Dish Network Presents Planet Green, a Channel for Going Green

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sandy | Leave a comment | Environment, Tips

You’ve finally started bringing your own bags to the grocery store, but is there more you can do to save the planet?

If you have Dish Network, you’ve got another option: Planet Green.

Planet Green is the channel to watch for programming to inspire your inner ecologist. A member of Discovery Communications Inc., Planet Green has a variety of programming that can inform you on ways to become more ecological and can motivate you to do more for the environment.

Afraid going green is going to be extreme? Start by watching Wa$ted, with Annabelle Gurwitch. Annabelle and her team will provide you with some great tips that you can put into action right away. In each episode, she visits various homes and businesses to help them tackle their eco-waste and bring them to a greener, leaner place.

If you need some green inspiration for your home, check out Greenovate. Each week, you’ll see some amazing eco-makeovers that not only help homeowners save on energy costs, but also increase the value of their homes. Watch as Greenovate visits a variety of living spaces, big and small, and provides you with the ideas you can use to improve your space.

Perhaps you need some green inspiration for your taste buds? On Emeril Green, Chef Emeril Legasse provides healthy and tasty ways to eat for a sustainable planet and a sustainable you. Each episode focuses on a theme around healthy living, sustainability, or other green ideas, and he gives you some great recipes along the way.

Part of helping to maintain a sustainable planet is to cut back on waste, but can you do more than just recycle? Watch Stuff Happens with Bill “Science Guy” Nye as he explores what happens as we use the stuff in our lives and how it impacts our environment. In each episode, he provides some great tips for reducing your carbon footprint, helping to preserve the environment for ourselves and future generations.

Along with the shows that give you practical information, there are also some great inspirational shows that can help motivate you to do more for the environment:

  • In 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was devastated by a deadly tornado, which destroyed 95 per cent of the town. In the series called Greensburg, watch as the town is rebuilt as a model green community. From tragedy, this town has decided to inspire the nation with a message of sustainability and triumph.
  • You leave your home for a day out with friends and you come back to Mark Durden-Smith standing in your empty house. Call the police? No, you’re just on an episode of Gutted. On the show, hoarders have a choice, cash payment or all their stuff back. Watch as home owners decide, take the cash or get that June 1983 issue of Newsweek back?
  • Some great environmental shows are on Planet Green too. Heli-Loggers follows extreme loggers in British Columbia on their dangerous job of extracting wood from a forest they are also dedicated to environmentally sustain.
  • In the Alaska Experiment, ten ordinary people, NOT experienced outdoorsmen, try to survive the fall and winter in Alaska while being challenged to hike through the Alaskan terrain every few days.
  • The Florida Everglades is a rich, American treasure being one of the last natural reserves in the United States. Protecting it is the job of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the show Operation Wild follows an FFWC team as they work to protect the Everglades.

With Planet Green, you’ve got a great resource to inform and inspire you to be a little greener. Check it out on Dish Network and keep bringing those bags to the grocery store.

 

This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find Dish Networkin your area and compare prices on different deals for your mobile broadband needs.

 (Image by Dave Lindblom, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)

Why one step forward for greener transport is proving to be two steps back

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Energy, News

As governments are scrambling to implement new ways of powering cars, we have to look at the overall impact of these changes and if they really are as effective as we would hope. Electric vehicles (EVs) and biofuels seem like planet-savers in theory, but after they have been put into practice environmental groups and independent traffic analysts like the UK’s Transport Watch are raising red flags. After they have studied the overall CO2 emissions of creating and powering electric vehicles, as well as the sustainability of biofuels, it seems that governments still have a lot of work to do in creating sustainable energy sources.

Paul Withrington of Transport Watch spoke about the UK government subsidising electric cars to motivate people to go this route: “The government should re-examine their assumptions and should not encourage this until they have decarbonised the generating industry. At the moment, it is nuts. If you bought an electric car now you would be looking at generating the same amount of carbon or more.”

The electric car itself is an excellent idea, but only if you are charging the batteries from a power source that is not responsible for releasing carbon gasses.

According to GM, as reported by CNN Money, the GM Volt (their electric car model) will cost “less than purchasing a cup of your favourite coffee” to recharge. This sounds amazing, I must admit, as fuel prices seem to increase every second week. This depends on the cost of electricity where you live, of course. In some cases it might not be more economical to drive an electric car and even if it is, you cannot feel better about your carbon footprint.  Withrington said that if China were to replace all their diesel powered transport with electric vehicles, they would double their existing carbon emissions from coal fired power stations which is their primary source of electricity.

The concern is that only a quarter of the energy that was initially created in a fossil fuel power station reaches the electric car as a lot of energy “leaks” along the supply chain and that most of the energy we use comes from these carbon-releasing power plants. There have been plans to have batteries from electric cars feed electricity back into the electric grid, as they can charge if the car is fitted with a regenerative braking system. This system would only be effective for cars that drive in traffic and have to stop and start a lot. In fact, EVs are not effective for long distances at all as they have to be charged for a few hours before they are able to drive again.

All of this points to the fact that we still have to find a sustainable, carbon-free power source to replace the use of fossil fuels.

And what about biofuels? Adding plant-based fuel to the fossil fuel supply seems like a good idea, but research and practice is showing that this is also not the answer. At least according to the environmental group Friends of the Earth’s executive director Andy Atkins, who says: “Until ministers can do their sums properly and prove that growing crops for fuel actually cuts carbon, the Government should stop biofuels being added to UK petrol and diesel. Trying to cut emissions by adding biofuels to petrol is like trying to cut down on beer by lacing your pints with vodka.”

The Renewable Energy Association (REA) represents renewable energy producers and promotes the use of all forms of renewable energy in the UK. Their spokesperson, Clare Wenner, said: “We really have been able to demonstrate that UK biofuels can make the grade on carbon savings and being produced sustainably”. The catch is that the UK relies heavily on imports and the sources of these biofuels are often cited as “unknown” so there is no way of knowing if they are sustainable. The UK government is being blamed for not properly researching the sources and the true efficacy of using biofuels.

Until a sustainable electricity source is implemented, the only answer is to use engine technology to create cars that are smaller, lighter and that use less fuel. Finding ways of making public transport more alluring and accessible is also a step in the right direction.

Withrington’s research is available at http://www.transport-watch.co.uk/transport-fact-sheet-5c.htm

(This is a post by our new intern Elizabeth Smit)

(Image by Department for Communities and Local Government [Open Government Licence v1.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

University Environmental Courses

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Environment

The rise in interest in the environment has led many colleges and universities to expand their course base to include a variety of alternatives to help students find an environmental career. For example, you might want to do the marketing for an environmental charity or you might want to be an environmental planner at your local council. Whichever career path you choose, you can be sure there is a course out there for you.

What kind of sectors can I look forward to working in?

There are many sectors and industries you can work in, all of which can be categorised as environmental. You could be a preservationist, a renewable energy specialist, an environmental engineer or even a lecturer who advocates environmental responsibility. The list is endless.

What courses are currently on offer?

We’ve put together a list of the best and most interesting environmental courses offered in universities throughout the UK this year. The courses range from urban environmental design (for those people looking to protect and preserve major cities) to recycling and the science behind it. The key is to find the right pathway that you find most interesting and compelling. Each course listed below is accompanied with the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) number and code, so you can locate it on the database should you want to apply!

 

Northumbria University (N77) qualification
Geography and Environmental Management (FL97) 3FT Hon BSc

 

University of Brighton (B72) qualification
Architectural Technology (K236) 3FT Hon BSc
Architecture (K100) 3FT Hon BA

 

University of Glasgow (G28) qualification
Environmental Stewardship (D447) 4FT Hon BSc

 

University of the West of England, Bristol (B80)    qualification
Climate Change and Energy Management (FJ79)    3FT/4SW Hon BSc
   
University of East Anglia (E14)    qualification
Climate Science (F760)    4FT Hon MSci
Climate Science (F762)    3FT Hon BSc
Climate Science with a Year in Australasia (F763)    4FT Hon BSc
Climate Science with a Year in Industry (F764)    4FT Hon BSc
Climate Science with a Year in North America (F765)    4FT Hon BSc
Environmental Geography and International Devt (FL87)    3FT Hon BSc
Intntl Dev w. Env & Society w. Overseas Exp (L2FR)    3FT Hon BSc

 

Bangor University (B06)   qualification
Environmental Conservation (D447)   3FT Hon BSc
Environmental Conservation (D448)   4SW Hon BSc

 

The University of Sheffield (S18)     qualification
Biol with Conservation & Biodiversity (4 years) (C1CX)     4FT Hon MBS
   
Sheffield Hallam University (S21)     qualification
Environmental Conservation (F912)     3FT Hon BSc

 

Southampton Solent University (S30) qualification
Geography with Environmental Studies (F810) 3FT Hon BSc

 

University of Hertfordshire (H36) qualification
Business/Environmental Studies (N1F9) 3FT/4SW Hon BSc

 

Northumbria University (N77) qualification
Law with Environment (M1D4) 3FT Hon LLB

What are my study options?

Most universities offer three-year degrees with full time classes – however you’ll notice that some of the universities offer “year out” schemes where you can go and experience another culture or city as part of your environmental degree to widen your knowledge. If doing a course full time is not an option for you, it is worth enquiring whether universities offer part-time alternatives. Most do, so be sure to ask.

About the Author: Sara Dobson is a freelance copywriter and currently works for TechnicalSchool.org.

(Image by boogy_man, via stock.xchng)

An eco-friendly house, for the price of a car?

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Construction, Tips

Imagine building a beautiful new, eco-friendly house, for a tenth of the current house prices. No, this is not a joke. Portuguese architectural studio Mima Architects has designed new ultra low-cost prefab houses that are perfect for modern life.

The inspiration for these houses came from the minimalist design of traditional Japanese houses that consist of traditional post and beam construction. This traditional design can be considered prefab, seeing as they are all standard size and built beforehand. They have a very basic shape and lines, and this is carried through to the design of Mima Architects’ houses.

The houses are made from prefab wooden posts that are then covered in a glazed white shell. The windows are 5 x 10 feet (1.5 x 3m) and run along every side of the house.

These houses are fully customizable to suit the owner’s needs. If you need to make any room bigger or smaller, or perhaps add an extra one, you can do it quickly and easily. The houses consist of 4 x 4 1.5m panels on the floor and on the ceiling, and come with plywood panels that can be easily slotted into the grid of lines to make a new room or create more space for a living room.

The plywood panels can also be used outside the house. If you need a partition or wall to get a bit more privacy, you can easily slot one of these panels in front of the larger windows. Voila! You have a wall were your window used to be. The panels can also be painted in different colours, so you can adjust the walls to suit your mood.

Although the houses are only 36 square meters in size, they are perfect for any new couple starting out that want to buy their first house, or as a bachelor pad.

These houses then are truly astounding. They are eco-friendly, don’t cost a fortune and can be customized to suit any need. Remember those sci-fi movies where people lived in high rise apartments in the future? They were wrong. These houses are the future, and boy, do they look good.

(This is a post by our intern Kristian Meijer)

(Image by seier+seier, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)

What is the Environmental Impact of Freight Forwarding?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Environment

Due to the global recession, the demand for freight forwarding services from the UK to the rest of the world has dropped slightly in the last few years. However, as the economy picks up the demand for freight is growing once again. This has many environmentalists are worried that not enough steps are being taken to reduce the environmental impact of freight forwarding.

Some companies are recognising their moral obligation to reduce the amount of carbon emissions they produce and are looking into ways to make the freight forwarding industry greener.

High Speed Rail

Although the newly confirmed HS2 high speed rail link has been a contentious issue amongst British voters since plans were first announced, the rail link could help the freight industry to improve its environmental record.

Thanks to EU initiatives like the Marco Polo Programme, the UK has received funding to trial the use of freight trains on the railway. Using the rail line to transport freight throughout Europe would significantly reduce the amount of freight being transported by road, which would help cap CO2 emissions.

Environmental Partnerships

The EU have launched the Freight Logistics Action Plan to help European  freight providers address the amount of CO2 emissions produced and to promote environmental sustainability. Many companies now offer a greener service by looking into how they can use renewable and alternative energy sources.

Carbon Offset

In addition to the use of renewable energy sources such as biofuels, some companies are offering customers the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions their shipment produces by funding eco projects like reforestation or methane capture and combustion.

The Future

Professor Sir David King, a former chief scientific advisor, recently predicted that the air freight industry will move away from conventional aircraft and replace them with giant air ships. The Hindenburg disaster pretty much spelled the end of airships across the world but new technology is being developed that could see air ships becoming the favoured form of freight transportation.

Major companies, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin, have been working on designs for massive helium powered air ships which could be launched as freight carriers within the next decade.

(Guest post)

(Image by ibeeby, via stock.xchng)

How Do I Recycle UPVC?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Recycle, Tips

uPVC products have received bad press in recent years for several reasons. Firstly, the process of creating uPVC involves the use of harsh chemicals and the plastic is often mixed with other components which are difficult to separate out in the recycling process.

Secondly, there has been limited opportunity to recycle old doors, windows and other uPVC products due to difficulty and expense, meaning that few companies offered uPVC recycling services.

However, the uPVC recycling industry has grown in recent years and new technology  has meant that it is less labour intensive and cheaper than ever to recycle uPVC, making it much easier to find the right company to recycle products.

How is uPVC recycled?

The problem with recycling uPVC in the past has been that it was quite labour intensive. That’s because products such as uPVC doors and window frames contain a number of different components melded together which need to be separated out before recycling can take place.

Until recently the only way to do this was for recycling company employees to physically separate the glass, metal, wood and plastic that is used to manufacture doors and windows.

Recently, however, recycling technology has advanced and many recycling companies now take old uPVC products, chop them into smaller pieces and then use powerful magnets to separate out any metal. Once any other materials have been removed from the pieces, it is then chopped into smaller parts which are turned into chip granulate, micronised powder or compounded pellets.

What is recycled uPVC used for?

Recycled uPVC can be used to manufacture a variety of products including coatings for swimming pools, shoe soles, hoses, guttering, pipes, PVC sheeting and plastic coated fabrics. In addition, it can be used to manufacture more uPVC doors and windows.

How can I recycle the uPVC in my home?

There are lots of companies that now offer uPVC recycling services in the UK and the US. You can either search the internet to find your local supplier or contact your local council who should be able to point you in the direction of your nearest recycling company.

Although the increase in uPVC recycling is a positive step, there are still thousands of tonnes of old uPVC products going into landfills today, or worse, being incinerated. However, with more and more companies now offering uPVC recycling services the amount of uPVC clogging up landfills or being incinerated should steadily drop over the next decade.]

(Guest post)

(Image By Tucker T (Own work) [CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Remembering to Recycle

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Recycle, Tips

Hands up those of you that have difficulties remembering to recycle?  Many a time I’ve seen reams of paper in the kitchen bin that should be in the blue recycling box but are now too covered in vegetable peelings (compost bin anybody?) to be removed.  It’s amazing how few dustbin bags go out weekly if everything recyclable is put in the correct box or bag, but failing to get into the routine of doing this prevents tons of waste being recycled every year.  So, without further ado, here are some tips for remembering to recycle.

Move the Bin

It sounds obvious, but if the every day rubbish bin isn’t conveniently placed by the kitchen counter and recycling bags or boxes stand in its normal place, people will think twice before automatically dumping the waste in their hands in the nearest trash receptacle.  I’m not saying the bin should be unnecessarily hard to reach, but an extra few steps won’t hurt and could make all the difference to your recycling efforts.

Make Clear Labels

If the various recycling boxes have clear labels stating what materials are and aren’t allowed in each one, people are more likely to use them and recognise just how much can be re-used.  It might be worth putting a sign above the bin too, asking ‘can it be recycled?’ Yes, it’s a guilt trip tactic, but it might just work.

Don’t Limit Recycling To The Kitchen

This is a crime particular, but not unique, to student houses: throwing all bedroom rubbish in a black dustbin bag one evening a week when so much could be recycled if it was habitually carried downstairs.  Old magazines, those cans you drank whilst watching that film last night…it all belongs in the recycling boxes but lack of effort means it often never gets there.  A subtly placed cardboard box upstairs might encourage recycling throughout the house whilst a small bin in the porch or outside the back door can be used for green waste before starting a compost bin in the garden.

Remember Collection Day

As with labelling the boxes, if there is an obvious reminder of when the next recycling collection will take place, people are more likely to get into the routine of putting it out.  This prevents a frustrating build up of cardboard and bottles and could even be a creative way of getting your kids involved with recycling: have a tally chart on the fridge showing which family member put the most bottles in the recycling box each week and you’ll be on the way to a greener lifestyle in no time.

(Guest post)

(Image by ell brown, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)

The First Tree Museum

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Environment, News

Trees are the lungs of our planet, and in honour of their significant role in maintaining an eco-balance, the Enea Tree Museum in Upper Lake Zurich, Switzerland opened its doors to visitors in June 2010. The 2.5 acre museum has been built on a 14th century monastery and aims to draw attention to the presence, beauty and rarity of the exhibited trees, as well as how time and space are the essence of these ancient trees. Enzo Enea, a renowned Swiss landscape architect and a passionate tree admirer, created the museum in order to exhibit his boundless admiration for trees and give the care and attention to them that is usually given to works of art.

The museum is oval-shaped and divided into a series of atmospheric open-air ‘rooms’, which exhibit the character of each individual tree. Open-air spaces are a typical characteristic of Enzo Enea’s gardens. Open-air constructions serve to create an individualistic space for trees, where visitors can view the tree from every angle and observe it in its unique habitat.

The trees used in the museum are reclaimed and salvaged trees that have been collected over the years. In order to transplant and preserve these trees sophisticated Bonsai shaping techniques were used. The trees have been framed against a sandstone block, which was constructed by Enea and international green architect Chad Oppenheim.

The museum itself contains approximately 50 trees representing more than 25 varieties, as well as trees that are more than 100 years old. The Tree Museum is also surrounded by another 100 trees and plants, and in total there are more than 2,000 exclusive wood species that Enea has collected in the past 17 years. Some of his most impressive collections are the 130-year-old red Japanese maple, a Saucer magnolia between the ages of 75 and 80 years old, and an 80-year-old yew.

The main building on the grounds is the 2,500-square-meter complex of Enea Garden Design – Enea’s main office. The building was designed by Chad Oppenheim and was built using local lumber, green roofs and geothermal exchange. The complex also features a showroom, classroom and workshop and an exhibition of garden furniture, a library, a museum shop, as well as works of art and design. Due to its truly environmentally friendly style, in 2009 Chicago Athaneum awarded the building with the American Architecture Award.

This is only the tip of the worldwide green movement taking place, and hopefully we’ll be seeing many more green artistic concepts like this one in the future!

(Post by Ivelina Dineva)

(Image from inhabitat.com)

 

Solar panel projects for kids

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Energy, Tips

Science fairs today are flooded with alternative energy projects. This demonstrates how valuable solar energy is and how popular it is becoming. However, since solar panel science fair projects are so popular, students really need to be creative and innovative with their project designs.

Lowering Utility Costs for Communities

One of the judging criteria for a science fair project is its applicable value to society. What this means is that projects that solve or address current problems are awarded more points than generic projects are. For this reason a good project topic is using solar panel energy to lower utility bills.

This project will have the student design a solar panel system that will allow a home, a school or a community to lower its overall utility expenses by providing electricity. This is a good longitudinal project that can start simple and gradually evolve into a more complex project. For example, during the first year the student can focus on the development of the solar panel system, the second year they can focus on improving the system to support a single household and the third year they can improve the system to support multiple homes or an entire (small) community.

The science concepts and materials for this project can be obtained through local utility companies that are actively promoting the installation of solar panels. However, if students utilize gifted solar panels and technical assistance, they need to ensure that these gifts are allowed by the science fair that they are entering.

Solar Energy Impacts on Wildlife

As new energy sources are developed it is essential to understand how their generating, storage and transmission systems impact local ecosystems. For solar energy systems concerns will relate to the reflective properties of solar panels, electromagnetic field generation and electricity safety issues. Students can focus on one or more of these issues when developing a solar panel science fair project.

While many students will focus on mitigating the problems associated with electrical systems, a more innovative angle to take is to use “problems” created by solar energy systems to solve other types of problems. For example, one project idea is to see if burying solar energy transmission lines along highways can produce an electronic barrier for wildlife crossing. This project can be designed as either a single year project or a multi-year project.

The single year project will be to determine if this strategy is effective. If it is effective at deterring wildlife crossing, then a multi-year project can then be developed. Here the year two project would be to see if the electrical barrier can be used to funnel wildlife road crossing to safe spots, such as underpasses. Each year that the project is used it can be enhanced with more data and more fine tuning of the process. Who knows, you may be able to come up with a solution for preventing deer crossing accidents.

 

Madeline Binder is dedicated to providing free science fair project ideas for kids. “Learning critical thinking skills is one of the most important skills and student an learn. By making comparisons between two alternatives gives the student an opportunity to make eduational decision. Doing a solar vs wind turbine experiment is one example.”

(Image by dynamix, stock.xchng)

U.S. Drought kills 500 million trees

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Admin | Leave a comment | Environment

The extreme drought that has spread through Texas and the southern U.S. has led to as many as 500 million trees dying. The drought has not only affected trees, but has led to large scale cattle deaths, damaged crops and widespread fires due to extremely high temperatures, further exasperated by continued strong winds.

Trees are not the only ones affected, as a fire also swept through Austin in September last year, destroying 1600 homes. The fire alone destroyed nearly 1.5 million trees.

Estimates are that these dead trees represent as much as 10% of the entire state.

The drought was caused by what is known as La Niña conditions, but was aggravated by climate change and global warming. This has led to the drought becoming the worst in the state’s history.

The drought also spread to California, though it’s not as severe there. California only ended a three year drought emergency in March last year, but is still struggling with unusually dry weather.

Barry Ward, executive director of the nonprofit organization Trees for Houston, has described this as a ‘generational event’, and said that this will have a serious aesthetic effect one the state because mature trees take between 20 and 30 years to re-grow.

Even though the drought is starting to subside, many areas are still suffering. Climatologists predict that this may continue for the next six months.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also found that the pastures in Texas are in a very poor condition, and this will lead to further cattle starvation and deaths.

Although this isn’t the first severe drought in Texas, it is by far the worst. In the 1930s there was an extreme drought, coupled with high winds, which led to severe dust storms. This period then became known as The Dust Bowl or The Dirty Thirties.

All of these things are as a result of climate change, all directly influenced by human activities. Anyone who thinks otherwise is only bluffing themselves. Everyone has a part to play and how you live today will affect the lives of your children and their children. So please, re-use, recycle and for Pete’s sake, switch off your lights and appliances if you are not using them.

(This is a post by our new intern Kristian Meijer)

(Image by NCinDC, CC by-ND 2.0, via Flickr)