This comes after the announcement that BP has bought over 30 machines that Costner and his team developed to clean oil spills. This purchase was also approved by our government (House Commitee on Science). I am sold, aren’t you?

Since when has Kevin Costner ever made a bad investment? I mean he obviously has experience from ‘Waterworld’. O wait..that was a colossal bust and lost a lot of money. He’s just trying to do his patriotic duty like in the “Mailman’ O wait that was also a colossal bust. My point is that Kevin Cosner financed these two colossal busts in an industry where he has been successful, and now we are supposed to trust that these machines will do the job?
The machines work using a centrifuge. Which basically means it spins things REALLY fast to separate different substances based on physical properties such as density. I used to use centrifuges in biology labs and they are used everyday in biotech labs to extract DNA from cells. The technology is the same concept as if you were to put random sized things in a long tube sock and spun it around reallly fast for a long time. Eventually all the heavier stuff would shift to the bottom of the sock and the lighter stuff would be at the top creating layers.
This only works if you have everything tightly sealed in the sock and not all things in the sock are just heavy items.
Two things I am worried about with this machine. You need to put a massive amount of volume into the machine for it to work effectively. This would be brilliant if you could somehow fit the gulf of mexico into a test tube and spin it at ridiculously high RPMs for a long time, but I do not think the machine does that..

Secondly, how much energy do these machines use to clean up the oil disaster? Just like your dryer uses a lot of energy to dry clothes using rpms and heat. These machines will probably require a lot of diesel fueled torque engines which aren’t exactly environmentally friendly..

Anyways that’s my thoughts on the machine that I only read peripherally about.

Once again, a celebrity uses their fame, money, and power to affect world issues. I think celebs should speak out and make people aware of causes but please do not take an activist role in meddling with things you may not be a top expert on. Take the case of Jenny McCarthy and her crusade on Vaccinations. Read up on this if you have not heard of her anti vaccination cause. She is putting masses of children at risk for highly contagious diseases that should have been erradicated.

If I were famous my campaign would be to “listen to the experts and not to celebrities who takes an interest in a cause. ”

I think BP really bought the machines as a publicity and image ploy and what the hell do congressman on a committee know if they too are not specific experts in the particular science.

But who knows, maybe Costner can save the world. He probably had a dream where James Earl Jones whispered in his ear, “If you build it, BP will come.”

Regardless of what your political or religious beliefs are, you simply can not argue that it is ok for humans to fill the ocean with trash. If you have ever visited a city dump, you will realize that trash does not simply disappear. As a society, we’ve build up a massive amount of garbage that we simply bury in the ground, hoping that once it is out of sight, it will be out of mind.

But our rampant use of plastic materials and disposable items have polluted our beautiful oceans. Scientists have discovered a large collection of waste aimlessly floating in the ocean water. And because most of the waste is composed of pelagic plastic, chemical discharge, and other debris, it will take thousands of years before they naturally degrade.

So next time you choose a plastic utensil for your dinner party, be sure to buy a biodegradable one.

My requirements for a good coffee cup are:

1. Spill proof – getting burned by hot coffee, or have it spill all over your car and clothes is very annoying
2. Easy to clean – you don’t want the funk to linger on your mug
3. Fit in cup holder – why do they even make cups that don’t fit in cup holders?
4. Easy to drink from – the sipping hole can not be too big, that’s how you end up burning yourself

This may seem like a trivial excercise, but in my opinion, if we all can cut down disposable coffee cups and plastic lids, we can save the environment — one coffee cup at a time…

One compact fluorescent bulb lasts as long as 13 regular bulbs and uses 75% less energy. They are also cheaper to buy. Raleys and Ace Hardware has these for less than $3 dollars for 4 mini bulbs.

2) Stop junk mail

Visit this page to take your name off the junk mail list. Reducing junk mail will help save trees used in paper production.

3) Turn off your computer

When you leave the office, turn off your computer. At least turn off your monitor. It may be little, but if we all do it, it can add up to a lot. Screen savers DO NOT conserve energy because the screen is still on. You have to physically turn the monitor off.

4) Bring your own cup

Bring your own cup to work or the coffee store. Reducing the use of disposable products can go a long way in preserving the environment.

5) Wash With Warm Water

You do not need to wash your clothes in hot water. Use warm or cold water instead, to conserve that energy for something else.

6) Bring your own bag

Do you really need all those plastic bags you get at the grocery store? Why not bring your own bag and carry your grocery in them. I know it sounds strange because we are so accustomed to being given bags at the grocery store, but it would help reduce a lot of waste if we bring our own reusable bags to the supermarket. If not, at LEAST recycle those plastic bags before you throw them away. Grocery store plastic bags can serve a second life as garbage bags, doggie bags, and lunch bags. Doing this will also help you save tons of money!

7) Use less water

This starts with turning off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth, and ends with reducing the amount of water used on your lawn. In neighborhoods across America, people love to own a small, green, perfectly trimmed plot of grass all year round. Even in the deserts of Las Vegas, lawns are bright green from the constant sizzle of the front yard sprinklers. If you want to be environmentally friendly, perhaps you can help by reducing the amount of water used on your lawn. Learn to take care of it properly and understand just how much water you need to keep it nice and green, but don’t over do it. Just think, what good is your nice lawn if there are no more trees in this world?

Turn down the AC

Its nice to be at constant temperature thorough the day, but that comfort comes at an environmental cost. You’d be surprised how nice it can feel to sleep with an extra blanket instead of paying extra on your energy bill.

9) Buy Local

Pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture production is not only harmful to the environment, it can also be harmful to your health. Buy locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables. They often taste a lot better and are a healthy alternative to mass produced vegetations.

10) Spread the Word

If there is only one thing that you can do to help the environment, do this: tell your friends. The more people are aware of problems plaguing the environment, the more changes we can make – together – to improve things. Next time, before you open your conversation with who was on American Idol, reserve a couple of minutes to discuss what YOU did to help protect your environment, YOUR WORLD.