Wiki Peace

White House photographer James Souza captured this amazing photo. President Obama’s team watched the mission to kill and retrieve Osama bin Laden.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. “Brad” Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Binken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This is really unbelievable footage of the recent tornado storm in Alabama.

Join leading experts today beginning 10:30AM to ask questions about wind, solar coal and nuclear energy, and what we all can do to work towards sustainable growth. Log in here.

Panelists will include:

Andrew Stein

Andrew Stein is the Principal of Stein Consulting Group, an organization that advises on government, energy, and financial policy.

Mr. Stein, is Chairman of the Board for Sustainable Energy Fund and is the Economic Advisor for EFMR Monitoring Group.

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Eric Epstein

Eric Epstein is Rock the Capital‘s coordinator and a community advocate for good government for over 25 years. Mr. Epstein is also Chairman of the Three Mile Island Alert, a safe-energy organization founded in 1977 and President of EFMR Monitoring Group, a non-profit economic development corporation established in 1977. He is also Chairman of the Stray Winds Area Neighbors (SWAN), a smart growth association organized in 2005.

Mr. Epstein was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Humanities at PSU-Harrisburg (1992-1999) an

Gaelan Brown

Gaelan is Executive Director of the Compost Power Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding the use of compost-based energy systems.

Previously he was VP of Marketing for groSolar, a top solar power installation and distribution company (Acquired by Solar City). Prior to groSolar he was the Senior Marketing Manager responsible for developing new direct-marketing and retail distribution channels for Green Mountain Coffee which grew from $0 to over $200 million in annual sales during his tenure.

In 2007 he co-founded the Carbon Shredders, a non-profit that guides home-owners through an online “Low Carbon Diet Program.” With the help of the Carbon Shredders he also built a prototype biomass-heating system at his house, which generates hot water from a specially designed mound of composting wood-chips, without burning anything.

He writes a regular column and blog for VT Commons, and other sustainability-focused publications as “An Energy Optimist,” focused on energy issues. He also serves on the VT Commons Editorial Board and as Business Manager.

Gaelan graduated with honors with a BA in Mass Communication and Economics from Washington and Lee University.

Are you tired of getting junk mail? Did you know that you can stop most of it from stuffing up your mailbox? Many of us would be glad to stop getting irrelevant advertisements and sale promotions that we don’t look at, but we might never get around to doing something about it. Here’s a good reason to end junk mail: It’s a great deed for the environment.

More than 93.5 million trees are cut down to provide the paper for the 88 million pieces of junk mail that goes to American homes annually. The amount of energy that is required to produce and, subsequently, dispose of this mail is more than that used by three million automobiles. If you’re ready to end the junk mail cycle, here are a few steps you can take:

• Many pieces of junk mail come from the Direct Marketing Association. If you’d like to stop receiving those mailings, visit their website and tell them what mail you’d like to stop getting. This may greatly reduce the amount of paper in your daily mail.
• Stop receiving pre-screened credit card offers by calling 888-567-8688 and entering your Social Security number. This might be a good move for both the environment and your household budget.
• Start refusing unsolicited ads in the mail. Envelopes that come with the words “Return Service Requested” or “Address Service Requested” indicate that the sender is willing to take the mailings back if they are undesired. Simply write the phrase “Refused – Return to Sender” and put the envelopes back in the mailbox. Eventually, solicitations from those companies should stop.

Doing our part to cut down on our junk mail saves us time, effort and trees. Why not make a few phone calls to see if you can reduce the amount of junk mail in your mailbox? The trees in your local forest will thank you.

Sponsor: The Privacy Council

Image c/o: rubenerd

Wednesday, April 20th

Recycling gets all the attention, but what about pre-cycling? Pre-cycling is thinking about how you’re going to recycle the product before you buy it. In this way, you can think ahead and only buy products that won’t create much waste.

For example, choosing to buy individually packaged snacks may seem like a great idea, as they’re convenient and fun for kids. Bagged carrot sticks, apple slices and boxes of raisins are all items that create more waste. Why not purchase these items in bulk and divide them up on your own? The same goes for individual cartons of yogurt and applesauce.

Kids’ snacks are no exception, as adults are always looking for the easy way out with their food selections as well. Packaged salads, fruit cups and 100 calorie packs are all perfect examples.

Today, head to the store with pre-cycling in mind. Choose the larger boxes of snacks and foods, and separate them at home in reusable glass containers. You’ll find that by buying in bulk, you’ll also save on money, not just waste. That’s because you end up paying more for convenience items, something that’s consistent with all pre-packaged foods.

Once you get in the habit of pre-cycling, you’ll reduce plenty of waste. Besides pre-cycling, consider other uses for the product. For example, use an egg carton for your kid’s rock collection or an old shower caddy for an art basket.

Blog sponsored by: Mind2It

Image c/o Guanaco

Join in everyone!

Click here to host this chat on your blog.

This Friday, beginning at 7 AM EST (April 22 – Earth Day), we’ll be starting a global live chat that lasts 24 hours. Topics will vary. Place this code this on your blog or website and help spread the word:

Make 19 April 2011 a great day for the earth. Invite your friends all over the world to make a banner to announce Earth Day (you will need it for this exercise). Ask everyone to synchronize watches (across time zones). First go around and check all faucets in your own home. If yours are okay, take your banner and go around your neighborhood and check their faucets. You could even assist them to fix it.

It is important to constantly keep a watch on your faucets as leaky faucets can waste a lot of water. As soon as you see any wetness or dampness around it and you see dripping, it is time to replace your washers.

You might have to replace the washers, replace the packing or you will have to replace the valve. You could also twirl some waxed twine, or some greasy lubricant or Vaseline around the thread to keep it sealed in and last a bit longer.

Water is a very precious commodity and it is important to save as much you can, because you will save a lot on your water bill as well. Make sure you turn the water off before you do this, because if you do not do this, once you unscrew your faucet, the water will squirt out like a fountain and you will have wasted more water than the dripping.

Unscrew your faucet and remove all the parts. If you have never done this before, number your parts in the order you have unscrewed them. Replace all the parts that are worn and reassemble the faucet.

Sponsor: Unify Supply

Image: plumberservicesingapore.com

April 18th

Looking for inexpensive ways to cut down energy consumption around the house? Re-caulk your windows for energy savings that you’ll see and feel! Caulk is intended to form a flexible seal around the windows, closing up air leaks that can come through cracks, gaps and joints.

By applying caulk around the windows, you keep the air out and eliminate the chance that your warm or cool air from the inside will escape. This simple household task will allow you to set your thermostat lower (or higher depending on the month), without losing any comfort in the home!

Caulk can also be used in other places around the home, such as around faucets, water pipes, drains and ceiling fixtures. The caulk can help prevent water damage, cutting down on leaking water that will run up your water bill and take from the environment.

There are many different types of caulk, such as solvent-based types that can be cleaned with a special cleaner, while others can be cleaned with water. To apply, clean the area beforehand and make sure it’s smooth. Apply the caulk in between the window frame and the joint between the frame and wall.

Be sure to hold the applicator at an angle and press it in one continuous motion. The caulk shouldn’t bubble up and instead should fill in the crack and stick to both sides of it. If the caulk begins to ooze, use a knife to push it back in. If you’re not sure how much to use, remember that more is better. Ultimately, you want to seal the entire crack so that no air escapes.

Blog sponsored by: Krystal Klean

Image c/o GeeJo

Cloth diapers are becoming more popular among moms in the U.S. This is a great thing for the planet, since cloth diapers are decidedly more gentle on the environment than disposables. What makes cloth preferable to disposables? Are there additional benefits to cloth diapering?

The manufacturing of disposable diapers uses a large volume of natural resources. In addition, there are several chemicals contained in disposables that may cause adverse affects in some babies. However, cloth diapers are typically free of these chemicals. Of greater impact, though, is the fact that disposable diapers are thrown away. A baby may soil six to eight disposables daily. At the end of a week, that’s over 50 diapers in the garbage!

Research done by the Sustainability Institute showed that 18 billion diapers are thrown away each year in the U.S. alone. Since the materials in most diapers are not biodegradable, dirty diapers are stored in landfills for years. Even diapers that are marketed as biodegradable have ingredients that never completely break down. Since cloth diapers are reused, families can dramatically reduce the amount of garbage they create.

Cloth diapering is also good for family wallets. On average, the cost of using disposable diapers from infancy to age three is $2500 per child. On the other hand, a stash of cloth diapers can be purchased for a couple hundred dollars and can be reused if a couple has more children. Parents that are concerned about using water to wash diapers can invest in a diaper stash that is large enough to avoid daily washing. Many cloth diapering parents wash their diapers every two to three days. Depending on the material, most cloth diapers can be placed in the dryer, but drying them on a clothesline is even better for the environment. Families that need to dry diapers indoors can get the same effect by purchasing a few wooden drying racks.

If you’re hesitant about using cloth full time, why not try using it one day a week to see if it works for you?

Sponsored by: Luna Lullaby

Image c/o: simplyla