Tag Archives: nature

Here’s how major cities measure up on climate change spending

by SofiaStout Posted on March 1, 2016

Here’s how major cities measure up on climate change spending

By on 1 Mar 2016 5:07 pmcommentsShare

This story was originally published by Mother Jones and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

The headline negotiations during the Paris climate summit in December were between national governments: What would China, the United States, and other big emitters be willing to do? But just outside the spotlight, some of the most optimistic commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions, ramp up clean energy, and invest in adaptive measures were being made by cities.

A new analysis from social scientists at University College London sheds some new light on the money behind those municipal efforts — and the results paint a highly uneven picture. The researchers compared spending on climate adaptation in 10 major global cities — that is, investments in infrastructure, public health, water systems, etc., aimed at making them more resistant to climate change. All 10 cities are members of the Compact of Mayors, an initiative that came out of Paris to hold cities to a high standard of climate action.

On average among those 10 cities, spending on climate adaptation accounted for one-fifth of one percent of GDP in 2015, or about $855 million. Not surprisingly, cities in wealthier countries such the U.S. and the U.K. spent far more than cities in African countries and Southeast Asia:

Nature

Cities in developing countries also lag behind on spending on a per-capita basis. (The Paris figure is so high in part because the study counted population just within a city’s official boundaries, not the surrounding metropolitan area, and Paris’ boundaries are relatively small) …

Nature

… and as a share of GDP:

Nature

The findings illustrate that spending on climate adaptation is more a function of wealth, and the value of local real estate, than the size of a city’s population or its relative vulnerability to climate impacts. The researchers conclude that “current adaptation activities are insufficient in major population centres in developing and emerging economies.”

That may not be very surprising — of course New York and London will be better able to rally funds for climate readiness than Addis Ababa. But it’s an important snapshot of the uphill battle developing countries face in confronting climate change.

Share

Please

enable JavaScript

to view the comments.

Find this article interesting?

Donate now to support our work.Climate on the Mind

A Grist Special Series

Get Grist in your inbox

Source: 

Here’s how major cities measure up on climate change spending

Posted in Anchor, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Radius, solar, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here’s how major cities measure up on climate change spending

Why Recycled Jewelry Matters for a Green Valentine’s Day

by MarlaTranter Posted on February 8, 2016

As beautiful as jewelry can be to wear, it sure can have an ugly impact on people and the planet:

* Irresponsible mining practices, often in developing countries, have caused terrible human suffering and environmental devastation. I personally witnessed gold being panned along the banks of the Amazon in Peru; the workers were just dumping the arsenic-tainted slurry they used to separate the gold from the rock directly back into the river.

* Diamond mining has fueled civil wars in many African countries, where governments use “horrific violence” to maintain control of people and resources in mining regions, reports Brilliant Earth, a company devoted to producing jewelry ethically. A fictional portrayal of this issue was poignantly told in the Academy Award-nominated movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo di Caprio.

* Mining can take a heartbreakinghuman toll. Children as well as adults may be forced into dangerous jobs mining gold and diamonds. More than 200,000 women have been raped in Congo since a civil war began there over access to the country’s mineral resources. Workers die when tunnels collapse, rocks fall and underground mines catch fire.

* In addition to arsenic, mercury is used to separate gold from other materials. Brilliant Earth reports that gold mining is responsible for 30 to 40 percent of man-made mercury pollution each year. Mercury is a powerful toxin that’s known to cause brain damage, impair the ability of the heart and lungs to function and wreak neurological havoc in developing fetuses. When it gets dumped into a river or stream, it ends up in drinking and bathing water and becomes unavoidable.

* Gold mining is not just a problem in far-away countries. The U.S. is the third-largest gold-producing nationin the world, after China and Australia. Most U.S. gold comes from large open-pit heap leach mines in Nevada. “This type of mining is particularly damaging to the environment,” reports MIT. “Environmental hazards are present during every step of the open-pit mining process,” including exposing radioactive rocks, asbestos-like minerals and metallic dust. Rock slurries, which are mixtures of pulverized rock and liquid, are produced as tailings. Toxic and radioactive elements from these liquids can leak into bedrock and get into groundwater. If their containment ponds break, the slurries can be sent coursing into streams and rivers.

* Jewelry made from the body parts of endangered species threatens those animals even more. The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) prohibits trading in shells, bones, skeletons and other parts of animals that are threatened or endangered. That means that shouldn’t buy jewelry made from those animals, either.

The Benefits of Buying Recycled Jewelry

Buying recycled jewelry offers a sharp contrast to buying it brand new. Choosing recycled saves energy, water and the mineral resources themselves. Eighty percent of all gold mined is made into jewelry, reports TheWorldWomenWant.com. There is already so much gold availablein old jewelry, coins and furnishingsthat we could satisfy our gold demands for the next 50 years just by getting access to old gold.

Making jewelry from recycled materials also helps reduce environmental degradation. It’s easy to see how much better it is to create a new ring out of an old one instead of needing to mine and process the gold from scratch.

Plus, there’s something inspiring about creating new and beautiful jewelry out of what otherwise might be thrown away.

And remember, your jewelry doesn’t need to be made from gold, sapphires, diamonds or rubies to be exquisite. I have a beautiful necklace made from an antique button, a gorgeous pendant fashioned from a piece of Chinese pottery and lovely earrings that used to be beach glass.

Where Can You Buy Recycled Jewelry?

Here is a list of the many places to find jewelry made from recycled gemstones, metals and everyday items.

Antique stores and estate sales – For high-quality rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants and broaches, browse antique stores and estate sales. Here’s another advantage: Prices may be somewhat better than buying the equivalent item new.

Craft fairs – Look for artisans who work with locally available materials, including beads, glass, stones, stainless steel and wood. Locate craft fairs by date and state here.

Family heirlooms – Jewelry is lovely to pass down from one generation to the next. My wedding ring, a combination of diamonds set into a gold band, originally belonged to my favorite aunt.My father gave his gold watch to one of my brothers. Perhaps your mother has a uniquenecklace she’ll pass on to you. Jewelry like this may not necessarily be more valuable, but it probably holds more sentimental meaning.

Etsy – Etsy artistsoften make jewelry out of recycled materials, including unusual items like buttons, typewriter keys, silverware, pop tops from soda and beer cans, sea glass and pottery. Plus on Etsy, you’re likely to find one-of-a-kind designs, since the artists don’t usually mass produce their wares.

Brilliant Earth – This company makes gorgeous wedding and engagement rings from recycled gemstones, recycled gold anddiamonds mined from countries committed to ethical mining practices, including Canada, Namibia and Botswana. Leber Jeweler and Hume Atelier are two other jewelers that have made a commitment to ethical sourcing.

Do What Oscar Nominees Do: Borrow It! The next time you watch the Academy Awards, listen closely when the starlets are asked about their stunning jewelry. They almost always say they’re wearing it on loan from a famous jewelry designer.And that’s a smart idea. Why not borrow a stand-out necklace or pair of earrings for your next big event rather than purchase it new. Check with family and friends to see what they’d be willing to loan you. Or visit BorrowedBling.com, an online emporium that, for a fee, lets you borrow rings, bracelets, necklaces, broaches, pins and earrings. You pay a monthly fee, browse their selections, place your order and return the items using their padded envelope and postage-paid shipping label.

Do you have a favorite piece of recycled jewelry? Please share!

Related:
Fashion Gone Bad: Rhino Horn Jewelry
Toxic Jewelry: Cadmium Found in Ardene, Aldo Products

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

This article is from: 

Why Recycled Jewelry Matters for a Green Valentine’s Day

Posted in alo, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, PUR, Radius, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why Recycled Jewelry Matters for a Green Valentine’s Day

How to Tell if You’re Being Scammed by ‘Organic’ Labels

by VirginiBrowder Posted on February 7, 2016

Last month,Consumer Reportscontinued its crusade against the use of the term natural on food labels. The website and magazine has for several years correctly asserted that natural is one of the most misleading and meaningless food labels out thereand yet it’s used on product after product after product.

In a newsurvey of 1,005 shoppers,Consumer Reportsfound that two-thirds of shoppers believe natural means more than it does (note: the termis not even defined by the FDA) and almost half assume natural claims on labels are independently verified.

The meaningless natural label is one thing. But what about organic? Can we be sure that when products are labeled organic, it means they are almost completely pesticide-free?

Not always. Take companies whose name includes the word organics or organics. After the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog group, exposeda number of companies who were skirting the qualifications for organic by putting the word in their products’ names, the United States Department of Agricultureattempted to clarify its stance on the matterin late 2014. Unfortunately for us, the USDA didn’t clear up much, saying that it would address potential violators on a case-by-case basis:

While we believe that the term, organic, in a brand name context does not inherently imply an organic production or handling claim and, thus, does not inherently constitute a false or misleading statement, we intend to monitor the use of the term in the context of the entire label. We will consult with the FTC and FDA regarding product and company names that may misrepresent the nature of the product and take action on a case-by-case basis.

Did you catch that? The USDA admits that the use of organic or 100 percent organic on food labels on non-certified products may be misleading, but claims organic in a company name does not imply organic production or handling. As a shopper, isthat how you see it? If most consumers believe natural implies a certain standard of production and handling, how much more is this true for a hyper-specific term like organic?

The best way to know for certain that a product is certified organic is the presence of theUSDA’s organic labelthe gold standard. Before a product can bear it, a government certifier personally inspects the facility, ensuring that no less than 95 percent of ingredients are organic and non-GMO, and that animal products contain no antibiotics or growth hormones.

As for everything else making grand claims or putting organic in the name? Verify, verify, verify.

Written by Steve Holt. Reposted with permission from Thrive Market.

More from Thrive Market:

The Many Health and Beauty Benefits of Raw Honey
The Terrifying New Film About GMOs You Need to See
5 Strange Superfoods that Belong in Your Smoothie

Photo credit: Paul Delmont

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

View article – 

How to Tell if You’re Being Scammed by ‘Organic’ Labels

Posted in alo, Citizen, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, organic, PUR, Radius, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How to Tell if You’re Being Scammed by ‘Organic’ Labels

On Nature: A Hint of Danger in the Forest

by Myrna Posted on February 4, 2016

An encounter with a wild boar momentarily realigns our relationship to nature in a time of mass extinction. Credit:   On Nature: A Hint of Danger in the Forest ; ; ;

Read the article – 

On Nature: A Hint of Danger in the Forest

Posted in eco-friendly, FF, G & F, GE, LAI, Monterey, ONA, solar, solar power, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On Nature: A Hint of Danger in the Forest

Videos of Excited Snow Dogs Are the Only Things Keeping Us Happy During this Historic Storm

by WandaYencken Posted on January 23, 2016

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

Here in New York City, roads are now shut down to non-emergency traffic, and authorities are telling drivers they’ll get fined if they don’t comply. Above-ground parts of the subway system are about to close. The storm, stronger than forecast up here in New York, will continue until late into the night and dump even more snow—making it a storm likely to earn a place in the record books (though where it will rank for snowfall we won’t know until it’s all over). Slate is reporting that at the time of writing Washington, D.C.’s total snowfall stands at 14.9 inches. There’s coastal flooding in New Jersey (watch the footage here.) CNN is reporting that 9000-plus flights have been canceled.

Even though it may be beautiful and exciting, all this nature gets old really fast. With so little to do right now but snack and surrender to television coverage, find some relief in these amazing Instagram videos of dogs having a wonderful time in the snow. Enjoy.

A video posted by J a m i e L e s z c z a k (@arctic_dreams) on Jan 23, 2016 at 8:00am PST

A video posted by Appa (@appathederpydog) on Jan 23, 2016 at 12:30pm PST

A video posted by Nashy Grimm (@littlemannash) on Jan 23, 2016 at 12:29pm PST

A video posted by siobhan_s_ (@siobhan_s_) on Jan 23, 2016 at 12:26pm PST

A video posted by Trina (@crookedtailtrina) on Jan 23, 2016 at 12:25pm PST

A video posted by Aimee (@aimeeinphilly) on Jan 23, 2016 at 12:28pm PST

A video posted by FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) on Jan 23, 2016 at 12:29pm PST

PS: A little fact-checking note from my editor: â&#128;&#156;That poor little Bichon appears to be hating it. (I have one and he is suffering too!)”

Original article – 

Videos of Excited Snow Dogs Are the Only Things Keeping Us Happy During this Historic Storm

Posted in Anchor, Citizen, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Videos of Excited Snow Dogs Are the Only Things Keeping Us Happy During this Historic Storm

Theoretical vs. Experimental Physics: Quien Es Mas Macho?

by FrankieMarx Posted on January 23, 2016

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

Warning! I have not followed Deflategate except in passing.1 I don’t have the kind of grassy knoll knowledge of what happened that lots of people seem to. The naive question that I’m about to pose may inspire jeers in those of you who have immersed yourselves in it.

Anyway: the first thing that I and thousands of other geeky types thought of when Deflategate first burst onto the scene was the Ideal Gas Law. I didn’t actually try to calculate anything, but I remember vaguely thinking that the temperature probably dropped about 5 percent between the locker room and the field, so the pressure in the footballs might plausibly have dropped about 5 percent too. Then again, maybe the volume of the footballs changed slightly. Hmmm. Then I got sick and didn’t care anymore—about Deflategate or anything else. Joe Nocera writes about this today:

John Leonard is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology….When the Deflategate story broke after last year’s A.F.C. championship game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts in January, he found himself fixated on it….“Of course, I thought of the Ideal Gas Law right away,” Leonard says, “but there was no data to test it.”

….In May, the data arrived….Numbers in hand, Leonard went to work. He bought the same gauges the N.F.L. used to measure p.s.i. levels. He bought N.F.L.-quality footballs. He replicated the temperatures of the locker room, and the colder field. And so on….The drop in the Patriots’ footballs’ p.s.i was consistent with the Ideal Gas Law.

By early November, he had a PowerPoint presentation with more than 140 slides….A viewer who watched the lengthy lecture edited it down to a crisp 15 minutes….It is utterly convincing.

This is what’s always puzzled me. You don’t need to be an MIT professor of Measurement and Instrumentation to get a good sense of what happened, and you don’t need to spend a year pondering the minutiae of the Ideal Gas Law and writing 140 slides about it. Get a bag of footballs, inflate them to 12.5 psi, and take them outside on a 50-degree day. Wait an hour and measure them again. Maybe do this a few times under different conditions (wet vs. dry, different gauges, etc.). It would take a day or two at most.2 The league office could have instructed the referees to do this quick test just to see if 11.3 psi footballs were plausibly legal, and that might have been the end of it. Why didn’t that happen? Why didn’t lots of people try this? Even if you only have one football to your name, it wouldn’t be hard to at least get a rough idea. Inflate it, put it in your refrigerator for an hour, and then remeasure it.

Since I wasn’t paying attention, it’s quite possible that lots of people did this. Did they? Did the league? What happened here?

1Yuk yuk.

2Because I’m an optimistic guy, I’m just going to assume that this would be done in at least a minimally rigorous way. Nothing that would be necessary for publication in Nature. Just good enough to satisfy Mr. Lantz, my high school physics teacher.

Taken from:  

Theoretical vs. Experimental Physics: Quien Es Mas Macho?

Posted in FF, GE, Good Sense, LAI, LG, ONA, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Theoretical vs. Experimental Physics: Quien Es Mas Macho?

3 Ways Climate Change Affects How We Spend Money

by TVEJarred6824744 Posted on January 20, 2016

Climate change is predicted to have a major impact on many aspects of our lives. Average global temperatures will increase, sea levels will rise, allergiesmay get worse (seriously, it’s likely that they will) theres little question that there will be many complicated biological ramifications.

But what about the cultural and economic changes that might accompany climate change? Some have argued that climate change may increase violence, and surely there will be other societal implications we cant yet predict. Experts do have ideas, though, for what a warmer planet might mean for our spending habits. Here are three trends you may see come to pass in the coming decades:

Fewer luxury goods

A recent study put forth by Swiss banking group UBS suggests that in cities where the threat of climate-related disasters looms large, middle-class families are spending less on luxury goods than they have in the past. They found that in climate-strapped cities such as Los Angeles, Taipei, Tokyo, Mumbai, Shanghai and New Orleans, families had to spend more of their income on housing and repairs, forcing them to scale back on expensive splurges in the realms of entertainment and luxuries.

“More fear, less fun is how we might sum it up,” said the authors of the study.

The study noted that 2015 was the most expensive year on record in terms of natural disasters; a whopping $32 billion were lost within the first half of 2015 alone due to instances of extreme weather.

More sharing

Though the rise of the sharing economy is no doubt attributable to a number of factors, its a huge trend thats expected to continue growing as temperatures rise. This may or may not be a good thing for the environment. While car ownership appears to be decreasing overall, primarily among millennials, the word is still out on whether or not this will actually lead to a reduction in transportation emissions.

There are two sides to the argument, according to environmental blog Grist. On the one hand, sure, ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft free people from needing to use cars to get around on a daily basis. On the other, theres some evidence that the popularity and convenience of these unconventional cab services has actually increased the number of cars on the roadsparticularly in dense cities like New York and Chicago, where residents might have previously been more inclined to use public transportation.

Nonetheless, the sharing economy continues to grow, and its not just about cars. The popularity of sites like Airbnb remains strong, and according to a reportby PwC, 72 percent of Americans say theyre likely to participate in a sharing service in the coming two years.

More renewable energy

Though the warming of the planet is ultimately bad news, theres still plenty of indication that the green energy economy will continue to improve, diversify and grow. According to Scientific American, the U.S. Energy Information Administration is expecting renewable energy to be the fastest-growing source of power in the coming years.

More and more consumers are switching to green power within their own homes, if they have the means to do so. The Solar Energies Industry Association reported that the second half of 2015 was the biggest quarter yet for solar power, with nearly 1,400 megawatts of power installed nationwide.

As both individuals and communities look to transition to renewable energy, it will undoubtedly change the energy landscape. Well have to see what other surprises global warming and climate change action will have on consumer behavior in the coming years.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Excerpt from – 

3 Ways Climate Change Affects How We Spend Money

Posted in alo, FF, G & F, GE, green energy, LAI, LG, ONA, PUR, Radius, solar, solar power, Ultima, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 3 Ways Climate Change Affects How We Spend Money

America’s Food System Could Be More Vulnerable to Climate Change Than We Thought

by DemetriusBruns Posted on January 6, 2016

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

For billions of people around the world, the most immediate threat posed by climate change is at the dinner table, as staple crops face a steadily worsening onslaught of drought, heat waves, and other extreme weather events. The United States certainly isn’t immune to these challenges; for proof, just look at California, where an unprecedented drought has cost the state’s agriculture industry billions.

Still, the conventional thinking among many scientists is that developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia—where people are typically hit harder by food price spikes and generally more reliant on agriculture as a primary source of income—are the most vulnerable to food-related climate impacts.

A paper published today in Nature may add a wrinkle to that assumption. Scientists often track the impact that an individual weather disaster has on crops (again, see California), but the new research takes it a step further.

A team of scientists from Canada and the United Kingdom compiled the first-ever global tally of how weather disasters over the past 50 years cut into production of staple cereals. After merging a database of global weather records with a UN record of country-level crop production, the researchers found that, as a rule of thumb, droughts and heat waves typically cut a country’s cereal production by 10 percent. That basically accords with predictions from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s predictions for agricultural vulnerability in the future.

But unexpectedly, the researchers also found that the impacts were 8 to 11 percent more severe in developed countries than in developing ones.

“That was a surprise to us,” said Navin Ramankutty, an agricultural geographer at the University of British Columbia.

Ramankutty said it’s not yet clear why droughts and heat waves tend to hit yields in the United States, Europe, and Australia harder than those in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. But he suspects it relates to how farmers set their priorities. In developed countries, the emphasis is often on maximizing profit with big monoculture farms that work great in good climates but get trashed when the weather turns sour. Farmers in developing countries, by contrast, may prioritize minimizing their risk, taking a smaller yield in exchange for better resilience.

Of course, these findings don’t mean developing countries are out of harm’s way. They still face major challenges from climate change, since comparatively small yield losses can have an outsized impact on local economies and food security. But Ramankutty says the new research shows that even in the developed world, farmers may be more at risk from climate change than anyone previously realized.

See the article here: 

America’s Food System Could Be More Vulnerable to Climate Change Than We Thought

Posted in Anchor, FF, GE, LG, ONA, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on America’s Food System Could Be More Vulnerable to Climate Change Than We Thought

It’s Cheaper for Airlines to Cut Emissions Than You Think

by HoracioScutt Posted on November 25, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

This story originally appeared in Wired and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Fuel economy is hardwired into the airline industry’s DNA. After all, fuel costs money, and using less of the stuff is an easy way to beef up the bottom line. Well…maybe not easy, but certainly worth doing. Saving fuel, by reducing carbon emissions, can help save the planet. And those cuts could come at little to no cost to the companies themselves.

Continue Reading »

Follow this link:

It’s Cheaper for Airlines to Cut Emissions Than You Think

Posted in Anchor, FF, GE, Hoffman, LAI, LG, ONA, PUR, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s Cheaper for Airlines to Cut Emissions Than You Think

Stunning Short Film Showcases Passionate Young Farmers (Video)

by ImaKinross Posted on November 11, 2015

FEATURED NONPROFIT PARTNERS

Copyright © 2015 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved

logoff
my account
my care2

site feedback

ONSITE FEEDBACK FORM

Problem on this page? Briefly let us know what isn’t working for you and we’ll try to make it right!

Original post:

Stunning Short Film Showcases Passionate Young Farmers (Video)

Posted in alo, FF, GE, LG, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Stunning Short Film Showcases Passionate Young Farmers (Video)