Environmental protection and promotion is on a steady rise globally, the incessant rise is due to a variety of factors one of which is environmental activism.

Environmental activism plays an important role in environmental conservation. One of the important functions of environmental activism is raising awareness to persistent and rising issues that affect the environment, in particular human induced issues.

Awareness works in favour of environmental conservation in that it often opens up issues that may be considered sensitive in political circles.

Thus at the very least, activism will ensure that all parties concerned are cognisant of emerging issues, regardless of the inconvenience associated with the exposing such issues.

Activism is also a great tool for effecting legislative reform. Since governments are increasingly subscribing to the international norm of democracy, environmental activists would do well to mobilise community participation in demanding that environmental concerns are effectively addressed in manifestos presented to voters during election season.

Issues such as service delivery, primary education, and primary healthcare were once upon a time not considered to be in the apex of voter concerns. Due to activists who were unrelenting in their approach, such issues are now taken seriously and thus form part of many a campaign to gain votes. The same applies where the environment is concerned, with activism and awareness on the rise politicians and policy makers will at some point deal with the issues as a matter of course.

What is important is that activists be at every campaign, rally, parliamentary session, petition and any suchlike process that has some or other relevance to the natural environment.

Environmental activism, like many tools that have in the past sought to revolutionise the way in which we live or challenged the status quo, may at first be viewed as “radical” or extremist. However this is a label that activist should embrace rather than reject, because this is what the times demand.

Plastics, so abundant they have formed their own literal islands, are tremendously hard to remove from marine areas.

Some companies and artists have put this surplus waste to use as a material base, demonstrating that sustainable designs can be functional while helping to remove unwanted pollution.

One example of a company who has made portions of their product packaging from recovered ocean plastics is Method. Already using recycled post-consumer plastics for containing their environmentally minded cleaning products, in order to make the most of already existing sources the idea to reuse plastics from the massive North Pacific Gyre for packaging is a proactive solution. Co-partnering with Envision Plastics, they have developed Ocean PCR, a plastic that is made from 100% post-consumer plastics, 25% of which has been salvaged from the floating plastic mass.

However, recycling on this scale does have challenges. Using plastic that has been floating around for years has to go through processing to form a quality output item. Also, gathering materials in such vast, off-site locations is undoubtedly not an easy feat. According to Method, their employees and volunteers have gathered over a ton of discarded plastics from beach areas.

Another inventive creation formed from recovered ocean plastics comes from Studio Swine. Their Sea Chairs are constructed using plastics collected from a beach in the U.K., Porthtowan, which has been given the un-coveted spot of the area’s most waste contaminated beach.

Using a contraption they developed from salvaged farming equipment they have entitled The Nurdler their team searches and pumps for washed up plastics. With a machine called the Sea Press they make their salvaged seats, as well as other natural items like seaweed pressed bricks. These are burned and utilized to help melt the plastics in preparation for the formative process.

By using an abundant material that is in an unfortunately constant supply instead of relying on new resources, consumption is reduced while also putting a dent in a much needed, daunting recycling task. Taking it further and employing ways of producing recovered products with sustainable means is a creditable attempt.

Sustainable product design should be a common sense practice. Although innovative and much needed efforts are underway, if they are not an affordable option for companies or consumers they may fall to the wayside. Many businesses that have good intentions may not be able to afford a recycling venture of this ocean-sized scale, and have to resort to things like less expensive, toss away packaging and other items for their merchandise.

All industries, whether in the retail territory or the world of artful designs, creating products that are consciously made will hopefully be an inspiration for other ones that are in the works, and products like those made from recycled ocean plastics can be affordable solutions.

Image Source: Sea Chair from Studio Swine

A term not heard everyday, but one with great implications behind it.

In short, it is a phrase used to express concern over the Earth’s dwindling resources, and to define our part as a collective to work for the planet’s greater good.

The term was first coined by Barbara Ward in her book Spaceship Earth after a speech by her good friend, Adlai Stevenson, to the U.N. Stevenson was a politician in the Democratic party of the U.S., as well as the 5th U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

In his speech, he said,

“We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of air and soil; all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and, I will say, the love we give our fragile craft…”

Essentially, Adlai underscored how it is our duty to care for and nurture the planet that gives us life, shelter, and a whole host of wonderful things. We need to remember exactly how fragile the Earth truly is, and the terrible damage we do to it each and every day.

Over time, our destructive nature will exact its tragic toll on the planet, and our lineage surviving us will be left with a broken world. They will look back through history to our time, and rightfully point their fingers.

With that being said, how can we best serve the planet, and in turn, the human race? It’s quite simple, and it begins at your home. Taking care of the energy and resources you use is a good start, as well as educating and teaching those around you, like your children, family members, and friends, the importance of conservation.

Donate and support charities who work hard to save the planet, the ocean, and who are working to bring mankind to other worlds, so that we might lessen our drain on the Earth.

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Supercomputers available just a few years ago are now tossed on the scrapheap by savvy tech enthusiasts, despite most probably being able to run the same tasks just as well as their newer counterparts.

There’s an attitude within the computer industry that holds everything must be state-of-the-art. What was banded as the best device in 2005 is now looked at in disgust by computer buffs the world over.

Times are changing.

In the past, the word was ‘speed’ – how many computations can a device do and how fast. Now another word has joined the list of desirables, ‘green’. Energy efficiency is now a key word in technology in a way that it never was in the past.

What’s curious is many consumers are now spending more money to ensure they have a greener computer.

Fashionability itself has changed, now we want the greenest item to show how much we’re saving the planet – a form a hubris that’s welcomed.

Computer scientists realise that you simply can’t keep asking for more electricity to get higher speeds, rather, to get a device working faster it makes better sense to have it running as energy efficiently as possible. In doing so, you can increase the ability of the computer without having to use yet more expensive electricity.

In any case, electricity generation is not finite, at least in today’s world. There has to come a point where what we build is in balance with what power is available, this sensibility is now filtering into computer design with the development of products aimed at using as little electricity as possible in doing the same tasks as before.

What exactly does it take to make computers greener? It isn’t easy.

A supercomputer these days can process at incredible speeds but use around four or five mega watts in so doing, which isn’t good for the energy bill, not to mention the planet. That the amount of power used over a year for that one computer would be enough to keep over 3,000 homes going for a year.

How do we reduce electricity consumption by supercomputers? Unfortunately we can’t say to the technology industry “You’re going fast enough, stop developing.” These firms work for governments and private companies across the world and there is a global competition, both economically and militarily, to have the best technology on-hand.

Using greener processors is the first step. That doesn’t necessarily mean operating with a certain brand or make, but choosing which processor is best for the task needing done. That would involve establishing a more bespoke level of design, whereby computers are made with the intention of use in mind. Gone would be the days when processors that run games can be found in computers that aren’t bought for gaming – if this tailoring was done the world over we’d see a sizeable increase in energy conservation.

Secondly, on a wider scale, attitudes towards buying new computers might need to change. It’s time to start choosing sustainability over style – buying what is needed and resisting upgrading merely to keep with the supposed times. This wouldn’t work in those areas where the latest technology simply is a must, but do we all really need a new laptop simply because the one we’re using is seven years old?

I use my laptop for word processing, the internet, and … that’s really about it. I see no point in upgrading to a brand new laptop because all I will do on it is word processing and the internet. Therefore from a consumer point of view perhaps it’s time we only bought what we needed – were that the case, we’d not only stop the use of computers running needlessly more energy, but we’d save on materials.

Think what you want your PC or laptop to do, if you’re already getting it done with no problems, there’s really no need to go the mall for an updated version.

Image: kanmandet.dk

The new printer, developed by the the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), is capable of turning out paper-thin, flexible solar cells at a rate of one every two seconds by “printing” them using semiconducting inks.

“There are so many things we can do with cells this size. We can set them into advertising signage, powering lights and other interactive elements. We can even embed them into laptop cases to provide backup power for the machine inside.” – CSIRO materials scientist Dr Scott Watkins

Just three years ago, the development team was making cells just 10cm square, but now, using virtually the same process as screenprinting a t-shirt, the printer can create solar cells 30cm wide. The cells are printed directly onto plastic or steel substrates, and the machine can print at speeds as fast as 10 meters per minute.

“Eventually we see these being laminated to windows that line skyscrapers. By printing directly to materials like steel, we’ll also be able to embed cells onto roofing materials.” – University of Melbourne researcher Dr David Jones

According to CSIRO, the organic PV cells, producing 10 to 50 W per square meter, are not necessarily a competing technology with conventional silicon solar panels, but rather could be complementary by improving their efficiency. The solar cell printing technology could be scaled up to produce even larger cells, which could open up even more options for solar energy applications.

The Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium is a research collaboration between CSIRO, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, BlueScope Steel, Robert Bosch SEA, Innovia Films and Innovia Security. It is supported by the Victorian State Government and the Australian Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

They are in fashion one minute, then out the next.

As they are a high-fat food, health concious people commonly avoid them.

However, they are actually packed with good fats which are necessary for your metabolism and heart function.

Apparently a handful of nuts a day can rapidly reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. They provide a balance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which help manage cholesterol and body weight.

They contain high levels of Plant Omega-3′s which have heart health properties and anti-aging benefits. They contain anti-oxidants such as Vitamin E, Selenium, Copper and Maganese.

They also contain Arginine which is an amino-acid that is great for blood vessel health. The protein and fibre in nuts helps to keep hunger at bay so is actually beneficial to weight management. They are a great snack as they have a low glycemic index and they reduce the rise in blood glucose levels making them beneficial to those with diabetes.

Nuts have a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that are so beneficial to our diets, we would be crazy to not include them into our diet every day.

Here are some simple ways to incorporate nuts into your diet:

1. Crumb fish or meat with them. Crush nuts up with some chopped herbs and natural sea salt and make into a rub by adding a little olive oil. Rub all over the protein and bake in oven.

2. Cover with dark chocolate for a decadent treat!

3. Toss whole or crushed nuts in salads.

4. Blend almonds into a smoothie.

5. Try almond meal as a substitute for breadcrumbs in fish patties.

6. Toss cashews into Asian stir-fries.

7. Crumble pecans or walnuts and sprinkle over yoghurt and fruit for dessert or breakfast.

8. Make dips with crushed nuts.

9. Add pine nuts to pasta sauces or a frittata.

10. Get a pure nut spread from your local health food store.

11. Carry unsalted raw nuts as a snack.

Experiments show that many of the ducks may now not arrive at their destination due to being unable to find their winter spot where it used to be.

This worries organisations including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, who say everything must be done to ensure that ducks’ natural habitats are not affected by the activities of human kind.

Over thirty years a census was taken by an international team of researchers, the findings showed that ducks were in some instances preferring not to migrate or, if they chose to, weren’t migrating far from their summer breeding patch in the winter.

There has been a decline in golden eye ducks in the UK and an increase of the same variety of duck in Scandinavia, suggesting that birds are having to fly further north in winter.

Changes in migration is known in the field as short-stopping, in that Arctic birds head to less cold areas for winter because the increase in temperature means they needn’t fly as great a distance to find thawing lakes and food. This could be a worry for nature reserves, whose territory was chosen on where the birds were expected to land in winter – now the birds could miss this projection having a profound impact on their conservation.

Image: WebQED.org

The decline in bird species cannot be entirely attributed to global warming, but it does tend to be humans’ activities in general that affect wildlife’s ingrained sense of identity and pattern. Researchers commented that the data highlights how important it is to gain a good level of international agreement on how to made better the situation before there are no ducks left in Britain.

He gives a new life to old containers while creating a confined space for plants to live inside.

The glass containers have various shapes and have been found around local flea markets or repurposed from the artist’s own kitchen. They include old bottles, jars, vases and pots, all made from glass because it’s easy to clean, long lasting and the best material to see through.

The incredible terrariums filled with plenty of plants, wild mosses, flowers, small stones, soil, and wood chips that he collects from nearby forests and train tracks.

According to Agatep, the tiny self-contained ecosystems offer “a journey to ancient connections that once existed between humans and plants”.

The Slug and the Squirrel is Agatep’s own online shop selling one of a kind wilderness terrariums inspired by different landscapes and the love for living next to plants and watch them grow.

They provide a peaceful space for contemplation on nature (in a small size), taking away our thoughts from daily stressful lives and overloaded routines.

Terrariums are perfect little green companions ideal for having on office desks, on a windowsill or for people with little time and small homes. They are very low-maintenance and only need water once in a while. This is because condensation becomes trapped on the walls and falls as water, so a natural water cycle occurs bringing precipitation back to the soil.

These beautiful terrariums are simply a tiny piece of nature, a self-contained ecosystem inside all sorts of found repurposed bottles.

A bespoke design, customers can design their own terrariums and send in photographs or drawings of their own dream-little green ecosystem, and Agatep will try his best to make that dream a reality.

Image Source: The Slug and the Squirrel

Can a bunch of maniacs on motorcycles be a force for global good? Absolutely, especially if those same maniacs are leading innovation and advances in electric drive technology, while turning heads and setting records on their blazingly fast electric motorbikes.

“For the visionaries, it’s history. For the petrol-heads, it’s blasphemy. What’s racing without the sound and fury of internal combustion engines? CHARGE is about the future. It’s about change. It’s about the dream of a clean, green world. It’s about the dream of winning.”

The world’s first zero-emissions motorcycle grand prix took place on the Isle of Man TT course (an incredibly demanding and deadly course) in 2009, and while the initial results of that competition were successful, by the next year, racing teams had stepped up their game and boosted the performance of their bikes in a big way. And that process and evolution was captured in the new documentary Charge.

“Charge is the dramatic and highly entertaining inside story of an unlikely group of pioneers – obsessed visionaries, ambitious businessmen, new-tech eccentrics, government ministers and hardcore racers – from as far afield as India, the USA, Germany and Britain.

It’s a human story as well as a technological one: the teams’ hopes for personal glory and commercial success ride on their green machines. It’s about the dream of a clean, green world. It’s about the dream of winning.”

Charge is being released to theaters in 15 U.S. markets this week, as part of Cinedigm’s new DOCURAMA series. In addition to showing Charge, a short documentary called Solar Roadways will be shows, as well as a video Q&A session with the director of Charge.

Find out where to catch it here: Charge.