Photo Credit: Di Sanders

For decades now, surfboards have been made out of hazardous materials such as high density foam and fiberglass. These materials have created hazardous waste for too long and ‘Green Foam Blanks’ has been working on creating less hazardous surfboard materials and shaping recycled polyurethane blanks. Based in San Clemente, California, the heart of the California surf world, Green Foam is on the right track. They are trying to change not only the materials but also the culture. Surfers have always been on the greener side of the spectrum, I mean, who really wants to surf in dirty water? But now more sustainable surfboards look to further decrease surfer’s footprint and offer a better alternative. Read more…

Photo Credit: Anssi Koskinen

How could something so vast (now twice the size of Texas) and so detrimental to our ocean (no water sampled within it’s spatial extent is free of trash) remain so mysterious and under the radar for so long? One would think that with satellites, planes, and boats circling our Earth 24/7 and this new push towards environmental awareness people everywhere would know about or at least have seen photos of this ever growing garbage patch floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I mean, it was only discovered 12 years ago! Read more…

Photo Credit: McKay Savage

In remote parts of Africa or the Indian subcontinent, electricity is not easily accessible to hundreds of millions of people. Among these, are business owners who must either close down their shop once the sun sets, or turn to candle light or polluting kerosene lamps for illumination. Kerosene is highly flammable and the fumes are noxious. Every year thousands of people in developing countries die from accidents involving kerosene stoves and lamps. Recently, however, a new option has surfaced.

Through small loans provided for solar power devises, microfinance has supported these rural regions suffering from the lack of electricity that has hindered economic development, literacy rates, and overall health for residents. The solar power projects, typically funded by microcredit institutions, are assisting in reducing the carbon emissions in India and achieving its goal to double the contribution of renewable energy to 6 percent within the next four years. Read more…

Photo Credit: Simone Berna

The EU has taken huge strides in limiting Genetically Modified crops by rejecting their use for over a decade. In fact, in March, 2008 it was found that almost 60% of the EU population opposed the use of GMOs in agriculture. The Irish agree with this ban and aim to keep the island a GMO-free zone, off limits to any environmental release of GM seeds and crops. In doing so, they will see positive results in business, health and the environment.

By banning the use of these less than natural crops, Ireland has much to look forward to. Their livestock and human population will be protected; the landscape will escape the possibilities of invasion of GM superweeds (which will in turn protect farmers from GM patent infringement lawsuits); and will provide a competitive advantage on livestock and food exporters. Read more…

Though energy policy and the passing of climate change legislation is a time consuming process, President Obama displayed on Monday the power of an executive order.  Obama has called on all federal agencies to set goals for deep emissions cuts by 2020.  These agencies must create individual plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within 90 days.  After the creation of these goals, the agencies must employ new strategies and technologies to meet targeted emission levels by 2020. Read more…

Photo Credit: Jeff Kubina

Palau, an island nation located some 500 miles east of the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean, is one of the world’s youngest and smallest sovereign states. With about 200 small islands, and 16 states, Palau’s rich culture and tradition make the location a sought after destination for visitors. However, there are certain visitors that the government is concerned about losing, such as their neighborhood sharks. So, in order to protect their sharp-toothed friends, they have recently created the world’s first shark sanctuary that will protect the declining fish in their waters from commercial fishing.

Due to the Asian delicacy, shark-fin soup, sharks are constantly being threatened and are coming close to the entering the list of extinction. In order to save the species from their demise, Palau has turned it territorial waters (230,000 square miles) – an area the size of France, into a shark-hunting free zone. With an estimated 130 rare shark and stingray species that live in or pass through its waters, Palau has taken huge strides in shark protection. Read more…

Photo Credit: David Boyle

Climate Change policy is like putting together a puzzle. There are many different pieces and all must come together and fit before the big picture is realized.

Two big important pieces of the puzzle came together today as the Senate introduced its climate bill called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The second piece of the puzzle regards the EPA as it revealed today, for the first time, that they will regulate carbon emissions from big industry. This is a huge day in energy policy as two separate forms of government have made their respective strides towards a clean energy future. Read more…

photo credit: Carl Chapman

In 2007 the US Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision to remove the “threatened” label from the Yellowstone Population of Grizzly Bears. The Yellowstone Grizzlies had been designated as “threatened” in 1975 which granted them “special protections” as part of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The USFWS removed the Grizzlies from the list in 2007 after the population numbers “increased from an estimated population of 136 to 312 when they were listed as threatened in 1975, to more than 500 bears today.” But just recently, Judge Donald Molloy of the Montana District Court ruled that the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision would leave the bears under-protected. Judge Molloy ruled that the existing regulatory plans were inadequate and that they “depend on guidelines, monitoring, and promises or good intentions for future actions (which are) unenforceable and non-binding on state and federal agencies.” Read more…

Global warming comes with a big price for everyone on this planet. The most recently effected: vacationers.

Visiting the sun-kissed paradise of the Maldives is not only a special treat that may not be possible in the future (since 80% of its 1,200 islands are no more than 1 meter above sea level) but a new environmental tax on tourists is making the trip a bit more costly. The threat of rising water levels could force the country’s 360,000 citizens to evacuate, which explains why it was the first country to sign the Kyoto Protocol, that set targets for cuts in industrialized countries’ greenhouse gas emissions.

The Maldives are a sought after vacation destination, with many luxury hotels and resorts, over a quarter of their $850 million economy is brought in by tourists. Averaging about 700,000 tourists each year (double that of the native population), the green tax of $3 a day per visitor will bring in $6.3 million annually. This money will be used for President Mohammed Nasheed’s plan to make the Maldives the world’s first carbon-neutral nation within a decade Read more…

Daniel Zanini H.

While the world has changed since the onset of the Aguinda vs. Texaco lawsuit in 1993, the issues confronted in the case remain central to the fight for both human rights and environmental protection. The ongoing legal battle is being fought between two sides, one being a dominant oil corporation, and the other being made up of five indigenous tribes and 80 communities (approximately 30,000 inhabitants) of the Amazon rain forest. The indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian portion of the Amazon have accused Texaco of polluting their lands and water sources, as well as destruction of the rain forest that has also led to the destruction of the natives’ community and way of life. Read more…