Daily Green Wrap-Up 10.March, 2012

Dr. James Hansen heads the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City and is Adjunct Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He was trained in physics and astronomy in the space science program of Dr. James Van Allen at the University of Iowa. His early research on the clouds of Venus helped identify their composition as sulfuric acid. Since the late 1970s, he has focused his research on Earth’s climate, especially human-made climate change.
This is a 17 minute TED talk (I just love TED talks) but it’s really eye-opening. If you have the time, give this a good listen.
We all know that many common household items contain toxins that are known hormone disruptors and are linked with asthma and other health issues, but avoiding those products might be more difficult than previously thought. A frightening new study from the Silent Spring Institute reveals that products are frequently mislabeled, making it difficult for consumers to screen for potentially dangerous chemicals.
In Canada, Ottawa’s famous Rideau Canal had a shortened skating season this year because of warm weather. Canadian researchers project that because of climate change, the “number of viable ice-flooding days could reach zero by mid-century.”
Noah looks like a giant tennis ball crossed with a submarine. It’s bright yellow and completely seaworthy, thanks to an enforced fiberglass hull. Noah comes in two sizes — a 4-foot diameter version accommodates four people, a 5-foot model fits six. As Tanaka’s interpreter pointed out, Noah is sized for smaller Japanese frames, not the larger ones found on American soil. Understandably, the nation that invented super-sizing may need a roomier model.
Here is a new twist on recycling those plastic produce nets that lettuce comes in at your grocery store. I crocheted using cotton yarn along with the netting to create these handy diagonal scrubbies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *