11 replies to this topic

[cranberry_isle]

So lately, (finally), all that I've heard about on TV, in advertisements, everything is about "Going Green"  or changing your lifestyle in small ways to benefit the environment. (canvas, reusable shopping bags instead of plastic, house paint with less toxins, putting the AC at higher temp. to save energy, carpooling more [though that is probably more about gas prices than environmental issues])

The environment thing has been a problem that (unfortunately) was only dealt with by a few very opinionated and dedicated people in the US. but lately, EVERYONE has been wrapped up in it.

So I'm wondering, around the world, are other countries going through the same type movement? I'm sure some of them have been focused on the environment for a long time now. Is the US the last ones to finally start caring? does any other country use the slogan "Going Green" in everyday language?  and have any of you made interesting changes recently to better the environment?

Just curious. This site is a nice window to the rest of the world. I hate being boxed in to seeing only American views.

[Shorty]

Canada is pretty much going green as well. I know that the premier of BC is working together with governer swchartzenegger to terminate global warming( haha...cold joke) by constructing hydrogen highway and setting emission reduction goals and such.

Theres alot of programs offered by the federal government as well.

[Bandev]

Yeah I Australia has had that sort of stuff going on at comunity levels for a couple of years now. But the government action has only begun recently because there was a change in government (the previous government didn't believe in global warming, the only thing they believed in was the economy.) But someone from europe should comment and about wat they do.

[deissi]

Hehe, from a European point of view, I'd ask: "Is America doing it as well, cos it sure as hell doesn't look like it!" But I'm glad to hear that people are becoming more alert towards environmental problems also in the States... But yeah I'd say people have become very environmentally conscious in Finland in the last few years, but there's no denying that we still have a large carbon footprint. Our explanation (excuse?) is that we're a cold country, but some people still do tend to overheat (we don't need AC ) their homes... Anyways, stuff like sorting our trash (like bio and non-bio), recycling paper and cardboard... Something Finland is actually good at is recycling plastic bottles: about 98% of all our bottles are recycled thanks to the system the government runs.

Another big step our government took against global warming was a CO₂ based car taxation system. This means that for new cars with small CO₂ emissions, you have to pay less car tax when buying it, meaning that the prices for cars with small engines (say, 1.9liter diesels) went down by up to 7,000€. On the other hand, prices of highly polluting cars like Ferraris got an increase of tens if not hundreds of thousands of euros (!) in their prices. For example, the Mercedes SLR McLaren's price went up by about €170 000 (thats $266 000), if I remember correctly.

There's also a heated discussion going on regarding a treaty made by the EU that states that 30% (I think) of all energy produced must be from renewable sources by 2013. Hopefully we'll be able to meet the deadline, a lot of our electricity already comes from water power, but we need more wind power, and, in my opinion, nuclear power.

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carpooling more [though that is probably more about gas prices than environmental issues])

Trust me, gas is still cheap for you... We pay €1,55/liter for gas here, that's about $9.8/gallon...

[IBStuck]

deissi, on Jul 8 2008, 09:17 AM, said:

There's also a heated discussion going on regarding a treaty made by the EU that states that 30% (I think) of all energy produced must be from renewable sources by 2013. Hopefully we'll be able to meet the deadline, a lot of our electricity already comes from water power, but we need more wind power, and, in my opinion, nuclear power.


Trust me, gas is still cheap for you... We pay €1,55/liter for gas here, that's about $9.8/gallon...

i will quit bitching about the gas prices here then. we still havn't hit $4 a gallon yet, we are very close though. but don't americans drive more then people in other countries (or is that just what they tell us?)?

and then i have a question for you... what abou the waste that is produced form the nuclear plants? that is still harmful for the environment...

[Victor L]

I am a part of the green movement. Even considering to major in environmental sciences/policy.

I'm from New Zealand and we hosted the World Environment Day back in June.

[thatgirl]

Romania isn't really doing it. I mean our school is recycling and stuff, but the rest of the country...not so much.

[IBStuck]

whne i went to school in Florida the school ahd to cancel the recycling thing that they did coz they could "no longer afford it." and then the school came into a lot of money, and what did they do???? they re-did the football field. hello IB n3eeded some new textbooks! or a new computer lab for the school would have been nice... more class rooms so we dind't have to be in the portables... but no a new football field! don't you just love the public school system?

[KLSmash]

cranberry_isle, on Jul 6 2008, 05:33 PM, said:

So lately, (finally), all that I've heard about on TV, in advertisements, everything is about "Going Green"  or changing your lifestyle in small ways to benefit the environment. (canvas, reusable shopping bags instead of plastic, house paint with less toxins, putting the AC at higher temp. to save energy, carpooling more [though that is probably more about gas prices than environmental issues])

The environment thing has been a problem that (unfortunately) was only dealt with by a few very opinionated and dedicated people in the US. but lately, EVERYONE has been wrapped up in it.

So I'm wondering, around the world, are other countries going through the same type movement? I'm sure some of them have been focused on the environment for a long time now. Is the US the last ones to finally start caring? does any other country use the slogan "Going Green" in everyday language?  and have any of you made interesting changes recently to better the environment?

Just curious. This site is a nice window to the rest of the world. I hate being boxed in to seeing only American views.

I live in Ontario, Canada, and I haven't really noticed any dramatic changes in my community at all. Things are advised, such as changing your lightbulbs to more efficient ones and things of that nature, but I don't think many families even bother. My family does though, my mom changed the lightbulbs like 2 or 3 years ago. They take a noticeable time to go from dim to bright, but they apparently save a lot more energy. And you can't dispose of them like you normally can. You should put them back into the package they came in, and take it to some plant since there's mercury in them which is harmful to the environment.

:\ But other than that, "going green" is not really going anywhere here.

[deissi]

Renee, on Jul 8 2008, 08:04 PM, said:

i will quit bitching about the gas prices here then. we still havn't hit $4 a gallon yet, we are very close though. but don't americans drive more then people in other countries (or is that just what they tell us?)?

You do, but that's no excuse though! America should cut up on how much they drive, for example Finns drive a lot less, and Finland is very sparsely populated

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and then i have a question for you... what abou the waste that is produced form the nuclear plants? that is still harmful for the environment...

It's not harmful for the environment per se, but it can be harmful for the environment if it's not properly disposed of. In Western Europe, (and I daresay even the rest of Europe) it's extremely strictly controlled and they are well protected and buried. Actually, as far as I know, there have never been nuclear waste accidents in the world. (Chernobyl wasn't caused by waste)

[missrunway]

KLSmash, on Jul 13 2008, 10:33 AM, said:

I live in Ontario, Canada, and I haven't really noticed any dramatic changes in my community at all. Things are advised, such as changing your lightbulbs to more efficient ones and things of that nature, but I don't think many families even bother. My family does though, my mom changed the lightbulbs like 2 or 3 years ago. They take a noticeable time to go from dim to bright, but they apparently save a lot more energy. And you can't dispose of them like you normally can. You should put them back into the package they came in, and take it to some plant since there's mercury in them which is harmful to the environment.

:\ But other than that, "going green" is not really going anywhere here.

i  live in ontario too, and going green is defentally something that is going strong in my community with projects like clean ups around the arboritum and our school did a pre- erth hour thing, etc. i am sure canada is trying to go green as well and cut bk on our carbon emissions, etc

[Award Winning Boss]

I'm going so green that i'll be able to lie down in the grass and no one will see me

Most things I see are re using bags, recycled paper you know, the everyday things.

Every little helps