Blog Action Day: Climate Change Brings House Flies To Everest Base Camp
You probably don't think twice when an occasional house fly buzzes into your home, then again, you probably don't live at about 18,000 feet above sea level. House flies are showing up at Mt. Everest's base camp. The Guardian reports:
Earlier this year Dawa Steven Sherpa was resting at Everest base camp when he and his companions heard something buzzing. "What the heck is that?" asked the young Nepali climber. They searched and found a big black house fly, something unimaginable just a few years ago when no insect could have survived at 5,360 metres.
"It's happened twice this year - the Himalayas are warming up and changing fast," says Dawa, who only took up climbing seriously in 2006, but in a few years has climbed Everest twice as well as two 8,000m peaks in Tibet.
The problem of climate change goes beyond annoying house flies for the Himalayan region. "Erratic weather patterns" and lack of drinking water is hurting both the local residents and tourism.
Note: This post is part of Blog Action Day, which occurs every year uniting "the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion."
Really Natural Documentaries: Blue Gold World Water Wars
The World Water Crisis is an issue we are all going to have face, especially as experts predict in the future wars will be fought over clean water accessibility. Based on the book of the same title by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, Blue Gold: World Water Wars is a documentary film that discusses how the "corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling fresh water supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive." Derek Markham of Blue Living Ideas writes about the film:
How many of us have heard of the company Suez? How about RWE? Veolia? These are three major private water companies, which are gaining control of water supplies in cities around the globe. It's estimated that Suez and RWE together manage 40% of the water share worldwide. That's a staggering amount of control for private companies to have over something that should be considered a human right: access to clean water.
The film is not all doom and gloom, as positive changes activists of all ages have brought about around the world are highlighted in addition to the eye opening information about the world's water supply.
We viewed Blue Gold: World Water Wars as an open invitation community gathering. It was well-received by the audience, many of whom were motivated to take action on local water issues. This documentary is a must see for all that will truly enlighten viewers about the world water crisis.
Kleenex Continues to Log Old Growth Forests for Tissues
Kleenex brand tissues logs old growth forests, including the Boreal Forest, in order that its customers can blow their noses. Remember handkerchiefs? My dad always had one in his pocket ready for our childhood runny noses. They are softer than tissues, and old growth forests do not need to be logged in their production. Of course, alternatives to Kleenex, such as Seventh Generation Facial Tissue, exist.
Obama Signs Conservation Law that Protects and Expands National Parks and Wilderness Areas
Yesterday, President Obama signed into law the largest conservation measure in 15 years. The Public Land Management Act expands and protects US national parks and wilderness areas from oil and gas development and was supported by both political parties. Comprised of 150 individual measures, the law creates ten new National Heritage Areas, designates two million acres (81,000 hectares) as wilderness areas, and sets out water conservation measures for the indigenous Navajo nation.
Via: Truthout
Monsanto's Bt-cotton can lead to the total destruction of soil organisms and beneficial enzymes in less than a decade of planting, according to a new study conducted in India. The Organic Consumers Association reports:
A new study analyzing fields planted with Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) cotton indicates the crops are causing the soil to slowly die. The study found that over a three year period soil micro-organisms, which are necessary for building healthy and nutrient rich soil, decreased dramatically in the Monsanto cotton fields. According to the Institute for Science in Society, "At this rate, in a decade of planting with GM cotton, or any GM crop with Bt genes in it, could lead to total destruction of soil organisms, leaving dead soil unable to produce food."
Apparently, the region in India (Nagpur, Amravati and Wardha of Vidharbha) where the most GMO corn is grown also has the highest rate of farmer suicides. Coincidence? Yet another reason to buy products made from organically grown cotton.
Canadian and U.S. wildlife advocates have asked Ebay to stop auctioning off guided trophy hunts for bears, wolves, cougars and other top predators. The Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Big Wildlife and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance are concerned about the survival of trophy hunt species. Chris Genovali, executive director of the British Columbia based Raincoast Conservation Foundation asked:
Have the lives of Canada's grizzly bears, wolves and other large carnivores become so cheapened by the purveyors of trophy hunting that selling an opportunity to kill one is now as commonplace as trying to unload a kitchen appliance or baseball cards on eBay?
Ebay's response:
We are always open to working with NGOs with expertise in these areas and have done so in the past to fine tune our policies regarding issues such as the sale of ivory and the sale of "canned hunts," or those that guarantee the killing of a specific animal.
Jump Start to Green: Save a Little. Save a Lot. Save the Planet.
Jump Start to Green is a kit that makes saving the planet easy and effective. The kit contains products and tools that save energy, paper, and water. It includes a "Guide to Green" that helps people track their use of resources. The kit comes with:
The Dry-Erase Tracker helps families see the small changes they make are having an impact. The Guide to Green tells you how much you will save with each action and the impact it will have on the planet, thus allowing families to prioritize which actions to take. For example, if you take shorter showers (reducing shower time from eight minutes to five minutes), you will save $223 annually. If this simple action was taken by 1 out of 10 Americans, it would be the equivalent of taking 90,000 cars off the road each year!
The warnings, in an annual report by the Pacific Institute in California, come as ecologists have begun adopting the term "peak ecological water" -- the point where, like the concept of "peak oil", the world has to confront a natural limit on something once considered virtually infinite.
Billions of people live without fresh water, and many of our agricultural and industry needs use tremendous amounts of H2O. Experts say we need to become aware of the water content in everyday items. For example, a glass of orange juice takes 850 litres of fresh water to produce it.
Water may become a source of violence and war as the situation becomes more dire.
Dan Smith, the Secretary-General of the British-based peacebuilding organisation International Alert, said: "Water is a basic condition for life. Its availability and quality is fundamental for all societies, especially in relation to agriculture and health. There are places -- West Africa today, theGanges-Brahmaputra river system in Nepal, Bangladesh and India, and Peru within ten years -- where major changes in the rivers generate a significant risk of violent conflict. Good water management is part of peacebuilding."
The UN estimates more than 1/3 of the world's population is suffering from water shortages.
Upcycled Food Barrel Becomes an Environmentally Friendly Rain Barrel
Every house should be equipped with rain barrels off of its gutters. It's free water that most likely would just run off into the sewer, so why not save it for irrigation? The Deluxe Rain Barrel with Screen Lid - 55-Gallon is made from a UV protected food-grade barrel that was previously used and has been upcycled into a rain collection barrel. You could probably do this yourself from any food-grade barrel. This one comes with two spigots for easy hook up and a screen to keep out debris.
Unless you live in an area experiencing drought, you may not think about water conservation much, as traditionally water bills are not high. No matter where you live, we should all be conserving water. Niagara Conservation'sWater EcoKit is full of high-efficiency products to help you reduce your water consumption. This kit includes:
EARTH™ MASSAGE SHOWERHEAD
(1.5 GPM) Powerful two-setting massage spray showerhead that does not sacrifice performance for efficiency
Flow control technology: greater force at low pressure!
Rated #1 showerhead by leading industry organization
Conserves water and saves money while enhancing pressure, performance and appearance!
9-jet turbo massage is adjustable: gentle needle spray to forceful jet
Saves 40% more energy & water
Non-removable flow compensator
Non-aerating spray means less temperature loss with maximum energy savings
Pressure-enhancing Niagara Power
Consistent flow rate regardless of water pressure
Self-cleaning and maintenance-free
Installs easily by hand and without tools
Corrosion-resistant, high-impact ABS thermoplastic body
Meets or exceeds ANSI specifications
California Energy Commission-certified
10-year guarantee Continue reading:"Save Water with Niagara Conservation Home Eco Kit"
I thought I got my wine in a low carbon manner by walking to my neighbor's cabin, but the French have outdone my efforts. A three-masted, 19th century barque transported 60,000 bottles of French wine from Bordeaux to Dublin. The delivery by ship took longer than a flight, but it saved 18,375lb of carbon or about 4.9oz of carbon per bottle. Each bottle was labeled, "Carried by sailing ship, a better deal for the planet." Further voyages are planned to Bristol, Manchester, and Canada.
USBCELL AA Rechargeable Batteries are like other rechargeable batteries in the sense that you can use them hundreds of times; however, these batteries can be recharged using the USB port of your computer. There is no need for a separate charger, and they are easy to use. Just pop off the cap and plug them in to your computer. Over 15 billion batteries are discarded each year. Don't toss 'em, recharge 'em!
Carbonrally: Join Forces With Your Friends to Reduce Carbon
Are you competitive? Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint? Carbonrally is a fun way that you can fight climate change and put your competitive nature to good use. It is a place where you can:
Reduce global warming by taking quick & easy challenges.
Compete with others in your area and around the world.
Here's how it works:
Take the challenge: Today's featured challenge is to not eat meat for two days this week. You can also suggest challenges.
Check out the results: You can view the Total Impact Map to see how many tons of carbon have been reduced by Carbonrally members.
Compete: Create or join a team and compete against other teams for the greatest carbon reduction!
Socialize: Of course, Carbonrally is a great place to meet new, green friends!
According to Carbonrally, "1,418 Rallyers have reduced CO2 emissions by over 76.54 tons so far! That's equal to turning off the electricity of 70 homes for about 1 month!" Now that's impressive, and it really demonstrates how if we all take small steps, they add up!
Blog Action Day: Climate Change Brings House Flies To Everest Base Camp
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