Do you want to reduce the amount of paper you receive?
Did you know that for every 38,500 paper documents delivered: 1 ton of paper is used
2 tons of trees are destroyed
16,450 gallons of water are used
1,941 pounds of solid waste are generated
60 pounds of air emissions are spewed out
5,058 pounds of greenhouse gases are emitted
From PaperCalculator.org.
What does it really mean to go green?
Well, that depends on what language you speak. If you live in France, "to be green to someone" means to bear a grudge against them. Also in France, a "green tale" means a spicy story and " green language" means slang. In Spanish, " giving oneself a green" means to take time off of work. Of course, we all have heard of being "green with envy" which is attributed to Shakespeare's Othello. Germans, however, do not turn "green with envy" they turn "yellow with envy."
Illumination, in a whole new light
MPK, a company that has made a name producing glow-in-the-dark paint, has developed self-luminous micro particles called Litrospheres. The new material is said to be inexpensive (35 cents to light up a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of plastic that is 1/8" thick), non-toxic, and capable of staying constantly lit for over 12 years thanks to a betavoltaic technology that uses a radioactive gas.
Fortunately, the gas is involves a "soft" emission of electrons that cannot penetrate the glass or polymer wall of the microspheres. So theoretically, you don't have to worry about brain tumors or taking on super powers when using it.
The Litrospheres, which can be injected molded or added to paint, are not affected by the heat or cold and they can withstand up to 5000 pounds of pressure. They can also give off light that is equivalent of a 20-watt incandescent bulb in almost any color imaginable. As you might expect, the first applications of the technology will most likely involve safety equipment or the clothing and accessories of frequent clubgoers.
Oberlin College continues being first
Oberlin College has always been part of the fabric of Oberlin, they have been on the cutting edge of ideas ever since they opened their doors in 1833. Did you know it was the first American college to admit African-American students and women? Today they continue to practice what they preach. Their Environmental Studies building is 100% solar and the campus has just been rated by the Sierra Club as the greenest in the U.S.
Oberlin has produced a podcast about their carbon neutral efforts, which you can listen to.
