Posts Tagged ‘Environment’

How much are trees worth?

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Typically when you think of our green arboreal friends, you don’t think about monetary values. But with mounting insecurity about the environment and the potentially disastrous effects of global warming, people have put a premium on tree conservation. Specifically, Norway and Guyana (a tiny country in the northern part of South America) recently agreed to a deal that will net Guyana $30 million in 2010 for its efforts in conserving and maintaining its natural forests, which take up 75% of its landmass.

Guyana could earn up to $250 million by 2015, if everything goes well and the preservation results in curbing global carbon emissions. This novel concept could serve as a paradigm for limiting carbon emissions by contracting with developing countries with pristine forests, while simultaneously helping those same countries develop and grow in a prudent, sustainable, ecologically-friendly fashion.

The Ups and Downs Of A Carbon Tax in Britain

Friday, June 25th, 2010

To tax or not to tax? Will imposing a carbon tax have enough advantages to not disgruntle the British population?

  • A British economic-modeling firm (Cambridge Econometrics) evaluated the effect a carbon tax would have on the country’s economy and environment.
  • The results were mixed. Experts found the tax would boost the overall economy by increasing gas-fired power stations and decreasing expensive wind power operations. However, Britain depends on gas already, and encouraging its use would only speed up the country’s dwindling supply.
  • A carbon tax would also be much simpler than then hodgepodge of environmental laws and tax breaks already in place. The tax would regulate the price of carbon so that if people pollute, they pay for it, encouraging greener technologies.

Facts & Figures

  • With a carbon tax, Britain would raise an extra 11 billion pounds by 2015.
  • Average fuel bills would also grow by 0.5 % by 2020.

Obama Attempts To Repair An Environmental Disaster

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

President Obama reacts with strict environmental regulations in response to the BP oil disaster.

  • On Tuesday night, the president addressed the United States regarding his plans to repair, repay, and prevent damage caused by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Obama is proposing a multi-billion dollar compensation plan for Gulf residents that BP seems unlikely to agree to.
  • In order to prevent more harm to the environment, Obama says he will develop new energy sources, expand nuclear power, and is considering a tax on carbon to reduce pollution.

Best Quote

“Make no mistake, we will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.” – President Barack Obama

California Leads The Way In Electric Car Technology

Monday, June 21st, 2010

California is ahead of the game: great weather, beautiful beaches and now affordable environmentally friendly transportation…we should all just move.

  • California is encouraging consumers to purchase electric cars through hefty discounts and reliable and accessible charging stations.
  • Charging stations are being built in locations where customers are able to linger (like shopping malls and grocery stores) because charging up a car’s battery takes longer than filling it up with gas.
  • The cost of charging a car’s battery is under discussion – some companies would like consumers to pay by simply by swiping a card, some will make the service free as a way to attract business to neighboring stores.

Facts & Figures

  • California is spending $200 million a year on low-emission vehicle technology.
  • To aid in the cost of these vehicles, California is offering up to a $20,000 rebate to buyers of low-emission commercial vehicles.

Best Quote

“California is leading the way.” – Sue Cischke, Global Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering at Ford Motor Co.

Do I need to buy a hybrid to drive green?

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Hybrids are pretty cool, but the most powerful tool for eco-friendly driving is YOU. Changing the way you drive can help keep the environment clean and save you money no matter what kind of car you drive. “Hypermilers” take this to the extreme and claim they can get up to 100 miles per gallon from standard model cars by strictly following certain guidelines and techniques. Here are a few simple things you can do that will have an immediate impact on your gas bill and your carbon footprint:

  • Chill out! Driving aggressively is really inefficient. Accelerate slowly and evenly and try to keep your speed as constant as possible – you burn more gas when you accelerate.
  • Slow down! Driving slower burns less gas. The difference between going 75 mph and 55 mph on the highway is HUGE in miles per gallon… and also in money for speeding tickets!
  • Take care of your car. Regular maintenance and keeping your tires at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure can keep your mpg (that’s miles of driving per gallon of gas) at its highest level.
  • Cruise… Using cruise control on the highway can keep you from creeping up to those higher, less efficient speeds, and it prevents all that carbon-spewing stop-and-go driving.

You can definitely help the environment with your money – buying green products, investing in a socially responsible manner, or giving to an Environment Cause – but you can also do a lot just by modifying your behavior. Remember, efficiency is good for the environment and your bottom line!

Oil Disaster Ignites Innovation, Ingenuity, Entrepreneurial Spirit

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Over 20,000 people responded to BP’s call for suggestions, proving that creativity prevails amid relentless Gulf damage.
  • Countless environmental entrepreneurs are stepping up to offer solutions to the Deepwater Horizon crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • C.I. Agent Solutions, a Kentucky-based company that makes oil-blocking polymer, has created a technology that stops the oil by changing it from liquid to solid. When the polymer and oil meet, the oil becomes a non-toxic rubber-like material, making it easy to pick up.
  • A Florida-based company, C.W. Roberts Contracting,, takes a more basic approach, using hay as an absorbent.
  • While the oil industry has invested billions of dollars in finding new oil, hardly any new research or improvements have been been made or funded in the realm of regulation and cleanup.

Facts & Figures

  • A YouTube demonstration of the oil-absorbing hay has gotten over 1.5 million hits.

Best Quote

“Traditional cleanup companies sell time and material. Our method takes less time and uses less material so they don’t like it.”  - Dan Parker, President Of C.I. Agent Solutions

Environmental Damage, Illuminated By Trendy Bulbs

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

The modern Green Movement has been called trendy, popular, and fashionable. But what’s the deal with popular, fashionable trends that aren’t green?

  • The latest trend to sweep restaurants of New York, San Francisco, and beyond is the exposed-filament light bulb: a reproduction of Edison’s first light that happens to consume massive quantities of energy.
  • From hip hangouts to sophisticated venues, restaurant owners around the world are drawn to the industrial style, warm glow, and nostalgic quality of the bulb.
  • Reproductions of Edison’s carbon filament bulb have been around for almost 50 years, but did not become noticeably trendy until 2003.

Facts & Figures

  • The exposed-filament light bulb is the least efficient light bulb in the world, with some types using 5 to 10 times more power than other bulb options on the market.
  • Exposed-filament bulbs are sold at home decor stores for $9 to $20 each.
  • Upscale restaurant lighting budgets often reach six figures.

Best Quote

“You can’t on the one hand brag how green you are by serving organic beer and locally grown produce while you are lighting your business with the least efficient light bulbs available in the world.” – Noah Horowitz, Senior Scientist, The Environmental Group

Some Perspective on Giant Oil Disasters

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Gavin Potenza created this graphic to illustrate some of the world’s great oil spills. We’re not sure if having a smaller drop of oil on the map actually makes the Deepwater Horizon spill better than any other spill, but so far it’s smaller than some of the other disasters…

(via psfk.com)

Disney Goes Green

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

In an effort to capitalize on environmental conscientiousness and help curb global carbon emissions, Walt Disney Co. will impose a carbon tax on itself, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

  • On Wednesday March 3, 2010 Walt Disney Co. president and chief executive let it be known that the company will impose an internal tax based on how much carbon they use.
  • The proceeds from the tax will go towards “green” initiatives, such as the preservation of tropical forests and planting trees.
  • Disney has also endeavored to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills, assess every new capital project from an ecological standpoint and convert vehicles to use cleaner, energy-efficient fuels.

Facts & Figures

  • The carbon tax is calculated based on a unit’s projected increase in carbon emissions over a five year period—if the emissions are less, the tax is less, and vice versa if emissions are greater.
  • Disney would like to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 50% of what it was in 2006, and is already three years ahead of schedule.
  • Disney is trying to convert 2,000 vehicles to use cleaner fuels, and is even switching the steam engines that run in their amusement parks to vegetable oil from diesel.
  • Through its program “Friends for Change,” which has enlisted 1.5 million children to do its “green” bidding, the Disney Channel is doing its part to effect change.

Best Quote

“It’s the right thing to do, but it’s also the right thing to do for shareholders” – Roger Iger, President and CEO of Walt Disney Co.

Julia “Butterfly” Hill on Climate, Purpose, and Practical Solutions to Big Problems

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

julia-butterfly-hill.png On Dec. 10, 1997, 23-year Julia “Butterfly” Hill climbed into a 180-foot California Coast redwood tree. Her goal was to live in the tree for as long as it took to prevent its destruction and the destruction of the forest where it had lived for more than 1,000 years. During the two years she spent in “Luna” (as she affectionately named the tree), she attracted worldwide attention for her use of nonviolent action in defense of the forest she cared so deeply about. Julia went up the tree an unknown campaigner and came down an international symbol. Her actions, both during her time in the tree and in the years since, are an attempt to heal the rift between humans and the natural environment. TILE had a conversation with her, almost ten years after she descended from her perch in the redwood forest.

TILE: You’ve dedicated your life to protecting the planet; was there a defining moment that set you on this path?
Julia: Growing up, I was taught to appreciate and respect the Natural World. Nature was my playground and the place I went to for safety. I grew up poor and experienced a lot of violence, and Nature is where i went to get away as well as to play. As my family travelled quite a bit, we were often in cities. But even if all I could find was one tree, I would go to it. The first time I saw an ad for Greenpeace in a magazine, I was about 13 years old. I tore it out and hung it on my wall. It was a picture of the little raft boat trying to stop a seal-slaughter ship and getting hit with huge hoses of water. I thought that was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Then, in my Junior year of high school, I got involved in helping launch the first environmental club on our campus called S.A.F.E. (Student Activists For Earth.) We started a recycling program on campus and a tree-planting program and rode our bikes and walked during the homecoming parade instead of driving around in cars. We were the crazy artist radicals in that extremely conservative school and in town.

I would have to say, though, that the truly defining moment was when I entered the Ancient Redwoods of California while travelling with friends in 1997. And then I walked into my first clear-cut and was absolutely horrified at the blatant destruction. It literally looked like a bomb had been set off in the middle of the forest. Then, when I found out that 97% of the original Redwoods had already been destroyed and that they were still continuing to use extremely toxic and destructive logging practices, something in my gut told me I had to act!

I call these moments the “choiceless choice.” We see an injustice or a need in the world, and we could choose to be silent and walk away, and yet something deep inside us is so compelling that we can’t do that. We have to say, “Yes” to that calling no matter how overwhelming or dangerous it might at first seem.

TILE: What, in your opinion, is the most important thing young people concerned with Climate Change can do today?
Julia: There are so many things we all can do to affect climate change:

We can choose to become vegan (not eat animals for food.) The farming of animals for food contributes to over half of all Climate Change emissions according to scientists and studies and the World Watch Institute. If someone is not ready to go vegan, going vegetarian is a good first step and also, even just beginning with reducing the amount of meat that someone eats makes a difference.

We can walk, ride bikes, and take public transportation as much as possible. I haven’t owned a car since I was 18 which was almost 18 years ago.

We can ask our parents to get involved, lobby their representatives in government. We can write letters to the editors of papers talking about our concerns as young people about this issue. We can get our schools and homes to adopt energy-saving tools and practices like energy-efficient light bulbs, turning down thermostats in the winter (even a couple degrees can make a huge difference in energy reduction), and using recycled paper (deforestation is a huge contributor to global warming.)

TILE: You came down from Luna almost ten years ago and have worked tirelessly on behalf of many worthy causes and organizations. What are you most passionate about that you’re working on now?
Julia: I love that I get to use my life to contribute to the good work of individuals and organizations all over the world. Some of the ongoing projects that I support are Women’s Earth Alliance (womensearthalliance.org), South Central Farmers (southcentralfarmers.org), The Engage Network (engagenet.org), and What’s Your Tree (whatsyourtree.org).

TILE: What are concrete ways young people can make sound environmental choices with their consumer dollars?
Julia: Shop at thrift stores!! We have to make it COOL TO CARE! Using things/resources that have already been used is a fantastic way to reduce carbon emissions because the manufacturing process of goods is another big contributor to climate change. Plus, shopping at thrift stores means we are shopping local which is also important. Almost all of my clothes come from thrift stores.

When we shop at a large corporate chain, on average, only approximately 3 – 8 cents on every dollar stays in our community. The rest leaves and goes to CEOs, Corporate managers, Headquarter buildings, etc… When we shop locally, approximately 55 – 90 cents per dollar on average stays in our community. That’s a BIG difference!

If we have farmer’s markets, it is best to buy as much of our food there as possible. If we don’t have farmer’s markets where we live, we need to get involved in working to get them started. Also, if we have yards, we can start gardens and grow some of our own food.

If we are buying new things, it is best to buy organic, local, energy-efficient, and recycled. The more we invest in these things with our dollars, the more we invest in a healthy and beautiful future for us all!

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