Underwater Logging

In British Columbia, Triton Logging has uncovered an effective, profitable, and eco-friendly way to meet the continued demand for lumber: underwater logging. There are some 300 million sunken trees worldwide – with an estimated value of $50 billion – that have been completely flooded by hydroelectric dams. BC’s own Ootsa Lake was formed 50 years ago when a hydro dam was built, drowning millions of trees when the valley was flooded. In the cold, dark, oxygen-poor water, the tree wood has been preserved, and won’t decay for thousands of years.

The key to Triton’s efforts is the Sawfish™, an underwater logging machine invented by the company. Operated by remote control, the Sawfish clamps onto trees, to which it attaches inflatable air bags, then cuts the trees with an electric chain saw. The air bags float the logs to the water’s surface, where they are loaded onto a barge.

There are several environmental advantages to the Sawfish method. It serves as an alternative to conventional above ground logging, which produces 25 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions and disturbs natural habitats. When submerged trees are cut, the lake floor is not disturbed and no silt (which can threaten the surrounding ecosystems) is created, leaving habitats of fish and other marine species undisturbed. Also, the Sawfish does not pollute the water — it runs on an electric motor and uses biodegradable and vegetable oil-based hydraulic fluids.

Cage-free eggs

This morning the New York Times highlighted the newest consumer trend: cage-free eggs. “[Cage-free] eggs, from chickens raised in large, open barns instead of stacks of small wire cages, have become the latest addition to menus at universities, hotel chains like Omni and cafeterias at companies like Google. The Whole Foods supermarket chain sells nothing else, and even Burger King is getting in on the trend.”

Despite the current demand, most chicken farmers are not planning to retrofit their barns. Are the chickens really better off? Chicken farmers don’t necessarily think so, saying that “keeping thousands of hens in tight quarters on the floor of a building can lead to hunger, disease and cannibalism. They also say that converting requires time, money and faith that the spike in demand is not just a fad.” Going cage-free doesn’t mean that these chickens are living ‘the good life’.

There are certainly pros and cons to both cage and cage-free systems, but “either way, these are not free-roaming chickens living out in a pasture.” For consumers concerned with farm animal welfare (or interested in local and sustainable agriculture), organic and free-range eggs are a better choice.

NY Times article: Suddenly, the Hunt is On for Cage-Free Eggs

What is a “carbon footprint”?

A “carbon footprint” is the measure of the total amount of harmful greenhouse-gas emissions that people produce either directly or indirectly. These gases warm the atmosphere by absorbing heat that’s radiated by the earth, then releasing only a portion of that heat into space. The most dangerous, long-lasting greenhouse gases produced by humans are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most pervasive of these gases – a molecule stays airborne for more than a century – and since it’s tough to separate and quantify each distinct greenhouse gas, scientists commonly uses CO2 to measure the global-warming problem.

[from the September issue of Marie Claire]

Presidential candidates on the issues

Here’s a really simple way to find out which 2008 presidential election candidates share your views. Go ahead and take the ‘quiz… by choosing a stance and level of importance towards certain issues, your ideal candidate is returned to you via a point-based system. ANWR drilling and Kyoto are on the list of issues, so you can see which candidates support or oppose environmental issues.

When you’re done, check out this chart that shows the issue positions of 18 presidential candidates.

A caveat: The chart is a general guideline to the candidates’ positions on some of the top issues. Most of these issues are more complex than a ‘yes/no’ or ’support/oppose’ position. Visit the candidates’ official campaign sites for more details about each issue.

[Thanks to Nolan for the tip]

Apple vs. Dell – who is greener?

Everyone’s talking about global warming, but what can you do about it? Companies and the things you buy from them have a huge impact on climate change. Some companies understand their impact on global warming and want to reduce it. But other companies aren’t even talking about it, and they should be. Non-profit organization Climate Counts is trying to raise awareness to hold companies and consumers accountable for our impact on global warming.

Climate Counts uses a 0-to-100 point scale and 22 criteria to rate and determine if companies have measured their climate footprint, reduced their impact on global warming, supported progressive climate legislation, and publicly disclosed their climate actions.

So who is greener – Apple or Dell? According to Climate Counts scorecard, Dell received a score of 41 while Apple received a pathetic 2. Clearly both companies have work to be done, but Dell is greener than Apple. Let Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs know that climate counts to you!

The greening of Harry Potter

Potter fans rejoice! The seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will release in just two days — on Saturday, July 21.

The 784-page book had an initial print of 12 million copies! That is a LOT of paper. In an attempt to appease environmentalists, Scholastic has agreed to go green with Deathly Hallows. A special release of the book will be made with 100% post consumer waste fiber, the rest will be no less than 30% PCW fiber.

Impressive. But publishers in Canada and Europe have been printing on 100% PCW fiber. If you’re going to read Deathly Hallows, purchase a copy printed on 100% recycled paper, check it out from the library, or borrow it from a friend.

Visual effects of climate change

Sometimes it takes more than words to get a point across. Artist Eve Mosher is aiming to do just that, bringing awareness to the effects of global warming through the public artwork High Water Line. Throughout the summer, Mosher will be marking with chalk a line along 70 miles of New York waterfront to demarcate a point 10 feet above sea level, a boundary now used by federal and state agencies and insurance companies to show where waters could rise after a major storm.

This in-your-face representation of the effects of climate change has the ability to raise awareness and encourage action. What if your neighborhood fell on the flood side of this line? Can you imagine traveling by boat through canals in NYC, like in Venice? If we don’t make a change, this could be the future of New York City and other cities along the coast.

NY Times article: The Handwriting on the Road

Pope going Solar

The Vatican has unveiled plans to utilize solar energy in some Holy See buildings, starting next year. When the roof of the Paul VI auditorium will be redone next year, the cement panels will be replaced with photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Engineers say that the cells will generate enough power to light, heat or cool the hall.

Way to go, Pope! Hopefully this move will influence other world leaders. Solar panels on the White House, anyone?

Discovery News: Vatican Taps Solar Energy

Rolling Stone goes Green-ish

Rolling Stone’s latest issue hits newsstands this week as the first ever to be printed on ‘carbon-neutral paper’. The issue features a special report on the global climate crisis that includes a profile of Al Gore, a detailed examination of the effect of George W. Bush’s presidency on the global warming crisis and a proposed solution written by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Environmentalists argue that while the steps Rolling Stone is taking are good and important, they are “diverting attention away from the need to use recycled paper,” according to Frank Locantore, director of the Magazine Paper Project at Co-op America. “All the evidence shows that the greatest ecological and social benefits come from using recycled paper.”

Rolling Stone responded that the print quality of recycled paper does not do justice to some of the ‘world’s greatest photographers and artists’ whose work is published in Rolling Stone. But here is a list of a few magazines that are printed on recycled paper: Audubon, Ranger Rick, Orion, Mother Jones, Canadian Geographic, Inc. and Fast Company. I don’t think many people would argue that the quality of the art and photography is diminished in any of these magazines.

NY Times article: Rolling Stone Finding Out Green Isn’t Green Enough