Maggie McGee Goes Green!

Learn About Biofuels!

2012-02-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

A biofuel is any fuel derived from biological matter. Here are some examples:

GASOLINE & PETROLEUM
The most commonly used biofuel today - made from biomass that died millions of years ago (think dinosaurs and ancient jungle growth!) Also, the leading cause of global warming. Hmmm... What are some other options?

CORN
Yup, fuel made from corn! Emissions are lower, but not by much. Growing all that corn may also require more energy than it actually produces.

SUGAR CANE
A totally sweet fuel! Fuels made from sugar cane crops can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 56%! A big success so far in Brazil.

SWITCHGRASS
This amazing plant turned biofuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%! Some kinds of switchgrass can also remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the ground.

USED COOKING GREASE
The cooking oil used to deep fry things like french fries and chicken wings can be recycled into fuel! Fuel made from used cooking grease releases fewer gases and is a great way to REUSE something that would have been thrown away.

KELP
Scientists have recently found that seaweed can be used for fuel as well. Breaking down the sugars in kelp can create five times as much ethanol as corn.

Maggie McGee Goes Green!

2011-05-04T18:11:00.001-07:00

Well, my first year on the green bandwagon is coming to an end.

What have you done to go green this year?

- Maggie

Maggie McGee Goes Green!

2011-05-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, my first year on the green bandwagon is coming to an end.

What have you done to go green this year?

- Maggie

Pollution in the Amazon

2011-02-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Amazon is an area of South America best known for its diverse rainforest, lush jungles and one of the largest rivers in the world. (See picture above.)

Chevron is one of the world's six "supermajor" oil companies and it operates in more than 180 countries.

For the last 17 years, the South American country of Ecuador has been trying to get Chevron to clean up environmental damage in the Amazon caused by . This damage is said to be the world's second largest environmental disaster other than the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

What kind of damage?

* Pollution to large areas of the Ecuadoran jungle
* Up to 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater dumped into waterways
* Up to 17 million gallons of crude oil contained in unlined pits

What were the results of this damage?

* Death of food crops and livestock (farm animals)
* Increased health problems like skin disease and cancer
* An estimated $27 billion in damages

A legal battle as been going on for almost two decades and recently a judge ordered the company to pay at least $8.6 billion in damages.

Chevron has stated that it has no plans to provide any money at all for cleanup. Ecuador does not have the same laws as the United States about protecting the environment and so it will be very difficult to force Chevron to pay any money at all!

If you or I made a big mess, we'd have to clean it up! Why does a giant oil company get away with it?

COMES BACK TO YOU FULL CIRCLE

2010-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

When you pollute the planet, you pollute yourself.

When you hurt other people, you hurt yourself.

This is the rule. This is the circle that connects all people.

We are all here together and we are all part of the same family.

Stop polluting the world around you.

REMEMBERING YOUR THREE R's

2010-05-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

Over the years, people have gotten into a lot of bad habits. We use things once and then throw them away. And why not? There are so many things that are SUPPOSED to be used just once and thrown away. Every day and in little ways, I try to think of new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all sorts of objects.

* Every morning, my dad makes a cup of coffee for the ride to work and puts it in a disposable cup. One cup a day times hundreds of days equals lots of cups. What a waste! For just a few dollars out of my piggy bank, I bought dad a brand new stainless steel coffee container. He never spills coffee in the car anymore and I helped him to greatly reduce his cup waste!

* I cleaned my room this week and found a whole bunch of books that I didn't want anymore. My friend Nick said, Throw them away!" But what a waste! I went to my local library and asked if they were accepting book donations. They were! I may be too old for some of those children's books, but plenty of kids at the library would just love to reuse them!

* My mom came home with some clothes from the dry cleaners. Each shirt and dress was wrapped in a long piece of plastic to protect the clothing. Off came the plastic bags and into the garbage they went. But what a waste! I pulled the bags out of the trash--I knew they could be used again. My friend Ashley was having her room painted painted this week. Instead of buying plastic at the store, Ashley used the dry cleaner bags to cover her rug, lamp and carousel horse collection while her parents painted the walls! What great a great way to recycle one thing into something else!

What are some ways YOU have learned to reduce, reuse and recycle?

OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

2010-05-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

On April 20, an oil-drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico called Deepwater Horizon, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana. The rig sank and 11 people were killed in the explosion. The accident is said to be the largest oil spill disaster in the history of the United States.

Like many Americans, I am very sad about this disaster and extremely worried about the damage it will cause. Normally, I like to post helpful hints about how we can all go green, but sadly, I this is not one of those entries. But it's still important to be informed. Some of you may be wondering what are some of the possible results of this oil spill? Here are some ways an oil spill can affect wildlife:

* Oil coats the bodies of animals with a thick layer.
* Fur or feathers covered in oil become sticky which can lead to hypothermia.
* Birds can drown when covered in oil because they're bodies become too heavy.
* Animals may become easy prey because they are easier to catch.
* Birds and marine mammals will not necessarily avoid an oil spill.
* Some fish are actually attracted to the oil because it looks like floating food.
* More than 400 species of animals are at risk because of this event.
* Stomach ulcers and bleeding can occur in animals that swallow the oil.
* Damage to airways and lungs of animals that breath droplets of oil or gas.
* Since April 30, 19 dead dolphins have been found in the spill area.
* Oil disguises the scent that seal pups and mothers use to recognize each other.
* Beaches affected by an oil spill can disturb turtle breeding areas or contaminate eggs.
* On May 24, a fisheries disaster was declared in 3 states.
* Fisherman have been taken to hospitals because of "nausea, dizziness and chest pains."
* Oil in the water decreases oxygen supply to small fish, which can affect the entire food chain.

This is NOT what our oceans should look like!

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2010-05-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? No? It's in the middle of the ocean, so most of us will never see it, but it's one of the largest man-made environmental disasters in the world. It is the world's largest landfill and it's getting larger every year!

The ocean is constantly moving. Ocean currents move the water in different directions depending on wind, temperature and other factors. The North Pacific Gyre is a place in the Pacific Ocean between California and Japan where many currents come together to form a giant, clockwise moving area of water.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is located here in the North Pacific Gyre. It is literally a giant, floating patch of garbage twice the size of Texas and made up of millions of pounds of plastic, chemical sludge and other debris. Greenpeace has said that 10% of all plastic manufactured each year ends up in the ocean!

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch presents hazards to marine life. Plastic can end up in the stomachs of marine birds, sea turtles and fish. These toxic plastic pieces can also be eaten by jellyfish, which are then eaten by larger fish. When the larger fish are eaten by humans, these toxins can enter our bodies! All life on Earth is connected. Our abuse of the environment comes back to us full circle.

Be aware of your waste! Throw garbage in the trash, not on the ground! Recycle plastic disposable products when you can or avoid buying them altogether! The next time you see a piece of garbage about to blow into a sewer, a river or a stream, pick it up and throw it away. How big will the Garbage Patch get before we start to act?

ARBOR DAY - APRIL 30, 2010

2010-04-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Did you plant a tree on Earth Day? No? Well, you've got another chance to do your part this Friday, April 30th on Arbor Day!

Arbor Day was founded in the United States in 1872 in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The national holiday is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April. On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, an estimated one million trees were planted. How many will be planted on Arbor Day, 2010? Well that's a mystery!

Planting trees is a wonderful way to show that you care about our planet. Humans like you and me have all contributed to global climate change and fossil fuel pollution. Just one tree can capture a ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime.

Plant a tree today. Watch it grow. Take in its beauty. Give something back. Help change the world. Happy Arbor Day!

EARTH DAY - APRIL 22, 2010

2010-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 and was founded by United States senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. This day marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement and helped promote awareness about pollution of all kinds across the country.

2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. How will you celebrate? Here are some suggestions for things you can do on Earth Day and every day to show your commitment to a clean environment:

* Wear green! * Plant flowers and trees. * Organize a neighborhood clean up. * Read a "green" book. * Teach others what you know. * Make nature crafts. * Recycle! * Ride your bike!

EARTH HOUR - MARCH 27 - 8:30PM

2010-03-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

This Saturday March 27th, you can take part in the World Wildlife Fund's "Earth Hour" by switching off the lights in your home for one hour - from 8:30pm until 9:30pm.

"Earth Hour" is a symbolic gesture meant to raise awareness about the effects of global climate change. This Saturday night, you can join hundreds of millions of people across the globe by turning off electric devices in your house. And hopefully you'll remember to conserve energy every day by turning off the lights when you leave the room, unplugging electric devices that aren't in use and purchasing energy efficient technology the next time you're in the market for a new appliance.

Here are some other places that will be switching off their lights this weekend:

- The Empire State Building

- Las Vegas Strip

- Broadway Theatre Marquees

- United Nations Headquarters

- Golden Gate Bridge

- Eiffel Tower

- Sydney Opera House

- Seattle's Space Needle

And many more!

Send a clear message to your neighbors that you care about climate change and want to see more investment in clean energy sources for a better tomorrow! So turn off the TV and computer, light some candles (with your parents' permission of course!) and spend some quality time with your loved ones during Earth Hour this year.

MATTRESS FOLLOW-UP

2010-03-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

In my quest to prevent a mattress from going to the landfill, I called several more numbers today to find a different solution. The first number I called was a company known as "Eco-Haul" and wanted to charge me $80 to pick up the mattress and then recycle it. I told them I was just a kid and didn't have $80. Another company, which I will not name, wanted to charge $120 and would have just thrown the mattress into the garbage dump anyway. (This was very confusing.) Neither of these places had any idea what else could be done with an old mattress.

It seems as though just throwing our old stuff away is the cheapest and easiest solution.

My mother noticed my frustration and called a few friends to see if anybody wanted a free twin-size mattress in good condition. In no time at all, she found someone to adopt it. Somebody gets to sleep on a nice mattress and one less object is going to the landfill. This makes me very happy--but I want to continue investigating why recycling is such hard work.

RECYCLE - EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT CONVENIENT

2010-03-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

This week my mother wanted to get rid of a mattress. So she put it on the curb to be picked up with the rest of the trash. When I got home, I asked her if she would let me try to find some other place for it to go besides the landfill. She put up a fight because she didn't want to haul the mattress back inside, but I was able to convince her.

My first idea was to donate the mattress to a charity. It's in good condition and nobody has even slept on it for the past few years. To my surprise, the Salvation Army branch in my town told me that they didn't accept mattresses. I guess they're worried that the mattress might be dirty. Next I called several bedding companies to ask if they knew of any mattress recycling locations nearby. All three places I called treated me as if I was crazy. I was confused. Why would a business that sells mattresses not have any suggestions for what to do with an old one?

I found a few other numbers in the phone book and I will try them on Monday. I hate to think that sending a big mattress to a landfill is the only option, but so far I have had no luck. It turns out that going green isn't always convenient and getting the right answer may not happen on the first try. Environmentalism takes work.

RECYCLE BY NUMBER - PLASTIC RECYCLING SYMBOLS

2010-03-11T16:51:00.000-08:00

The next time you use a plastic disposable item, take a look at the symbol on the bottom to see what kind of plastic it is. On most plastics, you'll see the recycling symbol (three arrows chasing each other in a triangle) and a number 1-7 in the middle. Below you'll find information about each type:

Plastic #1: RECYCLED? Often. IS IT SAFE? Yes. However, it is known to have a porous surface that allows bacteria to accumulate, so don't reuse these bottles again and again.

Plastic #2: RECYCLED? Often. IS IT SAFE? Yes! Very safe and has low risk of leaching.

Plastic #3: RECYCLED? Rarely! IS IT SAFE? No! There are chemicals in this material, called phthalates, that interfere with hormonal development. You should avoid the use of #3 plastic around food and never cook using food wrap, especially in a microwave oven.

Plastic #4: RECYCLED? Rarely! IS IT SAFE? Yes.

Plastic #5: RECYCLED? Sometimes, depending on your location. IS IT SAFE? Yes.

Plastic #6: RECYCLED? No! Polystyrene, or Stryofoam, is difficult to recycle and most recycling programs won't accept it. IS IT SAFE? No! Lots of evidence suggests that this type of plastic leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated. Avoid Plastic #6!

Plastic #7: RECYCLED? Rarely. It is difficult to recycle this weird mix-up plastic and most programs won't accept it. IS IT SAFE? Uncertain. Use of #7 plastic is at your own risk, since you don’t know what could be in it. You should dispose of any food or drink related product, especially for children, that is known to contain BPA.

THE TOILET TANK TRICK!

2010-03-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Most toilets in the United States use between 5 and 7 gallons per flush, way more than is needed. Newer toilets are more efficient and some only use 2 or 3 gallons per flush. Here's a simple way to conserve water in the bathroom without buying a brand new toilet!

[NOTE: Be sure to get permission from your parents before performing the "toilet tank trick" and ask for assistance if you need help removing and replacing the toilet tank lid.]

Step 1: Remove the lid from your toilet tank cover and set it aside.

Step 2: Put a small amount of sand or pebbles in the bottom of an old water bottle, then fill the rest of the bottle with water.

Step 3: Replace the cap on the water bottle and place it in the tank. (Be sure that the bottle doesn't touch any of the moving parts!)

Step 4: Replace the lid and presto! You've completed the toilet tank trick!

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Placing a bottle, jar or other container in the tank displaces the water and allows you to flush the toilet without using as much H2O. The amount of water in the bottle is the amount of water you save with each flush! This simple trick can save you up to 10 gallons of water waste per day!

WILL A BRICK DO THE SAME THING?

Some people have tried this trick using a brick instead of a bottle, but that's not really recommended. A brick can break apart over time and leave debris in your tank that may harm your septic system.

IS WATER A RENEWABLE RESOURCE?

2010-03-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

The answer to this question is not as simple as you might think. Yes, water evaporates and then returns to earth as precipitation (rain, fog, snow, etc.) and the same water animals drank 6 million years ago is the same water we drink today! But this doesn't mean that wasting water is okay. Water conservation is becoming an increasingly important issue!

Did you know though that only 3% of the earth's water is freshwater? The other 97% is ocean water, which is undrinkable. Of all the water in the world, almost half of it is polluted in some way. Polluted water can lead to disease and death and cause things like acid rain.

Did you know that over 1 billion people on the planet do not have access to clean drinking water? As the population of the planet grows, this problem will increase since the amount of freshwater we have will always remain the same. Groundwater cannot replenish itself at the rate we remove it from the earth. Global climate change has also contributed to water shortages in places where lack of precipitation has caused drought and too much precipitation has caused flooding which makes the water unsuitable for consumption.

Another reason to be mindful of water conservation is energy consumption. Heating the water you need for a shower or bath takes energy and every drop of water that goes down the drain must be cleaned at a water treatment plant, which also takes energy.

Like all issues having to do with the environment, we often don't seem to be concerned with a resource as long as it seems abundant. In the United States, we have an ample amount of freshwater because of the number of lakes and streams. In other parts of the world however, the amount of water we would use to take one 2-3 minute shower is the same amount of water an entire family uses to cook, clean, and drink for an entire week.

Think twice before you waste water and learn what can be done to keep water from becoming polluted!

WATER CONSERVATION - SHOWER OR BATH?

2010-02-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Rub-a-dub-dub! What do we do in the tub?

Which uses less water? Taking a shower or taking a bath?

Here’s a simple experiment you can try at home: The next time you take a shower, plug the drain and let the water collect. When your shower is over, see how much water is in the tub. Compare it to how much water you would use to take a bath. Which uses more water? A bath or a 2-3 minute shower?

A NUCLEAR ENERGY UPDATE

2010-02-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and President Obama announced this week funding for the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Georgia. This facility will be the first nuclear power plant in the United States to be built in thirty years!

Environmental activists do not often support nuclear energy, but this plan may be a step in the right direction—a direction away from fossil fuels. Remember that nuclear energy results in no carbon emissions! This new power plant will cut carbon pollution by 16 million tons each year when compared to a coal-fired power plant.

However, the one major problem still to be solved with this type of power is how to get rid of nuclear waste. President Obama says we must “accelerate our efforts to find ways of storing this waste safely and disposing of it.” Secretary Chu has said that he is “convinced that the nuclear waste issue is solvable” and has talked about ways that nuclear waste can someday be recycled.

More information on Nobel-prize winning Energy Secretary Steven Chu to follow!

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?

2010-02-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

This is a word I’ve been hearing a lot lately. But what does it mean? According to World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development is defined as “the ability of humanity to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

What are some things we do today that will negatively affect the kids of tomorrow? Polluting the air with greenhouse gases, polluting the soil and water with landfill, polluting oceans by dumping garbage, threatening sea life by overfishing, threatening water supplies by spilling harmful chemicals, wasting natural resources, relying on energy sources that damage our environment, and the list goes on.

Ancient tribes of people, like the Native Americans here in this country, lived in a way that was sustainable. For example, Native American tribes would use every part of an animal after they killed it so that no part was wasted. These people believed that humans must live together peacefully with nature instead of dominating it—or worse yet, destroying it.

Here are some basic rules for how to live sustainably, provided by environmentalist Paul Hawken:

· Leave the world better than you found it.

· Don’t take more than you need.

· Try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do.

Right now, there are many things we are used to doing and buying that are unsustainable. The older we get, the more we will see sustainable products and sustainable ways of life becoming available. But how can we make sustainability popular? Isn’t it easier to keep things the way they are? Will you be a kid who looks for these new advances? Are you able to recognize things you do every day that may be unsustainable?

WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

2010-02-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

"Global climate change" or "global warming" began with the Industrial Revolution. Scientists say that global warming is primarily caused by the "greenhouse gas effect." Greenhouse gases are the toxins (mostly CO2) released into the air when we burn fossil fuels--oil, coal and natural gas. Another contributor to global climate change is deforestation (the destruction of trees), illustrated in the photograph below.

During the Industrial Revolution, lots of amazing new technology came along and we've been inventing cool things ever since! But all this new technology--things like trains, cars, lightbulbs, computers, airplanes and electric toothbrushes--need energy to make them go! The energy we use to power our cars and our homes comes mostly from burning fossil fuels. It took millions of years for fossil fuels to be created, but humans have burned much of them up in just a few hundred years and the Earth can't handle it!

The more CO2 we have in the air, the more oceans try to suck it up to balance it out. The more CO2 the oceans suck up, the warmer they become. The warmer the oceans become, the more strange weather and wacky temperatures we get! Strange weather leads to dangerous situations for humans. Wacky temperature changes leads to the inability of many species of plants and animals to adapt quickly enough, which can lead to extinction.

On land, trees are an amazing natural way to get rid of CO2. Plants soak up CO2 and store it for energy. The combination of the greenhouse effect and deforestation has created a problem twice the size!

Obvious solutions: 1) PLANT TREES! 2) STOP BURNING FOSSIL FUELS!

More on global climate change to come!

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

2010-02-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

For anyone interested in learning about climate change, I suggest this excellent book by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon called “The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming” from Scholastic.

It’s got tons of great illustrations and the information inside is written in a way that is easy for kids to understand. Check it out at your local library or get your own copy today to find out more about this important topic!

HAIL THE POWER OF MUSHROOMS!

2010-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hey green friends! I just learned about an amazing new use for fungus! It turns out that an organic farm in California is growing mushrooms to be used as building and packaging materials. Cool, huh?

In the picture above you see a cluster of mushrooms. At the bottom of the cluster is a dark network of fibers called mycelium. Mycelium is not for eating, but it IS fireproof, nontoxic and resistant to water. It’s also stronger than concrete!!!

In this next picture, you can see a structure made entirely out of mycelium. Maybe someday we can use it to make houses and bridges. (Move aside Smurfs!)

The material is also being used as a green alternative to Styrofoam (a packing material that does not decompose, cannot be recycled and is awful for the environment). After you receive a package stuffed with mushroom material, you can toss it into your garden as compost!

Hooray for mushrooms!

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BIOFUELS?

2010-02-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

A “biofuel” is any fuel created from plant or animal materials. For example, wood is one of the simplest biofuels. Modern biofuels include bioethanol, made from sugar or starch crops. Biodiesel on the other hand is made from vegetable oils or animal fats.

ADVANTAGES

· Reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

· More environmentally friendly.

· Varied source material (can be made from a wide range of materials).

· Cheaper.

· May help to tackle poverty (poor countries without oil reserves may have land available for biofuel farming).

· Biodegradability (spills are easier to clean up and MUCH less hazardous).

DISADVANTAGES

· Lower Energy Output (great quantities consumed to get the same energy).

· Adapting more land to produce crops for biofuels means more loss of habitats and decreased biodiversity.

· Food vs. Fuel Debate (farmers make more money selling crops for fuel, which may cause higher food prices).

· Not Carbon Neutral (it still takes energy to grow crops and then convert them into fuel).

· Water Use (massive amounts of water are needed to grow crops and manufacture the fuel).

Here we go again! Another energy source that has just as many bad sides as good sides. But there may be hope in the future with 2^nd and 3^rd generation biofuels. What do you know about these? How are they different from 1^st generation biofuels?

WHAT IS CLEAN COAL?

2010-01-31T13:07:00.000-08:00

According to the United Nations Panel on Climate Change, the burning of coal is a major contributor to global warming. In response to this, coal companies have started advertising “clean coal” technology. But what is it? And is it a good energy source for the future?

Clean coal technology can mean several different things, but the most common definition is that instead of releasing CO2 into the air after burning coal, the carbon dioxide is stored underground.

ADVANTAGES

· Carbon dioxide is not immediately released into the atmosphere.

· Supplies of coal are available to us now.

DISADVANTAGES

· Carbon dioxide that is “hidden” could possibly leak into the atmosphere anyway or into our ground water, unless it is closely monitored!

· Major environmental problems result from mining the coal in the first place.

· Pollutants still exist, but just released in a different way.

This sounds like a similar problem I talked about with nuclear technology. The poisonous remnants of creating the energy still exist, we just hide them in a place that seems to be less harmful (for the time being.) Sounds like another temporary solution to a much bigger problem!

Did you know that last year, private companies spent 35 million dollars advertising “clean coal” technology? If there really is no way to get clean energy from the burning of coal, then why is so much money being spent advertising a myth? Does it make us feel better if we think burning coal is clean?

Did you know that the United States only has enough coal reserves to last us for the next 200 years? If coal is another limited resource, why spend so much money pretending to make it clean instead of investing in new technology that is actually clean?

NUCLEAR POWER - PROS AND CONS

2010-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Scientists have attributed global warming to the burning of fossil fuels. One energy technology that does NOT emit greenhouse gases is nuclear power.

Last week, I went on a tour of the Science and Nature Center at a Nuclear Power Plant with my dad. Here is some information about the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power!

ABOVE: A TYPICAL NUCLEAR REACTOR COOLING TOWER

ADVANTAGES:

· Does not add to the greenhouse effect (no smoke or carbon dioxide!)

· Just a small amount of fuel can produce a very large amount of energy. (One ton of Uranium produces more energy than is produced by several MILLION tons of coal or barrels of oil!)

· Produces small amounts of waste.

· Nuclear power plants don’t require as much space as other types of facilities.

DISADVANTAGES:

· The small amount of waste that is produced is VERY, VERY dangerous.

· Nuclear waste must be hidden away for many thousands of years so that the radioactivity can die away.

· Nuclear waste that is buried may be affected or released by floods, earthquakes or deliberate attacks.

· An accident at a nuclear power plant can be a MAJOR disaster! Radioactivity can kill people and animals or cause cancer.

· Nuclear energy comes from Uranium and Uranium is NOT renewable. Just like coal and oil, we will run out of it someday!

Although nuclear energy is delicate and has caused problems in the past, a modern nuclear power plant can produce power without releasing toxins into the environment (if everything goes right.) Energy produced by coal and oil cannot do the same.

Is nuclear energy the next step away from dirty energy sources before we can harness the power of sun, wind and water more efficiently? What do you think? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? What else do you know about nuclear power?

ABOVE: THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT I VISITED AT SEABROOK STATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

2010-01-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, President Barack Obama made his first state of the union address. Of course, I was excited to hear him talk about his plans for helping our country “go green!”

The President talked about creating “clean energy jobs” (cool!) and passing a “comprehensive energy and climate bill” (very cool!) He then talked about the importance of “clean nuclear power plants,” “oil and gas development,” “advanced biofuels” and “clean coal technologies.”

What is all that stuff? None of it sounds very green to me! Mr. Obama didn’t talk about solar, wind or geothermal power—the cleanest known energy technologies of today!

For the next few days, I will try to research the energy sources he did mention and provide information about each of them! First up—nuclear energy!

ICE CHALLENGE - TO SALT, OR NOT TO SALT?

2010-01-24T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight I walked outside my house and saw a lot of ice on the front steps, so I grabbed a handful of salt from the pail at the front door and tossed it down to melt the ice more quickly.

MY CHALLENGE: Find out if deicing salt is harmful to the environment. If so, how much?

What is the impact a cupful of salt on your front steps has, compared to millions of tons distributed over roads across our nation? Are there different methods of deicing that are better than sodium chloride (NaCl)? How does salt runoff affect humans, wildlife, soil, air, or water?

REMINDER: If you plan on answering any of these questions for me, please keep in mind that I'm not interested in opinions, I'm only interested in facts! So let's bring some facts to the table so we can form an educated opinion.

I look forward to your responses!

MY FIRST FEW RESPONSES!

2010-01-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

So I wrote my first green blog yesterday and sent e-mails to all my friends about it! I got a few responses from people who said they already use canvas bags, but told me to keep spreading the word. I got no responses from people who decided to make a change today (although I'm hoping some did and just didn't say so!) And I got one response from my friend Trevor who told me that he didn’t understand my point, thinks the whole "going green" movement is lame and doesn’t believe in global warming.

First of all, I told him, global warming has almost nothing to do with plastic bags. Second of all, why NOT make small, green changes if they are simple ones? I mean, using canvas bags isn’t even that hard to do when you think about it. I don't know, it was really upsetting that Trevor argued with me over something I think is so logical. It also really drives me crazy that some people refuse to go green because they think it's "not cool." Oh, and somebody kicked over my snowman on purpose today too. Maybe there’s just too many people in the world who don’t care about the environment for me to actually make a difference. I don't know...

But here's some good news! I officially have two fans of my blog! Welcome Pookala and Ankerman! You two have just put me back into a good, green mood! More to come friends!

A WORD ABOUT THE PLASTIC BAG

2010-01-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know that each American uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year? Most of these bags are used only one time (some of them for mere seconds!) before being thrown away.

Did you know that only 1% of plastic bags in the U.S. are ever recycled?

Did you know that it takes 10-20 years for a single plastic bag to decompose? Of course, this is only if it gets caught in a tree branch or sits on your lawn all that time. Plastic bags buried in landfill can take up to 1,000 years to decompose!

Did you know that when garbage items (including paper products) are buried, their decomposition slows almost to a halt because they are not exposed to air or sunlgiht? In digs through old garbage dumps, newspapers from the 1930s have been found that are still completely legible!  

If you really want to jump aboard the “green” bandwagon – you should start using canvas bags when you go shopping! Keep some in your car, your garage, your trunk, your desk, or inside your carry-all bag so you never forget to bring them with you!   Make a pledge that you will make this green change today! Don’t be embarrassed to carry reusable bags!

And the next time a cashier asks if you’d like a bag to carry that single item to your car, don’t feel weird to say, “No, thanks!” We should all start feeling weird when we waste!