Recently in ecoproducts Category

Plastics: What’s Dangerous, What’s Not details the possible dangers of some plastics. Many debate the safety of plastics to our health and environment, but more evidence continues to point to potential dangers. What's the best approach? Reduce your exposure:

1. Don't use plastic #s 3, 6 or 7 for food storage.

2. Don't cook in any plastics.

3. Use either a BPA-free, resuable water bottle or go stainless steel.

-D

BUMPED: Great project by a Knoxville church:

St. John's Lutheran Church, 544 N. Broadway, is revamping its main parking lot. But there is no paving involved. Instead, the church is using brick "hardscaping," a technique that aims to be pleasing to the eye as well as easy on the environment.

There's no storm water runoff (a pollution problem for big parking lots), and the pavers last decades longer and look better.

Lush trees and flowers, benches and a large open greenspace will create an area for the church and community members to gather outdoors. Outside of church activities, the lot should be mostly empty. "We wanted to create something uplifting instead of another asphalt jungle," said Don Shell, a designing architect for the new parking lot as well as former president of the church's council.

"Uplifting." Amen, brother. [photo credit]

UPDATED: With some local governments charging rain runoff taxes, this type of paving could prove more cost effective in the long run.

Excerpts from here:

A team of scientists with years of expertise in climate issues has written an open letter to Congress asserting the "sky is not falling" and there is no evidence man is causing global warming.

The new letter said the facts are simple: "The sky is not falling; the Earth has been cooling for 10 years, without help. The present cooling was NOT predicted by the alarmists' computer models, and has come as an embarrassment to them.

"The finest meteorologists in the world cannot predict the weather two weeks in advance, let alone the climate for the rest of the century. Can Al Gore? Can John Holdren? We are flooded with claims that the evidence is clear, that the debate is closed, that we must act immediately, etc, but in fact THERE IS NO SUCH EVIDENCE; IT DOESN'T EXIST."

The [cap & trade] legislation would, however, "cripple the U.S. economy, putting us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors," the scientists warned.

-D

Ken O.

"I half-jokingly suggested about a year ago that animal manure— used livestock, horse, and chicken bedding— was going to be the hottest commodity on the Chicago Board of Trade. There are indications now that such a seemingly absurd prediction might not be so absurd after all."

Maybe we've finally found a use for Washington D.C.

Treehugger's Jaymi Heimbuch links a Lunchbreath cartoon poking fun at "the ungreen." The evil-doers are corporations who have adopted green product packaging either to sell products (well, that is what they're in business to do) or to genuinely clean up their act. (On the other hand, this packaging, also at Treehugger, is ok.)

So is Treehugger now in the business of beating up green business? From the comments:

For decades, the environmental movement has been pressuring businesses to be more sustainable, especially in their packaging of products. Finally, corporations are starting to listen, and they're slowly beginning to make changes.

And what do environmentalists do? Do they applaud the change, or celebrate? No. They create snarky cartoons to make fun of businesses progressive steps. How is this helpful at all?

It's articles like this that make it hard for me to identify as an environmentalist.

Indeed. 

Green Christian, Jesus said "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."

UPDATE: Ad campaigns invite people to church. Are green programs attracting or driving people away? I honestly couldn't tell you. But I do know that good behavior is discouraged by those who say you're never good enough, when God has already said "you're good." Those of you who have studied the life of Christ know what I'm talkin' about here.

An environmentally friendly, battery-powered chainsaw.

They test a bunch of other green yard maintenance equipment too.

Excerpts from "New Obama rules will transform US auto fleet" :

Carpenters will still haul materials around in pickup trucks, but they will cost more.

So business' will get hit with higher costs. Especially small business'. Can our bankrupt car companies afford to sell less of trucks - a best seller?

That means cars and trucks on American roads will have to become smaller, lighter and more efficient.

"Smaller, lighter" to me means "less safe." I don't care if a Prius meets government standards, you can't change physics. More steel, more weight, more protection.

Already on Tuesday, some drivers were skeptical. Dixie Bishop, who runs a plumbing business in San Antonio that uses vans, worries the new requirements will drive up her costs at a time when customers are cutting back on repairs.

"Are they going to take my horsepower down?" she asked. "I have to be able to carry old water heaters and toilets. It's not beneficial for me to haul one water heater at a time. We need the power to pull these heavy items."

The government doesn't care about you Dixie. They think they can run your business better than you. And they believe in the Global Warming Hoax, and believe you should believe in it too.

Of course, developing the technology will cost money — billions of dollars — and automakers will pass that on to their customers.

No kidding.

The Obama administration says the changes mean the average vehicle would cost about $1,300 more, although some private analysts say the increase will be much heftier. The administration says gas savings will make up the difference in about three years.

Not when gas keeps rising. Who can wait three years?

Automakers have said they need stable, relatively high gasoline prices to create a market for electric vehicles. General Motors fears rolling out its rechargeable Chevrolet Volt next year with gas at $2 per gallon.

So it's in the government's best interest to not attempt to lower gas prices .

But the Volt is expected to sell for $35,000 to $40,000, and buyers may be unwilling to pay that much for a sedan, even if tax credits help ease the burden, unless gas prices soar.

Who want's to pay luxury prices for a car that - compared to the luxury cars - is a soda pop can?

Is anyone yet regretting electing these people who are intent on ruining your life? Yes, let's improve how we drive, but let's not drive off a cliff in the process. -D

CMI:

But because he was about to accept a plastic bag from the check out girl, he’s not as good a man as he should be. Until he weighs his every mundane action for its environmental impact, he’s immoral. Unless he actively seeks to reduce his carbon footprint, he’s a sinner.

Here's the vid. See what you think. 

Green beer: It ain't just for St. Paddy's anymore!

"As a company of families, Diageo realizes that responsibility extends well beyond our core business," said Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President, Diageo North America. "As individuals and as a company there is a lot we can do to reduce our impact on the environment. Earth Day is an opportunity to highlight our community involvement and lead by example."

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) owns Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. 

Groovy Green:

It has come to my attention recently that the real estate trust Prologis is developing the rooftops of their existing buildings by contracting to lease the space to power companies to install solar panels.

The Christian Environmentalist Blog's Lisa Baker has a terrific post up on a novel solution to a real plague: diapers.

My biggest environmental concern when I was pregnant was, without a doubt, the diaper question. I searched endlessly for an answer to the debate of cloth vs. disposable. No matter how many life-cycle studies I saw (most of them funded by Proctor and Gamble, who owns Pampers) claiming that "compostable" disposable diapers are actually better for the environment than cloth, I didn't believe it. I just couldn't bring myself to buy the argument that something that's meant to be thrown away was better for the environment than something that could be endlessly reused. And besides, cloth is cheaper. But the idea of actually washing poopy diapers myself for the next three years was intimidating at best, and in the midst of Atlanta's water crisis, I couldn't help but wonder whether maybe disposables might be better in our situation, after all. And the studies did say that energy and water use is more efficient with a diaper service than with home washing--but there were no diapers services in Atlanta at the time I was pregnant. Believe me. I looked. (Now that I'm an accomplished cloth diapering mom who loves washing diapers, of course this has started up.)

Her solution will surprise you! And I completely agree with her encouragement to look at all of our humanity - poopies and all - from God's perspective. [pic: photobucket.com]

I can't make this stuff up. Excerpts:

SPOKANE, Wash. – The quest for squeaky-clean dishes has turned some law-abiding people in Spokane into dishwater-detergent smugglers. They are bringing Cascade or Electrasol in from out of state because the eco-friendly varieties required under Washington state law don't work as well. Spokane County became the launch pad last July for the nation's strictest ban on dishwasher detergent made with phosphates, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution.
 
Many people were shocked to find that products like Seventh Generation, Ecover and Trader Joe's left their dishes encrusted with food, smeared with grease and too gross to use without rewashing them by hand. 
 
As a result, there has been a quiet rush of Spokane-area shoppers heading east on Interstate 90 into Idaho in search of old-school suds. Real estate agent Patti Marcotte of Spokane stocks up on detergent at a Costco in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and doesn't care who knows it.
 
"Yes, I am a smuggler," she said.