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In the News – International Day of Climate Action

Saturday saw a fantastic show of support for change in the environmental and political arena. The news coverage surrounding the event goes to show how important this day was and how inspiring many of the events held were!

Check out some of News & Views favourite articles, press releases and blogs talking about the day!

Greenpeace.org – Greenpeace is part of a large global alliance of organizations calling on the world’s leaders to agree to a climate deal that is ambitious, fair and binding.

Together, we are pushing for a strong climate treaty that will not only reverse the march of dangerous climate change but also help us tackle some of the world’s largest challenges like deforestation.

DailyClimate.org – Daily Climate has written a great article about the events of the day.

The Daily Climate works to increase public understanding of climate disruption, including its scope and scale, potential solutions and the political processes that impede or advance them.

The Daily Climate does not espouse a political point of view on the news but instead reports the truth to the best of our ability. Editorial integrity is the foundation of our mission.

The Daily Climate works to increase public understanding of climate disruption, including its scope and scale, potential solutions and the political processes that impede or advance them.

350.org Press Room – The best source for all information on the International Day of Climate Action. 350.org has all the latest updates, pictures, videos and press information. For anyone wishing to show their support or have a look through all the photos from Saturday, this is a great place to start!

Treehugger.com - TreeHugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream.

Partial to a modern aesthetic, they strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information. TreeHugger have a fantastic blog post on International Day of Climate Action and have included a fantastic photo slide show about the day! Take a look or upload your photos if you got involved.

EcoATM pays out for used gadgets

ecoatm_kiosk_y090910_270x474 While some cell phone companies are introducing convenient ways for you to recycle your phone once you’re done with it, a new start-up is making it just plain simple. EcoATM will be deploying kiosks at retailers around the country where you can drop off your old phone, have its value assessed and immediately get an in-store trade-up coupon or gift card.

The first of these kiosks has been stationed at the Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha for the last year. After great success with that one kiosk, the company is going install the e-cycler at wireless and big box stores in San Diego, Washington state and Vermont in the next couple of months. By the second quarter of next year, the kiosks will be popping up around the country and the machines will soon be able to accept other gadgets like MP3 players, cameras and laptops.

The EcoATMs have cameras that can detect damage to the phone and then come up with its value. If the phone is worth nothing, you can still choose to have it recycled and receive a free waterproof phone case and, for every phone recycled, the company plants a tree. The machine will also recycle your used batteries.

The company makes it beneficial to the retailers by installing the machines at no cost and making the payments redeemable in-store, increasing their sales. It also allows them to apply donations from the machine to their favorite charity.

We are just wondering when and where the first UK EcoATM will be located. Also as there are no ecoATMs’ in the UK you should check out the companies which can do this for you via post at MoreEco.

>>Via EcoGeek

Green light for Gazprom Super Eco Skyscraper

1211833_RMJM_Gazprom The twisting tower will primarily serve as the headquarters to Gazprom’s oil unit OAO Gazprom Neft, with additional spaces dedicated to a concert hall, museum, hotel and a business center. Once constructed, it will become the tallest building in Europe, and one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in the word.

The stunning design completed by architecture firm RMJM is about as green as it is tall. Eco-conscious features are highlighted by a double glass skin, where atriums have been positioned between inner and outer walls to provide natural ventilation, interior lighting and even thermal insulation for the merciless sub-zero Russian winters.

Specialised water, heating and ventilation system have also been incorporated to reduce the energy needs of the building, and numerous social spaces and green zones have been set aside for the comfort and leisure of its occupants.

However, eco-friendly or not, the height is failing to impress many residents. The 400 meter building will be set within an urban fabric of low-rise structures and in fact trump the height of the revered spire of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral threefold.

This point proves to be the biggest source of severe opposition by many residents who believe that the tower will alter the historic integrity and ambience of the city. David Sarkisyan, director of the Moscow Museum of Architecture, recently expressed to Bloomberg News “This is a monstrous, barbaric decision. This tower is a symbol of political ego and people will always resent it.”

>> Full article and more pictures at inhabitat