NFL

I heard on NPR yesterday that there's someone who is in charge of reducing the carbon footprint of the superbowl this year. They calculated that the event alone (not including flights and hotels for spectators), 500 tonnes of CO2 is released. They're trying to reduce this amount by reusing a lot of the administrative materials and the decorations by giving them to charities, which I think is pretty cool.

This article is also interesting: "Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chemicals used as fire retardants, can be found in numerous items in the home, such as the television, computer, toaster and the sofa. Now, they are being found in alarming concentrations, in human blood and breast milk - a potentially major concern for human health. In addition, these industrial chemicals have been associated with cases of feline hyperthyroidism, a potentially fatal condition in cats... In the United States, 80-90 percent of industrial chemicals destined for use in commercial products are sold without any legally required premarket testing." (from http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/28141)

And although people tend to dislike carnivores, a recent paper published states that "large carnivores frequently shape the number, distribution and behaviour of their prey. Large herbivores function as ecological engineers by changing the structure and species composition of surrounding vegetation. " So both herbivores and carnivores are important in maintaining an ecosystem's balance, and a decrease in carnivores can mess up the system. The paper found the numbers of large mammals have been decreased on almost 80% of the Earth.

The Story of Stuff

This is a cool 20 minute video about the production of the stuff we buy. It shows the links between exploitation, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of goods in our consumerism society. It's pretty relevant to Christmas, when we get pretty into buying.
www.storyofstuff.com

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays from all of us at SCCG!

And good news- the Senate and House passed the Energy Bill. This includes:
- increased fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 for new cars and trucks.
-a new commitment to homegrown biofuels and updates the program to achieve strong greenhouse gas performance standards and includes significant protections for wildlife and biodiversity.
-a plug-in/electric vehicle tax credit for individuals and encourages the domestic development and production of advanced technology vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
-requirements for more energy efficient appliances
-creates an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program to train a quality workforce for "green" collar jobs--such as solar panel manufacturer and green building construction worker--created by federal renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives. Major investments in renewable energy could create 3 million green jobs over 10 years.
-an initiative that takes aggressive steps on carbon capture and sequestration to take the carbon out of coal--authorizing a nationwide assessment of geological formations capable of sequestering carbon dioxide underground and expansive research and development, including large-volume sequestration tests in a variety of different geological formations. First time ever the incentives for more efficient coal use include a requirement for carbon sequestration.
(Text taken from the National Federation for Wildlife Blog)

Hopefully SCCG will have an event or two in January!

My job as a student environmentalist is pretty depressing sometimes. Okay, lots of times. It amazes me that since I started college three years ago, global warming went from a "hoax" to the explanation that this is the seventh warmest year on record in Canada, polar bears are drowning, droughts and severe weather are getting worse, and people in Greenland can now grow broccoli- a crop that didn't used to be able to grow there because it was so cold. Read
"Global warming wreaks havoc with nature" for some examples of what's already happening.

Reality IS disheartening, but we need to act now more than ever. Well, actually, we could have used more action two or five or ten years ago, but now is the only time we have.

Everyone is busy, but there are so many things we can each do to support positive actions. I thought I was as green as I could be, but a friend recently inspired me to started buying biodegradable dish and laundry detergent, and air-drying my clothes instead of sticking them in the dryer. And now I save a buck fifty a week, which isn't much but hey, I'm a college student. Certain actions are easier than others depending on what kind of lifestyle you lead, and some people need bigger cars or can't afford to spend the money on more expensive products.
These days there are so many more opportunities to choose the greener option, whether it's a low-flow showerhead, compact florescent lights, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, organic cotton clothing, canvas bags, or carbon offsets. There are lots of choices people already know about, but even I'm constantly surprised at a small change I never realized before, like detergent. We have to go beyond recycling.

Al Gore is going to the big conference in Bali to talk about (what else?) climate change. He's created a petition to show his audience that people do want a change. Not in climate, of course, but in the politics surrounding this whole mess. You can sign it.

You can also find one of about eight million campaigns by environmental organizations like the Sierra Club. Usually all you have to do is call or email your representative.

Also, the House of Representatives just passed the Energy Bill! It's a good one: "A national renewable electricity standard means consumers across the country would save more than $13 billion on their energy bills by 2020. Raising fuel economy standards will save American consumers $25 billion at the pump, create 170,800 new jobs in America, and cut U.S. global warming pollution from passenger vehicles 21 percent by 2030." (from Sierraclub.org).

Now we have to make sure it goes through the Senate. You can call our senators to tell them that you'd like to see this go through. The website offers talking points, which makes calling significantly less scary.

This weekend, December 8th, is the International Day for Climate Action. There are no activities in our area that I've found so far, but that shouldn't stop you from finding one, or making your own.

-Shona

Recycling around town

This animation won Alliance for Climate Protection and Current TV's video about climate change contest. Check it out: http://current.com/items/87610321_ecospot_grand_prize_winner_sky_is_falling

SCCG still exists, and we're still working on projects! While the college students are extremely busy with exams, Lisa Hartman, our awesome new leader, is a representative of Clifton Park's town alternative energy committee. Although alternative energy in Clifton Park will be (extremely) slow-coming, there are lots of things that can be done around town, like calculating the carbon footprint, increasing efficiency, and making recycling more widespread.
Our current goals are to:
1) get the recycling bins at the Clifton Commons labelled so that less garbage and more cans and bottles will go in them
2) start a recycling program in the middle schools, much like the one SCARCE operates at the high school.
We need a teacher at the middle school to be the leader of this recycling program, so please let us know if you know anyone that would be interested!

E-waste

About 70% of the world's electronic waste gets shipped to China because it's cheaper (up to 10 times cheaper) than dismantling and recycling it here. Unfortunately, this is mostly done by poor immigrants that aren't protected by health and environmental standards.

"Many houses double as smelter and home. Gas burners shaped like blacksmith's forges squat beside the front doors, their flues rising several stories to try to dissipate the toxic smoke... The groundwater has long been too polluted for human consumption. The amount of lead in the river sediment is double European safety levels, according to the Basel Action Network, an environmental group...'Of course, recycling is more environmentally sound,' said Wu Song, a former local university student who has studied the area. "But I wouldn't really call what's happening here recycling.' "
- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071119/ap_on_re_as/china_toxic_electronics

Any ideas on how to promote or ensure that what we're "recycling" is actually better for the environment?

Coal

"It takes five to 10 days for the pollution from China's coal-fired plants to make its way to the United States, like a slow-moving storm.
It shows up as mercury in the bass and trout caught in Oregon's Willamette River. It increases cloud cover and raises ozone levels. And along the way, it contributes to acid rain in Japan and South Korea and health problems everywhere from Taiyuan to the United States.
[...] The growth of coal-burning is also contributing to global warming, and is linked to environmental and health issues including acid rain and asthma. Air pollution kills more than 2 million people prematurely, according to the World Health Organization"

From"World's coal dependency hits environment" from Yahoo News.

Step It Up Rally and Climate Change Numbers

Step It Up 2007 is a campaign organized by people all around the country, calling for leadership on global warming. There will be a rally at City Hall in Schenectady on November 3 from 11:00AM to 12:00PM. (here for more info)


Global Warming by the Numbers- from Environmentaldefense.org

1. Rank of 2006 as hottest year on record in the continental United States.
1. Rank of America as top global warming polluter in the world.
20%. Percent increase of America's carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since 1990.
15%. Percent increase of America's carbon dioxide emissions forecasted by 2020 if we do not cap pollution.
80%. Percent decrease in U.S. global warming pollution required by 2050 to prevent the worst consequences of global warming.
78. Number of days by which the US fire season has increased over the past 20 years - tied closely to increased temperatures and earlier snowmelt.
200 million. Number of people around the world who could be displaced by more intense droughts, sea level rise and flooding by 2080.
358. Number of U.S. mayors (representing 55 million Americans) who have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement pledging to meet or beat Kyoto goals in their communities.
0. Number of federal bills passed to cap America's global warming pollution.

Cool videos and websites

This is a cool video that makes the concept of greenhouse gasses more comprehensible.
http://www.climateprotect.org/ah12

Alicia, Amanda, and I went to ChangeIt07, which is a great week long summer program created Greenpeace and Seventh Generation to train and inspire college students to make a difference on their campus. We all learned a lot and had a great time! This is a great video that really sums up ChangeIt and the passion and dedication of 200 students.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zow--J5e4sw&eurl=

You can calculate your carbon footprint!
http://www.earthlab.com/carbonProfile/LiveEarth.htm?ver=14
I calculated mine, and unfortunately, even with all my recycling, canvas bag toting, and public transportation, I still create at least 16 tons of CO2 per year. That's insane.

Let us know if you have anything to share with us on the blog, whether its a video, news clip, or a good idea!

-Shona

Save the polar bears!

"Two-thirds of the world's polar bears will be gone by the middle of the century, says a US government agency... Scientists believe Arctic ice will hit a record low this year." -BBC News


(photo from www.climateprogress.org)