Green Options » environmental protection

The International Ecotourism Society’s African Safari Auction

Lucille Chi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:20:58 +0000

The International Ecotourism Society is offering a Surperb Safari Experience as an auction to raise funds for global environmental awareness. The Safari location is at Ol Seki Mara Camp.

Safari Details: Located in the heart of Eastern Koiyaki, Kenya, Ol Seki Mara Camp offers luxury “Nina” tents with 270 degree panoramic views of the famous Maasai Mara.

Magnificent Wildlife: Eastern Koiyaki, provides an opportunity to enjoy wildlife viewing in a pristine oasis nestled amongst Cordia and Acacia trees attracting an abundance of wildlife and birds.

Your Dream Vacation: Elegant candle lit dinners, romantic dining for honeymooners, a resident masseuse – a delight for all senses!

What are Ol Seki Mara Camp’s specific sustainability Practices?

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New NGO Green Ramadan Links Month-Long Fast to Environmental Protection

Amiel Blajchman — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:38:37 +0000

As Muslims the world over celebrate Ramadan, a new organization called Green Ramadan is looking to turn one of the 5 pillars of Islam into a monthlong activity that helps the environment as well as fulfilling a religious obligation.

Targetting Muslims and non-Muslims alike, Green Ramadan’s mission is

To bring people from all over the world together, regardless of their faith. nationality or color, for one month every year, to care about our environment, the earth, animals and our health, practice positive and healthy habits, to make a positive impact and make a difference.
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The Laws of War, the Geneva Convention and Protecting the Environment

Amiel Blajchman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:50:24 +0000

While many of our readers are well aware of global environmental laws that are specifically written to protect the environment, such as the Kyoto Protocol, the International Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Law of the Sea and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), this post would like to explore what some of the laws of war and humanitarianism (the Geneva Convention being the most famous) hold for protecting the environment.

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Will 2009 Be the Year of the Environment for Pakistan?

Timothy B. Hurst — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:48:13 +0000

Amid rising tensions with neighboring India and dealing with a resurgent Taliban along the Afghani border, Pakistan’s government is also launching a different kind of campaign - a green one.

Pakistan’s Environment Minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi has finalized a calendar of events for the upcoming year; officially deeming 2009 Pakistan’s “National Year of the Environment.”

In a press conference, Minister Afridi urged international bodies, non-governmental organizations, provincial governments and the private sector to actively participate in making 2009 an environmental success. However, the question still remains whether this is Potemkin-environmental policy or the real thing.

The government-sponsored activities of Pakistan’s National Year of the Environment include the screening of environmental documentaries, panel discussions and dialogues, planting of 10 million trees in a day to surpass a world record, seminars, exhibitions, essay-writing competitions, and walks. Throughout the year, the calendar is littered with awareness days, weeks, and months, in an effort to educate Pakistan’s citizens about the ecological consequences of their individual actions.

While Pakistan should be applauded for their efforts, their praises should not go unqualified.

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China Asks Rich Nations to Fund Greenhouse Gas-Cutting Technology

Reenita Malhotra — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:33:18 +0000

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao

China has called upon rich nations to abandon their “unsustainable lifestyle” to fight climate change and expand help to poor nations bearing the brunt of worsening droughts and rising sea levels. (Reuters)

This year, China surpassed the U.S to become the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from industry, power plants and vehicles lifting global temperatures.

Unlike other developing nations (such as India and Brazil) China has not taken an active role in the discussions against global warming.Even now it is against binding caps on its emissions. However Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has announced that China will look to curbing pollution if developed countries commit to clean energy technology transfers and funding.

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Oil and Natural Gas Industry Playing McSame Dirty Games, Scaring Many to Ballyhoo Few

Adam Williams — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:35:39 +0000

Big Oil, Big Money, Big Slap in the Face.

Unfortunately, I fear that slap won’t register properly with enough people in the status quo, those who cling to oil and more oil as if it’s the only way forward.

During a commercial break from MSNBC’s coverage of the final night of the Democratic National Convention held in Denver, the American Petroleum Institute, the trade organization for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry, ran a spot touting domestic oil and gas reserves that Democrats are keeping us Americans from reaching.

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How Eco-Friendly Coffee Makes a Difference

Meredith Melnick — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:04:54 +0000

Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee each day, which contributes to the coffee bean’s status as the second most globally traded product after petroleum. Now, a recent report from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid has found that regular coffee intake can actually prevent heart disease in women. Coffee is a much needed cash crop in many countries with few other exports such as Ethiopia, Guatemala and Papua New Guinea, but the industry has also been plagued by reports of worker abuse and corporate rip offs. Rainforest and other endangered species habitat is often cleared for coffee plantation, making it an environmentally dicey purchase, as well.

So how do we get our morning cup without a side of guilt? How to decipher real world impact from a multitude of coffee labels after the jump.

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Billions of Barrels Under the Bakken Shale

Heidi Suydam — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:51:23 +0000

A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey shows billions of barrels of retrievable oil beneath the Bakken Shale Formation which covers a large area from the Canadian border, down into North Dakota and Montana. A Reuters UK report states:

The Bakken Shale, comprised of thin layers of rock about two miles down, holds about 3.65 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil, the USGS said. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska could hold more than 10 billion barrels of oil.

Although ANWR is currently federally protected land, there are already companies retrieving the oil from the Bakken Shale. The current survey from the USGS, completed at the request of Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is viewed as good news according to a statement in the Fox News story. This is due to the 25% increase in this estimate of retrievable oil over previous estimates in years past. Senator Dorgan believes this will bring “significant new investment” into the area.

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