Virgin Puts Biofuels on Maiden Voyage

Talk about committed to green, kudos to Virgin Atlantic....

(WallStreet Journal, Feb. 26, 2008)
Ever a showman, Virgin Atlantic Airline President Richard Branson opened a vial of jet fuel made with oil from coconuts and Brazilian babassu nuts and drank it, forcing a stiff smile. "It's more appropriate for the engine," he said before TV cameras. Later, he said privately that he ahd been told he could drink it, "by my god, it was horrible."
On Sunday, Virgin flew a Boeing 747 from London's Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam with one of the four engines burning a mixture of 80% jet fuel and 20% oile from naturally grown plants. The first commercial airline test of biofuel came off without a hitch....demonstrating that someday planes may not fly on petroleum alone. Virgin and the handful of other companies involved in the project, are hopeful that in 3 - 6 years, passengers may be riding on jets at least partially powered by naturally grown oil...believed to result in a 20% reduction in total emissions.

Plastic Bags aka White Pollution

(WPR - Joy Cardin)

Last year, in the USA, 100 billion plastic bags were distributed by stores requiring 20 million barrels of oil to produce....a majority of which end up in landfills. It is estimated that less than 5% of plastic bags are recycled.

An estimated 400,000 plastic bags were picked up last year in coastal area clean ups which interefere with marine life.

The problem has become so bad in China that it is referred to as White Pollution. China has taken the step to ban plastic bags estimated to save 37 million barrels of oil.

Plastic Bag Ban in China

(CNN) -- China is banning free plastic bags common at shops and supermarkets and ordering customers to be charged for any they use, the government said Wednesday.
The rules, which take effect June 1, come as the country tries to tackle a significant source of litter, a statement on the government's Web site said.
The bags also are banned from all public transportation, including buses, trains and planes and from airports and scenic locations, the government said.
Companies caught breaking the new rules face fines and possible forfeiture of goods, the government said.
Shops have been instructed to mark the price of the plastic bags clearly and not fold them into the cost of other items.
Environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, praised China's move, and Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization in Washington, said "China is ahead of the U.S. with this policy," AP reported.
The Chinese use up to 3 billion plastic shopping bags a day.
Often, the flimsy bags are used once and discarded, adding to waste in a country grappling with air and water pollution as a result of rapid economic transformation, officials said.
"Our country consumes a large amount of plastic bags. While convenient for consumers, the bags also lead to a severe waste of resources and environmental pollution because of their excessive use and low rate of recycling," the statement at the Web site Gov.cn said. "The ultra-thin bags are the main source of 'white' pollution as they can easily get broken and end up as litter."

The government statement added, "We should encourage people to return to carrying cloth bags, using baskets for their vegetables."
More durable plastic bags still will be allowed for sale by markets and shops, The Associated Press reported.
When the ban goes into effect, China will join countries such as Uganda and South Africa, the statement said.
Bangladesh banned plastic bags four years ago when officials realized they blocked drains and led to flooding. Since then, customers have taken to using bags made of jute or cloth for shopping.
Last year, San Francisco, California, became the first U.S. city to outlaw plastic checkout bags at supermarkets.

Plant a Tree

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is NOW. The challenge is just to start. So what are you waiting for? Get planting! Remember EARTH DAY is April 22.

2% Solution

Visit Focus the Nation at focusthenation.org to watch the "2% Solution" video.

Consider...

In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy. --John Sawhill, former president, the Nature Conservancy.

Computers

More than 315 million computers are expected to become obsolete by the year 2004, containing an estimated 1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 400,000 pounds of mercury, and 1.2 million pounds of hexavalent chromium. --Kansas City Star, May 9, 2000

Changing Patterns of Consumption

U.S. citizens "waste or cause to be wasted nearly one million pounds of materials per person per year...the total annual flow of waste, including wastewater, is 250 trillion pounds." This waste includes materials such as carpets, Styrofoam, discarded food, carbon from carbon dioxide, and manufacturing waste. "Less than 2% of the total waste stream is actually recycled - primarily paper, glass, plastic, aluminum and steel. Even more staggering: only 1% of North American materials ends up in products that are still being used six months after their sale. --The Natural Step

Success by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often & much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics
& earn the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better whether
by a healthy child,
a garden patch or
a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier
because you lived
is to have succeeded.

From WasteNews.com Pen makers want writers to BeGreen

Feb. 7 -- Pilot Pen Corporation of America has introduced what it is touting as the world´s first full line of earth-friendly writing instruments.
The BeGreen product line includes ballpoint pens, rolling ball pens and mechanical pencils. They are made from at least 70 percent recycled content and packaged using recycled materials. They also are the same price as their nonrecycled counterparts, said Robert Silberman, vice president of marketing for Trumbull, Conn.-based Pilot Pen Corp.
"The product line will expand as consumer interest heightens for the well-being of our planet," he said.

Think about it....

We have the capacity to shape a different future.

Now do it!