Archive for February, 2010
What is the Real CO2 Footprint of a Product?
February 7th, 2010 | 
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What is the Real CO2 Footprint of a Product?
We’ve certainly seen quite a few companies come out and say that their manufacturing facilities have a zero impact on the environment, meaning zero footprint, but indeed, there is much controversy on how to determine what a zero foot print is. It’s almost impossible to get to zero, even if a company goes and plants 10,000 trees over the course of 5-years.
The other day at a Think Tank meeting, we were talking about how to establish a complete CO2 discharge chain of a product, including all its components in the process of making it. From the wrappers, card board box, printing, assembly, energy to do all that, the distance the people traveled to work in what type of cars, etc. I mean really narrowing down the actual discharges.
Not because we are Global Warming alarmists, but because we feel it is not exactly correct for a company to claim Zero Emissions. And that we must have a more realistic view of the total process, Supply chain and all.
Many companies like Dell in Texas have stated that they have finally achieved zero emissions, but they were attacked for stating that, why? Because, everyone has a different concept of what nothing is. In other words we are all out there fighting over nothing and that makes no sense to anyone, no matter how you figure it.
Indeed, we should be applauding Dell for their solar panels, LEEDs certified warehouses and assembly plant and all their hard work and meaningful dedication to do the right thing. And yet, we are not doing that are we? Instead we find people attacking businesses, even those that go out of their way, spending millions of dollars to do the right thing. I ask are we doing the right thing by allowing persnickety environmental complainers to attack America’s greatest companies?
Lance Winslow – Lance Winslow’s Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.
21st century demands more solar, wind power | eLetters
21st century demands more solar, wind power : eLetters features The Denver Post’s letters to the editor on select articles. Colorado.
Mass. Solar Power Contract aAwarded | WPRI.com
Local news & weather for Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Central Falls & Newport, Rhode Island as well as New Bedford & Fall River Mass.,
Photovoltaic circuit makes solar-powered touchscreens possible …
What’s cooler than the latest in technology? How about the latest in self-powering technology? University of Pennsylvania researchers have put togeth.
Affordable Scosche Solbat2 Solar Charger » Coolest Gadgets
Affordable Scosche Solbat2 Solar Charger on Coolest Gadgets.
d r i f t g l a s s: Most Powerful Blog In Solar System
Most Powerful Blog In Solar System. Saturday, February 06, 2010 Posted by driftglass Saturday, February 06, 2010. Continues bold experiment in pauperizing writers. â??Huffington Post” is to â??Writerâ? asâ?¦ A. â??Loggingâ? is to â??Forestâ? …
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USA – China – A G2 For Climate and Economy?
USA – China – A G2 For Climate and Economy?
China appears to view global warming as an economic issue, Obama’s administration is primarily focused on the current economic crisis as well, but climate change is also a serious crisis and a threat to the world’s economic system itself with all its present and predicted impacts. Don’t these global problems require an integrated economic and environmental strategy? The hypothesized summit between Barack Obama and the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, could be an important step to accelerate urgent actions needed both to face the global economic downturn and to build a solid climate pact.
China, in its last 5-year plan, sets targets to reduce national energy intensity (energy used per unit of GDP) by 20% between 2006 and the end of 2010. According to Deborah Seligsohn, China Program Director on Climate, Energy and Pollution of the World Resources Institute, this target seems to be realizable given their latest remarkable record (-1.8% in 2006, -3.7% in 2007, and -4.2% in 2008.) Last month Hillary Clinton met experts from the Asia Society and the Pew Centre for Climate Change that together wrote a report that could help the creation of this US-Chinese partnership on climate change. But the good examples from China, although not directly referred to CO2 emissions, and Obama’s ambitious plan on energy and climate will need decisions from other 13 countries (or federations such as the EU), including Russia, India, Japan to get 80% of world’s emissions “under control”. Nowadays the other 173 countries account for about 20% of total CO2 emissions, but population increase and old development patterns could dangerously increase their “pollution share” in the future: every nation will be then required to cut the CO2, but large amount of money are needed to do so. Where will our leaders take Dollars, Yuan or Euros these days?
Next steps: -264 days to COP15:
Two events along the path to Copenhagen will take place in Bonn from March 29th to April 8th: the 7th session of the AWG-KP (Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex 1Parties under the Kyoto Protocol) and 5th session of the AWG-LCA (Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention). As we can read on the UNFCCC website “this is the first of three planned negotiating sessions before COP 15 in December” and can hopefully prepare a good ground for delegations and political leaders to decide upon.
Written by Luca Marazzi on behalf of Responding to Climate Change.
For further information on Climate Change please visit the Responding to Climate Change website – http://www.rtcc.org
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luca_Marazzi
Madonna's Sustainable Malawai Academy for Girls | Inhabitat Through her non-profit organization, Raising Malawi, the pop star has collected funds and donated some of her own in order to build the solar powered, eco-friendly academy, which will accommodate 450 girls when it’s completed in 2012. … Solar-Powered Backup Battery Scosche's solBAT Drops from $100 to … MaximumPC.com is the best online resource for PC News. Visit Maximum PC and read about Solar-Powered Backup Battery Scosche’s solBAT Drops from $100 to $30. Businesses Mobilize in Support of Distributed Solar … Companies are lining up to take part in distributed solar power arrays, with nearly 1300 megawatts worth of such deals announced in recent weeks, reports the New York Times. Solar Irrigation: Increased Food, Economic Security in Africa … Installations of solar irrigation systems in villages in Benin have contributed to improved health, nutrition, and economic opportunity for residents. Solar Cycle 24 Update « Watts Up With That? Solar Cycle 24 was a late starter, about three and a half years later than the average of the strong cycles in the late 20th century and almost three year later than the weak cycles of the late 19th century. …GIGA Green tech visite of Kevin Koerber
The Honey Bee Crisis – Believe Me It’s Bad!
The Honey Bee Crisis – Believe Me It’s Bad!
“My Oh My” this is getting serious. What is happening to our honey bees? We have been starting to see the actual effects of the honey bee decline after placing our last order for bulk beeswax. As a manufacturer of natural beeswax lip balms and candles we have always been getting our beeswax here in our home state of Florida and last month was the first time we had to order from outside the sunshine state. Is this due to the rapid decline in honey bees or are we just worrying too much? Well facts are facts and we have some serious problems with the honey bee decline. Why are the bee colonies down as much as 60% we ask? Well it does seem that bees and humans may have something in common. Nutrition is as vital to us as it may be to the honey bees and it is possible that the bees are undernourished which may be the cause of the problem. Many states are seeing less dense bee hives and this may be contributed to the lack of nutrition the bees are getting.
Another possible cause of the honey bee crisis may be the pesticides that are being used. Many hives die as a result of “pesticide poisoning”. There are literally billions of honey bees dying prematurely and the source must be found before this world suffers severely. The honey bee only has a six week life cycle in the summer, three weeks inside the hive and three weeks outside, but many are not even making it to the fourth week.
So yet another possible source of this dilemma is the huge rise in cell phone stations and also cell phone use. Some are claiming the huge growth of clogged air waves with cellular waves may be disturbing the bees and causing the early deaths. Stephen C. Sharp who has been studying this problem for many weeks while not a scientist gives no personal merit to this cause. He states “Cellular phones have been around for long enough to see a potential problem with the bees. This problem came like a train wreck. I think there would have been many initial signs if the cellular wavebands were the source of the bee problem.”.
Other topics that have been thrown around as to the potential source of the bee crisis has been a virus or possibly mites that have worked their way into the bee colonies. Whatever the cause it must be isolated and controlled. Bottom line is if the bees all die maybe we will too! Bees are the only source to carry pollen of various fruits and nuts. Many plants do not reap the benefits of wind travel for pollination therefore if the bees vanish so does much of our food supply. We would begin to see a decline in new plants, brush, flowers, crops, and more. The honey bee gets food such as nectar and pollen from flowers and in turn pollinates the flower which allows the plant to reproduce. No bees, no reproduction!
Sincerely,
Stephen C. Sharp
Port Orange, Florida
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China 2035 Bigger Than USA