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Human interrelationship

What Makes Marriott Hawaii Special? Allergy-Free Guest Rooms.

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We’ve all been to hotels with the “save water” cards that ask you to reuse your towels by hanging up and we feel good about doing something for the planet. Well, the Marriott Hawaii takes one step further, for the sake of providing our guests with a more beneficial and green  island experience.

The JW Marriott Ihilani Resot & Spa is the first in Hawaii and one of the first in America to use the PURE system, whereby guests on the 17th floor and the Presidential Suite can receive an ultimate allergy-friendly room environment. The PURE system treats the room to remove contaminants from bedding, carpeting, walls, furniture, air conditioning systems, and practically everything in the room, which are  particularly annoying for room guests.

A study from the Cornell University found that one third of travelers had allergy problems and 83% of the travellers said they would prefer to stay in pure and clean rooms if they had the chance and 81% of people who did not have allergies said they, too, would prefer an allergy-free room. When the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa converts its 35,000-square-foot Ihilani Spa, it will become the first and only spa facility in the U.S. to be entirely allergy-friendly.

The five Marriott Resort hotels in Hawaii all aim to be not just allergy-free, but also energy efficient, protective of native wildlife and responsible in their water use.

Life

Smoking Ban Not Enough to Clear the Air

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The final implementation of Turkey’s ban on smoking took place in July 2009. It was once thought as a big hail to the public health. But one environmental engineer pinpointed that it might take more than banning cigarettes in enclosed spaces to truly clear the air.


Industrial Pollution Causes Cancer Too

People are still facing the risk of cancer even without being exposed to cigarette smoke. In Dilovası, an industrial city in the Marmara region, levels of air-borne toxins are 30 times higher than European Union standards, adding that 32 percent of deaths in the area in recent years have been attributed to cancer.
300,000 Tons of Sulfur Dioxide

In the southwest city of Yatağan, a coal-fired power plant has released more than 300,000 tons of sulfur dioxide into the air since it opened in 1982. Environmentalists have called for the facility to be shut down.

While smoking bans may well be implemented, other environmental laws are often not enforced, allowing factories to get away with not controlling or filtering their emissions. Indeed, if thesmoke-free air space campaign is meant to be supported, it is much more important to reduce air pollution caused by the industry apart from banning cigarettes.

Earth

It’s Time To Go Green

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Going green is a big trend nowadays. The truth is that everything single thing we do every day has an impact on the planet — good or bad. The good news is that as an individual you have the power to control most of your choices.

Eat real food

Eat seasonal, local, organic foods. This way we can enjoy fresher, tastier foods and improve our personal health. Organic milk has 68% more beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk. Making green food choices also has global consequences. Buying local reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and reduce packaging and energy used for processing.


Better transportation, better global climate

Anytime you choose to walk, ride a bike, or try public transportation, you reduce the carbon dioxide and particulate emissions created by your own vehicle. You help combat global warming. Choosing greener options such as a train over air travel for long-distance trips can also greatly reduce your carbon footprint.


Simply recycle

Utilize the recycle bin near your neighbourhood. Reducing the amount of stuff we consume is important; finding a practical use for waste materials is the second. Remember, nothing is ever really thrown “away” – it all has to go somewhere. By recycling and reusing, we reduce the amount of waste that occupies in landfills (where trash takes years of time to degrade.). Recycling materials also reduce the use of new materials for making new products.

Smart clothing choice

Making clothing needs a large amount of materials, energy, and labour. By choosing eco-friendly clothing (let’s say the organic one), you also choose a better product that gives less burden to our land. Also use cold water in the washing machine and eco-friendly detergents can all reduce the environmental impact. Secondhand clothes can also save the energy and your pocket.

Life

Is A Day-Old Water Safe To Drink?

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Have your tried water that’s been left overnight, or even for another day? How do you think about the taste?

Treated water’s added chlorine that takes care of microorganisms, but at room temperature they begin to multiply rapidly and can really get the things crazy. But that’s not what makes old water taste stale. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours tap water starts to go flat as arbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it’s most likely safe to drink.

However, back to those microorganisms. Be careful if you use a dirty glass day after day, since there bacteria is likely to grow by themselves. But if you use a fresh glass every few days, you likely won’t have a problem. Unless the rim of the glass has been touched by dirty fingers.

As for plastic water bottles that has been exposed to the sun or left in the car, step away from the bottle. This’s warned by Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute, “A chemical called BPA, along with other things used to manufacture plastic can leak into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun,” he explains. BPA is a hormone disruptor that is tentatively linked to everything from heart disease to cancer.

He also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn’t meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or way better, don’t buy them at all; use a refillable water bottle instead.

Life

Make Your Cleaning Routine Green

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Be careful with antibacterial cleaners

The antibacterial and ‘cleaners’ that many people think are helpful don’t clean hands better than soap and water, and also add to the risk of breeding “super germs,” bacteria that resist to the chemicals.

Toss toxic cleaners carefully

When handling your finished cleaning products, don’t just throw the old ones in the trash. If they’re too toxic for your home, they won’t be good for the drain or the landfill either. Many communities hold toxics electronics recycling days and will take all of these off your hands. Throwing chemicals in the trash or down the drain means they might end up back in your water supply.

Employ a green house cleaning service

For people don’t have the time to clean their own homes, there are an increasing number of green cleaning services out there to help get things done. If you can’t find one in your area, call around until you find a service willing to use the products and methods you specify.

Keep the toxins away from your room

Imagine what’s on your shoes at the end of the day. Bringing that oil, animal waste, particulate pollution, pollen, and who knows what else into the house. Especially for kids that spend time on floor level. Keep a good doormat and maintain a shoeless house policy. Less dirt also means less sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming, which means less work, water, energy, and fewer chemicals. So, why not?

Earth

Time to regulate CO2 pollution from airplanes

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now starting to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from airplane engines, one more anti-pollution action after ground transportation and power plants. The EPA wants to derive authority from the Clean Air Act to control “air pollution that causes climate change and endangers public health and welfare,” but it is not a new rule alone. It is seeking help from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is quite disturbing because this organization is more or less run by the airline industry.

The transportation industry always complains at the beginning when there are new rules, claiming that they are cost too high. But after a while, we see more innovations than was present before. Electric cars and plug-in hybrids probably wouldn’t be developing at this rate if fuel economy standards weren’t on a fairly steep ramp over the coming years, and if emission regulations weren’t being tightened.

Right now, planes represent about 11% of emissions from the U.S. transportation sectors, but the industry is expected to continue growing. And while there’s a clear path for ground transportation to decarbonize, things are more difficult for planes, so it’s best to get regulated right now. One possible destination for the industry would be much more efficient planes that are powered by truly carbon-neutral advanced biofuels.

Human interrelationship

Clean Air Is A Good Business

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Chinese businessman Mr. Liang lives in Beijing, where the air is just horrible. After spending a business trip in the south of France, he came back with a small item to share his pure air experience: A small sealed glass jar of clean Provence mountain air. The result of the jar was 5,250 yuan ($845 at today’s exchange rate) when he auctioned it in front of a group of Chinese artists.

 

Air should be the most valueless commodity, free to breathe for any vagrant or beggar,” Liang said in an interview. “This is my way to question China’s foul air and express my dissatisfaction.”

Things have gotten so bad that even the authorities fold their hands anymore. Pollution is now one of the top causes of social unrest in China, and even Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that it is a “major problem” and he wants the government to “declare war’’ on smog by removing high-emission cars from the road and closing coal-fired furnaces.

 

Pollution is ‘‘nature’s red-light warning against the model of inefficient and blind development,’’ Li said at the start of the year’s National People’s Congress in Beijing. ‘‘Fostering a sound ecological environment is vital for people’s lives and the future of our nation.”

In fact, the World Health Organization has concluded that air pollution is now the world’s biggest environmental health risk with 7 million deaths per year. Clean air is not only a money business, but also our health business that definitely deserves our effort and attention.

Life

How’s The Water? Check It Before You Buy A House

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In the last decade, the number of products designed to reduce contaminants in tap water has expanded significantly. In this article, I summarized a quick lesson on home water purification systems.

  1. Know the TASTE. Does your water taste funny or smell bad? Does it look reddish or leave
  2. Look for products that tackle specifically your problem. Filters reduce chemical contaminants, some metals, parasites, sediment. Provide about 1/2 to 1 gallon of water a minute.
  3. DEVICE. Choose a style that fits your needs: Pitchers with filters: Inexpensive. No installation; frequent filter changes (every 40 gallons).

Faucet devices:

Faucet with builtin filter — may require pro to install; filter changes every 100 gallons or so.

Device that mounts on existing faucet; filter changes every 100 gallons or so.

Countertop device that connects to faucet via hose; filter change starting at about every 100 gallons. Plumbed-in: Systems that install under sink and refrigerator filters that install directly to plumbing line. Both have long filter lives; generally require pro to install.

CERTIFY/VERIFY. Look for an NSF-certified product. And be sure to read the owner’s manual to make sure you change the filter appropriately.

Oceans

Harmful Emissions From The Ships

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Today ships are responsible for 13 percent of diesel emissions worldwide. Until 2050 this number could even triple, says a current study of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The situation in the Arctic is especially dramatic. It is expected that the emissions from ships in arctic waters will be six fold until 2025 and accelerate the melting of the ice.

 

The expected rise in emissions would eliminate much of the effort achieved on land so far. While exhaust fumes from cars, trucks and power plants are filtered, the shipping industry is incredibly excused from anti-pollution. To make things worse, even if the emissions happen in the air on the high seas – it can be blown several hundred kilometres inland. Just in Europe air pollution from ships causes about 50.000 premature deaths.

 

There are still solutions. The ICCT study estimates that emissions could be reduced by 70 percent with the currently available measures – and that’s even a conservative estimation. If all ships would use soot particle filters, 99,9 percent of soot could be filtered from the fumes. The use of marine diesel with a better quality and effective exhaust gas emission systems needs to become compulsory for all ships.

Earth

Clean Air Project in Europe

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It is not surprising to see the bleak pictures from Beijing clearly showing what happens when protection of air quality is not taken seriously. Good air means good quality of life. As a matter of fact, every person breathes in around 15,000 litres of air per day.

 

Although the air quality in Europe is better than that in China, Europeans should continuous their effort to keep their air clean. The air in Europe contains a lot of nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter that make people sick. That’s why nine European NGOs are now collaborating on a new project called Clean Air. They are mainly focusing on transportation and want to show how air quality can successfully be improved.

 

Indeed, it’s time for us to fight against air pollution. The continuing violations of the limits, and the resulting damage caused by emissions, fine particulates and threaten both the climate and public health. The fact is: even if particulates and nitrogen oxide are not visible to the naked eye, it is estimated that in 2010 alone, over 420,000 people died prematurely as a result of air pollution.

 

Clean Air Project started in 2013. The partners have been directing their efforts at many different parties involved in air protection, such as local and regional government offices, transportation companies and the general public. The project spreads examples of best practices and provide forums where experts, decision makers and representatives of civil society can come together to share experiences and expertise. We need clean cars, buses and ships and the right transportation policies — so that everyone can breathe freely.