Building Green 1 – Alternative Energy Sources: For a new building to power itself, finding alternative sources of energy has been a focus of the movement. Common to many green buildings here is the use of deep geothermal wells as a source of heating and cooling. Found in such projects as the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, the Washington Park Library and
MORE >>>> http://ourgreennews.com/what-it-takes-to-make-a-building-green/
Being “green” is the new catch phrase, but for fourth-generation farmer Don Williams, of Croton, it is a way of life. Williams, who farms more than 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans, has been using soy diesel for more than 10 years.
The soybean oil is mixed in a 20 percent ratio with diesel, then used in all the farm tractors, combines and semis. Soybeans not only are a renewable resource, but the soy diesel also lubricates the engine better than regular diesel, thus creating less wear and tear and promoting longer engine life.
But for Williams, the biggest benefit is reduced air pollution….
MORE >>>> http://ourgreennews.com/green-living-is-this-farmers-way-of-life-for-10-years/
The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands has signed a memorandum of understanding ( MOU ) with federal agencies to develop a clean energy development strategy for the territory.
The U.S. Virgin Islands can reduce its reliance on fossil fuels by 60 % within the next 15 years by developing its renewable energy resources, Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. announced during a workshop at the ” U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory “…
MORE >>>> http://ourgreennews.com/u-s-virgin-islands-to-become-renewable-energy-showcase/
Last week, the Australian Senate struck down their version of cap-and-trade by a 42-30 vote. Some Green Party Senators voted against the measure because they felt it wasn’t oppressive enough to industry and the economy in Australia. Some wanted to wait for more information on the economic impact. Others, such as Senator Nick Minchin, voted against it because he recognized that it isn’t wise to destroy an economy based on unsettled science and an unlikely threat. In a speech prior to the vote, Minchin said,
“The Rudd government arrogantly refuses to acknowledge that there remains a very lively scientific debate about the extent of and the main causes of climate change, with thousands of highly reputable scientists around the world of the view that anthropogenic emissions of CO2 are not and cannot be the main driver of the small degree of global warming that occurred in the last 30 years of the 20th century… The cruel joke is that all those thousands of jobs to be destroyed by Labor’s CPRS will be in vain, because this scheme will make absolutely no difference to the global climate.”
Support for cap-and-trade among Democrats in the US Senate seems to be waning as well. A group of ten Democratic Senators recently sent a letter to President Obama demanding the bill contain protectionist tariffs for their coal and manufacturing constituents.
source: http://www.atr.org/australian-senate-defeats-cap-trade-follow-a3713
I just read an article yesterday on how companies are Greenwashing and misleading the public. When do the corporations stop the lies? First it was accounting fraud with Enron (and others) , then they sold houses and cars etc. to people knowing they can’t afford them, and now they are full of it when it comes to calling themselves a green company. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Anyways I posted the article below. Feel free to comment.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration opened the way for regulating U.S. greenhouse gas emissions on Friday by declaring climate-warming pollution a danger to human health and welfare.
Environmental activists and their supporters in Congress were jubilant and industry groups were wary at the news of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s move. The White House said President Barack Obama would prefer legislation rather than administrative action to curb greenhouse emissions.
Congress is already considering a bill to cut emissions of carbon dioxide, one of six major greenhouse gases.
In its document, the EPA said, “greenhouse gases in the atmosphere endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations” and human activities spur global warming.
“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,”
“The president has made clear his strong preference that Congress act to pass comprehensive legislation rather than address the climate challenge through administrative action,” a White House official said, noting that Obama has repeatedly called for “a bill to provide for market-based solutions to reduce carbon pollution.”
The EPA’s endangerment finding said high atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases “are the unambiguous result of human emissions, and are very likely the cause of the observed increase in average temperatures and other climatic changes.” The document is available online at www.epa.gov.
The EPA’s finding is essential for the U.S. government to regulate climate-warming emissions like carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act. Regulation is not automatically triggered by the finding — there will be a 60-day comment period.
But as that period proceeds, legislation is moving through Congress aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions with a cap-and-trade system, which would let those companies that emit more than the limit trade with those that emit less.
MAJOR SHIFT FROM BUSH
EPA scientists last year offered evidence of the health hazards of greenhouse emissions, but the Bush administration took no action. It opposed across-the-board mandatory regulation of climate-warming pollution, saying it would hurt the U.S. economy.
Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat who shepherded climate legislation to the Senate floor last year, called the EPA’s finding “long overdue.”
“We have lost eight years in this fight,” Boxer said in a statement. “… The best and most flexible way to deal with this serious problem is to enact a market-based cap-and-trade system which will help us make the transition to clean energy and will bring us innovation and strong economic growth.”
“At long last, EPA is officially recognizing that carbon pollution is leading to killer heat waves, stronger hurricanes, higher smog levels and many other threats to human health,” said David Doniger at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
But the National Association of Manufacturers said trying to regulate greenhouse emissions with the Clean Air Act would “further burden an ailing economy while doing little or nothing to improve the environment.”
“This proposal will cost jobs. It is the worst possible time to be proposing rules that will drive up the cost of energy to no valid purpose,” NAM President John Engler said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled two years ago that the EPA has the authority to make these regulations if human health is threatened by global warming pollution, but no regulations went forward during the Bush administration.
Carbon dioxide, one of several greenhouse gases that spur global warming, is emitted by natural and industrial sources, including fossil-fueled vehicles, coal-fired power plants and oil refineries.
The original Supreme Court case was aimed specifically at greenhouse pollution from cars and light trucks. The EPA said in its endangerment finding that motor vehicles contribute to rising greenhouse emissions and the “threat of climate change.”
It said five other greenhouse gases also endanger health and contribute to global warming in addition to carbon dioxide: methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
By Deborah Zabarenko and Tom Doggett – http://green.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090417/hl_nm/us_climate_usa_endangerment.html
Kelly Rutherfoord is one of the women who are using their celebrity status to speak out about the importance of living green with the environment in mind. The Gossip Girl actress recently attended a luncheon in order to promote the launch of Health eHome, a new online tool designed to help people identify the potential dangers and hazards in their living space.
In this interview with Time Out New York Kids, Rutherford speaks openly about the decisions she’s made when it comes to reducing her carbon footprint and living a healthier life. She admits that taking the steps towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle is a life-long process and that everyone had to do what fits for them. She admits that being a mom with a two-year old son has made her more aware of the types of cleaning products she uses and what kind of food she stocks in the house.
The star also speaks openly and candidly about dealing with the very public divorce from her husband Daniel Giersch which turned into ugly tabloid fodder a couple months back. She says: “I look to other women going through this for support. The thing is, there’s no good time to go through it unless it’s super amicable. So you try to do it with as much grace as possible and hopefully it will make sense later on. Of course, you can’t always hold it together, but thank god for my kids, because they’ve given me the strength to get through the rough times.”
Also, the star addresses the possibility of returning to Melrose Place. She explains that she is committed to Gossip Girl, but would consider doing something with the new show in the future if it felt right. She also said that she would be on board if they ever decided to make a Melrose Place movie.
By phillyburbs.com : http://blogs.phillyburbs.com/news/spotted/category/lily/
It is the parent’s responsibility to help teach and prepare our children. show them what the values of Green Living, and learning about the earth are really all about. These Green Living Tips are targeted more to the parents than to the children, simply because the child will be at such a young age. Whatever a parent does with their kids will be as much fun for the parent as for the child.
When a parent starts teaching their children while they are young, it sets in their mind and most of the time, the things you teach them will always be with them. If you live in a rural area, and you have a garden spot, give your child a small space for them to grow something of their own. For instance, Don’t just plant vegetables, make it fun for the youngsters, let them plant things that they would like, even if it is something like gourds, or watermelons. A parent would take the time to make sort of a game with their young ones, buying some seeds, showing the child how to plant them and then taking their child outside often to check the progress of the plants. Once the plant blooms, if it is a flower, the child will get to see and smell the work that they have put into this project. If the plant was a food source, the child will get to taste the fruit of their hard work. There is not only gardening in the spring, but there are fall veggies that can be planted. You can even sit down with your children and let them help pick out the flowers and vegetables for next years garden.
This will begin to teach children responsibility and dedication to a project, which is needed in our world today. These are the basic steps for teaching our leader for tomorrow’s leaders.
As a parent, you should spend time with your child. Such as going bike riding, showing your child how to build things, how to start a project and especially how to finish it.
If a family lives in the city instead of in a rural area there are still things that can be done almost the same way. Most plants can be started and grow inside a pot and put outdoors on a terrace, or inside near a window where it will get some sunlight. You could even teach kids about the pigeons and how they came to the city, and how they survive in the city. Let the child figure out several purposes that a pigeon has in a city. You could take the children a nearby park, find an ant hill and teach them the purpose of the ants.
Reading books to them about the values of the earth and always telling them the dos and the don’ts of polluting the earth. For instance, don’t throw paper or garbage of any kind on the ground, or if you pull up a tree, plant another tree somewhere else to take its place. Teach them the art of recycling things.
Teach your children to watch nature channels on TV, such as The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and other nature related shows. Take them outside for a walk and show them the butterflies and the bees, explain what the purpose of the small animal have in this world.
Giving your children small chores at home and making sure they do them will also help in building their minds, preparing them for the future.
Kids watch their parents every move, so if you as a parent turn off lights that aren’t being used and saving water whenever it is possible, recycling things, your children will follow your example.
If given the support and education, young people will change the world. They could be our future conversationalist, environmentalist and humanitarians.
By helping train our children about green living, each parent will realize what their children like best and can direct them in the right path, so that later on in life they may be trained and further educated in their particular field, coming together with other such groups and developing a much more Green Lifestyle for the entire planet.
The funny thing is before you know it your kids will be teaching you. My five year old has caught me a few times throwing things away that should have been recycled for example. Boy, have I empowered him!! And that is the key in teaching your child anything, making your children feel they can make a difference and empowering them is the most a parent can ask for. Even though I have been embarressed a couple of times by my son correcting me, I am extremely proud of him.
It is not only our children that we should teach, but by trying to educate other adults around the world the values of Green Living, they in turn will educate their children as well. Since, it is all to true that mankind has polluted our world up to now, and we are just realizing how important it is to take care of our Earth.
article by: more4kids.info
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