Archive for January, 2011
Recycling in America VS Other Countries
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Winter Wonderland In America Or Something Else?
Friday, January 21st, 2011
As of today all US states have received snow with the exception of Florida. According the National Service this is not typical. It is said a little over 70% of America has received some snow. You would not think this is a big deal since it is winter and time for snow but according to experts this highly unusual. We will give the Mountain States and the Northeast their due. This weather is typical for them.
However let’s take into consideration our southern most states, I am from the south and we get little snow if any. It takes a special weather anomaly to make anything significant in our southern most states, And it’s seems 2011 is the year we see this anomaly take place. Apparently La Nina has come into play hear along with North Atlantic Oscillation, an atmospheric pattern that brings cold and snow to the East and Southeast. Florida for the moment is the odd man out even Hawaii got some snow in parts.
Last year we had record low of snow and this year…well we just went right off the richter scale to an all time high. This snow has grounded so much travel and mail. Every place is backed up. People are waiting days for the snow to let up in some areas New York, Boston, Chicago.
I wonder what next year will bring us?
References:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/snow-in-49-states-map_n_807741.html
Communities begin celebrating Arbor Day 2011
Thursday, January 20th, 2011Even though Arbor Day isn’t until April, many communities are starting their celebrations a bit early. Arbor Day is a special day set aside for planting trees and because the climate varies across the states, areas will celebrate Arbor Day at different times of the year. For example, the southern states tend to celebrate this occasion in the winter, while the midwest sticks to the spring months.
In Houston, the Apache Corporation donated 25,000 trees for planting, while Louisiana State University had a re-dedication of the Cotton Oak and planted 38 trees. Communities in Georgia plan to kick off their Arbor Day in February. Depending on where you live, you may already have plans in the works for making your own contribution to the environment.
More interestingly, Arbor Day isn’t just a celebration in the states. China, New Zealand, Brazil and the United Kingdom all celebrate the holiday, but at different times of the year in order to coincide with their summers. No matter when Arbor Day is celebrated, it’s a wonderful step forward for the planet. Take the time this year to join in on the fun and plant a tree of your own. It’s a great family activity and a rewarding experience for all involved.
It may be old, but they still air this kid-friendly commercial sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0hH-KPAr00[/youtube]
Little tikes doing their part to save the planet
Thursday, January 20th, 2011
Last week my daughter, out of nowhere, picked up an empty sandwich bag on the floor and walked to the garbage can. As her little hands glided underneath the cabinet and placed the trash in the receptacle, I realized that my husband and I can play influential roles as teachers in ways of being more conscious about protecting the environment.
We don’t have to wait until Earth Day to do our part for the environment.
Here are tips on how you and your children can make an impact on the environment.
- Turn off the lights when you are not using them
- Plant a tree: The tree can not only offer shade on a hot day but can cut down on costs of air conditioning bills, because it can provide more cooling
- By using cold water instead of hot, when brushing your teeth, you are using less energy
- Play in the leaves: According to the Sustainable Environment for the Quality of Life, the leaves left in your yard will eventually decompose, giving nourishment back to the soil
- Use dry erase boards instead of paper to display art and leave messages on
Image c/o: Flickr.com
Blog sponsored by: Privacy Council
Kimberly-Clark Working Toward a Greener Future
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
Kimberly-Clark is the name behind Kleenex, Cottonelle and Scott brands, being the largest manufacturer of tissue products in the whole world. That’s quite a load to take on and the label is finally feeling pressure from environmental groups such as Greenpeace. At the heat of the debate: Kimberly-Clark is supposed to reevaluate the way it sources wood fiber, as well as how much recycled contents are in their paper products.
So what was decided upon? Kimberly-Clark agreed to sourcing 40% of their tissue paper products from recycled materials. By the end of this year, the company intends to stop purchasing noncertified wood fiber, plus start working toward a toilet paper roll that doesn’t use the cardboard tube.
This plan is designed to help save Canada’s boreal forest, North America’s largest and oldest forest. Although the forest is vast, it’s quickly shrinking away, as Kimberly-Clark and competitors have claimed half a million acres annually of the forest for their paper products. Hopefully the step that Kimberly-Clark is making toward a greener future, more recycled sources and a redesigned toilet paper roll will influence other companies to step in the same direction.
Image c/o popsop.com
Are e-readers good for the environment?
Friday, January 7th, 2011
Now that the holidays are over, you may have found yourself with some electronic gifts or may be planning to buy some. One great gift to consider – an e-reader such as the popular (and affordable) Amazon Kindle. E-readers are small electronic devices that allow users to read any book they desire.
To purchase an e-book, simply download what it is you want. Everything will be stored on your e-reader and you won’t have to worry about books stacking up, paying the high costs of hardbacks, or waiting for a title to come in at your local library.
Of course, there are plenty of advantages for the user, but what about the environment? After all, printed books have the highest carbon footprint, which includes the harvesting of 125 million trees and wastewater. The costs that go into the paper production, printing, shipping and disposal are outrageous – and all at the expense of the planet.
To make matters worse, consider what’s done with the books when someone has finished reading them or they go out of date? They’re often thrown away – looked at as trash, as another round of books is made in their place. Although e-books are rising in sales, they’re still too new to have an impact on the environment. Until publishers start producing less books in anticipation of e-books, we’ll still be faced with millions of trees being wasted.
Fortunately, e-readers are continuing to rise in popularity, and sales are expected to hit an all-time high in 2012. In the near future, we should expect a shift over to e-books instead of paperbacks and begin seeing publishing companies producing less books. In the meantime, consider purchasing an e-reader of your own or sticking to the local library.
Image c/o engadget.com
Support one million trees and stop your junk mail
Removal includes Do Not Call list, major junk mail lists and advertising lists.
