In the modern world, scarcity of resources has made human beings adopt recycling techniques to avoid wastage of what is already scarce. By so doing usage of raw materials is reduced and prevent pollution of the environment hence making planet earth habitable for both living and non-living. There are several ways of managing waste such as: (more…)
Frank from Florida writes: How can a pro-nuke person honestly say that he or she is “concerned for our descendants and all species around us?” Don’t they know that after a nuclear accident it takes generations for living things to come back and thrive? (more…)
When it comes to the design and construction of sustainable, “green” buildings, the use of geothermal to provide heating and air conditioning may be the single most important and exciting concept around.
Of course, developers, architects, and owners of large industrial and commercial real estate (as well as multi-family residences) can earn LEED points for everything from bicycle racks to waterless urinals, and there is nothing wrong with that. (more…)
Those of us who concern ourselves with environmental matters unanimously agree that the Obama Administration has represented a complete about-face in this arena from that which came before. Yet it’s hard not to notice our president’s work in dozens of other humanitarian matters, e.g., this one, where he banned solitary confinement for juveniles. (Pictured: a boy sentenced to life in prison at age 12; if you can think of anything more stupid and heartless, please let me know.)
Sir: You have almost a year left, and so many reforms left to make in the name of decency and compassion. Don’t. Slow. Down.
Here’s a discussion about a senior scientist’s attempt to deal with rising CO2 levels as they pertain to ocean acidification. He favors seeding the seas with lime (calcium oxide, from limestone, pictured left), and explains why basalt (which is super-abundant) isn’t as good:
We have years, not decades, to keep ocean pH from dropping below 8.0, where extinctions are guaranteed. Ocean warming already makes that even more difficult because it aggravates the effect of pH drop. (more…)
It’s the birthday of the man who created the Periodic Table of Elements – Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. A couple of things bear mentioning here.
• There is nothing in the visible universe that isn’t some combination of items on that chart that we all remember from our high school chemistry classes (though it’s been expanded since those days). (more…)
If you’re looking for a more environmentally friendly way to live, there are several changes you can make around your home that may benefit the planet. In addition to reducing your carbon footprint, these changes can also possibly save you money on your utility bills and other household expenses. (more…)
Today is the 90th anniversary of the first demonstration of the television, and thus an opportunity for me to tell this little story.
The technology of TV was developed before humankind could figure out how to use it, and thus the early days were not too different from those of radio. TV producers would put a man with a microphone reading the news or a script from “The Lone Ranger” in front of a camera. The viewer would have essentially the same experience he had with radio; the only difference was the minor enhancement of being able to see the announcer. (more…)
My fine friend Brian McGowan writes about this article, which offers bad news for the solar industry in Nevada: You know about this right?
Yes, I’m aware of it. But it doesn’t come as any surprise given the way we regulate and incentive our power utilities. (more…)
From global warming to growing landfills, climate concerns have many of us feeling discouraged about our planet’s future. However, while humans may be prone to environmental follies, many of our mistakes can be fixed with a little ingenuity. The environmental cleanup success stories below prove that hope lies in even the messiest situations. (more…)
