Globally Green Living

I got this great email from Kudzu (a reviewer based website for local companies) on tips to keep cool this summer while not taking a big dip in you Electric AC bill.

1. With a programmable thermostat, you can auto-adjust your air conditioner setting at night or when no one is home. There’s no need to cool the house when you are out enjoying the sun.

2. Move lamps, TVs and anything else that heats up away from your air conditioning thermostat. They may cause the air conditioner to run longer. Since the thermostat only reads the temperature around it, it thinks that the room temperature is hotter than it actually is.

3. Give your south-side some attention. Install awnings on south-facing windows, or apply sun-control or other reflective films. Some solar-friendly homes have overhangs on the room that efficiently shade the house during the hot summer months and also allow the light to strike the house during the winter months.

4. Let your windows wear white. Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.

5. Plant smart — trees or shrubs can help shade air conditioning units. Just make sure not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses less electricity, thus saving you money.

Want some more tips - keep reading.. (more…)

When the yellow pages delivered a big stack of new telephone directories to my building, not one resident picked up a copy. Why would they when people use the internet or services like Google SMS (if you’re not sure what this is - keep reading- it’s awesome!)

Here is one thing you can do to help save the earth!

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/

Register to no longer have paper telephone books be sent to your
house. You know you use the internet to look up phone numbers anyway!
and help SAVE SOME TREES!

Now about Google SMS.. (more…)

Saturday’s song is World on Fire by Sarah McLachlan. Instead of spending a fortune on making the video, she decided to donate the money to numerous charities instead.

One of those is CARE. They help families become independent and develop sustainable ways of living by providing education and business opportunities.

Women and children often suffer from poverty so CARE focuses on them, which ends up helping whole families worldwide. Although CARE provides emergency assistance, they also promote long-term solutions. Some of these include increasing food supplies with crops and livestock as well as providing access to clean water and education.

Clean water is something that many of us take for granted but it is an ongoing struggle for others. When people only have dirty water, they’re forced to drink it and become sick.

CARE is presently campaigning to raise 10 million dollars towards helping people affected by Cyclone Nargis. The cyclone destroyed rice crops and contaminated Burma’s water.

“CARE has provided clean water, food and emergency supplies to nearly 120,000 people in 12 areas throughout the Irrawaddy Delta and around Yangon.” (Cyclone Relief Picks up Pace, PYAPON, Myanmar, May 29, 2008)

Sarah is also one of the many strong supporting celebrities of the anti-poverty movement Make Poverty History.

Other supporters include Brad Pitt, Bono, Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Emma Thompson, George Clooney, Jamie Fox, Mike Myers and more. Since much poverty is caused by damage to the environment by humans, it is possible for all of us to help repair both.

Because Burma is ruled by Than Shwe’s dictatorship, the military is arresting reporters and journalists, forbidding them from finding out who needs help and how many are dead.

The government doesn’t seem to trust anyone so say they prefer to distribute the aid themselves. So far, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of food making its way to the people who need it.

Had the Burmese people been warned in time there would have been less suffering. Now instead of allowing aid to get through they’re blocking that along with censoring, arresting and interrogating journalists. There has been an estimated 2.5 million people affected by the cyclone but only a small portion have received any aid.

30% of farmers have lost their rice fields and animals to Cyclone Nargis. Some of the farmers have also died so there’s confusion on what to do with the land. Aid that does get through has been sporadic.

“Farmers in the areas most affected by Cyclone Nargis need rice seed by the end of June, or Burma’s rice harvest will fail, the United Nations says. The UN has warned that the harvest could fail this year and next, making the country - currently a net rice exporter - a net importer of rice.” (BBC News, Burma’s rice harvest under threat, Chris Hogg)

Today the European Parliament will be voting on whether to charge Than Shwe’s government with crimes against humanity. It’s a horrible situation and it’s hard to fathom how anyone could refuse help to people in need, leaving them to starve.

Here’s Felicity Huffman with her take on the situation in Burma. To take action or to find out more see US Campaign for Burma and How to Help (International Aid to Burma)

The top polluting countries in the world have gotten together to see what they can do to address climate change. The meeting was called by the U.S., in particular by President Bush who, a few years ago, was saying that there is no global warming or effect on climate, for that matter.

Now, after Katrina, you’d better not even utter the idea that global warming is a hoax. Although, it seems that some people also take it to the other extreme, where everything you do causes global warming, but let’s move on.

To fight climate change, the U.S. has “aspirational” goals. What does that mean exactly? Because I aspire to win the lottery but since I don’t play, I don’t see it ever happening. Is that it? Are good intentions sufficient to say you’re trying to make a change?

Let’s get real people. We live in a wealthy country! If the effects of climate change are such that natural disaster will be more likely to occur then the same natural disaster in a rich country vs. a poor country will cause a greater harm in the rich country. The rich country has more infrastructure, is more integrated, contains on average more educated people, and people on average have more assets. Thus, the more you have the more you can lose. That’s what Hurricane Katrina taught us. How long is it going to take for us to learn its lesson and fix our problems?

Or, as Alan Greenspan says, are we just too dumb to learn it the first time around? Do more people have to die and does more destruction have to happen before we do something about it? How long until we adapt and how much is our adaptation going to cost in unproductive activities?

It turns out that forests and mangroves aren’t just a source of beauty (or even mosquitoes according to some), but also a source of protection from storms. We already suspected of this after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrecked havoc. Now we see it once again when hurricanes Dean and Felix landed in Central America. It seems rather logical but how come we’ve only figured this out in the 21st century?

I confess that I have a fascination for storms. Actually, it just crossed my mind that I dreamed of a tornado last night. I remember thinking in my dream “Wow, I’m actually seeing a tornado; most people never see one in their lives.” But it was all a dream, and I still have not seen one in my life.

Meanwhile in the real world, we continue to see with bewilderment, respect, and fear just how powerful a storm can be. Hurricane Felix has hit and we await Hurricane Henriette, the cause of the really beautiful image on this post. This year’s hurricane season is a lot more active than last year’s although quite not as dramatic as the year’s before last. It’s like a continuous reminder of how bad it can get when we least expect it.

Humans sure are interesting creatures. Perhaps we are the only species who can really use reason to try to prevent an undesirable outcome instead of simply learning from past mistakes.

There are a bunch of smart people out there, scientists they are called, who think that the human effect on nature and future weather is too strong to ignore. They don’t think that any of these big storms–the Katrinas, Ritas and Deans of the world,– are necessarily connected to this effect but in the future it is likely that we may see more of them. We have had this information since before the big storms happened with alarming frequency, meaning we were warned in much advance.

Did we do anything about it? Not really! It takes destruction and death for us to do anything about it. That’s OK, some people say because humans adapt! Sure we do but those that don’t die. That’s why we have epidemics where millions of people die in a short amount of time. Do these adaptation-promoting epidemics mean that we should stop doing research trying to find vaccines and cures for incurable ailments? No! Well, then why should we stop spending our resources trying to figure out global warming and other global externalities? Why does it take people dying to make us pay attention?

After many dry days and weeks and relentless bright blue skies, the storms greeted us yesterday with a morning rain outpour that lasted a couple of hours. The grim but very welcomed weather came from the west. As Alfred and I drove toward the city to go to the farmer’s market, there was a great dark cloud behind us. I wondered if it would really produce rain and whether I should have grabbed Alfred’s raincoat. I considered going back to the house to get it but decided against it because I did not want to waste gas or time. And so we made it to the city, parked in the Town Center garage and started our weekly market visit.

The first place we went to was to Richard’s to see if there was still any arugula left. It was difficult to maneuver through the crowd and, as always, Alfred wanted to make every dog he met his new best friend, so he was always on the lookout for a good sniff. As soon as I arrived to Richard’s stand I discovered that, unfortunately, no arugula was left and almost all of his bounty was gone. We walked away disappointed but soon enough we did find a different gem–watercress.

Only one farmer sells watercress ($3.50/bag) and this is the first year that I have seen it sold (but I have seen it grow wild in the creek at a local park). I love it because it reminds me of my grandmother who would make me watercress soup. She always told me to make sure I ate it because it was good for my blood. Come to think of it, I think that after my grandmother passed away I lost my interest in soup for many years. My mother’s soup was not offered with as much love or care, I guess…

And then I saw another winner–lettuce. It is nearly impossible to find lettuce at the market these days because the summer has been so hot that if one were to plant it, it would go to seed pretty fast. (Oh how I miss the plump butterhead lettuces that I devoured this spring!!!) But there it was, this crisp looking head of summer lettuce for $2. I approached the crowd waiting to buy flowers, quickly grabbed two $1 bills out of my wallet and offered it to the small, thin lady with white hair, sun-burnt skin, a big open smile and soft spoken voice in exchange for my catch.

(There! my dinner meals for this week were all taken care of: a light salad of greens, onion, cheese and a light vinaigrette accompanied by a cold glass of white wine. For dessert, a square of dark chocolate and a small coffee…)

And all of a sudden the rain came; first slowly, then harder. The crowd dissipated taking shelter under trees and buildings. Alfred and I waited for a while under a building entrance and then headed out to the coffee shop–the only one in town that welcomes dogs! I ordered a small Americano and a brownie and we went and sat at a small table to wait for some friends to arrive. We sat there on our own for almost 20 minutes, observing the rain outside and listening to the band playing in the coffee shop. Alfred was very patient, although he was also adamant about begging for a piece of brownie, but, of course, that request could not be indulged. Luckily, one of the baristas came by and asked if she could pet him and give him a treat. I said yes, and as soon as she approached Alfred holding a big cookie shaped as a bone, he sat down very perky as if saying “Look how well I can sit. Surely I deserve that reward!”

And rewarded he was as the rain continued to pour outside…

Those kids running the European Union have decided to embrace the “nouvelle vague” and off they went and started EUTube. Yeah, the European Union has met YouTube!!! Although some of their videos are rather funny, sexy, artistic, or what have you, there are a few videos that are meant to educate people about the environment and about other topics important to building the political European Union. I must warn you, though, that it is clear from their video posts that they do believe in Global Warming. Imagine that…

I highly recommend that you take a look at a couple of these:

• Everyone Can Save the Planet
  This one is kind of funny. It’s basically a cartoon commercial.

• You Control Climate Change
  This one has a lot of good information about mass transportation and why one should choose it. Of course, that is rather redundant for most of the U.S. since the mass transportation structure is almost non-existent outside of big cities. But take a look because it has tons of other useful tips on how to do small things that can make a difference:

Good Morning!
There’s still time before an ark has to be built and definitely no reason to check if the sky will rain fire. A little worry, about the ice caps melting and raising the ocean levels and submerging everything in sight; could be excused as a reasonable worry for the brave-hearted near churning tidal coastlines. Caught up in fearful predictions of everything in nature hunting us down, we sometimes forget that the same natural forces may be hinting at a solution. The people living in San Francisco the City by the Bay, are on their way to testing the waters. They plan to embark on a long term goal of using the tides to generate power. This idea of using tidal energy to supplement the present shortage of power has sparked a wave of interest in the untapped energy of the ocean floor. When tidal power becomes an unpolluted energy resource, the nearly 400 billion gallons of water rushing through the mouth of San Francisco bay may be the next clean source of electricity. If environmental hurdles are cleared and interest doesn’t wane ,San Francisco may be even more on the global map for many more things besides the engineering marvel of 40 million odd cars whizzing by,on the Golden Gate Bridge.
sustainable energy,san francisco,tidal power

Good Morning!
For most of us the weather can never be right. It’s either too hot or too cold or too in- between. If only, we groan and point accusing fingers. Could anyone be homesick for this over- populated, polluted, grimy, threatened piece of earth that we moan about? Sunita Williams space log book reveals that she is more than ready to return to the familiar chaos of planet earth. Hurtling around the earth at a hypersonic speed, she confesses of looking out of the window of the space station, and feeling an urge to reach out and stroke ‘the beautiful orb in the distance with its green countryside and red mountains.’ After spending time in space for more than six months, taken for granted pleasures like enjoying a rainy day, a swim in the ocean, lake or pool are on the top of the list. If absence can make the heart grow fonder, a little time spent in the dark bowels of coal mines or in damp, bat infested, caves may be the answer for the earth weary among us, to feel the forgotten urge to get back in touch with the earth.
Sunita Williams,space

Good Morning!
Littered Styrofoam packaging may look like growing heaps of snowflakes only to squinting, short sighted eyes. Myopic or not, the Chinese want a clear- eyed view of their surroundings. The flying Styrofoam packages, carelessly thrown from windows of trains and barges are being called ‘white pollution’. Mounds of waste dotting the landscape has been recognized as an environmental irritant that needs to be dealt with by a firm hand. Worries of being snowed under by this disposable problem have had suggestions coming up about alternative sources for the packages. Biodegradable material made of rice stalks, which are otherwise burned after harvest may be a possible source for future packages. If the idea is implemented, carefree travelers may find themselves being coaxed to throw litter and do their bit for planetary rescue.

biodegradable,styrofoam,China,rice fields
biodegradable,styrofoam,china,rice fields

Good Morning!
A four thousand year old idea from the Polynesians of using the Trimaran or the multi hull facility may soon give a cleaner, clearer horizon at the pier. Vessels docked at the harbor will have the wind and the sun charging motors to clean up the ugly plumes of white smoke and spiraling soot streams. Visitors to the Statue of liberty would by the end of the year see a Trimaran moving gracefully without spewing smoke and soot. Waterfronts without smog and greenhouse gases are possible with soot free transport. Tourists and commuters on tugs, ferries and ocean liners will gain some edutainment too from these ‘floating billboards.’ There is no better way to reduce emission than using cleaner, renewable energy out on the water. It is now the turn of the Hybrid vehicles on the roads to make their contribution!
Trimaran,Smokeless sailing,Tourism,Hybrid Cars

Good Morning!
Monitors of global warming say that the early signs will show up in the poles and underwater. The ice cap melt and the disappearing coral reefs hint at the effects of world wide soaring temperatures. Warmer waters have brought about a sea change in the delicate coral .Bleached by the rising heat of the sea water; colonies of tropical reefs are joining the dying numbers. Known to Caribbean snorkelers as lace- like sea ice, the coral reefs have been a draw to the underwater tourist. Growing sea temperatures have added tourism officials as well as the fishing industry to the list of concerned watchers. The coral reefs that stood witness from the days of Columbus crossing the Caribbean waters, today, is in danger of being a shadow of itself during the next tourist season. Reckless overspending of earth’s reserves on the shores tells the same story from the arctic to the ocean floors. Alarm bells faintly ringing with each rising degree should not fall on deaf ears!
Coral Reef,Snorkeling,Caribbean