2 girls 1 cup
Two girls one cup
2 GIRLS 1 CUP
2 GIRLS 1 CUP

Archive for February, 2009

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When it comes to detergents, what’s the least irresponsible choice?

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Looking for some new ways to green your home? 

Starting this week, the New York Times will be publishing a weekly column called “The Green Home,” which will focus on different techniques to make your home more green. This week, the focus is on environmentally friendly laundry and dish washer detergents.  The article features an interview with an EPA engineer who is responsible for awarding the “Design for the Environment” logo to products.  Specifically for detergents, those that receive the EPA’s seal of approval have ingredients that are less harmful for the environment. 

It will definitely be interesting to see what other products are featured in this new column, which draws more attention to the need to green your own home and personally help in the fight against climate change and with cleaning the environment.

Posted in Go Green, Personal | No Comments »

In debate on climate change, exaggeration is a common pitfall

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Effective communication of information on global climate change, especially the science behind it, can be quite complicated given the biases that exist on both sides of the debate.  The article from the New York Times analyzes how exaggerations of the facts on climate change can influence public opinion of the issue. On one side, those who believe human activity is responsible for the problem often go too far by linking all changes in environmental disasters to climate change (which may not be the case).  On the other side, climate change skeptics also distort the truth to make their argument seem more realistic, with one example being the statement that ice cover expanded rather than decreased (this was later clarified).  The end result of this is that much of the population remains confused on the issue of global climate change, which can prevent action from taking place. 

Regardless of what you believe (in terms of what is responsible for global climate change), the effective communication of this information is critical and must be improved.  How to do this remains the question, as uncertainties still exist.

Posted in Policy, Science | No Comments »

Climate fears are driving ‘ecomigration’ across globe

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Moving away from one’s home (by necessity or choice) in response to an environmental factor is often termed “ecomigration.”  With the number of environmental disasters predicted increase in coming decades due to climate change, the number of ecomigrants has grown “a good deal higher” than the 25 million from the 1990s.  Whether it is the NASA computer worker from Maryland moving his family to New Zealand or the millions relocating in Bangladesh to escape coastal flooding, people are starting to become more serious about the risks presented by climate change.  This article from the Washington Post chronicles some stories of ecomigrants and discusses why they felt the need to move in response to an environmental hazard. 

Think about the risks climate change presents to you.  Would you need or be forced to move?

Posted in Impacts | No Comments »

Wind of change

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

This article from the Economist offers a detailed look inside wind energy. A technology that actually dates back to over 2,000 years ago, wind has been used for electricity since the 19th century with the use of windmills. While the technology has become much more sophisticated, especially in the last 30 years, the basic principles of capturing the wind for power remain the same. The amount of electricity being produced by wind power has grown exponentially since the late 1990s, much of it being used in both the United States and Europe. Despite the physical experience of the towers needed to harness the power of the wind (some people feel they are an eyesore), global wind resources are large enough to meet the world’s current energy needs.

Posted in Renewable Energy, Wind | No Comments »

NASA satellite crashes minutes after launch

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

A follow up to the post from yesterday: 

The rocket carrying the satellite intended to monitor carbon dioxide has crashed into the ocean near Antarctica.  Here is the full article about this disappointing event, which is a set back to scientists trying to learn more about the causes of global climate change.

Posted in Causes, Science | No Comments »

Satellite will track carbon dioxide

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

You may already know that carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and such emissions contribute to global warming. 

What you (and most scientists) probably don’t know is what happens to the carbon dioxide once it is in the atmosphere. 

To help answer this question, scientists at NASA plan to launch a satellite to help measure and track carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and on the surface of the Earth.  Analyzing how carbon dioxide moves around the globe could be a crucial piece to improving climate models.  Scientists also hope to learn more about “carbon sinks,” the places were carbon dioxide absorbed including the oceans and forests. While human activity accounts for a very small percentage of total carbon dioxide emissions, we do enough to put the system out of balance and it is the excess carbon from us that is in part responsible climate change.

Posted in Causes, Science | No Comments »

Urban composting: A new can of worms

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Are you looking for what to do next to save the Earth after switching to flourescent bulbs? What about urban composting? This article from the New York Times gives you the lowdown on this fast-spreading trend, presenting the hows, whys, and possible pitfalls of composting food scraps in the city. The economic downturn may have devastated the profit margins for recyclables, but the Earth can always use more earth, and even city dwellers can find a few square feet of soil to be enriched.

Posted in Community, Go Green, Personal | No Comments »

E.P.A. Expected to Regulate Carbon Dioxide

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Following up on a post from Tuesday, here is a more detailed look at the EPA’s plans to regulate carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. Much of the legislative process surrounding the decision is discussed along with the potential roadblocks to getting the emissions regulations into place.  While it may take some time, this decision by the EPA is quite significant, as the United States will finally take action in the fight against climate change on the national scale and now be able to participate in international efforts starting in late 2009.

Posted in Policy, United States | No Comments »

Green burials: A dying wish to be ‘home for fish’

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Worried that you won’t be able to “go green” enough during your lifetime? 

Well, according to this article, the concept of going green can now extend past your time on Earth.  Focused on reducing their carbon footprint, the death care industry now has alternative ways to ensure that your burial will keep the environment in mind.  According to environmentalists, traditional burial methods are hazardous to the environment and produce emissions which contribute to global warming.  The green burial techniques discussed in the article, which range from biodegradable caskets to incorporating one’s remains into reefs to be placed underwater, will allow you to continue to go green forever.

Posted in Go Green, Personal | No Comments »

Five places to go before global warming messes them up

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

ClimateYou doesn’t usually give travel advice, but we’ll make an exception for this article, which identifies five tourist spots that everyone should plan to visit before global warming impacts them adversely, some but not all due to rising sea levels.  As world travelers, which other places would you suggest be added to the list? Venice, Italy? New York? Lake Okeechobee,Florida?

Please comment with your own suggestions!

Posted in Impacts, Regional | No Comments »

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