Dr.Green's Blog

Moving Planet

2011-10-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Check out this video taken from 350.org's website about Moving Planet day! Also make sure to visit the Tar Sands movement to see how you can prevent President Obama from signing this outrageous bill!

On September 24, 2011 people all around the world in more than 180 countries participated in the event called Moving Planet Day hosted by 350.org. In our local site, San Francisco, hundreds and hundreds of people gathered protesting the rise of carbon levels; people were dressed up as polar bears, trains, and endangered species all waving colorful signs protesting the Tar Sands movement. Visit the 350.org website to see hundreds of pictures people sent in from their respective parts of the world! It is truly awe-inspiring to see so many people around the world (many from countries I've barely heard of!) do their part in representing their country in protesting climate change.
I think this global event reminded me of two very important things. One, we are NOT alone in our cause! There are environmental stewards all around the world willing to do everything it takes. And when all of us come together as we did on September 24, 2011, we have the power to not only let our voices be heard, but let our voices be the loudest and most resounding in the minds of our politicians and leaders. So whenever you feel like you are losing your spirit or passion after being bogged down constantly, remember that there is a community out there that is relentlessly fighting alongside you. Secondly, the environment brings people together. After seeing the news on TV reporting about constant struggles with country X, a problem with country Y or some suspicion of county Z, it is hard to feel like we are connected to the world. Moving Planet has blasted down any sense of isolation for me. I feel so internationally bound to everyone, almost like a global family. And the key thing to remember is that as long as our global family is unified we have the power and strength to protect and save the environment!

None Like it Hot!

2011-10-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

While interning at the Ecology Center, I was shown this clip that the center uses to illustrate global warming to teens who previously didn't care. It's a great little clip that definitely made me laugh! Maybe you can use it to show in your environmental clubs at school?

I don't own this clip, the clip is taken from the TV show Futurama.

Is there a water problem?

2011-08-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Dr. Green ,

I am pretty much into homework and parties but people say there's a water problem developing world-
wide. Should I care about that?

-Party girl

Dear Party girl,

I appreciate your concerns for this issue. The simplest answer to your question would be as a resident of
the world, any worldwide issue is something you should care about. Water in particular, is a substance
that no human being can live without. About 60% of your body, 70% of your brain, and 90% of your
lungs is made out of water. The average kidney needs about 1.5 liters of water to function correctly. The
water problem developing around the world today has two parts: access to water and scarcity of water.

Access to clean fresh water has become more and more limited. Approximately 1 in every 8 people
lack access to safe water supplies; that is about 884 million people. On top of that, each year there are
about 3.575 million deaths attributed to water-related diseases. While cities and slums are growing at
an alarming rate around the world, the ability to get clean water is diminishing by the minute. A five-
minute shower in America uses more water than a typical slum uses in an entire day. Often the people
in the slum end up paying almost five to ten times the price for water than a nearby city resident.

Water scarcity is quickly becoming a very crucial issue. Only 1% of the global water supply is usable for
human consumption. And of that 1%, a large amount of water is being polluted and then deemed unfit
for human consumption. As our population rises, the demand for water also rises, but the problem
is that we do not have an indefinite supply of water. In countries like Bahrain, the use of desalination
plants has already been implemented because of the lack of fresh water. In order to prevent this
problem from becoming any larger than it already is, the key lies in conservation of water.

Water conservation is essential in taking the first steps to solving this issue. Just because the problem
is worldwide doesn’t mean you can’t take measures right here at home. Just start with your own house
by asking yourself these questions: do I use a low flow showerhead? Are my appliances marked with
an EnergyStar label to indicate less energy consumption? If I have a standard toilet, have I managed a
way to either displace the water in the tank or get a water saver flush mechanism? All of these things
are easily manageable at home and save a lot of water! There are also behavioral changes you can
make to your lifestyle. For example, while putting on shampoo and conditioner in the shower, turn off
your shower and then turn it on again while rinsing it out. Cutting down your shower time saves a lot
of water and a lot of money. Try running full load dishwashers instead of hand-washing your dishes and
turn off your tap when brushing your teeth. Altering your lifestyle and the appliances you buy for your
home can do a lot to conserve water in an easy manner. So going back to your question, yes you should
care about the developing water problem because although it may have not touched you yet, it will
spread and grow until it does, and by then it will be very difficult to reverse the effects.

Happy conserving,

Dr. Green
http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts/#water
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html

http://www.treehugger.com/water-crisis/
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-conservation-tips/

Right to Light

2011-03-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

The beginning of 2011 marked the start of the phaseout of 100-watt incandescent light bulbs in California. But unlike for the nationwide long-term phaseout of incandescent bulbs, don't expect a lot of talk about black markets or stockpiling.

The new requirements do not ban traditional incandescents, but require that they use 72 watts or less. The new halogen bulbs emit the same amount of light, but use less energy at a comparable price.

Although the California law has not created a ton of controversy, the 2007 federal law mandating the gradual switch to energy effecient bulbs is being challenged by the Republican majority. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann is pushing the "Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act," arguing that the mandate is another example of the US "nanny state" limiting consumer liberty.

The bill demands that the GAO (Government Accountability Office) prove that the new bulbs save money, prevent carbon emmissions, and are safe.

So the question remains, do bulb bans - and consumer restrictions in general - represent an important step forward for the greening of America? Or is big government restricting what should be a personal choice? Email your thoughts to drgreensblog@gmail.com or comment below

State of the Union

2011-01-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching the State of the Union address, and man, that was intense. Of course, with all the political tension in the air right now, environmental issues tend to get pushed to the back burner. Fortunately, Obama seemed to make environmentalism, at least green energy, a big concern for the next two years. Calling the race to regain technological superiority this generation's "Sputnik moment," the president seemed committed to funding green technology as part of a pragmatic approach to help the economy.

Among Obama's Promises:
-give 80% of Americans access to high-speed railways by 2036
- have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015
- eliminate subsidies to oil companies to fund green technology
- obtain 80% of American energy from clean power by 2035

These goals recall a hope for the future that has been more than a little muddied these last two years. However, their loftiness demands that definitive action be taken to achieve them, action that cannot be taken at a podium, but must be achieved through –dare I say it– bi-partisanship.

The obstacles to making these promises a reality are numerous. The Republican response, delivered by Congressman Paul Ryan, decried big government and wanted less intervention and spending. Leaders on both sides are more focused on curtailing the deficit and making cuts than investing more in new technology. However, hopefully the new sense of cooperation seen tonight will prevail into actual legislating, and meaningful measures can be drafted to turn rhetoric into reality.

Although Obama talked about clean energy and innovation, there was little talk of other facets of environmentalism. Relatively little time was spent talking about foreign affairs, let alone environmental affairs outside of the domestic domain. It looks like, for the time being, environmentalism in Washington will be built not from idealism, but from pragmatism. As long as the promises made tonight can be followed through on, that's nothing to scoff at.
-Dr. Green

2010-12-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

DEAR DR. GREEN
Which is more environmentally friendly, a real Christmas tree or an artificial one?

Imitation Christmas trees seem more environmentally friendly. They can be reused, after all, and don’t involve cutting down trees. But the idea that artificial trees are more earth friendly is mainly a myth.

Fake trees, although they can be reused, are mostly made of PVC and polyethylene. Although some claim to be recyclable, most models are not, and end up in the dumpster. Furthermore, 80% of these trees come from factories in China, which greatly increases travel distance and thus carbon footprint. A 2004 study found the many of the older models contain toxic amounts of lead.

Real Christmas trees generally come from tree farms, not forests, so they do not contribute to deforestation. Most cities have in place a tree-recycling program, by which the trees become mulch. Many of the farms are domestic, and production consumes CO2

Between Artificial and cut Christmas trees, the latter is the lesser of two evils. But issues of allergens and pesticides can still deter people from tree lots. For the truly dedicated, potted trees can provide a guilt-free Christmas. Potted trees provide all the benefits of cut trees, with the added benefits of keeping the tree around to continue soaking up CO2. You can pick one up at your local nursery and plant it in your backyard after Christmas. If planting the tree isn’t a feasible solution, many companies are cropping up that will rent out live trees and then collect them after Christmas. For the more artsy among us, making a recycled Christmas tree can show your holiday spirit and your eco-ingenuity.

Happy Holidays and good luck!
-Dr. Green

The Slippery Slope of Green Skiing

2010-11-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

Is skiing environmentally damaging?

Skiing is a large, carbon-intensive industry that requires a lot of space, a lot of equipment, and a lot of energy, so it has the potential to be very environmentally disruptive. Resorts that use a lot of snow machines consume large amounts of energy and water. Due to global climate change, chemicals called snow inducers are increasingly used to help freeze snow at lower temperatures. In a way, it’s a vicious cycle: emissions from snow machines fuel global warming, which means higher temperatures and increased need for snow machines. Despite low growth in the total number of skiers, the total acreage of resorts has greatly increased, meaning more deforestation and more energy-sucking ski lifts.

But like any industry, ski resorts are realizing that consumers are demanding a more environmentally friendly experience, and that their industry depends on stopping global warming. Some resorts are investing in green technology, renewable energy, and are committed to limiting devegetation and water depletion.

Luckily, we don’t have to spend hours investigating our favorite ski spots. Ski Area Citizens Commission, an organization dedicated to monitoring the eco-frienliness of the ski industry, gives resorts across the country a letter grade on greenness, factoring in criteria such as habitat protection, energy conservation, and water management. For example, Squaw Valley gets an A, while Heavenly has a C overall, and an F in protecting watersheds.

To see how your favorite spot ranks, visit http://www.skiareacitizens.com/index.php?
nav=report_card
-------------------------------------------------------
I've set up a new email account for the blog, so email me your questions at drgreensblogblog@gmail.com

Have a good Thanksgiving and stay green!
-Dr. Green

Meg Whitman

2010-10-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

"After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on - have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? Nature remains." ~ Another Whitman

There’s been lots of buzz lately about a certain Ms. Whitman. Amidst talk of housekeepers and vicious attack ads, the environment has gotten less of the spotlight. Whitman claims she will make the environment a top priority. However, she is in favor of scrapping certain regulation to help attract business.

Whitman promises to:
*better enforce pollution laws
*support clean transportation
*cut red tape inhibiting new green industries
*halt offshore drilling until new technologies can minimize environmental impact
*oppose prop 23, a ballot measure that would suspend certain greenhouse gas regulations until *unemployment drops

*suspend AB 32, the law under fire by prop 23, for at least a year
*increase water flow from the delta (albeit with a new system she said will protect the smelt and other wildlife)
*lower environmental regulation to create jobs

Whitman seems to espouse the popular idea that environmental regulation and economic recovery are not only at odds, but perhaps mutually exclusive. California has long been a pioneer in government-backed environmental protection, and it seems that Whitman might not share Schwarzenegger’s environmental zeal. That said, it seems that she has given more than a token commitment to ecological issues.

Who do you support in the gubernatorial race?
Do you think Whitman’s environmental promises are sincere?
Housekeepers: important political issue, or most important political issue?

Comment below or shoot me an email at jessie.kathan@gmail.com

Getting Motivated

2010-09-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

As an "environmentalist," I sometimes feel it's my duty to portray being eco-friendly as easy, pain-free, and fun. The sad truth is that in between school, work, and everything else, being earth-friendly sometimes slips to the bottom of the totem pole. It's difficult to care deeply about food waste or unplugging chargers after four hours of sleep. The devil on my shoulder whispers, does it really matter that much if you recycle that bottle?

I realized that in order to continue my environmental fervor, I'd need a little more motavation. Thus, I present to you three simple reasons Why it Matters:

#1: This picture ^

#2:"Sea-level rise will increase risks of erosion, storm surge damage, and flooding for coastal communities, especially in the Southeast and parts of Alaska. Reduced snowpack and earlier snow melt will alter the timing and amount of water supplies, exacerbating water scarcity in the West" -US Global Change Research

#3: It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours. ~Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990 (as true for BP's oil spill as it was for Exxon's)

Nothing like a good old fashioned sense of desperation to cure apathy.

~Dr. Green K

New Dr. Green

2010-09-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings all,
The Dr. Green torch has officially been passed. I'm Jessie Kathan, aka Dr. Green K. I'm very excited about taking up this position and continuing the blog.

A little bit about me:
I just started my junior year in high school in Moraga, an extremely small suburb in the Bay Area. When I'm not staring at my computer screen, I enjoy reading, hiking, and cooking (badly).

I've been writing for the Green News for a couple of years, and right now I'm on the Editorial Board. I'm passionate about saving the environment, but by no means do I claim to be the epitome of environmental consciousness; I freely admit that much of my food is inorganic, and ocacasionally - very occasionally - I use an unreusable water bottle (Al Gore have mercy). However, I'm enthusiastic about making my own lifestyle more environmentally friendly, and educating others along the way.

I'm eager to explore new ways this blog can grow, and I want a major part of it to involve you, the readers. Please comment on any of my posts and, if you are in need of any environmental advice or have topics like to see covered, email me at jessie.kathan@gmail.com

~Dr. Green K

Goodbye, Dr. Green T!

2010-08-27T23:02:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping you're all enjoying what's left of summer vacation; however, if you're back in school, then I wish you a wonderful academic year! Starting this Fall 2010, I will begin my education at the University of California-Berkeley as a Business Administration major in the Haas School of Business. Unfortunately, this new pathway from community college will be a lot more stressful, tiring, and time-consuming on my life. With this being said, I will be stepping down as Dr. Green T from The Green News.

It has been a fantastic last two years serving The Green News. I began as a regular writer of this online newsletter, submitting monthly articles on environmental subjects that interested me. Within 6 months, I was given the opportunity to take on the role of Dr. Green T for The Green News. What an honor. I feel this responsibility and committment has been truly wonderful as I've been presented a canvas in which to create my own works for the general public to read and acknowledge.

I'm excited to see Dr. Green's Blog move forward with each and every person who decides to take on the role. It is absolutely a fantastic experience and I thank The Green News for letting me be the one to grow from it. :) Stay green, everyone!

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Community Supported Agriculture

2010-08-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), ever heard of it? I hadn't until just today when my Internship Coordinator pulled out a fresh piece of corn from her lunch bag, and explained how much great produce she was receiving this summer! Let me explain briefly. CSA has become a convenient and popular way for consumers to purchase local, organic produce from a farmer directly over the last 20 years. Basically, a farmer will offer a box of fruits and vegetables that are in season for which a consumer will pay a weekly charge for a nutritious and environmentally-friendly goody bag.

If you check out this site here, you can learn more about the advantages to both consumers and farmers, the shared risk, variations, and more!

My Internship Coordinator explained how she purchases from "River Dog Farms" which is located in Capay Valley; however, they deliver their produce to farmer's markets all over the Bay Area for you to pick up from and enjoy. They pride themselves on growing organic food as their site explains what is organic food, why choose organic, and how to sign up for their veggie box deliveries. Click Here if you're interested to learn more and check out their beautiful photo gallery for a better idea of the concept! :)

In addition to "River Dog Farms," there's the "Full Belly Farms" which is the one I'm signing up for because they have farmer's markets near my apartment and a cheaper, more flexible rate for the veggie box deliveries than "River Dog Farms." However, "River Dog Farms" does have its own qualities that "Full Belly Farms" does not, but my vote still goes to "Full Belly Farms." Anyways, "Full Belly Farms" is also located in Capay Valley, and they sell to both restaurants and farmer's markets. "Full Belly is also home to many outreach activities, including educational tours, school group visits, and the much-acclaimed annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival." Interested in signing up for this veggie box delivery? Click Here.

Hope this blog was educational for many of you because buying from local, organic farms decreases carbon emissions from the trip of delivering produce and prevents the risk of obtaining a disease from pesticides sprayed on your fruit and vegetables. Maybe now I'll see some of you guys at a local farmer's market purchasing veggie boxes! In any case, have a wonderful summer, everyone! :D

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

BARTastic!

2010-08-15T15:36:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

You know what's so great about the Bay Area that many people seem to take for granted? Our Bay Area Rapid Transit also known as BART. It's pretty amazing that we have this piece of public transportation that extends from San Francisco Airport all the way to Pittsburg/Bay Point, Richmond, and even Fremont.

I know some people are afraid to take BART because it can seem confusing, but if you go onto their website here, then you can quickly check train arrival and departure times to best map out your BART adventure! Once you become a regular BART attendee, the whole process of purchasing a ticket, finding which train to take, and knowing where to get off will be easy as pie.

It's interesting how much of a positive difference taking public transportation can do for not only our environment, but our wallets too! A roundtrip ticket from Lafayette to San Francisco is $8.90 which is amazing considering how much it would be to drive with the cost of gas, bridge toll, and pollution to take into acount. TO figure out how much it would cost for you to take BART everyday, Click Here.

We are fortunate enough to have this amazing piece of public transportation at our disposal as it stretches across the Bay Area to cities many of us have never even been to. It's also exciting to notice how all these Bay Area cities are all connected by one thing: Bay Area Rapid Transit, BART.

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

New Leaf Paper

2010-08-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!!

Hopefully, you're all getting prepared for school to begin session! However, are you ready for more note-taking in your classes, wasting countless pieces of paper? It's interesting how many people don't pay attention to the fact that we're using up vital resources everyday without a care in the world.

Did you know that "China, India and the rest of Asia are the fastest growing per-capita users of paper, but they still rank far behind Eastern Europe and Latin America (about 100 pounds per person per year), Australia (about 300 pounds per person per year) and Western Europe (more than 400 pounds per person per year)"? (Shapley) It's crazy, but there is something we can all do to help!

I have recently discovered this site called, New Leaf Paper, where they off a wide selection of coated, uncoated and office paper, many with 100% post-consumer recycled content and Forest Stewardship Council certification. New Leaf Paper was also first to market with 100% post-consumer papers of unparalleled brightness and printing specifications, including the first-ever 100% post-consumer recycled coated papers, book publishing papers and more.

You don't necessarily have to order New Leaf Paper products because there are plenty of others companies out there that are manufacturing recycled, environmentally-friendly paper for your writing needs. Just do some research, but if you're still unsure as to why to switch to recycled paper, then Click Here to learn more about "15 Facts About the Paper Industry, Global Warming and the Environment." Hope you all are having a wonderful summer vacation! :)

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Shapley, Dan. "15 Facts About the Paper Industry, Global Warming and the Environment." thedailygreen. Hearst Communications, Inc., 02 Oct 2007. Web. 10 Aug 2010. http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/7447.

The Wonders of Biking

2010-07-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!

Hopefully you had an exciting month of July considering that August is right around the corner. Most of us understand what August entails...a new session of school. Now how can one go about starting off their school year in the most eco-friendly way possible? By biking to school!

I plan to start off this year right, and by that I mean living a more environmental lifestyle. By biking to school everyday, you will receive countless benefits for not only our Earth, but for ourselves too. Here are some of the many advantages that come with riding a bike...

1. A bicycle has virtually NO carbon footprint. Unfortunately, we generate massive amounts of carbon dioxide which enter our Earth's atmosphere and meddle with the natural balance. Interested in comparing your carbon footprint from before you begin your biking lifestyle with after? Then Click Here.

2. Regular bicycling helps with personal weight management -- new full-time bicycle commuters can expect to lose an average 13 pounds their first year of bicycle commuting if they maintain the same eating habits.

3. Bicycles are a great means to see the world. Ever truly notice the architecture of a building you pass by everyday when you're driving? When you slow down your life, you get a better chance of experiencing every single moment to the fullest. Riding a bike will open your eyes to the little treasures our world offers.

4. Reduces deforestation for planting of rubber plantations and bio-fuel crops, because bicycles use very little rubber and fuel/lubricants. :)

5. Reduces noise pollution -- even without a muffler bikes are quiet, creating a quieter community.

6. Reduces water pollution -- bikes don't drip brake fluid, anti-freeze, transmission fluid, toxic dust, etc.

There are so many more qualities a bike can offer that a car can not. These are only a few of the countless benefits, and if you're interested on reading more on these advantages, then go to the link in the Works Cited section of this blog to check them out! :D

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Mozer, David. "60+ Benefits (Advantages) of Bicycling." International Bicycle Fund. ThinkHost, 2010. Web. 30 Jul 2010. http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/benefits.htm.

Red, White & Blueberries!

2010-07-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

What's coming up in about 3 days? Independence Day! That wonderful holiday that reminds us every year of how lucky we are to live in a free country. With this in mind, what do you believe will be a great way to celebrate this festive occasion? With some delicious treats made with in-season fruits, an eco-friendly idea because it allows you to utilize local produce which reduces CO2 emissions from the travel.

A fun dessert to create for your Independence Day experience is the Food Network's "Red, White, and Blue Trifle" and "Flag Cake." Both of these treats consist of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, in season summer berries for your liking.

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

Ingredients:
● 1 box red velvet cake mix, about 18 ounces (if you can't find red velvet cake use 1 box chocolate cake plus a bottle of red food coloring)
● 1 (16-ounce) tub whipped topping
● 2 pints blueberries
● 1 pint strawberries, tops removed

Prepare the Red Velvet Cake mix as instructed on the packaging, and allow to cool afterwards. With a knife, cut the cake into 1-inch square pieces and line the bottom of the trifle bowl with half of the cake squares.

With a spatula, spread about a 2-inch layer of whipped topping on top of the cake squares. Layer about 1 1/2 pints of the blueberries on top of whipped topping. Layer the remaining cake pieces on top of the blueberries forming a second layer of cake.

Using a spatula, spread remaining whipped topping over the cakes pieces. Decorate the perimeter with the strawberries; placing the strawberries cut side down. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the trifle inside the strawberry perimeter. Voila! A decadent treat for the whole family to enjoy. :)

Flag Cake

Ingredients:
● 18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
● 3 cups sugar
● 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
● 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
● 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
● 3 cups flour
● 1/3 cup cornstarch
● 1 teaspoon kosher salt
● 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:
● 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
● 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
● 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
● 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:
● 2 half-pints blueberries
● 3 half-pints raspberries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

I serve this cake right in the pan. If you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

Hope you all enjoy these wonderful 4th of July treats!! Happy Independence Day. :)

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Garten, Ina. "Flag Cake." FoodNetwork.com. Food Network, n.d. Web. 1 Jul 2010. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/flag-cake-recipe/index.html.

Lee, Sandra. "Red, White, and Blue Trifle." FoodNetwork.com. Food Network, n.d. Web. 1 Jul 2010. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/red-white-and-blue-trifle-recipe/index.html.

Green Cleaning Tips

2010-06-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

It may not be Spring Cleaning time anymore, but that doesn't mean you're going to withold from cleaning for almost a year, right? Now, don't go running to that Swiffer and Windex just yet! Here are some Green Cleaning Tips from "ReadyMade" to polish up your household in the most environmental ways possible. :)

HERBAL ALTERNATIVE
Ever have problems with flies? Of course you have. Instead of reaching for that fly swatter or the nearest tossable object, drive them away with a potted basil plant. These annoying insects find the aroma of these herbs repulsive, and therefore will keep you spending less time killing flies and more time enjoying your bug-free home.

CLEAN AIR ACT
Did you know that houseplants can significantly reduce biological and synthetic pollutants in the air? Well, they can! Some of the more popular potted plants with this benefit are gerber daisies, chrysanthemums, ficus, peace lilies, and devil's ivy.

SMUDGE FREE
In order to clean up those scuff marks from leather furniture, gently rub the eraser end of a pencil over the affected areas. "It's a toxin- and fume-free way to make imperfections disappear."

BRUSH IT OFF
For polishing off the metal fixtures in your home, use non-gel toothpaste to help in keeping them "clean, sparkly, and tarnish-free."

MAGIC WAND
Here's a nice trick for those cosmetic junkies, instead of tossing your used-up mascara brushes, keep them for "cleaning small nooks and crannies. Simply shampoo the bristles, allow them to dry, and get to work."

For more Green Cleaning Tips, check out the "ReadyMade" website where they have a whole list of interesting, eco-ways to tidy up your home. :)

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"GREEN CLEANING TIPS." ReadyMade, n.d. Web. 23 Jun 2010. http://readymade.com/resources/homefixes/green_cleaning_tips/.

Global Warming?

2010-06-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer Vacation!!
Hope you're all enjoying your time away from school like I am.

Quick question, why are we in a fight to reduce global warming? Unfortunately, many people don't know the cause behind this environmental movement nor do they understand the importance in taking action now.

To put it quite simply, our atmosphere consists of gases, both human-caused and naturally occurring, which either absorb or emit radiation. Ultraviolet radiation from our sun hits the Earth with most of it being reflected back into space by cloud, the ozone layer, and ice. About 25% is absorbed by the planet, and then re-emitted as infrared radiation.

However, some of the re-emitted radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere which excite the molecules and cause them to emit radiation back onto Earth as heat. The more of these gas molecules we have in our atmosphere, the more infrared radiation is absorbed and sent back to the Earth's surface.

"The greenhouse gases that we have the widest understanding about are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, used for aerosols). CO2 currently contributes the most to the greenhouse effect – the amount of radiation being trapped and re-emitted by greenhouse gases – but the other gases combined will soon be as important to the greenhouse effect as CO2" (Yahoo! Green).

So nobody becomes overly paranoid by this, you should know greenhouse gases are not necessarily a bad thing. They actually help in making our planet livable as the average temperature would be slightly below zero degrees Fahrenheit without them! With them, the average temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit, but the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere will make this subject to change. This is why we are fighting to prevent our Earth from global warming, to keep our planet from increasing its average temperature to degrees that may threaten the livelihood of mankind on Earth.

With that, have a great summer and be sure to live Green! :)

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"Yahoo! Green." Yahoo! Inc., 2010. Web. 19 Jun 2010. http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/lime-67/just-what-is-a-greenhouse-gas-anyhow.html.

April's Apple Walnut Cake!!

2010-04-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

Happy April to all!!

It is finally the time of Spring when all new fruits, vegetables, and flowers are blossoming to meet the beautiful weather that has come upon us. During this time of rebirth, I've decided to present a delectable dessert that can be found at any local farmer's market considering they're now in season. Yay! :D

The dessert of choice is the Apple Walnut Cake with both main ingredients falling under the category of "in season." Let's begin with collecting the items required in creating this wonderful treat.

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of butter or margarine
-2 cups of sugar
-2 large eggs, beaten
-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
-2 teaspoons of baking soda
-1 teaspoon of salt
-2 cups of all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
-4 cups of apples, peeled and thinly sliced
-1 cup of black walnuts, chopped
-Whipped cream (optional)

Now, this is quite a simple recipe to prepare. First mix the butter and sugar in a bowl, and gradually add in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract while blending them all together.

Next combine the baking soda, salt, flour and ground cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add the egg mixture into this separate bowl and beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Now include the apple slices and chopped walnuts in the batter, and blend just enough to spread them throughout.

Finally, grease and flour a pan (I usually use bunt cake pans), and pour the batter in to be baked in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 55-60 minutes. Serve warm or cold with some whipped cream and your set for a delicious after-meal delight. Hope you all enjoy! :]

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"Apple Walnut Cake recipe." Walnut Recipes. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr 2010. http://www.walnutrecipes.net/apple-walnut-cake.html.

Plastic is NOT Fantastic!

2010-03-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

How many of you ever grab that plastic water bottle from your refridgerator and feel a sense of guilt knowing that "roughly 1.5 million tons of plastic are expended in the bottling of 89 billion liters of water each year"? Probably feeling some guilt there by now, huh?

It's ok though! I was once a plastic-water-bottle-user, but I have overcome this serious environmental as well as health hazard toward a better lifestyle in H2O consumption. "Scientists in Germany have found that PET plastics -- the kind used to make water bottles, among many other common products -- may also harbor hormone-disrupting chemicals that leach into the water." Crazy, right?! How about we NOT drink from plastic bottles that have hormone-disrupting chemicals?

Now, you're probably thinking, "Dr. Green T, what CAN we drink our water out of?" Wonderful question! Your best bet is to go for reusable, stainless steel water bottles! Preferably the ones that are BPA-Free like Klean Kanteen which is known as being the healthiest and safest water bottle you can buy! They use toxin-free materials, 100% stainless steel, made to last a lifetime, have fair labor standards, and design their bottles to be as environmental as possible!

Klean Kanteen isn't the only plastic water bottle alternative out there. I currently use SIGG water bottles because they have more attractive designs to choose from. They have been making bottles since 1990, even though their aluminum processing company was established in 1908, and "are manufactured in an ecologically-friendly environment and are 100% recyclable after their very long lives. In fact, most SIGGs in Europe are still being used 10-20 years after purchase." Awesome, right?

With all of this new information being absorbed in your mind, don't you feel the urge to run down to a Sports Basement or open a new window on your computer to locate the best reusable water bottle you can buy! It's an investment you should seriously consider for not only the environment's sake, but for your health as well.

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"About Us." SIGG, 2006. Web. 19 Mar 2010. http://mysigg.com/index.asp?PageAction=COMPANY.

Sohn, Emily. "Plastic Water Bottles May Pose Health Hazard." Discovery News. Discovery Channel, 28 Apr 2009. Web. 19 Mar 2010. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/28/water-bottles-health.html.

"The Effects of Bottled Water on the Environment." AllAboutWater.org, 2004. Web. 19 Mar 2010. http://www.allaboutwater.org/environment.html.

"Why Klean Kanteen." Canvas Dreams, 2009. Web. 19 Mar 2010. http://www.kleankanteen.com/about/kanteen-101/why.html.

March Mushroom Madness

2010-03-06T21:51:00.001-08:00

Hello, Environmental Crusaders!

Hopefully everyone has been enjoying the new year and accomplishing whatever New Year's Resolutions they may have set for themselves. I know I am working toward keeping my year-long streak of vegetarianism. It can get hard though, believe me. At times, I find myself craving that In-N-Out cheeseburger, but I find ways of coping. I remember I tried almost every veggie patty the local supermarket could conjure up between its frozen shelves, and to my dismay, none of them satisfied my cravings.

Fortunately, I came across what they call a Mushroom Burger! Now, for those who don't know, mushrooms are actually in season now. Therefore, all the better to indulge in this delectable meat substitute as much as possible before it's too late and they're out of season.

It's fine to go and order the Mushroom Burger when it's available at whatever restaurant you are at, but to make it at home and grill it yourself is all the more gratifying. I have picked out a great recipe to try out from "indobase," so be sure to try it out and experience the surprisingly delicious taste of a burger without any meat!

Mushroom Patties Recipe

Ingredients:
• 450 gm Mushrooms.
• 6 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 large Onion (cut into thin strips)
• 3/4 cup Two-Day-Old Bread (crusts removed)
• Salt to taste
• 2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 cup Bread Crumbs
• 3/4 cup Sour Cream

Now, take into account that this particular dish is steered more toward the vegetarians, but vegans can substitute eggs for egg beaters and simple veto the sour cream altogether. To start things off, wash the mushrooms and place them in a deep saucepan. We want to always clean our produce before use because even those that are organic carry the risk of containing harmful pesticides or bacteria.

Next add half a cup of water to the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once the water ha begun to boil, immediately bring it to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. While this is cooking, pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a small skillet with the onions to be sauted for 7-8 minutes.

Tear the bread into pieces and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes. Now squeeze out all the excess liquid from the mushrooms and grind or blend them with the onions, bread, and salt. Add in the eggs (or egg beaters) and mix well. Next refrigerate for 1 hour to firm the mixture, then shape them into 12 oval patties about 3-4 inches long and dip them into the breadcrumbs.

Finally, take a large skillet, heat the remaining oil, add the patties, and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until their completely cooked through. You have the option to garnish with sour cream, but don't feel like you must stop there! Go crazy and add lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mustard, ketchup or anything you'd like. It'll all be worth it when you take a bite out of that mushroom burger and get a taste of heaven. :P

For a complete list of what's in or out of season depending on where you live and what month of the year it is, Click Here!

Peace & Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"Mushroom Patties Recipe." Recipes. 10 Jan 2008. indobase, Web. 7 Mar 2010. http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/mushroom-patties.php.

Let's "Start Global Cooling!"

2009-12-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of Clif Bar & Company? Most people associate this name with the nutritious and delicious Clif Bars we find in our local grocery stores. However, what many don't know is that this company is also dedicated toward helping the environment through creative and interesting ways.

Cool Tags, "renewable wind energy credits that offset CO2 emissions," cost $2 each. Those $2 is then invested by Clif Bar into NativeEnergy's Windbuilder's Program. According to the Clif Bar & Company website, "Each Cool Tag keeps an estimated 300 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air. (That’s about how much you would generate driving 300 miles in an average car.)" Unfortunately, 25% of the CO2 emissions in the world is produced by America alone ("Environmental..."). That is quite a large amount considering there are over 100 other countries to take into account.

Interested in participating in this global cooling campaign with Clif Bar & Company? Then go here and check it out! :]

Now I am an avid Clif Bar eater, but what attracts me to these energy-filled snacks so much is that they promote sustainability with their packaging. Clif Bar & Company have teamed up with TerraCycle, a company that creates eco-friendly products from non-recycleable materials, to reduce the amount of energy bar wrappers that end up in landfills.

They've named it the "Wrapper Brigade Program" as it "allows schools, offices, community organizations, and even individuals to earn money for charity by collecting used wrappers" because "For every wrapper the Brigade receives, they will donate 2 cents to a nonprofit of the collector’s choice. The wrappers then will be woven into strong material, and made into eco-chic products" ("Sustainability"). Hopefully some of you are inspired to get involved in this program, and if so then check out their website here.

Now I used to take my Clif Bar wrappers down to Sports Basement where they had a bin specifically marked for them. Unfortunately, this was a limited time deal as I ended up finding myself with over 50 wrappers and nowhere to take them. I was lucky enough to learn that Trader Joe's will take my wrappers and place them in a baler which will compress these items and keep them from winding up in a landfill. If this option isn't available to you, then try to check if there's a Clif Headquarters near you. Taking your wrappers to them specifically will ensure that they get recycled rather than adding to our Earth's landfills which is always a plus! :D

Hopefully this blog's highlight on Clif Bar & Company opened some of you up to their ethical practices which deserve to be recognized by the general public. Perhaps now you may find yourself supporting them and our environment by purchasing a Cool Tag or by locating a nearby Headquarters to recycle your wrappers as opposed to throwing them out. Whatever your decision, I hope it's a positive one for not only our Earth's well-being, but for the rest of the human race as well!

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"Cool Tags." Clif Bar & Company. CLIF BAR Family Foundation, Web. 28 Dec 2009. http://www.clifbar.com/soul/cool_tags/.

"Environmental Statistics." 2009. Nation Master, Web. 28 Dec 2009. http://www.nationmaster.com/red/pie/env_co2_emi-environment-co2-emissions.

"Sustainability." Clif Bar & Company. CLIF BAR Family Foundation, Web. 28 Dec 2009. http://www.clifbar.com/soul/sustainability/.

Green Your Kitchen!!

2009-11-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

Ever look through your cupboards of your kitchen and wonder how Eco-friendly it is? Probably not, but now is the time to do so!

There are numerous ways to live with an environmental kitchen such as what stone you use for your counter, the refrigerator you purchase, the appliances you use, and so on.

For a list of 10 Earth-friendly kitchen counters, Click Here! One of the more interesting kitchen counters on this site that caught my eye was the Fuez which is "made with recycled glass, fly ash, stone and shells, it’s more durable than marble." Its eco-friendliness stems from the fact that it's made with "60% to 80% recycled materials, including beer bottles; made using 100% wind-generated electricity."

When I think about "greening" my kitchen, I don't necessarily go into remodeling the countertops or shopping for new fridges because let's face it, a good majority of us are on tight budgets these days. Instead, I attempt the little things like unplugging my appliances when they're not in use. Note that appliances that are NOT in use yet still plugged into an outlet do have the potential to suck electricity and that's a big, environmental no-no!!

In addition, I make sure to purchase recycled paper towels and use them as minimally as I can. Investing in kitchen towels helps to reduce the use of paper towels when drying dishes or cleaning countertops, so take that into consideration as well!

Now let's discuss one of the most important aspects that make up a kitchen: the refrigerator. According to the U.S. Green Building Council: "Refrigerators use 14 percent of a home’s electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Today’s most efficient 20-cubic-foot refrigerators use 47 percent less electricity than 1993 models." If you've perhaps just been convinced to pull together some funds for a new fridge, then check out ENERGY STAR for one that will be worth the money! It's for the Earth, do it for your planet. :]

For even MORE ways of greening your kitchen, check this site out! They've got a lot of useful methods that will blow your mind.

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Green Home Guide Staff. "Creating a Green Kitchen: From Resource Planning to Maintenance." U.S. Green Building Council's Green Home Guide. 03 Sep 2009. U.S. Green Building Council, Web. 26 Nov 2009. http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/creating-a-green-kitchen-from-resource-planning-to-maintenance

Ask Dr. Green T: Living Life the Organic Way

2009-10-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. Green T,
How can we know if something is "organic" or not?
-Jennie Kim, Green News Editorial Board

So you want to eat green, huh? Finally coming to terms with the potential harm that arises from purchasing foods with pesticides and growth hormones? I've learned from my Environmental Science class in high school that there are many risks that come from purchasing "non-organic" items. An example is milk which contains RBST growth hormones, a drug injected into cows to increase their milk output. Unfortunately, these growth hormones affect the growth rate of consumers as young children end up growing at a faster and unatural rate. Not a good thing at all...

Now what? Well, Organic products are plainly noted as coming from a more natural state, and thus no added chemicals in their process. Simple, right? Well, it may not be for those who are in the market shopping for an organic grocery item or dish at a restaurant.

Fortunately, organic dishes at restaurants can be "Whole restaurant certified" where every dish produced is organic or they can have a couple of items that are organic like lasagna with organic beef. You also have every right to ask to see how they can prove that their beef is organic by viewing if they've paid an organic farm. The food is going in YOUR mouth and into YOUR body, so stand up for your health.

As far as grocery shopping goes, you may distinguish an organic product from that not of by locating a specific sticker, mainly the "Certified Organic" sticker. This specific logo means that:

"The product has been grown according to strict standards that are verified by independent state or private organizations. In the U.S. these third party agents are accredited under the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). Certification includes annual inspections of farm fields and processing facilities, periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the standards which have been set. For a product to receive the USDA Organic seal, a minimum of 95% of ingredients are certified organic. The remaining ingredients must appear on the National List of Approved Materials" (Seo).

You may learn more about why organic food is better by Click Here!!

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Seo, Danny. "Eco Friendly Goodness." wholearth beaty+beath. 2009. 4 Nov 2009. http://www.wholearthbeauty.com/usda_eco_info.php.

Ask Dr. Green T: Workin' at the Jar Wash!

2009-10-16T00:45:00.001-07:00

The water company asks us not to rinse our food containers(eg. milk containers etc.) before we recycle them, to conserve water; but waste management asks us to rinse out food containers, so that we don't contaminate the rest of the recycling. Which option is more environmentally friendly?
-Adam OCamb, Green News Editorial Board

The concept of whether or not one should waste the water required to clean a recyclable item is something that definitely needs to be taken into consideration. I usually wash items like yogurt or peanut butter containers before recycling them because I find such food waste will mold and be difficult for the company to clean later on. However, other items like milk containers, soup cans, and so on are a different story as they're in liquid form and don't make as much a mess after you've finished with them. Now, let's get another opinion on this issue!

Nina Shen Rastogi from Slate Magazine answers this question in her own article by explaining that "recycling facilities are well equipped to handle dirty cans and bottles, so some caked-on tomato sauce and the occasional stray chickpea won't significantly hinder the process. Residue left on plastic or glass containers generally gets flushed out with water at some point in the process; most of the gunk left behind on steel and aluminum cans is burned away when those containers get melted down. So there's no need to waste water by running the faucet over your recyclables—even if you were to get them squeaky clean, they'd probably end up getting washed again, anyhow" (Rastogi).

Also, if you're interested in learning about the recycling process for plastic food containers, then Click Here. This statement letter dates back to 1996, but not much has changed since then.

With all this information in mind, there seems to be a consensus that washing one's recyclable food containers is rather pointless as these items will be cleaned again once they hit the factory. As a common courtesy to those workers, it would be nice to rinse out the occasional mayo jar or yogurt cup, but honestly, it's going to get washed again no matter how spotless it is when you recycle it. :P

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Rastogi, Nina Shen. "Clean Jar, Clean Conscience?." Slate. 03 Feb 2009. Newsweek Interactive Co, Web. 16 Oct 2009. .

Ask Dr. Green T: Light Up My World!

2009-10-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

How can we address the problems of light pollution?
-Karen Lo, Green News Editorial Board

This question is definitely different than previous ones as it has more to do with a community as a whole doing their part to help an environmental situation rather than individual homes helping in their own way. Light pollution, basically, is all of the misdirected light we use that accumulates large enough to block our vision of the stars in our night sky. This light pollution becomes quite a problem for not only people who don't have the luxury of looking to the stars at night, but it also affects certain wildlife animals who can't adjust to the cities that don't become dark enough and so affects their living habits.

However, this doesn't have to be the way! There are simple steps you may take in order to prevent this problem from growing and becoming worse. I find that turning off lights that are not in direct use is the most effective and least difficult method to avoid polluting our skies. However, this is nothing compared to the many other possibilities in which you can help out!!

1) Use only full cutoff light fixtures. Organizations like "Starry Night Skies" display a large array of light fixtures with the purpose of shining outside lights at the ground as opposed to up into the sky. My family has motion-detector versions of these lights and they are just as good as if using any other type of light fixtures. Only difference is these are better for the environment!! Not to mention, "[installing motion sensors] reduce your use of electricity for lighting upwards of 90%, easily paying for the cost of the sensor and its installation" ("10 Easy Steps...").

2) If you're not ready to depart from your original light fixture, yet still want to make a difference, simply purchase a light shade to place over it. This way you have the best of both worlds!! :]

3) Educate your neighbors. Remember, not everything has to be done alone! To be united on something as important as helping our environment is a truly honorable thing to be apart of. I'm sure if you explained the cause and demonstrate your passion well enough, you will most surely be able to convince others to get involved too. It's all on us now to fix what we've broken on this Earth. Let's do it together!

It's quite interesting how staring down at a city filled with light pollution can bring conflicting emotions to a person's mind. Whenever I look down upon such a sight, I tend to immediately think about how beautiful and glorious all the lights look from the homes and cars. On the other hand, I notice this reaction and quickly realize how these lights all grouped together look like fire destroying the beauty of our environment, including the stars in the night sky! This is why it's understandable why some people aren't bothered by light pollution, especially those who've lived in the city most of their lives.

I strongly urge anyone who hasn't gone camping before or visited the countryside to do so because once you look out onto the millions of stars, planets, and solar systems, you truly realize how fragile and small our Earth is. With this in mind, be sure to go out there and take action. Fight for our planet's health! It's the only one we've got.

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Anthony. "10 Easy Steps to Reduce Light Pollution." Starry Night Lights. 09 Oct 2006. Web. 8 Oct 2009. http://www.starrynightlights.com/blog/?p=19.

Anthony. "Why Does The Sky Glow At Night?." Starry Night Lights. 21 Jul 2006. Web. 8 Oct 2000. http://starrynightlights.com/blog/?p=13.

Ask Dr Green T: Home Sweet Home

2009-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

What are ways we can cut back on carbon emmisions from our homes?
-Sophie Barrett, Green News Editorial Board Member

What a loaded question with so many answers. There are, as was stated in my previous blog, the numerous ways to cut down on water in your home which can be very beneficial toward reducing costs on your water bill as well as avoiding the waste of water on our planet. Definitely check those out before or after you guys finish with this blog!! :]

First things first, take a moment to calculate the energy audit of your home by clicking Here!! With this knowledge, you may better understand how much CO2 emissions are being produced from certain activities that you have been practicing without conscious knowledge of its negative affects.

Moving forward. One way to decrease one's carbon emissions is by reducing the amount of electricity they consume in their home. By installing Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs), you can save "2/3rds of the energy of a regular incandescent" as "each bulb can save $40 or more over its lifetime" ("Reduce...Footprint"). Also, always be sure to turn off your CFLs when leaving a room for more than 15 minutes. However, "in areas where electric rates are high and/or during peak demand periods, this period may be as low as 5 minutes" ("When...Lights"). That'll keep you set as far as lighting is concerned.

I have luckily convinced my family to switch our incandescent lightbulbs to CFls, and I find they are just as efficient as the former. Despite the initial 2-second delay when flipping the switch for your light to turn on, there is no other complaints that I have heard of from this product. It's safe, resourceful, and just as good as the incandescent ones!!

A common energy waster in homes has to do with the heating and cooling systems which residents usually overlook as a major energy-sucker. "By turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for 8 hours, you can save about 5%–15% a year on your heating bill—a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long" ("Thermostats...Systems"). Imagine that! With this in mind, during the winter season, try moving the temperature of your thermostat 2 degrees lower than you normally would; while in the summertime, be sure to increase the temperature by 2 degrees than that of the usual level you would have used.

A quick final note, when shopping for energy-saving appliances, be sure that your products contain the "ENERGY STAR" label on them which certifies that they are authentic.

Peace&Love,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"Reduce Your Carbon Footprint." CarbonFund.org. 2009. Web. 19 Sep 2009. http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/save_energy.

"Thermostats and Control Systems." Energy Savers. 24 Mar 2009. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 19 Sep 2009. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12720.

"When to Turn Off Your Lights." Energy Savers. 24 Feb 2009. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 19 Sep 2009. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12280.

Ask Dr. Green T: Who Killed the Electric Car?

2009-09-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. Green T,
We all know that driving is bad for the environment, but sometimes it's necessary to get to work, school, etc. Are there any ways to make driving a little bit greener?
-Nicole Cogar, Green News Editorial Board Member

Thank you, Ms. Cogar, for such a great question!! =] It definitely is a lot more of a hassle to walk, bike, BART, or even bus to certain locations sometimes when these specific means of transportation are inconvenient or more time-consuming than desired. However, if you're trying to find the best way to travel greener, the previously listed solutions are your safest bets!

Although, this wasn't the question, Ms. Cogar, was asking, was it? She wanted to know how to be more environmentally-friendly when one IS and MUST drive to their preferred location. It's no surprise to say straight out that the Toyota Prius is the most eco-conscious car on the market as purchasing a new one of these models will cost you about $20,295, but "over the course of 10 years, the Prius might save as much as $2,100 in gasoline costs alone" (Williams-Derry). By using less gas, you will have prevented wasting "roughly 15 tons of CO2 over a decade," and that's definitely something to think about. Despite this knowledge, it's true that with our economic recession draining our wallets and our personal hunger for such a car, we must also look at other options before making a financial decision as investing in a new vehicle.

Now to the next option: Carpooling!! If you do a quick look up on www.WillYouJoinUs.com and make your way to the Energy Generator for carpooling, they give you a great idea on how much energy you'd save by carpooling. It's great!! =] If I committed to carpooling at least 7 days this year, I could save enough energy to recharge my latop 874 times!! Crazy.

Not to mention that with more people carpooling, there will be significantly less cars on the roads in which case we may be able to reach our destinations faster, relieve stress from waiting in traffic jams, and "[reduce] traffic congestion in the region [because] carpool participants also improve the region’s air quality by removing over 1.5 million pounds of air pollution annually." I received this last bit of information from www.RideFinders.org which helps those interested in carpooling to locate others with similar destination preferences. There are also many other sites on the web that dedicated to this specific purpose, so get out there & find yourself a carpool buddy!!

Or better yet, talk with your friends and family about putting together a carpool program for driving to work, school, or even to the mall or the movies. This way, you're not only saving money and helping the environment, but you're also spending quality time with the people you love and have fun with! It's a win-win situation for sure. :D

Last but not least on my rant, always know where you're going and if possible, pre-plan your driving expedition beforehand. This way, you won't end up cruising around aimlessly trying to locate a specific place or taking an extra long route that could have been avoided. That's why we have MapQuest and Yahoo! Maps! Also, if you pre-plan your driving expedition, you can find the easiest and shortest ways to reach your destination without wasting too much gas or CO2 emissions. Try it out!! =]

I hope I've been of some help to you, drivers, out there who are interested in helping our Earth without vetoing the use of your car altogether. It's a difficult compromise, but as long as you follow these tips and keep the environment in mind while on your driving adventures, then all will be well!!

Love&Peace,
Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"Carpool Benefits." 2008. RideFinders. 4 Sep 2009. http://www.ridefinders.org/Carpool/benefits.aspx.

"Energy Generator." willyoujoinus. 04 Sep 2009. Chevron. 4 Sep 2009. http://www.willyoujoinus.com/takeAction/energyGenerator/?gclid=CKXV6MOt2ZwCFShRagod9CbgJg.

Williams-Derry, Clark. "So You Want to Buy a Prius." The Tyee. 25 Jan 2005. 4 Sep 2009. http://thetyee.ca/Citizentoolkit/2005/01/25/Prius/.

Ask Dr. Green T

2009-08-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

This shall be the very first "Ask Dr. Green T" post as was decided by the Green News to be a new direction to take this blog in hopes of not only attracting more readers, but also educating them on issues that our generation want to learn about. With such knowledge, the current youth can work to fighting global warming, and thus continue to aide the environment during its time in need! In conclusion, please feel free to submit your questions in the comments of the current blog (with or without your real name) & I will make sure to answer them to the best of my ability and as soon as I can!! =]

"With water scarce in California at this time of year, what are some easy ways families can save water?"
-Max Perrey, Green News Editorial Board Member

Brilliant question, Mr. Perrey! Conserving water during such dry times is a serious matter which can take shape with the simplest of methods. Unfortunately, "about 95 percent of the water entering our homes goes down the drain," and so taking precautions on how much water we waste can certainly be a fantastic way to catapult our Earth into a healthier environment (jsmcdougall).

First things first: LEAKS! I don't mean a leek, the vegetable used for cooking. I'm talking about those pesky drops of water that trickle out of water faucets in your sinks, bathtubs, or even toilets! Here's an easy way to figure out if your toilet is leaking:

"Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install" (eartheasy).

Interesting, right? It's worth it though because about 20 gallons of water/day is wasted with every small drip that leaves a worn out faucet. With this in mind, be sure to take some time to check your home's water meter for a 2-hour period when nobody is using water in the house, and if the numbers on the gage are different than before, then you've got a leak on your hands!

As far as showers go, many people find it rather difficult to limit themselves with a shorter time in the tub because they figure this is their moment to relax. Understandable, but also inefficient if you're planning on being a water-conserving crusader! Therefore, try looking into purchasing "low-flow showerheads" for your bathrooms which can save up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute! Imagine how much water you'll have saved in a single year... (eartheasy)

Next up, remember not to leave your water running when using the sink to wash your hands, clean vegetables, brush your teeth, etc. However, if you are also one of those people who find it annoying to have to constantly shut the faucet tap on and off or adjust it this way and that, then why not try the Dual Setting Swivel Aerator? This website (http://eartheasy.com/store/proddetail.php?prod=N3115V-FC) has the product for only $6 (plus S&H), but it is totally worth it in the long run as you will not only save water from being wasted, but you will also be living a more efficient lifestyle!

A final way to help our water crisis is to go here, http://www.savewateramerica.com/home.swa?id=kpast#/home/, take their quiz, and they will donate $1 in water-conserving products to Habitat for Humanity's sustainable building efforts! =] It's as simple as that.

It may seem like no big deal when you leave the water running while brushing your teeth or tossing a half full bottle of water without finishing it first, but our Earth only has so much drinking water. Many people fail to realize this because our planet is made up mostly of ocean, but salt water is not something humans can drink daily in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, with all this in mind, please turn off the tap, check for leaks, and let's keep our Earth from drying out!! =]

Works Cited:
"25 ways to conserve water at home and yard." eartheasy. 2009. Water Conservation. 27 Aug 2009. .

jsmcdougall. "Ten Facts About the Water We Waste." chelseaGREEN. 29 Jul 2008. 27 Aug 2009. .

Captain Planet Takes you Green Shopping

2009-04-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

No later than last weekend, the annual Alpha Gamma Sigma(AGS) Club's State Conference was in Ontario, California where I was lucky enough to attend as a part of the Diablo Valley College Chapter. AGS is a state-wide honor's society that fund raises, serves the community, distributes scholarships to members, provides guest speakers with valuable knowledge, and so much more. During the conference, we were able to select from numerous workshops which varied from salsa dancing to leadership skills to even...green shopping! Yes, you heard it right and you guessed right. That was the workshop I attended in hopes of obtaining beneficial information that you, the reader, are about to learn from.

Our guest speaker, Deborah Page, began the workshop by presenting a video called, "The Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard which provides interesting methods of seeing our world's consumption issue. She argues that we are currently living "a linear system in a finite planet" with steps consisting of extraction to production to distribution to consumption and finally to disposal. This way of living, Leonard believes, should be modified by pulling out the disposal step, and thus linking consumption back to extraction to create a circular cycle that will be beneficial to the maintenance of our Earth.

You may watch Leonard's factual and fascinating video here:

In addition to the video, Deborah Page displayed a powerpoint with facts about our Earth's current, weak state due to the pollution from over-consumption such as how 3% of the water on Earth is fresh, but 2% is locked in icebergs; therefore, oly 1% water is left for us to drink, and we're currently polluting it!

Furthermore, Page expressed how humans have been experiencing a need to buy ever since World War II when President Eisenhower stated that our "economy's ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods". Crazy, right? Page also advised us to check out an environmentally-conscious movie named "Affluenza" which translates to meaning an addiction from suffering of what we don't have. In other words, the WANT over NEED effect that's overwhelmed our Earth's resources, landfills, oceans, air, and so on.

Before we the end of our workshop with Mrs. Page, she produced us with a sheet noting "Tips for Beating Affluenza" which included:

1. Before you buy, ask yourself:
Do I need it? Do I want to clean it? Could I borrow it from a friend, neighbor, family member? Could I substitute something I already have for it? Were the resources used earth-friendly? How many hours of work will I need to pay for it?

2. Avoid the mall. Go hiking or play ball with the kids instead.

3. Figure out what public transportation can save you (time, money for gas and parking, peace of mind).

4. Become an advertising critic. Don't be sucked in by efforts to make you feel inadequate so you'll buy more stuff you don't need.

For the rest of the tips, Click Here.

Being able to attend a conference that has no direct work toward aiding the environment, and yet still felt the need to hold a workshop dealing with such an important topic as green shopping truly amazed me and brought about new, eye-opening information I wasn't aware of before. This just goes to show how our Earth's global warming epidemic has influenced people to truly learn what they can do to help out because the first step to a cleaner, healthier planet is education.

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
"The Bug Stops Here." Tips for Beating Affluenza. PBS. 1 May 2009. http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza/treat/tips.html.

Earth Day Celebrations!!

2009-04-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

For those living in a cave for the last few years, yesterday was our beloved Earth Day! Such a day when we show love for our planet by emitting less CO2 into the atmosphere, eating organic, locally-produced foods, and hugging as many trees as we can. Thankfully, I'm sure many of you were very aware of yesterday's happenings as some celebration of sorts most likely took place at a location nearby.

At my institution of Diablo Valley College(DVC), our Environmental Club worked hard to put together several displays throughout the campus for students to enjoy on such an occasion. Whether they were passing by on their way to class or stopping in the quad for a lunch break, the posters, club table, and electric red Electric car beside the library were sure to grab their attention. By educating individuals of the Earth's current crisis, we take the first step in opening their eyes to what they must do to help our planet from further harm.

One very important and environmentally-friendly network which graced its presence on our campus was Chevron Energy Solutions who has begun constructing "energy efficiency improvements and solar power generating systems" in Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College (1). This company is there are solar panels over the DVC parking lots as well as high-efficiency lighting, ventilation, and heating throughout the Contra Costa Community College District(CCCCD) campuses. Such improvements are expected to bring about electrical reliability because of the new infrastructures, less cost due to complete solar dependability, and even better monitoring of the energy production and consumption on campus.

Curious to learn more about this project? Hear more from Tim Leong from CCCCD here: http://www.willyoujoinus.com/commitment/whatweredoing/wwd4/

In addition to the presence of Chevron Energy Solutions, a representative of The County Connection held a booth dedicated to alternate methods of transportation. However, because I have already discussed this issue in a past blog, I won't go into much detail of what they had to offer because there hasn't been any major changes worth mentioning.

On the other hand, a carpool incentive program is currently in action as those who carpool to work or college may receive a $60 gift card! This is a project from 511 SF Bay Area which requires an application to be filled out pledging individuals of their carpooling agenda. Perhaps this sparks some magical light bulb in your mind? Well, go ahead and sign yourself up for this eco-conscious program here: http://rideshare.511.org/carpooling/. I applaud you.

All in all, I do hope everyone had a fantastic Earth Day as it's main purpose is to show love for the planet that is our one and only home. Destroying it is essentially destroying ourselves as well as demonstrating a lack of respect for the sole reason we are able to thrive today. On that epic note, keep in mind that, "When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves." ~David Orr
Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
(1) "Contra Costa Community College District Solar Power/Energy Efficiency Project." Chevron Energy Solutions Company 2. Print.

Guide to Avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

2009-04-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of GE or GM foods? Wonder why all foods can't just be organic instead of the specially labeled ones that cost extra? For those who don't know, Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM) of foods consists of the unnatural insertion of genes into the DNA of animals and crops. Unfortunately, GMOs are created with either genes from insects, bacteria, viruses, animals, or even humans. These additives in our foods have a possibility of causing environmental, health, and economic concerns.

As far as the why, farmers find that using chemical pesticides wards off the insects that fester on the crops. Also, because third world countries contain individuals with a low intake of the necessary vitamins and nutrients, genetically engineering certain edibles to have these minerals prevents malnutrition as well as avoids nutrient deficiencies.

(For a more detailed explanation on GM foods, Click Here.)
Now, let's get to business: how to avoid genetically modified organisms as stated by "Center for Food Safety".

Tip #1: Buy Organic
Any product you purchase that has a label certifying its organic make, this is a basic green flag that there were ZERO GMOs used in the production of that item. Just remember, the food must be labeled "100% organic", "organic", or "made with organic ingredients" to be distinguished as truly non-GMO.

Tip #2: Look for "NON-GMO" Labels
Some brands have the decency to put out "non-GMO" type foods which require a little more effort to locate. Only thing is some of these products may include soy lecithin in their ingredients wich is an "At-Risk" ingredient, so beware.

Tip #3: Avoid At-Risk Ingredients
Try to avoid products composed of any crops such as corn, soy, canola, or cotton (also known as the "Big Four") made with GMOs. I know that sounds difficult, but just try to make sure it's organic!! :] Also, be on the look out for sugar beets which may or may not have entered the list of GM crops recently. I suppose it depends on the product.

Tip #4: Buy the Products listed in THIS SHOPPING GUIDE

After studying that guide and whatever else you can on GM foods, you will be a Non-GMO Pro in no time with a healthy body to boot. You'll be living free from any harmful pesticides that linger on the numerous produce selections sitting in grocery stores today. It's always better to be safe than sorry!! :]

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Make-Over Your Make-Up

2009-04-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

It dawned on me the minute I finished my concealer only to find that the case it was manufactured in is not recyclable. What do I do then? Dump the packaging to a popular beautifying tool without a second thought in my mind? That certainly wasn't the case after I had painfully disposed of my concealer in a trash bin, and decided to move onward in hopes of discovering a more Eco-friendly brand of cosmetics.

For those who haven't heard, PlantLove by Cargo Cosmeticsis a company that has become well-known for its environmentally-friendly production of lipsticks. Each lipstick tube is made out of corn, and if you plant the flower paper boxes that the lipsticks are packaged in, then a plethora of wildflowers will begin to grow. Pretty amazing, right? You can find these products at your local Sephora store or online.

Another interesting corporation is LUSH Cosmetics which presents the opportunity to purchase 70% of their products online without the packaging. In addition, they claim that they "use post-consumer recycled, recyclable and biodegradable materials whenever possible" ("Protect the Planet"). Not to mention, they don't test their products on animals and even have videos on their website promoting their environmentally- and animal-friendly mindset. LUSH Cosmetics even goes as far as to dedicate a page to "11 Tips for a Greener Life"! A truly respectable company in the environmental world if ever there was one.

While trash is a major cause of the pollution that is affecting our environment, there is also the issue of the ingredients used in products which lead to toxic chemicals being emitted into the air as well. This is why it is also important to search for more organically-based items during your shopping excursion.

Finally, after much researching, I must say that Verde' Maison is the cosmetic company that deserves a lot of recognition for being the first organic as well as all natural cosmetic, skin, and bath store in the USA. Verde' Maison's decision to sell products without any "parabens, propylene glycols, petrolatum, & sls's" stems from the founder's discovery that parabens contribute to cancer. With this in mind, it is quite obvious that this brand has taken the lives of their consumers into serious account. Unfortunately, they do not present any information on their packaging materials, but it can be assumed that they are just as conscious about their waste as they are the health of the buyers.

It's definitely not easy to constantly be aware of the environment when shopping for everyday products. Fortunately, there are ways to easily discover such Eco-friendly items like surfing the Internet, scanning through environmentally-conscious books and magazines, or even just browsing in your local stores. The Huffington Post, for example, has an online article titled: "Earth-Friendly Makeup: How To Be Nicer To Your Face And Your Planet" (go here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/06/earth-friendly-makeup-how_n_139270.html). Check it out as well as anything else you can in order to better educate yourself on how to live and love an organic lifestyle. :]

& now I leave you with an interesting video I found on youtube of a young girl experimenting and reviewing EcoTools, brushes made from sustainable and recycled materials. Yay Earth!

"Because sometimes the most important ingredient is not what you put in, but what you leave out." -Verde' Maison

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Works Cited:
Cooney, Roxana & Sean. "About Us." 2008. Verde' Maison. 4 Apr 2009. http://www.verdemaison.com/About%20Us.htm.

"PlantLove." 2008. CARGO Cosmetics. 4 Apr 2009. http://www.cargocosmetics.com/plantlove.html.

"Protect the Planet." 2008. LUSH Cosmetics. 4 Apr 2009. http://www.lushusa.com/about/protecting-our-planet/index.html.

Celebrate Earth Day, Come On!

2009-03-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

"It's your world: if you don't like it, change it."
-Mikki Halpin, author of The Geek Handbook

If you currently consider yourself an environmental crusader, then the fact that the infamous Earth Day (April 22nd) is quickly approaching upon us shouldn't be anything of a surprise to you. However, just because you are aware of this upcoming occasion, it doesn't automatically mean you know how to celebrate it or what it's even about, yes?

Let me enlighten you, first and foremost, on Earth Day's origins and main purpose. Basically, it all began on April 22nd, 1970 when approximately 20 million Americans expressed their concern for the environment's problems to the government. This great outpour resulted in Congress being forced to close down due to the masses.

By May of 1971, a whole quarter of the nation changed their perspective in favor of caring for the environment while there were only 1% of these individuals back in 1969. "In the Gallup polls, public concern over air and water pollution jumped from tenth place in the summer of 1969 to fifth place in the summer of 1970, and was perceived as more important than 'race,' 'crime,' and 'teenage' problems" (Whitaker).

With all of this including the scientific facts of an excess in global warming looming upon the public's conscience, it's no wonder that Earth Day of 1970 made such an impact on America to becoming a day to praise our Earth for homing us. Seriously, without Earth, there'd be no humans. Even if it's just for one day, be sure to take advantage of this day to be extra environmentally-friendly. Our planet deserves at least that much.

So it's Earth Day, thirty-nine years later, and what do you do? Stay home all day, so you don't shed any carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere? Perhaps, but staying home all day wouldn't be any fun now, would it? What you can do, however, is look up local Earth Day events in your community, so that when you do plan on leaving the house, you're traveling to a considerable distance that can be manipulated through your city's or town's public transportation; therefore, you are decreasing the amount of pollution expended into the atmosphere.

You can also try contacting your school's Environmental Club (Or better yet, make your own!) and see what they're planning in honor of this momentous occasion. Or maybe you're more of a lone ranger, and would prefer to appreciate the Earth on your own. Why not plant a tree at your local park; educate yourself on Environmental Science to better understand what the issues are about; recycle all of your old clothes (This will work towards decreasing CO2 emissions from those air-polluting planes and trucks shipping clothes for people to purchase when they can get them from local thrift stores with such better eco-benefits); move your home thermostat 2 degrees up so as to use less energy (And money!) in your home; always acknowledge how much waste you're creating as far as food packaging, hair products, make-up containers, clothing, and so on.

Although, we should be considering our environment everyday as we make those daily decisions such as whether or not to walk to the local grocery store instead of drive, choose organic and in-season produce, turn off your lights when you leave the room, and the list goes on. Earth Day is just a way to get people motivated, as I hope this article has gotten you motivated to find ways to get involved for every year's main eco-friendly holiday since 1970; so make sure to mark your calendars!

For a list of more interesting Earth Day activities, check out these websites:
http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/
http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Earth-Day

Also, check out this epic documentary, "Earth", from Disney. Scheduled to debut on Earth Day. Looks pretty sweet. :]

Peace & Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Bibliography:
Whitaker, John C. "Earth Day Recollections: What It Was Like When The Movement Took Off." History. Aug 1988. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 27 Mar 2009. http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/earthday/10.htm.

Reclaim Your City

2009-03-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

In all honesty, March's Green News meeting was certainly an educational experience as passionate guest speakers like Joel Ramos from TransForm and Lindsay Imai from Urban Habitat took the time from their busy schedules to speak with the members of The Green News on transportation in the Bay Area.

For those of you who don't know: "Founded in 1989, Urban Habitat builds bridges between environmentalists, social justice advocates, government leaders, and the business community. Their work has helped to broaden and frame the agenda on toxic pollution, transportation, tax and fiscal reform, brownfields, and the nexus between inner-city disinvestments and urban sprawl."

On the other hand, the website of TransForm provides this information on its organization: "TransForm works to create world-class public transportation and walkable communities in the Bay Area and beyond. They build diverse coalitions, influence policy, and develop innovative programs to improve the lives of all people and protect the environment" (Goddard).

With all this in mind, you can already tell that this was going to be a very intriguing couple of hours. Fortunately, the building we were directed to go into for the meeting was literally right beside the BART station at 12th St./City Center in Oakland, and therefore didn't require any extra CO2 emissions from any bus or car rides. Therefore, already setting us into the right direction in being eco-friendly with our transportation.

Joel Ramos and Lindsay Imai presented equally compelling arguments about why our society faces such issues with carbon dioxide emissions and how we can go about cleaning our atmosphere once again. Lindsay Imai's presentation which required the assistance of several of the Green News members demonstrated how because of a family's poor economic status, it is more difficult for them to live a more Earth-friendly life because they are so limited as far as transportation and work goes. On the other hand, middle to upper class individuals have a wider variety of transportation possibilities because they can afford to live in locations where such methods are more accessible. It's basically an economic struggle that's truly holding us back from moving forward in more environmental ways of traveling.

Toward the end of the meeting, Joel Ramos educated us with a powerpoint on the "world-reknown sustainable city [and] capital of Columbia, Bogota" (fedwards). This city began with Sundays and holidays as its designated days to open a network of bike paths with 121 km of the major streets closed for alternative methods of transportation to reside. Forunately, the introduction to this new idea became so popular that a permanent network became initiated which, today, contains 329 km of bike paths for almost 182,000 people to travel through daily. An amazing feat to achieve for such a large population as this city is only another added step toward creating more environmentally-friendly means of transportation for the world. This just goes to show that if a city as large and populated as Bogota can change their ways for a better Earth, then anything is possible!!

All in all, the presence of Lindsay Imai and Joel Ramos as this month's Green News meeting was a truly rewarding and eye-opening experience at the reality in the Bay Area's need for growth in not only creating better means of transportation, but in also supporting the lower class residents who deserve opportunities at economic growth that they currently don't receive.

Check out this video from Urban Habitat for more information on the work that's being down in creating an "Equitable Bay Area." :]

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Bibliography:
"About Urban Habitat." 2009. Urban Habitat. 15 Mar 2009. http://urbanhabitat.org/about

fedwards. "Sustainable City - Bogota, Columbia." Sustainable Cities Net. 28 Jun 2007. VEIL. 24 Mar 2009. http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/uncategorized/sustainable-city-bogota-colombia/.

Goddard, Seth. "About Us." TRANSFORM. TALC: Transportation and Land Use Coalition. 15 Mar 2009. http://transformca.org/about-us

CFL: Light Up Your Eco-World

2009-03-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder if there is some other way to produce electricity in your own home in a more "green" manner? Do the words Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb flip a switch in your earth-friendly craniums? If not, then now is the chance to get educated on such a magnificent addition to the eco-world!

Seeing as how the economy continues to struggle during these harsh times, many Americans are working to find cheaper alternatives for the everyday appliances that they use to take for granted. Fortunately, this is where Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (a.k.a. CFL) come in!! So you know, a popular and more reliable brand for CFLs is Energy Star, an organization that manufactures its environmentally-friendly products to not only absorb 75% less energy than that of a standard lightbulb, but to also last up to 10 times longer. These are primary contributors to why CFLs save approximately $30 or more in electricity costs for their average lifetime (1).

The only downside to these lightbulbs from what I've heard is that they take a few seconds to light up once you've flipped the switch, and therefore aggravates some individuals. However, this is a minor disadvantage compared to the multiple positives that follow purchasing CFLs for your home.

Many hardware stores carry CFLs nowadays which makes it a rather convenient purchase. Nonetheless, if you're still curious as to how to go about conducting the switch from standard light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs in your home, then Go Here. This site will provide you with a step-by-step tutorial on how to properly make the transformation into a more eco-friendly method of producing light in your own home!! :D

Also, I've discovered a video from youtube that gives a fantastic breakdown of why CFLs are so amazing. Check it out.

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Bibliography:
1.)"Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs." Energy Star. Environmental Protection Agency. 6 Mar 2009. (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls).

2.) "Compact Fluorescentize Your House." Green. 2009. Instructables. 6 Mar 2009. (http://www.instructables.com/id/Compact-Fluorescentize-Your-House/).

Transportation at Diablo Valley College

2009-02-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

During these harsh economic times, it has become pretty difficult to think about how to aid the environment while managing one's wallet. Unfortunately, the fact that many organic grocery store products are more expensive than their cheaper counterparts doesn't help anyone. Not to mention that buying from a fast food chain costs nearly nothing compared to that of a more healthful restaurant. Basically what I'm trying to say is, the environment is truly suffering because of the poor financial situations that have struck our economy.

Nevertheless, it has come to my attention that being environmentally-friendly has not been rejected by all spectrums of America's society. The transportation process to my community college of Diablo Valley College(DVC) has become a lot more earth-conscious these days, yet this result came about not on purpose. Incidentally, the price of gas (which has recently begun to increase again-about $2.19/gallon?!) in addition to the need to save our money the best we can has pushed students to find cheaper means of transportation. Fortunately enough, such means include carpooling, bart, local buses, and even biking.

DVC Nursing Major, Chelsea Thommes, goes as far as to walk to the BART station fom her house, take the BART to Pleasant Hill, then ride the bus to DVC everyday. Her environmental methods are dramatically decreasing her carbon footprint in the long run as well as helping our economy by spending her money on the public transportation.

Chelsea explains that she goes through $35-$40 for a little more than a week on BART PLUS tickets which work for both BART and the local buses. This is quite a save seeing as how DVC student, Erik Granlund, admitted that he pays about $20 per week on his gas alone. This cost doesn't seem much until you add in the $20-$30 per week on car insurance which is another dent in his pocket to spend on transportation. Some great things to think about for those other individuals taking less Earth-conscious ways of traveling to their designated commitments.

For all the information on BART as far as station addresses, arrival & departure times and so on, check out: http://www.bart.gov/. On the other hand, the topic of buses differ between cities, so try going online to find out the bus schedule in your perspective area. It will not only aid the environment, but allow you to take advantage of the opportunities offered to you by your community.

Perhaps a more suitable way of acknowledging one's daily impact on their environment as far as CO2 emissions go is to calculate your Carbon Footprint. Go to http://www.carbonfund.org or http://www.carboncounter.org and take their test. These websites give a great outlook on what you have probably been staying naive to all this time which is how much you are personally affecting the Earth.

Another DVC student, Jordan Zetterbaum (Psychology Major), enlightened me on how he feels the desire to offer rides to other individuals because of the environmental issues that are facing us today. Fortunately, he is willing to pay for his own gas and provide his car to others for nothing more than the simple satisfaction of knowing that he did a good deed for not only his fellow peers, but for the environment as well. Good for you, Jordan! :]

As far as my transportation methods go, I'll either carpool with friends, bike, or drive with the possibility of giving others a ride in the process. All in all, it doesn't take much to help the environment and be financially responsible because there are many opportunities laid before us by our area (BART, local bus routes, bike trails, etc.) that make such a task much easier than it sounds.

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr Green T

Where I'm From

2009-02-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

I am from teapots,
from Agha Seebeel and Sadaf.
I am from the sand under the wooden balcony.
(Warm, moist
it smelled so refreshing.)
I am from the fig trees,
the pomegranate seeds
whose ruby color stains my
teeth with its bittersweet taste.

I am from Persian New Year and Big Bear winters,
from Baba Safaie and Mama Atabaki.
I'm from the pride in oneself
and the nonesense jokes of the past.
From always greet with salaam,
and pepper meets a dirty mouth.
I am from the belief in Allah, where scarves
hide women and Ramadan teaches sacrifice.

I'm from Berkeley and Iran,
kabob with rice and Ashe Jo.
From the near-death trigger of my father's life
to the lost Mickey
the broken teapot on my mother's foot.
In my closet hides a treasure box
filled with memories,
a collection of field trips
and old friends to cherish forever.
I am from the corridor walls,
too-familiar paintings & sculptures
that will forever be where I'm from.

Learning from Momo Chang

2009-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Rushing into the Berkeley Library last Sunday afternoon in hopes of arriving at the meeting before the guest speaker and Bay Area journalist, Momo Chang, was to begin her presentation, I wasn't expecting to learn anything that I hadn't already known. However, that was a false assumption which I quickly realized once I entered the Library's meeting room, and listened to Momo speak about her experiences in the journalism profession.

Momo Chang shared with us her tips on becoming a better journalist which ranged from interviewing techniques to realizing the best way to overcome writer's block, a serious pain in the butt for most writers. When it comes to Question&Answer(a.k.a. Q&A)-type interviews, Momo advised us to use tape recorders, then transcribe the information onto the computer. However, Momo also suggested that when given the opportunity, a writer should take hand-notes because it grants them the opportunity to filter out the important from the unimportant facts during the interview. As far as handling writer's block goes, Momo explained that deadlines really help her to just push through it which is very understandable as well as demonstrates how hectic the journalism business can be.

Another helpful tool in becoming a more sought-after journalist is using our own personal perspectives on issues because it brings a different side to a popular story or issue. For example, Momo's use of her Asian-American background to explore that side of the ethnic spectrum has brought many interesting articles for her to publicize with the rest of the Bay Area. This knowledge definitly clicked in the minds of most of the other Green News Editorial Board because environmental perspectives on topics is a rare find in journalists these days, and so opens the opportunity for our voices to not only be heard, but sought-after as well.

Unfortunately, there was something that bothered me about the idea of writing for a newspaper as an environmental columnist. How am I being environmental working in a business that kills so many trees? Because many newspapers are going out of business due to the economic circumstances, the papers that are still running today are thinking little of how to be more green. I plan on trying to get into contact with an editor of a local newspaper to ask them questions on why they don't use recycled paper to produce their work or if they ever plan to. In any case, it was a true honor having Momo Chang take the time from her busy schedule as a free lance writer to speak with us about her profession as she inspired us with not only her amazing work, but with her wisdom of the journalism world.

For a list of Momo Chang's incredible articles, go to:
http://labs.daylife.com/journalist/momo_chang

Peace&Love, Everyone.
Dr. Green T

Made in the U.S.A., except not really.

2009-02-05T23:41:00.000-08:00

As crazy as it sounds, I’d never given much thought to where my clothes were coming from until just recently after I’d taken a shower, and coincidentally scanned the tag on my towel. The words, Made in Israel, caught my eye quite instantly as a thought crossed my mind as to how many different countries my clothes came from. Of course, my new idea had to be taken into action immediately or else it would become a nagging voice in the back of my mind for days to come.

In any case, I began my adventure as I sorted through my supply of clothing with pen and paper in hand, tallying down every country my eager eyes could distinguish. Unfortunately, not all of my clothing had their tags, and so left me with a few items placed under the "Anonymous" category of my list, and therefore skewing my results by a bit. I made sure to separate my data according to "Pants" versus "Shirts" as I jotted down notes stating my observations on each experiment. (Science nerd, much? :P)

Beginning with the "Shirts" section, it turned out that a majority of my tops came from El Salvador, yet I realized that such shirts were the Cotton ones that I had accumulated from high school-related functions like homecoming, track&field, and basketball. These shirts were kept more as memorabilia rather than for the actual purpose of clothing me. After acknowledging that these T-shirts that had traveled so far and produced so much Carbon Dioxide were just sitting in the back of my closet, I jumped on the bandwagon and donated the T-shirts I decided I wouldn't ever find myself wearing nowadays. Gotta love good ol', Goodwill.

What also interested me about the results from the "Shirts" category was that only four of my shirts were made in the U.S.A. In case you were wondering, I own 57 shirts from 20 different countries, and if I did the math right, this means only about 7% of my shirts were made in the United States. (Math nerd, too?) This, of course, brought me back to my Environmental Science class during my senior year of high school('08!!) when my teacher informed us that the leading reason for the environmental issues of the world is poverty.

Now let me clarify where I'm going with this. The T-shirts I own that were made in the U.S.A. were considerably more expensive than the ones that were produced in say, China or India, because in those countries, large, corporate companies pay their workers less than they would have to if those companies had produced the clothing in America seeing as how the minimum wages in those countries differ greatly than they do here. Therefore the companies don't have to make up for the money they spend on workers by boosting up the prices like they would have to in America, and thus resulting in less business because of the high cost. And we can't forget the most important issue with generating goods from far away, they cause more carbon dioxide to be omitted into the air due to the long travel. Hopefully, I made some sense there. It's crazy, right?

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything interesting about the results I came up with in the "Pants" category. Mainly because I covered it all in the "Shirts" department, haha. However, in case you guys were curious, here are how many different countries my 23 pairs of pants came from: 16. Regrettably, only 2 of my pants were developed in the U.S.A. while the majority of my bottoms were imported from El Salvador (Once again!). Oy.

For those wondering, stores like American Apparel thrive on the fact that their clothes are made in America. The only problem is that they're rather expensive which is what links back to the "poverty" issue. I'm not trying to say that you have to be absolutely poor to not give a darn about the environment, but not everyone can throw down $100 for a pair of jeans that were made in America, when they could simply pitch in $30 on ones made in Taiwan. It's why America is the #1 country to sell foreign goods to; because of our mass consumption. Even if it means hurting the environment in the process. With all this in mind, try checking out your local garage sales, second-hand stores, and even swapping clothes with friends as a clever alternative to wasting the pollution and money necessary to purchase something brand, spanking new. It's all just WANT over NEED.

Remember not to go into the whole "Well, if I don't buy it, someone else will anyways" mindset because the way I see it is that if I don't contribute to buying that one pair of $100 jeans that was imported from Bangladesh, then the company that's producing that clothing will have one less pair of jeans to manufacture in order to make up for the one that I would have bought. Get it? Got it? No? Sorry, can't help you there, but if you do understand, then thank you!! Hopefully my article made some of you think before you buy, even if it's in a small way. Maybe to feel personally impacted by what I'm trying to say, go and tally up the different countries that make up your closet and post back!! We'd love to hear your results.

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Grace Cleaners

2009-01-27T18:47:00.001-08:00

It is really interesting what one can find just by taking the time from their everyday life to explore their area. In my case, I was walking my dog through the streets of my city of Pleasant Hill when a small, neon sign flashing the words "Environmentally Friendly Process" caught my eye. This sign was attached to a dry cleaning store by the name of Grace Cleaners, located right across the street from the Pleasant Hill Walgreens. A quaint location placed near the bus stop, allowing for easy access to virtually anyone in the Bay Area seeing as how the buses drive to and from the BART stations every week.

That day I passed the store without another thought in my mind, yet after the January meeting for The Green News; I realized this dry cleaning store should be publicized for its earth-friendly efforts. Besides, I'm sure many of people have passed this store without truly acknowledging it, and I'm hoping this article will help to bring more individuals to such a location that promotes aiding the environment through their work.

I made sure to be prepared for my interview with the workers of Grace Cleaners, so I wrote down all the questions I planned to ask and called in advance to inform them of my visit. The woman who I interviewed was an employee of the store with a clear understanding of the products and methods used to be as environmentally-sound as possible.

Once I entered their store, I conducted an informative interview with the woman employee as she informed me that the reason their store is stated as having an "Environmentally Friendly Process" is because they choose not to use "perc" (Perchloroethylene), a solvent most commonly used in many dry cleaning stores. Unfortunately, short term exposure to this chemical is known to "cause adverse health effects on the nervous system that includes dizziness, fatigue, headaches, sweating, [lack of coordination], and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage" as stated by The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Instead, Grace Cleaners use halogen-free hydrocarbon solvents which minimize the risks done to not only the environment, but to the health of the customers and workers involved in the whole process.

In addition to using alternative products, Grace Cleaners re-uses their chemicals on multiple loads before disposing of it. However, instead of simply dumping the final product into the sink, and therefore exposing a hazardous mix of chemicals into the water pipes and sewers, they have their Company come by every so often to take the solutions to a Hazardous Waste site to be properly disposed of. This is a seriously important aspect of being an environmentally-conscious dry cleaner store as it prevents any danger from occurring in the sewer systems and so on.

Over the course of 9 years, Grace Cleaners has performed their environmentally-friendly services for the public as more and more people find the appeal of taking their soiled clothing to a more earth-conscious store. With this in mind, many other dry cleaner stores should think of looking into making their methods of work healthier for the environment because as Grace Cleaners demonstrates, it won't hurt their business, but rather will lure more individuals into the appeal that is to keep not only our clothes neat as a button, but our Earth just as untarnished as well!!

Peace&Love, Everyone.
-Dr. Green T

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'd like to wish all our readers a very happy Earth Day '08 the best way I know how--with a rather beautiful video, courtesy of the BBC:

I also was interested to see what you all had to say about Earth Day this year. Did it seem bigger than usual? More effective? Sound off in the comments.

April's Green Thing: Short Sharp Showers

2008-04-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

The newest easy conservation tip from Green Thing? Take shorter showers. This is a pretty easy one to figure out: shorter showers mean less water goes down the drain, and less CO2 is released when heating large amounts of water. Here's a handy little video "manual" for anyone who feels they need it:

And coming soon: a short piece on "Green" products and companies. Stay tuned.

Site Updates: Another political poll and new spring pictures

2008-03-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, just wanted to point your attention to the site's new poll and slideshow, located on the sidebar.

March's Green Thing: Lay off the meat

2008-03-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

March's Green Thing isn't something that immediately comes to mind when thinking of environmental conservation (at least for me), but it's a great idea--if you can handle it, that is. Green Thing is asking its members to make their meat "rarer" (get it? It's funny), in an effort to lessen the environmental impact (CO2 emissions, fossil fuel consumption, etc) of the world's meat industry. It's a great idea, and I'm definitely going to give it a shot; the planet's more important than my weekly In-N-Out habit!

If you haven't joined Green Thing yet, what are you waiting for?

Ask Dr. Green: Is styrofoam recyclable?

2008-03-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

I got a question a few weeks ago from Doug Scott, a student at City College of San Francisco. He asks,
"If styrofoam is not recyclable then why does it have a recycling emblem on it? And what does the number six inside the emblem mean? Who will take it and recycle it for me?"

Click "Read More" below to find out the answer.

Styrofoam is one item that can't be recycled in a conventional recycling bin, at least in San Francisco (I believe other cities may have different standards). But since styrofoam (or Polystyrene) is a plastic, it has been assigned its own "recycling symbol," which in fact has little to do with whether or not it can be conventionally "recycled". Apparently, depending on where you live, only items with recycling symbols 1 and 2 (and sometimes 4, 5, and 6; click here for a full rundown) will be accepted by community recycling systems. That said, there are private companies that will accept your old styrofoam packing materials; click here to find a location near you.

Green Jobs in Richmond and Cleveland

2008-02-29T22:10:00.000-08:00

What's a "green job"? I recently came across the term in a news article. Perhaps not surprisingly, a "green job" is one that contributes to the production of renewable energy--putting up/maintaining wind farms and installing solar panels are just a few examples. As people across the country have become more aware of environmental issues and what they can do to fix them, and as the economy has taken a turn for the worse, the demand for "green collar jobs" has increased; in addition to being an important part of the environmental policies of the various presidential hopefuls, green jobs have been the subject of an exciting experiment right here in the Bay Area.

The concept of "green collar jobs" is music to the ears of the presidential candidates: green jobs benefit the country economically, while being great for the environment. Thus, Clinton, Obama, and McCain have all stepped out in favor of increasing green jobs. This is one issue on which all three of the candidates seem to agree: all three promise to increase funding and incentives for green collar jobs across America, although few specific numbers have been disclosed by the campaigns.

Meanwhile, the city of Richmond has decided to take the matter into its own hands with an ambitious program designed to train low-income residents for green jobs. The program teaches workers how to install residential solar electric systems, and the hope is that at least some of these workers will be able to take these skills and convert them to a career, thus helping them out of poverty and helping the environment at the same time. To put these new green collar workers to good use, Solar Richmond oversees a project that offers free solar electric system installations to low-income Richmond families. With these combined efforts, Richmond hopes to

New Poll: Choose your (green) President

2008-02-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I just posted a new poll, in the spirit of the primaries and the election excitement that promises to continue until November. Pretty straight-forward. I think it'd be interesting to hear some comments on this one, too, so feel free to leave a message on this post after you vote.

Ask Dr. Green: What could we have done better with the SF Bay oil spill?

2008-02-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

I got a question from the Green Screen's Tyler Jolley a little while ago, in response to my mini-article on the aftermath of the November oil spill in the SF bay: "I did the original interview about the oil spill right after it happened and well we were cleaning up. Personaly i think we did really good cleaning it up and handling the effects afterwards but i may be wrong do you think we could have done better and if so why would you say that?" In my article, I did say that many people were angry at the way the spill and the clean-up was handled. For the most part, though, I was referring to the efforts of the government agencies that should have been responsible for the clean-up efforts, like the US Department of Fish and Game. The spill was the legal responsibility of this agency, and many people feel that not enough help was provided in cleaning it up. The civilian clean-up efforts were great, I'm not criticizing or degrading them at all. But civilians have limited time, strength, and monetary resources, and thus the job could have been done more quickly, efficiently, and completely had the government stepped in.

Sound off in the comments if you'd like to respond.And here is the rest of it.

February's Green Thing: Use Body Heat

2008-02-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

There's a new Green Thing for February, and it's just perfect for Valentine's Day--instead of cranking up thermostats and radiators, the Green Thing is challenging members to "use their body warmth". What does that mean, though? The website suggests the obvious "put on a sweater," but also suggests snuggling up with someone as a great way to get warm. It works, people! See the inspiring, American Apparel-filled video below, and happy snuggling!

Ask Dr. Green: Where are the "green" cars?

2008-02-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Earthteam received a great question from Elizabeth Price at St. Mary's High School: "With all this talk about electric vehicles in today's expanding hybrid market, what's the deal? Are electric cars an important part of the green transportation industry, or have they not caught on as successfully as may have been expected? And whatever happened to those hydrogen fuel cell stations?"
I've actually been following this topic for a while now, and, especially in the midst of the primaries, with the various candidates making promises about fixing this issue, I did a little more research. So here's my attempted response to this very important and very complicated question.

While great strides have been made in the pursuit of a truly "green" car, especially in Europe (see the Smart cars and their various miniscule competitors) and Asia (Toyota and Honda are continuing to pioneer alternative energy research), a lot of these advances haven't made it to the US for various reasons. One major reason is a political one: it's no secret that the Bush administration has significant ties to the American oil and automobile industries, and importing new green energy technology (and imposing new green energy standards) would hurt the bottom lines of oil giants. Another big factor that shouldn't be underestimated, however, is the question of whether American culture and the American people are ready to commit to hybrid, fuel-cell, and e-85 vehicles. It might seem like a no-brainer in the Bay Area--where there are just as many Priuses on the streets of San Francisco and Berkeley as there are SUVs (maybe more). But American car culture is so deeply ingrained in people's thoughts, and Americans do love their SUVs. Thus, while legislation in favor of higher fuel-efficiency standards has been gaining a bit of steam (notably in California), and though the demand for hybrids has increased in recent years, neither of these factors have been enough to effect a major shift in the market, especially toward electric cars. There might be a change on the way, though.

This year's election is a big one for many reasons, not the least of which being the environment. The three front-running candidates--Clinton, Obama, and McCain--all have bold environmental plans, and the two Democrats are promising to devote major time and money to the issue of making our transportation more efficient. Clinton, for example, pledges to raise the fuel-efficiency standard to 55 miles per gallon in the next 20 years; whether or not that'll be achieved with electric cars is better left to the engineers. But a change in administration will almost certainly lead to better fuel-efficiency legislation, and as the market for fuel-efficient cars increases (and as the price of gas continues to soar), I predict that more and more companies, even American ones, will reconsider electric vehicles as a major business opportunity.

Consider Chevrolet. Anyone seen those commercials? They're making a lot of noise about their new fuel-efficiency research (see image above). Chevy has been talking about their Volt concept for quite a while now--the good-looking, sporty sedan that runs on gas, E-85, biodiesel OR electricity. But whether it'll get made any time soon...that's the real question. As is whether other companies will follow its lead, or whether American consumers will buy into the idea.

January's Green Thing

2008-01-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

Green Thing has a simple way to keep those New Years fitness resolutions: Take the stairs! Kind of a no-brainer, no? Here's something from the site to get everyone inspired to ditch the lifts:

Just a general update on Green Thing: A new ticker on the site claims that 44,212 people around the world have visited the site (it's only been open for 100 days). 4,407 people have signed up, and have reported 5,740 "Green Things," saving a total of 735.65 metric tons of CO2. Pretty impressive for a project that's a little more than 3 months old.

If you haven't signed up, what are you waiting for? Click here to start doing the Green Thing.And here is the rest of it.

Ask Dr. Green: Why Should We Care?

2007-12-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked a very good question by Tebben Lopez of Shetland Connecticut: "Why should we care about whats going on in the environment? AND How can kids get involved?" Not gonna lie, that's a tough one. And there are a lot of different answers out there, depending on who you ask. So here's mine.

I think that we should care about the environment for a very practical and fatalistic reason: because we will have to live with our mistakes for the rest of our lives, not to mention pass them on to future generations. I think that the idea of living in a flooded tropical world is extremely frightening; the most effective part of "An Inconvenient Truth," for me, was the simulated effects of the rising water level on major cities like San Francisco and New York--our homes, our business, our landmarks. I think that we should care because it's good sense, and because I don't want to believe that it's too late. I think if we don't care about our environment, then we are basically writing off the fate of the planet as of maybe 40-50 years from now. That's just my opinion though, I'm hoping our readers will have things to add in the comments.

As for ways for kids to get involved, I think that a good place to start is educating yourself. When people know what's going on and what's at stake, they're much more likely to make better decisions and to try harder to change the course of the future. There are literally hundreds of great sites, like this one, that are built to inform and influence--scroll down to the list on the sidebar for some ideas. Joining a local environmental organization like Earthteam is also a great idea, and there are tons of them all around the country, so they're not too hard to find. Also, there are many community efforts going on, like the Do the Green Thing campaign that require very little effort and are often actually fun. Of course, there are also the cliché things that people tell you to do every day, like recycle, walk or take public transportation to spare the air, etc, that are easy and quite beneficial when added all together.

I hope that answers your question, Tebben.

December's Green Thing: Buy an old thing

2007-12-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here's something easy to do for the environment this holiday season: instead of buying something new and adding waste to the environment, buy it used (or "vintage," as the cool kids call it). With a little luck and a little tenacity, you can find lots of cool gift ideas involving old items. Not convinced yet? Just take a look at this video:

Check it out (a little late)

2007-12-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a satellite picture of the SF Bay a few days after the oil spill. Really puts it in perspective...

For more, click here.

New Stuff: Poll and Slideshow

2007-12-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I've just updated the blog with a new poll question and a winter-themed slideshow. They're both located on the sidebar to the right, about halfway down. Enjoy.And here is the rest of it.

Great New Green Site: Project Global Cooling

2007-12-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

Earthteam recieved an email a couple of weeks ago from a Korean organization called the Global Cooling Collective. Apparently it's a group of students who are trying to organize an international network of young environment-o-philes (like YOU guys) to help spread the word about environmental issues. They've got a lot of very ambitious projects: Earth Day concerts, Youtube PSAs, and lots more. The project is rather new (it started in September) but already they've made a lot of progress in networking with organizations around the world (including Earthteam!). Click here for a synopsis on the Collective on their official website, or join their interactive and rather impressive social network. I think this is a really exciting project, and I can't wait to see what they come up with in the next few months--watch this space for updates. And here is the rest of it.

The SF Bay Oil Spill: 3 weeks later

2007-12-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

I'm sure our Bay Area readers will recall the Nov. 7 oil spill in the San Francisco Bay (it made headlines nationwide!), but for those who haven't heard, here's a synopsis: A Hong Kong-based oil tanker dubbed the Cosco Busan bumped into a tower of the Bay Bridge and came away with a serious gash in its port side, causing 58,000 gallons of crude oil to leak into the Bay. Quite a lot of people were pretty angry, and the spill caused significant damage to both the San Francisco economy and, more importantly, to the Bay ecosystem. So what happened after the dust settled? Click "Read More" below for an update.

Many Bay Area residents and city officials were appalled at the way this incident was handled, especially the clean-up efforts immediately following the spill. A state senate committee last week criticized the responsible government agencies (namely the state Dept. of Fish and Game) for their sluggish efforts (read full article here), and stated that they are looking into the implications of this incident as it relates to future spills. The US government is suing the owners and pilot of the Cosco Busan for the damages incurred by the spill; the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. This comes after several lawsuits from SF fishermen and others who claim economic losses caused by the spill (see full article here). The ban on commercial fishing in the SF Bay has finally been lifted by Gov. Schwarzenegger after studies showed that the spill's dangerous chemical consequences had subsided, but officials from the California Dept. of Fish and Game warn consumers to stay away from some oysters and mussels (read full article here).

I want one: Honda FCX

2007-11-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! In my post-dinner TV stupor last week, I saw something very odd...

Apparently, this thing is coming in 2008....but I'll believe it when I see it. Here's another clip of this exciting ride.

Want more? Here's the official Honda web page.And here is the rest of it.

NBC's Green TV Week: An Admirable Effort

2007-11-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Any "30 Rock" fans out there? How about "The Office"?

During primetime programming every night last week (11/5-11/9), NBC "went Green," with conservation tips and advertisements, environmental themes in every show, and even green logos and branding (the famed NBC peacock turned green for the occasion). This meant something different depending on the specific program: "30 Rock" went all out, bashing NBC for its stance on environmental issues, and casting David Schwimmer as a deranged environmental mascot and Al Gore as himself. Shows like "The Office" and "ER," however, took the challenge much less seriously, and thus ended up with a much weaker environmental focus (although "ER" should be commended for its impressively smooth spiel on electricity efficiency during rolling brownouts). Other highlights included recycled dresses on "Deal or No Deal" and the janitor's newfound environmental zeal on "Scrubs."

So was it effective? Mostly. "30 Rock" did a really great job, possibly because its writers (including SNL's Tina Fey) have the most experience with writing for a cause; any show that includes the quip "'What do you have in that styrofoam cup? Is it the Earth's blood?'" deserves high praise. But even though some shows fell flat in the face of this challenge, the idea was admirable. By reminding audiences of environmental issues through onscreen power-saving tips, ads for environmental websites, and realistic environment-related plotlines during their favorite shows, NBC is starting to do its part for the cause. Whether that's enough is a very different matter. But NBC does deserve credit for taking a risk, and for taking about something that has become rather taboo on network TV.

November's Green Thing: Turn the Lights Off

2007-11-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

This month's Green Thing is a little more fun than just walking somewhere. During the month of November, Green Thing is encouraging members to "turn their lights off early and have some fun in the dark." Sounds rather open-ended (and rather suggestive), right? Great idea though; I can see a lot of ways people can interpret this one. For example, you could....count sheep.

OR, you could take some time alone with your dark thoughts.

So instead of reading or watching TV tonight, why not save money and resources and have some fun in the dark? ;) And here is the rest of it.

Flickr Find: Environmental slideshow

2007-10-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

I was looking through Flickr today and I found a great group called "Environment." As you would expect, the group focuses on nature photography, particularly striking photographs (like the one above) that remind people of how much they value their environment. Check out the slideshow here, you won't regret it.

Dr. Green Blog Update: new features

2007-10-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

I spent some time today playing around with the blog, and added some cool things to the site's sidebar (on the right-hand side). There's now a poll, a real-time list of environment-related headlines, and a list of some environmental sites that I think are cool and valuable. This is just some of the stuff that I've been thinking about for the site, but I was wondering whether any readers had features that they'd like to see on the blog? I'm open to any suggestions.

Also, keep sending in those questions for Dr. Green, and posting comments. This blog depends on all of you, too!

Thanks for reading. I'm having a great time posting for you all and look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

10 VERY green schools

2007-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the joys of being a senior in high school. Excitement is in the air as seniors across the country scramble madly to get their applications in on time. As the deadline is just around the corner (Early Decision, that is...), I thought it'd be appropriate to post about a rather unexplored college-related topic: environmentalism on college campuses.
The Sierra Club did a comprehensive investigation of hundreds of American universities and compiled a list of the 10 "Greenest" schools in the country (read the full article here). Oberlin University, Harvard, and the UC system take 1st, 2nd, and 4th places, respectively, and boast such innovations as real-time energy-monitoring systems in dorm rooms and subsidized public transportation. An interesting common trait among the 10 schools is an effort to buy locally-produced food (à la the 100-mile Diet), which has economic benefits as well as considerable environmental ones.

On a related note, I recently heard about something called the Campus Climate Challenge, a program that works with universities and students to both develop greener schools and also to influence environmental policy around the world. The organization has partnered with MTV (remember those "Break the Addiction" commercials?), and has local chapters all over the country. VERY good to know for you seniors out there.

Ask Dr. Green: Planting Trees in Africa

2007-10-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, I received a question from Byaruhanga Denis, a college student at the Makerere University, a prestigious research institution in Kampala, Uganda. He wanted to know "why is it that people in developing countries are reluctant to plant trees
despite the bulk indigenous knowledge on trees/shrubs?" This topic was well beyond my scope of knowledge, but I've done some research and I think I've found an answer to this rather fascinating question.

There are countless advantages to planting trees anywhere, but in Africa, especially, the benefits are quite persuasive. In addition to the absorption of carbon dioxide in the air, trees are invaluable tools in water and soil conservation in the driest areas of Africa; they also help prevent wind erosion. They provide valuable non-wood forest products (NWFPs) like gums, saps, resins, honey, and medicinal plants, which play an important role in local economies. In an area where desertification due to climate change is already beginning to become a reality, the importance of planting trees must not be underestimated.

Unfortunately, as Byaruhanga points out, there is a reluctance among local farmers and governments alike to plant new trees, especially indigenous species. Since many farmers live well below the poverty line, the cultivation of cash crops like cowpeas and groundnuts is much more inviting than planting trees; the issue of farmland tenure compounds the problem--farmers are less likely to plant slow-maturing trees, which are viewed as a long-term investment, when they are unsure whether they will still own the land once the trees have matured. The physical selling of tree seeds and seedlings has proved problematic: large-scale nurseries are impractical, as they require a lot of water, and thus seeds, and especially saplings, have become harder and harder to come by. The misconception that trees will not grow in dry regions without large amounts of water is very widely held in Africa; research has shown that certain species can thrive on very little water, although those species are not very numerous and not very easy to come by. According to Farms, Trees and Farmers: Responses to Agricultural Intensification, by J. E. M. Arnold and Peter A. Dewees, there is an innate reluctance associated with planting trees in many African cultures--some cultures believe that only God can plant indigenous species, while others believe that trees are "'something already there, to be used or managed' rather than to be planted." (Interestingly, many of these cultural restrictions only apply to indigenous species--farmers are free to plant exotic trees.)

Despite all of the many problems faced by African nations today, there are efforts underway to plant trees, especially indigenous species, in African soil. Spearheaded by the U.N. Food And Agricultural organization, the Parklands system works with farmers to plant trees in unused portions of crop fields across Africa, especially in the dry regions. Some African nations, including South Africa, are instituting tree planting programs à la Los Angeles, complete with incentives and distribution programs.

For more information on this topic, check out this report from the European Tropical Forest Research Network.

Finally, a Nobel for Gore

2007-10-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

Big news: in case anyone hasn't heard yet, Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday, along with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ICCP)! Below is a video of his acceptance speech.

My opinion? Click below.

A few months ago, I wrote an editorial piece for Earthteam entitled, "Why Al Gore Deserves The Nobel Peace Prize." I mentioned all the usual praise used to describe Gore's efforts to combat climate change--his work on drafting environmental policy, his ambitious and symbolic schedule of public appearances and speeches...oh, and that movie. But I stressed in that article--and I still believe this today--that the most important thing Gore has done is effectively presenting climate change as an issue of monumental significance. The simple fact that he has played a part in getting people to talk about global warming, and begin to think about doing something about it before it's too late, is no small accomplishment.

Now that my take on this news has been spelled out in a rather cheesy and one-sided fashion, I'd like to hear yours. Does Gore deserve such an honor? Does he deserve a place among such distinguished past recipients as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elie Wiesel, Nelson Mandela, and many other human rights activists? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

A Greener LA?

2007-10-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Over the long weekend, I went to Los Angeles with my family to visit UCLA. Overall, the city is as dirty and smoggy as ever, but there's something new in the air here--buzz over the new Million Trees LA initiative. My interest was piqued by the name alone; a million trees? Ambitious...but realistic? Here's what I found out. The campaign is headed by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and is intended to help transform the city into a "sustainable, green city." Over the next few years, the community (businesses as well as individuals and community groups) will theoretically work together and either pledge/donate to the program or actually plant trees and report their efforts to the city. Any tree counts, whether it's a seedling or a transplant, as long as it's planted inside LA city limits; residential customers of LADWP (L.A. Dept. of Water and Power) can snag up to 7 free trees to plant as they wish.

The initiative was started about a year ago, and although the website mentions a live "Tree Count," I can't seem to find it, so I can't report on how much progress has been made thus far. But I can say that I saw plenty of billboards all across LA, as well as placards in shops and restaurants; clearly at least some Angelinos are taking this seriously. Hopefully some of LA's more famous and affluent residents will pitch in to get the ball rolling--someone like Brad Pitt or Reese Witherspoon or Steven Spielberg can buy a lot of trees, as can LA's big businesses (read: movie studios). Now that it's hip to go green in Hollywood (see Emmy post below, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc), hopefully the program will get the star power it needs to keep it from becoming another failed, cheesy, and half-hearted environmental gesture.

Something New: Green Thing

2007-10-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

As I was surfing the environmental blogs the other day I found this video, which immediately caught my eye:

It turns out this video is connected to a very exciting, innovative new site/organization called Green Thing. What makes Green Thing so great?

The concept behind the Green Thing project is stupidly simple: create a social network (kind of like Facebook, with editable profiles and communication systems) that encourages people to follow a regime of doing at least one "Green" thing per month. For example, this month's Green Thing is to walk. Just walk once. No pressure! The idea is that by providing the community with simple ways to help the environment, those little Green Things will add up to big CO2 savings and social impact. The site helps you track your Green activities and your carbon savings, and share them with other members of the Green Thing community. The best thing about Green Thing? The level of interaction: people can upload and view videos, photos, podcasts, and other content that accompanies each month's Thing, like the video above about the beauty of simply walking on grass. There's a ton of entertaining stuff already, and the site is growing fast.

If you sign up and join the community, you get put on their email list, and Green Thing will send you videos, notifications, etc about each month's activity. It's totally free, and it's definitely worth the effort. Green Thing is unique and really exciting--it makes it so easy and fun to help the Earth. Check it out.

A Case For Car-Free Zones: Think Greek

2007-10-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

This summer, I went to Europe for the first time, and it was a completely mind-blowing experience. The architecture, the culture, the food, the nightlife--I was impressed by everything about it. Unfortunately, the effects of global warming are truly inescapable--in Greece, for example, the mercury hovered around 120? during my stay, which made it decidedly unpleasant to do anything but consume massive quantities of gelato and iced coffee on the beach. But even these sweltering temperatures don't compare to the probable long-term effects of Global Warming on Greece and the surrounding Baltic region. I discovered that Greece, and particularly Crete and some of the other islands, is projected to degenerate into arid desert in just a few decades, dooming this amazing country, with its fascinating culture and good-natured people, to a future of difficulty and uncertainty.

So what are the Greeks doing about it? Are they sitting back and watching passively, as many Americans are, while their home is slow-roasted by the sun? Not that I saw. As a people, they rely much less on resource-intensive luxuries like air-conditioning and long showers. They also tend to gravitate toward tiny, energy-efficient cars; SUVs are extremely unpopular. In addition to recently starting an ambitious recycling program and cracking down on air pollution in Athens and elsewhere, the Greek government is taking a stand on Global Warming by banning cars in various locations across the country, from the impossibly crowded streets of Athens to the picturesque islands of the Aegean. I was quite impressed when I witnessed this, especially on one of the islands I visited--you really don't realize how obnoxious cars are until they're suddenly taken away.

As I thought more about this curious phenomenon, I wondered why this couldn't be imported across the Atlantic. There are obvious cultural reasons, most glaringly the highly-evolved capitalist obsession with automobiles here--Americans seem to be surgically attached to their cars. Nonetheless, though, many American cities have taken steps in this direction, specifically our very own San Francisco. Spare The Air days, as well as the huge amount of money and effort the city has put into its public transportation system, have made the city not only greener, but more pleasant to visit. Other urban centers like L.A. and New York are beginning to take similar measures to do their part for the environment. Especially here in the Bay Area, it would seem that designated car-free zones wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Sadly, we as a people are reluctant to take such a drastic step.

So what else would it take? Is it possible for Americans to overcome their cultural inertia and commit to a genuine lifestyle change for the sake of their planet? I think that the seeds of such sentiment have been planted across the country, with the help of Al Gore, John McCain and other environmental loudmouths. It is up to America what they do with those seeds. If enough of us cared enough, we could push our cities to spend even more on mass transit and pave the way for car-free urban centers. To me, it seems like a matter of time until people start waking up, and I hope it'll happen before even car-free zones aren't enough to save the planet.

The Kyoto Protocol: How Far Have We Come?

2007-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

In Kyoto, Japan, in December of 1997, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) did something remarkable. After much deliberation and bitter compromise, a coalition of over one hundred countries, including the United States, finalized negotiations on a document that set out specific, concrete, inescapable regulations on the future carbon emissions of all signing countries with the express goal of stabilizing the world’s greenhouse gases; called the Kyoto Protocol, the agreement was intended to capture the spirit of change and progressive idealism prevalent during this fateful conference. . Almost ten years later, the effects of this bold action can be seen around the steadily warming globe, with moderate to dramatic emission reductions in hundreds of nations, from Japan to France to Brazil; unfortunately, America is notably absent from the list of signatories who have actually ratified the treaty, and thus is not obligated, nor, apparently, inclined to honor the guidelines set out by the Kyoto committee.

Despite widespread support for the ratification of the treaty since its inception, Washington has carefully sidestepped the seemingly simple decision to support the treaty; the current President has refused to submit it to Congress for its official approval, citing several aspects of the agreement he views as “unfair.” Among the White House’s more commonly used rationalizations is the higher reduction requirements bestowed upon America as compared with China and India, nations exempted from Kyoto but which are independently pursuing aggressive alternative energy policies despite their status as developing nations. The President has stated that although the United States is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the burden of fixing the planet “is a challenge that requires a 100% effort; ours, and the rest of the world's.”

Although the treaty has been criticized by the American political machine for being “flawed,” and although America pledges to be behind efforts to stop Global Warming, very few efforts to pass significant environmental legislation, “fair” or otherwise, succeeded in Washington for several years; indeed, only after Al Gore’s return to prominence did it become passé to dismiss global warming as an unproven anomaly without scientific basis. While much of Europe has mandated that alternative energy be a government sponsored growth industry, and that cars should have an average fuel economy of 43 miles to the gallon, America remains patriotically stubborn, arrogantly aloof to her responsibilities as a world leader.

Interestingly, and perhaps not surprisingly, this is not America’s first time being the odd man out on the world stage. Woodrow Wilson’s Treaty of Versailles was a similarly radical and progressive document when it was hammered out at the end of World War I; with the promising League of Nations, it provided both a glimmer of hope to war-torn Europe, and a possible solution to the ever-growing problem of violence in an increasingly complicated world. Sadly, the treaty was born without teeth, claws, fists, or other means of enforcement of its ideals, since America, who had emerged from the war unscathed as the world’s newest superpower, refused to support it. The League, though well-intentioned, was thus severely handicapped and was doomed to fail; if it hadn’t, if the US had been wise enough and noble enough to do the right thing and sign the treaty, the further conflicts that led to World War II could arguably have been prevented. But America’s judgement was clouded by egotism, much as it is today, and although many Americans believe that they have a duty as privileged and civilized citizens of the planet to do their part to save it, much as many pacifists did in the years after the Great War, the US government, with its close ties to the energy industry and its allergy to conservation spending, has once again sabotaged the planet through ignorance and arrogance..

Vacation Photos

2007-09-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do this for a VERY long time....here's a link to just a few of my photos from my recent trip to Europe. Enjoy!

Environmentalism at the Emmy's?

2007-09-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of the Emmy's. I love TV as much as the next person (probably more), but I am usually very bored by the Emmy's. This year was no exception; the only part that was remotely amusing was this little sketch about environmental activism, featuring Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert (2 very, very funny guys).

My opinion? I think that while it's a small gesture, a sketch like this invites discussion of environmental issues, something that shouldn't be underestimated. Every little bit helps, especially in the context of something as self-absorbed as the Emmy's.

What do you think? Tacky? Too light? Commendable? Sound off in the comments.

Welcome to the Brand-New Earthteam Blog

2007-09-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! It's Justin here (a.k.a. Dr. Green), writing the first of what I hope is many posts for the new Dr. Green blog. We've got a lot of ideas for this space, but we also want to hear about what all of you would like to see and read about.

At this point, I plan to contribute a few short posts a week--little pieces about environment-related news, video, etc--hopefully with comments enabled, so that we can get some discussions going. To supplement that, I'll be doing a longer editorial every other week or so. And I'll answer those Ask Dr. Green questions as they come in.

But I'd really like to hear from Earthteam's readers. What would make this blog more valuable and interesting to you? What would you like to read about? What would you like to see when you come to this blog?

Please post any suggestions or questions in the comments section below.

Thanks, everyone. I'm really looking forward to serving you as Dr. Green this year.