Killing Environmental Science There has been no announcement of the devastating decision to stop studying the natural world, but the evidence is piling up that such a decision has been taken. It is no secret that Stephen Harper is uninterested in science. One of his first decisions was to unburden himself of the Science Advisor to the Prime Minister. Cuts to climate science have been clear for more than a year. Also last year, cuts in Environment Canada seemed directed to anything with the word climate attached. This year, the cuts are coming thick and fast. The PEARL facility (the Polar Environmental and Atmospheric Research Laboratory) on Ellesemere Island is to close. Then came the announcement that the Experimental Lakes Area near Kenora, Ontario is to close. Next up, cuts at NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) mean that the Yukon Research Lab at Yukon College in Whitehorse is also to close. Then there are the personnel cuts. We do not know where the axe will fall next.
Microsoft goes green: data centers, offices to be carbon neutral come July This summer, Microsoft is launching a new green energy initiative in which all of the company's direct operations, "including data centers, software development labs, air travel, and office buildings," will go carbon neutral. The program will begin in July, at the start of Microsoft's 2013 fiscal year, and includes a company-wide carbon fee, whereby various divisions will be held accountable for their own energy usage. "We recognize that we are not the first company to commit to carbon neutrality," said Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner in a blog post early this morning, "but we are hopeful that our decision will encourage other companies large and small to look at what they can do to address this important issue." Other technology companies have made similar promises to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions in recent years. Bernard listed a number of Microsoft strategies at offices worldwide that have contributed to reductions in carbon emissions.
The Kickstarter for solar could make you money starting this Summer — Cleantech News and Analysis Third oil spill fuels calls for Alberta pipeline review Environmental critics are calling for a major review of pipeline safety in Alberta after the province experienced a third large oil spill in a month. About 230,000 litres of heavy crude oil spilled from a pumping station on an Enbridge Inc. pipeline onto farmland, Alberta’s oil and gas regulator, the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB), said Tuesday. The regulator said 1,450 barrels of oil spilled from a pumping station on Enbridge’s Athabasca pipeline, 24 kilometres from Elk Point, Alta., a small town roughly 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. That pipeline, briefly shut down but then restarted Tuesday, connects the oil sands with Hardisty, Canada’s most important crude oil hub. Environmental groups are now seizing on the confluence of accidents, which includes another massive spill from a Plains pipe last year, to call for an expansive look at pipeline safety in Alberta. The ERCB defended the province’s rules.
Study shows world's population is 18 million tonnes overweight | Information, Gadgets, Mobile Phones News & Reviews World more than 18 million tonnes overweight North America accounts for third of world's obesity However the rest of the world is catching up Getting fatter all time - America is currently leading the pack for obesity but the rest of the world is catching up. Picture: File Source: AFP THE world's population is more than 18 million tonnes overweight, or the equivalent of an extra 300 million average-sized people, a study has estimated. And if the world’s waistlines continue to grow at the same rate as the US it could place the same demands on resources as an extra half billion humans. These were the findings of research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, published in BMC Public Health, which warned a fat population could be as dangerous as a rapidly growing one. Lead researcher Professor Ian Roberts said even at rest a heavier body burns more fuel, with the rapidly developing economies of China and India quickly catching up to the fattest nation on earth – the US.
Aquaponics Workshops in Sydney: aiming to truly close the loop Just a quick note that we’ve scheduled some spring Aquaponics Workshops in Sydney, which are 2 days of intensive aquaponics how-to and why-to with Charlie Bacon (Ecolicious) + Nick Ritar (Milkwood). While the basics of Aquaponics can be quite simple, there’s a lot of ways to do it in a way that enhances growing conditions for both fish and plants while still adhering to permaculture principles, which ensures you don’t end up with an input-heavy system disguised as a closed-loop one. Which is the kind of knowledge that this workshop is all about… Super happy DIY aquaponics system in Alice Springs, growing vast volumes of greens in the desert For example – the fish in an aquaponics system (unless you’re using goldfish, i.e. fish not intended for eating but just for their nutrient (poo) contributions) need to be fed. You could feed them with fish pellets, or fish food, but to us that would defeat the purpose of an aquaponics system as aiming to be a closed loop system. No space for growbeds?
Travel - Living green in Copenhagen : Eco-tourism, Copenhagen If you want to understand why Copenhagen is Europe’s greenest city, make your way to Dronning Louise's Bro (Queen Louise's bridge) in downtown Copenhagen during morning rush hour. An estimated 35,000 bicycle commuters stream across this bridge every day, making it one of the busiest cycling spots in the western world. It is not just the absence of hills that makes Copenhagen a cyclist’s city. It is that environmental awareness is both fundamental public policy and a way of life here. Copenhagen, was the first city in the world to adopt a planet-cooling mandatory green roof policy, and it has plans to be the world’s first carbon-neutral metropolis by 2025. Recently named Europe’s coolest green city by the Ecologist magazine, Copenhagen is a showcase of climate-friendly Denmark. Hop on your bike Each day 1,200,000km are cycled in the Danish capital. If you are not a cyclist, you can still travel low-carbon aboard Copenhagen’s little yellow CityBus 11A. Eat organic, drink carbon neutral
Why tech pollution's going global Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 28, #178 Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC, RoHS, short for Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union.[2] The RoHS directive took effect on 1 July 2006, and is required to be enforced and become law in each member state. This directive restricts (with exceptions) the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment. Details[edit] Each European Union member state will adopt its own enforcement and implementation policies using the directive as a guide. RoHS is often referred to (inaccurately) as the 'lead-free directive', but it restricts the use of the following six substances: PBB and PBDE are flame retardants used in several plastics. The maximum permitted concentrations in non-exempt products are 0.1% or 1000 ppm (except for cadmium, which is limited to 0.01% or 100 ppm) by weight. RoHS 2[edit]