Part of why I have been behind on my posts is I have been traveling. I witnessed some of the worst ecological nightmares and saw a few (a very few) great things.

We all know that air travel burns a ton gas. Here are some facts about it from Wikipedia:

• In the EU greenhouse gas emissions from aviation increased by 87% between 1990 and 2006
• In addition to the CO₂ released by most aircraft in flight through the burning of fuels such as Jet-A (turbine aircraft) or Avgas (piston aircraft), the aviation industry also contributes greenhouse gas emissions from ground airport vehicles and those used by passengers and staff to access airports, as well as through emissions generated by the production of energy used in airport buildings, the manufacture of aircraft and the construction of airport infrastructure.
• While the principal greenhouse gas emission from powered aircraft in flight is CO₂, other emissions may include nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, (together termed oxides of nitrogen or NO_x), water vapour and particulates (soot and sulfate particles), sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide (which bonds with oxygen to become CO₂ immediately upon release), incompletely-burned hydrocarbons, tetra-ethyl lead (piston aircraft only), and radicals such as hydroxyl, depending on the type of aircraft in use.
• The contribution of civil aircraft-in-flight to global CO₂ emissions has been estimated at around 2%.^[6] However, in the case of high-altitude airliners which frequently fly near or in the stratosphere, non-CO₂ altitude-sensitive effects may increase the total impact on anthropogenic (man-made) climate change significantly this problem is not present for aircraft that routinely operate at lower altitudes well inside the troposphere, such as balloons, airships, helicopters, most light aircraft, and many commuter aircraft

But there are other horrors…. while on my flight I generated more garbage than my husband and I do in two days.

FACT: 1 MILLION Plastic cups are used every 6 hours by airlines on flights in the US (just in the US!).

Between the plastic cups for every drink (god forbid they refill your cup), plastic fork/spoon/knife set (when have you ever needed a spoon on a flight?), the plastic container your horrible meal came in, and the plastic that was individually wrapping up every single item you were given. To be fair on my outbound flight they recycled and I thought it was fantastic and was ready to blog praises, but on my return flight and talking to fellow travelers I think I just had a Flight Attendant who might read this blog and have a personal commitment to doing good.

While I was at the hotel I was constantly offered plastic bottles of water. My room was filled with fantastic bath products in tiny plastic containers. I am no fool I get why this happens but we need to think of another way to provide those amenities. Also the hotel also had tons of unread papers every day.

Now for the praise… the hotel had individual towels in the public bathrooms for you to dry your hands off with. Granted it was a pretty classy place I thought that was fantastic. They also did the “green” thing of asking us to reuse our towel and not ask the maid the change our sheets. Our hallway outside our room had motion sensor lights so they were not on all time when they were not needed.

Lessons to be learned:

• Airlines should try to think of ways to eliminate waste. In these days of charging per bag and for food they need to save money everywhere. Why not start with refilling cups (or just give us the chilled cans without the cup). Get corn or potato made “plastic ware.”
• Recycle… it really is just that simple.
• Hotels should have water coolers in various locations and guests can fill up water bottles or glasses. They are already washing dishes why not a few glasses… someone still has to clean of the abandon water bottles all over the hotel so I do not think that it is that hard to do.
• More hotels should follow the lead with the little washable towels in the bathroom. Same scenario as above they are already doing laundry why not wash a few hand towels!
• Motion sensor lights are a great idea for public places that are not used often.

I used more plastic this week than I would in an average month or two. We have become so dependant on plastic that it is hard to step back and see just how bad it is and that even if it is a little more inconvenient to stop using it is worth it.

My husband and I have been exploring the idea of buying a hybrid car. Last week alone my husband drove enough to put $120 of gas in his PT Cruiser (an above average week of driving but it hit the point home, gas is really expensive). So I started looking at the options.

First, I looked to see what cars come as hybrids. I knew there was not alot but I was suprised how few. Here is what I found when I looked at the  ”hybrid cars” section on MSN Autos on msn.com.

Current Hybrids
		Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
		Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
		Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
		Ford Escape Hybrid
		GMC Sierra Hybrid
		GMC Yukon Hybrid
		Honda Accord Hybrid
		Honda Civic Hybrid
		Lexus GS 450h
		Lexus LS 600h
		Lexus RX 400h
		Mazda Tribute Hybrid
		Mercury Mariner Hybrid
		Nissan Altima Hybrid
		Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid
		Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid
		Toyota Camry Hybrid
		Toyota Highlander Hybrid
		Toyota Prius

Not a huge selection right.  So we looked at the list and decided which ones we thought we liked. Here are the ones we are considering:

1. Honda Civic
2. Ford Escape
3. Toyota Highlander
4. Tried to talk him into a Prius, he said no way and since he drives ALOT more than I do…

So the Highlander gets 27 mpg and is priced $35,000-$40,000 which is more than we wanted to spend since we are looking to save money because of fuel costs 27 mpgs are not worth our while. So it is basically down to the Ford Escape and Honda Civic.

I called the Honda dealership that I bought my last car from and asked them how long the wait was (I knew there was no way they had any for sale) and they said they would have a shipment in September. He then proceeded to try to talk me out of it. He said that based on average use (I do not know what that means to him but lets assume the national average of 12,000 miles per year) the extra cost of a hybrid Civic from an average Civic is about $5,000.  He said if gas stayed at $4.00 a gallon (which it already is not in most of the country) it would take 8 years to pay off the difference. Is he right? Kinda here is the math

Gas cost on a regular Civic per year: (12000 miles/35 mpg X 4.00) $1371.42

Gas cost on a Hybrid Civic per year: (12000 miles/45 mpg X 4.00) $1066.67

Annual savings of about $304… So yes he is about right it takes a long time to make your money back.

Same scenario more miles and higher gas price:

Gas cost on a regular Civic per year: (16000 miles/35 mpg X 5.50) $2514.28

Gas cost on a Hybrid Civic per year: (16000 miles/45 mpg X 5.50) $1955.56

Annual savings of about $589 and if gas prices soar at the same rate they have been $5.50 could be a very low estimate.

Of course the comparison here is between an already extremely fuel efficient car and hybrid so the difference in minimal.

While the dealer is probably right if you drive 12,000 miles or less and you need a new car anyway a regular Civic is not a bad choice. However, if you want to take into consideration the fact the gas prices can continue to soar the balance of savings starts to diminish.  

I will keep you updated on the research that I do and the comparisons.

As a person trying to live a more environmentally friendly life I find myself in a dilemma. Trees are very important to our environment, they help cleanse our air, provide a home to wildlife, provide shade…etc. However, I feel when  tree is dangerous it should be cut down.

I live in a suburban area outside a major city. Last week a tree in front of my house, that I had asked the town to remove, fell and missed knocking my house down by as small a distance as humanly possible. My tree was the only tree that could have fallen and not knocked down a house. All the houses on the street have little to no front yard and are close to their neighbors. We happen to have a double lot and tree fell in the yard, it did substantial but not structural damage to the side of my house (gouges in the wood, some damage to the roof shingles, knocked down my fence…etc.). As my neighbors came to see if we were ok, glare at the damage and the size of the tree we all discussed how poorly managed the town trees are and how impossible it is to get one taken down. The tree that fell was definitely not the worst tree on the street there is another one about a house away that has not had leaves on it since I moved into my house almost 3 years ago.  

Deep down I know these trees serve a purpose. I know that my house invaded their home (it was all a forest here before people settled here). I know that some people would argue that global warming and humans effects on the environment is what caused the fastest most horrific storm to blow through here in 20 mins and knocked the tree down. But all of that being said, I cannot just move out of my house, knock it down and put the forest back that was here before I was born. We need to figure out a way to safely deal with the issues of older trees and still do the right thing for the environment.

I do not want to sound like I do not understand that the situation I am in is because we are overpopulated…etc. but we need to really think about how we can balance some of the things that we just cannot completely undo and figure out how we can live a more environmentally friendly life without compromising safety.

*this issue with the tree is why I have not kept up with my posts the last 2 weeks.

American use lots of energy cooling their homes in the late spring and summer month. What prompted me to write this post (last night by the time you read this) is it is maybe 65 degrees outside (I think that is being generous) and I walked past 3 houses with their air conditioner’s on. I had on a long sleeve shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a light fleece and I was comfortable I guarantee the people in those houses could have opened their windows and cooled their house to at least the level that they wanted. 

On average, about half of the energy used in U.S. homes is expended on space conditioning (i.e. heating and cooling)*.  A 12,000 BTU air conditioner minimally cost $.09 per hour to run and energy costs continue to skyrocket so who knows how much it could cost by the end of the summer. More houses are centrally air conditioned now as well so now the whole house is being cooled rather than the rooms that are needed.

I bet if we all really measured the temperatures in our houses in the winter we make it hotter than we allow our houses to be in the summer most of the time. We need to live with it being a few degrees hotter in the house than normal in the summer.

Here is what you can do to reduce the temperature in your house with out using the AC all the time:

1. Install ceiling fans in frequently used rooms (they are good even in the winter too if the blades can go in reverse)
2. Get a dehumidifier for key rooms. There are natural ways to dehumidify if you want to keep your energy bill really low.
3. Put curtains up in the summer that block the sun from the windows that get that heavy noon time sun.
4. Sleep with the windows open and less covers on your bed.
5. Wear natural cotton clothing that will help make you feel cooler as well.

So please I beg you at least when it is cool enough out please do not run your air conditioner.

*from Wikipedia

I know I blog about the environment so why am I reviewing a movie… especially a non-documentary movie. First I want to start off by saying that the movie was awful. There was very little plot, you really did not know what was happening and you kinda did not care either. I am not a fan of John Leguzamo either so I was not impressed and Mark Walhberg’s wife Zoey Daschel (sp?) was just horrendous. I do not recommend you go see the movie so the rest of this post will not really ruin it for you because I am going to tell you the only good parts or ideas of the movie.

The idea or theme of the movie was brilliant!! It’s execution of it is what I found so terrible. It was basically an environmental thriller. People all of sudden, starting in Central Park, loose their ability to speak coherently, stop walking or walk backwards and then (very quickly) decide they need to kill themselves. For part of the movie you think it is terrorist but you know it is not so you do not believe it. Then there is a theory floated in the movie that it is because of nuclear power plants of which there are many in the Northeast where the movie is based. So there is a brief discussion even if theoritical about the dangers of nuclear power. Then Mark Walhberg’s character figures out that it is the plants basically ganging up against the humans. The plants are trying to get us to realize that we need to respect the planet.

The message that humans are not the only intelligent creatures on this Earth is a fantastic idea. The idea that plants realized that we were killing their home had such potential. In the movie a scientist got on TV and told the people why it happened the newscaster approached his theory with the same skeptical attitude you see so often in a global warming discussion with people who think it just is not happening. The scientist said in one of the last scenes says you will understand when it happens again and it was not just one occurrence and the movie ends with it happening in France.

So the movie had a great potential to tell a horrifying tall of how peoples ignorance for the environment caused their ultimate demise it just was not the best version of a compelling story.

Many dry cleaners are still using Perchorethylene (PERC) as their primary cleaning solvent.  The National Institute of Environmental Health Science states that: Short-term exposure to PERC can cause adverse health effects on the nervous system that include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, sweating, uncoordination, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage. The International Association for Research on Cancer classifies PERC as a probable carcinogen. PERC also contributes to air pollution and has been found to contaminate water and soil.

In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency passed a law requiring any dry cleaner located in a residential building to phase out PERC by 2020, and last year, the state of California approved a plan that would phase out all California dry cleaners’ use of PERC, which is on their list of toxic air contaminants, by January 2023.

Most dry cleaners likely classify themselves as “organic” if they do not use PERC but there is no regulation on using the term “organic” when it comes to dry cleaning. If a dry cleaner is certified by the International Fabricare Institute as a “Certified Environmental Dry Cleaner,” it means the cleaner has passed a test certifying that they have the knowledge and ability to maintain their facility in an environmentally responsible way but doesn’t actually ban the use of chemicals like PERC.

Basically, there’s no regulation of the term “organic” when applied to dry cleaning, and you really should press the cleaner to reveal exactly what chemicals are being used. Most “organic” or “natural” dry cleaners label themselves as such simply because they’ve stopped using PERC.

Special Thanks to my Mom who has been begging me to research this and post my answer here.

Hanging your clothes to dry is not one of the simplest tips of the week I have suggested but it is highly efficient. It costs about $85 per year to use a dryer, your second most energy using appliance in the house after the refrigerator. Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) estimates that a dryer emits 150 kilograms of greenhouse gas per year!

What you will need to do this:

• Clothing line outside
• clothes pins
• drying racks indoors
• clothing line inside (if you have a basement that is big enough for this)

The items listed above will not cost you alot of money but will be well worth the investment. The obvious hardship of following this tip is time involved in hanging you clothes up. It is much easier to throw them in a heap in the dryer, close the door and forget about it. Take the time to hang your clothes up outside or inside (depending on the weather) and do something to help the environment.

In researching and preparing to write this blog I have come past various facts that in and of themselves do not warrant their own post so I have been keeping a running list. Since I love little facts and you never know when you will have the opportunity to discuss them with a friend I wanted to share them with you. My husband will particularly like #2 as several years ago I blurted out the fact about the pick-up truck being the best selling car in the US and he STILL makes fun of me about it.

1. In 2007 $1.6 billion of jet fuel was burned by planes waiting in line to take off at airports. That’s 740 million gallons of fuel. That is 7.1 million metric tons of CO2.
2. The Ford 415 is NOT the #1 selling car this year (as it has been for the last 17 years) it is now the #4 car with Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Corolla taking the top spots.
3. London Olympic Stadium is being designed to be demountable, so that it can be sold after the games. Organizers also note that it could be “the first step in a new approach to the games, which could become more like a travelling circus to keep costs down and allow poorer countries to play host.” London is talking to possible 2016 host Chicago because “both cities have decided to build main stadiums with small numbers of permanent seats while erecting giant seating scaffolds for the two weeks of competition. Talks have focused on how London’s stadium might be bolted rather than welded together, ensuring the materials used allow it to function properly in another country and climate, and how sections might fit on a cargo ship.” (from Treehuger.com)
4. Americans weigh about 24 more pounds per person than we did in the 1970s. That weight, when we’re driving, has to be moved around with our cars. Multiplied over the three trillion miles driven in America each year, suddenly we need a lot of gas to move around our extra chub. If we could (preferably through walking and biking) lose those 24 lbs and reach 1970’s sizes, America would used nearly one billion gallons of gas lessthan we currently do. (from ecogeek.org)
5. 60,000 plastic bags are used in the US every 5 seconds!! (from portfolio.com)
6. 2,000,000 plastic bottles are used in the US every 5 minutes. (from portfolio.com)
7. 12% of Earths plant species could be extinct in the next 20 years. (from green-networld.com)

I hope to do this kind of post on a regular basis I think alot can be said by looking at these facts. Eventhough I wrote a post about using canvas bags instead of getting a plastic bag at the store it hits you even more when you see the fact above. I hope you found these as interesting as I did.

Here are some companies that are trying to give us some ways to help the environment in some innovated ways.

Best Buy is testing out a new green policy of letting customers drop of up to two items a day to be recycled in 117 of their stores in the Baltimore, San Francisco and Minnesota areas. They will accept TV’s up to 32 inches, telephones,  computers, and cameras.

LG has a greener solution: the Solar Bluetooth Car Kit. Mount this light-weight box to your windshield and you’re good to go…and talk. Holding enough charge for 16 hours of talk time, the kit can get 1 hour of talk time for every 2 hours of exposure. Plastic clasps keep the box angled at the sun so you can careen around corners without loosing light. And say you do have to sit through a storm and need some juice, there is the old-fashioned cigarette lighter charger option. Plus, with it only weighing 72 oz, you can move it from car to car. Currently this is only available in Europe but I imagine it will here soon!

Coca-Cola began replacing HFC machines with CO2 machines. Yep – Carbon Dioxide is helping our environment! By the end of 2006, the company had 6,000 units placed world-wide (yes, that’s relatively few when considering they have 10 million machines operating around the globe, but still nothing to sneeze at). Continuing with that trend, they’ve drastically increased their CO2 machine intake by purchasing 100,000 new compressed carbon dioxide beverage coolers.

The new machines will emit 75% fewer greenhouse gasses, though they cost about 25% more. This is significant when considering that HFCs are major global warming pollutants and, if allowed to run as rampant as they currently are, their overall contribution to global warming pollution could nearly double within 40 years. Compressed Carbon Dioxide-based cooling units, on the other hand, will help reduce the impact of these HFC clunkers on our planet – and since Coca-Cola is a global company, it truly is a global issue.

On top of purchasing the new CO2 machines, Coca-Cola has also invested $40 million to research next generation refrigeration technologies. Lets hope this research includes looking into that little factor of electricity consumption required by those 10 million machines to light up, take your money, and spit out a cold beverage. (from ecogeek.org) 

So we have all heard that the polar bear was listed as “threatened” on the Endangered Species list but what does that mean? How does an animal get on the list? What does being on the list mean?

The Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973 during Nixon’s administration and was widely accepted by the American people. The goal of the legislation was to protect the biological diversity of the planet. There were no ifs and or buts about it when the law was written any thing could be protected by this law even if it was considered a predator. In theory, environmentalist and those who do not like the law agree it protects animals (and flora and fauna, which are also protected) over humans. Interestingly, there is a clause in the act that allows citizens to sue the government to enforce the law.

History of how many animals ended up on the list for the last 5 presidential administrations:

• George W. Bush            protected 60 species
• Bill Clinton                   protected 522 species
• George Bush (1 term)   protected 231 species
• Ronald Regan              protected 255 species
• Jimmy Carter               protected 126 species

How does an animal get on the list?

Petitions are written and submitted to the Department of the Interior (DOI) or the DOI can put a species on the list they feel is endangered without needing a petition from the people. The law states that they must respond to a petition within 90 days. If the department decides that it needs more time for research to be conducted there is an additional year extension. Many times in recent years it has taken much longer to get approval or a decision.

The polar bear petition was filed on February 16, 2005 (the anniversary of the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in other countries). The decision to add the polar bear to make it “threatened” did not come until after a court order required the administration to issue a decision on May 15, 2008. It is important to note that many environmentalist argue that the administration waited so long to issue a ruling so that the sale of 29.4 million acres in the Chuhch Sea would not be affected (which went through in early 2008).

What does being on the list mean?

The government is required to define, designate, and preserve the animals habitat so that the species can survive. The government also needs to proactive in figuring out ways to keep the species alive and growing this plan is called a “Recovery Plan.”

What is the difference in being classified as “endangered” or “threatened”?

Endangered species are closer to extinction and generally the plans to save them are more involved. Threatened species are ones that still have a good sized populations but are at serious risk of diminishing quickly.

If you want to see what is on the list here is a link to search the list:

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/wildlife.html#Species

Here is a fact sheet about polar bears:

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/polar_bear.pdf