If you missed Green iPhone Apps Reviewed Part 1: Free Apps, you can see it here. After my first batch of reviews on the free green iPhone apps, I have gotten some great suggestions on green apps. If you have any you you would like to see reviewed, you can comment here, head over to my website www.danielhohler.com, or twitter me @danielhohler. I am not a hard man to find. I have already gotten a whole new batch that people would like to hear about, so it looks like by popular demand there will be green iPhone apps part 3, so stay tuned here on planetsave.com.

iPhone apps are sweeping the nation. For those of us who own iPhones, we know just how useful a good app can be. The problem is that there are so many apps floating around, finding a really good app is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. However, don’t fret. I am here to pick up all of those straws of hay and tell you if indeed they are hay, or maybe just maybe, a needle. Or with less metaphor, I’ll try them and tell you if they are any good.

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Before I get into this important topic, please read my article on cancer dedicated to someone special to me, each view constitutes a larger donation to cancer research. http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/27/help-me-fight-cancer/

Problem

Almost one half of non-human primates are at risk of extinction, and none more so than gorillas. Gorillas are disappearing at an alarming rate, mostly a victim of their surroundings. Political unrest, wars, poachers, miners, and loggers all converging in a perfect storm of brutality and human depravity, killing one of our closest living relatives. Gorilla’s DNA is 98-99% an exact match for human DNA, just barely trailing our closest living relatives (genus Pan, chimpanzees and bonobos). Unfortunately for the gorillas, they occupy a region rich in tin, diamonds, gold and coltan (a rare mineral used to create capacitors for cellphones, games consoles and laptops).

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But a recent scientific study has documented significant declines in six hoofed species throughout the 1530 sq. km reserve. In the last 15 years these drop-offs have occurred in the giraffe, hartebeest, impala, warthog, topi (pictured above) and waterbuck populations.

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The Great American Cleanup begins today with a national launch event in Waveland, Miss., which will help  restore a hurricane-ravaged town along the Gulf Coast. It will continue through May 31 with additional national events being held in New York City on Earth Day and Nashville on May 14.

Millions of volunteers will work to rid streets, waterways and public spaces of litter and illegal dumpsites.  Communities will green up parks, schoolyards and other public spaces and hold recycling drives and educational events.

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It is hard to believe, but the City of New York has implemented plans to renovate a former landfill into a city park.  This is quite an endeavor, and certainly a model for site restoration.

The Fresh Kills Landfill was established in 1948, and was the principal dumping site for the City of New York.  It even had the dubious distinction of being the largest landfill in the world!  The site was closed in March of 2001, until 9/11, when it was reopened for ten months to receive debris from the World Trade Centers.

The current master plan incorporates several programming elements, including athletic fields, horseback riding, mountain biking, nature trails, and large-scale art exhibits.  It will also host a variety of wildlife and native plants, and provide amenities for nature viewing.  The park campus will be broken up into five smaller sections, each providing many opportunities for the public to use its various resources.  The entire project is expected to take 30 years, and will be split into three 10-year phases.

This is a monumental project, which will hopefully spur other communities to look at how they can take what may be considered “contaminated” sites and turn them back to nature.

For more information, visit the Fresh Kills Park website.  You can even sign up for a newsletter to track the progress of the development.

“Unless drastic action is taken, more than 80 per cent of western lowland gorillas will have gone in just three gorilla generations.” - Fiona Maisels, surveyor for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Gorillas are already protected by law in all 10 countries they habituate. That has not stopped poachers and bushmeat hunters. Hunting remains a big business on the black market, with the selling of gorilla heads as trophies and gorilla hands as ashtrays, and bushmeat is sold openly even in major towns. However, with local governments in disarray there is little anyone can do about enforcing the gorilla protection. Many argue that the time for diplomacy is over. It is time to take action.

“Half the funds for gorilla conservation should be immediately redirected towards massive law enforcement campaigns.” - Peter Walsh

Conclusion

As someone who has studied gorillas up close, my heart is broken by these hard times. When you look into a gorillas eyes you see a gentleness that washes over you. They are relatively peaceful species especially compared to their cousins, chimpanzees, bonobos, and especially humans. These are not the brutes or beasts that have been portrayed in the movies. We have heard the story of the little boy falling into a gorilla pen, only to be picked up and consoled by a waiting gorilla.

I think back to Dian Fosse who was sent to study gorillas after the success of Jane Goodall with chimps. Dian Fosse crusaded for gorillas, thwarting poachers whenever she could. Outspoken and an activist, Fosse brought on the wrath of poachers. When poachers decapitated and left the body of her favorite gorilla in her study group, Digit (for a price of $20), it caused her to redouble her efforts, creating The Digit Fund for anti-poaching. Dian Fosse was brutally murdered by machete, a conspiracy perpetrated by either poachers who wanted her out of the way, or those who wanted to exploit gorillas as tourist attractions. Fosse was buried next to Digit. Her friend.

When I think back to Fosse, it angers me that sacrifices she made for these intelligent creatures could all be in vain.

Is it too late? Is the UN making a huge mistake? I applaud the UN for taking action. In declaring 2009 “The Year of the Gorilla.” But, it scares me that many gorilla experts believe that it is too late for the UN’s plan of action. What can we do?

What can you do?

• Recycle your old cell phones - Reduce the demand for coltan. Eco-Cell has run a cash-for-phones scheme since 2003 and now has drop bins at more than 100 zoos in both the US and Canada. Eco-Cell also accepts all digital handhelds including Game Boys.

• Check for the FSC logo on timber products - FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. They insure lumber is not taken from remote forests, creating roads for commercial hunters.

• Write to your Member of Congress and raise three issues - Ask them for more funding to fight Ebola, to stop imports of non-certified wood into Europe and the US, and to push for the EU and USAID to do more to address the problem of bushmeat hunting.

• Donate money, but check where it’s going - check out www.wildlifedirect.org. It is a good place to start.

The UN’s plan may or may not work, time will tell, but it is up to all of us to take action now. We can not watch idly by as one of our family members is destroyed. Gorillas are part of our primate family, and we should start treating them as such.

-Sources: Pain, Stephanie “Last Chance to Save the Gorilla” New Scientist #2718. July, 2009.

-Photo Credit: Title Picture: Twilight Earth; Insert Picture: mape_s on Flickr

This Friday is National PARK(ing) day! Across the U.S. volunteers will transform hundreds of parking spaces into tiny, temporary parks. The event is sponsored by The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization launched by REBAR, an art collective, to raise awareness about the need for more green space.

The first PARK(ing) Day was held in September of last year, and there were over 200 spaces turned into guerrilla parks. This year, the plan is to double that number! With over 70 cities participating, National PARK(ing) Day is aiming to transform more than 400 parking spaces into green spaces. Check out a few of the events after the jump!

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First, for the guys, surprise your belle with a bouquet of hand-picked wildflowers. By doing so you are avoiding all of the plastic packaging and chemicals used to keep store-bought flowers alive. Also, a good majority of women are so impressed that you would take the time to pick flowers for them that you will score major brownie points in the ‘being a really sweet guy’ field!

Now to the main event! Taking a walk in the park is one of my favorite sustainable date activities. It may sound simple but it is more charming than you might expect. Plus, not only are you enjoying the environment and each other but you will feel great knowing that you are saving energy by opting for activity which requires no electricity or battery power.

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Pesticide exposure is a serious health risk to children. And while limiting, or better yet, eliminating ingested pesticides is important, consider the direct exposure your children may get while they play upon that green, green grass.

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Temperatures across the US will vary greatly this weekend from fun in the sun in Arizona to downright chilly in Maine. That just means that you'll need to adjust your activities for the weather. In the north and mountains, maybe you'll want to go skiing, snowshoeing, or snow tubing. Sound too strenuous? Take a drive or a walk to get to know the winter wildlife. In the south, consider going hiking or kayaking with friends and family.

One thing is for sure: there are plenty of places to go. We have some incredible parks in this country, but we often forget about them. Get to know your local National Parks and see some really incredible stuff. Visit NPS.gov to find the parks nearest you. The site is quite complete with information on all of the many things you can do once you are there. If none of those strike your fancy, how 'bout a state park? Search the web for your official state park site, or visit StateParks.com to see locations in all 50 states. And don't even get us started on county and city parks…!

So whether you'll be donning a ski jacket or a bathing suit this weekend, we hope that you get out of the house (and the mall) and enjoy the great outdoors. It's a great family activity and especially important if you have kids. We don't really appreciate something until we fall in love. And we can't fall in love with a place if we've never been there. Then, with that love, you'll find a place in your heart to fight for it, if it ever becomes necessary.

Rebecca says: With weekend temperatures in the 80s and sunny, I hope to go kayaking in Biscayne National Park or visit the world famous Everglades. Both are national parks less than an hour away, yet in my year and a half here, I've never been to either. They are both precious (and super fragile) ecosystems that are under some serious threat right now. I want to go and enjoy myself, and also learn what we'll be missing if they ever disappear.

What will you do this weekend?

Want to hear a tip on a certain topic? Have a tip to share? Suggest a tip and you may just see it soon as a Tip o' the Day!

“Unless drastic action is taken, more than 80 per cent of western lowland gorillas will have gone in just three gorilla generations.” - Fiona Maisels, surveyor for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Gorillas are already protected by law in all 10 countries they habituate. That has not stopped poachers and bushmeat hunters. Hunting remains a big business on the black market, with the selling of gorilla heads as trophies and gorilla hands as ashtrays, and bushmeat is sold openly even in major towns. However, with local governments in disarray there is little anyone can do about enforcing the gorilla protection. Many argue that the time for diplomacy is over. It is time to take action.

“Half the funds for gorilla conservation should be immediately redirected towards massive law enforcement campaigns.” - Peter Walsh

Conclusion

As someone who has studied gorillas up close, my heart is broken by these hard times. When you look into a gorillas eyes you see a gentleness that washes over you. They are relatively peaceful species especially compared to their cousins, chimpanzees, bonobos, and especially humans. These are not the brutes or beasts that have been portrayed in the movies. We have heard the story of the little boy falling into a gorilla pen, only to be picked up and consoled by a waiting gorilla.

I think back to Dian Fosse who was sent to study gorillas after the success of Jane Goodall with chimps. Dian Fosse crusaded for gorillas, thwarting poachers whenever she could. Outspoken and an activist, Fosse brought on the wrath of poachers. When poachers decapitated and left the body of her favorite gorilla in her study group, Digit (for a price of $20), it caused her to redouble her efforts, creating The Digit Fund for anti-poaching. Dian Fosse was brutally murdered by machete, a conspiracy perpetrated by either poachers who wanted her out of the way, or those who wanted to exploit gorillas as tourist attractions. Fosse was buried next to Digit. Her friend.

When I think back to Fosse, it angers me that sacrifices she made for these intelligent creatures could all be in vain.

Is it too late? Is the UN making a huge mistake? I applaud the UN for taking action. In declaring 2009 “The Year of the Gorilla.” But, it scares me that many gorilla experts believe that it is too late for the UN’s plan of action. What can we do?

What can you do?

• Recycle your old cell phones - Reduce the demand for coltan. Eco-Cell has run a cash-for-phones scheme since 2003 and now has drop bins at more than 100 zoos in both the US and Canada. Eco-Cell also accepts all digital handhelds including Game Boys.

• Check for the FSC logo on timber products - FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. They insure lumber is not taken from remote forests, creating roads for commercial hunters.

• Write to your Member of Congress and raise three issues - Ask them for more funding to fight Ebola, to stop imports of non-certified wood into Europe and the US, and to push for the EU and USAID to do more to address the problem of bushmeat hunting.

• Donate money, but check where it’s going - check out www.wildlifedirect.org. It is a good place to start.

The UN’s plan may or may not work, time will tell, but it is up to all of us to take action now. We can not watch idly by as one of our family members is destroyed. Gorillas are part of our primate family, and we should start treating them as such.

-Sources: Pain, Stephanie “Last Chance to Save the Gorilla” New Scientist #2718. July, 2009.

-Photo Credit: Title Picture: Twilight Earth; Insert Picture: mape_s on Flickr