The Fish We Eat (9 September)
Handling e-Waste (5 September)
U.S. Consumerism is the problem (21 August)
US Vehicles: the Big Polluters (Part 2) (7 August)
US Vehicles: the Big Polluters (28 July)
Cambodia's Environmental Health (27 February)
Fish has long been promoted as a basic ingredient of a healthy diet. Here is an interesting article from the New York Times on better using and preserving this resource.
Dealing with discarded computers, mobile phones, fax machines, and other electronic gadgets is becoming an increasing problem in Asia as in most of the rest of the world. Authorities in Thailand estimate that e-waste has reached 58,000 tons a year and is increasing annually by 12%. More pressure is being put on manufacturers to take back their old products as they sell newer models. Nokia, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard currently recycle the products they have sold in Thailand. The average computer consists of 24.5% iron, 24.9% glass, 22.8% plastic, 14.2% aluminum, 7% copper, 6.3% lead, and 0.3% other materials.
The car is only the most obvious symbol of America's tendency to consume as if there were no tomorrow. In summer we crank the air-conditioning to the max, chilling our homes, stores, and movie theaters to temperatures that would make us shiver and complain in winter. Children and grown-ups alike love their toys and can't wait to buy more—cameras and then video cameras, televisions and then DVDs, skis and then snowboards—all of which get discarded for newer models. We spent $535 billion on entertainment in 1999, more than the combined GNPs of the world's forty five poorest nations. (From The Eagle's Shadow by Mark Hertsgaard)
A surprising finding from the new report by Environmental Defense was that in total quantity, small cars emitted more carbon dioxide than sport utility vehicles, 25% of the total compared to 21%. The unexpected data is explained by the fact there are just a lot more smaller, older cars still in service, roughly more than twice as many as SUVs. In a few years, however, the SUVs will be producing the largest amount of CO2 as the older cars head to the scrap heap.
The study also found that the most emissions are produced by the big three US automakers, General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. Toyota came in fourth. GM cars produce nearly one third of the emissions in the US.
A new report by Environmental Defense shows that automobiles and pickup trucks in the United States are responsible for nearly half the greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles world-wide although US cars make up only 30% of the 700 million vehicles in use. Cars in the US are driven more kilometers, have lower fuel economy standards, and higher carbon content in fuel than many of the European vehicles now on the road.
The 2006 Environmental Performance Index published in January ranked Cambodia #110 of 133 countries in a survey based on environmental factors which affect a nation's health. Cambodia came in between Liberia (#109) and Sierra Leone (#111) in the survey which gauges such factors as air quality, drinking water standards, and sanitation measures.
According to the index, the people of Cambodia have the poorest access to drinking water and adequate sanitation in the region. And indoor air pollution is extremely high due to burning solid fuels in poorly ventilated areas.
According to an environmental official,
| "Cambodia's environmental health indicators are indeed far below the average for the East Asia region--they are the lowest in the entire region. They are also far below average for countries of similar per capita income levels. Cambodia has one of the lowest levels of energy use per GDP in the entire world. However, this is not a function of energy policy, but rather a function of low levels of economic development." |