Category: environment

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A Czech Drugstore Has a Shampoo Refill Station to Help Cut Down on Plastic Waste

What a great idea!

This is something that definitely needs to happen in other countries besides the Czech Republic.

A Reddit user shared a photo with a caption that said, “Some drugstores in the Czech Republic introduced shampoo and shower gel filling machines. Customers can refill their empty bottles with various products so they don’t have to buy a new one every time.”

Some drugstores in the Czech Republic introduced shampoo and shower gel filling machines. Customers can refill their empty bottles with various products so they don’t have to buy a new one everytime from interestingasfuck

The photo looks like a regular, everyday drug store, but that filling station for shampoo and shower gel must cut down on plastic waste in a big way. Think about how often you buy a new bottle of shampoo or some kind of soap for your shower…and then think about everyone else who uses your local CVS.

Those numbers add up.

These kinds of measures not only cut down on plastic waste, but also reduces landfilled trash in general, which cuts down on methane release. And, on top of that, it helps reduce the demand for new plastic to be produced (which takes more fossil fuels). It’s all a cycle, you see?

At the landfill

Shopping in bulk is a classic way to cut down on plastic waste, and if you’re looking to do your part, it’s a good route to go – because I don’t know how common these kinds of soap refilling stations are in the U.S. There are a lot of good resources online for buying in bulk and to help you cut down on waste, including the blog Litterless and the website Zero Waste Home.

RECYCLE

This is a seriously great idea, and I hope it turns into a worldwide trend. We all need to do our part to help out the environment – climate change isn’t going to solve itself, and even though reducing trash doesn’t seem like it makes a difference, when enough people do it, it really does.

So let’s get moving in the right direction. Every little bit helps.

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Plastic Straws Aren’t the Biggest Offenders When It Comes to Oceanic Plastic Pollution

Well, this is interesting…

Plastic straws have been in the news lately, and not for anything good. People want to get rid of them, and consumers have been encouraging businesses and consumers alike to get on board in order to start trying to mitigate single-use plastics’ devastating effect on the world’s marine ecosystems.

But plastic straws only make up about .02% of ocean waste – not that much, in the scheme of things.

It turns out, that there’s a much bigger enemy to ocean life: cigarette butts.

 

According to an NBC News report, cigarette butts are the number one human contaminant in the ocean, but they have not, thus far, been significantly regulated.

The filters on cigarettes are made of cellulose acetate, which takes more than a decade to decompose. 60 million cigarette butts have been collected on the world’s beaches since 1986.

Cigarette makers invented the filters to alleviate health concerns (lol), but they created a concurrent pollution problem because smokers “flick” their butts – a habit no anti-littering campaign has been able to curb.

The Cigarette Butt Pollution Project hopes they can finally change attitudes with their new campaign.

“Cigarette butt waste has polluted our beaches, parks, and communities long enough – it’s time to take action!”

The U.S. government has attempted to curb the problem here and there, but legislation proposing to ban filters or raise the costs of cigarettes to cover the clean-up have sputtered and died.

A theme park in France has trained ravens to pick up cigarette butts in exchange for treats, but, though awesome, that’s not exactly a global solution.

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For those who think cigarette smoking is cool please think again. It doesn't only pollute you but also the environment immensely. Trillions of cigarette butts are thrown into the environment every year, where they leach nicotine and heavy metals before turning into microplastic pollution. Smokers around the world buy roughly 6.5 trillion cigarettes each year. That’s 18 billion every day. While most of a cigarette’s innards and paper wrapping disintegrate when smoked, not everything gets burned. Trillions of cigarette filters—also known as butts or ends—are left over, only an estimated third of which make it into the trash. The rest are casually flung into the street or out a window. Cigarette filters are made of a plastic called cellulose acetate. When tossed into the environment, they dump not only that plastic, but also the nicotine, heavy metals, and many other chemicals they’ve absorbed into the surrounding environment. . . Follow @anonymous_earth_person Follow #anonymous_earth_person For more information ? . #cigarettebutts #cigarette #pollution #airpollution #savetheearth #saveenvironment #saveanimals #ecofriendly #ecosystem #biodiversity #smokingkills #smoking #dontsmoke #microplastics #plastic #plasticpollution #plasticfreeliving

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As with the campaigns against plastic straws, it’s going to take a concentrated, sustained, and – most important – publicly supported effort to reduce the number of cigarette filters that end up in the oceans.

Do your part, and also…maybe don’t smoke in the first place? Because cigarettes kill more than marine life.

Just sayin’.

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Artist Turns Trash into Animals to Bring Awareness to the Environment

Artur Bordalo is an artist from Portugal who makes incredibly unique pieces…out of garbage. Bordalo has a series of pieces called “Big Trash Animals” that is meant to call attention to pollution and the dangers of harming the environment.

He hunts down materials that are dumped on the street, and I think it’s safe to say he puts them to excellent use.

Let’s take a look at Bordalo’s work.

1. Hedgehog in Italy.

2. Raccoon in Portugal.

3. Coyote in San Francisco.

4. Muskox in Sweden.

5. Baby raccoon in Pittsburgh.

6. Orangutan in London.

7. Rabbit in Portugal.

8. Sea turtle in Tahiti.

9. Hammerhead shark in Tahiti.

10. And finally, a squid in Portugal.

His work is truly amazing.

Be sure to check out Bordalo’s website as well as his Instagram and Facebook pages!

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A New UN Report Foretells of a Cataclysmic Climate Change Scenario

Countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 so they could find ways to protect the environment. Today, scientists have realized that the climate is changing faster than they first thought.

This year’s UN Report says that greenhouse gas emissions must decrease by 7.5% every year going forward to reduce the probability of warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius. A decrease of 2.7% annually would make sure the planet’s temperature doesn’t rise by 2 degrees Celsius.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Scientists warn that even subtle temperature increases could have massive effects – and have already. These could and do include coral reef die-offs, increased severe weather events, and economic problems associated with these changes.

Climate is already causing economic issues. Scientists also say that changes could have been made more gradually if world economies had responded to climate change sooner.

G20 countries—those that make up the world’s 20 largest economies—are responsible for 78% of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2009, many of these countries pledged that they would stop subsidies to their national fossil fuel industry, but they didn’t commit to a deadline.

Photo Credit: Pexels

Many countries are also far from meeting the commitments they pledged back then. Only five G-20 countries so far are on their way to reducing their carbon emissions rates to net zero.

Photo Credit: Pexels

Thankfully the report contains recommendations for changes countries can make so they can live up to their commitments and prevent drastic changes. The executive director of the UN’s Environment Program, Inger Andersen, says,

“This report gives us a stark choice: set in motion the radical transformations we need now, or face the consequences of a planet radically altered by climate change. We cannot afford to fail.”

Things sound grim, but at least there are things we can do to prevent extreme weather changes. What do you think of this news? Share your ideas below.

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Dunkin’ Donuts Is Ditching Its Iconic (But Environmentally Unfriendly) Styrofoam Cups

A lot of people are probably excited that Dunkin’ Donuts is getting rid of styrofoam cups at its locations.

The successful chain announced the move in 2018, and it is getting moving. The implementation of these changes will be 100% complete by April 2020.

This is a step in the right direction. The chain’s new vessels of choice will be double-walled paper cups that have a plastic lining to keep hot drinks warm. Dunkin’ Donuts is even going to make sure local governments have a say in how these cups will be recycled.

Customers have shared mixed opinions because the chain’s old cups really were iconic. But the environment is a good reason to give up something you don’t really need, even though you may have an emotional attachment to it.

The famed donut company worked hard for 10 years to come up with a way to solve its styrofoam problem. Dunkin’ has reported using more than a billion styrofoam cups annually.

That’s really too many.

In addition to the revamped cups, the company has ended “double-cupping.” This is when customers are given a styrofoam cup they can wrap around their cold drinks, so they won’t get warm.

Dunkin’ even coordinated a campaign that tried to make this transition fun. Needless to say, many New England customers aren’t happy about these changes, but the company knows and has anticipated people’s reactions for some time now. Kelly Katapodis, a spokeswoman for the company says,

“Our goal was to satisfy all our customers with a cup that is more environmentally friendly, has the insulation properties of foam and has the lid that our customers know and love. It took us a while to find the answer, but we believe the double-walled paper cup will please all our guests.”

Dunkin’ Donuts joins a slew of other companies that are changing their practices to preserve the environment.

And it’s about time!

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An Inventor Creates a Viable Plastic Alternative from Fish Waste

Brilliant!

This year’s International James Dyson award went to the inventor of a plastic alternative that could be used to make sandwich bags and other small carriers. And it’s made out of fish.

Inventor Lucy Hughes, age 24, won the UK category, beating out 1,078 other entries. The prize money amounted to 30,000 pounds.

Hughes created the material called MarinaTex from cast-off fish bits. “For me, sustainability has never been an afterthought,” she told Radio 1 Newsbeat.

She studied product design at the University of Sussex and has always considered the environmental impact of all her designs. “Traditionally, we design in quite a linear way. You take material, make something with it, and then discard of it.”

MarinaTex was her final school project.

The James Dyson Foundation runs the annual International James Dyson Award, a student design competition. All designs entered should solve a problem.

Today we announce the international winner of the James Dyson Award 2019 – MarinaTex, a bioplastic made from existing…

Posted by James Dyson Award on Thursday, November 14, 2019

Sir James Dyson said Hughes product solves two problems: One, single-use plastic, and two, fish waste.

This year saw the highest number of female entrants since it started in 2007.

Hughes’ material is innovative in that it will biodegrade in normal outdoor temperatures, meaning it could be disposed of in regular home compost bins.

Another issue, according to a United Nations report, is that 27 percent of all fish caught and brought inland never gets used.

This is could be the waste used, along with red algae and other components, to make the plastic alternative.

Hughes envisions her material replacing plastic for small bags for food and other single-use items. Her next step, after winning the award, is to see how it can be mass produced so it can start getting worked into products.

It looks to be a fantastic solution to some pressing problems. Let’s always be innovating!

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Heineken Is Switching out Plastic Six-Pack Rings for Cardboard Ones

Heineken has announced that it will stop using plastic rings to hold together their packs of beer cans. The company will begin in the United Kingdom, where the company has invested millions in equipment that now manufactures cardboard stocks that will hold multipacks of beer together.

The announcement was met with enthusiasm and support, as you can see below.

These plastic rings are called yokes or hi-cones in the beer and soda industry. They may seem harmless, but they have a serious environmental impact – particularly on ocean life.

The Guardian reports that these new cardboard rings will reduce plastic consumption in the UK by a whopping 517 tons by the end of 2021.

Heineken, Kronenbourg 1664, and Foster’s will be the first Heineken-owned brands available with the new compostable cardboard rings. All plastic multipacks will be phased out for other Heineken-owned brands, such as Red Stripe, Bulmer’s, John Smiths, and Strongbow, by 2021.

Heineken joins other beer brands that have committed to cutting down single-use plastic six-pack rings, such as Guinness, Budweiser, and Smithwick’s.

Other brands have been experimenting with different methods to reduce their use of single-use plastic for beer packs, such as Carlsberg, which announced that it will soon start using recyclable glue.

All in all, Heineken is joining many UK-based companies that are looking for ways to help save the planet. Let’s hope their ideas catch on!

Have you heard of other innovative ways corporations are trying to cut down plastic use? Give them a shoutout in the comments!

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The Taj Mahal Installed Air Purifiers to Defend Against Choking Smog

Unhealthy air pollution in India has hit record levels, and India’s most iconic and most visited attraction is attempting something to make tourists more comfortable.

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal sits in Agra in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state, around 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of New Delhi. Approximately eight million people tour this UNESCO World Heritage site every year.

 

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According to authorities in Uttar Pradesh, a “private firm” has provided several air purification vans for the city to use wherever and however they want. Officials chose to place two of these vans at the Taj Mahal. Few details on how the vans work or how long they would be there were given.

Bhuvan Prakash Yadav, a representative from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) told CNN, “This is on a trial basis for 10 days, but we are trying to get [the private firm] to continue it for some more time.”

Although the identity of the private firm was never confirmed, ads for telecom giant, Vodafone, are featured on the side of a few of the vans.

According to CNN, Yadav also said that each van is able to purify 1.5 million cubic meters (53 million cubic feet) of air in eight hours. Yet, the vans don’t have sensors, so verification of these numbers isn’t possible.

It may be the vans are more for public relations purposes than actually cleaning air.

India’s high court challenged the government to take better care of the site in 2018. Much recent damage to the Taj Mahal has come from pollution in the air and contamination in the nearby Yamuna River. Since then, crowd control in the form of a visitor time limit and hiked ticket prices have been implemented.

Air pollution has been an ongoing and serious problem in India, home to 22 of the 30 most polluted cities on the planet. New Delhi, India’s capital city is the number one most polluted city in the world. Lately, pollution levels reached a record high of approximately 9x more than the World Health Organization’s recommended “safe” level – the problem is rated “severe.”

Fossil fuel usage, crop burning and vehicle exhaust have all contributed to the problem.

Planes are even getting diverted from landing at New Delhi’s airport. Authorities say control measures are in place, but they will not be enough to stop the damage to Indian property and lives – the damage is already being done.

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This “Revolutionary” New Air Filtering Device Might Be a Big Deal in the Fight Against Climate Change

Are you listening? Good.

A carbon dioxide filtering device that can capture carbon dioxide from the air at just 400 parts per million has been hailed as a “revolutionary” instrument for tackling our climate crisis.

Sahag Voskian and T. Alan Hatton, chemical engineers at MIT, developed the method, which captures CO2 by passing air through special charged plates.

Carbon dioxide from the gas intake reacts with the electrodes in the device. Each electrode is coated with a carbon nanotubes and a polyanthraquinone compound. The device acts sort of like a battery, and as it charges, it absorbs carbon dioxide passing over the electrodes. As it discharges, it releases the greenhouse gas it has collected.

The carbon dioxide it releases during the discharge can be recycled to feed greenhouse plants, or even used in carbonated beverages.

Dr. Voskian said, “All of this is at ambient conditions — there’s no need for thermal, pressure, or chemical input. It’s just these very thin sheets, with both surfaces active, that can be stacked in a box and connected to a source of electricity.”

The biggest advantage to this way of filtering is the low energy cost: one gigajoule of energy for every ton of carbon dioxide captured. Compare that to the 1-10 gigajoules (depending on the concentration of CO2 taken in) used by alternative methods. Plus, if to expand the systems capacity, they only need to add more electrodes!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The study describing the new system was published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

The scientists have even created a company called Verdox that plans to build a plant to scale the process up for commercial use.

Cleaner air with lower energy. There’s a real future for that.

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10 Simple Ways You Can Help out the Environment

There are always little things you can do to help out the environment. Even if they seem inconsequential to you, taking small steps adds up – especially when countless other people are out there doing the same thing.

So try to implement these habits into your daily lives, and we’ll all be better for it in the long run.

Cause we’ve got a crisis on our hands, and every little bit helps.

1. Turn down the brightness on your monitor.

Desk Upgrade

You can save up to 20% of your monitor’s energy just by adjusting your brightness from 100% to 70%. Go on and do it now…I’ll wait.

2. Think about your music streaming.

Headphones

A study says that today’s music streaming might produce up to double the greenhouse gas emissions as compared to music streaming in the early part of this century. Consider downloading music instead of streaming and do a little research about which streaming companies use cleaner energy.

3. Streaming devices are important, too.

RCS_7989 - IPad - Game Changer

A gaming console might use 30 to 45 times as much power to stream a movie than a regular media player.

4. Order more.

Package

If you buy things online, order more than one item at a time. This cuts down on delivery and packaging in the long run.

5. Search engines matter.

Search engine optimization

Different search engines give back to the environment in different ways. For instance, Ecosia donates ad revenue to plant trees and, according to their website, they run net carbon negative. Do some research and see which ones are doing green work.

6. Unplug it.

Apple...Unplugged

When you’re not using your charger, unplug it. Simple as that. Phone and laptop chargers draw electricity even if you’re not actively charging a device, so give those breakers…a break.

7. Or use a surge protector.

Surge protector

Surge protectors with an On/Off switch are a good option too for those hard-to-reach plugs.

8. Get on that bike.

Kamilah on a Bike

Biking may actually be faster than driving a car in some American cities, so hop on that bicycle of yours to get to where you’re headed.

9. Spam is bad.

email-spam

Roughly 62 TRILLION spam emails are sent each year. Something you may not think about often: sending email actually has a carbon footprint from servers working. Which means those spam emails equal about 20 tons of CO2 each year. So go ahead and hit the “Unsubscribe” button, please.

10. Buy used and vintage clothes.

Thrift Store

According to The Economist, “From the pesticides poured on cotton fields to the washes in which denim is dunked, making 1kg of fabric generates 23kg of greenhouse gases on average.” Seems like kind of a waste, doesn’t it? So consider heading to the thrift store instead of grabbing a new flannel.

 

Give us some of your tips as well in the comments!

We’re in this together, so let’s all do our part, okay?

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