Plastic pellets made from ocean debris

I’ve written several stories about the dirth of plastic in our oceans and creating gyres around the world. The problem with collecting it has always been that the majority of it consists of small fragments, making it difficult to simply scoop up. Also it’s more brittle due to its exposure to ultraviolet light and ocean degradation.

But a partnership between Method, the “green” laundry product company, and recycler Envision Plastics Industries LLC. has done what no company’s done before. Pellets made partly from ocean plastic debris rolled off Envision’s Chino, California’s plant assembly line on March 1st.

Farewell to a true friend

Goodbye, my friend (March 15, 1996 - Feb. 18, 2012), photo by tzejen, flickr

Sadly, I said goodbye to my dearest boy this past weekend.

Always ready with a sweet smile. Filled with the joy of being alive.

Together 13 1/2 years, it was barely a blink in time. My heart is breaking yet he passed peacefully, with loved ones around him.

Farewell,  my sweet brave M.  My beautiful “Magic Man”.  You taught us all about love and you’ll be truly missed.

Celebrate the one you love!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Whether you’re going traditional (candy and flowers) or taking a romantic getaway, celebrate that special someone today / tonite. Make a memory that will last a lifetime.

Recycled surfboard waste helps clean up toxic spills

Surfboard "waste" is now used to help clean up toxic chemical spills

Almost every industry generates some kind of waste, the majority of which often ends up in landfills. The surfboard industry is no exception.

The powdery dust created by shaping a surfboard from a slab of polyurethane foam has now been transformed into a new, super useful product called  SPILLINEX™, which can quickly absorb harmful chemical waste.

Green your holiday decorations

Holiday fever is rapidly setting in, with holiday lights and Christmas tree lots springing up around town. Whether you celebrate Chanukah or Christmas, it’s time to think about decorating to usher in the holidays.

There are fun, creative options to decorate “green” this year. You could make your own decorations, drawing materials from Nature to create one-of-a-kind ornaments. buy and add to something, or purchase ornaments from a company or organization that involves recycling and /or repurposing materials that would have ended up in a landfill.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

Drive safe out there as there are plenty of holiday revelers and folks whose minds aren’t on their driving on the roads.

Enjoy your friends and families, eat well (but healthy if you can) and have fun!

A waterproof patch could save a life at sea

I recently saw a cable TV show about someone lost at sea after he escaped a damaged plane. He survived but had a harrowing experience adrift for over 24 hours with nothing to be able to signal anyone that he was alive.

Researchers from Finnish company Patria and the Tampere University of Technology, working under the auspices of the European Space Agency (ESA), have developed a patch that’s a flexible waterproof fabric antenna that could end up saving lives.

Insurers not ready for climate change? Really?

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Irene and Lee, it's troubling to discover only one-eighth of major US insurance companies have climate change policies in place

Saw a fascinating article today outlining a report that many major insurers, while acknowledging that climate change will create extreme weather events, still have no formal policies in place to deal with its risks, effects and aftermath.

Plastisoil could alleviate stormwater / groundwater contamination

Plastisoil - an innovative product that lets stormwater to flow into the ground

Groundwater contamination from stormwater runoff is an age-old and growing problem, particularly due to widespread pesticide use.

Earlier this year, a researcher at Philadelphia’s Temple Unversity introduced a cement-like material that would lessen the problem of polluted stormwater runoff.

Naji Khoury,Ph.D.,  an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Temple University, created Plastisoil, a substance made from discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic water bottles. Pulverized and mixed with soil, the combined mixture is blended with a coarse aggregate and heated to create a hard yet non-watertight substance similar to pervious concrete or porous asphalt.

For more details on this excitingly innovative product, see http://3.ly/dEdA.

Climate change could heat up Yosemite

Yosemite National Park and others threatened by rising temperatures

According to a new report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and ) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)., future emissions of gasses like CO2 could bring triple digit heat to Yosemite National Park .