Sustain the World's Environment

Everyone can only sympathise with the people of Japan at this time following the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the country the other day. We can only hope that when the death toll is known that it will be as low as possible and especially right now that the current crisis at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant can be quickly brought under control. What all of this underlines is how precarious nuclear plants are, especially in the so-called 'Ring of Fire', the most active region in the world as far as seismic activity goes. Currently Japan has 56 nuclear plants but its not the only country in the Pacific basin to have them. China has 13 (with more planned), all of them on the Pacific coast (or not far from the coast). Here is a map showing nuclear reactors in the region: We can't be sure that in future, even if we escape disaster in this case, that future earthquakes won't lead to severe radiation leaks into the environment. All this underlin...

Ashton Stark is only 14 but he has converted his grandfather's old VW Beetle into an electric vehicle at the cost of just $4,000. The Canadian youth isn't even old enough to drive his handiwork! After researching the technology behind electric vehicles and after a year of labour, he completed his project and now has a fully functional electric car that can travel up to 50 miles on a full charge, at speeds up to 45 mph and all for less than 10 cents a day! “It is my grandpa’s 72 Super Beetle,” he said. “I think he would love it and be incredibly proud of it.” He used 9  separate 8 volt golf cart batteries, with 5 in the rear and 4 in the front of the vehicle. The vehicle  is driven by a single cylindrical drive shaft which is connected to the original shaft of the Volkswagens transmission. Noel Stark, Ashton’s father, said he has driven the vehicle many times, and he believes it is not only green conscious, it is also inexpensive and practical to operate. For more...

The Green Supermarkets Revolution: In recent years, the concept of "green supermarkets" has been gaining substantial traction in the realm of consumerism. With environmental sustainability and ethical consumption at the forefront of global concerns, the emergence of these eco-conscious grocery stores represents a significant shift in the way we shop for our daily necessities. In this article, we will explore the phenomenon of green supermarkets, dissect their key attributes, and underline why they are pivotal in reducing our carbon footprint and fostering a cleaner, more sustainable future. Understanding the Essence of Green Supermarkets Ethical Consumerism Green supermarkets, also known as ethical superstores, go beyond traditional retail by placing a strong emphasis on products and practices that align with ethical and sustainable principles. They prioritize offerings that have a minimal negative impact on the environment, prioritize fair labour practices, and often support...

Image via Wikipedia I spend a lot of time online and come across many great articles on lots of different topics. Of course, when writing your own blog one is always on the look out for excellent material share. I recently came across a networking site for businesses in the UK and what's great about the net is that serendipity means you can discover the most interesting things in the most unlikely of place. So it was that whilst browsing the forums on http://www.4networking.biz/ I came across this article... "Hi.... I will say here upfront, that I am a trustee of a charity called LION AID. The African Lion is facing extinction in the wild. We have lost 90% of the world's lions in the past 50 years. From over 200,000 in the 1960's, the population is now down to under 20,000. So for all of you who don't know the choices we are making when we eat cheap beef in our chain restaurants and carveries, read on....... Apart from South Africa , the UK is the b...

Image by iknow-uk via Flickr Date:   2/12/10 After the success of the first green summit in July 2010, Camden Council is hosting a second event in January 2011. Residents, organisations and community groups are invited to the second Camden green summit to hear about the Council’s new draft plan for a greener, sustainable Camden (2011-2020). Over 100 people came together to share ideas for a greener Camden at the first summit, and due to demand, places at the second event on 29 January 2011 can be booked from 1 December 2010. The second event will also allow participants to contribute to the Camden transport strategy together with stalls providing information about Camden’s green services, and others run by groups and organisations including Fairtrade . Attendees will be able to hear about the progress being made by the twenty seven community groups allocated funding from the Camden communities green fund. The projects being delivered by the funded g...

Image via Wikipedia Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has claimed that the country will be able to produce "at least 100 per cent" of its electricity through green initiatives by 2025. This is certainly a tall order but Scotland has the geography and natural resources to achieve this. The question is, is the will do so there? Cynics would say that Alex Salmond is making a political gesture and that the cost of such a move would be too much. However, no-one has yet come up with the figures to show how it might be possible or, indeed, how it might prove too expensive. The Scottish Parliament has a target to generate 80% of its energy needs by 2020 from renewable sources so they are certainly serious about green energy . Let's hope they not only make the 2020 target but also the 2025 one. If they do, they could well be net exporters of energy around the time oil and gas start to seriously decline. Related articles by Zemanta Northern Ireland, Scotland, G...

Last year UK botanists identified nearly than 300 new species of plants in over 100 countries around the world. The botanists were researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Now for the bad news... more than a third are under threat of extinction, according to the scientists. "These new discoveries highlight the fact that there is so much of the plant world yet to be discovered and documented," said Stephen Hopper , director of the Royal Botanical Gardens , Kew. "Without knowing what's out there and where it occurs, we have no scientific basis for effective conservation." Amongst the new finds was a previously unknown giant of Cameroon 's rainforest, stretching more than 42m (138ft) into the canopy of the Korup National Park . The Berlinia korupensis pods explode, spreading seeds over a wide area The Berlinia korupensis - a member of the pea family - has a one-metre-wide buttressed trunk, and produces white flowers th...