Oceans in Distress

       When discussing climate change topics, we often focus our efforts and energy towards the depleting rainforests and the negative effects of overpopulated urban cities.  Rarely does our attention shift to one of the bigger players in the climate control space: our oceans.  These vast bodies of water cover over seventy percent of the Earth's surface.  Plentiful with marine life, the oceans' depths contain an unknown number of species still yet to be discovered.  And they're in trouble.

Rideshare: Helpful or Harmful to the Environment?

With today's ever changing world, there are more and more alternatives for people to get where they need to go.  Mass public transportation through bus routes and metro systems are not only convenient when traveling through busy cities, but also environmentally friendly.  Recently, there has been a newer trend hitting the streets: ridesharing.  Companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar have begun to take their part of the public transportation marketshare.  Although these and other similar companies are still in the early stages of their inception it would seem they are headed on the right path.  We are beginning to see how they are revolutionizing and impacting the public transportation industry.  A 2001 report from the Transportation Research Board in Washington DC concluded that "organized dynamic ridesharing provides households with the opportunity to save money by reducing the number of cars they own, but without sacrificing convenience."  Moreover, these companies have the ability to employ an almost endless number of drivers who provide rides at a much lower cost than a typical taxi. 

Simple, Easy Actions To Help Combat Climate Change

In world today climate change is often an overwhelming topic of conversation.  There is just so much to be done and so many problems and issues that you may not even feel like even thinking about solutions to fighting climate change.  Luckily there are some easy, simple, everyday activities that everyone can do to fight this important fight.  Even though this steps may not feel like much just remember that if everyone does a little, that can add up to a lot.
10 ideas on actions to take:
1) Get a free energy audit.  The company Cape Light Compact offers this free service to tell you whether your house is losing heat in certain areas of your home and how to fix these issues.
2) Be careful with your car A/C.  Did you know that your gas consumption increases by 20 percent while your A/C is running? Save gas, money AND the environment by purely rolling down your car windows and enjoying the breeze.
3) Avoid speeding in your vehicle.  The EPA estimates that you can improve your gas mileage by 15 percent by staying at 55 mph on the freeway, rather than the normal 65.
4) Get out and walk more.  Instead of driving down to the corner market that is only a block away, take a nice walk! Not only is it good for you and you'll feel better, mother nature will feel a whole lot better too.
5) Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth.  This may be a tiny water savings, but if millions of us all do it, it adds up to a great deal of water.
6) When you take a vacation during the summer, just turn the A/C off! The same principle goes for winter time with the heater.  Rather, just close blinds and keep doors closed to regulate temperature properly.
7) Double check to make sure no pipes are leaking.  Not only will you save money and the environment but the water pressure will work much better too!
8)  Wash your clothes in cold water.  Consumers Union and Coop America did a study which shows that clothes get the same amount of clean whether washed in cold, warm or hot water.  You can reduce your carbon emissions 600 pounds a year by switching to cold water for every load.
9) Shorten your showers.  This one may seem hard but just think about all the extra time you'll have in morning if you take shorter showers!
10) Set your refrigerator for 37-40 degrees and your freezer to 5 degrees.

Note that these are just a handful of simple actions to take to combat climate change.  There are many, many more ideas out there.
For more ideas click on the links below

Simple Steps to Combating Climate Change:
https://www.retailpackaging.com/blog/2013/02/27-ways-to-prevent-climate-change-a-guide-for-independent-retailers/

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/10-easy-ways-you-can-help-to-stop-climate-change-starting-today--ekE2mOTIBx

http://globalwarming-facts.info/50-tips/?singlepage=1

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/

By: Garrett Sanders

What kind of car is the most green?

Most major automobile manufacturers are now selling more environmentally-friendly models. With all the different options and types it's easy to get confused about what's what and what is actually good for the environment and not just hype.

Here's a chart comparing and contrasting the various options people have (excluding the more expensive options like the Tesla Model S) when it comes to cost to drive and emissions:

How green vehicles match up.

The day where everyone drives an electric car is not coming up any time soon, but as you can see in the chart, even just switching to a more efficient gasoline vehicle can lead to significant emissions reductions and lower petroleum use.

Note: this only includes options sold by major auto companies, not the various post-conversion options available (like vegetable oil, etc.).

Battery electric
Pros: Tax subsidies, less carbon emissions
Cons: Range less than 100 miles, take hours to charge, generally more expensive than a similar gasoline vehicle

Diesel
Pros: range of more than 500 miles (ideal for long highway commutes)
Cons: Limited vehicle options, not quite as efficient as hybrids

Compressed natural gas
Pros: None
Cons: Dead technology

Hybrid
Pros: Great for stop and go traffic, only generates 55% of the carbon dioxide of a conventional gasoline car
Cons: More expensive than regular cars,

Plug-in hybrid
Pros: Low carbon emissions
Cons: Not all are made equal, some have very low all-electric range, not ideal for longer trips

Gasoline
Pros: Less expensive
Cons: Produce a third more pollution per mile than hybrid

In addition to these options, manufacturers are also rolling out cars that run on hydrogen fuel cells (which are greener than gasoline, but less clean than battery-electric). Hyundai has begun leasing its Tucson model in certain areas in California (with Toyota and Honda having models due out soon), but it is still early on and there are very few areas that the car would be feasible everyday option in.

Hopefully that breakdown will help you make a smart decision about how you can lower your carbon emissions, and thus helping slow down climate change, while still finding a vehicle that still fits your everyday needs.

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/a-fi-hy-green-car-emissions-20150713-story.html#page=1

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Some simple ways to help slow down climate change

The Washington Department of Ecology has a helpful list of simple, little things everyone can do to reduce personal use of fossil fuels and to help slow climate change. Most of it is  common sense and practical (turning off unused appliances, changing lights,  driving less), but some of it may be a bit too idealized (low-flow shower heads are nice in theory, but a little iffy in execution).

There are downsides to low-flow shower heads...

What YOU Can Do - Washington Department of Ecology

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