Exxon pipeline breaks spilling 84,000 gallons of Canadian crude oil near Arkansas lake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ECKYz00aouo

http://www.treehugger.com/energy-disasters/oil-spill-arkansas-exxon-pipeline-breaks-spilling-84000-gallons-dangerously-close-lake-conway.html

On March 29^th, a 22 feet long and 2 inches wide rupture was opened in ExxonMobil pipeline in Arkansas.
According to treehugger.com, “It was a rough start to the Easter holiday weekend after an oil spill struck in Mayflower. Authorities said as many as 40 homes had to be evacuated Friday afternoon.”  More than 80,000 gallons of oil leaked out from the rupture. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that it was an environmental disaster.

It is still unbelievable how such accidents can happen and the great media and governments do so little to avoid them. Instead of applying considerable fees to companies like Exxon, which has a very dark history in harming the environment, by political pressure the amount of money is insignificant comparing to the profits of the company. These politics create spots for such accidents continue to happen, causing irreversible impacts on the health of people and the ecosystems in the areas where these accidents occur.  

30 Dolphins stranding and incredibly saved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekmMD8oYtJ0

In the morning of March 5, 2012, approximately 30 dolphins were saved in Prainha do Arraial do Cabo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They lost direction and swam to shore. Because the sand, dolphins stranded and eventually failed to return to the sea. Residents who were in there, joined forces and rescued one by one, until all dolphins were saved and back to the sea.
This is a good example of how people can be still connected with nature even without thinking about this. Of course this is a very small action, but the fact of people on the beach get together with the objective of saving the dolphins is a symbolic reaction of simple people against all the environmental issues that we have being facing. It is a behavior to be followed and that touches the heart of every person that sees this video.

Dueces McDonalds

I just happened to see this when I woke up today, McDonalds essentially went bankrupt in Bolivia because it didn't fit into their culture well and the people didn't buy their food. To me, it's amazing what money will do to a corporation like that; if you don't buy it, they pack up and leave. I'm sure this didn't really put a dent in McDonalds overall income. At the time, I'm not trying to give the impression that Bolivia is super healthy nation either, because I think they still face malnutrition problems unfortunately; but it's still impressive.

It was also eye-opening to me because no one is forcing you to live a certain lifestyle or culture. If you really want to make a difference, vote with where you spend your money and encourage others to do the same. I'm not saying it's not difficult, but if the people in Bolivia can do it, then what is stopping any of us? If you believe in something, stay true to yourself and go with it.

Enjoy the 20th of April!

http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/26-12-2011/120084-McDonalds_goes_belly_up_in_Bolivia-0/

Business and the Environment-good business?

        I have heard and read a lot of things about how environmentalists are hurting businesses.  I look at it as helping businesses to be more efficient.  Everything that flows out of a business and is not sold or in some way increasing a profit margin in some way is money that is thrown away.  I think about the fact that any chemical most likely has a way of being broken down or changed into a product that can be used in some other product and then sold at a profit in a market that they have not been a part of.

       Any company that can reduce its total marginal costs below that of its competitors can gain a market advantage in an open market.  It can potentially gain economic profit.  Economic profit is when a company is able to benefit from the gain it has made.  People either complain about the government having too much control or not enough control.  It really depends on who is talking about it.  People that feel that they are being harmed by the government such as taxed too much or being negatively impacted in some way believe that the government is doing too much to control the markets.  An example of this would be the owners of companies that have been complaining about the new Health Care Act, known as Obama Care.   An example of those who believe that the government is not doing enough are those who are losing jobs due to jobs being transferred to other countries.  They want the government to put tariffs or quotas in place on imports of certain items coming into the United States, in order to raise the price of a product so that the total cost of a product is selling at a point where producers in America can compete.  I personally feel that the purpose of government is to attempt to balance markets out, such as getting them to pay for the cost of doing business, such as the cost of pollution.  

wikipedia links to help explain some of the terminology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profit_%28economics%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Import_quota

An Idea about trash

There are people that I have heard saying that climate change is not real, or that we can use technology to deal with the effects of climate change.  Some individuals have opinions that can’t be changed, no matter how much evidence that they are shown.

                I feel that there are other ways to explain to individuals not only benefit to the environment, but by doing things like reduce, reuse, and recycle can help them financially.  Basic economics says that if price is low then there a large demand, if something is selling for a high price, then people are more willing to sell it and less willing to buy it.

                Almost every time I need to throw something away, I think about it as throwing money away.  I think that eventually stuff will get expensive enough that companies will actually be mining landfills because it will be cheaper to get materials from landfills, than to get the raw materials from nature.

By encouraging others to recycle or use materials we already have in the long run can be cost efficient and beneficial to the environment. 

Gross National Happiness

Gross National Happiness

I was researching the Himalayas and how climate change impacted them and the communities there for another class a while back and came across a very unique, small South Asian country called Bhutan. Unlike the other countries along the Himalayas like Nepal, India and the southern half of China, I had never heard of Bhutan before, and their environmental issues intrigued me.

Bhutan is a very small country, I would say about the size of Connecticut and has around 738,267 people living there. It is completely surrounded by India on the east, south, and west side of the country and surrounded by China's Tibetan region to the north. They have various problems with glacial melt due to climate change, as do the rest of the countries in the Himalayas. The most prominent issue with the glacier melt water is flash flooding, damaging building infrastructure and farmland and killing people and their cattle. Bhutan is a very poor country, and has to call on some international help in order to work on climate change relief efforts within the country.

But, what I found really intriguing about Bhutan, and what this post is supposed to be mainly about, is that Bhutan first opened it's borders less than forty years ago and in 1972 adopted a policy of gross national happiness (GNH) instead of gross domestic product. GNH is a policy that relies on various Buddhist values, such as spirituality. To measure their GNH, they use nine domains which rely on psychological well-being, health, education, time use, cultural diversity, and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity and resilience, and living standards.

GNH led to Bhutan to have strong environmental protection policies, such as making the country carbon neutral and banning plastic bags. Bhutan has some of the most progressive environmental policies in the world among developing and developed countries. In a world of failing economies and poor environmental policies, it seems many other countries should consider adopting something similar to Bhutan's gross national happiness.

You can read more about the tiny kingdom of Bhutan where I researched the country at: http://www.nature.com/news/2009/091021/pdf/4611042a.pdf, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/01/bhutan-wealth-happiness-counts
http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/
Or if you really are interested in this, you can watch this video on Youtube about Bhutan and it's gross national happiness. kind of interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJwNSkdTH0

Religion or Science?

It's 3:03 am, and I just finished my third tallboy of the night. For the controversy of this post, I might need another! This topic came up today as I was studying chemistry in my mom's living room. I was telling my little sister about the knowledge I have acquired during my schooling, pertaining to the beginnings of the Universe, and life on Earth. She asked me if I knew how humans came to be on Earth, in a mocking tone. Obviously I told her yes, and backed it by scientific knowledge of evolution. Evolution is no longer just a theory. It is proven that species have adapted and evolved to whatever environmental conditions they are living in. Although the big bang is just a Theory, it is backed by some pretty serious conclusions and assumptions about the continued expansion of the universe and the echoing sound of the big bang which can still be detected at it's frequency. I explained also about early Earth and how the conditions were right for life to spontaneously emerge (Miller-Urey experiment) and how atmospheric oxygen came to be. From here plants adapted to terrestrial conditions, as did some age old marine organisms that had an exoskeleton that could support their weight out of water. Despite all of the knowledge I rattled off straight from my chemistry and biology book, at the end she says: "I still believe something greater created all this." She is nine years old. I was born and raised with Christian beliefs, so I know where she is coming from. Even though my views are different (Love and Science are my Religion now), it is not my right to taint her views, nor any of my family members that believe different. I simply responded "That's good. You can argue that God was still at the start of it all, that he still set it all in motion, long before he created the human race "in his own image", as the Bible says. The origins of human life, and the origins of the Universe, are still not solid fact." Maybe some day they will be, but even then I won't hold it against any person choosing to believe what they want. I support our constitution and its first amendment with freedom of religion. Every one and possibly every organism needs something that they can believe in and hold on to. Let each individual form their own beliefs, based on their life experiences.

If you go back in time and step on an ant, will it change the future?

Of course time travel isn't possible... yet. But if it was, would one ant make a difference? The answer is no. Ants don't function as an individual, they function as a highly intelligent and sophisticated colony, a kind of super organism, if you will. Each individual ant has a specific function for that colony since birth, and it all depends on the size of the ant, which is controlled during its development phase by other worker ants. It all starts with the Queen, who ultimately came from another colony's Queen and was raised to a super large size by worker ants for that sole purpose. A newly produced Queen ant will leave the colony, fly around, and get inseminated by males, who then die after completing their sole purpose. The Queen stores the semen and finds a clear patch of dirt and starts digging, once she is deep enough she will rip off her wings and keep producing worker ants. The smallest ants are considered gardeners. These creatures have figured out how to farm fungus and grow it underground for a food supply to nourish the queen and developing ants. They store samples of the fungus in their mouth and deposit it on newly foraged leaves, that were brought in by a massive assembly line of larger sized foraging ants. These foraging ants leave the colony in search of a new tree that has leaves for the picking, and once found they leave a biochemical trail that can be detected through their antennae. They run at blazing speeds for such a small size, if they were human sized it would be the equivalent of running a three minute and forty five second mile... for ten miles!! The leaves that they chomp down would be equivalent to a burden of 750 pounds, and speeds back to the nest at a pace of a four minute mile. This is clearly exceptional, and no ant will stray from the path, because it takes them less than a full second to adjust if their antenna breaches the chemical path. Once the foraged leaves are brought to the entrance of the nest, they are passed on to a slightly smaller sized ant who can navigate the extensive tunnel network with ease. The internal colony isn't just run by small ants and the Queen though. They have also grown a select number of ants to a large size, that dwell in the tunnels as protectors, with massive pincers. When entomologists dig into a nest and grow careless, these soldier ants will bite their hands and cause blood to be drawn. The Queen of this new powerful colony will pass on her legacy by producing a few other Queen sized ants who fly out of the nest and repeat the cycle. This goes to show that humans aren't the only intelligent species to occupy this earth, the ants have owned it long before us, as have many other animals, yet we see ourselves as more significant beings and tend to cut down forests and habits with no concern for other species. Farming has kept ants alive for centuries, it is clearly an adaptation that is essential to the survival of a massive population within a dominant species. Next time you see an ant, think about what its sole purpose is for its colony, and how many other ants rely on the power of teamwork to stay alive, and maybe, just maybe, you won't crush it on the sidewalk. If you want to read more into the power of nature, pick up the book "Biophilia" by Edward Wilson. This information came from his chapter "The Superorganism"

Shrinking Sea Ice Causing Cold Spring?

       A team of meteorologists and climatologists have recently been looking at satellite imaging and have made the hypothesis that due to less ice on the poles winters in the northern hemisphere are extending. Unfortunately, understanding weather is no easy matter otherwise I would go into more detail about why this is happening, but in general they believe due to global warming the sea ice in the arctic is shrinking and this causes this cold spring we are currently experiencing.
     I thought this was especially funny to run across for me because just today it was snowing and everyone, including me was complaining about the cold weather in spring. Now we can all blame the fact that our o-zone layer is being depleted and global warming is causing all this horrible cold we are experiencing.

article- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130326-arctic-sea-ice-global-warming-science-environment-spring/

Panasonic to Donate 100,000 Solar Powered Lanterns to those without Electricity

     I saw this on  the treehugger.com website and had to stop and open it up. Panasonic, in an effort to help with the huge problem of people out there without electricity, has decided to donate 100,000 solar powered lanterns in honor of there 100th anniversary. For you and me electricity is often taken for granted because it's as easy as flipping a switch, but for many children out there once the sun goes down it's either no light or a kerosene lamp which is both dim and dangerous. There are approximately 1.3 billion people that don't have electricity.
     Although 100,000 seems like a small number in comparison to 1.3 billion I think that other large tech companies will see this and chip in as well and this could literally change the world. Generally with these types of donations people would have to buy one and then the company would donate one to someone in need but, Panasonic is just donating them all which hopefully these other companies will take notice of and follow suit. Regardless, I think this is a great thing to do and personally makes me want to buy Panasonic things that much more.


article-  http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/panasonic-donate-100000-solar-lanterns.html

GMOs Overview - Unrealistic Goals?

GMOs are always a hot topic, everyone by now has at least heard of them. The goal of the GMO producers is to get rid of world hunger. This is there overall goal, it makes you think, is it really possible? This article is a question and answer sort of set up and it answers frequently asked questions. This would be great for people that dont know too much and want to explore the topic. The article starts out with some interesting statements that stop and wonder a little bit. They start with what GMOs could potentially turn into like fruits with vaccines in them. This has actually been successfully done! The amounts of vaccine in the fruit are not quite to the levels where it could be widely dispersed. The goal of that genetically modified fruit is to get rid of needles and the storage aspect of vaccines and turn it into a local entity that could grow the vaccines essentially in the midst of the people who need them. For more on vaccines in fruits check out ( www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=119866&page=2#.UXDByhzlT58 ). My point in bringing GMOs up is because we only know the tip of the iceberg. I found one article written in 2000 about vaccines in fruit, imagine where it is now!
Theres some food for thought. (vaccine infused food that is)

Article- http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/food-how-altered/

GENETICALLY MODIFIED SALMON SOON IN STORES NEAR YOU!

Yale Environment 360 had an online debate on genetically modified salmon between Elliot Entis and Paul Greenberg. Elliot Entis is the co-founder and for CEO of AquaBounty Technologies, the company creating the genetically modified salmon. Paul Greenberg is the author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food and is a known critic of "Frankenfish", a termed used to name the altered salmon. The genetically modified fish are introduced with an eel like fish's DNA to help them reach the harvesting weight in only 9 months instead of the 18 months it normally takes. The FDA has already granted preliminary approval in December and after a public comment period, which ends on April 26^th; the fish could get the final approval from the FDA to be sold in the US. 

I have heard this subject come up in multiple of my classes so this is serious and a current event that could potentially still change. I hope that the FDA would recognize how this goes against the laws of nature and should be reconsidered for human consumption. I would hope people would reduce their need for salmon instead of reducing their standards. I also like some of the comments of the debate that deals with other types of opinions, like those of the KOSHER community. It was interesting to read about a culture that I don’t know much about and their opinion on a subject that I am interested in.

http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_final_us_decision_nears_a_lively_debate_on_gm_salmon/2641/

KEYSTONE PIPELINE STILL AN ISSUE!

Environment News Service updates information on the Keystone XL Pipeline. The State Department issued March 1^st that if the US doesn’t take the tar sands someone else will and the carbon will be produced regardless. Many environmental spokesmen don’t believe that to be true since the carbon emissions exceed the amount the US has to pay for our “carbon budget”. Obama will be the deciding factor regardless of the state’s decision. “This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people,” “I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil.”

It’s refreshing to hear Obama restate what his administration stands for. I would hope that he would remember the values of what he stood for, which got him elected. I understand that people are getting tired of hearing about this issue, but I feel that this decision is going to change the course of American history and needs to be addressed until the day it is denied or accepted by Congress, which is supposedly Memorial Day weekend so everybody needs to stay informed on any new information that could emerge.

http://ens-newswire.com/2013/04/16/keystone-xl-pipeline-would-hasten-climate-change-report/

Biomimicry? Sustainable Architecture

Biomimicry: Sustainable Architecture

In Harare, Zimbabwe, the Eastgate Center, a shopping mall and office building conserves energy by using no air conditioning, but instead uses a unique and complex ventilation system. This is the first time I have heard something being done like this, but this building was constructed in 1996 by architect Mick Pearce with the help of various engineers at Arap Associates. The basis of how this building was constructed is through biomimicry, an anthropogenic emulation of natures processes, and apparently is used in architecture that we see here as well as bullet proof vests and other things.

The design of the Eastgate Center is based off of the Zimbabwe Termite mounds that have a very similar ventilation system as the building does to keep a type of fungus they farm at a specific temperature. The building ventilation system works by drawing in air from outside and then cooling or warming the air with the buildings mass depending on which is hotter.

I thought that this concept was really cool, and the website I found the article about it is apparently some sort of green architecture website that has various other articles on green buildings and other green design things. You can read more about the Eastgate Center here:http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre-in-zimbabwe/

Trees Call For Help

Trees Call for Help

Article: Trees Call for Help-- And Now Scientists Can Understand

Scientists have now discovered trees can 'tell' us when they are suffering in drought. Scientists do this by collecting the the ultrasonic noise made by bubbles forming inside the tree.
They have distinguished which types of sounds are most worrisome and can use this data to determine whether a tree is in need of emergency watering.
The way these bubbles form is from the extreme pressure in the xylem that builds up because of how tall the tree is. This can cause a water column in drought-stricken trees to break. This lets dissolved water form bubbles that block the passage of water. This is called a cavitation, which kill trees.
Sounds come from the bubbles inside trees depending on the type of event that is occurring. This is because different events make different patterns of sound waves, all of which humans cannot hear with the 'naked' ear.
This information is important because scientists can possibly develop technology that will let us know if a tree is under stress from drought or not. And with global warming occurring, there will be much more drought world wide. This type of tool could prove useful in protecting all different species of tree around the world.


-Terra Swan

Do we really need it?

Elisabeth Rosenthal tackles some serious ongoing issues in her recent article. In today’s society the mindset of many people seems to be that our reliance on fossil fuels is vital to our success and survival, but do we really need it? The United States especially has fallen really behind in the move from fossil fuels to more energy efficient sources. But it’s not that we don’t have the ability to do so, the economy and ignorance to see change impedes us from moving forward. We all know the fossil fuels won’t be around forever, it’s been reiterated over and over again, the evidence is there and it’s overwhelming. Climate change is affecting our world in so many ways and it’s too late to go back to the way things were and the key now is to sustain the world we are living on. This topic has spiked political debates, rallies, public awareness and concern and we can only discuss it to a certain point before we don’t have an option anymore and are forced to do something.

There have been several reports showing how the United States could decrease its reliance on fossil fuels and decrease its energy usage to become more environmentally friendly but why hasn't it happened yet? Maybe it’s because we are convinced that we “need” oil, coal, and natural gas. Alternative resources are becoming more improved and the cost of solar and wind energy in particular has been decreasing, and the benefits that they can provide greatly outweigh the cost to implement them. We definitely have space and several areas that could benefit from solar power, for example solar energy in the south and wind energy along the coast and Midwest. Obviously the argument is that these sources can’t provide energy for all but that just means it’s time to get creative and innovative, such as using biogas which is being used in other countries like Sweden. Other European countries have taken part in this change towards renewable energy with some pretty good results. The arguments will continue but it’s important to look at all the facts and research, and ultimately decide if it’s really necessary to use up all of our fossil fuels instead of investing into a greener future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/sunday-review/life-after-oil-and-gas.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/moving-beyond-oil-and-gas-requires-willpower-more-anything-else.html

America’s First Offshore Wind Farm Closer To Reality After Receiving $2 Billion From Japanese Bank

Nantucket Sound is Where the Farm Will Be Located

A First to US

Offshore Wind Farms

What do you think?

04/18/13

Blog by Brett Kelly of ENVR 249

In Reference to the article 
http://singularityhub.com/2013/04/15/americas-first-offshore-wind-farm-closer-to-reality-after-receiving-2-billion-from-japanese-bank/


Construction is beginning within the year on the US's first offshore wind farm.  Thanks to two billion dollars from the bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in Japan.  Cape Wind, as it is to be called, has spun up a bit of controversy between advocates of offshore wind and the those who have managed to be successful in maintaining windmill free seas in the past.  This time it is different.  Offshore wind advocates blew opponents out of the water with the help of the Japanese Bank.  Hailing from the Boston area, Energy Management Incorporated will take the role of developer while Tokyo-Mitsubishi takes the role of Coordinating Lead Arranger.  The turbines will be installed in the Nantucket Sound, a 30 mile by 25 mile stretch of ocean off of Massachusetts.  The turbines will be installed at least 5 miles from residences to reduce the possibility that the turbines will turn out to be a nuisance to anyone.
 

Megawatts (MW) are used to measure wind power.

It is interesting to see the offshore wind farming thing now making headway in the U.S.  Especially when considering that many of the other developed nations are far along in this respect.  Why is the U.S. behind in offshore wind farming?  Is this a bad thing?  What kinds of factors do you think should be taken into consideration?  Obviously people become polarized on issues for a reason.  And the most polarized of the polar get the media's attention, and consequently more influence as well. Should this be a big issue?  It obviously gives people from all perspectives opportunities to declare what they believe. 

I have no idea what it would be like to have my view obstructed by windmills far in the distance at sunset.  Or how I would feel about it being in that situation.  I don't think I would care that much.  I think windmills look cool.  

Any other perspectives on the aesthetic of windmills? 

"I hate the idea of having them around where I live."  

"Harnessing wind is worthwhile... right?"  

"I accept it as something that just is, rather than something in which I have a stake."  

"I must push wind power, so other people will know the truth and then pass it on."

"As part of the green movement, offshore wind power is part of a conspiracy to mobilize socialist and communist political forces."

"My side of the issue is so important that I will isolate myself from others." 

 

Now this... the debate.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VcBB73eF7RY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Secret Monsanto Protection Act

I'm really surprised this story didn't make it on the blog, then again, I'm really surprised it made it past the news.

Section 735 of the Agricultural Appropriations Bill HR 933 protects genetically modified seed producers from legal issues if health risks are being investigated. Basically, it protects Monsanto and other GMO seed producers from a loss of profit due to lawsuits concerning health risks associated with their products. Which leads me to ask the question, is there something you aren't telling us? I know Monsanto is generally protective of their product, there are documentaries claiming they use legislation as their weapon, but I doubt any lawsuit would require the company to stop producing their product until proven guilty. This legal precaution seems like preparing for something to break, some defect or side effect that they want covered up, especially since it will only last six months. For better or worse, the precautionary principle doesn't hold any ground in the U.S. In fact this is almost the opposite of the precautionary principle. 

Apparently "Food Democracy Now" got wind of it pretty early, and an online petition against it circled with 250,000 names. It's not like online petitions actually matter, but it's a good thought. The weirdest part is that it was submitted anonymously and most of congress didn't even know about it.

Here is the link to the article: http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/how_the_monsanto_protection_act_snuck_into_law/

Ross Wells

Water: How much do you use?

How much water do you use per day? I bet its a lot more than you would ever guess. The average american house hold uses 350 gallons of water per day. Its something that we easily forget about. Every time we turn on the tap there is clean water that is safe to drink, bathe and cook with. How many times have you turned on the tap and considered how many millions of people don't have access to fresh water. The average American uses the same amount of water as 900 Kenyans. 

So where is all the water being used in our homes? The average shower uses between 3-5 gallons of water per minute. Wanna take a bath, that's 35 to 50 gallons of water. Old clothes washers, or any that aren't the high efficiency type use 40 gallons of water per load. Dishwashers use 10-20 gallons of water per load depending on the efficiency of the dish washer. Flushing a toilet takes 3-4 gallons per flush unless you have recently replaced your siphon valve to reduce that to 1.6 gallons per flush. Add that all up and each person uses an average of 80-100 gallons of water per day. 

Now that's just the water you use for your own personal needs. What about washing your car, or watering your lawn, or eating a steak? To apply one inch of water to your lawn it takes 62 gallons per 100 square feet (that's only a 10' x 10' area). That doesn't sound so bad, but considering that average laws are 1000 to 1500 square feet, that means you have to use 6230 to 9345 gallons of water every time you water your lawn! 

So next time you turn on your tap, think about how much you actually use and how much you need. Simple things such as shortening your shower time by 2 minutes can save 8 gallons per day. You can really reduce your water consumption if you just cut back in little places with a couple things you do. Just think, 2 minutes less shower time could mean saving over 2500 gallons of water per year.

http://www.alternet.org/water/celebrating-world-water-day-reducing-water-use-united-states

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-home-percapita.html

City Repair Project

In My eyes a neighborhood community should consist of kids playing outside with each other, cookouts on regular basis, and all around trust in your neighbors down the road. The City Repair Project is one of those projects that gives the extra push to accomplish that. By going to their website, City-Repair, I learned a little bit more. They started with the vision of repairing areas, neighborhoods in particular, with an ecologically artistic twist that we see as painted intersections. With this they attract a huge volunteer base that helps the community regain lost communication and culture. This neighborhood project is called ‘Intersection Repair.’ Another major aspect of the group is Village Building Convergence (VBC). They have a 10-day event coming at the end of the month that features speakers, music, and food. The gathering spreads the word about sustainable life style and community enrichment activities. These are only a couple aspects. They are also involved in Earth Day, local workshops, and placemaking.

I think UNL could do something like this just on a smaller scale. Maybe start by painting some of the side of buildings around campus or paint the sidewalk like the yellow brick road. There are enough cracked roads, sidewalks, and new construction where something like this can be done. Besides the event that will bring people together the after effects of the paintings will for sure be ‘awed’ about by many passer-byers. My brother lives 20 blocks away from one of the painted intersections and he says sometimes when he passes it on his bike he sees people conversing about it and pointing at their favorite spots. All we need is that little push by the public that the City Repair has and that is why they are so successful.

If the Links dont work here is the City Repair web-site - http://cityrepair.org/
                                                      Placemaking site -     http://cityrepair.org/about/how-to/ 

A newbie vegan asks: Should you fake your steak?

Original article by Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan

This article talks about one woman's attempt at becoming a vegan for a full month. Vegan eating is a dairy-free, meat-free, and egg-free diet that is based around plants and grains. As someone considering a vegan lifestyle, this article caught my attention and answered a few of my own personal questions about soy-products. Are they good for us? Should we substitute meat products for the fake ones?

Tofurkey!

Kwak-Hefferan discusses fake meat and how it is processed for consumption. She visited the Field Roast Grain Meats headquarters in Seattle, Washington to find out more information. According to her, the facility was clean and the ingredients were vegan-friendly, mainly consisting of grains, soy, and a variety of mashed up vegetables to give the products some, let's say, "meat".

The final products sounded appetizing, such as the hazelnut cranberry roast. Although she did not go into detail about the healthiness of these products, they did not seem like a poor alternative for nights where a salad just will not do. I now feel that these alternative products are less of a mystery and might be more willing to try them. However, I feel that if you are wishing to be vegan, fresh produce is the best source of nutrients, but a little mix of alternatives probably cannot hurt!

Crowd-sourcing Produces Economical Hydroponics

When I think of hydroponics I typically conceive of a vast and expensive operation. An operation that's only truly feasible if you have the necessary economic clout to make it happen. But, according to a short Popular Science article titled "You Built What!?: A Vertical Veggie Farm," that thought couldn't be farther from the truth.

In the article, Britta Riley, a DIY enthusiast out of New York, turns to hydroponics as the fuel to power her vertical veggie farm. After some success attempting to create her own hydroponics system using household items, Riley turned to the internet to share ideas and improve her design. And so Windowfarms was created.

Eventually the crowd produced an idea they could stand behind and, in 2011, Riley utilized Kickstarter to raise money to produce a $179 dollar, consumer-ready hydroponics kit. After raising roughly five times her goal, her aspiration became a reality. This relatively inexpensive kit (the Windowfarm community also has a $30 dollar design) allows window farming to be viable in most situations. 

link to article: http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2013-02/you-built-what-vertical-veggie-farm

To Survive, Fast Food will have to Think Fresh.

To Survive, Fast Food will have to Think Fresh.

Holly Smith

(Original article by Tom Laskawy)

 

                According to an article by Tom Laskawy on grist.org, the fast food industries better double time it with getting healthier options on the menu, or they are in real trouble. This article offers a blurb from another article in The New York Times and the author there agrees that more Americans are ditching McDonald’s for healthier and more animal friendly chain options like Chipotle, Maoz, Chop’t, Veggie Grill, and more. These places are far better than “bad fast food” on all levels. Less GMO’s, fewer additives, less fat, less sugar, all in all- they sell actual food. Our “Millennial Generation” is starting to realize that the proof is there, obesity does not lie and these fast food companies are contributing to the epidemic.

 

                Fast Food companies, like McDonalds, are realizing what is happening and are trying to come out with new “healthier” options, but as the author points out, if they are seen coming out with “healthier” options, then they are admitting to people that the original options are not at all healthy. They give people salads, parfaits, and “healthier options” but in reality people do not know that these options are just filled with high amounts of sugar instead of fat. They are not truly healthier options by any means.

                I agree with the author when he points out that companies like Chipotle are growing exponentially more popular and are providing much better options for people than these fast food companies offer. Plus, they are offering it at a reasonable price. Chipotle is just the start of it. Young people are more educated on what they should be putting into their bodies, and in turn there are numerous healthier options like Chipotle springing up all over the country to meet these new needs. I do believe we are in for much change in the coming decades, as the author points out, with the coming warming period that will hit Texas, beef country will take a huge hit and food companies are going to have to adapt to the huge changes this will bring. All in all, it just means that things are starting to look down slightly for the fast food companies and any change, no matter how slight, is good news.

                I know it will take a hell of a long time for a company to achieve the level of success McDonalds has, so right now I am just waiting for the food industry to start some initial changes right before our eyes. They will not be huge leaps but the hope is that the fast food industry is in for some “slow motion changes” and that they start incorporating actual “less-bad” ingredients into their menu choices.

We're still going nowhere

            Since its inception, optimism has been a great deal of optimism associated with the movement.  The entire foundation of environmentalism is that there is a problem, but that if we all work together, we can build a better world.  However, the naivety associated with this idea is staggering.  There has been very little major environmental protection, restoration, preservation, or any other sort of care for the environment itself, and with very few exceptions, such protection has been very minor.

            First, the good.  There has been some progress on the air quality front.  Chlorofluorocarbons are no longer in widespread use thanks to the Montreal Protocol.  Emissions standards for fossil fuels have gotten better, particularly in Europe (see 1950s England for a point of reference.)  Governments have started subsidizing clean energy and sustainable housing.  But for all this, nothing has really been accomplished.

            The best example of this is as follows: There has been much ado on the internet (and to a lesser extent the media at large) about how efficient Scandinavia and the rest of western Europe have become.  It is seen as a “beacon of hope,” proof that a greener world is really possible.  But that’s all it is: proof of concept.  It shows that one small, (relatively) lightly populated area with a very powerful economy can become semi-sustainable.  What it doesn’t take into account is the relocated impacts of an area like Sweden.  Its not that they don’t consume, its just that they are small enough that the can outsource their consumption (and therefor pollution.)  For comparison, look at china.  A popular statistic is that China builds a new coal plant every 2 weeks.  China is still produced 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2011 alone.  For those with better things to do, that makes up nearly 1/3^rd of global emissions.  Keep in mind that the entire reason that china produces so much CO2 is to fuel economic growth to allow the people there to live more like us in the United States- and we produce more then twice as much CO2 per capita as China.  And that isn’t even beginning to take into account India.  Worldwide, carbon dioxide production is still accelerating.

            Aside from carbon dioxide, there is still the crippling global dependence on oil, much of which comes from the unstable middle east, exponential population growth, loss of biodiversity, desertification, increase in very harmful methods of resource extraction (fracking, mountaintop removal, etc.) and a whole host of other problems that we have done very little if anything to correct.  But its all going to be ok as long as we can feel good about the tiny wind turbines we put on our roofs that can barely power a reading lamp, or the hybrid cars we buy so we can show off to our friends.  Its still consumerism and it is still contributing to the problem.  What we actually need are large-scale changes with massive financial, popular, and political support.  But that isn't going to happen until something so spectacular happens that it cannot be ignored.  We are in free fall and it is time for people to wake up and smell the ashes, because if we keep going the way we have been, this planet is going to be a lot less pleasant in 50 years.

Solar Power on the Horizon?

Emerging solar cell company First Solar reports that their new "thin film" solar cells produce electricity at a cost of 5.8 cents per kilowatt hour. This price compared to new coal is around 4 cents cheaper. The new plant has an output capacity of 50 Megawatts.

Whether the plant will succeed in supplanting coal power generation is unlikely, simply because the demand for power generally increases as more consumer goods use electricity. Currently only the El-Paso plant is running, but hopefully more will come.

The article link: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/03/thin-film-solar-power-to-be-sold-for-less-than-coal/
Scanning through the comments provides an interesting view of some peoples strong opinions on the issue of solar power.

How Ontario Is Putting an End To Coal-Burning Power Plants

Ontario relies on a good politic that is concerned with environmental issues such acid rain and wastewater treatment. Now, Ontario is trying to be the first industrial region in North America to eliminate all coal-fired electrical generation. Ontario’s transition to cleaner energy sources, particularly in the electrical sector, is a really good example and all the countries should do this. 

For this year, Ontario wants to close the last big coal-fired generator to become the first industrial region on the continent to eliminate coal-fired generation. The province wants to replace the fossil fuel energy by using new plants of natural gas and renewable energy sources. This is one of the most ambitious low-carbon generating strategies in the world.

More information: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_ontario_is_putting_an_end_to_coal-burning_power_plants/2635/

Wind Power in U.S.

Wind is created because of the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. The kinetic energy of the wind can be changed into other forms of energy, either mechanical energy or electrical energy.

Since the world is facing an energy crisis, today more and more people are realizing that wind power is a promising alternative energy source. Wind energy is now more affordable, more available, and pollution-free. The wind industry has become one of the most rapidly growing power generation industries in the country. Wind power in the U.S. is doing well, and the country has only just begun to tap its massive potential (especially offshore).

Also, the rapid emergence of the U.S. wind industry has just begun to have an impact on Nebraska. According to recent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report 20% Wind Energy by 2030, Nebraska could build more than 7,800 megawatts (MW) of wind power in a national scenario where 20% of U.S. electricity consumption is met by wind energy.

Article: http://www.treehugger.com/green-investments/us-had-45100-wind-turbines-end-2012-growth-28-over-2011.html

Turning Up The Heat

Turning Up the Heat

As the pumping of greenhouse gases continues to increase, the excessive heat is being captured into the ocean. This may seem like a good, especially since it means that it keeps the atmosphere cooler. Some individuals may think that this is a good thing, but the ocean will not take in all the heat that is being generated. What does this mean to us? The article I looked at gave an interesting perspective on the situation: “So it seems that before we bake our own homes, we’re going to boil the oceans. And then our homes will be baked anyway.”

Some scientists say that in the next decade, the atmosphere could be on the rise of increasingly warming. Research has shown that 90% of the heat from global warming goes into the ocean. Because of that rise, it is going to create hazardous effects for our ecosystem. This is something that affects our class because in the next few decades, the impact will be hazardous. What can we do in Nebraska, a state that is not near any ocean? The important thing is just making people aware, providing them with the alarming evidence that global warming is an issue, and expressing what can be done to help with it.

If you want to read more about this topic, go to this article: http://grist.org/news/now-where-did-we-place-all-that-extra-heat-oh-it-dropped-into-the-ocean/

This is a picture of a living wall in Paris. Aside from being beautiful, this wall is environmentally friendly and functional.

The plants covering the wall are grasses, vines, and other climbing plants with strong roots. The roots are mounted in between two sheets of polyamide felt that is attached to a rigid PVC sheet which is hung on a metal tube scaffolding that is attached to the exterior wall. Some of these walls have built-in irrigation systems where water can be harvested at the bottom of the wall and redirected to the top.

A recent study of these walls found that they can rid the air of significant amounts of nitrogen dioxide and particulates that can be harmful to humans. The use of these green walls goes beyond the reduction of pollutants. When placed in a "street canyon" the walls can cool the air. In the summer, when sunlight hits the area between two tall buildings, the concrete simply reflects the energy as heat. When a green wall is used, the plants absorb the sunlight's energy and releases water vapor. These walls also help reduce cooling costs of the buildings they are placed on.

I really liked this topic because green walls are a solution to a problem I did not realize existed. I never noticed how hot the cement got or how many dust particles were in the air. The walls are functional art and I would love to see one around Lincoln.

These walls are also in Spain and Germany.
Here is the article if you'd like to take a look.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/pictures/130325-green-walls-environment-cities-science-pollution/#/green-walls-could-save-energy-museum-paris_65557_600x450.jpg

Urban Farming and a Growing Population

After our Skype lecture last week, I started wondering how effective urban farming could be? The current trend for most, if not all, large urban areas is to import foods from out side it's limits. Since the majority of the human population is now located in these urban centers, it seems backward that we need to truck everything in, and it only makes sense to try and implement urban farming systems, epesically with a growing population projected to reach 9 billion.

In addition to feeding the growing masses, there are many other benefits that urban farming can provide. To start with, many urban farming systems utilize organic methods which means less inputs from synthetic chemicals; organic systems produce healthier soils and waters savings as well. I think one of the most important details that urban farming brings is education and an understanding to the urban public about where their food really comes from and how it is produced. It could also help people better appreciate nature, bring relaxation into their lives, and green up our cities.

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/#/earth-day-urban-farming-venezuela_51635_600x450.jpg

Bottled Water: Why are we doing this to ourselves?

Bottled water is a fad which has taken over the entire world. First we were inundated by the advertising and "health concerns" telling us bottled water was "better" for us and "cleaner" than tap water. In the article which inspired me for this blog entry, it discusses how Britain has become off the charts for bottled water consumption and it's mostly all thanks to the media and marketing, almost identical to here in the United States! I think a majority of us did believe this for awhile, not just because of advertising, but because of the different tastes in our tap water versus bottled water and the idea that different taste means "better".

Embarrassingly, I admit that I used to be a HUGE bottled water consumer when I was in high school up until I was 20. (I am 23 now). The imitated convenience of bottled water being around every corner was exactly what I played into. I wasn't home very often because I was constantly going between work and school and both of those things were on opposite sides of the city. I had tried several different re-usable water bottles but never took the time to consider what I liked about drinking water and what made drinking water desirable to me, I just went with my base human instinct -- I'm thirsty! I think this is a major mistake that we all commit to a variety of things when presented with an issue. We don't always stop and thinking about the why or what of the things we do. Why did I drink bottled water? What did I like about the taste? What kind of bottle is best suited for my lifestyle and preferences? Are the reasons behind these questions something I can change? It's very important to question behavior and see if you're making the best choice.

Eventually my pockets became empty and I did the math on how much I was spending on bottled water. Then I discovered that I love drinking out of straws. This led me to eventually purchase the recently popular cups which have a screw-able lid and a straw. It's similar to the style we drink out of from fast food restaurants but is made of plastic so it can be reused with any drink of choice, easily washable and easy to drink out of. Suddenly I found myself drinking a whole lot more water and feeling better because of it!

It wasn't until later when I graduated from community college and came to university, that I realized the full impact bottled water has on the environment. It has been proven, and is clear now, that the industry of bottled water is not only a scam but also extremely harmful to the environment by producing bottles that do not decompose and the energy required to make those bottles emptying pollutants into our atmosphere. Not only is the industry of bottled water harmful for the environment, but cities and states are already spending large amounts of money and energy to clean our tap water for drinking. It's also been proven that in many places the tap water is better for you than the bottled water found in every gas station and vending machine nationwide.

It's much simpler, easier and cheaper to use a re-usable container for not only water, but any other drinks. My personal favorite is unsweetened iced tea :) You're not only helping yourself, but you're helping the environment which you live in, rely on and should desire to sustain for the future.

Blog entry inspired and discussed based on this article:
http://www.enn.com/sustainability/spotlight/45844

DIY Projects

We've all been trained to be a consumer. When we break something or "need" something we rush out to the local super store to buy what we desire. Although we may need to buy at times, there are several opportunities for DIY projects with items that you already have! Participating in DIY projects does not mean your things will look "used" or trashy. In fact, the vintage/re-used/shabby chic look has been popular for a very long time. I remember my mom doing DIY projects my entire life. They always turned out adorable and received loads of compliments. I have received the same praise in my own places I've lived. DIY projects also promotes the three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle which helps us to be good stewards of our things (and in a roundabout way, our earth!)

I'd like to share with you some of my favorite DIY tasks.

Crocheting/Knitting

Too often times we purchase things, which if we take a little time, we could make ourselves. An art which is quickly becoming lost with my grandmother's generation is crocheting and knitting. Not only is it an enjoyable thing to do and easy, it's easy to make things like scarves, bags, dishcloths, pot holders, clothes and much more.

Pinterest > Crocheting

I've recently been making dishcloths. They're made from 100% cotton yarn and are reusable... and I made them myself! There are several cool color combinations that you can purchase and the price difference between making your own dishcloths and buying a set of 4 at Wal-Mart is huge.

Walmart Dish towels set of 4 - $11.79
100% cotton yarn for crocheting - $1.50-$2 (2-4 cloths per ball depending on the size you're making the cloths)

My mom has crocheted dishcloths that she's had for several years and they still work as well as they did the first day my grandma made them and gave them to her. Also, I learned how to crochet from my mom, boyfriend's mom and a DIY crochet book. The time I've spent bonding with both my mom and my boyfriend's mom is something that you can't place a price tag on. Would I have received that bonding time in a Wal-Mart trip? Hell no.

Gardening

Instead of buying "special" sticks to mark your rows, grab twigs from your yard (or from your neighbor's yard) and break them into pieces to mark each row. If you need to remember what you planted, use different weather resistant items around the house to mark the sticks. I've used duct tape, markers, made markings with my knife and other random markers outside like old corn stalks from last year to mark the corn.

Too much harvest at the end of the season? Try canning! Canning is an excellent way to preserve all the goodies you grew that season and have yummy treats through the winter. Last year from a very small crop of tomatoes and peppers, we made 15 jars of salsa. We gave several away, ate several ourselves and still have at least 3 jars left over! The cucumber plant was one of the most successful in the extreme heat last summer. We had more cucumbers than we knew what to do with so I started looking around for some ideas. The tastiest idea I found was putting cucumbers in a mason jar with vinegar, condensed milk, onions, salt and pepper. If you like vinegar, you will love this tasty treat.

Tasty Cucumbers In A Jar

1 lg mason jar 

1 onion sliced 

1-2 Cucumbers (depending on size) sliced

1 sm can Condensed Milk 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon pepper

--Add all these things to mason jar then add vinegar to fill the jar. Seal lid onto jar and shake to mix ingredients. Let sit in fridge for 2 hours for best taste. (I love to add more vinegar as the amount in the jar goes down!)

Save your seeds! At the end of the year, research what is best for saving seeds for each of the things in your garden. Let seeds dry in plastic containers with no lid then store in brown bags. The seeds will have enough air to dry out and won't get to moist over the winter. Now you won't have to buy seeds next year! (or at least as many)

Used Furniture

This is similar to the concept of Eco-stores. The idea is to take furniture that is structurally sound (or sometimes even not, with tools you have or borrow you can easily fix furniture) with poor looks and remodeling it into something that actually looks and acts like a proper piece of furniture. Last summer when my boyfriend was moving into his house and out of the dorms, he didn't have a single piece of furniture for the house. Craigslist is an excellent resource for free things. I looked in the Free section on the day of the move (our friend was moving on the same day and had a moving truck he was willing to use to pick up and deliver furniture for us) and found a complete sectional listed. The couch had gotten a little wet from the rain the previous night so we let it sit in the sun for a week. When we brought it in I cleaned the couch and now there is a complete sectional in the living room for free! Another trick is to go to craft stores and sift through the clearance fabric bin. Often times you can find cool fabrics which you can use to cover beat up furniture and make it look nice again.

Lastly....One of my favorites

As a college student and avid reader, I read A LOT. Often times I find myself flipping between different parts of a book or needing a bookmark so I can easily find where I was. Often times Post-Its are expensive and not always at your disposal. Make your own bookmarks! While working in an office supply store right after high school, I found pre-wired manilla shipping tags. In one container are at least 50 of these tags. They're very easy to write on or, my favorite, put stickers and quotes on them. (I'm also a sticker nerd) Not only do I have a sturdy, easy marker but I'm also constantly reading inspirational quotes and being uplifted during stressful study sessions. Positivity is amazing! Bookmarks are also a very easy and cheap gift.

Other Ideas

The ideas for DIY projects are endless with a little creativity but these are just some of my favorites. The internet is a great tool to find projects other people have done. One of my favorites is Pinterest but Google is just as great of a tool. Below are some links I've found for great DIY project inspiration. Often times you may not have every thing listed in someone else's DIY project but it's very easy to improvise! Be creative and think outside the box :)

Pinterest > DIY & Crafts

Pinterest > DIY Home Projects

DIY Network

31 Insanely Easy and Clever DIY Projects