Don’t know what to do with those old electronics?  Check out this website http://recycle4cash.cexchange.com/online/Home/index.rails.  You can recycle those electronics and make a little cash.  Good deal for you and the environment.

Today, we had a Green Team meeting. (The Green Team is the advisory committee for our college’s sustainability initiative.) We discussed the “single stream” recycling program that our college uses. Which got me asking, what is single stream recycling? This YouTube video explains. I thought I’d share:

These homes are upcycled, meaning objects are reused for a different purpose instead of being thrown into a landfill.  Phoenix Commotion, the company founded by Dan Philips in East Town, Texas, doesn’t just build homes for customers, but requires that the customers participate in the building process to take early ownership and feel the investment.  The town has even supported Dan by creating a center for the drop off of construction waste, which will then be turned into beautiful homes.  You might think the houses are junk (well they are literally), but Dan has become a master builder who meets all building codes.  Check these beauties out! http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/09/02/garden/20090903-recycled-slideshow_index.html

Article:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/garden/03recycle.html?_r=1

US EPA is launching National Cell Phone Recycling Week as part of its efforts to celebrate Earth Day the entire month of April. The week, which runs from April 6th through April 12th, is a joint effort between EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program and leading cell phone manufacturers, retailers and service providers to increase national awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling. To celebrate National Cell Phone Recycling Week, Plug-In partners across the country, including AT&T, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, are introducing a series of in-store promotions, contests, and giveaways.  The partners will provide in-store and online recycling opportunities for consumers. Plug-In To eCycling is a voluntary partnership between EPA and electronics manufacturers, retailers, and service providers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics.  In 2007, as part of their commitment to the program, retailers and electronics manufacturers voluntarily recycled more than 47 million pounds of electronics, mostly computers and televisions. Information about EPA’s Plug-In to eCycling program:  http://www.epa.gov/plugin Information about cell phone recycling:  http://www.epa.gov/cellphones 

I remember back about 15 years ago, I thought, “who in the world would actually pay for bottled water when you can get it for free from the tap?” Then, a decade later, I would buy cases of bottled water without thinking about it. Now, I won’t buy bottled water because we are up to our eye balls in plastic bottles, not to mention that they are petroleum products. Well, I thought I’d pass along this article, Washington University Ban on Water Bottles, that talks about the growing movement to ban bottled water on college campuses. More and more people are standing up and saying that the leftover bottles are really a problem, and the easiest way to solve this problem is to get rid of the bottles.

With this time of year comes large gatherings of family and friends - and even larger meals.  Arm yourself with some healthy options for storing leftovers.  First think of the environment by not using plastic bags that are often single use or those disposable plastic containers.  Instead, think about using a recyclable container that is not only good for the environment, but good for your health too.  Use glass and ceramic that do not leach the unwanted toxins like hormone disrupting phthalates that leach from plastic bags or containers when they are heated.

Did you know that it takes over 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose and even then it is broken down into small chemicals that travel through the ecosystem and back into us.

 If you use the Internet to look up business or personal phone numbers and no longer want to receive paper phone books, click on the link below to opt out.  It will save a ton of paper from having to be printed and recycled.  Paper can not be recycled more than about seven times before the fibers become so short they are useless in paper making.

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/

I heard this piece below on the radio this evening. President Clinton used executive orders prior to leaving office to impact the environment and not it seems that President Bush is taking his turn. I found this to be quite interesting.

Bush Making Sure His New Rules Stick
President Bush is spending his final days pushing through resolutions on everything from endangered species to the Family Medical Leave Act. Steve Henn reports.

I listened to a podcast of the News Hour’s report about the growing continent of plastic waste in our oceans. I thought that it was worth sharing:

World’s Oceans Face Problem of Plastic Pollution

Some researchers believe that more than 5 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean has become a soup of plastic confetti. Now, scientists are trying to quantify the problem and are studying how plastic affects fish, marine mammals and birds.

Here are a few new DVDs on the library’s shelves. I hope you stop by and check them out.

Protecting earth’s atmosphere:Earth is the only planet known to support life. The primary reason is a mixture of different gases, known as the atmosphere. These gases, along with the sun, warm our planet to an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. This delicate process is known as the greenhouse effect. Without it, the sun’s energy would escape back into space leaving the earth frozen. In this edition of Science Screen Report, we learn about the earth’s atmosphere, climate, and the greenhouse effect. We explore the impact human activity is having on our atmosphere, and ways scientists believe we can prevent further destruction to the atmosphere, and allow our planet to continue to thrive.

Dirty Little Secrets: Program studies fine particle air pollution and its public health hazards

What if The Oil Runs Out?:This film follows a middle-aged, Midwestern couple through violence at gas stations, conflicts with neighbors, and the loss of their livelihood; it also focuses on their daughter, an oil prospector determined to find new crude oil fields in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. Interspersed with the docudrama are notable statistics on oil production and consumption as well as real-world interviews with former Pentagon energy security adviser Paul Domjan, Centre for Global Energy Studies chairman Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, and other experts

Cauldron Earth:This program shows how research into the chemical makeup of geological and biological materials drives the innovation of energy systems, building methods, and transportation technolog–and how these improvements can save lives and reduce stress on the environment. Hydrogen fuel cells, resin coatings for giant wind turbines, wax-plaster mixtures for energy-efficient home–the video features these and many other advances, suggesting a future in which humanity can both profit from and protect the Earth