EUROPEAN WAYS ARE GREENER
It should not come as a surprise that European countries are so much better at being green than Americans, since the EU regulations are so much stricter than the American. Moreover, the recycling part, for instance, has been implemented in at least some of the EU countries for years and the effects are clearly visible.
There are many ways, in which EU regulates manufacturers, companies and various businesses to ensure that the environment is protected, at least to certain degree. However, the most noticeable ones are supermarkets and ATM machines.
Before you make a trip to a supermarket in Europe, you need to make sure you remember to take your own reusable bag with you because the plastic bags will cost you (may not be a lot but even the smallest amounts add up in the long run). In February 2008 the law was passed forcing all stores in the EU countries to charge a small fee for plastic bags and the effects were quickly visible. People started carrying their reusable bags with them and less and less customers ask for a plastic bag when they shop. In Ireland, for example, where the law has been in effect for a number of years now, it is a common thing for every one to carry their cotton bags, backpacks or even strollers when they do serious shopping.
Another practice, namely charging a small fee for ATM receipts is helping reduce the waste. Despite the fact that all banks now offer online account monitoring, many people still take the receipt from the ATM machine each time they draw money only to throw it away. That practice contributes large amounts of paper waste around the world. Thus, charging a small fee forces people to think whether they actually need the receipt and most opt not to have one. In the long run, it will save not only money but paper as well.
The logical conclusion is that no matter how considerate people may be about preserving the environment, the best way to make anyone break the nasty habit is through their wallet.
GREENHOUSE GASSES ON A RISE
According to the latest Reuters report, greenhouse gasses (which are the greatest contributor to the global warming) hit record highs last year and are still steadily rising. The World Meteorological Organization stated that concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) reached the highest levels yet in 2007, and methane was recorded at its highest annual increase in a decade.
Furthermore, both CO2 and N2O have been increasing steadily and the scientists say they do not see signs of reducing their levels any time soon. And the more greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere (emitted by factories, cars, agriculture and nearly every area of modern life), the more climate problems we will face, such as rising sea levels, increasing intensity of storms and hurricanes, more heat waves and droughts.
It seems that the only positive news is the decreasing amount of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons, which is the result of the 1987 Montreal Protocol designed to protect the layer of ozone (which blocks the harmful solar rays) by phasing out the use of all ozone depleting substances.
Unfortunately, the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 and the governments all over the world are trying to come up with a new treaty that hopefully will include the United States (one of the biggest gas emissions contributor) as well as developing countries like India and China and will commit them to some form of emissions targets.
RANGERS RETURN TO CONGO
photo credit: Phil Romans
On Friday, November 21, 2008, park rangers returned to Congo gorilla park after a year’s absence. The reserve in Congo is home to nearly a third of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Over a year ago rebel fighting forced the rangers to abandon the park and its occupants but fortunately, the fighting has ceased and they were allowed to return.
Moreover, UN agreed to send additional 3000 armed forces to the camp in Congo (making it 17000-strong) to ensure some semblance of stability and enable rangers, who are neutral in the conflict, to do their job.
The Virunga National Park is home to 200 out of 700 of the world’s mountain gorillas and the re-establishment of the rangers in crucial to protection of both fauna and flora of the region. Park authorities state that the animals (gorillas, elephants, hippos, antelopes) inhabiting Virunga (on the border of Uganda and Rwanda) have been facing many dangers from the rebels and other armed groups as well as poachers, squatters and coal burners. During 2007 repeated attacks 10 mountain gorillas were killed, among many other animals.
Therefore, it is vital to the survival of the species and the preservation of the ecosystem in the region for the rangers to return to work and hopefully forces on both sides of the conflict will agree that (at least in this case) preserving the hills of Virunga is beneficial for all.
PRIMATES UNDER THREAT OF EXTINCTION
Recently, Reuters have published a report stating that nearly half the population of monkeys and apes is under a threat of extinction because of deforestation and hunting for meat. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 48% of 634 known species and sub-species of primates (e.g. chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons and lemurs) are at risk.
The reasons for it are many but the main threats seem to be habitat destruction by deforestation and clearing ancient forests for farmland and illegal hunting for meat (it is reported that ape meat is priced far higher than beef or chicken in some African countries).
Primates in Asia are at the highest risk of extinction (71% of all species comparing to 37% in Africa) mainly because of a larger numbers in human population, higher demand for pets and traditional Chinese medicine, which lead to scarcer habitat for species such as orangutans, gibbons and leaf monkeys. Among the species proclaimed ‘critically endangered’ are the Bouvier’s red colobus, an African monkey, and the greater bamboo lemur of Madagascar (only about 140 in the wild). Both mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees stayed critically endangered despite the efforts of a number of scientists to increase their populations.
Luckily, there is hope. The most important thing that can be done to protect primates is to drastically reduce the amount of deforestation and increase tourism to places where the species are endangered. If the governments in those countries get funds form other sources, they may be more willing to aid in stopping the illegal hunting and logging.
ALTERNATIVE FUEL CONVERSION KITS
photo credit: DJ Solitaire
It’s been a long time coming but with the economy in crisis and the gas prices on the rise (even though they are currently on the low, this trend will not last forever) and the increasing global demand for oil, it is only natural that technologies for converting conventional cars into ones using alternative fuels would find their ways to the market. And while the automotive giants are a bit slow to catch on to the trend, there are plenty of other companies all too happy to fill in the blanks.
Here are some of the more popular conversion kits available on the market:
- Flex Fuel US—with proper installation it gives drivers an option to alternate between ethanol and petrol, since the kit accommodates gasoline, E10, E20 and E85 for those who would like to have more than one option for their fuel sources.
- Hendrix Industrial Gastux Inc.—this company offers compressed natural gas and propane conversion kits that can be used with a number of various vehicles. However, they advise to have them installed by a professional.
- Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems—these kits use vegetable oil as a fuel source and unfortunately are used only with diesel engines.
If you decide to look for a conversion kit for you car, it is advisable to first examine the alternative fuels and find out which one will be the best for your needs. Then, you should also make sure that the kit provider and their technology are legitimate and that you use a professional to install the kit for you.