Tap It Talk: International Archives

Find Free Used Stuff With Yoink

By William Schwartz on February 5, 2010 12:10 PM | No Comments

Buying reused stuff is the most environmentally friendly way to shop. What is even better is getting it for free. A new service called Yoink lets you use your iphone to locate free stuff stuff near you.

While other sites like Craigslist and and Freecycle offer a similar service, Yoink allows stuff to be located using GPS and never requires shipping.

The app includes a way you can upload a picture from the camera on you phone and immediately post it with a short description and your location. If you don't have an iphone, you can use the website to upload photos and post the location of your items.

We all have stuff that we don't need. Any way to efficiently get that stuff to those who need it, reduces our overall environmental impact and saves on energy and money. It's a win-win!

WaterGeeks Filtered Stainless Steel Bottles, Now Benefiting Haiti Earthquake Victims

By Julie Knapp on January 27, 2010 4:05 PM | No Comments

If you're an avid tap water drinker, but like it filtered so you know your H2O is pure, the WaterGeeks have a great solution for water on-the-go. Their Filtered Stainless Steel Bottles are made from unlined, food grade stainless steel and come with a filtering cap. You can choose between two different filter types that last for up to 800 refills. One removes chlorine, bad taste, smells and lead, while the other works even harder to also filter out any bacteria or ground water contaminants.

Even better than their innovative water bottle designs, the WaterGeeks give back to important water organizations. Now through February 4 they'll donate $5 to Hope for Haiti from every filtered stainless steel bottle purchased online. They already sent 500 Bio-Filtered Bottles to the charity, which will provide Haiti earthquake victims with over 40,000 gallons of clean water.

In the past, WaterGeeks supported the Tap Project, and from November 2008 through June 2009 they donated at least 20% of the price of their premium water products, including the filtered sport water bottles, to the US Fund for UNICEF. Plus, they also donated $9 from every sale of the FLOW DVD.

Colorado Company Supplies Haiti With Solar Water Filters

By William Schwartz on January 21, 2010 10:56 AM | No Comments

Innovative Water Technologies, a Colorado producer of water filtration systems, has donated 14 solar powered water filter stations to earthquake relief in Haiti.

With the help of the GE foundation, Pentair and private donors, the 14 Sunspring solar powered water filters will be permanently installed to provide drinking water in different areas of the island.

These innovative filters each have capacity to serve up to 5,000 gallons per day, can last up to 10 years and require no power source except the sun. They can be installed by rivers, streams, wells, lakes or any fresh body of water and remove all harmful bacteria to create safe drinking water.

Each unit runs about $25,000. Many more are needed in Haiti to make sure there is clean water without shipping water more in. I can't really afford it, but anyone that is interested in buying one to be sent to Haiti can do so at the company website.

Clean Drinking Water for Haiti Earthquake Victims

By Julie Knapp on January 20, 2010 8:38 AM | No Comments

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti last week, everyone from the Red Cross to water bottlers is sending bottled water to victims. This is an important short term solution, but as the most poverty stricken country in the Western Hemisphere Haiti's access to clean drinking water was a problem before. The disaster has only intensified the issue. Many of the water and sanitation facilities have been damaged, making long term solutions important, too.

Matt Damon helped launch Water.org's $2 million goal for the Haiti Challenge at the Clinton Global Initiative in October and project is even more relevant now. Water.org says it's committed to bringing safe water and sanitation to 50,000 Haitians over the next 36 months. Their first order of business is to help local NGO partners get back in order so they can repair and expand sustainable water and sanitation infrastructure there. To help, you can donate to Water.org's efforts in Haiti.

Canadian non-profit Clean Water for Haiti has also been working to provide sustainable solutions to Haiti's water crisis. They bring easy-to-use, affordable water filters to Haitian families. In the coming months their efforts will be increasingly important and donations to Clean Water for Haiti are also appreciated.

Photo via Water.org

Alyssa Milano Raises $92,568 For Charity:Water Using Twitter

By William Schwartz on January 14, 2010 12:46 AM | No Comments

We at TapIt missed an impressive event in social media last month. Using only her Twitter page, Alyssa Milano was able to raise $92,568 for her campaign at Charity: Water, an organization that provides access to clean water for communities in Africa.

She started with a goal of raising just $25,000 in celebration of her 37th birthday. After that goal was quickly reached, she began upping the goal until the final number of nearly $100K was reached.

This is a great achievement as she was able to provide water infrastructure for over 4,600 people in Africa. It is also impressive she was able to do this all with Twitter. Granted, Alyssa has over 600,000 Twitter followers, but it shows the potential.

What if all of her followers were able to fundraise on their Twitter pages too? And their followers? The possibilities are endless.

Cities Look for Alternatives to Water-Polluting Road Salt

By Julie Knapp on January 12, 2010 6:53 PM | No Comments

When winter storms hit and snow covers the roadways, runways and sidewalks, the salt comes out. While sodium chloride works wonders for de-icing, concern is growing over its harmful environmental effects. Once the job is done road salt has to go somewhere and most of it ends up in our waterways.

A 2009 University of Minnesota study found that about 70 percent of the 350,000 tons of road salt used annually in the Minneapolis metro area is retained in the watershed of area lakes, rivers, wells and tributaries, which could affect drinking water and aquatic life.

That's why this year, many public works officials in Minnesota are changing their de-icing formulas. The trick is to make the salt stick to roads better so less salt can be used overall, maintaining the same level of safety. Pre-wetting the salt with brine before applying it to the road has helped many crews go from using 500 pounds of salt per mile to 200 pounds per mile. One city, Prior Lake, created a road salt "supermix" of brine, magnesium chloride and a sugar beet byproduct, which has reduced salt use there by about 60 percent. Even food-grade molasses can help salt stick to roads--but it doesn't work so well in frigid temperatures!

Airports are beginning to look for eco-friendly salt alternatives, too. Frankfurt's airport in Germany uses a biodegradable antacid to battle snow and ice, which is non-toxic and doesn't affect groundwater. It's good to see more cities taking the initiative to find alternatives that are safe for travel and safe for drinking water.

Photo by bradjward via flickr under a Creative Commons license.

Big Green Purse Wants Woman to Vote With Their Dollars

By William Schwartz on January 7, 2010 3:19 AM | No Comments

Every dollar you spend on green consumer products encourages the production and distribution of more green products. Woman in particular are responsible for 85 cents of every dollar spent on consumer goods. If every woman could commit even a small amount of their budget to environmentally friendly goods, it could change the world.

This is the premise of the book and project Big Green Purse by Diane MacEachern. The ultimate goal is to shift $1000 of the yearly budget of 1 million woman over to green products. Theoretically, this could shift $1 Billion towards green companies and ultimately change the marketplace for consumer items.

At The Big Green Purse website, you can sign up to pledge your $1000 a year budget for green good. The site also offers easy steps to reducing your environmental footprint and buying green. It also offers buying guides for a range of product categories to help you find genuine green products that offer real eco improvements and not just greenwashing.

Sign up and pledge your $1000 a year for green products here. Let's vote with our dollars and make sure to buy green whenever possible!

photo credit: AMagill from flickr

Australian Filmmaker to Swim Across the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

By Julie Knapp on December 30, 2009 5:56 PM | No Comments

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a giant mess of plastic junk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean nearing the size of the Northern Territory, has gotten a lot of attention this year from environmentalists to Oprah. Now, Australian filmmaker Richard Pain wants to show people what it looks like firsthand. He plans to swim 9,000 kilometers across the Pacific starting in Japan and ending in the US. In the middle he'll kick his way through the garbage disaster that marine life lives in every day.

The swim, which may take as long as 45 weeks, is obviously ambitious and no one has ever done it. The 45-year-old realizes it's a completely mad project to take on, but as the son of an Olympic bronze medalist, he thinks he has the drive needed.

Pain won't be out there with just a pair of goggles though. He plans to create a six meter-long bottle from used water bottles to swim in. It'll add to his message because plastic water bottles are a lot of what's floating around in the Garbage Patch. Plus, it'll keep him safe from sharks.

"But I'm aware there is a lot of green fatigue in the broader population. This is a way to try and raise awareness by doing something more compelling. It's like trying to do an environmental version of Super Size Me," Pain told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I want to create that iconic media image that everybody picks up and says, 'Oh my God, there's a man in the middle of the ocean in a gigantic water bottle," he said.

Beyond awareness for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Pain hopes to raise $1 million with his big swim to help research of the mess in the North Pacific Gyre. First up, 18 months of training.

Photo by cesarharada on flickr under a Creative Commons license.

Californians Look Downunder for Solutions to Water Crisis

By Kylie Harper on December 29, 2009 7:34 PM | No Comments

A delegation of California water experts recently toured Australian cities to get a handle on how that country has responded to water shortages after 13 years of drought.

Delegates were apparently struck by the effectiveness of conservation measures there. Water use is about 40 gallons per person, per day, including outdoor watering. California's per-capita average is 200 gallons. A huge difference!

Some of the conservation measures common in Australia are still rare in the US, like rainwater tanks that capture water for gardens and toilet flushing, dual-flush toilets, dual house plumbing for recycled water and water-efficient appliances in virtually every home.

Water use outdoors, which accounts for about half of consumption, is also much more efficient. Residents use hardy native plants with low-water needs instead of grass. Permeable pavement allows water to sink back into the ground rather than running down drains.

Desalination of ocean water is also common in most of Australia's major cities. But after visiting the plants some delegates came away thinking that conservation measures should be taken first because desalinized water is still fairly expensive. In addition, many water conservation programs involve retrofitting which would create green collar jobs in California.

In January, California will get to return the favor and show the Australians their Groundwater Replenishment System in Fountain Valley that treats sewer water and uses it to recharge underground aquifers.

Photo: The Nullabor by amandabhslater on Flickr under Creative Commons License

Greenwashing or Finally Green? FIJI Water joins 1% for Planet

By Kylie Harper on December 22, 2009 10:53 AM | No Comments

FIJI Water recently announced that it is joining 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that pledge 1% of their annual sales to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability.

They say that joining 1% for the Planet underscores their deep commitment to sustainability and to preserving the environment in Fiji, a pacific island with a unique eco-system from which they draw the water for their best selling brand.

I can't help recalling the 'Spin the Bottle' article by Ann Lenzer of Mother Jones who contrasted the clean efficiency of the FIJI water bottling plant with these words '...crumbling pipes, a lack of adequate wells, dysfunctional or flooded water treatment plants, and droughts that are expected to get worse with climate change. Half the country has at times relied on emergency water supplies, with rations as low as four gallons a week per family; dirty water has led to outbreaks of typhoid and parasitic infections. Patients have reportedly had to cart their own water to hospitals, and schoolchildren complain about their pipes spewing shells, leaves, and frogs. Some Fijians have taken to smashing open fire hydrants and bribing water truck drivers for a regular supply.'

Oh, and then there's the Pacific Garbage Patch... I guess if you ship all those plastic bottles to the U.S. they have a way of finding their way back to you! Good try FIJI.

So, what do you think? FIJI Water - Greenwashing or Green?

Photo:

"We are very happy to welcome Roll International and FIJI Water to the 1% movement," said Terry Kellogg, CEO of 1% for the Planet. "The company and its owners have a long-standing commitment to corporate philanthropy and the environment, and their membership will help us bring awareness of the 1% movement to a broader audience."

FIJI Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the number one premium bottled water in the United States and one of the fastest-growing brands worldwide.

The decision to join 1% for the Planet is part of FIJI Water's ongoing effort to help preserve and protect the environment. FIJI is also the only major bottled water brand to make its entire carbon footprint transparent on its website and was the first privately owned company to report its carbon emissions to the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration. ICF International, a global leader in analyzing emissions inventories and providing advice on climate strategy, independently reviews and verifies FIJI Water's carbon footprint annually. And in November 2007, FIJI Water announced that it would become the first carbon-negative bottled water brand in the world, by offsetting its annual carbon emissions by 120%.

As part of that commitment, FIJI Water joined forces with the people of Fiji and Conservation International, a leading conservation organization, in spearheading a major reforestation project in Fiji. The Nakauvadra Forest Carbon Project is Fiji's first community-owned forest carbon project and is intended to restore degraded grasslands and abandoned sugar cane farms by replacing them with a mix of native species, fruit and spice trees, and timber such as mahogany and teak. Planting of the first 250 acres of the project began in October 2009, and another 1,000 acres will be planted over the coming years to meet FIJI Water's ongoing carbon-negative commitment. FIJI Water is investing at least $3 million USD in the forest restoration projects.

In addition to FIJI's reforestation efforts, the company is also working to preserve and protect the Sovi Basin, the largest remaining lowland rainforest in the South Pacific. Partnering again with Conservation International, FIJI Water has pledged $5 million USD to support this extensive conservation work and endow a trust fund that protects in perpetuity more than 50,000 acres of pristine rainforest. The endowment aims to compensate landowners and offset concessions made to logging companies who harvest timber from the Sovi Basin. The ecological benefits are vast and multifaceted: the Sovi Basin is one of only 34 such unique biodiversity hotspots around the world, hosting over 3,300 unique and often endangered species, which will now be protected; important watersheds will be safeguarded in the region, improving water availability and quality for local communities; and significant amounts of carbon will be sequestered by eliminating logging activities and halting further degradation. A video highlight of the Sovi Basin is available at http://www.youtube.com/fijiwatercompany#p/u/4/USRWBIV3U7g.

Through a partnership with the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation, FIJI Water has also committed to providing technical support and funding necessary to provide the delivery of safe and clean water to 100 Fiji communities each year. To date, the company has supported projects in 13 of Fiji's 14 provinces and helped to deliver clean water to more than 30,000 people in need. With FIJI Water's continued commitment to fund at least 100 new projects each year, hundreds of thousands of Fijians in some of the poorest parts of the country will soon benefit from the company's efforts. Video highlights of FIJI's water projects are available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4x6d619EA.

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fijiwater and visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fijiwater

About 1% for the Planet:

1% for the Planet is a global alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their sales directly to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability. To date, its 1,100+ members spread across 38 different countries have donated more than $50M to environmental causes.

Membership in 1% is diverse. It includes icons of the socially responsible business world like Patagonia, Clif Bar and New Belgium Brewing. It also includes publicly traded companies such as Volcom and Diageo.

For more information, please visit: http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/aboutus/

About FIJI Water

FIJI^® Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the number one premium bottled water in the United States and one of the fastest-growing brands worldwide. A product of one of the last virgin ecosystems on the planet, FIJI Water is forced by natural pressure out of its aquifer deep below the earth's surface and into iconic square bottles through a sealed delivery system free of human contact. FIJI Water's unique mineral profile lends to its refreshing taste and soft mouth-feel that have made it a favorite among top chefs and the winner of taste tests by Chicago Magazine, Cook's Illustrated Buying Guide, Men's Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray and others.

The company is committed to sustainable development and is the primary driver of economic development and social welfare in Fiji. FIJI Water reinvests substantial resources to expand access to clean, safe drinking water and to provide quality education and health care for the people in Fiji. As the first net carbon-negative product in its industry, FIJI Water is reducing carbon emissions across the product's entire lifecycle and offsetting at least 120% of remaining emissions through a rainforest restoration project in the Fiji Islands. FIJI Water has also partnered with Conservation International and the people of Fiji to protect and preserve the Sovi Basin, the largest remaining lowland rainforest in the South Pacific.

FIJI Water is widely available at fine restaurants and hotels, all major retail channels including grocery and convenience, and through an innovative home delivery program. Following the success of the flagship U.S. business, FIJI Water has expanded to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, please visit www.fijiwater.com.

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