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Huge Garbage Patch Found in Atlantic Too

Article Credit: Richard A. Lovett for National Geographic News

Billions of bits of plastic are accumulating in a massive garbage patch in the Atlantic Ocean – a lesser known cousin to the Texas-size trash vortex in the Pacific, scientists say.

“Many people have heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” said Kara Lavender Law, an oceanographer at the Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

“But this issue has essentially been ignored in the Atlantic.”

The newly described garbage patch sits hundreds of miles off the North American coast. Although its east-west span is unknown, the patch covers a region between 22 and 38 degrees north latitude – roughly the distance from Cuba to Virginia.

As with the Pacific garbage patch, plastic can circulate in this part of the Atlantic Ocean for years, posing health risks to fish, seabirds, and other marine animals that accidentally eat the litter.

Full Article at National Geographic News

Article Credit: Richard A. Lovett for National Geographic News

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What is your Gas Station’s Social Responsibility?

I would like to introduce you to a nifty chart I recently came across.  It is a ranking system of the Social Responsibly of many gas stations. Each station is assigned a rating based on several criteria including Refining Eco rating, Global Warming pluses and minus, and accident/incident history. The chart is part of the Better World Handbook and claims to use over 20 different sources to compile their rankings. While there are a few blanks spots in some of the companies’ ratings, the chart is still a great place to examine the different gas

stations that may be available to you.

The chart can be found at http://www.betterworldhandbook.com/gasoline.html

If you combine the Social Responsibility chart with fuel price comparisons site such as gasbuddy.com, or GasPriceWatch.com, you can find the cheapest and most eco-friendly gas available to you. Hopefully now you can save a little money and lessen your environmental impact while driving.

It is also worth noting that ExxonMobil received an F on the chart with a score of -45 and just recently had another oil spill of the Texas coast on Jan 24^th. Click for the news article.

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Carbon Credit reduction opportunity right here in Chicago

Carbonfund.org has partnered with The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). The CCX is North America’s largest carbon trading market with an aim to reduce CO2 emissions through targeted emission reductions.

If you were thinking of purchasing carbon offsets and wanted to see the effects a bit more locally then I suggest purchasing through Carbonfund.org. You can easily calculate the amount of carbon to offset for activities such as flying, driving or just donate a flat fee.  During the easy process you can select which activities you want your offsets to be applied to. If you select the “Energy Efficiency & Carbon Credits” option your offsets will go towards the Chicago Climate Exchange program.

Carbonfund.org also has several other options for your offsets to be applied besides the CCX exchange program that include Renewable Energy, Methane Projects, and Reforestation.

UrbanGreenSpot is not affiliated with CarbonFund.org or The Chicago Climate Exchange.

See link for more information.

http://www.carbonfund.org/site/projects/profile/ccx/

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