10 Wackiest Ideas Ever for Improving the Environment

Editor's note: This humorous blog post is taken from the website Compare Electricity Rates. Enjoy!

Throughout human history, there have been some quite noble efforts for sustaining the Earth. Many great innovations have resulted from mankind’s attempts at preserving our environment. Then again, there have been some real doozies too. Today we’re going to have a look at ten of the zaniest ideas ever devised for improving the environment.

1. There is a proposal before the United Nations for environmental justice, in order to save the planet. Said justice calls for legal representation on behalf of the environment – plants, animals, insects – against us pesky humans, with the power to seek financial compensation for damages.
   
2. This one is a bit of a touchy subject. Though the thought is in the right place, the evidence seems to suggest that the concept wasn’t entirely thought through. The push to replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL’s (compact fluorescent lamps) would indeed conserve energy. However, they contain significant levels of mercury which, without any safe means of recycling them, would introduce unsafe levels of mercury back into the environment.
   
   
3. In an effort to safeguard the sanctuary of indigent marine wildlife, the city of San Diego is set to enact laws that would ban birthday parties at local parks within the vicinity of said wildlife.
   
   
4. As a means to harness human energy and transform it into useable energy, the concept of the human-powered floating gym came into being. Imagine, if you will, dozens of sweaty fitness-minded bodies, powering their way upstream in a bubble, and you’ve got a vague idea of what this truly wacky project is all about.
   
   
5. Here’s another idea that someone pulled out of their, um … notebook: The basic premise is that the methane produced through cow flatulence is a major contributor to greenhouse gases (14%) and needs to be stopped. The answer? Kangaroo farts. Apparently their marsupial mates are methane-free down under, and possess a bacterium that it is suggested to be injected into cattle.
   
   
6. Based on the cooling effect that the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo had on the planet 20 years ago, scientists had the brainstorm idea of triggering other volcanoes in the hopes of having similar results. We can only hope that our tax dollars don’t literally go up in (volcanic) smoke, and ash.
   
   
7. The Eco-Kettle is supposedly the answer to a question we have no idea why anyone would even ask: namely, sparing our precious globe from the bane of our existence known as (wait for it) boiling too much water (gasp!).
   
   
8. Asus came up with this gem a while back as a solution to excessive use of plastics in consumer product manufacturing: the bamboo laptop. We would love to have seen this sold as part of an office starter package, with a tiki torch desk lamp and margarita mixer.
   
   
9. Pig pee for plastics. The idea here is to reduce the use of petroleum in the manufacture of plastic plates. The urea in pig urine would act as a bulking agent in its place. Trouble is (among other things -ugh!) is that when these pig-pee plates are discarded? You guessed it, they will emit methane. Maybe we first need to cross-breed these pigs with kangaroos. Yeah, that’s the ticket: pigaroo plates.
   
   
10. And finally, a supremely sage environmental observation by none other than the Wizard of Wit himself, former Vice-President of the United States of America, Dan Quayle:

“It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

Green Traveler: Beersheba, Israel

August 7 and 11, 2011 -- Water is a precious resource in the Middle East. Israelis are well aware of the water shortage in the region and are taking steps to reduce, reuse and recycle. Nowhere is the scarcity of water felt more than in the Negev desert of southern Israel. In Beersheba the nahal (river) is but a trickle most of the time and the riverfront district has been neglected for years.

But in Israel turning a barren desert into a green oasis has been a national mandate since its founding. So it should come as no surprise then that The Beer Sheva River Park is currently undergoing a major reconstruction project thanks to the Jewish National Fund's Blueprint Negev initiative. This project will create a 1,700 acre riverfront district that will be the catalyst for the revitalization of the "Capital of the Negev."

Here are some highlights of the restoration project taken directly from the JNF website:

• "JNF has succeeded in cleaning up the river that had been used as a dumping ground for decades, and has completed half of the planned 8 kilometers of landscaped promenade on each shore. Engineers responsible for the success of the San Antonio River Walk are partnering with JNF to send water through the river bed year-round. 

• JNF plans to use its expertise in water rehabilitation to recycle the city’s water and transport it to a 15-acre lake for boating.

• Plans include gardens showcasing desert flora and fauna, bicycle paths, recreation areas, an 12,000 seat amphitheater and 750 acres of new parks with 40,000 new trees."

When I walked across the street from Abraham's Well I saw a new promenade called the J. Lew Schepps Recognition Center, a newly paved walkway and a bridge under construction that leads to a park and bicycle paths on the other side of the river. So the restoration project is well underway.

If the Beer Sheva River Park restoration project is successful it could become a model for other cities attempting to find creative solutions to water conservation and economic development. 

Click here for more observations of Beersheba on my travel blog.

Here are more photos from The Beer Sheva River Park.

Occupy DC at Freedom Plaza Still Rockin' and Rollin'

Across the country Occupiers are entering the next phase of the movement by abandoning encampments and taking over foreclosed homes to bring attention to the housing crisis. But in our Nation's Capital the tent cities at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza are still standing strong. During a recent visit to Occupy DC at Freedom Plaza there was even a Jimi Hendrix cover band electrifying a small audience gathered near Pennsylvania Avenue.

It appears the populist movement is beginning to resonate with leaders as evidenced by President Obama channeling Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism in Kansas yesterday with a fiery speech about the growing inequality in America. Also yesterday a group calling itself "Take Back the Capitol" occupied the hallways and offices of Congress demanding that lawmakers extend unemployment benefits, end tax cuts for the wealthy and pass the American Jobs Act. The timing couldn't have been better as news came out that the "Do Nothing Congress" is aptly titled because this session of Congress has passed the fewest number of bills in at least 10 non-election years. And today there were plans to protest against corporate influence in politics by shutting down K Street -- a major boulevard in downtown Washington that is home to some of the biggest lobbying firms in the country and has become a symbol of special interest money corrupting the political system. Demonstrators were also planning to march on the White House and Supreme Court today as well.

Here is video of the band jammin' with Jimi.

Here are more photos from Freedom Plaza.

Green Traveler: New York, New York

Photo credit: Inhabitat.com

A few green observations from a recent visit to New York City:

• Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park was green. How green? When I visited the encampment they were generating electricity and heat from a stationary bicycle. The pedal power on display was part of a sustainability showcase that also featured the importance of plants to the ecosystem and a grey water recycling system.  

• New York has an aggressive public recycling program as evidenced by the blue and green recycling bins strategically located across the city. The green bins are for newspapers and magazines and the blue bins are for bottles and cans. 

• While riding the NYC subway I saw ads encouraging New York homeowners to "join the evolution" by switching to clean, renewable and homegrown bioheat. The Bioheat website states that right now they are capable of blending biodiesel with traditional heating oil at only 2-5% but that they are working on increasing the biodiesel blend. Here is a great video presentation on what bioheat is all about.

• The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation is greening their fleet and since 2006 has been operating trucks on a 20% biodiesel blend (B20) made from soybeans and 80% ultra low sulfur diesel. And the department has been conducting trials using a B50 blend. So B20 is only a stepping stone to using more clean, renewable biofuels in city vehicles.  

• One noticeable change I've seen over the years in NYC is the increase in hybrid taxis and hybrid police cars. The NYPD features a fleet of Toyota Prius patrol cars, Nissan Altima Hybrids, Ford Fusion Hybrid sedans and Ford Escape Hybrid crossovers. And as of July 2011 there were 4,980 hybrid taxis in service representing 38% of the total fleet -- the largest hybrid fleet in North America.

• NYC aims to plant a million trees throughout the five boroughs over the next decade as part of a public-private partnership. So far the city has planted 527,315 trees.

And if New Yorkers need to be reminded why there is such a sense of urgency among city leaders to make the Big Apple the greenest city in the world, all they have to do is take a trip to Midtown Manhattan near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. At this busy intersection they will see a large billboard sponsored by Deutsche Bank with a rapidly rising number signifying the metric tons of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. I went on the website and the carbon counter is currently at around 3.92 trillion GHGs.

Occupy Wall Street: Zuccotti Park Before and After NYPD Raid

Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan is the birthplace of the Occupy protest movement that has swept across America and the world demanding a more sustainable and fairer economic system.

Last month I visited Occupy Wall Street at its height. This was when the unions had joined up with young students and aging hippies to create a spirited and festive community full of lively debates about the future of American democracy. The diverse group of citizens who pitched tents and displayed cardboard signs were an inspiration to millions of us who are deeply concerned that corporate greed and political paralysis are endangering the American dream.

This joyous moment didn't last long because last week Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the New York Police Department to clear out Zuccotti Park because of "health and safety concerns."  The NYPD raided Occupy Wall Street unannounced in the middle of the night and completely removed the encampment, even using force at times against those that resisted the removal.

I visited the post-OWS Zuccotti last weekend. It has now been turned back into the boring block of concrete it always was instead of the democratic revival, the city of hope and change it had been turned into. It was a surreal scene last Saturday afternoon. Community police officers lined the perimeter of the barricaded park. There was one entry point I could see and the police were in an argument over demonstrators not being allowed to bring in drums. There seemed to be a lot of confusion and anger over what was allowed and not allowed in the park.

Once inside it got even more surreal as a swarm of media and tourists centered in the middle of the park surrounded one Occupier talking to a camera crew.

There were a few leftover signs and I recognized one of the folk musicians from a couple of weekends ago when it was a festive, spirited atmosphere. He was still playing 60s anthems but his partner was missing. There were a handful of young people listening intently to his version of Buffalo Springfield's 1967 song "For What It's Worth."

Another guy was giving away Occupy Wall Street buttons. A memento from a brief moment of hope and joy when anything seemed possible. I took a button that summed it all up for me. It said "You can't evict an idea." Yep.

Here are photos and videos of Zuccotti Park before and after the Occupy Wall Street encampment.

Photos and Video: Keystone XL Pipeline Protest at White House

Last Sunday 12,000 demonstrators from all walks of life formed a human chain around the White House to call on President Obama to reject the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. Today, in a major victory for pipeline opponents the State Department ordered a new route, effectively killing the controversial project, according to a TransCanada spokesperson who told the National Journal it would die "because the new route would require a new Environmental Impact Statement and a public review that would take months, if not years."

Demonstrators at the Lafayette Square rally and encircle the White House protest came from as far away as Nebraska and as close as the Occupy D.C. encampment at Freedom Plaza to hear leaders such as NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Director James E. Hansen, Natural Resources Defense Council Founding Director James E. Hansen and 350.org Founder Bill McKibben speak about the environmental consequences of building the pipeline.

Following the rally the demonstrators, some holding up a huge inflatable pipeline, many carrying anti-tar sands signs, gathered into sections and encircled the White House to send a powerful message to the Obama Administration that the days of dirty fossil fuels are ending and a new American economic foundation based on clean energy and green jobs is beginning.

Here are photos and video from the event.

Ground Zero and Occupy Wall Street: Hope Rises From the Ashes

A sunny Sunday stroll through Lower Manhattan this past weekend revealed nothing less than an American awakening. And that is not an understatement after seeing the rapidly rebuilding Ground Zero site and the nearby Occupy Wall Street demonstrations at Zuccotti Park. It is appropriate that ground zero of the people-powered movement to reclaim the American dream following the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression is literally right across the street from the newly opened 9/11 Memorial that commemorates the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

There is an undeniable connection between the 2001 terrorist attacks and the 2008 economic collapse. And I'm happy to report that, despite claims to the contrary, American Democracy is not dead thanks to the courageous souls taking a stand for the 99% of us. And America's collective spirit to do big things is alive and well thank you very much, despite the political paralysis and short-term thinking on Capitol Hill. That's because gleaming new skyscrapers are arising from the ashes of 9/11.

New York is resilient. New York is not afraid of embracing the future. New York is America, not the self-centered, small-minded politicians in Congress. Thank God for that. Ground Zero and Zuccotti Park should give us all hope that all is not lost in this country we all love so dearly but are rightly so concerned about.

GROUND ZERO

The first sign of progress most visitors notice upon a visit to Ground Zero is One World Trade Center -- the formerly named Freedom Tower is being built up at a furious pace and when completed in 2013 will tower over the New York City skyline as the tallest building in the United States and one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. 

And there are other towers under construction such as Two World Trade Center as well as the 9/11 Museum which is scheduled to open a year from now. The 9/11 Memorial Fountain recently opened to the public on the tenth anniversary of the attacks and has already become a popular tourist attraction, although it should be noted that you need to reserve tickets online in advance to enter the memorial area. I didn't reserve a ticket so the photos I took are from the outer perimeter of the memorial. Also, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is expected to be completed in 2014.

For many, the lack of progress in rebuilding Ground Zero was a symbol of this country's misplaced priorities and political inertia. How else to explain that in the past decade the New York Mets, Yankees, Giants and Jets all received shiny new stadiums, the Nets will be moving to a new arena in Brooklyn and the home of the Rangers and Knicks, Madison Square Garden, just underwent an $850 million renovation while train travelers have to suffer underneath MSG in a cramped and dingy Penn Station?

But now that there is visible progress at Ground Zero there is hope that at least New York City can rebuild its infrastructure for the 21st century and showcase big and bold architecture and grand public spaces. With the Senate today blocking President Obama's $60 billion infrastructure plan, which should have been a bipartisan slam dunk, it is obvious the political will is lacking on Capitol Hill. But after seeing what is being done at Ground Zero, there is even hope that eventually, likely with a few election cycles to get the current unimpressive group out of office, that our national political leaders can show the same collective determination and vision as the planners of the Ground Zero rebuild have.

OCCUPY WALL STREET

Which brings us to Occupy Wall Street, because in order to give the boot to the political charlatans on Capitol Hill the movement needs to grow even bigger and turn into a potent force able to rally millions of Americans to vote at the polls for candidates who will invest in clean energy, health care, education, transportation, infrastructure and innovation and strengthen the middle class while addressing the unsustainable growing gap between the rich and poor.

The encampment at Zuccotti Park has become a big tourist attraction and on the day I visited there was a festive atmosphere with drum beating and other music, lots of creative and heartfelt signs and even an innovative bicycle-powered generator providing heat and electricity to the tent dwellers.

There are a couple of observations I've noticed walking through both the Occupy D.C. and Occupy Wall Street encampments. Number one is how organized and resourceful they are. Call it organized chaos if you'd like. It might seem like these are a bunch of dirty hippies dancing in a drum circle, but a closer inspection reveals that this movement is highly organized. There is a daily schedule of activities, including workshops and marches. There are Occupy newspapers being printed to inform demonstrators and the public. At Zuccotti Park there is even a makeshift library with all sorts of books in plastic bins. And when I was there people were patiently waiting in line for healthy lunches. An example of the resourcefulness is the aforementioned bike-powered generator, which was started by the Sustainability Working Group after the NY Fire Department and NY Police Department confiscated six gas and diesel generators because of safety concerns. 

The second observation is that the people living in these tent cities, whether it is McPherson Square or Zuccotti Park, are taking extra measures to tend to the park. There are signs warning visitors not to touch the flowers or tread on newly seeded grass. There are trash and recycling bins set up. These two parks are probably in better shape now with the encampments than before the demonstrators arrived.

The bottom line is that these people are sick and tired of being sick and tired so they are taking a stand for all of us. It is no different than the civil rights movement or any other progressive movement that made our lives better. For that, we should all be thanking these people.

While I was walking around Zuccottti, some guy walking by said "go home hippies." One of the demonstrators, a young woman, responded that "we are home." I wonder if one day this guy will realize he is the 99% too and will join them.

Click here and here for photos I took from Occupy DC at McPherson Square in downtown Washington.

Here are more photos of One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial and more photos of Occupy Wall Street.

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And here are videos I took at Zuccotti Park. The first video is of a musical tandem singing a snappy folk song that could be the theme song for Occupy Wall Street. I didn't catch the name of their group. The second video is a bit of the scene last Sunday as I walked around.