Latro

In a post before this one, I wrote about a solar lantern that would help provide light through renewable energy. Now, I read an article about a lamp that has the ability to produce electricity through your water, algae, and your breath. Mike Thompson, the creator of the lamp Latro, states it is a living and breathing product, synthesized from both nature and technology (Alter). Furthermore, he states that cultivating the algae was a simple task that required only carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight.

Acquired At: http://www.designboom.com/design/mike-thompson-latro-algae-lamp/

So when does your breath come into play, you ask? Well, when you inhale oxygen your red blood cells absorb it and then those cells expel a waste product, known as carbon dioxide, a component needed to activate photosynthesis. So basically what you do is just offer a bit of your breath to the algae in the lamp, and then photosynthesis begins to produce electricity for the lamp to use.

Acquired At: http://www.designboom.com/design/mike-thompson-latro-algae-lamp/

Mike Thompson states that the owners of Latro should treat this lamp, which contain the algae, like pets because they have to be taken care of and fed. I believe this is a  great and very useful discovery, for it provides a new type of energy source.

 

Works Cited

Alter, Lloyd. "Amazing Lamp Powered by Algae, Water, and Your Breath." TreeHugger. Treehugger, 8 June 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.treehugger.com/interior-design/amazing-lamp-powered-by-algae-water-and-your-breath.html>.

Luci

In the United States some people take for granted the most basic necessities, such as electricity for lights. Unfortunately, many people in the world, approximately 3 billion, cannot afford this basic need, causing them to cook, study, and bath in the dark. The only resources they have to see in the dark are kerosene lamps, oil lamps, and candles which cannot compare to standard light bulbs. According, to MPOWERD this type of energy poverty is unacceptable in this century (Markham).

Acquired At:  http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/buy-one-give-one-solar-lamp-luci.html

MPOWERD, or Micro Power Design, has invented a solar-powered lantern, called Luci that provides clean, dependable lighting to those who are not connected to the grid (Markham). What is great about it is its ability to deliver up to 12 hours of energy in an 8 hour charge. Furthermore, it only weighs 4.5 ounces and can easily be hung on the wall or ceiling (Markham). The creation of this lantern will be greatly beneficial to people who cannot afford electricity, for it can be charged by solar energy and lasts half a day when charged. By the way, this lantern has other purposes too; it can be used as a flashlight or used while camping.

Being able to provide light to people who cannot afford it is great, and being able to provide it through renewable energy is even better.

 

Works Cited

Markham, Derek. "Meet Luci, the Solar Lantern That Shines a Light on Energy Poverty."   TreeHugger. Treehugger, 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/buy-one-give-one-solar-lamp-luci.html>.

 

 

 

Floating Islands

Water pollution is becoming a clear problem in the United States, due in part to farmers planting and maintaining their crops. In Upper Mississippi, nitrogen and phosphate from crop fertilizer has seeped into rivers and streams without it being filtrated naturally by the surrounding environment. Furthermore, this problem is also critical in Iowa, where the polluted water can reach the Gulf of Mexico, causing anything within 6,700 square miles to die and costing fisheries 2.8 billion dollars a year(Palmer). What can we do?

                                      (Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico that spans 6,700 square miles )

Acquired At: http://www.louisianaseafoodnews.com/2011/11/02/dead-zone-affects-fisheries-in-the-northern-gulf-of-mexico/

 

Preservationists have filed lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency to create stricter standards for phosphate and nitrogen runoffs (Palmer). Resulting from these lawsuits, farmers have created their own solution to the problem: floating islands. Floating islands would be used for filtration; the contaminated water would go through the islands and filtrate all the nitrogen and phosphate before it enters rivers. According to Charles Theiling, a hydrological specialist for the Army Corps of Engineers in Davenport, Iowa, these floating islands will mimic wetlands, which have done this for many years(Palmer).

Acquired At: http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/products/biohaven-technology/

By the way these islands are built from recycled soda bottles and grown with native plants from the area. Additionally, these floating islands will only serve a temporary solution to water contamination; there still needs to be a definite solution for this problem. However, a company called Floating Island International is probably trying to make floating islands part of the solution. This business has created floating islands the size of a backyard, called BioHaven (Palmer). They serve the same purpose as a normal floating island, but they are much bigger.

Works Cited

Palmer, Lisa. "Floating Islands to the Rescue." Green Floating Islands to the Rescue Comments. New York Times, 15 Feb. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/floating-islands-to-the-rescue/>.

It is Just a Matter of Time

In a couple of posts back, I wrote about smoking and how it is not only bad for your health but for the environment too. Furthermore, I stated that the creation of cigarettes, through the process of planting tobacco crops and manufacturing cigarettes, destroys about 60 million trees a year. Now, this was just the production of one of many wood-based products in the world.

The World Wildlife Fund of Nature (WFF) has stated, in the Living Forests Report that the demand for wood will triple by 2050. It also seems that paper products and consumption will double in the next three decades, putting more pressure on forests (). Clearly industries that depend on forests will need ways to meet demands in the future. Currently, WWF’s forest conservation objective is to reduce net deforestation and degradation to zero by 2020(WWF).

Acquired At: http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207367/Industry-key-to-conse
rving-forests-as-demand-for-wood-projected-to-triple-by-2050#

                                            

How do they plan to do this, you ask? Well according to the WWF, by recycling wood-based products in countries where they rarely recycle, and reducing consumption in richer nations the likelihood of succeeding is higher (WFF). By recycling wood-based products like paper in nations that usually do not creates a “…particular potential to reduce pressure on natural forests” (WFF). Furthermore, by also reducing the consumption of wood-based products in richer countries such as the United States, China, and Russia, a serious solution can be made. Why? The richer countries in the world, accounting for only 10% of the population, waste 50% of the world’s paper (WWF). This is a lot, no wonder forests are being depleted so fast every year, for our constant waste is evident. Additional solutions are also included, such as bioenergy and caring for current forests.

Works Cited

"WWF - Industry Key to Conserving Forests as Demand for Wood Projected to Triple by 2050." WWF. WWF Global, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?207367/Industry-key-to-conserving-forests-as-demand-for-wood-projected-to-triple-by-2050>.

Plastic Or Reusable Bags?

Are you using reusable bags for groceries? It seems that the desire to protect the environment is harming our health. According to, “The Disgusting Consequences of Plastic-Bag Bans” reusable shopping bags can harbor dangerous diseases. In 2011, researchers examined reusable bags in California and Arizona and discovered 51 percent of the reusable bags contained coliform bacteria (Ponnuru).



Acquired At : merleswater.com/bacteria/

 If you do not know what coliform bacteria are, they are an “indicator of water contamination and possible presence of intestinal parasites and pathogens (Treyens).” The presence of these bacteria (right) is mostly likely due to using the bag repeatedly without washing it. Furthermore, researchers also determined that leaving the reusable bag in a car in the heat increased the growth tenfold (Ponnuru). Nevertheless, there was some good news, if the bags were to be washed it would eliminate 99.9% of the bacteria.

 In 2007 San Francisco, California discouraged plastic bags because it was killing marine life and blocking waterways. In 2012, several other cities including Seattle and Los Angeles also created their bans against plastic bags (Ponnuru). Surely the plastic-bag industries would rather prefer not to have these bans.

According to, Bag the Ban, “Any tax or ban would endanger plastic recycling…and impact our nation's global competitiveness.”  Additionally, a little over 30,000 people are employed directly by plastic-bag manufactures, and recycling industries (“Bag the Ban”).  So should we return to plastic bags? Well, ultimately it is up to you. I guess if you use reusable bags, you run the risk of catching a disease, so wash them regularly if you plan to keep using them.

Works Cited

Ponnuru, Rammesh. "The Disgusting Consequences of Plastic-Bag Bans." Bloomberg. Bloomberg View, Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2013. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-04/the-disgusting-consequences-of-liberal-plastic-bag-bans.html.

 

"Bag the Ban." Bag the Ban. Hilex Poly, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2013. http://www.bagtheban.com/learn-the-facts/jobs.

 

Treyens, Cliff. "Bacteria and Private Wells." On Tap. NGWA, n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2013. <http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/dw/publications/ontap/magazine/OTWI09_features/BacteriaAndPrivateWells.pdf>.

Smoking, Or The Environment?

Are you a smoker or know anyone who is? Well, I have some news for you. According to, “How Smoking Affects the Environment?” a smoker is not only affecting the health of a second hand smoker but the environment too. Almost 4,000 chemicals are found in cigarettes and thirty percent of Americans are smokers, and the percentage of smokers in developing countries is much higher ("How Smoking…”).

When people smoke we all notice the smoke. This clearly implies that the air is being polluted, but what about the water and land? Everyday millions of cigarette butts are left on the ground, which are eventually washed away in lakes, rivers, and sewers ("How Smoking...”). When these butts unfortunately go into the water fish tend to eat them and die. The lingering butts left on the ground later take 24 to 26 years to decompose (“How Smoking…”). While the butts are decomposing, the 4,000 chemicals in the butts seep into the soil poisoning the soil and plants. This sounds very bad and it is true, for I have personally seen it in parks.

However, the major pollutant is production of cigarettes (“How Smoking…”). When tobacco is grown, taking care of them is the number-one priority, for pests and diseases are always present. To maintain these plants many chemicals are used to keep them healthy and undamaged. Sadly, the land, air, and water around the tobacco fields get contaminated by the chemicals resulting in the surrounding environment being destroyed.

Growing tobacco is half the problem because making the cigarettes are causing trees to be cut down. On average, one tree is cut for every 300 cigarettes, not including the paper packaging (“Tobacco Facts…”). Also in Brazil, where 100,000 tobacco farmers exist, 60 million trees are razed a year (“Tobacco Facts...”). Do you think it is fair to sacrifice trees for the production of cigarettes? 

Works Cited

"How Smoking Affects the Environment." Smoking Site Wide Activity RSS. Yogoy Health Community, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://smoking.ygoy.com/smoking-and-the-environment/>.

"Tobacco Facts and The Environment." Tobacco Facts and the Environment. City of Berkeley Public Health Division, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Health_Human_Services/Public_Health/Tobacco_Facts_and_the_Environment.aspx>.

Alaska's New Found Problem

Do you remember the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011? Well, it appears that Alaska has suffered the aftermath of the storm. Cleanup crews discovered some beaches covered with polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, threatening wildlife in the area. Apparently, the main concern of environmentalists is the light weight specs floating in the water, fragmented by storms and waves.

For some of you that do not know, Styrofoam is a man-made material used for insulation, packaging, among other uses. Furthermore, Styrofoam is unfortunately not biodegradable because it does not breakdown in the sun, making it last virtually forever (Reuters). It lasts forever, and it floats in the water near Alaska’s shores. Before the tsunami hit in Japan, the total Styrofoam debris in Alaska accountant for only 5 percent. After the tsunami, however, the percentage of Styrofoam in Alaskan shores increased to an astonishing 30 percent (Reuters). If you do the math, it increased six times more, and it is causing six times more damage.

If animals mistaken these specs for food, they could die. According to, Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation, the chemical and physical composition of Styrofoam can seep and absorb dangerous chemicals and contaminates in the water. This in turn can kill fish and other wildlife by blocking an animal’s digestive system causing it to die of malnutrition or starve.

Currently, there are a number of organizations conducting clean ups on beach clean ups ("Tsunami Debris..."). Some these organizations include, the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation and the Island Charters. Hopefully they will succeed in cleaning the shores of Alaska and protecting the wildlife that remain.

Works Cited 

Reuters. "Styrofoam from Japan Tsunami Causing Fears for Alaska Wildlife." NBCNews.com. NBCNews.com, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2013. <http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/30/16776937-styrofoam-from-japan-tsunami-causing-fears-for-alaska-wildlife?lite>.

"Tsunami Debris and Other Marine Debris in Alaska." Tsunami Debris in Alaska. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2013. <http://dec.alaska.gov/commish/tsunami-debris/>.