2009 November | Living Green On Earth

Retailers, Packers Defend Plastic Bags

TALLAHASSEE| Representatives of retail stores and the packaging industry told state environmental officials last week they shouldn’t ban disposable bags because voluntary efforts are increasing recycling and reducing the number of bags used.

Their remarks at a Florida Department of Environmental Protection hearing followed the posting of a draft report last month that recommended taxing and then banning paper and plastic bags by 2015. The report was removed from the DEP Web site two days later following a firestorm of criticism.

“It was a thorough, well-researched piece of work,” Fred McCormack of the Florida Dry Cleaners Coalition told a DEP hearing Thursday.

But, he said, “we absolutely don’t agree with any of the recommendations.”

The Legislature in 2008 adopted a bill supported by the Florida Retail Federation that prohibited local governments from banning retail bags until lawmakers can adopt recommendations. DEP is required to issue a report by Feb. 1, 2010.

Environmentalists say plastic bags kill sea turtles that eat them and entangle birds and other wildlife while ruining landscape views.

A Sierra Club representative said the group supports banning plastic bags and he questioned why DEP withdrew the report so quickly.

“It sounds like politics trumping science,” said Dwight Adams of Gainesville. He is chairman of the Sierra Club’s Florida Chapter’s waste minimization committee.

DEP Secretary Michael Sole denied politics was involved in the decision to withdraw the report. He said he had not seen it before it was posted and that it should have included alternatives to banning disposable bags.

“I felt we needed to take a step back and look at other options rather than one solution,” Sole said.

About 40 people attended the DEP hearing Thursday, and opponents of a bag ban far outnumbered the supporters who spoke.

Representatives of the Florida Retail Federation, the American Chemistry Council, Wal-mart and the American Paper Bag Council were among those who said voluntary efforts are guiding the consumer trend toward reusable bags and recycling disposable bags.

Target has begun paying customers 5 cents for each reusable bag they bring into the store. CVS will begin issuing store-credits to customers for bags they reuse, said Samantha Hunter Padgett, of the Florida Retail Federation.

Wal-mart, which has 273 stores in Florida, has set a goal of recycling or reducing the use of plastic bags by 33 percent at its stores worldwide, said Cindi Marsiglio, the company’s senior manager for public affairs and government relations in Tallahassee.

The company also is experimenting in three California stores with not offering disposable bags and instead selling reusable bags for 15 cents each.

“There are a lot of exciting things happening,” she said. “We just need to let it catch up with what the right product and time and demand on the customer is.”

But David Auth of Gainesville said people were fine without plastic bags for thousands of years and they’re still not needed.

“People are irresponsible,” he said. “The only way to make them responsible is to get rid of these plastic bags so they won’t have them in the first place.”

Osceola County Commissioner Brandon Arrington said plastic bags clog the county’s stormwater drains and he doesn’t think educational programs will halt the problem. He said he would ask his county to take action if the Legislature doesn’t act on recommendations.

“I think the state approach is much better for retailers as a whole,” he said.

DEP won’t post another draft report before the recommendations are sent to the Legislature because there isn’t enough time, said Mary Jean Yon, director of the department’s Division of Waste Management.

She said her staff also is working on the recommendations due Jan. 1 for increasing the state’s recycling goal from 30 percent to 75 percent in 10 years.

Source

Plastic-bag recycling doomed: environmentalist (cbc.ca)
Calif. governor pushes $11B water bond plan, dams (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Garbage Pin Project (coolhunting.com)

Boundary Waters Canoe Area at Risk

The canoe country of northern Minnesota is a resilient place. However, the newest threat in the north woods-a perpetual flow of acidic, toxic, metal-laden drainage from sulfide mining-is forever. In recent years, concern has increased as mining companies propose to extract copper, nickel, platinum and other precious metals from low-grade, sulfur-laden ores in the wetlands of northeastern Minnesota.

Obtaining the ore is still done the old-fashioned way-by blasting and ripping up rock in the style of strip mining. Crushed rock goes back into the holes, then gets a compacted soil covering on top and a plastic liner underneath. These barriers reduce the rain getting into the rock and the drainage coming out, but they can’t eliminate it. 2535375350_515429a66f

If this were a taconite mine of the type so familiar to Minnesotans, the interaction of rain and tailings wouldn’t be a big concern. Iron is mined in oxide ores, which react with air and water to make rust. Sulfide ores, on the other hand, react with air and water to make sulfuric acid, which leaches toxic metals as it flows over crushed rock and drains into the surrounding environment.

A viable solution has already been demonstrated by neighboring Wisconsin. Its legislature, moved by problems with the Flambeau mine near Ladysmith, temporarily suspended permits for sulfide mining until applicants prove by example that their kind of mine can be operated and closed down without substantial environmental harm.

Minnesotans should insist that the legislature write these three principles into law:

No permits for mines that will produce drainage requiring perpetual treatment.

No permits for mines that can’t put up an adequate “damage deposit” to ensure that taxpayers won’t get stuck with the costs of problems they might leave behind.

No mining in locations that would threaten places already protected for such special qualities as wilderness, scientific, cultural, historical or recreational interest.

FRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS

Duluth Metals confirms 12 million Indicated ounces and 6 million Inferred ounces of contained palladium, platinum and gold (newswire.ca)
Canadian Arrow starts drilling Glatz Nickel Project (newswire.ca)
Starfield Resources Provides Update On Hydrometallurgical Testing (newswire.ca)

Guatemala: Vice President Espada to save Lake Atitlan

Guatemala: Vice President Espada takes leadership to save Lake Atitlan

Over 250 people showed up to a conference that was held by Vice President Espada. The VP is working together with the Ministry of Environment, headed by Minister Ferrate and his technical team to present a comprehensive action plan to see what can be done about the bloom that has hit Lake Atitlan. lake-atitlan2

The UDV Auditorium could not hold all the people who wanted to participate in this important event. Over 250 people showed up, the expected attendance was 50 people. Students, friends of Lake Atitlan- “Todos por el Lago”, University Mariano Galvez, University San Carlos, research experts from University del Valle, representatives of the Chemical Engineers Association, and other related professionals and the media.

20 entities and companies presented their proposals for water treatment plants. There was not enough time to hear the proposals of many more companies and entities that have proposals. They will be heard by Minister of the Environment Ferrate later.

The resources needed to address the problem are around $ 32 million dollars, probably much more. But this is the first estimation of the costs. Fortunately the Embassy of Spain has announced this week that the Spanish Government will donate $ 29.5 million dollars for water related issues in Guatemala. Half of the amount will be destined to address specifically Lake Atitlan. The Mayors of the villages surrounding the lake have assumed the responsibility to provide 50% of the required funds from their respective budgets. The search to find more resources is ongoing. McDonalds is one of the local companies who have already made a commitment to raise money for the rescue of the lake.

Source : Guatemala Times

Xtina Travels To Guatemala To Help Stop World Hunger (perezhilton.com)
Grupo Nuevo Amanecer Group : Guatemala (kiva.org)
The Fight Of A Minority Language Against The Force of Globalisation (slideshare.net)

CELL PHONE TOWERS TO BE POWERED BY THE WIND

By Thomas Johnson

The future of power is looking to be the wind, at least for powering cell phone towers. The Helix Wind corporation is becoming known for its small vertical-axis wind turbines that can generate electricity with winds as low as 10 mph, as well as its unique business model to finance them. wp4

Helix Wind’s turbines, which will be installed in early 2010, will run for up to three months before being re-evaluated.

According to Helix and other statistics there are approximately 3500 cell phone towers in Southern California, and 1000 more to be built in the next five years.

CNET

Mobile towers in the future could be self sufficient if wind turbines are used to power them (innovationtoronto.com)
Helix-Shaped Wind Turbines Could Power Nigerian Cell Towers (treehugger.com)
Canadian Wind Energy Association applauds B.C.’s progress with wind energy developments and clean energy initiatives (newswire.ca)

Samsung Blue Earth Eco-Friendly Mobile Phone

Samsung has been well known for making Green Cell Phones. Samsung has led the way for Green innovations.

Now Samsung introduces the Blue Earth environmentally friendly green cell phone. Unlike other green cell phones this is a full featured phone. Among the green features are … a solar cell for charging, low power use while in standby mode. samsung-blue-earth-awesome-rm-eng

Previously, eco-friendly mobiles meant lower-energy consuming mobile phones with very limited feature sets. However, Samsung Blue Earth combines the latest multimedia features and stylish design harmoniously, while achieving lower energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials.

Blue Earth is made from Post Consumer Material (PCM), which is extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. The device, including the charger, is free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Phthalate.

Samsung Blue Earth