EARTH HOUR UPDATE

LIGHTS OUT AT 8 P.M., MARCH 29, 2008

With one month to go, 30 million people are set to participate in Earth Hour 2008. At 8 pm on March 29, people around the globe will shut off their lights and power down their televisions to raise awareness of global warming. Read my original posting for more info.

During last year's Earth Hour, 2.2 million people in Sydney, Australia powered-down for one hour. This year, at least 24 cities have signed up, representing as many as 30 million people. In addition, over 56,000 people have registered on Earth Hour’s website, and over 3,000 businesses.

During last year's Sydney event, restaurants used candles and lights were turned off in homes and major landmarks, including the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. This year, other iconic buildings to be plunged into darkness will include San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Chicago's Sears Tower, and the 553-metre CN Tower in Toronto.

Cities participating include Sydney, Copenhagen, Manila, Suva, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Christchurch, Toronto, Odense, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Atlanta, San Francisco, Bangkok, Ottawa, Dublin, Vancouver, Montreal, Pheonix, and others. Of course you don’t have to live in one of these cities to participate in this unique event: click here to sign up for Earth Hour 2008.

¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Reuters – article
2. Earth Hour - website

SCOTLAND’S EMISSIONS AMBITIONS

SCOTLAND PROPOSES WHOPPING

80% EMISSIONS CUT BY 2050

The Scottish government has announced plans for an 80% cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 to help prevent global warming. If passed, the Scottish Climate Change Bill will be the most ambitious climate change commitment in the world.

With this proposal, the governing Scottish National Party (SNP) has announced it’s intention for Scotland to become a world leader in climate change. All of Scotland's 32 local authorities have formally signed the Climate Change Declaration. A consultation on the proposal will run until April 23, and the government is hoping to introduce a draft bill to the Scottish parliament by autumn.

A strong proposal, but will it get watered down through the political process? Few countries have set emissions targets above 25% - the European Union, for example, has set emissions targets at only 20% by 2020. The Scottish Climate Change Bill has the potential to be an important piece of legislation, a benchmark for developed countries concerned about climate change. As concerned citizens, we can send an e-mail in support of the Scottish Climate Change Bill.

Shoutout to the Scottish government for proposing this bold legislation. Shoutout to all 32 local authorities in Scotland who have signed the declaration. Shoutout to everyone who sends an e-mail endorsing this visionary plan.

¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. BBC News – article
2. The Scottish Government – press release
3. The Scottish Government – press release
4. Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration – website
5. AFP – article
6. WWF – campaign

BISPHENOL A UPDATE

CANADIANS RACE TO GO BPA-FREE:

STORE SHELVES EMPTYING OF ALTERNATIVES

Earlier this month I reported on Canada’s quest to ban bisphenol A from store shelves. Like many of the good news stories I publish here, I had to dig deep to find relevant details, because feel-good environmental stories are not easy to come by in the mainstream press. I was under the impression that the bisphenol A story was buried deep in the “Science and Technology” section of a few scattered newspapers, and that the story hadn’t really reached a mass audience here in Canada. Boy, was I wrong.

This is from Carly Weeks at the Globe and Mail:

Canadian parents have been emptying store shelves and bombarding manufacturers with orders in the past week as they scramble to stock up on baby bottles made without bisphenol A, a potentially harmful and increasingly controversial chemical common in many plastics.

The overwhelming demand has resulted in shortages across the country and backlogs at many distributors, making it difficult for some parents to get their hands on BPA-free bottles.

"There's definitely been a surge in the last week or so throughout Canada," said Ron Vigdor, president of Florida-based Born Free Inc., one of the only major companies that specialize in BPA-free bottles. "We've been told a lot of shelves are empty today."

Read the full article here.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a hormone disruptor that has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. BPA can be found in many everyday products including food cans, plastic water containers and baby bottles. Studies have shown that people can be exposed to Bisphenol A when it leaches out of these products.

BPA is currently under review by Health Canada (and other agencies around the world), but I think it’s great to see people taking action without waiting for governments to make the decision for them. In fact, why not help make Health Canada’s decision a whole lot easier: sign Toxic Nation’s petition to ban BPA

¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!

COSMETICS COMPANIES GO SHARK FREE

COSMETICS GIANTS

TO STOP USING SHARK LIVER OIL

Two cosmetic giants have agreed to stop using shark liver oil as a base for moisturizing creams and lipsticks, amid concerns over threats to the survival of some species. Over a third of European shark species are under threat of extinction.

International companies L’Oreal and Unilever have agreed to replace the compound squalene, found in shark livers, with other oils from plant sources. Squalene is widely used in cosmetics as a natural, oil-free moisturizer, and can be found in products ranging from anti-aging cream to lip gloss. Deep-sea sharks have large reserves of squalene, and intensive fishing to supply the cosmetics industry has contributed to a dramatic population declines in certain species, including the gulper and kitefin. Deep-sea sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing as they are slow-growing, long-living and produce few young.

Unilever announced plans to remove squalene from its cosmetic brands including Pond’s and Dove, with new plant-based formulations expected on shelves as early as April 2008. L’Oreal is currently completing the phase-out of shark oil, however 12 make-up formulas, including 8 lipsticks under the Shu Uemura brand name which is owned by the company, remain unaltered. Beiersdorf, LVMH, Henkel, Boots, Clarins, Sisley and La Mer, an Estée Lauder brand, also have either made the decision to stop using shark-based squalene or had a policy to never use it in the first place.

Shoutout to Unilever and L’Oreal and every other cosmetics company who has stopped using shark-liver oil in their products. Shoutout to Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, for campaigning hard to end the use of shark oil in consumer products.

TAKE ACTION

Here's what you can do: Stop using products that contain shark squalene. Stop buying products from companies that continue to manufacture products using shark oil.

Sign Oceana’s petition to help protect sharks.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Telegraph.co.uk – article and photo
2. Cosmetics and Toiletries – article
3. Oceana – press release
4. Oceana – petition to protect sharks

LIGHTS OUT FOR INCANDESCENT BULBS

IRELAND, PHILIPPINES, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, U.S.A. TO BAN THE BULB

Ireland has become the first country in Europe to ban the incandescent bulb. Sale of the traditional bulb will end by the beginning of next year, in favor of low-energy alternatives. The switch to energy-efficient bulbs will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 700,000 tonnes per year and shave 185 million euros (US$269.3 million) per year off householders' electricity bills. Ireland currently uses more energy for lighting homes than anywhere else in Europe.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has become the first country in Asia to ban the bulb, phasing out incandescents by 2010. The ban will reduce the Philippines' annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2.2 million tonnes.

Australia, the first country in the world to announce a ban, will be bulb free by 2009-2010. Canada will ban the bulb by 2012, the United States by 2014.

Industry is also jumping on the bulb bandwagon (or is that banned-wagon?). Philips, the world’s largest lighting manufacturer, says it will stop making incandescent bulbs by 2016.

WHY CHANGE BULBS?

First of all, traditional bulbs are old. The incandescent light bulb is based on a design invented in the 19th century by Thomas Edison. Less than 10 percent of the energy used by an incandescent lightbulb generates visible light; 90 percent is wasted as heat. Most of this energy is generated by fossil fuels, which causes CO2 emissions leading to climate change. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use 5 times less energy than incandescents, which means far less CO2 pollution. CFLs, therefore, are better for the climate.

CFLs are also more cost-effective than regular bulbs. While CFLs cost more at the hardware store, they last far longer than an incandescent, and therefore save money in the long run. CFLs last between 6 and 15 years, while an incandescent usually lasts only one.

If the entire world banned the incandescent bulb in favor of energy-efficient bulbs, this simple step would permit the closing of more than 270 coal-fired power plants, sharply cutting worldwide carbon emissions. For the United States alone, this bulb switch could shut down 80 coal-fired plants. The European Union could shut down 25 more.

TAKE ACTION:

First, switch to CFLs if you haven’t already. Save yourself some cash while saving the world.

Next, join Greenpeace’s 7-step global energy efficiency campaign.

Shoutout to Australia for lighting the way. Shoutout to Ireland and the Philippines for showing leadership and acting quickly. Shoutout to Canada, the U.S.A. and Philips for getting on board. Shoutout to everyone who has already made the switch.

¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!

Sources, resources, and discourses:

1. EU Business – article
2. Reuters UK - article
3. Tech Digest – article and photo
4. The Associated Press - article
5. Greenpeace – article
6. Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government – press release
7. Natural Resources Canada – press release
8. Earth Policy Institute – article
9. BBC News – article
10. The Sydney Morning Herald - article
11. Greenpeace – light bulb Q&A

CANADIAN STORES PULL TOXIC BOTTLES

CANUCK RETAIL CHAIN

DUMPS POLYCARBONATE BOTTLES

Canada's largest outdoor-goods chain has pulled water bottles and food containers made of polycarbonate plastic from its shelves over worries about the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Vancouver-based Mountain Equipment Co-op is the first major Canadian retailer to stop selling products that contain BPA. U.S.-based outdoor gear company Patagonia and baby bottle manufacturer Whole Foods Markets have also dropped products containing BPA.

Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical compound used in a wide range of consumer items, including water bottles, baby bottles, and the linings of food cans, including most major brands of infant formula. BPA is a hormone disruptor, and low-dose BPA exposure has been linked to permanent changes to genital tract, increase prostate weight, decline in testosterone, breast and prostate cells predisposed to cancer, and hyperactivity. Studies show that BPA can leach into food if heated or scrubbed. Manufacturers say the products are not dangerous, citing studies from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that containers manufactured from polycarbonate do not pose a health risk to humans.

Health Canada is conducting an assessment of bisphenol A and expects to issue a final report in 2009. Norway and the European Union are also reviewing the product. Japanese manufacturers voluntarily stopped making products using polycarbonate plastic six years ago.

There are plenty of alternatives to using polycarbonate plastic. First, avoid food and beverage containers that contain BPA - containers marked with the recycling symbol #7. Or better yet, avoid plastics altogether and switch to glass or stainless steel containers.

Finally, take action: sign Toxic Nation’s petition to ban BPA.

Sources, resources and discourses:

1. The Globe and Mail – article
2. ENN –article
3. ENN – article
4. Wikipedia – “Bisphenol A”
5. Environmental Defence – webpage
6. Toxic Nation – petition to ban bisphenol A

EARTH HOUR, 8 P.M., MARCH 29, 2008

LIGHTS OUT FOR SYDNEY, CHICAGO, TORONTO, COPENHAGEN, TEL AVIV, MANILA AND MORE

“Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced,

Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour

to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.”

At 8:00 p.m. on March 29, 2008, cities around the world will shut their lights off for one hour to symbolize their commitment to finding solutions for climate change. The objective of this dramatic gesture: nothing short of changing the world.

The initiative, called Earth Hour, started last year in Sydney, Australia. On March 31, 2007, 2 million people and 2100 businesses in Sydney shut off their lights for one hour. This massive effort reduced Sydney’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, the equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road for an hour. In 2008, the effort has gone global, with such cities as Chicago, Toronto, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Manila and Tel Aviv agreeing to shut off their lights for one hour on March 29.

Even if you don’t live in one of the participating cities, you can still join Earth Hour by visiting the Earth Hour website and joining the 10,000+ other people (including yours truly) who have signed up to participate. It’s remarkably easy to get involved: just turn off your lights for one hour, and spread the word.

Big shoutout to the WWF and the organizers of Earth Hour around the globe for raising awareness and for taking direct action.

March 29, y'all.

Sources and additional information:

http://www.earthhour.org/

http://www.wwf.ca/NewsAndFacts/NewsRoom/default.asp?section=archive&page=display&ID=1567&lang=EN

http://www.thestar.com/earthhour