26 January 2009

Do you want to live longer? Well cut back on pollution.



Its common sense to believe that if you live in an environment where the air is clean...you'll be healthier.
Its not surprising that a report has been done on a study of major cities from the 80s till now that shows that if you live in a place that has less air pollution you will live an average five years longer.
I remember as a child that pollution was a huge issue for the environment before we ever became interested in green issues.
Pollution used to disgust me then.
Yet there are many countries around the world that would rather see the coppers in their pockets than live a healthy life.
I'm sure that in this day and age we can use clean manufacturing.We haven't got the excuse of ignorance that they had a hundred years ago.
Its the cost...isn't it...yet what cost to our planet and our health ...can we put a value on it in Pounds,Dollars or Yen.

22 January 2009

"Green industrial revolution"-Anaerobic digestion



Have you ever wondered what happened to all the food waste from the Supermarkets? Well it normally gets thrown in landfills and is therefore an environmental threat.It is also costing the retail industry millions.
Wait...couldn't we recycle the food? This seemed an impossible dream..until now.
By using a combination of innovative technologies,bio mass combustion and anaerobic digestion we can create energy from food waste and in turn save the landfills of huge amounts of waste and in turn save costs.
Sainsburys in the UK are using this technology at their Scottish shops and will then roll it out to all their other shops in the UK.

Antarctica and solar power



It has been discovered that part of the Antarctica is melting and over the last fifty years the temperatures have increased.Now scientists are not sure if that is due to the Greenhouse effect or it is a natural cycle.We haven't been on the planet long enough to know what sort of cycles the Earth goes through.
Yet on thing is certain..."we are not helping".
Yet the Antarctica can also help with renewable energy.In the summer months it can produce a huge amount of energy because of the suns reflection on the snow.This has been used by the bases that are situated on the Antarctica.They are using solar panels to generate energy for their bases and also wind power can be used as Antarctica is one of the windiest places on the planet.

17 January 2009

Thinking of a white wedding? Why not try a green one



Now that the Christmas rush has finished and New Year celebrations are complete,we now think of Spring.
You may have noticed the Wedding outfits arriving in the shops and people are thinking of Spring and Summer Weddings.
I think it may be time to think of a way to make your wedding eco friendly.
This can be done in various ways.
You can buy a vintage wedding dress.If that doesn't take your fancy than maybe a dress made from organic cotton,hemp,bamboo and even soy.
Instead of sending out invites.Why not send invites via the net or evite.com
You don't have to invite everybody and you can have your food locally produced.Your Honeymoon can be local aswell.
A wedding doesn't have to produce a huge carbon footprint and it may save you money at the same time.
Instead of presents,you could have your guests donate to a good cause.
This is a good blog to visit http://www.everythinggreenweddings.blogspot.com/

13 January 2009

Televisions and the environment



If you are thinking of buying a new TV this year.Think about the impact that the TV will have on the environment.Plasma TVs can consume four times as much energy as traditional TVs.LCD flat screens are a better choice.
In an age where we use more gadgets than ever..we need to pick the most energy efficient and the ones that do the least harm.
In the US legisation comes into affect from 2011 that all TVs must be "green".

Eco-friendly cars-Blue is the future.



1: Seat Ibiza, 1.4 TDI 80PS Ecomotive, diesel

CO2 (g/km): 99

Price: £11,000

Seat's probably not the first name you think of when it comes to green cars, but this three-door supermini's both cheap to buy and cheap to run.




2: Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, 1.4 TDI 80PS

CO2: 99

Price: £11,995

This little diesel has all the solid German build quality you'd expect, plus an incredibly economic engine that'll make the man at the garage a distant stranger.



3: Honda Civic Hybrid 1.4 IMA ES

CO2: 109

Price: £16,300

As the cheapest hybrid in the UK, the Honda Civic Hybrid is a good, small family alternative to the Prius -- so long as you can stomach automatic transmission.



4: Renault Megane Sport Hatch 1.5 dCi 86 Expression 3 door

CO2: 117

Price: £13,000

Like Citroen, Renault's one of the unsung French brands which has been doing a huge amount to cut emissions across its range. This small family car is a particularly economic example.



5: Citroen C3 1.6HDi

CO2: 118

Price: £13,000

The Citroen C3 is an efficient, straightforward car with a big boot and not quite enough legroom at the back.




6: Ford Focus ECOnetic 1.6 TDCi

CO2: 115

Price: £15,800

This is a brand new version of Britain's most popular car. It's incredibly fuel-efficient and, if it's similar to the Ford bioethanol Focus we reviewed, will make for a good reliable drive.



7: Renault New Laguna Hatch dCi 110

CO2: 130

Price: £17,100

As it emits 130g of CO2 per kilometre the Laguna is just on the borderline of being a greener option, and it's also on the pricey side. But it has some of the best green creds you'll get for a car of this size.



8: Skoda Fabia Estate1.4 TDI PD 80PS

CO2: 109

Price: £13,100

No more funny jokes about Skodas. This one is big and clever -- not to mention as cheap and green as estate cars come.



9: Peugot 207 SW, 1.6 HDi

CO2: 119-123

Price: £13,900

Another big but green option. According to Autoexpress it's a little dear, but it has everything you could want in an estate.



10: SMART Fortwo Cabrio

CO2: 113

Price: £10,500

With their heavier frames for safety and structure, it's surprising any open-top cars made this list. But we can fully recommend this Smart, since it emits so little CO2 and only costs mite over £10K.

You can see more low CO2 cars by class on the Government's Best on CO2 site .

8 January 2009

Fuji batteries are green

Do you fancy a battery thats eco friendly? Why not try Fuji.
The Fuji EnviroMAX Alkaline Battery, an eco-friendly battery that eliminates harmful chemicals found in standard alkalines.
The Fuji EnviroMAX Digital Alkaline and Super Alkaline batteries are free of Mercury, Cadmium and PVC, manufactured without the release of ozone depleting compounds, and feature packaging made with recycled paper.

Additionally, the battery claims to offer full alkaline battery power and a long shelf life.

The Super Alkaline batteries will be available in AA, AAA, C, and D. Digital Alkaline batteries will be available in AA and AAA.

Batteries will are available for purchase direct from the Fuji EnviroMAX website, www.greenfuji.com.

7 January 2009

Greenhouse Nightclub NYC-How green is it!

We've moved into an era of green thinking and thus its only logical to think that our leisure time should be filled with green.
Hopefully there will come a time when to be green will be "just the norm" and accepted.Green Nightclubs,well what are they? It might be a joke in the future as all places will become environmetally friendly.
I guess this is the concept of Jon B the owner of the Greenhouse nightclub in New York City.
Jon says the idea for a green club came to him while sitting on a beach in Miami. "I was trying to think of a good club concept for the next generation," he says. "I think green is cool. And if it's not cool yet, it's going to be cool."
Greenhouse apparently runs on 100% wind power.You might ask yourself...are their wind turbines at the club.No,it runs on a reward scheme.The toilets are low flow and use less water.The floors are made of bamboo and the club is covered in leaves.There is organic 360 Vodka.
Yet we might consider that bamboo has been shipped from China,oh dear not good for the carbon footprint.The beverages are not made locally,oh dear another blow for the carbon footprint and the leaves have been sprayed with a not so environmental fire resistant coating.
Yet its trying to do its bit to make us aware that there are alternatives.I guess it can be difficult to get it totally right.
It might be an idea to consider local options in future and using locally produced resources.
I guess this could be a new beginning of a revoultion in nightclubs.

Greenhouse
150 Varick Street, New York, NY
212-807-7000

Area:
Meatpacking District

Venue:
Nightclub

Hours:
Mon. to Sun.: 10:00 pm - 4:00 am

Price Range:
$$$ (Within Reach)
Payment:
Master Card, Visa, American Express

Why not try out an environmental diet for the New Year



Are you thinking of a new diet for 2009.Have you considered cutting back on beef and dairy.This is a great way to help the environment.Also choose foods that are fresh and local and have not been processed or have travelled across the globe in airplanes or trucks.
Farmshops are a great way to get local produce.Also when you shop think about the way it is packaged.Try to go for less packaging and recycled materials.
When thinking about your health...you can also think about the health of the planet.
Try http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/