Think Green Live Clean

After thirty years of extinction, the large blue butterfly has been reborn. The mysterious disappearance is said to be due to changes in farming techniques that took place in the 1970s. However, until studies could prove that the decline of the butterfly was due to the loss of grazed hillsides, it was greedy butterfly hunters who were blamed.
While conducting research, Jeremy Thomas spent six summers in the 1970s studying what remained of the large blue butterflies in the United Kingdom. He discovered that the butterflies were dependent on only one species of red ant for their survival. The synergy between the red ants and the large blue butterflies is quite amazing. While still in caterpillar stage, a chemical is released that fools red ants to believe the caterpillar is actually in the immature “grub” stage of a red ant. The posing caterpillar is then carried off to an ant colony, where it feasts for about 10 months before it forms into a butterfly and flies away.
This remarkable research has enabled scientists to reverse damaging environmental changes even thirty years after a species is declared extinct! It has recently been reported that there are now more than 30 colonies of large blue butterflies in the UK. And this is only the beginning.
For more information on the large blue butterfly check out BBC NEWS

Our neighbors to the south are trying to take a leading role on reducing carbon emissions, especially in the current economy. Felipe Calderon, the President of Mexico, spoke to a group of representatives of the world’s major economies about the importance of not losing sight of the looming climate change problem during the current economic downturn. With added stress put on all of the world’s economies it is incredibly easy to focus only on the economic and financial side of international relations, but as Presidente Calderon has stressed, we need to remember that with climate change many of these economies will suffer much more than they are now. Read more…

A partnership between humanitarian groups and, believe it or not, mobile phone companies aims to set up 5,000 weather stations on top of cell phone towers  throughout Africa. These weather stations will record a wide range of weather data and send it to national weather agencies where it can be analyzed in the hopes that it will greatly help scientists monitor and predict Climate Change as well as help government officials plan for the affects of Climate Change. Read more…

Ever wonder if you could reuse the water going down your drain?  Creating a “gray water” recycling system is easier than you might think.  In light of recent restrictions placed on water usage, many Southern Californians are now looking to “gray water” systems as a way of saving money on water bills.  The system, fairly cheap to install, diverts “gray water” from sinks, bath tubs, and washing machines into an outdoor irrigation system, saving users about 100 gallons a week.  If biodegradable and boron free detergents are utilized, gardens and landscapes will thrive. Read more…

We are in a drought in the west, and just this month water restrictions have been enforced in Southern California limiting shower time and sprinkler use. The area has faced such issues before, and the old slogans and suggestions such as “if its yellow, leave it mellow” or “shower with a friend” are now returning accompanied by some new solutions. After a federal government issued 7% cut in water delivery to Southern California farmers and residents, some Californians have decided to become outlaws and guerillas. Read more…

Two Years ago a devastating tornado ripped through the small Kansas town of Greensburg. The entire area was leveled to the ground and its population of some 1,400 people had to start from scratch to rebuild the place that they called home. Instead of bringing out the old blueprints of the buildings that had once panned the region’s modest skyline however, city officials and community members decided to try a greener approach. The re-resurrection of this small Midwestern town is now underway, and it is being done so almost entirely with environmentally friendly structures and technology. Read more…

The US policy towards global greenhouse gas emissions reduction has taken a new direction.  Dr. Pershing, the head of the US delegation of climate talks in Bonn, announced that the US policy has shifted from a focus on enforcing carbon cuts in developed countries, to curtailing the growth of emissions in development.  In effect, it calls on developed nations to make substantial reductions in their emissions now and in the future while underdeveloped countries must make a commitment to change the carbon course in their growing economies. Read more…

In today’s hectic throw-away society, our landfills are overflowing with (not only) our garbage but often valuable and reusable items. Unfortunately, such extensive consumerism has resulted in colossal amounts of waste that take up valuable space and pollute our planet. In order to reduce this waste and ease the burden on the landfills, Deron Beal of Tucson, Arizona came up with the idea of Freecycle.  With the vision of “changing the world one gift at a time,” Beal created the Freecycle Network in 2003 as a place where people could gift their unwanted belongings to others in their community, for free. Read more…

Well it’s not quite a ‘charge’ but that would be great if it was! Anyway, Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is a chemical that is widely used in plastic food containers, water bottles, and baby bottles despite the fact that it has been linked to several types of cancer as well as brain development and behavioral problems in young children in over 200 independent scientific studies! BPA is thought to leach into food and water when the plastic that contains the chemical is heated. Fortunately, the California State Senate approved a proposal last Tuesday that will ban the use of BPA in plastics. Read more…

There is a growing rebellion that has taken root in the fertile lands of Punjab, India. Known as India’s breadbasket, this region is the country’s main agricultural center,  and it is an area responsible for feeding the majority of this developing nation’s booming population. Now it is also a territory fertile with changing perceptions critical of the traditional farming practices that have been in place since their origins during the “Green Revolution” of the 1960’s and 70’s. Read more…