Category Archives: Global Environmental News

Huge Explosion On The Sun June 7th 2011

Posted on 15/06/2011 | Leave a comment

The Sun let loose with an enormous explosion on the morning of June 7, 2011. The entire eruption was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The animation here is from the ultraviolet camera, colored orange to make it viewable

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Posted in Global Environmental News

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Did The Atomic Energy Commission Leave A Hole In The Ozone?

Posted on 25/05/2011 | Leave a comment



Seventy-five miles north of Las Vegas sits a land parcel in the middle of the desert. Called Area 51, the parcel is just outside of the abandoned Nevada Test and Training Range, where more than 100 atmospheric bomb tests were conducted in the 1950s. Officially, the U.S. government has never acknowledged the existence of Area 51. Unofficially, it has become a place associated with conspiracy theories, alien landings and tiny spaceships.

Journalist Annie Jacobsen tells Fresh Air’s Terry Gross that the site has remained classified for many years — not because of aliens or spaceships, but because the government once used the site for top-secret nuclear testing and weapons development.

Give a listen to her interview on NPR. as she explain how the Atomic Energy Commission could have left a hole in our ozone layer with their nuclear test.

Bonus:: A 1955 Atomic Energy Commission brochure on atomic test effects in Nevada

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Posted in Books, education, Global Environmental News, Politics

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May Is National Bike Month- Let’s Ride

Posted on 09/05/2011 | Leave a comment



As always, May is national bike month. If you don’t ride a bike then you are missing out on the one thing that still excites me to this day. the feeling you get from balancing on two wheels while moving fast. Here are a list of things going on in the Philadelphia area this month make sure you check out the local bike coalition near you to see what event they will be having.

Bicycle Coalition Of greater Philadelphia Bike Month Events::

May is Bike Month and there is a smorgasbord of bicycling events and activities in the Greater Philadelphia area. Nibble or gorge, it is a great month for cycling.

Going on now:

The Commuter Challenge.
The BCGP Commuter Challenge is back. From now until August 20th, individuals and teams are competing to see who can bike and/or walk to work at the most robust rates. It’s free, it’s exciting, and it’s good for the mind, body, and city.

North-South Bike Lane Community Meeting
Tuesday, May 10th; 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm, Jefferson University’s Alumni Hall (1000 Locust St). Attend to show the City your support for the proposed 10th and 13th street bike lanes.

Bike Month Events::

Mural Arts Bike Mural Tour: Saturday, 5/14
Bike a guided tour Philadelphia’s amazing public murals. $25 tickets via Mural Arts.

Ride of Silence:
Wednesday, 5/18
The Ride of Silence commemorates bicyclists killed and injured by vehicles. Join the free 8-mile ride beginning at the PMA at 6:30 pm.

Commuter Race:
Wednesday, 5/18
Come watch our annual Commuter Race as a cyclist, a public transit user, and a ZipCar attempt to get from Mifflin Square to City Hall. Race starts at 8 am.

Bike to Work Day:
Friday, 5/20
Join Mayor Nutter and bike to work! Begins at the PMA at 8:00 am. Part of national Bike to Work Day.

Kinetic Sculpture Derby:
Saturday, 5/21
The Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby is a street festival and celebration of artistic, human-powered transport.

Pit Stops:
ongoing
Pit Stops are a break in your commute where you can meet fellow cyclists, score cool giveaways, and learn about BCGP events and activities. We will be holding pit stops around the city all summer. Dates and locations TBD.

Happy Hours:
ongoing
Unwind with fellow commuters and BCGP staff and members at various bars around the city. Next happy hour: June 15th at Dock Street Brewery in West Philly, 4-6 pm.

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Posted in Global Environmental News, Just For Fun, social, Transitioning

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The Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins

Posted on 25/04/2011 | Leave a comment


The next book to read in my transitioning series is by Rob Hopkins “The Transition Handbook”

We live in an oil-dependent world, and have got to this level of dependency in a very short space of time, using vast reserves of oil in the process without planning for when the supply is not so plentiful. Most people don’t want to think about what happens when the oil runs out (or becomes prohibitively expensive), but The Transition Handbook shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive effect. They can lead to the rebirth of local communities, which will generate their own fuel, food and housing. They can encourage the development of local currencies, to keep money in the local area. They can unleash a local ‘skilling up’, so that people take back control over their lives.


The Transition Handbook clearly shows the immediacy of the need to deal with the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change. It is also a manual which will guide communities to begin their ‘energy descent’ journey. The argument is upbeat and positive, as well as utterly convincing.

The Author: Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Network, has long been aware of the implications of our oil-dependent status, and has been energetically campaigning to increase awareness of its impact, having successfully created an Energy Descent Plan for Kinsale in Ireland which was later adopted as policy by the town council. He now lives in Totnes in Devon, the first Transition Town in the UK, from where he co-ordinates the Transition Network. He won the 2009 Observer Ethical Award. His website is www.transitionculture.org.

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Posted in Books, D.I.Y., education, Global Environmental News, Transitioning

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Earth Day:: Picnic For The Planet

Posted on 21/04/2011 | 1 Comment



Picnic For The Planet
500 communities and 695 Picnickers

This Earth Day, celebrate the planet we live on with great people and good food. Choose a favorite outdoor location, round up some friends and take the planet out to lunch!

Sign up for your local Meetup and collaborate here with other attendees to figure out a location and what kind of picnic you want to have in your neighborhood.

We’re partial to picnics, but potlucks rule too. Or maybe there’s a community garden you can enjoy together? Whatever the Meetup, get the conversation going now and start planning!

Find more details and ideas at http://earthday.nature.org/about/

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Posted in D.I.Y., Food, Global Environmental News, Just For Fun

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Do Something Meaningful:: The Environmental Career Center

Posted on 13/04/2011 | Leave a comment


The Environmental Career Center is North America’s most experienced recruiting and resource firm for the environmental, building, and energy sectors with over 30 years of experience bringing together leading environmental employers with the best candidates for a better environment. This is your chance to see what’s out there for you. Make sure you cruise their site and give it a open minded chance. Click here to visit their job board.

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Posted in D.I.Y., Global Environmental News, Work & Career

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Elements Of The 2011 Earth Day Campaign

Posted on 12/04/2011 | Leave a comment



April 22nd is Earth Day. I feel funny just saying it because our world is so precious that earth day should be EVERYDAY. Our first priority when we wake up. If we don’t take care of our planet where else would we live? I’m just preaching to the choir.

In recognition of the power of millions of individual actions, Earth Day 2011 will be organized around A Billion Acts of Green®: Personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. At over 45 million actions to date, A Billion Acts of Green® campaign – the largest environmental service campaign in the world – is steadily building commitments by individuals, corporations, and governments in honor of Earth Day.

Athletes for the Earth: Bringing the voices of Olympic and professional athletes to the environmental movement

The Canopy Project: Supporting global reforestation

Green Schools: Greening America’s Schools within a Generation

Women and Green Economy (WAGE)™: Engaging women leaders in the creation and development of a global green economy

Creating Climate Wealth: Convening 200 of the world’s entrepreneurs to solve climate change and create a new green economy

Arts for the Earth: Celebrating the work of environmental artists in all media, and partnering with the American Association of Museums to bring sustainability to museums nationwide

Athletes for the Earth™: Bringing the voices of Olympic and professional athletes to the environmental movement, Athletes for the Earth™ has a proven track record in illustrating the interaction of athletes with their environment and connecting popular athletic activities with environmental stewardship. Participating athlete/celebs include Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Demong, Olympic Bronze Medalist Andrew Weibrecht, World Champion Freeskier and founder of the Save Our Snow Foundation Alison Gannett, Boston Bruins Defenseman Andrew Ference, Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Aaron Peirsol, and NFL linebacker Dhani Jones.

The Canopy Project: In 2010, Earth Day Network planted over 1 million trees in 16 countries under the Avatar Home Tree Initiative. In 2011, EDN will continue that effort with another 1 million trees in large-scale, sponsor‐supported tree-planting projects in partnership with non‐profit organizations throughout the world. Locations where reforestation is most urgently needed include Haiti, Brazil, Mexico and urban areas of the US. Help us green our future, one million trees at a time.

Women and the Green Economy (WAGE)™: To accelerate and provide the new thinking and creative power for a global post-carbon economy, Earth Day Network is engaging women business, government and NGO leaders in its “Women and the Green Economy” (WAGE™) campaign. Our goal is to create a policy agenda for Rio+20 and relevant generate national initiatives that will promote the green economy, secure educational and job training opportunities for women and channel green investment to benefit women.

Arts for the Earth™: Arts for the Earth is an innovative education program developed to teach sustainability and environmental education through museum and arts community networks.

If you our a organizer you can find resources and tools to help you plan your own event in your community just by clicking here.

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Posted in D.I.Y., Global Environmental News

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Should Governments Make People Go Green?

Posted on 07/04/2011 | Leave a comment



Hello GCR, Today’s question is “Should Governments Make People Go Green?” I found a interesting very straight forward answer to this from Ryan in the UK::

GCR-
Should Governments make people Go Green?

Ryan-
Pros: A supposed cleaner Earth, and a reduction of Global Warming.
Cons: Extreme costs; Green things haven’t evolved enough to be cheap, I can already see something similar to what happened when Prohibition was enacted, no proof on Global Warming actually existing, a loss in freedom, which a lot of people will be very unhappy about.

I’ll just add to the Global Warming by saying if you look back at the Earth, it was originally a tropical planet, the ice caps being warm enough for Crocodiles. Then the Ice Age hit and the Earth dramatically cooled. Things are a little different now.

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Posted in education, Global Environmental News, Politics

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Japan sets seafood safety level after nuclear plant spews highly contaminated water into sea

Posted on 05/04/2011 | Leave a comment



By AP via Washington Post

The plant operator insisted that the radiation will rapidly disperse and that it poses no immediate danger, but an expert said exposure to the highly concentrated levels near the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant could cause immediate injury and that the leaks could result in residual contamination of the sea in the area.

The new levels coupled with reports that radiation was building up in fish led the government to create an acceptable radiation standard for fish for the first time. Some fish caught Friday off Japan’s coastal waters would have exceeded the new provisional limit.
Continue reading →

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New Music:: Doo Dat “The Dream Reborn: My President is Green”

Posted on 01/04/2011 | Leave a comment


Doo Dat is straight out The Bay with a banging new GCR single. “Dream Reborn: My President is Green” is a powerful statement on its own. It also provides an opportunity to find and lift up more stories like it. To better understand listen to this interview from Public Radio International.

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Posted in Global Environmental News, Music

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