French Caribbean poisoned by pesticides



The French Caribbean Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe have been poisoned after years of pesticide use.  Experts say that more than half of its 800,000 residents are contaminated by a chlordecone or kepone which is used as pesticide in banana platations to kill weevils around the country.

Scientists say that the “health disaster” will contribute to residents developing cancer, infertility and birth defects.  Health specialists have warned that chlordecone has poisoned both the land and water.  Chordecone when sprayed can stay in the environment to up to a century, contaminating the entire food chain.

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The effects of global warming on Polar Bears



The change in our planet’s temperature has had a drastic effect on all living creatures.  The polar bear, native to the North Pole is one such creature.  Global warming has not only threatened its natural environment but has also affected its feeding ground, reproductive capabilities and territory.

Experts say that there are around 20,000 polar bears out in the wild.  But these numbers could decline by as much as 35% in the next 30 to 50 years.  This decrease is largely due to the disappearing ice in the North Pole.

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Five Ways to Go Eco-Green Friendly in Your Apartment



Here are five ways to make your apartment an eco-friendly place:
1. The first thing you should always do is take into consideration the location of your apartment and make it as convenient to your occupation and also the places you go to on a regular basis, so that you could walk or ride a bike. You will be helping the environment and your heart from all the exercise you would be getting.

2. Several of us tend to get into the habit of turning the lights or television on the moment we get home. We usually do it because we like the noise in the background and the lights to feel warmth of security. Try going without it for a while. When coming home, instead of turning on your lights, open some blinds or curtains. Plus you’ll be amazed at how much more calming it is, without having the T.V. blaring.

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Bottled Water vs. Filtered Tap Water



Water is something that every human needs to survive. Everyday in the United States people either purchase water bottles at there near by supermarket or simply just drink out of the tap. However, is bottled water even filtered; is it even regulated by the government?

Bottled water can be glacial water, purified water, and spring water. It is said that even most bottled water companies simply put regular ‘tap water’ in each bottle. Of course doesn’t that mean that bottled water isn’t filtered? In the year of 2007, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) had announced that they have carried out a four-year study on bottled water. The results were startling; it showed that one-third of the bottled water tested high for contamination.

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Greenhouse Effect, Carbon Dioxide, and the ‘Death’ of Oceans



‘Global warming is largely irreversible for the coming 1000 years even if the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are stopped at once.’ This conclusion of a recent study at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA, can potentially dampen the proactive spirit of environmental remediation by eco-friendly individuals and groups. But then, we need to ask, ‘what happens if we don’t stop the alarming level of CO2 emissions at once. An unbearably hot planet may be the common answer but at least some of us now know that our marine environment may also become ‘dead’.

A global rise in sea level has long been predicted by researchers investigating the long-term effects of greenhouse emissions and global warming. Lately, over 150 scientists have warned against the threat of the acidification of oceans due to an increased buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere. Since oceans are one of largest natural sinks for CO2, marine waters are more rapidly growing acidic by dissolution of CO2 in ocean waters, forming carbonic acid. In addition, part of the acidification of marine waters comes from precipitation from atmosphere (what we know as ‘acid rains’). Increased acidification of marine waters poses a serious threat to marine life and the food web. In fact, acidification of oceans has already stared to affect colonies of marine organisms, e.g. the coral buildups like the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

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