Environment

Change Buildings, Save the World

- Adam Clare

A study has been released (2mb PDF) by Commission for Environmental Cooperation; and Celsias has put up a nice summery for us. They note that a simple way for us to lower our impact on the environment is to change how we construct buildings in North America.

Existing building techniques can be used to improve efficiency of our buildings.

In Canada, buildings are responsible for:

  • 33 % of all energy used;
  • 50 % of natural resources consumed;
  • 12 % of non-industrial water used;
  • 25 % of landfill waste generated;
  • 10 % of airborne particulates produced; and
  • 35 % of greenhouse gases emitted.

In Mexico, buildings are responsible for:

  • 17 % of all energy used;
  • 25 % of all electricity used;
  • 20 % of all carbon dioxide emissions;
  • 5 % of potable water consumption; and
  • 20 % of the waste generated.

Disney Influenced Environmentalists

- Adam Clare

According to a University of Cambridge professor Disney has helped create the wave of environmentalism that we are currently riding. I’m kinda skeptical about this, but it’s good news nonetheless.

Dr Whitley singled out Bambi, which was released in 1942, as particularly influential, saying that many green activists had credited it as the inspiration that first made them interested in environmental issues.

He said: “Disney films have often been criticised as inauthentic and pandering to popular taste rather than developing the animation medium in a more thought-provoking way.

“In fact, these films have taught us variously about having a fundamental respect for nature. Some of them, such as Bambi, inspired conservation awareness and laid the emotional groundwork for environmental activism.

Eco Luxury Vodka

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

I’m no fan of vodka, but I am a fan of the environment, which is what makes this so interesting. An American company has created vodka that helps the earth! I wonder if they’ll use the slogan “Destroy your organs to protect the planet!” I doubt it, but if you like vodka you should buy this stuff. In the meantime I’ll wait for eco-beer and eco-whiskey.

Claiming the title ‘World’s first eco-friendly premium spirit’, 360 Vodka is shipped in a bottle made from 85% recycled glass. The whole product incorporates other sustainability “features” like the 360 logo blown directly into the glass, New Leaf 100% PCW paper label, and also using water-based inks vs. petroleum-based inks for label/packaging printing. In addition, the bottle comes with a postage paid envelope hanging around the neck that lets customers mail back the recyclable flip-top closure for re-use, in turn helping lessen landfill waste.

All impurities are removed by distilling the vodka four times using the column distillation process and later it is filtered five times though granulated charcoaled coconut shell filtration system. The state-of-the-art distillery meets or exceeds all EPA air and water quality standards for distilleries. The production process reduced its volatile organic compounds output by 70% and sulfur dioxide emissions by 99% and the company states that it uses 250% less fossil fuel energy during production process.

Britain Loves the Sun

- Adam Clare

Soon in Britain people will be able to operate their own solar power generators and wind farms. This is a great way to lower one’s carbon footprint while saving money!

From April 6, all homeowners in Britain will be free to install microgeneration equipment like solar panels without getting planning permission for them, as the government tries to cut climate warming gases emitted from coal and gas fired power plants in order to supply electricity.
“We want to make it easier to help people reduce their carbon footprint. Technology like solar panels can make a real difference, but homeowners can be put off by the time and expense of getting planning permission,” planning minister Caroline Flint said.

Into the Future by Using the Past

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

To most people it looks like leaders in North America keep forgetting about global warming, well this isn’t all true. Brush the Bush and Harper conservative agendas aside and you’ll find other political leaders trying to save the planet. In Mexico, aboriginal leaders are looking into the ways of that their ancestors lived to help us slow global warming today.

More than 200 leaders from 71 American Indian nations in Mexico, the United States and Canada came together in this Mexican jungle to find indigenous solutions to pollution and ecological problems threatening the planet.

“Our Mother Earth is being polluted at an alarming rate, and our elders say that she is dying,” said Raymond Sensmeier, a Tlingit leader from Yakutat, Alaska. “The way the weather is around the world … a cleansing is needed.”

The conference began with a pre-dawn ceremony that included fire, copal incense, chants in Lacandon Maya and blasts from a conch shell.

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