Garbage Patch Twice the Size of Texas

The North Pacific gyre contains a mass of plastic and trash twice the size of Texas. rotates in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the USA.

For more information, visit the Algalita website. The focus of Algalita's current research includes the prevalence and quantification of plastic debris, biological impact on marine life, and the desorption of plastic toxins into the ambient ocean water.

The video below is from the Algalita Organization. Please take a look at what man has done to the ocean. If you do not have the time to watch now, please bookmark the video and watch it later.



Disgusting? Yes. Want to do something? Take a pledge to reduce your consumption of plastic.

I pledge not to trash the oceans by:

1. Using a reusable tote or other bag at the grocery store
2. Drinking water out of glass or other non-plastic container
3. Recycling plastics whenever possible
4. Never littering and always disposing of trash properly
5. Encouraging my friends and family to reduce their plastics consumption

Take the pledge today on the Oceana website.

Tags: trash island, plastic pollution, north pacific gyre, take the pledge, algalita.org, oceana

Adopt a Dolphin for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and there is no better way to show your love for that special someone than making a symbolic adoption for them at Oceana's online Adoption Center.

Adopt a dolphin, shark, polar bear, hammerhead, killer whale, seal, penguin, octopus or sea turtle. Your symbolic adoption of one of your favorite ocean creatures will allow Oceana to protect the oceans from overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution.

Choose your level of support. From $35 to $100, these adoptions come with a special cookie cutter and a personalized adoption certificate. From $50 to $150, these adoptions come with a plush animal and adoption certificate. Order before midnight of February 5 and enjoy FREE SHIPPING on your gift.

Remember your children this Valentine's Day! Supporting wildlife will not cause cavities, obesity or a sugar rush!

Tags: online adoption, oceana, adopt a sea creature, valentines day

Obama's Agenda : Energy & Environment

From WhiteHouse.gov:

The energy challenges our country faces are severe and have gone unaddressed for far too long. Our addiction to foreign oil doesn't just undermine our national security and wreak havoc on our environment -- it cripples our economy and strains the budgets of working families all across America. President Obama and Vice President Biden have a comprehensive plan to invest in alternative and renewable energy, end our addiction to foreign oil, address the global climate crisis and create millions of new jobs.

The Obama-Biden comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:

• Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
• Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
• Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
• Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
• Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Energy Plan Overview

Provide Short-term Relief to American Families

• Crack Down on Excessive Energy Speculation.
• Swap Oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Cut Prices.

Eliminate Our Current Imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 Years

• Increase Fuel Economy Standards.
• Get 1 Million Plug-In Hybrid Cars on the Road by 2015.
• Create a New $7,000 Tax Credit for Purchasing Advanced Vehicles.
• Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
• A “Use it or Lose It” Approach to Existing Oil and Gas Leases.
• Promote the Responsible Domestic Production of Oil and Natural Gas.

Create Millions of New Green Jobs

• Ensure 10 percent of Our Electricity Comes from Renewable Sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
• Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source – Energy Efficiency.
• Weatherize One Million Homes Annually.
• Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology (no such thing)
  
• Prioritize the Construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline (no pipeline)
  

Reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 Percent by 2050

• Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
• Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change.

---

With the exception of the "clean coal" and the "Alaska pipeline" statements, I think this is a good start.

Tags: energy policy, environment, obama administration

Bush's Legacy Stopped Cold by Obama

In his final days in office, former President Bush attempted to pass dozens of energy and environmental rulemakings on mountaintop mining, air pollution permits, logging, factory farm exemptions, and endangered species.

One of the first acts of the Obama Administration was to order a halt to all pending federal regulations until the new White House team can conduct a legal and policy review of all last minute Bush administration rules that have not been published in the Federal Register.

Go Green for Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and what better way to show you care than to sponsor a wild place in the name of your loved one? Sierra Club makes showing your love and your support of wild places easy.

For as little as $25, choose a spectacular wild place to sponsor in the name of your loved one:

• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Giant Sequoia National Monument
• Yosemite National Park
• Yellowstone National Park
• Acadia National Park

Help keep these wild places safe, and support all the critical work the Sierra Club does to protect our environment, by giving a Wild Places Sponsorship today.

Your sponsorship gift includes:

• Plush puppet and/or rucksack
• Personalized Certificate of Sponsorship
• Beautiful 5x7” full color photograph
• A colorful Fact Sheet with fun details about your wild place and its wildlife
• Free shipping to any U.S. location!

Tags: green valentine, wild places sponsorship, valentine gift, save wild places

Redrock Canyonlands Get a Reprieve

Last Saturday night, a federal judge blocked the Bush Administration from proceeding with the lease sale of 110,000 acres of Utah's Redrock wilderness to oil and gas companies.

The Bureau of Land Management auctioned off our Redrock wildlands on December 19, and was determined to close those transactions before the Obama Administration could take office.

This weekend, Judge Ricardo M. Urbina granted that restraining order, saying that "the development of energy resources...is far outweighed by the public interest in avoiding irreparable damage to public lands and the environment."

Robert Redford, Trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council had this to say:

Indeed, this terrific court victory, combined with President Obama's inauguration, should herald a new era in which America strives to secure a clean energy future without destroying our birthright of public lands.

For background information on this issue, read Save the Canyonlands of Utah.

Tags: red rock canyonlands, utah canyonlands, reprieve

Martin Luther King, Jr. : We Shall Overcome

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot to death in Memphis, TN. We do not celebrate his death today, but rather his life. What a life it was! What would the world be like if he had not stepped out on the motel balcony that day? Forty years later, his words still move me.


I think the clouds have cleared and the moon is out.

Tags: martin luther king, jr, birthday, we shall overcome

Sarah Palin Targets Beluga Whales

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wants the Federal protection of the Cook Inlet beluga whales removed. Last October, the National Marine Fisheries Service declared the whale as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, giving the whales protection in the face of proposed offshore oil and gas development in its Cook Inlet habitat.

The pending lawsuit over the beluga's protection represents the second time in recent months that Governor Palin's administration has launched a legal attack against a species imminently threatened by oil and gas development. Alaska is also suing to overturn federal protections for the polar bear.

In her spare time, Governor Palin likes to shoot wolves from the air. What a woman, huh?

Tags: palin, beluga whale, polar bear, endangered species act

Protect the Arctic

Arctic habitats are already threatened by climate change. Now, due to the loss of sea ice, new waterways are opening. The fabled Northwest Passage and a passage north of Russia are just two. Among the dangers facing the Arctic are oil and gas exploration and industrial fishing.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is currently accepting public comments on a plan to close the U.S. Arctic to industrial fishing. Please write in today to prevent the industrialization of one of the world’s most endangered regions.

Take action

Tags: arctic, endangered spaces, industrial fishing, north pacific fishery management council

Bush's Lingering Legacy

Here are just a few of the last minute actions of the current administration that have opened the doors wider to environmental disaster.

• An attack on the Endangered Species Act - cut U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service scientists out of the review process for determining if new development projects pose a threat to endangered animals. Read related posts on Endangered Spaces.
  
  
• A fire sale of the West's most precious remaining open spaces - put oil rigs within view of some of Utah's best known national parks and monuments. See related post on Endangered Spaces.
  
  
• A parting gift to the coal industry - repeal of a 1983 law that prohibits coal mining activities within 100 feet of flowing streams, making it even easier for mountaintop removal mining to continue. View related posts on Endangered Spaces.

These are just a few of the alarming eleventh hour moves against the environment by the Bush Administration. Please, sign the petition and urge President-elect Obama to rescind Bush’s anti-environmental rulings and help make sure these rulings are never implemented.

Tags: bush legacy, public lands fire sale, dirty coal, no science

Where Does Our Money Go?

Tags: imported oil, 19.3 billion, 66.5 percent of oil used in december was imported

The Romans Had It Right

I remember reading about the ancient Romans and their inventions, like roads, aqueducts, heated indoor baths and hypocausts, a way to heat floors and walls using the heat from a furnace. I think heated floors and indoor baths are where civilization first started.

Radiant Floor Heating - ThermoFloor

I just discovered radiant floor heating, an innovative way to heat your floors, whether wood, bamboo, cork or other floating floors. You install it under your floor covering.Thermo Floor consists of long strips, like heating pads that insulate the base floor (in my case, concrete) while warming the floor. A side benefit is that the filaments in the heating pads create a cushion of air that insulates the floor and has soundproofing properties.

Radiant Floor Heating - ThermoTile

There is a system for radiant floor heating of tile and ceramic floors as well, called ThermoTile, which is also made of electric floor heating mats that are more suited for wet and humid rooms. They also have dampers that keep electromagnetic fields from developing.

Radiant Floor Heating - Benefits

• Radiant floor heating systems are UL Listed in USA and Canada.
  
• ThermoTile comes with overheating protection and four insulation layers.
  
• Both products come with a lifetime warranty for the homeowner for which it was originally installed.
• Programmable thermostats earn the ENERGY STAR, meaning that you will save money on electricity.
• If you order over $1000 in Thermosoft products, you will receive 90 or 120 days same as cash financing
• ENDING SOON: Save 45 percent and receive free Shipping on orders over $700.

I have been wanting to get rid of the carpet in my house. Everyone in the family has allergies, a dog and a cat and the carpet is a magnet for dirt and really does not come clean any longer. I did not like the idea of cold vinyl. However, the idea of stepping on a warm vinyl, wood or tile appeals to me.

Tags: radiant floor heating, thermofloor, thermotile, heated floors, energy savings

Border Wall Threatens Wildlife

Borderlands
Photograph from The Nature Conservancy Texas Video

The Nature Conservancy’s Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve, 1,034 acres of shelter for many rare, threatened or endangered species, is under threat--from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The proposed Mexico border fence, which will actually be located a mile and a half north of the border, will leave three-quarters of the preserve in a virtual no-man's land between the USA and Mexico.

Resaca and Sabal Palms
Photograph by Lynn McBride, The Nature Conservancy

The preserve provides habitat for wildlife, thousands of native plants to parks and wildlife departments, an ongoing demonstration of organic and sustainable agricultural practices, and a living laboratory for researchers who live on the property as they study its unusual birds and amphibians.

DHS filed suit against The Nature Conservancy to condemn eight acres the fence will actually occupy—a 60-foot-wide strip of land running 6,000 feet across the preserve, offering $114,000 in recompense. DHS has made no provision for the preserve to manage the 700+ acres that will be cut off by the wall.

Ocelot
Photograph by Lynn McBride, The Nature Conservancy

Animals cut off from their water supply will die, two avian flyways will be disrupted by the wall, hundreds of endangered species of flora and fauna will disappear forever.

The border is an artificial construct, the wall is an abomination.

Support the work of The Nature Conservancy in your area.

Tags: dhs, lawsuit, habitat, nature conservancy, southmost preserve, fragile ecosystem

1/4 mile : 110 mph : 11.9 seconds

Plasma Boy Racing races the White Zombie, an electric 1972 Datsun 1200. See the specs here: White Zombie

Pitted against a Corvette, a BMW and muscle car from the 70s, the electric car blows them away, winning races and setting world record after world record.

Tags: electric race cars, world record 1/4 mile, plasmaboy, white zombie

Have you ever seen a Manatee?

These gentle mammals are thought to be the
origin of the tales of mermaids and mermen.

Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas. Manatees are a migratory species. West Indian manatees are concentrated in Florida in the winter. Summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are common.

The manatee's federally protected habitat designation is now 32 years old. This protection has failed to stop the carnage that happens when manatee meets power boat. Last year, 90 manatees died in Florida waters after impact with water craft.

The total count of manatee deaths was 337, marking the seventh time in the past 10 years that more than 300 manatees died in state waters. Scientists also documented a record high of 101 perinatal deaths (unborn manatees and dependent babies less than five feet in length).

Something must be done or you may never see another manatee. I am going to swim with the manatees in Florida on the Crystal River. I just decided that would be one of my first trips as it is definitely on my "bucket list."

Save the Manatees and Swim with the Manatees.

Tags: manatee, endangered habitat, gentle mammals

In a perfect world . . .

Does anyone remember Ross Perot, the presidential candidate from Texas in 1992 and 1996? He was the only candidate that came to debates prepared with charts and graphs. He knew where the resources in the USA were and the costs associated with using said resources. I think most Americans thought he was nuts, but if he were running the government today, we would know exactly what the war in Iraq costs and we would know where to find the billions of dollars in aid for Iraq that disappeared.

Since then, I have been a proponent of automating any process or portion of process in a business that can be automated. Atlantic Global is a worldwide company that offers many solutions to businesses. Probably one of the most fundamental functions in any business is time tracking software. In the past, you would have a person in charge of collecting timesheets, reviewing them for errors, getting the signature of the boss and, finally, forwarding them to payroll. To automate this process, Atlantic Global's Time Tracking Software allows employees to enter time on the computer and forward it for approval.

Atlantic Global's Time Tracking Software monitors timesheets, invoices and expenses for employees. This allows you to charge your billable hours to the correct project and allows you to catch invoicing errors that might prove embarrassing later.

Tags: time tracking software, automated systems, billable hours, project costs

Sometimes, the Good Guys Win

In recent years, the manipulation, suppression, and distortion of federal government science has misinformed the public and jeopardized our health and safety. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has worked hard and achieved much against such overwhelming odds.

Celebrate achievements of the Union of Concerned Scientists in 2008:

Global Warming - More than 12,000 UCS activists have already signed a petition urging the new administration to work with Congress on a comprehensive clean energy plan that will curb global warming and grow the economy.

Clean Energy - Critical federal incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy were set to expire at the end of 2008, but, with the help of Union of Concerned Scientists supporters, Congress extended them as part of an emergency economic stimulus package.

Clean Vehicles - In December, the Detroit automakers went to Capitol Hill for an emergency influx of cash, and UCS was called in to testify. We played a key role in encouraging Congress to link any U.S. auto industry financial assistance to increased fuel standards.

Scientific Integrity - As 2008 drew to a close, UCS released our scientific integrity agenda for the next president—based in part on your input—and shared it in multiple meetings with the president-elect’s transition team.

Food & Agriculture - In the waning hours of the Bush administration, UCS kept an eye on last-minute regulatory changes. Thousands of UCS activists objected to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposal to weaken oversight of genetically engineered crops, particularly those grown to produce drugs and industrial chemicals.

Nuclear Weapons & Global Security - Over the last three years, solid technical analysis combined with the persistent advocacy efforts of UCS activists like you have effectively derailed two massive government programs—Complex Transformation and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership—which posed serious risks to our nation’s security.

Invasive Species - UCS recently released a new report: Invasive Species in Ohio: Pathways, Policies and Costs. This comprehensive report accompanies our previous reports on the effects of damaging non-native species on several states’ economies, environments, and public health.

For more information on any of these initiatives, please visit the website of the Union of Concerned Scientists

Tags: ucs, achievement, invasive species, nuclear weapons, gmo, scientific integrity, clean vehicles, clean air, global warming

Three Million Jobs at Risk : Take Action

Yesterday, President-elect Obama laid out his plan to stimulate the economy in the short-term and invest for the long-term:

• double clean energy production in three years;
• weatherize federal buildings and homes;
• create millions of new green jobs;
• help laid-off workers afford health care; and
• make sure struggling cities and states don't have to slash services

Of course, important parts are already under attack by oil and health insurance lobbyists, joined by congressional conservatives who want to replace these progressive provisions with tax cuts for the rich.

Conservatives in Congress are proposing more tax cuts for the wealthy, even though public investment is a much better way to provide economic stimulus than tax cuts. Energy industry lobbyists are working behind the scenes to kill the green jobs provisions in the bill.

Sign the petition and tell Congress, in no uncertain terms, that they should quickly pass Obama's plan to invest in clean energy, green jobs, health care, and relief for struggling states. No more tax cuts for the rich.

If you are tired of "business as usual" in Washington, take one minute to sign the petition. Be the change you want to see.

Tags: congressional obstructionists, clean energy, green jobs, health care

Green Clean Cleansers

Cleaning basics are castille soap, baking soda, vinegar, borax and water. Furniture polish may be made by stirring Lavender oil into the mix.

The Heavy Hitters

CASTILE SOAPS: Cleans everything

HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS: These are a great help for disinfecting and fragrance. Choose from lavender, tea tree, lemon or oregano.

VINEGAR: Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.

BAKING SODA: An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.

BORAX: A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions at the bottom of this page.

All Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoon borax
• 4 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 cup castile soap
• One pipette of essential oil
• Hot water (enough to fill bottle)

Instructions:

Fill bottle 1/4 full with hot water then add borax. Shake to completely dissolve borax. Next add vinegar, home soap, and 20-25 drops essential oil. Fill the rest of the bottle with hot water. Gently shake mixture before each use.

Mark Each Bottle As You Make a New Mixture

Tags: all purpose natural cleaner recipe, organic cleaners

Energy at Any Price : Clean Coal?

Photograph from NY Times December 29, 2008

The recent environmental disaster at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee proves that, in addition to global warming from burning coal and the desecration of the land that is part and parcel of coal mining, coal plants may represent another major danger to our drinking water.

On December 22, 1.1 billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry, a mixture of the ash and water, breached the dam at the Kingston Fossil Plant. Traveling downhill, the slurry was deposited up to six feet deep on the surrounding land.

This spill, the largest coal slurry spill in U.S. history, and the amount released was more than 50 times larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. While destroying homes and polluting waterways, the slurry also contaminated ground water.

At Plant in Coal Ash Spill, Toxic Deposits by the Ton - NYTimes.com - Read

The inventory, disclosed by the Tennessee Valley Authority on Monday at the request of The New York Times, showed that in just one year, the plant’s byproducts included 45,000 pounds of arsenic, 49,000 pounds of lead, 1.4 million pounds of barium, 91,000 pounds of chromium and 140,000 pounds of manganese. Those metals can cause cancer, liver damage and neurological complications, among other health problems.

What if this was your home in the picture? What happens to the water supplies in this area? Do you think this would be a good place to raise children? Horses? Chickens?

Would you be surprised to know that the TVA waited a week after the spill to issue a statement of any type, recommending that direct contact with the ash be avoided and that pets and children should stay away from the sludge?

Want more information about the dangers of coal?

Take a look at these posts:

Truth in advertising : Clean Coal

Restore and Strengthen Stream Barriers

Tags: slurry, spill, coal, mining disaster, heavy metals

What To Do With Colorado Plateau Region

The resource management plan for 1.2 million acres of land in the spectacular Colorado Plateau region is up for review by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The current Resource Management Plan (RMP) for this area has been in place since 1987.

Possible land uses for this area in the future include increased uranium mining and oil and natural gas exploration. The wild lands of western Colorado represent a masterpiece of erosion, weathering and wildness.

This wild area is riddled with shale hills and rocky sandstone gorges. From the towering Book Cliffs spanning the northern skyline of Grand Junction, Colorado (below) . . .


to the labyrinthine redrock canyons of the imposing Uncompahgre Plateau (below)

to the hidden natural arches and jumbo-jet sized alcoves that grace the area's rugged canyons, all of these lands deserve protection.

Your voice is extremely important to ensure these western Colorado lands are protected from industrial exploitation as the region feels the pressures of rapidly increasing oil and gas development, mining, and off-road vehicle use.

Click here to send your message to the Bureau of Land Management - Before January 9.

Click above to tell the BLM to manage western Colorado lands with wilderness, wildlife, quiet recreation and paleontological protection in mind. But, you must weigh in before January 9!

Tags: blm, grand junction, uncompahgre plateau, take action

Ecocarders Blog List

Ecocarders are Green Bloggers that also have EntreCards on their blogs.

Click here to join

A
About Food 2

B
Be the Change

C
cleancoalcrap
Confusion - Fusion of Concepts
Condo Blues

D
'Dig' the Earth
design my handbag

E
EasyGreensy
eco barn conversions
Ecoblogical
Eco-Friendly Life and Toys
Eco Friendly Wahm
Endangered Spaces
Environmentastic!

F
Focus Organic.com
Forced Green

G
g2bgreen.com
Goal for the Green
Go Green Street
Greenburbia
Greener Pastures
Green Experience
Green Not Mean
Greenphils
The GREEN Power Mall
Green Your Decor

H
Herb Ways

I
in search of persimmon pulp

L
Live Life Veg

M
My Birdy Blog
MissMalaprop

P
Passionate Green
Prim Web Designs

R
Rain Frog Blog
Recycled Frockery
Rosewoman

S
Save Our Earth
The Seed
Solar Energy-Green Lifestyle for You
Solarfeeds
Something Snappy
Strawbale House

T
Tips and Wrinkles 4 U

U
Up the Garden Path

W
We Are Earthformed

Tags: green blogs, ecocarders, entrecard

Peace to All in 2009