Coal power is the source of over 50% of all electricity in the United States. It is an abundant resource and it has been used since the 18th century. Back then not many people knew that it was so devastating to the environment.
The problems begin with the way coal is mined. Often times entire plots of land are strip mined, quickly becoming baron wastelands and mountain tops are destroyed to unlock the coal within. These techniques are very destructive to wildlife, water and soil quality.
The electricity generation phase is also quite dangerous. To power a single 100w light bulb for a year requires 1852lbs of carbon dioxide, 5lbs of sulfur dioxide (main cause of acid rain) and 5lbs of nitrogen dioxide (causes smog and acid rain). It also releases more radioactive elements than a nuclear power plant.
It has been suggested that we turn to alternative, cleaner energy sources to replace our coal plants. Wind, solar, geothermal and even natural gas generated power are less destructive alternatives. It’s about time we look towards the future and start upgrading our energy infrastructure to be more sustainable, less wasteful and stop the dangerous mining and coal burning that has been a large contributor to pollution, destruction of wildlife and natural resources.
While much of the environmental debate has focused on CO2 and climate change, the more important aspect to understand is the tangible effects of particulate air pollution, especially from coal-fired power plants. This documentary explores this subject matter in great depth, illustrating the health effects and consequences of air pollution.
It is easy to not put much thought in to where our electricity comes from, the way heavy industry operates, vehicular transportation and how they effect the world around us, but it is time to wake up to the reality of what’s really going on and what we are sacrificing.
Many moons ago I enjoyed this documentary and it provoked a powerful curiosity on my part regarding the world financial system. Since then I’ve been actively engaged in learning about monetary policy, financial markets, currencies and of course debt. The information provided here is quite literally priceless.
I recommend sharing this documentary with anyone who is concerned about the massive debt load the US government is undertaking. While money matters may not be interesting on the surface I feel that this video offers a compelling glimpse about why it is increasingly important to understand such things.
The Future of Food is an excellent documentary about the monopolization and manipulation of modern food to suit the profiteering megacorporations who now dominate global food distribution. It goes in to great detail about the disenfranchised family farmers, genetic manipulation of crops and much more. I recommend watching it with an open mind.
Remember that you have more power as a consumer than you may realize. The dynamic will shift back in to our favor if the majority of people choose to abstain from and demand labeling of genetically modified food.
Waste = Food is a powerful video documentary about the future of sustainable industry. It features pioneers who are helping to shape a greener, brighter future for the world. One where products can be re-used and turned in to new useful products. This is far beyond recycling and repurposing. It’s a new way of thinking about design and implementation of the product cycle.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the next 45 minutes of inspirational and educational video. Pass it on to others who may be interested and remember you can do your part to see this future come to fruition!
Sustainability isn’t just a new buzz word being tossed around. Instead, it’s a key element of achieving success and maintaining a durable business or organization. In today’s economic environment, sustainable financial planning is critical to staying afloat vs. facing bankruptcy, as more and more businesses, non-profits and individuals are insolvent.
Sustainability is also about a commitment to good planning and execution. In order to be sustainable there must be a conscious and organized effort to spend funds efficiently and ensure every dollar is achieving the maximum impact possible.
Last, but not even close to least, sustainability is ever more important when it comes to the environment and the locality. Environmental sustainability means examining the effects of the actions taken to determine whether the negative effects outweigh any positives. The goal is to minimize the unnecessary waste of resources and reduce any pollution being created.