jokes

“[A bullet] that can kill you or that you can shoot a target with, [but] which is not an environmental hazard” is priority for the pentagon, as stated by a spokeswoman to the First Post.

Lead is poisonous. Lead poisoning is serious; it can lead to learning disabilities in children and make an adult weak of mind and body. In the environment, through the soil and natural decomposition, lead will stay for a long time (1000 years +). Lead, if not removed will stay where it is. That is why the military is trying to reduce its use in their weapons. For if the bullet should not find itself in a body as intended, and should hit a tree and fall to the earth, that bullet should not cause any further damage.

What is Marine Corps the Major General Richard Zilmer asking for? “A renewable and self-sustainable energy solution” (Strickland 14). The argument is simple; by reducing energy consumption the Marines can dramatically decrease the number of fuel baring convoys it needs.

Answering the call in Hawaii’s Kaneohe Bay, the Marine Corps is researching Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). OTEC uses the warmth of the ocean’s surface to produce steam to turn a turbine. Cold ocean water then re-condenses the steam into liquid so that the process may be repeated. If implemented, this would be a zero-emissions practice.

“The Air Force: It accounts for more than half of the defense departments fuel purchases, gulping down about 2.5 billion gallons of jet fuel each year” (Strickland 15). All departments of military need fuel and energy. This means that the military could dramatically cut their cost by reducing dependence on oil, a greener way of warfare.

Explosives are being designed that will turn into compost after detonation. An Ironic remark made by the First Post “Well, the people whose village has just been destroyed by a BAE-made explosive will no doubt be very grateful for the compost left behind. They can grow carrots.” Comedy aside, environmental sustainability is important and any effort made to ensure that should be respected.
Warfare is getting friendly, or at least eco-friendly. As nations combat, now, they will leave no waste left behind; other than carnage and destruction.

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/56728,news-comment,news-politics,how-to-kill-and-maim-but-keep-it-eco-friendly

Strickland, Eliza “Cleaner, Meaner War Machines” Discover. November 2010. Print.

A Sun Chip Bag Decomposing

Following the release of its new biodegradable bag, Sun Chips has received multiple complaints. Apparently the bag is too noisy and customers are not appreciating the added decibels to their peaceful snack time. Because of these complaints, Sun Chips is stuck between a rock and a hard place: “the rock” coming in the form of listening to the extra-noise-conscientious consumer and switching back to the old bag design, and “the hard place” being sticking with the biodegradable design and losing potential sales.

It seems the unhappy Sun Chip consumers are forgetting that this bag completely degrades in 14 weeks instead of sitting in a city dump or on the side of the road for years. The 14 week disintegration process is shown in a recent commercial by Sun Chips showing the progression of the biodegrading bag (below).

The first question that crops into my mind is “are a few complaining customers worth the continuing growth of plastic bags in our world?” With the threat of falling sales, apparently it is worth it. Sadly, Sun Chips has decided to succumb to the pressures and appease their loyal chip fans by going back to its original, completely plastic bags.

Sustainability is becoming more of a concern as consumers continue to call for environmentally products. Therefore, Frito-Lay (Sun Chip’s maker) assures us all they are continuing research and development to find bags that satisfy both categories of environmentally friendly and noise friendly. According to Environmental Graffiti, the problem with this (at least for the environmentally conscious consumer) is that switching bag designs is actually wasting more energy and resources than staying with the initial design.

So I can’t help but think why can’t these protesting customers use a bowl to place the chips in? Or why can’t they turn up the volume on the television to compensate for the noisy bag? Is it really challenging to grab a handful of chips vs. consuming one at a time to reduce noise and, concurrently, help Mother Nature? I guess it depends on who you ask.

Sources:

http://www.biofuelswatch.com/biodegradable-chip-bag-is-loud/

http://www.wfaa.com/news/Consumers-Biodegradeable-chip-bag-too-noisy-104377479.html

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-whats-biodegradable-snack-bags