The Environmental Blog The Environmental Blog The effects of the environment due to the over 6.5 billion people living on this planet. Articles
BP Factory in Whiting Indiana
2007-07-23 07:51:00 I must admit as soon as I saw this opportunity I jumped for it as it pertains very much to the nature of this blog. First off I will start off with a little explanation of what this is about. BP's oil refinery in Indiana has just acquired a new permit that allows it to dump more ammonia into Lake Michigan. They are doing this because BP has decided to invest in Canadian Crude Oil instead of the Middle East. Canadian crude oil is thicker and requires a dirtier refining process than conventional crude oil. Apparently BP, a company known to be environmentally friendly, is upset about an article written by Chigago Tribune. The claims made in the article that BP disagrees with include the fact that their environmental impacts from ammonia are no where near the federal limits which is stated in the article. Furthermore, they deny dumping sludge into Lake Michigan altogether. According to this Fact Sheet Released by BP (in pdf), they have acquired a permit to release more ammonia discharg... More About: Factory , Factor , Tory , Actor
Electric SUV Recharges In 10 Minutes
2007-07-22 21:54:00 A company called Phoenix Motor Cars has developed an SUV that is fully electric and runs on zero emissions. Check out there website here. The company plans on releasing the models to public in late 2008 with sales expected to hit 6000. The stats for the vehicle are: re-charges in 10 minutes, up to 95 mph with full load, and can travel distances of 100 miles or more on a charge. The company is still developing a battery model that can allow for distances of up to 250 miles on a charge which would greatly improve the vehicle and make it far more attractive to the general public including myself.Here is a little video that explains how this revolutionary battery technology utilizing nanotechnology works...Socialize: ; http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/atom. xml More About: Electric , Minutes , Minute , Char , Utes
PayPerPost
2007-07-22 09:16:00 payperpost seems to be one of the most efficient ways for bloggers who have something to say earn money by posting relevant blog ads on there site. I have recently joined and have been posting for about a month...only accepting a few posts here and there when I found something that was reasonable to post. I have so far been paid a few bucks here and there. I have found that as long as you continuously post something everyday than you can streamline a decent income. Last month I earned about $100, which is really exciting for me. This month I hope to earn $200 or $300. The great thing about Payperpost also is that if you can get any referrals to join the program...you also get paid a decent amount of money for those. Of course in order to get the money for the referrals it requires that the person sign up, get an approved blog, and an approved post, and then get paid. It could take a while before getting paid for referrals...but nevertheless after a few months I imagine that a stream...
Wave Power
2007-07-18 01:40:00 These machines that appear to be attached to the seabed are the next generation of clean energy devices. They are deep underwater which protect them from violent storms and harsh weather conditions compared to floating above water. These machines are set to sprout off the coast of the UK in 2008.AWS Ocean Energy has developed an underwater buoy that harnesses wave energy from 50 metres below the surface. The British company says that because the entire device is underwater, it does not suffer from storms in the way that other wave-power devices do, and will not interfere with shipping.It harnesses wave energy at a distance, through the changes in pressure that waves generate by increasing and decreasing the water column.The buoys are hollow and filled with a compressible gas that allows the top half of the buoy to move up and down. When a wave passes over them at the surface, the additional water stacked on top of the buoy increases the local water pressure, and the upper half of th... More About: Power , Wave
Pesticides reducing crop yields by as much as 1/3
2007-07-12 20:16:00 In June 12th, 2007 issue of National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists explored the impact of pesticides on the agriculture industry. They have found that since forty years ago the use of pesticides have increased by seven fold on conventionally grown crops. They site pesticides that affect the communication and signaling of the plants and their roots, but more specifically certain types of legumes such as soy beans. What becomes affected is a mutually beneficial relationship between the legume and a bacteria called rhizobium. Together the two form something called a symbiotic nitrogen fixation which helps the plant or legume become naturally fertilized and more healthy. This can in turn reduce the cost of farm production and help save farmers money.However, in the United Stated, there are over 30 common pesticides used and the most widely used is called glyphosate(Roundup) made by the Monsanto Corporation. Monsanto's Roundup is known to be toxic to the nitrogen based bacte... More About: Crop , Redu , Cide
End of the Wild
2007-07-11 04:27:00 There is a new study out published in Science Magazine about how man has effectively altered most of the environment. The study touches up on the notion that I have written about before about the new documentary out called "Manufactured Landscape". The end conclusion of an environmental makeover can result in a multitude of problems including vulnerability to natural disasters, species extinction, and disease transmission.The study is called "Domesticated Nature: Shaping Landscapes and Ecosystems for Human Welfare," was conducted by scientists from the Nature Conservancy, Santa Clara University, and Harvard University. The study basically says that we have already domesticated all wildlife on Earth. Here are some facts and figures:* There's nearly six times as much water held in storage (e.g., behind dams) as there is in free-flowing rivers.* About 50 percent of the world's surface area has been converted to grazing land or cultivated crops.* And only 17 percent of the world's la... More About: Wild
Environmental Disaster in China
2007-07-10 21:06:00 In China the Yangtze River has flooded. The flooding has caused the water level to invade many of the homes on the small islands in the river that mice lived in. The result was over 2 billion mice that invades 22 counties in China. People were out with their bats and sticks...literally beating the invasive mice to death. So far ditches have been constructed to deal with the over 2 million dead mice that people have killed by hand...that's equates to about 90 tons of rodents. Chinese authorities have been rushing to construct walls to keep the mice out, but are having serious issues with winning over the mice. The mice have already destroyed crops in several regions where the authorities were not able to construct walls or barriers in time. Whats worse is that the mice problem is expected to get worse as the weather is predicted to bring more flooding in the upper part of the river.As climate change continues to cause problems such as flooding and invasive species...more can problem... More About: Environmental , Disaster , Iron , Envi
Fox News Attacks the Environment
2007-07-10 06:25:00 I just recieved an update from The Sierra Club organization about Fox News . Apparently The Sierra Club is campaigning in trying to raise awareness on the tactics that Fox News uses to misinform the public with regards to Global Warming.In the press release, they link to a website called FoxAttacks .com which has a very sweet video that I've also embedded below. You can also sign a petition that is trying to get companies that claim to be environmentally friendly such as Home Depot and yet still advertise on Fox News. Essentially, this whole issue is about boycotting Fox News and anyone who supports it. I personally hate Fox News, or any national news network for that matter...because in my opinion, they feed nothing but lies and misinformation in general with regards to major two sided issues...and also because Bill O' Riley is on that channel...enough said.According to The Sierra Club:"In recent months, presidential candidates John Edwards, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Rich... More About: Environment , The Environment
RevLeft: A leftist Discussion Forum
2007-07-09 09:36:00 RevLeft.com leftist discussion forums is a great site for those who are interested in discussing liberal politics. Particularly this discussion section is my favorite: Sciences and Environment. In here some of the topics posted range from Global Warming to whether or not you eat meat...(I don't). But this site really is great because it is very relevant to the types of posts that are on this blog, and if you enjoy joining discussions on environmental issues such as nuclear technology or animal rights...this is the place to come. I have just recently registered for the forum and I look forward to the discussions. Join today. *This is a sponsored post by www.revleft.com*http://www.theenvironment alblog.org/atom.xml More About: Forum , Discussion , Disc , Leftist
World Bank signs first landfill gas project in China
2007-07-06 10:47:00 So here is a little background on land fill gas projects. Land fills which hold household trash release harmful gases into the atmosphere in the form of methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas which has 25 times the global warming potential than its than its common counterpart carbon dioxide. However, there is a lot more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is why carbon dioxide is the main focus of most global warming advocates. Methane, however, is a very clean burning fuel that can be harnessed for energy. So the World Bank has signed its first deal in China to capture the gas that emits from landfills and turn it into energy. By doing this, it captures gas produced from waste and further reduces energy needs. Landfill gas is the fourth largest contributor to non-carbon dioxide gas greenhouse emissions.With Tianjin, China being the first selected location with a landfill that supports over 1.6 million households...the potential is enormous. China also has 87 other cities with a m... More About: World Bank , Project , Signs
3 Species go extinct every HOUR
2007-07-06 01:16:00 This is not new news but simply a reiteration or reminder that something needs to be done about climate change. This ultimately means one thing, that the Earth's biodiversity is getting smaller and smaller. Three species, be it animal or plant, go extinct EVERY HOUR! This situation is not okay. There are many things that each of us can do and spreading information on what to do can help. Ultimately, however, it is up to individuals to change some aspect of their daily lives in consideration for the environment.Quote:"We are indeed experiencing the greatest wave of extinctions since the disappearance of the dinosaurs," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, head of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity."Extinct ion rates are rising by a factor of up to 1,000 above natural rates. Every hour, three species disappear. Every day, up to 150 species are lost. Every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct," he said. "The cause: human activities."The main human cause being the burning of fo... More About: Hour
Sign the Declaration of New Patriotism
2007-07-04 16:16:00 Happy Fourth of July!More than 56,000 fellow citizens have signed our Declaration of New Patriotism —highlighting global warming as THE defining environmental challenge of our times and challenging Congress to cap and cut America's global warming pollution. Sign Petition Here.Global warming is the crisis of our time.As we prepare to celebrate our nation's birthday, we renew our commitment to the qualities and values that have guided our nation for more than 200 years.Today, we recognize that patriotism is not only about love of country. It is also about a shared commitment to the welfare of our planet.Future generations will judge us based on our success or failure to be good stewards of the Earth. We owe our children and our children's children nothing less than our very best effort.We the undersigned, pledge to: ( Sign Petition Here )>> Recognize that we live in a time of crisis. We must be active and forceful in bringing about the necessary changes - based on science, not po... More About: Trio , The D
World Bank says Pollution kills 460,000 Chinese a year
2007-07-03 16:59:00 For a while now I have known that the number of people that develop lung cancer in China by living in a densely populated metropolis area was high. This is an article I read at the environmental news network about the horrible pollution in China. I have known the numbers were bad, but according to a study conducted by the World Bank , 460,000 Chinese people die pre-maturely from breathing polluted air and drinking dirty water! This is an insane amount of people, and one would think that the government is trying to do something about it. These numbers are so mouth dropping that the Chinese government itself begged for the study not to be released for fear of social unrest by the people. The study goes on to estimate the costs due to respiratory problems from breathing outdoor pollution and from diarrhea and cancer problems from drinking polluted water. These costs are outrageous."The World Bank is also concerned by indoor air pollution, principally breathing in fumes from coal-burning... More About: Pollution
Incorporate Wind Energy into Existing Infrastructure
2007-07-02 16:34:00 Credit of this post goes to James Post This is an article that was submitted to me by James Post on a wind construction project in the Caribbean. The article is much too long and full of vibrant colored photos to post directly on the blog but may be downloaded here. He is an eco-investor with a renewable energy project in the Caribbean and wants to share his project and story with others. I believe he wants to share his successful wind energy project with the world while showing that it is a viable option for island nations. From the article:There are two mainstream approaches to incorporate wind energy into the existing infrastructure:1. The electricity companies and/or the governments develop a wind park. In the Caribbean the maximum sizes for windmills are between 250 kW and 900 kW, depending on location. Especially the larger windmills are real engineering projects that require long preparations and have lead times that are long. By the middle of next decade we could expect rea... More About: Energy , Wind , Infrastructure , Incorporate , Structure
Merkel Sticks to Ambitious Climate Plan
2007-07-02 03:15:00 http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/atom. xml More About: Climate , Merkel , Plan , Stick , Ticks
Organic Standards Compromised!
2007-07-01 19:09:00 Now for the first time organic standards have been compromised thanks to our good old buddies at the USDA. They have amended a law to allow ingredients that were not derived from organic produce such as rice starch to be in a product labeled as "organic". These include:Casings from processed intestines, Celery powder, Chia, Fish oil, Fructooligosaccharides, Galangal, Gelatin, Gums, Hops, Kelp, Inulin-oligofructose enriched, Konjac flour, Lecithin, Lemongrass, Orange shellac, Pectin, Peppers, Starches, Cornstarch, Rice starch, Sweet potato starch, Turkish bay leaves, Wakame seaweed, Whey Protein concentrates.The details on this amendment made by the USDA can be found here in pdf format. It also has information on where you can submit comments to USDA. This is a huge blow to the organic industry as organic producers such as organic beer makers are affected because of hops being added to the list. In effect what the USDA has done was relaxed the laws on USDA "organic" standards...there... More About: Standards , Organic , Promise , Stand , Organ
Nissan Sees Future in Electric Cars
2007-06-27 22:19:00 The automaker Nissan has recently announced that they are trying to develop smaller, lighter, and cheaper batteries for use in hybrid vehicles as well as full electric vehicles. The auto industry now can see that the demand for greener cars are rising and hopes to develop better batteries than the ones that are currently being used in hybrids(typically Ni-Mh).The current problem with nickel metal hydride batteries is that they are not as efficient as lithium-ion batteries. However, the problem is that the costs of production for lithium-ion batteries are very expensive which would make the price of hybrids far too expensive.Nissan plans to invest money in so called "green" technology in an attempt to catch up with competitors down the road. The CEO of Nissan recognizes that people are more interested in fuel efficient vehicles now because of higher gas prices and global warming."If you have an efficient battery for a hybrid, why not go all the way and go for electric cars?" he said.... More About: Cars , Future , Electric , Electric Car
First zero emission home unveiled
2007-06-27 03:04:00 I found this article on digg.com and thought I'd share. A new house design that will be the first to meet the environmental standards all new UK homes must achieve by 2016 is being unveiled later. A very cool article and awsome design for a home...honestly check this out. The house is built with more insulation to prevent more than 60% of heat from escaping the home. Also solar panels are used for energy and rain capturing devices are used...which I believe more people should be doing.read more | digg storyhttp://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/ atom.xml More About: Home , Emission , Mission , Veil , Missi
San Francisco bans bottled water for city staff
2007-06-26 16:45:00 ReutersGavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco has given city workers an executive order to ban bottled water due to their wasteful nature. San Francisco will no longer spend city funds on bottled water in favor of tap water, which the city claims is better than bottled water. The city estimates it will save $500,000 a year from this act alone. According to San Francisco, the price of one gallon of bottled water is enough to purchase 1000 gallons of tap water! In fact the amount of resources it takes to create the plastic for bottled water is astonishing.Get all the facts about how bottled water is wasteful here.Besides saving money, Gavin Newsom says this executive order also addresses environmental concerns in the amount of oil used to make bottled water and the transportation of the products.This order comes at a time when San Francisco was the first city in the Nation to outright ban plastic bags from grocery stores to help curb global warming and to reduce city littering. Read... More About: Water , City , Bottle , Bottled Water
Rich Nations Accused of Green Imperialism on Climate Change
2007-06-25 22:45:00 So this makes total sense to me. Certain Asian governmental and business leaders are saying that Rich countries like the United States are being hypocritical about green house gas emissions. The reason? The United States constantly criticizes China for all their green house gas emissions, yet U.S. companies go to countries like China for cheap labor and then sell back to there home countries for extremely high profits. They are calling this "Green Imperialism".Now for the first time China has surpassed the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that the U.S. emitted(now the world's second largest emitter) by 8%. China alone produced 6.2 billion tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions last year according to Asianews.itMy opinion is that these leaders are absolutely correct. Most rich countries like the U.S., Japan, and countries in Europe benefit directly from cheap labor in China and then turn around and blame China for pollution. Its complete hypocrisy.This is a book that I just came acros... More About: Climate Change , Climate , Change
Credit Cards
2007-06-25 05:16:00 Credit cards are one of those forms of money that in our modern society we cannot live without. Our lives are designed with the credit card in mind. Without credit cards, many people would not be able to afford the lifestyle that many Americans live out everyday.There are many different types of credit cards, and people attain them for different reasons. When I turned 18 years old, I attained my first credit card and became irresponsible with it. I was in college and couldn't afford very much and therefore I ruined my credit. Now after graduating college I am trying to repair that credit which so easily destroyed. I have most recently been trying to compare credit cards to see which interest rates and best credit limits that I can get. Since my credit score is about average, I know I cannot get the awesome 0% credit cards that I hear about on television or on the Internet. But the hope is that one day I will be able to improve my score enough. As a 23 year old college graduate, I a... More About: Credit Cards , Credit , Cards
Earth Sheltered Homes: Environmentally Friendly
2007-06-24 20:11:00 This Low Impact Earth Shelter ed Home was a site that I stumbled on yesterday in which I was inspired to show people on this blog about it in case no one has ever really seen or heard of what earth sheltered homes are. They are the most environmentally friendly homes that can be built as they do not use up valuable resources as they are made from the earth. It took about 1000-1500 man hours with two people to build and is one way to have a minimal impact on the environment. Having a home like this reduces the cost you would have to heat and cool a conventional house. Thermal Energy is stored during the day and released when temperatures cool thereby reducing costs for temperature regulation. There are so many other advantages but I encourage you to do a little more research on earth sheltered homes. In a later post I will show some designs I have chosen as my dream home that I hope to build within a year or two. :)Technorati Tags: Environment, Earth http://www.theenv... More About: Homes , Friendly , Iron
Eco Conscious Shoppers...save money here
2007-06-24 16:00:00 KeepCash.com is a site that has online coupons for everything. Since this blog focuses on theenvironmental issues, I thought I would suggest shopping at this very earth/eco-friendly online store: MotherNature.com Coupons. More specifically if you go here, you can find a gift with any purchase from the online store. KeepKash.com has regular updates for coupons and product deals so you will always find something new. MotherNature.com is the leading online information source and e-tailer of vitamins, supplements, herbs and other natural and healthy living products. When I want to buy eco-friendly products I definitely go here, and with the online coupons I can save even more money. So before your next online purchase make sure you consider KeepKash.com for online coupons that can save you a little extra money.*This is a sponsored post by KeepKash.com*http://www.theenvironmentalb log.org/atom.xml More About: Money , Save Money , Save , Cons , Shopper
Manufactured Landscape - Must See Documentary
2007-06-24 03:02:00 "Manu factured Landscape "This film comes at a time when we as a population have become so great in number that we have begun to transform the landscape of the earth that we were born to. This film is so abstract that it allows the viewer to comprehend the veracity of what our industrialized society is today. A lot of the focus is on China and their manufacturers.It boggles the mind to just sit in silence as the film just continues to display landscape after landscape of assembly lines, mines, dams, trash, quarries, tedious robotic work, work...that looks like slave labor, and piles of industrial trash and e-waste.One of the segments where there was a bit of narration explained how most of America's recycled electronics and goods end up back in China. Images of IC(integrated circuits) chips piled mountain high for the extraction of the precious metals from the pins of the chips. Its a process where they heat up the components which give off a smell that can be detected from 5km to 1... More About: Documentary , Documenta , Must
New FDA safety rules for Dietary Products
2007-06-23 19:29:00 The FDA has now commenced its attack against the dietary supplement industry. Although right now the new rules are not so harsh and seem reasonable given the scare from Chinese ingredients in various US products. The FDA now seeks to have every ingredient tested to make sure that the ingredients are exactly what appear to be on the label...not unreasonable at all. However, it is evident to myself that this is just a baby step towards the FDA having complete control over vitamins and supplements to minimize the positive effects that vitamins and minerals have on people and maximize the $$Profits$$ that Big Pharmaceutical Industry makes on keeping people alive and on medication until old age, thereby sucking every last dollar out of the people. If the United States lived a truly healthy life style...the pharmaceutical industry would bankrupt. The only true obstacle in Big Pharma's way is the Vitamin and Supplement Industry which is aimed at preventing illnesses and keeping people hea... More About: Safety , Products , Rules , Safe , Prod
Ride Your Bicycle instead of Driving
2007-06-22 19:19:00 I just wanted to take a little time out of my day today to remind everyone who lives in a beautiful city like Eugene, Oregon that it is summer time. Which means that the weather is beautiful and it's time to bust out that bicycle you've had in storage all year. Don't have a bike? Well check out these awesome beach bikes that were made for just cruising around town. If you live in a college town like I do, having a bike is a must if you truly care about the environment and would rather ride your bike than drive a car and contribute to global warming. These bikes only have one gear and are for fun and leisure. This also makes the price of the bikes very cheap compared to geared bikes. You can check out their selection for men's bikes which come in a very cool black or yellow. For the ladies, woman's beach cruiser's come in blue, vanilla, and yellow. Definitely check this website out, they are a start up company and could use some support. For all you Californians out there, ge... More About: Driving , Ride , Ving , Bicycle
Environmentally Friendly Appliances at Home Depot
2007-06-20 04:54:00 There are some key ways to help save the environment and save a little extra money in the long run if you follow a few simple rules:1.)Replace your old incandescent bulbs with energy efficient bulbs2.)Buy energy star appliances (actually right now Home Depot is offering a $250 rebate if you purchase an energy star appliance worth $497 or more)3.)And lastly Home Depot has a new program called Eco Options which is designed to give you environmentally friendly product options for your home and home improvement needs.So if you feel the need to buy that new appliance...try and make the switch to energy efficient products to help you save in the long run and help save the environment. But before you go...check out Home Depot Coupons, a site that has a bunch of online coupons for different online stores. In particular, the Home Depot online store is teaming with savings. But don't forget to also visit the homepage of the coupon site here: Coupon ChiefThis is a Sponsored Post by www.coupo... More About: Friendly , Appliances , Iron
Native American Tribes Speak out about Climate Change
2007-06-19 16:40:00 Members from 6 tribes in the United States attended a meeting last month with the United Nations called "Indigenous Perspective on Climate Change ." The consensus within the native American community about climate change is that humans have caused quite a bit of pollution that is now being visibly seen. They refer to our planet as Mother Earth and view climate change or global warming as Mother Earth's defiant nature in getting even with those who have offset the balances. For those that believe in the Gaea theory, the notion that Earth is a living organism that will do whatever necessary to sustain itself, this holds true.As a way to fight back against climate change, some tribes in California, Minnesota, and New Mexico have taken their casino profits and used them to fund renewable energy projects. The native Americans have always had a saying which stated to use nature respectfully, never taking more than is needed. They truly believe that Mother Earth is beginning a "cleansing... More About: Native American
China Plants Trees to hold back Desertification
2007-06-18 16:30:00 In the inner parts of Mongolia there has been a problem of desertification that has been spreading south at a rate of 3km per year. The dust storms made once fertile land very difficult to farm anything for a profit. The government decided to try and build a 'great green wall' of trees and grassland approximately 435 miles which will stretch from Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Shanxi provinces by 2010. This is a noble cause that the Chinese government is doing to prevent further desertification. Note: the picture on the right is not an actual picture of the 'Great Green Wall.'Environmental News NetworkTechnorati Tags: global warming, China , desertification http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/atom. xml More About: Plants , Trees , Back , Plan
Cutbacks in Refinery Plans due to push in Biofuels
More articles from this author:2007-06-18 16:14:00 One of the major 'official' reason for our gas prices being so high is the lack of enough oil refineries to keep the gasoline flowing. Building more would eventually bring down gas prices. However, a new push in Congress for more biofuel consumption and Bush's plan to cut back gasoline use by 20%. Politicians say that a huge expansion in biofuels will eventually bring gas prices down. But with a cutback in the oil industries plans for building new refineries...the gas prices are likely to stay high at the pump for quite a while. While I also agree with Congress to push for more biofuels in order to alleviate the US dependence on foreign oil imports...I also believe something should be done about the gas prices.Associated PressTechnorati Tags: global warming http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/atom. xml More About: Plans , Biofuels , Plan , Fine , Fuels 1, 2, 3 |
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