Your Home - Planet Earth

Stop Iceland's Whale Hunting

2009-06-03T22:46:00.002-04:00

Iceland's whaling season began last week, kicking off a bloody whale hunt that could lead to the death of 100 minke whales.

Iceland is one of only two countries worldwide that still authorizes commercial whaling. About half of the whale meat from this year's hunt is intended for domestic sales in Iceland, while the rest of the quota will be sold to Japan.

Please click on the banner below to be taken to the petition and tell the Icelandic government to reduce this year's whale hunt quotas immediately – and to ban whaling forever.

A Message from a Fellow Care2 Member

2009-06-03T21:46:00.004-04:00

I will not mention her name in case she wants anonymity outside of Care2.com, but she sent the following message to her friends on Care2 and I ask my visitors to give the short articles a read and spread the word.

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Dear Friends,

I'm trying to raise awareness about the increasingly damaging effects of global warming in my country. Namely, Macedonia is now the number 5 country worldwide affected by global warming, which is dreadful, considering it's small size. I would like to ask you to note my stories on the issue.

Thank you so much.

Here are the links to the stories:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/365932028/1158438
http://www.care2.com/news/member/365932028/1158425
http://www.care2.com/news/member/365932028/1158419

2009-06-02T21:18:00.007-04:00

If a turtle doesn't have a shell - is it homeless or naked?

This was a joke/riddle I saw on Twitter today. We can only hope that conservation and wildlife protection will keep us from having to answer this question seriously.

The following is a picture of a dead turtle on a beach. It's shell has been spray painted to discourage people from cutting away the shell and using it for other purposes. This is to maintain the dignity of the turtle's death. I will have to research this further to find out where this practice of taking shells happens fairly regularly and what's being done to stop it.

Personally though, I have a feeling a turtle would look extremely funny naked. With that said, we better work hard to help the turtles keep their shells!

I do not claim copyright of the above photo - copyright belongs with the owner of the photo.

In Today's News - Alternative Energy

2009-06-01T21:21:00.004-04:00

Alternative energy is still very much in the news, but mostly on a local level. But that is alright! not everything has to be done on a federal or global level. Small towns and communities can do their part to help keep our planet clean and healthy.

Oklahoma: Governor signs alternative energy bill

Gov. Brad Henry signed legislation Monday to encourage Oklahoma motorists to fuel their cars and trucks with compressed natural gas. [Read full article]

Utah: Alternative energy requests more than doubled

With some congressional cash, Mayor Mark Daniels said he could attach turbines to city-owned water pipes creating a mini-power plant that would produce more than double the electricity used to run the municipal government. [Read full article]

Various States: Some states turn to biomass power for alternative energy

Some U.S. states without the capacity for large-scale wind and solar energy are turning to biomass for renewable energy. The Southeast and parts of the Midwest are investing millions in biomass plants that burn wood and other plant material to generate electricity.
[Read full article]

Make a monumental difference

2009-05-31T20:26:00.005-04:00

It does not take much at all to make a monumental difference to help keep our planet clean and healthy. Even doing so can be beneficial to your health. Take one day a week and walk along a well-used roadway to pick up trash. Separate the items that can be recycled from those that can't. Not only will you help the environment and the wildlife, but the walking will do you wonders!

The Sierra Club has been working to make a difference since 1982. They work to protect communities, wild places, and the planet itself. They are the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. The Sierra Club founder, John Muir, appears on the back of the California quarter.

There is a lot to do with the Sierra Club. Their Outings are a huge hit! You can stay in your own community, or go to one of 350 trips here in the US and around the world. Many of these outings are open to even non-Sierra Club members. Go hiking, fishing, camping, and more.

So, get out there! Make new friends. Explore new places. And rediscover nature and our beautiful planet.

Kids' Sculpture Results in Town Recycling

2009-05-14T22:31:00.003-04:00

This a wonderful (and short) article from the Steamboat Springs, Colorado Steamboat Pilot and Today newspaper. A classroom of students, around the ages of 11 and 12, created a sculpture from plastics and presented it to the county Commissioners. This resulted in recycling bins being placed at the county courthouse.

Student sculpture prompts county to buy recycling bins

There is one line of this article that struck me:
Another student, Cristal Seniff, 11, said she liked it better when she lived in Sweden, because there they have whole landfills dedicated to recycling.

What is your reaction to Cristal's statement?

Computer Recycling - 3 Ways to Delete the Old

2009-04-16T23:47:00.003-04:00

As we all know, technology is changing faster than you can blink. Each year, computers get faster, cellphones get smaller, yet more full of features, and more gadgets are being created that we just have to have. And as we buy all these electronics, in order to keep up with technology, we tend to pile up the old computers, printers, scanners, cameras, cellphones, and more.

Despite being made of plastics and other recyclable materials, many electronics also have hazardous parts that need to be disposed of carefully and properly.

There are three ways to recycle computers and other electronics safely and with the knowledge that you are helping your planet stay clean by reusing perfectly good materials.

he first way is to donate your old electronics. You can help out local folks who need their first computer by donating to Goodwill or other local organizations that have donation programs. In many cases, this is how schools in low-income communities get their computers to help their students acquire a better education.

Big name companies, such as Dell, Staples, and Apple also have recycling programs that you can look into. Many of these will not only recycle your computers, but also mouse, keyboards, speakers, printers, scanners, and more. Some companies will apply a discount to the purchase of a new computer when you turn in your old one.

Lastly, consumer and corporate recycling is big in many regions. You can find local recyclers and refurbishers to take in your old electronics and they will either recycle them or refurbish them for other uses. You may also find a great deal on a refurbished computer or other electronics via this method.

With so many ways to safely get rid of your old computers and other electronics, we can greatly reduce the filling of landfills and illegal dumpings just by recycling computers at your local recycling centers.

This Earth Day, April 22, would be the perfect time to clean out your garage and basement!

Rain Forests - They Need Our Help

2009-04-16T22:55:00.004-04:00

There's more to a healthy Earth than just recycling as much as we can. Plants and Animals need our help to be to be healthy. This planet has a tight eco-system. Every plant, animal, insect, and micro-organism has it's role to play - to keep things in balance.

However, as we often hear, forests and rain forests are being decimated every day. And our beautiful wildlife is going extinct. Plants and Trees provide oxygen for us humans to breath.

Replanting the Rain Forests is a wonderful website that provides so much information - text and video - to help us understand the role forests, rain forests, and wildlife play in the health of our planet, and to inform us on what we can do to help the plants and animals to stay alive and thrive.

Recycled Aluminum

2009-04-16T21:45:00.003-04:00

Three Cheers to the Reynolds Wrap company! They are now selling 100% recycled aluminum for use in your cooking and baking adventures!

Go to the Reynolds Recycled website and find out how you can get a free roll of their 100% recycled aluminum wrap.

Even their packaging is 100% recycling!

There's just 5 days left til Earth Day - what are you doing for Mother Earth?

The Fuel Savers: A Kit of Solar Ideas for Your Home
What can you do right now, with your funky existing home and a minimum of cash, to save energy and live more comfortably? This book has a wealth of ideas from insulating curtains to solar hot water heaters. Each idea is examined for materials cost, fuel reduction, advantages, disadvantages and cost effectiveness. A great step-by-step guide for improving the comfort and efficiency of any building. Updated in 2002. USA.

Electronics Recycling and Shredding Day - April 25th

2009-04-11T13:30:00.003-04:00

Electronics are a huge part of our lives now. Blackberries, laptop computers, desktop computers, IPODS, PlayStations, Wiis, gizmo this and gizmo that. And with technology always advancing at alarming rates, the cell phone you bought last month is outdated within 6 months -- time to upgrade! So, what do you do with your now-obsolete gagetries?

April 25th is Electronics Recycling and Shredding Day

This is the day to bring in your computers, printers, scanners, mice, keyboards, VCRs, stereos, walkmans (you still have one?), and other electronics. Often, the collected equipment will be inspected, reconditioned and reused whenever possible. Obsolete or non-working equipment will be disassembled and the components recycled.

All across the United States, various cities and small communities are doing their part, in conjunction with Earth Day (April 22nd), by sponsoring various recycling and clean-up programs. Recycle Your Batteries, Bring in all Your Recyclables, Electronics Recycling, and so much more.

What is YOUR communities doing? What are YOU doing ????

Facts and Tips about Recycling

2009-04-10T19:00:00.005-04:00

Recycling is one of the easiest, yet effective, way to help protect and heal our planet. The more we recycle, the less we need to cut down trees, create toxic plastics, disrupt delicate and vital eco-systems, and the more we save at the store.

The following is a list of interesting facts and tips concerning recycling:

» Use the color comics section of the newspaper for gift wrapping.

» Save a whole adult tree by recycling a 3 foot stack of newspapers.

» Recycled paper takes about 60% less energy and water to make than new paper.

» Empty tissue boxes can provide easy and handy storage for plastic grocery bags.

» Create scratch pads out of unneeded printouts.

» If you have to run water until it turns warm/hot, collect the cool water in jugs and use to water indoor/outdoor plants.

Earth Day is April 22, 2009

2009-04-10T17:28:00.007-04:00

As most of you know, Earth Day is April 22, 2009. What makes this Earth Day any more important the previous ones? More and more citizens of our planet are taking a stand against growing landfills, polluting businesses and factories, deforestation, eradication of essential eco-systems, and more.

This planet -- Earth -- is the only one we have. If each person does his/her part to recycle and reuse materials, then there would be more for us, such as trees, pristine lands, clean air, and more.

There are so many little things we can do on our part.

» Reuse plastic shopping bags
» Take advantage of recycling centers
» Stop junk mail
» Filter your tap water - don't buy bottled
» Consolidate your errands - save gas
» Support the Sierra Club