I am always overwhelmed by some of the environmental statistics I read, especially when it seems like this problem will never be solved. However, when statistics show how little changes can make a big difference, I can actually see where my effort can help in overall change. So today I thought I would share some interesting eco facts to inspire us all to make, at least, some small changes:
1. If 10,000 people drink only organic beverages for one week, we'll avert 32 full cocktail shakers of pesticides from pouring into the environment. (Source: Ideal Bite)
2. The US has less than 4% of its forests left and equally devastating is that 80% of the total world's forests are gone. (Source: Bikeroute.com)
3. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves: 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. (Source: Trash to Cash)
4. The U.S. is 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
5. If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 1,000 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water. (Source: Seventh Generation Company)
6. Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. (Source: Eco-Cycle)
7. Recycling collection and processing, and manufacturing with recycled materials employed
952,614 people in 2001, and paid $34 billion in wages. (Source: National Recycling Coalition, 2001)
8. The average American home contains more synthetic chemicals today than the average
chemical plant of 100 years ago. (Source: Windstar Foundation)
9. Globally, 58% of coral reefs are imperiled by human activity such as overfishing, sewage runoff, sedimentation, and dredging. (Source: Environmental Defense Fund)
10. Tropical rainforests in the Amazon store 75 billion tons of carbon dioxide in their trees and plants. When the forests are burned, carbon dioxide is released into the air. It has been estimated that 25% of total global CO2 emissions are from the burning of tropical rainforests. (Source: Rainforest Action Group)
Since IJourneyGreen is in the middle of applying for our 501(c)3 status, I figure I will spend this time writing about other companies engaging in all types of microfinance. I find it fascinating that all of these young kids (wow, I am seriously dating myself) are getting involved in social entrepreneurial businesses. 31 bits jewelry designers are a perfect example of this. This creative foursome (Alli, Kallie, Anna and Brooke) have found a trendy and fun way to market jewelry made by rural Ugandan women. There site says it all...so visit it and spend some money to help create a US market for these goods.
Vittana.org
For those of you who are advocates of micro-lending and are eager to see it used in a new and creative manner, check out vittana. A brand new site using the wonder of mico-lending to help children pay for an education. I really admire this company, building upon the success of Kiva and allowing people a more 'personalized' interaction than traditional aid donations. Their site is so simplistic but tells a very real and compelling story. So check them out at www.vittana.org
Hey everyone!
We have funding pages set up on both Kiva and Opportunity International to carry out our microfinance loans. Check it out:
OptINnow - ijourneygreen
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Please follow our blog as we bring to you the many exciting happenings of iJourneyGreen: A company aiming to provide Travel Credits to individuals and businesses to offset the many harms of traveling abroad. Here's how it works:
Travel credits are the first ever truly holistic approach to making all forms of travel both green and sustainable for individuals and businesses. As travel impacts the environments, the places and the people we visit, truly sustainable travel needs to support and invest in all three.
There are many organizations in this world that work to protect different elements of the world’s splendor, or help to assist others, but none that offer a travel credit that serves to cover each and every one of the areas we impact as global travelers. This annual travel credit seeks to provide aid and assistance in four capacities:
1. Carbon Credits: Benefit the environment
Global warming is caused by the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels to provide the energy and services we use every day. We burn fossil fuels for electricity, our cars, flights and other transportation methods we use while traveling. As an industry, travel is one of the most harmful on the environment.
Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce the CO2 emissions they are responsible for by offsetting, reducing or displacing the CO2 in another place. ijourneygreen’s carbon offsets include renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. By purchasing offsets, one can invest in projects that help offset the damage being done by the burning of fossil fuels in their activities – known as their carbon footprint. Being carbon neutral, or having a zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount offset.
2. Microfinance loans: Benefits the working poor; poverty
Microfinance is the supply of loans, savings, and other basic financial services to the poor. More than 50% of people in this world live on less than $2.50/day, are in the deepest levels of poverty, and are unable to use traditional banks to receive loans or other forms of aid. ijourneygreen works with the leading microfinance companies in the world to loan money to those in poverty in the areas we travel. We believe microfinance is the leading solution to alleviating global poverty.
3. Traditional Aid: Benefits the Non-working poor, Infrastructure, Resources, Disaster Relief, Natural/Man-made resources
We define traditional charitable giving as any sort of donation to a non-microfinance entity; a non-profit organization working to help the non-working poor (those that are too sick to work, or in need of medical attention), building infrastructure for the poor (homes, schools, churches, stores etc.) supply resources to the needy (water, food, shelter etc), assistance in the event of a natural or man-made disaster (tsunami relief, earthquake, war etc), or organizations working to improve the natural or man-made resources in a specific location (protecting the oceans, monuments, landscape etc.).
4. Education: Businesses and Individual Travelers
ijourneygreen believes that educating travelers and organizations is another important tool in fighting to protect our planet and its resources. By providing education and outreach services to help travelers, travel providers and related organizations, we can fight to support environmental conservation, international culture, those living in poverty, and the world’s sites and wonders we all love to visit.