Archive for October, 2009

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Why recycling is so important.

October 16th, 2009

Even though recycling has become part of many people’s daily lives, it seems that the full importance of recycling is not always understood. Generally speaking, most people do understand that recycling plays a crucial role in helping to minimize the drain on the limited resources of the planet. However, this is not the only reason why recycling is of extreme importance to the world we live in today.

Reasons why Recycling is Important

• The process of recycling helps to minimize the presence of waste materials within our communities. Due to the simple fact that items like plastic, paper, and glass are reused to create new products, they do not end up taking space somewhere in a landfill. Since most people do not want garbage dumps located near their offices or homes, recycling makes it possible to avoid the creation of more landfills that would otherwise be necessary to accommodate all the waste.

• Recycling items also makes it possible to cut the cost of producing products significantly. The following is a good example of this: it takes anywhere from seventy-five to ninety-five percent less energy to produce aluminum cans from recycled products than it does to create them from raw materials. Thus, not only does recycling preserve raw materials, but it also eases the energy needed to manufacture different products.

• Another reason why recycling is important is the fact that it maintains a healthy balance in the ecology of the Earth. Less damage will be done to the planet’s forests, rivers, and other areas where wildlife is abundant, if it is not necessary to continue mining raw materials in order to produce the same amount of products. Since every form of life on the planet is dependent on the presence of another form of life, recycling is key to maintain an ecological balance and subsequently provide security for future generations.

• Creating new jobs comes with the process that is recycling. As more people recycle, the number of people required to collect, sort and process recycled items continues to grow. More job opportunities in the community means more money spent in local stores, more taxes collected for the town/city, and in general a healthier economy for the countries where recycling takes place.

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Why your company must Go-Green

October 16th, 2009

A green business is basically a business which attempts to function without having any sort of negative impact on its surrounding environment. Therefore, a green business is also sometimes called a sustainable business. Constantly being on the look out for better and newer ways should form part of becoming a green business. The business as a whole should thus become more environmentally friendly, beginning with the acquisition of raw materials all the way through to delivery of the product to the consumer.

Why should Businesses Go Green?

The concept known as green business forms part of a larger movement which aims to create sustainable or green living. Together with the aim of creating eco-friendly homes (green homes), this movement also tries to invoke change in the way businesses operate. When implemented, these changes create less of a carbon footprint on the ecology of the planet.

How to become a Green Business?

One of the first things a business can do to become a green business is to make changes to the facilities in which it operates. For example, this involves the preparation methods of any goods produced for shipment, the general cleaning of the facilities, and making use of synthetic chemicals in the production process. Generally, a business seeking to become a green business should consider the current level of carbon emissions generated by its production processes and subsequently seek to find ways to minimize or completely eliminate those emissions.

General office work in and around the business can also help a business achieve its goal of leaving less of an eco-footprint and thus becoming a green businesses. The office should become as close to paperless as possible, rather using electronic documents and communications which are shared over a network powered with wind or solar energy. Only recycled paper should be utilized if the use of paper is absolutely necessary. All other materials and equipment used in the office on a daily basis should be produced locally, thus minimizing the use of fossil fuels in transportation costs.

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What is carbon footprint, and its different types?

October 14th, 2009

A carbon footprint is described as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced on an annual basis through our daily social and domestic activities, either directly or indirectly. These mentioned greenhouse gases are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). A carbon footprint can be measured for an entire country or state, a group of people such as a company, a household, or an individual person.

Different Types of Carbon Footprint

Two types of carbon footprint exist. These are:

• Primary Carbon Footprint
A primary carbon footprint refers to those activities which directly burn fossil fuels; the activities which has an immediate impact on the natural resources of the planet. Some examples of a primary carbon footprint include plugging in any electronic device, heating our homes, taking a flight in an airplane, driving a car, or simply using water.

• Secondary Carbon Footprint
A secondary carbon footprint refers to those products purchased, such as clothing, food, or similar products to be used in our homes. A secondary carbon footprint is made through a process which begins with the manufacturing of items, through the transportation of products to its locations, and eventually ends with the amount of time it takes the materials to degrade and subsequently break down after we have finished using the items.

Ways to reduce a Carbon Footprint

Important steps taken to reduce your carbon footprint include:

• Reduce the emissions from your vehicle by rather taking a bus or train to work; whenever possible, walk or ride a bike;
• Always turn off lights when they are not in use;
• Turn down the heat in your home and do not leave electronics plugged in;
• Consider sustainable energy practices, such as solar power or wind;
• When out shopping, make use of reusable shopping bags; and
• Recycle products whenever possible.

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2010 Soccer final stadiums – Host city stadium statistics

October 14th, 2009

The 2010 Soccer Finals to be held in South Africa will commence on 11 June and conclude on 11 July. Below are the latest updates surrounding the stadium progress of the different stadiums to be used during the tournament.

Soccer City – Johannesburg

• Capacity: 94 700

• Stadium progress: Major stadium upgrades in progress include the addition of a new encircling roof, new floodlights, and an increased capacity from 80 000. 92% of stadium is complete, and it should meet its January 2010 deadline.

Coca-Cola Park – Johannesburg

• Capacity: 60 000

• Stadium progress: Minor stadium upgrades made to fulfill FIFA requirements for all 2010 Soccer Finals stadiums.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium – Pretoria

• Capacity: 50 000

• Stadium progress: Minimal upgrades have been made to meet FIFA standards for the 2010 Soccer Finals stadiums.

Peter Mokaba Stadium – Polokwane

• Capacity: 40 000

• Stadium progress: Originally comprised only one main stand and three grass banks, now being rebuilt and enlarged with 20 additional rows of seating added around the entire stadium.

Royal Bafokeng Stadium – Rustenburg

• Capacity: 42 000

• Stadium progress: Minor renovations have been completed to meet Soccer Finals stadium standards.

Mbombela Stadium – Nelspruit

• Capacity: 40 000

• Stadium progress: Due for completion October 2009.

Moses Mabhida Stadium – Durban

• Capacity: 70 000

• Stadium progress: Still in construction, but the main body of the stadium is complete. The focus of this stadium has now shifted to finishing external work.

Free State Stadium – Bloemfontein

• Capacity: 45 000

• Stadium progress: Costly upgrades in progress, such as addition of second tier to western pavilion. Upgrades are 98% complete.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Port Elizabeth

• Capacity: 49 500

• Stadium progress: A newly built high-tech Soccer Finals stadium, opened 7th June 2009.

Green Point Stadium – Cape Town

• Capacity: 70 000

• Stadium progress: Construction of this all-seated, all-weather, multipurpose, modern Soccer Finals stadium is set to be completed 14th December 2009.

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Working together to reduce atmosphere emissions.

October 14th, 2009

It is a well-known fact that emissions play a contributing role in not only global warming, but water pollution and air pollution as well. In order to control the negative effects on the environment, it is absolutely crucial to lower the number of emissions occurring on a daily basis. Governments, businesses, and the transportation industry alike are currently in the process of researching better fuels which contains lower greenhouse gas emissions.

What Emissions are released into the Atmosphere?

- Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels being burnt by vehicles are a daily occurrence. When fuel is burned, carbon dioxide is released into the air. This carbon dioxide is used by trees and plants to photosynthesize; however, when too much carbon dioxide is omitted, the result is climate change. Human transportation is seen to be the big scapegoat responsible for the majority of carbon emissions affecting the Earth’s climate.

Research into replacement fuels for vehicles is currently underway. Alternative fuels such as switch grass ethanol and E85 ethanol result in far less carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The problem with ethanol is that the actual production thereof is responsible for creating a larger than expected amount of greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reduce these emissions, the factories producing this alternative fuel may need to lower their impact on the environment as well.

- Methane

Another greenhouse gas emission, methane, is released into the atmosphere primarily from landfills. Landfills are large open spaces used to dump trash and unwanted items. Methane is released as soon as this trash decays, meaning methane collects in the atmosphere and subsequently climate change occurs.

In order to lower emissions of methane from landfills, the amount of waste per household should be reduced. Making use of biodegradable materials and recycling are two methods that can be used to reduce household waste. Biodegradable materials break down far more quickly, which results in fewer emissions and thus a smaller effect on the environment.

What can Businesses do to lower Emissions?

Businesses can lower their emissions by choosing green alternatives in the workplace. The term green is commonly used for products that have lower emissions and therefore a smaller carbon footprint on the environment. Carbon footprint is the term used to describe the long-term effect a product has on the Earth. A smaller carbon footprint can thus be the same as fewer carbon emissions.

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