Author Alexandra Shimo-Barry knows how. In her new book, The Environment Equation, Shimo-Barry, a national reporter for Maclean’s in Canada, teaches readers how to quickly calculate their carbon footprints, or the amount of greenhouse gases in units of carbon dioxide, they’re producing by using the following formula:
Category Archives: Latest Blogs
Icelandic Glacial Donates Three Tons of Bottled Water to Haiti Earthquake Victims
ÖLFUS, Iceland (January 18, 2010) — Icelandic Water Holdings ehf, makers of the award-winning CarbonNeutral® natural spring water Icelandic Glacial, announced today that the company donated three tons of super-premium bottled water to victims of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. The cases of water were among the first to arrive on the ground in the country and were delivered by Iceland’s Search and Rescue Team (ICE-SAR). Another airlift of Icelandic Glacial water will be delivered in Haiti over the weekend by the United States Military.
Borel Water Debuts Biodegradable Bottle at PLMA
December, 2009 – Boreal Water Collection Inc. (OTC:BRWC.PK) announced today they will debut their private label water in the ENSO biodegradable plastic bottle at the PLMA trade show in Chicago.
Kum & Go Introduces Hiland Premium Artesian Water in a Biodegradable Bottle
December, 2009 – West Des Moines, Iowa — For Immediate Release – Hiland Premium Artesian Water, exclusively available at Kum & Go convenience stores, is now available in the ENSO biodegradable plastic bottle.
Are we smarter than nature?
It seems to be human nature to overcome and conquer; whether it be our neighboring countries, animals, plants, or biodegradable plastics – we seem to have instilled a belief that we as humans with our developed brains can and should have direct control over everything. From the beginning of time this desire has caused a never ending battle with nature; we manipulate it through genetic modification, we attempt to control it with toxic fertilizers, heavy machinery and pesticides. And throughout this battle we continuously marvel at our own genius – never mind the damage, pollution and unbalance we bring with it.
Saving the Systems of the Earth
It’s an interesting look at the systems that make up the human body, how they interact with one another and how those systems can be disrupted by outside forces. In the case of our bodies, those outside forces are the foods we eat, water we drink, chemicals we’re exposed to, etc. It got me to thinking about how much our systems are like our planet’s systems.
Renewable Energy, Arizona’s First Wind Farm
Earlier this year (2009), construction began on the first renewable energy wind farm in Arizona. The project is owned and maintained by Iberdrola Renewables and went online earlier this month (Aug. 2009). The electricity produced by the first phase of the wind project will serve 15,000 homes. 100% of the 63MW of electricity produced by the 30 wind turbines will be purchased by Salt River Project (SRP).
Biodegradable Packaging or Recycled Content?
There seems to be an emerging debate over which is a better environmental solution for plastics; is it better to make your product out of recycled content or out of biodegradable material. It seems reminiscent of the old “Paper or Plastic” debate.
Promoters of recycled content site the benefit of using second life petroleum, saved energy costs and increased support of recycling programs. They also claim that biodegradability does not add any value as all plastics should be recycled and made into new products.
On the other side, there are the debaters of biodegradable packaging, who look at the 70% or more of the plastic products that are not recycled and instead are discarded into a landfill. They claim to be using a realistic approach by looking at the reality of our current society and the customary disposal of products. They claim environmental benefit by reduced landfill space and clean energy production.
So what is one to do when determining an environmental packaging solution? Do you protect the earth by reducing our waste footprint with biodegradable packaging, or do you protect the earth by reducing the carbon and petroleum footprint through using recycled content?
In the ENSO world, we say “Why choose when you can have both!” ENSO bottles can be made out of recycled content and have the benefit of biodegradability. So in a sense, you can have your cake and eat it too!
by
Teresa Clark
ENSO Bottles, LLC
866-936-3676
Web: www.ensobottles.com
Using High Tech to Track Where Garbage Goes
Have you ever wondered what exactly happens to your garbage after you get rid of it?
In Seattle this month a group of MIT researchers will be attaching electronic tracking tags on about 3,000 pieces of trash. They want to find out and get people thinking about what they throw away and where it ends up.
Recycling: Where to Start
WHERE TO START:
- The materials that recycling centers accept vary from region to region, so check your municipality’s website or phone book for details.
- Earth 911 is the best place to find local recyclers, plus recycling news and advice.
- General recycling tips can be researched online.
- For unusual items, check out How Can I Recycle This?, which offers recycling tips for anything from karate belts to television wires.
- And don’t forget that recycling can earn you some cash in certain states.
- Some items should not be recycled as they do more harm than good. The list includes pizza boxes, wet paper, and more.