Sunday, November 4, 2007
sucessful ferris alumni recyclers
there are two ferris amuni that have been very successful at recycling. Brian and Mike Gumbko own Shred Docs, a company specializing in shredding and recycling pretty much anything. Brian runs the daily operations of the business. Ferris recycles 215 tons of paper a year with these guys so im sure u see there trucks around. if you want to check them out here is there story. link:http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/parentinfo/success/doctors2.htm
Check out these videos on fuel efficiency
These are good videos on the aspects of automobile pollution and how to help fuel efficiency. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDcx3mYfpDg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTSVXTCw9cY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDcx3mYfpDg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTSVXTCw9cY
12 Tips to helping the environment through fuel efficiency
Tips to helping the environment through fuel efficiency
1. Keeping an eye on your tire pressure will help lower your fuel costs, increase fuel efficiency by 3.3% and keep you safe on the road. Replace tires with the same make and model.
2. Keep your car well maintained
3. Get a smaller vehicle. Heavier vehicles tend to use more fuel.
4. Don’t drive like a fool. Speeding increases the amount of fuel that your car uses.
5. Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed and save fuel.
6. Keep your car washed and waxed to improve aerodynamics
7. Combine your errands when you are out running so your engine will be warm and use less gas.
8. Don’t leave your car running, it’s more fuel efficient to shut it off and then turn it back on.
9. Use the air-conditioning. Rolling your windows down causes the car to drag. Use a sun-shade to keep the car cool when you are not inside it so you won’t need to cool it down as much when you get back in. Roll windows down for a little while before you start up the A/C
10. Use the correct fuel not the cheaper fuel
11. Carpool. This is using less vehicles and less fuel in the atmosphere
12. Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle. Cars the use alternate fuels are more economically friendly. They use less fuel and emit fewer fumes into the atmosphere.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18237715/ http://www.theworldwomenwant.com/yourworld/going/topten.php?page=tt http://www.greenlightmag.com/dept-carTravel-dtl.php?recordID=232
1. Keeping an eye on your tire pressure will help lower your fuel costs, increase fuel efficiency by 3.3% and keep you safe on the road. Replace tires with the same make and model.
2. Keep your car well maintained
3. Get a smaller vehicle. Heavier vehicles tend to use more fuel.
4. Don’t drive like a fool. Speeding increases the amount of fuel that your car uses.
5. Use cruise control to maintain a steady speed and save fuel.
6. Keep your car washed and waxed to improve aerodynamics
7. Combine your errands when you are out running so your engine will be warm and use less gas.
8. Don’t leave your car running, it’s more fuel efficient to shut it off and then turn it back on.
9. Use the air-conditioning. Rolling your windows down causes the car to drag. Use a sun-shade to keep the car cool when you are not inside it so you won’t need to cool it down as much when you get back in. Roll windows down for a little while before you start up the A/C
10. Use the correct fuel not the cheaper fuel
11. Carpool. This is using less vehicles and less fuel in the atmosphere
12. Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle. Cars the use alternate fuels are more economically friendly. They use less fuel and emit fewer fumes into the atmosphere.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18237715/ http://www.theworldwomenwant.com/yourworld/going/topten.php?page=tt http://www.greenlightmag.com/dept-carTravel-dtl.php?recordID=232
Water Pollutions In the Great Lakes
"The pollution of our waterways became a national issue in June of 1969, the day that the Cuyahoga River, flowing through Cleveland, Ohio, on its way to Lake Erie, caught on fire because it was so polluted. Although this was not the first time that the Cuyahoga River had been in flames, the 1969 fire caught the attention of the nation and the fight began for increased water pollution controls, which eventually led to the Great Lakes Water Quality Act and Clean Water Act in the 1970s. Water pollution is defined as a change in the chemical, physical and biological health of a waterway due to human activity. Ways that humans have affected the quality of the Great Lakes water over the centuries include sewage disposal, toxic contamination through heavy metals and pesticides, overdevelopment of the water's edge, runoff from agriculture and urbanization, and air pollution."
http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water1.html
The Great Lakes make up 20% of the worlds fresh water near the surface. and provides drinking water to 35 million people, both Americans and Canadian. The lakes are also host to many different types of animal life and shipping lanes that make them a valuable lifeline to the whole country.
"In the basin of Lake Michigan and nearby lakes industrial plants not in compliance amount to 44% in Canada and only 7% in USA. In hazardous waste treatment facilities, out of 350 different chemicals only 62 are regulated by EPA. In Ontario out of 1200 municipal sewage treatment plants only 154 are regulated,
International Joint Commission has 350 hazardous pollutants on its list.
These include 11 critical ( TCDD, PCB, TCDF,DDT, mirex, and PAH which are not regulated) and 124 priority pollutants."
http://tigger.uic.edu/~maqkhan/LAS100/GreatLakesPollution.html
To read more into this topic please click on the following links:
http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water1.html
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-75-1390/science_technology/great_lakes_pollution/
http://tigger.uic.edu/~maqkhan/LAS100/GreatLakesPollution.html
http://www.cela.ca/faq/cltn_detail.shtml?x=1503
http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water1.html
The Great Lakes make up 20% of the worlds fresh water near the surface. and provides drinking water to 35 million people, both Americans and Canadian. The lakes are also host to many different types of animal life and shipping lanes that make them a valuable lifeline to the whole country.
"In the basin of Lake Michigan and nearby lakes industrial plants not in compliance amount to 44% in Canada and only 7% in USA. In hazardous waste treatment facilities, out of 350 different chemicals only 62 are regulated by EPA. In Ontario out of 1200 municipal sewage treatment plants only 154 are regulated,
International Joint Commission has 350 hazardous pollutants on its list.
These include 11 critical ( TCDD, PCB, TCDF,DDT, mirex, and PAH which are not regulated) and 124 priority pollutants."
http://tigger.uic.edu/~maqkhan/LAS100/GreatLakesPollution.html
To read more into this topic please click on the following links:
http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water1.html
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-75-1390/science_technology/great_lakes_pollution/
http://tigger.uic.edu/~maqkhan/LAS100/GreatLakesPollution.html
http://www.cela.ca/faq/cltn_detail.shtml?x=1503
Air Quaility in Michigan
From the research i have done it looks like the air quality in Michigan has been getting cleaner, at least that's what the findings of the US EPA air quality monitors say. Here is some data from these reports:
Detroit Michigan 2005 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.020
Detroit Michigan 2006 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.016
Kent County 2005 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.015
Kent County 2006 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.014
Detroit Michigan 2005 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.089
Detroit Michigan 2006 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.078
Kent County 2005 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.083
Kent County 2006 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.082
As you can see the Amount of NO2 gas in both Kent county and Detroit Have deceased in the one year span. This means less ammonia in the air around these areas. Even those the Decrease in Ozone which is represented by the O3 has decreased it is still a good amount to protect us from the harmful radiation the sun emits. One possible reason for the good turn around for the air quality is the leaving of the auto makers in Detroit.
This post didn't come out the way i wanted it to
Detroit Michigan 2005 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.020
Detroit Michigan 2006 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.016
Kent County 2005 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.015
Kent County 2006 NO2 AM (ppm)-0.014
Detroit Michigan 2005 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.089
Detroit Michigan 2006 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.078
Kent County 2005 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.083
Kent County 2006 O3 8-hr (ppm)-0.082
As you can see the Amount of NO2 gas in both Kent county and Detroit Have deceased in the one year span. This means less ammonia in the air around these areas. Even those the Decrease in Ozone which is represented by the O3 has decreased it is still a good amount to protect us from the harmful radiation the sun emits. One possible reason for the good turn around for the air quality is the leaving of the auto makers in Detroit.
| http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/factbook.html |
This post didn't come out the way i wanted it to
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Recycling
Recyling is the process that turns products at the end of their useful lives into new product.
It generally prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production.
Recycling Facts & Figures
In 1999, recycling and composting activities prevented about 64 million tons of material from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Today, this country recycles 32% of its waste, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years.
While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 50 percent of all paper, 34 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled.
Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the United States, which collected several materials at the curb. By 2005, almost 9,000 curbside programs had sprouted up across the nation. As of 2005, about 500 materials recovery facilities had been established to process the collected materials.
Just remember that the purest form of recycling is reuse. The thing you don't need may be necessary to someone else.
http://earth911.org/recycling/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling
Do you want to learn how to make recycled paper?
Check this site:
http://earth911.org/for-students/teachers/games-and-activities/learn-how-to-make-recycled-paper
Recycling Advertisement Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKW3O11AatY
It generally prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared to virgin production.
Recycling Facts & Figures
In 1999, recycling and composting activities prevented about 64 million tons of material from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Today, this country recycles 32% of its waste, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years.
While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more drastically: 50 percent of all paper, 34 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled.
Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the United States, which collected several materials at the curb. By 2005, almost 9,000 curbside programs had sprouted up across the nation. As of 2005, about 500 materials recovery facilities had been established to process the collected materials.
Just remember that the purest form of recycling is reuse. The thing you don't need may be necessary to someone else.
http://earth911.org/recycling/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling
Do you want to learn how to make recycled paper?
Check this site:
http://earth911.org/for-students/teachers/games-and-activities/learn-how-to-make-recycled-paper
Recycling Advertisement Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKW3O11AatY
Friday, November 2, 2007
Just a few reasons why College Students Should Become more Green
Melting Glaciers and Ice Sheets Contribute to Global Sea-Level Rise
The Steffen research group assesses the annual and interannual variability of cyrospheric parameters in the Arctic in response to climate perturbation. One example of our research projects - the Greenland ice sheet - is highlighted below.
The total volume of land-based ice in the Arctic has been estimated to be about 3,100,000 cubic kilometers, which corresponds to a sea-level equivalent of about eight meters. Most arctic glaciers and ice caps have been in decline since the early 1960s, with this trend speeding up in the 1990s. A small number of glaciers, especially in Scandinavia, have gained mass as increased precipitation outpaced the increase in melting in few areas.
The Greenland Ice Sheet dominates land ice in the Arctic. Maximum surface-melt area on the ice sheet increased on the average by 16% from 1979-2002 (Steffen et al., 2004), an area roughly the size of Sweden, with considerable variability from year to year, The total area of surface melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet broke all records in 2002, with extreme melting reaching up to 2000 meters in elevation. Satellite data show an increasing trend in the melt extent since 1979. This trend is interrupted in 1992, following the eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo, which created a short-term global cooling as particles spewed from the volcano reduced the amount of sunlight that reached the earth.
Seasonal surface melt extent on the Greenland Ice Sheet has been observed by satellite since 1979 and shows an increasing trend. The melt zone, where summer warmth turns snow and ice around the edges of the ice sheet into slush and ponds of meltwater, has been expanding inland and to record high elevations in recent years (source: Arctic Impacts of Arctic Warming, Cambridge Press, 2004).
cires.colorado.edu/.../melt1992-2002.jpg
Massive California Fires Consistent With Climate Change, Experts Say
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2007) — The catastrophic fires that are sweeping Southern California are consistent with what climate change models have been predicting for years, experts say, and they may be just a prelude to many more such events in the future -- as vegetation grows heavier than usual and then ignites during prolonged drought periods.
"This is exactly what we've been projecting to happen, both in short-term fire forecasts for this year and the longer term patterns that can be linked to global climate change," said Ronald Neilson, a professor at Oregon State University and bioclimatologist with the USDA Forest Service.
"You can't look at one event such as this and say with certainty that it was caused by a changing climate," said Neilson, who was also a contributor to publications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a co-recipient earlier this month of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
"But things just like this are consistent with what the latest modeling shows," Neilson said, "and may be another piece of evidence that climate change is a reality, one with serious effects."
The latest models, Neilson said, suggest that parts of the United States may be experiencing longer-term precipitation patterns -- less year-to-year variability, but rather several wet years in a row followed by several that are drier than normal.
"As the planet warms, more water is getting evaporated from the oceans and all that water has to come down somewhere as precipitation," said Neilson. "That can lead, at times, to heavier vegetation loads popping up and creation of a tremendous fuel load. But the warmth and other climatic forces are also going to create periodic droughts. If you get an ignition source during these periods, the fires can just become explosive."
The problems can be compounded, Neilson said, by El Niño or La Nina events. A La Niña episode that's currently under way is probably amplifying the Southern California drought, he said. But when rains return for a period of years, the burned vegetation may inevitably re-grow to very dense levels.
"In the future, catastrophic fires such as those going on now in California may simply be a normal part of the landscape," said Neilson.
Fire forecast models developed by Neilson's research group at OSU and the Forest Service rely on several global climate models. When combined, they accurately predicted both the Southern California fires that are happening and the drought that has recently hit parts of the Southeast, including Georgia and Florida, causing crippling water shortages.
In studies released five years ago, Neilson and other OSU researchers predicted that the American West could become both warmer and wetter in the coming century, conditions that would lead to repeated, catastrophic fires larger than any in recent history.
At that time, the scientists suggested that periodic increases in precipitation, in combination with higher temperatures and rising carbon dioxide levels, would spur vegetation growth and add even further to existing fuel loads caused by decades of fire suppression.
Droughts or heat waves, the researchers said in 2002, would then lead to levels of wildfire larger than most observed since European settlement. The projections were based on various "general circulation" models that showed both global warming and precipitation increases during the 21st century.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024103856.htm
Climate Change Threatens Human Health, According To Australian Report
ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2007) — Australians face increasingly large-scale health risks from our expanding impact on the natural environment, ranging from increases in weather extremes and dengue fever to obesity, diabetes and mental health.
Twelve of Australia's top health and medical researchers have contributed to a new report which concludes that rapid environmental and climatic changes pose increasing risks to the health of Australians.
Released by Research Australia, the 'Healthy Planet, Places and People' Report found that:
•Deaths from heart attacks, strokes and respiratory disease, from increases in heatwaves, could double or triple by 2050;
•Asthma -- already affecting 3 in 20 children and 1 in 10 adults -- is likely to increase in some groups;
•The incidence and geographic range of some mosquito-borne infectious diseases will increase;
•Food poisoning -- with 5.4 million cases reported each year -- is also likely to rise;
•Viral infections such as avian flu and SARS will spread more readily as population density, people movement, trade and land clearing increase.
Professor Tony McMichael of the Australian National University, who led the report and is part of the Nobel Prize winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that researchers are just beginning to recognise the health implications of a warmer planet.
"Our rapidly expanding impact on the natural environment is casting a huge shadow over the health of future generations," Prof McMichael said.
"It is not just a warmer planet and weather disasters -- climate change is one of many environmental changes. Our health is also endangered by depleted water flows, land degradation, disrupted ecosystems and acidified oceans. We need better understanding of these risks, and how to reduce them, through new research."
2007 Australian of the Year, Prof Tim Flannery said it is hardly surprising that human health will be strongly influenced by climate change.
"From water availability and quantity to temperature and food, our changing climate will influence all of the fundamentals of life," Prof Flannery said. Proudly supported by
"To ignore climate change in terms of human health would be a bit like treating the fish in a fishbowl, while refusing to change their ever more polluted water."
Prof McMichael said health and medical research has long been based on the premise that the natural world around us is essentially constant.
"Today, human actions are inadvertently impairing the working of the world. We need to understand more about how human-induced changes to climate and global environment are affecting, and will affect, our lives," Prof McMichael said.
The report was launched by Research Australia CEO, Rebecca James, who said the report's findings highlight the importance of health and medical research in helping Australians adapt to the changing environment.
"We are only beginning to recognise the health implications of a warmer planet. More research is needed to understand its full impact on our health, and how we can adapt," Ms James said. "The potential health impacts of climate change are significant. Without the work of medical researchers to address health risks, the impact on our health, economy and society could be dramatic."
Adapted from materials provided by Australian National University.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030094648.htm
Posted by Krista Helder
Melting Glaciers and Ice Sheets Contribute to Global Sea-Level Rise
The Steffen research group assesses the annual and interannual variability of cyrospheric parameters in the Arctic in response to climate perturbation. One example of our research projects - the Greenland ice sheet - is highlighted below.
The total volume of land-based ice in the Arctic has been estimated to be about 3,100,000 cubic kilometers, which corresponds to a sea-level equivalent of about eight meters. Most arctic glaciers and ice caps have been in decline since the early 1960s, with this trend speeding up in the 1990s. A small number of glaciers, especially in Scandinavia, have gained mass as increased precipitation outpaced the increase in melting in few areas.
The Greenland Ice Sheet dominates land ice in the Arctic. Maximum surface-melt area on the ice sheet increased on the average by 16% from 1979-2002 (Steffen et al., 2004), an area roughly the size of Sweden, with considerable variability from year to year, The total area of surface melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet broke all records in 2002, with extreme melting reaching up to 2000 meters in elevation. Satellite data show an increasing trend in the melt extent since 1979. This trend is interrupted in 1992, following the eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo, which created a short-term global cooling as particles spewed from the volcano reduced the amount of sunlight that reached the earth.
Seasonal surface melt extent on the Greenland Ice Sheet has been observed by satellite since 1979 and shows an increasing trend. The melt zone, where summer warmth turns snow and ice around the edges of the ice sheet into slush and ponds of meltwater, has been expanding inland and to record high elevations in recent years (source: Arctic Impacts of Arctic Warming, Cambridge Press, 2004).
cires.colorado.edu/.../melt1992-2002.jpg
Massive California Fires Consistent With Climate Change, Experts Say
ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2007) — The catastrophic fires that are sweeping Southern California are consistent with what climate change models have been predicting for years, experts say, and they may be just a prelude to many more such events in the future -- as vegetation grows heavier than usual and then ignites during prolonged drought periods.
"This is exactly what we've been projecting to happen, both in short-term fire forecasts for this year and the longer term patterns that can be linked to global climate change," said Ronald Neilson, a professor at Oregon State University and bioclimatologist with the USDA Forest Service.
"You can't look at one event such as this and say with certainty that it was caused by a changing climate," said Neilson, who was also a contributor to publications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a co-recipient earlier this month of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
"But things just like this are consistent with what the latest modeling shows," Neilson said, "and may be another piece of evidence that climate change is a reality, one with serious effects."
The latest models, Neilson said, suggest that parts of the United States may be experiencing longer-term precipitation patterns -- less year-to-year variability, but rather several wet years in a row followed by several that are drier than normal.
"As the planet warms, more water is getting evaporated from the oceans and all that water has to come down somewhere as precipitation," said Neilson. "That can lead, at times, to heavier vegetation loads popping up and creation of a tremendous fuel load. But the warmth and other climatic forces are also going to create periodic droughts. If you get an ignition source during these periods, the fires can just become explosive."
The problems can be compounded, Neilson said, by El Niño or La Nina events. A La Niña episode that's currently under way is probably amplifying the Southern California drought, he said. But when rains return for a period of years, the burned vegetation may inevitably re-grow to very dense levels.
"In the future, catastrophic fires such as those going on now in California may simply be a normal part of the landscape," said Neilson.
Fire forecast models developed by Neilson's research group at OSU and the Forest Service rely on several global climate models. When combined, they accurately predicted both the Southern California fires that are happening and the drought that has recently hit parts of the Southeast, including Georgia and Florida, causing crippling water shortages.
In studies released five years ago, Neilson and other OSU researchers predicted that the American West could become both warmer and wetter in the coming century, conditions that would lead to repeated, catastrophic fires larger than any in recent history.
At that time, the scientists suggested that periodic increases in precipitation, in combination with higher temperatures and rising carbon dioxide levels, would spur vegetation growth and add even further to existing fuel loads caused by decades of fire suppression.
Droughts or heat waves, the researchers said in 2002, would then lead to levels of wildfire larger than most observed since European settlement. The projections were based on various "general circulation" models that showed both global warming and precipitation increases during the 21st century.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024103856.htm
Climate Change Threatens Human Health, According To Australian Report
ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2007) — Australians face increasingly large-scale health risks from our expanding impact on the natural environment, ranging from increases in weather extremes and dengue fever to obesity, diabetes and mental health.
Twelve of Australia's top health and medical researchers have contributed to a new report which concludes that rapid environmental and climatic changes pose increasing risks to the health of Australians.
Released by Research Australia, the 'Healthy Planet, Places and People' Report found that:
•Deaths from heart attacks, strokes and respiratory disease, from increases in heatwaves, could double or triple by 2050;
•Asthma -- already affecting 3 in 20 children and 1 in 10 adults -- is likely to increase in some groups;
•The incidence and geographic range of some mosquito-borne infectious diseases will increase;
•Food poisoning -- with 5.4 million cases reported each year -- is also likely to rise;
•Viral infections such as avian flu and SARS will spread more readily as population density, people movement, trade and land clearing increase.
Professor Tony McMichael of the Australian National University, who led the report and is part of the Nobel Prize winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that researchers are just beginning to recognise the health implications of a warmer planet.
"Our rapidly expanding impact on the natural environment is casting a huge shadow over the health of future generations," Prof McMichael said.
"It is not just a warmer planet and weather disasters -- climate change is one of many environmental changes. Our health is also endangered by depleted water flows, land degradation, disrupted ecosystems and acidified oceans. We need better understanding of these risks, and how to reduce them, through new research."
2007 Australian of the Year, Prof Tim Flannery said it is hardly surprising that human health will be strongly influenced by climate change.
"From water availability and quantity to temperature and food, our changing climate will influence all of the fundamentals of life," Prof Flannery said. Proudly supported by
"To ignore climate change in terms of human health would be a bit like treating the fish in a fishbowl, while refusing to change their ever more polluted water."
Prof McMichael said health and medical research has long been based on the premise that the natural world around us is essentially constant.
"Today, human actions are inadvertently impairing the working of the world. We need to understand more about how human-induced changes to climate and global environment are affecting, and will affect, our lives," Prof McMichael said.
The report was launched by Research Australia CEO, Rebecca James, who said the report's findings highlight the importance of health and medical research in helping Australians adapt to the changing environment.
"We are only beginning to recognise the health implications of a warmer planet. More research is needed to understand its full impact on our health, and how we can adapt," Ms James said. "The potential health impacts of climate change are significant. Without the work of medical researchers to address health risks, the impact on our health, economy and society could be dramatic."
Adapted from materials provided by Australian National University.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030094648.htm
Posted by Krista Helder
Many College Students feel that they can’t make a difference while they are in college. Even though you don’t own your own home were you can create an environmentally friendly habit, there are still many ways college students can make a impact.
Simply Ways College Students Can make a Difference
By How we get Around
•Pump up your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated will increase fuel efficiency 3.3 percent, and gain the U.S. more oil than what's projected to be in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
•Telecommute, combine trips, and shop on line. If you can work at home, do. If you don't have to drive, don't.
•Drive the speed limit. Every 5 mph you drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $.10 a gallon for gas.
•Use cruise control. Using cruise control on the highway helps maintain a constant speed that usually will help improve fuel economy by 4-14 percent
•Avoid using cars — walk, cycle or use public transportation whenever possible.
By What we wear
•Approximately 25% of all insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world are used to grow cotton.
•It takes 1/3 lb. of pesticides and fertilizers to produce enough cotton to make just one t-shirt.
By Where we Shop and What we buy
•Take your own bags to the grocery store
•Buying food that's locally grown is one of the most influential - and beneficial - ways you can spend your money to get the world you want.
•Buying local benefits the environment buy reducing the amount of oil needed to transport food long distances. On average, most supermarket foods travel about 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Locally grown food only travels about 57 miles. Buying local eases our dependence on petroleum, helps clean up the air, and reduces the climate change that's associated with transportation.
•The typical American meal contains ingredients from five countries other than the U.S. Those food purchases do not strengthen our economy or bolster the livelihoods of our own farmers. Buying local does. A recent study by the Maine Organic Farms and Gardeners Association estimates that by encouraging Maine residents to spend just $10/week on local food, $100,000,000 would be invested back into farmer's pockets and the Maine economy each growing season. The same investment could be made in every state in the country if residents opted to buy local.
•Buying local helps save farmland. More than one million acres of farmland are lost each year in the U.S. to residential and commercial development. Supporting local farmers helps them stay on their land and thrive economically.
By How we Clean
•Speaking of washing clothes, try using a cooler cycle than what you are used to. Nine times out of ten your clothes aren't so dirty that they absolutely require the hot wash, and you'll save 30-60% of the energy consumed using the hot cycle.
•Your car doesn’t have to sparkle. Cash washes are both expensive and a waste of energy and resources.
•you can save some money, and heck - burn some extra calories - by washing the car yourself, and hold off on the hose; use a bucket and sponge to save extra 20 gallons of water consumption over using the hose.
•Use non-toxic cleaning alternatives
By How we Work Out
•Huge energy is consumed to light and air condition your gym, and power all the machines. All to allow you to pretend you're climbing stairs, riding a bike, or running in the park. Why not try actually climbing the stairs, riding a bike, or running in the park
By Recycling
•Find the closest recycling center and get a list of items they recycle, you can at least recycle your own belongings or volunteer. Either way it is a great way to network and meet people in the community.
•In this day and age of having not only a functional but fashionable cell phone, we seem to replace them more and more frequently. Of course you can donate your old phone to local charities, or give it back to the retailer for recycling, but you can also find a service like this one that will actually purchase your used cell phone from you.
•Always use reusables mugs, lunch containers, batteries, pens, razors, etc.
•Replace paper products with reusable ones (use recycled, non-chlorine bleached paper when you do have to use paper).
By Being Frugal
•Just being frugal not only saves your wallet, but helps to keep the planet green. In the age of consumption and abundance, it is easy to absolutely have to have the latest this and the most popular that. Before you put your credit card down to pay for the latest impulse gizmo though, consider your actual needs. Will this item be truly useful to you, and a positive addition to your life? Can you live without it?
•Seventeen million heated toilet seats have already been sold worldwide, and one of the manufacturers of heated toilet seats projects sales of over 400,000 a year to North Americans alone.
Sources:
http://www.wisebread.com/topic/environmentally-friendly-tips
http://www.theworldwomenwant.com/topten/topten_1.php
Posted by Krista Helder
Simply Ways College Students Can make a Difference
By How we get Around
•Pump up your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated will increase fuel efficiency 3.3 percent, and gain the U.S. more oil than what's projected to be in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
•Telecommute, combine trips, and shop on line. If you can work at home, do. If you don't have to drive, don't.
•Drive the speed limit. Every 5 mph you drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $.10 a gallon for gas.
•Use cruise control. Using cruise control on the highway helps maintain a constant speed that usually will help improve fuel economy by 4-14 percent
•Avoid using cars — walk, cycle or use public transportation whenever possible.
By What we wear
•Approximately 25% of all insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world are used to grow cotton.
•It takes 1/3 lb. of pesticides and fertilizers to produce enough cotton to make just one t-shirt.
By Where we Shop and What we buy
•Take your own bags to the grocery store
•Buying food that's locally grown is one of the most influential - and beneficial - ways you can spend your money to get the world you want.
•Buying local benefits the environment buy reducing the amount of oil needed to transport food long distances. On average, most supermarket foods travel about 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Locally grown food only travels about 57 miles. Buying local eases our dependence on petroleum, helps clean up the air, and reduces the climate change that's associated with transportation.
•The typical American meal contains ingredients from five countries other than the U.S. Those food purchases do not strengthen our economy or bolster the livelihoods of our own farmers. Buying local does. A recent study by the Maine Organic Farms and Gardeners Association estimates that by encouraging Maine residents to spend just $10/week on local food, $100,000,000 would be invested back into farmer's pockets and the Maine economy each growing season. The same investment could be made in every state in the country if residents opted to buy local.
•Buying local helps save farmland. More than one million acres of farmland are lost each year in the U.S. to residential and commercial development. Supporting local farmers helps them stay on their land and thrive economically.
By How we Clean
•Speaking of washing clothes, try using a cooler cycle than what you are used to. Nine times out of ten your clothes aren't so dirty that they absolutely require the hot wash, and you'll save 30-60% of the energy consumed using the hot cycle.
•Your car doesn’t have to sparkle. Cash washes are both expensive and a waste of energy and resources.
•you can save some money, and heck - burn some extra calories - by washing the car yourself, and hold off on the hose; use a bucket and sponge to save extra 20 gallons of water consumption over using the hose.
•Use non-toxic cleaning alternatives
By How we Work Out
•Huge energy is consumed to light and air condition your gym, and power all the machines. All to allow you to pretend you're climbing stairs, riding a bike, or running in the park. Why not try actually climbing the stairs, riding a bike, or running in the park
By Recycling
•Find the closest recycling center and get a list of items they recycle, you can at least recycle your own belongings or volunteer. Either way it is a great way to network and meet people in the community.
•In this day and age of having not only a functional but fashionable cell phone, we seem to replace them more and more frequently. Of course you can donate your old phone to local charities, or give it back to the retailer for recycling, but you can also find a service like this one that will actually purchase your used cell phone from you.
•Always use reusables mugs, lunch containers, batteries, pens, razors, etc.
•Replace paper products with reusable ones (use recycled, non-chlorine bleached paper when you do have to use paper).
By Being Frugal
•Just being frugal not only saves your wallet, but helps to keep the planet green. In the age of consumption and abundance, it is easy to absolutely have to have the latest this and the most popular that. Before you put your credit card down to pay for the latest impulse gizmo though, consider your actual needs. Will this item be truly useful to you, and a positive addition to your life? Can you live without it?
•Seventeen million heated toilet seats have already been sold worldwide, and one of the manufacturers of heated toilet seats projects sales of over 400,000 a year to North Americans alone.
Sources:
http://www.wisebread.com/topic/environmentally-friendly-tips
http://www.theworldwomenwant.com/topten/topten_1.php
Posted by Krista Helder
Going Green to Save Money
Energy Conservation 101
By MySpace.com
Here are more links to help everyone save energy.
Eye To Eye: Art Rosenfeld On Energy Conservation
By vid.youtube.com and CBS
Simple Energy Saving Tips
By vid.youtube.com
Funny and Full of Info
Energy Saving Tips
By vid.youtube.com
Muscel House
By crackle.com (This site has lots of great video's-check it out)
Energy Saving Routine
By vid.youtube.com
By MySpace.com
Here are more links to help everyone save energy.
Eye To Eye: Art Rosenfeld On Energy Conservation
By vid.youtube.com and CBS
Simple Energy Saving Tips
By vid.youtube.com
Funny and Full of Info
Energy Saving Tips
By vid.youtube.com
Muscel House
By crackle.com (This site has lots of great video's-check it out)
Energy Saving Routine
By vid.youtube.com
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Atlernate Geothermal Energy
Here are some videos showing ways of generating electricity by using geothermal steam.
Geothermal Power: It's Hot!
Geothermal Energy
The Tesla Turbine could be the answer to reclaiming thermal heat from the earth. Please view these videos about the Tesla Turbine to see the advantage.
Tesla Turbine
Tesla Turbine 2
Using both geothermal and the Tesla Turbine we can greatly reduce the emissions from combustible fuels used to produce much of our current electricity.
Video details
1. Geothermal Power" It's Hot! by youtube.com
2. Geothermal Energy by vids.myspace.com
3. Tesla Turbine by video.google.com
4. Tesla Turbine 2 by video.google.com
Geothermal Power: It's Hot!
Geothermal Energy
The Tesla Turbine could be the answer to reclaiming thermal heat from the earth. Please view these videos about the Tesla Turbine to see the advantage.
Tesla Turbine
Tesla Turbine 2
Using both geothermal and the Tesla Turbine we can greatly reduce the emissions from combustible fuels used to produce much of our current electricity.
Video details
1. Geothermal Power" It's Hot! by youtube.com
2. Geothermal Energy by vids.myspace.com
3. Tesla Turbine by video.google.com
4. Tesla Turbine 2 by video.google.com
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NEW RSO AT FERRIS
Ferris state now has an RSO that is helping the environment. It is called ferris recyclers. they are a group that wants to keep the campus clean and help the environment. they have there own webpage and you should go check it out for more information.
LINK:http://www.freewebs.com/ferrisrecyclers/
MB
LINK:http://www.freewebs.com/ferrisrecyclers/
MB
Friday, October 26, 2007
Poem: How Green is Our Borough
How Green is Our Borough
Eve Taylor
How green is our Borough? Is it barren and bare?
Is it stripped of its beauty? Do we really care?
Dereliction and eyesores mount up everyday,
Made worse by the rubbish that we throw away.
In each empty garden or plot of waste land,
We could plant flowers to make it look grand.
Don't fill up our air with car fumes and smoke,
It's polluting the atmosphere, which isn't a joke.
Global warming, right now, dominates the news,
So stop and look at the items you use.
Is it CFC free?....... Is it harmful to man?
Just read all the labels, it helps if you can.
Lovely young trees line the road to the strand,
Put there for our pleasure, and all open planned.
They'll look so attractive, if allowed to grow,
If they are not damaged by children we know.
Our Borough is changing so much day by day,
So if we all help in our own little way,
By keeping the environment clean and protected,
We'll reap the rewards, just as expected.
About this poem
In the year 2004, the Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council of the United Kingdom held a poetry contest for World Environment Day (5 June). Everyone in the community was invited to write poems that commented on various aspects of the local environment. One of the winners of this contest was Eve Taylor, whose poem How Green is Our Borough focused attention on maintaining a clean, healthy and beautiful environment.
http://www.ecology.info/how-green.htm
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Fuel Efficiency and Automobile Pollution
Fuel Efficiency is a big factor in the worlds concern for global warming. 90% of pollution is caused by automobiles. When you increase your vehicles fuel efficiency you decrease the amount of fuel that you use at one time. In the U.S. we consume the most fuel and if we were to cut back on the amount of fuel that is consumed this would also cut back on the amount of pollutants that are going into the atmosphere such as: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic hydrocarbons. These pollutants also starve the body of oxygen. They agitate asthma, are carcinogens, and can possibly lead to death. The uses of trains, buses, subways, and carpooling will decrease the amount of pollution in the air by allowing multiple people to ride in one vehicle. Hybrids and hydrogen vehicles are also good alternatives because they use less harmful alternative fuels to power the vehicles.
http://www.nutramed.com/environment/carschemicals.htm
http://pic5.piczo.com/fuelfacts/?g=32007212&cr=5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDcx3mYfpDg
http://www.nutramed.com/environment/carschemicals.htm
http://pic5.piczo.com/fuelfacts/?g=32007212&cr=5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDcx3mYfpDg
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Are you knowledgable on ways to save energy. Test your Knowledge on energying saving tips.
To take quiz click on link.
http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/going-green/quiz-going-green.html
Posted by Krista Helder
To take quiz click on link.
http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/going-green/quiz-going-green.html
Posted by Krista Helder
Benifits of Geothermal Heating and Cooling
According to the department of energy geothermal heat pumps use 25-50 percent less electricity than conventional air cooled heat pumps. they also can reduce energy emissions by up to 72 percent when compared to air cooled heat pumps and electric resistive heat. Other benefits include better zoning control and humidity control.
The department of energy also said that the current level of geothermal heating and cooling we currently have saves over one million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. Also these units help save the ozone. these systems come factory sealed and almost never leak refrigerant that could damage the ozone. This also help reduce the amount of green house gasses introduced into the atmosphere photo from the University of Virgina Tech
American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment
American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment
We, the undersigned presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities, are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects. We recognize the scientific consensus that global warming is real and is largely being caused by humans. We further recognize the need to reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases by 80% by mid-century at the latest, in order to avert the worst impacts of global warming and to reestablish the more stable climatic conditions that have made human progress over the last 10,000 years possible.
While we understand that there might be short-term challenges associated with this effort, we believe that there will be great short-, medium-, and long-term economic, health, social and environmental benefits, including achieving energy independence for the U.S. as quickly as possible.
We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality. Campuses that address the climate challenge by reducing global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society. These colleges and universities will be providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to address the critical, systemic challenges faced by the world in this new century and enable them to benefit from the economic opportunities that will arise as a result of solutions they develop.
We further believe that colleges and universities that exert leadership in addressing climate change will stabilize and reduce their long-term energy costs, attract excellent students and faculty, attract new sources of funding, and increase the support of alumni and local communities. Accordingly, we commit our institutions to taking the following steps in pursuit of climate neutrality:
1. Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible.
a. Within two months of signing this document, create institutional structures to guide the development and implementation of the plan.
b. Within one year of signing this document, complete a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions (including emissions from electricity, heating, commuting, and air travel) and update the inventory every other year thereafter.
c. Within two years of signing this document, develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral, which will include:
i. A target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon as possible.
ii. Interim targets for goals and actions that will lead to climate neutrality.
iii. Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other educational experience for all students.
iv. Actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve climate neutrality.
v. Mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions.
2. Initiate two or more of the following tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed.
a. Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
b. Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
c. Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for by our institution.
d. Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors at our institution
e. Within one year of signing this document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15% of our institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.
f. Establish a policy or a committee that supports climate and sustainability shareholder proposals at companies where our institution's endowment is invested.
g. Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition, and adopt 3 or more associated measures to reduce waste.
3. Make the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available by providing them to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for posting and dissemination.
In recognition of the need to build support for this effort among college and university administrations across America, we will encourage other presidents to join this effort and become signatories to this commitment.
Signed,
The Signatories of the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/index.php
Posted by Krista Helder
We, the undersigned presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities, are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects. We recognize the scientific consensus that global warming is real and is largely being caused by humans. We further recognize the need to reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases by 80% by mid-century at the latest, in order to avert the worst impacts of global warming and to reestablish the more stable climatic conditions that have made human progress over the last 10,000 years possible.
While we understand that there might be short-term challenges associated with this effort, we believe that there will be great short-, medium-, and long-term economic, health, social and environmental benefits, including achieving energy independence for the U.S. as quickly as possible.
We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality. Campuses that address the climate challenge by reducing global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society. These colleges and universities will be providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to address the critical, systemic challenges faced by the world in this new century and enable them to benefit from the economic opportunities that will arise as a result of solutions they develop.
We further believe that colleges and universities that exert leadership in addressing climate change will stabilize and reduce their long-term energy costs, attract excellent students and faculty, attract new sources of funding, and increase the support of alumni and local communities. Accordingly, we commit our institutions to taking the following steps in pursuit of climate neutrality:
1. Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible.
a. Within two months of signing this document, create institutional structures to guide the development and implementation of the plan.
b. Within one year of signing this document, complete a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions (including emissions from electricity, heating, commuting, and air travel) and update the inventory every other year thereafter.
c. Within two years of signing this document, develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral, which will include:
i. A target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon as possible.
ii. Interim targets for goals and actions that will lead to climate neutrality.
iii. Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other educational experience for all students.
iv. Actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve climate neutrality.
v. Mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions.
2. Initiate two or more of the following tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed.
a. Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
b. Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
c. Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for by our institution.
d. Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors at our institution
e. Within one year of signing this document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15% of our institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.
f. Establish a policy or a committee that supports climate and sustainability shareholder proposals at companies where our institution's endowment is invested.
g. Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition, and adopt 3 or more associated measures to reduce waste.
3. Make the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available by providing them to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for posting and dissemination.
In recognition of the need to build support for this effort among college and university administrations across America, we will encourage other presidents to join this effort and become signatories to this commitment.
Signed,
The Signatories of the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/index.php
Posted by Krista Helder
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