BloggersBase - Nature - Environment

Guest Post: Green Infrastructure, Earth Day and Global Awareness

thegreenfamilia — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:57:10 GMT

Spring 2010 is approaching and there’s a lot of buzz around topics like the economy, taxation, global poverty, restoration in Haiti/Chile, and lastly, green awareness. With spring, Earth Day also draws nearer (April 22nd); as individuals, we must remember and realize the importance of global warming and all of its implications. Subsequent topics discussed as of late include space travel/burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and green building. As nations like Haiti and Chile prepare for rebuilding and new construction, there are many things to consider when advancing. Moving towards cleaner, greener infrastructure is vital in ensuring a successful restoration campaign.

The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(3)(c) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everybody. It’s one of the many organizations playing its role in green progression. Heavy discussion lies on green topics, especially the more recent ones like space travel; others include deforestation, green crops, clothing, energy, and much more. It’s important that we as individuals/citizens stay up-to-date on important global topics like warming. As organizations like the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative), AFH (Architecture for Humanity), and the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) conducts sustainability campaigns and enforce strict green constraints, our world will continue to become a better, cleaner place. Machines behind the CGI, Doug Band and Former President Clinton have been pursuing an emission reduction plan in the San Francisco Bay area. Meanwhile, CEO of GEC (Globetrotters Engineering Corporation), Niranjan Shah , is underway with green building projects in Chicago, IL. Despite these few national examples, green infrastructure, particularly in places like Haiti, has become an integral part of restoration and construction.

As polluters continue to buy their way out of Carbon Cuts globally, and large organizations continue to dump their waste into lakes, ponds and rivers, communities and must play their role in ensuring sustainability. Organizations like the CGI, AFH, and USGBC provide repercussion and policy change for acts such as. Most of the results from warming and climate change are miniscule and unnoticeable now, but our youth and earlier generations will experience firsthand the effects of pollutants and unsustainable efforts. Feel free to visit http://www.earthday.org/ to learn more about what you can do to support your world.

This is a guest post from: James Garver from Everythingleft.wordpress.com – I’m a writer of left wing politics including anything progressive and green

Gardening Kits for Kids

thegreenfamilia — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:59:07 GMT

The team at TGF feel quite passionately that we should all try and grow your own! Even if it is only a window box full of herbs, or a full allotment, we think that people should be applauded for their achievements.

Kids in particular should be encouraged to start the habit from a young age. Personally I think that all schools should have a working garden that the children themselves are responsible for. It teaches children about different types of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Eating in season, and teaches them to take pride in what they are creating. Studies have shown that kids who grow their own fruit and vegetables are more likely to try it!

With all this in mind, I have been searching out some gardening kits that kids could use, which would make great gifts for upcoming birthdays.

Grobox Vegetable Garden in a Box, available from Ethical Superstore for £7.50.

Children's Garden Voucher, available from the Jamie Oliver site for £35.

Flowerbunch Seed Pack, available from Farm Toys Online for £3.25.

Sunflower Seed Growing Kit, available from The Garden Factory for £1.74.

Creativity for Kids Mini Windowsill Garden, available from Crafts 4 Kids for £9.34.

I Can Grow Buckets, available from The Urban Garden with a choice of beans or tomatoes for £6.39.

If you have tried any of the above or have other great suggestions, please get in touch and share them with us.

Timberland Earthkeepers and Wyclef Jean team up to help Haiti

thegreenfamilia — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:57:36 GMT

Last year before the tragedy happened in Haiti, Wyclef Jean was announced as one of the Timberland Earthkeeper Heroes. He was teaming up with Timberland to forge a partnership that will last for a long time to come.

The Timberland Earthkeeper website has been a focal point for people wanting to keep up to date with the news from Haiti. You can sign up on the website to become a Timberland Earthkeeper, they want to get one million people signed up and working together to forge a more sustainable future.

Part of the original partnership with Wyclef Jean, was to get the Yéle Haiti Foundation involved in supporting the reforestation of Haiti, but given the severity of the disaster in Haiti, they are now directing all their efforts to providing support and relief to the citizens of Haiti.

For every pair of Earthkeeper Yéle Haiti Boots sold a donation is made to the Haiti fund and now on sale are the specially designed t-shirts, that feature the designs of students from a small art school in Jacmel, Haiti. All profits from these t-shirts will go directly to the Yéle Haiti Foundation.

If you have not yet signed up as a Timberland Earthkeeper, then now is the time to do it. It is a worthwhile cause and one that is deserving of our support.

Earth Hour

thegreenfamilia — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:53:29 GMT

An open invitation to Earth Hour 2010. Tell your friends!

Last year on Saturday 28 March at 8.30pm local time, the world switched off its lights for an hour.

It was the biggest call for international action on climate change ever seen, and it was called Earth Hour – organised by the international conservation charity WWF.

And nearly 1 billion people joined in, signed up and switched off.

Now in its forth year, Earth Hour 2010 is taking place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm, and it needs to be even bigger. After the disappointing lack of commitment in Copenhagen last December, Earth Hour is our chance to show we’ve not given up.

Getting the attention of world leaders is never going to be an easy task, but Earth Hour is becoming impossible to ignore. So far, 579 cities and towns have signed up in 77 countries. And the list of iconic landmarks that will be plunged into darkness is growing longer and more impressive by the day.

The Las Vegas strip, the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the Empire State building, the Pyramids of Giza, the Acropolis, Tapei 101 tower in Taiwan, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye are just some of over 1000 monuments and buildings across the globe that will be switching off.

Earth Hour is a huge act of global unity. Its success is based on the fact that every one of us plays a vital role from the comfort of our candle-lit living room. It’s open-source in its purest form. And, through the fabulous and far-reaching power of social media, everyone from individuals to international businesses can support the event and encourage their friends, staff and customers to do the same.

So what do you need to do? Well, very simply, sign up and switch off. And if you have a website, stick a banner ad on it to attract new interest. And if you have a customer database, or a heaving address book, send everyone an email telling them that they have an opportunity to show the world’s leaders that climate change is an issue that won’t go away. Too many of us care about the future of our planet, and too many of us demand a commitment to find ways of saving it.

It’s not just about switching off – we need you to sign up too.

When it comes to influencing the people with the power to bring about change, it’s name and numbers that count. That’s why we need as many people to register their support as possible.

Please sign up and support now. Text EARTH to 88008. Texts cost £1 plus standard network rate.

Or go to www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour

For banner ads and further creative, email earthhour@openfundraising.com

Now all you have to do is switch off and have some fun! And tell everyone you know to do the same.

Happy Earth Hour, it’s great to have you on board.