Gabby

BEING GREEN WITH YOUR CELL PHONE!!!! So when our cell phones, die or break or our upgrade comes, what do most people do? They go to a store and get a new, usually nicer phone. that's all good, but then what about the old phone? Some people keep them, and then others throw them away. Once thrown away, the cell phone ends up in a landfill with all the other trash. However considering cell phones are made up of all kinds of toxic and dangerous substances including PVC, phthalates, zinc, lead, brominated flame retardants and arsenic. So as the years go by and the cell phone continues to sit in the land fill, all the harmful substances and chemicals begin to seep into the ground which obviously isn't good for the ground but also it harms the ground water that we as humans use to drink, and all the little bugs or creatures that live in the soil. So how does one go about solving the cell phone throwing out problem? The solution is quite simple there are specific places to go to that recycle cell phones in green way, however these places usually charge people to take their cell phones there. The other solution is to donate the phones to charities so that others can use them. This idea not only keeps the phones away from the landfills but it also conserves manufacturing resources. however despite these options still 80% of the 150 million phones discarded each year still end up in landfills, which is not very good statistics at all. Knowing this some phone companies decided they were going to embark on a mission that involves designing Eco friendly phones that do not have as many harmful substances as most other phones do. That way when our lazy population decides they are going to just chuck their phones in the trashcan instead of donating it or giving it to a recycling place, the phone that ends up in the landfill isn't as dangerous as some of its predecessors. Specifically companies have begun creating phones that do not use PVC, and in 2008, the first phones without toxic flame retardants came out. Also LG removed beryllium from its phones and is researching both environmentally friendlier paints and biodegradable plastics for its product. Many phone companies have begun creating greener phones but here is a look at the top five most Eco friendly phones. Rolling in at number 5 is the Sony Ericsson C6901 greenheart. According to Sony using this phone results in 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions compared to other Sony models. It is made of a casing that uses 50 percent recycled plastic, and the manuals for the phone are electronic as opposed to paper manuals. Finally it is designed with a lower-energy display. Sony also painted the phone using water-based (instead of solvent-based) paint. Spot number 4 belongs to an Lg solar powered phone. The company has promised to remove a lot of the toxic elements in all of their phones, but particularly this phone comes with a solar panel built into it's back, so on sunny days the phone does not need to be charged. About 10 minutes of sun will give the user 3 minutes of talk time, and the phone can last for hours if not being used to make calls. 3rd places goes to the Motorola renew. Along with being a carbon neutral phone, the case is made up entirely of recycled plastic water bottles. The renew also saves paper because it it put into smaller packages that use recycled paper. Also manufacturing it uses 20% less energy then other phones take. in second place we have the ZTE coral 200 solar. This phone was designed for users that live in off the grid areas, and do not always have the luxury of plugging their phone in, and charging it. This phone is completely solar, and although it is a very basic phone it is very green and fits the needs of the 2 billion people or so who have limited access to electricity. And the greenest phone belongs to the Samsung blue earth. This phone could be as popular as it is Eco friendly. It is a solar powered touch screen, and the solar panel reduces up to 34.6 percent of battery power. Half an hour of sun exposure, gives the user 10 minutes of talk time, and 12 hours of sun will get you 4 hours of talk. The casing adds to its greeness since it is made from both renewable materials and recycled plastic, and on top of all that the phone is free of toxic brominated compounds and phthalate It also comes with many other green functions, like a one-touch energy-saving display mode and an energy-efficient charger. It includes "Eco Walk," which tracks how many steps you take and tells you how much CO2 you're saving by walking instead of driving. To top it all off the blue earth has a full color touch screen.

So as demonstrated by phone companies all over the world but specifically these five phones and their companies, there really is a green way to get rid of phones, and even better there are now many phones to buy that are so green and way better for the environment!! In the end, buy these phones. [|http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/5-green-mobile-phones.htm#page=0] 



SUSTAINABILITY CITIES!!

People all over the world live in cities. In 2010 83 percent of the population lived in cities and b the year 2050 it is believed that about 90 percent of the people in American will reside in these cities. As a result a huge amount of energy is required, to keep the cities running for all those millions of people who call it home. To get an idea of just how big of an impact cities have on our earth, here are some statistics 1) cities account for two thirds of the energy used 2)cities consume 60 percent of clean water in the US 3)cities produce 70 percent of the greenhouse gases This shows not just huge numbers but also huge problems, because so much pollution is generated from cities and it is significantly impacting nature in a very negative way. IN attempt to try and resolve this issue, the company Siemens has begun a program titled sustainability cities. This idea has been designed to try and lower the huge amount of pollution the cities are creating, and instead replace it with clean green solutions. Siemens has been designing technology that would create  energy efficient buildings, water treatment facilities, transportation infrastructure, public safety systems and healthcare imaging and diagnostics. All of these ideas are explained in a more in depth and detailed way in the link to the video below.

 [|http://www.usa.siemens.com/sustainable-cities/?stc=usccc025507#main]

 In my opinion the ideas that they have come up with for infrastructure were the most interesting. Dubbed "intellistructure" the idea behind it is to create new cities that are more Eco friendly, and use up way less energy. Siemens is trying to transform the cities into ones that are "built for today and tomorrow", meaning they are efficient now but in a hundred years they will still be just as green.

 Though the specific technology may be different depending on the city, the main goal is to make more reliable power sources, better ways for getting people to and from work, and building a skyline that works with, not against, the air and ground. Infrastructure, with intelligence.  “More and more cities are realizing that sustainability requires innovation. It’s an important lever for economic growth and competitiveness,” this quote by Alison Taylor, the Chief Sustainability Officer for Siemens proves just how important and beneficial it will be to re design american cities the intelligent way.

[] ** AguaClara **

Since many third world countries are struggling to find clean water to drink, sustainability projects such as AguaClara have been created in order to find earth friendly ways of getting these areas the clean water they desperately need. Based at Cornell University, AguaClara is an engineering team that develops ways to treat water, and cleanse it. The unique part about this plant is that it is does not run off of electricity but rather off of gravity. Since it is completely electricity free, it is considered a sustainability project. There are currently seven AguaClara facilities around the world, all extremely successful in providing safe drinking water. Specifically in Honduras, due to the presence of AguaClara plants, the country is now experiencing more people migrating from Tegucigalpa, because of their cleaner and healthier water.

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Here is how it works!!

In developing worlds, electricity sources are unreliable and also very expensive. As a result AguaClara found a way to use gravity pumps and mechanical devices rather than electric devices. This saves money considering the costs of electricity and is producing better results worldwide. AguaClara is even knocking two birds off with one stone, because first it is getting countries the clear water they need, and on top of that it is being very green to the earth! I think that ideas like these should be used all over the world even in developed countries where the electricity is reliable and not too expensive.

REEF CHECK preserving and sustaining the world's coral reefs

What exactly are coral reefs? Besides the beauty and color they add to tropical oceans, coral reefs are vital components of the waters they inhabit. Corals are actually little, sessile (fixed in one place) animals belonging to the cnidaria group. Most of them share symbiotic realations with an algae called zooxanthellae. The plant-like algaes that live inside the coral polyps or colonies perform photosynthesis, producing food and sharing it with the coral. In exchange the coral provides the algae with protection and access to light, which is necessary for photosynthesis. This is why corals live in shallow waters, becuase a sufficent amount of sun must be able to reach the coral and the algae. The zooxanthellae also lend their color to their coral, which is why coral is so colorful. Coral bleaching occurs when corals lose their zooxanthellae, exposing the white calcium carbonate skeletons. There are a many environmental changes that may cause bleaching including disease, excess shade, increased levels of ultraviolet radiation, sedimentation, salinity changes, and increased temperatures. All of these stresses are cuased by human pollution. When coral is exposed to pollution, it dies and this is a major problem for the oceans ecosystem. All sorts of creatures live in and around the reefs and many of them rely on healthy coral as a steady source of food. In an attempt to sustain and save the coral reefs, which are becoming increasingly more exposed to pollution, a program called "Reef Check" has been created to help make people aware of the dangers they cause by harming reefs and to help protect them. Reef Check educates people about the importance of reef ecosystems and has a team of volunteers trained in Reef Check's scientific methods who work to protect the reefs and monitor their health, and care for coral that has already been damaged, in an attempt to restore it. Reef check ties into sustainablility because part of keeping the earth clean is not just cleaning up what is found on land, but also what is found underwater. Coral reefs are a key component to healthy waters and are the basis an entire ecosystem. Sustainability is all about presverving the earth, and Reef Check is helping by cleaning up the coral reefs. Restoring not only their natural and exotic beauty, but also by alowing them to play their ever important part in running an entire underwater ecosystem.

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Healthy coral VERSUS.... unhealthy, damaged coral THis is why we need programs like Reef Check!