Archive for July, 2010
Have you ever heard of aquatic dead zones? They are areas of water near inhabited coastlines that through natural or human intervention have oxygen levels low enough that no aquatic life can live. Fish and other animals that wander into these areas die and there are no plants on the sea floor. Scientists first discovered dead zones in the 1970s. Since then, a recent study in 2008 confirmed four hundred and five dead zones worldwide. Most of these are around heavily populated areas. Dead zones, while in some cases natural phenomenon, are typically the result of water pollution. Reducing the dead zones is beneficial not only to the environment, but also to the fishing industry which depends on healthy water to produce healthy fish.
The largest dead zone currently is in the Gulf of Mexico. Covering an area about 27,000 miles square it is about the size of New Jersey. This area is a recurring dead zone and is caused by the runoff from the Mississippi River. Dead zones that are caused by pollution are usually created by chemicals rich in nitrogen. Examples include fertilizers and pesticides. When these chemicals are introduced into, for example, the Mississippi, they flow downriver and eventually end up in the Gulf. Once there, “single-celled, plant-like organisms” that live in the ocean began feeding on the nitrogen in tight packs. This is visible to the naked eye as “algae bloom”. Algae is notorious for depleting water of oxygen through their process of “cellular respiration” which is the same way the human body changes food into energy. Eventually the oxygen in the area the algae are blooming is used up and all the aquatic life in that area dies. Last year, in 2009, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico shrank due to weather conditions. While this ordinarily is a good thing, in this case the shrinking meant that instead of covering a large portion of the ocean floor, the dead zone area extended more vertically toward the surface of the ocean, putting a strain on the 2.8 billion dollar fishing industry.
“Low oxygen levels recorded along the Gulf Coast of North America have led to reproductive problems in fish involving decreased size of reproductive organs, low egg counts and lack of spawning.” These changes in the fish will have a large impact not only on the fishing industry, but also on the natural food chain in the Gulf. Combined with the recent problem of the BP oil spill and the Gulf of Mexico’s environmental ecosystem is in serious trouble.
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For more information on water pollution and conservation please visit http://www.centralbasin.org/
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Over the past few years, it’s become clear that the need to go green is not just a figment of Al Gore’s imagination. Across the globe, individuals, as well as entire companies, have been taking initiatives to become greener. And, no, they aren’t going to Sherwin-Williams and dumping gallons of forest green on themselves. They’re developing methods by which they can conduct efficient, eco-friendly business.
One of the easiest ways, thanks to the internet, that businesses are going green is to become paperless. E-commerce has swept the global market place by storm. Orders are placed and processed between different countries as if they’re right down the hallway from one another. Unfortunately, however, it’s difficult for any business to go completely paperless. You’re always going to have certain documents that need to be physically saved on paper and not a hard drive. That being said, when it’s time to destroy those documents, you should take initiatives to ensure their destruction is done so in green fashion.
Paper shredding companies, like most other companies, have been compelled to go green. Of course, though, when you’re in the business of destroying paper—which means that more paper will have to be created—that can be tricky. However, tricky doesn’t mean impossible. Paper shredding services have found environmentally friendly methods to destroy and reuse documents.
One popular method of document destruction is mobile shredding. Obviously, the idea of shredding paper while exhaust spews out from a truck doesn’t seem very green. However, companies are now using state-of-the-art mobile shred trucks that are equipped with exhaust after-treatment systems which include a diesel particulate filter. The filter traps soot from the engine exhaust gases reducing the amount of pollutants released into our atmosphere. Additionally, companies try to incorporate as many eco-friendly products as possible in their day-to-day operations. This includes biodegradable products and soy-based cleaning supplies. Also, many paper shredding companies are some of the biggest recycling companies. By reusing the shredded documents, these companies are actually slowing down the demand for harvesting trees to make paper.
While most green initiatives are only baby steps in the revitalization of our environment, it is refreshing to see even traditionally non-green businesses making the effort to better this planet.
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Doing one’s part for the environment these days is more important than ever before. With so many hazards out there doing a number on everything from the water to the air, it makes sense to do whatever is possible to limit one’s impact on the earth. And nowhere does this responsibility matter quite as much as with technology. So much of the time, the parts being used to construct crucial daily devices like laptops and cell phones aren’t designed to break down slowly in a landfill. This means that figuring out how to extend their shelf lives is a crucial part of not causing more problems for the environment. After all, with so many electronics out there these days, being sure that they are properly taken care of is a truly important undertaking.
For those who are in charge of businesses, it makes sense to consider the great impact you can have by taking one simple step: the decision to recycle company laptops rather than tossing them aside. And unlike when laptops first hit the market, now there are more than enough resources that make it easy to ensure that laptops aren’t simply getting tossed in the trash later rather than sooner. It’s possible to find countless resources online that will make it incredibly easy to recycle company laptops without spending too much time driving them somewhere to drop them off. A lot of those online resources will also find a great way to put the same machines to good use. Sometimes, a computer might not be suitable for a big business anymore, but it can go to a great cause elsewhere. Much in the same way that old donated cell phones are used to help out women in shelters around the country, the right laptop in the right hands can be more than just a gadget for work, but a crucial tool for success and safety.
It makes more sense for those in the business world to take the choice to recycle company laptops seriously on their own, but it’s important to remember that anyone with a company can make this choice. A lot of people who freelance from home, as well as those who run smaller companies, end up finding themselves with more technology than they are actually using. And while someone starting out might think that’s impossible, the fact is that a couple of years of working can certainly add up as far as gear is concerned.
Making sure that it ends up somewhere great is more than just a business obligation, but a moral one, too. After all, while a business owner debates about whether or not it’s actually necessary to recycle company laptops, there are plenty of people who are fretting about not being able to afford any kind of technology in the first place. Helping out starts with not holding onto those things that aren’t actually helping one out. Plus, sometimes there are tax write-offs involved, or additional funds that can be used towards upgrading the system for the rest of the office or workforce.
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About the Author:
Effective businesses recyle laptops and other equipment to save money and help the environment. www.ecyclebest.com is the industry leader for off lease company laptops.
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