The Green Crowd Blog

Plastic Bottle Boat: Plastiki’s journey spreads a message in a bottle

AmbassadorLuke — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:19:08 +0000

Plastiki the plastic bottle boat sailed from California to Australia in 2010. It brought with it an important message, plastic production is out of control.

Waste management is arguably the foremost environmental challenge facing our generation. The sheer number of water bottles produced by the bottled water industry and subsequently discarded by consumers has caused grievance harm to OUR environment. Annual global consumption continues to grow only exacerbating the problem. The lack of regulation in the bottled water industry has caused production to skyrocket with no definitive solution to waste disposal.

An estimated 2.48 million tons of plastic bottles were disposed of in 2008. (EPA)

The research suggests there appears to be no feasible solution to waste management of plastic bottles. Yet one American company has created an ingenious solution for these environmental leeches. Although it a unique creation, Adventure Ecology has re-used plastic bottles for a beneficial cause.

Every square mile of the ocean has 46,000 pieces of floating plastic in it. (UN, 2006)

10% of the plastic produced every year worldwide winds up in the ocean. 70% of which finds its way to the ocean floor, where it will likely never degrade. (UN, 2006)

A product of Adventure Ecology, Plastiki (pictured below) is a catamaran with a hull made of 12,500 two-litre plastic bottles. Mid 2010, the vessel embarked on a 9,000km journey from San Francisco, USA to Sydney, Australia. Sailing the Earth’s largest ocean is intended to raise awareness of the mounting plastic debris that exists beneath the surface. The journey was a profound success, proving what can be achieved with a creative mind and useless rubbish.

Crew onboard The Plastiki

Plastic water bottles and soft drink bottles are damaging our environment. Plastiki have created a wonderful positive movement. Let’s keep it going!

Obama’s energy speech says algae is the new super biofuel, but don’t expect major changes any time soon

Jasmine York — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:30:21 +0000

President Obama gave his speech on energy this week speaking at the University of Miami spoke of plans to invest $14 million to make to make transportation fuels out of algae. “We could replace up to 17 percent of the oil we import for transportation with this fuel that we can grow right here in the United States. That means greater energy security” and a “stronger economy,” he said.

The US Department of Energy fact sheet says, “Microalgae are single-cell, photosynthetic organisms known for their rapid growth and high energy content. Some algal strains are capable of doubling their mass several times per day. In some cases, more than half of that mass consists of lipids or triacylglycerides—the same material found in vegetable oils. These bio-oils can be used to produce such advanced biofuels as biodiesel, green diesel, green gasoline, and green jet fuel.”

Let’s have a look at the different plant based fuels, and their efficiency per acre:

- Biodiesel produced from soybeans produces 50 gallons/acre/year.

- Biodiesel from corn yields 1,300 gallons/acre/year

- Biodiesel from algae produces between 5,000 – 15,000 gallons per year per acre!

What’s even more amazing is that the production process used to grow algae can be designed so that algae feeds on pollution.

The biodiesel from algae can be grown from:

- sewage treatment plants

- CO2 from any fossil fuel burning plant, like an electric generation plant, brick plant or landfill.

So instead of needing to spend money with fertilizers, this algae production process will actually consumes the things that pollute and harm our air, water, and climate.

The news actually get’s even better when you consider that bio-fuels from algae can be grown anywhere.

There are now Australian researchers concluding, after working on pilot projects, that “the cost of saltwater algae production is now, based on current science, lower than the cost of diesel from fossil crude oil.”

What more is there to say.

It’s now cheaper to develop fuel from algae than to drill crude oil.

The great news for Australia is that efforts are now under way to create many bio-diesel algae farms covering hundreds of acres in Australia.

Investors from the major fossil fuel refining companies as well as the governments of China and India are beginning to get involved. Already 30+ US companies are working hard in this field now, including well known listed US corporations.

Innovators have developed modular algae production/refining units that fit inside and use shipping containers as the basic structure to grow the algae, making a shippable standard-sized production plant that can easily be scaled up simply by adding more containers.

Obmana said he wants to begin construction on at least four commercial-scale refineries for biofuels by 2013. But exactly how much time and resources this administration will spend on the development of these “algae refineries” and other “alternative” sources of energy remains to be seen.

It’s important to note that the US government has had a bad track record with respect to developing alternative vehicle fuels up until now. According to the EIA (Energy Information Administration), biodiesel accounted for less than 1 percent of the diesel fuel market as of 2008.

After four decades, tens of billions of dollars in subsidies, and draconian mandates that force it on unwilling consumers, ethanol was five percent of vehicle consumption (by volume) as of 2008.

Although algae-to-fuel is a very different idea, it is still in its early stages.

“We’re not going to transition out of oil anytime soon,” Obama added

Governments need to see our desire for fuel alternatives. Let’s change our assumptions that crude oil is the defacto standard for powering our transportation needs.

And while the focus is on getting our economies back on track, let’s not just go back to “business as ususal”. We need the courage, as local communities, countries and citizens of the world, to take advantage of new techologies like this and direct our society into a new, more sustainable direction.

Bottled water blues: Why you should keep up the fight against bottled water

Jasmine York — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:01:50 +0000

Bottled water sucks on so many levels! But it is so easy to get into the habit of buying them, especially when your alternatives are nasty sugary drinks. The only alternative is to carry your own bottle. I am guilty of forgetting mine often, but after seeing the stats below I have been inspired into action again. No matter how convenient it is, plastic water bottles are not worth it!

It is easy to become disillusioned when you continually forget your reusable BPA-free bottle or lose it! They are expensive and it’s easier to grab a bottle when you’re out and about. I get it, I have lost two in the last year.

But please, don’t give in! And for those of you that don’t know anything about the bottled water debate, get informed, because it is a very wasteful and unnecessary industry.

These stats on bottled water from TapIt Water have got me looking out for my next eco-friendly option- this one is going to have my phone number engraved on it for the sake of a better return rate. :) Below is TapIt’s ten reasons to drink bottled water…

TapIt is such a wonderful movement, I urge you to get behind them and help them out. If you own a cafe or work in retail or in an office, you could make your workplace a water-filling station. The more water we drink, the healthier we are and the less bottled water we drink, the healthier the planet will be.

It may seem trivial, but when you look at these stats, bottled water is doing some serious damage. It is amazing that we can make something as wonderful as water have such an unhealthy impact on the planet.

Palm Oil- Why all the fuss?

Jasmine York — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:31:24 +0000

You’ve probably heard some talk about palm oil and seen some signs advertising that a product is ‘Palm Oil Free’, but like me, maybe you’ve been wondering why palm oil is such a problem. It’s from a tree, so surely it is fine, right?

You’re right, it is. There is nothing wrong with the actual palm oil. It is a very useful, wonderful natural product that can be used as an alternative to butter and vegetable oils. The oil from the pulp of its fruit is used in food; you’ll see it in many confectionery items, and the oil from palm seeds is used in shampoo and other cosmetics. I’m reading a book at the moment from Nigeria called ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe. The villagers in the story use palm oil to cook their food, to eat, to build and to make wine! It is an integral substance in their life, not a product to be boycotted.

However, like many things, it is the industrial production and growth of palm oil that is causing problems.

Unfortunately, the devastation palm oil consumption is causing far outweighs the benefits.

The reason many environmental organisations and groups have called for a boycott on palm oil products is the devastation that its mass production causes.

Project Borneo, the launching project for The Green Crowd, is a film that aims to bring awareness to the disaster unfolding and to implore people to stop it.

Palm oil is grown in South America, Africa and South-East Asia. The spotlight is largely on Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia where some of the oldest rainforests in the world (approx. 130 million years old) are being destroyed to make room for palm oil plantations. To clear the land, people are burning the forests so they can make their living off selling palm oil. At the moment, these precious forests do not make them a living and they have few alternatives.

The burning produces more co2 than China. As if this wasn’t enough, the deforestation also means that there are less old-growth trees to process the carbon and release oxygen. So emissions are increasing and the natural ‘sewage’ system is being destroyed. The production of palm oil is literally choking the planet.

Make no mistake, this is one of the single most environmentally damaging industries in the world today.

The burning also results in the deaths of countless wildlife including the long-suffering orangutans.

Orangutan sanctuaries struggle to keep up with the rescuing and funding demands that the palm oil industry produces. These beautiful creatures, that so many people love, are losing their habitats and their lives. If this isn’t stopped, they could be extinct in the wild within the decade.

Rescued orphan orangutans. So very cute and innocent, we've got to help them!

This issue deserves our compassion and our attention. If you’d like to get involved there are a lot of ways to do it!

Check out Project Borneo and contribute to the project on The Green Crowd here

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out DeforestACTION- http://dfa.tigweb.org/
Get informed by watching www.theburningseasonmovie.com
Adopt an orangutan- http://www.orangutan.org.au/
Choose palm-oil-free products. You can find a list of them here

And… of course spread the word! Facebook share Project Borneo, tell your friends what’s going on. Be informed and change your habits. If you want to cut your palm oily biscuits and chocolate, check out my food blogs, especially this one: Time for some sweet, sustainable changes…

The palm oil ‘fuss’ is not just some hippy trip. It is a big deal and it affects all of us… Get involved anyway you can.

Something fishy…

Jasmine York — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:53:49 +0000

Today I’m giving you a brief run-down on the benefits of aquaponics! Have you heard of it? Although I am a vegetarian, I cannot help but marvel at the simple wonder that it is. For all you ethical fish eaters out there, this could be the answer to your prayers… :)

Over-populated fish farms result in high-mercury produce and disease. Very similar problems to that of factory farmed animals :(

For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, aquaponics is basically an eco-growing system. It is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, without the need for man-made nutrients or heavily-stocked high mercury fish tanks. The biggest issues with commerical fish production are high levels of mercury in farmed fish and over-fishing of the oceans.

Fish eaters will be familiar with the difficulties they face in finding ethical, healthy, non-toxic fish to eat. Aquaponic systems avoid all of these problems by combining fish growing with plant growing! Depending on the system you can grow all sorts of fish including barramundi and trout.

Aquaponics also eliminates the need for manufactured and packaged fertilisers that are often used to grow plants. Instead, the fish effluent and water is given to the plants and contains almost all the nutrients they need to thrive. You can grow your vegies and herbs alongside your fish and know that everything you’re eating is organically, ethically produced! Even if you don’t eat fish, this is a great way to fertilise your plants and look after your pets!

The system mimics nature- it is a cyclic process. The fish effluent feeds the plants and the plants (and the substance they grow in) purify the water. The water is not wasted either; like in nature, the same water can stay in the system indefinitely. The only time you need to add more water is when it is lost through evaporation.

Beautiful, healthy produce!

To learn about the process in detail and to check out the different systems you can use, check out this great website:

http://backyardaquaponics.com

Even better, in Brisbane Australia there is an innovative pair of lads who have developed a ‘foodqube’ that is suitable for apartments and balconies. This is such a wonderful idea and they are available to lease in Brisbane. As you know, we love getting behind projects like these. This is a really exciting one because it make aquaponics manageable for everyone! Check them out:

www.foodqube.com.au

Time for some sweet, sustainable changes….

Jasmine York — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:40:14 +0000

Ok, so on to some of the fun stuff. We have recently moved house and therefore The Green Crowd has moved office. With this new house in a new year, we are looking at what we can do to make our lifestyle more sustainable. It may surprise you to know that we are not the most enviro-friendly household. We use as many eco-tastic products as we can, but there are plenty of other things we can do to improve our lifestyle and reduce our household footprint. So, over the coming months, I’ll be blogging about how you can make your daily life more sustainable and also more creative! Here is the first step I took:

Make it sweet yourself!

My raw vanilla chocolate- Yum! Note: I'm using a take away container as a mould- use whatever you already have, you don't need special equipment. :)

In the past week I have replaced all our processed cookies, chocolate and ice cream with homemade creations. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner, especially the chocolate. Making your own sweets reduces fats, preservatives, sugars, food miles, food production energy and packaging AND increases personal satisfaction and makes more nutritious snacks. I have thoroughly enjoyed adjusting recipes to suit our tastes and also love knowing that the guilty sweet snacks we like are now guilt-free and much more sustainable! Not to mention much more delicious and energising! Wow. I’m just a little bit obsessed…. :)

Sure, time is a concern, but it doesn’t take nearly as much time as I thought. An hour of weekend baking can keep us in snacks for the school/work week. If you’re time-starved, pick the easiest, quickest recipes and make it simple for yourself. It is also a really good idea to add all the ingredients you’ll need to your weekly shopping list so you don’t have to duck out for ingredients all the time. You’ll be amazed at the drop in packaging and waste leaving your house, we are definitely emptying the bins less!
This is a basic ingredient list for the recipes I use. Many of these products can be purchased at markets and health food stores in paper bags or re-useable jars, but just buying them anywhere is a great start!

Organic virgin coconut oil
Chocolate ingredients- only 3. So easy!
Raw cacao butter
Raw cacao powder (cacao products can seem expensive but go a long way)
Almond meal
Hazelnut meal
Vanilla bean or essence
Raw honey- the raw part is really important and so much yummier!
Agave syrup
Raw sugar
Nuts (macadamia, almond, hazelnut are my faves:)
Your favourite all-purpose flour (I use a mixed gluten-free one)
Organic eggs

If you want to take this step too, I suggest the first place you look is at the following sites for recipes:

- Liana Werner-Gray’s great recipes and tips on The Earth Diet here: http://www.theearthdiet.org/recipes.html

- Organic Autority have great organic dessert recipes and also this rockin’ fudge recipe. I live off this stuff! Enjoy! http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-food-recipes/desserts/raw-cocoa-coconut-fudge-recipe.html

I am currently working on a sustainable home food e-book so stay tuned for more tips!

Happy sweet making! :)

2012: A Year of Sustainable Expansion!

Jasmine York — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:59:25 +0000

Here we are in 2012 and The Green Crowd is gaining momentum post-silly season! We are very excited to be bringing you a year of projects, passion and community. We are especially delighted to be launching this blog that will become a one-stop-shop for info on projects, lifestyle choices, products, food and all things sustainable. You’ll notice that we have a very holistic approach to sustainability which includes creating a sustainable community by bringing in funding (an announcement on this to come later in the year!) and also by supporting projects to do with the mind, personal well being, music and the arts. We have a strong believe that nurturing the body and the mind will lead to a much happier, sustainable place to live!

I should introduce myself. The majority of blogs here, at least for starters, will be coming from me. My name is Jasmine York and I am the Crowd Co-ordinator at The Green Crowd.

My training is in theatre and education so this is a bit different for me! I’m making this change because I really believe in this movement, and I believe creativity thrives in a healthy environment. My ideal would be a world where travelling, exploring, living, writing, acting and all other wonderful human occupations didn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. I think we can lower our negative impact on the planet through The Green Crowd and that’s why I am here. I’m committing myself to this blog to bring you an uplifting approach to sustainability!

The Green Crowd’s aim is not to diminish the life we have now, we are interested in sustainable expansion. The type of expansion that is about the way we think, the way we do things, rather than the way we destroy and deplete. We respect and are inspired by those that live on the land and lower their footprints in many other ways. We sat down and looked at our skills and decided that creating a place for like-minded people to support each other was the way to go. So it is our aim, as individuals and as an organisation, to help develop a world where many lifestyles are sustainable. The technology is out there, the ideas are out there and we want to support them to grow and become applicable to everyday people by giving the crowd a platform. To do that, these projects need support and funding. Crowd funding is a wonderful way to do it. That’s why we are here!

This blog has been created to keep you up-to-date on the journey and to support everyone involved in The Green Crowd. So please, if you have an idea, a suggestion, a project that you want to talk about or write about, let us know. Now is the time to build a productive, expansive, inspiring community!

Welcome to The Green Crowd 2012. :)

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