Posted by Joanne Jones on Wed, Aug 08, 2012 @ 10:38 AM
There has been a lot of buzz about this year’s Olympics and all the efforts to make it the “greenest” so far! The urban green spaces created for the Olympians and visitors are just the most visible.
Naturally there were goals – use of 20% renewable energy sources and Zero Waste to name a few. Other articles by skeptics talk about the actual accomplishments, but less than complete achievement of these goals. Nonetheless, the games are definitely on a continuous improvement trend building from past years.
Several “temporary” venues have been constructed from materials that will be re-used after the games. New permanent structures include recycled materials, have LEED ratings, and lots of environmentally friendly features that will make a difference during their continued use.
Visitors are encouraged to “bike, walk or take public transportation” – and plenty of incentives and opportunities are provided to make it an easy choice.
Major sponsors have jumped on board as well. Coca-Cola is expecting to sell over 20 million bottles of products that will be packaged in their “plant bottle” and has set up over 260 recycling collection points.
BMW has provided over 200 electric vehicles and electric charging stations.
McDonalds is using bio-plastic cups, cutlery, straws, lids, and containers; the hope being that they will all be composted after use. Additionally, next to the Olympic stadium, currently sits the largest McDonalds in the world – with seating for 1,500 patrons. But this is only a temporary structure and it will be dismantled at the end of the games with 75% of its construction materials earmarked for re-use and recycling.
From locally grown English roses and herbs in the bouquets given to each medal winner, to sustainable fishing practices for the fish n’ chips, it looks like the British truly embraced the concept of think globally, buy locally.
What have you done to be sustainable during the games?
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Posted by Kyley Eagleson on Fri, Jul 27, 2012 @ 12:37 PM
Well, it’s that time again; the time for us to scour the internet for more bizarre environmental stories! I’ve been bookmarking some things since the last Eco Oddities post and I am happy to say I have three new interesting and strange things to tell you about.
Number One: While images of the first story have been making the rounds on social media sites (Pinterest in particular) I still feel like I need to address the two giant fish sculptures that were constructed out of recycled bottles on a beach in Rio de Janiero.
The sculptures were created for the UN Conference of Sustainable Development (Rio +20). They serve the dual purpose of providing an aesthetically pleasing sight and of drawing attention to the importance of recycling and its relationship with marine life. To see photos and read more about them check out this article from inhabitat.
Number 2: Have you ever heard of the kakapo parrot? They are a bird native to New Zealand commonly known as the “night parrot.” These birds really embody what Eco Oddities is all about, “flightless, slow-moving and at times more sexually attracted to humans than their own species,” these birds have just recently been brought back from the brink of extinction through a massive conservation effort. For photos of this strange little bird as well as a more in-depth story about their plight, check out this article from Mother Nature Network.
Number Three: Last, but certainly not least, scientists at NASA were shocked earlier this week by a sudden massive ice melting in Greenland. In the story from Newsday, NASA ice scientist Tom Wagner is quoted as saying, "You literally had this wave of warm air wash over the Greenland ice sheet and melt it."
The ice melt area increased from 40 to 97 percent of the ice sheet in just four days, according to NASA. Until now, the most extensive melt seen by satellites in the past three decades was about 55 percent.
What do you think of these stories? Additionally, please let me know in the comments if you think I missed a good eco oddity, maybe it will show up in the next post!
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Posted by Kyley Eagleson on Mon, May 21, 2012 @ 12:16 PM
It has been a while since our last Eco Oddities Post so I thought I would share some more strange environmental stories I have come across recently.
1. Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering - National Geographic reports that new genetically engeneered fish glow green from the inside to show scientists the effects of water pollutiants on the inside of the fish bodies. The glow is used to track what certain endocrine disruptors are doing to the fish. Study leader Charles Tyler says about the expierement, "We've essentially put genetic elements within the fish [embryos that], over time, that are specifically designed to identify where the chemicals penetrate and act within the body." Read the whole story (and see a photo of the glowing fish) here.
2. Trees Grow Crooked in Poland - A forest of about 400 pine trees in western Poland grow with a 90 degree bend at the base of their trunks - all bent northward. Surrounded by a larger forest of straight growing pine trees this collection of curved trees, or "CrookedForest," is a mystery. The trees are believed to have been planted in 1930 and grew for seven to ten years before getting held down, in what is understood to have been human mechanical intervention. Though why exactly the original tree farmers wanted so many crooked trees is unknown. See photos and the original story here.
3. Upcycling--A class at Midland Christian School Builds a Milk Jug Igloo - The class built a 428-jug igloo after collecting (and cleaning) milk cartons for about 3 weeks. The medium-sized igloo is large enough to hold about 8 to 10 kindergarteners or first graders. The total cost for the project was about $12 for the 80 glue sticks. The milk jug igloo is expected to provide opportunities for links to social studies, math, science and reading topics. See the full story (with instructions on how to make your own igloo) here.
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Posted by Kyley Eagleson on Fri, Mar 16, 2012 @ 01:20 PM
This week we are taking a break from hazardous waste and doing our first Eco Oddities post! Herein we will highlight a few recent environmental stories we have read or heard that we found to be bizarre, interesting, humorous, etc.
1. Please do not feed the animals!
A 30 year old giraffe was found dead at an Indonesian zoo, an autopsy later found 40lbs of plastic in its stomach. Apparently, throughout its lifetime the giraffe had been eating the trash thrown into its exhibit by zoo patrons.
Ian Singleton, a former zoo keeper who runs an orangutan conservation program on Sumatra Island, told the associated press, "This is extremely tragic, but…by no means surprising in Indonesia’s zoos, given the appalling way they are managed on the whole." The zoo, which has seen trouble in previous years due to premature deaths of animals, will hopefully be required to improve the living conditions for the animals. Read the full story here.
2. Giant Prehistoric Penguins!
National Geographic reported on February 27th that fossils of a new species of penguin were found in New Zealand. These prehistoric penguins would have stood around 4.3 feet tall, about twice as tall as the penguins we know today and the same height as an average 8-year-old! Read the full story here.
3. Aging out of Hollywood
The Pacific Princess, the iconic boat that served at the backdrop for "The Love Boat" TV series, is being scrapped. According to USA Today, the boat was purchased by a Turkish demolition company for a little more than $3.3 million (2.5 million euro). Read the rest of the story here.
These are just three of the stories we have seen recently. Have you heard or read anything strange or interesting about our world? Let us know in the comments section below!
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Posted by Kyley Eagleson on Mon, Nov 21, 2011 @ 02:01 PM
Hello and thank you for stopping by The Heritage Herald, our new company blog. The purpose of this blog is to provide environmental news as well as insight, tips, and tricks you can utilize in your daily life to be “greener.” We plan to do weekly posts to begin with, although that number could increase with readership and feedback. Comments and questions are welcomed and encouraged! Additionally, if there is an issue you would like us to cover, please leave a comment and I will do what I can to get the information you need.
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Posted by Jeff Ritter on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 @ 08:00 AM
Green Magazine TV is an innovative, television magazine formatted series dedicated to the preservation and sustainability of our planet through the awareness and commitment of individuals, corporations and political entities to ensure that Earth is a viable and healthy place for our children, their children and for generations to come.
June 25, 2009, The premiere episode of Green Magazine TV will debut on The Discovery Channel at 8:30 Am on Thursday, June 25. Featured on the first show are four well known companies who have taken leadership roles in the "Green" movement within their industries. Eastman Kodak, Proctor & Gamble, Florida Crystals and Heritage Environmental Services will share the spotlight in this environmentally focused program.
Kodak introduces viewers to its new OLED technology, which will revolutionize the flat screen and solid state lighting world while using less power and being much "greener" than the LCD and lighting technologies it is replacing.
Procter & Gamble's Vice President for Sustainability, Len Sauers, shares P&G's science-based approach to innovation that helps consumers save valuable resources without sacrificing performance or having to spend more.
Florida Crystals was "green" before it was fashionable to be green. Certified Carbon-Free Florida Crystals has been operating America's largest renewable energy plant for more than a decade producing clean energy using sugarcane and urban woods as fuel.
For more than 35 years, Heritage Environmental Services headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been providing safe and compliant waste services while developing true sustainable solutions for a wide variety of companies with environmental problems.
Tristan Rogers, the noted actor who portrayed Scorpio for 23 years on General Hospital and is also the voice for the Outback Steakhouse television commercials, is the host of Green Magazine TV.
For more information about Heritage and our sustainability initiatives:
http://www.heritage-enviro.com/sustainability.
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