Natural Environment Blog

A cay is a small, low elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cay is pronounced as ‘key’ and is sometimes spelled key or quay.

Cays are typically located in tropical waters such as the tropical parts of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean. For example, there are many cays throughout the Great Barrier Reef - the largest coral reef in the world. Some popular cays in the area include Green Island, Michaelmas Cay, Upolu Cay, and Heron Island.

Cays are mostly made up of biogenic sediment from coral reef ecosystems. Biogenic sediment refers to the skeletal remains of plants and animals. Ocean currents transport the sediment across the reef surface, then deposit it in a place where currents converge or slow down. Weather and tidal patterns can impact on the formation and eradication of cays.

Some of the smaller cays often appear to be no more than a sandbar, while larger or older cays will have trees and other foliage growing on them.

You might be aware of some of the health problems and environmental concerns associated with traditional, synthetic clothes dyes. Health problems can include skin rashes, headaches, nausea, and more. And one of the major environmental issues with traditional synthetic clothes dyes is the amount of water used to process them, as well as the pollution of that water.

In this article, I outline a number of alternatives to the traditional (toxic) dyes that have been used on our clothes for so many years.

Some of these options are better than the others, but they are all better than conventional dyes that omit toxic chemicals into our bodies and into our waterways.

• Undyed clothes (wear clothes without dye). OK, before you tell me this isn’t a dye, let me explain. Yes, you could go without any color on your clothes. But you could also wear clothes that have been made from color-grown cottons or natural color wools and alpaca. This way, your clothes already have color applied - without needing to be dyed.
• Clay/dirt dyes. Clay dyes are made from the minerals and irons in the earth. This method has been used for centuries. New research/technology is improving the colorfastness of dirt dyes. Earth Creations is one company specializing in clay dye.
• Low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. These are synthetic dyes that chemically bond directly to the clothes fiber molecules. This results in less water run off due to the fixation rate being up to 70%. Although low-impact fiber-reactive dyes have been around since 1956, they have recently undergone some major advances, which have resulted in brighter colors and better colorfast properties. Unlike conventional dyes, these dyes contain no contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances. The biggest drawback of low-impact fiber-reactive dyes is that they are still made from synthetic petrochemicals.
• Natural dyes. These are a class of colorant extracted from vegetative matter and animal residues. Although one might assume that natural dyes are better for the environment, in practice this is not always the case. Natural dyes typically require the inclusion of metallic salts such as aluminium, iron, chromium, and copper for ensuring colorfastness.

Many eco-friendly clothing companies choose low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. This allows them to offer a wide range of colors, while being environmentally conscience. If you are very sensitive to chemicals, you should try to buy undyed clothes or clothes made with natural colors (i.e. from color-grown plants).

I’ve just read that candles are a growing cause of fire. Each year, more and more deaths are being attributed to fire caused by candles. If this is the case, then Earth Hour will surely be a high risk time for house fires caused by candles.

Because of this, I decided to compile a list of candle safety tips. I collected these from a range of different authority websites on fire safety. If you plan to use candles during Earth Hour (or any other time for that matter!), try to follow these tips:

• Place all candles on a heat resistant surface. Night lights and tea lights get particularly hot underneath.
• Place all candles in a sturdy holder that stands upright and won’t fall over.
• Never place candles near curtains (or anything else that could catch fire).
• Keep candles away from draughts. A small draught could blow the flame onto something flammable.
• Keep your clothes and hair away from candles. For example, never reach over a candle to pick something up.
• Keep children and pets away from all candles.
• Keep candles at least 10 cm apart from each other.
• Place scented candles in a glass or metal holder. This is because scented candles turn to liquid in order to release their fragrance.
• Never move a candle while it’s burning.
• Always keep an eye on your candles.
• Always extinguish candles before leaving the room unattended.
• Always use a candle snuffer or spoon to extinguish your candles. This is safer than blowing them out (which can result in sparks).
• Double check that all candles are out.

With Earth Hour approaching, many people have indicated that they will be burning candles throughout the hour. Unfortunately, this could result in replacing one environmental problem with another.

Burning candles isn’t exactly the healthiest or most environmentally friendly thing to do - especially if made from paraffin wax. There are some eco-friendly alternatives though, so all is not lost!

Candles that are Bad for the Environment

Most cheap candles (like the ones you can buy at the supermarkets) are made from paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is a byproduct of oil refining and releases a number of carcinogens when burned. These include Acetaldehyde, Acrolein, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Toulene.

Some cheap candles may even contain lead in their wicks. This in turn, releases toxic fumes when burned. Lead is particularly harmful to our bodies and other animals. Some countries such as US and Australia have recently banned lead wicks from candles.

Environmentally Friendly Candles

Burning any substance is always going to have its environmental downside. But, there are candles that are better for the environment than the cheap paraffin candles.

If you want to burn candles during Earth Hour (or any other time), use soy candles or 100% beeswax candles.

• 100% beeswax candles smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic. They are made of natural products (instead of petroleum based materials). Some say 100% beeswax candles are carbon neutral because the carbon dioxide they emit has already been taken from the atmosphere to produce the wax.
• Soy candles are made from soy wax - a vegetable wax made from the oil of soybeans. Again, by using soy candles, you’re avoiding petroleum based products. Also, soy candles are said to burn 40% cooler than paraffin based candles. This means your candle will burn longer - up to 8 hours per ounce of wax.

The largest natural feature on earth is so large, that it can be seen from space!

Earth’s largest natural feature is the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is a massive collection of coral reefs located along the north eastern side of Australia. It is the world’s most extensive coral reef system and is one of the world’s richest areas in terms of faunal diversity.

The reef is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, which at 35 million hectares, is the world’s largest World Heritage Area. About 98 percent of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which was declared in 1975 with the purpose of preserving the area’s outstanding biodiversity whilst providing for reasonable use.

Here are some interesting facts about the Great Barrier Reef:

• There are more than 2900 coral reefs
• 600 continental islands
• 71 coral islands
• 300 coral cays
• 1500 species of fish
• 4000 species of molluscs
• 500 species of seaweed
• 350 types of starfish and various echinoderms
• More than 215 species of birds
• 1.9 million tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef each year
• The Great Barrier Reef is over 12,000 years old
• The reef itself stretches more than 2300 km from the northern tip of Australia’s Queensland to just south of Bundaberg (also in the state of Queensland)
• The Great Barrier Marine Park covers 348,000 square kilometers - that’s larger than the whole of the UK and Ireland combined!

The Great Barrier Reef is Under Threat

Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef is under threat from overfishing, land-based pollution and coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is exacerbated by increased sea temperatures due to global warming. As a result of public campaigning and pressure from WWF, the Australian Government has committed to protecting 33% of the reef where it can (previously, only 4% had been protected).

Regarding the impact of global warming on the reef, it’s not just affecting the Great Barrier Reef. To date, 10% of all reefs around the world have been destroyed due to coral bleaching. At the current rate, 70% of the world’s reefs will be destroyed over the next 40 years.

As hopeless as this may sound, there are things we can do to help. By developing greener habits, we can all do our part in reducing global warming. For example, here are 5 ways to reduce greenhouse gases. And here are some simple steps you can take to live sustainably.

Here are some facts regarding the earth’s forests:

• One and a half acres of rainforest is lost every second.
• To date, earth has lost 50% of its tropical forests worldwide.
• Many countries have lost between 70% and 95% of their forests in a very short timespan. In a 15 year timespan, Nigeria lost 79% of its old growth forests!
• Earth’s forests are being cut down at the same rate in which the human population is increasing. The alarming thing is that this rate is actually accelerating.
• At the current rate of deforestation, we will only have 20% of the world’s forests left by 2030. 10% will be in a degraded condition.
• Experts have estimated that all of earth’s rainforests will be gone within 40 years.

Given the alarming rate of deforestation, something big needs to be done. Our increasing demand for paper doesn’t help either. In 2003, the Certified Forest Products Council said:

Worldwide demand for paper – the single largest use of wood fiber – is five times what it was in the 1950s. This number is expected to double again over the next 50 years.

What can be done about this? I’m sure plenty could be done.

To start with, paper doesn’t need to be made from wood. For example, perfectly good paper can be made out of Jute or Hemp. These plants grow much faster than trees, and use up much less land. Trees take many years to grow. Jute and Hemp are fully grown within months. They also have a higher biological efficiency than trees planted for the same purpose.

We need to start thinking about ways to reduce deforestation - then act on it. Otherwise, some of us may actually see a day where there are no rainforests left.

Ever wonder what the age of the oldest tree in the world is? Hundreds of years old? Thousands? Or maybe even hundreds of thousands of years old?

As with most natural living things on this earth, there’s some debate about exactly which tree is deemed to be the oldest. Regardless of the debate, here’s a list of some quite special (and old) trees/bushes:

• UPDATE 20 April, 2008: Since posting this article, a new discovery has been made in Sweden. A tenacious spruce tree with a root system 9,550 years old.
• The most likely contender at this stage is a tree that goes by the name of “Methuselah“. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Methuselah, would now be 4,769 years old. Methuselah is a Bristlecone Pine located in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California. Methuselah isn’t the only “oldie” in this forest. The other Bristlecone Pines in this forest are all over 4,000 years old too!
• A tree called Prometheus (also known as WPN-114) was thought to be around 4,900 years old (some reports claim 5,000 years old - until it was cut down for research purposes in 1964. Prometheus, also a Bristlecone Pine, grew at Wheeler in eastern Nevada, USA.
• A creosote bush called “King Clone” in the Mojave Desert is said to be 11,700 years old.
• In 2005, it was thought that another creosote bush in Palm Springs could be older than King Clone - as much as 20,000 years old. I’m not sure if this report was confirmed or not.
• In 1995, an extraordinary Huon pine tree was found in Tasmania, Australia. What was thought to be many trees covering 2.5 acres, appeared to be just one tree - a very old tree. Some media reports claimed it could be 30,000 to 40,000 years old. Scientists weren’t confirming this, but said that it was plausible that the trees could actually be one very old, underground tree.
• And… not exactly a living tree, but last year, scientists claimed to have found what could be the world’s oldest tree - in the form of a fossil. The tree, called Wattieza would have lived around 385 - 397 million years ago.

Hemp is the common name for the cannabis family of plants, although the word is typically used in reference to industrial hemp.

What is Industrial Hemp?

The term industrial hemp refers to cannabis strains cultivated for non-drug usage. Industrial hemp is usually referred to, simply as hemp. Most of the time, when someone talks about hemp, they are referring to industrial hemp.

Hemp is an extremely versatile, natural fiber. It is sometimes referred to as a “super fiber” due to it’s amazing range of benefits and attributes. Hemp is the strongest natural fiber in the world, and it has been cultivated for a wide variety of purposes for thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known woven fabric was made of hemp over 10,000 years ago.

In recent years, hemp has been gaining a reputation as an environmentally friendly alternative to many other fibers. For example, hemp clothing and accessories are becoming popular alternatives to their cotton or polyester counterparts.

Despite hemp’s usefulness, it is often misunderstood. Because hemp is closely related to marijuana, some people assume it can be misused (i.e. for drug use). The fact is that industrial hemp doesn’t contain enough tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to make it a psychoactive drug (such as marijuana).

Environmental Benefits of Hemp

To say that hemp is environmentally friendly is an understatement. Hemp contains so many environmental benefits, it’s amazing it’s not more popular. Hopefully this will change as the climate change / global warming debate heats up further.

For starters, hemp can be grown in most climates, without pesticides, and uses very little water. Also, hemp products are 100% biodegradable.

Here are some more of hemp’s environmental benefits.

Hemp Laws

Currently, hemp is allowed to be grown virtually anywhere in the world - except the U.S.. In the U.S. hemp cultivation is now illegal. This is unfortunate given the enormous environmental benefits to be gained from industrial hemp.

Hemp wasn’t always illegal in America though. Here are some interesting facts about hemp laws and usage in the U.S.:

• The first American flag was made from hemp.
• The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were drafted on hemp, and then copied onto parchment.
• U.S. presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp.
• Benjamin Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper.
• During the second world war, the U.S. government actually subsidized hemp.
• During the Colonial Era and Early Republic, American farmers were legally bound to grow hemp.
• In 1937, hemp cultivation was outlawed in the U.S..
• Although it’s illegal to grow hemp in the U.S., it’s not illegal to import or use products made from hemp.

Given the obvious environmental benefits of hemp, and the non-issue regarding it’s association with marijuana, the U.S. hemp laws are apparently in urgent need of review.

As Thomas Jefferson once said “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”

…or as George Washington said, “Make the most of the Indian Hemp Seed and sow it everywhere“!

Uses for Hemp

Being such a versatile fiber, there are literally thousands of uses for hemp. Many people claim that there are over 25,000 known uses for hemp!

Without naming all 25,000 uses(!), hemp can be used in a wide range of areas including consumer textiles (eg, clothing, bags), industrial textiles (eg, ropes, nets), food (eg, oils, supplements), body care products (eg, soap, shampoo), and building materials (eg, fiberboard, hempcrete).

For more detail, check out my post on the uses of hemp.

Industrial hemp is gaining a lot of respect around the world for its amazing versatility and environmental benefits. Many companies are turning to hemp in order to make their products more sustainable and eco-friendly in general.

Unfortunately, widespread acceptance of hemp still has a long way to go. Many people are oblivious to the great benefits of hemp. Some (incorrectly) assume that it’s a drug (because of its close association with marijuana). The U.S. government has even made it illegal to grow hemp. This does not make it easy for those of us who are trying to do the right thing!

Hemp cultivation can provide many benefits for the environment. Also, hemp products can provide further environmental benefits when comparing them to products made from other fibers.

Here are some key reasons why hemp should become much more widely used than it currently is.

Growing Hemp

Here are some of the major environmental benefits of growing hemp:

• Fast and robust growth: Hemp grows extremely fast and can be grown in any climate, in any agronomic system
• No herbicides/pesticides required: Hemp can be grown with no (or little) herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, or other biocides.
• Suppresses weeds: Hemp is a natural weed suppressor due to the fast growth of the canopy. Actually, hemp is a weed. Because it grows so fast and densely, it blocks out sunlight to other weeds that are trying to grow.
• Improves soil structure: Due to it’s long roots, hemp replenishes soil with nutrients and nitrogen and helps control erosion of topsoil. Also, once harvested, any residue can act as an eco-friendly manure.
• Hemp produces lots of oxygen: Hemp produces the same amount of oxygen while it’s growing that it would use in carbon dioxide if burned as a fuel. Also, due to it’s leaf/root ratio (this can often be 10% roots vs 30% leaves), hemp can produce between 20% - 40% more oxygen than will be polluted.
• Cleans up pollution: Hemp can actually clean up toxins from the ground. This process is called phytoremediation. A good example of this is when hemp was used to help clean up the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site to remove radioactive elements from the ground.

Hemp Products

Naturally, products made from hemp are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable. Also, the speed at which hemp grows can provide benefits regarding the resource requirements of the end product.

Here are some examples of how hemp products could benefit our environment and our health:

• Switching to hemp paper could reduce deforestation significantly. For every 4 acres of trees that are required annually to make paper, only an acre of hemp would be required. Furthermore, because hemp paper can be recycled so many times (up to 7 or 8 times), much less is needed. In comparison, paper from wood pulp can only be recycled around 3 times. This means even more trees are required.
• Clothing and textiles made from hemp have no residual chemicals that could affect our health (as many other fabrics do).
• Hemp based fabrics block the sun’s UV rays more effectively than other fabrics. This is true, even if it’s only a 50% blend with another fabric.
• Hemp oil is the richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (the “good” fats)

It’s widely known that hemp can be used in so many ways as an eco-friendly alternative to current methods. Given that so many of today’s products are produced from toxic materials, by switching to hemp based products, the benefits for the environment (and ourselves) would be enormous.

Hemp is renown for its extreme versatility and eco-friendliness. Given the rising interest in hemp, particularly as an eco-friendly alternative to so many other ingredients, I thought I’d gather together a bit of hemp trivia.

Here are some interesting facts about hemp:

• Hemp is the strongest natural fiber in the world
• The earliest known woven fabric was made of hemp over 10,000 years ago (possibly even 11,000 or 12,000 years ago)
• The original denim jeans by Levi Strauss were made out of hemp, due to its durability.
• Hemp was used to help clean up the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site (due to its ability to suck radioactive toxins out of the ground).
• The word “canvas” is derived from the word “cannabis”. This is because hemp was originally used to make canvas.
• Car manufacturers such as Ford, GM, Chrysler, Saturn, BMW, and Mercedes are using hemp composite in various parts of their vehicles
• Companies such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and The Body Shop are all starting to use hemp in their products

And, isn’t it so ironic that hemp cultivation is now illegal in the U.S. given it’s permanently etched into the history of the U.S.A…..

• The first American flag was made from hemp.
• Both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were drafted on hemp, and then copied onto parchment.
• U.S. presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp.
• During the second world war, the U.S. government actually subsidized hemp.
• During the Colonial Era and Early Republic, American farmers were legally bound to grow hemp.
• Thomas Jefferson once wrote “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country“
• U.S. president George Washington once wrote, “Make the most of the Indian Hemp Seed and sow it everywhere!“