Polar Bear and cub comes out of hibernation in the middle of an oil field

Sad image that this story gives of the great Alaskan wilderness. This mother polar bear and cub are caught on camera coming out of their hibernation den, to find that the desert island had become an oil rig construction site.

How much more of nature will we destroy? especially for oil!

Earth Hour 2011 - Around the world pictures

The traditional Earth Hour event has broken some new records in 2011 with 134 countries participating. A big round of applause to all that participated. Below are some pictures of before and during the event around the world. Also, remember that Earth Hour does not stop at one yearly event, there is the Beyond the Hour project.

Taipei 101, Taiwan

Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

Skyline and Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Door of India, New Delhi, india

The Acropol, Athens, Greece

Beijing Olympic Pool, China

The Great Wall of China

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Seoul Tower, Seoul, South Korea

Erasmus bridge, Rotterdam

Beyond the Hour, a new way to continue after Earth Hour

Earth Hour reminds people we need to care about our environment and by taking action together, we can make a difference. And for that reason, Earth Hour is great. However, I've always been skeptical about these one-off events. I know they happen every year but do we really need to wait another year to make things happen? Hell no! But sadly a lot of people think so.

This is probably the reason why the Earth Hour organisers have decided to launch “Beyond the Hour”, an online platform that allows individuals, businesses and groups to log on and share what they are doing “Beyond the Hour” to make the world a better place. 

For example: Gabriel from the Philippines will try to convince is fellow villagers not to destroy local coral reefs; while Dodgeman from Minnesota bought land and planted 5,000 trees in a plan to reforest the area. 


There are thousands of great initiatives and all can be browsed on www.beyondthehour.org.

Also, you can of course participate by adding your own initiative. We'd love to hear about it so don't hesitate to add your own contribution to the comment section below!

It would be great if you could help us spread the word with your readers! Along with the Facebook app, iPhone and Android apps, and mobile site that all feed into the platform, there is also a widget that you can use on your own blog.

Environmental Hazards that Lead to Chronic Illness

When we think of the causes of disease, we tend to think of viruses and bacteria. These are certainly responsible for many types of illness, but not all. Toxins in the environment – particularly substances that are released into the environment by human activity – can also cause illnesses ranging from mild irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat to symptoms of mesothelioma, an incurable cancer. The following substances are all naturally occurring, but our use of them has turned them into pollutants.

• Asbestos

This thread-like mineral is extremely heat-resistant, a property which once made asbestos popular as an insulator and additive to materials that needed to be fireproof. It was particularly prevalent in factories and in the shipbuilding and construction industries, but before the 1980s, it was used to manufacture everything from roofing shingles to decorative plaster household appliances like popcorn poppers and hair dryers. Nowadays, it is well known that if asbestos fibers get into the air, they can lodge in the lungs and other body tissues, causing lung scarring, asbestosis, or mesothelioma. Mesothelioma symptoms can take between 20 and 50 years to surface after exposure, so the number of cases will likely continue to rise for years to come.

• Lead

A soft, non-corrosive metal, lead has historically been used in applications varying from make-up to plumbing to paint to construction projects. For much of the twentieth century, it was also added to gasoline to prevent engine knocking, though this use was phased out beginning in the 1970s. When cars burned this gasoline, it would release tiny particles of lead into the surrounding air. Lead is also dangerous when ingested, and can damage nearly every organ system in the human body, particularly the nervous system. Lead poisoning is most serious in infants and children, whose nervous systems are still developing.

• Benzene

Like lead, benzene was once used as an additive in gasoline to increase the octane rating. Its use in fuel is now limited, but it can still be found in many industrial solvents and as an ingredient in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and certain dyes. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and has been strongly linked to the development of certain types of leukemia. As a pollutant, it is most commonly breathed in. If found in high concentrations, it can cause death in the short term. In lower concentrations, chronic exposure can result in damage to the bone marrow causing anemia, as well as excessive bleeding and a suppressed immune system.

It’s important to remember that “being green” is not just about environmental health; it’s about human health as well. Remaining aware of our use of natural resources – which are helpful, which are harmful – can benefit both people and the earth.

The above article is a guest post written by Krista Peterson.