The most effective way to combat tap water pollution

Did you know that 99% of the molecules inside of your body are water? Drinking water is huge! That’s why when we read about contaminates that are in water nowadays that can’t be removed with current water processing plant technologies it felt devastating. Across some regions such as India it’s essential that everyone purify their own water and for this reason, bottles of purified water are often toted around town wherever people go.

It seems like this article focuses on U.S. water treatment, and it pointed out that common medication such as anti-depressants, birth control and antibiotics do not get filtered out of our tap water! This leaves the responsibility up to the consumer if they don’t want to drink water filled with chemicals. In addition to medication pollution in tap water, other contaminates in municipal water and well-water may include pesticides, herbicides, and volatile organic chemicals.

Our source also has a list of good filters to buy that can get rid of these chemicals. The best water filtration system is a carbon block filter because it will “remove all the bad stuff” and reverse osmosis filtration systems are another option. The main difference between these two filters is mainly that the reverse osmosis filtration system will remove trace minerals from what which over time can be problematic.

(Source: http://naturallysavvy.com/live/5-things-about-drinking-water-everyone-needs-to-know#.U7yC_M5f3QY.twitter )

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The Portland-Montreal Pipe Line: Victory?

The Portland-Montreal Pipe Line (PMPL) carries crude oil between South Portland, Maine and Montreal, Quebec. The PMPL was built in the beginning of World War II to transport the oil shipments to Canada to central Canada. The Portland-Montreal Pipe Line was originally finished in 1941 which could transport oil to Montreal from The USA. Today the Port of Portland is the largest volume oil port on the Eastern Seaboards because of the PMPL.

At the beginning of 2008 the PMPL parties looked into expanding and/or reversing the flow of the PMPL since crude oil reserves are increasing in western Canada. The Athabasca oil sands in Alberta, Canada for one have also been in the news a lot recently because they have bitumen or heavy crude oil. Since the modern method of oil production from heavy crude oil causes devastation to the natural environment and human health, the South Portland, Maine area recently made the decision to keep tar sands out of its port.

The PMPL Corp. says that “the ban won’t hold up in court”.

More from:

http://www.npr.org/sections/environment/

http://www.pmpl.com/

and http://updates.mainetoday.com/updates/021895.html

 

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“Poor Little Fishbowl Sink”

I consider this to be good art. Sad, but good.

Yan Lu’s piece “Poor Little Fishbowl Sink” is a visual reminder that if people use too much water, it kills living things around them. The sink has a fishbowl at eye level and the direct relationship between our water usage and the impact on the environment is clear.

The fish bowl and the faucet are actually separated so that the fish wouldn’t die from soapy water, and one can wash with clean water. Also, the fish bowl won’t actually ever drain completely but the idea is there and people will remember to turn off the tap!

(Source: http://magazine.good.is/articles/conserve-water-or-the-fish-will-die)

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The SMOG Project by Designer Daan Roosegaarde

After writing about the EPA’s new proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% from 2005 levels by 2030, and China’s battle against smog, we want to present a new “Smog-Sucking Electrostatic Vacuum Cleaner” idea that cleanses polluted air:

Copper coils buried in the ground create a positively charged electrostatic field. All particles of ten nanometres or more — including smog — become positively charged, and thus attracted to the grounded earth, where they are collected. “It’s a loop of fresh air,”

The method of ionizing smog particles came from Delft University of Technology researcher Bob Ursem who noticed that tiny particles of organic debris would move from the Atlantic Ocean onto the beach. The particles would fly over the dunes, towards the bushes and then over the bushes. Ursem explained that the particles had a negative charge because of friction and they floated above the negatively charged bushes, “…indicating that the electrical force is greater than the gravity force”. Ursem began studying the negatively charged particles by replicating this phenomenon in his lab and he eventually was able to reverse the charge on the particles using an electrostatic field. Under lab conditions, Ursem created an “ionic wind” as the force of positively charged particles attached themselves to the ground. This sweeping discovery is fascinating also because of Roosegaarde’s awesome plans and creativity. Roosegaarde is trying to build such devices to place on the sides of buildings in Beijing to reduce smog in the city. The latest project specs indicate that the pockets of cleansed air will be in parks so that people can enjoy a 30,000 meters cubed area of fresh air. Another testament to Roosegaarde’s creativity is that he would like the particles in smog that get collected by the air-purifying devices to be turned into “diamond” rings representing the smog that is collected in this process.

 

(Source: http://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/the-smog-project/stories/#794 and http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2014/04/start/beijings-cloud-server)

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Machine Turns Plastic Waste Into Oil!

Bad environmental news such as the Great Pacific garbage patch, and the recent findings of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes had this writer wondering what would be a good treatment for the plastics that many people use and pollute the environment with. Our research found an amazing company called Blest.co.Ltd. which turns plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene back into oil! When using one of Blest.co.Ltd.’s machines, the user simply places acceptable plastics in a chamber, presses a few buttons and watches as the recycling gets heated and the steam gets distilled resulting in mixture oil. The mixture oil can be further processed to make gasoline, kerosene, diesel oil, and heavy oil. The link to order your own Blest machine is here: http://www.blest.co.jp/index-english.html

To make matters even better, Blest’s Founder and CEO, Akinori is so passionate about this machine that he visits children in developing countries and other parts of the world to change their perspective about trash and to educate them about recycling. Akinori converts plastics into oil in front of children’s’ eyes because he is so inspired by preserving the environment for children. To see Akinori and this fabulous invention, please play this video and prepare to be amazed:

 

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Micobead Ban Legislation in New York and Illinois Due to Pollution

There is currently legislation to phase out products containing plastic microbeads in New York and Illinois. These tiny pieces are often made out of plastic and they are commonly put into body washes and facial cleansers to exfoliate the skin. Environmentalists say that these microbeads are polluting the ocean and research is now underway in the Great Lakes which contain more than 20% of the world’s freshwater.

Earth Touch News Network explains: “Because of their small size and buoyancy, microbeads escape treatment by sewage plants and are discharged into rivers, lakes and oceans. Mistaken for food, they’re ingested by small fish and other aquatic life. But the problem isn’t just the obvious belly-aching threat of swallowing plastic. The plastic beads also accumulate toxic chemicals that may be found in the water, poisoning the fish” small fish can die from ingesting too many microbeads.

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Microorganisms Are Put to Work to Make Eco-Friendly Bricks

A new type of brick called bioMASON has arrived, and it is actually GROWN not built…by putting microorganisms to work! One of the most energy intensive materials to manufacture is concrete and the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere in this process is also something that could be lessened if bricks could be made in a bio-friendly manner.

bioMASON is a “unique biotechnology start-up manufacturing company with a natural process that will revolutionize the building and construction industry. bioMASON employs natural microorganisms and chemical processes to manufacture biological cement-based masonry building materials”. In addition to the fascinating science behind this is bioMASON’s award for the: Next Generation “the Big Fix” by Metropolis magazine.

The founder, Ginger Krieg Dosier had the idea to grow bricks since she studied coral structure and the process has been refined by bioMASON. A video of Dosier and the product can be viewed here:

 

(Source: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/05/20/sponsored-ad-biomason-green-challenge)

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Water-Gen Delivers Drinkable Water Out of Thin Air

A company in Israel called Water-Gen has come up with a more feasible solution for gathering drinkable water for those in remote areas. These new water gathering, and filtering solutions pull water out of thin-air. David Gillo, Water-Gen’s VP of business development said that Water-Gen is meant for remote and emergency situations, and their line includes water generators that sit on the ground or in vehicles. All of these options include faucets to deliver the water, portability, and of course, the ability to gather water from the air (even in dessert-like locations)! Water-Gen can be solar or electric-powered, and best of all each produces between 10 and 20 gallons of fresh, cold drinking water per day since the technology that is used is similar to A/C and dehumidifying units. Here is the company video:

 

Gillo said that Water-Gen is one of the most innovative companies of 2014 according to Fast Company because of the new technology behind their products: “Taking water from the atmosphere has not been done correctly. The tech has not changed for many years. It was based on bad assumptions, the tech was inefficient and it was very expensive…We brought it to a place where it’s efficient, energy-saving and affordable enough where it’s being seriously considered.”

Seriously considered it is. Spring, is a newer product of Water-Gen’s and it is a portable water purifier that can purify even the most toxic water and it can be worn as a backpack. Spring was used by an Israel Defense Forces team to help the areas of the Philippines that were affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

 

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A Brief Video About Global Warming from President Obama’s Science Advisor, Dr. John Holdren

 

Approximately two months ago, President Obama’s Science Advisor, Dr. John Holdren spoke in a video titled The Polar Vortex Explained in 2 Minutes in which he explained that the poles’ temperatures are warming and that the middle latitudes are in fact, warming. Dr. John Holdren explained that the temperature difference between the poles and mid latitudes is decreasing so this has led to what is called a circumpolar vortex, which is a counterclockwise swirling of cold air. Also, since the cold air swirling will then start getting warmer based on its location, this causes the vortex to have “waviness” which will make the northern regions of the globe warmer and the southern regions of the globe cooler.

 

Computer models aided in this simulation to find contributing factors. Dr. John Holdren mentions that the computer models are still experimenting, but ends the video by stating: “I believe the odds are that we can expect as a result of global warming, to see more of this pattern of extreme cold in the mid latitudes and some extreme warm in the far north”.

 

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Curious about green travel? We hope that this is coming soon!

The word on the street in the aeronautics industry is that the Airlander, the world’s largest aircraft is picking up heat — or helium that is. The “high-flying mega-blimp” from a British company called Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. Is an “amalgam of a plane, airship, helicopter and hovercraft.”

The Airlander has received government funding and it was originally being developed for the U.S. Army, but the government ditched the project in 2013. Since Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. Purchased the Airlander, it has been picking up as an awesome invention that can stay high up in the air for three weeks, it can circle the globe twice and it can even carry 22,000 pounds. Additionally, the Airlander is 60 feet longer than the biggest airliners currently on the market such as the Airbus A80 and Boeing 747-8. And, it even has the ability to set down on ice, land or sea according to the International Business Times article on March 3^rd, 2014.

 

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