About Earth Hour 2010

There are a few moments when people of no matter which race, sex, color and caste put aside, if only for an hour, for a noble cause. Yes, it is the Earth Hour, which is held on the last Saturday of March every year.

Since the city of Sydney started this in 2007, where non-essential lights and appliances were switched off for an hour, every major city in the world has joined in agreement to do the same every year since then. Of course, this is purely to create awareness towards the need to take action in respect to climate change and the growing rate of greenhouse emissions.

The Earth Hour in 2010, almost three years later, was no different. Held on March 27 between 8:30 to 9:30 PM at each city’s local time, this event crossed the one billion mark in terms of participants, making it the largest event to-date.

With about 126 countries joining the event in 2010, and over 214 ambassadors also supporting the cause, 45 corporations such as Accenture, Nokia Siemens and HSBC among several other big names have also joined in the effort towards this noble cause that has been organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Interestingly, some people point out (rather accurately) that the time to raise awareness in the world has been done a long time ago, and that it is time that larger steps are taken to deal with this growing problem effectively by harnessing support be it at the individual, community and business level.

And perhaps just in observance of a simple gesture, turning off a switch for an hour. That is all it takes.

The Green Supply Chain Defined

As the emphasis has shifted from thoughtless industrialization and consumerism to conserving the Earth’s natural resources thanks to the early warnings of environmental issues such as global warning and so on and so forth, corporates (thanks to fervent activists and government legislation) is warming up to the idea of going green with every manufacturing process and their supply chain that has been a part of their businesses for a long time.

A typical supply chain consists of the following steps such raw material extraction, transportation to manufacturing plant, manufacturing the completed product, transportation to locations where consumer purchases these products, Retail or Consumer use, transportation after consumer/ retail use and product disposal. One can reduce the carbon footprint, if recycling can be inculcated into this loop.

Even most of these steps cannot be changed there are two steps that greatly influence the ‘reducing the carbon footprint’ of a particular product namely concept and design. Interestingly, if product is conceptualized and designed/ redesigned with an emphasis on it being a ‘green’ product, then the following steps in the supply chain just need to be tweaked to fit the green product’s original intent, with the disposal step not posing a problem like the ones we have today.

On the other hand, if a company resorts to recycling components of products they prepare, then one will find this loop to be a closed one where the items to be disposed then are transported to the manufacturing plant along with other raw materials to be reused, rather than having to spend more energy to create the reusable components again. This reduces costs for the company, with obvious financial benefits due to goodwill from the people who use their products.
.

The Effects of Pollution

There’s no doubt that the delicate ecological balance of our planet has been disturbed by contaminants that has been described as ‘pollution’ in several ways with far-reaching effects. Not only does it affect the environment but also living creatures spanning plants, animal and even us, humans.

Pollution has existed in several forms throughout the ages. Here are some of the types that have classified by scientists, as environmental abuse has gathered more and more support due to its increase at an alarming rate.

Air, water, noise, light, visual and thermal pollution as well as radioactive and soil contamination remain the largest contributors of contaminants in several ways other than littering. However, our perspective of pollution could change when we understand the far reaching effects that it poses, which could then lead to taking steps towards a greener world.

Plants and Trees

Pollution in several forms affect the environment in the form of acid rain which can kill trees, ozone holes in the upper layer of the atmosphere that can cause damage to plants and trees due to excess ultraviolet radiation. This can also alter the process of photosynthesis and plant metabolism, while these contaminants can be passed up the food chain as well.

Animals

Skin cancer, the damage of lung tissue, reproductive processes, gastrointestinal irritation, liver, kidney and nervous system damage as well as being the cause of disease, deformity and death for several species are some of the effects that pollution has on animals.

Humans

Similar to animal life, it also causes similar physical disability and deformity as mentioned earlier but also psychological and behavioral issues amongst humans.

Green Google Saves Money and Energy

Apart from being a company known for its innovative initiatives in products that are regarded to be at the cutting edge of the IT industry, Google is also taking steps to ensure that the least amount of energy is utilized despite the ever growing demand for their products and services. To put it succinctly, Google is taking steps (and coming up with solutions) that will lead the way towards a clean energy future.

Not only is it about reducing their carbon footprint but also about ensuring efficient computing, and if that’s not enough encouraging their employees to go green while also providing tools by which their users (and one can only imagine how many!) can save energy on a daily basis.

With the massive computer infrastructure that has to be kept running, in order for the millions of Google’s users to use their services uninterrupted, the use of large amounts of electricity is no doubt a must. However, since most of this energy comes from coal that produces greenhouse emission gases which in turn affects the Earth’s climate, a three step approach is being taken to do just that.

This is being carried out by increasing the efficiency of their operations (by reducing the energy usage significantly at their data centers) as well as aggressively pursuing other sources of renewable energy by which we can produce electricity at a cheaper rate in comparison to coal, such as the RE<C initiative. Finally, in some circumstances where greenhouse gases cannot be eliminated, initiatives like RechargeIT, Google PowerMeter, and their proposal called Clean Energy 2030 are some ways by which Google intends to show us the way forward in saving money and energy in the coming years.

Earth Day

Some people say that the future lies in our hands whereas others say that it is definitely out of our control, like the Mayans predicted. But regardless of whoever is right, things have changed rather drastically (as it is being taken far more seriously) since the first Earth day was celebrated by the United Nations in 1971, conceptualized originally by the peace activist John McConnell and then celebrated on April 22 worldwide each year, for which the credit goes to U. S Senator Gaylord Nelson.

To put it simply, Earth Day is about appreciating as well as creating awareness for the Earth’s environment, and how important it will be to future generations. However, this appreciation and awareness does not stop at words but is driven by its philosophy in action – the three Rs.

Reduce – The first step is to reduce the amount of trash that we generate, and that comes from buying fewer things, perhaps more suited to one’s needs rather than their wants.

Reuse – This one is linked to the first step which means that instead of trashing what we buy immediately, one should find creative and new ways to reuse these items that were meant to be disposed of.

Recycle – This step involves ‘reusing’ what you bought but in a different way. If one can dispose of used items such as plastic, paper, aluminum cans, glass and so on and so forth at recycling facilities to be reprocessed for use again, it will limit the amount of garbage to a large extent.

The options are endless to conserve resource and it just depends on the individual to do his bit, really.

Seven Eco Friendly Ways to Go Green for Free

It is not wrong if one considers ‘going green’ a lifestyle choice, one which requires the use of products that do not harm the environment (both plants and animals) as well as recycles products that can have negative repercussions as well. In doing so, one creates an environment (in simple ways) that also facilitates a healthy lifestyle as well.

This is not just the responsibility of organizations, government but pertains to choices that we can make differently from day to day at home, on our way to work. And it can be done for free, if not for a profit.
Here are several eco-friendly ways by which one can go green for free:

1. Save energy – Be careful how you use the resources that we take for granted everyday such as electricity. You can use fluorescent bulbs as well as shut off electronic equipment when not in use. This can save you a lot of money if you cannot go for an alternative power source like solar panels.
2. Use eco-friendly products as well as groceries that are organic in nature.
3. Recycle metal, paper and glass based products.
4. Fertilize your garden or lawn with garbage with food compost.
5. Carpool to work, work from home, or plan your trips combining daily errands in order to save miles. Even better still, try and walk to complete your errands.
6. Buy recycled items at garage sales or recycle furniture, clothes, paper (books) and appliances appropriately.
7. Conserve water by using it sparingly, and perhaps even using a rain barrel to water your garden.

Recycle Mobile Phones

Mobile phones have been revolutionized the way we communicate with friends, family and folks at work among other people. The reality of using a cell phone is that it never lasts for a lifetime, and so one has to replace it after a certain period of time with another mobile phone.
So, with the popularity of recycling on the rise, the good news is that you can do your bit for the environment by recycling your used mobile phones in several ways. This is possible as metals like silver and other components can be removed and used in the production of other goods which otherwise would be harmful to the environment if disposed at landfills etc. So, here are options as to how you can do this:

1. Give away your used mobile phone to your friends or family to continue using the phone.
2. Make some money selling your used phone on eBay if it is in a working condition. Just make sure it is fully charged and all pictures, messages and phone numbers are removed before selling them.
3. Look for sites on the internet (such as that will purchase your used mobile phone even if it is in a working or non-working condition.
4. Several leading brands like Nokia have provided their customers the option to drop their used phones at the local service center, to be repaired and sent to poor countries for further use. The ones which cannot be repaired are dismantled and the parts are used for other purposes.
5. Another way by which phones can be recycled is through non profit organizations such as that provide customers with drop-boxes, which then are sorted and sent to each of their respective manufacturers for recycling.

Rubber Recycling

Rubber has been around for a long time ever since Columbus arrived in the Americas. While natural rubber comes from rubber-producing plants, synthetic rubber is created from saturated hydrocarbons. Almost 90 % of the world’s natural rubber finds its sources in South America, the Malay Peninsula and Sri Lanka.

However, it was not until the process of vulcanization was discovered that rubber began to be produced for commercial use. Apart from your everyday items like rainproof garments and waterproof cloth, rubber (thanks to vulcanization) is used commercially to make tires, conveyor belts, shocks absorbers, pipes and hoses while some of its specialized uses involve diving gear, power transmission belts and water lubricated bearings.

And just like all products, if rubber-based products are disposed of unsafely, they can pollute the environment due to their gradual decomposition. Apart from pollution, they also can take up landfill space (as used tires are disposed most of the time) as well as work as a breeding ground for the dengue fever virus that can grow in the water that has been collected inside these old tires. So, recycling seems to be the way to go.

In some countries, rubber tires and tubes can be further separated and reused to make different products such as buckets, doormats, water containers, pots, bicycle pedals, shoes, sandals and motor vehicle parts.

And for that to happen, you have to make a conscious decision to find recycling centers in your locality or by use the web to find organizations that need used rubber products (to make products like rubber mulch), and either transport it to the recycling unit or arrange for it to be picked up by the business.

Job Training with the Environment in Mind

As individuals, organizations and countries become more and more aware of the importance of being environmentally-friendly, the ‘Go Green’ motto seems to find its way into every aspect of our lives with increasing regularity these days regardless of whether it is through the awareness of recycling, the kind of products that we choose to purchase, and off late, our jobs and careers.
And this brings us to the word ‘green job’. What could this possibly mean?

Actually, a green job is just like any other job, except for the fact that ‘how you do it’ changes. These are actions that minimize the negative impact one can have on the environment.
And how can we bring about an alteration in the actions of any individual when it comes to being eco-friendly?

Through training and educating the employees/ potential employees on environmental issues that we are facing with water, energy, waste and so on and so forth, how these problems are caused and what actions that we as individuals can work towards in order to support environmentally safe solutions, while also keeping in mind the company’s goals as well.

Obviously, this is not a one time thing, so these workshops and training sessions have to be conducted on a regular basis just like the regular health checkup that you take as this is the only way one can ensure a lasting change in one’s behavior towards the environment.

If we must be serious about cleaning up the mess that has been created over the last century, then this change should begin from within every individual if it has to count for something.