- BASIL AND SPICE LIVING GREEN

Monday

08Feb2010

RTI: Nanofiber-Based Lighting Technology To Revolutionize Power Usage

Feb 8, 2010

Nanofiber-based lighting technology provides high-efficiency, environmentally friendly lighting

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—RTI International has developed a revolutionary lighting technology that is more energy efficient than the common incandescent light bulb and does not contain mercury, making it environmentally safer than the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb.

At the core of RTI's breakthrough is an advanced nanofiber structure that provides exceptional lighting management. Nanofibers are materials with diameters and surface features much smaller than the human hair but with comparable lengths.Solid-State Lighting Device

RTI's technology, which was funded in part by the Department of Energy's Solid-State Lighting program, centers around advancements in the nanoscale properties of materials to create high-performance, nanofiber-based reflectors and photoluminescent nanofibers (PLN). When the two nanoscale technologies are combined, a high-efficiency lighting device is produced that is capable of generating in excess of 55 lumens of light output per electrical watt consumed. This efficiency is more than five times greater than that of traditional incandescent bulbs.

"By using flexible photoluminescent nanofiber technologies for light management, RTI has opened the door to the creation of new designs for solid-state lighting applications," says Lynn Davis, Ph.D., director of RTI's Nanoscale Materials Program. "This new class of materials can provide cost-effective, safe and efficient lighting solutions."

Additionally, RTI's technology produces an aesthetically pleasing light with better color rendering properties than is typically found in CFLs. The technology has demonstrated color rendering indices in excess of 90 for warm white, neutral white, and cool white illumination sources.

"Because lighting consumes almost one-fourth of all electricity generated in the United States, our technology could have a significant impact in reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions," Davis said. "The technology also does not contain mercury, which makes it more environmentally friendly and safer to handle than CFLs and other fluorescent lamps."

RTI is continuing development of this technology and is actively pursuing commercialization opportunities in the marketplace. It is anticipated that commercial products containing this breakthrough will be available in three to five years.

About RTI International

RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 2,800 provides research and technical expertise to governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory and chemistry services. For more information, visit www.rti.org.

RTI International Presents Strategy for Palestinian Technology Hub

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Monday

08Feb2010

UN: "Tokyo Two" Anti-Whaling Activists To Stand Trial 02/15/2010

Feb 8, 2010

Tokyo, Feb 8, 2010— The Japanese government breached a series of internationally guaranteed human rights by detaining two Greenpeace activists who had uncovered major corruption in the Japanese whaling programme, according to a working group of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, known as the “Tokyo Two,” are due to stand trial on February 15th, but it has been revealed that the UNHRC’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) informed the Japanese government in December that the rights of the two men have been breached by the Japanese justice system.German Activists Support Tokyo Two; Photo Credit: Greenpeace

“Junichi and Toru acted in the public interest to expose a scandal that involved corruption in the taxpayer-funded whaling programme. Now it is clear that this is not just the opinion of Greenpeace, but also of the competent United Nations body,” said Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo. “We expect the Japanese courts to take note of this opinion and judge the case accordingly.”

The Working Group noted that Sato and Suzuki had “…acted considering that their actions were in the greater public interest as they sought to expose criminal embezzlement within the taxpayer-funded whaling industry.” It recognises that they willingly cooperated with the police and the Public Prosecutor, that this cooperation was not acknowledged, and that the Government did not itself submit any essential information, such as details of their activities as environmental activists, the investigation they carried out, the evidence they gathered or the help they gave to authorities to formally investigate their allegations.

The Working Group concluded: “The right of these two environmental activists not to be arbitrarily deprived of their liberty; their rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to exercise legitimate activities, as well as their right to engage in peaceful activities without intimidation or harassment has not been respected by the Justice system.” As such, the Working Group found that the government has contravened articles 18,19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 18 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It also took the view that Sato and Suzuki had been denied the right to challenge their detention before an independent and impartial tribunal in fair proceedings, and requested that the remainder of the trial be conducted fairly.

“The decision to engage in this political prosecution was made by the previous government in Japan. The new administration can remedy the shame of this damning opinion by ensuring the trial will now be fair, adhering to international legal standards. In the interest of transparency they should welcome observers from other governments to the proceedings,” said Dr Naidoo, who is travelling to Japan later this week to observe the trial. “Prime Minister Hatoyama must also order a re-examination of the original allegations made by the Tokyo Two,” Dr Naidoo added.

Since their initial arrest in June 2008, more than a quarter of a million people have signed a petition to demand justice for Sato and Suzuki, and legal experts including Supreme Court advocates worldwide have expressed concern about the prosecution. International human rights and advocacy groups such as Amnesty International and Transparency International have questioned the legitimacy of the prosecution. A week of protests at Japanese embassies worldwide began today in the run up to next Monday’s hearing.

Greenpeace is an independent, global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment, and to promote peace.

2010 State Of The Union Address: Greenpeace Responds

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Tuesday

02Feb2010

1650 Garden Bloggers: We Are NOT Geeks!

Feb 2, 2010

Allan Becker--

Recently, I have noticed many garden bloggers are calling themselves geeks; refer to their knowledge as plant-geek, and to their gardens as geekdoms. It is time to stop this self-deprecation. We are not geeks!

We gardeners generate pleasure and joy not only for ourselves, when we practice our craft, but also when we help others. There is nothing nerdy about gardening. There is nothing nerdy about our expertise. That we are misunderstood is unfortunate. That our passion mildly amuses non-gardeners, rather than impresses them, is their problem and their loss. Our opinion of ourselves should not be molded by the ignorance of others.

I am proud of who I am and what I do. I watch peoples’ eyes light up when I deliver a colorful plant; I see their ecstasy when that flower is planted in their garden. I hear their joy when they tell me how they run to their window each morning to see a plant newly in bloom. On their way to work each morning, people stop to admire my garden. Some get out of their cars to take pictures. That does not make me a geek; that makes me a local celebrity, even though I do not seek out that honor.

The history of geeks is quite different from our own. Years ago, industry kept their technical staff in the back room, where no one could see them. Behind the scenes, they were responsible for fine-tuning the machinations of commerce or machinery itself. They were mostly invisible because, through no fault of their own, they had focused on developing the brain at the expense of social graces. Businesses did not want the public to notice them for fear that their awkward manner might frighten customers away.

Then the computer was born and only the technically inclined could understand it; only they could explain it to others. Suddenly, clients who needed technology demanded to talk directly to those that really knew. Now industry had no option but to move the geek from the back room to the front office, then to the head of the company and finally to the forefront of industry. Suddenly, the geek became a prince.

In 2008, the National Gardening Association reported that about 84 million households participate in some form of gardening activity. Unfortunately, these numbers do not differentiate between those that maintain lawns and other outdoor living spaces and those that specifically focus on growing flowers or vegetables with a passion. The congested parking lots at nurseries in spring, and the size of the perennial flower display at all big box retail stores, indicate that the number of passionate gardeners is greatly underestimated.

The garden blog website Blotanical reports that over 1650 people who garden also write blogs on garden related topics. That number does not include those who tend to gardens without writing garden blogs. Nor does it reflect the thousands of unique visitors that access garden bloggers' sites weekly. The readership number for these sites explodes during the gardening season.

Gardeners are not awkward; nor do we lack social graces. We are passionate, hard-working, creative people, who are happy to talk to others, to share our knowledge and our plants. We deserve respect. More importantly, we deserve to respect ourselves because in the garden, we are royalty.

Allan Becker has been designing and planting flower gardens, since he was a teenager in the 1960s. Now retired from the soft goods industry, where he held several positions in design, product development, and marketing, he has turned his passion for gardening into a second career, as a garden designer for private clients in Montreal, Canada. In spring and summer, he supervises his assistants, mostly college students, who transform his designs into flower gardens. In winter, he reviews books on garden-related topics and writes a gardening blog http://allanbecker-gardenguru.squarespace.com

Allan earned a B.A. from McGill University, followed by two years of studies in Design at Sir George Williams College [now Concordia]. He lives in the Montreal suburb of Cote St Luc with his wife and travels regularly to Toronto and Boston to visit his children and grandchildren.

Book Review: Chakra Gardens by Carol Cumes

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Thursday

28Jan2010

5* Green Product Review: its-laS-tik Reusable Shopping Bag (Feb 2010)

Jan 28, 2010

By Randall Radic

MADE IN USA Series

According to theologians, God has the monopoly on omnipresence. At the risk of being accused of blasphemy, it would appear – based on statistics – that plastic bags enjoy the same privilege. They’re everywhere!

Somewhere between 4 to 5 trillion – yes, trillion – plastic bags are manufactured in the world each year, requiring 12 million barrels of oil. Americans use more than 380 billion polyethylene bags per year. Of which they throw away 100 billion. Which means the bags end up in the land fill. And what is even worse is that it takes 1000 years for polyethylene to break down. Which means the bag you threw away last week will still be around hundreds of generations from now.

To put it bluntly, plastic bags are a major source of pollution. Which is not cool.

All that being said, there’s another really good reason not to use plastic bags. They are hecka ugly! Which is definitely not cool. Let’s face it, walking around with a white or green or brown plastic bag that’s got some grocery store’s name and logo on it is totally tasteless. Talk about a fashion faux pas! You drive to the local supermarket in your Lexus, walk into the store in all your sartorial splendor, and then walk out carrying three or four tacky-looking plastic bags that have absolutely no line, texture, illusion or drama.

Humdrum, boring and ugly are the words that immediately come to mind.

The answer to your fashion problem is here. Not only will it provide you with an air of elegance, but it will save the environment at the same time. What is it? Bag as objet d’art.

In this case, it’s what’Surbag’s reusable shopping bag. What’Surbag calls them its-laS-tik. Like Pygmalion, what’Surbag has taken the concept of reusable shopping bag and infused it with sass and spring and softness. The designers took the common, dowdy reusable bag and, like Versace or Chanel, gave it class and extravagance.

The bags come in four sizes: pouch, medium, large and backpack. And they are made of stretchy, sculpted material in a rainbow of shiny colors, such as gold, silver and violet. The sample bag they sent the reviewer was silver with black edges. And since the human eye responds to edges – the boundaries between light and dark – the bag creates lines that suggest shapes that become images.

Oh, and get this: they work great for carrying your stuff. Function and art in one handy item.

In a word, what’Surbags are chic. But that’s not all they are. They are machine washable and a percentage of the company’s profits go to help the city of New Orleans, which, by the way, is where the bags are made. So you’ll not only look haute couture as you shop, you’ll also be a philanthropist. You can’t beat that.

On the Rate-O-Meter, which ranges from 1 star (tacky) to 5 stars (fantastique), what’Surbag’s its-laS-tik carries 5 stars. And remember, “Two is better than one, if one is better than none.”

Find its-laS-tik online.

This product was provided by whatSurbag to the reviewer.

Randall Radic is a former Old Catholic priest. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona. He holds a Master of Theology, from Trinity Seminary, a Doctorate of Theology from Trinity Seminary,Th.D., and a Doctorate of Sacred Theology, S.T.D. from Agape Seminary.

After a midlife crisis, he spent time behind bars. Today, he has emerged a changed man. He is the author of Gone To Hell: True Crimes of America’s Clergy (ECW Press/ Oct 2009), and A Priest in Hell: Gangs, Murderers and Snitching in a California Jail. Radic writes the 2012 EXPOSED series exclusively for Basil & Spice.

**5* Product Review U-Turn 2 Tap Stainless Steel Water Bottle (Jan/2010)**

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Thursday

28Jan2010

Climate Change Speeding Up Insect Breeding: Ramifications For Ecosystems

Jan 28, 2010

Sally Kneidel Ph.D.--

Those of us concerned about greenhouse gases and climate change have a new study to ponder. This study, from Dr. Florian Altermatt at UC Davis, documents once again the biological effects of global warming.

Altermatt examined insect data from Central Europe. Temperatures have been increasing there for decades, but particularly since 1980. This European warming trend is increasing the number of generations per year for some insects.

Altermatt discovered this by analyzing climate records and population data for 263 butterfly and moth species in Central Europe. He included only species that are known to have more than one generation per year, at least occasionally.

Because the warming trend in Central Europe has been more dramatic since 1980, he compared insect-breeding data before 1980 to insect-breeding data after 1980.

He found that, for 190 of the 263 species examined (=72%), the second or subsequent generation became more pronounced after 1980 compared with before 1980. In other words, for most of the species he examined, there were more generations per year after 1980.

So what?

What difference does that make to the ecology of our planet? Actually, there are lots of potential repercussions, few of them good.

For one thing, many crop pests are larvae of moths or butterflies, such as the cabbage white and the tomato hornworm - to name just a couple from my own garden. A population that is having more generations per year will grow in number faster than a population with fewer generations per year, all other things being equal. So global warming could mean faster-proliferating insect pests, hence higher numbers of insect pests on crops.Photo of Orange-Sulphur Butterfly by Alan Kneidel

In addition to that, higher numbers of a particular insect species can lead that species to deplete its food source, or out compete and eliminate its competitors for limited resources such as food or breeding sites.

Ecosystems can be altered if just one species goes awry

Another potential result of an overblown insect population could be increases in the predators of this insect species. Predators of butterflies, moths, and their larvae include birds, lizards, mice, toads, parasitic wasps, and many more. If these predator populations increase, this could have a dampening effect on the other prey of these predators, prey could have economic value - or could be significant species in their respective ecosystems. As ecologists have demonstrated repeatedly, eliminating any species from an ecosystem, or even just changing the density of one species, can have profound effects on the stability of the ecosystem as a whole. Ecosystems are highly complex systems whose parts are intricately interdependent.

The principle that Altermatt demonstrated is far more significant than the particulars he reported. Specifically, he showed that 72% of the moths and butterflies he looked at in Central Europe have more generations per year now that the climate is warmer. But his data suggest something far more sinister....that any or all terrestrial invertebrates may have their breeding disrupted in some fashion by climate change.

Most animal species are invertebrates

The vast majority of animal species on this planet are invertebrates, which are much more directly susceptible to temperature changes, since their body temperature fluctuates with the air or water around them. When invertebrates are warmer, all of their physiological processes are speeded up. This is unlike warm-blooded mammals and birds (including humans), whose body temperatures remain the same regardless of ambient temperatures (disregarding accidents such as a plunge into frigid waters).

Are negative consequences inevitable?

We don't really know. Animals that have more generations can adapt faster to changing conditions. Or maybe more insects could mean more prey for birds that are declining. It's conceivable that there could be benefits to having insects breed faster. Is that the most likely outcome? I don't know. But I don't think so. The few stable ecosystems we have remaining are the result of millions of years of co-evolution. It's hard to think that a few years of random interference is going to improve millions of years of fine-tuning.

What can be done?

Reduce your own carbon footprint. Residents of the United States generate more greenhouse gases per person than residents of any other country in the world.

The easiest thing you can do, every day, is to eat fewer animal products (see "Livestock and Climate Change" by Worldwatch Institute). The Worldwatch Institute, a prominent environmental think-tank, reports that the livestock sector generates 51% of greenhouse gases worldwide.

Find ways to drive less. Carpool, ride your bike, take public transportation. If you do drive, use a fuel-efficient car.

Choose a passive-solar home, which can reduce your heating and cooling needs to almost nothing.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has reported that our diets, our transportation, and the way we heat and cool our homes are the biggest consumer contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in general.

Take the Environmental Footprint quiz and learn more about how to reduce your own carbon footprint.

We have only a short window of opportunity over the next few years to have any hope of slowing global climate change. Once the ice sheets are all melted, the loss of all that white ice reflecting solar radiation away from the planet will accelerate the process of global warming.

For more practical suggestions about how to reduce your carbon footprint, see our book Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet. The book offers strategies regarding diet, housing, transportation, clothing, and other consumer choices that we all make every day.

Sources:

Florian Altermatt. 12/22/2009. "Climatic warming increases voltinism in European butterflies and moths." Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Sally Kneidel, PhD, and Sadie Kneidel. 2008. Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet. Fulcrum Books.

Sally Kneidel, PhD, is the author of eleven books on nature, conservation, and science topics. Two books from Fulcrum co-authored by Sally and Sadie Kneidel are Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet (May, 2008) and Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and A Healthy Planet (Nov, 2005). Sally Kneidel can be found online at www.veggierevolution.blogspot.com and at SallyKneidel.com