Tag Archives: organic

Sell-by dates are expiring.

by RobCedillo Posted on February 16, 2017

In December, when Musk got stuck in traffic, instead of leaning on the horn or flipping off the other drivers, he decided to build a new transportation system. An hour later, Max Chafkin writes in Bloomberg Businessweek, “the project had a name and a marketing platform. ‘It shall be called The Boring Company,’” Musk wrote.

Musk told employees to grab some heavy machinery and they began digging a hole in the SpaceX parking lot. He bought one of those machines that bores out tunnels and lays down concrete walls as it goes. It’s named Nannie.

Musk is the grown-up version of the kid who decides to dig to China: He doesn’t pause to plan or ask what’s possible, he just grabs a stick and starts shoveling. Maybe that’s the approach we need. As Chafkin points out, “Tunnel technology is older than rockets, and boring speeds are pretty much what they were 50 years ago.” And Bent Flyvbjerg, an academic who studies why big projects cost so much, says that the tunneling industry is ripe for someone with new ideas to shake things up.

Musk is a technical genius. But the things that make tunnels expensive tend to be political — they have to do with endless hearings before local government councils and concessions to satisfy concerned neighbors and politicians. For that stultifying process, at least, Musk’s new company is aptly named. If Musk figures out how disrupt local land-use politics, it would mean he’s smarter than anyone thinks.

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Sell-by dates are expiring.

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Trump’s first White House screening was a movie about migration and environmental pollution.

by SheritaWOEC Posted on January 30, 2017

On Monday, the president signed “a big one”: an executive order mandating that for every new regulation created, two regulations must be eliminated.

The order also says that the total cost of regulatory changes should be zero. Rules related to the military, national security, and foreign affairs are exempted, of course.

Experts are scratching their heads over what this will mean. “The whole rule-writing area is now in complete chaos and environmental rules are going to be caught up in that,” said Georgetown environmental law professor Hope Babcock.

“An agency can’t just say here’s a regulation and goodbye two,” said Georgetown law professor William Buzbee. “Every change in regulation requires a new rulemaking. What this will really do — this is requiring so much work — is most agencies will have incentives to avoid doing any rulemaking.”

And getting rid of regulations isn’t easy. The president has to “faithfully execute” all laws and cannot undo agency regulations that enforce laws like the Clean Air Act. Any rollback, such as eliminating a species from the endangered list, would have to be completed in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, which takes time, according to Babcock. “You can’t just by executive fiat rescind a rule,” she said.

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Trump’s first White House screening was a movie about migration and environmental pollution.

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Trump’s pick for CIA director tried to weasel out of questions on climate change.

by JeffryBueche Posted on January 13, 2017

The Obama administration announced on Thursday that it will create national monuments at three sites that are important in the history of African-Americans in the South and it will protect two areas on the West Coast to bolster climate resilience.

Two of the sites are in Alabama and will commemorate terrorist attacks by segregationists on African-Americans and civil rights activists. Another, in Beaufort, South Carolina, honors the history of African-American educational advancement during Reconstruction.

These are just the latest of the Obama administration’s many acts to celebrate locations of civil rights struggle and advancement. Last year, Obama created a national monument at the Stonewall Inn in New York City to honor gay rights history. Earlier this week, the Department of Interior established Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, where the Underground Railroad conductor lived in Auburn, New York.

Obama’s announcement on Thursday also included expanding the California Coastal National Monument, where increasing the expanse of undeveloped land on shorelines will help the area better cope with rising sea levels and more severe storms. And the president is expanding the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon.

Obama has protected more land under the Antiquities Act than any other president, by far.

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Trump’s pick for CIA director tried to weasel out of questions on climate change.

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The day after VW execs were indicted, Fiat Chrysler has been accused of cheating on diesel emissions.

by RandyKirwin Posted on January 12, 2017

Senate confirmation hearings began on Wednesday for Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil and Trump’s nominee for secretary of state. Tillerson was pressed on the issue of climate change by several senators, including Tennessee Republican Bob Corker, who asked Tillerson if he believes that human activity is the cause.

“The increase in greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is having an effect,” Tillerson said, demonstrating that he at least knows more about the issue than our future president. But, Tillerson added, “Our ability to predict that effect is very limited.” This is false.

Tillerson had less to say about allegations that Exxon, his employer for 40 years, knew about the effect of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere back in the ’70s and failed to disclose the risks to the public or shareholders. When asked about it by Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, Tillerson punted and said he didn’t work there anymore: “You’ll have to ask them.”

The nominee did acknowledge that it’s important for the U.S. to stay involved in international climate negotiations and “maintain its seat at the table in the conversation.” As for what he would do at that table, he’s not saying. If he wanted to do anything constructive, first he’d have to convince his boss.

You can read more about the hearing here.

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The day after VW execs were indicted, Fiat Chrysler has been accused of cheating on diesel emissions.

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Rick Perry once said he would eliminate the Department of Energy. Now he will run it.

by RandalHardwick Posted on December 13, 2016

The company recently admitted that it has invested heavily in Canada’s tar-sands oil reserves, InsideClimate News reports — and it was not a good bet.

Tar-sands oil is difficult, expensive, and energy-consuming to extract, making it especially bad for the climate. It’s only profitable when oil prices are high. Exxon acknowledged in a public financial disclosure report this fall that it could be forced to take a loss on billions of barrels of tar-sands oil unless prices rise soon.

The company made this unwise investment despite long knowing, as InsideClimate News previously reported, that burning oil causes climate change and future climate regulations could make tar-sands oil unprofitable or impossible to drill.

In 1991, Exxon’s Canadian affiliate Imperial Oil commissioned an analysis that found carbon regulation could halt tar-sands production. “Yet Exxon, Imperial, and others poured billions of dollars into the tar sands while lobbying against government actions that would curtail development,” according to InsideClimate News.

This news comes just after Donald Trump nominated ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state. The State Department is responsible for reviewing proposed pipeline projects that cross international borders, like Keystone XL, which would have carried tar-sands oil from Canada down toward U.S. refineries.

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Rick Perry once said he would eliminate the Department of Energy. Now he will run it.

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Startup to grow fresh ‘super-local’ food out of recycled shipping containers in Paris

by ChuDonahue Posted on December 5, 2016

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Startup to grow fresh ‘super-local’ food out of recycled shipping containers in Paris

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What Would Happen if the World’s Soils Disappeared?

by EvanW684575 Posted on December 4, 2016

The United Nations designated December 5th as World Soil Day to raise awareness about the dangers of soil loss. Youve likely heard about the environmental importance of soils. But how important are they, really? Lets take a quick look at how losing our precious soils would impact the world.

Could soil ever actually run out?

Yes. If we continue to harm and degrade topsoil at the current rate, its estimated that the world could lose all its topsoil within 60 years.

Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil on the surface of the earth. Its the most fertile type of soil that typically contains lots of nutrient-rich organic matter from broken down plants and other organisms. Topsoil is also alive with beneficial microbes, fungi and critters like earth worms, which feed on the organic matter.

The deeper layers of soil beneath the topsoil are not nearly as rich. They are primarily made up of decomposing rock that provides the raw material for future topsoil as well as a substrate for deeply rooted plants to anchor in.

If the delicate ecosystem within topsoil is disrupted, it will essentially die. Plants cant grow in topsoil that doesnt have abundant organic matter and thriving populations of microbes.

Agricultural Affects

Modern agricultural practices often use chemical fertilizers instead of organic matter. This does not feed the soil. It only provides a quick blast of limited nutrients that the plants soon consume. Whereas, plant debris and other organic matter will slowly break down and provide ongoing nutrition for growing plants and soil microorganisms.

The organic matter content that was once naturally high in topsoil is becoming more and more depleted as industrial farming practices continue. Due to this, topsoil is being lost between 10 and 40 times the rate at which it can be naturally replenished.

If this continues, agricultural soils will become less fertile and it will be more difficult to grow food. In areas where this is already happening, forest and wild areas are often being destroyed in order to make more agricultural land. Deforestation like this reduces organic matter in the soil even more, making the problem worse.

The extreme outcome of topsoil degradation would be widespread food shortages because depleted soils cant produce enough crops to provide food for everyone.

Impact on Water

Healthy topsoil will naturally retain water. Organic matter helps to maintain a good structure within soil that can absorb and release water as needed by the plants and surrounding ecosystem.

A few issues can start when topsoil becomes degraded. Flooding is perhaps the most dramatic result. When a landscape cant hold water, rainfall can only run off the surface and eventually wind up in the ocean. It will also cause erosion and take a great deal of soil with it.

Poor topsoil also creates a need for more irrigation. Many parts of the world already have water shortages, so an increased pressure on the local water supplies could lead to serious problems.

Plant and Animal Losses

If we lost the health of our soils, significant amounts of wild plants would die off around the world. This would clearly be a massive blow to biodiversity, habitat for animals and food sources. But it could also have a significant impact on climate change.

Plants naturally take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This is the primary way carbon is removed from our atmosphere. If plant populations collapsed around the world, there could be a huge increase in the amount of circulating carbon.

Another issue is that all living things release carbon when they die, so any large-scale plant and animal die-offs would produce carbon as the organisms decompose. High levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere have already been linked to climate change and global warming. Mass die-offs would only add to this problem and potentially lead to more severe climate change.

How can we stop all this from happening?

Plant more plants. This is a vital step towards helping the worlds soils. More plants will create more organic matter, which will feed more soil microorganisms and keep soils thriving. You can start in your backyard or volunteer with an organization that reclaims and replants degraded areas.

Learn about soils. A lot of the damage done to our soils has been out of ignorance or simply taking whats under our feet for granted. But the more we can all learn about soil, the better well be able to take care of it.

Minimize hard surfaces. Large areas of pavement or other hard surfaces cause increased soil erosion around the edges and create soil dead spaces underneath. Consider making driveways, decks or sidewalks with paving stones or other materials that allow water to flow through them and the soil underneath to breathe.

Make a rain garden. This is a shallow depression you can create in your yard that will capture excess rain water and prevent soil erosion. You can plant moisture-loving plants in your rain garden, or leave it to provide water for animals.

Support your local farmers. Small-scale agriculture is often better for the health of soil. Many small farmers take the health of their land very seriously and promote fertility by non-chemical, sustainable means. Get to know the farmers at your local market and ask how they support their soils. Or better yet, go to visit their farms and check out the soil yourself.

Recycle human waste. It may be a solution no one wants to talk about, but a huge amount of organic matter that could go back into our soils is currently being flushed down the toilet. This has prompted a movement to make use of whats known as humanure, or human manure. The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins is a great place to start if youd like to explore this option.

Related
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11 Surprising Animals That Hibernate
What if All the Spiders Disappeared?

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

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What Would Happen if the World’s Soils Disappeared?

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16 Ways to Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly

by ConcepcMacarthu Posted on December 3, 2016

Making your bathroom more water- and energy-efficient might not seem sexy, but it can make a big difference in your home’s utilitybills and environmental impact. These are somebig and small ways to make your bathroom more eco-friendly.

When we’re talking about making any room more eco-friendly, there are really two things going on:

  1. The things in the room.
  2. Your habits in the room.

The list below looks atboth ways to improve efficiency in the bathroom and good habits you can adopt to conserve water and energy when you’re bathing or using thetoilet. Some are quick and easy fixes while othersrequire a time or cash investment.Have a look through the list and see which options are the best fit for your home and budget!

16 Ways to Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly

1.Stop theleaks. Running toilets and leaky faucets are more than just an annoyance. In fact, when you add up all of the little water wasters like these across the U.S., it adds up to over 1 trillion gallons of water per year. If you have a leak or suspect one, get a plumber in as soon as you can to repair it or take a stab at repairing it yourself.

Related: 20 Ways to Conserve Water in Your Home

2. Go low flow. This is an affordable way to make your bathroom more eco-friendly that almost anyone can do. Installing a low flow faucet on the bathroom sink or your showerhead is incredibly easy. Really, it is. I’ve done it, and if I can do it,I’m betting that you can, too.

3. Go dual flush.If you’ve got the budget,this is a big water saver. Dual flush toilets use around half the water to flush liquid waste compared to standard toilets. If getting a new toilet is not in your price range, you can buy kits like this one to convert a regular toilet to dual flush.

4. Go old school. If you want a really low-tech solution to reduce the water your toilet uses, put a small plastic bottlefull of water into the tank, so it won’t fill withas much water. Back in the 90s, some people put bricks into their tanks to displace some of the water. Do not do this! A brick erodes over time and will mess up your toilet.

5.Skip abath.Unless you take very long showers (16 minutes or more), a bath uses far more water to get you clean than a shower.Take showers instead of baths to rack up the water savings! This will also save energy, since you bathe in hot water. Reducing hot water usage is a double whammy, saving you water and energy.

6. Skip a shower.Showers use less water than baths, but afive minute shower still uses about 12.5 gallons of water. Sure, if youwent for a run or worked in the garden, you probably need a shower. But if you just hung out watching TV or even worked in an office all day, do you really need a daily shower? Even skipping one shower a week makes a difference!

7. Get an efficient water heater. Whether you’re taking showers or baths,you’re taxing your home’s hot water heater. Heating water accounts forabout 20 percent of your home’s energy costs, so getting a better heateris a great way to make your bathroom (and kitchen and laundry room) more eco-friendly. Consumer Reports has a great guide to the best water heaters. If you can swing it, it looks like a tankless is the best bet from an energy-conservation perspective. Tank water heaters store hot water, meaning they’re constantly running to keep the water hot. A tankless heater only turns on when you turn on the hot water tap.

8. Turn down the water heater. It only takes a couple of hours to reduce the temperature on your water heater, and this fix is free! You don’t need it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn it down to 120 to save money and energy in the bathroom. The video above shows you how to adjust the temperature on your home’s water heater.

9. Try the shower bucket. Whether you have a tank or tankless water heater, it takes a few minutes for your shower to get hot. Rather than let this water go down the drain, you can collect it in a bucket and use it to water house plants. You can also use the shower bucket when you’re dripping faucets during a winter freeze. Drip the tub faucet instead of a sink, and stick that bucket underneath.

10. Ditch the PVC shower curtain liner. Vinyl shower curtain liners are no good for the planet or for your home’sair quality. PVC liners offgas harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are bad news for indoor air quality and your health. Unfortunately, PVC shower curtains are not recyclable. The best thing that you can do is toss the old one and replace it with a non-PVC alternative. Companies like Ty even make non-toxic shower curtain liners that you can recycle.

12. Turn off the tap. When you’re brushing your teeth or washing your hands, you don’t need water running while you scrub. A sink faucet uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Turn it off until you really need that water to rinse.

13. Stop with the anti-bacterial soap. Anti-bacterial soap is not necessary, and when it rinses down the drain it is an environmental nightmare. It’s no more effective than regular ol’ soap, and there’s even evidence that it weakens heart and muscle function. No, thank you!

Related: 6 Reasons to Stop Using Antibacterial Soap

14. Choose LEDs. Just like anywhere else in the house, efficient light bulbs add up to big energy savings over time. LED bulbs are a bit of an investment up front, but they last up to50 times longer than incandescents. And unlike CFL bulbs, they don’t contain mercury.

15. Get recycled toilet paper. Do we really need to cut down new trees to wipe our bottoms? No, we don’t. While you’re at it, try to use less toilet paper in general.It still takes energy and water to create a roll of recycled TP.

16. Chooseorganic towels. Next time you have to replace your bath towels, choose organic cotton. Conventional cotton is one of the most water-intensive and polluting crops on the planet. Don’t go out and replace your perfectly good old towels with organic ones, though. The lowest-impact choice you can make is to buy nothing.But when your old towels are starting to fall apart, go organic.

Do you have any tips or tricks you use to save water or energy in the bathroom? Tell us in the comments!

Related:
20 Ways to Conserve Water in Your Home
6 Reasons to Stop Using Antibacterial Soap
14 Tips for Using Less Heat this Season

Image Credits: All images via Thinkstock.

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: 

16 Ways to Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly

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For every ton of CO2 pumped into the atmosphere, we lose 32 square feet of Arctic sea ice.

by RicardoCorbould Posted on November 3, 2016

This is according to a new study in Science. That’s a sizable slab: Rose and Jack could have floated on a ’burg that big with room to spare (and Titanic would still end with a frozen hunk!).

If you live in the U.S., you are accountable for about 17 tons of CO2 a year. That’s roughly 1.4 tons a month, or one and a half Rose-and-Jack rafts every 30 days. Multiply that by 300 million people in the States, plus Europe, plus Australia, plus … you get the picture. In the last 30 years, we’ve lost enough ice to cover Texas twice over.

Thirty-two square feet per ton is a scary, but useful, statistic. It nails a number to our individual actions, the consequences of which might otherwise seem abstract, says Dirk Notz of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany.

For example, Notz offers, a round trip flight from New York to London knocks out 32 square feet of summer sea ice “for every single seat” — something to factor in when you’re calculating the price of a ticket home.

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For every ton of CO2 pumped into the atmosphere, we lose 32 square feet of Arctic sea ice.

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Even with climate pledges, the world’s on track to warm by more than 2 degrees.

by BonitaQGUN Posted on November 3, 2016

This is according to a new study in Science. That’s a sizable slab: Rose and Jack could have floated on a ’burg that big with room to spare (and Titanic would still end with a frozen hunk!).

If you live in the U.S., you are accountable for about 17 tons of CO2 a year. That’s roughly 1.4 tons a month, or one and a half Rose-and-Jack rafts every 30 days. Multiply that by 300 million people in the States, plus Europe, plus Australia, plus … you get the picture. In the last 30 years, we’ve lost enough ice to cover Texas twice over.

Thirty-two square feet per ton is a scary, but useful, statistic. It nails a number to our individual actions, the consequences of which might otherwise seem abstract, says Dirk Notz of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany.

For example, Notz offers, a round trip flight from New York to London knocks out 32 square feet of summer sea ice “for every single seat” — something to factor in when you’re calculating the price of a ticket home.

See more here – 

Even with climate pledges, the world’s on track to warm by more than 2 degrees.

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