Archive for January 10, 2009
Weekly Round-up #1
So what did we talk about this week? What has been happening in the world?
Eco Lesbo Vego
We discussed:
- The impact of traditional funerals on the environment, and then explored a greener option.
- How it’s possible to reduce – in fact, entirely eradicate – your dependence on disposable menstrual products, and I shared my experiences with menstrual cups.
- Ways to reuse a common household item – the jar.
- Living an eco-friendly life at work, as well as at home, and how to start – with recycling.
I also posted a vegan recipe – Chana Masala. Try to incorporate into your menu this week – go meat-free for a meal, the day, or for good! Doing so will help save the planet.
Environmental News from Australia and Around the World
The world’s fastest, most eco-friendly boat (powered by biofuels) is currently visiting Sydney. How eco-friendly are biofuels really though? The burn cleaner, but some use up lots of food resources in their production, as they’re made from plants like corn. Of course, there are other biofuels that are more eco-friendly. Like cow farts.
A Korean clothing manufacturer has announced a boycott of Australian wool until muelsing (cutting skin from the backsides of sheep without anaesthetic) is banned. Australia is the world’s largest produced of wool.
Obama announced his green focused economic recovery plan for the USA, and Australian groups called for a similar plan here. A focus on five million new green jobs, increased work on renewable energy plans and efficiency in construction, and most impressively the promise to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 make this a sharp departure from the previous (current?) administration.
Climate change will not only alter the face of the physical world, but the social and political aspects as well. Climate refugees and potential conflict over oil and gas reserves which are becoming increasingly accessible due to Arctic melting are just two of the potential impacts. Partially to blame is the Australian coal industry, which, as the world’s largest supplier of black coal, provides over a quarter of the coal burned globally.
Japan will launch a greenhouse gas observing satellite on January 21st. The satellite will monitor carbon dioxide and methane levels from more than 56,000 sites on Earth in an effort to help curb climate change.
A study of polar bear poo by Canadian scientists indicates that over a third of polar bears are not getting enough food. This could be due to the rapid decline in sea ice due to rising global temperatures. Less sea ice means fewer seal habitats and thus fewer seals (the main food source for polar bears) and fewer ice platforms from which to dive in to get the seals.
A group of young Indian people are making a 3,500 kilometre road trip across India to raise awareness about climate change and the human capacity to take action. They are driving alternatively powered vehicles and are accompanied by their band, Solar Punch. Read more about their journey at their blog, India Climate Solutions.
Niels Bohr Institute researchers in Denmark, England and Finland say that sea levels may rise much faster than predicted – up to one meter within 100 years – if climate change goes unchecked. They research was based on investigation of what has happened to sea levels in the past, rather than on what’s happening now. This ties in with the Sydney Morning Herald article about the impact of climate change on the social and political world – the higher the sea levels, the greater the demand for resources and land.
If climate change continues unabated, food supplies could be drastically affected on a global basis. Increased temperatures caused by global warming may wreak havoc on harvests and rainfall, as they have in the past. This combined with the use of food for biofuels really encourages me to try to become more self-sufficient with my food.
Of course there’s lots of other news, but that’s all I have time for today! Did I miss anything particularly important? Leave a comment and let me know.
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