Eco-wineries turn wine red, white — and green January 27, 2010

(ANGWIN, Calif.)

Just when you thought that everything in this world was going green…you get a shocking testament to the fact that you are completely correct! Several (meaning 4 so far) wineries in California are going for the “Gold” LEED certification (similar to the “Silver” standard that the Marriott receives).
“We’re seeing a trend toward more sustainable wineries,” says Ashley Katz, spokeswoman for LEED.
The several wineries that are undergoing this process are using solar panels and are even thinking about the way they use their water. This is a very important attempt at these wineries to become more green. Other efforts include putting wine into underground caves for fermentation which will save up space and heating / cooling units.
Basically, what this breaks down is that when you are debating about drinking wine you can stop and think, “if I drink this then I, too, am being sustainable!”

To read more on this article go here: MSNBC

Recyling: How Do They Do it in Japan? November 23, 2009

Living in most areas in America, one becomes accustomed to our typical trash separation that goes on weekly. We separate our trash into two containers; garbage, and recycling. Across the world however, they use different categories to separate their trash into simple and environmentally friendly ways. In Tokyo, Japan, trash (gomi) has to be divided into three categories (combustible trash, non-combustible trash, recyclable trash) for proper disposal. Each category is collected separately on a designated day. The first category, combustible (burnable) trash, includes kitchen trash. Secondly,  incombustible items includes things such as glass trash. Recyclable trash, the third category, has items such as bottles, cans, magazines, and newspapers.

This method is extremely successful in Japan because of how easy it is for the residents, and how accessible the recycling facilities are. For example, the trash disposal area is also categorized, so all you have to do is to place every trash bag in the right place. Also, you can also use trash cans inside every citizen’s own house that are separated. Even on the streets you also have categorized trash cans. Along with this, Japan is taking several measures to increase recycling throughout the country. In 2001, Japan enacted a new measure requiring retailers and manufacturers to take back used air conditioners, televisions, washing machines and refrigerators. I think it’s great that the government is working so hard to improve the amount and types of items being recycled.

Climate Change November 16, 2009

“On Feb. 2, 2007, the United Nations scientific panel studying climate change declared that the evidence of a warming trend is “unequivocal,” and that human activity has “very likely” been the driving force in that change over the last 50 years. The last report by the group, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in 2001, had found that humanity had “likely” played a role.” (NYTIMES)

After attending a lecture (sitting next to Prof. Scheller) about climate change and the various effects it has on the planet, I decided to look deeper into exactly what is the issue and is there anyway that we (as a society/race/species) can slow down, stop, and even REVERSE the adverse effects we have inflicted upon our planet.

Lately it seems like climate change is a topic that many people have been bringing up and I have even heard it talked about in regular conversation, but it is not something that I feel we are urgently trying to deal with. What are we planning on doing with this?? It is having disastrous effects on biodiversity and even soon to be crop diversity. In the latest article we read for class, Brown and Funk state that, “some of the most profound and direct impacts of climate change over the next few decades will be on agricultural and food systems.”

What are we as a society doing to stop this? I don’t believe that “going green” is really the adequate answer seeing as not everyone is doing it (Montana doesn’t know this concept about green except for the fact our trees happen to be that color).