All posts by Lisa Tae-Ran Schroeder

 
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The not-so-silent problem of noise pollution


A harmful detriment to people’s health comes from outside forces. You can paint your house whatever color you like as well as design the interior, but you can’t control things like how loud your neighbors play their music or the jackhammer noise from when they decide to renovate.

Living in a city gives off a hum of noise from things like traffic, construction, and air conditioning units. Noise pollution can ruin sleep, create headaches, and essentially lower the enjoyment of life. Watch below for more on this problem:

For more on New York City’s noise control laws, visit their Department of Environmental Protection.

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April 22, 2007 = Earth Day


This is the annual day of conservation recognition. National and state governments will promote environmental efforts in their towns and cities. Being "green" will be the "it" thing of the day and participating will make everyone feel good about themselves. For people who don't normally help the environment, Earth Day is a great concept. But to really help the Earth, environmental consciousness needs to be ingrained into everyone's mindset every day of the year. A mantra of Earth Day is "make every day Earth Day," and indeed we must.

Earth Day began 37 years ago in 1970. Since then its founders have organized the Earth Day Network (EDN) that, according to their website, "promotes environmental citizenship and year-round progressive action worldwide."

This year the EDN has many initiatives and suggestions for citizens to do for Earth Day. They are calling for people to make this day the "catalyst" for climate change policy. Demanding a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, citizens can lobby Congress for definite policy on global warming. Other suggestions include pledging to change your light bulbs and how to make events — such as an Earth Day event — carbon neutral. One interesting feature is the ecological footprint quiz.

The government has their own Earth Day site touting the positive environmental changes that have happened since this environmental day began. It claims among other things, that the air is much cleaner, wetlands are no longer shrinking, industrial sites are being cleaned up, and the strangely worded "President Bush is meeting his commitment to reduce the National Park Service maintenance backlog." We also must remember that Mr. Bush pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, which set standards for greenhouse gas emissions (for which the U.S. is the worst offender), but there is no mention of that on their website. But whatever positives are touted by the government are better than none.

International Earth Day has already been celebrated on the vernal equinox, March 20. Founder John McConnell created an Earth Day Proclamation in 1971 that was signed by reknowned world leaders. The text follows:

"Whereas: A new world view is emerging; through the eyes of our Astronauts and Cosmonauts we now see our beautiful blue planet as a home for all people, and

Whereas: Planet Earth is facing a grave crisis which only the people of Earth Can resolve, and the delicate balances of nature, essential for our survival, can only be saved through a global effort, involving all of us, and

Whereas: In our shortsightedness we have failed to make provisions for the poor, as well as the rich, to inherit the Earth, and our new enlightenment requires that the disinherited be given a just stake in the Earth and its future — their enthusiastic cooperation is essential if we are to succeed in the great task of Earth renewal, and

Whereas: World equality in economics as well as politics would remove a basic cause of war, and neither Socialism, Communism nor Capitalism in their present forms have realized the potentials of Man for a just society, nor educated Man in the ways of peace and creative love, and

Whereas: Through voluntary action individuals can join with one another in building the Earth in harmony with nature, and promote support thereof by private and government agencies, and

Whereas: Individuals and groups may follow different methods and programmes in Earthkeeping and Earthbuilding, nevertheless by constant friendly communication with other groups and daily meditation on the meaning of peace and goodwill they will tend more and more to be creative, sensitive, experimental, and flexible in resolving differences with others, and

Whereas: An international EARTH DAY each year can provide a special time to draw people together in appreciation of their mutual home, Planet Earth, and bring a global feeling of community through realization of our deepening desire for life, freedom and love, and our mutual dependence on each other,

Be it Therefore Resolved: That each signer of this People Proclamation will seek to help change Man's terrible course toward catastrophe by searching for activities and projects which in the best judgement of the individual signer will:

-peacefully end the scourge of war
-provide an opportunity for the children of the disinherited poor to obtain their rightful
inheritance in the Earth
-redirect the energies of industry and society from progress through products…to progress through harmony with Earth's natural systems for improving the quality of life

That each signer will (his own conscience being his judge) measure his commitment by how much time and money he gives to these purposes, and realizing the great urgency of the task, he will give freely of his time and money to activities and programmes he believes will best further these Earth renewal purposes. (At least 9 percent of the world's present income is going to activities that support war and spread pollution. Ten percent can tip the balance for healthy peaceful progress.)

Furthermore, each signer will support and observe EARTH DAY on March 21st….(Vernal Equinox — when night and day are equal throughout the Earth) with reflection and actions that encourage a new respect for Earth with its great potentials for fulfilling Man's highest dreams; and on this day will join at 1900 Universal Time in a global EARTH HOUR — a silent hour for peace…"

For more on the Earth Day Network, visit earthday.net.

For more on International Earth Day, visit earthsite.org.

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Eco-ski resort Whistler Blackcomb


Environmental responsibility extends to ski resorts where nature plays a major part in the enjoyment. Whistler Blackcomb, just north of Vancouver, BC, has been taking the role of protecting the environment very seriously. Maintaining the world-famous resort that sees around 20,000 daily visitors and reducing their footprint has been a welcome challenge. Watch below for more.

 

 

For more on Whistler’s environmental responsibility, please visit their website: whistlerblackcomb.com.

 

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Global warming concerns voiced


Too-warm days bring people outside and environmental questions to mind. Watch what others think below.

 

 

 

 

For more about global warming, check out my previous posts:

Global warming caused by humans

How to fight global warming, use less energy

For more on climate conditions, check out the NOAA climate program website.

 

keeping the earth ever green

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Environmental stories of note via video


ever green is experimenting with different forms of media to deliver enviromental issues.

Watch some stories of note right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read the stories talked about on the webcast, please click on the source below:

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: UW to cut emissions

The New York Times: The year without toilet paper

The Christian Science Monitor: Global boom in coal power

 

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Incandescent light bulbs out, saving energy in


More and more countries and states are realizing that saving energy as well as the environment is as easy as changing a light bulb. As energy consumption grows and demand creates a need for alternative energy sources, governments are looking toward the source to solve the problem. Mandating energy-saving light bulbs is becoming the embraced legislation to quickly resolve these energy problems. And the environmental benefits are just one of the many pluses in doing so.

Energy-saving light bulbs are 75 percent more energy efficient than incandescent and last 10 times as long. Installing them cuts down on energy consumption that in turn cuts down on pollution spewed from energy-generating plants. The less energy we consume from traditional energy plants helps the environment and also helps our monthly bills.

Australia is the first country to systematically phase out incandescent bulbs and hopes to do so within the next three years. The goal is, by 2010, to have installed only energy-saving bulbs nationwide and to have eradicated the energy-wasting incandescent ones. The country already has legislation regulating energy consumption for appliances and wants to do the same for lighting. And the reduction of greenhouse gases from less energy consumption is one of the main reasons for mandating restrictions on lights and appliances. Environment Minister Malcolm Turnball told The New York Times, “Electric lighting is a vital part of our lives; globally, it generates emissions equal to 70 percent of those from all the world’s passenger vehicles.”

The European Union is also mulling over legislation to phase out incandescent bulbs. At a recent summit, EU leaders asked the executive branch to think of a two-year plan to introduce the energy-saving bulbs. German Chancellor and summit leader Angela Merkel told the Associated Press, “We need to give people a little time to change all their bulbs. We are not saying they should throw out all bulbs in their house today, but everybody should start thinking about what's in the shops.”

Countries that already have energy-saving light bulb programs include Cuba, Venezuela, and Chile. Cuban President Fidel Castro introduced the bulb program to counter his country's energy shortage. Castro's program influenced Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez to hand out free energy-saving bulbs to his citizens. Chile's bulb changeover is suggested in its new energy-efficiency plan, which calls for the use energy-saving appliances.

In the U.S., states such as New Jersey, Texas, and California are urging bans on the bulbs as well. California hopes to ban sales of incandescents by 2012.

Greenhouse gas emissions from energy producing plants are slowly being cut down by governments' own volitions. The world is realizing that reducing energy use and decreasing harmful pollutants go hand in hand. And regulating simple things like light bulbs make a huge and positive impact.

keeping the earth ever green

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Building green for environmentally conscious homeowners


Green building is gaining a small foothold in American homes. Although mega-mansions and their wealth status are popular in many subdivisions, some environmentally conscious homeowners are no longer satisfied with consuming energy for the sake of showing off. Conserving the environment while making a home more energy-efficient, using alternative energy sources, as well as building with reclaimed materials is gaining in popularity. And now some states even help the greening of homes by offering attractive tax credits and incentives that offset some of the costs of materials and installations. Creating or restoring a home into a clean-energy-efficient one also creates less of a dent in owners' wallets each month. This perk, along with creating less of a carbon footprint, are enough of an incentive for owners who have already gone green.

Reclaimed building materials
Buildings, houses, and barns are demolished everyday, and many of the materials used for these buildings are still perfectly good to use. Second-hand goods are cheaper in every market and, by reusing these goods, it also keeps them out of landfills and creates less destruction of nature for manufacturing. Reusing building materials such as bricks, tiles, and flooring is an attractive way to help your home become green. And, in turn, home restorers can also recycle their old materials. There are companies that specialize in recycling and reclaiming building materials from demolished or renovated residences.

Solar power
With energy costs creeping higher and higher and energy resources dwindling, alternative and clean energy sources are gaining a small momentum with homeowners and businesses. Certain states such as California, New Jersey, and New York offer rebates and excess-energy buyback programs that, along with federal tax credits, can offset the cost and installation of solar panels. Depending on the state and program, most actual payback times — the amount of time that your out-of-pocket costs versus zero-energy-costs merge — can be as little as 10 years. Most solar panels are hooked up to a battery pack or generator that store excess energy to be used when the sun isn't out.

Indoor energy efficiency
Using less energy to begin with will make your house green. It starts with proper insulation — this keeps the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Some green builders have used hay as a natural insulator. Ceiling fans use much less energy than air conditioners and, in the winter, the fans can circulate the hot air that rises to the ceiling. Installing florescent energy-saving light bulbs cuts down on energy consumption and the bulbs also last much longer than traditional incandescent ones. Saving water is becoming a big concern, so dual-flush toilets, which use more or less water depending on the need, are a good alternative. For more on how to save energy around the home, check out my post How to fight global warming, use less energy.

Natural aspects
Not all green building has to do with the house itself. In the summer, a big tree over the roof of your house provides natural shade for cooling. Installing a bucket to catch rainwater is a good way reuse it to water the lawn. Planting the garden with native plants that don't require a lot of watering also makes ecological sense.

Your home is one of the most expensive investments you will ever purchase. Most anyone can easily do a few things around their home to make it green. The next time the energy bill comes around, think about simple solutions to bring down the bill and in return help the environment.

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For more on green building check out the excellent "Austin House Project" series on "This Old House."

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First Bronx River beaver sighted in 200 years


The most exciting news about New York City environmental conservation is the report of a wild beaver seen building a nest in the former toxic waste dump of the Bronx River. His mud and stick house was spotted in the river earlier, but it wasn’t until Wednesday, February 21, 2007 that biologists caught the beaver on videotape, thereby confirming his existence. Beaver, once abundant around the Bronx River, were heavily hunted for their fur and have not been seen in the area since the early 1800s.

Since last fall, scientists began monitoring the river after several reports of beaver sightings from residents. Previously dismissed as the more common muskrat, the biologists changed their tune when they discovered a 12-foot-long dirt and twig habitat near gnawed-off trees by the riverbank — this definitely pointed to a beaver. And the actual beaver sighting on Wednesday showed him swimming around looking for more building materials for his growing lodge. The scientists believe the beaver is a young male about two to three years old who is looking for a female partner.

The beaver is named José in tribute to U.S. Representative of the Bronx José Serrano, whose commitment to Bronx River cleanup was cemented with $15 million in government funds.

Beavers are especially meaningful to New York State because they are the official state animal. They appear on the City of New York’s official flag twice as well as on the official state seal.

Bronx River woes
The history of the beaver trapping along the Bronx River began in the early 1600s when Europeans came to the area, then known by the Mohegan Indian name Auqehung. The river soon became an industrial mill zone, the water powering several plants such as paper and flour mills. Jonas Bronck was the mastermind behind the mills; after buying some 500 acres of land from the Native Americans, soon the river was known as “Bronck’s River.” By the early 1800s, when the last beaver was sighted, the river area was still an ecological wonder with thick forests and pristine drinking water. However, by the mid-1800s, the river changed into an industrial waste zone and its degradation would continue until the 1970s. The Bronx River Restoration Project began in 1974 to begin the cleanup that 33 years later led to native species like the beaver returning. Organizations like the Bronx River Alliance lead the way for environmental protection of the river.

Beavers are vital for the environment
Beavers create sustainable habitats that are essential for surrounding flora and fauna alike. They naturally prune and rid areas of foliage and, in doing so, create a thriving environment for the leftover vegetation. The dams they build create a natural filter, slow erosion, and build wetlands for birds and reptiles. Beavers also naturally regulate their population by breeding only once a year and instinctively know when to have more or less babies, called kits. For more about these critters, click here.

Environmental cleanup does have substantial success as evidenced in this case of the first beaver to be spotted in the Bronx River in 200 years. The rewards and environmental benefits that native species bring to an ecological area are so positive that, by changing our polluting habits, we are also greatly improving our own lives.

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New York City’s commitment to clean transportation


New York City is one of the most populous cities in the U.S. — where eight million people live in close proximity to each other — meaning sharing space is a big issue. And this is most apparent in the air that residents breathe. Toxic fumes are spewed out by road vehicles like buses, taxis, and cars every day. Luckily, unlike most sprawled-out, freeway-taken-over American cities — hello, L.A. — New York is compact enough and has a good public transportation system that is a faster, more economical, and overall better choice than owning and driving a car. And for those who take taxis around the city, environmental controls like stricter emissions standards and alternative fuel taxis help control air pollution as well.

In recent years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which oversees New York’s public transportation, has actively regulated the system by buying and using hybrid buses.

According to the 2005 MTA report, more than 200 hybrid-electric buses are in service and 216 more were to be introduced in 2006-7. With annual bus ridership at about 740 million, the use of hybrid buses makes a noticeable impact. The hybrid buses use a combination of clean-burning diesel fuel and electric battery power, therefore using less gas and leading to less pollution, which equals overall better air quality. Hybrid buses are being introduced to every borough in the city, so taking the bus is becoming a good way of reducing your contribution to air pollution.

The MTA also environmentally upgraded recently merged private bus companies’ fleets. This included replacing older buses with hybrids, using clean-burning, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, and taking buses out of service that did not conform to strict fluid-consumption rules.

In addition to the hybrid buses, New York City taxis must be clean as well. At the start of 2005, a new emissions test called OBD II became a requirement for all licensed taxi vehicles. The test regulates emissions more closely, making it difficult for taxicabs to skirt around. In 2006, the auction for taxi medallions (licenses needed to legally run a cab) required that a large percentage would go to alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles. The Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) already has a growing list of approved “green” vehicles legal for use as taxicabs.

The growing commitment that New York City has toward environmentally friendly transportation helps clean the air and create a healthier and more livable city. New York City is a leader in environmental change, and hopefully other cities and states will be inspired by the example and follow suit.

For more on the toxic gases spewed into the air, please read a recent ever green post about the danger of non-odorous gas.

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Caught on film, plastic bag litter


As previously noted in an earlier posting, plastic bags are an environmental scourge. Nothing can illustrate the point more than candid pictures of plastic bags littering the streets and trees of New York City.

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What’s in your garbage?


New York City's Department of Sanitation slogged through a year's worth of city garbage to see exactly what people throw away. Both the recycling and the waste were analyzed and compiled into a very interesting and telling report entitled: "The New York City 2004-05 Residential and Street Basket Waste Characterization Study." The trash study was the only way the department could decipher people's habits and in turn create better recycling programs. The recycling habits of New Yorkers have improved from 15 years ago, during the last trash study, but there is definitely a need for even greater change.

Residential trash contains ¼ recyclables
So what exactly is in the garbage? In residential trash, organic material makes up the largest segment at 47%, with recyclable paper at 15% and plastics at almost 12%. But of this refuse, 23% is easily recyclable material that just wasn't separated into the recycle bin. This includes paper, metal, glass, and plastic that people couldn't be bothered to toss into the blue container rather than the black one. And this is just residential waste.

Street litter baskets contain ½ recyclables
Street litter baskets are the worst offenders of holding potential recyclable material that is needlessly tossed away. Almost half — that's 47.14% to be exact — of street basket waste can be recycled but isn't. Newspapers make up the bulk of the garbage at more than 15%, with other recyclable paper at 15%, glass at 7%, metal at 6%, and plastics at almost 3%.

What the study doesn't show is the amount of people who make their livelihoods by picking through the street baskets for recyclables. Cans and bottles make up the bulk of their haul because the bottle deposits can be cashed in. Old newspapers and cardboard aren't attractive because there is no payback for digging those out of the trash. If the baskets weren't picked through, the amount of recyclables would be even higher than 47%.

Overall results
Overall, 35% of the refuse studied is recycled. But recycling habits of New York's citizens should be better than only 77% residential and 53% out on the street. On the Department of Sanitation's NYCWasteLe$$ website, there are numerous tips on how to reduce waste as well as information about recycling.

Recycling is mandated by law, so you are actually breaking the law when you don't recycle. At home recycling couldn't be easier. You either are given curbside recycling bins that are picked up on certain days, or your apartment building has different containers for your different recyclables. Throwing away trash and tossing recycling into its required bins takes the same amount of effort. When you are outside of home, think about what you throw away before you do it. How difficult is it to hold on to your read newspaper until you get to the office or home so you can recycle it? Can you put your used drink can or bottle into a bag and keep it with you until you find a place to recycle it?

Little acts like this will help keep one less thing out of a landfill. You might think that you aren't contributing much, but if the other eight million people in the city also decided to not throw away their newspaper — that's 8,000,000 less papers in the trash.

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Global warming caused by humans


It's official. The question mark has been removed. A panel of scientists for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released their report on global warming and states unequivocally that "human activity" is the major cause for this plight.

And the report predicts dire consequences for the earth. Droughts, rising sea levels, rising average temperatures, heat waves, stronger tropical storms, basically more of what we've been experiencing lately. For Americans that means more Hurricane Katrinas, more stifling hot and longer summers, as well as warmer winters. Retirees may not have to move to Florida or California anymore; besides, those places might be flooded. Global warming has already been predicted in Europe with the consequences being that the northern countries will benefit while the southern ones will languish. The excellent article in the Financial Times says that rising temperatures will let northerners vacation closer by thereby leaving typical warm getaways such as Greece to deal with their hotter temperatures and related problems themselves.

So what good is the report? In it, governments are urged to do something about this problem. In an interview with Reuters, French President Jacques Chirac said, "Faced with this emergency, now is not the time for half measures. It is the time for a revolution, in the true sense of the term. We are in truth on the historical doorstep of the irreversible." On Thursday night before the report was released, several European monuments turned off their lights as a symbolic gesture showing concern for climate change.

The United States government has tried a few times to be more active in controlling its impact in global warming. The benchmark for greenhouse gas emissions controls is the Kyoto protocol, which the Bush administration pulled out of for lack of proof that global warming is man-made. Now that the proof is here, perhaps Mr. Bush will take a more active role in reducing greenhouse gases for which the United States is the worst offender. In 2003, Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman co-sponsored their self-named Climate Stewardship Act only to have it shot down by the Senate. Perhaps now this important bill will be welcomed and put into use rather than kicked so easily to the curb.

It is also interesting to note that the IPCC report was released one day after former Vice President Al Gore was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring about awareness of global warming. If global warming is the new "it" thing of the year, then let it be and let us start changing for the better.

Global warming is a serious problem, and the world is slowly beginning to realize the consequences of individual as well as big business contributions to it. It took 2,500 scientists organized by a United Nations special panel to realize that global warming is caused by human activity. Now it will take the 6.5 billion-plus people on the planet to take the threat seriously and drastically change their habits in order to keep the world habitable.

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