The campaign aims to “reduce carbon emissions in order to slow the rate of climate change; protect the environment; improve your health; and express compassion for the rights and needs of animals.”

As can be expected with a campaign of this nature, regarding just how much of a difference going without meat for just one day can make – especially when there must be a carbon footprint involved in the production and consumption of vegetarian food, too. However, Meat Free Mondays does, at the very least, seem like a step in the right direction healthwise, and if we can reduce the inhumane practices associated with raising and killing livestock, so much the better. I’ll leave the ‘environmental impact’ discussions to the experts!

In a society that has certainly jumped on the going green’ bandwagon, Meat Free Mondays presents itself as a campaign with which companies and brands can align themselves to appeal to consumers’ needs, while at the same time working to make a real difference, rather than simply ‘greenwashing’ to keep up with the trend.

On a daily basis, I receive my ‘Go Green Daily Tip’ from All4Women.co.za. Going through by green folder in my inbox, I came across one email that I had not read, entitled Bottled Water, I thought to myself, for a brief second, how can bottled water possibly be green?

The article was very interesting, and about ‘how bottled water is not environmentally friendly’. Here are the facts, courtesy of Eyako Green Eco-Friendly Corporate Gifts: “Bottled water uses 2 000 times more energy to produce than tap water – where possible, and safe to drink tap water. Bottled water generally comes in plastic bottles that are not biodegradable. The bottles are then transported some distance, this then equals an increase in CO2 missions.

I thought this was an interesting little fact that made me think of myself, and all the bottles of water I purchase weekly – whilst reading this little piece, I began to feel so guilty, ‘coz I know for a fact that on my kitchen table-top, I have a whole bunch of plastic bottles lined up next to each other. I’m not as bad as I use to be though, everyday at work I have my 2-litre Valpre bottle which I fill up with water and re-use – its mainly on the weekend’s where I stop at the garage and become a ‘bottle hoarder’.

I guess it’s one more item to add to the ‘Louis’, or should I say kitchen sink that I carry around day-to-day, but hey I am all for eco-friendliness and saving the environment, and I if I can carry my bottle with me, that’s one less bottle to pollute my environment – feels like I’m singing that song “.. six green bottles hanging on the wall …”

Are you a bottle hoarder? Do you have Energade and Valpre bottles stacked in your kitchen cupboard? Post your comments below.

Efforts to ensure large, global sports events are green, often fail, and according to The Telegraph, although some of the cities that will host 2010 FIFA World Cup matches “have constructed stadiums that feature natural ventilation; rain water capture; and increased energy efficiency.”

“The ‘carbon footprint’ for this year’s tournament is estimated at 2.75-million tons of carbon dioxide, nine times higher than the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and more than twice as high as the Beijing Olympics,” reports The Telegraph. One of the main reasons for the high number of emissions is because “fans will have to fly between the host cities and because the nation uses coal for most of its electricity.”

Appealing if those white clouds turned a permanent grey?

While some host cities are making efforts to offset emissions, (with Durban planning to produce electricity from hydraulic turbines or biogas emitted by landfills, and Johannesburg and Cape Town planting thousands of trees to capture carbon dioxide), these carbon credit projects will take about two and a half years to offset the emissions caused by hosting the tournament.

It seems the old adage of ‘we left it till the 11^th hour’ is ringing not only true, but loud enough for us to no longer ignore it. The increased hissing of those planes over our yards in the next few months will certainly send a shudder through my soul, and make me wonder if it will ever be possible for anyone to ever have clean lungs again. The reality seems to be hitting pretty close as we hear the daily count downs. We can’t forget that South Africa is pretty close to that dangerous hole in the ozone layer, and that we’re a water dry country. The combination of these factors and increased emissions will have negative impacts for the country. Not only that, but the impacts will be felt by the poorest of the poor. Haven’t we left them out in the cold one too many times now?

All the national team kits have been designed with each country’s national culture and identity in mind.

I recently subscribed to the TrendHunter Magazine … all I can say is ….. “THE AWESOME”. The online mag features daily acumens of micro-trends; viral news; and cutting-edge ideas that are set in motion by a global network of thousands of trend spotters; cool hunters; and brilliance.

Being the year 2010 – The International Year for Bio-Diversity, dubbed by the UN, and the whole thing, these days, about ‘keeping all things green and beautiful’, I simply had to share an article I came across entitled: ‘Solar-Powered Magazines – Visionaire adds colour to Black & White art with Sunlight’, very out of the ordinary. Visionaire magazine, famous for its refreshing creativity, have used the latest in printing technologies to create a whole book filled with imagery that appears black and white under indoor lighting but magically comes into sight when exposed to sunlight and transforming into dazzlingly coloured pieces of art.

I would definitely encourage a look-see of the images that feature in the limited edition Visionaire 56 Solar.

For more info on the mag, visit: www.visionaireworld.com/issues.php?id=56

Do you have any chic green initiatives up your sleeve? What next, after solar powered magazines? Share you ideas below.

Some of the main issues which impact on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions include:

Tare weight

Reducing vehicle tare weight reduces rolling resistance and CO2 emissions. Serco’s Super Reefer Lite, achieves a weight saving against the standard trailer of up to 1 000kgs. The lightweight 30 pallet show trailer, which weighed in at 8 380kg’s including the cooler unit will deliver a reduction over a seven-year period of 37 tons in CO2 emissions and a reduction of 0.81 litres of fuel per 100km in comparison to a standard trailer with single tyres. This amount increases to a 58.9-ton saving in CO2 emissions and a 1.27 litre saving in fuel per 100km when compared to a trailer with dual tyres.

Tyre pressure

A recent survey found that almost a quarter of vehicles had under-inflated tyres, which increase fuel consumption and emissions. Serco has introduced the ‘P-eye’ tyre pressure sensors as a simple but effective way to remedy this problem while saving on tyre wear and fuel at the same time.

Thermal efficiency

Maintaining the thermal efficiency of the body is paramount to reduce fuel consumption of the fridge motor. Prompt attention to attend to damage to the body will help reduce water ingress. Door seals and heat bridges will also impact on the thermal efficiency of the body. The type of refrigerant used is also a major factor. Certain CFC refrigerants have now been banned and more efficient motors which use less fuel are being introduced.

The clock now reads six minutes to midnight. The reasons for this are cited as an increased awareness and interest in stopping key threats to humanity (in particular nuclear conflict and global warming) since US President, Barack Obama, took office a year ago. Last month’s Copenhagen conference also raised optimism as it was the first time in the 17-year history of UN climate conferences that developing and industrialised countries all agreed to take responsibility for emissions, raising expectations that governments will begin to reduce carbon emissions through regulatory schemes; public and private investments in alternative energy sources; and promotion of energy efficiency. However, the Bulletin warned that this positive shifting of the clock could be reversed if the world’s governments don’t follow through on promises to curb the creation of more nuclear weapons and green house gases.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists was established soon after World War II by Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, among others, out of concern for global nuclear annihilation, but it has since broadened its scope to include the world’s vulnerability to climate change.

Since 1949, some of the major movements on the Doomsday Clock have included:
1949: three minutes to midnight after President Harry Truman told the US public that the Soviet Union has tested its first nuclear device, officially starting the arms race.
1953: the US decided to pursue the hydrogen bomb, a weapon even more powerful than the atom bombs used against Japan, and soon after, the Soviet Union tested an H-bomb of its own; this moved the clock forward to two minutes to midnight.
1972: 12 minutes to midnight after the US and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
1984: The US and the Soviet Union virtually cut off communications, and the US considers building an expansive, space-based anti-ballistic missile system, bringing the clock forward significantly to three minutes to midnight.
1991: with the Cold War officially over, the US and Russia began cutting their nuclear arsenals, turning back the clock to 17 minutes to midnight, although this was brought forward to 14 minutes in 1995 amid concerns that terrorists could obtain weapons from poorly secured nuclear facilities in Russia.
2007: most recently, the clock was pushed forward to two minutes to midnight, thanks partly to North Korea’s nuclear testing and concerns over Iran’s nuclear intentions.

The shifting of the Doomsday Clock has had a fair amount of coverage in the social media sphere, with some feeling that the move from five to six minutes to midnight is a positive sign of the state of the planet, while others remain critical of measuring Obama’s success so early into his presidential term, and still others feel that the Bulletin’s optimism is unfounded.

It is certainly an interesting take on where we are at in terms of preserving our planet and how far we need to push our green initiatives, as well as the way we should look at the wars going on around the world. What are your thoughts on this?

Visit www.turnbacktheclock.org for more information.

Did you know you can recycle your phone almost entirely?

If you’re hanging on to your old mobile phone, you’re not alone. Nokia’s Global Consumer Survey reveals that three out four people don’t think about recycling their devices; half are unaware that it is possible to do so; 3% of people recycle their mobile phones globally; 4%, are being thrown into landfill; and 44% are simply being kept at homes never used. Others are giving their mobiles another life in different ways, one quarter are passing on their old phones to friends or family, and 16% of people are selling their used devices particularly in emerging markets. Globally, 74% of consumers don’t think about recycling their phones, despite the fact that around the same number, 72%, think recycling makes a difference to the environment.

Between 65% and 80% of a Nokia device can be recycled. Plastics that can’t be recycled are burnt to provide energy for the recycling process, and other materials are ground up into chips and used as construction materials or for building roads. In this way nothing has to go to landfill. If every mobile phone user recycled just one unused phone, nearly 240 000 tonnes of raw materials would be saved. Phones are better off being recycled because 100% of the materials in your phone can be recovered. They can be used to make new products – from musical instruments to gold rings or even a park bench. Recycling means we don’t need to extract and refine as much material for new products, saving energy; chemicals; and waste. If every Nokia user recycled just one unused phone at the end of its life, together we would save nearly 80 000 tonnes of raw materials.

Nokia has collection points for unwanted mobile devices in 85 countries around the world, the largest voluntary scheme in the mobile industry. People can drop off their old devices at Nokia stores and almost 5 000 Nokia Care Centers. To find your nearest take back point, visit www.nokia.com/werecycle.

WWF's melting men raise awareness in Berlin

However, whether this is the case or not, I find it an important move, as they say ‘any awareness is better than no awareness.’ Belin is a huge city attracting millions of visitors;

By some estimates, if 10 percent of the world’s cell phone users (there are over three billion worldwide) unplugged their chargers when they are not in use, it would save enough energy to power 100 000 homes.

As part of its green strategy, Nokia has pledged its support for the industry’s move toward universal standard chargers that will see all cell phone manufacturers using micro-USB connections for cell phone chargers, meaning that the number of chargers manufactured will not increase as dramatically as the number of cell phones is further expected to, as users will theoretically be able to have one charger for life. It will also mean that packaging will be reduced, as cell phones will be shipped without chargers.

In addition, Nokia has said it is working on developing 100% recyclable phones, as well as a ‘pop charger’, which will cut off the power supply to the charger once the cell phone is fully charged.

It seems that Nokia is working hard on maintaining its green strategy and contributing to a healthier planet; it is now the consumers’ turn to make a difference by remembering to unplug our chargers while the feature doesn’t exist to remind us to do so, and also by thinking about things like recycling our cell phones – which only 3% of cell phone users currently consider doing. Nokia plans to extend its green strategy beyond its own corporate environmental responsibility, toward educating consumers about how they contribute to saving the planet.

I think we should all take a page out of Nokia’s book, and give credit to this company for its efforts at making the planet greener.