Wednesday morning it was announced that the popular eco-site treehugger was acquired by Discovery Communications. This is really exciting for the folks over at treehugger. It will give them and their content a lot of exposure. According to the press release, Discovery plans on using the site in conjunction with it’s ‘Planet Green’ programming.
In related news, Jasmine over at Worsted Witch will be writing full time over there (starting in a couple of weeks). So congratulations to her.

David Archer was walking one day when he was struck by the thought that he was sure the human body was more fuel efficient than a Prius.  Turns out he was right…

A gallon of gas contains roughly 132 megajoules of energy, 31,548,757 calories, and 31,548 kilocalories, or food calories, or calories, in common parlance (one food/kilocalorie, remember, actually contains 1,000 calories).
A 155 lb human walking at 3 mph will burn 246 kcal/hour, or 82 kcal/mile. Feed that human one gallon of gas in potential energy–31,548 kcal–and he’ll have enough energy to walk for 128 hours. At 3 mph, he’ll cover 384 miles; in other words, he’ll get 384 mpg at that weight and speed.*

photo courtesy of elvisripley

My friend Mike sent me a very much appreciated link to this article, The CFL mercury nightmare.

How much money does it take to screw in a compact fluorescent light bulb? About US$4.28 for the bulb and labour — unless you break the bulb. Then you, like Brandy Bridges of Ellsworth, Maine, could be looking at a cost of about US$2,004.28, which doesn’t include the costs of frayed nerves and risks to health.

* * *

As each CFL contains five milligrams of mercury, at the Maine “safety” standard of 300 nanograms per cubic meter, it would take 16,667 cubic meters of soil to “safely” contain all the mercury in a single CFL. While CFL vendors and environmentalists tout the energy cost savings of CFLs, they conveniently omit the personal and societal costs of CFL disposal.

My first response was to feel really sad because I have encouraged a lot of people to switch to CFL bulbs because they are more energy efficient.

My second response was to remember that this blog is a place of learning, encouragement, and positive life changes based on education. It is a process and sometimes that process involves mistakes—this is in general a helpful life lesson to learn, none of us are perfect and we are all in need of grace.

In trying to find out more information on CFL’s and how to properly dispose of them I came across this NPR article which acknowledges the problem but discusses it in a more productive and helpful manner.

“The problem with the bulbs is that they’ll break before they get to the landfill. They’ll break in containers, or they’ll break in a dumpster or they’ll break in the trucks. Workers may be exposed to very high levels of mercury when that happens,” says John Skinner, executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America, the trade group for the people who handle trash and recycling.

[Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy Star program,] says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That’s because they use less electricity — and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.

“The compact fluorescent light bulb is a product people can use to positively influence the environment to… prevent mercury emissions as well as greenhouse gas emissions. And it’s something that we can do now — and it’s extremely important that we do do it,” Reed says. “And the positive message is, if you recycle them, if you dispose of them properly, then they’re doing a world of good.”

I haven’t decided what to do with the current CFL light bulbs that I have throughout my home, except that I will be very careful in my handling of them, or what I will do when I need to buy new bulbs.

However, here is what I have taken away from this:

1. We use more energy than is good for our planet and there is no easy or problem-free solution to our need to light our homes, offices, and stores. Maybe it was better when the sun and moon were used to light our way.

2. If a bulb breaks near your home you will have soil contamination which is dangerous because it is a neurotoxin and if it breaks in your home there is a major hazard waste issue.

3. Throwing CFL light bulbs in the trash in not an option even if it is legal in your county because you could cause dangerous health problems to workers who are exposed to the neurotoxin.

4. You can bring light bulbs to IKEA to recycle them, search Earth 911 to find a disposal options near you, or look into lamprecycle.

5. “CFLs are safe to use in your home. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when used properly. However, CFLs are made of glass tubing and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the lamp from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base, and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket by its tubes. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly, learn how to properly dispose.”

6. Finally, this has been a good reminder that we all need to be working to live a sustainable life, trying to leave the places we touch better than we found them.

Resources via NPR article:

• General Electric’s mercury and CFL FAQs
• Fact Sheet: Mercury in CFL bulbs
• Energy Star: FAQs on disposing of CFL bulbs

Yahoo announced yesterday in a Yodel Anecdotal blog post, authored by David Filo, that it has just made a commitment to go carbon neutral this year….yahoooooooo!!!!!

Essentially, that means we’re going to invest in greenhouse gas reduction projects around the world to neutralize Yahoo!’s impact on the environment.

. . .

We know carbon neutrality isn’t without controversy. And it’s honestly deserved if companies and individuals don’t first make an effort to find direct ways to reduce their impact. We’ll continue to be vigilant about cutting ours, looking for creative ways to power our facilities, encourage even more employees to seek alternative commutes, and generally inspire Yahoos around the world to think differently about their energy use. (For example, in honor of Earth Day, we’re challenging Yahoos to decrease their consumption by 20% this week to help build lasting habits.) We’ll also be deliberate about investing in offset projects that can verifiably deliver their expected environmental benefits.

We think our offset program counts, but since this is a new and emerging market, we expect to learn as we go, and we’ll be transparent with you along the way. In fact, we’d like your help in all this — we want your inventive and creative ideas for potential offset projects. Please weigh in over at Yahoo! Answers. And read more about our overall approach here.

So, if you folks have ideas for Yahoo on changes that they can make, click on the link above and of course, let me know what you come up with!

This list is not revolutionary, but it does give us all manageable changes to make if we haven’t already made them.

• Replace at least 2 incandescent light bulbs in your house with compact fluorescents. (And remember to turn out the lights when you leave the room!)

• Make your drive 2 times as efficient by inviting another passenger (or several) to ride along (or, even better, buy a hybrid)!

• Write 2 letters—one to your local newspaper and another to your employer, letting them know that we can work to curb global warming by reducing carbon emissions by 2 percent a year.

• Talk 2 your mayor. If your city isn’t already a “Cool City,â€? urge your mayor to sign on. If it is, offer to help cut your city’s emissions. (Find out more.)

• Take 2 minutes to sign our online petition.

• And then ask your 2 friends to sign it, too!

• Hang your clothes out 2 dry instead of using the dryer.

• Turn down your thermostat 2 degrees.

• Walk or bike 2 work as often as you can.

• Get on the horn and call your power company.

• Ask them to increase their reliance on renewable energy sources by 2 percent each year for the next 40 years—at least!

• Try 2 eat locally grown food and shop at a local farmer’s market.

• Food travels an average of 1,500 miles from field to plate, so you can make a difference by buying local.

• Check your tire pressure every 2 months and inflate as necessary for better mileage.

• Copy or download this fact sheet and pass it on to 2 friends.

• Check 2 make sure you have adequate insulation.

• Get 2 your governor. States need to take action because the federal government is dragging its feet. Ask your governor to commit to cutting the state’s carbon emissions 2 percent a year for the next 40.

• Check 2 see how you’re doing. You can find a carbon calculator to add (and subtract) your emissions.

• Make your own 2 do list….

You can also take a look at 2 other lists that they have made:

Five Ways Individuals and Companies Can Fight Global Warming

Five Ways Cities and States Can Fight Global Warming

I just read about Step It Up in a TerraPass e-mail. Step It Up is a protest that is taking place all over the country on April 14th, The National Day of Climate Action. There are over 1200 actions all ready organized, making it the “largest day of citizen action focusing on global warming in our nation’s history”. The goal of the protest is to move Congress to make a commitment to cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050.

The actions range from a rally of thousands in New York City, to a handful of scuba divers off the coast of Key West, to a community of senior citizens in Ohio holding a global warming awareness day.

Find/Join an Action.
If you are really ambitious you can Start an Action.

If you do participate in some way please let me know. I would love to hear about it and how you felt that it went.

Similarly, The Sierra Club has started the Be Part of the 2% Solution campaign to fight Global Warming. The idea is that if we cut carbon emissions by 2% a year over the next 40 years we will have met the goal of 80% by 2050.

The world’s scientists agree: Global warming is real, here, and happening faster than anyone predicted. But scientists also say we can curb global warming and its consequences—if we take bold, comprehensive actions now that add up to an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050. That’s a do-able 2 percent cut a year for each of the next 40 years.
To reach our goal, to build a cleaner, smarter, and safer energy and economic future and rise to the most urgent challenge of our generation, we must all be part of the solution. You, me, businesses, and government—we all have a role to play. To cut carbon emissions 2 percent a year for each of the next 40 years means we must start right now to make different, better decisions about the energy we use at home, at work, and as a nation.

You can Be part of the 2% solution by:

Signing the letter written by the Sierra Club to President Bush asking him to take action to curb Global Warming. This is so easy and there is really no reason to not do this. You not bothering to click on the link I provided you with is not a good excuse.

Checking out their great list of things YOU can do to help cut carbon emission by 2% per year for the next 40% years. I think I may post the list tomorrow if you don’t get a chance to look at it.

Co-op America put together a list of 10 things you should never buy again, with some facts and alternatives choices. I thought this would be perfect for you one/changers so here it is with a few added links:

1. Styrofoam cups
Styrofoam is forever. It\’s not biodegradable.
Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups.
Best option: Invest in some [if possible used] reusable mugs that you can take with you.

2. Paper towels
Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money.
Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green Pagesâ„¢ for recycled paper products.
Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.

3. Bleached coffee filters
Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals.
Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters.
Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.

4. Overpackaged foods and other products
Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging.
Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging.
Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.

5. Teak and mahogany
Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen.
Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.
Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.

Learn how to become WoodWise at home and in your office »

6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides
American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children.
Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth.
Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.

7. Conventional household cleaners
Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home.
Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners.
Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap [click here for some easy recipes].

Find safe, green cleaners in the National Green Pages™»

8. Higher octane gas than you need
Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car.
Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner\’s manual
Best option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.

Learn more about green transportation »

9. Toys made with PVC plastic
70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children’s toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children’s toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic.
Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as “PVC� or “#3.� Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don’t produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials.
Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children’s toys.

Find safe toys in the National Green Pages™ »

10. Plastic forks and spoons
Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas.
Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose.
Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers.

I learned about this list via The Worsted Witch.

New Belgium Brewing Company is starting a national ad campaign and getting attention for their sustainable company practices. As part of the ad campaign New Belgium has created FollowYourFolly.com and “is devoted to the whimsical side of sustainable living”. Before entering each of the company’s sites there is a message saying that like their beer, their sites are also only to be legally enjoyed by those 21 and over.

Yahoo has launched an Cannes Advertising Festival.

Make an online ad that inspires people to get off their butts and improve the planet. Create an ad for the cause that’s close to your heart. Maybe it’s about hybrid cars, energy-efficient light bulbs, or recycling.

Tell all your friends about it and invite them to give your work a “love it” rating. Our panel of creative judges will take into consideration entries with high “love it” votes when selecting the final winners. Magnifique!

Gap’s RED campaign has received a negative backlash and it has taken a cohesive form in BuyLessCrap.org.

Created by words pictures ideas (WPI) and Romantic Static, Buy (LESS) provides a more meaningful option for would-be donors to causes; instead of buying products like Gap clothing and iPods, since just a small percentage goes to causes, GIVE MORE - as in, donate directly - Buy (LESS) urges.

Read more.

photo by Fran-cis-ca

Is there a difference between using Purell vs. antibacterial soap vs. plain soap and water in cleaning the hands and preventing illness?

The overall answer- Hand washing with plain soap and water is best!

The recent marketing of antibacterial everything has changed consumer thought that antibacterial soap is necessary to get rid of all the bacteria on your hands. Well it is not. It is a marketing gimmick.

There is actually concern regarding the use of so many antibacterial agents because there are superbugs. Superbugs are bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Superbugs have become resistant to antibiotics because of the overuse of antibiotics. So when people get sick and really need antibiotics a stronger antibiotic has be used but there are a limited number of antibiotics available.

Purell is convenient and portable but is no replacement for hand washing with soap and water. Purell works by killing all organisms on the skin, even natural microorganisms. This is bad, because those microorganisms are needed to keep the skin healthy and kill the bad organisms. Purell is helping the environment on hands grow more bad organisms. If you can wash your hands with soap and water it is better than using Purell.

Several randomized control studies have been done looking at the effectiveness of antibacterial soap vs. plain soap in reducing childhood illness (mainly diarrhea). The results– Plain hand soap worked just as well as antibacterial soap. Antibacterial is not more effective than washing your hands with plain soap and water.

1. Wash you hands with plain soap and water.
2. Don’t use antibiotics when it is not necessary. (Antibiotics do not work for viruses)

photo by jmv

Over our family Christmas in January in Dallas (huh?) my dad kept telling my brothers to not microwave their food in the plastic containers they were using. In return my brothers laughed. Well, it turns out the joke is on you my dear brothers.

Parts of an Environmental Working Group (EWG) article.

It’s not true that “dioxins” go from your plastic into your food. There is some evidence, however, that some molecules — phthalates in some flexible plastic, and another chemical plasticizer DEHA — can migrate into high-fat foods such as meats or cheeses. And that’s not just if you’re microwaving plastic. Many environmentally conscious Web sites, such as www.greenguide.org, tell consumers to avoid wrapping high-fat foods in plastic altogether for fear that you’ll end up eating minuscule plastic bits.

Of course, manufacturers of plastic wrap don’t like all this worry. A Consumer Reports test in 1998 found worrisome plasticizers in both Saran Wrap and Reynolds Wrap, but none in Glad Crystal Clear Wrap. Since then, S.C. Johnson has reformulated Saran Wrap, and makes it clear on its Web site that their products are made of polyethylene and do not contain either the plasticizers phthalates or DEHA. Reynolds Plastic Wrap is still made of PVC, which contains DEHA.

Whatever conclusions you draw, here are some guidelines: - Everyone from plastic manufacturers to the USDA says that if you are going to microwave with plastic wrap it should be plastic wrap that explicitly says it’s microwave safe. - Never microwave in plastic containers that have not been specifically marked microwave-safe, especially containers made to hold other foods. And it’s prudent to avoid microwaving in plastic take-out containers. Heat encourages leaching of some plastic molecules from the container into the food. - When it’s in the microwave, do not let the plastic wrap touch your food, because it can melt into fats or sugar. Keep the plastic one inch from food. - More information is at www.plasticsinfo.org.

We gave our microwave away before our big move to Seattle, so we don’t need to worry about that. However, we do still use plastic tuperware to store our food. We have been wanting to buy some glass storage containers for a while and will make the purchase when funds allow. Maybe we can try to look for some used one….ooooh good idea.