I don't mean to scare you but...

The earth's resources are running out at an alarming rate. Four key resources in particular (oil, food, water, and fish) are due to become incredibly strained within our lifetime. If you don't believe me, check out the following article from gizmag, which breaks it down for you: http://www.gizmag.com/four-crucial-resources-running-out/12630/

An oversimplified summary of the article:

Depending on who you talk to, we have already reached or are nearing Peak Oil (the point at which it begins to take more energy to retrieve oil than to actually use it). As we know, the developed world, as it is today, is structured to be completely dependent on the use of fossil fuels. Combine that with rapidly growing populations and increasing standards of living in countries such as China and India, and we have an energy crisis on our hands.

Along with the issue of population growth, comes the matter of producing enough food to sustain everyone. We have already seen evidence of strains on world grain supplies in recent years. As demand for the limited food supplies has increased, the price of wheat and corn has tripled and the cost of rice has gone up 500% since 2005.

The need for more agricultural production brings with it demand for fresh water, not to mention the greater domestic needs as populations grow and climate change causes more and more weather extremes such as drought and floods.

On top of all that, the ocean's fisheries are not in such great shape. Since 1950, 30% of all fish species have seen a 90% decrease in their populations. Many countries remain lax on thier regulation of the fishing industry, allowing for undersize fish to be sold on the market, and preventing the ocean stocks from naturally replenishing themselves. In other words, when it is permitted for fish to be caught before reaching maturity and reproducing, the following generations become increasingly smaller, until they eventually cease to exist. This is the direction we are heading in.

However, all is not lost yet...The decisions you make in your daily life can have an impact and help to turn things around. Remember that you speak with your dollar, the things you choose to spend your money on (or not spend your money on) helps to shape the economy. Purchasing sustainably produced products and converting to renewable energy sources are a start. When you consolidate trips (i.e. instead of picking up the kids from school and then going grocery shopping later, plan it so that you do both things at the same time), you help reduce fossil fuel usage. Opting for a vegetarian option over meat (and especially fish!) reduces agricultural and fresh water demands. These may seem like small things, but they can really add up and make a difference.

Getting It Right: A Model for the Suburbs

The 100 year-old Forest Hills Gardens in Queens, NY is an exemplary model of the direction in which suburbs today should be headed. Built as a planned community with the idea of integrating transit, open spaces, and housing, this charming neighborhood is also incredibly community-minded and eco-friendly. The town square is surrounded by shops and restaurants and connects directly to a train station, making the commute into NYC a short 20 minute train ride away. And since the layout is very walkable and/or bikeable, you may not even need to own a car!

Additionally, there are a variety of housing styles (free-standing homes, townhomes, and apartments) to suit various family sizes and income levels. And although the construction is partially pre-fab (making it cheaper and faster to build), it retains a sense of architectural style and doesn't have the dreaded Truman Show look, where all the houses look eerily the same.

This neighborhood has a number of key elements for environmental sustainability. The incorporation of green spaces with residential areas not only make the area more pleasant, but also help with the reabsorbtion of rainwater (helping to recharge groundwater supplies) and provide shade to naturally keep homes cooler in summer months. Having shops, restaurants, and public spaces located in the neighborhood help to reduce the need for travelling long distances to run errands, provide local jobs, and create a sense of community. Integrating the train station into the town square makes it easier for residents to opt for public transportation over travelling by car. And by keeping housing units closer together (via the townhomes, smaller yards, and apartment buildings), transport miles are reduced for public services such as garbage pick-up and mail delivery, thereby reducing energy usage.

Check out the link for a great slideshow and more details:

http://www.slate.com/id/2225748/

Micro-pollution: The lastest concern in plastic waste

New research shows that there is yet another down-side to the excessive use of plastics and the accumulation of said plastics in the environment: micro-pollution. Much of our plastic bottles, plastic bags, and other plastic waste eventually finds its way into the oceans, and as these plastics break down from exposure to sun, rain, and other environmental elements, it has been discovered that they begin to leach toxic chemicals into the water. Previously, the primary concerns over plastics in our waterways was the choking hazard that they pose to fish and other wildlife mistaking the plastic for food, and the potential for animals to get caught up in floating bits of plastic. It is now known that degrading plastics can release a range of chemicals into the marine environment with untold detrimental effects on marine life (hence the term micro-pollution, a contamination occurring on a molecular level). These chemicals have the potential for a much more widespread effect on the environment than floating bits of plastic. One of the chemicals discovered, bisphenol-A, has been shown to disrupt the hormonal systems of animals. Additionally, degrading Styrofoam releases large amounts of a styrene monomer known for causing cancer.

While this type of pollution is largely occurring out of sight, in the oceans, it is a very real concern. In the Pacific alone, there is an area estimated to be twice the size of Texas permanently covered with floating debris. Much of the plastics have been broken-down to microscopic levels and as of yet, no viable solution has been found to successfully collect this debris. Due to the persistent nature of plastics, the amount of chemicals being released into the oceans will increase exponentially in coming years as more plastics end up in the oceans and the plastic currently in the ocean further breaks down.

Things you can do (the old standards):

• Reduce, opt for products with less packaging or buy in bulk, bring your own shopping bags, assess whether what you really need is actually something you REALLY need.
• Reuse, whenever possible use things again or find new uses for them, try to borrow/lend things you don't use very often.
• Recycle, the more things get re-made into something else, the less that ends up in landfills or our oceans.

For more information and the full article, go to:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-uncover-new-ocean-threat-from-plastics-1774337.html

A Week Without Processed Foods

Read about one woman's quest to go one week only eating unprocessed foods:

A Week Without Processed Foods: What I’ve Learned (Plus Resources for Cooking and Eating Whole Foods) ReadyMade Magazine

I have been meaning to do something similar for a while, by living off of local foods for a week. All the basics are already produced here: Coffee? Check. Fruits? Check. Veg? Check. Starch? Yam, cassava, sweet potato, check. Protein? Beans, dairy, check. All that's left is for me to get organized, pick a date, and just do it already...

Bright Idea: The BigBelly

Philadelphia has just gotten a little cleaner, a little greener, with the help of the BigBelly. The BigBelly (I love typing that!) is a solar powered trash compactor used in place of traditional waste bins, which allows for more trash to be collected and reduces the number of pick-ups necessary from garbage trucks, thereby reducing fuel usage and emissions. They even send a text message when they are full, so that pick-ups can be routed to where they are needed most, saving even more time and energy. Brilliant!

This morning, in the park

After my run in the park this morning, I was sitting on a bench stretching and looked down to see a leaf, shaped just like a heart. I took a look around and saw two more lying nearby. They made me smile and I thought I would share them with you. Sorry for the poor photo quality, I took the pics with my phone...

On my way out of the park, I also saw this cluster of mushrooms growing in a perfect 'C' shape. I thought it was odd, but kind of neat. Take a look around your environment, what do you see?

White roof is the new green roof

Photo: NY Times

Although the idea has been around for a while, white roofs are now 'cool'. Well, I suppose they've always been that way, its just that with climate change heating things up, and more and more people looking to cut energy costs, now its getting talked about. You may have seen them on the tops of malls and office buildings, but now white roofs are moving into residential areas. In the same way that a white t-shirt is going to keep you cooler than a black one on a sunny day, a roof that is white in color will keep your home or office cooler than a dark-shingled or tar roof. All that sunlight beating down gets reflected off of a white roof, creating an energy-efficient way to chill out. According to the NY Times, a white roof can cut 20 percent of air conditioning costs on a sunny day. This means less energy use, fewer carbon dioxide emissions, and more money in your pocket.

However, the idea also works in reverse. In winter, a white roof is still going to be reflecting sunlight away, potentially increasing heating demands. A black roof absorbs the sun's rays, which helps to keep the house warm in winter. If you live somewhere where there is more winter than summer, additional heating costs in winter may outweigh savings on air conditioning from a white roof in the summer.

Check out this article from the NY Times for more on white roofs:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/science/earth/30degrees.html?_r=1

Bright Idea: Start a co-op to green your neighborhood

Check out this article from Scientific American on starting a green co-op. It's actually a great idea to join up with like-minded neighbors and share the burden of doing all the research and coordinating for larger projects, such as installing solar panels. Houses in the same neighborhood are likely to face similar issues regarding zoning permits and finding a suitable contractor, and families can work together to split up the necessary tasks. Also, as a group, there is the chance that you will have more sway in getting local government support, make it easier to get permits approved, and possibly get a discounted rate for materials and installation. As an added bonus, you may get to know some of your neighbors a bit better, while also doing something great for the environment!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=the-pleasant-way-to-go-solar-neighb-2009-08-13

Welcome!

Welcome to the heart the earth blog! Here, I hope to create a source for interesting and innovative ideas related to current environmental issues and to provide easy ways to green your everyday life. I am always reading about and trying out new ways to green my own life and often come across interesting articles and products that I would like to share. Now I have a place to do so. Please feel free to add comments to this or any future posts... I welcome your input and insight!

To start us off, a video I came across today. This clip is an entertaining, yet informative, reminder about the importance of eating local. The video was made for Canada, however, I can assure you that the problem is many times worse in the States. So, everytime they refer to Canada, replace that in your head with the US and multipy the statistic by 5 (not exactly scientific, but you get the idea).

Hellmann’s - It’s Time for Real from CRUSH on Vimeo.