Sounds of nature September 28, 2008

When podcasts first premiered back in late 2004, they didn’t take off quite as well as some may have hoped, but recent technology trends may be about to change all that.  The iPhone is like that kid in high school – all she had to do was nod at someone and they’d automatically be cool by association.  Well, the iPhone’s given her nod, and now podcast subscriptions have taken off.

Nature lovers, don’t be left out!  By subscribing to the weekly Nature Stories podcast, you’ll have access to hundreds of personal stories about people’s interactions with nature.  Topics range from worms to urban farming to photography, and subject matter comes from all over the world – there’s definitely something for everyone. 

You can download the free podcasts directly to iTunes or an MP3 player which makes these great tidbits to listen to during daily commutes, while you’re stuck indoors or as background noise to help keep you connected with the wilds of nature.  

Take a listen to this week’s podcast Frogs on the Road.

Living in debt September 24, 2008

As of two minutes ago, the US national debt is $9,789,785,427,082.16.. try saying that number out loud.  Since the Bush administration took office, America’s had to get used to living in debt.  But according to the Global Footprint Network, yesterday marked a different kind of deficit spending.

September 23 marked Global Overshoot Day as “the day humanity has used all the resources nature will generate this day.”  This means from here on out, we’re eating into resources that the planet won’t be able replace before we need them again.  Currently, the earth is still in surplus mode so luckily, there are still fish available for us to catch in rivers and forests for us to cut down for building supplies.

However, the site says we now consume resources at a pace of 1.4 planets per year, which means Global Overshoot Day comes earlier each year.  It also means that who knows how many years from now, Global Overshoot Day will come and we’ll find that our planet’s surplus is gone.

This overshooting of our resources, says the site, is one of the roots to most other global problems – climate change, decreasing biodiversity, the increasing need for fish farms, rising food prices, etc.

September 23 is the 267th day of the year, which means we still have just under 100 days left to consume this year.  hmm.

Business benefits by lowering emissions September 23, 2008

UK Carbon Trust published a study yesterday about the benefits mainstream sectors of the economy have to gain from lowering carbon emissions. 

Car manufacturers have the most to gain by harnessing hybrid technologies, but also have the most to lose should they not meet future emissions standards, the report says.  We’ve already seen that impact on Hummer sales in the United States as CEO Rick Wagoner announced the possibility of remodeling or discontinuation of Hummer models earlier this summer.  

The sooner businesses realize the money that can be saved by harnessing energy-saving technologies (not to mention the money to be made as people are beginning to make lifestyle changes in favor of lowering their impact), the better for everyone. 

Business standards may be readjusted next year at a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen next year.  In the meantime, hopefully they’ll take heed of this report and begin to make industrial changes on their own accord.

Streamline recycling September 22, 2008

Beginning in October, Austin is going to try a new method of recycling.. your small blue recycling bins will be replaced with huge, blue 90-gallon recycling bins!  Residents will be able to throw all their recyclable paper, cardboard, boxboard, cans, plastic (numbers 1-7) and glass in a single container, instead of sorting it into separate bins for your local recycling person. 

Even though people may have tried to recycle them before, this is the first time curbside recycling can accommodate ordinary paper, such as junk mail, and boxboard, such as food container boxes.  When this takes affect, and all 90-gallon recycling bins have been distributed, the city will stop picking up recycling in small blue bins.

On a recycling side note, while water bottles are made from #2 plastic, the caps are made from a different, harder plastic.  At this time, the city doesn’t have the means to reuse these caps, which means they are not recyclable.  Taking off the caps before you recycle your bottles will speed up the process at recycling plants (and it’s a nice thing to do).  Perhaps this is an opportunity to test your creativity as you try to find a use for any extra caps you have floating around?

Save the world.. while you sleep September 19, 2008

.. while your computer sleeps, that is.  

You’ve heard that it’s best to turn off your appliances when you’re not using them, but for those who use their computer sporadically, forget, or just find it a hassle, distributed computer networks have figured out a way to put your computer’s unused energy to work.  

Climateprediction.net is one such network run by Oxford University.  This particular research group is working to develop a model that’ll estimate how our climate will change under different circumstances.. if carbon dioxide increases, if ocean currents change direction, the impacts of the sulfur cycle, etc. Once you join their network, you’re asked to download a climate model that runs scientific research data as a backup process on your computer.  Results are automatically sent back to the server, and you can check the status of said research at the parent site.  

According to the site, by allowing them to run data on so many computers, they’re able to tweak data in tiny increments to make sure their research is as accurate as possible. 

BOINC is another similar program supported by the National Science Foundation.  Its research focuses on disease cures, global warming and pulsars.  You can definitely download more than one volunteer computing project at once.  

Go, put your computer to work!

Future Volt September 16, 2008

General Motors released the production model of its plug-in electric car in Detroit this morning.  They call it – The Chevy Volt

The Chevy Volt runs on a lithium battery for up to 40 miles.

 – and it came out in honor of GM’s 100^th anniversary.

 

According to www.chevrolet.com, the Chevy Volt is a series hybrid that runs on a lithium battery.  The cool thing is that once you get it in your garage, you should be able to use a regular household plug that’ll fully charge your car in about six hours.  What this does to your electric bill, I cannot say, but what a zero-emissions vehicle can do for the environment?  Lordy!  

 

The site says 75% of Americans live within 20 miles of their job site, meaning they should be able to make it to work and back without emitting anything.  Should someone need to drive further, there’s also a three-cylinder gas engine that can recharge the battery and gives the driver another 600 miles.  The car can run on both gasoline and ethanol, and in that situation, it gets up to 50 mpg.

 

Chevrolet is finishing up testing of lithium batteries under different circumstances, so the Chevy Volt should be available to the public by 2010. 

A bright idea September 13, 2008

Energy aficionados have been hailing the creation of the compact fluorescent light bulb as a way to save energy, and money, in your homes.  And they are.  The only trouble is that they work, in part, based on mercury, which can be a major hazard if disposed of improperly.  What’s a homeowner supposed to do?!

 

Up until recently, it’s been nearly impossible to find recycling centers for these bulbs.  Places like Ikea are sometimes wiling to take on the bulbs, and Wal-Mart occasionally designates a recycle day.  All that changed when at the end of this summer, Home Depot announced that it will take any C.F.L. at all their locations as a free service, and a means of proper disposal.

According to a Home Depot press release, “if every American switched out one incandescent bulb to a CFL, it would prevent more than 600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 800,000 cars.”

 

It’s been estimated that there’s a Home Depot within 10 miles of 75% of homes across the U.S., leaving customers with almost no reason not to switch to these energy savers.

Meat.. not so neat September 11, 2008

One of my favorite events of the year is the Rodeo Cook-off in Houston.   I go back home whenever I can to attend in order to fill up on as much pork, beef, unmentionable meat products as possible – I am the last person who’ll advocate vegetarianism.  But there is something you should know about your meat products -  in 2006, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization published a report called Livestock’s Long Shadow that dubbed cattle as the second or third most significant contributor to serious environmental issues.

Cattle pose serious environmental risks.

 

In addition to polluting water supplies and wreaking havoc on biodiversity, livestock are responsible for 18% of global emissions, almost 5% more than the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from worldwide transportation (13.5%).   Demand expected to double by 2050 as our population grows with lightening speed.

 

What can you do about this?  Easy.  Cut meat out of your current diet one more day a week.  If you eat meat in one of your meals five times a week, cutting that down to four is the best way to start to make an impact.  Feel free to reduce that number too, if you like.  I read somewhere the cow that you eat 1 lb. of beef from emitted the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving an SUV 40 miles! 

Yellow Bikes September 8, 2008

People have been yapping about gas prices as reason to find alternate forms of transportation for months, but the Yellow Bike Project offers more than a sustainable means of travel around the city of Austin.

 

The organization is built around a do-it-yourself concept, and if anyone shows up expecting someone to fix their bike for them, they’re mistaken.  In addition to fixing up old bikes and selling them to the public dirt cheap (the average cost of one of their bikes ranges from $30 to $50 – even if you check out a pawn shop, you’ll have to double the latter price), YBP also shows people how to take care of their own equipment.  People can work on a trade basis – help around the shop for a bit, earn parts to fix your bike.  No money exchanges hands, and more importantly, you now have a carbon-free means of travel that keeps you in shape and doesn’t require at least $30 of fuel each week.

Mateo Scoggins has been working with the program for about a year, and he thinks students have no excuse not to ride a bicycle on a regular basis.  “They don’t have to commute super far, so bikes are perfect,” he said.  “There’s no excuse to own a car.  Plus, if you ride a bike when you’re a student, you’re more likely to do it for the rest of your life too.”

Politics are sexy September 7, 2008

The League of Conservation Voters may offer potential voters an insight into political candidates that news sources may not.  The site is an annual scorecard of Congressmen and their voting record in favor of the environment.  The importance of experience has been one of the biggest criticisms in this presidential election, and, more than once, candidates have flip flopped their public position on ways to take care of this planet. A voting record is solid and speaks much louder than political jargon, which makes this site so important.  

In presidential terms, Sen. John McCain has an overall score of voting in favor of the environment 24% of the time he’s been a congressman.  Granted, he didn’t vote at all on any pro-environmental legislation for the entire 2007 session, which counts against this percentage.  He was probably busy campaigning.  Fine.  Sen. Barack Obama has a lifetime LCV score of 86%, and he managed to vote in favor of environmental legislature 67% during the 2007 session.   Check out the comparison chart.

Candidates’ voter history may be more significant than their campaign promises.  As a voter, keep yourself aware. 

There’s no doubt that politics are sexy this season, and we’ve all heard the reports of the thousands of youngsters who flocked to the polls to vote for the first time in the primaries.  With any luck, those numbers will carry over to the local level as well.  It is just as important to make an educated vote for our local politicians.  Citizens have more opportunity to hold these officials accountable for their campaign promises and first handedly witness the benefits of their decisions.   Please, make yourself aware of the positions and voting records of your political candidates and vote for representatives who care about green issues this November.