I'm starting to see these little empty non-recyclable, non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic containers everywhere. I've seen entire trash cans filled with these things at convenience stores after the morning rush... day after day.
In this day and age, you would think that Keurig and the companies associated with this product (Paul Newman's Own, Heifer, Green Mountain Coffee, Celestial Seasonings, Ghirardelli) who claim to be "organic" and/or "sustainable", would be more aware of it's impact to our environment.
You can contact these companies at the blog post above.
"The Keurig single-cup brewing system uses a special packaging for coffee, tea and hot cocoa called K-Cup portion packs or "K-Cups". Each K-Cup is an airtight, mini-brewer that locks out oxygen, light, moisture and humidity while locking in freshness and flavor. "
Yes, these are real and available just in time to nip our consumer panic in the bud -- now you know exactly what to give to the greenie in your life...or not!It sure is getting chilly outside, and as the temperatures plunge, the majority of us... more
Here’s an alarm clock you might not want to smash with a mallet each and every morning. This living Bamboo Soil Clock uses two household potted plants and copper electrodes buried in the plant’s soil to run.Here’s an alarm clock you might not want to smash with a mallet each and every... more
Living an eco-friendly existence doesn’t have to end when you do.
Ghoulish as it may sound, the business of burials is something we’re all fated to deal with eventually but new environmentally responsible options to handle this morbidly necessary event have emerged here in the US adding a note of green to this eerie realm of commerce.
Elizabeth Fournier, Director of Cornerstone Funeral Services and Cremation in Boring, Oregon, is the self-proclaimed “Green Reaper.”
A lot of people have chosen cremation already and a lot of that is the idea of, ‘Hey, I don’t want to take up space, I don’t want my family to shell out a bunch of cash, and I want to do something good for the environment.’ But of course, what we’re learning is the idea of cremating somebody isn’t so environmentally conscious as we once thought. Actually burying somebody the Green way with no chemicals, no concretes, and no metals in the soil is actually a better choice.
It’s the goal of Ms. Fournier and others in her industry to offer ways families can continue the responsible legacy of their deceased…beyond the grave.
For more on this and the full interview with Elizabeth Fornier, scythe through some of the following links:
Composting the dead (Environmental Graffiti)
Burials and cemeteries go green (NPR)
Do cemeteries impact on the environment? (University of Technology, Sydney)
Japan’s high tech graveyard solution as burial space grows scarce (Treehugger)
Sustainable is the latest buzzword in fisheries management and seafood retailing. But with experts predicting that fish stocks will be gone by 2048, can any commercially exploited marine species be classed as truly sustainable?
In 1997, with the backing of Unilever and WWF, the Marine Stewardship Council was formed. Fisheries that are assessed and meet the standard can use the MSC blue ecolabel. The MSC mission is to reward sustainable and environmentally friendly fishing practices.
In an ideal world, for the MSC to work effectively, the assessments would have been carried out from a pristine fish stock level and monitored continuously, but as we know this is now impossible. At least eighty percent of commercial fish stocks are now classified as fully or over-exploited. On this basis what purpose does the MSC label serve, except to possibly encourage the increased consumption of already severely depleted fish?
Several of the world's fishery stocks have been granted MSC certification in the face of growing opposition. Despite protests from California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium and the marine conservation group Oceana, MSC in October 2009 issued an ecolabel on fish products made with Pacific hake along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Ben Ecticknap, Pacific project manager for Oceana, maintained that “The Pacific hake are at an all-time low population. There’s no good signs of recovery.” He said the Pacific hake population has fallen 89 per cent since the 1980s, so regulators should restrict commercial fishing and develop plans to rebuild the population.
The MSC certification of the Alaskan pollock fishery in 2005 stirred up a similar controversy with Greenpeace stating in 2008 that "the world’s largest food fishery is on the verge of collapse. Pollock, used to make McDonald’s fish sandwiches, frozen fish sticks, fish and chips, and imitation crabmeat, have had a population decrease of 50 percent since last year".
The MSC base their sustainability criteria on current scientific data gathered about fish stocks, but with fish piracy and under-reporting of catches rife how can we be sure that eco-labelling is a safe way of judging a fish species' health? Personally I don't think we can.
Before we can strike a balance between exploiting the oceans and sustainably harvesting them we must realise that, as it stands, very few so-called 'sustainable' fisheries can be sustained at current levels. As we move from one depleted species to another i.e. cod to pollock or monkfish to gurnard, the under-exploited fish becomes tomorrow's over-exploited fish.
In future we shall have to treat wild marine species as a very infrequent luxury and pay a much higher retail price for them if we are ever to ensure true sustainability when extracting marine species for food.
Even now companies are exploiting the keystone species krill to fill the commercial demand for fish oil left because of over-exploited fish stocks. Talk about fishing down the food chain, what will we do when the fish and the krill have gone?Sustainable is the latest buzzword in fisheries management and seafood retailing. But... more
City of LA Announces New Water Restrictions & Rate Plan
Traditionally, single-family homes are allotted a certain volume of water at “Tier 1″ pricing. The allotment is determined by”lot size, temperature zone, time of year and the number of persons in the household.” This year that allotment is being cut by 15%. Any customer who exceeds their allotment will be paying for the difference at the Tier 2 price (roughly double Tier 1 pricing normally reserved for multi-family and commercial customers).
Spam Causing Large Amount of GHG Emissions
When McColo was taken offline in 2008 the results were energy savings equivalent to 2.2 million cars off the road. Most of the energy use associated with spam happens in the deleting process. Which means that opening and sifting through inboxes for legitimate mail, or opening an unwanted e-mail to take yourself off their list actually increases the amount of energy used.
Eco Hipsters Saying No to Jeans
As the fashion forward mavens that we are, we also choose to keep our philosophies on our backs, literally. We tout organic and vintage threads understanding the practices that some fashion labels are doing in the name of style are not acceptable.City of LA Announces New Water Restrictions & Rate Plan
Traditionally,... more
First up, LA beaches are toxic. Which isn’t surprising given our storm water assessment fees haven’t been raised since Pamela Anderson first appeared on Baywatch. With the Mayor’s Office dragging its heels (verrucas perhaps?), we encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own actions.
Next, we investigate what’s missing from the Appalachian Mountains. Hint: it’s not Mark Sanford. Seriously, because of Mountaintop Removal (MTR), large swathes of the Appalachias is unable to support life and is causing residents to become very ill. Help support non-profits take the coal companies and banks to task.
Finally, font otakus rejoice. Inspired by a local cheese, Dutch creative agency has come up with a stylish new font that saves the planet by saving ink. Best of all, the ingenious eco-font also saves you money. Brilliant.First up, LA beaches are toxic. Which isn’t surprising given our storm water... more
If you ever shop at Whole Foods, you're sure to come across some cool-looking t-shirts made by Green Label Organic with slogans like "Conscious Consumption" and "Grow Your Own." With the motto, "Respect Labor, Respect the Planet, Respect Yourself," Green Label's colorful collections of 100% certified organic tops are not only fun to wear, they support sustainable practices and deliver positive messages about the issues that are important to us all.
Green Label Organic is a family owned and operated business located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The company was co-created three years ago as a labor of love for George, a long time T-shirt designer who has always wanted to change the world, and his wife Rain, an extraordinary organic grower and lifetime environmentalist. After learning about the severe environmental impact of conventionally grown cotton, they set out to educate and inform as many people as possible to the importance of supporting organic farming and responsible, sustainable business practices.
KAIST’s newly developed electric vehicle system could be onto something. The vehicle does away with batteries completely and relies on pulling power from a system of cables buried beneath the road. The On Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) is comprised of electric buses that drive over tracks containing power coils. When a bus crosses the track a boost of electricity is delivered, allowing the vehicle to continue travelling without having to stop and recharge.KAIST’s newly developed electric vehicle system could be onto something. The vehicle... more
While in Portland, the OrganicNation.tv crew got a chance to talk with Maine native Alex Steed about the food culture in the area. Alex explained that "local" actually trumps "organic" in the region, because people want to support their neighbors and the producers in their area, and because so much great food is produced in Maine.
Portland is known for its excellent seafood (particularly lobster), maple syrup, cheese, apples, blueberries and flatbread, among others.While in Portland, the OrganicNation.tv crew got a chance to talk with Maine native... more
Clawing for answers about sustaining both lobsters and lobstermen.
What could be more simple than fishing? You catch what nature provides, and toss back what you don’t need. At least that’s the way it was until every 7-Eleven and gas station mini-mart started selling spicy tuna rolls, and scientists observed that the oceans were overfished and gutted of our favorite species. Now, a trip to the fish counter at the supermarket is riddled with complexity...
Did you know? Women own nearly half the farmland in the US today, but are rarely represented on the boards of policy-making bodies. I learned this recently while talking with Leigh Adcock, the Executive Director of the Women, Food & Agriculture Network at her Homegrown Village booth at Farm Aid 2009.
Leigh explained to me the importance of women's roles in building sustainable food systems as mothers, gardeners, landowners, activists and farmers. WFAN is a community of women involved in sustainable agriculture whose mission is to "link and empower women to build food systems and communities that are healthy, just, sustainable, and that promote environmental integrity."
If you're interested in learning more, be sure to check out their 10th Annual Fall Harvest Gathering of Women in Sustainable Agriculture Nov. 13-15 in Whalan, MN.Did you know? Women own nearly half the farmland in the US today, but are rarely... more
The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was producing enough power for the electric meter on the side of the Smiley Building to spin backward.
For the Shaw brothers, who converted the downtown arts building and community center into a miniature solar power plant two years ago, each reverse rotation subtracts from their monthly electric bill. It also means the building at that moment is producing more electricity from the sun than it needs.
"Backward is good," said John Shaw, who now runs Shaw Solar and Energy Conservation, a local solar installation company.
Good for whom?
As La Plata County in southwestern Colorado looks to shift to cleaner sources of energy, solar is becoming the power source of choice even though it still produces only a small fraction of the region's electricity. It's being nudged along by tax credits and rebates, a growing concern about the gases heating up the planet, and the region's plentiful sunshine.
The natural gas industry, which produces more gas here than nearly every other county in Colorado, has been relegated to the shadows.The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was... more
This is a short (2:54) video looking at looming food crisis which the world faces and what needs to be done about it.
Farming First is a call-to-action to policymakers to address food security by giving farmers, especially women smallholder farmers, better access to the tools, training, and technology they need to boost food production. And feed the world.
www.farmingfirst.orgThis is a short (2:54) video looking at looming food crisis which the world faces and... more
What motivates a green consumer? This independent film encompasses what it means to consumers to buy green and sustainable products. See the trends associated with buying green and find out why you yourself may want to change your own consumption habits.
Film interviews consumers, college students, and college professors to analyze what it means to be a green consumer, and what it means to the consumer themselves.What motivates a green consumer? This independent film encompasses what it means to... more
Hollywood is known for its excess, but it appears that several film studios are reigning it in, at least where the environment is concerned. A recent report from the Solid Waste Task Force claims movie studios diverted 63% of their solid waste to recycling plants instead of landfills. This ‘solid waste’ is classified as things such as sets, and that 63% easily translates to 40.2 million pounds of waste. That’s a lot. It means Hollywood reduced enough emissions to equal the removal of 7, 315 cars from the road.Hollywood is known for its excess, but it appears that several film studios are... more
Talk about sustainable packaging… These Sasa-dangos (mochi pounded rice balls filled with red bean paste and seasoned with mugwort) are wrapped in bamboo leaves and bound with a vine. You steam it inside the bamboo grass wrap then unwrap and eat. Simple, functional, beautiful and tasty...Talk about sustainable packaging… These Sasa-dangos (mochi pounded rice balls filled... more
According to the US Green Building Council, buildings in the US account for 38% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Sustainable green building is an important element of our health and planet’s future.According to the US Green Building Council, buildings in the US account for 38% of all... more
With the help of a high tech underground steam cleaning technology developed at UCal-Berkeley and the Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryWith the help of a high tech underground steam cleaning technology developed at... more
