Magazines

I used to be a big magazine reader. Two years ago, I was subscribed to 15. I've learned my lesson since them.

My original reason for so many subscriptions was a combination of a trance-like devotion to women's magazines like Lucky, Glamour, Marie Claire, etc., and my liking mail. Luckily, I've broken free of the world in which sickly is beautiful and I have to want the latest $800 purse. Right now, there's only one magazine I still read, and that's Vanity Fair.

I've always thought it would be fantastic if magazines offered subscribers the option of going hard-copy free. Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of receiving a magazine in the mail, you could read it in .pdf format? I know some people still like to have something they can hold in their hands, but I'd much rather be able to read it without worrying about the distance it's traveled and whether or not the magazine is made out of recycled paper.

Death

Funerals have increasingly become more and more lavish. Coffins are lined with luxurious material, hundreds of dollars are spent on flowers, and people pay to give their departed loved ones the best farewell they can manage. However, I doubt the dead cares what they're laying on.

Funerals are meant, not for those that have died, but for the families. People generally put a lot of thought into every minuscule detail, but I doubt they consider the environmental aspects.

Obviously, a traditional burial isn't the most eco-friendly option. Vast amounts of land are used for graveyards, and modern coffins aren't exactly biodegradable.

Recently, cremation has come under fire (haha). A professor from the University of Melbourne named Roger Short has discovered that cremation produces carbon dioxide, which is a culprit of global warming. Thus, this also isn't the best option.

Before I go further, I want to say that I do not wish to impose my opinions on people. Everyone is free to decided what they want done with their bodies after their death. I only want to show people that there are ways to keep the environment in mind.

Something that Mr. Short is a proponent of are green burials. The boxes, like the bodies, are biodegradable.

Or you could donate your body to science. This could actually be a great idea for animal rights activists who wish to save animals from the hand of scientists.

Personally, I don't care what happens to my body after I die. I'm sure it won't matter to me. But I hope that my family and friends will keep the environment in mind.

Ethanol

I'm happy that a lot of people, including tons of bloggers, are taking notice of ethanol. Especially that they're talking about how it isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The largest problem I see with ethanol is the contribution it'll have on world hunger and the environment. It would take huge swaths of land to produce the corn needed, and we're already far over what the limit should be with agricultural practices like factory farming. And because so much corn will be needed to meet our demands, poorer nations will suffer horribly. A lot of people that depend on cheap corn will have to either find something else to eat (which isn't easy) or starve to death.

Recently, people have started talking about how ethanol isn't actually as green as it's supposed to be. Here are two related articles: That's Fit and LiveScience.

What really worries me about ethanol is that the Bush administration and "fake" environmentalists will use it as a publicity deal. Instead of actually researching and studying how to make transportation and fuel more efficient, they will just jump on the bandwagon and go with what makes them look good. I hope more and more people will talk about ethanol in the future, and that it'll break into the mainstream.

Updated: Discovery has another article.

Environmental News

Our cell phones are killing bees
There is mounting evidence that radiation from cell phones is what's causing the major die-off of US and European bee populations. To further understand the problem, Britain's Bumblebee Conservation Trust wants the public to keep tabs on the whereabouts of local bees.


Presidential hopeful John Edwards wants to ban new coal-fired power plants and charge polluters
I've never been a huge fan of Edwards (personally I'm rooting for Kucinich), but I'm starting to think maybe I'm a bit wrong. I'm going to do a little research into him now. His plan would be a great way to curb global warming. The money (which could be up to $40 billion) would be used for clean energy.

Yangtze River "irreversibly damaged"
China's river could be polluted beyond control. Which could have major consequences as a result. This is hardly surprising news, however, considering China is one of the most polluted countries in the world.