New Environmentalism Means More Than Recycling

Good article from Wendy Fachon writing for EcoRINews that is a valuable lesson in looking back before moving forward.  We've given you part of the article with a link to the rest:

By WENDY FACHON

"How do we define civilization? How do we define economic development?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), watersheds with greater than 15 percent impervious surfaces start to suffer negative ecological effects. In 2004, impervious surfaces — buildings, driveways, parking lots and paved playgrounds — covered 29 percent of the Greenwich Bay watershed, according to a 2012 EPA report entitled “Imprint of the Past: Ecological History of Greenwich Bay.”

Rather quickly rain runs off hard surfaces instead of slowly sinking into the ground, where water is naturally filtered to recharge groundwater aquifers. This stormwater runoff carries bacterial waste, automotive oil and many other chemical pollutants to streams and rivers and eventually out into the bay. Vacant buildings and parking lots along Post Road through East Greenwich and North Kingstown are part of this problem, yet municipalities continue to permit developers to add more shopping plazas, office parks and housing developments.

What is required for our towns to shift focus from economic/land development to revitalization?

The EPA’s ecological history report looks back on five historic periods of economic development and its impact on Greenwich Bay ecology. The report urges us to turnaround and take a good, long look behind us. Through pre-Colonial times, Narragansett natives had a minimal impact upon the land, and more than 90 percent of Rhode Island was forested. During the Colonial Period (1650-1750), Europeans arrived and began clearing land for subsistence farming. Some researchers estimate that one-third of the watershed’s forested land was cleared by 1700 and two-thirds was cleared by the late 1700s.

The elimination of trees changed the stability and filtering ability of the soil, increased erosion and caused sediment build up in the bay..."

LINK:  http://www.ecori.org/green-opinions/2013/5/15/new-environmentalism-means-more-than-recycling.html

From Better World Club

We received this and thought we'd share it with you:

I don't mean to spread rumors, but I heard your friends call you a... tree hugger.

Not the first time, huh? Us neither.

Here at Green America, we celebrate all you do!

And like you, we believe 'living green' is more than a trendy phase - it's a way of life that inspires people to be healthier, do better, and feel connected.

Living in a way that is healthy for people and planet requires mindfulness - and is sometimes a little extra work. That's why Green America would like to treat you to a little TLC!

When you make a $15 tax deductible donation to Green America, we'll send you a FREE 'Cause I Care Package - the resources you need to make green living easy and FUN:

• Fair Trade chocolate and coffee - thanking you for all you do for people and the planet!
• Our organic cotton produce bag - carry this bag and proudly declare 'I am a Green American.'
• 21 things you didn't know you could recycle - and other secrets to going green in our must-have wallet card.
• The National Green Pages™ - a directory of thousands of green products from socially and environmentally responsible businesses. No greenwashing - guaranteed!
• Green American magazine - your resource for practical and powerful green ideas. Don't miss our next issue 'Ten Steps to a Healthier Home!'
• Guide to Socially Responsible Investing - we'll help you make smart financial decisions that are in line with your values.

For more than 25 years, Green America's mission has been helping people like you find products from green businesses that you never even knew existed... learn new ways to reduce your impact on our environment... and boycott corporate criminals who are jeopardizing our world.

So please join more than 150,000 other 'tree hugging,' conscientious individuals who want to create a more just and sustainable world.

Enjoy the show and tour/2013

Last week's radio show

Has been putting up great numbers on Blog Talk Radio,  Renewable Now channel, and WARL 1320, and we'd like you to listen as well.  Here's a description on what you will hear:

On Renewable Now , Peter Arpin ,Seth Handy and Todd Dahlstrom of Calvert funds will talk to  Jules Freeder.  Jules is a expert at Calvert and we'll look at the  importance of water as a commodity to sustaining our economy as much as sustaining our lives

Learn more about Green investing ,log on to www.calvert.com

Renewable Now is all about the Business side  of Green.

Here's the link:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/renewable-now/2013/05/08/water-investing

Rhode Island Aquaponics A Home Aquaponics Experiment

We've been talking about Aquaponics on the show, and thought this would be a good model for you to look at and get familiar with what is going on in the new world--even home unit--of sustainable food production.

In the early days of Aquaponics and hydroponics, there was great skepticism on the quality of the fish--thinking they, too, would suffer, as does cattle, from a lack of space and exercise.  However, the current data suggest the quality is excellent with no deprivation due to smaller spaces.

You will see and hear a lot more--pros and cons--right here as we follow the story and the technology:

Wikipedia defines aquaponics as:  Aquaponics (pronounced: /ˈækwəˈpɒnɨks/) is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the animals. The term aquaponics is a portmanteau of the terms aquaculture and hydroponic.

Do’s and Don’ts of choosing fish for Home Aquaponics

DO:

1. Let your tank fully cycle (2 weeks should be perfect) before adding fish.
2. Get your water fully tested both prior to adding fish and on an ongoing basis once the tank is stocked.
3. Buy your fish from a reputable pet store .
4. Choose a hardy breed (I am now using comet goldfish – good size and seem to be pretty strong.

DON’T

1. Forget to rinse your Hydroton prior to adding to grow bed – failure to do so will hurt your fish and make your tank VERY cloudy.
2. Forget to account for heat loss from grow bed, for a 20 gallon tank you might need a 40 gallon heater.
3. Buy “feeder fish” on the cheap – these fish are usually packed into tight confines and come with *FREE* diseases.
4. Pick anything too frilly or pretty – your girlfriend might like them today but she will cry when you flush Nemo in a few days.

Great performance from an EV

How would you like to earn a top score in Consumer Magazine?  How about one of the highest scores ever?

After you read this, let us know if you still think hybrids and EV's can't compete with traditional cars:

Tesla Model S gets top score

An electric sports car from an American startup earns the highest score ever from Consumer Reports.

By the Editors of Consumer Reports

There, we said it. The Tesla Model S outscores every other car in our test Ratings. It does so even though it's an electric car. In fact, it does so because it is electric.

(Note: Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on MSN.)

Built from the ground up as an EV, this car's overall balance benefits from mounting the battery under the floor and in the lowest part of the body. That gives the car a rock-bottom center of gravity that enables excellent handling, a comfortable ride, and lots of room inside. Plus, it has a front trunk where other cars' gasoline engines would be, in addition to its large rear cargo space. This big luxury hatchback even seats seven, with its optional third-row jump seat.

Inside, the car looks like something Marty McFly might have brought "back from the future" in place of his iconic fusion-powered DeLorean. A giant 17-inch touch screen glows in the center of the dashboard, controlling everything from high-res Google Earth maps to opening the sunroof, setting the responsiveness of the regenerative brakes, and adjusting the suspension ride height. In all, the Model S worked better than we expected — especially being the first home-grown model from a brand-new car company.

View Pictures:  Tesla Model S

The electric motor delivers impressive power, right now, and it is impressively efficient. The Model S uses about half the energy of a Toyota Prius every mile, and it has more than twice the range — about 200 miles — of any other electric car we've driven. Still, you'll have to plan ahead for longer trips; you won't be taking it on a spontaneous jaunt from, say, New York to Cleveland any time soon. You won't make it. Even with Tesla's optional High Power Wall Connector, it takes about five hours to charge. On a standard 240-volt electric-car charger, it would take about 12 hours.

View Slideshow:  Luxury hybrid and electric cars

Tesla does provide some ability to make long trips in the Model S — as long as they're the right trips. Up and down California, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and between Boston and Washington, D.C., the company has set up a network of Supercharging stations — with free electricity — that can refill the battery halfway in a half hour. (To charge more than that at such speed takes longer and would damage the battery.)

All this comes at a price. We paid $89,650 for our Model S, with the biggest available battery, the most seats available, and the fastest available optional chargers. Then we still had to pay another $1,200 for Tesla's High Power Wall Connector. But operating costs are a little more than half that of a frugal Toyota Prius.

So is the Tesla Model S the best car ever? We wrestled with that question. It comes close. And if your needs are confined to the Tesla's driving range, it just may be. But for many people, the very thing that makes cars great is the ability to jump in and drive wherever you want on the map at a moment's notice. And on that measure the Tesla has its limitations. So the Model S may not satisfy every conceivable need, but as we've learned through our testing and living with it, the Model S is truly a remarkable car.

PLEASE URGE YOUR STATE REP. TO OPPOSE THIS BAD BILL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

This was sent to us by Autubon and we are happy to share it with you.  Let us know what you think:

Like the monster that doesn't die in a bad horror movie, the General Assembly has reintroduced the bill to take local zoning from your community.  

Last year this was the "dry lands bill" and it was defeated, thanks to your help.  

Now its call the Steep Slopes Bill. AND, this is no bad horror movie...this bill will force denser development as your town's plats are changed from farm, field and forest to house lots.  

We urge you to contact your state representative to OPPOSE this bill. 

Denser housing development, where it is not planned by State Guide Plan or wanted by local zoning, is about to be legislated.   

On Tuesday, May 14th the House will again try to pass this bad bill for the environment.   That means, even if your town or city wants certain zoning requirements...the legislature is about to take that right away from you.    

Please make a phone call, email, text, fax, your State Representative as soon as possible... like today...before tomorrow afternoon.