It Starts Today

As my time contributing to this blog comes to an end, I would like to leave my readers with a few final comments. We, as Americans, are a very blessed people. We live in the wealthiest nation in with access to the most amount of knowledge in the history of man, yet we are a large contributor to most of the environmental problems facing our planet. The situation we are in is not great, but there is good news; we have a choice to make. We can choose to continue being apathetic and lazy, or we can begin RIGHT NOW making choices that will benefit the Earth. Take a lesson from Ed Begley Jr. and begin living simply by doing what you can with what you have. In everything you do, REDUCE your waste, REUSE that which can be reused, and RECYCLE everything possible. We have the opportunity to be recognized as the generation that saved planet Earth. Let's start this process today!

A Job Well Done

For all those that helped out with the Great American Cleanup yesterday, give yourself a pat on the back. Based on the quantity of trash bags I've seen waiting to be picked up around town, I'd say it was a very successful event. Hopefully it made a large number of people aware of the amount of litter present in our community while at the same time motivating them to want to keep our city clean. Maybe in the future we can do this more than once a year?

Role Models

A few months ago Georgia Southern was able to host a lecture about living simply by actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. For those of you who haven't seen his show on The Green Channel, Mr. Begley is an incredible example of living simply. Yes he is a multi-millionaire, but he lives in a small house in the suburbs of Los Angeles. He drives an 8 year-old electric Toyota Rav4 when weather or distance doesn't allow him to ride his bike. His house has all the modern appliances, but everything is powered using solar panels. Obviously much of this technology is new, and much of it is expensive, but he explained to us that this lifestyle has been a process that started in 1970. He began by recycling, driving an electric car (a glorified golf cart), and having a compost on the balcony of his apartment. His car didn't cost much, and recycling and composting take very little time. In his words, "I did what I could with what I had." As he became more successful he was able to weather strip and buy a rain barrel. Eventually, he was able to purchase solar panels to heat his water. Now his entire house his solar powered and his power bill is non-existent.

So here's what I'm asking of you: DO WHAT YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE!
If you don't recycle, please start! If you aren't using reusable grocery bags, please buy some (they're cheap)! If you are doing these things, start composting or weather strip! In every facet of your life try to reduce your waste, recycle what can be recycled, and reuse that which can be reused!

Image courtesy of: http://www.greenpatriot.us/featuredgreen.html

Hear ye, hear ye...

I know that everyone is stressed as finals are approaching and projects are due, but I want to highlight an opportunity to get involved with the Bulloch County community to be a part of the solution to a greener earth. This Saturday, April 25, all across the U.S. is the Great American Cleanup. Over 17,000 communities participate in this effort to clean up and beautify their cities as well as raise awareness about conservation and green living. Information about the Bulloch County event can be found here, but I'll highlight some of that information for those of you too lazy to click on the hyperlink:

• The event starts at 9:00 a.m. on April 25, 2009
• You must register a team (2 or more people) by emailing kbb@keepbullochbeautiful.org or calling 912.764.6147 - they will tell you where to meet on Saturday morning as well
  
• GAC is FREE to participate in and includes T-SHIRT, BREAKFAST, and LUNCH
• Opportunity to help serve your community while meeting new people and making new friends

EVERYBODY COME OUT AND HELP KEEP BULLOCH BEAUTIFUL!


Image courtesy of: http://www.austellga.gov

Meet Secretary Chu

Dr. Steven Chu is a name most will not recognize yet he holds one of the more important positions in President Obama's cabinet as Energy Secretary. He is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and at the time of his appointment was the Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and a professor at the University of California-Berkeley. LBNL, one of the most prestigious labs in the country, has been a longtime proponent of climate change and its mission under Chu has been to become the world leader in alternative and renewable energy research. President Obama has made combating climate change a top issue on his agenda and I feel that the appointment of Chu is a step in the right direction. Not only does Dr. Chu have the administrative background to handle a program with a large budget and many research interests, but he also is a world-renowned scientist with a remarkable research history. The Washington Post has held several interviews with Secretary Chu which discuss various topics ranging from climate change to the cap and trade policy proposed in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The videos can be found here.


Image courtesy of: http://w11.lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/nb.story/story_id/16226/nb_date/2009-04-09

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone...let's begin living with the philosophy that every day is Earth Day!

Image courtesy of: http://www.rnrplastics.com

Happy Earth Day Eve!

On the eve of Earth Day, I find it fitting to discuss the new bill put forth by the House Energy Committee. The Waxman-Markey Bill, also known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, was recently put forward for discussion in hopes to have legislation ready for debate by Memorial Day. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its analysis of the bill today, giving it high marks. According to the EPA, the bill will "drive the clean energy transformations of the U.S. economy." The bill proposes a cap-and-trade policy much like that currently being utilized by the European Union. Though many Republicans call this a "hidden energy tax," the EPA feels it will have a "relatively modest impact on U.S. consumers." This policy could also increase the percentage of our energy that comes from low and zero-emission energy sources to 46% by 2050. Currently these sources represent 14% of energy production. I find it refreshing, especially in the midst of such financial turmoil, that Congress and our President are still looking at the broad picture and trying to reverse U.S. policy towards climate change. I honestly feel that citizens follow the lead of their government, and this bill could help Americans to see the benefits of going green!!

also used in this post:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/epa-releases-analysis-of-climate-bill/
by Jad Mouawad