5 Ways Your Bedroom is Killing You

Your bedroom is the the place you go to rest, relax, and recharge each night, so you want it to be healthy. Perhaps with the except of your office, the bedroom is probably the place where you spend the most time; a full third of your life is spent between the sheets. Yet, there are a handful of ways that your bedroom might be slowly and silently killing you each night. Avoid these hazards in five spots around your bedroom and rest a little easier each night.

Your Pillows

You may not think much about your pillow -- and, hey, you're asleep while you're using it -- but you could be breathing in chemical fumes, or being exposed to synthetic dyes and other toxins. Poly-fill and other synthetic materials, like polyurethane foam, are often made from petroleum derivatives. Aside from the fact that using oil for your pillows ain't cool (since it's a non-renewable fossil fuel and all), it's also extremely flammable -- you've seen what happens when you light gasoline on fire, right? So they're treated heavily with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) or other brominated fire retardants, and, while that helps them not burst into flames, they can bioaccumulate in your body, and toxicological testing indicates those chemicals may cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity, and neurodevelopmental toxicity. Not something you want from the spot where you lay your head.

Pillows also often harbor dust mites, and many people are allergic to their leavings, so finding hypo-allergenic options can also be beneficial for your health; check out our piece on green pillow options to learn more about some of the eco-friendly places to lay your head.

Your Mattress

The pillow for your body has many of the same hazards (plus a few more) that your pillows do. Many mattresses contain polyurethane foams, which have the PBDE or other brominated flame retardants in them, and just about every conventional mattress is given a separate brominated fire retardant or other chemical treatment. State laws have been rapidly changing over the past few years, changing the chemicals used by different manufacturers -- some use boric acid, for example, a common household pesticide that can be toxic when inhaled by humans -- but, in general, none of them are very good for you. To be sure your mattress isn't slowly killing you, check out our guide to buying green mattresses.

Your dresser, bed, and other furniture

Aside from your mattress and pillows, the rest of your bedroom furniture -- your bed, dresser, bedside tables, and the like -- may not be doing you much good. If it's made from plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), particle board or other wood composite material, that means there's a significant amount of glue and adhesive holding it together. All too often, those adhesives are formaldehyde-based (its hazard has been well-documented) which can off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your bedroom for years after you bring the furniture into your home.

And, though you can't see them, VOCs aren't anything to trifle with; at high concentrations, some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects, and others are known carcinogens. But even low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs can produce acute reactions. Bottom line: Avoid volatile organic compounds as much as possible. To avoid VOC-laden furniture, learn more about choosing good wood furniture.

Carpets and rugs

Your flooring isn't immune from dangers, either. Carpets often contain significant amounts of VOCs, in everything from the padding in wall-to-wall carpets to the adhesive used in modular carpet tiles. Same story for rugs; the backing is often adhered with indoor air quality-damaging glues, and occassionally made from composites held together with the nasty stuff.

To avoid these hazards, perhaps the greenest thing to do is tear up your wall-to-wall carpeting, but if you can't live without the soft padding underfoot, be sure to clean your carpet without chemicals and look for green carpeting options when it's time to replace your current carpet.

Paint and other wallcoverings

Just as your flooring can contain harmful hidden materials, so it is with your wallcoverings. Paint might be the most common (or at least the most widely known) source of VOCs in your home; thankfully, the list of companies and retailers offering no- or low-VOC paints is pretty big and growing all the time, so splashing up a healthier coat isn't as difficult as it was even a few years ago. The hazards don't stop with paint, though; many wallpaper adhesives -- like lots of other adhesives that we've mentioned here -- can be harmful to indoor air quality. And the same goes for wall textiles and other wallcoverings, too -- if it can be glued, it can be full of VOCs.

When installing new wallcoverings, the smell test is the easiest way to test for VOCs -- if it stinks, it's harmful to you, and can continue to be long after the 24 or 48 hours when you can really smell it. Look for no- and low-VOC adhesives, and you'll be breathing easier -- and living healthier -- for years to come.

World Challenge 2009

Now in its fifth year, World Challenge 09 is a global competition aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level. World Challenge 09 is brought to you by BBC World News and Newsweek, in association with Shell, and is about championing and rewarding projects and business which really make a difference.

To check out this year's finalists and vote for your favourite visit http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/

Top 5 Cleantech countries in the world

The cleantech wave is expected to continue to grow, with some analysts estimating the cleantech market will crack the $2 trillion threshold by 2030. The players in the cleantech space are a mix of world economic, political and social leaders. They include former American vice presidents, billionaire entrepreneurs, Arab Sultans, Internet moguls and huge pension funds.

Which countries are the leaders in cleantech? There are no black and white answers. I analyzed what I thought were the most important factors, such as government initiatives and programs, large investment mandates, entrepreneurial innovation as well as cultural and social drivers.

1.Denmark

With the national goal of becoming 100 percent fossil fuel free. The Danes are Europe's largest exporters of energy technology and the birthplace of wind technology. The Danish wind industry accounts for approximately one-third of the world market, with big players such as Vestas, Siemens and Gamesa all having major R&D and production facilities in Denmark. The Danes also have the financial backing of ATP Pension Fund, DONG Energy and AP Pension, all with huge mandates for cleantech. Denmark is truly a model cleantech country where business, international cooperation, entrepreneurship and R&D partnerships are facilitated by such organizations as Copenhagen Capacity, Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster, and Cleantech Scandinavia.

2.Germany

Is the solar capital of the world. Over half of all global solar energy is produced in Germany. Led by powerful government initiatives such as the feed-in tariff program, 10 percent of the energy consumed in Germany was produced from renewable resources in 2008. Germany also tops European countries for cleantech investment in 2008, with $383 million in capital—an increase of 217 percent from 2007. The German government’s "High Tech Strategy" devoted more than €15 billion to technology and innovation between 2006 and 2009 and has helped increase employment in the cleantech industry from 250,000 in 2007 to 280,000 in 2008. Germany's 2050 goal is to have half of primary energy consumption coming from renewable resources.

3.Sweden

Is a country fully embracing green technologies, with 43.3 percent of total energy consumption coming from renewable sources. The city of Malmo is a true example of cleantech living—with 39.9 percent of its energy consumption covered by renewable energy. Sweden boasts two internationally renowned sustainable city projects, City of Tomorrow in Malmo and Hammarby Waterfront in Stockholm. Between 1990 and 2007 Sweden's GDP grew by 48 percent while greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 9 percent. Strong legislation has pushed the cleantech industry, fueled by some of the strongest environmental organizations in the world. The Society of Nature Conservation, WWF and Greenpeace have some 500,000 supporters/members in a country with a total population of 8.5 million. Add the backing of financial of such institutions as AP7 Pension Fund, Northzone Ventures, Sustainable Technologies Funds, and SEB Venture Capital, and one can easily see why Sweden is a true cleantech force on the world stage.

4.The United Kingdom

Official commitment to cleantech is strong and growing. It is aiming to achieve a 60 percent reduction in UK carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, and carbon neutrality by 2012 for the government's office estate, all backed by such groups as UK Trade & Investments and ThinkLondon. With the 2012 Olympics aimed to be the greenest games ever, the UK has set a target of 15 percent of energy from renewables by 2020. The UK is also in the running for the financial hub of cleantech with well respected firms such as Generation Investment Management (co-founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore), Virgin Green Fund (founded by entrepreneur billionaire Sir Richard Branson), Zouk Ventures, Carbon Trust, Impax, and the Environment Technology Fund.

5.Israel

The 'Silicon Valley' of water technology, is fast becoming the cleantech incubator to the world. Israel recycles 75 percent of its wastewater, invented drip irrigation, and is home to the world's largest reverse osmosis desalination plant. Israel certainly isn't the world's biggest cleantech market, but it might just be one of the world's most important centers of cleantech innovation and R&D, with innovative companies such as CellEra, Aqwise, and Emefcy. Better Place is also making Israel the first test-market for a nationwide electric vehicle recharge network. Leading Israeli VCs include Israel Cleantech, Aqua Argo Fund and Terra Ventures.

Anti-ageing creams 'increase cancer risk'

Many products claiming to rid skin of wrinkles and fine lines actually strip away the protective top layer and leave it vulnerable to sun damage and dangerous toxins, according to Dr Sam Epstein, chairman of the US Cancer Prevention Coalition.

He said the active ingredient alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), found in many leading brands of face cream, were “probably the most dangerous cosmetic products on the market”. 'Miracle cream reverses ageing' Dr Epstein is campaigning for the creams to be regulated in the US and has urged British consumers to be aware of the health risks.

“So many women, and even some men, slather these products all over their skin in the naive belief that they have nothing to fear but ageing,” he told the Daily Express.

In Britain there is no requirement for a warning to be placed on creams containing AHAs, but the alleged dangers ahve already been recognised in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers that AHAs “could destroy the upper layers of skin, causing severe burns, swelling and pain”.

Dr Epstein, who is Professor emeritus of environmental and occupational health at the University of Illinois, added: “Anything that strips the surface of the skin not only risks sunlight penetrating the exposed layer but also allows other toxic products in. “All of the toxic effects are massively increased by AHAs.” Exposure to the sun's harmful rays can cause skin cancer.

Dr Epstein also expressed concern about other ingredients commonly used in anti-ageing products, such as limonene. “Apart from being an irritant, it is a well documented carcinogen,” he said. Britons spend £673million a year on skin care products, with 42 per cent of all moisturisers claiming to combat ageing.

A spokeswoman for the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Perfumeries Association, told the Daily Express that cosmetic firms were not required to warn consumers if their products contained AHAs but only if they contained these ingredients at such high levels they could be dangerous. She added: “There is a legal requirement for these products to be safe.”

Top Green Spring Cleaning Tips

#1 - Reduce
The first step to fighting messes and keeping your home spic-and-span is getting rid of all that stuff you never use. Go through all the places where it accumulates—try closets, junk drawers, out-of-reach shelves, attics and basements, and any other place where you're inclined to toss stuff as you say, "I'll deal with this later"and be diligent about— separating out what you really will use someday from what you never will. Be honest: you may say you like that sweater your aunt gave you for Christmas in 2004, but if it still has the tags on it, you aren't ever going to wear it. And be practical: do you really need that pasta maker? The quickest way to cut your cleaning time is to simply have less stuff to clean.

#2 - Reuse
Now you have a pile that you're ready to get rid of—but wait: don't just trash it. First, go through and see if any of those items could serve a purpose you haven't thought of before: Do you have enough books to stack up and use as a side table? Can you take the frames off those ugly paintings and use them elsewhere? We know of ways to reuse everything from single mittens and broken guitar strings to holiday greeting cards and ceramic tiles—so while we aren't suggesting you keep all this around just in case, see if any of what you have can save you from buying something else.

#3 - Donate
Once you've taken stock of what you can use, separate out items that someone else might need. This includes dishes, kitchen gadgets, clothes, books, magazines, toys, home decor—all of these items could find a second life with someone else. If you need instant gratification, just drop it all off at your local Salvation Army; if you're slightly more patient, try offering items for sale, turning your goods over to an artist, donating through Freecycle, or seeing what you can get for that collection of comic books on eBay. Your house will be less cluttered; someone else can skip buying new; and the landfills will be that much emptier.

#4 - Recycle
Once you've exhausted all the other options, it's time to hit the recycling bucket. Of course you're already recycling newspapers, magazines, and any glass that isn't salvageable, but take a second look at the rest of your trash, too: did you clean out the fridge? Find a compost pile. Get rid of old electronics, from cell phones to VCRs to ancient computers, by passing them off to retailers with a recycling program or to a specialized electronics recycling company. Check anything plastic to make sure it's recyclable, and make sure to safely dispose of anything that's not recyclable or trash-friendly, like old paint or batteries.

#5 - Get the right home organization tools
Now that you've managed to weed out the useless from the useful, you need to find a system for organizing what you've got left—because if you can't find something when you need it, you'd might as well not have it at all. For this, you'll need storage containers, but that doesn't mean you need to stock up on (non biodegradable) plastic bins; instead, try cardboard boxes wrapped in pretty paper, bamboo baskets, or cloth bags made from old t-shirts. Raise your storage with eco-friendly shelving to free up floorspace and make your rooms look bigger. And note: if, while you're organizing, you find items that don't seem to fit with anything else, those are likely goods you could add to the "donate" pile.

#6 - Use eco friendly products or choose Green Cleaners! :)
Take the stress of housework and choosing eco friendly brands away and leave yourself time for preparing the more important things, by having a Green Spring Clean by Green Cleaners’ professional 5* staff. For homes that prefer to do the spring cleaning themselves, our specially selected green home cleaning kits are available to purchase online. With a range of kits to suit every household and lifestyle delivered straight to your door, making the change to a ‘greener’ home has never been easier.

#7 - Plan ahead
If you keep these tips in mind all year, then your 2010 spring cleaning will be that much easier. Don't let stuff accumulate in your home; don't buy things you don't need; and don't be shy about returning gifts you won't ever use. Take advantage of the seasons to edit your collections and donate or sell goods—you might get more at a consignment shop for a winter coat in the fall then in the spring, and your yard sale of extra housewares may do better in late summer if you can catch the back-to-college crowd. Thinking green throughout all areas of your life—from your office to your wardrobe to your home electronics—will put you ahead of the game come next spring.

Mazda to raise $1bn for 'green' cars

Mazda Motor plans to raise Y96bn ($1.1bn) in a share sale to fund development of hybrid vehicles, as it attempts to close a "green car" gap with competitors such as Toyota and Honda. The Japanese carmaker yesterday said it would offer 363m new shares to investors, equivalent to one-quarter of its outstanding stock, and sell an additional 97m existing shares that it bought about a year ago from Ford Motor, its long-time US partner.

Mazda is taking advantage of a rebound in equity prices that has convinced a number of groups to issue stock in recent months, including BNP Paribas, Nomura, UniCredit and HeidelbergCement. Mazda's shares have climbed by nearly 60 per cent from their lows in March, as investors bet the worst of the global recession - and its especially punishing impact on carmakers - has passed.

Mazda's fundraising also reflects growing pressure on small carmakers to join the market for petrolelectric hybrids and other advanced low-emission vehicles, which are expensive to develop and have been sold mostly by large companies such as Toyota.
Investment capital is seen as especially critical for Mazda, whose ties to the much larger Ford group have loosened. Ford sold a majority of its 33 per cent Mazda stake last November to cover deepening losses.

Mazda said it planned to spend Y60bn of the new cash on technological innovation. It plans to raise the average fuelefficiency of its fleet by 30 per cent by 2015 compared with 2008, by introducing next-generation drives and improving the performance of its petrol-burning internal-combustion engines. Mazda uses a hybrid system developed by Ford in the single hybrid model it presently offers, a version of its Tribute small sport-utility vehicle, which is itself based on the Ford Escape. Only a few hybrid Tributes have been sold.

The company said it planned to show a prototype hybrid passenger car at this month's Tokyo Motor show and would begin selling the car by 2011. The new vehicle may use hybrid components supplied by Toyota, which began talks on a procurement deal with Mazda this year, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mazda said preliminary results for its second quarter showed it had returned to profit at operating level - a quicker rebound than it had initially expected. Mazda narrowed its projected operating loss for the full year to Y13bn from Y50bn and raised its global sales outlook by 55,000 vehicles to 1.155m. Of the new shares, 315m are to be sold through a public offering and 48m shares may be issued to Nomura Securities, one of the deal's underwriters, depending on demand.

Zero Waste Fashion Design - Attn: Haney! :)

You may be showing off your bamboo couture skirt and feeling pretty green. While the fabric may be the stuff eco dreams are made of, did you stop to think about the amount of unused material that was wasted and now resides—with all its eco glory, on the top of a dump?

It's not just eco-unconscious designers contributing to the pollution of the planet in the manufacturing of their prized fashions. The latest eco-innovation circulating within the environmentally-minded fashion industry is Zero Waste Fashion. It's a concept that is being mainstreamed thanks to shows like "Project Runway" that challenged their designers to create a Zero Waste outfit.

What is Zero Waste Fashion?

Zero Waste is a concept that crosses many industry lines-- from food to fashion. When it comes to your clothes, it is a way of constructing garments without wasting fabric. The fact is that an average of 15% of all fabrics used in the production of our favorite clothes (both eco and conventional) is tossed like old socks. From pattern-cutting to unused edging, the clothing industry is responsible for a lot of waste. Zero Waste fashion challenges designers to think about fabric as a coveted commodity and use it sparingly-- scraps and all. In other words, the patterns are more carefully crafted to minimize excess fabric being snipped off. The fabric that does end up on the cutting room floor is fashioned into usable embellishments and details instead of landing in a dumpster.

To understand the life cycle of your favorite skirt (hemp or not), take note:

Who's the Worst Waster?

Cutters are often charged with being the worst wasters. But the cycle, mind you, starts with the designer who conceptualizes the pattern's cut requirements, leaving the cutter no choice but to follow on the dotted lines. Sure, the creative process contributes to some of the discarded samples, but the real waste lies in the lack of organization and sloppy pattern designs.

Thankfully, some designers are putting a little forethought into the final pattern preparation stage to help waste less fabric—a few extra minutes of planning that's helping make less of an environmental mess while saving the fashion house money (lest you forget that wasted fabric, means more fabric that must be bought—which is expensive).

How to Make your own Zero Waste Fashions

The salvation Army and Goodwill don't take just any article of clothing. Holes and excessive ware or stains often deem certain items unsaleable leaving you little option than to dump your denied sweaters and jeans with the hole in the butt. Or so you thought... Instead of tossing your once-favorite fashions, here are a few ways to turn your trash to treasure:

- Salvage the details—like buttons, lace, and ornamental fabrics, and sew them on to an otherwise blah shirt.
- For jeans that are too frayed in the knees for wear, you can cut them into jean shorts or open the legs and crotch at the seams and sew them into a short jean skirt.
- Old raggedy t-shirts make the best cleaning clothes that won't scratch.
- Send your old duds to Art of Shade where designer Kayce Armstrong constructs seriously gorgeous, individualized eco-couture dresses out of any old article of clothing, fashion, even vintage fabric home decor.

Now the question arises: When it comes to eco fashion, who is considered the greenest? The "eco" designer who haphazardly dumps half their organic/hemp/bamboo fabric? Or the "conventional" designer who scrupulously fabricates each garment from zero-waste patterns, salvaging every bit of last season's cashmere/wool/cotton scrap?

This one's for you to chew and comment....

5 Surprising Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

People are becoming more and more aware of indoor pollutants like paints, toxic cleaning products, and mold. But some indoor air pollutants can be pretty surprising if not downright shocking.

1. The Kitchen Stove

The kitchen stove is the main cause of excess nitrogen dioxide in the home. Cooking on a stove, particularly a gas stove, can actually introduce unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide into the air. Too much nitrogen dioxide is bad for the respiratory system, increasing the risk of asthma attacks and other respiratory illness. This is easily preventable by making sure that your stove is properly ventilated.

2. Air Purifiers that Use Ozone

We use air purifiers in our homes to purify the air but the fact of the matter is that they sometimes can do just the opposite. Ozone is the main ingredient used to give your air a good cleaning. But ozone is also the main ingredient in smog. It can scar lung tissue, trigger asthma attacks, cause coughing fits and lead to permanent damage that could shorten your life. Do not purchase ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners.

3. Cockroaches

The droppings, body parts, and saliva of cockroaches can be asthma triggers. Certain proteins, called allergens, are found in cockroach feces and saliva and can cause allergic reactions, or trigger asthma symptoms, in some individuals. But don't reduce cockroaches by using traditional pesticides to kill them. Traditional pesticides can pollute our ground water and eco-system as well as the air we breath, instead keep the house clean by making sure that food matter is not left out in the open attracting bugs. Pay particular attention to the holes where cockroaches can make an easy entrance as well.

4. Drapes

Drapes attract dust mites. Dust mites are related to spiders and ticks but are smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. They are too small to be seen by the unaided eye. They are also the number one cause of indoor allergies and asthma. Install window blinds instead of drapes to cut down on dust mites' habitat.

5. Incense

Burning incense releases particulate matter as well as benzene and carbon monoxide, two dangerous gases. Studies show a link between heavy exposure to incense smoke and cancer, asthma, and skin irritation. It's best either to stop burning incense entirely or make sure that the room is well ventilated when you do burn it.

The World's Top 10 Eco-friendly Hotels

As Determined by TripAdvisor Editors and Travelers - TripAdvisor(R), the world's most popular and largest travel community, recently announced its top 10 eco-friendly accommodations, according to TripAdvisor editors and travelers. From rustic cabins in the forest to contemporary digs in the city, these green properties allow travelers to be environmentally conscious, while enjoying incredibly unique and beautiful places to stay. Here's the top 3 for you to ponder :)

#1 - Eco-Adventure: Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, Hopkins, Belize - Travelers' Choice Winner 2009: Best Bargain, Best Hidden Gem, Best for Romance - Average Nightly Rate: USD$245

Set on 21 acres of coastal forest, this eco-resort's green practices ensure that nothing goes to waste, from composting all vegetable and fruit scraps to using old linens as cleaning rags. In addition, the resort's dive adventures educate guests to minimize the negative impact of human contact with the environment. According to one TripAdvisor traveler, "The fact that the resort advocated reusing towels, limiting sheet changing and using the surrounding natural beauty made us feel that we were contributing to the preservation of Belize."

#2 - Terra Firma: Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, Teton Village, Wyoming - Average Nightly Rate: USD$371

Eco-friendly elements abound in the Hotel Terra, literally from floor (environmentally-friendly carpets) to ceiling (recycled roof shingles). Organic linens, low-flow toilets and solar-powered faucets can also be found in guest rooms, and even relaxation is green here, with organic spa products, and 100 percent natural mattresses made from recycled and organic materials. As one TripAdvisor traveler said, "We were ushered to our suite and discovered that not only was it the latest in eco-friendly hotels, but incredibly luxurious!"

#3 - Organic Accommodations: La Cusinga Eco Lodge, Uvita, Costa Rica - Travelers' Choice Winner 2009: Best Hidden Gem - Average Nightly Rate: USD$166

While stunning views of the Pacific are reason enough to visit La Cusinga Eco Lodge, its eco-friendly programs and commitment to conservation make it all the more appealing. Set in the rainforest, the eco-lodge's electricity is generated by solar and hydropower, and the water is heated by the Costa Rican sun. Buildings are constructed from re-forested wood and local materials, and rely on natural air currents to cool them. As one TripAdvisor traveler commented, "The organic gardens were my personal favorite, and they use all the fruits and vegetables in their daily meals."

Sting sends an SOS to the world!!

Get involved with the campaign ~ it's easy! Simply visit www.rainforestSOS.org and sign up today!!

YOUR eco friendly tips #5 - Soap Nuts

Sent in by Mrs. D, a friend of Green Cleaners since March '09.

"Soap nuts is the common name for the fruit from the Sapindus genus of shrubs and trees, which grows in tropical regions around the world," writes Mrs. D. "The fruit (nuts) contain saponin, a natural detergent, which has been used as a cleanser for centuries but is just now making its way to our neck of the woods."

Mrs.D explains: "Simply pop 6-8 shells in the cloth bag and throw them in your washing machine—these will last about 3-4 washes. Your wash will come out clean, but without a smell, so if you like the scent of clean clothes just add a few drops of essential oil to the wash beforehand. Soap nuts can also be used for other things as well, like washing windows, cars or pets. When the shells have been used to their full extent just throw them in the compost pile."

"I'm a convert," said a friend, after giving soap nuts a try. "I like how they clean, I like their simplicity, compostability, and utter naturalness. Soap nuts are a great addition in my bid to simplify my ingredient life, and I'm looking forward to a long-lasting love affair."

Two meter sea level rise unstoppable-experts

A rise of at least two meters in the world's sea levels is now almost unstoppable, experts told a climate conference at Oxford University yesterday.

"The crux of the sea level issue is that it starts very slowly but once it gets going it is practically unstoppable," said Stefan Rahmstorf, a scientist at Germany's Potsdam Institute and a widely recognized sea level expert. There is no way I can see to stop this rise, even if we have gone to zero emissions."

Rahmstorf said the best outcome was that after temperatures stabilized, sea levels would only rise at a steady rate "for centuries to come," and not accelerate. Most scientists expect at least 2 degrees Celsius warming as a result of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, and probably more. The world warmed 0.7-0.8 degrees last century.

Rahmstorf estimated that if the world limited warming to 1.5 degrees then it would still see two meters sea level rise over centuries, which would see some island nations disappear. His best guess was a one meter rise this century, assuming three degrees warming, and up to five meters over the next 300 years.

"There is nothing we can do to stop this unless we manage to cool the planet. That would require extracting the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. There is no way of doing this on the sufficient scale known today," he said. Scientists say that ice melt acquires a momentum of its own - for example warming the air as less ice reflects less heat, warming the local area. "Once the ice is on the move, it's like a tipping point which reinforces itself," said Wageningen University's Pier Vellinga, citing various research.

"Even if you reduce all the emissions in the world once this has started it may be unstoppable. I conclude that beyond 2 degrees global average temperature rise the probability of the Greenland ice sheet disintegrating is 50 percent or more. (That) will result in about 7 meters sea level rise, and the time frame is about 300-1,000 years."

Delegates from about 190 nations are meeting in Bangkok to try to speed up U.N.-led negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol with a tougher climate pact. Speakers in Oxford used history to back up their arguments on rising seas. Three million years ago the planet was 2-3 degrees warmer and the sea 25-35 meters higher, and 122,000 years ago 2 degrees warmer and 10 meters higher, they said.

"What we now see in Greenland, Antarctica could be a temporary phenomena but it could also be the start of what we saw 122,000 years ago," said Vellinga.

Sea levels have risen about 20 centimeters in the past century and that effect was accelerating, speakers said. That rise was adding to storms such as that in the Philippines, although that single event couldn't be attributed to climate change, said Rahmstorf. "Of course the flooding from a given storm event would be less severe if we hadn't added those extra centimeters."

About 40 million people worldwide live in flood plains, said Southampton University's Robert Nicholls. That is 0.6 percent of the global population and 5 percent of global wealth, because of valuable assets such as airports and power plants. He was confident that coastal protection could hugely reduce lost land and assets. The cost of that speakers put at anywhere from 50 billion euros ($72.85 billion) a year by 2020 to up to $215 billion a year by 2100.

Samal plans eco-park with landfill

The city of Samal, famous for its white-sand and powdery beaches, plans to build a multimillion-peso eco-park in an 11-hectare property that would also host the island’s very first sanitary landfill. The plan is to build both the landfill and the eco-park amid lush trees and a picturesque landscape.

"We can start this next year. Hopefully, we can be exempted from the election ban," Samal City administrator Cleto B. Gales Jr. said in an interview. The island, which used to have controlled dumping in a two-hectare property that has since been abandoned, sought assistance from the USAID-funded EcoGov2 program for the design of the sanitary landfill.

Mr. Gales said the island’s inhabitants generate about 11 metric tons of solid waste a day, with about 25% of that volume for recycling. The island’s 46 villages are already practicing re-use at source as part of the local government’s green program. "Only about 5% of our waste is residual that will be eventually put at the sanitary landfill," he said. The sanitary landfill will first occupy a third of the eco-park in the first phase and progressively expand.

The landfill will then be dotted with fruit trees, flowers and benches to mimic the design of a public park. The trees, he said, will help filter whatever odor will emanate from the landfill. Another portion of the eco-park will be allocated for composting to fertilize the trees and flowers surrounding the park.

Ferdinand S. Esguerra, EcoGov2 regional coordinator, said the design of the sanitary landfill, which is placed under category 2, will cost about P4 million for the first phase. Category 2 is designed to accommodate 75 tons of residual waste a day.

Category 1 and 2 landfills, he said, can be operated using clay as lining to prevent leachate, which can be toxic, from seeping to water bodies. Higher categories of landfills, like what Davao City is constructing, use expensive plastics as lining.

"All the leachates will pass through the tubes and pipes going to the pond where they will be treated before they are released," Mr. Esguerra said. EcoGov is also helping the local government prepare its environmental impact assessment and environmental compliance certificate for the landfill.

Australian town in 'world-first' bottled water ban

An Australian town pulled all bottled water from its shelves Saturday and replaced it with refillable bottles in what is believed to be a world-first ban. Hundreds of people marched through the picturesque rural town of Bundanoon to mark the first day of its bottled water ban by unveiling a series of new public drinking fountains, said campaign spokesman John Dee.

Shopkeepers ceremoniously removed the last bottles of water from their shelves and replaced them with reusable bottles that can be filled from fountains inside the town's shops or at water stations in the street. "Every bottle today was taken off the shelf and out of the fridges so you can only now buy refillable bottles in shops in Bundanoon," Dee said.

The tiny town, two hours south of Sydney, voted in July to ban bottled water after a drinks company moved to tap into a local aquifer for its bottled water business. "In the process of the campaign against that the local people became educated about the environmental impact of bottled water," said Dee.

"A local retailer came up with this idea of well why don't we do something about that and actually stop selling the bottled water and it got a favourable reaction," he said. Dee said the 2,000-person town had made international headlines with their bid, which he hoped would spur communities across the world to action.

"Whilst our politicians grapple with the enormity of dealing with climate change what Bundanoon shows is that at the very local level we can sometimes do things that can surprise ourselves, in terms of our ability to bring about real and measurable change that has a real benefit for the environment," he said. The cash savings only made the project more compelling, he added.

"I think that's why this campaign is doing so well, because we're saying to people you can save money and save the environment at the same time," said Dee. "The alternative doesn't have a sexy brand, doesn't have pictures of mountain streams on the front of it, it comes out of your tap."

Activists say bottling water causes unnecessary use of plastics and fuel for transport. A New South Wales study found that in 2006, the industry was responsible for releasing 60,000 tonnes of gases blamed for global warming.

Chemical pollutants linked to fewer female births

High exposure to certain now-banned industrial chemicals may lead to fewer female births, a new study suggests. The findings, reported in the journal Environmental Health, add to evidence that the two groups of related chemicals -- polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) -- may affect human reproduction.

PBBs were once widely used as flame retardants in plastics, electronic and textiles, while PCBs were used in everything from appliances and fluorescent lighting to insulation and insecticides. While the chemicals were banned in the 1970s as potential health hazards, they remain a public-health concern because they linger in the environment and accumulate in the fat of fish, mammals and birds.

For the current study, researchers used data from a group of Michigan residents who, in the early 1970s, had been inadvertently exposed to high levels of PBBs; the chemicals had been accidentally mixed into animal feed, leading to human exposure through contaminated meat, eggs and milk. The researchers observed that, from 1975 to 1988, women in the study group had a higher-than-average rate of male births, relative to the national average.

There was also a suggestion of increased odds of a male birth when both parents' combined PBB exposure was particularly high -- above the midpoint for the study group -- compared with couples whose PBB exposure was lower. Similarly, couples with high PCB levels had a higher rate of male births.

What this all means for the public at large, however, is unknown, according to lead researcher Metrecia Terrell, of Emory University in Atlanta. "This was a unique situation, so it's very difficult to extend the findings to people with everyday exposures," she said in an interview. "Exposure in the general population would be much lower," Terrell pointed out, "and we just don't know if there are effects on sex ratio."

Male births have always outnumbered female ones, but some research suggests that the male-to-female birth ratio is declining in the U.S. and elsewhere. One recent study found that in the U.S. in 2001, there were 104.6 boys born for every 100 girls; that compared with a ratio of 105.5 male births for every 100 female ones in 1970. The researchers speculate that environmental toxins might be playing a role. Certain chemicals may, for example, affect the viability of sperm that bear the Y chromosome -- which determines male sex -- or the viability of male fetuses.

In this study, however, high exposure to PBBs and PCBs was linked to an increase in male births. Exactly why is unclear, according to Terrell. Certain PBBs and PCBs have been shown to alter levels of male and female sex hormones, she and her colleagues note. But whether they promote the survival of Y-bearing over X-bearing sperm, or affect the survival of female fetuses is unknown. Terrell said that continuing research on the chemicals' potential reproductive effects is needed.

Sydney glows red under outback dust storm

A huge dust storm yesterday enveloped Sydney, forcing flights to be diverted, closing roads and prompting a health warning from doctors and government officials. The city, famous for its spectacular harbour views, woke up to an orange blanket causing poor visibility. Residents declared they had never seen anything like it before - one described it as like waking up on Mars. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was shrouded, making it invisible from most vantage points.

Strong winds had swept the outback dust into the Australian capital Canberra on Tuesday and other parts of the country are familiar with the red storms, but it is extremely unusual for Sydney to be hit in such a way.

Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Jane Golding said gale force winds from the northeast of New South Wales had whipped up the dust from Australia's drought-stricken interior and spread it across the country's most populous state.

"This dust is acting like a cloud layer," said Ms Golding. Several international flights were diverted to Brisbane 550 miles away and ferries, which usually carry commuters into Sydney's city centre, were cancelled because the reduced visibility could lead to collisions. Motorists were warned to take care during the busy rush hour.

Asthma sufferers were advised not to go to work, and early morning joggers were told to take a break for the day. "People who have any breathing issues stay inside and keep the windows closed," said New South Wales Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan.

It capped an extraordinary day of wild weather across Australia, with heavy rain producing flooding in Adelaide, and hail stones as big as cricket balls hit the town of Crookwell in New South Wales. Meanwhile in Queensland, fire-fighters were tackling ten bushfires, with dry and dusty conditions sweeping the state. And as if that was not enough, two small earthquakes, one registering 3.0 on the Richter Scale, struck near Melbourne causing minor damage.

Dust storms are not unusual in Australia, which is the world's driest inhabited continent. However, they are normally restricted to the inland areas, only reaching the coast during widespread drought. Australia is battling one of its worst droughts and weather officials say an 'El Nino' is slowly developing in the Pacific which will mean drier conditions for eastern states.

The country is one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, but also the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter per capita, as it relies on coal-fired power stations for the bulk of its electricity.

Obama urges fight against climate change

US President Barack Obama has challenged the world to act swiftly to fight global warming. Speaking at a special UN meeting, Mr Obama said time was running out to reverse climate change.

He said: "Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it - boldly, swiftly, and together - we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe. The security and stability of each nation and all peoples - our prosperity, our health, our safety - are in jeopardy. And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out."

China's President Hu Jintao said China would reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses produced for each dollar of national economic output by a "notable margin" by 2020 from 2005 levels. But neither head of state outlined specific new targets.

Green activists hope action by the US and China will inject momentum into the fight against climate change ahead of the Copenhagen summit in December. But UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who called the meeting, said talks were moving too slowly. He said: "Failure to reach broad agreement in Copenhagen would be morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise."

"We cannot go down this road. If we have learned anything from the crises of the past year, it is that our fates are intertwined," he said.

Watch the video here

Sustainable design and development night

Social enterprise Qi Global will be holding a conference on 8 October featuring some of Asia’s leaders in sustainable design and development.

Hear first-hand perspectives from fashion/furniture/industrial designers and social entrepreneurs, and have a look at product and art works on display.

Wine and canapes will be served on the night, and charity raffle tickets in support of Asian rainforests will be on sale. Prizes include eco luxury holidays.

Find out more at Qi Global’s website or contact directly mko@qi-global.com

5 Best Tips for Easy Line Drying

Electric dryers are gigantic energy hogs. But even those of us with clothes lines occasionally resort to the lazy option. A little preparation can make it a whole lot easier to hang them up outside. Here are a few tips for making line drying easy:

- Keep a sturdy basket and clothes pins handy. There's nothing worse than scrabbling around for clothes pins, or trying to carry an overflowing basket out into the yard. Invest in the equipment that makes it easy.

- Buy a real clothesline. Just as a good basket and clothespins make it easy, so too does a decent, rotary dryer, or other system. A rope between two trees works fine - but you end up walking up and down hanging out the clothes, and that hassle adds up. The easier you make it, the more you'll use it.

- Keep an Eye on the Weather. It's obvious, but you should check the weather regularly, and not just to make sure you bring clothing in before it rains. You should also consider timing your washes to coincide with good drying weather - doing a load first thing in the morning to make use of the day's sunshine.

- Consider an indoor option. Many avid line dryers will resort to the electric dryer at a spot of rain. But often there is space in a storage room, or even a guest room, for an indoor drying rack. As long as you ensure plenty of air circulation, the clothes shouldn't suffer from undue smells or moisture.

- Enjoy it. The sun is shining. You're outside. A breeze is blowing. And you are doing something good for the planet and your wallet. Take time to enjoy the moment - the more drying becomes a pleasure, not a chore, the more enticing it becomes.

Watch out Tesla - here comes the Audi E-Tron!!

The most exciting concept shown at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show is an electric sports car, the Audi e-tron. Borrowing body lines from the Audi R8, it can't help but look good. And boasting specs like 3,319 pound-feet of torque, it can't help but make gearheads drool.

Audi achieves that torque number by using four electric motors, one at each wheel. The drooling gearheads should be able to close their mouths again after hearing that the combined horsepower is only 313, making for a zero to 62 mph time of 4.8 seconds. But electric car enthusiasts will be happy to hear that the e-tron's range is 154 miles.

The four electric motors meant that Audi could design a virtual Quattro all-wheel-drive system, integrating the power distribution program with vehicle dynamics sensors. By default, the rear motors deliver 70 percent of the torque, the high number compensating for the 58 percent weight distribution to the rear wheels. But as conditions dictate, the power software can give any wheel greater or less power, which should make for incredible road-holding, beyond even Audi's current Quattro system.

A two-seater, the cabin is relatively simple, featuring a minimum of controls and gauges. The car's navigation and communication electronics are designed to communicate with external roads infrastructure, receiving information about traffic and green lights, for example, and adjusting routes accordingly to maximize driving efficiency.

The Audi e-tron might sound like a serious competitor to the Tesla Roadster, but the Tesla has one huge advantage: it's already in production.

10 Easy Ways to Really Cut Your Consumption

Consumption costs us money and the more simply we choose to live the more money we can save. The thing is, no matter how eco-friendly the products that we buy may be, they still come with packaging, they still take energy to make, and they are nearly always still trucked from somewhere. The biggest/most obvious eco-friendly tip of the year is consuming less (energy, water, "stuff,") is better for the planet.

Easy ways to cut your consumption:

1. Bring a reusable bag wherever you go. Excess bags just add to the landfill and you don't need them in the first place. There's no reason not to do this.

2. Ditch the processed food. It takes unnecessary energy to produce it, as well as tons of packaging.

3. Calculate your water footprint. How can you know where you need to cut water usage if you don't know how much you're using and where you're using it?

4. Wear less makeup. Using less makeup will save us on resources and money, and you'll look better too.

5. Drink less bottled water, try to drink none. The U.S. sends two million tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water packaging to the landfill each year. Just drink the tap and buy a water filter if you prefer.

6. Wash your clothes in cold water. About 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.

7. Pass up the fast food joint, bring your own grub. Let me count the reasons why. There's the immense shipping programs emitting harmful gases, the millions of tons of waste generated annually, and not to mention the total lack of nutritional value in fast food restaurant's most popular menu items.

8. Skip Starbucks and brew your own coffee. Once we factor in the cost of the gourmet coffee and the cost of driving there, each time we brew a cup at home, we save about the equivalent of a gallon of gas.

9. Shut down your PC. If every American worker remembers to turn off their computer at night, the nation's companies would prevent the release of 39,452 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions, save $4.7 million in utility costs, and reduce energy consumption by 54.3 million kilowatt-hours per day.

10. Become a weekday vegetarian. By cutting meat out of your diet entirely you save 5,000 lbs of carbon emissions per year, so even reducing your meat intake to two out of seven days will still make a big difference.

Please! Lead by example

While some advocates believe that zero population is the way to save the planet, others believe that having children, and educating them properly, can be the key to solving our environmental woes. Despite evidence that the very act of having children creates more of a carbon footprint than any amount of biking-versus-driving will ever compensate for, many parents, teachers, and, well, optimists believe that if educated and trained properly, children just might be able to fix the problems with which we are leaving them.

A burgeoning movement is connecting children with nature, teachers are working to incorporate the environment into the classroom and educate children to be the environmental stewards of the future, and programs nationwide have been bringing gardening to children as a crucial step in ensuring the future health of our planet.

The planet is in dire straits, but all hope is not yet lost. And while some are advocating for human extinction, we are by no means there; we are here and are certainly--unfortunately--leaving our mark. But there is time to reverse some of the damage, if we start now, and if we don't forget to educate the future generation to do the same.

So, if you have kids of your own, or if you spend any time with kids that are not your own, teach them about the environment. Instill a respect for nature; visit a park and look in awe up at the trees. Smell some flowers. Talk to them about how important it is, and why, to minimize their waste or to turn off the lights, and to understand where their food comes from; read to them; and most importantly, remember that they learn by example. The less impact you leave on the earth, the easier (and better) they will learn to do the same.

Five of the best: environmentally-friendly, safe cars

We all like to be green, but that shouldn't come at the expense of our safety. Thankfully the latest Euro NCAP test results have just been announced and with two hybrids among the top performers it seems you can save the environment and be around to enjoy it should you be unlucky enough to crash. We all want to be green when we're driving, but to do so typically it's best to be small and light. That goes against conventional thinking that bigger and heavier is best in an accident. Modern cars are supremely engineered for crashworthiness, meaning even some of the greenest cars your money can buy will help save you in the event of a collision. Euro NCAP tests cars for safety and has just announced its latest results. Among them are two hybrids, proving green cars can be safe too. Here's five of the best cars you can buy that protect not just you but the environment too.

Toyota Prius, Tough Toyota
Toyota's green darling is a tough performer in latest Euro NCAP tests.

Honda Insight, Hard Honda
Insight not just clean and green, it's a real star in Euro NCAP's crash tests.
Read more

Renault Grand Scenic, Robust Renault
Carry more people and share the CO2 emissions among you with Renault's Grand Scenic.

VW Polo BlueMotion, Vice-less Volkswagen
Miniature Golf delivers big safety as well as excellent economy and emissions.
Read more

Skoda Yeti, Sturdy Skoda
A tough, capable off-roader that's commendably green too, the Yeti is worth hunting down.

Albania to Zimbabwe: the climate change risk list

Africa and much of south Asia face extreme risk from climate change but top carbon polluters will be relatively shielded from its ravages, according a ranking of 166 nations obtained by AFP Wednesday.

Somalia, Haiti and Afghanistan top the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, calculated from dozens of variables measuring the capacity of a country to cope with the consequences of global warming. "We wanted to look at what is going to impact human populations," explained Fiona Place, senior environmental risk analyst at Maplecroft, a Britain-based firm that provides global risk intelligence for businesses.

Even if the world agrees at make-or-break climate talks in December to slash CO2 emissions, many of those impacts -- rising sea levels, increased disease, flooding and drought -- are already inevitable, UN scientists say.

Of the 28 nations deemed at "extreme risk", 22 are in Africa. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are similarly threatened, with Pakistan right on the edge and India not far behind.

At the other end of the spectrum, Norway, Finland, Japan, Canada and New Zealand are best insulated, due to a combination of wealth, good governance, well-managed ecosystems and high resource security. The United States and Australia -- the largest per capita emitters of CO2 among developed nations -- are comfortably within the top 15 countries least at risk, according to the index.

With the exception of Chile and Israel, the rest of the 41 nations in the "low risk" category of the ranking are European or from the Arab Peninsula.

Japan's enviable position is due to its highly-developed infrastructure, its stable political and economic system, and its overall food and water security, explained Place. Although it imports much of its energy needs, it does so from many sources, spreading the risk. "Japan is also relatively rich in biodiversity, including well-managed forests. Human induced soil erosion is not a critical issue," she said.

"That's in contrast to, say, Ethiopia" -- or dozens of other poor nations -- "where there's a high population density and soil erosion is a real issue, impacting the ability to grow crops," she said.

One weak point in Japan, however, is the high concentration of populations along the coast exposed to rising sea levels. "Japan does need to take very seriously the issue of climate change vulnerability," Place said.

Another country threatened by ocean levels, which many scientists say will go up by at least a metre by century end, is Bangladesh, most of whose 150 million people live in low-lying delta areas.

Among the so-called BRIC economies -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- only India is in the "high risk" group, due to high population density, security risks and especially its resource security. India's food vulnerability was highlighted last month by a study in the British journal Nature which said that the country's underground water supply was being depleted at an alarming rate. China and Brazil face "medium" risk, while Russia is in the "low" category.

Many small island states literally at risk of being washed off the map by rising seas, such as Tuvalu and the Maldives, were not included in the ranking.

The climate change index is based on 33 distinct criteria grouped into six sub-indices: economy, government institutions, poverty and development, ecosystems, resource security, and population density in relation to infrastructure. The two items weighted most heavily are potential impact of rising sea levels, and mismanagement of land resources, both forests or agriculture.

Algae-coated buildings touted as climate fix

The future of green technology is algae-cultivating buildings, artificial trees, and lots of white roofs, according to the U.K.'s Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The group on Thursday released a report that recommends governments fund research on geoengineering, or large-scale fixes for climate change. The report, a year in the making, is targeted at policymakers and is meant to inspire engineers to develop ways to cut greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

As concern grows over climate change, a number of geoengineering ideas have been proposed, including placing mirrors in space to reflect sunlight or shooting sulfur particles into the stratosphere, which would also have a cooling effect. However, in its analysis, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers found that most promising geoengineering techniques can be done on Earth. It argues that a handful of technologies be deployed at large scale, along with other strategies, to mitigate the effects of climate change.

At the top of the list are artificial trees, which are mechanical devices that can absorb carbon dioxide from the air faster than trees and then sequester that gas underground. The institution's report refers to the research done by Columbia University Professor Klaus Lackner, who is researching the concept and materials to absorb large amounts of CO2. Also required are underground storage formations, such as depleted oil wells. At a cost of $20,000 per tree, the institution concludes that it's the most practical approach.

Cultivating algae to make liquid fuel is one of the most active areas of research in biofuels. The institution recommends that algae be incorporated into buildings so algae can be grown at a large scale. Algae would grow from pumped-in carbon dioxide and sunlight and be harvested for use either as a liquid fuel to run in a combined heat-and-power unit or turned into biochar, or charcoal used as a soil conditioner that also sequesters carbon from the air.

Finally, the institution says that buildings should be retrofitted with reflective roofs to deflect the sun's rays. In the past months, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has publicly touted this relatively low-tech approach, which was studied in-depth at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory last year. Although proposing billions of white roofs doesn't appear to be controversial, many other geoengineering ideas are. For example, scientists have warned about the environmental impact--or effectiveness--of "seeding" the ocean with iron to spur growth of plankton to sequester carbon.

In anticipation of a report on geoengineering from the U.K.'s Royal Society next week, watchdog ETC Group warned against unintended consequences from large-scale projects. "Even the most careful computer models won't be able to predict what will happen if an experiment is scaled-up and moved out of doors," the group said in a statement Friday.

Water Conservation Facts: By the Numbers

- 2.5 gallons: The amount of water per person much of the world is allocated.

- 400 gallons: The amount of water per person used by the average American citizen; 30 percent of this is used for outdoor purposes, such as watering the lawn.

- 70 percent: The amount of worldwide water use that is allocated to farming; most of these farming irrigation systems operate at only 40 percent efficiency. According to a 2002 article by Lester Brown, aquifers are depleting all over the world—in China by 2-3 metres per year. In the US, the Ogallala aquifer is shrinking rapidly. In India, aquifers are going down by 3 metres per year, in Mexico by 3.3 meters per year.

- 263: The number of rivers that either cross or demarcate international political boundaries, in addition to countless aquifers. According to the Atlas of International Freshwater Agreement, 90 percent of countries in the world must share these water basins with at least one or two other states. Major conflicts such as Darfur have been connected to water shortages, and lack of access to clean water.

- 1430: Gallons of water per capita in the United States; only 100 gallons of that is household use per person as most is used for agriculture, according to water expert Peter Gleick.

- 88 percent: Of deaths from diarrhea are caused from unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation; this translates to more than 1.5 million of the 1.9 million children under five who perish from diarrhea each year. This amounts to 18% of all under-five deaths and means that more than 4,000 children are dying every day as a result of diarrhoeal diseases.

- $11.3 billion: The amount of money required to provide basic levels of service for drinking and waste water in Africa and Asia.

- $35 billion: the amount of money spent on bottled water in the most developed countries in the world.

- 1.5 million: Barrels of crude oil used for making PET water bottles, globally. This is enough oil to fuel 100,000 American cars for a year.

- 2.7 tons: The amount of plastic used to bottle water. 86 percent become garbage or litter.

3 ways to reduce your carbon footprint by over 8 tons!

Your carbon footprint can be sort of a difficult thing to visualize -- you can't really see your carbon emissions trailing up into the atmosphere as you go about your life. You surely know that burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gas emissions, and that it's not just your car that contributes to your carbon footprint -- the electricity you use in your home, your airplane travel, even the food you eat has a significant impact on the number that goes with your particular footprint. And, while every person's footprint is a bit different, one thing is true for everyone: You can reduce your carbon footprint by half (or more!) with these three tips.

First, though, we should establish a few baselines. The average yearly carbon footprint for a Singaporean is 12.20 tons, according to the United Nations; the global average is just a shade under 4 tons each year. This is not something we can be proud of. If we're going to make any progress in the fight against the climate crisis, that means it's time for big action, so let's get to it. Here's how to lose over 8 tons in a year.

Become a Weekday Vegetarian: Lose 0.7 tons

Your diet has a huge impact on the climate. A vegetarian diet is often cited as a greener way to eat (and it is, in a lot of ways) but it's a very polarizing topic for lots of people, and it's no good to stand around shouting at folks who just won't give up meat. Happily, we've found a happy medium: Be a weekday vegetarian. It's simple, easy to remember, much cheaper than buying all meat, all the time, and still has a significant impact. According to a study from the University of Chicago [PDF], an all-vegetarian (lacto-ovo -- dairy and eggs allowed) diet will reduce your carbon footprint by about a ton; cut that back to five out of seven days -- about 70 percent -- and you've got 1400 pounds, or 0.7 tons.

You can still eat a little meat -- please, choose a climate-friendly version when you do -- when the weekends roll around; during the week, it's easy to find tons of vegetarian recipes you can feast on, knowing your on your way to losing 10 tons of carbon.

Buy Green Power: Lose 2.5 Tons

Eating green is just a small slice of the pie, so to speak. The average household is responsible for nearly 9 tons of carbon emissions per year, according to the Department of Energy. Most of that comes from our most prominent source of electricity in this country: Coal, which we use for about 48 percent of our electricity nationally. Since there are 3.5 people per household, on average in Singapore, we can cut the 9 ton average by more than a third, down to 2.5 tons per person per year.

Switching from the "dirty power" that your utility provides to renewables can save you a bundle of carbon. Each utility does it differently, so you'll have to contact whichever company or organization makes sure there's light when you flip on the switch, but more and more are offering programs that allow you to help them invest in renewable energy, and cut way back on your carbon footprint in the process. One caveat: You will pay a bit of a premium for green power; in most cases it's about one cent per kilowatt-hour, maybe $180 or $200 per year, but you can easily save that by buying less meat as part of your weekday vegetarian diet, and you can save even more cash with the last of the three tips.

Cut Three Flights per Year: Lose 5 Tons

A huge source for our individual and collective carbon footprints: Airplane travel. It's sort of the elephant in the room when it comes to talking about this stuff, since modern airplane travel can be marvelously convenient -- it's the only way to get from one end of the country to the other, say, in less than a day. Until a proper high-speed rail infrastructure connects the corners of our country, airplane travel will just be a reality for some of us, some of the time.

That's okay; we're just saying you could do less of it. While that sounds restrictive and maybe even a little backwards, it's not as hard as you might think. Frequent business travelers: How many silly trips do you make each year that you don't have to? I'll bet at least one. How often do you zoom away and return home within three or four days? Seems kinda quick, no? By using tools like teleconferencing, and combining business with a little pleasure, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to not fly so much.

Here's the crux of this one: Flying generates humongous carbon emissions. One flight from New York to Los Angeles (y'know, five hours or so, a movie, maybe catching up on your reading) averages nearly two tons, all by itself. Exact numbers are tricky to pin down -- it really depends on what sort of plane you're flying, exactly how full it is, a little thing called radiative forcing -- but it's a safe bet to say that cutting out three round-trips will save you 5 tons (and probably a little more).

So there you have it: Three steps, over 8 tons of carbon emissions saved. It's not quite as easy as installing a programmable thermostat, or another easy lifestyle change you can make in a day, but it has a heck of a lot more impact. If you're serious about helping curb runaway climate change, these tips are the place to start. Seriously.

Green Cleaners on Channel News Asia

As featured on Channel News Asia's - 'The Green List'. Green Cleaners was proud to be featured in the Lifestyle episode promoting healthier cleaning in the home :)

Make Your Own Natural Salve for Dry Skin

Spotted this recipe and after trying had to share with you!

I have really, really dry skin. For years, I bought whatever super-creamy, generally pricey cream I saw advertised for treating dry skin. And each and every product either smelled weird, had ingredients I wasn't comfortable slathering on my skin, or just flat-out didn't work.

The original recipe for this salve was to use one cup of olive oil, one cup of calendula blossoms, ¼ of a cup of shaved beeswax, and shea butter. At the time, I was fresh out of calendula (but I did have plenty of dried lavender buds) and I didn't have any shea butter on hand. I decided to wing it and use what I had around the house. The results were absolutely wonderful. I changed the procedure a little, mostly because I didn't want to watch the concoction for twenty minutes while it steeped. It seemed to work well, though.

How to Make Skin Salve

Ingredients:
One cup of olive oil
One cup your choice of blossom. Try lavender buds, calendula blossoms, dried rose petals, rosemary, or mint leaves.
¼ cup of beeswax, grated or shaved
Jar or other container to store finished salve
Cheesecloth, or a fine mesh strainer

Making the Salve:
Place one cup of olive oil and your choice of blossoms or leaves into a saucepan over medium heat.
Heat until the mixture is just below a simmer.
Turn the heat off, move the pan to a cool burner or a trivet, and let the flowers or leaves steep for twenty to thirty minutes.
Strain the oil through a strainer or cheesecloth into a clean bowl. Squeeze as much oil as possible out of your flower buds or leaves with a spoon.
Add beeswax to the oil, and stir it in until it melts.
Pour your salve into a clean jar or container (I used a clean baby food jar), and let it finish cooling, uncovered.
Cover and store.

What can you use this salve for? As I mentioned above, I love to slather it on my hands to keep them soft, but it's also great on your knees, elbows, feet - anywhere you have rough, dry skin. And for you parents out there, it is an awesome alternative to store-bought diaper rash ointments.

I love it that this is all-natural and cheap, and I love even more that I was able to make it with something I grew in my very own garden :)

'Killer Spices' Provide Eco-friendly Pesticides For Organic Fruits & Veggies

Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. Think bigger…acres bigger. These well-known spices are now becoming organic agriculture's key weapons against insect pests as the industry tries to satisfy demands for fruits and veggies among the growing portion of consumers who want food produced in more natural ways.

In a study presented at the American Chemical Society's 238th National Meeting, scientists in Canada are reporting exciting new research on these so-called "essential oil pesticides" or "killer spices." These substances represent a relatively new class of natural insecticides that show promise as an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides while also posing less risk to human and animal health, the researcher says.

"We are exploring the potential use of natural pesticides based on plant essential oils — commonly used in foods and beverages as flavorings," says study presenter Murray Isman, Ph.D., of the University of British Columbia. These new pesticides are generally a mixture of tiny amounts of two to four different spices diluted in water. Some kill insects outright, while others repel them.

Over the past decade, Isman and colleagues tested many plant essential oils and found that they have a broad range of insecticidal activity against agricultural pests. Some spiced-based commercial products now being used by farmers have already shown success in protecting organic strawberry, spinach, and tomato crops against destructive aphids and mites, the researcher says.

"These products expand the limited arsenal of organic growers to combat pests," explains Isman. "They're still only a small piece of the insecticide market, but they're growing and gaining momentum."

The natural pesticides have several advantages. Unlike conventional pesticides, these "killer spices" do not require extensive regulatory approval and are readily available. An additional advantage is that insects are less likely to evolve resistance — the ability to shrug off once-effective toxins — Isman says. They're also safer for farm workers, who are at high risk for pesticide exposure, he notes.

But the new pesticides also have shortcomings. Since essential oils tend to evaporate quickly and degrade rapidly in sunlight, farmers need to apply the spice-based pesticides to crops more frequently than conventional pesticides. Some last only a few hours, compared to days or even months for conventional pesticides. As these natural pesticides are generally less potent than conventional pesticides, they also must be applied in higher concentrations to achieve acceptable levels of pest control, Isman says. Researchers are now seeking ways of making the natural pesticides longer-lasting and more potent, he notes.

"They're not a panacea for pest control," cautions Isman. Conventional pesticides are still the most effective way to control caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles and other large insects on commercial food crops, he says. "But at the end of the day, it comes down to what's good for the environment and what's good for human health."

The "killer spices" aren't just limited to agricultural use. Some show promise in the home as eco-friendly toxins and repellents against mosquitoes, flies, and roaches. Unlike conventional bug sprays, which have a harsh odor, these natural pesticides tend to have a pleasant, spicy aroma. Many contain the same oils that are used in aromatherapy products, including cinnamon and peppermint, Isman notes.

Manufacturers have already developed spice-based products that can repel ticks and fleas on dogs and cats without harming the animals. Researchers are now exploring the use of other spice-based products for use on fruits and vegetables to destroy microbes, such as E. coil and Salmonella, which cause food poisoning.

Other scientists are currently exploring the insect-fighting potential of lavender, basil, bergamot, patchouli oil, and at least a dozen other oils from exotic plant sources in China.

GardenTech 2009

Green Cleaners is a proud supporter of GardenTech 2009....Come down today or tomorrow to HortPark (off Alexandra Road) and say hello at our booth in the Eco section of the show! :)

See you there!

Autism: Its the Environment, Not Just Doctors Diagnosing More Disease

California's sevenfold increase in autism cannot be explained by changes in doctors' diagnoses and most likely is due to environmental exposures, University of California scientists reported.

The scientists who authored the new study advocate a nationwide shift in autism research to focus on an array of potential factors in the environment that babies and fetuses are exposed to, including pesticides, viruses and chemicals in household products.

"It's time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California," said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, an epidemiology professor at University of California, Davis who led the study.

Throughout the nation, the numbers of autistic children have increased dramatically over the past 15 years. Autistic children have problems communicating and interacting socially; the symptoms usually are evident by the time the child is a toddler.

More than 3,000 new cases of autism were reported in California in 2006, compared with 205 in 1990. In 1990, 6.2 of every 10,000 children born in the state were diagnosed with autism by the age of five, compared with 42.5 in 10,000 born in 2001, according to the study, published in the journal Epidemiology. The numbers have continued to rise since then.

To nail down the causes, scientists must unravel a mystery: What in the environment has changed since the early 1990s that could account for such an enormous rise in the brain disorder?

For years, many medical officials have suspected that the trend is artificial -- due to changes in diagnoses or migration patterns rather than a real rise in the disorder.

But the new study concludes that those factors cannot explain most of the increase in autism.

Hertz-Picciotto and Lora Delwiche of the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences analyzed 17 years of state data that tracks developmental disabilities, and used birth records and Census Bureau data to calculate the rate of autism and age of diagnosis.

The results: Migration to the state had no effect. And changes in how and when doctors diagnose the disorder and when state officials report it can explain less than half of the increase.

Dr. Bernard Weiss, a professor of environmental medicine and pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center who was not involved in the new research, said the autism rate reported in the study "seems astonishing." He agreed that environmental causes should be getting more attention.

The California researchers concluded that doctors are diagnosing autism at a younger age because of increased awareness. But that change is responsible for only about a 24% increase in children reported to be autistic by the age of five, according to the report.

"A shift toward younger age at diagnosis was clear but not huge," the report says.

Also, a shift in doctors diagnosing milder cases explains another 56% increase. And changes in state reporting of the disorder could account for around a 120% increase.

Combined, Hertz-Picciotto said those factors "don't get us close" to the 600% to 700% increase in diagnosed cases.

That means the rest is unexplained and likely caused by something that pregnant women or infants are exposed to, or a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

"There's genetics and there's environment. And genetics don't change in such short periods of time," Hertz-Picciotto, a researcher at UC Davis' M.I.N.D. Institute, a leading autism research facility, said in an interview Thursday.

Many researchers have theorized that a pregnant woman's exposure to chemical pollutants, particularly metals and pesticides, could be altering a developing baby's brain structure, triggering autism.

Many parent groups believe that childhood vaccines are responsible because they contained thimerosal, a mercury compound used as a preservative. But thimerosal was removed from most vaccines in 1999, and autism rates are still rising.

Dozens of chemicals in the environment are neurodevelopmental toxins, which means they alter how the brain grows. Mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, lead, brominated flame retardants and pesticides are examples. While exposure to some -- such as PCBs -- has declined in recent decades, others -- including flame retardants used in furniture and electronics, and pyrethroid insecticides -- have increased.

Household products such as antibacterial soaps also could have ingredients that harm the brain by changing immune systems, Hertz-Picciotto said.

In addition, fetuses and infants might be exposed to a fairly new infectious microbe, such as a virus or bacterium, that could be altering the immune system or brain structure. In the 1970s, autism rates increased due to the rubella virus.


The culprits, Hertz-Picciotto said, could be "in the microbial world and in the chemical world."

"I don't think there's going to be one smoking gun in this autism problem," she said. "It's such a big world out there and we know so little at this point."

But she added, scientists expect to develop "quite a few leads in a year or so."

The UC Davis researchers have been studying autistic children's exposure to flame retardants and pesticides to see if there is a connection. The results have not yet been published.

"If we're going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible," Hertz-Picciotto said.

Funding for studying genetic causes of autism is 10 to 20 times higher than funding for environmental causes, she said. "It's very off-balance," she said.

Weiss agreed, saying that "excessive emphasis has been placed on genetics as a cause. "The advances in molecular genetics have tended to obscure the principle that genes are always acting in and on a particular environment. This article, I think, will restore some balance to our thinking," he said.

Some issues related to whether the increase is merely a reporting artifact remain unresolved. There could be other, unknown issues involving diagnosis and reporting, scientists say.

The surge in autism is similar to the rise in childhood asthma, which has reached epidemic proportions for unexplained reasons. Medical officials originally thought that, too, might be due to increased reporting of the disease, but now they acknowledge that many more children are asthmatic than in the past. Experts suspect that environmental pollutants or immune changes could be responsible.

Autism has serious effects, not just on an individual child's health but on education, health care and the economy.

"Autism incidence in California shows no sign yet of plateauing," Hertz-Picciotto and Delwiche said in their study.

Nissan turns over a new Leaf

This weekend Nissan released photos and details of the electric car it intends to put into production in 2010. The Nissan Leaf is a purpose-built, pure battery electric vehicle. Nissan previously let us test-drive the Leaf's power train using the Cube as a test model. The Nissan Leaf has its own distinct look; it's a more conventional car than the Cube, with four doors and a hatchback. Although it hasn't announced pricing, Nissan says the Leaf will be affordable, priced as a C-segment car. The company also notes that the Leaf will cost less to operate than a gasoline-powered car, both in energy and maintenance, as there are fewer moving parts. Also, many governments offer incentives in the form of tax credits or rebates to purchase an electric car.

The Leaf uses a laminate lithium ion battery pack with an output of over 90 kilowatts. The car's drive motor puts out 80 kilowatts of power, substantial enough to give it performance equivalent to a gas-powered car. Nissan claims the Leaf has a range of over 100 miles, fairly typical for electric car projects from other automakers. The Leaf uses regenerative braking, and has a recharge time of 30 minutes to get the battery pack up to 80 percent using a quick charger. From a 200-volt source, the Leaf takes 8 hours to recharge.

One of the more innovative elements of the car is its onboard computer. Along with typical functions such as charge level and range, this computer is connected to a data center that will receive diagnostic information from the car. It will also keep the driver informed of local recharge stations. Although not specifically mentioned, this onboard system could easily show navigation with traffic conditions. Nissan says the computer will also provide entertainment for passengers.

The Leaf will originally be built in Japan, and sold in Japan, the United States, and Europe. As demand dictates, Nissan will build additional units in its Smyrna, Tennessee plant.