs on the corners of somesones yard or park. I'm specifically from Wisconsin and I personally don't think a few signs posted at various spots is enough warning of what kind of "treatment" lurks on the ground. I've walked through parks and lawns completely oblivious to these little signs of warning..stay off! Imagine pets, children, or even anyone for that matter taking the day at the park, walking through the grass bare foot, sitting down, or rolling around in it. The residence I currently reside at decided to have their lawn sprayed, and man does it smell. Comments are welcomed.

Thanks

Take Action: Write to the oil companies

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:33:45 +0000

Tell Big Oil to Stop the Lies

We have exposed a secret oil industry plan to organise fake ralliesagainst US climate legislation, and to exaggerate concern over the costof action on climate change. The plan, stated in a leaked internal memo from the API (American Petroleum Institute)shows that they are reverting back to old tricks - spreadingmisinformation about climate change and pressing politicians towardsinaction.

While Shell Oil have said they won't participate in this plan - theystill give money to the API which continues to lobby the US Governmentusing deceptive tactics.

Climate protection policy is needed urgently. Politicians shouldlisten to climate scientists and the people - not big corporations withvested interests. The API is threatening our future, and our children'sfuture with their lies.

We need you to tell the oil industry to come clean and support real climate action.

http://www.greenpeac...ry-action180809

Greenpeace admits: BBC got it wrong about arctic sea ice melting

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:31:15 +0000

Greenpeace admits: BBC got it wrong about arctic sea ice melting

The right-wing, conservative, climate-denial blog-and-twitosphere isabuzz with the news: Greenpeace admits live on the BBC that it liedabout arctic melting.

That's not true, it's being promoted by the handful of globalwarming skeptics still standing, and we're hitting back. You can helpus by tweeting, blogging, and sharing this clarification on Facebook.

please go to this GP website to see the video and all.

making waves

If this became commonplace.........

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:51:29 +0000

This must be one of the worst ideas in years. If this became common

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8211209.stm

we would end up with a much more complex lives. Newspapers would become WEEE.. You'd have to check before lighting your fire etc.

Are You "Green" Enough to do This?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:12:26 +0000

I would definitely consider myself "green" but when it comes to this, I'm not sure I would classify myself as the "ultimate greenie". How 'bout you?

If you really want to be considered "green", you can save water, save from polluting our water ways, and help plants grow by...
composting your own feces!

People really do this but most, such as myself, can't do it. But if you really want to know how, here are 5 easy steps:

Attach a toilet seat to a 5-gallon bucket and line it with sawdust.
Drop your load, cover with sawdust and repeat. Empty it once or twice a week into a composter out back.
After each dump into the composter, add leaf litter, coconut husks, or finely shredded newspaper.
Keep it moist! It needs to be HOT - 120 degress Fahrenheit is best. Adding a few earth worms is good too!
Let it age for a year then fertilize your plants!

Pretty easy, right? Sounds that way but I'm not into that. I'd rather use the "water saving flush" toilet. That still works when it comes to saving water and the environment.

Could a space elevator help save the planet?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:57:21 +0000

io9 reports on a very futuristic subject which have caught my eyes lately:

"A space elevator,carrying people and objects off the planet and into orbit, is the kindof cool mega-engineering project that thrills science-fiction fans. Butit could happen in your lifetime (if you're young), and it may save theplanet.This weekend, Microsoft is hosting a Space Elevator Conferenceto discuss ways of making the Roald Dahl-esque dream a reality. AndNASA is co-sponsoring the "Tether Challenge," aka the Space ElevatorGames, as part of its Centennial Challenge,with contestants competing to devise a material strong enough to carryitems up 62,000 miles � with the winner getting $2 million."

A space elevator may sound crazy but its far from impossible. If built the space elevator could be able to help build massive solar energy farms in orbit around planet earth.

Another way off creating a green bathroom

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:53:02 +0000

Just check out this green bathroom by designer jun yasumoto. It's a "phyto purification bathroom" and it's crazy!

According to its site, this is how the tiny ecosystem operates:

- the rushes are planted in sand which filters larger particles. the root system of the rushes
contain various bacterias which break down these particles for absorption by the plant.

- the reeds are planted next to the rushes as they have the ability to filter the heavy metals
from the water.

- the floating water hyacinths draw through their roots some of the water borne particles
which are still present in the water.

- the lemnas, which are also aquatic plants, bind to the remaining aquatic micro-organisms
to complete the filtering process.

- finally, a carbon filter stops the remaining micro-particles.

Awesome? Yes. Practical? Not really.

The BigBelly Trash Compactor

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:23:03 +0000

It absolutely disgusts me to see overflowing trash cans in the city, even though it is nice to see the trash in the can, but the site is offensive. This BigBelly Trash Compactor though takes care of the overflowing trash scene and is something the City of Cincinnati, where I live, could definitely use. Nice to have this at work too! Check it out... BigBelly Trash Compactor

IFAW: Urgent Typhoon Rescue: Dogs of Taiwan

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:51:44 +0000

We are in a race against time to save more than 1,000 dogs left homeless after animal shelters in Taiwan were heavily damaged by Typhoon Morakot. More than7,000 homes were destroyed in the disaster, with at least ten shelters that we know of devastated by flooding and mud.

The shelter dogs are now roaming or trapped by floods, some living on roofs or just barely surviving. In one kennel located beneath the Kaoping Bridge, dozens of dogs drowned in their cages, with hundredsmore already reported dead around the island.

Many more dogs will die if the shelters do not quickly receive relief supplies and help to restore and disinfect the shelters.

Please give an Emergency Rescue Donation today.

IFAW's Rescue Team is already on its way to help local animal groups set up temporary shelters and resurrect what's left of their former homes, some which rest under several feet of mud. Vet assistance may also be needed to help rescue dogs likely to be suffering from digestive issues due to drinking contaminated water, as well as from distemper and even possible rabies outbreaks.

Even worse, untold numbers of these dogs could end up shot as a method oflocal 'dog control' if we do not provide them with new temporary shelters as soon as possible.

It costs approximately $1,500 for new fencing and a minimum of at least$5,000 to rebuild just one shelter. These animal groups need medical supplies, drinking water, dog food and your financial support in order to prevent further loss of life.

IFAW's animal relief efforts are funded by compassionate animal lovers like you...and we really do need your help right now. Every dollar you donate will help the animal victims of Typhoon Morakot as well as victims of other natural disasters or cruelty around the world.

I simply can't thank you enough for your generosity in the face of tragedies like this one.

Sincerely,

Fred O'Regan
IFAW President

P.S. I know we can save the lives of these helpless dogs � but we must act now. Please rush to their rescue while there is still time to save their lives.

Should it be illegal to smack your kids?

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:17:14 +0000

New Zealanders are voting on whether parental smacking of children should remain a criminal offence.

The so-called anti-smacking law introduced in 2007 has divided the country, prompting the country's first citizen-initiated postal referendum. The referendum asks: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" Supporters say the law gives children the same rights as adults, while opponents say it criminalises parents. [Source BBC]

What do you think? Should it be illegal to smack your kids?

http://www.dearnz.com

End finning-Save the sharks

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:41:44 +0000

The practice of finning � slicing off a shark's valuable fins for soup and tossing the body back to sea � must be stopped.

A growing number of shark populations are in peril from overfishing and unsustainable finning � we can do better. Please sign our petition calling for an end to shark finning to ensure the US is a leader in shark conservation and a model for other countries.

Petition