If you haven’t seen it, please take a look at our story about America Recycles Day. Find out just how much energy we can save by recycling, a no-brainer if ever there was one.

Last year, a Harris poll found that 91 percent of Americans reported that they recycled. But that figure seemed really high, given the low recycling rates in some cities, like Houston, Dallas, Detroit and Indianapolis. Those were some of the slackers revealed in a study of municipal recycling in 2008 that showed major US cities varied wildly in the amount of recyclables they collected, from San Francisco’s near 70 percent to Houston’s under 3 percent.

Plastie bottle spewing

Given that, and other signs of a lack of  effort in this area that we see around us, we suspect that this 91 percent self-reported recycling figure was a wee bit inflated. People tend to put their best face forward when asked about such things point blank; in fact, they might even lie about it.

So we’ll charitably conclude that most Americans are recycling something — but probably not everything they could. True, they’re not getting the help they need from some cities.  But in many places, people can strip down their trash by separating out their papers, and  glass and aluminum and plastic containers for recycling.

Thanks to private enterprise, like Recycle Bank’s program which is moving in to fill recycling gaps, some smaller towns and cities are moving ahead of large US cities that seem asleep on this issue.

Cities not only need to get on board,  parks and recreation departments, and schools and businesses can do more. Is your city offering to collect organic waste and recycle it into compost? Some are, and they’re generating cash on the side by selling that compost, but most likely the answer to that question is no. What about those parks departments? Do you see two or three different collection bins when you’re out walking the dog or meeting for tennis? We didn’t when we recently saw this mess (see photo) at a large suburban park that shall not be named.

Is your school collecting plastic bottles for recycling? Are local businesses selling their vegetable oil for biofuel use? No and no? Become an advocate.

Americans consume a huge volume of resources. Recycling is the least we can do.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Given the enormity of climate change, it’s not always easy to calculate how we individuals can make a contribution that matters. In honor of World Oceans Day (June 8), the Nature Conservancy has assembled a list of a few concrete ways we can help heal, or at least minimize the damage to, our marine world.

The list is a testament to our connectedness here on planet Earth — did you realize that the nitrogen fertilizer you dump on the yard could be part of the pollution overpowering streams and rivers; winding up in the ocean where it creates algal “blooms” that starve marine life of oxygen? Ah, right. That’s not what you were thinking of when you cracked open the bag of weed-and-feed. Heavy stuff, yes, but the sort of thing we humans need to think on. That lovely green turf comes with an environmental price tag — unless and until you find other ways to feed the lawn, like using lower nitrogen-content organic food.

Or take plastic. It’s nice to think it’s recycled. But fact is, the majority is not recycled, and somehow we consumers of bottled water and soda and all manner of plastic packaging and goods have generated a giant ball of plastic trash about the size of Texas that bobs around in the Pacific Ocean, a trash monument to the 20th Century.

Ok, so you see how what we do plays out on the larger canvas. Now consider these ideas for making changes from the Nature Conservancy:

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

A flurry of action regarding a chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, broke out last week after word leaked that Canada’s chemical review board was set to deem the substance toxic. Though its name is exotic, the plastic material itself is commonplace, used to make clear polycarbonate bottles that are highly durable, perfect for baby formula or sporting gear. It also turns up in dental sealants, the liners of food cans and many other household products. Studies have suggested that under certain conditions, BPA degrades or leaches into the surrounding liquid or food. When formula is poured into a polycarbonate bottle while still hot, for instance — BPA can migrate into the liquid. While groups like the National Institutes of Health have stopped short of attributing health risks to the chemical, Canadian announcements assert: “Based on the results of our assessment some laboratory studies on animals suggest that bisphenol A at low levels of exposure can affect neural development and behavior when the animals are exposed in very early life.”

As a result of the publicity, companies such as Nalgene (maker of sports water bottles) and Playtex (maker of baby bottles) quickly announced they will stop using BPA in their products, though Nalgene maintains on its website that studies on the dangers of BPA are inconclusive or even support its continued use.

Now, New York Senator Charles Schumer has announced plans to introduce a bill banning the substance and funding a campaign to inform the public of its risks. Shumer expressed frustraton that the U.S. Federal Drug Administration had signed off on BPA as a safe product, despite studies showing it may interfere with human hormones and other functions.

“At best FDA gave Americans a false sense of comfort about a questionable substance,” Schumer told the Associated Press. “At worst, they put millions of Americans directly at risk.”

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media