What is Biodegradation

Thanks to my friends over at The Green Scene they have produced this video explaining 'What is Biodegradation'

Melvin Wylie

US House of Representatives Vote to Open ANWR for Oil Exploration

The fight is on to stop Oil Exploration in ANWR Alaska! The US House of Representative had voted to open up the coastal plain of ANWR to oil and gas development. Included in the bill is the opening of the US Outer Continental Shelf areas to oil and gas exploration, encouraging oil shale development nationwide and mandating the approval of the Keystone Pipeline Project. Now the bill moves to the Senate where strong opposition lies for it's future. The President has threatened to veto any legislation including the Keystone Pipeline stating "I strongly reject drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because it would irreversibly damage a proctected national wildlife refuge without creating sufficient oil supplies to meaningfully affect the global market price or have a discernible impact on US energy security." Native Alaska Inter-Tribal Council which represents 229 Alaskan Tribes officially opposes any development in ANWR. Many tribes live off the land and caribou is one of the primary animals that they depend on for sustenance. Approximately 250,000 migrating herds of caribou use ANWR as their calving grounds. If this bill is passed it's possible that the calving grounds will be destroyed from oil and gas exploration.

Melvin Wylie

30th Episode of GreenNews4U

What's Under Your Athletic Field? In this edition I will be talking about PowerBase which is what goes under the synthetic turf. Well find out how it's made and the pros of using synthetic turf with PowerBase. To do this I have Dan Sawyer who is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Brock International. For those that don't know, Brock International is the leader in performance base systems for synthetic turf. The company produces a premier product called Brock PowerBase which is a shock pad and drainage layer used beneath synthetic turf on athletic fields that enhances player safety, performance and prevents concussions. Nothing like it existed before Dan's team envisioned the technology. Today over 20 million square feet of Brock products is in play underneath athletic fields worldwide. The Boulder, Colorado native is passionate about environmental stewardship.  In October 2011, Brock became the first company in the industry to have a Cradle to Cradle Certification ^CM for its combined drainage and shock pad product. Offering the only product in the market that can be closed loop recycled, the company's technologies reduce the overall energy cost of constructing a field by 50%. Dan has become a vocal advocate for preventing concussions on sports fields. With the perspective of handling hundreds of successful installations for clients ranging from NFL teams and major universities to community parks, he feels many head injuries can be prevented through education as well as better technique, equipment and treatment.  Brock's products have been scientifically proven to reduce the likelihood of traumatic brain injury by up to 50%, provide the same G-Max and playability as a pristine natural grass field and mitigate field hardening over time.

Melvin Wylie

Mexico and U.S. Sign Technical Collaboration Agreement on Sustainability and Climate Change Through 2016

MEXICO CITY - The following is being released today by Marca Pais – Imagen de Mexico: Mexico and the United States of America recently signed a Technical Collaboration Agreement on Sustainability and Climate Change. Through this Agreement, both nations will implement the Binational Cooperation Program of Climate Change Towards 2016 which represents an investment of nearly US$70 million to be utilized in the next five years. The Program will be led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mexican Secretary of Environment and National Resources (Semarnat). Civilian organizations and the private sector will also be collaborating in the Program. The investment of US$70 million will be distributed among two programs: USAID's Mexico Low-Emissions Development Program (MLED): To support Mexican efforts to develop and implement a Low-Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) and strengthen systems for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of emissions across all emitting sectors of the economy. MLED will also promote the widespread adoption of clean energy technologies and best practices through the development of energy policies, financing mechanisms, and institutional and technical capacity in Mexico. The United Nations' REDD+ Program: An effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. Beyond deforestation and forest degradation, the REDD+ Program also includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Mexico and the U.S. have a long history in collaborating to best manage natural resources, protect biodiversity, address climate change issues, and offer economic opportunities that are sustainable for communities.

Melvin Wylie

Siemens to Implement U.S. Army's Largest Solar Photovoltaic System at White Sands Missile Range

Solar Array Part of a $16.8 Million Energy Savings Performance Contract Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center has awarded a $16.8 million task order to implement energy-conserving upgrades, including a 4.465 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power generating system—the largest to date for the U.S. Army—at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The solar PV system is the primary component of the energy savings performance contract (ESPC) to be implemented by the Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry, Inc. The solar PV system will provide the Army with approximately 10,000 solar renewable energy credits annually as well as qualify it for a 30 percent federal cash grant in excess of $4.8 million. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the solar PV system will help White Sands Missile Range achieve 10.8 percent renewable energy by the end of 2012, up from .5 percent and beating the 2013 government mandate by more than three percentage points. This project supports President Barack Obama's directive that federal agencies use ESPCs to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two years, as well as supporting the Army's renewable energy goals. "This project implements a solar photovoltaic array system that will partially offset White Sands Missile Range's energy requirements, improve facilities and operations, demonstrate Army engineering and technology capabilities and align with the Army's Energy Security and NetZero objectives," said Judy Marks, President and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. White Sands Missile Range is a Test and Evaluation Command Installation operated primarily for the support of research, development, test and evaluation of weapon and space systems, subsystems and components. Encompassing a missile range/rocket launch range, White Sands is one of the largest military installations in the U.S. covering 3,200 square miles. The facility is unique in the fact that it has several agencies on site as tenants including NASA and the U.S. Air Force. Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. is a Federally-compliant U.S. organization structured to provide answers for some of the nation's most challenging issues within the Federal market in infrastructure, energy, industry and healthcare. The company is the leading integrator for Siemens' innovative products, technologies and services to meet the needs of Federal customers. Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. For more information on Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. please visit http://www.siemensgovt.com/. Siemens Industry, Inc. Building Technologies Division is the world's market leader for safe and energy efficient buildings ("green buildings") and infrastructures. As a service provider, system integrator and product vendor, Building Technologies has offerings for building automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), fire protection and security. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies

Melvin Wylie

DuPont Announces Goals to Help Feed a Growing World Population

Responding to the challenge of global hunger, DuPont announced goals for its contribution to help improve food security around the world. "No one company, country or non-profit organization can meet the challenge of feeding the world alone. But each of us can commit to doing our part and hold ourselves accountable to make a meaningful contribution to this global challenge," said Ellen Kullman, DuPont Chair and CEO. "Establishing specific, measurable goals for what we can do to address that challenge is key to turning talk into results." DuPont's food security goals – which address innovation, education and rural community development – will be tracked along with DuPont sustainability goals. DuPont was one of the first companies to establish sustainability goals in the 1990s and has consistently surpassed its commitments. The DuPont food security goals, to be achieved by the end of 2020, include: Innovating to Feed the World: Investing $10 billion in research and development and introducing 4,000 new products centered on producing more food; enhancing nutrition, food and agriculture sustainability and safety; boosting food availability and shelf life; and reducing waste. Engaging and Educating Youth: Facilitating 2 million engagements of young people around the world in educational opportunities. Improving Rural Communities: Improving the livelihoods of at least 3 million farmers and their rural communities through targeted collaboration and investments that strengthen agricultural systems and make food more available, nutritious and culturally appropriate. This is in addition to the work already being done to enhance the lives of hundreds of millions of farmers through DuPont's normal business practices. Making a Measurable Difference The DuPont food security goals were developed following a report issued last year by the DuPont Advisory Committee on Agriculture Innovation and Productivity for the 21st Century, chaired by former U.S. Senator Thomas A. Daschle of South Dakota. "I'm pleased that DuPont is marshalling its resources to address key issues from the committee's findings. We need to follow the lead of organizations like DuPont, who commit to doing something about global food security, because they know hunger is at the heart of all other global issues," said Daschle. DuPont – one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals more than 20 years ago – has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets. DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.

Melvin Wylie

Habitat for Humanity Canada partners with ARXX

COBOURG, ON - More families across Canada will have the opportunity to live in safe, energy efficient and affordable homes thanks to ARXX Building Products and Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC). Habitat for Humanity Canada has entered into a partnership with ARXX to provide several elements that can contribute to the success of HFHC builds including discount pricing, training and support and national distribution of ARXX Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) to all of HFHC's affiliates. In addition to the energy efficiency provided by the ARXX forms, Habitat for Humanity Canada homes built with ARXX ICF walls and foundations will provide the owners with better indoor air quality, elimination of the risk of water intrusion through the foundation walls and resulting mold, mildew and rot, as well as structural integrity second to none. "ARXX has worked with HFHC affiliates for years and we're very pleased and excited to formalize our relationship so that we can help Habitat for Humanity Canada achieve their goals in communities across Canada. The work that HFHC does is very important and our products go hand in hand with their mission," said Gael Mourant, President and CEO of ARXX. "Our training program and readily-available technical support helps affiliates and volunteers self-perform foundation and building work, and our discounted pricing plan and national distribution platform provides Canadian Habitat affiliates access to our products for their new home builds." About Habitat for Humanity Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) is a national, non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. With the help of over 50,000 volunteers every year and 69 affiliate organizations from coast to coast, their mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to break the cycle of poverty in Canada and around the world. HFHC is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 500,000 houses worldwide, providing shelter for more than 2 million people. For more information on HFHC, please visit www.habitat.ca. About ARXX ARXX is a leading supplier of Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) for green, energy-efficient residential and commercial construction. ARXX products have been used in more than 105,000 projects, representing 140 million square feet of walls and foundations throughout the United States and Canada. ARXX ICF products enable significant energy savings, greater comfort, security and quiet, and a faster build than conventional construction. ARXX products have been used in numerous LEED-certified projects and have received major industry and sustainability awards. See www.arxx.com for more information.

Melvin Wylie