Monitoring Pollution

I'm not quite sure how I missed this tidbit of news, as it came out back in April.  

Concord, Massachusetts, home to Walden Pond and the original concord grapevine, has banned the sale of bottled water starting in 2011.  The measured will only allow the sale of refillable containers of water, which could still be sold and delivered in Concord.

The effort was lead by Jean Hill, an 80-something-year old activist.  She lobbied neighbors and officials on the serious environmental consequences of plastic bottles filling landfills and creating more pollution. 

The International Bottled Water Association released this statement about the ban.   I didn't even KNOW there was an International Bottled Water Association!  Their entire website made my blood boil.   Additionally, Joe Doss, president of the IBWA said:  "We obviously don’t think highly of the vote in Concord. Any efforts to discourage consumers from drinking water, whether tap water or bottled water, is not in the best interests of consumers. Bottled water is a very healthy, safe, convenient product that consumers use to stay hydrated." [source]  Oh, okay, Mr. Doss.  ... read more

To continue my "ban the bag saga," here is a Company profile on ChicoBag, my personal favorite in the reusable bag sector.

Why its Keen:

ChicoBag has a very inspirational start-up story: "In early 2004, Andy Keller, now ChicoBag™ president, took a trip to his local landfill after spending the day landscaping his backyard. He was horrified by what he saw. Single-use bags were the dominant article at the landfill that day, blanketing the landscape in a thin mix of white and beige plastic. On his way home he began to notice plastic bags everywhere, caught in trees and on fence posts, half drowned in gutter puddles and blowing in the streets like urban tumbleweeds. That day Andy vowed to stop using single-use bags. Inspired, Andy dropped a few bucks on a second hand sewing machine and began sewing what would ultimately become the first ChicoBag™ brand reusable bag."... read more

Over 19 billion plastic bags are used annually in California, and constitute one of the largest forms of urban litter pollution. Urban litter pollution is the primary component of marine litter, which feeds into the North Pacific Gyre - also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.... read more

I've been looking into sludge.  It's not a pretty picture.   I am working on a profile of Micromidas, a Clean Tech Open finalist that aims to make the business of treating raw sewage a bit less messy by extracting carbon from sludge and turning it into biodegradable plastics.  But more on that later this week.   Sewage, sludge, human waste  ... it's a dirty problem and one of the major by-products of human civilization.   I came across this fascinating writeup -  Civilization & Sludge: Notes on the History of the Management of Human Excreta. 

I remember mulling over this problem as a child (kids are fascinated with poop) .... where does it all go?  This article traces the history of mankind's battle with with their by-products.  It's been ugly and we have just been moving the problem from one place to another.   Whether it has been cesspools polluting private property, open city sewers causing mass outbreaks of cholera, typhoid when the sewage was dumped into nearby rivers or disgusting beaches when we pursued dumping sewage into the ocean with a "solution by dilution" approach. ... read more

Electric bikes and tricycles have become environmentally responsible hybrid commuter vehicles with excellent mileage and very low operating costs - 3 miles per penny!

Both ebikes and tricycles might transform urban mobility, as more and more people take to them. As a replacement for short car rides, they emit minimal carbon dioxide, compared to a car ride, and help residents reduce their total carbon footprint.

In addition to environmental benefits, ebike lovers indicate 5 more reasons to prefer electric bike or trike:

(Click here to read about electric bicycles environmental benefits)

1) Health benefits – Electric bikes enable people with temporary or long-term physical limitations to enjoy biking. Many ebike models offer simultaneous motor and pedal use for some degree of physical activity.2) Convenience – It’s always there for you and enables easy riding around town, running errands, and even shopping (it can fit a small load of grocery bags). Parking is never an issue. Some models fit child-seats or a trailer. For longer trips, most models are light and easily fit into an average car trunk.3) Money consideration - Cheaper than a car and you don’t need to pay for car insurance, taxes, and maintenance costs, even parking tickets. There are also considerations of rising gasoline prices.... read more