Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Eco-Thriller


Photo from www.flixster.com

            With movies like The Day After Tomorrow, The Happening, and 2012, it is no wonder that the public does not take environmentalists seriously.  No one is going to believe that climate change is an imminent problem that will slowly, (but yes, indeed surely,) dramatically affect our planet when Hollywood produces movies where the sky is literally falling.

            So why does it do it? If Hollywood makes these movies filled with eco-warnings, clearly it advocates for environmental issues enough to want to spread the word and change people’s behaviors. But why does it create such exaggerated accounts about the abrupt end of the world that seem highly irrational and, quite frankly, ridiculous?

            Because no one listens to the truth.

            Americans operate on a to-do list because they like to see results, and fast. Since climate change generates gradual, long-term effects that are not immediate, many people postpone acting upon possible solutions or mitigations. That’s why Hollywood has begun to trend “eco-thrillers” that present exaggerated, immediate disasters with large-scale outcomes that human activities have caused[1].

            Feeling powerless against an unwilling society, environmentalists use the apocalypse to startle viewers from their state of ignorance or denial. It presents viewers with an ultimatum: change your ways now or reap the consequences. 

            Although eco-thrillers have good intentions, they may hurt their own cause rather than help it. With such dramatic flair, the sudden apocalypses can appear imaginary, and overall, illogical. Eco-thrillers may confuse viewers about the truth of the real eco-crisis, reinforcing any internal refusals to believe in climate change.

            So if you want to convince your friends to start recycling and composting, walking to work, or shopping local, don’t try to scare them into it with a movie about abrupt ice ages, plants that make you commit suicide, or Mayan prophecies that come true with a second Noah’s Ark as our only form of salvation.

            Stick to Avatar or maybe even Wall-E.



[1] Richard Kerridge, “Ecothrillers: Environmental Cliffhangers,” in Rethinking Popular Culture: Contemporary Perspectives in Cultural Studies, ed. Chandra Mukerji and Michael Schudson (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991), 242-249.

Monday, October 28, 2013

A New Leaf of Technology


New technologies are constantly popping up. In the field of sustainability, there are a few people who are working on obtaining energy from plants- leaves to be specific. An artificial leaf, which is a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell, has been created to convert light from the sun into energetic electrons, which start off a chemical reaction splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. This process is basically mimicking photosynthesis, which is what allows plants to harness energy from the sun. 
One would take a small, light-collecting device, put it in water, and use solar energy to generate hydrogen gas to power a small fuel cell. When scaled up, the solar derived fuel cells would provide an energy storage solution for when there is no sunlight.
In a basic format, the way this leaf would work is that it will be submerged in water first. When the light reaches the device in the water, the gases bubble up from the water, which are used as fuel to produce electricity in the form of fuel cells. “This is the model: We’re going to have a very distributed energy system,” chemist Daniel Nocera told ABC News. With the leaf, “using just sunlight and water, you can be off the grid. If you’re poor, you don’t have a grid, so this gives them a way to have energy in the day and at night.”

For more information, check out this video and articles:



Thursday, October 24, 2013

DIY Mason Jar Bottle


A great way to help out the environment is to reduce and reuse objects and materials. One way to do this is to make your own water bottle from a mason jar! This would reduce the amount of plastic water bottles that people have come to use and buy regularly. Instead, with this mason jar, you can keep it forever and just wash it instead of throwing it out or recycling.


 
DIY Mason Jar bottle:

Supplies:
    Mason jar
    Straw/Paper straws (from Target) 
           [or saved old straws that are reusable]
    Cloth design/color
    Hole puncher
    Rubber grommets (from Lowes/Home Depot)
           


First, wash the grommets, jar, & lids before starting to make sure everything is clean.

Then use a regular paper hole puncher to create the hole for the straw in the lid.

Cut the piece of cloth using the lid and make a matching hole in the cloth.

Use fabric glue to attach the cloth right onto the jar lid.

Or you can paint the lid (on the top side) instead of using fabric, or just leave it the way it is.

After you get the hole punched, insert the rubber grommets- they just squeeze right on.

Stick the straw in and everything’s all set.

Just chose your drink and you’re on your way!

Monday, October 21, 2013

How to Make Eco-Friendly Hand Warmers


        Huddling in your bed a few moments longer after your alarm goes off? Swapping your sandals for shoes or boots? Drinking hot coffee instead of iced? It is time to face the cold fact: summer is over and fall is here. It is only going to get chillier so prepare for the weather with some do-it-yourself eco-friendly hand warmers!
          
Materials Needed:

Warm, non-synthetic, recycled materials like old flannel shirts, heavy cotton, fleece, felt, natural wool, etc.
           Scissors
           Fabric marker
Needle and thread or sewing machine
Rice or barley
Funnel

Steps:

1. Take two pieces of your warm fabric, draw the desired shape with a fabric marker, and then cut them into equal shapes and sizes. 4” x 5” rectangles are the best size for adults, while 3” x 4” is more appropriate for smaller hands.
Photo by Rebecca from
 campwander.blogspot.com

2. Sew the two pieces together a ¼ or ½ inch from the edge. Remember to leave about a ½ inch gap in the seam to fill the hand warmer.

3. Use a funnel to add ¼ cup for kids or ½ to ¾ cup of rice or barley into the fabric pouch. Add lavender, chamomile, peppermint, roses, or even orange blossom to the mix to give it a nice scent if preferred.

4. Sew the gap closed. Decorate hand warmer as desired.

5. Heat the hand warmer in the microwave for 25-30 seconds. Enjoy!

      Now you can create your own eco-friendly, reusable hand warmers at home and just in time for the cold weather! 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Actions Speak Louder Than Lyrics


    Ever stop to wonder how much carbon your favorite musicians release into the atmosphere driving from one place to the next on a tour that you are just dying to attend? Don’t worry, these musicians thought about it for you.

     Pearl Jam has been making strides for the environment for years. This rock band has done it all: staging benefit concerts, busing with biodiesel, and offsetting their carbon footprint. In 2003, the band calculated that their transportation as well as that of their fans would come to 5,700 tons of carbon. The band bought 5,700 tons of Conservation Carbon from the Makira rainforest in Madagascar. In 2006, Pearl Jam donated over $100,000 to nine organizations whose missions focus on renewable energy, climate change, and other green issues.

    During her “Stop Global Warming” College Tour, Sheryl Crow taught students about global warming and encouraged them to become activists for the environment. She did not tour the country ignorantly either. She made sure that every tour bus ran on biodiesel. Her efforts as an environmental activist landed her as keynote speaker at GreenBuild Conference & Expo in 2009.
           
    And finally, the big kahuna of eco-friendly musicians: Jack Johnson. This guy goes the whole nine yards. Two solar-powered studios. Sustainable biodiesel tour buses. Eco-friendly merchandise. Jack Johnson even has a partnership with 1% for the Planet. Every year he organizes the annual Kokua Festival in Hawaii, bringing to the stage other superstars like Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, and Jackson Browne. The festival supports Kokua Hawaii Foundation, a non-profit Johnson founded that supports environmental education in local Hawaiian schools.

    So next time you tell someone that one of these green, clean, singing machines is your idol or your hero, you should pat yourself on the back because they are doing it right, as should you. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Music for the Environment


            When it comes to music, the environment and nature don’t come to mind. However, there are a few bands and artists that find it important to present controversial environmental topics including global warming, deforestation, and oil spills.



The band Rise Against has a song called “Ready to Fall.” This song deals with pollution and human impacts on the environment. The video shows animals suffering, deforestation, the Cove footage, oil drilling, animal cruelty, ice melting in the North Pole, slaughterhouses of turkeys and chickens, cars in traffic, and animals caught in nets. Through this video, the band attempts to bring awareness to their audience and stir emotion within others to want to make a change. At the end of the video, lead singer Tim McIlrath states, “Every action has a reaction. We’ve got one planet, one chance.” This is a powerful statement that more people need to hear. You can find this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN2FrUUq-zI.

The song “Beautiful Lie” by the band 30 Seconds to Mars contains powerful words about the lies we are told in order to carry on with our lives without giving any thought to what our actions may be doing to others and our world. The music video starts off with a match being lit slowly. Then a man tells a story about how he would hunt with a dog sled on the sea of ice, but now with the ice failing, he and his people can no longer do what they have done for generations. As the video continues, the Arctic is shown from a bird’s eye view, stating that this video was filmed entirely on location 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. This band filmed images taken from all over the Arctic Circle, depicting the melting ice. The video ends with the words “In the 2 years since ‘A Beautiful Lie’ was released, nearly a fourth of the Arctic ice shelf has disappeared.” You can find this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kvd-uquuhI .

A third band that discusses environmental issues through their music videos and lyrics is the band Melodeego. In a stand against fossil fuels, this band has people on bikes to power their sound system. The members of this band are committed to being a voice for this generation. Their mission is to spread their voice for change to challenge the actions of humans that are destroying our planet and ourselves. The music video for their song “It’s Something” flashes images depicting oil rig fires and oil spills. They promote the use of bike and solar energy throughout this video as well. They have another song called “Digging Us a Hole,” in which the lyrics and the video depict pollution, deforestation, and oil spills. This song was written in peaceful protest and awareness of the XL Pipeline. You can find these two videos at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M9X4VnlUDs and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39_b1yEy0sM.  

            

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Buying Local: North Shore Area


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You want to eat healthy. You want to shop local. But you don’t know how and you don’t know where. Don’t worry. You are not alone.

      Shopping and eating healthy are incredibly difficult tasks in today’s society where everything is sent from farms or factories to industries where it gets packaged and then delivered on trucks or planes across the country or world to grocery stores. Not very sustainable, right?

      Solution: shop local and organic. Here is a list of places (in no particular order) in the North Shore area where you can purchase a variety of local, organic foods, including fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and poultry.

Farms

    Green Meadows Farm grows certified organic vegetables, including spinach, arugula, scallions, brussel sprouts, broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens, as well as fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. You can also pick up some of its pasture-raised pork and farm-raised lamb and chicken. Open daily 8-6pm. 978-468-2277. 656 Asbury Street, South Hamilton, MA 01982.
    Natural Way Farm is a sustainable farm that sells pick-your-own blueberries, free-range, pastured, naturally tinted eggs, honey, and specialty greens and herbs through natural farming techniques. Call for hours. 978-887-8580. 79 Hill Street, Topsfield, MA
01983.
    Appleton Farms is the oldest continuously operating farm in the country and sells grass-fed beef, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and milk. Farmstand open M, W, Th 2-7pm; T, F 11-6pm; Sat. 9-3pm. 978-356-3825. 219 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938.
   Tendercrop Farms offers grass-fed Black Angus beef and hormone-free, antibiotic-free chickens. Open daily 9-7pm. 978-469-6972.108 High Road, Newbury, MA 01951.
    Kimble Feed Farm raises all-natural pork and grass-fed beef and bison. Open M-F, 9-5pm; Sat. 9-2pm. 978-521-3900.780 East Broadway, Haverhill, MA 01830.
    Valley View Farm is known for its handcrafted farmstead and artisanal goat cheeses that are produced by pasture-fed goats. Hours through October: Thursdays 4-6pm. 978-887-8215. 278 High Street, Topsfield, MA 01938. 

Farmers’ Markets

·                        Beverly Farmers’ Market is open on Mondays until early October 3-7pm at the Veterans Memorial Park on Rantoul Street and Railroad Avenue, Beverly, MA 01915. http://www.beverlyfarmersmarket.org/. 
·                         Farmers’ Market is open Thursdays 3-6pm from now until October 24 at the Derby Square on Front Street in Salem, MA 01970. The winter market will begin soon after that. http://salemfarmersmarket.org/. 
·                          Farmers’ Market is open until November 23 on Saturdays from 9-12pm at Marblehead Veterans Middle School at 217 Pleasant Street in Marblehead, MA 01945. http://www.marbleheadfm.com/. 
·                         Cape Anne Farmers’ Market is open rain or shine 3-6:30pm every Thursday until October 10 at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, MA 01930. http://www.capeannfarmersmarket.org/index.html.
·                        Peabody Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays 10-2pm until Sept. 29 at the Leather City Common, 55 Lowell Street in Peabody, MA 01960.
·                        Newburyport Farmers’ Market is open rain or shine every Sunday from 9-1pm at the Tannery Marketplace at 50 Water Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.  http://www.thenewburyportfarmersmarket.org/. 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

·                         Green Meadow Farm offers a Fall CSA share beginning October 29 through December, with extra large distributions for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The seasonal fruits and vegetables are grown on the farm and in the greenhouse. Shares include kale, lettuce, beets, asian greens, spinach, arugula, microgreens, potatoes, celeriac, kohlrabi, rutabaga, cabbage, carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and winter squash. Click here to join: http://www.gmfarm.com/fall-shares.
·                      Moraine Farm provides its Extended Season CSA to its current shareholders from October to November, but will open it to the public beginning December 1. All fruits and vegetables are grown in an organic, sustainable way. Extended CSA offers beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, chard, celery root, escarole, kale, gilfeather rutabagas, herbs, purple top turnips, winter squash, winter radishes, salad turnips, lettuce, sweet potatoes, potatoes, kohlrabi, onions, shallots, leeks, herbs, kale, lettuce, radicchio, spinach, radicchio, and spinach. For more information, check out:  http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/csa/moraine-farm-csa/share-options.html

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Locally Fished


            Seafood is high in omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for your heart. Studies have revealed that omega-3 fatty acids may decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, boost immunity, and improve arthritis symptoms, and in children, may improve learning ability. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that our bodies need to function. Essential fatty acids are not made in the body, so we need to ingest them through our diet.
A regular consumption of fish can reduce the risk of developing various diseases and disorders. Such aliments that omega-3 fatty acid helps prevent include asthma, cancer, brain and eye problems, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and diabetes.
There are a few ways to enjoy your fish. You can bake, poach, grill and steam your meals. Below is a list of the best seafood choices for the region of New England.

Local Seafood:
     Clams: Atlantic Surf clams, hard clams, softshell/steamers clams
     Crabs: Blue crab, King crab, Jonah crab
     Flounder: summer flounder, winter flounder, yellowtail flounder
     Haddock: Atlantic haddock
     Hake: offshore, red, and silver (avoid white hake)
     Halibut: (avoid Atlantic halibut)
     Largemouth bass
     [Lionfish – eat when visiting Southern Atlantic US    states]-http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lionfish.html
     Lobster: (avoid American lobster)
     Mackerel: Atlantic mackerel, king mackerel
     Mahi mahi
     Monkfish
     Mullet: Striped mullet
     Mussels
     Oysters
     Perch +: yellow perch
     Salmon + *: sockeye, Coho salmon
     Scallops: Atlantic scallops  
     Shrimp: freshwater prawn, Northern shrimp, rock shrimp (avoid imported shrimp)
     Squid: longfin squid, shortfin squid
     Striped bass: hybrid striped bass, striped bass
     Swordfish *: North Atlantic swordfish, (avoid imported)
     Tuna *: US Atlantic Bigeye tuna, (avoid canned tuna), US Atlantic Skipjack tuna, US Atlantic yellowtail tuna
     Wreckfish


* Limit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminants. For more information visit www.edf.org/seafoodhealth   

            + Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory due to high levels of PCBs.

Do NOT Eat: sharks, sea turtles, skates, Bluefin Tuna, Red Snapper, orange roughy, farmed salmon, American Shad, Albacore Tuna, or weakfish.


You can visit these sites for more information: