waynechecker.net

So, most of us have had a pet of some sort over the course of our lives – be it a delightful dog, fickle feline, cute as all get out guinea pigs, or gallons of goldfish mine were always a touch, well, suicidal, our pets bring us joy, love, laughter, and good times. But imagine owning over 500 pets that never need to be walked, are happy to eat your scraps, provide you with amazing fertiliser AND help reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint! Sound too good to be true? Well, welcome to the wonderful world of worm farms – top little carbon crusaders and garbage gobblers who just happen to be awesome and fairly low maintenance pets!

via Worms – They Make Great Pets « Sustainable Gardening Australia.

The Breathing Earth simulation

Welcome to Breathing Earth. This real-time simulation displays the CO2 emissions of every country in the world, as well as their birth and death rates.

Please remember that this real time simulation is just that: a simulation. Although the CO2 emission, birth rate and death rate data used in Breathing Earth comes from reputable sources, data that measures things on such a massive scale can never be 100% accurate. Please note however that the CO2 emission levels shown here are much more likely to be too low than they are to be too high.

via CO2 emissions, birth & death rates by country, simulated real-time.

Meet Solvay, the airplane that might make history as the first plane to fly overnight by solar power. The aircraft is expected to last 36 hours in flight. Perhaps this is hopeful thinking for the Swiss, considering their last test flight only launched the plane a meter in the air and a mere 350 meters forward.

Full article

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More evidence of the climate crisis is unfolding before our eyes. The situation in the Arctic is worse than data from satellite pictures have told us:

“For scientists studying the health of Arctic sea ice, satellite observations are absolutely essential for providing the big picture. It was satellites that revealed in September 2007 a record minimum ice coverage in the region — the result of a massive summer melt. And it was satellites that showed in 2008 and 2009 the modest recovery of late-summer Arctic ice that suggested to some that the specter of a totally ice-free polar ocean might be somewhat less imminent than feared.”

“But those high-altitude observations need occasional reality checks from scientists down on the surface. It was during one such on-the-ground research expedition last fall that David Barber, an Arctic climatologist at the University of Manitoba, got an unwelcome surprise.”

“Barber was aboard the Canadian research icebreaker Amundsen, checking on ice in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska and Western Canada. The ship was well inside a region the satellites said should be choked with thick, multiyear-old ice. “That’s pretty much a no-go zone for an icebreaker of the Amundsen’s size,” says Barber. But the ship kept going, at a brisk 13 knots — its top speed in open water is 13.7 knots — and even when it finally reached thick ice, he says, “we could still penetrate it easily.”"

“In short, as Barber and his colleagues explain in a recent paper in Geophysical Review Letters, the analysis of what the satellites were seeing was wrong. Some of what satellites identified as thick, melt-resistant multiyear ice turned out to be, in Barber’s words, “full of holes, like Swiss cheese. We haven’t seen this sort of thing before.”"

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• Arctic sea ice vanishing fast: researcher (canada.com)

Each week the average Australian household generates up to 800 litres of washing and cleaning water. With many Australian cities and regional centres enduring drought conditions the opportunity to correctly recycle water used in cleaning and washing is vital, and when done correctly, it can be used for watering plants and gardens, flushing toilets, washing cars and much more.

However, users beware; not all greywater is created equal. If the washing or cleaning detergent you have used contains phosphates, petrochemicals or non-biodegradable materials it can do more harm than good. Why you ask?

* When it enter waterways phosphates feed blue-green algae resulting in algae blooms which contribute to weed and algal slime build up.

* Petrochemicals can cause allergic reactions and take a long time to break down

* They are made from non-renewable resources

Maximise the benefits of your greywater by choosing a washing powder such as Aware Eco Choice or Sensitive Skin to ensure the water you put back into your garden is as safe as possible. When looking for a greywater friendly detergent make sure it is plant based, able to break down quickly and made from renewable resources.

Using greywater needn’t be a chore either. It can be as simple as attaching a hose from the washing machine and into a catchment bucket for later use or for the more hi-tech consumer there are treatment systems available that collect water from the laundry or shower and treats it to a suitable level for indoor use.

Follow these greywater use tips to take a ‘green’ step in the right direction:

* It is law to ensure greywater does not run onto neighbouring properties or into stormwater drains

* Don’t use greywater on vegie patches or food plants you intend to eat raw

* Cool water from hot wash cycles before using on the garden

* It is best to discard water used to wash nappies to avoid spreading diseases including Giardia

via http: www.orangepower.com.au/messages/09dec2009/web.html

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In December this year, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to determine how the world deals with climate change. Their choice is simple Earth or global warming.

Add your voice to this global mandate. Show your vote for Earth and tell world leaders to seal a deal in Copenhagen a deal that will protect people, and protect the planet.

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• Analysis: Copenhagen is going to be little more than a photo opportunity for world leaders. (telegraph.co.uk)

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Everything about global warming is controversial – its causes, effects, even whether it actually exists. As such, many are interested in it, and many more are interested in debating it. For an issue that is so well known, its causes are not. Most people would blame oil, others would point to coal, and almost all would say that buying a hybrid car helps. But are these the primary causes of global warming? Does that awesome-looking new Prius really reduce your carbon footprint?Surprisingly, the answer is no – to both questions. The primary causes of global warming are much more interesting and much more diverse than the simple one-word answers of “coal” or “oil”.This article identifies ten global warming culprits that are shocking, unusual, and even funny.

via Silent Carbon Footprint: Top Ten Sources You’d Never Expect | Green Expander.