Environmentally Conscious
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Why are biofuels losing steam in Europe?
An interesting article on the downfalls of biofuel and how the US corporate market is winning big with biofuels.
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Doomsday vault for world’s seeds is opened under Arctic mountain
Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister, said: “With climate change and other forces threatening the diversity of life that sustains our planet, Norway is proud to be playing a central role in creating a facility capable of protecting what are not just seeds, but the fundamental building blocks of human civilisation.” Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister, said: “With climate change and other forces threatening the diversity of life that sus... more
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Earthrace Eco-boat Powered by Human Fat
Talk about recycling! In an effort to promote environmentalism and sustainability, the Earthrace is a high speed boat that will attempt to break the round the world speed record using a biofuel made from liposuction fat. Now that's a lean machine. Talk about recycling! In an effort to promote environmentalism and sustainability, the Earthrace is a high speed boat that will attem... more
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The future is now / Think outside the box
Electric vehicles are possible now for real change tomorrow.
Can't we force the auto companies to make electric vehicles now?
Vehicles I'd like to see crushed, SUV's Hummer's (Sorry Arnold), etc.
Not electric vehicles.
You won't mind if we take all those new EV's back and crush them will you?
You don't mind waiting for hydrogen, do you?
It's right around the corner, honest?
OK, I believe you, mind if we drive in my EV around the corner to check out your Hydrogen car? Electric vehicles are possible now for real change tomorrow. Can't we force the auto companies to make electric vehicles now? ... more -
Fight Global Warming by Bringing the Farm Indoors
A microbiologist at Columbia University thinks he has found a way to help cool the effects of Global Warming... by bringing the farm indoors. He outlines how skyscraper farms can produce enough food and water for 50,000 people a year. His theory is that if we can reduce the amount of land being used for agriculture, we would have more room to plat trees, in turn helping to reverse global warming. Prototype skyscraper farms could pop up in as few as 5 years.....funding permitting. Wait for it.... A microbiologist at Columbia University thinks he has found a way to help cool the effects of Global Warming... by bringing the farm i... more
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Learn what a Locavore is and find out about getting a green job
If you would like to work in a green career field and also want to live in a specific geographic location then this is a good article for you. This article has 10 tips on where to look and what to do in order to help you find a green career in the community you love. The green job you may dream of may not be as glamorous in the community of your dreams, but it will be as vitally important in helping to reshape your community and economy in the place you want to live. If you would like to work in a green career field and also want to live in a specific geographic location then this is a good article ... more
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11 ways to Halt the Environmental Crisis
You probably don't need to be told that the threat of climate change is real. If you're concerned about the issue, it's fairly easy to conjure the apocalyptic scenes of widespread drought, frequent deadly storms, mass hunger, and wars over natural resources like oil and water. Much harder to come by are examples of positive actions that can avert these disasters and ease the crisis in places where they are already in play. So let's skip the litany of catastrophes that await if global warming is not controlled. Instead, why not focus on some solutions? None are perfect or complete, but each offers a model of positive change that is more than theoretically possible -- it is already happening. You probably don't need to be told that the threat of climate change is real. If you're concerned about the issue, it's... more
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The Butterfly Effect In Action
by Nicole
In a beautiful illustration of the butterfly effect, Florida researchers George Austin and Andrew Warren are auctioning the naming rights of a new species of owl butterfly they discovered earlier this year. The proceeds will go to the McGuire Center at Floridas Museum of Natural History to fund research into Lepidoptera, the species class that includes butterflies and moths.
This is a rare opportunity to buy this unique and eternal gift, since its been more than 100 years since a new owl butterfly has been named. It is extraordinarily uncommon for such a large, showy butterfly to have escaped detection until now, said Warren. This likely will be one of the last times such a large and beautiful butterfly is named.
The soon-to-be-named butterfly is native to the Mexican Sonoran Desert, which is just south of the Mojave, though Austin and Warren actually discovered the previously misidentified butterfly in a collection at Floridas Museum of Natural History. The male has a bright orange hue, with the female having more distinct marking on its browner wings. Both have a wingspan of approximately four inches.
Convention allows that those who discover new species have a say in naming it. We realized this striking discovery represents an exceptional opportunity to raise funds for continued research on Mexican butterflies, by allowing rights to the species-level name to be auctioned, said Austin.
The butterfly lot is up for sale on iGavel.com, a high-end auction site which guarantees the authenticity of its items. So far there have been twelve bids, with the highest offer being $34,000. Bidding closes on Nov 2nd.
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra by Nicole ... more -
Organic Food Really Is Better So Stock Up On The Top 5 Essentials
by Nicole
A $25 million study, funded by the European Union, has found that organic food really is better for you. Lead by Newcastle Universitys ecological agriculture professor Carlo Leifert (who has also spoken out against genetically modified or GM food), researches grew fruit and vegetables, and reared cows using both organic and non-organic methods on adjacent sites over a four-year period. They found that the organic produce contained more antioxidants and less fatty acids that their non-organic counterparts.
Levels of antioxidants in organic milk were between 50% and 80 % higher, with levels reaching a peak during the summer months when the organic cattle stock grazed on fresh grass. Levels of vitamin E were also found to be higher in organic milk, which produced cheese with twice a many nutrients. Organic vegetables such as wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce had between 20% and 40% more nutrients.
For those taking their first step towards a healthier organic lifestyle, Organic Rx's Dr. Geene lists the top five organic food essentials in an interview published by the New York Times. He lists organic foods in order of priority, based on nutritional value, pesticide contamination, and environmental considerations, as well as the average intake of a specific food, since it makes sense to go organic on the foods we eat the most of to maximize their impact.
Milk According to the New York Times, one recent United States Department of Agriculture survey found certain pesticides in about 30 percent of conventional milk samples and low levels in only one organic sample.
Potatoes They make up 30% of our overall vegetable intake, and are one of the most contaminated foods. A 2006 U.S.D.A. test found 81 percent of potatoes tested still contained pesticides after being washed and peeled, and the potato has one of the highest pesticide contents of 43 fruits and vegetables tested, according to the Environmental Working Group.
Peanut Butter More acres are devoted to growing peanuts than any other fruits, vegetable or nut, according to the U.S.D.A. More than 99 percent of peanut farms use conventional farming practices, including the use of fungicide to treat mold, a common problem in peanut crops.
Ketchup About 75 percent of tomato consumption is in the form of processed tomatoes Recent research has shown organic ketchup has about double the antioxidants of conventional ketchup.
Apples Apples are the second most commonly eaten fresh fruit and are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables.
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra by Nicole ... more -
How do you try to be environmentally conscious?
DJ and record producer Adam Freeland shares his answer.
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