Must Watch: changing the importance of the environment globally

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Lightbulbs have changed quite a bit lately.

Lightbulbs have changed quite a bit lately. Compact fluorescent lamps were introduced as highly efficient alternatives to traditional bulbs before 100, 75, 60 and 40-watt incandescent lightbulbs are phased out of production by 2014.

But now, the new lighting revolution is in LED. These high-tech bulbs last upwards of 20 yearsand use minimal energy. But, the new Philips 10-watt bulbs cost $60. Each.

The good news is that the bulb is so efficient that if every 60-watt incandescent in the country were replaced, $3.9 billion and 20 million metric tons of carbon emissions would be saved in one year.

Better Ways To Throw Stuff Away:The average American throws about 40 percent of their food away every year

The average American throws about 40 percent of their food away every year, and nearly 100 cities have launched composting programs to try and keep it out of landfills.

Curbside composting has spread across the country from uber-green San Francisco, which started their program 15 years ago and now collects more than 600 tons of compost daily.

Of the 250 million tons of trash created in the U.S. in 2010, 34 percent of it was diverted to composting or recycling programs, according to the EPA.

Time to change: Synthetic fibers like polyester produce significantly more carbon emissions than organic cotton

Sustainable fashion has been in vogue and on the radar since the early 1990s, but it’s only gone mainstream recently.

Synthetic fibers like polyester produce significantly more carbon emissions than organic cotton, and quite a few large brands were found to use some harsh chemicals to dye and manufacture their garments.

Either way, ethical and ecological clothing is catching on. H&M is the biggest user of organic cotton in the world, and brands like Nike and Zara have followed suit.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system (LEED, for short) has revolutionized eco-conscious building initiatives across the globe

LEED Building Standards

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system (LEED, for short) has revolutionized eco-conscious building initiatives across the globe. Companies looking to pump up their environmental track record are spending time and money to have their buildings certified green.

LEED projects are in progress in 135 different countries, and more than half of certified square footage is outside the U.S.A USA Today report criticized the system asbeing too lenient for some buildings, which only need to get 40 points out of 100 to receive a certification.

Reusable Bags/Plastic Bag Bans: Why get rid of them? They’re rarely recycled

Single-use plastic bags have been outlawed in a few major cities across the country like Seattleand San Francisco, and others like Washington D.C. have instituted a per-bag tax. China imposed a nationwide ban in 2008.

Why get rid of them? They’re rarely recycled,according to the EPA. They take a really, really long time to break down. And we humans use between 100 billion and a trillion annually.

But people should be wary and keep grocery bags clean – a 2012 study found a connection between reusable bags and a spike in E. coli infections.

The cost for renewable energy continues to fall and is starting to become much more economically competitive with fossil fuels

The cost for renewable energy continues to falland is starting to become much more economically competitive with fossil fuels. New reports from the International Renewable Energy Agency show the cost of solar falling more than 60 percent in the past few years alone.

Increasing competition has helped push the price down, particularly with solar as U.S. and European manufacturers struggle to keep up with the pricing of Chinese solar panels.

Wind power has also gotten consistently cheaper.

Do you know?The Chevy Volt, an electric hybrid vehicle, has a range of about 35 miles before a gas engine kicks in

Electric cars are finally starting to gain some traction and become reasonably affordable. The Tesla Model S, subject to some recent bickering, has a range of about 275 miles on a single charge and a starting price tag around $50,000.

The Chevy Volt, an electric hybrid vehicle, has a range of about 35 miles before a gas engine kicks in. The all-electric Nissan Leaf gets an equivalent to 99 mpg.

But the main concern is the youth of the industry. At home charging stations are recommended for most electric vehicles, but there isn’t a widespread public system that can rival gas stations, making long distance trips more difficult.

Let’s all come forward and do something good today

Social awareness about not smoking in public places

Stop smoking in public places else this can happen with you.