FishPhone

Speaking of phones, check out FishPhone.

In their words:

"FishPhone is Blue Ocean’s sustainable seafood text messaging service that instantly puts sustainable seafood information at your fingertips.

To find out about your seafood choice, text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. We’ll text you back with our assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns.

Since its debut on October 2, 2007, FishPhone has been featured nationwide in newspapers, on television (including MSNBC), and on blogs.

“Having this information in the palm of our hands while we shop or visit our local restaurants is the start of something big! We consumers have many questions, especially as the USDA and FDA seem so overworked, under-funded and ineffectual when it comes to food safety issues; using our handheld devices to connect to the most up to date info in real time makes us the 'commanders' of our food shopping experience.”  – Phil Lempert, TODAY Food Editor on MSNBC.com"

I used to intern here and I helped minimally in the creation/implementation of FishPhone. My most significant contribution was that I thought of the name, haha.

Burj Dubai

The new tallest building in the world opened today, with over 160 floors and some pretty cool eco-tech features. But I wonder when it gets to that point (er, and height), is it eco-sensitive overall to have such a tall building, or is it inefficient and 'wastes' energy? I wonder what the optimum height is for a building, or if there is one.

Article linked here for more info on the Burj Dubai.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Thoughts on the future/ abnormal blog entry

Do you ever feel like there's a larger purpose for you in life? Sometimes I forget it, but I very much feel like I'm working towards something larger. I'm not completely sure what it is yet, but there are so many people in the world who we - as highly educated people with so many resources - can help. I feel like I'm moving in that direction. I'm still figuring it out and searching for how, but I'm going to do something to affect humanity for the better. And effect change in the world. Sometimes one just needs to be reminded, but I know I can do something, and I feel like everything I'm doing now is to equip me to do that huge, significant thing. So far, I think my liberal arts education has been a step forward. So I just need to keep moving forward and keep the larger picture in mind, even if I can't yet see it clearly. I think I can see it more clearly than ever before, though, and that is good. I feel myself moving from more micro-type life goals to now seriously considering more macro goals that I've only thought about more in passing. Oh, senior year of college.



How about you? Thoughts?



/end scene

Increasing the energy efficiency of supply chains

McKinsey just did a study on this topic, and it makes me wish so hard that I knew enough to add to the conversation or add a comment on this article. Isn't it amazing how there's SO MUCH to learn and understand in the world?

Growing number of families in China making use of solar energy

Rows of solar collectors line the roofs of many buildings in China.

Due to a combination of research and development, market competition, and government incentives in China, models designed for families of three start at around 1500 Yuan or US$200 – about 70-80 percent less than the least expensive models in the United States. (High-end models have higher capacities and are able to seamlessly switch between solar and gas power.) Chinese companies also are apparently helping push down the price of solar panels – by almost half over the last year – in other countries, according to a recent New York Times article.

Check out the entire blog article.

Pandas, Wildlife Conservation, China, Economics

New Scientist did an interview with Lü Zhi, the director of the Center for Nature and Society at Peking University, Beijing, China. She has studied pandas for two decades, served as the director of the World Wide Fund for Nature's panda conservation programme and runs the conservation NGO Shan Shui.

Are attitudes to the environment in China changing as people's wealth increases?

There are two trends. One is a greater awareness. For instance, a group of young Chinese entrepreneurs is calling for an end to the consumption of shark fin soup. But there is also a rise in the number of affluent people who want to show off their wealth. Eating wildlife is a part of Chinese culture, so when people get richer they eat more wildlife. They need something to persuade them. I think culture is the most effective tool. A respect for life is part of the Buddhist tradition, which has had a big influence on Chinese culture, though sometimes people forget it.

Is it weird that this is nearly exactly how I feel? I want the shark fin soup (yum) but I want the shark too. (I want to make a joke here that somehow combines the phrases "have your cake and eat it too" and "jumped the shark".) She also talks about the role of economics and markets in the future of conservation:

Is this new economic system in place?

In some provinces of China, GDP is not the only measure of development. The economic value of ecosystems, such as the carbon dioxide absorbance of forests, are factored in. At Shan Shui, the NGO I run, we want to show specific things that can be implemented, such as water users paying a proportion of their water-use fee to subsidise forest conservation upstream. It's a market-based attempt at conservation.

What comes next?

To work with economists. I recently went to a forum to brainstorm issues to be discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In one discussion there were 30 to 40 people focusing on the economy and me, with my focus on ecology. I looked out for how often they mentioned biodiversity or conservation. Neither term was mentioned. That was a reality check for me. I think the next step is to work with economists, otherwise we conservationists are just talking to ourselves.

I love this intersection between environment and economics. And China and international affairs too, I guess. Haha what a great article to send me. Thanks, fans!

Read the article here.