The destruction of Orangutan habitat for Palm Oil plantations remains the biggest
threat the Orangutans face. Each day 7,200 soccer fields are destroyed. Over the
next 2 years an area the size of Tasmania will be cleared. The impact on Orangutans
is devastating, some estimate 50 per week are being killed as a direct result. Well
over 1,000 babies have now ended up in Care Centres with little chance of a return to
the wild in the foreseeable future.
1
17/03/2008
Ask yourself this: How many devices in your house use batteries? How often do they need to get replaced? How often have you thought of getting rechargeable batteries? How often have you actually done it? If your answers are many, often, every time, and never, you're not alone.
According to Earth911.org, every year in the US, we throw out 180,000 tons of batteries. Personally I think a number of batteries would have even more impact, but the point is clear: We go through a lot of batteries. Batteries which contain a lot of materials that we'd all rather not see making their way into our environment, and many of which are actually recyclable
0
14/03/2008
Many of the spiders we kill in our homes and gardens are harmless and beneficial in the environment - so be kind to them if you can. Here's some tips on how to how to humanely deal with them. Warning! scarey spider pic in article.
6
03/03/2008
Do your part to ensure a healthy planet by considering these 10 simple actions at the office.
1
03/03/2008
This school year, eco-savvy kids and parents, aware of the almost four million acres of U.S. forest clearcut annually (not to mention the tons of discarded cell phones), return to store shelves seeking greener academic supplies and electronics. Yet some still find themselves at a loss. "I was recently at a major office supply chain to buy recycled or biodegradable pens and binders," says Ellyn Feerick, a middle school teacher in Danvers, Mass., "but forget about it—they don't exist." Never fear. With some sleuthing, you can find more resources than ever to suit the environmentally minded student.
2
29/02/2008
Breast-feeding is a healthy choice, recommended by pediatricians because it increases babies' resistance to infections and decreases the risks of childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, childhood cancers and allergies—topped off by a possible IQ boost. Still, despite these impressive benefits, less than 15 percent of mothers in the U.S. exclusively breast-feed for their baby's first 6 months. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only "fourteen states in the U.S. have achieved the national Healthy People 2010 objective of 75% of mothers initiating breastfeeding."
0
29/02/2008
Whether you rely on an old-school Walkman to tend to your musical needs or a battery-eating digital camera for snapshots, there’s no need for your mode of entertainment to stock landfills. Now that battery rechargers are cheap and small enough, there’s little reason to buy single-use batteries again. The savings: 500 to 1,000 disposable batteries for each rechargeable.
0
29/02/2008
It's easy to use the holidays as an excuse to drop money on a ginormous TV set or souped-up desktop computer. But it's worth keeping an eye on energy consumption, especially given the current high cost of power. Some big-screen plasma TVs can actually consume more energy annually than your refrigerator—one Panasonic plasma weighed in at 849 kilowatt hours/year, versus 670 kwh/year or less for many fridges. In general, "as screen size gets bigger, power consumption goes up and that's regular across the technology used, be it LCD, CRT, plasma or some other," says Mehernaz Polad of ICF International, a consultant for EPA's Energy Star program.
1
29/02/2008
Living on a budget can make you wonder how you'd ever afford getting a new green washing machine, organic cotton shirt or even at times a compact fluorescent bulb. Everything costs money and many an eco-friendly product comes at a premium. Rumored savings from living green, however, can seem just that as you wander down the aisles of Whole Foods, enviously eyeing imported cheese and organic beef. In my own case, for some time I've wanted a ceiling fan to deal with global warming at the scale of my apartment. And when I looked at my own buying habits, adding up where I might save a little cash, I found some good choices that didn't compromise my green values.
1
29/02/2008
In my daily life, I try my best to recycle (cans, bottles, cardboard, everything) and reduce (I'm weaning myself off shopping bags, which is harder than it seems unless I carry a cloth bag with me on the train every day). Lately I've been challenging myself to heed that other R: reuse. Whether an item is destined for the trash can or the recycling bin, I've been trying to use things one more time before they get tossed for good.
Newspaper has been an easy place to start. Not only is it ubiquitous--I, for one, have piles of it in the foyer, most of which never gets read--it can also be repurposed in a multitude of ways.
2
29/02/2008
The cost of electricity is going up (both in dollars and in environmental and health impacts) and it doesn’t show any signs of doing otherwise. About half of the energy in the American grid is coal generated. We won’t bore you with what you already know: coal is a really stinky, dangerous, nasty, unsustainable, and silly way to make power. By using less energy, and greening the electricity that we do use, we can lighten our footprint immensely. The subject of electricity and its environmental impacts is a massive one and we can’t cover every corner of it here. We hope that this brief guide can offer some solid suggestions for greening your electricity and use thereof.
1
27/02/2008
The last time you walked into a bookstore it probably didn’t feel much like a forest—but for all the trees used in those pages, it could be. According to bizstats.com, there are more than 6,000 companies in the US that publish books, and when you include “self-publishers,” there are literally tens of thousands. The global impact of this is rather mind-boggling. For instance, if a publisher sells a million copies of an average 250-page book, it takes 12,000 trees to produce books for this one title. Alternatively, if the publisher chooses to print the books on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, no trees are cut. Reflect on the zillions of books you saw in the bookstore.
0
27/02/2008
The eco-friendly kitchen begins with eating green, but it doesn’t end there. Energy-efficient food preparation and cleaning habits, using equipment made from sustainable materials, and dodging toxic chemicals are also important if you want to have a truly healthy kitchen. Fortunately, making the right choices for your well-being is also good for the pocket and the planet. Our straightforward and simple suggestions for preparing earth-friendly meals--from fridge to food to cleanup--will turn you into a greener gourmet in no time.
0
27/02/2008
You can reduce waste and pollution, and free some space in your mailbox, with a minimum of effort.
2
04/02/2008
Our Seafood Selector helps you choose fish that are good for you and the ocean.
1
03/02/2008
The amount of chaos generated by a seven-pound bundle newly arrived in the world is astonishing. It's as if we give birth not just to a baby, but to a ready-made mini-consumer who appears to need piles of clothing, bedding and equipment. We're all the more easily gulled into this way of thinking because in a weird way, shopping for your baby, especially when they're so very tiny, fulfils some primitive need to feather the nest. Mothercare ... the tundra ... it's all the same really
1
03/02/2008
Rainwater collection
Rainwater tanks, traditionally an icon of the Australian outback, are becoming a more common feature in urban communities, with around 17% of all households installing a tank on their property. More households need to purchase a rainwater tank if the community is to make a real difference to conserve rapidly depleting water supplies.
1
24/01/2008
Greywater use
Greywater (or grey water) is typically water from baths, showers, hand basins and washing machines. It does not include water from the toilet. Water from kitchen sinks and dishwashers is also technically greywater, however the high concentration of food wastes and chemicals mean that it is less suitable for re-use.
0
24/01/2008
Garage and driveway
Water restrictions in most areas have meant that many businesses and home owners are no longer permitted to hose down driveways, paths, concrete and paved areas. But there are alternative ways to keep these areas clean using minimal amounts of water or even no water at all.
Tips for washing cars and cleaning driveways
Use a broom, brush or rake to sweep and clean outdoor paths and paving instead of hosing them down with water.
If water restrictions permit, wash cars, boats and other vehicles on the lawn (if practical) with a bucket not a running hose. Use a trigger nozzle or a positive shut-off nozzle infrequently for occasional rinsing sprays.
Use captured ‘warm-up’ water from inside the home or treated greywater to wash vehicles.
Use a commercial car wash that recycles its wash water.
1
24/01/2008
Pools and Spas
Current water restrictions may limit how you fill or top up a new or existing swimming pool and spa, but you can still enjoy these great leisure activities if you follow a few simple water conservation guidelines.
1
24/01/2008
Fixing leaks
DID YOU KNOW? A slowly dripping tap can waste 20,000 litres in a year. Check for drips and take action now!
A lot of water is lost around the home due to leaking pipes and dripping taps. It might not seem much, but it adds up...
A slowly dripping tap can waste a couple of litres each hour, reaching almost 20,000 litres a year. That's the entire amount available each year to many people around the world!
To detect a leak, ensure all taps are turned off. Check your water meter and note the reading. Then check the reading again after about three hours. If no water has been used, the reading should be the same. If the meter has moved, you have a leak that needs to be found and fixed.
Changing the washers usually fixes dripping taps. If this does not solve the problem, contact a plumber.
Source:
www.savewater.com.au
0
24/01/2008
Bathroom
DID YOU KNOW?
Nearly half of all water consumed in the home is used in the bathroom. 20% of that water is flushed down the toilet…
0
24/01/2008
Laundry
15-20% of all water consumed in the home is used in the laundry, making this room a high consumer of not only water but also energy and detergents.
There are many inexpensive ways to save water in the laundry. One of the easiest is to install a water efficient washing machine. Many major appliances and tapware products carry labels according to their water efficiency. Look out for the WELS (Water Efficience Labelling and Standards) label - this is displayed on the product or a swing tag. It demonstrates that manufacturers and importers have ensured their product has been tested and complies with the Australian Standard in the respective category.
0
24/01/2008
Saving water in the kitchen
The kitchen is a major consumer of water in the home, using around 10% of total household water consumption for cooking, cleaning, washing or drinking.
The dishwasher is the highest consumer of water in the kitchen. Installing a water efficient model will save you not only water, but also money. Before purchasing a new dishwasher, check the appliance for a WELS (National Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme) label. The WELS scheme labels products for water efficiency - the more stars, the more water efficient the product. A WELS dishwasher uses half the water of an average model.
0
24/01/2008
Did you know... ?
... that most of the decisions we make every day have an environmental impact? Most people know that riding a bicycle to work is less damaging to the environment than driving a car. And we know that putting an extra jumper on in winter creates less greenhouse gases than turning on the heater.
As consumers, we make decisions every day about what we buy. We might decide on a product because it's cheap, tastes good, has a brand we are used to, or because it will last longer than another, similar product. Most Australian consumers are excellent at choosing products in these ways.
A Better Way
Many consumers would like to make their purchasing decision based on environmental factors as well. For example, if you know that two types of printing paper look, perform and are priced the same, but one comes from plantation timber and the other comes from tropical rainforests, you'd probably prefer the plantation paper.
This is just a simple example, but all sorts of products have different environmental impacts. The problem is, it's usually hard to tell. If you go shopping for paint, shampoo, a computer, furniture, magazines, dishwashing detergent, clothes and many other products, it can be very hard to make a decision with the environment in mind. The information just isn't there.
The good news is, things are getting easier. Look for the Good Environmental Choice label.
0
21/01/2008
The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year.
Our service stops 80-95% of unwanted catalogs and junk mail
for you. We’ll contact dozens of companies on your behalf to
STOP YOUR JUNK MAIL and PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
0
21/01/2008