Protect Honeybeees- Greenpeace

This week, beekeepers across the country are waking their hives from winter hibernation to pollinate blooming almond orchards in California. But many honeybees won’t buzz back to life at all.

A deadly bee illness called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is sweeping across the US. Just last winter CCD wiped out almost a third of the nation’s hives.

We don’t know all the factors that cause CCD, but we do know one guilty party: A class of pesticides — known as neonicotinoids — that studies have shown to weaken, disorient and kill honeybees.

Despite the evidence, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just last year approved a new Dow pesticide called sulfoxaflor, which its own research showed was “highly toxic” to bees. To save the honeybee, the EPA needs to step up. And fast.

Demand that the EPA take its first big step towards saving the bee populations that we all depend on. Tell the agency to ban sulfoxaflor — the newest bee-killing pesticide to hit the market.

Because over 115,000 people like you demanded action last year, the EPA made bee health a higher priority — adding warning labels on neonic pesticides and even funding new research about their effects this month.

But this progress isn’t enough to save the bees. The agency still hasn’t reversed approval of neonic pesticides. Even poisoning events like the deaths of over 25,000 bumble bees in an Oregon parking lot after pesticide exposure aren’t holding the EPA’s attention.

That’s why beekeepers, farmers and environmental groups have joined together to file a legal brief against the newly approved pesticide sulfoxaflor — a chemical the EPA’s own studies admits are essentially bee poison.¹ We need public pressure to ensure the EPA takes this legal action seriously and moves faster to protect bees.

Tell the EPA to withdraw its approval of the pesticide sulfoxaflor, which its own reports call “highly toxic” to bees.

Convincing the EPA to change course is far from impossible.

After millions of Greenpeace supporters and others spoke for the bees in Europe, the European Union has suspended the use of neonics. And four state legislatures — Alaska, Maine, New Jersey and Vermont — are looking to do the same. Around the world, governments are realizing that trying to solve all agricultural problems with chemical additives is simply reckless.

Together we can ensure not only that bees are safe, but that our agriculture supports nature, rather than manipulates and destroys it.

To read more visit: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/

Article written by  Mark Floegel
Greenpeace Senior Investigator and Beekeeper

This Picture says it all from CatskillCitizens.org

Key Marcellus study didn't test waste, researcher says

January 6, 2014

Key Marcellus study didn't test waste, researcher says

A state-sponsored study meant to examine potential pollution from the boom in natural gas drilling never actually tested key wastes from the Marcellus Shale formation, according to a West Virginia University researcher who led the effort.

By Ken Ward Jr.

The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A state-sponsored study meant to examine potential pollution from the boom in natural gas drilling never actually tested key wastes from the Marcellus Shale formation, according to a West Virginia University researcher who led the effort.
Teams performing the legislatively mandated review examined only materials from the vertical portion of wells, not from the horizontal drilling at those same sites, which would have included Marcellus Shale mud and drill cuttings.
The omission is important because researchers believe material from the Marcellus Shale is generally more radioactive, and citizen groups are expressing growing concern about the risks of handling and disposal of radioactive drilling wastes.
And, the report's major weakness is being highlighted just as the Legislature returns to Charleston for its 2014 session, after hearing throughout the year about studies finding flaws in Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's drilling bill that passed in 2011.
Researchers noted the lack of Marcellus data in a 141-page report last February, and the state Department of Environmental Protection mentioned it in a summary prepared for lawmakers by agency officials.
But the issue had not received much public attention until a legislative briefing during an interim committee meeting held late Sunday afternoon.
"We can't dismiss the potential risks," Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of WVU's Water Research Institute, which coordinated the study, told lawmakers. "We just haven't characterized it."
In a presentation to committee members, Ziemkiewicz said that the DEP had initially arranged for researchers to obtain Marcellus drilling mud from a Stone Energy site in August 2012. When researchers tried to take samples on three different dates, they were told each time that "drilling malfunctions" made it impossible for them to do so.
DEP officials identified a second sampling site operated by Chesapeake Energy, the presentation said. Poor weather related to Superstorm Sandy stopped the drilling there prior to reaching to Marcellus, the presentation said.
"The company indicated it would notify WVDEP and WVU when drilling resumed," the presentation said. "However, when WVDEP followed up with the company after Hurricane Sandy, the agency and WVU were notified that the horizontal leg was completed and no samples were available."
The presentation said that by then, it was early November, and the DEP "had no readily available site and the time required to analyze the samples was between 6 and 8 weeks."
"So, no other sites were selected by WVDEP for solid sampling since it would delay submission of the final report beyond the end of December 2012 -- the point necessary in order to provide recommendations to the Legislature," the presentation said.
Ziemkiewicz recommended that additional work be done to sample drilling mud from the Marcellus formation. He said the data are needed to ensure that drilling wastes are being sent to appropriate types of disposal facilities and being handled properly.
"This stuff isn't just dirt that you can apply somewhere," Ziemkiewicz said in a Monday interview. "You can't go around with the assumption that this stuff is innocuous."
Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kw...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1702.


This article was excerpted from http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201401060099?page=2&build=cache

Pinecone Bird Feeder - Ladybird johnson wildflower center

Grandiflora

Looking for a way to connect your kids or grandkids with nature? We have ideas here.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

Winter is approaching, and food for birds often becomes scarce. You may already have regional native plants in your garden that offer sustenance to birds in winter. Teach a child about wildlife by helping attract these winter visitors to your yard with a pinecone bird feeder. You will need: pine cones, peanut butter, craft sticks, birdseed, plate, ribbon and scissors.

1. To make a pinecone bird feeder, use a craft stick to liberally apply peanut butter to the pinecones.
2. Roll your sticky creation in a pan of birdseed and gently shake off excess seed.
3. Tie a festive ribbon tightly around the base of each pinecone and measure your ribbon to hang in a place that will be far enough away from pesky squirrels.
4. Don't forget to hang your pinecone birdfeeder in a place where you can enjoy watching and recording visits of these holiday visitors.
5. Remember: For every pound of peanut butter you can make 10 pinecone birdfeeders!
6. Any extra feeders may be wrapped in wax paper and stored in the freezer.

developed by Stephen Brueggerhoff

"higher learning"- from the ladybird johnson wildflower center

Higher Learning

Wildflower Center ecologists envision a more sustainable university campus

As consultants to the university’s master planning process, Wildflower Center ecologists are recommending replacing non-native lawn with HABITURF®, a mix of native turfgrass that demands less water and fewer resources than traditional lawn. This small installation of HABITURF is already in place on campus.

College towns have a lot to offer: arts, entertainment and — more often these days — cutting-edge landscape practices. The University of Texas at Austin is among a growing list of universities rethinking landscape planning and management to address realities such as water scarcity and wildlife habitat decline. Working with landscape architecture firm Sasaki Associates Inc., ecologists and environmental designers from the Wildflower Center’s Ecosystem Design Group are helping the university create a landscape master plan for its new medical district that will open in 2016 as well as for the existing campus.

TOP: Conducting an ecological site assessment informed Center ecologists of existing erosion. Improving stormwater management practices would help prevent erosion and its effect on nearby Waller Creek. BOTTOM: An expanse of St. Augustine lawn at the University of Texas at Austin campus.

Center ecologists have made a name for themselves by helping put ecological function on par with design aesthetic at high-profile sites such as San Antonio’s Mission Reach and the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas. At the university, they are facing new challenges — and opportunities — given the project’s urban setting and the expectations that come with a college campus.
University landscapes – that is – are expected to meet the needs of student life and typically there is a certain design aesthetic in mind, says environmental designer Michelle Bright. "We wanted to show that it’s possible to meet those objectives as well as help the site function better from an ecological standpoint."
The team started with an ecological site assessment. A typical master plan assessment, Bright explained, records a park bench here, a garbage can over there. Center ecologists looked at the campus through a new lens, making note of invasive species, existing native plants such as Texas’ legendary live oak trees as well as non-natives such as thirsty St. Augustine turfgrass. They took soil samples that helped determine the soil health on the site and assessed drainage conditions – critical because of the campus’ location near the city’s Waller Creek.
"This process challenged us as ecologists because usually we are evaluating sites that are not ecologically pristine — but closer to that state than could ever be true of an urban college campus," says Bright. "What’s exciting is that there are a lot of opportunities available to improve landscape health on campus with measures that make a difference to the surrounding environment."
For example, Bright and the team will recommend managing stormwater that falls onsite in such a way that it does not pollute nearby Waller Creek. They will also suggest appropriate native plants that are more resilient than existing plants.

The university has definitely set off on the right foot by implementing native plants and trees and landscape approaches such as those seen here, designed by Ten Eyck Landscape Architects.

“Being able to maintain a landscape when water restrictions are in place is a real concern — and challenge — for a large, urban campus. Asking planners to consider what plants will hold up – be resilient – in the face of water scarcity is something that is both practical and good for ecological function," says Bright. Center ecologists are recommending that HABITURF^® — a lawn mix of drought-tolerant, regionally appropriate turfgrass species developed from the Center’s award-winning research — replace St. Augustine as lawn where possible. They also suggest adding some native prairie plants such as buffalograss and sideoats grama — for ecological health and aesthetics in parkland areas.

Check out those bluebonnets! This photograph from 1904 shows an entirely different campus than the one we know today. In place of lawn is a field of bluebonnets — a source of beauty and resource for pollinators. Prints and Photographs Collection, di_04396, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Doing so might help the campus resemble its historic state, according to Bright. Photographs from the 1900’s prove students of that day saw a whole lot more of native Texas on campus than do students today. "I found great photos of campus from the early 1900’s at the Briscoe Center for American History that show how wildflowers once bloomed alongside native grasses in place of the current acres of non-native lawn."
Another measure Bright and others from the Center’s team are proud of is how they’ll establish a survey for use by the landscape maintenance staff at UT. The survey will ask staff to rank plants by how much maintenance and water they have found they need. The hope is to answer which native and appropriate non-native species take less irrigation. “When water restrictions demand that potable water be cut off for plantings, staff will know how to respond,” says Bright.
She explains the project as a way to get intimate with the ecological setting in the urban environment. Bright says, "We are not attempting to restore the landscape here to its historical precedent, but generate ecological function and build ecological resilience into the university grounds for the benefit of the campus community."
By Christina Kosta Procopiou

Photographs by Michelle Bright

some other articles from NPR

These articles are worth a read, they all relate tot the food industry:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/16/251611230/big-meat-bad-small-farm-good-it-s-not-so-simple

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/16/249342738/in-florida-a-turf-war-blooms-over-front-yard-vegetable-gardening

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/11/250239604/drug-companies-accept-fda-plan-to-phase-out-some-animal-antibiotic-uses

Plastic contaminating our seafood

My co-worker and I had a discussion on how fish, while full of heathy fat and oil and lower in calories can be contaminated on dangerous level. I myself developed a shellfish allergy at 19 but  when given the test I show no reaction. That was explained as being an allergy to the toxins in which shellfish consume and which they apparently process differently. My doctor told me at the time that it was becoming increasingly common. In fact I knew someone else with a similar diagnosis. Well, my co-worker saw this article and its completely on point. Why people are ignoring this problem is beyond me. Here's a clip from the article:

'How Plastic In The Ocean Is Contaminating Your Seafood'



Picture taken from article on NPR.org


We've long known that the fish we eat are exposed to toxic chemicals in the rivers, bays and oceans they inhabit. The substance that's gotten the most attention — because it has shown up at disturbingly high levels in some fish — is mercury.
But mercury is just one of a slew of synthetic and organic pollutants that fish can ingest and absorb into their tissue. Sometimes it's because we're dumping chemicals right into the ocean. But as a study published recently in Nature, Scientific Reports helps illuminate, sometimes fish get chemicals from the plastic debris they ingest.
"The ocean is basically a toilet bowl for all of our chemical pollutants and waste in general," says Chelsea Rochman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, who authored the study. "Eventually, we start to see those contaminants high up in the food chain, in seafood and wildlife."
For many years, scientists have known that chemicals will move up the food chain as predators absorb the chemicals consumed by their prey. That's why the biggest, fattiest fish, like tuna and swordfish, tend to have the highest levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other dioxins. (And that's concerning, given that canned tuna was the second most popular fish consumed in the U.S. in 2012, according to the National Fisheries Institute.)
What scientists didn't know was exactly what role plastics played in transferring these chemicals into the food chain. To find out, Rochman and her co-authors fed medaka, a fish species often used in experiments, three different diets.
One group of medaka got regular fish food, one group got a diet that was 10 percent "clean" plastic (with no pollutants) and a third group got a diet with 10 percent plastic that had been soaking in the San Diego Bay for several months. When they tested the fish two months later, they found that the ones on the marine plastic diet had much higher levels of persistent organic pollutants.
"Plastics — when they end up in the ocean — are a sponge for chemicals already out there," says Rochman. "We found that when the plastic interacts with the juices in the [fish's] stomach, the chemicals come off of plastic and are transferred into the bloodstream or tissue." The fish on the marine plastic diet were also more likely to have tumors and liver problems.

To read more visit: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/12/250438904/how-plastic-in-the-ocean-is-contaminating-your-seafood?utm_content=socialflow&utm_campaign=nprfacebook&utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook

Lets talk about plastic: Earthday Network: Billon Acts of Green

Humans are obsessed with plastic. "Over 300 million tons are produced every year to make plastic bags, bottles, clothes, computers, and just about everything else you can think of. And the problem is only getting worse. Over the last 10 years, we’ve produced more plastic than we did in the entire 20^th century!

Take the pledge to cut down on your plastic use today!
Here’s the thing: our excessive plastic use is hurting the environment. For one, the production of this plastic is responsible for millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change and polluting the air we breathe. On top of that, some of this plastic ends up in landfills, where it slowly breaks down, leaching harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater. The rest of the plastic ends up on our streets, in our parks, and in our oceans. Over 100,000 marine animals and 1 million birds die each year from ingesting plastic.
Recycling is one way we can reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our landfills and in our natural environment, but—given the excessive amount of plastic we consume--recycling simply can’t keep up. We need to reduce the amount of plastic we use!
How can we accomplish this? We can start by avoiding disposable bags, bottles, silverware, dishes and other single-use products, and replacing them with reusable items.
Join us by pledging to reduce the amount of disposable plastic products that you use. The more people that make the pledge, the bigger the impact we’ll have.
Thanks for your support."


- The Earth Day Network Team

 
Image from plasticstoday.com

* I think this is a great campaign and i am dedicated (and therefore my husband is too) to reducing our pastic usage!

Cosmetic companies beware!

I just found this site.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Now maybe I'm behind but I really had never seen it before. I was researching my facial moisturizer, because Liz Earle announced that it went back to low level parabens because of concerns with contamination/ bacteria and I was heart broken. But it got me thinking - is paraben free really safer? I real the ingredients in other "safe" moisturizers and they have more chemicals than Liz Earle. So when I found this site it was a real eye opener. Now they didn't have my cream, but that wasn't a problem. I created a account and did a build your own report and compared the "natural" and "safe" products I was considering. In the end decided to stay with Liz Earle because of the lower risk for reproductive issues (I have a reproductive disorder and had a hormone based cancer). Ultimately, I learned that nothing mainstream is in the "green" but, I was surprised that products like bare minerals rare minerals facial moisturizer was in the red! (sham on you bare minerals, I love their makeup but their moisturizer is down right toxic!)

OK so hopefully I will enlighten others with this post, or if nothing else, keep this link in a safe place for future reference.

PS- I think theres an app!

LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center_ native sod

The wildflower center has informatuion regarding native sod. Now this is focused in Texas, where the headquarters is located, but gives me hope that this will lead to similar sods in other parts of the country!

A sample of the article is below:
Picture from the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center website.

A wet year in many parts of Texas may have you wondering whether to spend time replacing landscape greenery that requires frequent watering. Unfortunately, Texas’ burgeoning population will likely intensify water restrictions, and long-range forecasts still include drought.
One way take a major chunk out of future watering bills is to replace your traditional lawn of Bermudagrass or other non-native grasses with one that requires less water and other resources. The good news is the Wildflower Center’s native turfgrass, Habiturf ® will soon be available as sod.

Read More: http://www.wildflower.org/feature/?id=126&utm_content=azamenick%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Learn%20about%20Habiturf%20sod&utm_campaign=November%20Wildflower%20Wire

LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center - photo competition

The LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center has conducted a photo competitiona and let me tell you they are worth looking at. This is an email, by the way, i always enjoy getting. The center has fantastic research ifnormation, regional plant information and Mr Sparty pants blog, which is my go to for gardening questions.
Check out the photos here:
http://wildflower.org/photocontest/?utm_content=azamenick%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Learn%20more%20about%20the%20winning%20images&utm_campaign=November%20Wildflower%20Wirecontent

A Dolphin Asks a Human for Help!

http://www.ba-bamail.com/View.aspx?emailid=4120&source=mobile_share

This looks true and its pretty amazing!

Earth Day Network- Ecological Footprint quiz

We humans are the most successful species on the planet. We’re also the greediest. And the problem is we’re using more resources than the planet can produce and replenish. In fact, every year we humans consume the equivalent of 1.5 planets’ worth of resources! And if you live in a developed nation like the US, chances are you’re using four or five planets’ worth or more.
Take the Ecological Footprint quiz to see how many planets’ worth of resources you consume.

SITES project participants talk sustainable landscape certification - The Wildflower Center

                                          ABOVE: Paddlers at Kayak Beach, Scenic Hudson's
                                           Long Dock Park. Photo by Scenic Hudson.
                                         (Photos taken from The Wildflower Center website)


In Beacon, New York, the past two summers have offered what you might expect from a Hudson River town. Hundreds of visitors and residents can be found each day at Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park kayaking, canoeing and learning to fish in the river while others picnic, sunbathe and watch wildlife from its banks. As little as two years ago, however, the Dutchess County site was an entirely different scene.
A critical 19th-century transportation link between New England and points west, Long Dock once contained a rail ferry terminal and an oil storage facility but had become a contaminated, ecologically degraded industrial site closed off to the public.
“There were Do-Not-Enter signs everywhere,” says Margery Groten of nonprofit organization Scenic Hudson, which began the long planning process to restore public access to this portion of the river through Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park nearly 20 years ago. This month, the park became one of the eight pilot projects newly certified by the Sustainable SITES Initiative™ (SITES™) for its sustainable site design, construction and maintenance.
....

SITES is intended to do for landscape sustainability what LEED® certification did for green building.

....
Scenic Hudson, which has a 50-year history of creating or improving more than 60 parks and protecting more than 30,000 acres, has adopted SITES principles for all new parks and preserves that it develops. Of its most ambitious project to date, Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, Groten says, “We hope that it can now serve as a model for how all landscape development — not just park development — can be done along the Hudson River.”
Groten and Crowley are most proud of the degree to which the park allows people access to the river. They agree that of all the SITES credit areas to which Long Dock Park applied, it was the SITES human health and well-being category where all of the work appeared to coalesce. Groten says, “Using the right sustainable materials allows the park to endure for public use and caring for the once-degraded soils ensures that the park is now healthy for human use. Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park will educate people about sustainability for decades to come.”

To Read the entire article please visit: wildflower.org

Honey Bees

Pollinator Conservation- from www.xerces.org

 

 

Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of nearly 70 percent of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. The United States alone grows more than one hundred crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the U.S. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25 percent of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears. In many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss, pesticide use, and introduced diseases.

To Read More or to Take action visit: http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/learn-about-pollinators/

SaveOurEnvironment.org

Giant saw blades threaten to reduce huge swaths of irreplaceable old-growth trees in America's last intact rainforest to stumps and sawdust.

The ancient, mist-shrouded Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is home to black and brown bears, five different species of Pacific salmon, bald eagles, wolves, and so many more unique species.

Unfortunately, these creatures and many more are threatened by the U.S. Forest Service's current plans to sell off big swaths of old-growth trees in Tongass.

We only have until Sunday, June 30th to say "NO" – please send your message today.

Three years ago, the Obama Administration announced a goal of protecting the Tongass rainforest by making a quick transition away from destructive old-growth logging in the rainforest.

However, instead of taking concrete steps to make this wonderful goal a reality, the Forest Service is currently planning a number of large old-growth timber sales.

There are only a few days left to convince the Obama Administration and the Forest Service not to go down this road.

And we need your help to make sure they get the message about the urgent need to align the Tongass management plan with the President's 2010 goal of transitioning away from old-growth logging – before any more ancient trees fall.

There's no time to waste – the deadline for public comments on this plan is June 30th. Submit your comment now.

The wild salmon, bears, wolves, and millions of trees and other species are counting on us to save their rainforest from old-growth logging.

Thank you so much for helping to preserve this national treasure for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Kevin Curtis
Director, SaveOurEnvironment.org
info@saveourenvironment.org

HAPPY ARBOR DAY- Arbor Day Foundation.

How to Celebrate Arbor Day

It has been over 135 years since J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever. Discover ideas on how to celebrate Arbor Day in your community.

Download Our Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook

Download the Guidebook

Our Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebookshows you a smorgasbord of possibilities. Pick and choose what makes sense for you. This PDF is available for free download for the first time ever (12.7 MBs).

for more info visit: http://www.arborday.org/arborday/celebrate.cfm

Weight Watchers wanted in on the Earth day fun too!

EMAIL FROM WEIGHT WATCHERS:

Get Out for Earth Day

Celebrate the earth with your own personalized sun salutation. These fun activities make the most of the great outdoors.

Article By: Mary Lynn Mitcham

April is a month of environmental celebrations. Earth Day is on the 22nd, and Arbor Day is celebrated on the 26th. So instead of just exercising outside, why not make the great outdoors part of your fitness routine?

"Environmental fitness is an exercise trend that's only going to get bigger," says Suzanne Nottingham, a spokesperson for the American Council for Exercise. The results feel as good as fresh air. Plus, you still get all the benefits of being outside.

"There's nothing like getting outside of concrete walls for stress reduction," says Nottingham. "You're not in a controlled, sterile environment, and outdoor workouts combine everything: cardio, strength-training, balance, and flexibility. Plus, 'outside' has no set hours, and no fee. You pick your own time and go."

Ready to make your workout green? Here are some easy ways to do it:

Head for the hills
See a hill when you're walking or running? Go for it. "Bumping up your workout routine improves your overall fitness level, and you'll see more results," says Nottingham.

Use rocks for weights
Do sets of bicep curls, shoulder presses, even back strengthening exercises. "Keep challenging yourself," warns Nottingham, "when exercise feels too comfortable, it's time to use bigger rocks."

Find environmental equipment
Use a park bench or a low tree branch for triceps dips. Or make a curb your substitute gym step with sets of step-ups.

Be a tree hugger 
Arbor Day is all about trees, so to celebrate, why not head to the park and find a few trees in a row? Then weave your way between them by walking, jogging or running, just like you would in an obstacle course. "A great exercise in agility, balance, and coordination," says Nottingham.

Give the car the day off
Consider walking to work. If your commute is too long, you might try biking, in-line skating, or jogging. Whatever method you choose, you can't go wrong. They're all great cardio workouts, and help reduce blood pressure, improve circulation, mobility, and, of course, burn calories.

Go green and clean
Looking for ways to take care of the environment and get active? Go to your local park and pick up litter. Incorporate a squat each time you bend down to pick up a piece of trash. At home, lunge your way back and forth from your recycling cans. Find more ways to incorporate activity throughout your day here.

For more on a host of "green" activities for Earth Day, go to www.earthday.org. 

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!!!!!!!- from the The Earth Day Network Team

Today is Earth Day! Over one billion people in 192 countries – from Palau to Portugal to Paraguay – are taking action today to protect the environment. In Pakistan, Earth Day Pakistan is in the process of planting 50,000 trees today. In the Cayman Islands, 1,500 people are participating in a beach and reef clean-up. In Columbus, Ohio, volunteers are pulling invasive plants, cleaning up neighborhoods, and preparing gardens at over 1000 sites in the region. See what else is going on around the world for Earth Day here. It’s not too late to get involved! Attend a local Earth Day event, plant a tree, write to your elected officials, or simply commit to living more sustainably. Every little action counts. As people all around the world mobilize to protect the environment, each one represents a unique Face of Climate Change, so upload your photos and share your stories with the world. UPLOAD Together, these photos form a digital mosaic being updated in real-time and shown at thousands of Earth Day events. SEE THE DISPLAY Be sure to use the hashtag #FaceOfClimate to update the world about your Earth Day events. Your tweets will be featured alongside the photos. Today is a monumental day. Together, our efforts will serve as a call to action, sending a powerful message to the world. Happy Earth Day!                     -  The Earth Day Network Team

New Planets that could host life!- CNN article

Photo from CNN


On the eve(ish) of Earth Day we receive news that scientists have found other earth like planets. Now that can be something scary to some, as the unknown can always be a cause of fear, but I think we should be excited that there is likely other life and perhaps opportunity to learn how to care for our planet better! While these new planets are not likely vacation destinations (as they are soooooo incredibly far away) I still love the idea of more 'earths'!

Read below:

CNN- Scientists announced Thursday the discovery of three planets that are some of the best candidates so far for habitable worlds outside our own solar system -- and they're very far away.

NASA's Kepler satellite, which is keeping an eye on more than 150,000 stars in hopes of identifying Earth-like planets, found the trio.

Two of the planets -- Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f -- are described in a study released Thursday in the journal Science. They are part of a five-planet system in which the candidates for life are the farthest from the host star.

The host star -- the equivalent of Earth's sun -- takes the name Kepler-62, where the individual planets are designated by letters thereafter.

A third planet that's potentially habitable, but not included in the Science study, is called Kepler-69c. A study about it and its system is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

These are the smallest planets ever found in the "habitable zone," the area near a star in which a planet can theoretically hold liquid water. Kepler-69c seems less clearly in the habitable zone than the other two planets, but scientists haven't ruled it out.

"With all of these discoveries we're finding, Earth is looking less and less like a special place and more like there's Earth-like things everywhere," said Thomas Barclay, Kepler scientist at the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute in Sonoma, California.

You won't be swimming on the planets anytime soon, though. The Kepler-62 star is 1,200 light-years away; Kepler-69 is 2,700 light-years away. A light-year, the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, is nearly 6 trillion miles.

To read more visit: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/18/us/planet-discovery/index.html?hpt=hp_t3