Today is Endangered Species Day in the U.S., and the timing couldn’t be more sadly appropriate.
On the same day designated as Endangered Species Day by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Dianne Feinstein (California) comes news from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that Earth has lost nearly a third of its biodiversity over the past 37 years.
While I’ve lived on the Gulf Coast for just a little over 10 years, I’ve already endured a more-than-fair share of hurricanes: Georges, Ivan, Dennis, Katrina, Wilma.
I’ve been more fortunate than many, but my post-hurricane experiences have actually raised my awareness a great deal about the importance of sustainability. Because few things make you understand the challenges of sustainable living more than a few days or weeks in a disaster zone with no electricity, no drinkable running water, no passable roads.
And so, with another hurricane season once again looming (it starts June 1), here are some of the sustainability lessons I’ve learned over the years:
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Southern fast-food favorite Chick-fil-A is known for its commercials featuring a cow holding a sign that says, “Eat mor chikin.” But two University of Central Florida students have turned to the chicken chain for a new purpose: “Run your car on mor chikin (grease).”
Mechanical engineering students Eric Williams, Chad Heinrich and Michael Schulist turned to the University of Central Florida’s local Chick-fil-A for used cooking grease, which they convert into biodiesel fuel to run their cars. They’re also passing along 20 percent of their home-brewed fuel to the university, which is using it to power trucks, lawnmowers and other diesel vehicles.
Why does the argument that businesses should do more to reduce pollution and protect the environment often boil down to the issue of jobs vs. nature? Advocates of green living around the world are increasingly making the argument that green business is good business, and that clean energy and other green sectors actually generate jobs. Too often, though, many businesses still aren’t buying it.
Environmental-minded residents of the Perdido Bay area at the Florida-Alabama border have been fighting that battle for years. The conflict in this case: the economic interests of International Paper, which operates a paper mill in the Florida town of Cantonment, vs. the lifestyle- and nature-oriented interests of the area’s residents.
If the U.S. moved aggressively to start harnessing the solar power it receives daily, it could generate enough clean energy to meet the country’s needs many times over, according to a new report from Environment Florida.
The report, “On the Rise; Solar Thermal Power and the Fight Against Global Warming,” touts the multiple benefits of solar thermal power that the U.S. has barely begun to tap. One, it’s a clean source of energy that could replace other power sources that generate greenhouse gases and worsen climate change. Two, by storing thermal energy, it can generate electricity even when the sun isn’t shining. And ,three, it’s wildly abundant in the U.S., offering way more clean energy than we currently use on a daily basis.
When is a housing bargain not a bargain? When you add in the costs of getting from home to work, school, the stores and elsewhere.
Seems logical, right? But knowing how your transportation costs can affect your decision on where to live isn’t easy. Fortunately, along comes a new online tool that makes it considerably easier.
The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index lets you see which parts of the U.S. are truly affordable when you factor in both housing and transportation costs. The index lets you zoom in and explore 52 metropolitan areas across the country and, to be honest, it’s both fascinating and a little addictive.
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Here’s an idea even the most un-green person could warm up to: a four-day work week.
Several communities across the U.S. are considering four-day work weeks for government employees as a way to reduce commuting demands and gas consumption. The various efforts have typically been inspired by today’s record-high fuel prices, but the idea promises other benefits too: lower greenhouse gas emissions, happier and more well-rested employees and cost savings elsewhere (i.e., less energy to cool/heat and light offices, reduced need for work-time child-care, etc.).
Last year, I covered a press conference touting GE’s ecomagination initiative, which detailed the progress that the corporate giant had made in its new lines of business. It was exciting to see “green” applied across the board in so many varied areas, including entertainment division Universal Studios. And though the event had a Hollywood feel (even the Governator was there) I would never have expected Bart Simpson to get into the act.
Well, not Bart exactly, but his theme park counterpart, “The Simpsons Ride” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort. The first of its kind, the new rides use a variety of technological innovations in their design and construction to reduce their environmental impact. Ay, carumba!
Orlando, Florida, recently became one of 12 cities across the U.S. chosen as a federal Department of Energy (DOE) “Solar America City.”
Each of the dozen cities will receive $200,000 to advance the use of solar technologies in their communities. All the cities were selected for “their commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies and the development of sustainable solar infrastructures,” according to the DOE.
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ooking for Earth Day activities in Florida? Following are some of the events scheduled in communities across the state:
In Pensacola, the University of West Florida (UWF) will host a day of environmental symposia at the University Commons Auditorium. Among the topics speakers will tackle: “The Gulf Coast Main Ecosystem Partnership: A Story in Large Landscape Management,” “Small-Scale Wind Turbines: A Joint UWF/University of Florida Study” and “Climate Change: Facts, Fantasies and Solutions.” Following Mike Papantonio’s keynote address on “The New Art of Fighting Back,” attendees will be able to view a screening of the film, “Sacred Planet.” All the programs are free and open to the public.
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