February Earthquake and Its Ethical Environmental Issues
Probably the most frightening natural-occurring disasters are earthquakes. According to some studies, people experience earthquakes at least twice in their lifetime. These experiences are often recounted with horror and fear. The reason for it is that, earthquakes can occur with minimal warning. Seismologists and geologists alike can attest to the unpredictability of an earthquake. Previous records may give them information they can use for their projection, their behavior is still something that no people can take control of.
February 6 this year, the central Philippine island of Negros Oriental, Southern Cebu Region and some parts of Northern Mindanao, had experienced a quake that the US Geological Survey measured to have struck at magnitude 6.7 with a depth of 12.4 miles. As reported by the national disaster agency, there are at least 43 people killed, another 40 persons missing while 100 are hospitalized because of some injuries. The landslide in La Libertad, a province in Negros Oriental, took a large part of the death toll.
Other reported damages near the quake’s epicenter include a three-storey building that caved in. Cottages along the beach resorts and over 20 houses were drastically overrun with the sudden rise in water level along the shoreline. Volcanology and seismology experts immediately lifted a tsunami alert along the coastal regions of the affected areas. Panic and fear were felt all over the affected areas as people witnessed cracking of roads, bridges, buildings and houses. Despite this, major roads were still passable enabling the majority of the people to evacuate the areas to a more safety locations.
Aftershocks were recorded to be as strong as the initial quakes. One aftershock even registered a 6.2 magnitude six hours after the first. Spokesperson of the local government warned that even though the imminent danger was over, people in affected areas should remain vigilant while being calm. Authorities even warned about the recurring aftershocks that would happen from time to time.
Geographically, the Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is likely to experience earthquakes and volcanic eruptions all throughout its islands. The particular February 6 earthquake occurred to be a thrust-faulting within the archipelago where microplates move. Similar earthquakes happened in the north of the present affected areas killing more than 2,000 people.
Several ethical environmental issues can be brought by the impact of earthquakes. As we can see, a great deal of the region’s infrastructures was affected by these natural occurrences. Means of livelihood are expected to be damaged as destruction of industries and office buildings are apparent in the area. Even worse, injuries and loss of human lives can be the immediate results of the destruction of infrastructures.
Other ethical environmental issues brought about by earthquakes are the tragic impact to the ecosystem and the natural habitat. Although not officially stated, the landslides along La Libertad and nearby areas would expectedly affect the natural habitat of the animals and plants. During the 1976 Sichuan earthquake in China, 23 percent of the giant panda bear population was lost. Moreover, the situation upset the biodiversity of the area. Marine life can also be affected with these events as tsunamis, brought about by earthquakes, can disturb sea life and its natural habitat.
Serious environmental concerns can also be caused by earthquakes. Ethical environmental issues such as human health can be devastated. If the tremors occurred in urbanized areas, heavy damages to the water sources and sewage systems can be expected. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti brought severe problems to the health of the survivors as their water system got polluted by the damaged waste disposal system. Other than that, rubbles and debris can pose another danger for the people.
With these concerns, the Philippine government should establish ethical environmental policies to deal with the damages brought by the aftermath of the earthquake. Proper disposal of waste should be attended immediately so that it could not affect the surviving population. Water and sewage systems are another aspect that should be prioritized so that the people could resume back to their usual lives without any threat to health.
Ethical Environmental Solutions on How to Save Our Planet
At the end of the warmest winter in memory we are reminded that climate change is here and with us, not at some time in the future but here and now. The impacts for the future are debateable. I have a set of beliefs but not everyone shares them. Instead I am going to pass the blog posting to our staff member Mark. Mark is from the Phillipines which over the holiday period experienced a tropic storm of monumental proportions (http://www.climateneeds.umd.edu/climatewire-12-19-11/article-04.php). What is clear is that while we are arguing over what may happen in the future. The price of prevarication is being paid by people living in island states like the Philippines.
It is not a secret to all of us that our planet today is on the brink of destruction unless we do something. With all the waste materials that we produce everyday, the environment is slowly dying. Especially today were in we are advancing and discovering new technologies, more energy is needed and a lot of wastes materials are made as a result. These waste materials include smoke from vehicles or power plants, toxins, plastics that we throw anywhere. Not to mention the trees that is being cut down, and the mineral resources that we harvest everyday. The planet is getting poor and taken for granted.
Some people do not realize this now, but our planet seriously needs our help. We don’t need to wait for calamities to happen in order to realize our mistakes. We can act now and keep our environment clean and green. There are a lot of ethical environmental solutions for this problem. These are the following:
- Plant trees
A lot of mountains today are now getting bald because of the trees that are being cut down. A lot of trees are used mostly to produce paper and for construction supplies. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to use trees to build houses; I’m just saying if we cut down trees, we should also learn to plant them. In that way, there would be balance. Trees are important because they control the flow of water from mountain tops, they provide oxygen, and they cool the environment. Without the trees, there would be flood and the environment would be much hotter.
- Proper disposal of wastes
Sometimes, we add problem to the environment by the wastes that we dispose. When we throw our wastes anywhere, it could poison the environment. Like for example, the plants that are throwing their toxic wastes in rivers or in the ocean. A lot of fishes and other living organisms could die and would result to a disruption of the food chain which could greatly affect the environment. We should learn to segregate our wastes with the biodegradable and the non-biodegradable.
- Conserve energy
Conserving energy also has a big part in saving the planet. We can minimize the wastes produce in energy plants when we use our electricity wisely. Like for example, when we are not using a certain room, we should turn off the lights.
- Use sustainable products
Sustainable products are those that are produced using eco friendly materials. Sustainable products are harmless to the environment so it is much advisable that we use them. We should avoid disposable products because they only add wastes to the environment. Sustainable products are very great to use because it helps the environment and it is also beneficial.
- Recycle
Recycling those materials that can be reused is one of the effective ways to save the planet. It does not only minimize wastes but it also helps you save money. Recycling only applies to disposable materials which can be redesigned to have another purpose.
There are still a lot of ways to help save the planet. We should always remember that it is not too late, we still got time to correct things.
One Stop Shop Tips – Gift Ideas for the Holidays
The holidays are closely coming in and for sure you will be looking for the best gift ideas to give this Yuletide season. Looking for the right gift to give can be very daunting especially if you are having a rush for year-end projects and deals and apparently, you can’t give time for it. Nevertheless, bright and green ideas are just around the corner! Yes, you have it right there. Why not opt for something green environment friendly gifts?
You can actually find eco-friendly gifts in an online one stop shop that sells practical, functional and most of all, made from recycled and environment friendly materials. And what could be more excellent than to give your loved ones with office supplies that he or she can actually make use of. A set of cufflinks and neck tie or a pair of executive shoes can often be the common gift items but giving something unique and practical could surely put a smile on the recipient’s face.
It is actually hitting two birds with one stone. While you are giving something practical and functional for the holidays you are also able to address the present environmental concerns and thus, make the planet a little more greener. So, here are some of eco-friendly office supplies gift ideas that you can give:
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Bamboo notebooks – these notebooks are made from 100% sustainable bamboo pulp paper that can be very handy when it comes to taking notes. Not only were you able to help save trees from being cut down in making these notebooks, they are actually a must-have for people who are likely in need to express their thoughts in paper or simply to take notes of important meetings or tasks
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Recycled Paper and other Paper Products – speaking of notepads and papers, papers are one of the most indispensable things in home or in office. They may be provided for at the office but nothing can be more thoughtful than to give it to your office-working loved one to make him/her cheer up in the workplace. These versatile envelopes and folders are also 100% recycled and environmental chlorine free to which they can use for special presentations or reports.
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Word Stamps – these stamps are manufactured from 95% recycled plastics. The ink as well, is produced from sustainable components that are environment-friendly. Now you can always be a part for every transaction that your boss-spouse signed with.
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Document wallets – for those very important documents that need to be organized and kept, these document wallets are perfect storage receptacles. Made from 100% recycled hard cardboard, these wallets help reduce carbon footprints and at the same time, save your vital documents or paperwork.
Many online one stop shops offer a wide range of other essential office products including print cartridges, bond papers, sticky tapes, office furniture, office lamps and a lot more. An online one stop shop is an excellent resource for these amazing eco-friendly items that can be instrumental for your loved ones productivity and efficiency at home or work.
Eco Friendly Office Supplies
Why Choose Recycled Paper Products?
One cannot deny the growing environmental awareness and concerns today. Our earth today is indeed in great danger as problems such as pollution (of any kind), global warming, and massive deforestation activities proliferated in all parts of the globe. For such reasons, it is crucial that we must play our part in saving our planet from further destruction. It’s not just about preferring mass mode of transportation like buses or motor coach rides to go from one place to another, i.e., workplace or home, but even inside our respective offices or workplace, we can still get ourselves involved in this environmental campaign for a greener, cleaner earth.
Paper and other paper products
Conventionally, paper and other paper products are the lifeblood of every transaction, tasks or projects in offices. Paper is basically manufactured from trees and with that, we mean cutting down millions of trees. The pace of which paper and other paper products are manufactured apparently outrun the earth’s capacity to replenish and regrow its natural resources such as the trees. And this could mean one thing for us: destruction of earth’s natural balance. The solution is quite simple: recycle and recycle. In order to save our trees we need not only use paper sparingly but recycle used paper as well.
Consequently, there are more environmentally-conscious manufacturing companies that opt for eco friendly and sustainable office products. How does it benefit them and the environment? In a lot of way; by utilizing eco friendly office products like paper and other goods, the depletion of natural forest resources are slowed down, energy consumption are reduced and the best part (practically speaking) is its expense-wise advantages as costs in purchasing new and regular office supplies are being cut down. It is definitely eco friendly and economical.
For the environment, the benefits are far more evident as it:
(Obviously) saves trees, energy for manufacturing, water, and landfill space compared to that of virgin paper
- Protects the forests and watersheds and enhance the balance of the ecosystem
- Produces lesser amount of pollution than the production of virgin paper does
- Provides environmental savings. This is an example of a sustainable means of production as paper fibers can be recycled and processed all over again for many times over
- Decreases the use of toxic chemicals as recycling paper needs less bleaching than virgin paper does
The community also benefits in the advocacy of using recycled paper and other paper products it can create and help flourish a sustainable market for local recycle collection system.
Ecofriendly and economical paper and other paper products are now available in various products which are of course high in quality suitable for businesses and other office requirements. These include but not limited to:
- Copy and bond papers
- Letterheads
- Stationary and envelopes
- Business cards
- Brochure papers
- Magazine, catalog, or advertisement pages
- Text and cover
- Book printing papers
- And more…
Bonus fact for those who are apprehensive in using recycled paper products:
Some believed that recycled paper often end up jamming copiers and printers that is why they prefer virgin paper products more. However, with today’s recycling technology, paper products such as copier papers are made in high quality standard suitable for copier use. Paper jamming might be caused by the machine itself such that the ream stood open for a long duration thus absorbing moisture that causes the problem. Also, users disregard the paper quality required for a specific copier: some copiers require a particular “high-speed” quality of paper for copying. Or simply, the machine needs cleaning and maintenance.
Sustainable Procurement – the only way to be sure of your environmental impact
Everything you buy for your office will have an impact on your office – make sure it’s a good one. Whether it’s a pen or a flood of marketing materials, if it’s sourced incorrectly, for example rich in virgin materials, imported across the world or child labour, it will have a negative effect on your business.
That means when buying anything it’s important to know where it’s from, what it’s made of and how. Of course, you don’t have time to do this. You’ve got a business to run and other work to do. That’s why we at The Green Desk have done the work for you.
We’re a sustainable procurement company. We’ve done the leg work, found the most environmentally positive products on the market and asked the questions that need to be asked. So when you buy your office’s stationery, marketing, cleaning, toners and cartridges, furniture, health and safety, business cards, janitorial and catering needs, bespoke gifts, print and letterheads, work wear, recycling and, well, anything an office could need, you can be safe in the knowledge that your products will have a positive impact upon your business and the environment.
It’s what makes us different from all other suppliers. And we take nothing for granted. Even if it’s recycled, we go the extra mile to make sure it was made locally – not shipped in across the world bringing with it unnecessary carbon footprints.
Next time you buy for the office, stop. Do you know where it was made, what it’s made of and how it was made? We do. So save time and don’t go anywhere else.
Guest Blog – Food, Glorious Food
Here it is, the very first of our gust blogs brought to you by our wonderful friends in the green community. This week’s blog has been done by Grace Onions, part of the dynamic Croydon Real Nappy Network team who campaigns to help divert over 2,190 nappies from landfill (per child) a year, through the use of reusable cloth nappies.
Food, Glorious Food!
(or Waste not, want not)
What with growing some of our own organic fruit and vegetables, buying locally produced foods when we can and cooking most meals ‘from scratch’ as the phrase goes, we try our best to keep our carbon footprint small in the food department.
There are two ways (to start with anyway) that I can see which would make a real difference to anyone else who’s also concerned about our carbon footprint.
Firstly, it has to be “use-by” dates. I’m young enough to remember the days before this fiendishly clever marketing ploy was used to tell us Jo Public when our unused food should be thrown out. What rot! (you’ll have to excuse that, I just had to say it). There is now a considerable portion of the population who do not consider any other option other than to discard an item when it passes this date. This is sometimes justified, in the case of items such as fresh fish, meat or eggs for example. But should we consider tinned beans in the same way? Or jam? Or dried fruit? Well I think not.
These items are preserved – jam is actually called a ‘preserve’. Tinned, bottled, pickled, dried, dehydrated foods are all processed in these ways in order to make them last longer. Throwing away good, healthy food is just plain ridiculous and hugely wasteful, increasing our carbon footprint completely unnecessarily. Ok so some foods such as dried items may not be as full-flavoured, but they won’t do you any harm if they are a few days or weeks or possibly months past the magic use-by date. The thing is to open the packet/tin/bottle and give a good sniff – step 1. If it smells ok then taste a small piece – step 2. If it has gone off, you will probably know by step 1 – step 2 will merely confirm it. If in doubt then don’t use it but by simply investigating instead of blindly throwing something away, many foodstuffs can be safely used. As well as saving you money, you will help the planet a little bit each time.
Next on my hit-list is food waste. Getting sucked in by ‘2 for the price of 1’ offers or ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ is all well and good if you can actually use the item. It might seem like a good idea at the time to get ‘3 litres of milk for the price of 2’ but will you actually get to use it before it goes off? You can freeze milk by the way so that’s perhaps not the best example but I’m hoping that you get my drift here. A bargain is only a bargain if it is useful and used. Otherwise it’s simply a waste. Why bring home extra food, even if it is free, just to throw it away? All that energy which has gone into growing / making / transporting / packaging / storing food only to finally transport it home and discard it, is wasted. Wasted. And it’s often hard to resist these offers, particularly if they are on yummy stuff, like oh, let me think … Easter eggs or cakes. Perhaps you would then make yourself eat more in an effort to justify getting the extra items? Definitely a vicious circle. Perhaps you might give these items a little more thought before lobbing them into the trolley and make sure that you really are getting a bargain.
Leftovers is a subject that I didn’t think I knew much about until our local Friends of the Earth group had a discussion on the subject recently. How easy is it to use the leftover meat from a roast to make a curry the next day? Dead easy really, and much less wasteful. Or slice up your leftover boiled spuds and fry them? Or Bubble & Squeak – remember that? Another good leftover recipe. Lots of leftovers perk up with a dollop of grated cheese melted on top – yesterday’s spag bol for instance. And with modern fridges, freezers and microwaves (if you trust them, but that’s a subject for another day), it’s easy to store and reheat cooked foods safely. A cheap, carbon-friendly option – reheating a meal takes a lot less energy than cooking from scratch. Not quite carbon neutral though, but it’s a start.
I’m off for a big slice of home-made date and walnut loaf now, with real butter on top. Sorry, not sharing that!
Gasland comes to the UK
Distributed by fellow social enterprise, Dogwoof, documentary Gasland demonstrates the dangers of a controversial technique for drilling gas, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”. Popular in the US, the UK is soon to see its first wellopen at the end of the month.
The technique, which involves a process of releasing shale gas deposits from thousands of feet within the earth has unleashed concerns that it can contaminate water supplies. As shown in Gasland by filmmaker Josh Fox, it has even been capable of making household drinking water flammable.
Issues regarding its safety to human and environmental health are explored throughout the film as Josh takes viewers on a journey across America discovering disturbing, absurd and wild stories about the effects of fracking. And along the way his banjo comes with him for a blast of bluegrass.
Already shortlisted for an Oscar, it is in line to be one of the top eco blockbusters of the year.
Gasland premiers in London ICA on 17th January. Want to win tickets? Simply visit the Dogwoof Facebook page like and comment their post and you’ll be in with a chance!
Water Waste in the Workplace
Meeting your recommended two litres a day of water means you’re going to have to drink a significant amount of water at work. After all, the average office worker will be there for most of the day. The question is: bottled, dispenser or tap?
The answer’s simple. Tap. Considering there’s over 10 million office workers around the UK, if all used bottled water or dispensers (which utilise giant bottles, too), that’s an enormous amount of plastic waste building up. It’s a lot of money too.
With businesses throughout the nation looking to minimise unnecessary costs, surely something as simple as the water supply is an essential port of call. Paying for daily supplies of various bottled water is a complete economic inefficiency. Unless the office has no taps, it’s likely you’re paying for water already. And in the UK, our tap water is some of the purist in the world. So why pay more to have it brought to you in bottles?
Of course, this can be filtered for those in a hard watered area (or general preference). But this simple step will prove to offer excellent financial benefits, whilst eliminating a major environmental negative – the plastic bottle.
To learn more about the great benefits of tap water why not try out this fantastic tool from Give Me Tap: http://www.givemetap.co.uk/savings
And remember, it costs nothing to switch to tap, but it costs a whole lot not to.
Can you sell reduction?
From the latest fashion to green consumables, consumption is sold across the world in a remarkable range of ways. If it exists – and sometimes if it doesn’t – you can buy it. What about when it comes to reduction?
In essence, reduction doesn’t cost you anything. You don’t have to buy it. By its very nature it is simply not using something, thus not buying it. In turn you save money, resources and potentially more.
That’s why we look to offer reduction to our customers at every possible time. Whether it’s in the amount of paper they need or ink – even simply through printing double sided or doing things virtually wherever possible. It all helps save in a number of different ways.
Then where reduction is not possible, we can provide the necessary items to provide the lowest impact available. Whilst still involving consumption, we look for reduction at every feasible angle. That includes a reduction in carbon footprint, materials used, waste and more.
By doing so it’s possible to minimise the resources and energy that are used, whilst at the same time continuing business as normal. So if consumption is a must, see where you can offer a bit of reduction along the way to be sure whatever it is you want, need or get.
- @dogwoof surly Lassi the curry loving healthy yoghurt dog
- Playing with my new hand operated shredder , clean green and addictive- I love testing new product ranges!