I received an email advertisement recently from Citi Cards promoting “Greener Banking for a Greener Environment”. It seems that Citi has partnered with The National Arbor Day Foundation in a program to promote paperless statements. The benefits? For every person who enrolls in “Paperless Statements” Citi will donate a tree to be planted “where needed most”.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not promoting consumerism via credit card purchases. I understand that our habits of consuming need to be reformed, if we are to combat the negative effects of product packaging and distribution on our environment. Conversely, for some who are looking for an easy way to take a positive step, changing to paperless statements is a great option. It is nice to see a credit card company take it one step further. Kudos Citi.
Fireworks are a national past time. Many of us have fond memories of enjoying them with friends and family. But, could these same fireworks be putting our health and environment at risk?
According to AQMD, the particulate levels in the areas around fireworks displays increase by about 100 times and do not return to normal until midday the next day. These particulates can cause a host of physical reactions including, coughing, soar throats, and burning eyes, with increased risks for people with asthma.
In addition, the particulates from fireworks wind up in the environment. The particles settle on the ground and contaminate waterways. A study, done by the Environmental Protection Agency, found that the level of some chemicals increase by 1,000 in an Oklahoma lake, proceeding a fireworks display.
Disney to the rescue! Among others, Disney has been working to develop cleaner fireworks. One option is ditching carbon-based materials for nitrogen atoms. According to scientists, this will introduce far less smoke into the environment. Another option is fireworks that use nitrocellulose. These fireworks emit water, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide instead of smoke.
With environmental concerns driving the undustry, it looks like there may be a bright future for fireworks. All puns intended.
12:16 pm, the first of the more than thirty divers hit the waters of Grand Traverse (West) Bay in Traverse City, Michigan. Minutes before, the divers were gathering in the parking lot of SCUBA North, a local dive shop. From there, the divers were shuttled across a busy highway in a black and grey Chevrolet Suburban, with gear in a trailer a-tow, to the beach-side dive site. What brings these divers out?
On June 6, 2008, the Grand Traverse Bay received designation as the twelfth underwater preserve in the state; Grand Traverse Bay Unerwater Preserve (GTBUP). According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the preserve includes approximately 295 square miles. There are several known shipwrecks in the preserve including, John Thursby, A.J. Rogers, Lauren Castle, two modern sailboats and commercial fishing boats. In addition, there may be up to nineteen other vessels in the preserve with historical significance.
“Coastal wetlands are an important feature of the … preserve that provides significant water quality and aquatic habitat functions in the shallow shoreline areas.”
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
The divers were in the bay on a “scavenger hunt” for golf balls, placed in a small portion of the bay by event coordinators. At an event picnic later in the day, prizes will given away, raffle style, according to a number written on each of the balls. At registration, the quantity of balls the participants want to dive for are purchased for a reasonable fee. The proceeds for the event are then donated to the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve.
“To sustain an Underwater Preserve by enhancing education, research and preservation of our Great Lakes and maritime heritage, and by the promotion of tourism and public recreation.” Mission Statement of GTBUP
This is not the first time that divers in this community have gathered together in an attempt to protect the environment. According to Bob Thorpe of SCUBA North, there is a twenty year tradition of diving events, in the Traverse City area, that have raised money for nonprofit organizations. Beyond raising money, the SCUBA comminuty here pitches in on a regular basis to clean up the area water. The day prior to the fundraising event, a group of divers cleaned up garbage from the bay floor.
“The SCUBA community is more concerned, I would think, about the (equatic) environment. It is what they are here to see.” Bob Thorpe
First off I’ll name the MAN-MADE things that make greenhouse gases, such as vehicles, factories, boats, and airplanes. Deforestation is another cause for greenhouse gases. According to You can save the planet by: Jacquie Wines, greenhouse gases come in many forms, like water vapors, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and ozone gases. These gases trap more of the suns rays in earth’s atmosphere and warms us up.
How you can help?
The best way to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases there are is, is to ride your bike or walk instead of driving places. Some people think they have an excuse because they live farther away from town, but if that’s the case public transportation is better than driving your own car. Another really good way is to get an electric or push lawn mower because according to the book You can save the planet 40 cars driving on the road for a year equals 1 lawn mower that runs on gasoline running for 1 year; it’s the same amount of pollution.
What I plan to do
I plan to ride my bike more places and turn off lights that aren’t needed. Please post a comment telling what you do, or plan to do, to help reduce greenhouse gases.
What is the issue? The EPA may adopt a rule, that has been pending since last June, that will make it easier to build coal-fired power plants near national parks. Instead of focusing on reducing the impact of a new pollution source, the rule would change the way the EPA calculates the impact. According to John Bunyak of the National Park Service’s Air Resources Division in Denver, instead of looking at peak periods of pollution, the new rule would use annual averages.
National Parks Conservation Association representative, Don Barger, compares it to someone puting one hand in a block of ice and the other in a fire. “Your average temperature is just fine, but your hands are not.” (AP)
Here are some companies and their products for your home:
Alpine Energy Group - Fiberglass windows. This company claims that it’s windows provide less wasted energy and lower heating and cooling costs. As well as an insulating value of R-20.
Bosch - Energy efficient dishwashers. According to their advertisments, the 800 series is 148% more energy efficient than the federal standard.
Greenplay - Children’s furniture. Made with environmentally safe materials such as post-consumer recycled plastic. All of the wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The best thing about this company is that when your children outgow the funiture they will ytake it back and either recycle it or donate it!
Radiantec - Solar compatible radiant heating systems.
In an effort to suppport the renewal of Griffith Park, recently devestated by California wildfires, the star powered duo of Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Tommy Lee have teamed up with Planet Green. The team will participate in the upcome television series Battleground Earth, culminating with a benefit concert at the Greek Theatre on Wednesday, May 28.
* This is not an official advertisement. This post is for information only. The above image has been borrowed from and is the property of Battleground Earth.
Fireworks are a national past time. Many of us have fond memories of enjoying them with friends and family. But, could these same fireworks be putting our health and environment at risk?
