Green Thing Blog

This colourful "Fart chart" (actually, common misconception - should be called a "Burp Chart", but that doesn't rhyme) shows how much methane US states emit.

The full data from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) can be seen here:

So why is it so important to go Easy on the Meat? The combination of methane emissions from burping cows, huge amounts of water, energy and other resources being used to feed and transport the meat, and deforestation to create grazing land, has made livestock agriculture the third biggest contributor to climate change.

As we blogged before: "80% of Amazon deforestation in the last decade or so - 10 million hectares, an area the size of Iceland - is now used for grazing cattle. Deforestation has accounted for as much as 75% of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions in some years."

If you'd like a bit of Green Thing inspiration to help you go Easy on the Meat, then try this special Moosnight report on cows eating less human meat:

[Chart spotted on GOOD magazine]

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In just a couple of days, voters in Britain will be heading to the polls to elect a party for leadership. There have been some big promises in the lead up to the election day about Climate Change Policy so here is a glimpse of the promises from each of the three main parties.

Conservatives

- Introduce an emissions performance standard to set a legal limit on emissions from power stations

- Provide incentives for small scale energy generation

- Introduce new nuclear power stations

- Creating a 'Green Deal for homes giving each household energy improvement measures up to £6500, paid for out of savings made on fuel bills

(From the Conservative Party)

Labour

- Create 400,000 new green jobs by 2015

- Smart meters (to measure energy consumption) in every home by 2020

- Open new Nuclear power plants

- Help make environmentally conscious behaviour the norm by phasing out energy inefficient light bulbs, single use plastic bags and reducing unecessary packaging of products.

(From the Labour Party)

Liberal Democrats

- Create more renewable energy sources from wind, waves and solar sources (Lib Dems are highly oppposed to the construction of new nuclear power stations)

- Introduce a 'major programme' to help insulate buildings better

- Implement an 'Eco-cashback' scheme for people who instal their own microgeneration technology at home

- Build green infrastracture to create more jobs

(From Liberal Democrats)

Perhaps an obvious question would be what about the Greens? Well, it seems to be a three horse race. Although the Green Party did participate in the Climate Change debate, their environmental policy has not been widely covered. The Green's main stance is to invest in large-scale wind renewable energy sources, taking people off the grid, while generating more than 80,000 new jobs from the shift. Find out more about the Green Party's Climate Change policy here.

If air miles traveled during the election gives an indication of a party's comittment to the environment, then the conservative party are fairweather environmentalists. Their leader, David Cameron wins the jetsetter award making sure he could fly to at least two regions in Britain a day during the campaign trail.

Some more food for thought can be found on The Guardian's site, where there are audio highlghts from the next climate minister debate and the Telegraph has summaries of each of the parties policies. The BBC has an excellent comparison tool for each party's stance.

If you're really struggling trying to decide who to vote for, maybe Downing Street Fighter can help. It's just like Classic streetfighter the game, but with politicians.

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Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to rally up some friends and neighbours to select an energy source, install it, monitor your consumption levels and be in control of the supply?

In Finland, smart meters (those gadgets that measure/monitor energy) will soon be required by law in every household. Communities are being transformed through micro energy generation as Finland moves towards breaking down the grid and encouraging communities to control their power. Now, Finland's goal is to connect smart meters to social networks allowing neighbourhoods to create their own mini-grid systems where supply and demand can be monitored and negotiated.

Let's make up a fictious character called Merley to understand how this would work.

1. Merley buys and installs a wind turbine at her home. 

2. Merley has enough energy for her home so sells excess energy created to neighbours or friends in the area.

3. Merley sells her excess to Kevin (a fictitious neighbour who she might have a crush on).

4. Merley and Kevin are less reliant on the grid system for energy.

5. Merley and Kevin can monitor their energy consumption. Kevin can tell Merley that she is using twice as much energy as him for a house half the size. Merley didn't realise she forgot to plug out and becomes more conscious of her usage.

6. Final step: repeat in other households.

Remember that massive blackout of 2003 that lasted days in Canada and the eastern seaboard of the States? Well, community power generation won't cause such events as there wouldn't be an overwhelming and unsustinable demand on the system.

Scandinavian countries seem to get a lot right when it comes to their citizens but this sort of community energy generation, isn't just for them.

In the UK you've got organisations like the Carbon Co-op, getting neighbourhoods to purchase renewables collectively to reduce the cost.

In the US, there's service called 1Bog, One Block off the Grid that helps faciliate group purchasing of solar energy.

Just think that in a few years time, you could have the choice to change to community generated energy.

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Some students at Cornell University have developed a way of using vibrations from wind into electricity. While harnessing energy from vibrations is not a new idea, the replicability of their design could make wind energy available to the masses. It's meant to be super cheap. efficient and accessible.

Although still in its prototyping stage, this is a really inventive way to think about harnessing wind power, and its design means it could exist in places turbines may be too big to fit.

(Spotted on Inhabitat)

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There's a lot of new and innovative ideas out there lately that involve poop and pee. Yes, human waste. Humanure. Are we interested in them because it's disgusting to think about? Perhaps because it's a clever way of using waste? Or likely because it's a guilty pleasure to talk about such things? Maybe its all of the above.

Well, whatever motivation led you to this post, rest assured, we're not judging. Converting human waste into energy, or materials for new solutions to environmental challenges is fabulous, bring on the ideas! Here is a small sampling of everything you may want to know (or not!) about how pee and poo- and how both are being used in the environmental realm. Enjoy!

Urine to make Bricks

An American Architect working in Abu Dhabi has created a formula for making bricks without the need for loads of energy, or a kiln.

'The process, known as microbial-induced calcite precipitation, or MICP, uses the microbes on sand to bind the grains together like glue with a chain of chemical reactions'

The chemical reaction being urine on sand. 

(Spotted on Smartbrief)

DIY Composting

Did you can make a flush free compost toilet and then use the humanure as fertiliser for your garden? True story. You can watch this video and see exactly how you can turn your toilet into a source of compost...erm..material.

(Spotted on Treehugger)

Poop powered heating

Chicken Poop has replaced a coal powered plant in China.

'An anaerobic digester will treat waste material and produce biogas that powers two gas engines. The heat generated during the process will be cycled back in to the fermentation process, as well as heat the farm and all those chickens during winter'

How interesting.

(Spotted on EcoGeek)

You're probably thinking now, 'wow, too much information'. I know I am.

Ps- You can find out more about all-consuming ideas and actions here.

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