The Biofuel Buzz

It seems that whenever something comes along that promises to "help the environment" and "make the U.S. energy independent" there is a jump onto the bandwagon that may or may not be justified. I think this holds true for the biofuel industry as well. This article is being written to make you think about this topic. When you think and become educated about a subject then you can make your own decisions. If you make your own decisions then you will not be led blindly down a politician's path. This article also assumes that you know the basics of biofuels. Recently President Bush made a trip to Brazil to start what he would like to see, an international market for ethanol.

Reduse-Reuse-Recycle - A Family s Commitment To The Future-Unsustainable Resources On The Horizon

13/03/2007 Non-renewable resources will be our down fall. My previous articles have focused on how the individual can take personal steps to lessen their carbon footprint and the pollution in our environment. The next step to help our world is to curb your ecological footprint. To the majority of the readers they will not be familiar with the ecological footprint. Your Ecological Footprint is a calculation that measures how much land and water you and your family requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under current technologies we utilize. It will come to a shock to most of you that in my general calculations the average household, living in a 3-bedroom bungalow, accommodating 2-adults and 2-children would require equal to three (3) planets the size of Earth to house, feed and dispose of waste.

Natural Disasters and Their Root Cause

In recent times the world has witnessed climate change and natural disasters of gigantic proportions. This is just the beginning of a 10-15 year destructive phase which will increase in intensity. The root cause behind this weird weather patterns and destruction is primarily spiritual. In a world that is increasingly connected, natural disasters have far reaching repercussions that are felt beyond the geographic boundaries of where the natural disasters hit. Global warming is not the only major contributing factor to climate change. The Spiritual Science Research Foundation undertook spiritual research to ascertain the actual causes of climate change and the increasing intensity of natural disasters.

The Truth About Cotton

Cotton is a wonderfully breathable fabric. Perfect for spring, summer and the hotter months. It is so natural, so pure... or is it? I did some research about cotton on the net and came up with some very disturbing information. Did you know that 25% of the insecticides used in this world goes to the growing of cotton? To grow enough cotton to make just one t-shirt, one-third of a pound of chemicals would be required. The more I read about cotton farming and production, the more worried I got. Fact or fiction? Conventional cotton farming is hazardous to our environment and to our health.

Money, Sex, and the Environment - What s My Motivation?

OK, What is motivation? It is, in short, why we do what we do. What motivates us? Well, a lot of things, our upbringing comes to bare on this, our sensibilities, our understanding of right and wrong, but look around you, you will see that the overwhelming majority of folks are motivated by something else entirely. In most cases it boils down to two things: Sex or Money. Since it is an almost undeniable fact, especially in those who are so motivated, that one will lead to the other, as crass and shallow as that may seem (we have all seen the lady of our current affections head out the door with the guy in the tailored suit and the over priced sports car) it is in fact a reality that we must live with.

Learn About The Need for Stormwater Regulations

In the 1950"s the problem that surfaced in the water was synthetic detergent. This product was used in households to wash laundry. The promise of a brighter cleaner wash made these detergents an instant success. The detergent replaced common biodegradable soap in households and in industrial applications. However, when the foam from these detergents affected our water supply, the government realized that detergents were dangerous to our environment. These new detergents that promised a whiter wash were non-biodegradable. Bacteria could not change them into a simple substance that could be integrated into nature.

Why Is Non-Point Pollution So Dangerous?

The real danger to the quality of the water is not industrial wastes but human created wastes that comes from residential neighborhoods. This pollution is called Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. This type of pollution is caused by rainfall or melting snow that runs over cement and parking lots and carries insecticide, oil and gas, fertilizers and herbicides that are sprayed on gardens and grass directly to our waterways. Other pollutants are the oil, grease or toxic chemicals that are produced as a result of urban sprawl. Many people ignore the warnings of our governmental agencies and continue to use poisonous substances on their lawns and in their day-to-day life.

Sustainability - Governmental Denial

"Scientists and economists have been offered $10, 000 each by a lobby group funded by one of the world's largest oil companies to undermine a major climate change report due to be published today." recorded Ian Sample, science correspondent at Guardian in his report dated Friday February 2, 2007. "Letters sent by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), an Exxon Mobil-funded think-tank with close links to the US Federal administration, offered the payments for articles that emphasize the shortcomings of a report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Travel expenses and additional payments were also offered", he continued.

Who Is Responsible For Carbon Footprints?

According to the BBC which is commenting on a report, the over 50s are the worst carbon culprits. Apparently the age group between 50 and 64 produce on average 13.52 tonnes of carbon per person. The rest of the UK average is 11.81 tonnes. Contributing to this carbon footprint for this age group are high car dependence, holidays abroad and eating out. To me these seem to be examples of lifestyle choices. It therefore comes as a surprise to see that this age group is particularly concerned about the effects this is having on the environment and are worried about what kind of condition they are leaving the earth to their children.

Rethinking Radical Environmentalism

If you are trying to communicate anything, it always helps if the two parties use the same language. As obvious as that might sound, it is not always a given, especially when dealing with environmental issues. If this were a scholarly article, I would call it "Semantics of Environmental Language". I have read a lot of work on ecology and environment lately, numbering into the hundreds of articles on the subject, and several things jump out at me. One is that we are not all talking about the same issues in the same language, and that some definition is in order. I have stockpiled every article that Google has discovered on the subject for several weeks, and it seems that we are not all on the same page, not even in the same book, and, perhaps, not even on the same planet!