It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to call the Polar Bear and “indicator species”. An Indicator Species is an animal or plant that acts as a kind of “canary in the coal mine”. They often reflect the health of an ecosystem based on factors including abnormal physiological changes, impacts of pollution, or even climate change. In this case, climate change is a big factor.

Polar Bears have evolved over the last 200,000 years to be masters of cold climate ice hunting. They have a layer of insulating fat that can be up to 4.5 inches thick, a multi-layered coat of transparent, pigment-free hollow fur, large footpads, etc. And, to top it off, they are big — that’s why they win the prize for the largest land predator.

Their hunting grounds are shrinking due to rapid ice melt. This influences range, birth rates, animal health, food supply, and the bear’s resilience through leaner times. One sub-population saw more than a 20% decline in their population since 1980. That’s the equivalent of 572,000 Chicago residents disappearing off the planet. That would cause some concern wouldn’t it? How would you respond if I told you that the number jumped to 1,887,000 over the next 40 years? The time to act is now. Not only for the Polar Bear, but with respect to positive change — period!

Countries with Polar Bear populations recognize the need for conservation, education, and environmental protection for the species. The US Government updated the status of the Polar Bear to “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (May 14, 2008).

Kudos to all involved in assisting the Polar Bear, the planet, and its species.

Are you interested in learning more about how you can help? Please visit PolarBearSOS.org for more information and education on the subject.

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O.k., I have no scientific proof of that calculation in the title. But, after you read this you may start to wonder if my estimate was a bit low with respect to the amount of plastic in our oceans.

There really is a place in the Pacific Ocean where you can see floating plastic at counts reaching a million pieces per square mile. Yes, it’s real. You betcha!

The Pacific Ocean is host to what some refer to as the “Garbage Patch”. That may sound “cute” to some, but it’s a horrible, massive blob of trash including discarded fishing nets, plastic bottles, caps, and containers, even items you may not think about like tooth brushes, combs, and even computer monitors.

• Why does it gather in that location? That’s where the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre is located. A gyre is a spiraling collection of currents. And, in the North Pacific, you have some powerful currents converging.
• What else makes it collect in that manner? A phenomenon called Langmuir Circulation. It’s when two masses of water push together. You have likely seen this in action if you have ever seen long, organized streaks of sea foam or perhaps seaweed on the water’s surface. During this process, anything that floats stays on the surface.

I highly recommend the following article on the topic.

Why you will make a difference: Whether you are walking on the beach or fishing, take proactive action the next time you see trash. You help the environment by picking it up and disposing/recycling it appropriately before it can be carried away and cause harm. You may be helping protect property too…ever know someone who got fishing line, or other stuff, caught in their boat prop? Not fun.

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I keep hearing it…But, what does it mean when a species is “threatened”?

No, no…this does not mean that a predator projected ill intentions that will cause harm to its prey. It really means that a species is placed into one of three categories as part of the Threatened sub-set according to the ICUN. The catalyst is a decreasing population of that species through all, or a significant portion, of its range. There are three tiers of threatened. They are Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable. I will provide more on these definitions later.

Plants and animals on the list can change from on category to another. Animals can be “rediscovered” or one can have a surviving population deteriorate. Also, species can be “delisted” by the proper authority if sufficient data points to healthy and recovered populations. Most of the time the populations get worse. 99% of the threatened species can be linked directly to human complacency.

Read the full article here.

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I heard folks talking in the elevator about SRI when speaking about their investments and I wanted to find out what the heck it was. Do you know?

SRI is a nifty and appropriate acronym that stands for Socially Responsible Investing. It is really a way to invest in companies that contain traits related to environmental responsibility, fair labor, human rights, or humanitarian causes…just to name a few of the biggies. Today, around 10% of investments have to do with some form of SRI. And, thanks to the recent trend toward raising our eco-IQ, the choices are growing. But, how do you sort out a true Socially Responsible company from the rest of the herd that likely includes wannabe organizations/firms that say they are “socially responsible”?

Well, for starters, educate yourself about the topics. There are a number of sites and free reports available on the subject. One particular source I found useful was SocialFunds.com. This resource includes the option to receive PDF versions of reports providing a good deal of education (PDFs save trees and other resources too).

Why you will make a difference: Consider SRI the next time you invest your well deserved cash. Be sure that the company or portfolio you invest in has ethical environmental and social responsibility that is both internally and externally visible (say that ten times fast). This transcends through shareholders as well. If you are looking at a portfolio or mutual fund, it may be SRI because they elected to include or exclude companies based off whether they met certain criteria.

Do you have experience with SRI? Feel free to leave a comment.

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Last May a tornado tore through the Kansas town of Greensburg whipping part of the town off the map, literally. Overcoming tragedy through heartfelt actions, the community used the rebuild as an opportunity to “go green”.

The town is tapping into energy ideas like geothermal options, wind turbines, solar panels, and improved recycling programs. In addition, they are building better buildings too. Kudos to you Greensburg (and to all others that are building green). So, how does one know they are building to a green standard? By building to U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDs Standards system – silly.

LEEDs is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This nationally recognized third party certification rating system creates standards for sustainable green building. Eco-minded projects like these have LEEDs standards seeded during a building’s design phase and carried all the way through the daily operations of the completed/occupied building.

There are four tiers: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Platinum is the highest. Each tier has certain requirements one has to meet. As you may have concluded, the requirements get tougher the higher you go.

What goes in to a rating can vary depending on the type of structure (new or existing building, developing neighborhoods, home, hospitals, retail, school, etc.). Some of the checkpoints you can expect to get rated on can include:

• Green design/architecture
• Construction methods/materials
• Landscaping choices
• Water management
• Energy and Atmosphere Management
• Indoor Quality (air quality, moisture control, space distribution, etc.)
• Location (proximity to community, transportation options, open space, etc.)
• Sustainability
• Owner and/or Tenant green awareness/education

Why you will make a difference: LEEDs certified homes contribute to a greener planet by reducing energy consumption, waste, and emissions while creating healthier living conditions for occupants. You can also get some extra money in your pocket through qualified incentives, allowances, and tax rebates while reducing utility bills. Think you have a project that fits? Consider the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDs certification. Read more about the program here.

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