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In the green world, information is thrown about with abandon. Statistics are manipulated to fit a hypothesis or to support a course of action, often a course of action that's ultimately harmful to both the environment and its inhabitants. Us. So how do you sort out the BS from the good stuff? It's not easy, but we're here to help. Here's the deal:
1. Clean coal will save the world.
Clean coal is an oxymoron. Mining coal has huge negative environmental effects: it produces CO2 and methane, both greenhouse gases; it produces radioactive waste; it interferes with groundwater and water tables; it causes mine subsidence (cave-ins from a surface level; often houses etc are built over mines and are in danger of damage from subsidence); it causes acid mine drainage from exposed coal surfaces. In addition, strip mining completely eliminates existing vegetation, destroys the genetic soil profile, displaces or destroys wildlife and habitat, degrades air quality, alters current land uses, and to some extent permanently changes the general topography of the area mined and adversely affects biodiversity.
And that's just the mining part. Any time coal is burned, regardless of the technology used, there are emissions. So I will say it again: there is no such thing as "clean coal." So-called Clean Coal Technology actually is a huge energy waster, using 10-40% of a power station's resources. In addition, even though this technology removes many of the emissions from the burning process (while simply diverting it to a different waste stream), it still doesn't address CO2, which is a major greenhouse gas. And the technology is very expensive to produce; estimates are that moving toward it will increase consumer electricity costs up to 90%. The whole "clean coal" idea is a major example of greenwashing.
2. GM crops will save the world.
Genetically-modified crops have been around ever since humans first ventured into agriculture. So what's the big deal about GMO? Plenty. These days, genetically-modified crops are being bred to combat specific things like resistance to pests and disease, and are touted as worldsavers. GM crops are said to have higher yields and therefore are justified as being a lifesaver to hungry areas of the globe. But the fact is, most GM crops are raised to feed livestock, not people, or used to create biofuels and highly-processed non-nutritious food products. GM crops themselves are often less nutritious than their non-GM counterparts; studies have shown that they take up fewer nutrients from the soil. And, contrary to what greenwashers like Monsanto (developers of widely-used GM crop hybrids) say, they frequently have a lower overall yield than non-GM crops.
The way to feed the hungry people of the globe is to give them better access to land, water, education, and infrastructure. Period.
3. People in developing nations should stop having so many babies.
The major consumers of the earth's resources are the residents of highly-developed nations. You and me. The people whose water usage, for example, is 2 gallons a day (procured from a stream or well half a mile away), have a pretty small environmental footprint. They are not the problem. They are not the generators of the majority of the greenhouse gas emissions. No, that's us, people who live in highly-developed countries and who drive cars, own computers, dry clothes, water massive lawns, and heat houses with oil, electricity, and gas.
That's not to say that overpopulation isn't a problem, but it's an overall global problem, not limited to specific parts of the world. The problem starts when developing nations feel they have to play catch-up with their consumption of resources. They want to consume at the same levels as high-income nations. Look what's happened in China with the proliferation of coal-fired plants and massive amounts of pollution, most of it generated beginning relatively recently.
A better solution would be to decrease consumption at the top levels (that's you and me) while increasing consumption at the bottom levels (those developing nations we like to blame) while at the same time allowing their population growth to slow with the advent of education, economic opportunity, and income equity.
4. Eco houses are difficult and expensive to build.
Phooey. Energy-efficiency is easier than we think. A well-designed passive home with energy efficient windows requires markedly less heating and cooling than conventionally-built housing. Existing technologies combined with common-sense design can increase energy efficiency by 35 percent and reduce heating costs by 80 percent for the average building in industrialized markets. Imagine the energy savings! Not to mention the reduction in drain on resources and the burden on the greenhouse gas emissions we spew out daily from so many sources.
The truth is that highly energy-efficient and sustainable homes can be built for less than people believe. A recent survey by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development shows that we believe that green building methods cost nearly 20% more than conventional construction, whereas in reality the difference is closer to 5%. Only 5% more but look what you get in return! Buildings already represent approximately 40 percent of primary energy use globally, and energy consumption in buildings is projected to rise substantially in the world's most populous and fast growing countries such as China and India, so why not make new construction green? Germany is thinking about this: they are working on solar panel installation across the nation, and Germany isn’t particularly known for its excessive sunshine, you know? Green technology is adaptable to many climates around the world, and the return on investment is vast. And that investment is less than we think.
5. Being green costs a lot.
Wrong again. But you do have to be smart. For example, want to be a meat-eater? Fine. Then consider grass-fed, organic meats. They take less toll on the environment and they’re better for you. Expensive, you say? Well, yes. Then do like people do in many countries do and use meat as a condiment rather than making it take a starring role in your meals. The meat won’t mind, I promise. Or eat vegetarian for some of your meals. You can eat fabulous meals of fresh, organic veggies—and a little quality meat—for the same money you’d be spending to scarf down meat-and-potatoes meals.
What about organic this and organic that? Do organic things really matter? Well, yes and no. So do your homework. Think you need expensive organic cleaners? Armed with only vinegar, a spray bottle, and a rag or post-consumer-recycled paper towels (which you can later compost), you can clean almost everything in your home. Add in baking soda, which costs next to nothing, and maybe some essential oils like lavender and tea tree oil (which not only smell good but have anti-bacterial qualities to boot), and you’re set. Suck it, Lysol!
And it’s not just food and cleaners. You can apply a mixture of common-sense, a little homework, and some fresh DIY and find that being green is not more expensive. But it is smarter. And it will make you feel good about your part in this great big global thing we’ve got going on.
6. There's nothing you can do.
Wrong. There's plenty you can do. Every small green step you take on a personal level has not only a cumulative effect but also puts you in more and more of the green mindset. You become aware of your actions. It's mindfulness, but in green terms. So yes, hanging your clothes up to dry makes a difference. Composting your food scraps makes a difference. Eating local foods and supporting local small farms makes a difference. Walking or biking when you can makes a difference. Using greener cleaners instead of pouring chlorine bleach down your drain makes a difference. Simplifying your life makes a difference. Creating a backyard habitat for animals makes a difference. Being aware of where your dollars go makes a difference.
Every step you take, any step you take makes a difference. You are the future of this planet.
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I can't tell you how nuts it makes me to hear #6 so often. It's like the Starfish Poem - even if you can't save every starfish, it matters to those you throw back!
After reading this we think i can't do anything.
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This is a terrific article. I write a lot about environment, and this article presents and responds to common stumbling blocks of understanding in a straightforward way. download iron man 2 | download step up 3d | download toy story 3 | scott pilgrim vs the world movie download
Anyone with even a passing understanding of GM would know that :
- Most GM crops grown today are about reducing inputs rather than increasing yield.
- Anyway, GM Yields aren't lower - they tend to be higher:
http://www.pgeconomics.co.uk/pdf/GM_crop_yield_arial.pdf
"The way to feed the hungry people of the globe is to give them better access to land, water, education, and infrastructure." Of course, it's all so simple! Why did no one else think of that?
This is a terrific article. I write a lot about environment, and this article presents and responds to common stumbling blocks of understanding in a straightforward way. The article is also of special interest as it touches on very hot issues within that realm, such as coal as salvation for our energy needs, the blaming of "those people over there" for having too many babies, cost vs benefit of being environmentally aware and active, and hopelessness vs action. Well done.
Interesting article, albeit overtly tilted. No mention of the fact that there isn't enough arable land on the planet to support the worlds population without genetically modified crops. GM crops ARE ALREADY saving the world.
Creative manipulation of certain arguments, like the cost of "green" housing. If "green" housing were so inexpensive, why aren't fully green houses and neighborhoods popping up everywhere? Because while it is true they may reduce energy costs moderately, the costs of the materials themselves are exponentially more expensive than traditional materials.
Sure there's no such thing as "clean coal". But I'm wondering what the suggestion is here, given the fact that so much of the world runs on it right now. Should we...stop powering into the gird, and fall into chaos? Or should we...at least make it as clean as we can while we transition to something more sustainable and less environmentally offensive? Just seems a little self-righteous.
If you'd really like to help, perhaps you could make a list of ways to produce more solar panel cells more efficiently and inexpensively.
As an aside, China already has in place many limitations and restrictions on pollution and energy usage that most of the westernized world doesn't. So be careful throwing around the "Look what's happened in China" stuff. It comes across as uneducated and unaware.
Another individual who knows nothing of GM foods.. *sigh*
nicely written; we need such eye-openers
People dont eat GMOs because they have a bad image and they have more restrictions to be able to enter the food stream
Fantastic article. Wish more people knew this information. We need to challenge there stories that are told and retold and replace them with new stories about what is possible. That's what we are trying to accomplish at greenwala.com.
Here's what one government did to save the forests:SEE:
Last word on Hemp in Canada, Canadian government site for the truth!
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/highlights/2008/0803hemp_e.html
China has moved ahead of the Americans to burn less gas, SEE:
"The astounding Chinese have epoched the great GM, of U.S.A. in producing an Electric/gas/plug-in car! They are driving them in the streets of China as we speak, they will be retailed in the U.S.A. by 2011, they will cost half the price of a "Volt" and they are "On Order" for Israel! GM take a deep breath, your naughty parts have just been cut off by a Chinese high-tech competitor, and the "Volt" is still "Vapor-ware"!" See:http://www.cleantech.com/news/3983/chinas-byd-sells-first...
Refrigeration , a high-profit rip-off? SEE:
This fridge and a solar model at http://www.geekologie.com/2008/08/zero_carbon_footprint_t...
Einstein Fridge - http://www.gomestic.com/Consumer-Information/Eco-Fridge-T...
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/adam_grosser_and_his_s...
The real cost of Corn as Fuel, SEE:
An acre of U.S. corn yields about 7,110 pounds of corn for processing into 328 gallons of ethanol. But planting, growing and harvesting that much corn requires about 140 gallons of fossil fuels and costs $347 per acre. Even before corn is converted to ethanol, the feedstock costs $1.05 per gallon of ethanol.
The Truth about just how fat we are, SEE:
For a time, Beverly Hills doctor Craig Alan Bittner turned the fat he removed from patients into biodiesel that fueled his Ford SUV and his girlfriend's Lincoln Navigator.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/12/21/fat-fuel-biod...
GMO'ed seeds, good for the Corporation too! SEE:
The Geopolitics of GM Food
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/2005/Geopolitics-GM-Food6mar0...
American Scientists admit Wind power best for all, SEE:
There is as much wind power potential (900,000 megawatts) off our coasts as the current capacity of all power plants in the United States combined, according to a new report entitled, A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and General Electric. http://www.capecodtoday.com/news246.htm01/01/09
The "fuel shortage lie exposed. SEE:
The University of New Hampshire is exploring ways of forced production of algae for biodiesel that is yielding 10,000 gallons per acre and uses salty water. Their calculations show that a tiny area of the Sonoran desert in New Mexico (about 9%) would be enough area to produce all of the transportation fuel in the U.S. using their production techniques. Already, one company is experimenting with algae production stations at a power plant to capture the CO2 from the exhaust and use it to make algae for biodiesel. http://www.itsgood4.us/biodiesel.htm
A "Poop disposal" solution for all! SEE:
DRY TOILETS
http://www.gardinerch4.com/
The G/CH4 is a low-cost mechanical toilet. It is sold alongside
a simple biodigestor unit. In the toilet, a biodegradable lining
material transfers and contains excrement in a sealed container
which the user empties into the biodigestor, sited at an outdoor
location, in exchange for methane gas: free cooking fuel.
Cambridge U. breakthrough solves worls lighting problems. SEE:
LED-Cheaper
"A £2 energy-saving lightbulb that lasts for 60 years has been developed by scientists at Cambridge University. The researchers have designed a bulb that is three times more energy efficient than today's best offer and can cut lighting bills by 75 per cent.The bulbs are 12 times more efficient that conventional tungsten bulbs and three times more efficient than compact fluorescent "energy efficient" bulbs. They can burn for 100,000 hours and they illuminate instantly and can be dimmed, unlike energy efficient bulbs."
http://theinfochief.com/
Oslo, Norway subsidizes buses with shit! SEE:
"Free, friendly and non-fossil - biomethane from human waste will soon power public transport in Oslo, the capital city of Norway." http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/29/human-sewage-to-power-bu...
Sweden wastes nothing, not even offal. SEE:
Sweden biogas Runs Buses, cars, trucks!
SvenskBiogas, which produces, distributes and sells biogas for transportation in eastern Sweden. Each year the company takes 50,000 tons of a stomach-churning mixture of slaughterhouse waste, human waste and seized alcohol and turns it into clean-burning biogas. See: http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____14363.aspx
Stop eating beef, save the world. SEE:
"Cattle are fed prodigious quantities of corn. At a feedlot of a mere 37,000 cows, 25 tons of corn are dumped every hour. It takes 1.2 gallons of oil to make the fertilizer used for each bushel of that corn. Before a cow is slaughtered, she will eat 25 pounds of corn a day; by the time she is slaughtered she will weigh more than 1,200 pounds. In her lifetime she will have consumed, in effect, 284 gallons of oil. Today's factory-raised cow is not a solar-powered ruminant but another fossil fuel machine." SEE: http://www.earthsave.org/environment/foodchoices.htm
Nuclear is always one engineering error from Armageddon. SEE:
Chernobyl Movie
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5384001427276447319
Monsanto not always good folk~ SEE:
Monsanto stole patented wheat from Indian farmers
SEE: http://www.boingboing.net/2004/10/13/monsanto-stole-paten...
Help America be strong:
Please donate your old boxes to a church-group or some needy student in these hard times! To comply with the law, and with Microsoft's leasing policy, you can now replace Microsoft OS with the free (download from the net) Ubuntu OS, which can be set to erase the hard drive of all traces of the "illegal to give away " Microsoft system and your private information, before donation! Now, explain to your lucky recipient that all the manuals they will ever need are available for free on the internet! Just ask for them in Google! OpenOffice, which is installed already is plenty adequate for homework assignments and with a little exploring, everything else can work well too! Happy computing!
I think with #3 you are mixing two issues, which are not related in their causes but together make a very dangerous cocktail endangering our future as a species. While capitalist consumerist societies disregard the damage it inflicts in it's own environment, overpopulation is irresponsible and as you pointed out, means that that growing number of people could at some point want to imitate the ways of the more 'developed' societies. This could -actually, this will- increase exponentially the problems we are facing now.
Some good points here, but, you should make it more clear that overpopulation is actually a specific problem in certain areas of the world as well as being a global issue - they aren't mutually exclusive. For instance, the rapid expansion of developing cities causes local resource problems but also has an effect in rural areas with able bodied depopulation.
To what purpose is all of this? What is all of this growth of technology and population for? Do we want everyone to live forever? To be used as a tool? All of our advanced technology merely gives us simple gratifications and further promotes procreation. Eventually the world would just become a manufactured landscape. Cities everywhere along with food manufacturing facilities.
Maybe the purpose to life is just enjoyment. But many would give more chaotic answers in this sea of thought.
"5. Being green costs a lot.
Wrong again. But you do have to be smart. For example, want to be a meat-eater? Fine. Then consider grass-fed, organic meats. They take less toll on the environment and they're better for you. Expensive, you say? Well, yes."
F***** idiots. "Wrong again" -> "Expensive, you say? Well, yes."
Way to deny and dodge the point, then admit it.
Genetic modification hasn't been around for centuries, sure we *bred* cattle to have certain qualities but breeding isn't the same as taking a gene from a firefly and *artificially* adding it to a cat to produce a glowing cat.
Number 2 and 3 are misleading to say the least.
overpopulation is the greatest threat. sorry, that means people ought to have less babies... this includes developing nations. perhaps you meant to say Myth #3: "overpopulation is not a problem in developed nations."
giving developing nations food, medicine, water, and education will do nothing if they dont stop having so many babies...otherwise they just end up straining the supply and jump back into mass poverty, illness, and war.
and political resistance to genetically modified foods is borne from fear of "playing god". why would you automatically dismiss an avenue that could be so beneficial. even if yields are lower (i highly doubt), then who's to say with a few more tweaks they couldn't actually improve. and it is a myth that your potatoes are going to glow green (although how can you be sure that is inherently bad anyway...stupid people associating glowing things with radiation). the real issue with GM crops is that they have the potential to become invasive and destroy native ecosystems.
I actually spend less money now than I did before I became conscious of the environment. I realized that all I need in the bathroom is a simple soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and tea tree oil. I have one all natural cleaner for the house instead of 6 to 10. Instead of buying paper plates/forks/cups, I use my normal dishes and just do more dishes at the end of the day. I eat a mostly organic/natrual diet, with decreased portions of meat (all of which is locally bough grass-fed, free range, and hormone and antibiotic free) and spend $30-$50 less on groceries a week between two people than most other families. I am also a full time college student with a job and still can find time to make these changes in my life. I think that if I can do it, nobody else has an excuse not to.
I appreciate your efforts here, I think these are basic practices/beliefs that people should consider...climate change or not. But there are a few points that you're ignoring by promoting these actions as means to "an end". First, there is no scientific FACT that global warming is man-made. Instead, there is "Scientific Consensus"...which is what scientists do when there is no fact, but agreement. That being said, there is just as much "Scientific Consensus" saying that man is not a primary factor in the changing climate. I wholeheartedly agree that it's changing, that man is effecting it to some degree and that we should ALL BE BETTER STEWARDS of planet Earth. But I just want to remind people that 'consensus' is not 'fact'...it's consensus. If it were proven fact, we wouldn't call it the 'climate debate' and everyone would be on board. Instead, the cause has lost steam in the last year because of hysteria from alarmists, remotely educated 'ground soldiers' and the growing 'consensus' from a growing body of scientists who are no longer afraid to speak out regarding NATURAL changes to the Earth's climate. We all know there was an ice age roughly 11,000 years ago...the earth HAS been warming for a very long time. And what about during the medieval period...the climate changed dramatically without any of the man-made attributes that are so often referenced as catalysts today. Again, I believe we should ALL BE BETTER STEWARDS, but down with the fear, hysteria and apocalyptic message that are being used to drive 'sheep'.
On a political note, Liberals claimed Republicans used the "War on Terror" to control people via fear, that Bush maintained "policies of fear", etc., etc... However, Liberals have done precisely the same thing with, first Global Warming, then Global Climate Change (the name change is further evidence of the frail platform the 'man-made' argument rests upon). Using fear as a tool is employed by all political parties and on all levels of life. I, personally, have made the conscious decision NOT to live in fear, but to do what I can as an individual to better my impact on the environment and have a positive influence on others.
7) Human CO2 is causing global warming...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=288952680655100870&hl=en
Nonsense!You don't know the trouble of big population in developing country,you don't know what does that mean,what does that bring!Every family suffer it!!!Because of the poverty,we shall cut down the population hardly.But agree that all the country should do it so.Sorry for my poor English.I'm a Chinese.
To save money and produce less CO2 emissions you can try Green Pulse - a computer power management solution at http://www.getgreenpulse.com and http://www.green-ray.net for enterprise users.
When I watch news about warm earth, I fill very bad. Right now I think energy from solar panels is best way. If every where around the world use solar panels instead of use electric from factory, our world will become clean and not increase warm crisis.
I have a sense of history repeating itself with everything humans attempt to address our energy shortage and the effects on the planet. The issue for me appears that it is the large scale we apply to everything. Coal has been used for centuries by local villages, for local people. Now we use coal in mass quantities for a mass consumption. I would say the same will be for any alternative energy source unless we rebuild the essence of villages and use local resources that are available in that particular area. This goes for food, buildings and even clothing. Lets get real!
I agree with so much. Coal is not good for us at all. There are so many bad gases from it. Coal supports half of our heating in the U.S. We need to get away from it.
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very informative.. thx for sharing...
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Ecomyths is a blog designed to help people think for themselves. ... myths: ideas taken to be so well accepted that they don't need to be ...placement argent
People always use to believe in such lies. I don`t know why people don`t use their sense.
The 5 easy steps to being green, creating local jobs, and adverting the worst effects of climate change and peak oil.
1) Stop SprawL!!! 2) R.R.Recycle! 3) ReForest/FoodForest!/VirginForest!! 4) Wind!/GeoThermal!!/Solar! 5) Electric&OpenSource Trains!!/Cars/Media!
www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/solutions
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Statistics are manipulated . Lets stop there! I am personally warn out by the manipulation of statistics to fit the need of the owner, product, service and negotiation. This is such a waste of quality intellectual data. We see it every day, but do nothing. We allow these cheats to trick and treat themselves into believing it to be an honest review or reflection. Lets get it right for our future and that of our children.
Great article and without question oh so true! I do have personal concerns that some of so called solutions to protecting our planet earth are just another for of manipulating unsuspecting population. Time will tell if our alternative energy saving cars, lighting and to some degree buildings will in fact benefit or cause more problems.
Every small green step we take on a personal level has not only a cumulative effect but also puts us in more and more of the green mindset. We become aware of our actions. It's mindfulness, but in green terms. That is right!
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In the green world, information is thrown about with abandon. Statistics are manipulated to fit a hypothesis or to support a course of action, often a course of action that's ultimately harmful to both the environment and its inhabitants.
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And that's just the mining part. Any time coal is burned, regardless of the technology used, there are emissions.
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This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is very nice one and gives in depth information. Thanks for this nice article. Good post.....Valuable information for all.
The holes in the ozone layer has to give you some clue to the affects of human hubris, which can ONLY affect the radiation levels on the earth to be changed and has proven to have done so..
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Well, so everyone need to do some green thing, it is our oligation to protect our own planet....
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