Friday, April 30, 2010

The ExpertRating Free Green Living Course



This course had 300,000 readers till date translating into 600,000,000 kg of carbon emissions saved by learning green living techniques.

ExpertRating, an ISO 9001:2000 company welcomes you to read the green living course and help conserve power to save the environment. This course is the internet's most popular resource for people wanting to understand and adapt to green living techniques for preserving our planet. The course is completely free and designed for everyone who is interested in going green.

Who can read the course and make a difference.

Teachers & Educators

Children & Students

Working Men and Women from all walks of life

House wives

Corporate Decision Makers

Government Administrators

Read the Green Living Course

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

2010 Eco-Challenge


More information can be found @ Filter For Good

Brita is thrilled to announce the return of its Eco-Challenge Student Grant Program. Last summer, Brita sent three of Canada’s most promising young environmentalists on a life-changing educational expedition to the Arctic. Now, they are looking to send three more deserving students to the Arctic this summer through this incredible program.

Are you a high school student* who has done great things to help protect the environment at your school or in your community? Would you like to learn more about the impact we are having on the planet in one of the world’s greatest classrooms? Read on to learn how you could win an educational expedition to the Canadian Arctic this August, courtesy of Brita!

If you are selected, you’ll join explorer Geoff Green and his team from the award-winning organization Students on Ice on an educational expedition to the Arctic. There, you’ll learn about climate change, environmental degradation, flora & fauna, glaciology, and much more with leading researchers, experts and scientists in one of the world’s greatest classrooms. You’ll experience nature in ways you may have only dreamed of, and you will learn to see the planet with new perspectives as you are introduced to Inuit culture, and make new connections with the natural world.

Register Now!

To apply (and please make sure you read the qualifying criteria first), fill in the registration form and submit a 2-4 minute video that showcases your leadership and what you’re doing in your community to help protect the environment. Don’t forget to tell us what you hope to gain from a trip to the Arctic. We’ve got some pretty impressive judges on our panel, so make it count!

Get your submissions in by May 31, or you’ll miss the boat**. We’ll let you know by July 9 if you should start packing your bags.

* Contest is open to any student who will be attending high school in his or her province or territory of residence as of September, 2010 and who will be no older than 19 years of age as of August 4, 2010.

**2009 Eco-Challenge grant recipients do not qualify for this year’s grant. You must be able to travel between August 3 and August 21, 2010 to qualify.

Going Green 2010 Calendar

Courtesy: Cafe Press

If you’ve made a commitment to go green this past year, it’s only natural that you will want to share your enthusiasm for green living with your family and friends this holiday season. Our “Going Green 2010” wall calendar is a great gift idea that features simple ideas each month to help that special person on your list go green in 2010. Topics covered include: January--Going Paperless, February—Recycling, March--Safe & Natural Home Cleaners, April--Chemical-free Lawn Care, May--Eating Organic, June--Safer Dry Cleaning, July--Saving Energy, August--Green Back to School Ideas, September--Home Décor, October--Alternatives to Disposable Diapers, November--Sustainable Clothing, December--Green Holiday Ideas.

You can purchase the copy @ http://www.cafepress.co.uk/goinggreen2010.411505233

The Greening of Labor


Courtesy: WWI

"Green jobs" - high-quality employment in renewable energy and other environmentally sustainable sectors - are uplifting communities while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, jobs in fossil fuel industries, particularly coal, continue to decline.

Worldwatch reports regularly on the growing field of green jobs across the globe.

Countries Turn to Green Jobs for Economic Growth

February 9, 2009

The United States passed an economic stimulus plan this week, joining China, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union in a historic series of green job investments.

Opinion: Department of Green Labor December 22, 2008

Barack Obama followed through with his campaign pledge of change last week with the nomination of green jobs advocate Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary.

U.S. Election Brings Green Jobs in Focus October 29, 2008

In the United States, Europe, and United Nations, green jobs are being championed as a way to alleviate the global financial crisis.

Solar Offers A Future for Kenya's Youth August 5, 2008

An emerging solar energy industry offers green jobs in Kenya. Whether this growth will trickle down to the country's marginalized youth remains to be seen.

The Afterlife of German Coal Mining July 30, 2008

As German coal mining comes to an end, already-high unemployment rates are expected to worsen in industrial Ruhr Valley. Are green jobs the answer?

In Windy West Texas, An Economic Boom July 23, 2008

The center of U.S. wind energy development, Sweetwater, Texas, has undergone a major economic boom in the past four years. It may be a sign of green jobs to come.

Green Jobs Find International Support March 14, 2008

Citizens groups and government leaders are all singing praises for "green-collared" jobs. The movement may be the savior of climate change legislation.

Toilet paper wipes out 270,000 trees a day


Worldwide, the equivalent of almost 270,000 trees is either flushed or dumped in landfills every day and roughly 10 percent of that total is attributable to toilet paper, according to the latest issue of World Watch magazine.

"Meanwhile, growing populations, adoption of Western lifestyles, and sanitation improvements in developing countries are driving the increased use of toilet paper," the magazine added. "The result is that forests in both the global North and South are under assault by paper companies competing to fill consumer demand."

Wikimedia Commons image by Tristanb

"Steadily increasing demand for toilet paper in developing countries is a critical factor in the impact that toilet paper manufacturer have on forests around the world," says author Noelle Robbins in a Worldwatch Institute news release. "And with the increasing pressure to reduce and discontinue the use of old growth forests, the move is on to tree plantations."

But according to Robbins, this cure could be worse than the disease, Worldwatch said.

"While the paper industry often touts plantations as the solution to creating an ongoing supply of virgin pulp and fiber, these monocultures often displace indigenous plant and animal life, require tremendous amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and soak up large quantities of water.

"While some toilet paper manufacturers rely on forests, others turn to trash cans for their raw materials.

"Advocates of recycled toilet paper point out that converting virgin pulp to toilet paper requires more water than recycled paper and makes use of the tons of already used paper that fills landfills. Various estimates place the quantity of waste paper tossed into U.S. dumps and landfills at 35-40 percent of total landfilled mass."

"Toilet tissue, whether manufactured from virgin pulp or recycled paper, will continue to be an important part of daily life in Western countries and in developing countries emphasizing improved sanitation to mitigate health concerns," Robbins said.

"Education of consumers; improvements in quality, pricing, and marketing recycled products; and willingness to consider toilet paper alternatives such as water for cleansing must be pursued to meet the needs of a growing global population."

Read the article "Flushing Forests"

The Worldwatch Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based independent research organization that provides fact-based analysis of critical global issues. The Institute's three main program areas include Climate & Energy, Food & Agriculture, and the Green Economy.

Courtesy: NGC