The Armchair Ecologist » Fun and Educational http://planet-u.com/blog Empowering individual actions that create a better planet. Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:56:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Disney starts a new kind of “club” http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/disney-starts-a-new-kind-of-club/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/disney-starts-a-new-kind-of-club/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:54:48 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=49 I have always been a huge Disney fan…and their recent efforts to place their eco-mindedness (Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green) at the forefront and helped generate more interest on environmental awareness. Check out this article from Treehugger.com on the subject – very cool stuff.

What do you think about it? Feel free to comment.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/disney-starts-a-new-kind-of-club/feed/ 0 The buzz about Colony Collapse Disorder http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/the-buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/the-buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:28:54 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=48 I hope you are doing well.

PBS replayed the program “Silence of the Bees” which originally premiered on 10/28/2007. The program has everything to do with investigating the causes related to Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD) and the decline in bee populations since winter of 2006. The topic also made it to one of the trivia questions in the hot environmental board game Mission Kijani. :)

I watched the program again and found myself glued to the television. Although I have a post that relates, I had not done a specific one on this topic. I wanted to be sure that I gave it attention here.

Without giving it away, I recommend you visit PBS.org for updates on the topic and even the chance to watch an episode. It is very educational and absolutely fascinating.

I hope you enjoy it. I know I did!

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/08/the-buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder/feed/ 0 Take action to make an Act stronger http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/take-action-to-make-an-act-stronger/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/take-action-to-make-an-act-stronger/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:42:15 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=46 Yes, I am all for the Waxman-Markey Climate Change bill, now called the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This is another example of a step in the right direction for Mother Nature and Humankind. It’s also a step that helps open another door to a clean energy economy. But, is this step big enough?

The goal is to reduce our impact on carbon emissions/global warming. It involves fostering more U.S. energy independence with the bonus of assembling clean energy jobs by the millions while saving Americans several hundred billion dollars in energy costs. Woohoo! There are four areas of focus:

  1. Creating a clean energy economy that helps protecting American consumers and industry by creating more green jobs
  2. Promoting clean electric vehicles, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, renewable sources of energy, and the smart grid and electricity transmission.
  3. Increase energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy (i.e., industrial, transportation, construction, equipment/appliances, etc.)
  4. Limiting Greenhouse emissions by cutting the U.S. contribution to global warming pollution by 17% compared to 2005 levels in 2020, by 42% in 2030, and by 83% in 2050.

What really gets me is how tame the goals are for the emissions targets. I mean, this is America people…the land of “Go Big or Go Home”. I feel it needs a revision to achieve a higher standard. For example, Sweden’s goal is to free itself from oil by 2020. I know that is not an apples to apples comparison…I just liked how short their timeline is for a significant change.

If you are in the area and want to express your support or concerns…RePower Illinois has organized a panel discussion. Located at the Congregation Beth at 2075 Deerfield Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 7:30pm.

Illinois resident? Feel free to contact Congressman Kirk with your support!

P.S. I also want to be sure that President Obama continues to be a visible player in any activity that acts like this one promote. Another great opportunity for leadership and individuals to do the right thing for the planet.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/take-action-to-make-an-act-stronger/feed/ 0 I sea ice and no rise. See! http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/i-sea-ice-and-no-rise-see/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/i-sea-ice-and-no-rise-see/#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:50:22 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=45 Back on April 5th 2009 a “New York City” sized “chunk” of the Wilkins Ice Shelf (in Antarctica) broke off and floated away. That amounts to nearly 270 square miles of ice that dispersed.

However, don’t panic…this ice came from ice shelves that were already floating in the ocean (sea ice). That means the ice was already displacing the water. You should NOT expect the volume of water that this large amount of sea ice contains to make any substantial impact in rising sea levels.

Discover more: a few ice cubes and place them in an empty glass. Fill it to a desired level and mark the water level with tape or a marker. Wait for the ice to melt. And, bingo…that is a crude example of what generally takes place in the above event.

So, what are the greatest influences of rising ocean water levels? I am so glad you asked.

  1. The retreat (melting) of land ice (glaciers) and
  2. Thermal Expansion (water takes up more space as it gets warmer).

P.S. the impact this has on changing the ocean’s salinity is a good topic for another time.

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/06/i-sea-ice-and-no-rise-see/feed/ 0 Vice President Al Gore is no April Fool http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/vice-president-al-gore-is-no-april-fool/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/vice-president-al-gore-is-no-april-fool/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:27:26 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=42 In fact, I think he’s brilliant. If you are in the Chicago area tomorrow don’t miss the opportunity to see him speak. Vice President Al Gore will be at the Chicago Theater. There are still a few tickets left.

The conversation will likely be centered around important themes embedded in his next book, due out November 3rd, called Our Choice. This event should not disappoint those thirsty for more about fresh solutions and plans that can vastly influence a “greener” planet.

“An Inconvenient Truth reached millions of people with the message that the climate crisis is threatening the future of human civilization and that it must and can be solved. Now that the need for urgent action is even clearer with the alarming new findings of the last three years, it is time for a comprehensive global plan that actually solves the climate crisis.
Our Choice will answer that call.”

-Vice President Al Gore

]]> http://planet-u.com/blog/2009/03/vice-president-al-gore-is-no-april-fool/feed/ 0 Board Game World Debut: Mission Kijani™ http://planet-u.com/blog/2008/12/board-game-world-debut-mission-kijani%e2%84%a2/ http://planet-u.com/blog/2008/12/board-game-world-debut-mission-kijani%e2%84%a2/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:24:51 +0000 Greg Ugolini http://planet-u.com/blog/?p=32 Sorry I have not been posting the last few months. Things have been crazy busy with some big events in my life.

And I am here to say…well, I finally did it. I finished the Mission Kijani™ board game I envisioned in, can you believe it, the shower two years ago. And, it was a huge hit with folks at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair event this November.

The board game is called Mission Kijani™.  Green is not just a color; it is a way of life in the town of Kijani (Key-jah-knee). After all, the town’s name means “green” in Swahili. Two of the town’s residents, Zawa (Zah-wah) and Mikko (Me-ko), have rescued a rare rainforest tree from an area just southwest of the town that is being cleared unnecessarily. It is up to you to escort them through troubled lands and back to Kijani so we can save this tree species from extinction. After all, each contribution, proactive choice, and positive action makes a world of difference!

Part of advancing in the game involves answering ecologically based questions. There are three ways to play (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle). Each provides a different level of game play and time commitment. The most popular is the Reduce version which takes under 45 minutes to complete.

Copies are available at missionkijani.com at a reduced cost. I know kids of all ages will benefit from this awesome game. This game has been especially popular with the teaching and homeschooling folks that have a passion for the planet! The entire operating costs for Planet U™ are carbon neutral. And, I am now in the process of officially certifying the Mission Kijani board game as CarbonFree®. Thanks to my new partnership with CarbonFund.org.

Thank you to all. The positive feedback has been wonderful!!! Please pass the word along about the game.

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