Archive for the ‘Green News’ Category

In this internet day and age, there really is no use for phone books. They keep showing up though on millions of American doorsteps despite the fact that no one ever orders them. The environmental impact of these books is huge when you think about it: 5 million trees a year are used to produce them and only about 15% are ever recycled.

Some actions have been taken to tackle the phone book issue. There are some states that have created opt-in/out programs where you can sign up either to get a phone book or not get a phone book. Local recycling bins created just for the creation of collecting unwanted phone books have also been used. There is even a “Ban the Phone Book” initiative created by White Pages in an effort to get more states to adopt the opt-in/out  and recycling options. The majority of states do have the local telephone companies under legal obligation to provide phone books to every customer in there area, which is why so many of us get them without asking.

So, what can you as an individual do about helping to stop the waste that has become of obsolete phone books? Plenty.

• You can check to see if your local phone company has an opt-in/out program. Give them a call to find out it’s that 800 number at the top every monthly bill.
• Recycle the phone book collection you currently have instead of throwing them away. You can learn more at Recycle Your Phone Books by Keep American Beautiful Works, Yellow Pages and AT&T.
• Upcycle your phone book or books by creating another use for them around the house.  For some ideas you can check out DIYLife’s New Uses for Phone Books or you can just get crafty and come with an idea on your own.  If you do come up with something, let us know by contacting laura dot ecoexistent.com and we’ll feature you and your upcycle snazziness in an online interview.
• You can also check out the banthephonebook.org and sign the petition to stop having them printed up in the first place.

Also, take a look at the Say No to Phone Books blog to learn more and have a laugh at the same time.

Technorati Tags: diy, phone books, recycle, Upcycle

From gristTV: Radiohead’s Thom Yorke showed up at the last minute at the climate talks in Copenhagen. He wanted to see what was happening firsthand, especially since NGOs have been taken out of the Bella Center, where the talks are being held.

Technorati Tags: climate conference, Green News, gristTV, Thom Yorke

James Cameron’s new “Avatar” movie takes the consequences of not going green and puts them on the big screen.

The plot reflects Cameron’s  views about Earth and surrounds the life of a former Marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). Jake us  sent on a mission to the distant moon Pandora to infiltrate spiritual alien race, the Na’vi.

The company he is working for wants to expand its mining operation and thereby destroy the local environment in order to make more money.   Jake has other plans though, once he realizes that Pandora is a beautiful place that must be saved.

Released in the UK over this past weekend, the film broke to a wide range of reviews. And either side that your on when it comes to movie criticism, the message of the movie itself stands alone.

As Cameron said in an exclusive interview with England’s The Sun:

” We are causing a global climate change that’s going to be absolutely devastating to the coral reefs. Science is unable to keep up with our industrial society. We are destroying species faster than we can classify them. We are destroying the food chain faster than we can understand it. The politicians are over in Copenhagen talking about climate change now – but there are other issues as well.” ~ James Cameron

Avatar hits world wide release this Friday, December 18th. Learn more through the main movie site: www.avatarmovie.com

Technorati Tags: avatar movie, go green, green christmas, green movie, james cameron movie

EPA:  Greenhouse  Gases Threaten Public Health and the Environment

Release Date: 12/7/09

After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat.

GHGs are the primary driver of climate change, which can lead to hotter, longer heat waves that threaten the health of the sick, poor or elderly; increases in ground-level ozone pollution linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses; as well as other threats to the health and welfare of Americans.

“These long-overdue findings cement 2009’s place in history as the year when the United States Government began addressing the challenge of greenhouse-gas pollution and seizing the opportunity of clean-energy reform,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Business leaders, security experts, government officials, concerned citizens and the United States Supreme Court have called for enduring, pragmatic solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas pollution that is causing climate change. This continues our work towards clean energy reform that will cut GHGs and reduce the dependence on foreign oil that threatens our national security and our economy.”

EPA’s final findings respond to the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision that GHGs fit within the Clean Air Act definition of air pollutants. The findings do not in and of themselves impose any emission reduction requirements but rather allow EPA to finalize the GHG standards proposed earlier this year for new light-duty vehicles as part of the joint rulemaking with the Department of Transportation.

On-road vehicles contribute more than 23 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions. EPA’s proposed GHG standards for light-duty vehicles, a subset of on-road vehicles, would reduce GHG emissions by nearly 950 million metric tons and conserve 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of model year 2012-2016 vehicles.

EPA’s endangerment finding covers emissions of six key greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of scrutiny and intense analysis for decades by scientists in the United States and around the world.

Scientific consensus shows that as a result of human activities, GHG concentrations in the atmosphere are at record high levels and data shows that the Earth has been warming over the past 100 years, with the steepest increase in warming in recent decades. The evidence of human-induced climate change goes beyond observed increases in average surface temperatures; it includes melting ice in the Arctic, melting glaciers around the world, increasing ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, acidification of the oceans due to excess carbon dioxide, changing precipitation patterns, and changing patterns of ecosystems and wildlife.

President Obama and Administrator Jackson have publicly stated that they support a legislative solution to the problem of climate change and Congress’ efforts to pass comprehensive climate legislation. However, climate change is threatening public health and welfare, and it is critical that EPA fulfill its obligation to respond to the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined that greenhouse gases fit within the Clean Air Act definition of air pollutants.

EPA issued the proposed findings in April 2009 and held a 60-day public comment period. The agency received more than 380,000 comments, which were carefully reviewed and considered during the development of the final findings.

Information on EPA’s findings: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

Technorati Tags: clean air act, environment, EPA, greenhouse gas, human health, press release

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded greenhouse gases are endangering people’s health and must be regulated, signaling that the Obama administration is prepared to contain global warming without congressional action if necessary.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson scheduled a news conference for later Monday to announce the so-called endangerment finding, officials told The Associated Press, speaking privately because the announcement had not been made.

Read full article:EPA: Greenhouse Gases Endanger Human Health

So, it looks like come Monday afternoon we should have more information on what the EPA’s view is.

Technorati Tags: EPA, Green News, Green Online, greenhouse gas

With the global green movement in full-swing and “greenness” sweeping across America there can be an onslaught of turkey terminology heading your way for this year’s Thanksgiving. From cage-free, range-free, natural, organic and more it can be a challenge to pick the right turkey for both your family celebration and for the least impact on the environment.

One thing that is very important to consider when “going green” in regards to food is in learning about where the food comes from in the first place. With turkeys, it can be a bit disheartening when one learns the following information: Through over consumption and the regular American want for more, more, more we have in general almost destroyed the indigenous turkey breeds in North America. This means that in order for breeders to meet the demand of bigger birds, we have developed all breeds of turkey (except for one) to such a state that these animals cannot breed on their own. To see a first hand account of this, you can watch the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs Segment on Turkey Insemination. **Not for the faint of heart

Now, there is one breed of turkey left that are bred as nature intended and that is the Heritage Turkey. These turkeys live outdoors, they mate naturally and of course grow slower following the natural growth rate of turkeys. You can learn more about Heritage Turkeys and where to find one for your holiday celebration through Slow Food USA.

If you cannot get your hands on a Heritage Turkey direct from the farmer or farmer’s market, you can look for the Heritage Turkey type at the local Whole Foods or regular grocery store. When looking local, keep an eye out for the following turkey terminology to help you choose the right bird for the table:

• Vegetarian Fed: These birds are fed a strict diet on fruits, grains and vegetables. These birds are also not allowed outside of the pasture to forage for food as bugs are not considered part of the diet.
• Cage Free: This just means that these birds are not confined in cage. What this does not tell you, is if the bird is still left in a confined space.
• Organic: These birds are fed with pesticide and chemical free grains.
• Free Range: These birds are “free” to roam around. Depending on the farmer/breeder that they come from this could mean that they run around an outside farm, a poultry facility or inside a building.
• Day Range: The birds are outside during the day and cooped overnight.
• Pastured: These birds are free ranged on a pasture where they forage for food.

If you would like more information on Heritage Turkeys and North American Turkey history, check out the information provided by Sustainable Table and The University of  Illinois Turkey for the Holidays.

And if you need some help finding a local or organic bird near you, try the Whole Foods Stores or an open search through Local Harvest.

Technorati Tags: dirty jobs, eco turkey, Green Holiday, green turkey, heritage turkey, local harvest, organic turkey, slow food usa, sustainable table, turkey breed

Tying the Halloween holiday into being eco-friendly is not that much of a challenge when you step away from the commercialized plastics and artificially sweetened candies.

One online site GreenHalloween.org is creating and offering simple ways to help us all have a greener holiday.  With sections that cover information for parents, kids and schools this site is a good way to learn about making the Halloween holiday  better for the planet and our children.

Information and links on organic, fair trade candies and costumes are offered in addition to ideas for greening up community trick-or-treating as well.

For more information: www.GreenHalloween.org

Technorati Tags: green halloween, halloween

Today, we are going to take an overview look of some plastic related news going on around the world.  All news items listed here are in favor of reducing, reusing and even banning types of plastic from headliners so far in September.

Technorati Tags: plastic bag news, reuse plastic bags

Eco-friendly and anti-plastic crusading blogger Beth Terry, has developed and on going challenge through her blog Fake Plastic Fish.

The challenge is called Take The (Plastic) Trash Challenge and in it, she invites those who are green minded to catalog and share their plastic trash tallies online with the world.

All you have to do, is simply keep track of both your recyclable and non-recycle plastic trash over a week or more and then photograph the results to post online at Fake Plastic Fish.  The idea behind this challenge is to help people become more aware of the trash that they create and how they can start changing their buying and product using habits.

Much like the basis behind a food diary, in that we become aware of what we are doing when we hold ourselves accountable and keep a written log… this challenge that Beth has created lets people become more aware of their plastic trash and usage thereby putting a personal spotlight on what plastic items are bought, used and then tossed.

For more information on Beth, her blog and the plastic trash challenge visit: www.fakeplasticfish.com

Technorati Tags: fake plastic fish, non-recycling, recycle, trash challenge

The Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is set to start collecting solar energy from space. They are teaming up with AUD, which is another Japanese company to invest up to $25 million for the farming project.

The main goal of the solar farming project is to develop a 1GW farm stationed in space at 36,000 kilometers from our planets surface. Using up to 4 kilometers of Mitsubishi solar panels, the energy farmed is set to be used to power close to 300,000 Japanese homes.

Technorati Tags: mitsubishi, solar farm