Tag Archives: Environment

Planting Trees to Fight Climate Change

logoTree-Nation will plant 8 million trees in Africa in the shape of a huge heart to fight Climate Change and Poverty. We will create the park in Niger which is one of the poorest countries in the world, and one that suffers the most from climate change and desertification. Furthermore, we are affiliated with the United Nations Environment Program in support of each others projects.

We have built a great new kind of website that combines a community with our own mapping tool. Inspired by Google maps we built our own special version to be able to plant 8 million trees, all with blogs and profiles.

So via our website you can buy trees for yourself or offer and send one to someone you love, and people are doing this for Weddings, Valentines, new born babies, birthdays, to advertise a business, or simply to share some thoughts. You can plant a tree on a virtual map and a real tree will be planted in the same place in the real world. The virtual trees all have Tree-Blogs and Profiles so that you can keep in touch with the recipient and interact with others who have bought trees via our community. You can share ideas, photos, messages, make contacts and debate on environmental issues.

It really is exciting to see members buying trees, writing beautiful messages and then sending them to loved ones via our website.

Note: This was not written by me, but by Jeremiah from Tree Nation.

New York to Power Buildings Using Renewable Energy

Mayor Bloomberg shows no sign of slowing down his drive to reduce New York City’s carbon emissions, which is of course a good thing. He’s now set to announce that municipal buildings in NYC will switch to solar power and move from dirty regular oil to a less-damaging biodiesel. Other mayors (and North American federal leaders!) should follow NYC’s example of emission cutting.

On Monday, Bloomberg said the city will issue a request for proposals for a pilot program to install solar panels on city-owned buildings in hopes of generating 2 megawatts of solar capacity _ offsetting about 320 tons of emissions per year, equal to taking more than 50 U.S. cars per year off the streets. The city will not pay for the installation but will buy electricity from the provider.

Climate Savers Computing Initiative

earth.jpgComputers are not the most efficient when it comes to energy use. It is great to see that a lot of computer manufactures have teamed up to create the Climate Savers Computing Initiative to improve the energy efficiency of electronics. Even if this is greenwashing, its better than having the companies ignore the environment.

Improving the energy efficiency of computers is a cost-effective way to reduce electricity consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative brings together industry, consumers and conservation organizations to significantly increase the energy efficiency of computers and servers.

Previously:
Greenpeace Influences Apple
Bamboo Ecobook
Sun is the Greenest
Use Linux and be Sustainable

Reflecting on the Sun

http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn11993
It’s good to know that already scientists have figured out backup plans for when climate change becomes so destructive that we have a way to turn down the thermostat. The solutions being put forward include blocking or diffusing the sun’s energy out into space – essentially making the Earth a giant mirror. The catch is that this geoengineering could change the way we see the world by altering the rays that hit the planet’s surface. The solutions maybe drastic, but at least we have a plan.

A solar shield that reflects some of the Sun’s radiation back into space would cool the climate within a decade and could be a quick-fix solution to climate change, researchers say.
…
His computer models simulated a gradually deployed shield that would compensate for the greenhouse effect of rising carbon dioxide concentrations. By the time CO2 levels are double those of pre-industrial times – predicted to be at the end of the 21st century – the shield would need to block 8% of the Sun’s radiation.

UK Unveils Zero-Emission Home

from the bbcNot to be outdone by the recycled house in Quebec, the Brits have unveiled a zero-emission home. The BBC reports that it’s the first zero-emission home in the UK and aims to be an example of new rules to be applied in 2016.

“The home generates all its own energy – and when you’re away on holiday can send electricity back to the National Grid. The company says its annual energy bill would be £31, as compared to £500 for the standard new home of this size,” he said.