Blog Action Day 2009

Today is Blog Action Day that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. This year's theme is Climate Change. Recycling more has been one way I'm trying to make a difference. And just in time for this year's theme, our local council has started to encourage better recycling by providing more collection services for various items to be recycled. We already had two wheelie bins, one for garden waste (which we hardly used since we have a compost pile for grass clippings, etc.) and one for items such as plastic and cans - items that didn't get recycled. We also had a green box for newspapers and glass. Now the council has provided an additional box for items made of plastic and also cans/tins - that the council will recyle. We were also given a "slop bucket" for kitchen waste that can now be emptied into the brown wheelie bin. However, I've got a compost pile in our garden and I will continue to add my kitchen waste to that rather than give it to the council. What is recycling like in your area? Do you find it easy or difficult to recycle?

Prince of Wales: YouTube video about saving rainforests

Prince Charles, Harrison Ford and Dalai Lama save rainforests on YouTube The video, which is aimed at boosting awareness of the plight of the rainforests, is a compendium of as many celebrities as it is possible to cram into one 90-second clip. As well as the Prince himself, and the Princes William and Harry, there are cameo appearances by Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Pele and the Dalai Lama. (link via timesonline.co.uk) The Prince's Rainforests Project

Million Ponds Project

Pond Conservation launched the Million Ponds Project yesterday. What is the Million Ponds Project? The Million Ponds Project will create an extensive network of new ponds across the UK. Ultimately the aim is to reverse a century of pond loss, ensuring that once again the UK has over one million countryside ponds. I have been considering creating a pond in our back garden but I keep procrastinating. I think this is the year that I will go ahead and create one. I would like to create a traditonal pond to attract frogs and other wildlife but I might start with something small like a barrel pond. Please share your tips and advice about creating a pond if you've created one yourself.

Brits panic buy as traditional lightbulbs are banned

Britons panic buying last stocks of conventional lightbulbs Britons are panic buying the last remaining stocks of traditional lightbulbs after the Government agreed to plans to phase them out completely. Britain has signed up to an European Union decision to replace conventional 100-watt bulbs with supposedly greener, low-energy alternatives. It means that the staple household item is vanishing from the high street after 120 years. (link via telegraph.co.uk) I understand the benefits to the environment for low-energy fluorescent bulbs but there are also some serious drawbacks. Have you noticed they take a while to warm up? I feel like I have candle-light when I first flip the switch to turn them on! And the new bulbs contain mercury so how are we supposed to dispose of them safely? Plus, there are potential health problems because the new light bulbs may trigger migraines and epilepsy attacks in some people. What are your thoughts about the new ruling? Will you miss the tradtional lightbulbs?

Recycle Christmas Cards to help the Woodland Trust plant a forest

Until the 31st January 2009, if you take your old Christmas cards to one of the following stores, they will be collected as part of the Woodland Trust Christmas Card Recycling Scheme to plant trees and create the largest new native forest in England - HEARTWOOD FOREST. The stores taking part are: WHSmith UK mainland high street stores Tesco All supermarkets including selected Express stores Marks and Spencer all stores including selected Simply Food stores TK Maxx

Do One Thing for Nature This Christmas

A video of forest animals singing for a better life at Christmas has attracted nearly two million hits on YouTube. (link via telegraph.co.uk) DoOneThingSong: Do one thing to help them out: BBC - Breathing Places

Why are the sparrows disappearing in Britain?

Mystery of the vanishing sparrow The Independent offered £5,000 for a convincing theory about why the house sparrow was dying out in cities. The answer seems to lie with falling insect numbers This excerpt from the article via the above link, further explains:

Dr Vincent, then of De Montfort University in Leicester, said: "This is one of the most mysterious and complex declines of a species in recent years. The study highlights that sparrow chicks are hatching but they aren't surviving. "This is partly down to the loss of green spaces within British cities through development on green space, tree removal and the conversion of front gardens for parking. The loss of deciduous greenery within urban areas may have made life much more difficult for birds like house sparrows that need large numbers of insects to feed their young."

I've noticed fewer and fewer birds (particularly sparrows) have been appearing in my garden this year even though I keep birdfeeders and birdbaths filled. I find it very sad and also quite disturbing. What about your garden (yard)? Have you noticed a decline in house sparrows and/or other birds where you live?

UK: World’s Biggest Producer of Offshore Wind Power

UK overtakes Denmark as world's biggest offshore wind generator Completion of a 194MW windfarm off the coast of Lincolnshire sees the UK become the world leader in generating electricity from offshore wind (link via guardian.co.uk)

Connect2Earth & change the world!

Connect2Earth is about caring for our environment and saving the planet. It all comes back to you!

The positive benefits of high gas (petrol) prices in USA

US study suggests high petrol prices leading to safer roads Highways in the US are at their safest since the 1960s as the rocketing price of petrol puts a strain on America's love affair with fast cars. The number of fatalities on US roads is on track to fall by 10% this year to around 37,000 - the lowest since 1961, according to research suggesting that deaths are plummeting as people cut out leisure travel, especially in the evenings, to save money. (link via guardian.co.uk) That is good news! And there is more: 12 Reasons Why High Gas Prices Are GOOD For America Have you changed your driving habits (in the USA) due to the rising price of gas?

Rock Port, Missouri:the first town in the USA to be completely powered by wind

Rock Port, Missouri is the first town in the United States to be completely powered by wind. The town's four turbines generate more electricity than Rock Port's 1,300 residents use — making the town truly energy-independent. (link via npr.org) I think it's quite an accomplishment for their community and well done to them! Personally, I have mixed feeling about wind farms though. I can see the need for ways to become self-sufficient and using renewable energy sources but I prefer solar energy to wind farms because the huge turbines pose a risk to birds and their habitats. Also, the wind farms are such a blight on the landscape. What are your thoughts about wind farms? And would you consider installing a wind turbine on your property or do any of your neighbours have one installed on theirs? I'd like to know if they are very noisy as has been reported.

Swan Upping: Time for the traditional count of swans on the River Thames

There are fears that the high water levels on the River Thames are stopping swans from breeding successfully. The concerns were raised by David Barber, the Queen's Swan Marker, as the ancient ritual of swan counting on the river was set to start on Monday. (link via BBC News) Swan Upping, the annual census of the swan population on certain stretches of the River Thames, takes place during the third week of July each year. The historic ceremony dates from the 12th century.

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef: a reef made of wool to look like natural coral

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is an exhibition showing at the Southbank Centre in London from 11 June 2008 - 17 August 2008. I just read about it in an article in The Times, with the intriguing title, Can knitting save the Great Barrier Reef? It turns out the title isn't quite correct since the craft involved is crochet not knitting but it did get my attention so after reading the article I googled the subject and found out more about the Institute For Figuring which is summed up thus: The Institute For Figuring is an educational organization dedicated to enhancing the public understanding of figures and figuring techniques. From the physics of snowflakes and the hyperbolic geometry of sea slugs, to the mathematics of paper folding and graphical models of the human mind, the Institute takes as its purview a complex ecology of figuring. Then I read more and found out that 2008 is the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF This designation, by the International Coral Reef Initiative, has been made in the hope of raising awareness about the plight of reefs around the world. According to a recent scientific meta-study, coral reefs are now disappearing at a rate five times faster than rainforests. If current trends continue there will be no reefs left by the end of this century. About the Crochet Coral Reef The Institute For Figuring is crocheting a coral reef: a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world. A Gallery of the Crocheted Hyperbolic Reef I can knit but I don't know how to crochet (I wish I did) and I must say that I'm in awe of these beautiful creations! If you want to get involved, they invite crocheters everywhere to contribute models to the reef. I really admire the two women, IFF co-directors Margaret and Christine Wertheim - who grew up in Queensland - who have started this project to crochet a woolen reef. What a fantastic idea and such an inspired way to raise awareness of the threat to coral reefs around the world! International Year of the Reef 2008