The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark begins December 7 through the 18th.  In anticipation of the conference, developing countries are making their stances on their percentage decrease and the 2020 deadline.  Upset that the industrial countries are not commitmenting equally.

What will happen during this Conference, is anyone’s quess. Since this Conference is happening days before Christmas, maybe just maybe we can believe in miracles.

Below please find a press release from the artist, Jens Galschiot.  We got to know him during the 2008 Olympics in Peking, posting his “Orange” articles in support of the Chinese dissadents.

This article is about his visual artwork, the red alarm.  Thousands of red LED lamps will  be place along the 7-meter stretch, designed to warn viewers of what will happen when the water will rise.

Red Alarm in Copenhagen

Thousands of red LED lamps will mark a 7-meters water rising during the COP15 climate summit. The art happening Sevenmeters.net is a visualisation by Jens Galschiot, about how Copenhagen will look like, when all the ice of Greenland has melted away.

Galschiot and his volunteers, armed with long ladders, will this Saturday and Sunday hang up the LED lamps. They will start by the three big ‘refugees’ on Vejlands Allé / Ørestads Boulevard by the Bella Center. The 2,000 LED lamps are specially made in the artist’s workshop of bicycle lamps, which are soldered and glued together with extra batteries, so the will be able to blink constantly during the meeting.

The artist, who is well-known for his poignant – yet audience-friendly, art manifestations, got the permission to put up all of the blinking lights in a 7 meter line above daily water, around the lakes and in the whole channel area in the center of Copenhagen, and along the roads to the Bella Center.  Galschiot hopes that the red blinking LED-lights will be some sort of an international grassroots’ symbol of the climate catastrophe.

With the happening Galschiot will visualize that when the water rises and drought expands, there will be many places where people no longer will be able to stay. For example the isle of Amager, where the Climate Summit is held, will be 5 meters under water, if Greenland’s ice melts. If the ice of Antarctica also melts, the water will rise another 75 meters, so the peaks of the mountains will be in great demand, and there are not plenty of them in Denmark.

”With this manifestation I will highlight the climate crisis, and the fact, that it is not only a problem for the polar bears and the nature. The global warming may be a catastrophe for humanity. UN says that over 200 million refugees will be a reality in the next 40 years.

The refugees will trigger a giant demographic crisis, with risks of closing the national borders and beginning an ‘all against all fight, to protect our territory against the refugees, which our own CO2 leak has created. A frightening scenario that will put our humanistic and democratic civilisation under intense pressure, so that war and rise of totalitarian systems might be the consequence. This is the legacy that we will leave to our children!” Galschiot says.

At the venue of the climate summit there will also be red blinking LED lamps. Small badges will be given to the delegates, so they can use them as a silent indicator about how seriously they take the climate crisis.

About the artist

The SevenMeters art events can be seen November 13 – December 19.  www.SevenMeters.net will have up-to-date pictures of the event.  The site was started by Jens Galschiot. His art installations highlight the climate issue from different angles, in cooperation with different players, such as www.peoplesclimateaction.dk  and www.Illumenarts.dk.  The focus is put on the consequences for the people on earth and the impact of the demographic changes for our society. 

The Sculptures

• The pulse of the earth (by Bella Centre metro station, the entrance to COP15). The 4½ high sculpture ’The Messenger’ counts the new climate refugees on a display, while the water graves under the metro are filled with human sized ‘Hunger Boys’. The entire installation and the actual metro are covered in red, pulsating LED-light, which follows the geological ‘pulse’ of the earth and is more than 300 metres long.

• ’Freedom to Pollute’ (The big hill at Amager Fælled). A 6 metres high copy of the Statue of Liberty which sends out smoke from the torch.

• Wandering Refugees (by Bella centre) are three 10 metres high sculptures with copper faces, which represent African women with long dresses in screaming colours. They are standing on a savannah-like area reminding us of the female refugees in Sudan. 

• Survival of the Fattest’ (in the water next to The little Mermaid). The sculpture confronts ‘The little Mermaid and the Danish self-perception with the goddess of justice of the real world.

• Balancing Act’ (at the Christiansborg palace square and other places) is 10 statues, each balancing on 7-15 metres high piles. They have been made in connection to the UN’s Decade of Education for sustainable Development (2005-2014) in cooperation with Eco-net.dk. 

• 7 meters line in Copenhagen (only 6-18 December) is a visualization of the 7 metres rising in the sea level if all the ice on Greenland melts. On a 24 kilometers long distance in Copenhagen thousands of blinking red lights mark the potential new water level in the height of 7 meters

Jens Galschiot can be reached through his website, www.aidoh.dk, or emailed at aidoh@aidoh.dk

By Concerned Scientists with comments by Debra Frick

The holidays are some the hardest times for being green. Who doesnt want to decorate thier house with a million lights or travel to see family? Here is some great tips for travel from the Union of Concerned Scientists but while your at it why not try and make your holidays more green my using enviromental safe gift wrapping and putting your holiday lights on a timer.

Holidays mean family and fun, but they also mean more travel in planes, trains, and automobiles, which contribute to global warming by emitting carbon dioxide. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Americans take 54 percent more long-distance trips (50 miles or longer) during the Thanksgiving holiday than the rest of the year, and 23 percent more between Christmas and New Year’s.

Unless you can walk or bike, you can’t travel carbon-free. But you can minimize your emissions with these simple strategies:

Pad your schedule. If possible, start your trip a day earlier and/or return a day later. You’ll not only avoid the stress associated with peak travel times, but reduce emissions as well. For example, when a car is stuck in traffic its fuel consumption rate can be double the rate at steady cruising speeds. If you must travel on peak days (most weekends), schedule your trip for non-peak hours and, if driving, use a GPS system with real-time traffic monitoring to avoid congested roads.
Traveling with family? Make it a road trip. The BTS reports that 91 percent of long-distance holiday travelers go by car. On a 500-mile trip, a family of four traveling in a typical SUV actually produces less carbon per person than flying or taking the train. If you can, though, leave the SUV at home and drive a hybrid or fuel-efficient conventional car instead—in addition to consuming more gas, SUVs emit up to four times more carbon than the most efficient hybrid. If you don’t own a hybrid, consider renting one.
Fly the eco-friendly skies. First-class seating requires twice the space of coach and therefore produces twice the amount of carbon emissions per passenger, so always choose coach. Next, minimize the length of your trip by flying the most direct route, and minimize carbon-heavy takeoffs, landings, and ground operations by flying nonstop. If you’re traveling solo, flying nonstop coach is actually better than driving any car—regardless of the distance traveled.
Get on the bus. No matter how many people are traveling with you, a bus pays the biggest environmental dividends. A couple traveling by bus, for instance, generates between 50 and 75 percent less carbon than flying or driving (especially on trips under 500 miles). Bus fares are often cheaper than airline tickets, and many now have similar amenities.

Lightning Awareness Week is June 21 – 27, 2009
Governor Ritter has declared June 21-27 as Lightning Awareness Week.  The City of Colorado Springs is asking that people have a safety plan when they are outdoors.
While common sense should warn people to go inside.  However, many people take shelter under trees or stay on golf courses.  This is dangerous.  Already this year, there has been one fatality and numerous small fires started by lightning.  If we would only remember that Colorado has more than 500,000 lightning strikes – that’s where it hits something – per year.
•    Pay attention to the weather.  When the skies begins to cloud over (turn gray) look for shelter.  Don’t wait until it starts thundering.  By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late.  The lightning can strike anywhere within a ten (10) mile area of where it’s raining.
•    Don’t stand under a tree.  Trees can act as lightning rods.  When hit, they can drop branches or burn.
•    Avoid water.  Lightning is attracted to water.  This includes:  swimming pools, bathtubs, showers, sinks. Wait at least thirty (30) minutes after the thunder and lightning stops before going back into the water.
•    Avoid empty spaces such as soccer fields, golf course or holding on to metal objects that can act as lightning rods like golf clubs.
•    Turn off electrical items – cell phones, corded phones, computers and televisions as well as disconnect them from phone lines.  Lightning can travel down either electrical or telephone wire, frying the equipment at the other end.  Utilize surge protectors for the equipment that is important to you as well as install ground fault protectors.

For more information go to the Office of Emergency Management’s website for more lightning safety information.

By Amy Cook-Porter

Until recently there have been the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.  After last fall’s economic collapse, most of us learned how to reduce – we bought less; we reused instead of throwing away; and, we recycled – whether we gave it to someone or some store or we “end used it” (took it to a recycling place). 

Now they (I always wonder who they are) ask us to take it to the next level:  The 6 Step Program.

• Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Restore (Refurbish)
• Resist

Refusing is more than “Just Say No!”  It’s demonstrating that “No means No!” 

• That means telling people like Qwest, “Please don’t print a phone book for me.  I get my information online.”
• That means telling the clothing stores, “Please use metal hangers.  Those plastic ones that you throw away are filling up the landfill.”
• And, telling the big bookstores to quit shredding their dated materials (calendars and day planners).  Give them to a nonprofit.”

Reducing is using less.
• Take shorter showers.  Feel the need to be immersed in water, take a long bath.  It uses less water and heat.
• Reduce the amount of grass in a yard.  There are so many choices – xeriscape, plant a garden, put in a labyrinth.
• Buy food, dirt and anything else possible in bulk.  Bulk food uses less cardboard; dirt and landscaping materials can be bought in yardage and tonnage.
• Drive fewer miles.  Parking the car one day a week can open up can open up so many choices – walking, biking, mass transit.

Reuse is easy.  It translates into thinking long term usage when shopping. 
• Use glass containers instead of plastic.  Glass lasts longer.
• Choose clothes and shoes that will be worn longer than one season.
• Use wash rags, dish towels and other cloth goods in place of sponges, paper towels and Kleenex.  Throw them in the wash and they are as good as new.
Recycle now has 2 destination points. 
The first is for those items that still have a life.  Those can be sold, given to thrift stores, or placed on ebay and/or Craig’s list. 
The second is for those that are at the end of their use-cycle.  I’ve discovered a local electronic recycling group that breaks down most electronics from phones to refrigerators and toasters to computer parts.  They salvage the metals; the glass, toxins and plastics are sent out of state to be processed. 
Ask where the recycling is going.  Is it going to be handled in country or in China or India?

Restoring used to be called refurbishing. 
• Refurbishing is taking items that look tired and giving them a face-lift.  This could be tired furniture, kitchen cabinets or a car.
•Repairing is the opposite of replacing.  It may take time and money to restore something.  That’s called commitment.

Resist means putting an ethical component into what we do and what we buy.  How is this resisting? The word Resist comes from its usage in the 1960s – Resist the Establishment.  The sad part is that in the past 40 years we have become the Establish; so the change we seek is from what we have created – the pollution, the climate changes, fast, inefficient cars.  We must become the change we seek in others.  We must resist the allure big business has created.  We must reassess is “New always better.”  In our personal resistance comes the strength to change our buying and living habits.  And from the strength comes clarity of what we want.  Once we are sure, we can talk with others about the change that is coming.

So it is okay to have 6 Rs, in our change process.  Before long we will be adding Re-Assessing  and a few more. For some reason, we seem to like 12 steps in our staircase.  If you have more Rs to add, let us know.

By Sherry Dell PhD, CN

Photo by Jazza

 It’s that time of year.  The bright yellow flowers of the dandelion are showing up in my yard again.  I don’t know how or when it happened, but the beautiful dandelion has long been condemned as a weed.  So I dutifully spend the warm months pulling and digging them out of the ground.  I think many people even resort to drowning them in toxic chemicals. All to maintain our sense of backyard “style.”

But early in the spring like this, when dandelion’s leaves are tender and sweet, I’ve learned to make good use of the “weeds” I’m pulling out of the ground.  The ubiquitous dandelion has so many nutritional and therapeutic qualities.

First of all, the tender green leaves that come up before the flower does are a highly nutritious food with properties of a spring tonic.  After all the long, nutritionally-depleting months of winter, this super burst of  beta-carotene, iron and calcium,  B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, D, biotin, inositol, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc is just what a body needs.  Pick the leaves from plants that have not yet flowered.  (Remember dandelion leaves are deeply serrated like the blade of a saw and give it the french origins of its name: dent de lion or lion’s tooth.  

Even more importantly, pick the leaves of plants that have not been subjected to gardening chemicals, car fumes, or other modern toxins.  Eat them fresh in a salad like you would any lettuce. Or sautee them with onions and garlic and a vinegar splash as a side dish.

One word of caution: if you aren’t used to eating wild grown foods, start out slow.  Your body may jump into detoxification mode with all this extra nutrition on board.  And yes, that is a good, healthy thing.  But if the rate of detoxification is greater than your rate of elimination, you won’t be thanking me.  Symptoms of detox can include, headache, flu-like achiness, fatigue, rashes, nausea, etc.  If any of those things happens, the “cure” is quite simple: just stop eating dandelion until the cleansing process slows down.

The flowers and roots are also highly nutritious and edible.  Flowers are commonly used to make tea or wine and are great stirred into scrambled eggs or salad or used on any plate as a garnish.  The roots are best harvested in the spring and can be chopped into soups or casserole similar to other root vegetables.  The above mentioned caution regarding the possibilities of detox apply here as well.

Therapeutically, all parts of the dandelion have tremendous application including the sap.  In general the dandelion has a long history of use to help kidney and liver function.  As such it can be very helpful with digestive complaints.  Dandelion root tea can be a helpful laxative. Dandelion leaf tea can help relieve mild cases of fluid retention.  The white sap from the stems can be used on warts, pimples, and bee stings to name a few.  The list of applications is very long and you may want to discuss your specific therapeutic uses with an herbalist. 

In any case, the dandelion makes it well worth the effort to think twice before we yank it out and throw it on the weed pile.

By Amy Cook- Porter

On Saturday morning much like the post office, neither wind nor rain nor sleet could stop our intrepid recycling team from collecting monitors, CPUs, printers, cell phones and other electronics that people wanted to keep out of the landfill.  The team consisted of Bill Morris, Guaranteed Recycling Xperts/Metech (GRX), their strategic non-profit partner, Community Intersections led by Andy O’Riley and the Ink/Toner cartridge collector (with printers come cartridges) Cartridge World – Briargate, led by Ted Robertson, Robertson along with members of the Earth Day Board, Jane Ard-Smith, Davis Smith, Judy Schulman, Steve Saint and Linda Kogan from UCCS.    Together they put together this wonderful program which became known as Bill and Ted’s Excellent Recycling Adventure, although it easily could have been called their Arctic Adventure as the temperatures hovered in the low 30s.

How much was collected?  We collected just over 2,000 lbs of e-waste and about 25 lbs. of empty ink and toner cartridges.  When you consider that an ink cartridge weighs about an ounce, that’s quite a few.  

What was the goal?  “Our goal isn’t for just one event.  We have electronics recycling events scheduled throughout the year.”  Bill Morris of GRX/Metech explained, “This is only one of thirty recycling collection events scheduled in Southern Colorado for 2009.  Our next events are scheduled at Woodland Park High School on April 25th; Pikes Peak Community College Campuses between April 28th – May 2nd, Cartridge World – Briargate on May 2nd, and the Pueblo County Health Department event on May 9th.  We’ve already collected over 33,000 lbs of e-waste and raised almost $2,000 in funds for our non-profit partners in the first quarter of 2009.  Our goal is to collect over 100,000 pounds at these events this year, and divert this material from Southern Colorado landfills before the year is out.

Why 100,000 pounds?  “Why not?” asked Bill.  “That number equates to approximately 2,000 monitors or CPUs.  It could be the discarded tvs or a microwave or old stereo parts – anything electronic that doesn’t work. We are the last stop for these items.  They are broken down for parts instead of going into the landfill.”

And the cost – it isn’t a donation?  “If $10 for a monitor seems high, think about this.  By the time one of the employees at Community Intersection strips the monitor down to parts, and we transport or dispose of the parts, there isn’t much left of the $10.“

“We’ve been talking about what we could do with some of the computer parts.  The reaction to some of the jewelry that was made for the fashion show on the 25th has been favorable.  Community Intersections is looking at making jewelry out of the wire and other parts. “

What is Cartridge World’s role in this?  For our part, Cartridge World Briargate and our staff are enthusiastic supporters of the work GRX does.  The philanthropic piece makes this even more meaningful.  As our relationship with GRX grows, we open up new channels of opportunity – our assistance with collections events being one of them.  These events are lots of fun and a really good way to connect members of the community with charitable organizations and do their part to recycle responsibly at the same time.  It’s a win-win for the triple bottom line: people, planet and profits.  We’re bringing people together to protect the planet and turning the profits from these events over to deserving organizations like Community Intersections.  It is truly an excellent adventure.

What’s next?  Join us at our next event and tell your friends.  We’re still a long ways away from our goal of 100,000 pounds this year.  If we get 100,000 we’ll be able to hire another person for Community Intersection; and keep this toxic stuff out of the landfill.  It’s a win-win for everybody.

By the Union of Concerned Scientists
April 2009
When rain falls faster than the ground can absorb it, it runs off into storm drains along with any contaminants in its path, such as oil and grease, de-icing salts, heavy metals, pesticides, and bacteria from trash and animal waste. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that urban runoff—in which 77 of 127 key pollutants have been detected—is one of the largest sources of water contamination nationwide.

 
We can all help minimize the problem of storm water runoff by planting rain gardens—6- to 12-inch-deep depressions filled with native plants. Rain gardens can capture hundreds of gallons of rainwater, filtering out up to 90 percent of pollutants while allowing the water to drain deep enough into the soil to help recharge groundwater supplies.

 
Whether you undertake this project on your own or with a landscaper, here are some factors to consider when planning a rain garden:
Location. Site your rain garden where rain and snowmelt collect or run off—near downspouts or gutters, below a slope, or along sidewalks and driveways. However, avoid planting a rain garden within 10 feet of your home’s foundation, within a septic system’s drainage field, or above buried utility lines.
Size. The square footage of your rain garden should generally be about 20 percent that of the area draining into it. For example, if your roof covers 800 square feet, a rain garden designed to collect all of the roof’s runoff should cover 160 square feet. To capture runoff most efficiently, a rain garden should be longer than it is wide, and aligned perpendicular to the slope.

Materials. Rain gardens use layers of different materials to help maximize drainage. The bottom layer typically features an “underdrain” (e.g., a piece of perforated PVC pipe) pointed toward an existing storm drain and covered with gravel. The next layer is the planting medium, which should be a mix of about 20 percent compost, 50 percent sand, and 30 percent topsoil. A final layer of mulch helps prevent weeds and removes metals from runoff.
Plant choice. Native plants are best because they establish deeper roots (which help the soil hold water), can withstand the local climate, need minimal care, and attract local butterfly and bird populations. See the Related Resources for a list of plants native to your region. And, if your rain garden is near a street treated with salt in the winter, ask your local nursery for salt-tolerant plants.

 
Related Resources:
Environmental Protection Agency—Rain Garden Fact Sheet
Environmental Protection Agency—Managing Stormwater Runoff (pdf) 
Rain Gardens of West Michigan—Create a Rain Garden
PlantNative

Tri-State, Colorado’s second largest electricity supplier, has a plan in the
works to build an expensive and unnecessary coal-fired power plant. And if
their plan plays out, they’ll saddle Colorado with decades of dirty, toxic
air and stick rural Coloradans with the bill.

With vast clean energy resources across our state and cost-saving energy
efficiency options at the ready, Tri-State’s proposal for another coal-fired
power plant is outrageous.
 
We have until April 6 to tell state energy regulators on Colorado’s Public
Utilities Commission that Coloradans want clean energy solutions for
Colorado’s energy needs. Please click below to submit a comment to the PUC
telling them to put Tri-State on a path to a clean energy future and to drop
dirty coal.

http://www.environmentcolorado.org/action/energy/clean-energy-tri-state?id4=
ES

The PUC is considering taking a more active role in making sure that
Tri-State invests in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It’s no
accident that Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, has become a
national leader in renewable energy. The commission made sure that Xcel is
meeting the state’s renewable energy standard.

Now we need to make sure that Tri-State meets those same goals, ensuring
that the state moves beyond dirty energy sources and plays its part in
building the New Energy Economy.

The public comment period ends April 6. With your help, we can drop dirty
power and make sure that Colorado has a clean energy future. Click below to
tell the commission to put Tri-State on a path to a clean energy future and
to drop dirty coal.

http://www.environmentcolorado.org/action/energy/clean-energy-tri-state?id4=

A dozen things around your home that you can reuse

By Debra Frick

• .Most stores around here have started putting their meat in big plastic pans. If you wash out these they make great disposable paint pans. You can also clean them with a little bleach and use them to give cookies or candy at the holidays or use them for a small kitty litter pan for your kitten you are trying to potty train. They also make great water pans for outside animals

• Every once in a while I will get in my mailer a really nice plastic CD box with a CD from one of the “other internet providers” I use these to mail Photo CD’s to my family. Open the CD and lay the box flat and remove the paper from inside the plastic cover. Now you can slide your own paper in with your receivers address and send it right off. Hope this helps someone who takes a lot of pictures and loves to share. You might even get the neighbors to save them for you if you don’t share this tip with them

• Here is a use for an old Velveeta box and lid. Cut thin pieces of cardboard slightly smaller then the width of the Velveeta box. Wrap embroidery floss around the cardboard and store in the box. Makes it easy to organize colors. Cover the outside with contact paper or paint.

• Old “egg crates” (mattress pad) can be cut to help winterize your dog house. Cut the foam to fit the sides and roof of your dog house and staple in place. This will help keep your best friend warm when he has to be outside. Don’t forget the floor as this will help keep him warm by keeping him off the ground. A piece can also be stapled to the front to serve as a flap to keep out drafts.

• One of the electronics firms here in town regularly gets rid of wooden crates. I went to the shipping and receiving boss and asked if I could have them. They said “sure” as they used a lot of man hours breaking them up to go to the dump. I have used these for a small garden shed, I have torn them apart for the wood to make standup Christmas ornaments for the yard and best of all my local animal rescue loved these for dog houses for the bigger dogs. Look around and call your local moving and storage or an assembly plant. You to could be rolling in free plywood, too.

• Use those foam trays from meat packaging to make draft stoppers for behind your outlets. It is quite simple to do. Remove one outlet cover and trace around the outlet cover. Using a sharp blade cut out the pattern. You should be able to get two or three from each tray. Don’t forget your outside outlets too. Put this behind the outlet plate and reattach to the outlet. Be sure to dry fit before you install as you want it to fit snugly but not so snug you can not put outlet cover back on. I know that the premade ones are very inexpensive but you already paid for that tray when you bought your meat why waste that money?
• We all have socks with mates that have disappeared in the big black hole where all socks go. Most people know that these unmatched socks make great dusters and cleaning rags but how about filling one tube sock with clean kitty litter and using it as a Draft stopper at the bottom of your door? One bag of cheap kitty litter costs about 3.00 bucks and can make many of these. These also can be used to block drafts on window sills in older homes as well.

• Save all of your styrofoam fast food containers and foam food trays. When you think you have enough, shred with a pair of scissors. This now can be used for packaging for presents to be sent away or you can make a nice warm cushion for your older dog with them. The styrofoam holds in the heat so these are great for dogs with achy bones.

• I call this two liter bowling: Save and wash 10 – 2 liter bottles and the lids. Get a small ball from the dollar store. Fill the bottles with a couple of inches of clean kitty litter. Set it up and let your toddlers have a ball.

• So our kids broke the lid off the diaper wipe box they kept their little toys in. Don’t throw it away just yet. Wait until you get your first really good snowfall and give it to the kids to use as a snow mold for bricks. Hey they just might learn how to build an Igloo!

• Cut a two liter bottle in half and you have a good disposable bottle for changing your oil, or can be used anywhere you need a funnel and it can be kept, washed and reused if need be.

• Do your chains and beads get all tangled up? Mount an adjustable wooden cup rack on the back of your closet door. Now you can hang your necklaces tangle free.

By The Union of Concerned Scientists
March 2009

Unlike typical plastics made from crude oil, “bioplastics” are often made from plant matter such as corn starch, potato starch, cane sugar, and soy protein. A potentially renewable alternative to petroleum-based plastics would have the long-term benefits of reducing global warming pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels, but do bioplastics fit the bill? As they become more ubiquitous—in the form of grocery bags and disposable plates, food containers, and cutlery—numerous concerns have been raised about their true value:

• Bioplastics are designed to be composted, not recycled. The plant-based material will actually contaminate the recycling process if not separated from conventional plastics such as soda bottles and milk jugs.
• Home composting may not be an option. Some bioplastics cannot be broken down by the bacteria in our backyards; polyethylene (PE) made from cane sugar is one example. Only bioplastics that are fully biodegradable will break down in a home compost pile, and it could still take up to two years for certain items (e.g., forks and spoons). The rest require the high heat and humidity of an industrial composting plant—of which there are only about 100 in the country, and not all collect waste.
• Plants grown for bioplastics have negative impacts of their own. Bioplastics are often produced from genetically modified food crops such as corn and soybeans, a practice that carries a high risk of contaminating our food supply. Also, corn and soybean producers typically apply large amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that pollute our air and water. To compound matters, the growth of the bioplastics and biofuels industries (both of which currently rely on food crops as their raw material) increases the demand for crops and the impact of agriculture worldwide.

Environmental advocates are calling for bioplastic production based on renewable crops (such as native wild grasses) grown without chemicals. Bioplastics could also be developed from agricultural waste. Until then, what’s a consumer to do?

• Look for the “Compostable” logo. The Biodegradable Products Institute identifies products appropriate for municipal and commercial composting facilities. To find facilities in your state, see the Related Resources.
• Opt for reusable or recycled instead. When you can’t use metal cutlery or ceramic dishes, look for recycled, dishwasher-safe products that can be recycled once they’re no longer usable.

Related Resources

BioCycle Magazine—Find a composter

Biodegradable Products Institute—Compostable logo program
 
Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative—Fact sheets

World Centric—Bioplastic categories and composting times