Sustain the World's Environment

Noun environs - the area in which something exists or lives; "the country--the flat agricultural surround" environs - an outer adjacent area of any place We all need somewhere to live, we all need the environment - the area where we live put simply. Collectively, this is the world and together, and only together, can we ensure its sustainability, for our lives now and our children's futures. This blog will be all about those things that affect this issue.

Michigan Technological University students have invented their own mini- smokestack scrubbing carbon dioxide from emissions. as an end product it creates a solid material that could have applications as a material useful in construction. On the university site, the announcement states: "An 11-foot bench-model smokestack packed with glass beads is percolating away in a lab. Near the top, a proprietary liquid dribbles down. From below, carbon dioxide bubbles up. By the time the gas reaches the top, fully half of the CO2 has been gobbled up by the liquid. The process not only captures carbon , it binds it in a solid form, making an undisclosed product that can be used as a construction material . The liquid itself can be recovered and used again. The group has applied for a patent and hopes to build a pilot plant in cooperation with an industry partner, Carbontec Energy Corp." The students are planning to improve on their invention so as to capture even more CO2. Hope...

Image via Wikipedia According to the respected International Energy Agency , China 's use of coal , oil , wind and other sources of power more than doubled in the past decade to reach the equivalent of 2.26bn tonnes of oil in 2009, creeping past the US total of 2.17bn tonnes. This fact is no doubt linked to China's economic growth of almost 9% in GDP last year. Its also the reason why its carbon emissions is growing by around the same amount, at a time when most other nations was static or falling. As to what's driving China's energy use up, well its the same thing that drove up that of the US, UK , Japan and Germany etc. Consumption. More cars, more air conditioning , more electronic consumer products (TV's, Hi-Fi, computers and the like). China's population has a long way to go in order to catch up to the lifestyles that we have enjoyed in the West for so long, but with 1.3 Billion people aiming for the same standard of living , its a worrying tho...

The UN Climate Change Summit is 26 days away. Greenpeace has an online petition for everyone to sign. You can sign the petition at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/take_action/leaders-go-to-copenhagen-climate-summit?0 The world needs to change from its addiction to coal and other fossil fuels , preserve forests and agree sustainable targets on reducing carbon emissions . Sign the petition and help persuade world leaders to make real progress, before its too late. Powered by ScribeFire . Related articles by Zemanta Agency Says Emissions Pact Would Ease Fossil-Fuel Use (nytimes.com) Carbon budgets are 'fair' says Lord Smith (telegraph.co.uk) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Is Hurting U.S. Competitiveness (blogs.harvardbusiness.org) Fast-Track Plans For Nuclear Power Stations (news.sky.com) Plenary 1 (Part 2) (slideshare.net) Senate Global Warming Bill Is Seeking to Cushion the Impact on Industry (nytimes.com) Burning The Future: C...

Greentech Media: GreenFuel Technologies Closing Down The Harvard - MIT algae company winds down after spending millions and experiencing delays, technical difficulties. GreenFuel Technologies, one of the earliest, best funded and most publicized algae companies, is shutting its doors, a victim of the credit crunch . "We are closing doors. We are a victim of the economy," said Duncan McIntyre at Polaris Venture Partners , which invested in Greenfuel. Although it has raised millions of dollars and landed a high-profile deal with Auranta in Spain to erect test facilities, it could not get money to complete the project. In January, it laid off 19 people, or half of the staff. Powered by ScribeFire . Related articles by Zemanta Pervasis Therapeutics Secures $10M in New Financing (xconomy.com) Polaris to Open Dog Patch Labs Incubator in Cambridge (xconomy.com) 1366 Technologies launches solar cell with record efficiencies (green.venturebeat.com) Four Boston Sta...

Image by themactep via Flickr Computers are everywhere, or so it seems! However, what happens to them when they are no longer wanted? Unfortunately, far too many end up being thrown away even when they have some useful life left in them. So, what are the alternatives? 1. Recycle them properly - new EU legislation requires computers and other electronic equipment to be recycled rather than going to landfill. See  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/index_en.htm for more detailed info. Currently, despite the legislation,    only one third of electrical and electronic waste in the European Union is reported as appropriately treated and the other two thirds are going to landfills and potentially to sub-standard treatment sites in or outside the European Union. 2. Re-purpose your old pc - even old computers can find a useful second life as a file server , NAS or even media server (for all your iTunes libraries). You can find cheap (even free) options on the...

Japan is aiming for zero-waste with one town, Kamikatsu , already banning waste bins. The Chritsian Science Monitor web-site has an article " Japan as ground zero for no-waste lifestyle". The article features this pioneering Japanese town and highlights its efforts to profoundly reduce their environmental impact. Its not alone either, with Japan as a whole becoming almost obsessed with reducing waste, maximizing recycling and generating renewable energy . Supported by the government , towns like Kamikatsu are showing the way forward to the rest of the world. Read more here: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1216/p01s04-woap.html Powered by ScribeFire . Related articles by Zemanta 12 Junk Drawer Gadget Projects from Planet Green (momblognetwork.com) A Challenge For Toronto: Go Zero Waste (treehugger.com) Tracking Your Trash Electronically (takepart.com)

Image via Wikipedia Mobile phones are an inescapable part of modern life and are constant consumer of energy. They use energy and resources and produce CO2 at all stages of their 'life-span'. So, many of us would like to minimise their impact on the environment. The question is 'how'? Manufacturers don't make it easy to work out the impact of their products and everyone's usage varies so its difficult to know what the total impact is. However, what we do know is that energy that is wasted, such a when phones are left on standby, has a negative impact on the environment. Its been calculated that this wastes enough energy to power 33,000 homes for a whole year in the UK alone! Also, by changing our phones on a frequent basis means that we are probably wasting more energy than we think... after all, each phone we buy has used up energy and resources in its manufacture, distribution, packaging, promotion and design (of publicity, marketing and advertising). As phone...

Economist Jeffrey Sachs said carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology and nuclear will be necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change His comments were made as part of a presentation at the Asia Society in New York Monday night."Carbon capture better work because they [China] are not going to stop using coal," said Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the author of The End of Poverty and Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet , among other books. He gave a lucid and thoroughly depressing talk on " China's Role in the Global Climate Game ," describing a number of unpleasant options China, the United States, and the rest of the world will have to face in dealing with climate changes already underway. "Any quantitatively realistic path for a fast-growing China will mean a tremendous reliance on coal," he said. "They will have to use growing amounts of coal for decades to come." That leaves the U.S....

Sustainability is the key to our futures. The construction industry, as one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions, is a key player in helping to forge a safe and secure future environmentally for all of us. Greenbuild Expo takes place at Manchester Central on 17th & 18th June this year and will promote to the industry new building methods and materials, showcase the latest technologies and innovations and promote discussion on the challenges facing the industry. Highlights include: Expert advice - seminars run b y experts in the industry Get Britain Building - the trade launch of the Get Britain Building campaign Public Sector Village - dedicated to local authorities, housing associations and other key public sector organisations Workshops - including solar thermal systems, air source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and insulated concrete formwork For more information visit the Greenbuild Expo site.

How to be greener Many individuals who come across this blog share a common interest in adopting a greener lifestyle and reducing their carbon footprint. Oftentimes, the challenge lies in knowing where and how to embark on this eco-friendly journey. Just like any other endeavour, simplicity should be our guiding principle as we begin this transformative path.  Let's start by taking small, manageable steps that not only make a positive impact but also provide us with the motivation to keep going. There's no need to dive headfirst into a grand eco-project, only to become disheartened by unexpected complications or costs. So, let's commence this green adventure. 1. Energy Conservation:  It all begins with the flick of a switch. Remember to turn off lights and electronic devices when they're not in use. Consider switching to energy-efficient bulbs and avoid leaving appliances like TVs, radios, and computers on standby. The energy savings might seem modest individually, but ...