This week the X Prize foundation announced their intention to come up with a contest for solutions to cleaning up the damage done by the oil leaking from the BP Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Roughly 35,000 solutions have been proposed to BP, our government and other organizations, including the X Prize […]
Two Cornell bio-engineers, Faping Duan and John C. March, successfully transformed a strain of E. coli into a ‘commensal communicator’ that blocked the virulence of V. cholerae, the bacteria that causes cholera, in mice.
Bioengineered 'Bacterial Communication' Blocks Cholera Spread Read More 👉
In this Earth Policy Institute post, Lester R. Brown discusses the problem of water shortages across the world and potential solutions to this problem. Lester R. Brown With water shortages constraining food production growth, the world needs an effort to raise water productivity similar to the one that nearly tripled land productivity over the last
Raising Water Productivity to Increase Food Security Read More 👉
Millions of people in Bangladesh have been poisoned with arsenic, due to well-meaning efforts of international development groups. [social_buttons] Apparently, this is not a new problem or newly acknowledged problem, but a new report out by the British medical journal The Lancet finds that 77 million people in Bangladesh are exposed to arsenic in their
Study: 77 Million in Bangladesh Have Arsenic in Their Drinking Water Read More 👉
Joining the troops in the Gulf Coast, Hollywood star Kevin Costner has invested many millions of dollars inventing the right device that cleans oil from seawater. [social_buttons] Costner’s Oil Spill Separation Machines have been in the making for over 15 years for exactly this kind of ocean disaster like the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.
Since its inception in 2000, some 2500 companies from 60 countries have joined in on the Carbon Disclosure Project and begun reporting their estimated carbon emissions and other climate change related policies. This also provides a strong public relations incentive for said companies to set reduction targets and implement improvements such as stronger energy efficiency standards.
Carbon Disclosure Project: Green Data for the Eco-Investor Read More 👉
Scientists believe that the discovery of ice and organic molecules on an asteroid lingering in orbit between Mars and Jupiter hints at the origin of Earth’s oceans and life 4 billion years ago. [social_buttons] “What we’ve found suggests that an asteroid like this one may have hit Earth and brought our planet its water,” said
Did Earth's Water Arrive on a Meteor? Read More 👉
A new study commissioned by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) demonstrates that unclean water for drinking as well as for sanitation services is responsible for more deaths than all forms of violence, including war. “These deaths are an affront to our common humanity, and undermine the efforts of many countries to achieve their development
Unsafe Water Kills More People than War: Study Read More 👉
The discovery of malformed frogs in the Minnesota River watershed in the 1990s touched off field and lab research on endocrine disrupters that is continuing to yield findings. [social_buttons] Minnesota, the state that made national headlines with the discovery of malformed frogs in the 1990s, has found endocrine disrupting chemicals and traces of pharmaceuticals even
Gender-Bending Chemicals in Minnesota Waters Read More 👉
If you’re looking for an easy gift idea that supports your ideals and is delicious while doing it, we recommend sending gift boxes from Grounds for Change to the coffee lovers on your list this year! Every single bean that they roast is Fair Trade Certified, Organic Certified, CarbonFree Certified and Shade Grown, which means
Green Holiday Gifts: CarbonFree Certified Coffee Gift Boxes Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Legal skirmishes in Ohio and Michigan are reviving debates over whether those who own Great Lakes shoreline properties exclusively control their waterfront land or whether the public can access and travel along the coast. The same legal doctrine at issue in these battles is a central focus in current debates about n a time
Is Great Lakes Shoreline Public or Private? Read More 👉
Lyngbya wollei, south shore Maumee Bay in Ohio, September 23, 2009. [social_buttons] Lake Erie, declared dead by the news media in the 1960s because of widespread, repulsive algae blooms, is once again marred, this time by both old and new causes. Some scientists and lake advocates worry that the unsightly algae is a warning of
Algae Blooms in Lake Erie Bring Back Bad Memories Read More 👉
Blue-green algae blooms on Minnesota lakes are linked to a dog death and illnesses, and apparently caused by runoff pollution. [social_buttons] The death of a dog after it frolicked in a Minnesota lake plagued with blue-green algae was a sad coda for a late summer in the state. Although no necropsy was done, a spokesperson
Dog Death Caps Summer of Blue-Green Algae in MN Read More 👉
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee samples river water for endocrine disrupting pollutants. [social_buttons] Study results publicized this week suggest Twin Cities water resources and the Mississippi River downstream from the Cities are suffering from pollution by road salt and endocrine disrupting chemicals. The results are from U.S. Geological Survey analysis of watersheds around
Double Whammy of Pollution for Mississippi River in Minnesota Read More 👉
[social_buttons] In a century of rising fresh water scarcity, a community of activists in the Great Lakes region is working to prevent private ownership of that water resource, although most mainstream conservation and environmental activists are focused elsewhere. If the activists’ concerns are valid, their battle has national as well as international implications. The fear
The Great Lakes: Whose water is it anyway? Read More 👉
The North American Great Lakes contain 6 quadrillion gallons of freshwater, about one-fifth of the world’s available freshwater supply. [social_buttons] For more than 25 years, residents of the Great Lakes region have feared large-scale public works projects to take freshwater from the Lakes to thirsty, faster-growing areas of North America. That’s why the eight Great
Freshwater Dreams and Schemes Read More 👉
[social_buttons] This picture is a picture of the beautiful Monterey, California coastline. This is where I grew up. It is famous for it’s beautiful sea life. Sea otters, jelly fish, sea lions, kelp forests all populate the Monterey coast. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. Yet, with all that mass of
Growing Acid in our Oceans: A Looming Threat to Sea Life Read More 👉
[social_buttons] When I was doing research on Catalina Island, there was a wanted poster hanging in the dive locker. Although, this wanted poster was not for any bank robber or bandit. This was a wanted poster for kelp. Undaria pinnatifida, an invasive species from Asia that has hitched a ride on boat’s hulls and ballast
[social_buttons] Restoration of shallow lake habitat in southern and western Minnesota is one of the habitat programs funded by a new 25-year conservation tax in the state. Photo courtesy of Ducks Unlimited. A new three-eighths cent Minnesota sales tax that took effect July 1 is beginning to result in conservation improvements. Approved as a constitutional
Minnesota's New Conservation Tax Beginning to Pay Dividends Read More 👉
In 2002 the Coca-Cola Company used 3.12 liters of water to produce every liter of poduct. The company, which has captured the taste buds of drinkers worldwide used .57 megajoules of energy and averaged 12.54 grams of waste per liter of product. It’s no wonder that the Coke Kingdom has been less than popular among environmental groups.
Coke Extends Commitment to Reduce Carbon Footprint Read More 👉
The sun is coming out. And Europe isn’t waiting any longer. Some of the biggest businesses in Europe are ready to invest in the largest solar energy project in the world. They are looking to create a “solar energy belt” in the Middle East and North Africa. How will the energy get to
$560 BILLION Solar Project — Biggest Ever Read More 👉
A new study finds that there is a 50-50 chance all of the Colorado River reservoirs — in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona — will run completely dry by the year 2057 if currents trends and practices continue.
50% Chance Colorado River Reservoirs Will Run Dry by 2057 — Under Current Scenario Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Most of us think that we can do pretty much whatever we want with our property. If we own land, we can build a house, right? Well, that’s what Jack Barron of Bonner County, Idaho thought, too. However, the EPA says otherwise.
Idaho Landowner Ordered to Restore Wetlands and Streams on Lamb Creek Read More 👉
The U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $32 million dollars of Recovery Act funding will be used to expand the harvest of hydroelectric power. “There’s no one solution to the energy crisis, but hydro-power is clearly part of the solution and represents a major opportunity to create more clean energy jobs,” said Secretary Chu.
Obama Administration Announced Plans to Expand Hydroelectric Program Read More 👉
Happy World Ocean Day! This brief post is meant to arm you with the knowledge and know-how to take action to protect our oceans. According to the WWF, Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities A staggering amount of waste, much of which has only existed for the past 50 years or so,
Be a Part of the Solution on World Ocean Day Read More 👉
[social_buttons] In southeast Utah rests a peaceful town located on the banks of a peaceful river. Here the Green River flows between two canyons, Gray and Labyrinth, allowing for farming and ranching in an arid desert. Driving through Green River, Utah doesn’t take but a few moments, including a stop to purchase some mouth-watering melons,
Nuclear Power Plant's Water Rights Threaten Endangered Species Read More 👉
Where does your bottled water originate? Is the company bottling public water and selling it for profit? [social_buttons] Most water companies try their hardest to hide this information, but if a new bill that just was approved by committee today in the California state assembly takes hold, the companies would be forced to sing a
CA State Bill Seeks Disclosure from Bottled Water Companies Read More 👉
Having grown up in the beautiful Chicagoland area in the 80’s my water needs were strictly as follows: Need #1: Water from hose to power clown-face sprinkler, fill water balloons, and hose off muddy dirt-bike/self, Need #2: Water from faucet to occasionally brush teeth and occasionally make Hi-C or Tang, Need #3: Water from shower
5 Water Solutions That Could Change the World! Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Britain’s largest water company has been fined £125,000 ($180,000), after polluting London’s River Wandle to such an extent that it wiped out twenty years of painstaking conservation work in a single day. The shocking incident occurred in 2007, when Chlorine escaped from a Thames Water sewage treatment works, killing most of the fish along
Water Company Wiped Out 20 Years of Ecology Work in One Day Read More 👉
The world’s freshwater is under attack. Privatization, pollution, damming, and drought will change the way we view our freshwater in the coming years. According to Charity Water, one in six people on the planet do not have access to safe, clean drinking water.
Water is a Human Right: Take Action! Read More 👉
[social_buttons] A study has revealed that poems in the loo can help tackle global warming, through cutting toilet paper use by up to 20 per cent. A team of Japanese researchers pasted ‘toilet poems’ at the eye-level of people sitting in cubicles. One poem read, “That paper will meet you only for a moment,” another
Loo Poetry Can Help Fight Global Warming Read More 👉
After years of appeals and court battles, an unprecedented case over the federal Clean Water Act will face the Supreme Court on Monday. Local environmentalists organized against a plan by a gold mine nearby Juneau, Alaska to dump mining waste and rubble into a nearby lake. While the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council lost the original
Supreme Court to Hear Major Lawsuit Over Mining Waste Read More 👉
Conservationists in Australia are claiming that the postponement of the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam is actually a sign that the dam will never be constructed. The dam, set to be built on the Mary River in Queensland, Australia, faces fierce criticism from local activists, residents, and councils. A major hurdle for the dam’s construction has
Planned Australian Dam Poised For Failure? Read More 👉
The first time I saw the James Bond Coca-Cola ad, I didn’t think much about it. But now it turns my spit to bile. [social_buttons] It’s disgustingly ironic that the owners of the James Bond series would advertise Coke with a film about (spoiler alert) a greenwashing corporation stealing water from the third world. Because
Why James Bond Would Drink Motor Oil Before Drinking Coke Read More 👉
Mining company Gem Diamonds has gained approval from the Botswana government for a controversial diamond mine on the land of the Kalahari Bushmen, under the condition it does not provide the Bushmen with water. The government has, however, reserved the right to use water boreholes drilled by Gem for wildlife.
Botswana OK's Diamond Mine Under Condition That Locals Get No Water Read More 👉
Many of us have a large circle of friends, coworkers and family members that seems to grow wider each year. As our gift list grows longer, holiday time can bring with it a sense of environmental dread. The excess packaging, wrapping paper, bows, tape, and whatnots. The time spent searching for the perfect gift for
Blue Planet Run Encourages Group Holiday Gift of Water Read More 👉
ILoveGain.com allows consumers of the Gain laundry detergent to hop online and share with the world their love for Gain. I became aware of this website from a TV commercial–a Gain TV commercial to be exact–and I thought: “Wait a second I may love Gain and not know it! I better do a little research
I Love Plant-Based, Petroleum-Free Detergents! Read More 👉
Combined Water Issues Map from WaterCAMPWS In reporting about our current and impending national freshwater issues I have occassionally received criticism/feedback along the lines of “water conservation may be important in places like Africa, but we live in the U.S…so quit the scare tactics!”. I find this ‘we-invented-water!’ attitude troubling considering the myriad of water
Top Colleges Working Together to Solve Nation's Water Woes Read More 👉
Water is the New Terrorism It was often highlighted after the infamous tragedies of September 11th that terrorism was hardly discussed or barely even mentioned during the campaigning that led up to the 2000 election (Al vs. W). Searching for a way the horrible acts could have been avoided led to a lot of finger pointing and
Addressing Water: Obama Walks on Top Read More 👉
We are dealing with our current financial crisis after it became a crisis. This reactionary style is very “American”. Therefore, I propose we do something “un-American” and attack the looming water crisis with more of a preventative strategy. In fact, that is our only option. It’s not like we have a choice to be reactionary
Top Ten Water Saving Tips Read More 👉
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested ten brands of bottled water and found that Wal-Mart’s “Sam’s Choice” contained chemical levels higher than is legal in California, and exceeding voluntary limits set by the industry. [social_buttons]The study found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in 9 states and
New Report Finds Toxic Bottled Water at Wal-Mart Read More 👉
Wasting water on the golf course Up for a round of golf with three of your friends? A burger afterwards? Coffee? That’ll be 25,148 gallons of water! According to Blue Planet Run, based on the average water use of US golf courses, approximately 3,350 gallons of water is used to water the grass for every
An Afternoon of Golf: A Real Water Hazard! Read More 👉
Dean Kamen wants you to drink your pee…or sewage, or toxic, disease infested water. But not until after his Slingshot has worked its magic! The Super-Inventor unfortunately most known for the failure of his Segway has segway-ed into world-changing inventions. His latest, the Slingshot, can turn any collection of water-containing cocktails (ie. urine, ocean water,
Drink Your Pee!: The Future of Water Filtration Read More 👉
One in six people on the planet do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. Your tap water is fine. Worried it isn’t? Get it tested. If it turns out that it isn’t get a tap water filter, and join a “stream team” (google it to find one in your state). Need to take
The Only Good Bottle of Water is a $20 Bottle of Water Read More 👉
American missiles are not the only threat to Iran’s physical stability. A geological study has found that the nation’s groundwater is running so low from decades of over-use that many parts of the country have sunk dramatically, causing damage in both agricultural and urban areas. [social_buttons]Fifty percent of the country’s water is sourced from the
Much of Iran is Sinking Due to Drained Aquifers Read More 👉
I can see the Freecycle post now: OFFER: I have six million carp, good condition. Nothing wrong with them; just have more than I need. You must pick up. The State of Utah might just be posting like this something soon. Apparently, they’re in the market to unload a few carp–approximately six million–that are tearing
Got Fish? Utah's Got Six Million For You. Read More 👉
The team at Blue Planet Run would like to share their perspective of an amazing young woman who goes the distance to help others. We have been in awe of Katie Spotz for quite some time for all that she does for Blue Planet Run. She ran as part of a four-person team for the
Blue Planet Run’s Water Champion Makes A Big Splash In The News! Read More 👉
The latest news concerning our oceans is not what you would label “good news.” Immediate and sweeping changes are necessary to slow or reverse the impact that human activity is having on our oceans. If we do not, then catastrophic problems will be unavoidable. Issues such as overfishing, pollution and climate change are just a
Oceans on the Precipice, ie, Totally Screwed Read More 👉
