Heal Earth Now

In a previous post I mentioned how the United Nations were asking for a ban on disposable shopping bags. These bags are adding to the total waste and are found in many oceans and have a negative affect on the plants and animals that live in the water.

The best way to really get people to abandon the disposable plastic bags and use the reusable totes bags is to make them affordable.  To easiest way make something environmentally good  become mainstream is to have a positive impact on the pocket book. 

Walgreen’s are having something that will have a positive impact on the pocket book.  A coupon in the Walgreen’s’ sales paper allows customers to purchase 3 tote bags for $1.

The United Nations would like to see a ban on the use of plastic bags. 

the United Nations Environment Programme says that growing marine litter is harming oceans and beaches worldwide.  It launched a report that takes stock of the growing garbage in 12 major regional seas.  UNEP’s Executive Director, Achim Steiner, says that “marine litter could be dramatically reduced by improving waste reduction, waste management and recycling initiatives”.  He also calls for a worldwide ban on thin film plastic bags.  In addition to this report, UNEP introduced a new online system which has the most globally comprehensive list of marine and terrestrial protected areas.

It has become fashionable to have reusable cloth bags so instituting a ban on plastic bags will not be a huge shock .  Not everyone uses those bags during their shopping excursion, but with a ban it would become necessary.  Some stores sell the reusable clothe bags for 99 cents.  But if more demand for those reusable bags were occur, I would not be surprised to the prices of those bags fall even lower.

According to KansasCity.com

The ban is already being tested in China, where retailers giving out thin bags can be fined up to $1,464. According to one nationwide survey, 40 billion fewer plastic bags were given out in grocery stores after the law’s enactment. In addition, Ireland managed to cut single-use plastic bag consumption 90 percent by levying a fee on each bag that consumers use.

In the United States, only San Francisco has completely banned plastic bags; Los Angeles will do so in 2010. Also, the city council in Washington, D.C., is set to vote on a five-cent-a-bag tax later this month. On first reading, the bill passed unanimously. Similar proposals have failed in New York and Philadelphia.

We will have to see how many other cities throughout the United States will also ban plastic bags.

Sources:KansasCity.com UN.org

(NewsUSA) – More than two-thirds of consumers buy organic products, and many decide to “go organic” when they become parents. Why? Because many feel that healthier food choices mean choosing organic food.

What is organic? Organic refers to the way meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables are grown and processed. Organic farming prohibits the use of toxic and persistent chemicals, antibiotics and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Is organic food worth the sometimes higher cost? “Yes,” says best-selling author and pediatrician Dr. William Sears.

Sears says pollutants in the air and water and in food all have the potential to harm your child’s health. “So, while you’re keeping them safe from environmental toxins, give them organic food that’s free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.”

Growing bodies are more vulnerable to the carcinogenic risks of pesticides, says Sears, since pesticides are stored in fat, and infants and toddlers have proportionately more body fat than adults. He also points out that adult food “safety limits” may not be safe for children — kids don’t eat or metabolize pesticides like little adults, and the amount of food they eat is greater in proportion to their body weight than the same food eaten by an adult.

“Are organic foods really that much healthier?” asks Dr. Sears. “Yes,” he answers. “I believe they’re the best choice for kids.”

In fact, Sears recommends organic dairy such as yogurt as a first food. He specifically recommends YoBaby brand organic yogurts, since they not only are made with organic milk and ingredients, but also feature a unique blend of six probiotic cultures to help boost immunity and promote digestive health.

He also recommends that parents choose organic fruits and vegetables, or if organic choices aren’t available, choose fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticide residue.

To learn more about organics and how to shop smarter,

visit www.askdrsears.com or www.yobabyyogurt.com. Parents can download a free Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce at www.stonyfield.com.

New cable, satellite and telecommunications set-top boxes that have earned the Energy Star label are at least 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional models. The new specification became effective Jan. 1.

If all set-top boxes sold in the United States met the new Energy Star specification, the savings in energy costs would grow to about $2 billion each year and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent of those from about 2.5 million vehicles.

EPA has worked with cable, satellite, and telecommunications companies that deliver television and video content to homes via set-top boxes, bringing energy and cost savings to their customers. Most set-top boxes are given to the consumer as part of their contract with a service provider, rather than sold independently at retail stores.

AT&T and DIRECTV are the first to sign on as Energy Star cable, satellite and telecommunications partners. These companies have improved the energy efficiency of a significant number of their set-top boxes and will offer newly-qualified boxes to subscribers or upgrade boxes already in homes. Cisco, Motorola, and Pace plc. are the first manufacturers to offer Energy Star qualified set-top boxes.

Going green is more than just a fad that we see Hollywood embracing. Being more conscious about the natural resources that we use is something that should be a constant component. Energy a product uses should be just as important as how much profit it will provide a company. It is sad that it took oil prices going so high for people to take a look at how much energy they were actually using. Sometimes it has to reach the wallets of the people for them to take notice.

Source: epa.gov

As gas prices were increases all across the United States consumers had no choice but to reduce their gas consumption. More Americans have been trying to drive less and drive smaller vehicles. Now gas prices have been falling since the cost of crude oil has decreased across the country.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline fell 2.6 cents to $2.152 from $2.178 Thursday, according to a daily survey for the American Automobile Association.

The price of gas has dropped $1.962, or 48%, since hitting an all-time high of $4.114 in July.

Americans have seen that there are ways that they can live their everyday lives with the use of less gas. With the decrease in gas use the prices of gas should stay low for a period of time.

Source: CNN Money

Creating a nuclear weapons free world would be wonderful, but is that just a pie in the sky type idea. It is really plausible that all nations that do have nuclear weapons would dismantle them and not build any more.

In advance of the election, some of Washington’s most influential national security thinkers have argued for a dramatic shift in U.S. policy, to actively pursue the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons from the Earth.

Many dismiss this goal as a dream, given the lack of trust among the nuclear weapons powers and the entrenched role that atomic weapons have in the global balance of power.

But Democratic front-runner Obama, who is leading in polls before Tuesday’s election, endorsed it and his Republican rival John McCain said he hopes to move to “the lowest possible number” of U.S. nuclear weapons.

Source: Reuters

Learning about the environment can never start too early. The best was for children to learn about conservation and maintaining a healthy environment is by the examples of their parents. To help reinforce learning about the environment PBS.org has a fun game called EekoHouse for Children to play. It interactive game that takes children to different places and asks them what is the best environmentally friendly choice that they can make in a particular situation. One example involves the father of the house leaving a glass of water in the living room and the player is asked if the water should be poured down the sink or used to water a potted plant. There are some basic lessons that children may have thought of doing in their own home and are currently doing. There are also other environmentally friendly examples that the child may not have thought of on his or her own.

Auto manufacturers are trying to win the battle of gasoline and driving vehicles by introducing alternative fuel vehicles. Chryslers unveiled a few electric cars and hope to sell one by 2010 to the general public.

Chrysler’s Electric Vehicles utilize just three primary components. These include an electric motor to drive the wheels, an advanced lithium-ion battery system to power the electric-drive motor, and a controller that manages energy flow. The electric-drive system is being developed for front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and body-on-frame four-wheel-drive vehicle applications.

The three vehicles introduced by Chrysler were the Chrysler EV, Jeep EV, and Dodge EV. The Chrysler EV is the electric automobile version of the Chrysler Town & Country; the Jeep EV is the electric version of the Jeep Wrangler, and the Dodge EV is a 4-passenger sports vehicle.

More information on Chrysler Electric Vehicles

The Smog and other pollutants affecting the Beijing Olympics have been as news worthy as the games themselves. Pollution really is serious fact that can give direct negative effects on all of us. Olympic officials have said that if the smog is becomes too strong during the Olympics then some outside events will be postponed.

China is working to reduce the smog in the area by reducing the amount of traffic in the area. Chinese officials have said that the smog in the area is much better than it was one year ago.

Olympic athletes have been trickling into Beijing, but are expected to begin arriving in larger numbers this week. Some, though, were headed to training sites in South Korea, Japan and other places to avoid the Beijing air until the last possible minute.

Source: cnn.com

Going green in not just for smaller cars anymore. Sales of larger vehicles and SUVs have seen a downward turn. More and more people are trading in their gas guzzlers for smaller more fuel efficient vehicles. Not to be outdone auto manufacturers having been working to improve the fuel economy of its SUVS. GM has added flex- fuel to many of its vehicles. GM flex- fuel vehicles can run on gasoline and E85 ethanol. E85 ethanol is fuel mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Cadillac Escalades are one of the latest GM cars to have flex fuel. Although the flex- fuel is gives an option for vehicle owners, the amount of filling stations are the country that actual offer E85 to public is currently limited. So, although you may purchase a flex- fuel vehicle you may not be able to purchase E85 fuel close to home.

For a list of E85 fueling stations closing to you visit: http://www.e85refueling.com/locations.php

Source: GM