ReGeneration Roundup: 2008-04-28
All I’ve been hearing when I turn on the news this week has been about the swine flu epidemic, which has now been designated phase 4 (out of 6) by the World Health Organization. People are naturally very concerned about the outbreak, and are on the lookout for credible information and news about it. Thankfully, our colleagues at the Mother Nature Network have published their own roundup completely devoted to swine flu. Covered in the article are the causes of the outbreak, how it began, travel advisories, ways to get the latest information about the outbreak and advice for parents. Don’t to allow sensationalistic news stories to whip you into a panic. The best thing to do is to find and heed credible and reasoned accounts of what is going on, and how it effects you. There are good sources of information out there, and many thanks to MNN for being one of them.
A lot is said about what you as an individual should be doing to minimize your impact on the planet, and while it’s important that you continue these practices, it is also important that you encourage the business community to follow suit. Triple Pundit has published an interesting article on the tremendous potential corporations have to transform our collective carbon footprints. While I’m doubtful Nokia will redirect it’s production from phones to solar panels, the post does offer some profound food for thought on what it is going to take to create a truly sustainable planet. In the very least, it should motivate you to let the businesses whose products you enjoy know where they should be directing their sustainability efforts.
Japan Airlines and Continental Airlines conducted test flights earlier this year and confirmed that bio-fuels are actually more efficient than petro-fuels when used to power aircraft. What’s more, new information has been released by Michigan Technological University show that jet fuel made from camelina could reduce aviation-related carbon emissions by 84 percent when compared to petro-based fuels. According to Prof. David Shonnard of Michigan Tech, this high number is the result of the unique attributes of the crop—it’s low fertilizer requirements, high oil yield and the use of co-products, such as meal and biomass, for other uses. More good news: The state of Montana alone could produce 2-3 million acres of camelina cultivation (done in rotation with wheat), which would yield some 200-300 million gallons of oil each year can be done.
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by ReGeneration Roundup: 2004-04-28 | Green Organic Recycle / April 29, 2009