CT Green Scene

Traditional Farming better for Biodiversity. Well, duh...

The Science and Development Network, a non-profit organization based in England and Wales, reported that research has shown traditional farming is crucial for keeping certain species alive. The research was conducted in developing countries as well as Europe.

It seems biodiversity is important to maintain the health and vitality of the land, the plants, birds and insects, as well as a host of other animals that feed off the land and call it their home. Industrial farming apparently harms the ecological bubble and depletes the natural habitats. Huh, go figure...

See the excerpt below.

Traditional farming 'can save threatened species'
Jan Piotrowski
22 December 2011 | EN

Traditional farming methods are crucial for protecting a number of threatened bird species in the developing world, including bustards, cranes, ibises and vultures, a study has found.

Livestock grazing and features associated with arable farming — such as hedgerows — create environmental conditions that certain birds currently depend on for food, shelter and breeding, the authors report.  

But as industrial farming methods eliminate these habitats, these species are threatened with extinction, said Hugh Wright, a researcher in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, and lead author of the study, published in Conservation Letters earlier this month (5 December).

No More Frankincense? What's a Wise Man to do?

According to a recent study documented by Dicovery News on December 22nd, frankincense--the resin best known as a gift from the Magi--has gradually been decreased to a point where it is in serious danger of disappearing. But unlike what overfishing has done to the fish industry, its depletion has been attributed mainly to fires, beetle destruction, and cattle grazing.

Estimates show that in 50 years the supply of frankincense may be as much as 90% less than what it is now. Rick K, who made his comments online, stated his case: "People have been using unsustainable harvest methods on MANY different wild populations for millenia to the degradation and often decimation of the very population of organisms that supported their commerce whether for subsistence or for profit."

Too true. Whether animals and fire or people, we need to protect our resources. See the excerpt below.

Frankincense May Be Doomed
Analysis by Emily Sohn
Thu Dec 22, 2011 03:32 PM ET

Frankincense has a long history as an ingredient in incense and perfumes, with references dating back to ancient Egypt. In the Bible, the Magi brought the fragrant resin as a gift to the baby Jesus, along with gold and myrrh -- and it remains part of the classic Christmas story.

But frankincense, whose smell is sometimes described as sweet or spicy with a mix of lemon and pine, will soon become only a relic of the past if nothing is done to protect the trees that produce it, according to a new study.

Those trees, which belong to a species called Boswellia, grow in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. To extract frankincense, people tap adult trees by cutting into their bark, allowing the resin to ooze out and harden so it can be collected.

Previous studies have shown that tapping Boswellia trees can sap out carbohydrates, stunt growth, and reduce the viability of seeds. To assess the long-term effects of those injuries, scientists from the Netherlands and Ethiopia studied more than 6,500 trees and seedlings for two years in a remote region of northwestern Ethiopia.

When the researchers compared data from tapped trees with data from untapped trees, they came up with some discouraging projections. Given the tree’s current rate of decline, they reported in the Journal of Applied Ecology, numbers of frankincense-producing Boswellia could drop in half over the next 15 years. Fifty years from now, there will be 90 percent fewer trees.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of DiscoveryNews.com.

Last Minute Socially and Environmentally Conscious Gift Ideas

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Every year, so much money is wasted on gifts that are excessive and unnecessary. Instead, why not donate money to a great cause in someone’s name? Or "adopt" a wild animal whose existence is threatened for a child? And since these gifts don’t need shipping, you can print out the gift certificate and put it in a nice recycled card instead.

Check out these great organizations that benefit people, animals, or the environment!

For those of us that love animals, there are many ways to help. The American Humane Society has a fund set up called The Second Chance Fund. This fund helps to financially assist rescue agencies that treat and place abused and neglected animals into loving homes. Donate in an animal lovers’ name to make them happy.

Coke and pepsi duke it out over water bottles

Coke and Pepsi are at it again. Like siblings vying for Mom's attention, they want buyers to know how green they are. Both companies plan to bottle their respective beverages in wholly plant-based bottles instead of plastic or partial plastic. Great! When? Nobody knows.

The other issue is what plant materials to use, how to source them, and how cost effective the whole process may--or may not--be. See the excerpt below that The New York Times posted yesterday.

The Race to Greener Bottles Could Be Long
By WILLIAM NEUMAN
Published: December 15, 2011

The beverage rivals are racing to become the first to produce a plastic soda bottle made entirely from plants.

But despite dueling announcements claiming technological breakthroughs, consumers should not expect to see many all-plant bottles on store shelves any time soon. Neither company is confident enough in the technology to say when, or even if, they will be able to deliver on their environmental ambitions.

Coke delivered the latest volley on Thursday, saying it plans to work with three companies that are developing competing technologies to make plastic from plants, with bottles rolling out to consumers in perhaps a few years.

Local Eats Fundraiser at Gilbertie's in Westport

Jay Leno's Garage hosts Connecticut's EV Expert, Jim Motavalli!

by Heather Burns

Connecticut resident and former Editor for E the Environmental Magazine, Jim Motavalli, has been a long-time proponent and expert of EV's. Check out Jim's new book, High Voltage: The Fast Track to Plug in the Auto Indusry.

Jim predicts that by 2020, 10 percent of all new vehicles will be either electric or plug ins. Jay goes on to say that the Chevy Volt is "the perfect car because it's electricy when you want it and gas when you need it."

 

See more in this engaging video in Jay's garage.

2010 Had Biggest One Year Jump in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

If ever there was a plea to curb our dependence on fossil fuel, it's this one from Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org. Based on a New York Times article dated December 4, 2011, emissions rose just shy of 6% between 2009 and 2010. That's a HUGE increase for one year. (Keep in mind, there was a near 1.5% percent decrease in 2009 during the worst part of the recession.) The news prompted McKibben to quip in an article posted the following day on CommonDreams.org that "we've all but lost the battle to reduce the damage from global warming."

See an excerpt below from McKibben's article.

The Most Important News Story of the Day/Millennium
Published on Monday, December 5, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
by Bill McKibben

"The most important piece of news yesterday, this week, this month, and this year was a new set of statistics released yesterday by the Global Carbon Project. It showed that carbon emissions from our planet had increased 5.9 percent between 2009 and 2010. In fact, it was arguably among the most important pieces of data in the last, oh, three centuries, since according to The New York Times it represented 'almost certainly the largest absolute jump in any year since the Industrial Revolution.'

Operation Trashdown: Green Makes a Great Gift

by Ilene Moyher

Green does make a great gift, but not the kind of green that has dollar signs! You can give a meaningful ‘green’ gift to everyone, especially the next generation--the gift of a cleaner planet. A big part of this is keeping the less trash/less waste mindset when shopping. Everyone can make choices that will help. Unsure about this? Click here to read or watch about where trash ends up.

Whether shopping online, at chain stores, or at local shops, think about what impact the product has on the environment, and make purchases based on what feels right to you:

Want a Wine Cellar? Make it Green!

2011 GREEN HOMES & GREEN BUILDING SERIES
FINAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
 
Greener Wine Room Design with Fred Tregaskis of New England Wine Cellars

Thursday, December 8, 2011
6:00 pm: Holiday Festivities & Wine Reception
7:00 pm: Main Presentation
Hosted at Audubon Greenwich

 
Come learn how to create safe and sound storage for your favorite vintages. The evening will start with festivities in the main hall and will be followed by the presentation starting at 7:00 pm. This program will be suitable for profession al builders and home owners who want to learn more about wine cellars and learn how they can be high effective without electricity, if designer properly. Please note: RSVPs are requested for this event.

A primer on the considerations, techniques and details for successful design and construction of a beautiful, functional and energy efficient wine storage room. Aesthetics, environmental conditions necessary for successful wine storage, materials of construction and mechanical systems will all be considered.

Learning Objectives:

• Able to identify and explain the optimum temperature, humidity, ventilation and air quality conditions for successful wine aging, prevention of material decay and minimization of wine loss.
• Able to determine and design the wine storage space layout and racking system based on the individual collector's bottle inventory and functional needs.
• Able to determine and design the wine storage room enclosure based on room location within the structure and it's bordering environments.
• Able to determine and design the wine storage room finish materials and mechanical equipment for optimum air quality, temperature, humidity, wine aging, and energy efficiency.

Fred Tregaskis began his career in wine during college in the vineyards of New York’s Hudson Valley.  After a three year tenure as a wine taster for a national magazine, he founded his own wine room design and construction company, starting with the 28,000 bottle wine cellar for the Lespinasse Restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.  Since that start he has completed hundreds of beautiful and functional residential and commercial wine cellars throughout New England, across the country and around the world. Additionally, Fred writes for Country and Abroad magazine and hosts WHDD/ Robin Hood Radio on National Public Radio.

Presented by Fred Tregaskis, President, New England Wine Cellars & Generously Sponsored by Coastal Point Construction, LLC.

Admission is $20 per person. Space is limited and RSVPs are required. To RSVP, email Jeff Cordulack, jcordulack@audubon.org or leave a message at (203) 869-5272 x239.

Understanding Avocados

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Avocados are a very poorly understood fruit. They got a bad rap due to their high fat content, both in terms of cholesterol and weight control. The only place you might find them would be your nearest bowl of guacamole. Until recently, it wasn't understood that the type of fat found in avocados is acutally “good” fat.

Avocados originated in Mexico as early as 7,000 BC. Later, it was determined they could be found in South America as well. It seems, however, that when they started cultivating them in California in the late 1800s, that they became more accessible.  

Because of the high fat content, avocados have a lot of calories. But, there is some good news. Not only are the highest levels of fat found monosaturated, but with all the other vitamins, nutrients, phytochemicals and fiber, eating avocados is actually GOOD for your health.