Many people may never have even heard of gas fracking before. It’s the process whereby huge amounts of water mixed with various chemical compounds, are pumped under deep underground using extremely high pressure, into established natural gas wells. This procedure breaks up the surrounding rock which releases still more gas into the well, and overall it dramatically increases natural gas production [Para 2 & Para 4]. That fact can’t be disputed.

Supposedly, with water and chemicals pumped so deep into the earth, there really should not be any effect on the human population. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deemed all chemicals used for fracking as being safe for both groundwater, human populations, and the environment as a whole [Para 5, Lines 5 & 6]. That means individual states are responsible for the legislation on whether or not to allow fracking [Para 12], and permits are routinely applied for this supposed environmentally friendly technique, even as close to such large urban areas as New York City itself! [Para 2]

So then, if the EPA considers fracking as relatively harmless, and states across the U.S. allow thousands of wells each year to be fracked, what’s the big deal you might be asking?

The big deal here is that, just like the secret ingredients involved in making Coca Cola, the ingredients used for fracking wells does not have to be disclosed [Para 6, Lines 1-5]. That gives companies a free pass to be able to use any chemical or combination thereof as a fracking agent, with EPA approval no less. This stew of chemicals gets pumped below ground and aids in the extraction of natural gas, but at what cost? Although EPA approved and permitted by states as a safe way to obtain said natural gas, it’s the other side of the story that needs to be known.

Chemicals nearly killed an emergency room nurse who was treating a mining employee that was caught in a fracking fluid spill [Para 1 & 2]. Residents of Pittsburgh, whose wells had been fracked for the past year, were told to drink bottled water because high levels of contaminates, thought to come from fracking, have been located in their drinking water [Para 6]. Extreme water pressure has been reported in wells and other water sources from gas fracking, blowing water out of toilet tanks and leaving foul odors and an oily residue behind [Para 5-8].

In fact, scientific analysis of fracking fluids puts the finger on 278 toxic chemicals involved, with a staggering 93% of these which cause known health effects [Para 7]. And remember, all this has been certified safe by the EPA. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot that can be done about this procedure. Since the federal government has signed off on this technique, and state governments undoubtedly get huge permit fees, there won’t be an end to gas fracking anytime soon.

However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Environmental protests were so effective in New York City, that the aforementioned permits to allow gas fracking in that area have been put on hold until next year. The Governor himself has directed updated legislation, to take into account modern drilling technology and waste disposal of the millions of gallons of water used in the fracking process. This new legislation will be determined by public hearings and draft regulations, and is considered a victory so far for New Yorkers and the surrounding environment [Para 7 & 8].

It is a small victory to be sure, but a victory nonetheless. And although gas fracking around the U.S. will certainly continue, let it be known that according to the companies that use it and the EPA which certifies it, health and safety need not apply.

[image credit: Gadjo Dilo]

However, incentives and words about what should and need to be done, goes only so far. It’s up to us to use these tools and use these incentives and use the knowledge that we have, and make this whole green movement work! Not the government, not your neighbor, it’s up to us, all of us, from top to bottom.

There are those of us who don’t even realize that we are a part of this. The person that thinks they have nothing to do with the green movement, and then pitches an empty beer can into a recycling bin, is just as much a part of this as you or I. The person that looks outside and sees what a gorgeous day it is, and decides to hang their clothes out instead of putting them in a dryer, or the person who merely checks the tire pressure on their car to make sure the tires are full on a monthly basis, is as much a part of this as anyone else.

Do they know it? Probably not; and do they care, hardly. But the fact is, they are out there doing it, maybe as a collective consciousness, maybe through osmosis with all the green information flowing in the airwaves, or maybe just because one little spark went off in their head to be a little more responsible. Regardless, it works.

Those of us on the front lines doing things like saving trees, becoming organic farmers, being actively involved with our carbon footprints, even going out in public and spreading the word, that is the crux of the green movement. It’s the soul of what drives us for this passion to make the environment better. We like to see ourselves as the movers and the shakers, the go-getters, the do-gooders, and none of that can be disputed.

But probably for most of us, it all began when that first can or bottle was thrown into the recycling bin. That first real act of environmental duty whether we even realized it or not, was the true beginning. We’ve all been there, we all started at the same place. All it took was a little awareness to know that it was the right thing to do; and you know what? It still is!

Get out there, do your thing, and at least make a difference in your world. I believe on some level, every one of us attempts to do just that. No matter what you do, no matter how you interact with the green scene, you are making an effort, and that’s what really matters here.

Yet, so is the person who does something as simple as pitching an empty can or plastic bottle into the recycling bin. Ultimately, this little act of environmental friendliness, even in that most basic of ways, touches each and every one of us. Multiply that selfless act by hundreds of thousands of times every day, and you have a true understanding of what that one little can or bottle means. Knowingly or not by the person who did it, in the greater scheme of things, that affects us all from top to bottom. And that’s where it all begins.

Plastic is here and here to stay, I’m afraid, and so we will have to deal with it. As much of a scourge it is to the environment, it has many good and positive uses, particularly in the medical industry where using plastics have no doubt stopped the spread of disease and have saved countless lives.

But there is one element of plastic that we can all do without. We can get rid of plastic bags altogether, get rid of them for shopping, and get rid of them in our landfills. Did you know that upwards of, perhaps, a trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide, and truth be told, these are 2003 figures. I am too frightened to look up more modern figures because I just don’t want to know. One is too many as far as I am concerned.

We don’t need plastic bags, people, I mean at the very least for grocery or food shopping, where most of the plastic bags come from. If there is a medical or health need for them, more power to those that need them, but as far as everyday society goes, they need to be gone and disappear.

The worst part about the plastic bag is that it can be totally recycled. As in 100% recycled. Then why are we only recycling 1 to 3% of them every year? I’ll tell you why, it’s too easy to just throw them in the regular trash then to separate them out for recycling. We are lazy, that’s why.

If you are a regular Mind Petal reader, you have certainly seen my article on plastic water bottles. I hate those as well. They fall into the same category as plastic bags, although they aren’t quite as insidious since plastic water bottles are getting about 30% recycled, so although that’s still pretty horrible, it’s better than plastic bags.

The problem here is that there are so many alternatives to plastic bags that it isn’t even an issue. Virtually any where one goes, there are canvas reusable bags, nylon reusable bags, backpacks, purses, boxes and anything else you can think of that is equally as good as or better than a plastic bag! I mean, this isn’t that hard.

I have several reusable bags that have been serving me well for years. I keep a couple in my car for just in case, and I have the rest in my house when I know I am going major shopping.

When I ride a bike I take along my backpack and can fill that baby up with quite a bit of goodies. This is a no brainer here. I have even taken several plastic bags, pushed them inside of each other, duct taped the handles together and made myself a super duper heavy duty reusable plastic bag. Except for a few pieces of tape, it didn’t cost me a cent. And if I can do this, you can do this too!

Anyway, as you can plainly tell, I do not like plastic bags. So, can we get rid of them please? Thank you.

Talk about a firestorm brewing, one of the mainstays of the environmental movement, which are bio fuels, are now under attack by…these same environmentalists who advocated its use in the first place! What? How can this be? Aren’t bio fuels supposed to be one of the answers for getting rid of pollution and CO2 in our atmosphere? Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

One of the climate initiatives the current administration is wanting to develop is the implementation of bio fuels, in particular ethanol, to start replacing fossil fuels that we burn in our autos and trucks. The transition to do this and do it as fast as possible, is a serious priority, and supposedly a well meaning priority as well.

Now, no one is going to argue that ethanol being burned in a car or a truck produces less emissions than gasoline. So many studies show that ethanol burns cleaner that it has become an obvious fact. However, that isn’t the sticking point to ethanol production and usage. The big debate now centers over the way it’s made, the cost it takes to make it, and the pollutants released during production, which in scientific terms are called, indirect emissions.

These include things like cultivating the land to grow crops for ethanol production, harvesting those crops, transportation of those crops, and even land usage overall was taken into consideration. The point of that argument is that yes, ethanol burns cleaner than gas, but overall, no, it is just as polluting.

Well all you Mind Petal readers, there is or should I say was some actual proof that broke down the ethanol to gasoline energy rating, and yes it was in fact a win for gasoline production and emissions over ethanol production and emissions. As late as 2006 and possibly beyond, it was calculated that ethanol cost more in energy to make then what was left in fuel energy.

But, guess what? A brand new study released just this past January 30th by University of Nebraska, Iowa State, Michigan State, and the University of Wisconsin, found out that ethanol produces twice as much energy as it consumes. So why was this study so much different than all the others done so far? Because of new data which includes less water needed to make ethanol because of better production standards, new corn hybrids create more corn with less fertilizer, and the scraps from corn and any other plant can be turned into ethanol as well.

And then think about this for the future. Fossil fuel emissions are going to go down in the harvesting and planting of crops since eventually, all those vehicles will be burning ethanol too!

But for the Green Guy here, this is the bottom line. Even if there is a one to one ration with ethanol pollutants and gasoline pollutants, regardless of all of that, forget about anything else except one other thing, ethanol production is sustainable. Get it? We don’t have to go digging in some foreign country for our fuel, we can grow it all right here, every last drop! Not to mention, and ethanol additive to gasoline like say E-85, is already less expensive than petroleum, and ethanol will always be cheaper, which makes it automatically better for the economy.

Let’s face it, bio fuels win. I’d much rather be addicted to a fuel made in the heartland of America, keeping American dollars in this country, as opposed to paying some foreign marketplace for gas and making those foreign producers rich from American dollars.

I mean, wouldn’t you?

First of all, even in this recession that we are having right now, solar cells are having a boom year. If you ever wanted to invest in the stock market, solar cells are darn near a sure thing.

More states will be giving tax benefits and rebates this year, mainly due to the new government administration and the 30% tax incentive that benefits solar cell purchases, and at the very least, these incentives will be in place for the next 8 years! Our government has passed into law major incentives for anyone who wants to use alternative energy, and that means easier access and much more cost effectiveness for you. It also means, continued growth in the solar industry.

But, lets forget about the money talk right now, and get into the meat of the solar powered revolution, the actual solar cells themselves.

Right now, the highest efficiency solar cells are converting about 20% of the suns light into electricity. Only a few years ago, it was between 12 and 15%, so efficiency is steadily growing. However, there are designs out there called the 3rd generation of solar cells that are getting in the area of a nearly 50% conversion rates of sun to electricity, and needless to say, once those get to the market, it will be another solar cell revolution.

The big buzz this year is from a product called thin film solar cells. Unlike traditional solar panels that need to be mounted in ungainly looking, and to some peoples’ eyes, ugly roof frames, thin film solar cells need merely to be glued down to a roof where they lay almost invisible to the naked eye! Although they are not yet quite as efficient as regular crystalline solar cells (the standard in the industry), because they are thinner and cheaper to produce, you can get more of them in the same space and therefore, quantity equals quality in this case.

Right now, that is what is available to anyone out there who wants to go solar, and those are truly a couple of good choices. However, there are designs of solar cells out there with efficiency ratings that are truly amazing and make the ones available now look like toys.

For example, Boeing invented a solar cell that gets about 40% efficiency by concentrating the suns rays onto the cells themselves. That’s by still using the old standard cells, but just by doing a little tweaking, they are able to reap large benefits.

However, the most promising technology on the horizon are called 3D or nano tube solar cells. These cells have a raised coating that look like miniature skyscrapers and capture all forms of light, from visible to infra red and ultra violet. Although no efficiency rating is given on these experimental cells, it is the goal of the scientists working on this project that every last photon collected is turned into usable electricity. In lay persons terms, that equates to somewhere in the 75% to near 100% efficiency. Talk about a revolution, and this is going to be a big one.

There you have the skinny on everything solar, what’s out there now, and what will be available for the future. Personally, I’m licking my chops because this is the type of technology that is the wave of the future, and I can hardly wait!

In case you don’t follow the news, the hijack was thwarted when the Navy Seals shot the pirates while holding the captain of the ship for ransom. We Americans let out a big sigh of relief, all was well and good, the Navy Seals were heroes, and we even captured one of the pirates who is set to go on trial in the States.

Well, just when you might start to think that these are all useless bad guys, here is some sobering news about these pirates, most of whom used to be fisherman. Like I said, most used to be fisherman, and the reason they aren’t fisherman anymore is because certain non-American countries began dumping toxic waste into the waters off Somalia, as well as send commercial fishing vessels out there for anything that was left.

These Somali fisherman were sustenance fisherman who sold the excess catch they had for extra money. Once the toxic waste polluted coastal waters, and then the commercial fishing began out farther from shore, the fisherman were literally robbed of their livelihood. And because the government in Somalia is in such disarray, there has been no protest, no sanctions, no nothing to help the fisherman in Somalia.

They felt that they only had one option left: piracy. And now armed with AK-47s, rocket propelled grenades and GPS units, they are getting even. At least in their eyes anyway.

So, what’s to make of all this? A bunch of brigands roaming the high seas, hi-jacking ships for millions of dollars, kidnapping crews, getting the ransom and then laughing all the way to the bank? Or desperate would-be fisherman, whose only means of support had come from the sea. But with their shores being spoiled by others, toxic waste washing up on their beaches, and their way to make a living no longer viable, then living in one of the poorest countries on earth, what is left for them to do?

Piracy. It pays well, and up until a couple of instances with the French and the US rescuing hi-jacked crews while killing the pirates, there were no deaths or injuries. Yes, warlords on shore direct most of these attacks and take a cut of the ransom money too, so it isn’t as clean cut as I have made it, but the fact remains that most of these pirates were fishermen at one time, and they can no longer make an honest living.

So next time we here about a pirate hi-jacking in the Gulf of Aden, and before we go damning the pirates, just remember that it’s not as black and white as it seems. That I agree with it, absolutely not. No one should force their will over anyone for any reason. But can I sympathize with the pirates, yes in some ways I can, and remember one thing. Not once has any harm come to those people that have been kidnapped and actually held for ransom, so far at least.

It’s certainly not the right way to go about living your life, but for the Somali fisherman that have turned into pirates, it’s the only way right now.

I mean, how many of you parents would love to know that when your children go to school they are learning, not only the basics of education, but also the basics of conservation and responsibility? And we can take that a step farther and say, how many students would love to embrace the environment through studies and hands on teaching?

Public and private schools being what they are, and I am not in any way dissing these institutions one bit, can only do so much with the curriculums that they are allowed to teach. I myself came up through the public school domain, my core principles about the environment stemmed from a sociology class I was a part of in high school. But teaching about the environment was a fringe experience and not the norm. I suspect that in modern public and private schools, although awareness has changed, the teaching policies haven’t advanced much since I was in school.

Well, here are a couple of schools that deviate from the normal everyday run-of-the-mill teaching institution, that are willing to incorporate the environment into classes, but not so much by teaching alone, but by being hands-on. Now there may be others, but these two stand out. One is the Fox River Academy Environmental School, and the other is the Manassas Park Elementary School They have gone green not just by teaching about the environment, but by living it with their construction, their practices and the fact that the schools themselves are the curriculum that are totally hands on working examples of what going green is all about!

Thanks to the communities along with the state and local governments, as well as individual donations, they are teaching green from the ground up. And folks, there is no better way to go green when the students in our schools learn about the environment, alternative energy, and ways to be natural and organic, then to learn it in school at an elementary level.

My question is, with all the Obama initiative money floating around out there, this should be one of the priorities for spending it. If these schools can do it on a local level, ANY school should be able to do it with a little government funding. Yes, I am all in favor of the current administrations green energy initiatives, but our schools should be the starting point about learning how to be green. Teaching and learning green at school levels, using a building that is full of energy efficient solutions as well as alternative methods, is the perfect medium for students to not only learn green, but live it, every day of their lives.

I applaud these schools for going down the green pathway that they are. They set shining examples of what can be, and what should be in all the schools across America. Mr Obama, are you listening?

Now, all of you Mind Petals readers know that I have railed on the American car companies for building more and more gas sucking SUVs to line their pockets with cash. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth because the larger the vehicle, the more profit there is to be made. No one will dispute that, not GM, not Chrysler, and not Ford.

Things have gotten so bad that two of ‘The Big 3’ received billions in bailout money from the government, just to stay afloat. I will say this though, Ford took not a cent of the free handout, they are going to tough it out, and I’ll give them a hand for having a go at trying to turn this thing around all by themselves. Kudos to Ford on this.

It just so happens that there are two brands of automobiles that are actually selling in this time of recession, and selling quite well, I might add. One is the Hyundai Sonata, and the other is The Green Guys favorite ride, The Smart Car.

Smart cars get over 40 some odd miles per gallon, are A rated in crash tests, and cost less than $13,000 bones! Yeah, read that again, that’s not a typo. Which tells us what? Fuel efficiency is not directly related to spending big money. A Smart Car is one of the least expensive autos on the road, and except for the Toyota and Honda hybrids, it gets the 3^rd highest gas mileage out there, and the hybrids will set you back almost twice as much cash, too.

Oh, and how many more are selling this year than last? Can you say there is an 83% increase in sales? Did your jaw just drop?

Ok, here’s a different story with the same ending. The Hyundai Sonata. It can cost up to double the price of a Smart Car, gets only about 30 some odd miles to the gallon, but it’s sales are up nearly 5% over last year. Why? Marketing, that’s why.

Hyundai has a great marketing strategy going on. They are offering to take back your new Sonata if you lose your job! I love that idea! What a great way to, number 1, show confidence in the fact that the economy will get better, and number 2, try something so innovative that people just have to respond! That’s just a great idea!

These are the types of ideas that should be coming from the USA. These are two totally different ways to sell cars. One is through brawn, and one is all brains.

It takes less working hours, less materials, less time, and therefore less overall cost to make a small fuel efficient car. Any profits lost with inexpensive pricing will be made up with volume! Get brawny, design and build an incredibly fuel efficient car on the cheap, and sell it!

Otherwise, get brainy, take a car with a good reputation, offer an incredibly innovative marketing strategy, and sell it!

Americans love this stuff. They love cute little inexpensive cars. Has the original VW Bug been forgotten? Americans also love innovative marketing. Lee Iacocca at Chrysler instituted the ‘Test drive a Chrysler product and we’ll give you 50 bucks’ marketing strategy, and that almost single handedly brought Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth back from the dead.

It worked back then and guess what folks, it’s working once again. We love ya Big 3, but it’s time to get Smart and once again, sing your own Sonata!

As a preface to all of this, let me just say that I am a Christian. I was baptized Lutheran, am a believer in the 10 commandments, and have taken my share of Holy Communions. Now that everyone knows my religious convictions, let us carry on, shall we?

Embryonic stem cell research, the stem cells taken from in vitro fertilized eggs, which is what we want to zero in on here. These eggs are no longer going to be used when they contribute stem cells, and therein lies the scientific and moral aspects of the problem.

These cells are taken strictly from in vitro fertilization, as in fertility clinics with donated eggs. These fertilized eggs are either used for artificial insemination, or if not used after a period of time, they are discarded. Let me repeat that, if they are not used they are discarded. Discarded is a nice way of saying destroyed. But, that’s what happens to discarded in vitro embryos.

The science of embryonic stem cells takes these discarded in vitro fertilized eggs, retains the inner cell mass, and allows it to divide, just as any growing cell would do. The inner cell mass, grown in this way, can not possibly turn into anything except more divided cells. They can’t turn human, they can’t turn reptile, they can’t turn anything except more growing and dividing cells. That’s it. After 6 or 8 months of growth, the cell mass is large enough for itself to be separated, to continue growing, or to be used as tools of medicine.

OK, have we made the connection here? In vitro fertilized eggs that were slated for destruction, are taken by science, cultured into stem cells, and have the potential to cure people of such horrendous problems like broken spinal cords, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, to name some of the worst. These in vitro fertilized eggs that were going to be thrown out or dumped down the drain, are able to be cultured by medical scientists with the potential to eradicate some of the most horrible scourges of the human body!

And for those that say there was a potential for each one of these in vitro fertilized eggs to become human, I will agree with, so long as they weren’t flushed down the toilet, which was exactly what was about to happen! Besides, every woman that menstruates kills an egg that has the potential to become a human. And how many sperm die in the pursuit of solo pleasure that also had that same potential?

It’s not a perfect world, but real progress can be made through in vitro stem cell research, that hurts no one, destroys nothing, and gives real hope to those afflicted with incurable maladies that have no hope at all.

Ok, another question. How many of you out there go into a drive-through for your favorite McBurger, raise your hands. Now, how many of you park in the lot and walk in every time, raise your hands. See? Some good Mind Petals readers raised their hands on the first question again.

Now I’m gonna cross you up. How many people out there go into a bank drive through, again, raise your hands. Now, how many people always walk into their bank without going into the drive through, raise your hands. The Green Guy just crossed you all up, because there is no correct answer for this one.

Although I always take my own shopping bag or box when I go to the store, and I always walk into a fast food burger place after I have parked in the lot, I rarely get out of my car and walk into my bank. I will almost exclusively, unless I have a huge transaction to make, go into the drive through and transact my business there, and I’m being as green as the next person. How could this be, you might ask?

When I go into the drive through at my bank, I turn off the engine and literally park next to the automated teller. So, regardless of how much time it takes me, my car is not running, and would not be running even if I walked inside.

However, that doesn’t work in a burger joint. Granted, it’s still a drive through, but one almost needs to keep either driving or idling the entire time. I mean, first you order at the speaker, then you get in line with the other cars and essentially keep slowly moving forward until you get to the window. There is virtually no time to turn off the car and all that idling and slow driving can be spewing almost twice as much garbage into the air then if you just drive normally.

Oh and, by the way, there is an axiom in the auto industry called the 10 second rule. If you idle for more then 10 seconds, shut the engine down. 10 seconds are the break even point for emissions and fuel economy for your car. After that, shutting the engine off and then restarting is much more efficient as well as cost effective as far as gas consumption goes.

Now then, this whole article is all about taking green to heart. You can do these things to help, everyone can, and imagine if everyone would. It just isn’t that difficult.

Granted, there are some very well made reusable bags out there, and I have a few here now, but my first ever bag was 8 plastic bags placed inside each other, and then I duct taped the handles together! It was very easy, and I used that bag for years, literally. It was tough, and with all 8 handles taped together, they were solid. I never had a problem with it, and I kept 24 plastic bags out of the landfill. (I made 3 of them.)

As far as drive throughs, I rarely go fast food eating anyway, but when I do, I park and walk. In banks, I always turn off my car engine, even when I go to the ATM, no matter how cold it is, and I live in Wisconsin where it gets plenty chilly.

I take green to heart every day, and just by doing the few simple things I listed above, there is no reason that at the very least in these instances, you can take green to heart too!