Rebuilding the Economy, One Environmentally Friendly Product at a Time

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I was recently heartened by the story of the creation of a product called Mira Hair Oil, a Canadian-sourced hair product that is produced in small quantities by a small, local company.  It was created by a woman named Eva who traveled to India and noticed the beauty of the women’s hair.  She researched the herbs used by the Indian women she visited and used them to create a hair product that is 100% natural and environmentally friendly.

Listening to her story, the things that stuck out to me most were:

Her product is 100% natural and environmentally friendly.

It is produced in small quantities locally, providing employment for local citizens.

It is a woman-created small business.

These are three things that we certainly need more of today for future sustainable economic growth.  The original activities of BUSTRIP were successful, but those ended five years ago.  It’s time to take the message of BUSTRIP and spread it across the globe.  Women like Eva are already participating in sustainable economic growth — why not spread that even further?

What Type of Shaver is Best for the Environment?

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Up until recently I always used a disposable razor to shave with, but it didn’t sit well with me that I had to throw it in the garbage as soon as it went blunt. I’ve tried researching just how many times this happens each year in America, but the numbers don’t seem to be available. If you do a little math though, you can come up with quite a scary figure.

There are approximately 120 million men of ’shaving age in the USA, and if just 50% of those use a disposable razor and they use on average 20 razors each per year, that’s over a BILLION razors each year sent to landfill sites around the country. It’s a crazy amount of resource wasted, and don’t forget the majority of those shavers are made in the far east and are transported across the world, adding to the environmental impact shaving has – what’s the answer though?

Well, I know electric shavers have their doubters in some corners, but there are some compelling arguments in their favor. For a start, they are durable and in general will last for a good number of years before they need replacing. It’s true they aren’t cheap, I bought the best electric shaver I could afford, but I still got some change out of $250. However, if it lasts me for 10 years, it will work out more than comparable to what I would have spent on disposables.

Sure it has to be charged on a fairly regular basis, but I’m finding that’s only necessary after a week or so. I’ve checked with the manufacturer and the amount of electricity it uses is quite minimal, so its impact is nothing to be worried about. What I like most about the electric shavers, is that when they have reached the end of their useful lives, you can return them to the manufacturers and they will recycle as many of the parts and materials as is possible.

Environmental Risks to the Koala Bear

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It’s known throughout the world as an icon of the marsupial world, but there are very real worries about the future of the Koala bear.   In years gone by the biggest risk to the Koala where the hunters who prized it’s skin for coats however now it faces very different threats.

This time it’s a combination of events many of them again caused by humans either directly or indirectly. Habitat destruction is one of the biggest issues where droughts and bush fires are destroying many of it’s areas.  This is combining with logging and modern agricultural practises, pollution, mining and the expanding urban sprawl to cause a real reduction in the koala’s habitat.

The fall in numbers of the Koala is starting to get worrying, if you take a state like Queensland for example – their numbers have fallen by a massive 40%.  In NSW it’s down by about 30% – some figures are suggesting that there’s little more than 50,000 koalas left anywhere in the wild.

Koalas also have some other challenges from dogs and cars for example, these alone account for thousands every year.  The outlook doesn’t look good either – climate change is having a real impact on much of Austrlalia with it’s very high temperatures.  Scientists involved with climate change are predicting yet more droughts and bushfires.

Animal experts suggest that the opitmum temperature for koalas is about 37 degress centigrade, however many areas of Australia are reaching much higher temperatures.  IN certain areas where Koalas have always been plentiful the temperatures have been averaging mid 40s for example which is above the threshold at which this marsupial can easily cope.

The issue the animals have is they get the vast majority of their moisture from their food.  This is usually the leaf of the Eucalyptus tree, however the creatures do need to consume many hundreds of grammes of leaves in order to meet their nutritional requirements.  Any hot weather will push up the amount of leaves that will be needed and hence put further pressure on the animals.

There is a real love for the Koala in Australia so hopefully some steps will be taken to arrest this decline.  There are some decent documentaries on the subject being broadcast on the Australian media, try checking the Aussie TV station – ABC.  Unfortunately you may not be able to access this website if you’re based outside Australian – try this site – http://www.theninjaproxy.org/tv/finding-an-australian-proxy/, this shows you how to hide your real location by using an Australian proxy in order to watch sites normally blocked.

 

A Hectic Lifestyle Environment

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When you lead a really hectic lifestyle and are overweight, the whole concept of dieting to shed some of that excess weight can become something of a nightmare. It really is not very easy to fit a conventional diet into a tight squeeze between working hours and those few, precious leisure hours especially when you have a family that you want to enjoy some quality time with while you can. So what is the solution?

There are some very good convenient diet delivery programs that you can look at which will fit in with your lifestyle perfectly while providing you with balanced, nutritious meals that you simply don’t have to bother preparing and cooking yourself because that side of things is already done for you. Think of the amount of time you could save on working this kind of a diet and a hectic lifestyle where all your food is delivered to your home and packaged up in a handy, ready to go format that you simply heat up in a microwave for a hot meal or not for a cold one, such as a salad.

The choices are varied and will suit different people depending on their individual needs, personal tastes and budgets. Some people prefer the simplest kinds of solutions where they don’t have to prepare or cook any of the meals themselves.

At the cheaper end of the scale in this category you have America’s most popular diet food delivery program, Nutrisystem. If you want to pay a little more, you have the Medifast, Jenny Craig and Diet-to-Go options to consider. At the higher end of the cost scale is Bistro MD and eDiets for really high quality meals. They are all sensible diet options for those who need them.

Outside of these super convenient choices you have the more hands on kinds of diet that means more work for you but still representing a low impact on your time. There are options such as the South Beach, Dukan, Zone or Sonoma Diet, for instance. These require you to spend more time on preparing and cooking food, so you have to decide if you have the time to devote to this breed of diet or not.

The final choice will be governed by your personal circumstances of course, so to get some ideas, see: healthylifediets.com. Either way, you can lose weight in a pretty simple way by choosing the kind of diet system that best suits your lifestyle, your needs and, finally your budget.

European Union Set Blueprint for Environment

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It’s a lofty ambition, but last week the EU commission called for the fight against poverty and environmental protection to be merged, it want’s to set itself up as the blueprint for the world to follow.

The commission has produced a report called Decent Life for All by 2030 (this is a link to the PDF of the report).  Where it outlines a list of goals and an update on it’s current objectives which were meant to be met by 2015.  Unfortunately many of these objectives are not going to be even close to being met by  that deadline but hopefully we’ll get closer to the next lot.

Of course, all of these aims are dependent on getting all 27 member states of the EU behind them.  The outlined plan specifies that poverty reduction through sustainable growth is the key.  The difficulties obviously are around the economic problems which are affecting much of the world, in particular EU nations.

Nonetheless the report is upbeat, there is a genuine belief that poverty can be eradicated within the next generation.  Although the crux of the report is reducing poverty it is stressed that protecting the environment is key to making this happen.  Without a sustainable development policy, any increases in living standards will be short lived.  Climate change has the capacity to destroy the economies of many countries and make many places simply inhabitable.  The economic consequences of improving living standards without environmental consideration would be catastrophic.

  • Nearly 1.5 billion people live in extreme poverty.
  • Over 2.5 billion people don’t have access to toilets.
  • Over 1 billion people don’t have clean drinking water supplies.

In Africa there are hundreds of millions of people suffering from chronic hunger.  Whilst amazingly 1.5 billion people live in areas where there is armed conflict.

The internet has it’s part to play in these challenges.  Economic development is feasible in Africa by utlising micro finance and insurance plus harnessing the potential of the internet.  There is an issue with lack of infrastructure but many nations are willing to invest in this given the right incentives. As always polictical instability and censorship puts some African countries at disadvantage but fortunately there are technologies which can bypass these – e.g. an african Entrepreneur can operate virtually out of America – using this technology.

There is no doubt that this global framework which has been suggested by the EU commission does offer one of the most brightest options for the future.  Whether the concensus required to make it happen is achieved especially with all the other challenges facing the world is another matter again.

Technology Companies and E-Waste

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Some of the biggest creators of waste that fills up landfill sites are the consumer electronic companies.  To some extent there whole business model is designed on customers replacing items every few years simply to get the latest features and innovations.  For example imagine how many discarded and unused TVs have been replaced by LCD and LED panels.

The problem from a green perspective and that of the planet is that in many cases there’s nothing wrong with these products.  A huge proportion of the electronic waste disgarded works perfectly well and probably has many years of life left in it.  Samsung have decided to try and set itself apart in the eco arena with designing TVs which can actually be upgraded.

Now of course you’re stuck with  the physical proportions by many upgrades are actually just built into the software and processors in the TV itself.  The ’Evolution kit’ has been released that can upgrade many of Samsungs TVs via a slot in the back of the panel.  You can upgrade that sluggish, featureless 2012 made TV with a shiny, faster, bigger memory 2013 model simply by putting the pack in the TV.

It’s sounds like a good idea but I would be interested to see how successful it actually is.  The pack will apparently cost about $500 and has the potential to completely upgrade the specifications of your TV.  It’s sounds as though there is great potential in prologing the life of as lot of our technology.  For example I’d see how internal and technical upgrades in the TV could be useful, perhaps integrating something like proxies or VPNs to allow teh TV to watch channels from the internet in different countries like demonstrated here.  However it still is a significant investment and I can imagine a lot of technology geeks wanting something a bit more visible than simply better features through a upgrade pack.  I think Samsung should be commended for a positive step in trying to reduce  the enormous waste from this sector whilst obviously trying to maintain their commercial objectives obviously.

 

Millions Killed By Pollution

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There has been a huge increase in the use of cars throughout Asia and with it a massive spike in air pollution.  The health costs of this are only now becoming apparent with some studies recently published in The Lancet.  The study estimates that in 2010 more than two million people died prematurely due to air pollution issues.  Specifically this relates to the health problems caused by the tiny particles of soot and the gasses emitted from the exhausts of cars and lorries.

The figures are much worse in Asia and India than the rest of the world but still globally over 3 million people died from pollution related illnesses. The record levels mean that this cuase of death has now entered the world’s top ten killers.  It’s a huge worry especially for the effect it will have on children, experts also predict that the vast majority of effects won’t be revealed for many years.  The toxic problems of pollution tend to have a long latency periods so many illnesses will be seen in years to come.  Given the huge numbers currently being effected then the figures will likely be many times higher in a decade or so.

There are some efforts being put in place to restrict the damage being caused.  Technology has helped to some extent particularly with cars and fuel technology however these are negated by the sheer increase in volume of traffic in places like China and India.  This is a killer that it is difficult to avoid, toxines are poisoning the very air that people are breathing.

In China, often the problem is not openly confronted because of the control of the state and the restriction of information on issues like this.  Although many Chinese now get their news and media from Western sources like the BBC – many people in Beijing for example use techniques like this - http://www.proxyusa.com/bbciplayerabroad2012 to bypass blocks and restrictions.

The levels of pollution in Chinese cities were until recently published by the State but these have stopped.  The US embassies have all now started their own monitoring and routinely publish and Tweet the data.  China may be experiencing envious economic growth but no body will be jealous of the air that they have to breathe in the major cities.

 

An Environmental Image of Health

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What would it take to create a truly healthy image that people could easily observe and identify in the environment today? There are several modes of thought on this subject that are inspired and desirable, yet while so much is said, so little is ever done to bring it from the drawing board into reality.

A commonly held belief is that if enough voice is given to any subject, eventually the people who need to hear it will listen and take notice. In environmental terms, this is happening, albeit very slowly. So let’s take a look at why things are moving so gradually in an area that really needs to get up to speed.

Money Talks

It doesn’t really matter what anyone wants to get done, if there is sufficient economic viability in the idea, then it will get done. You only have to look at the momentum gathering force in the area of renewable sources of energy. In the early 1970s, oil prices began to rise steeply in response to economic pressures and the realization that this particular commodity was becoming scarcer than anybody had until then realized. This sparked environmentalists into action with a real motive for change.

But change happened very slowly as the technology and engineering knowhow was not in place to create any real challenge to the power generating ability of fossil fuels or the transportation lifeblood that was and still is oil. There certainly was not going to be very much help coming from the cash rich oil companies that were seeing record profits thanks to the massive increase in the price of crude oil.

As time wore on, it became clear that there was money to be made from investing in renewable energy and companies began to jump aboard this latest gravy train in anticipation of the long term revenue stream that they believed would materialize. In the present day, we can now see the fruits of this investment in the increase in growth of the renewable energy sector, especially in the area of wind farms and solar electricity generation.

A Healthier Outlook

While the relentless search for new oil fields has oil companies drilling in many new areas, the pendulum does appear to be slowly swinging away from our reliance on fossil fuels for power generation. It may still take several decades to see big enough changes that will have a positive effect on people’s health as well as that of the environment, but it is clear that day is coming.

The health of the population is linked to the way in which we treat the world that we live on. As we are now moving toward a healthier way of creating the power we need for a more convenient lifestyle, we are creating a better legacy for our children and future generations. You can read more about many aspects of how the population’s health image is improving here: Health-Image.com as well as learn more about personal health topics and how to live a better life.

How Healthy is Your House?

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The home is the heart of every family and it is the place that provides essential shelter, a comfortable environment and a place to congregate, eat and sleep in relative safety. Some houses are better equipped to be kinder to the environment than others, thanks to better insulation, build specifications and their ability to prevent the ingress of unwanted draughts. But there is more to the health of a house than just its eco-friendliness.

Some houses are healthier than others, due to the varying ways in which they are designed, the materials used in building them and how they are furnished and decorated. So how healthy is your home?

Building Materials

Houses are built from a number of different materials, with wood and brick being the most common. Depending on the area where the house is built, using locally sourced materials is the most effective way of reducing the carbon footprint of a house in its initial design and build stage. But it’s important to be aware that some building materials are less healthy to humans than others.

Concrete and certain types of plaster give off unhealthy fumes long after they have dried. Some chemicals used in preserving and protecting wood from damp, rot and pest infestation can also give off dangerous fumes for a long time after treatment. So it’s important to have good ventilation to minimize the risks to the dwellers’ respiration.

Paints should also be treated with care, as some also give off gasses and fumes that may irritate respiratory tissues.

Insulation

Insulating a house from the elements is one of the biggest and most cost effective ways of reducing its day to day carbon footprint. A well insulated home can drastically cut fuel consumption for heating and cooling and that makes it a very sensible and environmentally friendly undertaking.

Some insulating materials also give off potentially unhealthy fumes so it is important to understand that, especially with some cavity wall insulating foams, the house should be well ventilated or even vacated for some time after the treatment.

Furnishing, Decorating and Finishing

Most modern furnishings are relatively safe, but some cheaper imports can contain chemical treatments that could be unhealthy. Some cheap foam cushioning can also pose a serious fire risk. Paints should be checked to ensure they do not contain chemicals that would give off noxious fumes.

There are many airborne toxins that can be found in many homes, no matter hoe environmentally friendly the owners thought they might be. Some can be mopped up by placing certain indoor potted plants such as the spider plant and peace lily.

Anyone who cares to take some time to be aware of what might be creating a potential problem can take steps to deal with them. For further information on creating a healthier house and improved personal health, please visit www.healthierhouse.com for a variety of details and informative articles on a wide variety of certain health issues and their successful resolution.

Effect of Tourism on Public Transport in Thailand

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Thailand is the most successful country in South East Asia. This is partly due to the fact that it avoided the disastrous economic policies foisted on its neighbors Laos and Vietnam by the ideology of communism. Moreover it has never suffered trade bans by the USA like Burma due to having a miltary junta in charge. Rather Thailand has prospered because of its laissez faire approach to economics.

This approach has had an unfortunate effect on public transport. While all the cities and Provinces are joined by government buses, inner city travel is not the same. Outside big cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai you cannot get on a bus to get from A to B in the city. There has been very little city planning for public transport. Rather the city officials have been content to let the private sector organize public transport. This means taxis and pick up trucks that ply fixed routes called songthaews. Also motorbike taxis (or motos) and tuk tuks offer cheap city travel. The carbon emissions from this mass of private vehicles is large. Many of the vehicles are old and have inefficient engines. This is causing pollution in the cities as well as congestion. The preferred way to get round for many, many Thais is on a motorbike as it is cheaper than taxis etc. currently on offer.

The situation is made more complicated by tourism. There are standard routes for tourists around a city such as from the main accommodation areas to the temples and night markets. The taxi drivers and tuk tuk drivers make a good living overcharging tourists for these trips. The money involved in the private transport sector in Thailand is exerting political pressure to prevent buses being introduced.

Taxis in Koh Samui and other tourist destinations generate a large income for pseudo gangster organizations. The drivers refuse to go on the meter. They keep the monetary cost as well as the carbon cost for short distance journeys in Thailand high.

It is time Thai authorities took less of a laissez faire attitude when it comes to public transport over short distances in cities and tourist areas. The concomitant benefit would also be more Thais using the system instead of motorbikes.

Public Transportation – Cooling Considerations

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Providing air conditioning on public transportation can be an expensive undertaking.  It is definitely cheaper for municipalities if they offer bus services that do not contain climate control. Unfortunately, in harsh climates a lack of air conditioning on buses can discourage ridership – and even lead to illness or death for elderly or infirm riders.  This means that in most locations adding air conditioning to local buses is a worthy goal.

Before picking a particular cooling technology, planners should ensure they have a proper understanding of the refrigeration cycle.  Certain technologies are inherently more efficient than others.  Purchasing the cheapest cooling solution upfront can be a false economy if it has substantially higher operating costs – through increased fuel usage – than more expensive options.

Rather than relying on their own knowledge, or that of the salesman for a particular HVAC technology, city planners should consult with experts in the field before committing to a particular cooling solution for their buses.  A small consulting fee can result in avoiding bad decisions due to lack of expertise.

 

 

Bamboo Bicycle

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The greenest means of transport is without a doub the bicycle. The only thing more environmentally friendly is walking, and that might be considered too slow for the likes of many. The bicycle increases the range within which people can commute or make a journey in a comfortable manner. Moreover, riding a bicycle is good for the health. It exercises a whole range of muscles. It can also be fun. Especially when you pick up speed going down hill.

The only problem with bicyles as far the environment is concerned is the materials needed to make them. Bicycles require metal, rubber, wire and quite a big input of resources most of which are not sustainable resources. There is only a finite amount of metal ores in the world. The extraction of metal ores often require massive mining projects that go deep under ground. The Chile mine disaster in 2011 is an example of the extremes that industry will go to get metal ores. On top of that it is necessary to process the ores and then transport them to markets around the world. It is a carbon intensive process.

One solution is the better recycling of metals. Another solution is to try and subsititute the non-renewable materials on a bike with renewable materials. The fastest growing plant is bamboo. It is incredibly strong. Some types of bamboo have a better strength to weight ratio than most metals. Bamboo grows just about anywhere and provides more carbon recylcing than trees.

Already plenty of people have made bamboo bikes. There are projects that build bamboo bikes in the developing world. These reduce the amount of expensive metal needed to make a bike and thus make the bicycle industry more sustainable and reduces the carbon count per bike. In short the next step in green transport is the mass production of bamboo bikes. Making bamboo frames for bikes reduces the amount of metal used by over half. It is definitely a project sustainable transport drives should look more closely at.