Save The Planet

Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician

He chose three years as a goal because that was the amount of time it took to have a breeding animal certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

"Whenever you go up the food chain, the costs pile up,"

"The natural environment enjoys protection under Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions," Ban said. "But this protection is often violated during war and armed conflict. Water wells are polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed, all in order to gain military advantage."

Since the outbreak of fighting in August 1998, the conflicts have been rooted in struggles for control of natural resources such as water, timber, diamonds and other minerals as well as various political agendas.

"The United Nations attaches great importance to ensuring that action on the environment is part of our approach to peace," Ban stressed today. "Protecting the environment can help countries create employment opportunities, promote development and avoid a relapse into armed conflict.

'poor people are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change'

But is it the state of being poor that makes people vulnerable to climate change, or the processes that lead to their impoverishment?

if you have access to a clean and healthy environment that provides for your needs - meaning you don't need two dollars a day (or perhaps even one) - then you aren't living in poverty!

discussion has ensued among international-security experts who believe climate-change-related damage to global ecosystems and the resulting competition for natural resources may increasingly serve as triggers for wars and other conflicts in the future.

most possibly destabilizing populations and governments: degradation of freshwater resources, food insecurity, natural disasters and environmental migration.

the number of world regions vulnerable to drought was expected to rise

The average American consumes about 3747 kcal per day

accounts for about 19% of US total energy use

6 kilograms of plant protein are needed to produce 1 kg of high quality animal protein

The food miles debate is increasing the demand for local foods, which could become a threat to air freighted Fair Trade products.

A diet that is local, unfrozen and unprocessed, seasonal, organic or near-organic, has no packaging and is based on mostly grain and vegetables, including little or no beef or dairy

Production has its impact by water use, land use, energy use, and herbicide and pesticide use:

Eat organic or close to it—to cut down on the chemicals.

As for lighting, strategically placed candles with mirrors behind them shine more brightly than people give them credit for.

A suggestion for those who find it financially difficult to be green. Search in your areas for Trade and Barter organizations. I'm sure most big cities have them. But you don't have to join a group, but people you know that you can barter with. I have done this before, traded my time with a friend who is a carpenter who builds energy efficient off-grid homes. It saved me a lot of money. Everyone has a skill they can trade. You can still be green even if you have a low-income. I've managed to do it, and having a low-income has taught me to be responsible with money. Grow your own food, or find someone who has a space you can start a garden. I live in a bachelor suite and grow culinary herbs, and baby lettuce, romaine, spinach. Also grow sprouts in jars. There is lots of info on the net about sprout growing. Posted by: dare | April 21, 2007 at 12:46 PM