Located in the North-West Irish countryside of Sligo County near Castlebaldwin, the eco-friendly Gyreum Ecolodge Hostel is designed to lower the carbon footprint by reducing the impact of human activities on the planet.
Derived from the Greek root ‘GYR’ that means ’round’ and ‘EUM’ implies ‘building,’ the innovative 100 ft. wide structure overlooks Lough Arrow and has a 360 degree view of Sligo’s cairned mountains and lakes spanning five counties.
On the cutting edge of energy saving technology, the iconic structure uses solar and wind power that aligns to dawn and dusk of the winter and summer solstices.
Renewable resources include solar panels that generate hot water, flagstone floors that are geothermally heated and wall insulation made of sheep’s wool. The water recycling system involves the collection of rain water in a 1500 litre tank that is pumped back for use in showers and toilets.
With its indoor-like camping features, the hostel-style accomodations include: capsule-tents, a glass domed library, a central hall with an open fireplace, a large movie screen and an organic vegetable garden.
The Gyreum Hostel is Ireland’s first ecolodge to be awarded the EU Flower for enviornmental and ecological standards and was one of four national finalists in 2007 for Best Ecological Building of the year.
For more information, visit the hostel’s website at: http://www.gyreum.com/
Guayakí Yerba Mate logo. Photo Courtesy: University of San Diego Student Radio.
Guayakí isn’t only Fair Trade but certified organic, too. I’ve only tried a couple of drinks, including the 16 oz. non-carbonated organic yerba mate Lemon Elation which comes in a can.
Some might ask, what is a yerba mate? I had that same question, and found that it’s:
Yerba mate is the legendary infusion from South America that is luring people away from their daily coffee fix. Yerba mate first caught the attention of world-class athletes and health-conscious people, but now mate is becoming a favorite healthful daily ritual for all people taking their well-being seriously. Grown in the sub-tropical rainforests of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, yerba mate has long been revered as the “drink of the gods”.
So as you can see, it’s healthy, good for us. It’s also Kosher certified.
In its packaging process, starting from the start in growing the yerba mate to processing it, to packaging to transporting it to having it in your hands, Guayakí products takes out carbon from the environment.
Even the pamphlet, which all its info is on, the paper used is from 50% Post-Consumer Waste paper, it’s processed with free of Chlorine, uses vegetable based inks, and it’s Green-e certified.
They even plant native trees in South American forests.
So get out, check out Whole Foods Market, for example, and choose any of its six stimulants, like yerba mate, coffee, tea, kola nut, cocoa or guarana.
Variety of drinks from Honest Tea. Photo Credit: FreeMania!
This makes them much better in its social and environmental practices plus places them even higher in the beverage category. It comes to no surprise they announce this during Fair Trade month.
It’s probably been a couple years since I started consuming Honest Tea. The green tea with honey grabbed my attention. Now I have about three of their 28 different flavors.
I enjoy the drink because it taste good, it’s healthy, certified organic, light, and very environmentally-friendly.
They do have some drinks in glass containers, which are usually found in Whole Foods Market, but for the most part the drinks are on plastic #1 containers, being 22 percent less plastic than regular bottles, BPA-free while saving world resources.
The drinks are tasteful, especially the ones from the pomegranate and blueberries to the one with goji berries, where most of its fruits come from the eastern part of the world.
I’m going be even more satisfied when I drink, let’s say the new lemon tulsi as I see the Fair Trade Certified label on the bottle.
Some of its drinks come in packages of 12 and can be found in a Smart&Final.
What this does now is have Honest Tea officially meet Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO) and Fair Trade USA standards that better tea farmers’ quality of life. Meaning, that workers gain a fair portion of profits, have fair working conditions, freedom of association, minimum wage, and that they work under environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
“Honest Tea is once again raising the bar for the entire industry. Honest Tea has been a pioneer in social responsibility from the beginning…and that they care about the workers who harvest their tea and the future of their communities.”
Today marks the six moths anniversary since the worst oil disaster of the U.S. history. Eleven workers were killed as well as thousands of marine life were affected and miles of beaches were tinted with oil. As usual today has gone undetected by the mainstream media due to lack of interest of issues that could affect millions of people for decades to come. Many efforts were made to prevent deep sea oil drilling but early this month the federal government went ahead and approved to continue such practice due to raising unemployment in that region. Political agendas should keep moving toward a environmental friendly solutions instead of fading away from this issues.
Hundreds of people show their support against global warming at the Los Angeles City Hall rally on October 10th. They called for the end of oil and coal dependency. Photo by Oscar Ortega.
In California, according to Greenpeace, Coalition for Clean Air and the American Lung Association say that Proposition 23 is backed by oil Texas companies. This initiative will suspend the control of air pollution in California until the unemployment drops to 5.5 percent. This means that any company that is under state regulation could have a license to pollute in the name of the “Economy or Unemployment.” Our state government raised our sale taxes 1.5 percent a couple years ago and it didn’t make a dent to our economy, what makes them think this proposition can help our economy by allowing unscrupulous corporations to pollute our environment.
In the other hand, Meg Whitman, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, says that Green technology isn’t the right answer to generated jobs in California. She wants to suspend the 2006 Global Warming law and re-think it along with the estate economy. For decades California has been a leader in new technology and the environment but in the last few years it hasn’t even made it to the top ten environment friendly estates. It seems that some people are reluctant to a positive change and want to keep the same old attitude toward the environment.
Knowing what happened six months ago in the Gulf of Mexico, why politicians want to keep messing with California’s environment, beaches or the development of new technology. Why a Texan oil company has to have a “say” on California political issues? California’s environment should be decide by californians not by corporations, let along out of estate companies or politicians, who have no sense of the effects of global warming.
Be Proactive!
Make your Own Greener Cleaner 101:
Tub and Tile Cleaner
Ingredients:
1 cup water
3 cups baking soda
Directions:
Mix ingredients into a paste and apply with a brush. Use a toothbrush to scrub paste into grout. For a tougher jobs, first wipe surfaces with vinegar – use sparingly, as vinegar can break down tile grout.
For more greener cleaners visit Coalition for Clean Air.
The Heal the Bay organization has hosted several events in the past weeks to bring awareness to out environment. On September 25th this organization will be hosting a cleanup at the Sepulveda Basin and it’s open to the public. This event is target to remove items such as plastic bags or any kind of trash which could end up in the oceans. Most of the items found in the oceans are grocery plastic bags, plastic snack bags, cigaret butts, plastic bottles, plastic fast food wrappers and many plastic relate items. All of us can be a part of the solution by being proactive toward this ecological problem. Some suggestions to keep our oceans clean can be from buying less products that are made from plastic, keep your home front curve clear of trash, while walking you dog in your neighborhood keep a trash bag with you in case you see a bottle or plastic bag on the ground. All these little actions can make a big difference in our eco-system.
In an article aired on NPR and published by the Republic on the environment makes a good debate on which to decide: a better life for mankind or a better environment. You be the judge.
I believe that we as human beings have a duty to maintaing and prolong our Mother Nature with our own actions. We need to responsible for what we do in this life.
When the Obamas moved into the White House one of the first things Mrs. Obama did to set an example for children about eating healthy was plant a garden on the front lawn.
Students from the Bancroft School help Mrs. Obama plant the White House garden. (Photo credit: whitehouse.org)
The New York Times has reported in several articles this year that urban gardening is becomingly increasingly popular all over the nation. Some people grow their own food because they want to eat organic produce, and some do it to save money in hard times. Whatever the reason, gardening at the very least is good exercise and with a little practice and expertise, can save families money on food in the long run.
He and his three children transformed the backyard of his Pasadena home into a mini-farm that produces so much organic produce that he sells the excess to local restaurants.
He takes the urban gardening expertise he learned over decades and teaches others how to do the same. He and his children maintain many educational websites devoted to the topic. They also made a short film about how to start and maintain an urban garden.
Beware: after watching the Dervaes film you may find yourself inspired to tear out your lawn and let the soil beneath it do something useful for a change.
When most people think about eco-friendly apparel they think that it isn’t fashionable or they just don’t know how the clothes are actually made.
Vegan-friendly shoes from Simple. Photo Credit: Julio A. Cruz
A couple months ago I was in San Luis Obispo with my family in our annual mini summer vacation and came across a small store, Hemp Shak that has all that plus bags, accessories and more.
I’d been wanting some walking shoes and I had been thinking of purchasing some eco-friendly ones, as well, to test them out and see how they look and feel.
I came across a brand that I’m familiar with, Simple, and the shoes that grabbed my attention where literately some “simple” carport elastic ones which happen to be vegan friendly.
My 11-year-old nephew didn’t understand the concept and difference from these shoes in his Vans.
It’s pretty simple, again, “simple.”
The clothing in the store is all natural. No chemicals or dyes. Some are made from either recycled materials or organic cotton.
Most of their shoes are made from recycled car tires. According to Simple, 6 pairs of men’s size 9 shoes can be made from a single tire.
Yes, this is a great sustainable way to wear shoes but the best feeling wasn’t only that I was walking on some eco-friendly shoes or that they actually felt comfortable, and still do to this day, but that I introduced my nephew to a different side of how and why things are made.
As I was paying he saw a bracelet made out of white beads and he got pretty excited about it after reading the tag because is stated that it was made by women in Uganda which are paid reasonably, hence a Fair Trade product.
So we left the store talking about Fair Trade, he with his bracelet, which was a gift for his mom, and I with my sustainable shoes.
Es muy común escuchar a personas hablar sobre el calentamiento global del planeta tierra. El calentamiento global está producido por la acumulación de gases en nuestra atmosfera con el efecto invernadero. Este efecto hace que los rayos del sol entren a la Tierra pero no dejan que salga el calor.
El Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre el Cambio Climático (IPCC) creado por la Organización Meteorológica Mundial (OMM) y el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA) reporto que los gases con efecto invernaderos contribuyen al calentamiento global y aceleran las inclemencias climáticas.
Los gases con efecto invernadero son producidos a través del uso de combustibles como el petróleo y el carbón. El petróleo es esencian para la mayoría de automóviles que utilizamos hoy en día.
El uso de combustible en los automóviles incrementa los cambios de temperaturas, contaminan el aire en nuestro planeta y ocasionan graves problemas de salud como el asma, enfisema y problemas respiratorios.
La biciclera E-Road puede servir para viajes de cortas distancias. Foto por Virginia Bulacio
“Go-Pead las llamamos,” dijo Manny Alvarado Manager de Spokes n’ Stuff Bicycle Shop. “Go, porque vas a donde quieres, y pead, porque sino pedaleas.”
E-Road es una clase de bicicleta 100% eléctrica. Tiene pedales lo cual hace que si una persona se queda sin batería, solo tendría que pedalear como una bicicleta tradicional. Lo mejor de la bicicleta eléctrica es que no contamina el medio ambiente.
Según Manny, las bicicletas E-Road o Gopead, vienen en varios colores y hacen que la persona se ahorre el dinero para la gasolina y el estacionamiento. La persona que la maneja no necesita una licencia, seguranza o registración. Lo único que se requiere para usarla en la calle es un buen casco.
Estas bicicletas son simples y sobre todo económicas. Quizás la salvación de nuestro planeta, podría ser andar en una bicicleta eléctrica, y porque no empezar este verano.
Mujer Ayoreo. Foto cortesia de www.SurvivalInternational.org
Es probable que hayas escuchado noticias sobre la popular y lucrativa película “Avatar” que toca temas de deforestación, la destrucción de tierras y culturas indígenas, la ceguera causada por el poder y el dinero, el choque entre distintas percepciones del mundo y nuestra relación con la madre tierra. ¿Seguramente entonces tus fuentes de información te han contado sobre la versión real de Avatar? Una muy grande deforestación ha empezado en Paraguay, específicamente en la zona del Gran Chaco. Mientras uno de los ecosistemas más importantes del mundo sufre, los medios de comunicación solo nos informan que el presidente paraguayo, Fernando Lugo, se encuentra en México visitando al futbolista Salvador Cabañas quien fue balaceado hace un mes aproximadamente.
La empresa brasileña llamada Yaguareté Pora S.A., dueña de mas de 78,000 hectares del Chaco, a finales del mes pasado mando topadoras para comenzar a despejar casi 62,000 hectares de tierra. Las tierras destruidas, según el plan de la empresa, serán sitio de ganadería. Esta tierra pertenece a la tribu indígena Ayoreo-Totobiegosode, la ultima tribu en el mundo que queda completamente aislado de la realidad mundial. Un detalle muy importante es que en el 2008 el gobierno paraguayo suspendió la licencia de la empresa para continuar con su plan. Además, en el 2004 Paraguay también promulgo una ley de cero tolerancia hacia la deforestación. Yaguareté Pora esta violando las leyes paraguayas y internacionales. Los líderes de Paraguay no están aplicando la ley. Hasta el presente, Fernando Lugo no ha ofrecido comentario alguno sobre el tema.
Si no te mueve lo que pasa en Paraguay es debido a la gran desconexión que sufrimos con nuestro planeta. No solo somos ciudadanos de países sino del mundo entero. Si no somos parte de la solución, somos parte del problema.
Para gente que vive o a visitado los ángeles, si tu cuerpo no te lo consigue decir, tal vez te lo dicen los avisos que se encuentran por todos lados: estas en smog city, una de las ciudades mas contaminadas del país! De acuerdo con la revista Business week, Los Ángeles es la cuarta cuidad más contaminada de los Estados Unidos, con la primera siendo Baltimore. Por cada 48 personas en Los Ángeles hay un sitio contaminado. En el este de Los Ángeles, donde se cruzan las carreteras 5 y 710, encontraras la cuidad de comercio o Commerce, la zona más contaminada de Los Ángeles. En Commerce se ubican 4 patios ferrocarrileros, factorías, y centros de distribución, la causa por la cual llegan y van tantos camiones. Es el corazón del comercio. Aunque hoy es probable que los números hayan cambiado, el último censo de 2000 indico que la población de Commerce es 93% latino.
Al enterarme de esto, me acorde de Raúl Villa, escritor de ‘Aquí estamos y no nos vamos: place struggles in latino los angeles,’ cuando expreso la reacción del pueblo mexicano en Los Ángeles a los dilemas urbanos. Villa escribió “Para Mexicanos en particular, su situación social contradictoria, siendo a la vez en el centro geográfico y de los márgenes económicos de la ciudad, ha hecho que constantemente tengan que reaccionar a los efectos dispares de reestructuración metropolitana en defensa de sus necesidades urbanas.” El pueblo ha reaccionado. Compuesto de 350 miembros, la organización East yard communities for enviromental justice nació en 2001 en commerce. Dirigido por Angelo Logan, este grupo lucha por la justicia ambiental con movilización de residentes, educación, y diálogo y exigencias hacia los reguladores de la contaminación y las empresas que causan la contaminación.
Avisos que se encuentran en Los ángeles
En el nombre del comercio la salud de la gente de commerce sufre. Las familias de commerce tienen un riesgo desproporcionadamente más alto de adquirir cáncer que el resto de los residentes del condado de los ángeles. Como consumidora yo, al igual que las empresas que se encuentran en commerce, soy culpable. Siendo estudiante luchando cada día para el dinero que no rinde, compro en las tiendas menos costosas la mercancía que sale de los camiones que salen de commerce que emitan contaminación que entran en los pulmones de los niños que juegan afuera en commerce. Es un ciclo auto-alimentativo. Aunque muchos de nosotros tenemos ganas de ayudar a problemas como esta nos ponemos a pensar “¿Yo soy solo una persona, que puedo hacer para solucionar un problema tan grande?” Lo que podemos empezar hacer hoy es tomar responsabilidad social y ser consumidores consientes. Debemos ponernos a pensar de donde vienen y cuales son los costos sociales de los productos que compramos y no dejarnos llevar por el ahorro de unos cuantos dólaritos porque al rato lo pagaremos con nuestra salud. Empezemos con dejar de comprar productos con muchos envases de plástico y dejar de comer en restaurantes de comida rapida que usan mucho lo desechable. Hay que comprar mas en nuestros farmers markets locales, comer en casa, y evitar las tiendas cadenas y corporativas. Cuanto menos apoyemos la industria, más limpio será nuestro aire.
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