Green Notes

Recycling cellphones

Still got some old cellphones lying around? Here's another opportunity to do the right thing:

EPA is launching National Cell Phone Recycling Week as part of its efforts to celebrate Earth Day the entire month of April. The week, which runs from April 6 through April 12, is a joint effort between EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program and leading cell phone manufacturers, retailers and service providers to increase national awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling.

To celebrate National Cell Phone Recycling Week, Plug-In partners across the country, including AT&T, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, are introducing a series of in-store promotions, contests, and giveaways.  The partners will provide in-store and online recycling opportunities for consumers.

With only 10 percent of unwanted cell phones being recycled in 2007, EPA is encouraging consumers to increase the nation’s cell phone recycling rate.  Recycling or reusing cell phones helps the environment by saving energy and keeping reusable materials out of landfills.  Cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are made of precious metals, copper, and plastics.  Recycling or reusing them not only conserves these materials, it also prevents air and water pollution and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that occur during manufacturing and when extracting and processing virgin materials.  If Americans recycled the 100 million cell phones that are no longer being used, enough energy would be saved to power more than 18,500 homes for a year.

Donating cell phones or PDAs can also have social benefits for communities.  In fact, many existing recycling programs donate cell phones that are in good working order to worthy charities, raise funds for charitable organizations, or provide them for discounted sale. 

Plug-In To eCycling is a voluntary partnership between EPA and electronics manufacturers, retailers, and service providers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics.  In 2007, as part of their commitment to the program, retailers and electronics manufacturers voluntarily recycled more than 47 million pounds of electronics, mostly computers and televisions.

Information about EPA’s Plug-In to eCycling program: www.epa.gov/plugin
Information about cell phone recycling: www.epa.gov/cellphones

New domain name: dot eco?

Al Gore is supporting a move to introduce .eco as a top level domain. Makes sense to me.

More.

Will Google remake the national grid?

There's a fascinating article in the current issue of Portfolio about how Google, in partnership with GE, plans to reform the nation's electrical grid:

Google’s goal in energy is twofold: First, it wants to make your home energy-smart, so that appliances know when to power up and power down, and heating and cooling systems respond automatically to changes in the price of energy. The company views this as essentially a software problem, akin to making sense of the torrent of information on the Web. But before Google can transform your home, it’s pushing for a revolution in the way energy is produced.

And further on:

The world as envisioned by Google includes a vast computer network that monitors and controls the nation’s electricity grid and sets price s for power based on real-time supply and demand. For example, the system could, on a particularly hot afternoon, send a signal to millions of utility customers warning that power prices are soaring. The information could be fed directly into an energy-management system linked wirelessly to people’s air conditioners and appliances, and their Jacuzzis, garden lights, and electric cars. After being programmed, the system would automatically shut down designated devices if prices hit preset levels, just as program trading automatically buys and sells stocks. For those without automatic systems, it would take just a few keystrokes from a computer at the office to power down selected machines at home and avoid being walloped by the price spike.

The grid itself would work in similar ways. If it faced shortages, it could send out a signal offering to buy back power stored in people’s electric car batteries for a healthy premium above what the same electrons cost just 15 hours earlier. Those interested would click accept on their computer screens. The network would locate their vehicles and automatically activate decharging. Eventually, demand and prices would drop, triggering dishwashers and clothes dryers to switch on. Electric cars would resume charging.

The single biggest problem holding the upgrading of the national grid is the one we're all familiar with: It's too expensive.

But then came the stimulus bill and President Obama's commitment to renewable energy. This is a unique opportunity to take a great leap forward.

Read the rest of the story here.

Dade to support Earth Hour 2009

A news release from Miami-Dade County:

Miami-Dade County announced today that it will officially support Earth Hour 2009, a global climate event led by the World Wildlife Fund. More than 240 cities around the world have already committed to go dark for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., as tens of millions of people from all corners of the world unite in a call for global action on climate change.

“Miami-Dade County is doing its part for Earth Hour 2009,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said.  “We want residents to know that we care about saving our natural resources and stand united in seeking to find solutions to climate change.”

During Earth Hour, Miami-Dade County will be turning off the lights for the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, Miami-Dade’s Courthouse, the County’s 140 and Hickman buildings.  Miami’s skyline will go dark for one hour as individuals, businesses, government buildings, schools and major landmarks turn off non-essential lighting in what will be the largest climate event in history.

Miami-Dade County is making it easier than ever for residents to make a difference.  With the County’s recently launched Going Green website, residents can learn about all things green such as the County’s new recycling program or take action by participating in the Biscayne Bay Clean up Day to help keep our beaches beautiful or have some good clean fun with one of the County's many Eco-Adventures.

Excellent news. Still, and call me cynical, I can't help wondering how much money the county is hoping to save.

$200,000 prize for environmentalists in LatAm and Caribbean

The Inter-American Development Bank is sponsoring a competition to develop innovative ideas for improving energy efficiency, and access to efficient energy, in the region. Prizes are up to $200,000.

Watch the videos on YouTube in Spanish here and in English here, or check the IDB's website.

Urban Development Boundary: Dade says 'Yes/No'

Fred Grimm's very funny column highlights the ridiculous position the county has taken in supporting developers who want to move the boundary. The opposition's expert witnesses were all county employees!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

It's this weekend and it's a great excuse to get into the yard. Get the kids involved, too. You don't have to be an expert birder, either. Learn more here.

Lennar to build outside the UDB?

The Tropical Audubon Society is asking birders and other wildlife enthusiasts to tell their commissioners to veto Lennar's proposed development in West Kendall outside the Urban Development Boundary. Most helpfully, each commissioner's phone number is listed.

More info here.

NOAA: New Study Shows Climate Change Largely Irreversible

Today's gloomy news:

A new scientific study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reaches a powerful conclusion about the climate change caused by future increases of carbon dioxide:  to a large extent, there’s no going back.

The pioneering study, led by NOAA senior scientist Susan Solomon, shows how changes in surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level are largely irreversible for more than 1,000 years after carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are completely stopped. The findings appear during the week of January 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Our study convinced us that current choices regarding carbon dioxide emissions will have legacies that will irreversibly change the planet,” said Solomon, who is based at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.

“It has long been known that some of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities stays in the atmosphere for thousands of years,” Solomon said. “But the new study advances the understanding of how this affects the climate system.” 

Read the rest here.

Fl. boaters can sue Big Oil over ethanol

I got this press release yesterday:

Ft. Lauderdale, FL-- Exxon, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, BP and Shell, all defendants in a proposed Florida class action lawsuit, were dealt a huge blow yesterday when a Federal Court in the Southern District of Florida issued an order denying their joint motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by three Florida residents, Erick Kelesceny, John Egizi and Todd Jessup.  The Plaintiffs allege that the world’s largest oil companies failed to warn them, as well as all Florida boat owners, that the gasoline they purchase at the pump, which is blended with ethanol, may destroy fiberglass tanks and tends to absorb water and phase separate, which could cause damage to all boats, regardless of whether they have a fiberglass tank. 

The lawsuit was filed by consumer protection lawyers, Jeffrey Ostrow, David Ferguson and Jonathan Streisfeld of The Kopelowitz Ostrow Firm, P.A. (TKO), a litigation firm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The oil companies argued that the proposed class action lawsuit is preempted by federal and Florida law. By denying the motion to dismiss, the Court has allowed the Plaintiffs to proceed with their lawsuit. 

The basis for the Court’s ruling is that federal law encourages, but does not require, the use of renewable fuels such as ethanol, while Florida does not require it be used by boat owners.  If successful, the oil companies will be forced to place a warning label on all pumps at all gas stations in Florida, notifying the boating public that usage of gasoline blended with ethanol may be hazardous to their boats. 

Further, the Plaintiffs seek compensation for all Florida boat owners who have been damaged as a result of the oil companies’ failure to warn of the destructive tendencies of fuel blended with ethanol when used in boats.  Boat owners have been forced to spend thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to repair their boats. 

If you need more info, contact TKO in Fort Lauderdale.

Florida to limit vehicle emissions

Gov. Crist is finally getting round to doing the right thing about limiting vehicle emissions. The Green Gov has lagged behind the governors of 14 other states.  Here's his statement:

“I commend the Environmental Regulation Commission for adopting a new emission standard for Florida’s vehicles. The new rule sets Florida on the right path toward significantly reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions and protecting the natural beauty that is so important to the Sunshine State’s economy.

“I am confident that future generations will applaud this step, as well as the many others that our state and people are taking to become more energy efficient, use more renewable energy, and provide business opportunities for the growing green technology industry.

“I look forward to the Legislature’s ratifying today’s rule during the upcoming session.”

California, under Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger, led the charge, only to be stymied by the political appointees at the EPA who refused to grant a waiver of the Clean Air Act needed for California to put its new standards into effect. No doubt, that will change under the new administration, but in the meantime, several years have been wasted while Californians continued to spew -- and breathe -- noxious greenhouse gases.

The LA Times explains the background in this story.

FIU launches a weekly farmer's market

This just in:

WHAT:  The Farmer’s Market will feature locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables. Much of the produce will come from Three Sisters Farm, a five-acre organic farm in Homestead owned by FIU alumna Rachael Middleton and her family. Additional fruits and vegetables will be available from other small, local, organic farms as will some highly requested produce from other parts of Florida.

WHO: Sponsored by FIU’s Stempel Public Health Association and the Wellness Center. The Farmer’s Marker was organized as a graduate school project by public health student Nancy Maidique.

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 3 at noon. Beginning January 2009, The Farmer’s Market will be held every Wednesday afternoon when classes are in session.

WHERE: The central fountain at Florida International University – University Park, 11200 SW 8th Street in Miami.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 305-348-2401 ext. 5

Logging: A gift from a departing administration

Further to the post below, The Wilderness Society is urgently asking people to sign a petition to stop the Bureau of Land Management opening up ancient forests in Oregon to logging. It says:

The federal Bureau of Land Management has just proposed opening thousands of acres of forests in western Oregon to logging. It's a handoff to the timber industry, a huge loss to endangered species, and to the American public.

But there's still time to object! Your voice is absolutely critical in showing that the public cares about what happens to these forests. The BLM needs to know that Americans will not stand for degrading our streams and rivers, or the sale of some of our last ancient forests to the timber industry.

Info and the petition can be found on the society's website.

UF bans Kleenex

From a Greenpeace press release:

GAINESVILLE – The University of Florida recently removed Kleenex brand tissues in campus stores Graham Oasis and Beaty Market, a move supported by students and Greenpeace. The university decided to remove Kleenex brand tissues, produced by tissue giant Kimberly-Clark (K-C), because they are made with virgin fiber, much of which is sourced from the North American Boreal forest--one of our last remaining ancient forests. “The removal of Kimberly-Clark products from our university is a strong sign that the company is not producing an environmentally sound product,” said Alex Klein, UF junior and student activist. “Kimberly-Clark claims to be an environmentally responsible company, but it uses wood pulp that is clearcut from the Boreal to make throwaway products like tissues and toilet paper. The University of Florida showed that universities can use their purchasing power to demand that Kimberly-Clark use recycled paper and stop wiping away ancient forests for disposable paper products.” Klein learned about the Kleercut campaign after attending Change It, a Greenpeace student training. After returning to campus in the fall of 2007, she started educating students on campus about Kimberly-Clark and its practices. In the summer of 2008, Klein contacted Susie Lewis, the Sustainability Coordinator for Gator Dining Services, to ask her to phase out Kleeex in Graham Oasis and Beaty Market. Lewis facilitated the replacement of Kleenex brand tissues with more environmentally sustainable Seventh Generation tissues. ”UF already has an environmentally-progressive procurement policy and therefore we do not purchase Kimberly-Clark products on campus. I plan to continue to educate people individually about the Kleercut campaign and set a good example through my own actions,” said Klein. Kimberly-Clark is the target of a growing number of university campaigns across the country because of the company’s continuing forest destruction. University of Florida is the 12th university or college to take action against Kimberly-Clark due to concerns about the company’s clearcutting practices and low use of post-consumer recycled content. Colleges and universities that have participated in the Greenpeace “Kleercut” campaign by removing K-C products include Harvard University, University of Vermont, University of Miami, University of Central Florida, Rice University, American University, Wesleyan University, University of California- Berkeley, and Northern Arizona University.   

Biophilia: Why everyone needs a houseplant

Here's a nice report from the BBC:

A bit of greenery near our homes can cut the "health gap" between rich and poor, say researchers from two Scottish universities.

Even small parks in the heart of our cities can protect us from strokes and heart disease, perhaps by cutting stress or boosting exercise.

Their study, in The Lancet, matched data about hundreds of thousands of deaths to green spaces in local areas.

More...

I remember learning years ago of another British study that concluded that hospitalized patients with a view of something natural -- instead of a brick wall or a car park -- spent, on average, a day less in hospital.

It seems that we have a deep, deep need to be part of nature. Biologist E.O. Wilson introduced a term for this: biophilia.

It's why gardening is such an important hobby to millions of us -- and why you find aquariums in doctors' waiting rooms.

Bisphenol A: Is the FDA compromising babies' safety?

Three attorneys-general - from Delaware, New Jersey and Connecticut - are asking 11 manufacturers to stop using Bisphenol A in baby bottles. BPA is linked with a hormonal disruptions in girls and with cancer in adults. Consumer and environmental groups, such as Consumer Reports, have long advocated for its removal.

The FDA is in the process of deciding whether BPA should be banned, but it turns out that the chair of the panel that makes the decision, Dr. Martin Philbert, recently received a $5 million donation to a research center he directs in Milwaukee and neglected to declare it. The donor, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is anti-regulation and considers BPA to be entirely safe. The FDA has launched a probe into the issue, but it highlights a significant problem with the process of addressing toxicity issues.

In August, The FDA, and presumably Dr. Philbert's panel, produced a draft assessment concerning the risks associated with BPA, which the Environmental Working Group has strongly criticised. The draft is up for review of Oct. 31, and the FDA will subsequently make its recommendations.

Killer ozone

Here's another report, this one is unsettling, from The Daily Telegraph: Britain's Royal Society is saying that as the earth warms, we can expect more deaths from ozone poisoning. The young, the old and the sick, especially asthmatics, are most vulnerable.

Read more here.

The blue heart of a glacier

About 10 years ago, on a summer vacation in Chamonix, at the base of Mont Blanc, I did the tourist thing and took the little mountain train to Montenvers and from there descended into the heart of the Mer de Glace, the Sea of Ice glacier.

Every summer, a grotto featuring an enormous bedroom, dining room and more, is carved out of the ice where the temperature remains just below freezing. Although it was certainly an interesting side trip,  what has really stayed with me is the color of the ice: the purest, most luscious turquoise you could imagine. Its intensity was so mesmerizing it's as if I wanted it to absorb me. As the climate warms, adventures like this may be hard to experience.

Sometimes, on nature programs that feature calving icebergs, you get a glimpse of it.

Yes, this all very far from Florida's environment (at least until the sea level rises) but I came across some gorgeous photos of rare, striped icebergs in Antartica on The Daily Telegraph's website. Check them out and you'll get an idea of what I saw in the heart of a sea of ice.

'COOL,' but flawed, food labeling in effect

An interim final rule for mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, and several kinds of nuts is now in effect, but Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer rights organization, says there's still a long way to go before consumers can be sure all imported food is sufficiently labeled.

The improvements were part of the 2002 Farm Bill, and COOL was supported by consumers and producers, "despite repeated attempts by the food industry to kill the program and delay its implementation," says FWW.

The problem, though, is that while the label for raw nuts, for example, must include the country of origin, once those nuts are roasted – “processed” – the requirement is dropped. It is, as FWW observes, “a massive loophole” that affects “over 60 percent of pork, the majority of frozen vegetables, an estimated 95 percent of peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts, and multi-ingredient fresh produce items such as fruit salads and salad mixes.”

It wrote to the UDSA about it today. Find the letter here.

American children contaminated with fire retardant

This is an alarming story: The Environmental Working Group, which does a lot of science-based research, says that the blood of toddlers and preschoolers typically has three times more of the neurotoxic compounds (known as PBDEs) found in fire retardants than their mothers.

The study suggests that U.S. children 1 to 4 years of age bear the heaviest burden of flame retardant pollution in the industrialized world.

EWG conducted a similar survey in 2003 that revealed the average level of fire-retardants in breast milk from 20 American moms was 75 times higher than the average levels measured in Europe. Indeed, the European Union banned one of the retardants but it remains unregulated here, the group says.

Note: None of the surveyed mothers lives in Florida.

Read more.

Avoiding toxic household cleaners

If you want to avoid potentially harmful chemicals in household cleaning products, Women's Voices for the Earth tells you how to make your own. The recipes use everyday products that have been used forever and their dangers, such as they are, are well known.

WVE, a national nonprofit, has just released a report card that grades five leading cleaning product manufacturers (Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Sunshine Makers, Inc./Simple Green and The Clorox Company) on toxic chemical and consumer right-to-know issues.

Extracts from the press release:

The companies were graded on several subjects, including toxic chemicals in products, responsiveness to consumer concerns, their toxic chemicals screening process and how well companies inform consumers of ingredients contained in their products. All companies were given an opportunity to review their grades and provide feedback prior to the release of the report card.

The U.S. does not require household cleaning product companies to disclose all ingredients on their labels, and currently none of the five companies WVE reviewed include this information on all of their cleaning products. Sunshine Makers, Inc./Simple Green and The Clorox Company label ingredients on their “green” line of products but do not include complete ingredient lists on their more extensive, “traditional” product lines.

Procter & Gamble received an F for having the most toxic chemicals in products.
Simple Green received an F for lack of responsiveness to consumer concerns.
The Clorox Company received an F for poor ingredient disclosure.

Details are on the website, but in Clorox's defense, I like its new GreenWorks line of products - and they have the Sierra Club's backing.

Fuel efficiency is improving, says EPA

The EPA says that for the fourth consecutive year it's reporting an increase in fuel efficiency for cars and light duty trucks. When manufacturers turn in their final reports, it's expected to show an average of 20.8 mpg, an increase of 0.2 mpg from last year.

I'm not impressed.

My first car was a 1968 Morris Minor Traveller, (It was already a collector's item when I bought it around 1980). It was built like a tank and it got about 40 mpg (Imperial gallons, which are slightly larger) on the highway. It was the kind of car that even I could work on (in desperation), which means it was as basic as could be.

Mine was the same color as this one, too.

Of course, it didn't have the maneuverability of a modern vehicle. The radiator had to topped up frequently, and if you needed air conditioning you wound down the windows. It had a good heater though.

It would never pass current safety regulations. For a start, the wooden frame (made of ash) was structural. Still, it was a great car for transporting kids, dogs, and even goats.

The greening of Halloween in Daytona

I probably shouldn't say this, but it does seem that everyone and his brother's uncle has gone green. So why is the planet still in such danger? Sigh.

Anyway, if you happen to be near Daytona Beach over the Halloween weekend, here's another event; and it's attracting national media attention:

The Green Halloween "HalloGreen!" will be held in downtown Daytona Beach at the City Island Park on Friday, located at 105 E Magnolia Avenue, on Oct. 31 from 4:00 till 8:00 p.m. This event is FREE to the public.

There will be delicious and healthy refreshments available at affordable prices from local restaurants and vendors. Attendees may partake in creative crafts, games, giveaways, and competitions while listening to upbeat music, perusing the environmentally friendly wares, and enjoying gathering eco-friendly "treats" from the participating vendors and sponsors all in a family-friendly atmosphere. 

Green Halloween HalloGreen! is the perfect opportunity to motivate through family fun and community togetherness, promoting an awareness of the environment.

Our goal is to inspire and accomplish real, meaningful and lasting change through healthy and eco-wise choices that are likely to expand to other holidays and special occasions year 'round.

Green Halloween of Daytona Beach is the only official Green Halloween city in Florida. We are currently organizing an event that is open to tourists as well as locals. 

For more information on this event or becoming a sponsor, contact Ciana Maglio at dbgreenhalloween@gmail.com or 386-676-0011 or visit greenhalloween.org/daytona

Of course, anything that mitigates the carbon spewed into the atmosphere from the race track is to be welcomed.

Snakes and snails

So many creepy crawlies out there. Pythons in the Everglades, monitor lizards near Homestead, tegus, iguanas everywhere...Meg Lowman, ecologist at New College in Sarasota, is having an invasive reptile workshop Sept. 22 at New College for biologists, researchers, students and animal catchers to meet and discuss what's afoot. It begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Cook Hall Music Room on Bayfront campus, 5800 Bayshore Rd., Sarasota. 

The EPA updates its website; more user-friendly

Until now, the EPA's website has been boring and uninviting, yet it holds a wealth of information for consumers. With that in mind, it's updated the site to draw in regular folks looking for ways to green up their homes, save money on utilities and understand environmental issues. It's also interactive and localized. Check it out.