The MYADSL green thread

You're not on my ignore list. Your post was interesting, here's some more info on the story:

The revised list, from NASA, does indeed put 1934 as the warmest year -- in the lower 48 contiguous members of the United State of America.

But the warmest year globally remains 2005, followed by 1998, 2002 and 2003 and 2004. And the of the 12 hottest years on record, only one -- 1990 -- does not occur in the last 12 years. (Thank you Mount Pinatubo).
Click to expand...

Link.
 
Last edited:
A while back somebody mentioned a study that claimed Hummers are greener than Priuses. I've spent some time writing an article that looks critically at this claim. You can find it here.
 
Here's a very interesting article about recycling in The Economist.

Studies that look at the entire life cycle of a particular material can shed light on this question in a particular case, but WRAP decided to take a broader look. It asked the Technical University of Denmark and the Danish Topic Centre on Waste to conduct a review of 55 life-cycle analyses, all of which were selected because of their rigorous methodology. The researchers then looked at more than 200 scenarios, comparing the impact of recycling with that of burying or burning particular types of waste material. They found that in 83% of all scenarios that included recycling, it was indeed better for the environment.
Click to expand...
 
Handy Tip #987

If you drink Coffee by the litre as i occasionally do on a daily basis :D and it isn't instant throw the used coffe granules into soil and mix - use for new or established plants.

It has a very high nitrogen content
 
This looks like some very interesting new (old?) battery technology. Firefly Energy has come up with new tech for the old style lead acid batteries (as seen in normal car batteries), that makes them batteries last longer (they are more resistant to corrosion and sulfation) they are able to endure many more charge cycles and they're lighter than old-style lead acid batteries. Apparently, they are now comparable to Li-Ion batteries, but at a fraction of the price.

Interesting.
 
Here's an awesome recycling service for those of us in JHB (and other cities soon, apparently): Resolution Recycling.

elcome to Resolution Recycling. Landfill space is at a premium at the moment and the effects of global warming are becoming more and more real. Our service allows you, the individual to actively take part in looking after our environment. Our service reduces the volume of waste being land filled daily and helps to limit the effects of global warming. We as individuals are now able to take responsibility, do our bit and have a direct effect in caring for the environment we live in.

Resolution’s residential recycling is a door to door collection service for recyclable waste.

We collect all household recyclable waste: paper & cardboard, plastic, metal, glass, batteries and cartridges.

The bin we use is a 240 litre wheelie bin. It is blue and lime green. Inside it goes all your paper, cardboard, printer cartridges, batteries, plastic, glass and metal.

There is an annual charge of R360.00 Inc Vat for the service. This covers your standard collections as well as any additional collections you may need. We will place one Resolution Recycling bin at your home at no charge however should you need a second bin there will be a cost of R350.00 ex Vat. Payment needs to be received up front in order for the bin to be delivered.

Standard collection takes place every two weeks. There are a total of 26 collections in a year for the standard two week collection.

Our service is first and foremost an environmental initiative, but we also feel that we want to give something back. Thus Resolution Recycling has set up Green Aid. Green Aid is money generated by the collected waste which gets put back into communities through projects and helps institutions such as schools and charities.

To get involved all you need to do is fill in the registration form and send it back to us. Within two weeks we will drop off your bin, together with collection schedule, recycling poster and general information about the workings of the service. We look forward to recycling with you!​

They offer a similar service for offices too.
 
New Zealand: 90% renewable energy by 2025

In a speech this week, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke announced New Zealand's intention to commit to 90% renewable electricity by 2025, according to a press release issued by the New Zealand government.

The country already uses 70% renewable electricity, primarily hydro- and geothermal power and will continue to increase its use of renewables over the next 20 years.

Eventually, the Prime Minister would like to see the country carbon-neutral. “I have set out the challenge to our nation to become the first truly sustainable nation on earth…to dare to aspire to be carbon neutral," Prime Minister Clarke said.

The Prime Minister also gave a brief outline of further goals, which included a 2040 target of reducing by half per capita emissions from transport and widely introducing electric vehicles. She also stated the goal of achieving a net increase in forest area of 250,000 hectares (617,000 acres) by 2020.

“The long-term benefits of becoming a sustainable nation will spread beyond our national reputation and success in business to benefit all New Zealanders,” Prime Minister Clarke added.

Further announcements will be made in the coming weeks as the government releases the New Zealand Energy Strategy, the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy and the Transport Strategy Implementation Plan. Stay tuned.
Click to expand...

They're sure setting a good example for the rest of us.
 
Cameron proposes ban on plasma TVs in green package of reforms

David Cameron took a gamble today by proposing that plasma TV screens be banned as part of a green package of reforms from his Tory party.

He also firmly committed the Conservatives to anti-pollution taxes on activities like motoring and air travel.

He immediately pledged that every penny raised would be balanced by tax cuts for families, such as lower stamp duty for households that go green.

But in a speech to the London School of Economics he made clear that the case for tax rises has already been won - and that the environment will be at the heart of future Conservative tax and economic policy.

"We will raise green taxes, and use the proceeds to reduce taxes elsewhere," Mr Cameron declared in a draft of his speech.

"That is the right direction for the environment and it's the right direction for our economy. It is the best way to deliver the green growth that must be our aim."

The Tory leader's remarks come days before the publication of his party's policy making commission on quality of life and the environment.

As revealed by the Mail's sister paper the Standard last month, it will propose higher tax on flights and VAT on aviation fuel, plus taxes on gas-guzzling cars.

Further leaks pointed to proposals to ban power-hungry plasma screen TVs, inefficient fridges and other household goods and to outlaw standby switches that lead to two per cent of the UK's electricity being wasted.

The proposals have fuelled tensions in the Tory ranks between environmentalists such as Zac Goldsmith - one of the report's authors - and traditionalists such as John Redwood whose rival economic policy report called for airport expansion.

Mr Cameron used his speech to argue that future economic debate should be dominated by finding ways to curb carbon emissions without harming growth and jobs.

Well-designed green taxes could have a "double benefit" of saving the planet and paying for tax cuts to boost jobs and investment.

Attacking Labour's record, he said: "By using green taxes as extra stealth taxes, Gordon Brown has given them a bad name.

"I'm determined that the Conservative approach will be different. With my government, any new green taxes will be replacement taxes, not new stealth taxes."

He did not endorse any proposals in this week's Quality of Life report, saying only that they would be "studied carefully".

The paper is expected to recommend a Happy Planet Index to replace traditional economic growth figures. And it will urge stricter regulation of supermarkets.

One idea is for parking taxes on giant out-of-town malls to match the expense of parking in traditional town centres.

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper welcomed the Tory plans as "positive and practical" adding: "UK carbon dioxide emissions have risen under Labour. A new approach is urgently needed."
Click to expand...
 
Proof that organic food is healthier.

A £12m four-year project... has been conducting a rather unique experiment. Growing side by side is organic and conventional produce that has allowed scientists to carry out rigorous tests on the alternative foods to answer the question: is buying organic actually better for you?

The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc. The differences between organic and conventional produce are apparently so marked that organic produce would help to increase the nutrient intake of people not eating the recommended five portions a day of fruit and vegetables.
Click to expand...
 
I saw on NatGeo the other night that every person needs 10 trees to filter out all the carbon dioxide that you breath out, so yesterday i planted 11 avocado trees in my yard (i'm a big oke after all :D)

But now i'm thinking... In a couple of years we're going to be knee deep in avocados (start ordering now and beat the rush!) and you'll need a hard had to walk outside :D
 
vespax said:
Hey Gru,

When your yard is too full of avocados, perhaps you can go this route:

Terrapass

No hardhat required. ;)
Click to expand...

Hell no! That's why I own a genuwine husqvarna chainsaw!
Guaranteed to make hippie treehuggers cry, or your money back! :D
 
Gru said:
Hell no! That's why I own a genuwine husqvarna chainsaw!
Guaranteed to make hippie treehuggers cry, or your money back! :D
Click to expand...

I'm not crying as long as you are cutting all those trees down on Table Mountain Gru!

Cut away! :D:D:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X