Mary and Joseph go green

Use Canvas Bags: The Anthem

Tim Minchin's Environmental Anthem film clip recorded for BBC3's Comedy Shuffle.

Gomi Style - DIY Cardboard Furniture Reuse Design

Learn how to make cool functional furniture with cardboard! Gomi Style is a DIY lifestyle and design show created by San Francisco Bay Area makers, artists and engineers using found objects, recycled materials, and technology.

Now this would be a wake-up call!

New product: Kirei Board

Kirei Board is an engineered panel product constructed from the stalks of the Sorghum plant grown around the world for food. The stalks left over after harvest are heat-pressed with a non-toxic adhesive to form lightweight, strong, unique Kirei Board.

DIY WaterWall

Michelle shows us how to create a beautiful and practical WaterWall for energy savings at home.

Coral reefs need protection

WWF report says last marine wilderness area on the planet must be protected!

Coral Sea sharks could be wiped out
Uploaded by therealnews

Christian the Lion - the full story

Christian left the Kora Reserve in 1973. He made his new territory along the Tana river, but when the Wakamba herdsmen kept bringing their livestock to his hunting ground, he moved on. George Adamson said in his autobiography, "I used to count the days on which we hadn't seen Christian, but when they reached 97, I gave up recording them in my diary." Because a lion can live from 12 to 15 years in the wild, Adamson believed that Christian ended his days in the Meru National Reserve only a few miles up river.



To see the whole amazing story, you can buy the full dvd at http://www.bornfree.org.uk and help The Born Free Foundation save more wildlife.

Protect the Polar Bears of Chukchi Sea!

Less than a month after listing polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to give oil companies legal protection to potentially harm the bears as they move forward with oil and gas exploration and development in Alaska's Chukchi Sea.

Head over to the National Wildlife Federation and copy the e-mail they've prepared for people to use as a way to open up their representatives' eyes.

They want you to edit and send the message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall, urging him to protect the Chukchi Sea polar bears, not big oil profits. I say send it to any political figure, Democrat or Republican, you can think of!

Bush bumbles one last time on environment

Adding one final insult to nearly eight years of injury, the Bush administration continued to defy the Supreme Court today by issuing a request for additional comments--an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking—on global warming regulations, rather than the so-called "endangerment determination" that the Court's ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA compelled and senior Environmental Protection Agency officials had argued for. A front-page report in the Washington Post today details the tireless efforts of senior political appointees in the administration to prevent global warming regulations from being in put in place under President Bush.

"Today's action caps off eight years of catastrophic negligence on the part of an increasingly irrelevant administration, and removes whatever shadow of a doubt that may have existed about whether it was going to fail to live up to its obligations to the American public, the law, and the Supreme Court to do something real on global warming. The American public, Congress, world leaders, and even career government officials are counting down the days until this administration leaves town and a new president undoes the damage done by President Bush and makes up for nearly a decade of lost time--time we didn't have to waste in the first place. And the first thing the next administration will do is toss the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking into the circular file.

"Stephen Johnson should have left his post long ago, but today's action underscores his complete and utter lack of credibility. Johnson will be remembered not for his decades of public service, but rather for his unswerving fealty to the misguided policies of a failed administration.

"This global warming melodrama has all the set pieces of classic Bush administration political theater: politics coming before science, outright deception of the American public and Congressional investigators, willful disregard for the law and courts, and political meddling at the highest levels to protect favored special interests--with the dark hand of the Vice President visible throughout. Thankfully this drama is near the end of its final act."

News Flash: small Canadian pond to become trash bin

Armed with nothing more than a rod and reel, Andy Murphy is an unlikely environmental warrior, waging a fight against a plan to dump thousands of tonnes of mining waste into a trout pond in southeastern Newfoundland.

The battleground is Sandy Pond, a small tranquil lake not far from Long Harbour on the Avalon Peninsula, about 100 kilometres west of St. John's.

It is at the center of a simmering dispute that pits environmental concerns against the hope for jobs in a region that desperately needs them. ...(read more at Yahoo! Canada)

School Aims for More than Being Green

WSJ's Matt Rivera looks at the Willow School, which views being green as more than just recycling and conserving. The school was planned so that when it was built it would actually improve the environment around it.

Hybrid cars more and more popular

As motorists face gas prices in the $4 range this summer, many are turning to hybrid vehicles as a means of saving money at the pump while also helping the environment. Michelle Miller reports.

Bee-boys drop dead

One of the most interesting Public Service Announcements (PSA) I have come across in a very long while. And the message is an important one: SAVE THE BEES!

Bee-Boy dance crew drops dead
Uploaded by helpthehoneybees

Then check out the site that goes along with this PSA. It was created by Haagen-Dazs (yeap, the ice cream makers) but the message is an important one. AND you can download a great little pdf file of a booklet explaining what you can do to attract more bees into your neighborhood. Check it out at helpthehoneybees.com!

Shopping green

There are so many things that people can do to help save the environment. Here are some very simple steps that will help when going shopping.

Bring your own bags, preferably cloth or string. Stores tend to be very easy-going about using plastic bags, which are often made of petroleum products and may take hundreds of years to decompose.

Choose paper over plastic, for if you were to ever use a store bag, paper is easier to recycle than plastic.

Think of the packaging. Larger items generally tend to use less packaging than smaller ones - a two liter bottle of Cola costs not only consumes less packaging than a six-pack of individual bottle, but it also costs less.

Visit the local farmers' market. Local produce is fresher, and it does not require large amounts of gas to ship it. You may even find specialty products that don't appear on your local grocery shelf.

Join a co-op, for all the same reasons.

Go shopping with a friend. This can cut down on the use of gas to and from the market.

Look for green "Environmentally Friendly" tags on the items you buy.

Visit thrift shops. There are great bargains, the quality is usually high, and you can get reduced rates by bringing in your own used clothes that you no longer want or need.

Make a shopping list to avoid buying things that seem appealing but you will likely never use. It should be a crime to throw out food that spoiled because you never got to eat it.

Recycle - even at the restaurant. Coffee Cups, cans, tins, Styrofoam plates; everything! There is bound to be a recycling bin, and if there is not, take a small (paper) bag, and drop it off later at a local recycling facility or drop it in your own recycling bin at home.

Compost - making a compost bin for all your food waste cuts down on what goes to the landfill, and it can be used for your garden! Anything from teabags to banana peels to paper kitchen towels can be put in there - as long as it will degrade.

Take it easy. If you feel overwhelmed just make one or two changes to start with. And as those become habits, introduce something new to your shopping routine.

Saving Lake Baikal in Siberia

Club4Climate

Dr. Earth wants you to be environmentally aware, but he sees no reason why environmental awareness and hedonism shouldn't go hand in hand. They are not mutually exclusive. With the profits from the music, the nights and the destination going to Friends of the Earth, all you really have to do is dance to save the world.

Club4Climate has teamed up with the world leaders in environmentally sustainable dance clubs, Rotterdam’s Enviu/Doll and Sustainable Dance Club. Working on the basis that a club should be self sufficient and not a drain on the environment, the organisation has come up with the varied and interesting ways to be eco-friendly. The strangest of which have been reported in the UK press, whereby Amy Winehouse is set to headline at Watt nightclub, Rotterdam in September. Energy will come from urine and sweat from clubbers and toilets will be flushed by rainwater. Projects Abroad, the gap year organisation recently endorsed by BBC Dragon’s Den star James Caan for their forward thinking initiatives, are working with Club4Climate to send young people to create sustainable dance clubs in New York, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.

Steve Norman, from the 80’s pop sensation, the amazing Spandau Ballet,
is signed to produce the Club4Climate CD due to be released in September
2008. It will be a collection of eclectic chillout and sexy, soulful
house tunes.

Having lived in Ibiza for 12 years, there is nothing that Steve Norman
doesn’t know about chilling out. Steve Norman says “I am very excited to
be working on this project. I can think of no better combination of
having a good time and helping to save the world. It rocks my boat. We
now know that we have to make changes if we’re to make our planet a
better place to live in and secure a safer future for our children. But
how many of us actually make those changes? Club4Climate helps us to
focus on green issues whilst having fun doing it. Being a soulman and
the occassional clubber, I can’t think of a better way. I’m very happy
to be involved.”

Spandau Ballet emerged from London’s underground fashion and club scene
of the late 70’s, they pioneered styles of electronic dance music and
white funk. They had worldwide commercial success with the blue eyed
soul album True. They had 20 hit singles and spent a 500 weeks in the UK
charts, selling 20 million albums worldwide.

A better car ...

Is what we drive now as good as it gets? Check out the two-minute cartoon at http://www.bettah.org

Save the Earth Quiz!

Oil changes could hurt environment

The Front Fell Off

This starts off looking like a serious news cast but rest assured it is not. No one could be this stupid ... or could they?

Five Simple Ways to Save Trees

Trees do more than serve as beautiful scenery and boost our home values; they also filter the air, produce the oxygen we breathe and contribute to water quality. Trees are an important natural resource that we consume at an alarming rate through our daily use of the many products made from them. Here we examine five simple steps you can take to save trees while at the same time improving your quality of life:

1.Stop getting junk mail. Not only does junk mail pile up on the counter, much of it is unread and represents a needless waste of trees. With a small investment of time, you can eliminate or significantly reduce the quantity of unwanted paper advertisements delivered to your mailbox. There are a few ways to go about this, but a good way to start is through the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service, which allows you to remove your name from the mailing lists of individual organizations. If you receive unwanted credit or insurance offers, you can request that the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies not share your information at www.optoutprescreen.com or by calling 1–888–567–8688.

Taking these actions should eliminate a majority of the unsolicited advertisements you receive. Junk mail you still receive may call for individual action. To stop receiving unwanted catalogs, have a catalog in hand and call the company to request that your name and address be removed from the company’s mailing list and that it not be sold or traded. With a little time and effort, you can save trees while enjoying a less cluttered home.

2.Pay bills online. Many banks, utility companies, cellular phone providers and other companies have begun offering the option of paperless billing. This means that rather than receiving a bill in the mail, you can receive a bill via e-mail and make payments online. Paying bills online is convenient and reduces needless paper waste at the same time. If you already pay bills online but still receive paper bills, check with your service providers about paperless billing.

3.Nourish the trees on your property. Yes, the trees in your yard are important too. Trees have a cooling effect on the environment and absorb carbon dioxide while emitting the oxygen we require, and can also help control your home’s energy consumption. Trees on private property are threatened by human carelessness as well as diseases and insects. To protect the trees on your property, be aware that lawnmowers, nearby sidewalks and buildings can harm trees and cause them to become hazardous or die. Proper tree care is imperative to protecting these valuable natural resources. To maintain healthy trees on your property, have your trees inspected periodically by a certified arborist who can detect early signs of tree failure or disease.

4.Make a conscious effort based on your consumption habits. You do not have to massively overhaul your life to reduce the amount of paper waste you produce. The best actions to take to reduce paper waste vary from person to person, depending on individual consumption habits. Simply being aware of how you most often produce unnecessary waste can help you determine where to cut back. For example, if you order a coffee to-go from the local coffee shop every day, try bringing your own mug rather than using the paper cups. Use the air dryer to dry your hands rather than paper towels. Take only the number of napkins you will use when at a restaurant. And of course, recycle everything you can.

5.Donate to the cause. If you want to get more involved, there is a plethora of organizations with the goal of saving or replenishing harvested trees. The organization with which you choose to get involved is a personal choice. Be sure to do your homework and donate wisely to an organization whose cause you genuinely want to support.

About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and tree trimming Austin trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

Beautiful images

A collection of images (of animals, of nature) with the song 'what a wonderful world' by Louis Armstrong.

In Bellevue the Sidewalks are Paved with...Rubber?

by JOSEPH RICHARDSON

The city of Bellevue has undertaken a project designed to give their streets a little more bounce. Taking cues from cities like Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma, Bellevue city hall launched a pilot project this year that will test the viability of rubber sidewalks in the downtown core.

Starting with a small stretch of sidewalk on NE 10th, just west of 102nd Ave NE, the experimental footpath will help the city evaluate the long term costs and durability of rubber sidewalks as opposed to concrete ones. If the project proves successful, city officials plan to use the rubber pavers in another 700 sidewalk locations throughout the city.

One of the main advantages of the rubber sidewalks is their ability to bend. Though everyone loves a shady, tree lined street - when those gnarly old roots start tearing up the pavement, children trip, wheelchairs get stuck, people sue. When this happens, it's a bit of a showdown: sidewalk vs. tree. Last year, 12 trees lost the battle and had to be cut down. Even when the tree can be spared, if the roots are cut to save the sidewalk the tree can still die. Either way, all the time and money spent on maintenance is costly.

The alternative is to pave the sidewalks with something that can co-exist with the trees, something like rubber that won't crack under pressure. For pedestrians, the rubber is a slightly softer surface to walk on that can put a bit of a spring in the step. Better traction and improved accessibility for people in wheelchairs are other ground-level advantages. But perhaps the most appealing advantage for Bellevue staff and citizens is the fact that the recycled tiles are good for the environment, preserving the trees and turning what would have become landfill into something everyone can be happy about. The rubber sidewalk tiles are made out of recycled tires with about 5 tires compressed into every two inch thick paver.

The rubber sidewalk initiative is just one of many environmentally friendly projects undertaken by the local government in the past year. In an effort to reduce their municipal carbon footprint, Bellevue has also adopted land use patterns that reduce sprawl, sought ways to preserve the city's tree canopy, turned one of their beloved golf courses into a wildlife sanctuary recognized by the Audubon Society and started purchasing hybrid vehicles for the city fleet.

Eco-friendly Furniture for your home

Kris Connell of Real Simple magazine shows Julie Chen furnishings that are not harmful to the environment or to your health.

Easy, Inexpensive Dog Bed

I came across this very simple plan for a homemade dog bed. It's basically a pillow, but for those of you looking for a weekend project, you'll want to check out:

http://craftydaisies.com/2007/02/09/dog-bed/

Energy-Saving Tips for Your Home

Lower your utility bills and be kind to the environment. Learn how to use less energy around your home.

Green cars

Everyone Can Save the Planet

Climate change is a global problem, and yet each one of us has the power to make a difference. Even small changes in our daily behaviour can help prevent greenhouse gas emissions without affecting our quality of life. In fact, they can help save us money.

Tenerife Takes Action to Protect the Environment

Author: Roger Munns

Tenerife is just one of the seven Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, yet it is making a huge impact on the environment. Tenerife has a commitment to the private and public sector to go green and do whatever they can to protect the environment of the island.

Tenerife and Tourism

The island of Tenerife is completely dependent on tourism. Tenerife has been a favorite destination for UK visitors for some time. Known as a Paradise Island, Tenerife is sunny year-round, which makes it the perfect destination for relaxing in the sun anytime of the year. Their goal is to keep it that way.

Going green and protecting the environment is one way that Tenerife can protect its status as a hot holiday spot. The island is vulnerable because it is so dependent on tourism. Changing climates could easily put them out of business and entirely change the nature of the island. Rising temperature alone could make relaxing on the beach an unbearable past-time.

Traveling to and around Tenerife

A ferry boat is available to take holidaymakers to the island of Tenerife from the mainland. The ferry goes to either Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Los Cristanos. Nearly half a million visitors come to the island of Tenerife via cruise ships. Of course, flights to Tenerife are also still available.

The main method of transportation on the island of Tenerife is buses. An elaborate fleet of newer buses provide transportation for one location to another on the island. There are some cars on the island that are available. There are also plans for a light rail network to connect the capital with the south side of the island. The idea is to reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the air caused by ground travel.

Tenerife Goes Green

Tenerife is doing a lot to protect its beautiful and natural environment. They've made a commitment to individuals and companies to go beyond the basics and protect the environment of the island with aggressive tactics.

Some of the things they are currently doing:

* The island uses water purification and its natural reserves from underground.
* They use recycling as a means to cut back on using natural resources.
* They use desalination.
* They are cutting back on carbon emissions.
* They use an elaborate bus network to minimize traffic on the island.
* It is home to tropical pilot whales, which is a huge attraction for holiday-makers. They protect their habitat.
* Half of the island is listed as either a national park or nature reserves.
* The island has been using renewable energy since the plan was devised back in 1990.

In addition to protecting the island's natural surroundings, Tenerife is dedicated to preserving its heritage and culture.

Tenerife as a Role Model for Protecting the Environment

While we all have seen some of the effects of global warming, Tenerife has taken action to protect the environment and retain the beauty and reputation of the island. The steps they've taken to reduce emissions and balance carbon in the air is admirable. Their actions serve as a role model for how the world needs to react to her changing environment.

About the Author:

Yourtenerife.net offers potential visitors news and information about Tenerife, and includes reviews for hotels in Tenerife.

Quick Tips: Stop Junk Mail

Keep a low profile: Every time you share your address - from entering a contest or shopping online - you are giving up valuable information for direct mailing companies. And those who aren't interested in mailing to you, are very interested in sharing you address (for a profit) to someone who is! Try your best to limit who you disclose your contact information to.

And when you're asked for your number or postal/zip code while in the check-out line politely say no. They use this information to track customers; the phone number can be entered into a database for future telemarketing (annoying), and the postal/zip code will determine where in the city to send flyers (terrible for the environment!).

Boston Harbor a “No Discharge” Designation

With state and local backing, EPA is designating Boston Harbor as a “No Discharge” area. This status means that discharges of treated and untreated boat sewage are prohibited within these Massachusetts state waters, including the Towns and Cities of Boston, Braintree, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Hingham, Hull, Milton, Newton, Quincy, Watertown, Weymouth, and Winthrop.

In May, the Mass. Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), in partnership with the Cities of Boston and Quincy, and the Urban Harbor Institute, petitioned EPA to approve the No Discharge designation. Following consideration of the request, and a 30-day public review and comment period, EPA will approve the request to protect these coastal waters from boat sewage.

“Designating a major urban shipping waterway like Boston Harbor as a no discharge area is an important milestone in EPA’s effort to protect the entire New England coastline from boat sewage,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. “Once again, we are seeing forward-looking New Englanders showing the way to the rest of the country about how we can better protect our environment.”

City of Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said, “Designation of Boston Harbor as a No-Discharge Area puts an exclamation point on the work that’s already been done to bring this jewel of our city back. This summer more than ever, Boston’s beaches and islands will be a destination for residents trying to beat the heat and show the kids a fun time without having to fill the tank. The City of Boston has committed to providing more pumpout facilities including a new pumpout boat to ensure that, from the beaches of South Boston to Spectacle Island, Boston Harbor is an even cleaner and more vibrant place for our residents, families and visitors to enjoy.”

"As a Charlestown resident and a recreational boater, I know what an asset a clean Boston Harbor is, and this designation will help keep these waters clean," said Ian Bowles, Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which includes the Office of Coastal Zone Management. "One-third of the Massachusetts coast is now designated as NDA, and we are well on our way to Governor Patrick's goal of all of the Commonwealth's coastal waters becoming discharge-free."

To quality for a No Discharge designation, the applicant must show there are enough “pumpout” facilities where boaters can get their sewage holding tanks pumped out. This particular area has an estimated 8,720 boats, of which only 4,047 are large enough to have a head or toilet on board. There are a total of 35 pumpout facilities in the designated area available to the boating community. In addition, there are four pending pumpout facilities which should be operational this boating season.

Boat sewage can lead to health problems for swimmers, closed shellfish beds and the overall degradation of marine habitats.

The Urban Harbors Institute, the City of Boston, and the City of Quincy initiated the No Discharge Area designation process in the summer of 2007 to safeguard local marine resources.

Many other areas in New England already have designated their coastal waters as No Discharge areas, or are in the process of doing so. These include:

• All state marine waters of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire;
• In Massachusetts: Harwich, Waquoit Bay, Nantucket Harbor, Wellfleet, Barnstable, and
• Buzzards Bay (including Wareham and Westport), Plymouth/Duxbury/Kingston area; the
• Harbors of Scituate/Marshfield/Cohasset, and Salem Sound;
• In Maine, Casco Bay;
• Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog in Vermont.

Music: If A Tree Falls In the Forest

Leave it to the kids

The green movement to save the earth is growing by leaps and bounds. Kids are also hearing the message but many are doing a lot more than just listening. They are taking action to save the planet for future generations.

Must see: Sharkwater

I saw Sharkwater the other week and I swear I haven`t been the same since. If any movie can persuade people to take action to protect this world (and that means protecting one of the most misunderstood animals in the world) it is this one.

Having garnered 21 awards at film festivals around the world, filmmaker Rob Stewart’s epic journey Sharkwater puts him on the front lines to save the planet. Part biologist, part investigative reporter, Stewart follows the trail of the multi-billion dollar shark fin trade and sets off a chain of events that has to be seen to be believed. His adventure becomes a dangerous mission involving espionage, corrupt governments, mafia rings, his arrest and a glimpse at his own mortality.

In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A confrontation between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala results in a dramatic confrontation with a pirate Guatemalan fishing boat. But that’s just the beginning. As they become involved in a gunboat chase, face corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, they are forced to flee for their lives.

Filmed in 15 countries in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you to the most shark-rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations. What one comes away with is a story about the beauty of life on earth and our role in protecting its amazing balance.

Purchase the book: Sharkwater: The Photographs.
Purchase the movie: Sharkwater.
Visit the official website: here.

Eco-Bunnies save Earth ... Day

The Eco-Bunnies are back! And this time they save the EARTH...day festivities.

Protecting the Beluga

Biologists study the Beluga whale in Russia's White Sea region as a way of preserving one of its unique breeding grounds. The project to study the whales receives aid from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It aims to protect natural habitat as Russia plans to develop energy reserves in the Barents Sea. The IFAW hopes the Solevetsky island will be declared a UNESCO heritage site.

Music: Sleeping Satellite

Pelican's making a comeback

The brown pelican has made a dramatic recovery since the early 1970s. Now, they number more than 600,000 in the western hemisphere. Simon Perez reports.

Climate change: the ugly truth

The World Wildlife Fund has revealed the ugly face of Climate Change. Looks a little like Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper if you ask us!

Squirrels are people, too

An exploration of a unique habitat for squirrels.

DIY: Make your own bags!

Still not able to break that plastic bag habit? Well, maybe it's time.

"In the marine environment plastic bag litter is lethal, killing many birds, whales, seals and turtles every year. After an animal is killed by plastic bags its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment where it can kill again." and "A Bryde's whale died on a Cairns beach after ingesting 6 square metres of plastic - including plastic bags. Such obstructions in animals can cause severe pain, distress and death." (Planet Ark)

"Every time we use a new plastic bag they go and get more petroleum from the Middle East and bring it over in tankers," said Stephanie Barger, executive director of Earth Resource Foundation in Costa Mesa, Calif. "We are extracting and destroying the Earth to use a plastic bag for 10 minutes." (seattlepi.nwsource.com)

But all is not lost! Most stores are now providing a re-usable, and inexpensive, alternative that you can purchase right there at the register. Or, even better, you can put some of those creative skills to good use and make your own bag (and a couple for your friends!).

One great site is morsbags.com. With step by step instructions, including templates and a flash animated how-to, you'll be up and running in no time.

Or if you have a few old pillow cases around the house, why not re-use them? TipNut.com has a great project waiting for you.

And for all you knitters our there, try your hand at the Turkish Stitch String Bag from tiajudy.com!

Eco-bunnies know how it's done

Being a bunny isn't all about hopping around and eating carrots. Well mostly, but we do other stuff too. We are spreading the word about the effects of carbon emissions on the environment and encourage everybody to offset those emissions whenever they can. We recommend zeroing out emissions through The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program. It's kinda funny when you think about it: decreasing your impact on the environment actually impacts the environment!

Will Ferrell as Dubya on Global Warming

The Commander-in-Chief of the World discusses global warming. Will Ferrell's imitation is uncannily close to the real thing.

From "eek!" to "I love you"

Insects often scare or annoy, but bugs are a much needed part of our environment.

Giraffe masterminds circus break-out

Fifteen camels, two zebras and several llamas and pot-bellied pigs escaped from a circus visiting Amsterdam.

"We suspect that a giraffe kicked open a pen," claimed Dutch police, adding that the animals did not get far before they were rounded up and returned to the circus.

And you thought the coyote was wily ...

Save money, save the environment

Another Year of Disappearing Honey Bees

The 2008 calendar indicates that another spring has arrived in North America and the signs of the new season are everywhere. Buds have appeared on trees, heralding the arrival of new leaves. The increased daylight and the warming sun act as harbingers for the appearance of flowering plants that will soon begin their summer cycle of growth. Nurseries and home improvement stores; such as, Home Depot and Loews, are selling plants, rakes, shovels, mulch, and fertilizer.

Indeed, the familiar signs of spring are everywhere. However, once again this year, there is a real problem in nature which is tempering agricultural enthusiasm for the upcoming growing season. It is a problem that was first identified in 2006. The problem continues to be the disappearance of the honey bee. Once again there is little progress to report from research into this mystery surrounding the honey bee called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

CCD occurs when all adult bees disappear from the hive, leaving the honey and pollen behind. Few, if any, dead bees are found around the hive. Between 50 and 90% of the commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the United States have been afflicted with CCD and the problem is making it difficult for U.S. commercial beekeepers to pollinate crops. About a quarter of beekeeping operations were affected by CCD during the 2006-2007 winter alone. It is estimated that up to 70% of honey bees in the United States have just disappeared due to Colony Collapse Disorder. The problem has continued during the winter of 2007-2008.

In addition to the ongoing problem of CCD, consider that news reports indicate significant regional problems with dying honey bees this spring in the United States. In Hawaii, a microscopic mite is devastating Oahu's honey bee population and the long term affects could wipe out much of the island's agriculture. Western Washington State has a developing agricultural crisis as bees are dying from a new pathogen called Nosema Ceranae. This fungus attacks the bee's gut, making it impossible to process food and the bee eventually starves to death.

In general, the various problems with disappearing and dying honey bees are rapidly taking a toll on the entire United States beekeeping industry. It has been reported that the number of keepers who produce more than 6,000 pounds of honey annually has declined from 2,054 in 2005, (the year before keepers started experiencing colony collapse) to about 1,100 this year.

Internationally, a lack of a sufficient number of honey bees is responsible this spring for problems in blueberry pollination in Canada. The Fraser Valley produces about one-fifth of the world's blueberries, but no longer has a sufficient number of honey bees to support its blueberry pollination, and honey bees are now being imported for pollination.

In England and Wales, proposals to protect honey bees have recently been announced by the government. However, bee keepers complain about a lack of research funding and the slow pace of governmental response since the number of honey bees continues in decline.

It is now estimated that nearly half of Italy's 50 billion bee population died last year. That bee mortality rate will have a drastic effect on the country's 25-million-euro honey industry (which could plummet by at least 50% in 2008) and wreak havoc on fruit crops. The worldwide bee epidemic has also hit France, Germany, Britain, Brazil, and Australia.

The increased cost of energy in food production and transportation has already led to a world food price inflation of 45 percent in the last nine months alone. There are serious worldwide shortages of rice, wheat, and corn. The rising cost of food has recently been responsible for deadly clashes in Egypt, Haiti, and several African states.

However, if the population of the honey bee continues to decline, worldwide events from higher prices and shortages of food will have only just begun. The pollination of the honey bee is crucial to agriculture and the world’s food supply. Without the honey bee, prices of vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and dairy prices will all spiral much higher.

The disappearance of the honey bee poses a threat to eating premium ice cream as well. Haagen-Dazs, (owned by General Mills) said bees are responsible for 40% of its 60 flavors, such as strawberry, toasted pecan, and banana split. The company is launching a new flavor this spring called Vanilla Honey Bee to raise consumer awareness about the problem. Proceeds from the sale of the ice cream will be used to fund CCD research.

The ramifications to our diet and lifestyle are enormous, but government's response to the developing food crisis has been limited and slow. The disappearing honey bee issue has not been discussed in any Presidential debate or in any campaign forum. In fact, both of our major political parties have been silent on the problem.

Hopefully, American politicians on the campaign trail in the 2008 United States presidential election like Haagen- Daz products. The truth is that Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream may be the only way to bring the candidates attention to a serious, developing, agricultural crisis. A world without sufficient honey bee pollination will create a food crisis of economic, national, and international ramifications. Indeed, it is another year without a solution to the problem of disappearing honey bees.

About the Author: James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Visit his website at http://www.eWorldvu.com

National Clean Beaches Week July 1-7

Summer is here and everyone is heading to picnics, parties, pools, parks, and beaches, but it is important to remember to put trash and recyclable materials in their proper place to help protect oceans and coasts from marine debris.

EPA recommends five simple actions that can prevent trash from becoming marine debris:

• Never put anything down a storm drain;
• Use reusable bags instead of disposable bags;
• Choose products with less packaging when possible;
• Replace disposable items with reusable ones such as bottles, plates, and cups; and
• Recycle! Keep recyclables and trash in covered and secured containers.

When trash is not properly thrown away or recycled, it can wash down storm drains or get blown into streams, rivers, and oceans becoming marine debris. Marine debris, including plastic grocery bags and bottles, ropes, soda rings, fishing lines and other items, can threaten public safety, hurt the economy with costly cleanups and deterred tourism, and harm or kill marine life like seals, sea turtles, and birds.