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Environment and Ecology

Ecology, environmental issues, green issues, recycling, saving the environment, resource-management, good sense generally.

There's a popular misconception that all human activity is a sin against the environment and that anything high-tech is fundamentally bad. But Green exists in many shades, some naive Green, some crazy green, some more like Red (as in The Red Flag and the flying thereof). However, there is a sensible way of thinking about the Ecologicals, which is that the end-product of complete disregard of anything environmental will result in the end of the world. So, it's good to have a moderate set of environmental principles.

Cutting down trees isn't bad for the environment, provided you plant some more. Using energy does no damage to the environment, provided the energy comes from various free natural resources which never run out. For example, solar, wind, wave, hydro, will never run out. In contrast, non-renewable resources such as coal and oil will eventually be exhausted, as they don't get renewed in reasonable time. Atomic fission is also unenvironmental as the waste-product doesn't go away.

One of the myths of ecology is that anything capitalistic or decadent is fundamentally anti-environmental. Not true. For example it's possible to run a high-performance car on pure alcohol, methanol, or hydrogen, all of which are entirely naturally renewable. The more rich you are, the more practical it is to do things environmentally. Managing the environment has many parallels to managing your money!

Another idea going around is that you can never win and never do any good, and that the environment can only be worsened and never improved. What I recommend on this is to terraform the planet Venus. Nature has made the planet Venus an environmental disaster, but humanity could convert Venus into an earthlike planet with reasonable weather and life. It is a matter of having an advanced spacegoing technology.

Meanwhile, as that's some time in the future, there are practical environmentally-good things that we can all do now. Recycling, re-use of stuff, generally doing things the right way rather than the wrong way. Putting used teabags on the garden is a good start.

This page is going to require considerable expansion, but in the meantime here are a few interesting items...

A few links and pages:

What to do with Scrap Cars

Mobile Phone Recycling

The eccentric: Burning Gambling Machines to Save Money

It's possible to recycle an automatic washing machine glass as a cooking bowl

Wind Power Asia 2003 (was http://www.cnwpa.org/)

Save animals from extinction:
World Wildlife Fund
Join WWF - sponsor an animal - gift membership - etc.

RSPB
Much more than just birds!

Sea Salt
Eco cotton clothing!

Oscar and Belle
Baby clothing from sustainable products

Campaign To Protect Rural England
Supporting local produce not supermarkets!

World Land Trust
Buying lands to preserve habitats and their wildlife!

Climate Change
Things that remain important regardless of who's to blame for Climate Change.

Alana Ecology
Nature watching made easy!

Natural Collection
Natural Goodies!

Green People
Organic health and beauty!

My Being Well
Natural health and beauty!

British Eco
British Ecology!

Littlearth
Ecofashion!

Ethical Superstore (previously Zero Point Zero ) - Ethical green gifts!