The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

I have been doing research on companies and organizations that are eco-friendly and are trying to help save the environment. I came across the United Nations Environment Programme on twitter (I'll link my twitter down below). After doing some serious scrolling through their twitter feed, I decided to look up their website and read about the UNEP. Here's what I found:

The UNEP is "the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment."

Their priorities include climate change, ecosystem management, resource efficiency and many more.

The UNEP website has an abundance of information on different environmental concerns including updates on the latest news and articles. I linked their website at the bottom of this blog post. Check their website out to read more about the UNEP.

The UNEP is a great organization that is trying to push the environmental movement forward.

UNEP Website: http://www.unep.org/

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My Twitter: https://twitter.com/mwcars

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Apple Is Now Running On Renewable Energy

Apple is starting to take steps in the right direction towards a greener future. Apple has taken a look at their carbon footprint and have decided that it's too big for their liking. Here's what they're doing about it:

Apple is "sourcing lower-carbon materials" to make their devices and have partnered with "suppliers to add clean energy to their facilities." They produce renewable energy that powers 93 percent of their "offices, retail stores and data centers around the world." Apple's data centers "around the world run on 100 percent clean energy and power billions of iMessages, answers from Siri and song downloads from Itunes."

Almost 100 percent (99 percent to be exact) of the paper in Apple packaging is recycled or sustainable. Apple is working with "over 160 recyclers around the world, whose facilities we hold to rigorous standards of environmental compliance, health and safety and social responsibility." Since 1994, Apple has kept over 597 million pounds of equipment out of landfills.

Apple has also taken mercury and arsenic out of their products screens. They started a Full Material Disclosure program in 2015 "that shows us the chemical composition of every material in every component of our products."

Apple has created Apple Renew, "a global program that lets you bring used Apple devices to any Apple Store for reuse or responsible recycling." They also host recycling collection events and take-back initiatives to ensure that their devices stay out of landfills and are recycled correctly.

Apple is doing all that they can to reduce their carbon footprint, help the environment and make their products and stores as eco friendly as possible.

So many brands and companies are changing the way their products are made to help save the environment. I'll link Apple's environmental page and the other blog posts I've made on different eco friendly companies below.

Apple's environmental page: http://www.apple.com/environment/

Blog posts on other eco friendly companies:

Ecoscraps: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/04/grow-your-garden-with-ecoscraps.html

Patagonia: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/05/patagonia-is-putting-environment-ahead.html

Denik: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/05/denik-notebooks-changing-world-one.html

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/markbuysdamagedcars/

Denik Notebooks: Changing The World One School At A Time

I was looking for a new notebook and came across a brand named Denik. I clicked on their website and was astonished that this company made way more than just notebooks.

Denik prints artists designs on their notebooks. "Denik provides a channel for artists of all skill levels to make an impact in the world we live in. We believe that the art of a designer from Colorado, a photographer, a skateboarder or a professional artist in Brazil can be printed on one of our books and be used to change the world."

A portion of every Denik notebook sold goes towards building schools in developing countries. Denik works with two organizations, Pencils of Promise and Mali Rising.

Pencils of Promise "are committed to supporting a world with greater educational opportunity for all."

The Mali Rising Foundation is a non-profit organization who's mission "is to empower the children of Mali, West Africa by expanding educational opportunities within their own communities." This organization builds functioning schools for middle school girls and boys that is "within walking distances of every child in the country." The Mali Rising Foundation has built 18 schools.

Denik has completed one school called the "Denik Middle School in Zambougou" in Mali in 2015 and are now working on a school in Guatemela.

Denik is a unique company and brand that is working towards a positive change in education and schooling in developing countries.

Denik's website: http://denik.com/

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/markbuysdamagedcars/

How to Reduce Your Plastic Pollution

I recently came across a website and organization called The Natural Resource Defense Council, or NRDC. I wrote an entire blog post on their organization that I'll link down below. I've been looking through their site and have found some interesting articles. One of them was ways to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans. I wrote a blog post last week on 5 ways you can help the ocean and I thought this article tied in well. Part of helping the ocean is producing less plastic waste. Here is some information I got from the article.

Trash ends up in our oceans and animals can end up eating the garbage because they think it's prey or because the plastic has broken down into small pieces.

Plastic is nonbiodegradable. "Around 80 percent of marine litter actually originates from land-either swept in from the coastline or carried to rivers from the streets during heavy rain via storm drains and sewer overflows."

Here are some of NRDC's tips to reduce your plastic pollution:

1.) Stop using disposable plastics
90% of the plastic items we use are used once and then thrown out. This includes "grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws and coffee-cup lids." Instead of using plastic bags to hold your groceries, invest in some reusable bags. This will save you money and save the environment.

2.) Stop buying plastic water bottles
"Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash." Instead of buying tons of plastic water bottles, buy one reusable water bottle and carry that around with you.

3.) Stop using microbeads
Microbeads are found in plastic scrubbers, facial scrubs, toothpaste and body washes. "Their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants." Microbeads also look like food to many marine animals. Buy products that have natural exfoliants such as oatmeal and salt.

4.) Stop eating out so much
Cooking at home is healthier and "doesn't involve takeout containers or doggy bags." If you do choose to eat out or order in, ask the restaurant to not include plastic cutlery.

5.) Stop buying single-servings
"Consider the product-to-packaging ratio of items you tend to buy often and select the bigger container instead of buying several smaller ones over times."

These tips are only 5 of the 10 ways NRDC says you can reduce your plastic waste. Click the article link below to read about the other 5.


NRDC article: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/10-ways-reduce-plastic-pollution

NRDC blog post: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-natural-resources-defense_25.htm

5 ways to help our oceans blog post: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/05/our-oceans-are-in-danger-5-ways-to-help.html

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/markbuysdamagedcars/

The Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC)

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an organization founded in 1970 that works towards helping the environment through climate change, energy, food, health, oceans, water and the wild. "NRDC works to safeguard the earth-its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends."

The NRDC is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that "works to safeguard the air we breathe, the water we drink and the places we treasure."

NRDC is working towards reducing the use of fossil fuels, which is polluting our air and causing global warming. This organization wants to decrease "our dependence on these dirty sources by expanding clean energy across cities, states and nations." The NRDC helps create clean energy solutions and fight "oil and gas projects that would pump out even more pollution."

The organization "pressed the U.S. government to adopt the first ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants." The NRDC works towards creating policies that make cars and buildings more efficient and help communities fight "fossil-fuel extraction operations in their backyards." The NRDC has also worked with other countries to produce a clean energy future.

The NRDC is working hard to protect the oceans from pollution. They have helped "implement laws that allow overfished species to rebound and fight to protect coastal communities from offshore drilling."

The NRDC helped win the Clean Water Act in the 1970s and has continued to "fight for a clean, safe and sufficient water supply."

The organization also protects wildlife and unspoiled lands from "industrial development, commercial exploitation, pollution and climate change. They work with farmers, energy companies and the government to "promote solutions that help wild predators coexist with livestock and people." The NRDC has helped protect animals such as polar bears, elephants, rhinos and many others.

The NRDC is a great organization that is working to create a better environment. Check out their website to learn more about them and how you can help.

NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/

NRDC about video: https://www.nrdc.org/about

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/markbuysdamagedcars/

Let's Talk T.V.

After dinner, families used to gather around a board game or a puzzle, but today, families gather around a T.V. that not only has thousands of channels, but has Netflix, Hulu and Youtube built in, so you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want to. I walked into the kitchen this morning and heard the theme song to The Odd Couple. I turned around and saw my daughter watching Oscar and Felix eating dinner in their apartment. I couldn't help but smile. My daughter was watching a show that my 12 year old self loved. T.V. has changed so much since the 60's. Now, if you want to watch one of your favorite shows, you don't need to wait an entire week for the next episode. You can just stream it to your T.V.

This got me thinking. How has T.V. really changed since I was a kid?

First of all, there are not a lot of sitcoms left. Growing up I watched Leave it to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan's Island, Bonanza and Columbo. There were variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Carol Burnett Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Today, theres reality T.V. Everywhere you look theres an advertisement for a new reality show.

There was also no cursing on T.V.! Listen, I'm not against swearing, but there was a nice sense of wholesomeness from the television shows of my day. Maybe a little to wholesome. Today, there is so much vulgar language and ostentatious behavior on television.

The 70's was the decade of spin-offs. Laverne and Shirley came about after they guest starred on Happy Days and Maude was a spin-off of All in the Family. Every show seemed to be a spin-off of another show.

There was also a big family presence in every show on the air in the 60's and 70's. There was always a family scene, or a family riff that resulted in a big group hug.

If you miss those days of innocent television and aimless comedy, I'm right there with you. The good news is that you can watch them over and over again on Netflix. The shows of my generation will never die, because I can constantly relive them.

Global Warming: It's Real, Trust Me

Global warming has been permeating and festering for years, and years... and years. Finally, people are beginning to take notice that global warming is not a playful joke that earth is pranking us with, but instead a serious warning. If you're not sure what global warming is, here are some facts:

According to an NRDC(Natural Resources Defense Council) article titled Global Warming 101, "global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth's surface."

Creating energy through the burning of fossil fuels is the major source of pollution in the United States. I wrote a blog post on the Break Free 2016 Protest to end the use of fossil fuels. I'll link the post down below. The United States "second-largest source of carbon pollution is the transportation sector, which generates about 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions a year."

According to NRDC, "over the past 50 years, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history."

Many people still believe that global warming is a myth. They believe it's not real because the cement underneath their feet is not burning up from the pollution in the air. Let me set the record straight right here, right now. Global warming is real, it is currently happening and it will not improve unless we all come together and help our planet! Average United States temperatures have the potential to increase 10 degrees over the next century. Do you still believe global warming is a hoax?

Global warming is causing our oceans to get warmer and "scientists have found that the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes has increased since the early 1980s." 

In the NRDC article I read, they had a section that said "Why should I care?" Here are some of their reasons why YOU need to care about global warming:

Increase in water shortages and wildfires

Melting glaciers

Early snowmelt

Severe droughts 

Rising sea levels will cause floods

Forests and cities will have heat waves, downpours and flooding

Disruption of habitats could lead to plant and animal extinction 

Allergies and asthma will become more common because of an increase in pollen-producing ragweed and high levels of air pollution 

To learn about how the United States is trying to reduce global warming, click on the NRDC article below. 

Long story short, global warming is serious and should not be taken lightly. Everyone needs to care and needs to find ways to help. Global warming will become bigger than us, unless we do something about it. 

Break Free 2016 Protest: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/05/break-free-2016-protest.html

NRDC article: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/markbuysdamagedcars/