ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment

Photo Credit: Green Mountain Coffee

OFFICES, HOMES, STARBUCKS and DUNKIN’ DONUTS NATIONWIDE — You’ve all seen them. You may have one in your home. Maybe there’s one in the breakroom at your workplace. They are easy to use, require almost no maintenance or cleaning and can have you sipping your morning joe before you can say “America Runs on Dunkin’.”

The Keurig single-cup coffee brewer is perhaps the best example of American lust — almost exclusively sated at the expense of the environment — for all things cheap and convenient.

Photo Credit: http://www.sustainableisgood.com/blog/2010/08/are-single-use-k-cups-responsible-packging.html

Keurig claims a pretty significant market share in the coffee world. According to its corporate profile, 2.5 million K-cup beverages are brewed in the homes and offices of North America daily, more than 2 billion of the tiny cups have been used since 1998 and 200,000 offices in North America have Keurig systems, boasting 6 percent of all coffee brewed in offices every day.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR, on its official letterhead) in Vermont is the exclusive distributor of the Keurig K-cups and it offers more than 200 varieties of coffee, tea, hot cocoa, cider, and iced beverages in wasteful one-serving cups. While the company enjoys a very “green” public perception, the K-cup seems to be the antithesis to sustainability. ecoRI News contacted GMCR’s vice president of corporate and social responsibility, Michael Dupee, to talk about the K-cup impact on our landfill and about the company’s green initiatives.

Dupee said that, when GMCR acquired Keurig, the sustainability of the K-cup became a high priority because, “We can’t ignore consumer perception, but it is a difficult technical challenge to create a package that is airtight, blocks light, and has the required thermal properties and rigidity necessary to function in the brewer.”

The company recently completed a life-cycle analysis on the K-cups, which is now being vetted by a third party.

For a continuation of this article and more information on GMCR’s green initiaves go to: http://www.ecori.org/front-page-journal/2011/10/11/the-keurig-k-cup-konundrum.html

By DAVE FISHER/ecoRI News staff

Courtesy of: Ministry of Fisheries, New Zealand Government

It is always heartening to read about companies trying to improve the state of the world’s fisheries and thereby ocean ecosystems. Latest in the line-up of pro-ocean establishments is the Darden Restaurant chain that owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster.

At the Clinton Global Initiative’s (CGI) seventh annual meeting last week, the Darden company formally announced its three-year commitment to rebuilding troubled fisheries through Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs). The initial FIPs will be in the Gulf of Mexico in partnership with Publix Super Markets and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP).

CGI’s Commitments to Action program encourages members to propose concrete ideas to address global challenges. Darden’s submission, entitled “Catalyzing Industry to Rebuild World Fisheries,” was chosen for its approach to addressing challenges in the environment and energy sector as well as commitments to combat illegal fishing, enhance productivity and reduce negative ecological impact.

Jim Cannon, CEO said: “As one of the largest buyers of seafood in the world, Darden is an industry leader in supporting healthy ecosystems for future generations. Through this commitment, Darden is taking action to create change within the seafood supply chain by building alliances with governments, conservation advocates, and communities to develop and implement fishery improvement. We hope others will look at what Darden has achieved and committed to, and as a result, take action.”

For more information, go to: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/09/darden-restaurants-form-partnerships-improve-world-fisheries/

Most people took a bite of some mud as children. Now, scientists are saying that it may be healthy for you.

According to the June issue of the Quarterly Review of Biology, the human geophagy—the eating of the Earth—protects the stomach and other digestive organs from toxins, parasites, and pathogens.

Scientists from Cornell University say that eating dirt is directly related to hunger pains. Research has found that people, in locations where there are common food shortages, eat dirt to feel full although it does not have direct nutritional value to humans.

There is also some research that supports a different hypothesis. Research has found that tribal people in countries in Southeast Asia and Africa consume dirt solely for its nutritional value. Dirt provides humans with zinc, iron, and calcium among other nutrients. These nutrients are not highly common in foods that are accessible in the poverty-stricken global communities.

People also eat the dirt to protect themselves from common stomach-related diseases and infections such as diarrhea, ulcers, or abdominal pain.

Studies have shown that people who eat dirt are commonly women who are in the early stages of pregnancy. They eat the dirt to not only retrieve the nutrients and minerals for their unborn child, but to also prevent any stomach or intestinal problems preceding birth.

Pre-adolescent children are also commonly known for geophagy. Children accidentally eat dirt while they are playing outdoors, but research has proven that the consumption will help the children’s digestive system as their bodies mature.

For more information on this research topic, please look at the June edition of the Quarterly Review of Biology at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/659960

Young, S.L., Sherman, P.W., Lucks, J, Pelto, G. (2011) Why do people eat earth? A test of alternative hypotheses. Quarterly Review of Biology 86(2):97-120.

Fruits are essential elements needed to be included in your child’s diet—they are vital in ensuring growth, development and a healthy immune system. While most parents know that fruit can help their child remain healthy, sometimes it’s tricky to determine how much or what specific fruits your child needs to consume. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, girls aged from 2-3 need at least one cup of fruit a day; girls aged 4-8 need 1 to 1 ½ cups of fruit a day; girls aged 9-13 need 1 ½ cups of fruit a day; and girls aged 14-18 need 1 ½ to 2 cups of fruit a day. Boys aged from 2-3 need one cup of fruit a day; boys aged 4-8 need 1 ½ cups of fruit a day; boys aged 9-13 need 1 ½ cups to 2 cups a day; and boys aged 14-18 need 2 cups to 2 ½ cups of fruit a day.

Below are some of the important vitamins that your child needs to stay healthy and a list of what fruits provide them.

Calcium— It not only keeps you kid’s bones and teeth strong, but it also helps your children’s muscles work properly. Fruits high in calcium: Cherries, figs, kiwifruit, oranges, and plums.

Iron—It is essential for health skin, hair and nails. It also helps with energy production. Dried apricots are typically high in iron.

Fiber –It slows the amount of sugar that it absorbed in your child’s bloodstream and helps your child have soft, regular bowel movements. Fruits high in fiber: Apples, asian pears, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, dates, figs, kiwifruit, oranges, and raspberries.

Folic acid/vitamin B9—It maintains your child’s DNA and RNA, helping reduce cancer risks and anemia. Fruits high in folic acid: Bananas, blackberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges, papayas, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon.

Potassium –It is essential for your child’s brain and neuron development and growth. Fruits high in potassium are: Apricots, bananas, cherries, kiwifruit, pomegranates, and prunes.

Vitamin C—It is an antioxidant that helps flush out all the harmful compounds that may affect your child’s health. It also builds your child’s immune system. Fruits high in vitamin c are: Grapefruit, guava, honeydew, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, oranges, papayas, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon.

Vitamin A—It is essential for your child’s eyesight and growth. Fruits high in vitamin A are: Apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mangoes, tomatoes, and watermelon.

For vitamin B1—Ensures your child maintains a healthy heart. Pineapple is typically high in vitamin B1.

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing schools. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.

In the summer, it is a hobby of many people to lie out in the sun and work on their tans. Unfortunately, if done in excess, this hobby can lead to painful sunburns and possible skin cancer. A new study from the Tel Aviv University suggests that an effective way to prevent this is not only suntan lotion, but eating the correct foods. A diet rich in anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids – common in Mediterranean regions – can protect the skin from the sun’s rays.

The sun produces ultraviolet radiation that penetrates the Earth’s atmosphere. Exposing human skin to these UV rays results in a darkening of skin color. The body’s natural defense in protecting itself against this is to create a skin pigment called melanin. Melanin combines with oxygen (oxidizes), and this creates the tan color in the skin. However, overexposure can cause melanoma, which is a less common type of skin cancer, but results in 75% of all skin cancer related deaths. UV radiation also attacks the immune system, making it more difficult for the body to repair itself.

Dr. Niva Shapira of Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) School of Health Professions says the prescription is to “go Greek.” This means eating foods common in a Mediterranean diet such as olive oil, fish, yogurt, and colorful fruits and vegetables. In combination with traditional methods such as suntan lotion and appropriate body coverings, this will combat the oxidizing effect of solar UV radiation.

The solution, Dr. Shapira explains, is to build up anti-oxidants in the body. She performed experiments at the Baltic Sea in conjunction with Prof. Bodo Kuklinski of Rostock University. They organized two groups, one of which consumed a drink high in anti-oxidants, the other had beverages such as soda. The group which drank the anti-oxidants had half as many oxidizing products (i.e. MDA) in their blood after five to six hours of exposure to the sun per day for two weeks.

Some of the most helpful anti-oxidants are carotenoids, which are colorful fruit and vegetable pigments. This includes the reds of tomatoes and strawberries as well as the bright oranges of carrots and pumpkins. Other good foods include fish, olive oil, and whole grains.

Foods to avoid include red meat, processed foods, and alcohol with the exception of red wine which is actually good for your skin. Also, people should avoid foods containing the compound psoralen (i.e. parsley, celery, dill, cilantro, and figs).

This study is timely, especially with the specter of climate change. Higher temperature and humidity can aggravate the damages from UV rays to the point where sunscreen may not be enough.

Also, society has reached a point where it has become fashionable to have a deep tan. This was not always so. In earlier civilizations, dark tans were associated with long hours of manual labor out in the sun, and therefore, a lower social class. Some women would apply heavy makeup to their faces to appear as white as possible, a trend that continued to the Victorian Era. Sun bathing then became popular in the mid-20^th century, starting with fashionistas and media stars. Now, record numbers of women work on their tan year round (tanning salons also expose the skin to UV radiation!). Hopefully, Dr. Shapira’s research with TAU will help these ladies avoid potential skin diseases.

For more information on anti-oxidants: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/antioxidants

From Sierra Club Green Home

Making the most of the sun’s energy without spending a bundle

If solar electricity or solar water heating isn’t your cards right now, there are plenty of other ways to take advantage of the sun’s energy–for little or no money.

One of the simplest is hanging your wet duds on a clothesline. It only takes just a couple more minutes of your time than throwing them in the dryer. Plus it’s a good excuse to get outside on a sunny day. Find more energy-saving laundry tips in our “Washers and Dryers” article.

As long as you’re taking the time to smell the sun-warmed sheets, why not get dinner started too? With a solar oven you can cook a casserole, make a pot of rice and even bake some cookies-using only the power of the sun. You can make your own solar oven from low-cost materials or buy one already made.  Find out more in our “Ovens and Cooktops” article.

If you’re wondering what to cook in that solar oven, how about some homegrown spuds from your own organic garden? Plants do a miraculous job of transforming the sun’s energy into nutritious, delicious food, and growing your own helps you slim down your carbon footprint. Check our “Healthy Eating” article for more fodder for your green kitchen.

While you’re in the kitchen, take a fresh look at your lighting. Making the most of daylight lets you keep electric lights off when the sun’s shining. What’s more, most people just feel better when they’re in daylit spaces. Our “Windows, Skylights, and Doors” article has bright ideas for saving energy and letting in more light.

With all the attention being paid to renewable energy these days, it can seem like solar energy systems were just invented yesterday. But many of these technologies are as old as the hills. Passive solar design, for example, is an ancient approach to designing buildings so they are warmed by the sun in the winter without overheating in the summer. Read about the basics of solar heating in our “Heating Systems” article.

When it comes to solar energy, just remember–you’ve got the power!

Original Article: http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/featured/free-and-low-cost-solar-energy/

The new generation of electric cars that are set to hit the market promise to help end the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and clean the air. However, they are not without flaws. One particular flaw in their charging system may even make them less environmentally friendly than the most fuel efficient conventional cars.

First of all, charging an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle requires remembering to charge it when you go home. Beginning the day with a dead cell phone battery, or leaving the house without charging your laptop can cause frustration. Now imagine having to leave for work and forgetting to charge your car.

A new technology by the company Evatran, uses induction charging to automatically keep the car’s batteries at full charge. Drivers would just have to park over the base unit that is fitted to the floor and an intelligent control system in the vehicle will request charging.

The induction charging would use a coil in the base unit that creates an electromagnetic field. The coil in the vehicle would pick up the field and convert it back into electronic current which the vehicle could store and later use. However, this does not have the same level of efficiency as plugging the car directly to the power source.

Representatives of this new technology believe the wasted energy is minimal enough, and is worth it in exchange for greater peace of mind in knowing that your car will always be charged. “We believe that our system will eliminate a barrier to electric vehicle adoption and increase the adoption of electrified transport,” says Rebecca Hough, Evatran’s marketing director.

Others believe that the wasted energy of induction charging negates the most positive aspect of electric vehicles, that they are environmentally friendly. This is especially true if the power source produces high pollution like a coal-fired power plant. Compared to efficient diesel-engine cars on the road today, plug-in vehicles may be only slightly better. However, with a ten percent loss in efficiency from induction charging, the scales could tip towards the efficient diesel engine.

On the other hand, this new technology may be a blessing in disguise. For prospective buyers, having an automatic induction charging system may be a major selling point which could boost electric vehicle sales. With more electric vehicle owners, the attention would turn to how these vehicles get their power. Then perhaps there would be a greater public demand for renewable energy such as wind or solar. With renewable sources, the ten percent drop in efficiency would then be much less of a concern.

For more information: http://www.pluglesspower.com/

More wineries are moving towards plastic bottles and aluminum caps and away from cork stoppers.  Some would say this is unfortunate for a host of reasons.  Harvesting cork is an ancient practice that keeps a cluster of cork trees, which are almost entirely in Portugal and Spain, alive.

More winemakers around the world, however, are turning to synthetic alternatives. Wineries in Australia and New Zealand gravitate towards metal caps because importing cork is expensive.  Some foodies would argue that synthetics avoid cork mold that can taint wine while providing an easier way to seal a bottle—and any neophyte who has mauled a cork while opening a new bottle would probably sympathize with that argument.  While many high-end vintners still use cork, synthetics are still gaining in popularity, so now the cork industry is pressuring the winemakers and distributors to stay with cork for environmental and economic reasons.  The 100% Cork campaign features a Facebook page has over 15,500 members and counting.

Corticeira Amorim, a leading Portuguese cork manufacturer, has launched a web site detailing all sorts of facts and statistics.  The company touts a PricewaterhouseCoopers study explaining that synthetic corks create a carbon footprint exponentially higher than that of naturally derived cork.  Other studies explain that cork taint is overhyped; outline Amorim’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and articulate how cork recycling is increasing and how the results of which are beneficial for the planet.  All these reports and campaigns have the purpose of pressuring winemakers to come turn away from synthetics and return to cork.

The environmental and social impacts of cork’s decline are clear:  cork provides some of the few high-paying agricultural jobs remaining on the planet.  A decline in cork production could devastate cork forests, which house trees hundreds of years old and contain rare ecosystems that would disappear should cork production cease.  While many of us romanticize the Mediterranean (easy to do), much of this region has suffered from drought—cork trees protect local soil from drying out and halts erosion.

As more of us try to concoct ways to become more “green” or “sustainable,” one of the most tried and true methods to reduce one’s carbon output is to just not buy new items in the first place.  It’s easy to focus on solar panels, composting bins, double-paned windows, or weatherizing your home.  But if more of us would be content using used products, that alone would make a huge step in reducing the depletion of our resources.

Freecycle and Intuit are onto something.  Freecycle, the global recycling and repurposing network that has 7 million users (or “reusers”?), and Intuit, the personal finance software company, have partnered to launch Freecycle@Work, a free online application for anyone to access when establishing Freecycle programs at their companies and educating coworkers about reuse.

Perhaps the unwanted or unneeded items are your household goods.  Maybe that file cabinet is hogging room in your cubicle.  For the home and office, Freecycle@Work makes it simple to repurpose equipment or to even search for items for a favorite charity of non-profit.  Employees can send unneeded office equipment to other departments, or a group of workers can band together and gather items for a favorite charity.  Furthermore, employees with access to Freecycle@Work can log into their accounts and view the number of pounds of material that were diverted from a landfill.  Freecycle claims that its subscriber bases saves about one landfill’s worth of space daily.

It’s easy to understand why Freecycle works so well.  First of all, everyone loves the word “FREE.”  To that end, Freecycle states that 80% of goods marked for “FREE” (offered) are claimed and reused; only 20% of goods are posted via a “wanted” link get claimed.  For organizations considering such a program, the key is to have a few desirable items posted early on—and then the news goes viral.

The process is simple, but the Intuit-Freecycle partnership can only help people to regain a lost community spirit, while reducing our society’s needs for natural resources as well.  For young companies and solo consultants, this is a great way to find cost savings while avoiding having to buy new items.

For more information: FreeCycle@Work Program

Link to original article: Triple Pundit

In summer 2009, my small church started a Green Team. We felt a pioneering spirit as non-conforming liberals accepting responsibility for our modern environmental crisis. We were, as corporations and other NGOs have similarly done, positioning ourselves as problem solvers, eager to take on our collective environmental mess. But this venture, new to our congregation, was not new to the world stage or to the world’s faiths. By setting up our team we embraced a long-standing tradition of Earth stewardship, a tradition found at some level in all world religions. Our green team and those at similar congregations are not modern or revolutionary. Indeed, they are the fulfillment of ancient mandates.

All of the Earth’s religions speak of an ethical responsibility to care for the natural world. In Buddhism, the tenets of reincarnation (samsara) and karma, and the acceptance of plants and animals into these modes of salvation lend value to all life, human or otherwise. Man must not harm the plants and animals of the Earth as they, too, are on a karmic journey.

Often referred to as the world’s oldest surviving faith, Hinduism also places great emphasis on care of nature. As Al Gore pointed out in his 1992 book, Earth in Balance, environmentalists regularly cite the ancient Hindu dictum: “The earth is our mother, and we are all her children.”

And, here in the US, we are well acquainted with the Native American tradition and interrelationship between Spirit and care of nature. Indeed, when writing to President Franklin Pierce in 1855, in response to an offer to purchase native land, Chief Seattle eloquently demonstrated the conviction of most Native groups by saying, in part, “The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth.”

General thought has been that eastern and native cultures place emphasis on conservation and protection while monotheistic traditions have not. The truth is not that black and white.

As also quoted in Gore’s book, the Prophet Mohammed said, “The world is green and beautiful and God has appointed you His stewards over it.” Drawing from the Qur’an, the first Muslim caliph, Abu-Baker, declared, “Do not cut down a tree…and be always kind and humane to God’s creations…” In Islam, man has been granted stewardship, but nature belongs to God.

Because of misinterpretation of Bible texts and the creation story of Genesis, many Christians have presumed that man is superior to animals and nature, and altogether separate. However, in the Christian tradition, as in Islam, men are stewards of nature. Therefore, Christians are charged with protecting nature as trustees of the Creator. Beyond this, other areas of Biblical text point to the interconnectedness of nature and man, in a way that almost reflects eastern or modern environmental thought. In Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, Verse 19, it is said, “For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same, as one dies so dies the other…man has no advantage over the beasts…”

Article continues on Triple Pundit