Wood-frame homes are more environmentally friendly than those constructed of steel or concrete, according to a new study by 15 U.S. universities and research institutes.

Additionally, the researchers, known as the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials, or CORRIM, concluded that most of the energy required to build an average home is consumed during the manufacture of building materials - not during actual construction.

"These are landmark findings," said Kelly McCloskey, president and CEO of the Wood Promotion Network. "This offers a first-ever snapshot of how building materials impact our environment."

Twenty-three independent researchers collaborated on the project, which used a process called life-cycle analysis to weigh the environmental impact of home construction. Life-cycle analysis gauges the energy required to produce building materials, as well as construct, maintain and demolish a typical home over a period of 75 years.

CORRIM compared the life cycles of two hypothetical homes in Minneapolis - one with a wood frame, the other with a steel frame - and the life cycles of one wood-frame and one concrete-frame home in Atlanta. The study determined that the construction of the Minneapolis steel-frame home used 17 percent more energy than the matching wood-frame home, and the Atlanta concrete-frame home used 16 percent more energy than a matching wood-frame home.

"Everything kind of flows from energy consumption," said Bruce Lippke, professor of forest resources at the University of Washington and one of the researchers who helped conduct the study. "If you're using energy, you're polluting water, polluting air and kicking out carbon dioxide emissions."

The study also concluded that the carbon emissions associated with energy use represent one of the more important environmental impacts. They estimated the global-warming potential of the steel-frame home to be 26 percent higher than the wood-frame home, and the concrete-frame home was 31 percent higher than the comparable wood-frame home.

"The use of wood products instead of steel or concrete can further reduce the greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels wherever lumber mills generate power and heat using bark, sawdust and other byproducts of milling," said Lippke.

The report offers these additional suggestions on how to help reduce the energy demands of home construction:

* Redesign homes to use less fossil-fuel intensive products;

* Change building codes that promote excessive use of wood, steel and concrete;

* Recycle demolition wastes;

* Increase durability of homes through improved products and construction practices.

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I was disturbed to read today that the frogs from the Tasek Chini were no longer singing. They have practically disappeared. This may not seemed strange to you, in fact, you may not have any idea where Tasek Chini is . After all, it "was" a beautiful large mass of freshwater lake in the tropical forests of Malaysia. It "was" because it now no longer is beautiful as it was, with pollution levels reportedly 56 times higher than is considered healthy, and worse, this is right inside the tropical jungle.

The frogs are not the only ones disappearing. The fishes, cobras, pythons are also diminishing in numbers. Weeds called the "Cat's Tail" have proliferated, snuffing out important sunlight that would allow organisms to grow.

This is worrying enough for some concrete action to be taken to revive the ecosystem.  In retrospect, how can action be taken to protect the environment, or a delicate ecosystem such as Tasek Chini, or any other lake in the world?

Here at Tasek Chini I read about the Sustainable Development Network or SUSDEN which is running the Save Tasik Chini Campaign since August 2004, and these are remedial steps taken by the authorities and the Non Government organisations in concert to step the decline:

1. Collect and remove fallen trees and weeds that choke the lake
2. reduce the pollution that comes from newly developed training camps for National Service that have been built near the lake
3. reduce the industrial pollution from nearby oil palm estates that bring fertilisers and pesticides into the lake
4. stop illegal logging activities near the lake
5. disallow opening of land within the forest near the lake
6. introducing programs to empower the aborigines called Jakun living in the surrounding areas of the lakes so that they continue to live there with their traditional resources that are linked to biodiversity conservation.

Most important of all is education to children on the importance of the lake and introduce them to the lifestyle of the aborgines living off the land surrounding the lake. These aborigines lived in harmony with the animals, plants and environment and they ensure the survival of the lake.

Now if you do have a lake in your area where you are living, ensure that the frogs stll sing.  Frogs are a good barometer of the environment. Frogs are declining due to habitat destruction, contamination, predation and genetic pollution. Will the frogs sing again at Tasek Cini? We do not know yet, but there is one thing we do know. Irregardless of where we are, if we save the frogs, we may be able to save our lives too.

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Environmental Sciences, Electricity

In recent times it has been accepted by scientists that climate change and man made emissions are causing climate changes throughout the world.

The ten most warmest years recorded globally since records began have occurred from 1994 onwards with considerable carbon dioxide concentrations increasing considerably. Carbon dioxide from the business sector is responsible for 40% of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions.


If we do not take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions the global average temperatures could raise as much as 5.8 centigrade higher than average by the end of the century.

This will result in devastating effects on human society and the natural environment. Scientists have predicted that this climate change will lead to increased drought, extreme rainfall which will have a dramatic effect on agriculture particular in vulnerable under developed countries around the world.

Businesses are one of the main sources of these damaging greenhouse gas emissions which in recent years have been targeted by government legislation to tackle climate change including a levy placed on the use of energy by businesses. Environmental legislation requires all businesses to ensure their work activities do not harm the environment.

It is estimated that in 2002/ 03 industry in the UK produced around 68 millions tonnes of waste which without action the figure is expected to rise to 85 million tonnes by 2020.

The environmental agency estimates that there were over 25,000 pollution incidents which affected air, land and water in the UK in 2003. With 1,100 recorded has having a significant serious impact on the environment. Business was accountable for over half of the serious reported pollution incidents in 2004.

45% of the 68 million tonnes of industrial and commercial waste produced in the UK in 2002/ 03 was recycled. The UK is however on course to meet its target set by Government for reducing the amount of industrial waste sent to landfill which is 15% against 1998 recorded figures.

To prevent further damage to the environment companies must become responsible for Environmental management. This will include recycling as much waste produced, conserving energy, reducing waste to landfill and reducing carbon dioxide emissions produced by your company’s activities.

In my next article I will expand on what a company needs to do in more detail to fulfil their legal requirements in environmental management. If you are concerned or interested about what your employer can do to manage environmental issues at work, please feel free to use my articles as guidance on how to manage environmental issues.

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There are ways to preserve memories while respecting the environment-and that's good news for the growing number of American scrapbookers.

Scrapbooking is all about creative use of paper products. Paper is an all-natural, renewable resource, automatically making it an environmentally friendly medium. Plus, you never need to throw anything away-every little bit of paper can be used to make a scrapbook. Here are some scrapbooking tips from the Abundant Forests Alliance:

1. Start off on the right foot-or the right paper, that is. Look for "acid-free" or "archival" paper, which can protect your scrapbooking materials and fingertips. While paper is a natural, renewable resource, it is also recyclable. Remember to always recycle or use your scraps.

2. Protect those photos. After gathering your photos, make color copies of the originals so you can use them for something else besides your scrapbook.

3. Can't scrap it? Snap it. If you cannot fit a large object in your scrapbook, you can take a photograph of it and include that instead.

4. Save the small stuff. Save small items from special events and day-to-day life, and recycle them in your scrapbook. Using a variety of materials adds personality and texture to every page.

5. Repurpose gift wrapping. Instead of throwing away used wrapping paper or gift bags and tags, include pieces in a holiday or birthday scrapbook as page decorations and colorful reminders.

6. Bring the outside in. Take your kids on a nature walk. Collect items such as leaves, flower petals, bark and pebbles to include in your scrapbook.

7. Celebrate a special newborn. In addition to taking photos of a child's special day, create a scrapbook that honors his or her first day in the world. Recycle that day's newspapers to chronicle world and local events.

8. Create rainy day memories. Initiate a rainy day scrapbook with a scavenger hunt for the kids and ask them to collect items that represent a good day at home, such as a label from a favorite food, a drawing of a favorite toy, or magazine cutouts of words and pictures.

9. Say "I do" to scrapbooking. Whether you are her friend or the bride herself, collect fun items from a wedding to remember the special day. Natural resources include invitations, dried flowers, photos, confetti, dress fabric and ribbons.

10. Remember to recycle. Scrapbooking by its very nature relies on a renewable resource-paper. Paper is also recyclable, so remember to recycle your scraps.

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Recycling keeps trash out of the landfills by reusing the waste for another purpose. Precycling stops waste before it happens. By implementing a few of these easy precycling tips, not only will you produce less waste, you can spend significantly less money.

1. Sign up with your bank to receive financial statements online. You may save a few trees and you can keep a closer watch on your account balance, preventing overdraft charges. Your bank will keep your canceled checks and past statements online to view at any time, so it will free up filing space at your house as well.

2. Many retail shops offer branded reusable mugs or sports bottles that are refillable at a discounted price after the initial purchase. For example, Starbucks offers a 10-cent discount to consumers who bring their own commuter mugs in for coffee. The company's Web site says that U.S. customers used commuter mugs more than 13 million times in 2005 for more than $1 million in customer savings and immeasurable environmental savings from precycling (not using) the disposable cups.

3. Ask investment and mutual fund companies that send you annual reports and prospectuses to notify you when the reports are available online instead of sending paper copies in the mail. Not only are you saving volumes of paper, you are also saving the fuel that is burned delivering these reports to you via trucks and planes.

4. Use less bottled water. Try a water service or buy a filtration system or filtered pitcher for better tasting, cleaner water. Use refillable sports bottles to take on the road or to sporting events. Almost 2 million tons of plastic are used each year for bottled water, not to mention the energy that is used to manufacture and ship this bottled water to market.

5. Use Direct Deposit for your paycheck and pay your bills through Direct Payment-automatic deduction from your bank account. The paper you will save is just the beginning. The government spent $79 million in 2005 transporting checks from bank to bank. Much of this money was spent on fuel costs. Using these services will greatly decrease the amount of carbon dioxide released in the air from the fuel that is burned just moving checks across the country. Your long-term savings can be significant. First, you will save gas costs by not having to drive to the bank to deposit checks or to the post office to mail bills. Second, you will save close to $100 per year on postage and check costs if you sign up for automatic payment of all your bills.

6. Reduce your use of paper and plastic bags. Use a reusable bag to carry your groceries home. Some grocery stores offer a small bag credit when you provide your own bag. If you use the store's bags, ask that the bags be filled to the top. Reuse the bags around the house for trash can liners and lunch bags. You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10 percent.

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Every day in America, each man, woman and child generates nearly four pounds of trash. That's over one trillion pounds of solid waste or 365 trillion pounds each year. It's a staggering statistic when you consider the environmental effect that much garbage has on our fragile ecosystem.

As adults, it's easy to forget the importance of the 3 R's our world depends on-reducing, reusing and recycling-for the health and safety of future generations. It's those future generations--our children--that will bear the consequences of today's environmental mismanagement, unless an effort is made to improve upon current behaviors.

For the third year, one hotel company is stepping up to the task, helping kids to think globally and act locally by educating them on how to properly care for the environment. With help from The National Arbor Day Foundation, Doubletree Hotels is distributing an environmentally focused lesson plan that provides the framework for taking would-be waste and recycling it into artistic treasures to thousands of elementary school students in the U.S. and Canada.

The education initiative is an extension of the hotel's Teaching Kids to CARE program, a community outreach initiative that pairs hotel properties with elementary schools and youth groups to educate children about making conscious decisions about environmental care. This spring, Teaching Kids to CARE volunteers and children will create "litter critters," a reduced, reused and recycled representation of animals in the world hurt by litter, and will plant more than 10,000 seedling trees across the U.S. and Canada.

For those parents (and mentors) wanting to engage their kids (or nieces, nephews and grandkids) in environmentally conscious activities, here are a few tips:

1. Recycling is Fun-Pass it On-Recycling isn't all about aluminum cans and old newspapers. Encourage your kids to start their own recycling program in which they share old toys, books and games with their friends and classmates. One child's trash is another child's treasure and by "passing it on," kids will learn that they can reduce waste by recycling their old things so that others can reuse them.

2. Become a Habitat Hero--Challenge your children to gather up all their friends and classmates to help clean up a park or schoolyard (with parental supervision). Whoever collects the most trash wins the "Habitat Hero" award and prize (as decided upon by you).

3. Plant a "Family Tree"--Take your kids to a garden or home store and allow them to help pick out a young tree. (Make sure to check that it can survive in your climate region.) Plant the tree in a special location as a family, assigning a different task (digging, planting, watering) to each family member. Make sure to document the activity with a photo, so kids can remember how small the tree was when they planted it.

4. You CAN Make a Difference--Encourage your children to save empty aluminum cans, then take a weekly trip to a nearby "Cash for Cans" drop-off location. Decide with your kids how best to use the money they've collected from their recycling efforts to better the environment. Options to consider include volunteering for tree planting projects, adopting a local stretch of highway to be beautified and maintained or donating the money to a local environmental organization.

5. Pulp to Paper--This fun, hands-on project shows kids how old newspapers are recycled back into fresh newspapers. Have your child tear a half page of newspaper into small, one-inch pieces. Fill buckets or bowls with one-part newspaper and two-parts water and let soak for several hours. Using a hand mixer, "pulp" the fibers in the paper until the mixture looks like mush. Take a handful of pulp and place it on a piece of felt, molding it to the size of the piece of paper you want to make, and press it firmly to squeeze out excess water. Let the paper dry for one or two days and voilà.

Remember, proper waste management not only helps save the environment, it also helps save energy, reduce pollution and protect animals around the world. A small effort from your kids today can guarantee a healthier, greener tomorrow.

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Climate change and the environment is top of the global agenda today as the need to cut down on carbon emissions becomes increasingly apparent. As world leaders negotiate to come up with a plan to halt climate change and cut down on emissions, we can also play our part.

Reducing the amount of energy we use in our home, in our workplace and in our cars can have a significant affect on emissions. Not only that, it can save you money too. If everyone makes an effort in their lives, it can make a huge difference on a global scale. Here is some advice on how you can cut down on your energy usage.

In the home

* Switch to energy-saving light bulbs. They cost slightly more, but save up to ten times their price over their lifetime.
* When you are boiling water, or heating anything, only boil the amount you need. You do not need a kettle full of boiling water for one cup of tea.
* Switch off appliances when you are not using them to save money and energy. TVs, videos, stereos and computers left on standby can use use a lot of energy.
* Recycle everything that you can. We throw away our own weight in rubbish every month, but bottles, cans, paper, card, plastic and aluminium can all be reused or recycled which saves energy. For example, it takes the same amount of energy to make 20 cans from recycled material as it takes to make one can from scratch. Recycling will also save you money on refuse charges.
* If you live in a sunny area you could potentially meet all your energy means using solar panels.
* Turning down your thermostat by just three degrees will save you 10 per cent in energy costs. Also, make sure that your home is well insulated so that it keeps the heat in.
* When washing clothes and dishes make sure the appliances are full. Also, try using lukewarm water.
* Keep the lid on pots and pans when you are cooking.

In the office

* Where at all possible, store all documents in digital format on your computer or another storage device. If you must print something, use both sides of the page.
* There is no need to fly half way around the world for a meeting. Online audio and video conferencing has effectively cut out the need for face to face meetings and conferences. The amount of energy that can potentially be saved here is huge.
* Turn your computer off completely or at least put it to sleep when you are not using it. Computers still use a lot of energy when they are on screensaver mode.

In the car

* For shorter journeys, leave the car at home and use a bike instead. Bikes are a healthy, quick and enjoyable way to get around, and a great way to avoid congestion if you live in a big city.
* Experiment with car pooling to get to and from work. It will save you money and could get you to work faster.
* Join the hybrid revolution. Do you really need that gas guzzling SUV? Buy a hybrid and use a fraction of the energy for your journeys.
* Public transport is far more energy efficient than driving. Also, remember that air travel is a major polluter so use ground transport wherever possible.

In the shops

* Do not accept plastic bags from shops. Always bring your own reusable bags.
* Try to buy organic food that is grown locally. Organic food is farmed less intensively and usually requires less energy to produce. In addition, the fact that it is grown locally means a reduction in transport costs.
* Try to eat less meat. Livestock are a major source of greenhouse gases.

Water

While water isn't strictly energy, it is a finite resource that we need to preserve and take care of. Here are some tips on how to cut down on your water usage:

* Always use the shower instead of the bath.
* Never leave the tap running while brushing your teeth.
* Only use the dishwasher or washing machine with a full load.
* Try to install a system to use your waste water run-off to keep your garden watered. This will also encourage you to use non-harmful soaps and washing powders.
* Water your garden early in the morning or just before sunset.  This allows the water to be absorbed into the ground instead of evaporating in the hot sun if you water during the day. 
* Water butts or large water containers are a good idea for the garden. Situate them under the edges of your roof so they receive run-off when it rains.

These are just a few of the simple, yet effective, ways that you can help cut down on energy usage and reduce your carbon footprint. Even if we all follow just a few of these steps it will make a big difference and save us money as well.

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For the first time since the oil shortages in the 1970s, efforts to convert to renewable energy have accelerated. In the case of wind power in Maine, this has caused an odd conflict.

Environmentalists and the Wind Power Debate In Maine

If you have filled up at the gas station recently, you know fuel prices are going through the roof. There is only so much fine crude in the world, and it is under pressure. Most people don’t understand that there are different types of oil. The type that is best for transportation and utility generation is very limited. Throw in the impact of pollution, issues of global warming, and you have a sudden motivation to seek alternatives.

Wind power is a tremendous renewable energy source. Every country has wind, so supply is not a problem. The conversion of wind energy to electricity produces no pollution, another positive in our environmentally stressed world. For environmentalist, however, there is a quandary.

The State of Maine was made for wind power. Whether on mountain tops, valleys or offshore bays and islands, excellent conditions exist for producing electricity through wind. The powers that be in Maine have recognized as much and begun the process of taking advantage of the situation. No less than five wind power farms are planned. When completed, they will produce over 40 percent of the electrical needs of the state. Put another way, we are talking about a major use of non-fossil fuel resources.

Alas, this unabated commitment to wind power is causing environmentalist a problem. Wind farms, by their nature, tend to take up significant space. Further, they need to be in open areas where the wind is not impeded by buildings and such. The available areas in Maine, of course, tend to be habitats for rare or threatened species.

Ah, now you see the quandary. Environmentalists are pro clean energy, but what about the species and habitats? If wind power farms are not allowed in Maine, the perfect place, how can anyone argue they are a viable energy platform? At this point, there is no definitive answer being given by environmental groups. The ultimate outcome will speak volumes about the future of wind power.

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Many environmental protection lawsuits turn on the question of who has standing; are the legal issues limited to property owners, or does the general public have a right to intervene?

Environmental protection law is a body of law, which is a system of complex and interlocking statutes, common law, treaties, conventions, regulations and policies which seeks to protect the natural environment which may be affected, impacted or endangered by human activities.

One of the earliest environmental protection lawsuits to establish that citizens may sue for environmental and aesthetic harms was Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference v. Federal Power Commission, decided in 1965 by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The case helped halt the construction of a power plant on Storm King Mountain in New York State.

The Environmental Movement has three main roots: Conservation of natural resources, preservation of wilderness and the movement to reduce pollution and improve urban life.

Some people are skeptical of the environmental movement and feel that it is more deeply rooted in politics than science. Although there have been serious debates about climate change and effects of some pesticides and herbicides that mimic animal sex steroids, science has shown that the claims of environmentalists have creedence, that we are indeed experiencing human-induced climate change, and that there are serious side effects in the over-application of pesticides and herbicides.

Largely due to this political critique and confusion, and a growing concern with the environmental health problems caused by pesticides, some serious biologists and ecologists created the scientific ecology movement which would not confuse empirical data with visions of a desirable future world.

However, the environmental movement today persists in many smaller local groups, usually within ecoregions, furthering spiritual and aesthetic values which Thoreau or those who rewrote Chief Seattle's Reply would recognize.

The visions and confusions, however, persist. The new tribalist vision of society, for example, echoes the concerns of the original environmentalists to a degree. And the more local groups increasingly find that they benefit from collaboration, e.g. on consensus decision making methods, or making simultaneous policy, or relying on common legal resources, or even sometimes a common glossary.

Despite all the political talk and dispute among environmental groups; we can all agree on one thing: Each individual must take good care of mother earth while he or she is here – a borrowed time that eventually is passed on to the next generation.

Thank you for your time.

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LED lights are a wonderful invention that has changed the way the world is lit. Not only are they long lasting, they have many environmental benefits. LED lights are four times more efficient than a regular incandescent light bulb and last 10 times as long. LED lights also use between 50 and 80 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb.

LED lights are considerably less expensive to operate, however are a little more expensive to purchase. LED home lighting requires only one third of the energy that an incandescent bulb will use. A single 18-watt LED light can replace a 75-watt incandescent and in the lifetime of the LED light, will save 570 kWh of energy. At a basic eight cents per kilowatt rate, that equals $45 dollars in energy bill savings.

By switching to low energy LED home lighting in your home, even one bulb will keep one half of a ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere through the lifetime of the bulb instead of using incandescent bulbs. Switching also keeps sulfur oxide and nuclear waste out of the atmosphere as well, leading to a cleaner world and one that will last much longer. By simply switching, our environment could easily revitalize itself without having to deal with the excess carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide and nuclear waste emissions that are currently being released into the atmosphere every day. Even changing one lonely bulb in every home to LED home lighting would make a significant impact on the environment.

If every home in the United States were to switch to LED home lighting, 90 power plants could be retired, a potentially powerful impact to the long-term health of the environment. Being energy efficient and environmentally conscious doesn’t have to disrupt your entire life. The switch is as difficult as changing one light bulb in your home, the results of which would save you money on your electricity bill each month. Just one home lighting fixture, one light bulb can be a positive step forward for your household. Take a look around your home and count how many bulbs you use and consider how often you change them. Say, for example that you change a bulb every two months. Now, consider that by changing them all to LED lighting for your home, you could leave them and not have to replace them for 20 months. The slightly higher upfront costs of LED lights make sense.

LED lighting is finding its way into many niche markets. You can get a LED flashlight that also uses less battery energy, ensuring that the next time the power goes out in your home, you can be confident that your batteries will last. There are also LED lanterns that you can choose from that are ideal for camping or hunting. They last for considerably longer than other lanterns because they use 10 times less energy to run than standard incandescent bulbs and even less energy than a kerosene lantern.

For LED home lighting, there are many options available other than just bulbs. You can find LED light fixtures for your home, indoor and out, that will provide low energy, environmentally-friendly lighting that can save you money on your energy bill.

We all are challenged to do our part to conserve energy.  By making small adjustments to the way we live, we can begin to make an impact on our world.  One small change we all can make is to switch our home and outdoor light fixtures to LED light options. There are a large number of options for LED home lighting and LED camping and hunting outdoor equipment available on the market, all of which provide the energy efficiency benefits inherent in LED products.  The benefits can become apparent very quickly as we begin to see our energy bill costs reduce over a period of a few months.  

~Ben Anton, 2007

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