Man, it's been a while...

Wow, has it been a long time... Check this out, this is cool. In school, the grade below me celebrated the annual 7th grade science night and I wanted to highlight an idea someone had in my advisory about one of the most amazing things I've thought about, an entire sustainable gym! The idea behind it is that every exercise machine makes power that powers the building. For example, each exercise bike has a generator that produces power as people bike. Therefore, you have an entire building running on the exercise that you just did! How cool is that?! It's these kind of ideas, the ideas that take a concept and make it so that we can help the environment too! Amazing, really amazing. So, watch out for more posts by me, because I'm coming back. This is Dylan, signing off.

Tips for environmentally clearing snow

In honor of the recent snowfall in my area that sent many people shoveling, here are some do's and don'ts of snow removal.

-Do shovel more and use sand less.
Although it is great for traction, sand can lower air quality and clog sewers if used in excess.

-Don't use sand to melt ice; use environmentally safe ice melts instead.
Salt can increase the salinity in bodies of water if run down into them. It can also prevent plants from absorbing moisture and nutrients.

-Do stay away from using kitty litter for traction.
It doesn't melt ice, can affect vegetation, and is messy. Not a great solution.

The number one thing to remember is: stay safe. Watch out for black ice, frostbite, and other hazards that occur in this snowy weather.
-Liam

The Deforestation Epidemic

Did you know that approximately 18 million acres of forest are lost each year to deforestation? Deforestation refers to the destruction of forests in order to free up land for other uses.  Deforestation is a factor that contributes to global warming and affects people in many ways.  Trees take in carbon and greenhouse gas emissions and produce oxygen so forest loss causes greenhouse gasses to increase around 12 to 17 percent.  The clearing of trees is a problem all over the world that has increased over the past 50 years. Deforestation results in the loss of species, greater amounts of carbon emissions being released, altering the water cycle, and causing soil erosion.  Will you join me in working to protect our forests?

-Liam

Newer washing machines and refridgerators can save energy

Many people wonder: "How much money can an energy efficient washing machine really save you?"
It is a complicated question with a lot of answers but I will try to show you how much use energy efficient washing machines take to pay off.
You can buy a standard washing machine for $300-$650 and an efficient washing machine for $600-$1,600. If one assumes a cost of $440 for the standard machine and $1,000 for the energy saving washing machine, the energy use of a standard washing machine usually costs about $0.62 while energy efficient ones cost about $0.41 per load. There is a difference of $0.21 in those two costs. At the rate of saving $0.21 per load, you would have to do about 2,667 loads to start saving money. Although that seems like a lot of loads, the average family does about 400 washing machine loads per year. On average, it would take you six and a half years to save money which is a long time. Although it will eventually start saving you money over time, if electricity prices increase the amount of time will decrease.  But the main reason that people should buy energy efficient washing machines is if they care about the environment.

Source: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/saving-pennies-or-dollars-energy-efficient-clothes-washing/

-Liam

You CAN make a difference

There are many people around the world trying to have an impact on global warming but it is really impressive when children make a difference.

Teenager Alex Lin has been committed to helping end the e-waste problem. He has done everything from recycling 300,000 lbs of waste to helping pass a bill in Rhode Island to ban the dumping of e-waste.

When Californians Merit Leighton and Marlowe Peyton learned about the effects of plastic pollution, they began an effort to put a stop to it. They began Plastic Patrol and started to raise awareness about how every person's actions make a difference. Right now, Plastic Patrol is filming a series of videos to show simple ways of reducing plastic waste such as reusing water bottles.

Alex and the two girls are just three of the many kids around the world trying to end climate change. It goes to show that everyone has an impact on our terrestrial planet. To find more children making an impact on global warming, visit the link. http://www.earth911.com/home/family/how-kids-are-saving-the-planet/

-Liam

Wood Chips vs Propane

Now that temperatures are dropping and many people are turning on the heat,it is time to reflect on what you use to fuel your heat. Did you know that instead of using propane, you can use wood chips as your fuel source? Boilers that use wood chips can save people money and have a smaller environmental footprint. Using these pellets can reduce heating bills 40-60% while being a well established system. Because the ash from the wood contains natural materials, it can conveniently be spread around outside. Using wood pellets as fuel has so many upsides that there are almost no reasons not to use it.
-Liam

Reusing Clothing

Did you know that reusing clothing not only has a huge positive affect on our environment, but it's also beneficial to people who cannot afford to buy clothes? If you ever have a chance to donate clothing, you should definitely take advantage of that opportunity and help people who are less fortunate than you while helping the environment. Stores like Second Time Around sell used clothes. Since making clothing wastes a lot of materials, buying from and giving to stores like this can reduce your waste.


-Liam