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Today on New Scientist 1 March 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: riding shotgun with the tornado chasers, how dark matter could meet its nemesis on Earth, and sniffing out the truth about pheromones

Today on New Scientist 26 February 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: the unstoppable rise of spam, the failure of Arctic ice arches, and why happiness ain't all it's cracked up to be

Killer whale the clues in the name

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Perhaps the oddest explanation for a killer whale trainer's death this week is that the animal was enacting a mating behaviour, says Rowan Hooper

Today on New Scientist 25 February 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: how wireless speed freaks could leave Wi-Fi standing, a disease gene blocker that sneaks past cells' defences, and the heyday of arsenic

Newborns blood used to build secret DNA database

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Texas state health officials secretly gave hundreds of babies' blood samples to the federal government to build a DNA database, reports Ewen Callaway

Today on New Scientist 24 February 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: Earth's nine life-support systems, a hard look at the IPCC's headline findings, and the real-life Avatar

Today on New Scientist 23 February 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: the new weapons trained on blindness, how a lawsuit could shut down the LHC, and why we should stop funding homeopathy

Global treaty may make your ISP spy on you

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A leaked document suggests that internet service providers may be compelled to sift through their customers' data looking for copyright transgressions

Today on New Scientist 22 February 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: how bugs could help us build sustainable cities, the quest to wipe out HIV for good, and an unexpected use for latex

How long till we wipe out HIV for good?

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A proposal that could see HIV eradicated using nothing but existing drugs is finally being taken seriously, say Celeste Biever and Andy Coghlan

Killer ants with taste for cat food attack toads

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Cat food lures meat ants into places where they will attack large cane toads – a pesky invasive species, writes Wendy Zukerman

Aviation lobbyist admits Heathrow could be a white elephant

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We always thought that the government's economic case for the third runway at Heathrow was flawed. Particularly so given their plan to only allow use of half of the runway's capacity if environmental targets weren't met.

And it turns out we're not alone in our belief. Yesterday this line of argument received some unlikely support from Lord Clive Soley, the campaign director of aviation lobbyists Future Heathrow.

He said on the Today programme:

"... if the airport doesn't meet the pollution restrictions including noise, then they have to reduce the use of the runway until they come within that level... my conviction is that they will actually reach it anyway because of all the technical and other developments that are taking place but really even if they didn't, think the worst possible case, then in that case the runway cannot be used to it's full extent - in those circumstances you might say that it wouldn't make economic sense, but I'm convinced that they will meet it..."

So... He's agreeing that the economic case for the third runway doesn't stack up if the runway doesn't run at full capacity. This is significant. (Even though we reckon the economic case barely stacks up even with full-capacity operation.)

Lord Soley has faith in what he calls, intriguingly, ‘technological developments and indeed, other developments', which will cut emissions from planes, squaring the circle of how to have more flights at Heathrow with reduced overall emissions.

The government predict that these hypothetical emissions reductions will emerge over the next ten years, and allow an expanded Heathrow to pass their emissions tests.

'Technological and other developments'.We can only speculate what Lord Soley means when he talks about ‘other developments' - what development would mean more flights but less emissions? Possibly Future Heathrow have a plan to breed some sort of Avatar-style flying bird lizard as an alternative to short-haul flights, we'll let you know if we see any.

Anyway, at least the technological developments argument is well-trodden. The idea is that having more flights doesn't increase emissions because the planes are more efficient - so each flight produces less carbon.

The aviation industry, who generously pay for Lord Soley's interventions on the Today programme, reckon they can reduce emissions from planes by 2% a year. The government reckon that 1.5% per year is more reasonable.

The Committee on Climate Change, the independent experts who were specifically tasked to look into this issue by the government, reported back after about a year of work saying they thought that 0.8% per year was a likely bet.

And herein lies the problem. The government say that planes are going to get more efficient about twice as fast as the CCC's assessment. And the industry (quelle surprise) is predicting even faster than that. (Although the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution said they were being ‘clearly aspirational', which is kind of a polite way of saying it's never going to happen.)

The issue for Lord Soley is that the experts don't seem to agree with him that an era of massively increased capacity at Heathrow with lower emissions is just around the corner. It's unlikely a third runway at Heathrow would pass the environmental tests the government claims it's going to enforce.

That means that a third runway at Heathrow would, if you believe the government would enforce these tests, never be run at full capacity.

And according to Lord Soley, (and us) that means that the economics of Heathrow will never make sense.

Update: Tim at FullFact points out that Lord Soley's claims about the majority of people in west London supporting a third runway are a bit suspect.

Heathrow Judicial Review Wrap up updated

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

UPDATE: Thursday - Day 3

The third and final day in the high court turned out to be the best one so far.

The government's barristers continued to try to defend the statistics that the Department for Transport had used to support the case for a third runway, and it turned out to be a bit of a minefield for them. (Perhaps because the statistics were basically pretty shoddy.)

At one point a somewhat annoyed judge asked whether the government accepted that their figures of how many passengers they could fit on the tube were wrong. (He was referring to the creative accounting that had suggested you could fit 4 people plus luggage into every tube carriage square-metre.)

The government's lawyer, squirming slightly, replied that he couldn't say either way, which didn't go down too well.

On the climate part of the argument, the judge noted that the climate bill changed the policy context in which government decisions, like the one to build a runway, were made. This is great - a key part of the argument we've been making is that the decision to build a third runway just can't be squared with a commitment to cut carbon emissions and deliver a low-carbon economy, and the judge said that the Climate Change Act 'seemed... to be a very significant part of the context of the Heathrow decision'. A good sign.

We're hoping to get the ruling by mid-March, but it could be before then, so we'll keep you posted...

UPDATE: Wednesday - Day 2

This morning, our lawyers wrapped up presenting our side of the case.

Most of the climate change arguments were covered yesterday, and today we moved onto the ‘surface access' part of the case.

This part of the case follows a theme you'll all be familiar with - how the government conjured up some slightly suspect figures in an attempt to prove that you could cram the millions of extra passengers generated by a third runway onto the tube, roads and trains. Well, that's my understanding of it anyway - the lawyers said it a lot more eloquently.

Highlights included our barristers unraveling the Department of Transport's assumptions about how many people you can (in theory) fit in a tube carriage. According to the government you can fit four people per square meter, including their luggage.

The judge didn't look convinced.

This afternoon, it was the turn of the government's lawyers to try and convince the judge. According to a text I've just received from Anna they're having a hard time.

DAY 1:

Today we (along with local councils, other NGOs and residents threatened by Heathrow expansion) took the government to court for a Judicial Review of the planned third runway at Heathrow.

In a judicial review, two teams of lawyers argue the toss over a complicated issue of importance - in this case, whether the government had conducted the consultation over Heathrow expansion properly, and whether their plans to balance environmental impact with aviation expansion stacked up.

First up, there was a good piece on the Today programme this morning about the Judicial review.

Then, when I got to the court, the front of the building was thronged with local Heathrow residents, environmental campaigners, local councillors and Alistair McGowan holding a 'No third runway sign'. Pretty impressive, considering the driving cold which drove me inside pretty quickly. The sole campaigner who had turned up early to cheer for Simon Singh looked a bit mystified.

Unfortunately, given that I was looking for some warmth and comfort the court had been designed a) to accommodate significantly less people than turned up and b) in 1875 - the cramped public gallery was massively uncomfortable.

During the course of the day our lawyers outlined the issues in meticulous detail. We heard our lawyers running through how the understanding of climate change as an issue of importance had improved massively since the publication of the 2003 aviation white paper, how the Committee on Climate Change's advice to the government in December 2009 had undermined the government's own case for the runway, rather than strengthening it, how the public consultation process had precluded a proper appraisal of the final plans for controlling environmental damage from a third runway, and a run-through of the flawed economic case for the runway.

The Times has probably the best summary:

Nigel Pleming, QC, told the High Court in London: "There was a consultation process here, but the decision that was made was fundamentally different from the subject matter of the consultation.

"That decision was such that it was conspicuously unfair to make the decision without giving the claimants the opportunity to make further representations."

He said that if congestion and the environmental impact of expansion had been properly accounted for, the economic benefit of expansion would fall from £5.5 billion, as set out by Government, to just £0.9 billion.

There's more reporting of the day's events here - the wire service, and here with commentary from Susan Kramer, the Lib Dem MP, who remarks that you've got to take the government to court to even find out what their environmental policy is.

The trial continues tomorrow.

Wanted new volunteers to fight forces of darkness

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I spent yesterday in the company of around 100 Greenpeace supporters discussing plans and ideas for the next 12 months or so. It was the annual get-together of the key volunteers who keep our nationwide network of supporters motivated and informed about our campaign work. These are the people who donate their time and skills, and as always I came away amazed (not to say reinvigorated) by their commitment and enthusiasm for what Greenpeace does.

We're always looking for new recruits to join the active supporter network and help fight the forces of darkness because the list of tasks is long and varied - everything from writing letters to local MPs to talking about our campaigns with people on the high street. Would you be interested?

To get a flavour of an active supporter's life, watch the short video above in which some old hands explain what drives them to be involved with Greenpeace. Then find the group closest to you and see what they're up to. The good news is that most groups tend to hold their meetings in the pub.

New report sets tar sands in a global context

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A new report from Friends of the Earth and oil finance experts Platform places a clear financial analysis of the Canadian tar sands alongside testimonies of those affected by the race to extract oil from the Albertan wilderness.

I was struck by the argument it makes that the Canadian tar sands are the 'test case' for an oil industry that wants to move into extracting dirtier unconventional oil in other parts of the world. The report points out other areas of tar sands around the world which are being eyed up by the big oil companies. As the authors point out:

Canada is the international oil industry’s test site – if it becomes acceptable to finance the tar sands of Alberta, then the global finance sector will have ‘normalised’ a disastrously high-carbon development path.

... As investment in technology in Alberta brings down the price of producing synthetic crude and as oil prices fluctuate in higher ranges, companies are re-assessing the potential of operations in other countries. If extraction can be undertaken on the scale envisaged in Alberta then it opens the floodgates for unconventional oil extraction around the world.

In other words, if we allow ourselves to be persuaded that the environmental destruction and soaring carbon emissions that come with the tar sands in Canada is acceptable, we're basically saying that trashing the planet is just business as usual.

Get the report, 'Cashing in on tar sands' (pdf).

Heroes and villains as historic rebellion in Parliament fails to secure a block on dirty coal

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

An emissions performance standard would mean no more unabated power stations.

We almost did it. Thousands of you emailed your MP via our website, WWF's, and with online campaigners 38 degrees. And they listened, and turned out to vote, and we almost secured an emissions performance standard - a legal limit to pollution which would have stopped dead any future plans to build dirty, unabated coal power stations.

The problem was this: Despite Ed Miliband's clear concerns about coal emissions, the government have been firmly resisting setting a legal limit on power sector pollution.

Even though it's been a step forward, government coal policy still risks handing piles of cash to power companies to research carbon capture and storage with no regulatory guarantee that power plants will actually be cleaned up. It's a high stakes gamble - because if CCS doesn't work, then we're back to square one.

An emissions performance standard would provide a legally binding insurance policy to help ensure future emissions are curbed, no matter what.

Ed Miliband really should have just adopted the standard - but since he refused, it came to a vote in Parliament on Wednesday night. And the result was massively, massively close. 27 Labour MPs rebelled against the government, and in the end, the amendment to the energy bill that would have delivered an emissions standard was only defeated by 8 votes.

So, who were the heroes of the night?

Alan Simpson, for tabling the amendment calling for an emissions performance standard in the first place. His suggestion would have effectively ruled out any future plans for unabated coal plants. It was a good idea, and it would have provided some strong signals to the energy industry about the future of energy provision in Britain. It's a shame that Mr Simpson is standing down at the next election - he's been a great advocate for the climate - but at least he'll get to spend more time in his eco-house.

It was great that 27 Labour MPs rebelled against the government and supported the amendment. That's a big rebellion, especially close to the election, and shows how important the issue is to progressives.

The Tories deserve some praise as well. David Cameron and lots of his MPs came out to bat for the amendment, even including the self-declared climate skeptic John Redwood. (You see, a low-carbon economy is a good idea whatever your other beliefs.) Great stuff from the Conservatives, and it provides some reassurance that even with the grumbling about green issues from some parts of his party, David Cameron was able to get most of his team to vote the right way. Most but not quite all - the positive effort was tempered by the 39 Tory MPs who didn't turn up.

And the villains?

Well, villains might be a bit strong. But weirdly, it looks like the Liberal Democrats have really dropped the ball on this one. They've had a very progressive policy on coal, including supporting an emissions standard. But the hard truth is that when it came to a vote 13 liberal democrats, including 9 of their front bench, didn't bother to turn up. That's about a quarter of their MP's. So what happened? Our campaigners spoke with their advisers, and we know they feel they made a mess of this one. We're sure that with the benefit of hindsight they'd have done thing differently, but lest we forget, the amendment was only defeated by 8 votes.

Although the proportion of Lib Dem MPs not voting was the same as the Tories, we usually expect more of them. If I was a Liberal Democrat MP with a passion for environmental issues - and they do exist, in significant numbers - I'd be feeling pretty embarrassed today. As a response to getting it wrong this time, it'd be good to see the Lib Dems giving some serious profile to their environmental commitments - pushing the other parties on issues like tar sands, and having senior people like Vince Cable making the economic and competitiveness case for clean energy investment in the UK.

In conclusion...

THANKS! Thousands of you emailed your MP telling them to support the amendment - and at very short notice. I also get that ‘emissions performance standard' is a bit of a dry issue, so that so many of you put pressure on policymakers is really immense. We were up against powerful special interests - the CBI and E.ON for example, who were lobbying hard - but we gave them a good run for their money.

The close result and Tory support for the amendment means there's now more space to pursue emissions standards post-election. And the breadth of support for the issue is a strong signal that whichever party forms the next government the future for highly polluting power stations in this country is very, very uncertain.

We're definitely coming back to this one.

Greenpeace Submission to the Proposed Regulatory Justification decisions on new nuclear power stations Consultation Document

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Greenpeace Submission to the Proposed Regulatory Justification decisions on new nuclear power stations: Consultation Document.

Greenpeace Submission to the Proposed Regulatory Justification decisions on new nuclear power stations Consultation Document

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Greenpeace Submission to the Proposed Regulatory Justification decisions on new nuclear power
stations: Consultation Document.

Greenpeaces submission to the Consultation on the draft National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Greenpeace's submission to the Consultation on the draft National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure.

Guardian Army chiefs question need for Trident nuclear deterrent

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

EON reveals Kingsnorth kicked into long grass

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The controversial proposal to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent has been thrown into doubt tonight. An email from German utility giant E.ON to Greenpeace reveals the company no longer thinks construction is currently economic. The email reveals the company is shelving the project for 2-3 years at least.

Kingsnorth attracted huge controversy, with protests over several years including a high-profile Climate Camp. Six Greenpeace protesters who climbed the smokestack at the plant were later acquitted in a high-profile case after the jury accepted the plant posed a greater threat than the activities of the activists.

Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said:

"This development is extremely good news for the climate and in a stroke significantly reduces the chances of an unabated Kingsnorth plant ever being built. The case for new coal is crumbling, with even E.ON now accepting it's not currently economic to build new plants. The huge diverse coalition of people who have campaigned against Kingsnorth because of the threat it posed to the climate should take heart that emissions from new coal are now even less likely in Britain."

He added:

"Ed Miliband now has a golden opportunity to rule out all emissions from new coal as a sign of Britain's leadership before the key Copenhagen climate meeting. With E.ON's announcement he's now got an open goal."

ENDS

Greenpeace press office - 07801 212967

Court bid to block third runway

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Today sees the start of court proceedings challenging the government's controversial decision to give the go ahead to a third runway at Heathrow.

A coalition of thirteen organisations is backing the legal challenge. It is made up of local councils, leading green groups and residents' groups, representing millions of people. The coalition's lawyers will be claiming in court that the consultation process was fundamentally flawed and that the decision to expand Heathrow is at odds with the UK's overall climate change targets. If they win, the government's decision to proceed with the runway will be overturned.

The organisations also argue, supported by Transport for London, that there is no evidence to support the government's claim that there will be enough public transport to serve the new runway.

The decision to proceed with a third runway was made by the then Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon in a statement to Parliament in January 2009. He tried to win Parliament over by proposing a number of additional environmental measures. The coalition is alleging that these measures mean the expansion is fundamentally different to the proposals on which the government consulted the public in 2007. Worse still, the government's lawyers are now backpedalling by claiming the new measures were not part of the decision to expand Heathrow.

One of the measures announced was a new target to bring carbon emissions from aviation back to 2005 levels by 2050. The government asked the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) how it could meet this target. The CCC responded by telling the government it would have to severely curtail its plans for airport expansion throughout the UK. The coalition argues that the expansion of Heathrow cannot now proceed, since the policy of which it is a part has been discredited.

Another of the measures would see the runway only being used at half its capacity until a review in 2020 could check to see if noise and air pollution as well as carbon targets could be met. But imposing this limit destroys the economic case for a third runway and will be no comfort to the residents of the Sipson, since their village would be destroyed either way.

Alistair McGowan, who is one of the owners of the 'Airplot' in Sipson, said:

"I'm here today because, like the residents of Sipson, I'm enraged about the government's seemingly unquenchable passion to tarmac over my land - land which I now own with over 65,000 people from around the world. I hope that the ministers who wouldn't listen to already suffering west Londoners, highly respected climate scientists or battling local councils will listen to the courts. I don't want to end up having to fend off BAA with a pitchfork and a large bull."

Speaking on behalf of the local councils Hillingdon leader Ray Puddifoot said:

"We've had no choice but to go to court to sort out the mess left behind by a decision that was little more than a quick fix. From the moment Geoff Hoon announced his decision to the House it has steadily unravelled. We now have the government's lawyers telling us that what the Secretary of State told MPs was not what he really meant.

"So while Hoon was saying that expansion would be limited to a half-used runway because of climate change concerns, the civil servants now say that it is not dependent on reductions in carbon emissions and or so-called greener planes. If it's only half a runway then that demolishes the economic case. But if the conditions which were meant to limit environmental damage are worthless and we are going to get a full capacity runway anyway, then we have all been duped.

"The history of Heathrow expansion is littered with broken promises, that's why it's so important we get the courts to sort out the deliberate ambiguity of the government's decisions."

Geraldine Nicholson, Chair of NoTRAG, said:

"A third runway would destroy our community. Homes, schools, shops, pubs would all be demolished. That is destruction on a massive scale. What rubs even more salt into our wounds is our firm belief that the consultation process was seriously flawed."

Martin Harper, RSPB, Head of Sustainable Development said:

"We have said before that the government's decision to allow a third runway when we desperately need to reduce carbon emissions was fundamentally flawed.

Climate change threatens many species with extinction and we are already seeing its impacts with catastrophic declines in seabird numbers in parts of the North Sea. It is right that a bad decision such as this should be challenged"

HACAN Chair John Stewart said:

"Although it is clear that a third runway may well be scrapped after the General Election, we can't take anything for granted. If we lose this legal challenge, it will not be the end of the world, but, if we win, it will make it ever more difficult for any government to build the third runway."

Shaun Spiers, Chief Executive, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said:

"Proceeding with the third runway would destroy not just a village and a large swathe of Green Belt but also tranquillity over a much wider area. Countryside, parks and gardens in and beyond north and west London would fall under the shadow of new flight paths and the din of thousands of extra flights."

Pete Lockley, Head of Transport Policy for WWF-UK said:

"The government's decision to allow expansion at Heathrow flies in the face of common sense, which is why we are asking the High Court to consider the case. A third runway will make it much more difficult to achieve our carbon reduction targets and doesn't justify its cost, in economic or environmental terms. The Committee on Climate Change has just advised that aviation growth must be severely curtailed by 2050. This should prompt a complete rethink of government aviation policy."

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace said:

"It's been clear from the start, that there has been huge opposition to this runway. Nearly 90% of the people who responded to the consultation opposed the expansion of Heathrow. Yet mysteriously the government gave the go ahead.

This gives a clear demonstration of how little they value the views of the public. Now we've got the chance to submit this process to legal scrutiny. We don't expect the courts to be any more impressed with it than we were."

Notes to Editors:

Six local authorities in West London (Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth and Windsor & Maidenhead) are claimants to the challenge, alongside the local residents group (NoTRAG) and the national campaigning group against airport expansion HACAN. WWF-UK, Campaign to Protect Rural England and Greenpeace are also claimants. Transport for London is an independent party supporting the claim. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is an expert witness. The challenge is also supported by Kensington and Chelsea and the Mayor of London. The local authorities are all members of the 2M Group which comprises 24 local councils opposed to Heathrow expansion with a combined population of 5 million.
In February 2007, Greenpeace won a Judicial Review against the government's energy review, which backed a new generation of nuclear power stations. As a result the government was forced to re-run the public consultation.
If a third runway at Heathrow airport were to be built, the airport would become the single largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the UK. Unrestrained airport expansion would make it impossible for the UK to play its part in tackling climate change. The government has committed the UK to cuts of at least 80% in CO2 emissions by 2050. Research from the respected Tyndall Centre shows that if the industry is allowed to expand as predicted, aviation emissions alone would make it impossible to meet this target.
Aviation emissions do more damage to the climate because they are released at altitude - known as global warming impact. Scientists multiply aviation emissions (which include other gases not just CO2) by 2 to 3 times to calculate their increased climate impact
Historically small increases in the efficiency of planes have been overwhelmed by an unrestrained growth in flights. There is no evidence to suggest that this will not be the case in the future if action is not taken to constrain expansion. The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution found that the industry's targets are ‘clearly aspirations rather than projections'.
The decision on Heathrow is underpinned by the government's aviation policy, set out in the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper, which promotes a policy of airport expansion across the UK. The climate science has changed significantly since 2003, as has the law and the policy context - notably the Climate Change Act 2008 and the Committee on Climate Change's 2009 aviation report which says that aviation growth needs to be limited to around half of that planned in the White Paper.
All the claimants are represented by Harrison Grant (solicitors) instructing Nigel Pleming QC of 39 Essex Street, Nathalie Lieven QC and David Forsdick of Landmark Chambers.

Transition to a World Without Oil

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Rob Hopkins founder of the Transition movement, reminds us that the oil our world depends on is steadily running out. He proposes a unique solution to this problem — the Transition response, where we prepare ourselves for life without oil and sacrifice our luxuries to build systems and communities that are completely independent of fossil fuels.

Rob Hopkins: Transition to a World Without Oil

More Information

Transition Culture
Transition Towns WIKI

PETA Drops Tiger Woods Adds Gov Mark Sanford To Sex Billboard

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Right now, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is wishing that PETA had stuck with their original idea.

The animal rights organization originally announced last week that Tiger Woods would be their poster boy for a billboard encouraging the spaying and neutering of pets. Of course, PETA did not have Woods’ permission to feature his image next to the tagline of “Too much sex can be a bad thing” — something made clear by his lawyers who threatened to sue.

So instead, PETA is dropping Woods and replacing him with embattled politician Gov. Mark Sanford with the possible tagline: “Your dog doesn’t have to go to South America to get laid.”

A PETA source told Page Six, “We were contacted by Tiger’s lawyers at IMG who kindly, but firmly, told us we were not authorized to use his image on the billboard, and would we desist. We agreed and have now turned the focus of our campaign to Mark Sanford.”

We’re thinking Sanford’s lawyers may not have the same pull to get this one squashed.

Al Gore Strikes Back In NY Times OpEd

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

With climate change science taking a beating over the last several months, many people have bemoaned that Al Gore hasn’t stepped forward to join in the debate and counter flawed statements.

No more.

Gore has written a new article for the NY Times titled “We Can’t Wish Away Climate Change” that reiterates his stance on enacting tough climate change legislation, covers the mistakes made by the IPCC, and hits back at inane media “talking heads”. FOX News, though not directly named, takes the biggest shot.

“Some news media organizations now present showmen masquerading as political thinkers who package hatred and divisiveness as entertainment. And as in times past, that has proved to be a potent drug in the veins of the body politic. Their most consistent theme is to label as “socialist” any proposal to reform exploitive behavior in the marketplace.”

Gore also gives a good recap on the history of market economics and how big business has been able to leverage politicians into blocking even mild forms of pollution regulation. In terms of those who think snowstorms cancel out climate science, he says, “Just as it’s important not to miss the forest for the trees, neither should we miss the climate for the snowstorm.”

He ends by calling for a “true cap on carbon emissions” and investment in the “rapid development of low-carbon sources of energy.”

“From the standpoint of governance, what is at stake is our ability to use the rule of law as an instrument of human redemption. After all has been said and so little done, the truth about the climate crisis — inconvenient as ever — must still be faced.”

Read the full article here.

Earth Hour 2010 Leona Lewis Plans For Lights Out

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

UK singer Leona Lewis has become the latest celebrity to sign up for Earth Hour 2010 — a global “lights out” event on March 27th to draw attention to climate change and energy conservation.

“You see these films about natural disasters and they are all Hollywood and crazy – but actually they are not that far from the truth about what is going to happen to the planet in generations to come. Something is happening and it’s going to really affect us if we don’t do something about it. My children will be affected, I think about that all the time,” she said.

Earth Hour was started three years ago by the World Wildlife Fund. This year is shaping up to have the most participation yet — with initial support from 656 cities, towns and municipalities in 80 countries across every continent. The Las Vegas Strip, Mount Rushmore, Sea World, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge are just some of the landmarks in the U.S. that will either dim or go dark starting at 8:30pm.

“I’ve been asking everyone to switch off the lights. Campaigns like this really help and are effective,” says Leona. “It’s about getting the message out.”

To learn more about organizing Earth Hour events in your own town, hit the official site here.

via AHLAN!

Watch Avatar And Pocahontas Trailer Remix

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We tweeted earlier in January about the amazing similarities between James Cameron’s Avatar and the classic story Pocahontas — and now some inspired person has gone and mixed the two together in this well-made trailer. Have a look below for a laugh:

Jeff Garlin Chronicles His Journey Reducing His Waistline and His Carbon Footprint

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Jeff Garlin’s new book “My Footprint: Carrying the Weight of the World” hit the shelves Feb. 23. Best known for his role the in the HBO hit Curb Your Enthusiasm in which he plays a character who is often referred to as “fat f**k” by his on-screen wife, Garlin chronicles his journey to reduce his waistline and his carbon footprint.

“My Footprint” starts with Garlin explaining his reason for the lifestyle make-over and quickly transitions to a daily journal which reveals the difficulty he encountered while implementing the plan.

The first day, Garlin is overcome by the “magical deliciousness” of Lucky Charms and commits to starting following day, noting that he will recycle the box. A few days in, he still struggles with the start – this time cookie dough is his nemesis. He eats an entire roll of sugar cookie dough from the fridge and is forced to run out to the grocery store to replace the sweet treat. When he returns home he drops the grocery bag in a recycling bin.

The comedian writes, “A quick aside here: yes, I hope to lighten my carbon footprint, because I know it is a big one, but I’ve always been obsessed with recycling. I’ll even take things home from work or social events just to make sure they get recycled properly. The thought of some piece of plastic sitting for hundreds of years in a dump somewhere makes me nuts.”

Jeff Garlin, who weighed 320 pounds at his peak, is now down to 260 pounds and hopes to drop another 20-40 pounds.

“The thing that I really want to get across, if there is any message, that it’s not a diet, it’s not a, you wake up and do this, it’s over time it happens,” said Garlin. “And it happened to me over time.”

Corporate Green New Study Reveals How Perceptions Don?t Match Reality

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

It happens to all of us from the moment we step outside of our door and re-enter the deafening and hyper-competitive world consumerism – we are subjected to an all-out-assault of strategic advertising geared toward seducing us to reach deep down into our pockets and hand over our hard earned money. Manufacturers, always eager to maintain an ever-growing revenue stream, are constantly on the search for the latest, greatest way to keep us engaged and buying. Not surprisingly, they’ve found that surfing the green wave for the last several years has been quite a boon for business, but there’s been a dark side to all of their claims of “eco friendly” this and “sustainable” that – a relatively new linguistic term known as greenwashing. Essentially, it refers to the fact that there are some companies that create planet-friendly airs despite their not-so-green and preferably well-concealed leanings.

According to SinsOfGreenwashing.org, there are six typical sins that manufacturers of purportedly “green” products and services commit, including the lesser of two evils sin as well as the sins of vagueness, lying, no proof, irrelevance, and the worst offender of all, the sin of the hidden trade off. Furthermore, they found that 98% of the products they analyzed committed at least one of the aforementioned sins, which happens to gel with what two research companies — Earthsense and Trucost – recently discovered after conducting a comprehensive assessment of the global eco-impact of today’s most notable companies. Bottom line? We’re all pretty confused. Despite what consumers may be led to believe or simply presume on their own, a surprising number of corporations that are benefiting from their purported green street cred are actually hiding some skeletons in their closet and we’re none the wiser. Conversely, some aren’t tooting their own horn when they actually should be, presumably out of concern that their boasting will be seen as a typical greenwashing move.

30,000 American consumers were asked to gauge the green factor of a variety of major manufacturer’s products/services via Earthsense and Trucost’s fact finding experiment and it soon became apparent that they had “little idea about companies’ environmental performance relative to each other.” Of all the categories assessed — including retail, food/beverages, media, travel & leisure, personal/household goods, industrial goods, technology, chemicals and construction/materials – companies that produce food and drink products were generally perceived by consumers to be among the more eco-responsible outfits out there despite the reality that they tend to cause the highest eco-impact.

Interesting to note is the fact that Whole Foods hasn’t disclosed information about their greenhouse gas emissions, etc. which is somewhat suspicious given the great efforts they’ve taken to create a solid green branding among their clientele and within the community consciousness. On the other end of the spectrum, consumers imagine that Coca-Cola consumes a great deal of precious resources, but it turns out that they have the second-lowest eco-impact of the 22 food and beverage purveyors analyzed. The beverage giant has made big changes by using high-pressure air rather than water to rinse their beverage containers as well as sustainably managing river basins and sourcing water-efficient sugarcane. Consumers can easily be caught up in the perceived eco-glow of companies like Discovery Communications (which owns TreeHugger, PlanetGreen and Animal Planet) because their business revolves around promoting appreciation for our planet’s resources, however, the same study revealed the seemingly green media trinity is almost exactly in line with Viacom (which owns MTV, Comedy Central and creates Paramount Pictures flicks) in terms of their environmental impact ratio.

Education is always the best line of defense, and fortunately there are two relatively new online tools that consumers can rely on to gain a greater understanding of which companies are showing their true green colors (and which lack the best of intentions). The first is called Project Label, and it offers the ‘nutritional facts’ such as a comprehensive business profile, eco-rating summary, rankings, an analysis of how their label is built, related articles and even recent tweets about them. If you’re curious about which companies have earned the unsavory distinction of committing all-out greenwashing or you have a few of your own examples to submit to the pool, then the Greenwashing Index may be more your style. Either way, emerging more eco-empowered consumers will help all of us to embrace a legitimately greener economy and channel our money into corporations that are truly worthy.

Via New Scientist

Burn Notice Star Gabrielle Anwar On Green Parenting Fashion And Lazy Americans

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Where would USA Network’s hit show Burn Notice be without its female star Gabrielle Anwar? The actress, who long ago started breaking hearts with her appearance in Pacino’s Scent of a Woman, brings a sexy, flirtatious/kick-ass element to the spy thriller series. In a new interview with EcoStiletto, she’s also into the green scene and gives a sweet, honest account of her efforts to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are some highlights:

On raising her kids green:

“When my children were little, I never purchased Pampers—I found it so excessive and unnecessary. Even though living more consciously can also be more expensive and time-consuming, it’s so valuable inherently and internally to live a life [like that]. To wash your child’s cloth diaper and put that soft cloth on your baby’s purest imaginable little skin. The idea of putting something with [absorbent] chemicals in it on my baby’s bum was overwhelming—more overwhelming than having a little more extra laundry and hanging it on the line to dry.”

On sustainable fashion:

“I haven’t gotten into the sustainable fashion thing yet because it’s bloody expensive. I still feel that it drives consumerism. But I am curious about it—the idea of wearing bamboo knickers, for example. But if I can find something that was worn many years ago—I’d rather wear that.”

On being a part of the lazy American lifestyle:

“What I love about living in the U.S. is how convenient everything is—but that convenience has turned us into a rather lazy species. It’s so much easier to go out to dinner and eat rubbish because it’s less expensive and then take it home in Styrofoam and stick it in the microwave and throw the rest into a landfill. It’s a horrible cycle. But people are very busy. The priorities aren’t there yet. Myself included—I screw up left, right and center.”

To read the full interview, hit EcoStiletto here!

Jorja Fox Joins HSUS Campaign To End Dogfighting

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This weekend, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) held the fifth annual Spotlight Humane: Chicago to battle urban dogfighting with Jorja Fox as the host. The HSUS fundraiser benefits the End Dogfighting in Chicago program which works to change perceptions of pitbulls and helps to reform dogfighters.

When the CSI star originally heard about the project last spring, she immediately called HSUS and offered her help seeing it as a “brilliant program” that works to help citizens and save dogs.

“Pit bulls are smart and healthy — they can do so much,” Fox told PEOPLEPets.com. “So the organization works to get kids showing that off, and getting excited about that, instead of falling into the dark side.”

A self-proclaimed dog lover, Fox rescued her boxer pup 13 years ago. “It’s the oldest comment in the book, but she’s my best friend,” explains the actress.

Jorja Fox will continue working with the HSUS End Dogfighting program and hopes her efforts will encourage happy relationships between humans and dogs.

Two Veggie Celebrities Reveal Their Guilty Edible Pleasures

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

None of us can be virtuous all the time, and when we do manage to resist every single temptation that life throws our way, what fun is that?!? For staunch vegetarians, they commonly discuss how their lifestyle choice forces them to be a bit more creative in the kitchen and willing to expand their culinary palate. Compared to mainstream eaters, vegetarians are more likely to sample a vast range of unique (and possibly) heirloom fruits and vegetables as well as diverse grains and alternative protein sources, contributing to that much-touted skin glow which is better than anything you could get from a cream, lotion, potion, or toxin-filled needle. But what happens when veggies succumb to the call of comfort eating?

For Drew Barrymore, she acknowledges that just because she consumes no meat doesn’t automatically mean that she is a healthy eater – in fact, she caves into her comfort food desires by indulging in peanut butter and banana sandwiches or homemade macaroni and cheese when the mood strikes. She tells Contact Music that she is definitely a picky eater due to her vegetarianism and is “like a typical American teenager when it comes to (her) favorite foods.” This is a far cry from the born-again-meat-eating stance that Barrymore took back in 2002 when she confessed that she was tired of imposing restrictions on herself, justifying at that point in her life that at least she still wasn’t consuming “a ton of meat” or wearing “a ton of leather.”

There have been other high profile vegetarians throughout the years who have on occasion reverted back to semi-vegetarian status for varying reasons, including currently macrobiotic musician Sting who told The Miami Herald in the late 1990s: “We built an organic farm. Part of animal husbandry is that they breed. And you can’t keep them all. So I started eating meat again. But I only eat the animals I raise….I won’t eat an animal that comes from a slaughterhouse.” Now, Tiffani Thiessen has stepped forward with the admission that despite her long history of being a vegetarian, her current pregnancy has radically altered what she chooses to dine on now. She informed PEOPLE that, “Crazy enough, I had a steak before I left tonight and I would never have eaten one before. One day I just woke up and craved meat.”

via Contact Music and PEOPLE

Lady GaGa Sprouts Tree Branches Spring Expected Shortly

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Forget the groundhog, it’s Lady GaGa we should all be watching carefully for signs of spring’s return.

The popular singer was spotted leaving Zuma restaurant in London, UK late last week with yet another practical head-dress. $10 says the guy next to her is wondering why he turned down that nightclub job in Seattle.

Mother Nature Green Mothers day gifts

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

My Mother is hard to please. If it's not chocolate, flowers, or something from Marks and Spencer, then the chances are she won't like it. Not surprisingly I've exhausted every possible combination of the above for previous Mother's days, until...

Not so rubbish Art from recycled materials

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Old milk cartons, used party poppers and empty drinks cans sound to me like a list of things to rinse, sort and put in the correctly coloured bins with no thought to how they might be reincarnated. Well, apparently there...

Soil Association launches new Holiday Organic web directory

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Track down a rural hideaway with The Soil Association's new Holiday Organic web directory. All produce foods to the Soil Association's organic standards and the nature of organic farming means they are likely to have a good mix of...

Ecopreneur Interview Series PlentyWays

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Part 1 in a series where Krates Ng (co-founder of Mokugift environmental rewards) interviews fellow ecopreneurs. Today, Krates interviews Brendan Gill of PlentyWays.

1) Why did you start PlentyWays?

We’ve always wanted to create an environmentally focused organization and its really our first opportunity to do that. At school and college we learned about the climate change issue and it became obvious that this issue is going to form a backdrop to our entire lives. Its already a crucial matter, but it is only going to grow more and more important over the coming decades. We wanted to be involved with this issue and to do our bit to help.

2) Is there a story about the name ‘PlentyWays’?

These days its very hard to come up with a name. Finding something short, simple and with an available web address is difficult so when we finally came up with PlentyWays, we were really satisfied. The idea behind it is that there are plenty of ways to make a difference. That’s really our guiding philosophy: through the products we make available, the tips we provide, the services we review, we are trying to show people all the ways in which they can do their bit.

3) What was the toughest challenge in getting your company started and how you got over that?

There was a combination of challenges at the beginning. It took us a long time to come up with our name, we even tried crowd sourcing it and put up a bounty of $200 we were so stumped, but even that proved fruitless. The second big challenge was picking out the right products to offer our customers. There are a lot of green products out there now and the number is increasing by the day. We had to do a lot of research into what we thought were the most popular ones and would be most useful to our users. Its a lot of work to then build relationships with the companies that make these products as well, which we are still working on.

4) If you had to pick one company in your lineup, which one would you showcase and why?

When people ask me what they can do to go green, the very first thing I ask them is if they have switched from incandescent bulbs to CFLs. This is the most simple straightforward thing someone can do which is guaranteed to save both energy and money. Sometimes it can be a challenge to convince people of a more expensive option that is more ecological, but using CFL bulbs is a complete no brainier. Also people who are waiting for their current incandescent supply to run out before switching to CFLs - a quick calculation will show you that in almost all situations you should switch straight away.

5) How is PlentyWays going to grow in 2010? And how can other ecopreneurs help?

PlentyWays has huge plans!… We are working extremely hard on our blog, which we are going to focus on helping people to go green. We will keep our ears to the ground on all the latest environmental apps, services and products and review them on our blog making it easy for budding ecopreneurs to take advantage of them. We also want to provide some apps of our own. The first we made was a very simple tool to stay on top of the latest green news, which pulls in news from some of the most popular green-focused websites out there e.g. TreeHugger and NY Times Environment. We also want to work on a system that can monitor the energy and monetary savings people can make with various green goods. For example, if someone purchases a few CFL bulbs from us, we would like to use the date they purchased to automatically calculate how much energy savings that has resulted in and the effect on their wallet. It will probably use an average energy cost and an average figure for daily light usage as default, but would allow people to customize the calculation to their situation by entering their cost per KWHr and average light usage. Stay tuned to our blog for details on all new features.

Skin MD Natural Face Hand and Body Shielding Lotion

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

If you’ve read any of my posts about skin care products before you probably know I have issues with overly sensitive skin. Minor use of one tiny bit of the wrong thing makes me break out in all kinds of badness which could be anything from acne to hives.

Skin MD Natural may be just what the doctor ordered to solve my skin issues and give me radiant, healthy, break out free skin.

The Looming Immigration Battle Not That One! The More Important One

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Eventually, Congress will get around to “Immigration Reform.” The process will be all too predictable. There will be a lot of huffing and puffing from angry old white men trying to conflate the issue with “National Security” and using “invasion” imagery and thinly veiled racism. There will be lots of posturing about “getting control of our borders.” Anyone who puts forward reasonable ideas will be subject to attack from the Right and Left. What will probably be missing from the discussion will be the perspective that in the not too distant future, we will need to be actively competing for immigrants. We will need to shift from talking about how to limit immigration to how finding ways to encourage it.

February 25 Unilever blacklists deforestation palm oil company Indonesia China says no cap on emissions yet

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

February 25: Unilever blacklists deforestation palm oil company, Indonesia; China says "no cap on emissions yet"

Is Avatar inspiring activism?

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

James Cameron admitted that he deliberately designed Avatar to be a movie with a message. "Avatar asks us all to be warriors for the earth”.

February 24 Members tell Facebook say no to coal EUs GE cultivation decreased by 11 percent

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

February 24: Members tell Facebook "say no to coal"; EU's GE cultivation decreased by 11 percent

February 23 ban on illegal sushi and sashimi

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Due to uncontrolled overfishing, which would clearly put an end to bluefin tuna stocks, the European Commission called for a ban on international trade.

Tokyo Two First day on trial

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

"I think that this is not only about whaling, it is about actually going to the heart of the quality of democracy, human rights, freedom of assembly, association and expression,"

February 22 Kumi steps up against Japanese whaling

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

February 22: Kumi steps up against Japanese whaling, nuclear protests in Europe

March 1 Poll shows 843 percent of the Chinese people feel unsure about GE food

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Protests in Spain - no one wants nuclear graveyards Poll shows - 84.3% of the Chinese people feel unsure about GE food

26 February Spains endless nuclear debate

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

26 February: Spain's endless nuclear debate

Marine reserves and whale sanctuaries are there for good reason

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Good news this month for marine species in protected areas! Well - at least for the smaller ones. If you're a big oceanic animal - even an international sanctuary might not be as safe as you think!

Facebook stay cool just kick the coal

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Facebook’s first ever data center will be running on energy from coal. Greenpeace is calling for Facebook to go 100 percent green and to choose a renewable energy source.

Changes in the plankton community along the length of the River Rhine Lagrangian sampling during a spring situation

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The development of the planktonic microbial community [bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) and ciliates] was investigated along a 660 km stretch of the River Rhine using Lagrangian sampling in May 2000, and by taking the influence of the main tributaries into account. The relative importance of the components of the microbial food web (HNF, ciliates) increased in the course of the German river stretch, whereas the absolute abundance of protozooplankton decreased and phytoplankton abundance increased. Bacterial abundance remained relatively constant throughout the river stretch investigated. The taxonomic composition of phytoplankton changed from a dominance of cryptophytes to a dominance of diatoms, whereas flagellates, ciliates and metazooplankton showed no shift in species composition. Some tributaries had higher abundances of planktonic organisms than the Rhine itself, but only the River Moselle contributed significantly to the plankton load of the Rhine. However, even after its confluence with the River Rhine abundances of the heterotrophic plankton (HNF and ciliates) remained low and decreased further downstream. The shifts in the composition of the pelagic microbial food web along the river stretch are discussed in the context of group-specific growth and loss processes.

Ultrasound backscattered power from Cochlodinium polykrikoides the main red tide species in the Southern Sea of Korea

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The acoustic integrated backscattered power (IBP) of the phytoplankton Cochlodinium polykrikoides, which causes red tides in Korean waters, was measured in the laboratory and in the sea in situ to investigate the feasibility of observing red tides using high frequency ultrasound at 5 and 10 MHz. The IBP was measured with cultured C. polykrikoides at abundance levels of 90, 110, 200, 260, 300, 340, 360, 600, 700 and 850 cells/mL in the laboratory. Using the same high frequency acoustic transducers that were attached to the side of a research vessel, the IBP was measured in situ over a 9 km ship track near the Gumo Islands in Yeosu in the Southern Sea of Korea during the red tide season. The IBP was also measured simultaneously with positional information obtained from global positioning system data and by sampling the seawater in which C. polykrikoides was counted to survey the C. polykrikoides distribution in the study area. The IBP in situ was in agreement with that in the laboratory depending on the C. polykrikoides abundance. Consequently, we suggest that it is feasible to use underwater ultrasonic methodology for the observation of red tides in real time in situ.

An algal photoprotection index and vertical mixing in the Southern Ocean

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We explored the relationship between mixing dynamics in the surface mixed layer and the photoprotective response of phytoplankton. The distribution of photoprotective pigments was determined at 15 stations in subantarctic waters southeast of New Zealand during austral autumn. The first-order kinetics of the phytoplankton photoprotective response to both light and dark was determined using in situ simulated (deck) incubations. The vertical mixing regime was deduced from two physical parameterizations based on CTD and ADCP profiles. A photophysiological index based on the vertical profile of de-epoxidation state (DES) of the diadinoxanthin-cycle to changes in light intensity was compared with the two physical estimates of vertical eddy diffusivity. For short time scales (<12 h) and within a similar water mass, the DES index provides within one order of magnitude an estimate of average vertical velocity representative of the bulk vertical eddy diffusivity. From the results, a conceptual model is presented of the quantitative relationship between vertical mixing and phytoplankton photoprotection in the water column. This relationship can provide additional insights into the effects of changes in vertical eddy diffusivity in the surface mixed layer on the photoprotective response of phytoplankton.

Growth response of six strains of Heterosigma akashiwo to varying temperature salinity and irradiance conditions

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The variation in growth of six strains of the fish-killer raphydophyte Heterosigma akashiwo, from different geographic areas, was studied, as a function of salinity (5, 20 and 35 psu), irradiance (40 and 100 µmol m^–2 s^–1) and temperature (17 and 23°C). Two of the strains were isolated from the Nervion River outer estuary (Bilbao, Bay of Biscay, Northern Spain), and the other four were from established cultures in culture collections, isolated from Florida (USA), Narragansett estuary (USA), New Zealand and Norway. The objectives of the study were to determine: (i) whether there were across-strain growth differences under a given set of temperature, irradiance and salinity conditions and (ii) in which locations of the Nervion River estuary would the strains grow optimally on the basis of their response to those conditions. Salinity was the first limiting factor. Little or no growth was observed at 5 psu. Growth of all the strains at salinities of 20 and 35 depended primarily on temperature and secondarily on irradiance. The Florida strain was the most tolerant, showing similar growth under all of the experimental regimes tested. The Narragansett strain was the least tolerant, its growth being impaired under low temperature and low irradiance.

Picoplankton dynamics during contrasting seasonal oceanographic conditions at a coastal upwelling station off Northern Baja California Mexico

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The ecological dynamics of picoplankton were investigated at a coastal upwelling system of northern Baja California during six cruises (September 2007–November 2008). Populations of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, PicoEukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria were assessed by flow cytometry (FCM). On each sampling date, we used an abbreviated three-treatment dilution technique and ¹⁴C-uptake experiments to determine population (FCM) and community (TChl a) rates of growth, grazing and production from 24-h in situ incubations at three to four euphotic depths. Overall, picoplankton comprised an active and important component of the community, with biomass values (2.3–69.8 µg C L^–1) and production rates (0.8–68.4µg C L^–1 day^–1) that varied positively with Chl a and community ¹⁴C-production. The exception was an intense algal bloom (>25 µg Chl a L^–1) during La Niña-intensified upwelling conditions in April 2008, during which biomass and production estimates of picophytoplankton were at their lowest levels, suggesting that the smallest primary producers were being replaced by larger cells. Thus, for most of the environmental circumstances encountered during our study, our results supported the recent "rising tide" hypothesis that improved growth (nutrient) conditions benefit all size classes, including picophytoplankton. Under extreme conditions of upwelling, however, the picophytoplankton declined abruptly, despite seemingly strong (average) growth rates. Future studies need to provide a better mechanistic understanding of the physical (advection), physiological (nutrient uptake and temperature) and ecological (food web) factors that result in this dramatic nonlinearity in picophytoplankton response to system forcing and richness.

Dinobryon faculiferum Chrysophyta in coastal Mediterranean seawater presence and grazing impact on bacteria

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We report the presence and abundance of Dinobryon faculiferum (Chrysophyta) in NW Mediterranean coastal waters, as well as the first estimations of the grazing impact of this mixotrophic species on bacteria. In June 2006, D. faculiferum was detected at an abundance of 37 cell mL^–1 (1.2% of total protistan abundance). By grazing with cell-specific rates of 7.8 bacteria cell h^–1, this single species explained 4.5% of the total bacterial grazing losses.

Composition and seasonal variability of picoeukaryote communities at two subtropical coastal sites with contrasting trophic conditions

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Phylogenetic diversity (18S rRNA gene) of picoeukaryotes in Hong Kong coastal waters is dominated by heterotrophic forms and influenced by the seasonally driven combination of freshwater discharge from the Pearl River, oceanic water of the South China Sea and coastal water from the China Coastal Current.

Effects of smallscale turbulence on lower trophic levels under different nutrient conditions

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Effects of a dust deposition event on coastal marine microbial abundance and activity bacterial community structure and ecosystem function

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Mediterranean coast receives large inputs of dust with a potential fertilization effect. We evaluated the effect of a wet dust deposition event on microbial abundance and activity, community structure and metabolic balance. Dust collected during a dust storm event was added to a series of microcosms. We added a realistic concentration (0.05 g L^–1) based on the phosphorus concentration contained in the dust and, in addition, we included a P amended tank to distinguish the effect of dust from that of the phosphorus in the dust. We also included a higher dust concentration tank (0.5 g L^–1). Dust increased the initial water–phosphorus concentration by 0.3 µM and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration by 14 µM, and increased bacterial abundance (1.8-fold) and bacterial production (5-fold). At the end of the experiment, primary production and community respiration were stimulated by dust and by P, but the net result of the addition of low amounts of dust was an initial switch towards heterotrophy, whereas the net result of the high-dust (DH) additions and the P addition was a shift towards autotrophy. Bacterial community structure changed little between P and low dust, but these were very different from the control and the DH communities.

Larval fish assemblages and circulation in the Eastern Tropical Pacific in Autumn and Winter

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

In this work, we linked larval fish assemblages with water masses and circulation in the Eastern Tropical Pacific off Mexico, during autumn 2005 and winter 2007. Four assemblages were defined. (i) The "Transitional" assemblage, with the lowest mean larval abundance and dominated by tropical mesopelagic Vinciguerria lucetia and Diogenicthys laternatus. It was associated with modified California Current Water in winter and with modified Tropical Surface Water in autumn. (ii) The "Coastal-oceanic" assemblage was found off Cabo Corrientes, with high larval abundance, and dominated by Bregmaceros bathymaster; part of this assemblage was trapped by coastal cyclonic eddies. (iii) The "Tropical A" assemblage was associated with Tropical Surface Water. It had the highest abundance and richness, and the largest number of dominant species (e.g. D. laternatus, Auxis spp.); it covered a wider area in winter than in autumn. (iv) The "Tropical B" assemblage, distinguished by the highest abundance of V. lucetia, was present only in autumn; it was associated with overall anticyclonic circulation of warm Tropical Surface Water. The agreement between larval fish assemblage distributions, water masses and mesoscale dynamics indicates that the formation and permanence of assemblages depends on the interaction of spawning strategies of different species with large-scale and mesoscale processes.

The influence of planktivorous fish on zooplankton restingstage communities in riverine slackwater regions

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Planktivorous fish are important in shaping zooplankton communities in many freshwater ecosystems, and there is an intrinsic link between the active and resting forms of many zooplankton taxa. However, few field studies have considered the influence of planktivorous fish on zooplankton resting-stage communities, and none have considered this phenomenon in rivers. In two separate but concurrent 12-day experiments, we investigated the effects of Eastern Gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki Girard) and carp gudgeon (Hypseleotris spp.) on zooplankton resting-stage communities in slackwaters of an Australian floodplain river. This was achieved by setting coconut fibre mats on the bottom of the experimental enclosures and later incubating the resting stages captured. A high biomass (2.5 g m^–2) of Gambusia suppressed the total abundance and diversity of resting-stage microcrustaceans between days 6 and 12, and the abundance of resting-stage Asplanchna spp. throughout the entire 12-day period. Furthermore, a high biomass of Hypseleotris suppressed the total diversity of resting-stage rotifers between days 0 and 6. These response patterns generally reflected changes in active populations according to the fish biomass treatment, rather than changes in dormancy induction by active individuals. This suggests that a high biomass of planktivorous fish can potentially influence zooplankton resting-stage communities in riverine slackwaters in addition to active zooplankton communities due to the inherent association between resting stage and active forms of zooplankton taxa.

The different aspects in motion of the three reproductive stages of Pseudodiaptomus annandalei Copepoda Calanoida

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Individual variation in morphology is linked to organism displacement in numerous taxa. This relationship among adult copepods has previously received little attention. In this study, we questioned whether the swimming behaviour of three morphologically different adult states of Pseudodiaptomus annandalei (i.e. males, non-ovigerous and ovigerous females) could be differentiated. Two-dimensional video observations revealed that some swimming patterns were common to all adult states, whereas others were more specific to one of the adult states. Males swim in a straight way, ovigerous females exhibit jerky swimming behaviour, and non-ovigerous females exhibit slow and steady gliding, interrupted occasionally by jumps. Direct measures of the swimming behaviour (i.e. mean, maximal and probability density of speed) for a large number of trajectories were considered first. Deeper comparisons of each sexual state were conducted using scale-dependant (i.e. net-to-gross displacement ratio), scale-independent (power spectrum, multi-fractal) metrics and symbolic analysis. The combined analysis emphasized the differences (e.g. male swimming patterns were slower and less complex, both ovigerous and non-ovigerous female swimming patterns were faster and more complex) and similarities (e.g. all swimming patterns were different from the Brownian motion) between adult swimming patterns. The multi-fractal approach identified differences between the two sexes suggesting differential swimming behaviour. In an ecological discussion, we relate these differences to mating and predator avoidance strategies.

Lightdependent behavior of abundant zooplankton species in the White Sea

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Light-dependent behavior of the abundant zooplankton species inhabiting the White Sea were studied experimentally during: (i) the spring equinox (March); (ii) the polar day (late May to June), (iii) August, 17/7 h day–night light cycle, (iv) the fall equinox (October). Behavioral patterns were investigated for eight species of Copepoda (Metridia longa, Calanus glacialis, Pseudocalanus minutus, Oithona similis, Oncaea borealis, Temora longicornis, Centropages hamatus, Acartia spp.), one Cladocera species (Evadne nordmanni) and Polychaeta larvae. The hypothesis was tested that attraction to (or repulsion from) light is the primary mechanism involved in the vertical migration of zooplankton with different trophic characteristics in relation to phytoplankton-rich upper water layer. The impact of red (680 nm), yellow (560 nm) and UV (280 nm) light was tested. The animals were acclimated to two food conditions: natural seawater (satiated) and filtered (1 µm) seawater (hungry). The positive light response of predominantly herbivorous and omnivorous copepods and cladocerans inhabiting the photic water layer corresponds with their distribution and their food vertical distribution. Hungry animals display the strongest responses to light. Light effects on behavior were weak in deep-dwelling O. borealis. We suggest that red and yellow light is an indicator of the photic layer (high food concentration) to zooplankton groups that feed on phytoplankton. In contrast, diapausing (e.g. non-feeding) copepods totally avoid light, especially when they hibernate in the aphotic layer. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between the light response of the zooplankton, their trophic characteristics, migration behavior (diel and ontogenetic) and the water layer occupied.

Nutrient enrichment and selective predation by zooplankton promote Microcystis Cyanobacteria bloom formation

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

An experiment was conducted with a natural freshwater phytoplankton community from a eutrophic pond to investigate the combined effects of phytoplankton community competitive interactions, nutrient enrichment and zooplankton on Microcystis bloom formation. The pond water initially had a very low concentration of Microcystis, but the total phytoplankton biomass as chlorophyll a reached ~110 µg L^–1 in summer. The pond water was incubated outdoors at natural temperature and light with a 2 x 2 factorial manipulation of nutrient (nutrient additions versus no additions) with and without zooplankton. The interaction of a two-phase nutrient addition (a net increase in concentrations of 250.0 µM N and 16.1 µM P each time) and the presence of zooplankton significantly altered phytoplankton community composition. When the water initially contained zooplankton, nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment promoted a surface Microcystis bloom. However, when the zooplankton was removed from the water at the start of the experiment, no surface Microcystis bloom formed, regardless of nutrient additions. Chlorophyta dominated in the absence of zooplankton, when the same nutrient was provided. Our results demonstrate that Microcystis bloom formation in this eutrophic water body at a mean temperature of about 36°C at 14:00 h was closely related to the initial presence of zooplankton and a sufficient supply of nitrogen and phosphorus. We believe this is one of the first demonstrations of zooplankton controlling Microcystis bloom formation in a water body previously free of surface cyanobacterial blooms.

Effects of cyanobacteria on fitness components of the herbivore Daphnia

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Cyanobacteria are known to negatively affect their herbivores either by being of low nutritional value, by clogging the feeding apparatus or by producing toxins, and specifically, the role of toxins has been debated. Hence, in order to assess to what extent cyanobacterial toxins affect a major herbivore (Daphnia magna) that has had previous experience of cyanobacterial toxins, we conducted a life-table study using two otherwise-similar strains of Microcystis aeruginosa, one producing and one not producing the toxin microcystin. In contrast to previous studies, we found that Daphnia population growth was positive (r > 0.1 day^–1) on a diet containing toxic Microcystis. However, we also found that the presence of the toxin negatively affected early survival and population growth of a microcystin-tolerant D. magna clone. Although there was no effect of toxin presence on per-capita fecundity of surviving adults, Daphnia produced smaller neonates when fed toxin-containing M. aeruginosa than when fed the non-toxic mutant. Hence, although Daphnia survival, population growth and neonate size were negatively affected by microcystin presence, Daphnia populations that have prior experience with toxic cyanobacteria may show positive population growth even at high concentrations of cyanobacterial toxins. This conclusion may have considerable implications for interactions between toxic cyanobacteria and herbivores in natural systems.

Effects of light temperature and habitat quality on meroplanktonic diatom rejuvenation in Lake Erie implications for seasonal hypoxia

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Rapid sedimentation of phytoplankton cells following seasonal blooms is common in lakes and coastal zones throughout the world, yet the fate of these cells is uncertain. Ascertaining the fate of seasonal blooms may be particularly important in ecosystems that experience hypoxia. Benthic stations were sampled seasonally inside and outside of the hypoxic area in Lake Erie to test for differences in chlorophyll a concentrations, algal physiological condition (cell viability) and diatom rejuvenation rates (from enclosure experiments). Hypoxic areas did sustain higher chlorophyll a concentrations compared with oxic sites; however, diatom growth and physiological capability did not differ significantly. Hypoxic areas exhibited exponential growth rates as high as 0.56 day^–1 (compared with the oxic station at 0.53 day^–1, P = 0.000) and chlorophyll rejuvenation rates as high as 0.30 day^–1 (compared with the oxic station at 0.36 day^–1, P = 0.964). Therefore, sedimentation of phytoplankton cells may not only contribute to the seasonal hypoxia observed in Lake Erie, but those diatoms able to withstand low oxygen concentrations during the summer, once reintroduced into the water column, may also seed subsequent diatom blooms. Initial estimates indicate that the algal pigment present on the bottom of the central basin, likely sedimented from the overlying water, contributed significantly to hypolimnetic oxygen depletion (11–33%).

Steam Mops Save Water Cut Chemical Use

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Regular mopping is a big waste of water because of the constant dirt you’re slinging into the bucket (chagning out the water). It’s also not very efficient because you simply can’t keep a bucket of mop water hot enough to be a super efficient cleaner. With this in mind, folks tend to add chemical cleaners to their bucket of mop water.

In many cases a greener option (beyond a typical mop) is a steam cleaning mop which will get super hot and does save water. However, there are pros and cons.

Pros of steam cleaning mops:

Use less water than traditional mops.
Very hot steamy water cleans well so you won’t feel the urge to use chemical cleaners.
Less work for you – i.e. no changing buckets of water and no wringing out gross mops.
Can be used to safely clean all types of floors; tiles, wood, marble, slate, and more.

Cons of steam cleaning mops:

Traditional mops are smaller and take fer materials and resources to manufacture.
Very few steam mops are made with recycled materials.
Unlike regular old fashioned mops, there can be ongoing costs – such as the replaceable pads that go on the mop’s end or replaceable water filters.

Choose a greener steam mop:

Look for the lightest steam mop model you can – lighter = fewer materials.
A good typical model should heat water in 60 seconds or less and have a good warranty.
There are a few companies making steam mop with eco-friendly or recycled materials so search around before you buy.
If your steam mop needs a specific brand of mop pad, try using a reusable, washable microfiber cloth or other washable towel as the mop top instead. This will save money and resources.

One good brand is the HAAN SI-35 Upright Slim Steam Mop (shown above) which cleans sans chemicals and comes with reusable pads vs. non-reusable.

Post from: Blisstree

Steam Mops Save Water & Cut Chemical Use

Choose the right toaster oven

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Previously we’ve looked at how the new toaster ovens of today can save you energy. However, I didn’t go into specifics about how to buy one. If you’ve been wanting a toaster oven you should consider the following before you buy.

Brick Oven Classic from Cuisinart shown above

Toasters come in many flavors: Toaster ovens can save energy but technically toaster ovens fall into many categories such as your basic pop-up toast-making toaster, smaller sized toaster ovens that fit larger pieces of bread or other foods including leftovers, and gigantic toaster ovens that can actually broil fish or chicken, bake a pizza or even cook a family-sized casserole in a pan. Make sure that before you shop you know which size in general will fit your needs.

You don’t need a million appliances. Microwaves, pop-up toaster, convection toaster oven, and more – many people have tons of appliances. It’s a waste of materials, which isn’t very green, not to mention a waste of kitchen space. If you rarely eat toast with breakfast but do cook a ton of oven based dishes in smaller quantities, a mid-to large size toaster oven is best NOT a toaster oven and pop-up toaster both. If you heat up soup or veggies a lot but rarely bake, a microwave, not a toaster oven is a better bet. Only own appliances you actually need and use regularly.

Consider a model with a fan. Not all toaster ovens have convection fans and some people are leery to buy one with a fan because it will cost more, but if you use a toaster oven a lot it can save you time and money in the long run. That fan allows your oven to cook faster and more evenly.

High wattage toaster ovens use more energy but usually can cook more food at once. Don’t buy more wattage than you need but be sure to buy enough. Learn more about wattage.

Some toaster oven brand choices:

Post from: Blisstree

Choose the right toaster oven

4 Ways to Green Your Bathroom

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Green your toilet: Older toilets are considered a major water waster. In recent years toilets have become more water efficient, but if you have an older (not remodeled) home you may want to consider a toilet upgrade. The EPA notes that a good WaterSense labeled toilet can save you $90 per year in reduced water utility bills and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet. Also, you may even be able to score a tax credit or rebate for your new toilet which of course allows you to save even more.

Green your cleaning: Most conventional bathroom cleaners are anything but green. Conventional cleaners can be full of chemicals and other icky stuff you shouldn’t be breathing in. You can make homemade green cleaners that work just as well as conventional or choose the best store bought green cleaners you can.

Green your body care products: Switch from chemical body care to natural and organic body care products and cosmetics. It’s not that tough if you make small changes and ease your way into a healthier bathroom. Non-green body products have toxins, chemicals, and weird fragrances and additives that you don’t need. Most green bath and body products have perks like responsible packaging and recycling programs as well. You can save some money and make your own body care products or learn how to choose greener body products.

Green your toilet paper: Aim to find a good recycled brand of toilet paper. You may have a hard time because many brands of recycled toilet paper suck, but the trees you’ll save makes the search worth it. Thus far the best recycled toilet paper I’ve used is the Trader Joe’s brand.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

4 Ways to Green Your Bathroom

Ecofriendly Pet Gear

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

It’s easy to find plenty of plastic dishes, toys, and boring conventional cotton sleeping spaces for your pets but traditional pet items aren’t eco-friendly and thus don’t make much sense in a green home. If you’re going to green your space you may as well green your pet’s space too. Here are some options…

Doca Pet offers pet food bowls that are beautiful as well as sustainable. These sets are very functional, lovely to look at and made with pet-safe stainless steel and comes with rubber non-skid bumpers for less mess.

Organic Bumper Bed – The Organic Bumper Bed is made with a removable organic cotton cover and the cushion used on the inside of the bed is made from 100% recycled IntelliLoft, (previously plastic soda bottles). This bed also takes less energy to make so it’s a great bed to lower your pet’s footprint.

The Couchette from Elizabeth Paige Smith, is for the most spoiled of eco-friendly kitties – classic and streamlined this bed is made of eco-friendly corrugated cardboard.

Zisc is designed to keep your dog happy and fit and made eco-friendly Zogoflex material. Zisc flies with speed and accuracy but is pliable so your dog can pick it up from flat surfaces with ease and it won’t hurt or damage their mouth. Additionally ou can easily send Zisc back to the company for recycling.

Roebuck Studio Cat Bowls – are not only super cute but eco-friendly, made with Baltic birch along with parts that come flat packed for shipping. The set is easily assembled with simple fasteners and all edges are rounded for safety. A waterproof non-toxic finish is applied and many bold and bright color choices are available as well as a clear finish.

Post from: Blisstree

Eco-friendly Pet Gear

Green your cell phone

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Mobile phones are actually a pretty easy item to green up; good thing since so many folks have them. Here are some tips.

Literally get a greener phone. Eco-friendly cells aren’t totally common (yet) but you do have some options like the Sony Ericsson Green Heart line (shown above) for example. See more green cell phone choices.
Consider ditching the land line. Why use energy to run a land line and have a phone that requires energy and materials to make if it’s unnecessary? Can you live with just a cell phone? Probably – I have for over four years and nothing terrible has come of it.
Upgrade only when necessary. It’s silly to get a new phone if your old phone works just fine. If you must upgrade donate your phone to an organization that could use it. Also consider upgrading to a refurb phone vs. new.
If you’ve got an iPhone bling it up with some hyper cool green applications.
Consider an eco-friendly mobile carrier. There are very few of these carriers around but you might want to check out Credo and Earth Tones.
Unplug your phone charger when your phone is not charging. You can also try a cool solar and wind cell phone charger.
Obviously once your cell phone has seen better days make sure to recycle it when you upgrade.

[image via Sony Ericsson]

Post from: Blisstree

Green your cell phone

Alternatives to electric clothes dryer

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Clothes dryers use up a bulk of home energy – especially if you dry everything. Now, if you choose to dry with alternative methods you can cut down on energy waste and dryer sheets and in some cases time.

Dryer-free alternatives…

Drying racks: Drying racks are really nice because unlike a set-up clothes line, you can bring racks inside when the weather is terrible. You’ve also got plenty of style options and even some wall-mounted choices. The downside – most drying racks are big and even if they fold up nice and tight you’ll still need to store them somewhere. Still, it’s a great alternative to the electric dryer. Some options below…

The basic clothesline: The basic clothesline is the obvious choice if you’ve got outside space and like fresh air dried clothing. The upside is cost; it’s super cheap to get a line and some clothes pins. Also drying clothes on a line means they won’t be inside your house drying and creating clutter. The downside; not so handy in winter and can make your yard look messy. Mother Earth News has an easy tutorial about how to make your very own sturdy clothesline. There are also retractable clothesline you can invest in if you don’t always want the line showing.

Hangers: This is the hanging method I use. I hang stuff inside because it dries faster than outside. Plus hangers save you time because there’s no second step. Clothes can go right from the shower rod (where I dry) to the closet. The downside is that some people don’t want the bathroom cluttered. I don’t personally care, but if you don’t like this idea try the Chrome Collection Swing Arm Hanger Holder which you can swing out to place hangers on when needed and swing it back once you move the clothes to your closet.

Post from: Blisstree

Alternatives to electric clothes dryer

Toaster ovens for energy savings

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The word toaster oven brings to mind that old (and often overly large) contraption sitting on grandma’s counter – or is that just me? In any case, the toaster ovens of today are not like the toaster ovens of the past and they can be an excellent way to save energy in the kitchen.

Toaster Oven Broiler with Convection from Cuisinart

The newest lines of toaster ovens emerging from various companies are sleeker, better looking, and harder working than machines of the past. Toaster ovens now come in loads of size choices from sizes that fit cupcakes to items that are much larger, like an entire pizza. New models have all kinds of setting options and are a green choice to boot.

What makes toaster ovens a green choice…

They use less energy overall than a large over.
They use energy in a smarter way due to the space saving issue – i.e it’s silly to place a small baking dish into an entire oven, heat it, then cook. A toaster oven is a smarter choice.
They have a shorter preheating period.
They keep your home cooler in the summer because they’re smaller and emitting less heat overall.

Note an energy saving microwave can also be a green alternative to a toaster oven but it’s not necessary to have both. If you’re debating which you need – i.e. an energy saving microwave or a toaster oven check out Treehugger’s guide about which appliance is the better and greener choice for your needs.

Post from: Blisstree

Toaster ovens for energy savings

Are Dryer Sheets Necessary?

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Dryer sheets actually aren’t all that necessary. They’re also not so green. Most dryer sheets contain icky ingredients that can in fact be toxic for your family. Also dryer sheets are a huge waste of materials – for what? Static cling that’s hardly a real problem. You’ve got the sheets themselves creating waste not to mention the box packing. Larger cases are often re-wrapped in plastic as well.

Green solutions…

First of all if you’re line drying (which you should be for most stuff) dryer sheets become a moot point.
You can also aim to buy naturally made fiber clothing which will be more eco-friendly and softer naturally.
As for the cling – it’s not that big a deal is it? Is it really all that tough to shake out your clothing?
But I like the scent! If you only use dryer sheets for the scent consider that laundry will smell fresh all on its own after you wash it in a nice eco-soap. If you like a stronger scent try sprinkling a few drops of your favorite organic essential oil on a reusable cloth and toss that in the dryer with your clothing. Your clothes will smell great without the waste.

If you REALLY insist on continuing to use dryer sheets at least buy dryer sheets that are natural, biodegradable, and chemical-free, such as…

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Basil Dryer Sheets – made with a vegetable-derived softening agent and natural essential oils on a new biodegradable paper sheet. Also comes in Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lavender Dryer Sheets; which I have not used but I have tested the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lavender Fabric Softener which smells amazing, so I’m guessing the fabric sheets do as well.
Sun & Earth – Fabric Softner Sheets – hypoallergenic, non-toxic, biodegradable and safe to use. Available in scented “Fresh Citrus Scent” and “unscented.”
Natural Fabric Softener Sheets from Seventh Generation – made with chlorine-free, unbleached paper and plant-derived softening agents, plus sheets are recyclable or compostable after use.

Post from: Blisstree

Are Dryer Sheets Necessary?

Stylish home recycling bins

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

And by spiffy I mean not an eye-sore. Personally I don’t much care if my recycling bins look great or not – but that’s what happens when you have an outside recycling bin area. If you do need to have a home recycling center inside, say in your kitchen or garage, you may want something that looks a little nice than typical plastic bins. While a set of awesome looking bins will cost more than plastic bins, the benefit is that you won’t hide them away and thus will become a much better recycling advocate.

Following are some recycling bins that even the most style-savvy of home owners can drool over…

front load recycler – the front load recycler has a dial that turns to clearly show what’s stored inside: aluminum, paper, plastic or glass. There are two ways to get recycled goods inside – a circular opening that’s good for depositing cans and bottles and a secondary lid lifts up to reveal a wider opening that can be used for larger recyclables. This bin can be used in doubles as well – two bins will stack together neatly creating a tall recycling center.

flip lid recycler – this bin has two inner buckets with separate flip-up lids so you can sort trash and recyclables easily. The hinges on the lids are actually internal which saves space as it allow the recycling bin to fit in a tight corner or flush against the wall.

Red Steel Trash Can – this is as noted in the name a trash can, but I think it’s an awesome idea for a recycling bin too. Especially since red recycling bins are hard (if not impossible) to come by.

Trio 60 Litre Brushed Stainless Steel Kitchen Recycling Bin – very attractive and handy with 3 separate compartments to store various recyclables.

Post from: Blisstree

Stylish home recycling bins

Uses for Recycled Newspaper

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

If you get the newspaper delivered to your home, you may want to reconsider. If you truly read that sucker cover to cover DAILY, or at least mostly read it, then it’s a better deal for the planet and your footprint due to the energy it takes to manufacture, ship out, and even recycle the paper.

If you find that you don’t have the time to read the paper or you only read the Sunday ed. why not cancel the daily paper and switch to weekend only. You’ll save resources, money, and time.Another option is to subscribe online. Most newspapers offer full subscriptions online now and even if you figure in the energy you’ll use at the computer, it’s still way greener than the “paper” paper version.

That said, some folks do read the newspaper all week long, and if you’re among those folks then you likely have a good stack of newspapers going on. In good news, newspaper is 100% recyclable and easy to recycle. Most cities have decent paper recycling even if their other programs could use some work. Before you recycle though, why not make that newspaper work double time. Here are some ideas…

Newspaper makes a great window washing ‘cloth’ and offers totally streak free cleaning to boot.
Place crumpled up newspaper in your storage trunks or chests or even place it in an old musty suitcase. Newspaper naturally absorbs icky odors and thus keeps the smell off the items you’re storing.
Use the comics or other interesting pages to wrap gifts.
If you have enough newspaper you can make some DIY fireplace logs
Use old newspaper in the garden as mulch; it’s not the most optimal mulching choice, but does work.
Use it as packing material – although be careful not to pack items that will easily get stained with newspaper ink.

Newspaper is one of those items with literally dozens and dozens of uses. What else can you think of?

Post from: Blisstree

Uses for Recycled Newspaper

The Bloom Box Too good to be true?

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Judging from its launch press release, the Bloom Box “energy server” is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

And perhaps it is. After months of media speculation, Bloom Energy finally took the wraps off its fuel cell technology last week at a press conference featuring such luminaries as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Heavy hitters, to be sure, trotted out to add credence to company’s claim that their new Bloom Box centers will soon provide “clean, reliable, and affordable power 24/7.” Who wouldn’t want that?

What the Bloom Box does

Bloom says its fuel cells convert a number of fuel sources — natural gas or biogas, for instance — into energy through an electrochemical process. This sounds a lot cleaner and sexier than combustion methods of power generation, and Bloom promises to deliver compact 100 kilowatt units in a footprint not much bigger than an automobile parking spot.

The idea is to build decentralized networks of Bloom Boxes, each powering small groups of buildings. Since power transmission is inherently inefficient, the concept moves us one step closer to the nirvana of an “energy internet,” where nodes share and generate energy, not just consume it.

But wait a minute …

With claims like this (and an optimistic launch report by CBS’ 60 Minutes), it’s no surprise that mainstream media reports have been little short of gushing. But not so fast, says Hank Green of the popular CleanTech blog EcoGeek. Despite Bloom Energy’s rosy press release (linked PDF download), there remain some nagging inconsistencies:

Hank is still a big fan of Bloom Energy, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this technology develops, too. Read the rest of his comments at EcoGeek. You can see the 60 Minutes Bloom Box report below.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Is it time to set orcas free?

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The death of Sea World Orlando orca trainer Dawn Brancheau has revived the question of whether or not it is ethical — or even safe — to keep killer whales in captivity.

Brancheau died from drowning and injuries sustained Wednesday when Tilikum, a massive 12,000 pound male orca, grabbed the highly experienced marine mammal handler during a public talk at the popular Florida park. Rescue workers were forced to pen and lift Tillikum from the water to recover Brancheau’s body. While park visitors report that the orcas seemed “agitated” prior to the incident, the precise cause of the attack will probably never be known.

Is it time to free Willy?

Captive Orcas are sometimes released back into the wild. Keiko, the performing orca who portrayed the subject of the 1993 movie Free Willy, was returned to the Icelandic waters from which he was taken after an exhaustive effort to make him ready for freedom. Though Keiko eventually migrated to Norway, he never fully integrated into wild orca pods, despite continuing care by wildlife managers.

Whatever Tillikum’s future, it almost certainly will not include release. Captivity takes a toll on orcas, particularly a specimen of Tilikum’s size. Years of concrete walls and steel pens have worn down his teeth to the point that trainers must rinse his jaws each morning to prevent infection, and he’s an integral part of Sea World’s breeding program.

Activist and scientists speak out

Orcas are wide-ranging animals which, in the wild, might swim up to 100 miles per day. The confines of a whale tank — no matter how large — force orcas into sedentary behavior unnatural to their species. Marine mammal specialists believe this cramped lifestyle causes a high degree of emotional and physical distress for killer whales, despite the best intentions of their handlers.

Now Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and president of the Ocean Futures Society, is speaking out. While recognizing the tragedy of Dawn Brancheau’s death, Cousteau asks whether it is time for humans to how we view killer whales.

“Maybe we, as a species, have outgrown the need to keep such wild, enormous, complex, intelligent, and free-ranging animals in captivity,” says Cousteau in the video below. “[In captivity} their behavior becomes abnormal — even pathological. Maybe we have learned all we can from keeping them captive.”

What do you think? Has our custody of orcas gone beyond scientific curiosity, to mere exploitation? Is it time to set the orcas free?

Post image by Flickr user suneko under a Creative Commons license

Crossing the Bridges of Death

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Subterranean bridges might conjure images of Khazad-dûm in the Mines of Moria, where Gandalf faces the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings. Here on middle-of-the-road Earth, however, things are not quite so dramatic. Not quite, but nearly. In the bowels of underground abandoned mines, bridges of timber...

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Deadly Stonefish Hiding in the Sand Ready to Strike

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Australia is often portrayed in media as being a country in which everything wants to kill you. For some reason, the land down under has a reputation for being home to dangerous animals that far surpass that of any other continent. In the coral reefs of coastal Australia, this deadly master of...

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The Soviet Suicide Dogs of WWII

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

While bullets rang out and shrapnel flew on the battlefields of World War II, a new and ethically suspect tactic was deployed by the Russian Army as it attempted to hold the advancing Germans in check. Dogs strapped with explosives were sent out to disable and destroy enemy tanks – and later...

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Effects of a dust deposition event on coastal marine microbial abundance and activity bacterial community structure and ecosystem function

Larval fish assemblages and circulation in the Eastern Tropical Pacific in Autumn and Winter

The influence of planktivorous fish on zooplankton restingstage communities in riverine slackwater regions

The different aspects in motion of the three reproductive stages of Pseudodiaptomus annandalei Copepoda Calanoida

Lightdependent behavior of abundant zooplankton species in the White Sea

Nutrient enrichment and selective predation by zooplankton promote Microcystis Cyanobacteria bloom formation

Effects of cyanobacteria on fitness components of the herbivore Daphnia

Effects of light temperature and habitat quality on meroplanktonic diatom rejuvenation in Lake Erie implications for seasonal hypoxia

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