Green products do not actually be delivering what they promise. Millions of us have been using energy saving light bulbs which drastically reduce the percentage of electricity consumed. However it turns out these bulbs will become dimmer and dimmer with each passing year. In fact, they would not last 5 or 6 years as they are being advertised.

Engineers have warned that a fatal flaw in the manufacturing of these bulbs have led to their sad demise. Many of these energy saving bulbs would be phased out or terminated and newer and better alternatives would have to be developed. This not only means a colossal waste of money spent on bulbs, but also a huge waste of these bulbs which would be discarding adding to environmental pollution. Staying green perhaps is not so easy after all!

There are those which use LED lights and halogen which are being pressed for being used. Experts reveal that these kinds of lamps are better at saving energy and would last longer. I would say, go ahead and use what your pockets allow you to, but at least learn to switch off lights when they are not required. Moreover, who needs bright lights anyway? They hurt eyes.

The story in the St. Louis Today was not so much about the Polar Bears but about how the festive season is bringing new business opportunities to the city, but the picture in the paper that came attached tells a whole different tale. The zoo at St. Louis has tried its luck with keeping polar bears several times in the past and unfortunately for the authorities there every time the saga ended with a disaster. It all started in May 2005 when a polar bear named Churchill died after eating a lunch that consisted of plastic and plastic from the bin in the zoo. (Yup, sheer negligence more than bud luck)

Just five weeks following Churchill’s death another polar bear named Penny died of infection and after her death the zoo officials found out that she was pregnant and would have given birth to two little cubs had she been alive. Finally, Hope the last polar bear died this April of cancer. With that the officials lost all hope and decided that they will just bring in electronic replacements; or so it seems as of now.

With many species being wiped out off of the surface of the planet at an alarming rate that unfortunate day might now be far away when every zoo in the world sports only replicas and stuffed models… sad, but so very true.

riverfronttimes

Landmines are arguably the gravest threat to both humans and wildlife alike in almost 87 countries across the planet and with war times long behind us the ugly scars and the undetonated landmines still haunt those who wish to put the past behind them. In countries such as Sri Lanka over 20 elephants each year are killed by landmines while men and women continue to die needlessly in the African nations. An estimated 1.6 million animals each year are consumed by these sleeping death traps. But now scientists have designed a new ally that will help us fight this demon- a genetically engineered bacteria that will glow around a landmine!

Produced using a new technique called BioBricking, which manipulates packages of DNA the newly created bacteria forms green patches when sprayed onto ground where mines are buried. Now forces can just air spray the bacteria from a flight and then give it a couple of hours before the bacteria starts to glow around the landmines.

While previous such attempts have been made scientists claim that this time the experiment will lead to a practical solution as it is cheap to mass produce this bacteria. For nations like Somalia, Bosnia, and Cambodia, which have been plagued by landmines these bacteria could be the best gift they received in a long, long time.

Treehugger

The article written by Lindsey Hoshaw focuses on the dumping ground in the Pacific Ocean, that has now almost turned into an island and is measured to be two times bigger than the U.S state of Texas. The huge pile of waste is combined of light bulbs, bottle caps, toothbrushes and other pieces of commodities that we use daily and throw away in trash. However, some experts believe that, the garbage pile has now exited the Pacific Ocean and is stuck in heavy currents that has left it in a sort of a whirlpool.

There are four other similar garbage piles all across the globe in different oceans and the waste material in these dumps are the trash items that have been dumped into sewers and have washed away into the oceans. The sailing dump of waste was discovered by a sea sailing enthusiast, Charles Moore about 12 years ago, when he was returning from Hawaii after a sailing competition. Experts believe that, two other garbage piles exist off the coast of Japan and another one in the Sargasso Sea. Scientists and environmental organizations across the globe are trying hard to figure out a solution for this monumental environmental concern.

Via Mashable, New York Times & Spot.us.

There is a certain advantage that green initiatives bring to the companies that take them up and when giants like Coca-Cola step up for the planet’s cause you tend to understand how big the green movement has got across the globe. Going green is quite simply the best PR you can generate and more and more firms/people are realizing this fact. Irrespective of the motive though the good thing is that it all benefits the planet and at the end of the day that is what counts the most. Making an announcement that it is now distributing plastic bottles of Coke and other beverages made with up to 30% plant-based material, Coke has taken the initiative in reducing the non-decomposable plastic waste caused due t the use of PET bottles.

Coke aims to produce 2 billion PlantBottles by the end of 2010 as a part of its long term goal to create PET bottles that are made from 100% renewable raw materials and yet are completely recyclable. The current PlantBottle of Coke uses molasses from the sugarcane industry as its main plan-ingredient and in future the company plans to increase the content of the plant-component in the bottles. While a 100% plant-based bottle cannot store carbonated drinks, this fusion seems like the best way possible for now.

With Coke even embracing the green logo, it just seems that firms are lining up to occupy the moral high ground and win over consumers when it comes to going green, the entire process can only mean a ‘cooler’ future for the planet!

triplepundit

When you talk of planes such as the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, which stay in the sky for a whole day without needing to refuel, have a range of over 3400 miles and can hit altitudes of up to 20,000 meters, you would think they would be used to spy on enemy nations, drop a couple of missiles and help build structures such as International Space Station. But the nice folk at the military have been kind enough to lend a couple of these aerial emperors for environmental research and those concerned about the planet’s health are really happy at this sudden ‘lift’.

Officially handed over to NASA for environment research and collecting data from the global skies, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) now opens up new avenues for scientists across the globe. These UAVs are a lot better for high-altitude data collection compared to the U2s that were earlier at NASA’s disposal as they do not require a pilot, which keeps men safely on ground and even reduces fuel consumption that tad bit more.

With the first scientific flight of the Global Hawks scheduled to take place in January, NASA is all excited about its latest venture into climate study… Let’s just hope this does not end up like the moon landing tapes!

Discovery

The aviation industry has been trying real hard to green in more ways than just one and to be very honest expecting too much from them at such a fast pace is really unfair in times when every industry has been hit hard by the economic meltdown. But things are looking up already with airline carriers realizing that taking the eco-friendly path could give them a competitive edge in the near future and many of them are queuing up to test the efficiency and usability of biofuel. Dutch airline company KLM is the latest in line with a scheduled Boeing 747 flight on November 23 that will use a 50/50 combination of jet fuel and Biofuel.

The effort will be the first of its kind as previous biofuel-powered flights were limited to pilot-only scenarios making this the first passenger flight to boldly take up the challenge. For those flustered by the word ‘first’ KLM assures that there is no danger involved at all and the flight will be as smooth as normal. The biofuel being used in this test flight will be made from camelina, a feedstock that produces 84 percent less emissions than regular jet fuel and is also a low impact crop that can be cultivated with ease.

In the past airline carriers have tested Jatropah-based biofuel and hence this new variety will be a further addition to the existing line. Now we can only sit back, wait and hope that very soon we will witness a flight that will be completely powered by biofuel… Hopefully!

Ecogeek

Illegal whaling ships have been roaming the oceans of the world literally scotch-free for the last couple of decades and most often the only little hindrance they get is from those tiny little ships that have brave volunteers from ‘eco-friendly’ groups trying hard to stop the fast paced giants. Well, finally the huge ships and their sharp harpoons have finally met their match and its is the Ady Gill (formerly known as Earthrace) that will teach them a lesson or two about sneaking up and spoiling the party. Out to nab the bad guys of the world’s oceans, this ultra-sleek and Hollywood-esque mean machine on waves will be used by conservation group Sea Shepherd in their effort to combat whaling.

Sea Shepherd is currently preparing for it’s 6th Whale Defense Campaign Operation Waltzing Matilda. About to be launched in Australia the campaign will man the Southern Ocean and Ady Gill along with another mean machine ‘Steve Irwin’ will try to sneak up and ruin as many whale hunts as possible. Silent, efficient and with a top speed of over 50 knots this amazing piece of engineering and design is sure to finally give the conservation groups a much needed edge over the poachers.

So, come this Christmas time expect the Southern seas to and its mighty giants to receive a dark and dazzling visit from this avenger of those who wish to slaughter the innocent. (You, that was dramatic!) Let’s just hope that at least now that the endangered species is protected from the illegal meat market.

Boingboing/ Life

Recycling paper has taken a whole new turn in India with the once famous but now discarded being turned into utility objects that can be carried out by one and all. It seems that a few of the street children in the Indian capital have been rescued from the clutches of poverty and have been provided with a part-time employment scheme in which they recycle old posters of Indian movies into new bags that cane be carried around for shopping. A project initiated by a voluntary organization now aims both at recycling the old waste and also providing a means of living for those on the street.

The bags are also crafted from old newspapers as well and the organization is now looking for suppliers and dealers across the planet to try and sell their products worldwide. While few might question the project as it makes young teens work for their bread and butter, the fact that it both cleans up the planet and provides food and shelter for the homeless is truly commendable. So, next time you come across a newspaper bag, maybe you can pick it up despite the crossword being already filled!

Boingboing

They say that habits that are cultivated early in your life tend to follow you till the grave – good or bad. Then, why not teach your tiny tots the value of going green along with wrapping them up in gentle and skin-friendly green clothing. That is exactly what Swedish-designed, hands-free baby carrier firm, Baby Bjorn is trying to achieve with its latest line of baby products made from organically-grown cotton. The new Baby Bjorn organic range features the original carrier, the active carrier and the babysitter balance, but its specialty lies in its material that is 100% green and does not contain any hazardous material.

Machine washable, hands-free and suitable for the usage of new-born baby, active carrier features broad, padded shoulder straps and good support for your baby’s back, head and neck. While this offers you both comfort, ease while carrying and complete safety for your young one, the use of organic material means that you will never have to worry about the bay’s skin. This encourages a healthy lifestyle and with the new range from Bjorn, you can pick the one that suits your needs best.

Now available across the Atlantic as well the active carrier retails for US$149.95, the original carrier for US$89.95 and the babysitter for US$199.95. Cool and comfortable indeed!

Gizmag