| | | Main Page

From WikiVerde

WikiVerde - A Green Wiki

WikiVerde is a resource for students, professionals and any one with curiosity about the environment. We have an international viewpoint on issues concerning the environment and sustainable living. WikiVerde partners with Universities, Colleges and High Schools in our area to implement programs that will improve the environment and educate the participants. We encourage people to volunteer in these projects and to post environmental facts and opinions about their work or any other related issues. From alternative energy to recycling to organic food and natural health, people are taking action to enhance their way of life. Small towns and large communities as well as whole societies are implementing changes to benefit their environment. Our aim is to participate in these changes and to inform about the results of these actions. We aim to educate and encourage participation in events that may benefit the environment any were in the world. WikiVerde will sponsor a variety of programs involving environmental organizations from diverse backgrounds, neighborhoods and organizations. We are looking forward to the cooperation of the community in developing ideas that can provide advancement for individuals across the range of the local population. Young and old, professionals, and volunteers of all backgrounds can join in and add to help the environment and effect positive change in our community. This is a place where any one from an elementary school student can feel comfortable contributing and learning. See http://www.kidsbiology.com for a good example. We mean for this web site to be a serious endeavor but you might add a little fun, always taking care not to offend or become liable for an inappropriate posting. We have created an accessible, wiki formatted website that is easy to use and fun to read. Why wiki? Ward Cunningham, the developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work. It is people like Mr. Cunnigham who selflessly help humanity and teach us how to make things better one person at a time.

EVENTS

SAVE THE TREES

A jewel in the forest at Montgomery College

"This is such a joy to have as part of a campus. It's a jewel," said Joe Howard of Silver Spring, a member of the Montgomery County Forestry Board, which advocates for sound forest management practices and conservation, and founder of the county's Champion Tree Program, which recognizes trees that are the largest of their species.

The road extension, planned as a four-lane undivided road, was developed as a compromise between college and county officials in the spring. It would connect Observation to Middlebrook Road and extend Goldenrod Lane to Observation and serve a planned Bioscience Education Center and science and technology park. The college's original proposed alignment would have impacted 18 acres of forest, while the compromise will require 5 acres to be cleared.

PLANS AND PROJECTS

Jobs and the environment solar Energy

^solar

Wiki Verde is now involved in finding employment for workers that either have been trained or are in need of training in photovoltaic practices i.e: solar panel installation and Weatherization. To this effect we have contacted several local NGO’s that are willing to provide construction workers, framers, roofers and electricians, to be trained by companies in the solar energy field. They have several workers that have been trained in installation and several more (hundreds) that want to be trained to start working in green jobs.

Our commitment to the community is strong. We are in a position to make a difference in the lifes of those in need of work. Our main interest is in the environment, helping people find jobs in this field is part of our mission. There are several solar installation companies in the metropolitan area of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia that are experiencing growth and have expressed interest in employing and training workers, they have several Hispanic workers in their crews and are willing to hire more in the next few months as their work load increases.

Coral Restoration

No longer Science fiction. It is not easy but it works! There is a new, growing industry. It is labor intensive, it is hazardous, it is somewhat expensive but best of all it has been proved to work. Even the economic models appear positive at this time. One effort in particular has been successful where other have hesitated and faltered. Ken Nedimyer of The Coral Restoration Foundation, has proved over the last four of years that corals grow in "farms" and can be transplanted successfully to a new environment. Being in the Florida Keys has been part of the equation; the State of Florida has cooperated greatly, where others might have been too cautious, Ken has convinced local and state officials to contribute parts of the ocean to become his experimental ground... Now four years into his Endeavour, he has the proof in the cookie; several fields of coral have been transplanted to grow in the wild. Many have done better than just survive. Now Wikiverde in sponsoring a project in the Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia. We have approval for a preliminary exploration of the areas where we thing the growth and transplantation of Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmate) will be successful. Please visit http://www.coralrestorationfoundation.org for a better understanding of the technology and efforts currently under way.

Stream and watershed clean up

Stream clean up

WikiVerde with the cooperation of the Montgomery College environmental club will adopt a stream within the city limits of Rockville. This site will provide training for the students as we start a cleanup of the area and make chemical tests to determine the levels of oxygen available to life, the presence of pollutants, the abundance or lack of organisms and the quality of water in the surrounding area. This project will hopefully be continued every semester. A data base will be established and made available to the students for further study by the city of Rockville.

Solar Kayak This will be fun. We are offering a competition between schools in the Montgomery County Maryland area. We will be working on this project with the students at Montgomery College. Several departments will be involved in the design and testing of this fully functional and fun vehicle. Imagine, even your grandfather could go out at hit favorite kayaking spot. The vehicle will be operated by a standard 12 volt battery but charged by the not so standard solar panel. Stand by for U-tube debut.

MC Green projects

MC Green will participate in the Green Festival in Washington D.C this coming October 10th. MC Green will go to have a look at a Wind Energy Company in October. MC Green will attend a lecture at MC German Town about the environment and green transportation. MC Green is partnering with Terra Cycle www.terracycle.com to collect candy rapers for recycling and benefit The Save The Rain Forest Foundation. MC Green will participate in NSL politics. MC Green will promote a couple of fun activities such as camping at a environmentally friendly farm (hands on work).

Solar Training

WikiVerde is working on a project that will involve Montgomery College and other institutions of higher learning to provide solar installation training. Demand for solar installation experts is high, as more home owners and business prepare to save energy and take advantage of the incentives available, thousands of technicians will be needed. We are committed to creating jobs in this green field.

^solar

GREEN HOUSE GASES

Ozone gas: made up of three oxygen atoms bonded together. It protects us from infrared rays coming in from the sun. It also traps Carbon Dioxide from escaping into the troposphere. The effect is that the planet grows warmer, making it unhealthy for breathing, warming the oceans and melting the polar caps therefore eventually or sooner, it will make some land areas, such as Tangier Island disappear. The earth needs to radiate the same amount of energy back into space that we get from the sun. In a little over 200 years the ppb (parts per billion) of methane has increased from 700 in 1750 to 1745 in 1999. CH4 Methane is a natural gas, a potent compound and green house gas that has a very high global warming effect because it traps 20 times the heat of Oxygen. One way to lessen the impact: cut the consumption of beef

^Environment

NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS

THE TROUBLE WITH BEES

More pressing that global warming. Without the pollination effect of bees the world’s supply of food is at great risk NOW! Bees have been disappearing at an alarming rate, why alarming? Because of the quantity of bees no longer available for pollination. Huge amount of insects have disappeared. How bad is it? One town in China is pollinating by HAND, yes, it is employing a large portion of its young inhabitants to pollinate using cotton balls at the end of a stick. They have literally no bees; they are gone, died from yet unknown causes.

The list of crops that simply won’t grow without honey bees is a long one: Apples, cucumbers, broccoli, onions, pumpkins, carrots, avocados, almonds … and it goes on.

Without bees to pollinate many of our favorite fruits and vegetables, the United States could lose $15 billion worth of crops -- not to mention what it would do to your diet.

Honey bees are important pollinators for both flowers and agricultural crops.

Beekeepers first sounded the alarm about disappearing bees in 2006. Seemingly healthy bees were simply abandoning their hives en masse, never to return. Researchers call the mass disappearance Colony Collapse Disorder, and they estimate that nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the country have vanished.

Why are the bees leaving? Scientists studying the disorder believe a combination of factors could be making bees sick, including pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, an inadequate food supply and a new virus that targets bees' immune systems. More research is essential to determine the exact cause of the bees' distress.

Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture has allotted $20 million over the next five years for research, that amount pales in comparison with the potential loss of $15 billion worth of crops that bees pollinate every year. And the USDA has so far failed to aggressively seek out a solution.

If we don’t act now to save the honey bee, it might be too late. And no honey bees will mean no more of your favorite fruits and vegetables.

Here’s a list of what bees pollinate:

Make your garden bee-safe Read "The Vanishing" in OnEarth magazine Fruits and Nuts Vegetables Field Crops Almonds Apples Apricots Avocadoes Blueberries Boysenberries Cherries Citrus Cranberries Grapes Kiwifruit Loganberries Macadamia nuts Nectarines Olives Peaches Pears Plums/Prunes Raspberries Strawberries Asparagus Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cucumbers Cantaloupe Honeydew Onions Pumpkins Squash Watermelons

http://www.nrdc.org

^Environment

RESTORE - Oyster Restoration Restoring Native Oysters | Planting Underwater Grasses | Planting Trees Restore Home CBF's oyster restoration program provides citizens with the tools and information needed to help restore native oysters to the Chesapeake. Until the 1980s, oysters supported the most valuable fishery in the Bay. Today, as a result of decades of pollution, overharvesting, and disease, the Bay's native oyster population is only about 2 percent of historic levels. Yet oysters remain a keystone species in the Bay's ecology.

Oysters form large reefs that provide habitat for a wide range of marine plants and animals. In addition, they feed by filtering microscopic plants from the water, and in the process improve water quality and clarity.

Rebuilding reefs and stocking them with oysters is a high priority for the Bay. It is a long-term process that will require the participation and commitment of federal and state agencies and citizens alike for many years.

^{Save Tangier Island}

Learn more about CBF's oyster restoration programs:

Maryland Oyster Restoration Center (ORC)

Maryland Oyster Gardening

Virginia Oyster Restoration

http://www.cbf.org

Chesapeake Bay

Every day is Chesapeake Bay day. When we treat or rivers as a dump we affect the Bay. Rock Creek is an important waterway in Maryland and DC and it contributes its waters and contents to the Potomac River and the Bay . April 24th Wiki Verde volunteers picked up trash from a small area on Beach Drive adjecent to Garret Park, several crews worked over the weekend to complete an extensive removal of trash from this area.

Every river in the nation is contaminated with a deadly combination of chemicals never seen before. The measurable quantity of these substances might be low but new pollutants are found every day. Worst yet is the unknown result of the interaction between all these chemicals.

Pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, discarded medicines and residue of plastics, fuels and other pollutants are present in every body of water examined. We do not have yet the filters needed to remove most of these substances the end result is that the water at your tap is laden with a soup of disease causing chemicals affecting humans and animals (ie: frogs with 6 legs, and sex changes in fish) that purification plants are unable to remove.

Some times the source of contamination is impossible to trace, especially when there are discharges from sewer run of, farms and industrial sites combined in a heavily populated area.

CBF takes on the pharmaceuticals

June 29, 2009 Press Release

CBF Challenges Increase in Shenandoah-Potomac Pollution

Lawsuit Targets Discharge in Already Polluted River-Bay System

(RICHMOND, VA) —The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is challenging a Virginia State Water Control Board decision that allows Merck pharmaceutical company to add more pollution to the Shenandoah-Potomac River basin than the waters can safely tolerate and that state water quality standards allow.

"The Water Board's decision is bad for the Shenandoah River, the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay, and all dischargers who in good faith strive to comply with water quality standards," said CBF Virginia Deputy Director Joseph Tannery. "The result will be more pollution in the Bay, not less."

The legal move stems from the Water Board's approval in April of a request from Merck & Co. in Elkton, Va., to discharge 29,216 more pounds of nitrogen and 3,288 more pounds of phosphorus each year into the South Fork Shenandoah River than allowed under a state program designed in 2005 to accelerate waterways restoration. That program established pollution limits, or loads, for each of the state's major water polluters necessary to provide clean water and protect the health of streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.

The Board's decision acceding to Merck's request adds more pollution to the Shenandoah-Potomac River basin, a system already polluted by 312,000 more pounds of nitrogen than science dictates the river can safely handle and than Chesapeake Bay cleanup standards allow.

"The Shenandoah-Potomac basin is the source of 25 percent of the nitrogen pollution that causes dead zones and the loss of underwater grasses in the Bay," said Tannery. "More pollution will only worsen unacceptable conditions in the rivers and the Bay. At this time, Virginia needs to find ways to reduce, not increase, pollution to the Bay and its rivers."

The Board's decision also sets a bad precedent by allowing Merck to discharge more pollution without first requiring a corresponding pollution reduction elsewhere in the same river basin, Tannery said. Such pollution "offsets" are crucial to ensure no net increase in pollution going into the Shenandoah-Potomac River basin and the Bay.

After a lengthy regulatory review process, the Water Board and Merck did agree to several measures in an attempt to address the well-documented violations of water quality standards in the Shenandoah-Potomac basin. However, the conditions imposed by the Board on Merck are voluntary and fail to guarantee improved water quality in the Bay.

"CBF has consistently noted our objections and provided real solutions to the Board and to Merck," Tannery said. "We understand that DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) and the Board are attempting to move forward with new regulatory measures in an effort to address our concerns. However, there are no assurances that these efforts will conclude in a timely manner, or even at all. That could mean Merck's additional pollution goes unaddressed. We believe we have no other recourse but to take legal action and pursue the most expedient remedy possible through the court system."

CBF also has called upon the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to intervene in the matter.

"EPA has the clear authority and tools to ensure Virginia does not increase pollution in Chesapeake Bay waters," Tannery said. "We have asked them to intervene, but to date we have not received a response."

http://www.cbf.org

Ocean Ecosystems

Ocean Conservancy Applauds Today's Decision Prohibiting Commercial Fishing in U.S. Arctic Waters to Protect Ocean Ecosystems Facing Rapid Climate Change

Unprecedented decision today by National Marine Fisheries Service prohibits commercial fishing in nearly 200,000 square miles of U.S. Arctic waters

Media Contact: Kelly Ricaurte

August 20, 2009

Washington, DC—Ocean Conservancy applauds today's decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prohibit commercial fishing in nearly 200,000 square miles of U.S. Arctic waters. This leadership from NMFS is one of the largest preventative and precautionary measures in fisheries management history, because it prohibits commercial fishing before it gains a toehold in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Because the health of the Arctic is critical to the health of the planet, Ocean Conservancy has consistently called for a precautionary, science-based, approach to industrial activities—like commercial fishing—in the region.

"Today's landmark decision indicates the tide is turning in the Arctic. Leadership from the federal government and the Council shows that we will think before we act in the Arctic," said Janis Searles Jones, vice president with Ocean Conservancy. "The Arctic is our planet's air conditioner, and it plays a key role in regulating global climate. Expanding industrial uses in a region that is poorly understood and already under enormous stress could have dire consequences, not only for the Arctic, but for the planet as a whole."

Climate change is causing the Arctic to warm twice as fast as the rest of the planet, leading to a dramatic reduction in Arctic sea ice cover. The retreat of summer sea ice is making the region more attractive to industrial activities such as oil and gas exploration and development, and commercial shipping and fishing. Complicating matters further, the Arctic is one of the least-understood regions of the planet, making it difficult to predict the consequences of increasing industrial activity.

Recognizing these challenges, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council—a regional council that develops fishing policies in federal waters off the coast of Alaska—voted earlier this year to prohibit industrial fishing in U.S. Arctic waters. During the subsequent public comment period, more than 36,000 comments from people around the country were submitted to express support for the Council's plan. Today, NMFS took final action and approved the Council's precautionary plan.

The proactive decision by NMFS to prohibit commercial fishing will provide Arctic wildlife and Native peoples with a better chance to adapt to the stresses of rapid climate change. Native peoples have relied on healthy Arctic seas for thousands of years. Now, climate change and potential industrialization are threatening their subsistence way of life. The Arctic is also home to more than a dozen species of marine mammals and birds and hundreds of different fishes. Many of these animals, such as polar bears, ice seals, and walruses, are at risk from the loss of seasonal sea ice and other changes to the Arctic environment. The expansion of industrial activities into Arctic waters could overwhelm fragile Arctic ecosystems.

"We must take care to not act in haste in the Arctic. There is too much at stake to make poor judgments—the health of our planet is a reflection of the health of the Arctic," concluded Ms. Searles Jones.

Sign Up to Clean Up a Beach or Waterway Near You! Join us for the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup in September. At last year's Cleanup, nearly 400,000 volunteers collected more than 6.8 million pounds of trash in 100 countries and 42 US states — the largest volunteer effort of its kind. Invite your friends to come, too!

http://www.oceanconservancy.org

About The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

TIES is a non-profit association committed to promoting ecotourism, which is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people" (TIES, 1990), through outreach, education, and collaboration. TIES' global network supports and is supported by members from over 90 countries, who are leading the vital efforts to make travel and tourism more sustainable. A global source of knowledge and advocacy, TIES' Your Travel Choice Blog offers an interactive platform to engage, educate, and inspire everyone to make travel choices that make a difference.

http://www.ecotourism.org

Sand and Dance

The Society for Ocean Sciences

Quick Links Conference Overview Register Now Field Trips and Workshops Speakers Special Events For Vendors

Dance the night away at the Beachcomber's Bash with Mama Jama Nov 7th

Registration is now open! Early bird registration through September 15th. Greetings!

The Society for Ocean Sciences is excited to co-sponsor the first International Beachcombing Conference. Other sponsors include: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Consummate Beachcomber, LLC.

The International Beachcombing Conference offers consummate and novice beachcombers alike the opportunity to come together to meet, greet and learn more about the beachcombing experience and the science which makes beachcombing possible.

Speakers include nationally-known environmentalists, marine biologists, oceanographers, anthropologists, geologists and photographers, many of whom are also award-winning authors. Attendees will gain a broader view of the factors affecting our beaches worldwide and how they effect the beachcombing experience.

Please visit the conference website for more details.

http://www.societyoceansciences.org

The conference will also provide people the opportunity to participate in a number of wonderful field trips and workshops. See: beachcombingconference.com/fieldtrips.html

There are many events planned for the conference so check out special events for details.

Feel free to contact us with any questions at.

http://www.societyoceansciences.org

Green Building Istitute

The Green Building Institute is partnering with Montgomery College to offer several classes on sustainable building practices. Starting this fall semester register to learn about green building practices. Registration is open now.

http://www.greenbuildinginstitute.org

Wikiverde sponsored volunteers to participate in a clean up of Rock Creek Park.

Pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, discarded medicines and residue of plastics, fuels and other pollutants are present in every body of water examined. We do not have yet the filters needed to remove most of these substances the end result is that the water at your tap is laden with a soup of disease causing organism that purification plants are unable to remove.

Some times the source of contamination is impossible to trace, especially when there are discharges from sewer run of, farms and industrial sites combined in a heavily populated area.

The next clean up at Rock Creek mPark will be posted soon, we are aiming for the end of September. We will meet at 8:30 AM at the parking lot of Viers Milll Park on Beach Drive and Garrett Park RD.. We will provide gloves and trash bags. Bring water appropiate shoes and lunch, you will get dirty.

To read news and facts about the Chesapeake Bay please go to

http://www.CBF.org

Please respond to

luis@wikiverde.org