Recycling e-waste

Don't Trash Your Cell Phone / Gadgets -- Recycle It!

Cell phones and electronic gadgets contain toxic metals that can pollute the environment and threaten human health. When recycled responsibly, the metals can be put back into circulation, decreasing the need for new metal mining.

image source:http://earth911.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/imgtree.gif  

It is much better for your wallet and the planet to get several years use out of a cell phone before trading it in.


"If each of us recycled ONE mobile phone, we would save as much energy and pollution as taking 4 million cars off our roads"

image source:http://earth911.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/imgtree.gif  

If a phone/gadget is broken, its working parts are removed. "New" gadgets are eventually assembled from the usable parts of different gadgets.

image source:http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2009/03/gallery_ewaste_recycling/ewaste_recycle303_1b.jpg



There are a few websites that can help you recycle your phone / gadgets. They also pay you for your device's current value.

www.buymytronics.com
www.call2recycle.org
www.myboneyard.com
www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
www.greenphone.com
www.cdrecyclingforfree.com


Many of these sites help recycle other e-waste as well.

US people can visit http://recyclemycellphone.org for the same.

Truth About Bottled Water.flv

First Floating Wind Turbine in Atlantic Ocean

An inspiring step forward in offshore wind energy technology

A Seattle-based company named Principle Power has deployed it's first floating offshore wind turbine off the coast of Portugal, the first time a floating turbine has been installed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Renewable Energy World reports the 2 MW turbine was assembled on land and then towed 217 miles into open water.

 For more on this, visit - http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/utility-scale-floating-offshore-wind-farm-coming-to-portugal.html

Image Source: http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/20090219-wind-float-turbine.jpg 

Car vs Bike

This neat demonstration clearly show the difference between the parking space occupied by a car and a bike.

It's an ironic step with an important message associated with it. Cars cause pollution and congestion ( both on and off the road ). 






Image-source: http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/12/holder-three.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg

The bicycle stand shown ( practical implemented in some parts of east London ), occupies a space the size of one car and holds approximately 10 bicycles. This demonstration is clear enough to make you understand the difference.

For more on this, you can visit -
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/cheeky-bicycle-rack-in-london-shows-exactly-how-much-room-a-car-takes-up.html

 Image-source:http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/12/bike-holder.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg

Millions saved by Bicycling

"Biking instead of driving can save millions in health costs and thousands of lives"

Image-source = http://www.bumc.bu.edu/transcomm/files/2010/03/bike-to-work-burn-cal.bmp

The Modern Life style that we all are living today is driving us away from physical activities and making us more and more machine dependent.We all prefer using vehicles for cummuting even the smallest of the distances to our offices /  neighbors. Looking at the positive side we are saving our precious time ( a few minutes though ) but on the other side we are loosing a much valuable asset..i.e our own physical health. Now both time & health are important to us, how to save both of them ? So, here's the solution - "Bicycle"

Ok, Compared to driving, bicycling is clearly better for the environment and your health. But how much better is it?

Studies offers following figures: If people in the upper Midwest (northern portion of the U.S.) chose to take half of their daily car trips by bicycle, health care costs would go down by approximately $7 billion. And, it will also lead to an estimated 1,100 fewer deaths each year.
Image source : http://hub.sierratradingpost.com/images/wpuploads/2009/05/bike_to_work.jpg

To an average, everyday common person -

 "switching from a car to a bike is an enormously healthy thing to do,And you not only get all those personal benefits, you improve air quality and reduce traffic on roads, and those are good ways of going green"
Image source : http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_381/12382301578I9M2p.jpg

Inspiring Green Wonders

Bahrain World Trade Center 

Apart from the Architecture, the most impressive feature of this Center is the three massive wind turbines situated between the two towers comprising the main building. Each of these 80-foot turbines projects from a bridge between towers. The shape of the towers themselves channels and accelerates air moving between them which will help the building generate even more power.

Image source: http://img.weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/skyscraper-wind-turbines.jpg

 
It is by far the largest wind-powered design incorporated into a massive building project till date.

Solar Tower, Seville

Well, it is Europe’s first commercial power station to harness the energy of the sun. How does it work? The sun’s rays are all directed at a single point of the tower and turn water at that point into steam.

The steam in turn moves through turbines and generates energy. A strange but very functional process. 

 

Image Source : http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/is-the-sun-setting-on-solar-power-in-spain_1.jpg 
 

  Lighthouse skyscraper ,Dubai

The Lighthouse skyscraper  is another innovative green skyscraper to be constructed in Dubai. For energy generation, it will have three enormous 225 kilowatt wind turbines (29 meters in diameter), and 4000 photovoltaic panels on the south facing façade. To optimize performance and operational periods, the turbines have windward directional wind vanes or limited yaw. 

 

 

Image source: http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/5/24/lighthouse2.jpg

Carbon Credits

What is it ?
Carbon credits are a highly regulated medium of exchange used to 'offset', or neutralize, carbon dioxide emissions.

 image-source = http://www.theseminargroup.net/images/small_logos/10.CARBOR.jpg

A single carbon credit generally represents the right to emit one metric ton of carbon dioxide or the equivalent mass of another greenhouse gas.

Larger companies, governments and other entities may be required by law to purchase carbon credits in order to emit greenhouse gases. This in some sense sets a limit on the amount of pollution a company is allowed to emit within a period of time. If the company stays under the limit, it can sell the remainder of its carbon credits to other companies.


Relation with Carbon Emission

"If you emit more , you have to spend more on purchase of carbon-credits"


In the case of mandatory carbon credits, the goal of placing a value on carbon emissions is to induce carbon credit purchases to choose less carbon-intensive activities.


Reducing the amount of emission leads to saving the amount of carbon credits. Companies that emit less enjoy higher profits by selling their rights to produce carbon dioxide emissions (carbon-credits). The saved credits can be sold to others and in this way they serve the purpose (everybody will obviously like to reduce the emission so that he need not purchase the carbon-credits ) 
This way, emissions become just as integral a cost of doing business as materials.


Where does the money spent for purchase of carbon-credits goes ?

 In the voluntary market, carbon offsets are used to fund projects which absorb or eliminate an amount of carbon dioxide gas that is equal to the amount emitted.
When consumers purchase carbon credits from reputable carbon offset providers, the money is used for specified projects like planting forests, which absorb carbon naturally, or diverting methane gas for conversion into electricity at a power plant.