The Amazon Rainforest Facts – Visualising What The Numbers Really Mean
There are plenty of facts about the Amazon rainforest, some good, and some quite devastating. But the trouble with such facts is that all too often the numbers are so huge they can become almost impossible to comprehend, and certainly very difficult to visualise.
For example, the Amazon rainforest covers an area of two and a half million square miles. That’s a big number, but you can’t really visualise it can you? All you see is a lot of trees.
To put it slightly into perspective, Australia is around 2.8 million square miles, so the Amazon rainforest is only a little smaller than the entire Australasian continent.
Even more astonishing is the estimate that there are still around 50 Indian tribes living in the Amazon rainforest that have never been discovered and never had contact with the outside world. But it isn’t just the big numbers which are impressive – it’s the actual contribution of the Amazon rainforest to the survival of the planet that needs to be understood.
Nestle Corporation Under Fire from Greenpeace
The world’s largest food company, Nestle, has been at the centre of some growing and very heated controversy over the past few weeks with environmental organisation Greenpeace sparking a crusade tying Nestle to the annihilation of rainforests in Indonesia through one of its palm oil suppliers.
The controversy is based on the fact that Nestle gets its palm oil from the Sinar Mas company in Indonesia who destroys the natural forests in order to have room to plant the tropical palm plant. Once Nestle was convinced that the activists at Greenpeace were correct in their allegations about the forest destruction, it has dropped their association with that company. The problem has not gone away for the big corporation however, as it still buys its palm oil from Cargill, which in turn, also gets its supply from Sinar Mas.
Nestle was successful in the removal of one of Greenpeace’s videos from the popular YouTube site relating to the issue, but the video spread over the Internet, while Facebook and Twitter were soon flooded with massive messages of protest. In the beginning, Nestle’s top personnel dismissed the activity which only made things worse, resulting in the Swiss food giant receiving nearly a quarter of a million emails regarding the issue.
Easy ways to "U" go green
If you’ve not heard the news concerning the warming of the Earth and man’s contribution to it, then you’ve probably been living under a rock somewhere. And while people all have an opinion on it, one thing remains true: it certainly wouldn’t hurt – in fact, it may even help – to do your bit to slow the degradation of the environment. With this in mind, there have sprung up a plethora of energy saving products designed specifically to reduce the carbon emissions people churn out, and generate green energy. These products are easily available and cost only fractionally more than standard products (if they cost more at all).
By installing even just a few of these products, you can be assured that your carbon footprint will dramatically reduce and you won’t only feel better in yourself, you’ll notice the difference in cleaner air and less pollution. It’s not just about reusable bags (although that’s it, too). It’s about buying smartly so you get more for your money, and contribute less to the Earth living longer.
Top Recycled Gifts for 2010
What do we mean by recycled gifts? Well, we’re not talking about those gifts you received for Christmas and now want to pass on to someone else – that’s re-gifting (and not something that should be condoned!). Recycled gifts are presents you can buy which are produced using recycled materials.
As you head into the new year, it’s a great opportunity to evaluate just how eco-friendly you are and make changes to maximise your green potential. Recycling is something we can all be part of with very little effort, and that goes for giving gifts too.
Ethical Gifts For A Newborn Baby
If a friend or family member is about to give birth, or has just had a baby, you’ll no doubt be keen to buy a gift for the little bundle of joy. When searching for something a little bit special and different from the normal mass-produced baby products on the market you should consider buying an ethical baby gift. Not only will you be buying a gift with ideology attached to it, you’ll also be giving something that is beautifully designed and manufactured using sustainable and natural materials.
What to look for when buying an ethical gift
Ethical gifts are receiving some welcome publicity and this has had a positive impact on sales. It’s becoming increasingly easier to find a retailer who sells ethical products but the internet is still the best place to begin your search. Online shops such as Green Tulip offer a wide range of gifts plus a commitment to customers that all their products are ethically sourced from suppliers who have not exploited people, animals or the environment during the production process. Where possible, local or national suppliers are used to reduce distribution miles and keep carbon emissions to a minimum.
Healing Problem Houses
We’ve all heard someone say ‘that’s a sad house’. Either more than one person living in the house has passed on, or people become sick. Perhaps the house has seen more than its fair share of divorces or arguments. It may be known locally as a ‘haunted house‘. The atmosphere surrounding the house is negative, and no-one seems to know why. Maybe you own such a house and want to sell. Or maybe you’re tired of being sick all the time. The good news is: there is a cure, and it will work.
Eco Lighting
You must have often wondered how you, as an individual, can contribute to making the Earth greener and more eco-friendly. You don’t have to clean your street everyday to show your environmental concerns. Instead, small changes in your lifestyle – like the bulbs you use – can make a big impact on the environment. For example, the normal incandescent bulbs that you use convert only about 5 to 10 percent of electricity into light. The rest of electricity consumed is released as heat. This is not only harmful to the environment, but also to the people who use these bulbs. So by using green lighting, or eco lighting, we are not only saving our environment but also saving ourselves from the harmful effects of ordinary bulbs.