http://newlygreens.com Walking Green for a Sustainable Garden State Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:30:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 http://newlygreens.com/feed/ Stories of green living from the early adopters walking the walk. Produced in NJ just outside New York City the show gives an East Coast flavor to implementing more balanced choices. Hosts Greg and Connie, "newlygreens" and not so newlywed, try take the stories to heart and and bring practical change into their own lives. It may not be about being the ideal, but it is definitely about finding inspiration and working toward something better. Kaizen Productions LLC clean Kaizen Productions LLC info@newlygreens.com info@newlygreens.com (Kaizen Productions LLC) 2010 Kaizen Productions LLC Eco Friendly Tales of Going Green from the Northeast sustainable, environmental, earth, nature, solar, wind, recycle, organic, green, eco, eco-friendly http://newlygreens.com/_content/_images/powered_by_podpress_small.jpg http://newlygreens.com http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-july-1-2010/ http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-july-1-2010/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:00:02 +0000 RisaP http://newlygreens.com/?p=2942 The Headlines: Greenpeace activists break into Swedish nuclear plant Sea Shepherd scuba divers free tons of tuna Roundup resistant weeds could force farmers to use harsh herbicides again Monsanto wins Supreme Court case lifting ban on genetically modified alfalfa British newspaper apologizes to climate scientist The Details: Greenpeace [...]]]> http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-july-1-2010/feed/ 0 2 4-D,Agent Orange,Amazon River,bluefin tuna,British newspaper,Captain Paul Watson,corn,Cotton,dicamba,Dr. Lawrence Gonzi,Dr. Simon Lewis,evolution The Headlines: Greenpeace activists break into Swedish nuclear plant Sea Shepherd scuba divers free tons of tuna Roundup resistant weeds could force farmers to use harsh herbicides again Monsanto wins Supreme Court case lifting ban on genetically ... The Headlines: Greenpeace activists break into Swedish nuclear plant Sea Shepherd scuba divers free tons of tuna Roundup resistant weeds could force farmers to use harsh herbicides again Monsanto wins Supreme Court case lifting ban on genetically modified alfalfa British newspaper apologizes to climate scientist The Details: Greenpeace activists break into Swedish nuclear plant 50 Greenpeace activists in Sweden broke into the Forsmark Nuclear Plant two weeks ago to make a statement to the Swedish parliament's vote on June 17th against the building of nuclear reactors. The activists were dressed up as brightly colored renewable energy sources wind, water and sun. The police were called and 29 activists were arrested. Of those arrested, 27 of them will be tried in court for illegal trespassing. On June 17th, the Swedish government voted to allow the building of new nuclear reactors to replace the current reactors when their life spans run out. "With a narrow majority, the members of parliament show they do not take the environmental risks posed by nuclear power seriously, and that they do not trust in the enormous potential there is for Swedish renewable energy," Greenpeace spokesman Ludvig Tillman said in a statement. In February 2009, the Swedish government announced it was going to reverse a 1980 decision to phase out its 12 nuclear reactors by 2010. Since 1999, 10 reactors have remained in use at three power plants and account for about half of Sweden's electricity production. Sea Shepherd scuba divers free tons of tuna Marine wildlife activists from the Sea Shepherd group made popular by their Discovery network reality show "Whale Wars" have cut the nets on an undersea cage and released hundreds of bluefin tuna fish off the North African coast. About 42 miles off the coast of Libya, the Sea Shepherd activists liberated the Bluefin Tuna fish from the grasp of Maltese fishing boats because the cages were full of very young fish and many of the fish had been poached illegally. But instead of trying to work through some governmental procedures, the activists took on the task of rectifying what they saw as a serious situation themselves. Paul Watson, activist and captain of the Steve Irwin, said, "The risk of losing the Bluefin Tuna as a species is far more important than the risks to our own lives and freedom. And so we decided to free the tuna.” In a radio address, the Maltese prime minister, Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, condemned the release of the fish. Three days after freeing the tuna, the crew of the Steve Irwin returned to the area but were fired on by Maltese fisherman using flare guns until they retreated. The fish they released were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Roundup resistant weeds could force farmers to use harsh herbicides again Thanks to evolution, today's pesky weeds are no longer susceptible to the best herbicide of yesterday: Roundup. Since the 1970s, Roundup has been the primary weed killer for farmers because it is safer than most herbicides and requires less tilling of the soil, resulting in less soil erosion. The corporation that created Roundup, Monsanto, even created crop seeds resistant to Roundup so farmers could spray their fields and then only plant Roundup-resistant seeds. Seeds containing Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" traits are now used to grow about 90 percent of the nation's soybeans and 70 percent of its corn and cotton. But since about 10 species of weeds have evolved to resist Roundup, many farmers are returning to the harsh herbicides of decades past. Farmers and agricultural industry experts are turning to 2,4-D, a World War II era herbicide also used to produce Agent Orange and another herbicide called dicamba. Penn State University weed scientist David Mortensen estimates that in three or four years, farmers' use of dicamba and 2,4-D will increase by 55.1 million pounds a year because of resistance to Roundup. Kaizen Productions LLC clean 23:36 http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-april-15-2010/ http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-april-15-2010/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:31:10 +0000 RisaP http://newlygreens.com/?p=2353 The Bad News: Coal mine explosion kills 25 Oil spills devastate Delta wildlife refuge Chinese ship slams into Great Barrier Reef The Good News: UN launches global greenhouse emissions calculator Obama signs the first federal fuel economy standards into law Clean technology investments soar in 2010 First [...]]]> http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-april-15-2010/feed/ 0 Anna Tibiajuka,Australia,Chevron,coal mine explosion,Delta National Wildlife Refuge,Department of Transportation,Douglas Shoals,Environmental Protection Agency,EPA,Global Greenhouse Gas Standard,Great Barrier Reef,Louisiana The Bad News: - Coal mine explosion kills 25 - Oil spills devastate Delta wildlife refuge - Chinese ship slams into Great Barrier Reef - The Good News: UN launches global greenhouse emissions calculator - The Bad News: Coal mine explosion kills 25 Oil spills devastate Delta wildlife refuge Chinese ship slams into Great Barrier Reef The Good News: UN launches global greenhouse emissions calculator Obama signs the first federal fuel economy standards into law Clean technology investments soar in 2010 First the Bad News... Coal mine explosion kills 25 Everyone by now should know about the tragic coal mine explosion in West Virginia that killed 25 employees of the Massey Energy Company on April 5. But now, media outlets are beginning to scrutinize the company about its safety record as well as its environmental impact. In the last two months, miners had to be evacuated from the Upper Big Branch mine three times because of dangerously high methane levels. According to the New York Times, "In 2008, one of its subsidiaries paid what federal prosecutors called the largest settlement in the history of the coal industry after pleading guilty to safety violations that contributed to the deaths of two miners in a fire in one of its mines. That year, Massey also paid a $20 million fine — the largest of its kind levied by the Environmental Protection Agency — for clean water violations." Oil spills devastate Delta Wildlife Refuge A Chevron Pipe Line Company pipeline leaked an estimated 18,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana last week. No word yet on the damage, but investigators are flying planes above the area to try and assess the situation. The refuge covers nearly 49,000 acres of marsh and is the habitat of many different species of birds and other wildlife. Chinese ship slams into Great Barrier Reef The Chinese coal-carrying ship Shen Neng 1 ran aground two weeks ago on Douglas Shoals, off the coast of Queensland state in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The shoals are in a protected part of the reef where shipping is restricted by environmental law. This ship was nine miles out of the shipping lane it was supposed to be traveling in. The ship is currently leaking oil into an otherwise pristine environment and it could take weeks to get the ship off the Reef. Here's Patrick Quirk of Queensland's Maritime Safety department, courtesy of the Associated Press: [Insert Clip] The ship's owner could be fined up to 1 million Australian dollars ($920,000) for straying from a shipping lane used by 6,000 cargo ships each year. Now the Good News! UN launches global greenhouse emissions calculator On March 23, the United Nations launched the first common system of calculating the amount of greenhouse gases produced in a given city, allowing cities to compare their performances and analyze differences. It's called the Global Greenhouse Gas Standard. The new common standard also takes into account cities’ primary energy sources, climate, means of transportation and urban form. “In reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cities are part of the solution: city officials are discovering new ways to get people out of cars and into rapid transit buses; to harness the methane released by landfills and turn it into energy; to support compact urban development and not urban sprawl,” said Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT. First federal fuel economy standards created The EPA and the Department of Transportation have tag-teamed President Obama's greenhouse gas directive, announcing on April 1 the first-ever national greenhouse gas emissions standards. The new program claims it will do the following: Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 960 million metric tons over the lifetime of the vehicles regulated, equivalent to taking 50 million cars and light trucks off the road in 2030. Conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles regulated. Enable the average car buyer of a 2016 model year vehicle to enjoy a net savings of $3,000 over the lifetime of the vehicle, Kaizen Productions LLC clean 10:16 http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-april-8-2010/ http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-april-8-2010/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:00:01 +0000 RisaP http://newlygreens.com/?p=2309 The Headlines: Obama’s new energy plan “State of the Planet 2010″ conference Millenium Development Goals deadline Anti-climate change industry takes a hit East Anglia Professor Exonorated The Details: Obama’s new energy plan Fresh from his victory with the passage of the new health care bill as well [...]]]> http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-april-8-2010/feed/ 0 2010,2015,Alaska,Ban Ki-moon,Beijing,British House of Commons,climate denial industry,Columbia University,conference,Democrat,Earth Institute,East Anglia The Headlines: - Obama's new energy plan - "State of the Planet 2010" conference - Millenium Development Goals deadline - Anti-climate change industry takes a hit - East Anglia Professor Exonorated - The Details: - Obama's new energy plan - The Headlines: Obama's new energy plan "State of the Planet 2010" conference Millenium Development Goals deadline Anti-climate change industry takes a hit East Anglia Professor Exonorated The Details: Obama's new energy plan Fresh from his victory with the passage of the new health care bill as well as the new higher education bill, President Obama unveiled his new energy plan on March 31. The plan throws back to the Republican campaign chant of "Drill Baby Drill". Is the "everything under the umbrella" strategy an olive branch to open the dialog or a slap in the face to environmentalists? Perhaps both. Here are the four main points of the plan as summed up by the L.A. Times: 1. Open two-thirds of the eastern Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas resources for drilling. 2. Proceed with drilling off Virginia, provided the project clears environmental and military reviews. 3. Allow for drilling off the mid- and southern Atlantic coasts. 4. Allow for potential drilling in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas -- areas hotly defended by environmentalists -- but issue no new drilling leases in either sea before 2013. Environmentalists and other liberals are up in arms. We'll see how this affects Obama's decisions, and how Congress decides to proceed with this new legislation. Several nations participate in "State of the Planet 2010" conference On March 25, participants from New York,  Beijing, New Dehli, Nairobi and London all got together with individual events as well as through video-conference to discuss the title of the event, "The State of the Planet." The New York end of the conference was hosted by The Earth Institute at Columbia University and in London by The Economist. And many classrooms around the world streamed live webcasts of the event. Topics discussed included climate change, poverty, economic recovery, and international systems of crisis management. [Insert Ban Ki-moon clip] That was UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speaking from The Earth Institute. He was just one of many speakers, including Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Prince Albert II of Monaco and various business owners and professors from around the world. Ban Ki-moon is also making headlines on his own in our next story... Millenium Development Goals deadline fast approaching If you're unfamiliar with the U.N.'s Millenium Development Goals or MDGs, there are eight of them, and they include halting the epidemic spread of HIV/AIDS  as well as cutting cases of extreme poverty in half. The U.N. has given themselves a deadline for these lofty ambitions: 2015. Not surprisingly, the U.N. is nowhere near reaching these goals after 10 years since the initiative began. So Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is now calling for a summit of all the world's leaders to address the issue. Scheduled to take place in New York in September, the summit, according to the Secretary-General should "focus attention and accelerate the process to achieve, to realize, the goals of the MDGs by the target year, 2015." Now the ball is in the court of the leaders of the world. We'll continue to update you on this story as it develops. Anti-climate change industry takes a hit [Koch is pronounced Coke] Greenpeace has been making news every week, and this week is no exception. They just exposed Koch Industries, one of the largest privately-owned companies in the world, for funding the anti-climate change industry. Greenpeace accuses the Kansas-based company of discreetly delivering nearly $50 million "to climate-denial front groups that are working to delay policies and regulations aimed at stopping global warming[...]" Greenpeace's report, entitled "Koch Industries: Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine", is aimed at showing the public how much of the information they see as the "real" truth about climate change is really coming from private and incredibly biased sources. Kaizen Productions LLC clean 6:36 http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-march-25-2010/ http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-march-25-2010/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:00:01 +0000 RisaP http://newlygreens.com/?p=2189 This week’s headlines: Gallup Polls Show More Americans Don’t Believe in Global Warming National Bike Summit Takes DC Greenpeace Gorillas Nestle! Bad News Polar Bears To Buy Green Products or To Steal Them? The Details: Gallup Polls Show More Americans Don’t Believe in Global Warming Two new [...]]]> http://newlygreens.com/podcasts/reusable-news-march-25-2010/feed/ 0 Canada,Democrats,Energy,Gallup Polls,Global Warming,Green,Greenland,Greenpeace,Independents,National Bike Summit,Norway,Orangutan This week's headlines: - Gallup Polls Show More Americans Don't Believe in Global Warming - National Bike Summit Takes DC - Greenpeace Gorillas Nestle! - Bad News Polar Bears - To Buy Green Products or To Steal Them? - The Details: - This week's headlines: Gallup Polls Show More Americans Don't Believe in Global Warming National Bike Summit Takes DC Greenpeace Gorillas Nestle! Bad News Polar Bears To Buy Green Products or To Steal Them? The Details: Gallup Polls Show More Americans Don't Believe in Global Warming Two new polls released by Gallup this week show that not only are Americans growing less concerned about the environment, but a record number of them believe Global Warming is exaggerated. An astonishing 41% of Americans believe this. Gallup's website claims, "This represents the highest level of public skepticism about mainstream reporting on global warming seen in more than a decade of Gallup polling on the subject." So where is this doubt coming from? According to Gallup, Republicans are in first place. A whopping 66% of Republicans believe Global Warming is exaggerated. Independents are not far behind, with 44% of them doubting the impact. Only 20% of Democrats believe Global Warming to be exaggerated. A second poll by Gallup asked Americans to rate their amount of concern with 8 environmental issues including global warming, loss of tropical rain forests, and various types of water and air pollution. Not surprisingly, the pollution or contamination of drinking water ranked as the highest concern. But what concern came in dead last? Global Warming. Only 28% of Americans surveyed say they "worry a great deal" about Global Warming. National Bike Summit Takes DC Last week we reported that Google had added a bike path feature to Google Maps. There's one group of folks who are particularly tickled about that - the League of American Bicyclists. Their 10th annual National Bike Summit was held from March 9 to 12 in Washington D.C. this year, with over 700 cycling advocates participating.The goal was to jumpstart national bike advocacy and raise awareness of bicycling as an alternative to driving. In a surprise appearance at the conclusion of the event, United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made an appearance, ending the summit with a pledge to make cycling concerns a priority. Greenpeace Gorillas Nestle! Treehugger reports: In a victory for the advocacy group Greenpeace, their European members have managed to persuade Nestle to drop Indonesian palm oil producer Sinar Mas Group because of their "continued expansion into rain forests and "critical orangutan habitat." Their campaign focuses on Kit Kat. While it's just one of the plethora of chocolate bars Americans enjoy, it happens to be the most popular chocolate bar in Europe. Palm oil plantations are being expanded everywhere, killing off the habitats for many animals including orangutans. So Greenpeace posted a disturbing ad on YouTube depicting a man chomping down on an orange fur-covered Kit Kat, oozing blood and creating the sound of snapping bones. It barely got any views before Nestle had it pulled from the site. Outraged, Greenpeace posted the ad to Vimeo and made a big stink about how Nestle was trying to silence them via social media outlets like Twitter. We'll never know how much exposure the ad might have seen if it had just stayed up on YouTube. But the response once people knew the ad had been taken down by Nestle (AKA The Man), caused the chocolate company to issue the following statement a scant few hours later: "We share the deep concern about the serious environmental threat to rain forests and peat fields in South East Asia caused by the planting of palm oil plantations." Nestlé has also committed to using only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil by 2015. Check out the Greenpeace ad. Bad News Polar Bears The Huffington Post reports that a proposed ban on polar bear trade failed to pass at the UN's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on March 18. The proposal was made by the United States and was rejected by Canada, Norway and Greenland among others. The U.S. Kaizen Productions LLC clean 10:18