Mississippi Riverfront Cities Revitalize River Connection
The Mississippi watershed, the area where all waters lead to the river, encompasses an enormous portion of the United States. It is the third largest in the world, outsized only by the Amazon River and the Congo River. As the great Mississippi winds its way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, cities up and down the course are rediscovering this natural wonder and once again making it a part of their community.
Grist’s have a great write up of how cities up and down the Mississippi are Banking on Change from St. Paul to Baton Rouge. They’ve got the scoop on parks, greenways, venues and a great summary of the Mississippi’s influence in numbers like days it would take a raindrop to travel the length of the river - 90.
Banking On Change at Grist. And for Mississippi Delta insight, check out Gone with the Water: Louisiana’s Wetlands
Satellites Capture Impacts of Bottom Trawling
Bottom trawling, a fishing method which involves towing trawl nets along the sea floor, is one of the most destructive human activities on the ocean.
The effects of this practice are for the most part out of sight in deep ocean waters but scientists are looking satellite images to get a better look.
“Bottom trawling repeatedly plows up the seafloor over large areas of the ocean” said Amos. “Until recently, the impact was basically hidden from view. But new tools - especially Internet-based image sites, like Google Earth - allow everyone to see for themselves what’s happening. In shallow waters with muddy bottoms, trawlers leave long, persistent trails of sediment in their wake” said John Amos, president of SkyTruth in Shepherdstown West Virginia.
Get the full scoop at Bottom Trawling Impacts Visible from Space. To see some of the satellite images here, in the Trawling gallery at skytruth.org. You can see the effects of bottom trawling in this LiveScience Video.
Nothing But Nets: Protecting Children From Malaria
The idea sparked from a column in Sports Illustrated but the nets in this campaign aren’t for recreation, they are intended to save lives. Nothing But Nets is a grassroots initiative that raises money to buy insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria transmission in African nations.
How it works (from the site):
Studies show that use of insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90% in areas with high coverage rates. Bed nets prevent malaria transmission by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur. The African malaria mosquitoes generally bite late at night or early morning, between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. A bed net is usually hung above the center of a bed or sleeping space so that it completely covers the sleeping person. A net treated with insecticide offers about twice the protection of an untreated net and can reduce the number of mosquitoes that enter the house and the overall number of mosquitoes in the area.
The nets cost just $10 to be produced, shipped and distributed. Nothing But Nets works with the UN, The Measles Initiative and coordinates with African governments and NGOs to get the bed nets to the communities who need them.
Here’s a YouTube video of Nothing But Nets in action in Africa:
Visit their website to learn more and get involved, Nothing But Nets.
The Dream Reborn: Positive Solutions for Social & Environmental Equity
Green For All is bringing organizations and leaders from communities across the nation together to produce The Dream Reborn, an event aimed at solving two of the world’s most severe crises - global warming and deepening poverty.
This conference will celebrate the life of Dr. King and present positive solutions for social and environmental justice - ecological solutions that can heal the Earth while bringing jobs, justice, wealth and health to all communities.
Among the presenters: Van Jones (Ella Baker Center/Green For All), Majora Carter (Sustainable South Bronx), Winona LaDuke (Honor the Earth), Malia Lazu (The Gathering for Justice), Mary Ann Hitt (Appalachian Voices), Reverend Yearwood (Hip Hop Caucus), Ian Kim (Oakland Green Jobs Corps) and more.
There are several ways to get involved with The Dream Reborn: Register to attend and learn how the green economy will lift all boats. Learn about the event at their website and spread the word. Or sponsor a youth community leader - this is a great way to show your support!
The Dream Reborn is at the Cook Convention Center, Memphis, Tennessee, April 4-6, 2008. Click here for more information.
Kid-Friendly Fridays: Great Green Toys from Recycled Milk Jugs
Green Toys, Inc., has a great lineup of toys that are made from recycled milk jugs. The toys include all the classic favorites like a sand play set, tea set, cookware and dining set and an indoor gardening kit.
The toys are 100% made in the USA, in California, so US-based consumers can satisfy their desire to buy local. Green Toys also makes sure that these recycled goodies are a healthy choice. Their toys pass independent testing for
- Consumer Products Safety Standard Specification, ASTM F963
- California Prop. 65 restrictions on lead & cadmium
- FDA regulations for food contact
- California regulations prohibiting phthalates in toys
- Voluntary testing for no BPA (Bisphenol-A)
Packaging in streamlined to cut down waste - no plastics and 100% recyclable cardboard keeps the kits together until they become the favorite of a particular child. And, did I mention the toys are made from recycled milk jugs? Check out these stats from Green Toys (and the US DOE): for every pound of recycled milk jugs they turn into toys they save the energy equivalent to 3,000 AAA batteries, energy to run a TV for 3 weeks and electricity to run a laptop for a month. That is definitely something to get digging with.
Via TreeHugger
Website Wink: Ocean Revolution
Wallace J. Nichols is a marine biologist and Eco All Star. He’s an Ocean Conservancy senior scientist and a top sea turtle expert who was first to track the 7,500+ mile awesome migration route of Pacific loggerheads.
He works with more than a dozen conservation groups. This year he’ll help Mexican villagers develop profitable turtle-watching tours and lead the Ocean Conservancy’s first SEE Turtles trip, according to Outside.
He breaks down the ocean conservation issues in one succinct sentence: “We’re putting too much into the ocean and taking too much out” (Outside).
He is also the co-director of Ocean Revolution…
Ocean Revolution links young people from all over the world in a network of information sharing and mentoring and links environmental action to their computers. It puts committed young people in charge of finding their own style and of determining the structure, pace and level of involvement of their friends and the rest of their generation in creating a more sustainable relationship with the ocean.
OR rocks, check it out online here.
Svalbard International Seed Vault Opens
A hollowed out cave on a frozen Norwegian island is on its way to becoming the world’s largest seed bank. The Svalbard International Seed Vault opened yesterday and is intended to conserve the genetic wealth of the world’s flora and food sources.
The vault received an initial deposit of 100 million seeds that originated in over 100 countries. The seeds were placed in the vault by Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and environmentalist Wangari Maathai, founder of the African Green Belt Movement and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
The opening of the seed vault is part of an unprecedented effort to protect the planet’s rapidly diminishing biodiversity. The diversity of our crops is essential for food production, yet it is being lost. This “fail-safe” facility, dug deep into the frozen rock of an Arctic mountain, will secure for centuries, or longer, hundreds of millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today. As well as protecting against the daily loss of diversity, the vault could also prove indispensable for restarting agricultural production at the regional or global level in the wake of a natural or man-made disaster. (PhysOrg)
Read more at: Arctic seed vault opens doors for 100 million seeds
Behind the Project: The Global Crop Diversity Trust
See pictures here
Detox Your Home with Planet Green
Want to do a clean sweep on toxins? Planet Green has got a great online lineup of room to room ideas for detoxing your home. From the bedroom to the kitchen and every space in between. This guide is filled with great ideas from Planet Green’s lifestyle expert Sara Snow with contributions from Jasmin Malik Chua. There are easy steps outlined, great products to look for and helpful video tips. Online here.
North America Environmental Atlas Online
A new online information tool from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is an interesting interactive that shows North American environmental issues.
The North American Environmental Atlas brings together maps, data, interactive map layers, and links to other related materials.
The maps outline geographical features like railways, roads, cities, lakes and rivers. Different layers relay visuals for environmental issues like industrial pollutants, conservation areas, installed renewable energy and population density.
New map layers, including protected areas, marine ecoregions, and land cover, are currently under development and will be added to the North American Environmental Atlas in the coming months. The CEC is also exploring mapping and information access methods for use with Google Earth.
While looking at the industrial pollutants layer, the picture above, I thought about the pollution issues in the Great Lakes region. I’ve spent considerable time down in Louisiana’s Chemical Corridor, which barely stands out on this map, and in person it’s overwhelming. I’m aware of many issues around the Great Lakes, an area that is sometimes referred to as the other Cancer Alley, but never investigated in person. This map layer really makes those issues apparent. Thoughts from Great Lakes region readers?
The atlas is available at: http://www.cec.org/naatlas.
Via TreeHugger
Daily Detox: Indoor Plants for Cleaner Air
Houseplants are a simple, inexpensive way to help boost indoor air quality. They help clear pollutants and toxins from the air and moderate humidity indoors. Here’s a list of the most effective plants for removing indoor air pollutants, from a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA):
Philodendron scandens `oxycardium’, heartleaf philodendron
Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’, cornstalk dracaena
Hedera helix, English ivy
Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig’, Janet Craig dracaena
Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii’, Warneck dracaena
Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa’, peace lily
Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena
*If you’ve got pets, keep them safe from toxic plants by checking the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center to see which plants to avoid.
You can read the full study here (PDF).
Kid-Friendly Fridays: ‘Ology’ from American Museum of Natural History
Kids can find everything they want to know in their favorite ‘Ology’ at the American Museum of Natural History. Like archeology, paleontology and marine biology.
And their favorite science focus doesn’t have to rhyme with the site, genetics, biodiversity and astronomy also play a role in science fun at ‘Ology’.
Kids can ‘Ask a Scientist’ - between now and Earth Day 2008, Museum scientists will answer kids’ questions about the environment. Or discover Science Explorations, a fun and easy way for you to explore and speak up about the planet’s environmental issues.
And kids can take action with the Kids’ Environmental Report Card to vote on weekly survey questions, write a letter to a policy maker, chat with other kids about environmental topics, and more.
The site is fun and filled with endless activities and information on all of the ologies that make up life on planet earth. Online at www.amnh.org/ology
Carbon Rally: Team Up on Climate Change!
Carbon Rally is a social networking site that rallies communities together to take action to reduce their CO2 emissions. Teams compete against each other with challenges like “go one week without using any disposable coffee cups” or “unplug your computer every night for one month”. By accepting challenges and incorporating carbon reducing ideas into their daily lives, individuals boost their team efforts while creating a collective effort to cut back on carbon emissions.
The idea came from Massachusetts Sierra Club activists Jason Karas, Stan Ward, Bill Filler and Steve Barrett. Karas wanted to create an fun, interactive and engaging catalyst that would allow consumers to fight global warming so the four environmentalists brainstormed and Carbon Rally was born.
The site is great, easy to use and its free to sign up. Anyone 13 years or older can join, get involved with a team or just peruse the ideas for inspiration. The community is great, lots of team spirit to save the planet.
Just a few months old, Carbon Rally has attracted 1,255 people who have reduced their collective CO2 emissions by over 67.34 tons so far, the equivalent of turning off the electricity of 47 homes for about 1 month! It’s US-based right now, with a Google map of teams and impact, but global rallies are in the works.
DIY Green Cleaning with Eco-Me
Avoiding toxic chemical cleaners in the home has gotten a whole lot easier with this great DIY kit from Eco-Me. The Eco-Me Home Kit gives you a great start to a chemical free home with the basics needed to start making your own cleaning supplies.
What’s in the kit:
1 natural fiber storage bag
2 spray bottles for mixing spray cleaner/polish
1 jar for mixing scrub cleanser
1 natural bristle scrub brush
1 handy mixer
1 microfiber cleaning cloth
1 bottle Eco-Me Home Cleaning Essential Oil
Easy to follow instructions show you how to mix ingredients right from your own kitchen.
Mixing your own cleaning supplies is easy and less costly than buying commercial products, and you likely already have the ingredients you’ll need. Eco-Me has some ideas on baking soda and vinegar here, and check out more non-toxic home cleaning tips, recipes and advice at EarthEasy’s Non-toxic Home Care.
Via EcoFabulous
Down the Drain Meds Affecting Marine Life
A recent study in California has found that sewage-treatment plants cannot remove hormones and hormone-altering chemicals from waste water and the chemicals are released into the ocean, according to the LA Times. The results of these recent studies are just more proof of how human activities affect natural ecosystems. Male fish are developing female attributes and the cause is definitively man-made contaminants that are finding their way into coastal waters surrounding Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
While estrogen is among the sources of contamination, others include beauty products, flame retardants and plastic additives. Many ingredients in these products contain compounds that mimic estrogen and are hormone-altering, also known as endocrine disruptors. Other culprits are antidepressents, tranquilizers, anti-inflammatory medicines and even seemingly benign personal care products like soaps and sunscreens.
The connection between man-made chemicals and endocrine disruption was made in the early 1980s by Theo Colburn, a former senior scientist of the World Wildlife Federation. Colburn found that the industrial chemicals in the Great Lakes which were poisoning wildlife, everything from plastics to pesticides, had molecular structures that were similar to the hormone estrogen. Her research linked chemical exposure to endocrine disorders, including diabetes. She has since founded TEDX to bring endocrine disruption resources, research and news to the public at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange.
Read about the recent study: Study finds human medicines altering marine biology at LA Times and find The Info You Need on Endocrine Disruptors.
The Virtual Forest: Saving Energy and Natural Resources
The Virtural Forest (Bosquevirtual.com) is using the internet to raise money for natural resource conservation. For each visitor that takes an energy consumption survey, site sponsor Union Fenosa (the 3rd largest electricity producer in Spain) will donate 1 Euro to Acciónatura, a Spanish organization that uses the money for reforestation projects in Brazil.
The site is partnered with Second Life and to promote awareness, a virtual tree is also planted in the virtual world. Survey-takers can also sign up for energy saving email tips from Union Fenosa. Help support forest conservation efforts, spread awareness and get energy conservation tips at www.bosquevirtual.com.
Via EcoWorldly
Wangari Maathai & The Green Belt Movement
Wangari Maathai is pure inspiration. In October 2004, she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her environmental activism. She founded Kenya’s Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization that encourages tree planting and other environmental initiatives.
She overcame clashes with the Kenyan government to become elected to the country’s Parliament and became assistant minister for the environment. She is one of my environmental heroes. Her inspiring story can be found in these two books as well as at her website, www.greenbeltmovement.com.
The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience
And for the kiddos…
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
Kid-Friendly Fridays: Making a Difference with MarkMakers
MarkMakers is a one-stop charitable giving site designed with kids in mind - the place for young people making a difference.
From the site:
Our charitable gift cards enable kids to make a mark in the world… their way…Using our gift cards, kids can shop at the MarkMakers store for goods & services in need around the world. They can spread their funds among more than 40 needs/causes such as vaccines, medicine, & eyecare, or saving animals, rain forests & coral reefs.
For instance, kids can give to One Laptop Per Child putting the power of technology into the hands of kids in developing countries.
Or they can use their gift card to adopt an acre of rainforest through The Nature Conservancy Adopt an Acre program.
The idea is simple, gift givers give kids a MarkMakers gift card and kids make their mark by putting the funds towards charitable organizations around the world to help kids in need, fight poverty, end disease, animal welfare, the environment, peace & justice. It’s a great idea that empowers kids and helps them make a difference. Learn more at the MarkMakers website.
Digital Artist Chris Jordan at Greener Gadgets
Chris Jordan is an amazing digital artist whose work reflects the problems of e-waste and mass consumption with startling images. Running The Numbers: An American Self Portrait is an incredible series that portrays unimaginable amounts of waste created in the US, like from plastic toys or paper cups.
For instance, what do the two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes, look like in one place? His digital work reflects these numbers visually. His work is not easy to describe, it must be seen - which is Jordan’s premise for bringing these statistics into a visual interpretation.
The artist recently spoke at the Greener Gadgets conference as the keynote speaker, mostly on his series Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption. A video is now available at Inhabitat. Also check out Chris Jordan Creates Beauty from E-waste and his website for images of all his work, ChrisJordan.com.
Babies at risk from Chemicals in Cosmetics
Remember Project Is It In Us? The biomonitoring study that tested people from around the country for 20 toxic substances in three classes of chemicals: phthalates, bisphenol A, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. Well a new study, published recently in the medical journal Pediatrics, focuses on the presence of these hormone-altering chemicals in infants and the results are not good.
The LA Times reported that:
Babies exposed to lotion, shampoo and powder had more than four times the level of phthalates in their urine as those whose parents had not used the products. Previous research found that the substances altered the children’s hormones.
How can you reduce your exposure and your child’s? Well unfortunately manufacturers are not required to list phthalates on personal care product labels. However, you can reduce your exposure from other sources…
Phthalates are used to soften plastics, like PVC, and have been linked to reproductive disorders and shown to cause liver, kidney and lung damage in laboratory animal studies. Variations of phthalates are present in vinyl flooring, vinyl shower curtains, children’s toys, perfumes, nail polish, lotions, adhesives, paints and automobile interiors. A list of common phthalates and where they are found is here. You can reduce your exposure to phthalates with the tips below (from Pollution in People).
- Opt for wood windows and doors instead of vinyl.
- Avoid products packaged with the #3 recycling symbol.
- Choose cotton shower curtains with polyester or nylon liners.
- Opt for PVC-free toys. Toymakers that have pledged to stop using PVC include: Early Start, Little Tikes, Lego, Prime Time Playthings, Sassy, and Tiny Love.
- Buy plastic wrap and bags made from polyethylene. For food storage, use glass containers or plastic containers with recycling symbols other than 3.
Read the LA Times article Study finds high levels of chemicals in infants using baby cosmetics
Loving Moments with Your Child Contest
One of my fellow b5 bloggers has a great contest running this month: Loving Moments with Your Child.
Share a funny moment, something done for you unexpectedly, an accomplishment your child worked hard for… anything that made you say “I JUST LOVE YOU SO!”
It’s all in the spirit of Valentine’s and it doesn’t have to be about your child, it could be about any special child in your life that you celebrate. Sounds fun, and the winner will get a $30 Amazon gift card!
Check out the details (and see Grace’s adorable inspiration) over at Kids Health Notes