Green vs Clean

1) Bottled Water vs. Tap Water. Myth: Bottled water is better for you. Fact: Bottled water is less regulated than tap water, and in a 2008 study by the Environmental Working Group, 38 contaminants were found in 10 of the top brands of bottled water. Also, plastic bottles leach harmful chemicals into the water. Finally, if you like things clean, then why add to the huge amount of plastic that exists in our oceans and landfills? That stuff is not going anywhere, and eventually it will show up on your beach and in your backyard. That’s pretty gross.
2) The Disinfection Obsession. Myth: Green cleaning products aren’t as effective as antibacterials. Fact: Unless you are a surgeon requiring a sterile environment, good old soap and water or even home made concoctions like vinegar and baking soda are just as effective cleaning agents as antibacterials – sans the side effects of toxic chemicals, indoor air pollution, and water pollution. These don’t sound so very clean to me.
3) Use and Toss. Myth: Single use products are more hygienic than reusable ones.  Fact: Actually, you can get a better clean from cloth towel than a paper towel, without the paper waste and mess. Cloth towels are more absorbent and stronger and therefore are more effective at getting the grime out of your kitchen. Use and wash is still better than use and toss, and if your mess is not a wet one, you can even reuse your cloth towel a few times before washing it, making it even more environmentally preferable to paper.
4) Kleenex vs. Handkerchief – I got nothin’ here – sorry, you won’t catch me blowing my nose over and over in the same hanky. Even I have my limits….but I am open to suggestions!
5) The Hippie Stigma. Myth: People who are passionate about the environment are tree-hugging hippies who don’t shave, wear deodorant, or shower regularly.  Fact: We are not in the 60’s anymore.

Green In Gwinnett Area: Keeping Gwinnett Green and Sustainable

Wildlife in Urban and Suburban Settings

We usually think of wildlife in parks, national forests, and undeveloped areas like the mountains. But how often do you notice examples right around you?

Behind Mall of GA, the forested wetlands are home to animals you might not imagine: birds and squirrels, but also deer, snakes, ducks, salamanders, beaver, and even coyote. Similar great examples can be spotted along the Suwanee Creek Greenway. The diversity of wildlife can be one type of indicator of the overall ecosystem health and community sustainability.

Wherever you live, what unusual examples have you seen? For anyone near or in the study area, where in particular have you seen wildlife around northern Suwanee, Buford, the mall, and along Suwanee Creek and Ivy Creek Greenways?

Do you think keeping wildlife in this urban setting is a good thing? Or is it a danger or nuisance? Deer get hit by vehicles. Canadian geese take over water features. Why should we encourage wildlife near a major activity center?
Share your thoughts!

– Green In Gwinnett Area – Keeping Gwinnett Green and Sustainable

Global Warming or Global Cooling? Observational Trends

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to 2010! 2009 was another year of global cooling, which saw numerous low temperature and high snowfall records smashed. The Dutch canals for the first time in 12 years, record cold came to Al Gore’s home town and ironically a blizzard dumped snow on the Copenhagen convention where world leaders met to try and stop global warming. It was so cold that even the BBC asked, “what happened to global warming?”.  Are IPCC scientists hard at work hiding evidence of global cooling? Below is some observational evidence.

*GIGA takes no official position for or against either global warming or global cooling…

National Climatic Data Center

Deadly Cold Across Europe and Russia

2009 – Record cold wind chills of -50 C recorded overnight in Saskatchewan (Canadian Press, January 4, 2009)
2009 – Coldest start to the New Year for seven years (The Daily Telegraph, UK, January 5, 2009)
2009 – Forget warming, greenhouse gases may trigger ice age (The Times of India, January 5, 2009)
2009 – London colder than Antarctica (The Daily Telegraph, UK, January 5, 2009)
2009 – Poor burn books to stay warm in chilly India, 55 dead (Reuters, January 5, 2009)
2009 – Cold streak breaks 1892 record, Saskatoon experiences 24 consecutive days of -25 C (The StarPhoenix, January 6, 2009)
2009 – Record cold weather payouts triggered as temperature hits -11C (The Times, UK, January 6, 2009)
2009 – Record-breaking cold -37 in Moose Jaw, Canada (The Moose Jaw Times Herald, Canada, January 6, 2009)
2009 – NCDC’s own graphic shows decadal cooling trend (Watts Up With That?, January 6, 2009)
2009 – Global Warming is Really Global Cooling (Right Side News, January 6, 2009)
2009 – Schools remain closed amid freeze (BBC, January 7, 2009)
2009 – Seven freeze to death in Europe’s coldest winter night (AFP, January 7, 2009)
2009 – Spokane, Wash., residents cope with record snow (Fox News, January 7, 2009)
2009 – 12 deaths blamed on snow, cold across Europe (Associated Press, January 7, 2009)
2009 – Deadly cold, heavy snow grip Europe (National Post, January 8, 2009)
2009 – Extreme Alaska cold 60 below grounds planes, disables cars (CNS News, January 8, 2009)
2009 – Minn. sled race canceled because of heavy snow (USA Today, January 8, 2009)
2009 – Temperature in Germany Falls to Minus 34.6 Degrees (Spiegel Online, January 8, 2009)
2009 – Record snow takes toll on Great Falls plowing budget, crews (Montana News Network, January 9, 2009)
2009 – Life At Negative 78 Degrees In Alaska (NPR, January 9, 2009)
2009 – Britain in grip of longest cold snap for 10 years (The Daily Telegraph, January 10, 2009)
2009 – Polar Sea Ice Changes are Having a Net Cooling Effect on the Climate (Watts Up With That?, January 10, 2009)
2009 – Slovenia with record low temperature -49 (Montenegrin News Agency, January 11, 2009)
2009 – Earth on the Brink of an Ice Age (Pravda, Russia, January 11, 2009)
2009 – Frosty Hong Kong shivers through coldest spell for 16 years (The Earth Times, January 12, 2009)
2009 – ND gets blizzard on top of December’s record snow (Fox News, January 12, 2009)
2009 – Global Cooling Headed Our Way (Newsmax, January 13, 2009)
2009 – Record cold hits eastern ND (The Daily News, January 13, 2009)
2009 – Sharp cold wave shocks upper Midwest, temps to -36 (Associated Press, January 13, 2009)
2009 – Bismarck reports day snow record 5.4 inches (KXNet, January 14, 2009)
2009 – Biting cold hits Northeast, keeps even skiers home (ABC News, January 14, 2009)
2009 – Coldest night in 5 years sinks into state (KAAL-TV Minnesota, January 14, 2009)
2009 – Flint’s 95-year-old record low falls as 19 below zero hits city (The Flint Journal, January 14, 2009)
2009 – Shocking cold wave drops temps to 40 below zero (Associated Press, January 14, 2009)
2009 – Two-day deep freeze bringing coldest temps in several years (Daily Times Herald, January 14, 2009)
2009 – Coldest Temperatures In 5 Years Paralyze Minn. (WCCO-TV Minnesota, January 15, 2009)
2009 – D.C. Sees Coldest Weather in 5 Years (WJLA-TV Washington D.C., January 15, 2009)
2009 – Dutch canals freeze over for the first time in 12 years (The New York Times, January 15, 2009)
2009 – On the Brink of Climatic Disaster: the Coming Ice Age (The John Birch Society, January 15, 2009)
2009 – Swallow survives coldest spell for 20 years as Britain braced for 80mph winds (The Daily Telegraph, UK, January 15, 2009)
2009 – The Ice Age Cometh: Experts Warn of Global Cooling (Business & Media Institute, January 15, 2009)
2009 – Americans suffer record cold as temperatures plunge to -40C (Daily Mail, UK, January 16, 2009)
2009 – Arctic front freezes US, Canada in record cold snap (AFP, January 16, 2009)
2009 – Heavy snow causes 6,000 traffic accidents, 24 deaths in Moscow (RIA Novosti, January 16, 2009)
2009 – Iowa Endures Record-Breaking Cold (KCRG-TV Iowa, January 16, 2009)
2009 – Mercury hits 27 below; 2nd coldest ever in Galesburg (Galesburg Register-Mail, January 16, 2009)
2009 – Record-breaking cold chills Western Massachusetts (The Republican, January 16, 2009)
2009 – Cold snaps 124-year-old record in Fredericton, Canada (The Daily Gleaner, January 17, 2009)
2009 – Record Cold Chills North Country, New York (North Country Gazette, January 17, 2009)
2009 – Record cold in Detroit as deep freeze continues (Associated Press, January 17, 2009)
2009 – Thailand temperatures are coldest in a decade (The Jakarta Post, January 17, 2009)
2009 – Low temperature ties 1951 record in Hawaii (The Maui News, January 20, 2009)
2009 – Oceans are cooling according to NASA (The Baltimore Weather Examiner, January 21, 2009)
2009 – Frigid temps are coldest in a decade (Independent Herald, January 22, 2009)
2009 – Shanghai reports coldest winter for 18 years (Xinhua, January 24, 2009)
2009 – UAE mountain covered in rare snow (AFP, January 25, 2009)
2009 – This January is 18th coldest in 139 years in Western New York (The Buffalo News, January 27, 2009)
2009 – 8 found dead in Michigan cold since Jan. 17 (The Chicago Tribune, January 28, 2009)
2009 – Two Fairfield, Illinois businesses collapse under snow, ice (Evansville Courier & Press, January 28, 2009)
2009 – Ice storm cuts power to 870,000 in Midwest (Reuters, January 28, 2009)
2009 – Docks Collapse Under Weight of Snow, Sleet and Ice (Ozarks First, January 29, 2009)
2009 – Global Cooling Under-reported (Science & Public Policy Institute, January 29, 2009)
2009 – Snow Storm Sweeps Northeast From Texas; at Least 23 Are Dead (The New York Times, January 29, 2009)
2009 – World is getting colder (The Washington Times, January 30, 2009)
2009 – January One of Coldest in Decade (The Washington Post, February 1, 2009)
2009 – Saginaw Michigan breaks 1947 snowfall record for a calendar year (The Saginaw News, February 2, 2009)
2009 – Heaviest Snow in 18 Years Brings Much of Europe to a Halt (Fox News, February 2, 2009)
2009 – 75 inches of January snow sets Juneau record (Anchorage Daily News, February 3, 2009)
2009 – Arctic Sea Ice Increases at Record Rate (Watts Up With That?, February 3, 2009)
2009 – Slippery Slope: Ice Age Cometh in Five Years (NewsMax, February 3, 2009)
2009 – Snow chaos as coldest winter for years hits Britain (The Australian, February 3, 2009)
2009 – Mt. LeConte Lodge records coldest temp in more than 20 years (WVLT-TV Tennessee, February 4, 2009)
2009 – Recent cold snap in Mount Airy, NC shatters 1982 record (Mount Airy News, February 4, 2009)
2009 – Coldest Temperatures In 20 Years! (WCTV Florida, February 5, 2009)
2009 – Six die in snow roof collapse in Morocco (afrol News, February 5, 2009)
2009 – Coldest Dublin winter for 18 years, says Met office (The Irish Times, February 6, 2009[/])
2009 – Hamilton, Ontario Canada broke a 28-year record low temperature ([i]The Hamilton Sectator, February 6, 2009)
2009 – Ice, snow collapse several Anna, Illinois buildings (The Southern, February 6, 2009)
2009 – Vail, Colorado set record for January snow (Vail Daily, February 6, 2009)
2009 – Bristol endures its coldest weather in 20 years (Bristol Evening Post, UK, February 7, 2009)
2009 – Record Low Temperatures in Western Cuba (Cuba News Headlines, February 8, 2009)
2009 – Record-breaking cold -50°F temperature reached in Maine (NOAA, February 10, 2009)
2009 – Snow storms force German motorists to sleep in cars (The Earth Times, February 11, 2009)
2009 – Snowstorms wreak havoc in the Balkans (The Earth Times, February 19, 2009)
2009 – Little ice age may be on the way (Lincolnshire Echo, UK, February 20, 2009)
2009 – GUINEA: Record cold snap destroys crops, kills hundreds of animals (Reuters, February 20, 2009)
2009 – Ice Age or global warming? (Reuters, February 24th, 2009)
2009 – ‘Snow bomb’ brings record snowfall across New Brunswick (CBC News, February 24, 2009)
2009 – Snowiest Winter Ever Recorded in North Dakota (Watts Up With That?, February 27, 2009)
2009 – Global Cooling Continues (The Hearland Institute, March 1, 2009)
2009 – Joy in NYC: Kids get first snow day in five years (USA Today, March 2, 2009)
2009 – Providence sets record; Coventry tops RI for snowfall (The Providence Journal, March 2, 2009)
2009 – Record breaking snowfall in Milwaukee (WKOW-TV Wisconsin, March 2, 2009)
2009 – Coldest winter in UK for 13 years (BBC, March 3, 2009)
2009 – Ferocious storm dumps heavy snow on East Coast (ABC News, March 3, 2009)
2009 – Lynchburg Virginia breaks 84-year cold record (Lynchburg News and Advance, March 3, 2009)
2009 – 84-year-old cold temperature record falls in Baltimore (Baltimore Sun, March 3, 2009)
2009 – Senators Debate Global Warming Policy Despite Global Cooling Evidence (CNSNews, March 4, 2009)
2009 – Cuba’s winter among its coldest (Miami Herald, March 5, 2009)
2009 – Late snowfalls in Britain bring chaos to roads and rail (The Earth Times, March 5, 2009)
2009 – Lake Superior is freezing over (Watts Up With That?, March 7, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard blasts northern Plains, upper Midwest (USA Today, March 10, 2009)
2009 – It wasn’t just cold, it was record cold in Yakima, Washington (Yakima Herald Republic, March 12, 2009)
2009 – Record-brrrrrrrrreaking cold -34.8 C in Regina, Canada (CBC News, March 12, 2009)
2009 – Edmonton Canada bests all time record low by -12 degrees (Watts Up With That?, March 15, 2009)
2009 – Snowy 1st Day Of Spring For Some Northeast Towns (Associated Press, March 20, 2009)
2009 – Shocker: ‘Global warming’ simply no longer happening (WorldNetDaily, March 22, 2009)
2009 – New Report Predicts “New Global Ice Age” (Reuters, March 23, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard Punishes Several States (The New York Times, March 24, 2009)
2009 – Crashes injure 15 as blizzard blasts Colo., Wyo. (USA Today, March 26, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard Hits Southern Plains (The New York Times, March 27, 2009)
2009 – Southwest, central N.D. hit by blizzard conditions (USA Today, March 30, 2009)
2009 – Spokane records snowiest winter ever (The Seattle Times, March 30, 2009)
2009 – Coldest day since 1953 (The Cairns Post, March 31, 2009)
2009 – Late March Snowfall Breaks Bismarck, North Dakota, Record (Associated Content, March 31, 2009)
2009 – 3,500 cows died in blizzard (Amarillo Globe-News, April 2, 2009)
2009 – RSS MSU: 0.06 °C month-on-month cooling (The Reference Frame, April 3, 2009)
2009 – A rare April blizzard warning issued in Forest City Iowa (Britt News Tribune, April 4, 2009)
2009 – Satellite Data Shows Arctic Cooling in February and March (Watts Up With That?, April 4, 2009)
2009 – All-time Snow Records Tumbling Again for the Second Straight Year (Watts Up With That?, April 5, 2009)
2009 – Spring snowstorm keeps some western schools closed (Omaha World-Herald, April 6, 2009)
2009 – GISS: March 2009 was the coolest March in this century (The Reference Frame, April 14, 2009)
2009 – Disaster panel mulls record Kotzebue snow (Juneau Empire, April 17, 2009)
2009 – Global Warming Strikes Again: Up To 36 Inches Of Snow In Colorado (KXNet, April 17, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall (102 inches) a concern in Kotzebue, Alaska (Siku News, April 17, 2009)
2009 – Colorado Hit With 41 Inches Of Snow – Record Snowfall With More On The Way (The Post Chronicle, April 18, 2009)
2009 – Revealed: Antarctic ice growing, not shrinking (The Australian, April 18, 2009)
2009 – Scientists baffled by Quiet Sun… ice age coming? (MINA, April 22, 2009)
2009 – The Next Ice Age (American Thinker, April 22, 2009)
2009 – Global Cooling Earth’s Little-Known Threat (CBN News, April 25, 2009)
2009 – New Australian continent wide low temperature record set for April (Watts Up With That?, April 29, 2009)
2009 – Scientists Expect Global Cooling to Start Soon (Russia-IC, April 29, 2009)
2009 – Australian Ski Resort has it’s earliest start to the season in the resort’s 45-year history (ABC News, Australia, April 30, 2009)
2009 – Melbourne shivers through coldest April in 60 years (Herald Sun, Australia, April 30, 2009)
2009 – RSS MSU: 2nd coldest April since 1999 (The Reference Frame, May 2, 2009)
2009 – Sun Oddly Quiet – Hints at Next “Little Ice Age”? (National Geographic, May 4, 2009)
2009 – Quiet Sun May Trigger Global Cooling (Fox News, May 5, 2009)
2009 – NOAA: April Temperatures Slightly Cooler Than Average for U.S. (NOAA, May 8, 2009)
2009 – Snow in Saudi Arabia in May? (Watts Up With That?, May 12, 2009)
2009 – Pouring cold water on global warming (The Belfast Telegraph, UK, May 13, 2009)
2009 – The Coming Ice Age (American Thinker, May 13, 2009)
2009 – Geologist forecasts global cooling (ABC, Australia, May 15, 2009)
2009 – Summer haze has a cooling effect in southeastern United States, says new study (University of California Berkeley, May 18, 2009)
2009 – Weekend snow sets record in International Falls (Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 18, 2009)
2009 – Another record-setting cold morning in Austin breaks 109 year old record (The Austin American-Statesman, May 19, 2009)
2009 – Baltimore Morning cold breaks record (The Baltimore Sun, May 19, 2009)
2009 – Record cold on the coast of South Carolina (The State, May 19, 2009)
2009 – Record cold hits Far North breaks 113 year record in the Cooktown region (The Cairns Post, May 23, 2009)
2009 – Canada Has a Frigid May after a Cold Winter (Watts Up With That?, May 27, 2009)
2009 – Cooler decades ahead, researcher says (SitNews, May 28, 2009)
2009 – Still More on Diminished Solar Activity and Global Cooling (Dakota Voice, May 30, 3009)
2009 – Red Centre shivers in record cold (ABC News, Australia, June 1, 2009)
2009 – Record cold in May and more chill to come (TVNZ, New Zealand, June 3, 2009)
2009 – Isn’t this June? Snow sticking around on Pikes Peak (The Gazette, June 5, 2009)
2009 – RSS Global Temperature Anomaly also down in May, halving the April value (Watts Up With That?, June 5, 2009)
2009 – UAH global temperature anomaly for May – down again, near zero (Watts Up With That?, June 5, 2009)
2009 – Snow falls in western ND, in June, first time in 60 years (KXNet, June 6, 2009)
2009 – Alberta, Saskatchewan get snow in June (National Post, Canada, June 7, 2009)
2009 – Canada frosts the most widespread in recent memory (Reuters, June 9, 2009)
2009 – Abominable as snow hits Britain (Daily Star, UK, June 8, 2009)
2009 – Cold weather record set in Flathead (Montana’s News Station, June 9, 2009)
2009 – Canadian Wheat Output May Fall on Dry, Cool Weather (Bloomberg, June 11, 2009)
2009 – Coldest day for 43 years (The Australian, June 13, 2009)
2009 – Crops under stress as temperatures fall (The Daily Telegraph, UK, June 13, 2009)
2009 – Ocean waters off British Columbia coldest in half century (Chinook Observer, June 23, 2009)
2009 – First Ever Ice Wine in Brazil (Watts Up With That?, June 16, 2009)
2009 – Earth on the Brink of an Ice Age (DC Weather Examiner, June 29, 2009)
2009 – July Opens with Near-Record Cold (WTMJ-TV Wisconsin, July 1, 2009)
2009 – Global Cooling: Bad News For Global Warming Alarmists (Right Side News, July 6, 2009)
2009 – Frost in July hits P.E.I. (CBC News, July 8, 2009)
2009 – Chicago has its coolest July 8 in 118 years (The Chicago Tribune, July 9, 2009)
2009 – RSS Global Temperature for June 09, also down (Watts Up With That?, July 10, 2009)
2009 – Cooler weather bringing the “luck of the Irish” to the USA (Watts Up With That?, July 11, 2009)
2009 – Record Cold in Regina and Estevan Canada: Beats 92-Year-Old Record Low (CKOM-AM Canada, July 11, 2009)
2009 – Global Cooling Chills Summer 2009 (National Review Online, July 13, 2009)
2009 – NYC fails to reach 85°F in June – first time since 1916 (Watts Up With That?, July 13, 2009)
2009 – Record cold in Portland Maine in July (Watts Up With That?, July 13, 2009)
2009 – 113-Year Record Cold in Pittsburgh, 27 in MI (AccuWeather, July 14, 2009)
2009 – July 2009; Coldest on Record So Far (Discover Moose Jaw, July 16, 2009)
2009 – West Michigan record cold (Grand Rapids Weather Examiner, July 18, 2009)
2009 – Record low temperatures across Mississippi, this morning (Jackson Weather Examiner, July 19, 2009)
2009 – Cold front brings Alabama record lows (Tuscaloosa News, July 21, 2009)
2009 – Coldest July 21 In Nashville, Tennessee Since 1877 (The Post Chronicle, July 22, 2009)
2009 – Historic snow event in South America (Watts Up With That?, July 23, 2009)
2009 – Worry about global cooling, not warming (Kennebec Journal, July 23, 2009)
2009 – Cool summer disappoints tourists, delays crops (Associated Press, July 25, 2009)
2009 – Global cooling hits Al Gore’s home (The Daily Telegraph, UK, July 25, 2009)
2009 – So where’s that global cooling alert? (The Globe and Mail, Canada, July 27, 2009)
2009 – Record setting cool weather hits Denver and brings snow to the mountains (Denver Weather Examiner, July 30, 2009)
2009 – Rochester records second-coldest July (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, July 31, 2009)
2009 – Antarctic air flow brings record snow fall to the Falkland Islands (MercoPress, August 1, 2009)
2009 – Coldest July ever for Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Weather Examiner, August 1, 2009)
2009 – Coldest July on Record for Huntington, West Virginia (WOWK-TV West Virginia, August 1, 2009)
2009 – Coolest July Ever for Fort Wayne, Indiana (Indiana’s NewsCenter, August 1, 2009)
2009 – July was coldest on record for International Falls, Minnesota (KQDS-TV Minnesota, August 1, 2009)
2009 – That was the coldest July in Dubuque, Iowa Ever (Dubuque Telegraph Herald, August 1, 2009)
2009 – Media blames record cold on nature, warming on man (Energy Publisher, August 3, 2009)
2009 – Global cooling blamed as bikini record attempt falls flat (National Post, Canada, August 4, 2009)
2009 – July 2009 coldest in 33 years, weather service says (The Patriot-News, August 4, 2009)
2009 – July sets record for cold 1,100 new low temperatures set (Ravenna Record Courier, August 4, 2009)
2009 – Scientific evidence now points to global cooling, contrary to U.N. alarmism (The Washington Examiner, August 4, 2009)
2009 – July ranks in the top three for coldest (WLUC-TV Michigan, August 6, 2009)
2009 – NOAA: July Temperature Below-Average for the U.S. (NOAA, August 10, 2009)
2009 – Falling Temperatures Confound Alarmists (The Heartland Institute, September 1, 2009)
2009 – Record-setting cold weekend (The Daily Journal, September 3, 2009)
2009 – UAH: global temperature down in August by .181°C, SH sees biggest drop of 0.4°C (Watts Up With That?, September 4, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall for Cardrona, New Zealand (Otago Daily Times, September 7, 2009)
2009 – NOAA: Summer Temperature Below Average for U.S. (NOAA, September 10, 2009)
2009 – Svensmark: “global warming stopped and a cooling is beginning” (Watts Up With That?, September 10, 2009)
2009 – Scientists see signs of global cooling (Belfast Telegraph, UK, September 21, 2009)
2009 – Planet Cooling Down Amid Global Warming Madness (NewsMax, September 23, 2009)
2009 – U.S. Northeast May Have Coldest Winter in a Decade (Bloomberg, September 28, 2009)
2009 – Forecast: A cooling trend on climate change (Canada Free Press, September 29, 2009)
2009 – NASA: Cosmic rays up 19% since last peak – new record high could lead to cooling (Watts Up With That?, September 29, 2009)
2009 – Storm brought record cold in six areas in Utah (Deseret News, ‎October 1, 2009‎)
2009 – Cold spell brings record low temperatures to Southern California (Los Angeles Times, ‎October 6, 2009‎)
2009 – October off to record cold start in Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction Sentinel, October 6, 2009)
2009 – Shocker! Ice melt lowest in 30 years (WorldNetDaily, October 8, 2009)
2009 – What happened to global warming? (BBC, October 9, 2009)
2009 – Biggest news you’ve never heard: Earth isn’t warming (The Christian Science Monitor, October 10, 2009)
2009 – It was cold enough to break a record (Gillette News Record, October 10, 2009)
2009 – Record cold kills NL playoff game (Daily Mail, Charleston, October 10, 2009)
2009 – Record cold temperatures greet fans as Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies prepare for Game 3 (The Express Times, October 10, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall, cold hit Central Nebraska (Grand Island Independent, October 10, 2009)
2009 – Denver breaks 104 year old cold temperature record as Arctic chill sets in (Denver Weather Examiner, October 11, 2009)
2009 – B.C. Interior hit with record-breaking cold snap (CTV British Columbia, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Bellingham, Washington sets cold record (Bellingham Herald, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Early winter arrival with record lows and snow in Baltimore (Baltimore Weather Examiner, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Kalispell, Montana hits new cold record (Daily Inter Lake, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Iowa sees record cold (Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Record cold, early snow grip Prairies on Thanksgiving (CBC News, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Record cold hits Wenatchee, Washington; snow on the way (The Wenatchee World Online, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Three Decades Of Global Cooling (Investors Business Daily, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Winter hits Calgary roads after record cold (Calgary Herald, October 12, 2009)
2009 – Good snow spells a record year for New Zealand ski fields (Reuters, October 13, 2009)
2009 – Monday snowfall breaks record in Southern Minnesota (Austin Herald, October 13, 2009)
2009 – Record cold, snow hits central Canada (Times of the Internet, October 13, 2009)
2009 – Western Montana towns report coldest temperatures ever for Oct. 12 (The Missoulian, October 13, 2009)
2009 – Austria gets record October snow (Radio Netherlands, October 14, 2009)
2009 – Central Europe hit by heavy snow, high winds (Reuters, October 14, 2009)
2009 – Early start to winter ≈20% of USA is covered in snow already (Watts Up With That?, October 14, 2009)
2009 – October Cold Snap Sets 82-Year Record in Chicago (WBBM-TV Chicago, October 14, 2009)
2009 – Record-setting cold in Laurel, Montana (Laurel Outlook, October 14, 2009)
2009 – Whatever happened to global warming? (Daily Mail, UK, October 14, 2009)
2009 – European cold snap kills 4 in Poland, cuts power (Reuters, October 15, 2009)
2009 – Record cold day ties 1874 record in Baltimore (Baltimore Weather Examiner, October 15, 2009)
2009 – Earliest snow on record blankets Poconos, Penn State (Philadelphia Inquirer, October 16, 2009)
2009 – Record-Breaking Early Snowfall In New York, New Jersey (The Huffington Post, October 16, 2009)
2009 – Friday coldest Oct. 16 in DC in 138 years (The Washington Examiner, October 17, 2009)
2009 – October bringing record cold to Topeka, Kansas (Topeka Capital Journal, October 17, 2009)
2009 – Record snow at Penn State cancels tailgating on Homecoming Weekend (Baltimore Weather Examiner, October 17, 2009)
2009 – A cold start to fall: over 4500 new snowfall, low temp, and lowest max temp records set in the USA this last week (Watts Up With That?, October 18, 2009)
2009 – There’s a global cooling trend (StandardNet, October 19, 2009)
2009 – Study: model in good agreement with satellite temperature data – suggest cooling (Watts Up With That?, October 20, 2009)
2009 – Cold start to fall continues, 252 more low temperature records set in the USA this week (Watts Up With That?, October 23, 2009)
2009 – Snow sets October record (Omaha World-Herald, October 23, 2009)
2009 – The “cold war” hits home – October in like a lion, out like a fridge (Watts Up With That?, October 25, 2009)
2009 – Russian research forecasts global cooling (WorldNetDaily, October 27, 2009)
2009 – Global cooling welcomed here (Caymanian Compass, October 28, 2009)
2009 – North Platte, NE Breaks All-Time Snow Record (AccuWeather, November 2, 2009)
2009 – Coldest October in 64 years (The Dominion Post, New Zealand, November 3, 2009)
2009 – Record cold and rain: October 2009 climate statistics for Baltimore (Baltimore Weather Examiner, November 3, 2009)
2009 – October’s significant chill – take your pick on descriptors (Watts Up With That?, November 5, 2009)
2009 – October 2009 3rd Coldest for US in 115 Years (Watts Up With That?, November 7, 2009)
2009 – Beware global cooling (Business Day, November 9, 2009)
2009 – Beijing’s Heaviest Snow in 54 Years Strands Thousands (Bloomberg, November 12, 2009)
2009 – Coldest November day in Delhi in five years (The Times of India, November 12, 2009)
2009 – Record snow turns Hebei’s capital into wonderland (Global Times, China, November 12, 2009)
2009 – Roof collapse kills three children as snow blankets north China (Earthtimes, November 12, 2009)
2009 – Chinese schools collapse in snow (BBC, November 13, 2009)
2009 – Italian ski resorts killing it with record snow (Ski Channel, November 17, 2009)
2009 – A Week in Alaska: -46 Degrees, 186 MPH Winds (AccuWeather, November 17, 2009)
2009 – North-central China staggers under early snow; 40 die, 9,000 buildings collapse (Associated Press, November 18, 2009)
2009 – Climatologists Baffled by Global Warming Time-Out (Der Spiegel, November 19, 2009)
2009 – Hong Kong shivers in coldest November in more than 120 years (The Earth Times, November 19, 2009)
2009 – Whistler blows away November snowfall record (CBC News, November 19, 2009)
2009 – Often Alaska’s coldest spot, Bettles is setting records (Anchorage Daily News, November 22, 2009)
2009 – Hiding evidence of global cooling (The Washington Times, November 24, 2009)
2009 – Snow on the French Riviera???? (CNN iReport, November 24, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall on Mount Washington (Courier Islander, Canada, November 25, 2009)
2009 – The global-cooling cover-up (The Washington Times, November 27, 2009)
2009 – Denying the global-cooling cover-up (The Washington Times, December 1, 2009)
2009 – Whistler-Blackcomb sets November snow record (The Vancouver Sun, December 1, 2009)
2009 – Earliest snow on record for Houston and New Orleans (Baltimore Weather Examiner, December 4, 2009)
2009 – Houston gets earliest snowfall on record (Associated Press, December 4, 2009)
2009 – Record breaking snowfall from Houston, Texas to Grand Rapids, Michigan (Denver Weather Examiner, December 5, 2009)
2009 – Albertans break electricity demand record; cold, dark part of reason (Winnipeg Free Press, December 7, 2009)
2009 – Arizona Buckles Down for Rare Blizzard (CBS News, December 7, 2009)
2009 – Newfoundland digs out from record snow (UPI, December 7, 2009)
2009 – St. John’s gets record snowfall (CBC News, December 7, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard dumps record snow on Siouxland (Sioux City Journal, December 8, 2009)
2009 – Early-season blizzard blamed for 4 deaths (UPI, December 8, 2009)
2009 – Record cold hits Sacramento (The Sacramento Bee, December 8, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard Paralyzes Much of Midwest (The New York Times, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Enormous winter storm over US (TVNZ, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Epic blizzard wreaks havoc: Blizzard forces school and road closures throughout Midwest (Akron Headlines Examiner, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Record cold temperatures chill Santa Cruz County (Santa Cruz Sentinel, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Sledding on cafeteria trays for first college snow day on record (WKOW-TV Wisconsin, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Southwest La. snowfall earliest on record (Jennings Daily News, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Storm dumps record snowfall in Carson, Nevada (Nevada Appeal, December 9, 2009)
2009 – State of Wisconsin shut down by Dec 09 blizzard, National Guard put on alert (Madison Political Buzz Examiner, December 9, 2009)
2009 – Massive Storms Cause Blizzard Conditions, 17 Deaths (ABC News, December 10, 2009)
2009 – Midwest & Great Lakes blizzard reached the intensity of a category 2 hurricane (Jackson Weather Examiner, December 10, 2009)
2009 – 3rd day of record cold at Sea-Tac (The Seattle Times, December 11, 2009)
2009 – Yes, the last decade saw global cooling, not warming (American Thinker, December 12, 2009)
2009 – Edmonton breaks weather record for coldest December 13 (National Post, Canada, December 13, 2009)
2009 – Greenhouse roofs collapse under heavy snow (KSL-TV Utah, December 13, 2009)
2009 – Lots of new cold and snow records in the USA this past week (Watts Up With That?, December 13, 2009)
2009 – Record setting cold grips Southwest Saskatchewan (Southwest Booster, December 13, 2009)
2009 – Extreme cold in Prairies; snowstorms in B.C. (National Post, Canada, December 14, 2009)
2009 – Midwest, Northeast dig out from brutal winter storm (USA Today, December 14, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard Dumps Snow on Copenhagen as Leaders Battle Warming (Bloomberg, December 17, 2009)
2009 – Record cold, snow envelop Japan Sea coast (The Japan Times, December 18, 2009)
2009 – Record snow continues to fall as deadly East Coast storm lingers (CNN, December 19, 2009)
2009 – A winter’s worth of snow in 24 hours (The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 20, 2009)
2009 – 2nd highest three-day snowfall in history hits Valdez (Juneau Empire, December 20, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard-like storm pounds East; 5 deaths are reported (The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 20, 2009)
2009 – Passengers grounded as U.S. digs out from record snowfall (Toronto Star, December 20, 2009)
2009 – Record setting winter storm wallops the East Coast (Natural Disasters Examiner, December 20, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall totals for Rhode Island (Providence Headlines Examiner, December 20, 2009)
2009 – Snow plays role in Georgetown roof collapse (December 20, 2009)
2009 – D.C. Blizzard Makes for a Rotten Time for U.S. Climate Attendees in Denmark (The New York Times, December 21, 2009)
2009 – D.C. digs out from record snowstorm (The Washington Times, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Guard Responds to Record Northeast Snowfall (U.S. Department of Defense)
2009 – Health Ministry: 27 people froze to death in Ukraine due to current cold wave (Kyiv Post, Ukraine, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Long Island Sees Record Snowfall (Long Island Press, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Over 50% of the USA is now covered in snow (Watts Up With That?, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Three freeze to death in Austria (Austrian Times, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Three people freeze to death in Bosnia (B92 Serbia, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Washington area digs out from record-setting snowfall (The Washington Post, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Elderly, Disabled Trapped by Record Snow (WJLA-TV Washington D.C., December 22, 2009)
2009 – European weather deaths pass 100 (The Guardian, UK, December 22, 2009)
2009 – Record cold conditions kill nine people in Czech Republic (Radio Prague, December 21, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall blankets Moscow (Voice of Russian, December 22, 2009)
2009 – Winter freeze kills 79 in Poland (AFP, December 22, 2009)
2009 – 50 years of cooling predicted (Canada Free Press, December 23, 2009)
2009 – Big freeze brings misery and death to Europe (BBC, December 23, 2009)
2009 – Heavy Snow Causes Part of VA School’s Roof to Collapse (WHSV-TV Virginia, December 23, 2009)
2009 – Snowfall breaks record at JFK, blankets NE Queens (New York Post, December 23, 2009)
2009 – Big freeze death toll rises to 17 (Daily Star, UK, December 24, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard freezes Christmas cheer (UPI, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Dallas-area snow is record for Christmas Eve (Dallas Morning News, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Deadly Cold Across Europe and Russia (NASA, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Holiday snowstorm hits much of central U.S. (CNN, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Nearly two thirds of the continental USA gets a white Christmas (Watts Up With That?, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Rare blizzard strikes West Texas (The Houston Chronicle, December 25, 2009)
2009 – White Christmas is one for the record books, KC (The Kansas City Star, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Whiteout Christmas: Blizzard whips through N.D. (Bismarck Tribune, December 25, 2009)
2009 – Christmas blizzard shuts down state (Rapid City Journal, December 26, 2009)
2009 – Duluth, International Falls set Christmas snow records (KQDS-TV Minnesota, December 26, 2009)
2009 – Satellite measurements show our quiet sun is cooling the upper thermosphere (Watts Up With That?, December 26, 2009)
2009 – 877 new snowfall records set or tied in the USA in the last week (Watts Up With That?, December 27, 2009)
2009 – Peoria breaks snowfall record (Peoria Journal Star, December 27, 2009)
2009 – Record snowfall hits region (St. Cloud Times, December 27, 2009)
2009 – Storm smashes snowfall records (Sioux City Journal, December 27, 2009)
2009 – December 2009 blizzard caused snow emergency (Green Bay Press Gazette, December 28, 2009)
2009 – Heavy Snow Leads To Roof Collapse (KETV Nebraska, December 28, 2009)
2009 – Record Levels Of Snowfall Hit City (The St. Petersburg Times, Russia, December 28, 2009)
2009 – 4 more die of cold in UP; toll reaches 18 (United News of India, December 29, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard halts weekend mail delivery (Times Record News, December 29, 2009)
2009 – Carlsbad receives record-setting snowfall (Carlsbad Current Argus, December 29, 2009)
2009 – Minot sets December snowfall record (Minot Daily News, December 29, 2009)
2009 – Record snow falls in Dallas / Fort Worth area (Coastal Carolina Weather Examiner, December 29, 2009)
2009 – Blizzard blasts region with ‘Whiteout’ Christmas (The Chadron Record, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Christmas Eve blizzard claims 3 lives in county (The Tuttle Times, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Record snow lures thousands to Mount Washington (Times Colonist, Canada, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Six killed as Big New Year Freeze takes deadly grip of Britain (Daily Mail, UK, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Snowfall breaks December record (Topeka Capital Journal, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Snowstorm squelches climate change protest (The Salt Lake Tribune, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Weight of Snow Causes Barn Collapse (Nobles County Review, December 30, 2009)
2009 – Bitter cold kills 13 in Aila-hit Dakope (The Daily Star, Bangladesh, December 31, 2009)
2009 – Heaviest snowfall in Moscow in last 20 years (Voice of Russia, December 31, 2009)
2009 – Coldest December since 1981 (BBC, January 3, 2010)
2009 – December in top 5 for coldest ever (KHAS-TV Nebraska, January 3, 2010)
2009 – Denver records seventh coldest December in history (Denver Weather Examiner, January 3, 2010)

Green In Gwinnett with Sustainable Mill Creek

Sustainable Mill Creek is a case study underway since fall 2008 and continuing through much of 2010.  The study area touches parts of Suwanee, Buford, and Gwinnett County with a focus on the Mall of Georgia / Mill Creek area.  Many challenges and successes can be found throughout this area: growth demands and recent economic downturns, effects of clearcutting vs. valuing urban agroforestry applications in development, water quality and stream buffers, transportation initiatives, recreational access, and a preserved but little-known wetlands/nature center adjacent to the mall.

The research looks at social, economic, and ecological sustainability within this suburban/urban setting and also features community input and outreach.  Online surveys have started and will continue, giving insight about community values regarding the environment and quality of life — both within and outside the study area so that participants from other regions can share as well.  School surveys are being launched to coincide with volunteer class presentations in April 2010 for Earth Day week.  Please follow this new blog as we share details and touch on specific topics related to community sustainability.

Follow on twitter (@sustainmillcrk), become a fan on fb (Sustainable Mill Creek), and keep up with our website (sustainmillcreek.com). Surveys, local volunteer events, photo contests, guestbooks, and other interactive tools are active or ramping up for 2010.

Green Giant – Sustainable Walmart?

WalMart Green Initiatives:

As part of Walmart’s ongoing mission to be a more sustainable company, they recently announced a worldwide sustainability index initiative. “Increasingly, our customers want products that are more efficient, last longer and perform better.” They want to know the product’s entire lifecycle. They want to know the materials in the product are safe, that it is made well and is produced in a responsible way.

More Info From Walmart Here:

Wal-Mart Sustainable Initiatives

Think Green In Gwinnett!  Keeping Gwinnett Green and Sustainable!!

Gwinnett: Do You Know What’s In Your Drinking Water?

Since 2004, testing by water utilities has found 316 pollutants in the tap water Americans drink, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) drinking water quality analysis of almost 20 million records obtained from state water officials.

Read More Here:

Getting Out of the House and Greening Up Gwinnett!

Living an eco-friendly life is much more powerful when it is a community mission. This spring, there are plenty of opportunities to get out into the community, promote an eco-friendly lifestyle and learn more about being green. Here are a few events going on, I hope to see you there!

• Native Plant Propagation

March 28, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM, Chattahoochee Nature Center (Roswell, GA)
Not too far from Gwinnett County, the Chattahoochee Nature Center has so many wonderful events going on this summer that I could start a whole blog just about them!  Are you interested in starting a garden, but you want to use plants that are native to the area? This Saturday, budding gardeners can learn about plant propagation with native plants. Also on Saturday, CNC naturalists will be teaching you what to do when you find a baby animal in your yard (2:00 PM).

• Baby Loves Disco Celebrates Earth Day

April 4, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM, Atlanta, GA
A dance party for little kids, celebrating Earth Day? I need to borrow a little kid so I can go! There will also be healthy snacks and an eco-friendly craft project!

• Demeter’s Garden Party, Vegetarian Potluck!

April 18, 1:30-4:30, Duluth, GA
Of course this list would not be complete without my event! I’m sure by now you’ve heard how cutting down on meat consumption can be good for the planet. Think vegetarian food is all cold twigs? Think again! Visit our potluck to see vegetarian done right!

• Earth Day at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center

April 18,  8:00 AM-5:00 PM, Buford, GA
There are a ton of programs going on at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, so definitely check out their site!

• Celebrating our Earth

April 21 (Five Forks) and 23 (Collins Hill), 7:00 PM, GCPL
Educational program for kids to learn about Rachel Carson and the environment.

• First Annual Gwinnett Sustainability Summit

May 13, 8:00 AM-2:00 PM, Buford, GA
The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce presents their first Sustainability Summit, focused on helping businesses become more energy efficient. If you’re a business owner looking for ways to be green and save money, check this out!

Farmer’s Markets

One way to be a little more green is to buy local food. It takes a lot less fuel to bring peaches from rural Georgia to Suwanee than it does to bring one from Chile. It can be hard to find local produce at your neighborhood grocery store, but luckily Gwinnett County  and the surrounding area has a few summertime farmer’s markets!

• Lawrenceville Farmer’s Market

Saturday Mornings, June 6 – September 26
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M22694

• Suwanee Farmer’s Market

Saturday Mornings,  May 2 – October 17 (Except September 19)

http://www.suwanee.com/whatsnew.events.php

• Whistlestop Farmer’s Market of Norcross

Tuesday evenings, June 2 – October 27
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M27578

Do you know of any other events going on in the Gwinnett area this spring? Please let us know in the comments!

Maria Rittenhouse

DemetersGarden.com

The Gwinnett Chamber and The Green Chamber of the South Presents:

Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA would like you to consider attending this event.  If you can’t attend, please at least read about it.

Join the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce & The Green Chamber Of The South for their:

BUSINESS GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM
Presented by E.R. Snell

This forum is comprised of four seminars, the first will take place on March 24, 2009 at the Gwinnett Chamber Of Commerce – 11:30 am – 1:30 pm.

By attending this forum, you will learn about opportunities to green your business operations while growing a profitable business. We will discuss topics such as energy conservation, tax incentives, alternative financing options and tips on communicating your goals internally and externally.

Each program will focus on specific topics and recognized experts who can offer sound legal guidance, financing advice, an overview of tools to help businesses establish baselines and measure improvements, and local case studies. Participants will have an opportunity to network with other environmentally concerned business leaders in the area and learn how they are implementing sustainability measures into their operations.

The theme of the first seminar on March 24th is:

ENERGY CONSERVATION STRATEGIES for BUSINESS

SPEAKERS:
Richard Ross & David Dungan – Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority
Peter Revesz – Global VP Business Development, Metrolight
Dick Harvey – Energy Retrofit Sales Leader, Honeywell
Brenda Bailey – Facilities Manager, Unisource

The cost to attend is:
Gwinnett / Green Chamber Members: $15.00
Non Members: $35.00

For more information and to register, please go to: http://www.gwinnettchamber.org/bugs

The Gwinnett Chamber is located in Duluth, GA at 6500 Sugarloaf Pkwy… Very close to i85 and sugarloaf pkwy exit.

Gwinnett’s Green Generation

At a time when environmental issues are at the forefront it is critical that teachers integrate environmental education into their lessons. Children need to be given the skills, knowledge and resources necessary to positively impact the environment. There are many sources of information now available.

We are fortunate in Gwinnett County to have an effective and innovative program designed to enhance the available resources. Green In Gwinnett Area, better known as GIGA, founded by Gwinnett county resident James Chronicle, is designed, in part, to promote environmental consciousness. Area residents are encouraged to participate and support this endeavor. Information can be found by emailing giga@greeningwinnett.org. In addition, the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center offers programs and interactive exhibits for people of all ages, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. It is a collaborative effort of the county’s board of Commissioners, public school system, The University of Georgia, and the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Foundation.

There are a multitude of websites available to promote environmental awareness. These websites can be accessed through search engines and many of them offer information geared to elementary age children. As a Suwanee resident and a Barrow County third grade teacher, I have used a website found on the National Education Association list called Eco-Bunnies. This site was designed to help students understand “carbon footprints” and how to reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit www.eco-bunnies.com/ Use EarthLab’s live calculator with your class and empower them to discover the amount of energy they use and ways to conserve. Suggestions such as energy saving light bulbs, developing conservation habits, and ways to recycle are outlined. Students can find their score and save it and return to see the positive impact they have affected through small changes in behavior.

There is a plethora of information available on the Internet to enable teachers to inform and educate their students, not to mention community based nonprofit organizations such as Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA. The future of the planet hangs in the balance. Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that they are promoting environmental awareness on a regular basis.

LEED In Gwinnett. Hamilton Mill Library and Brandsmart USA are both aiming for LEED Cert. Who else?

Fellow Gwinnett County Residents and Business Persons,

Please respond to this blog with information on new or upcoming LEED structures for Gwinnett County.  Suwanee, Duluth, Lawrenceville, Dacula, Buford, Hamilton Mill, Lilburn, Snellville, Norcross and any other cities in Gwinnett please inform us…

We would love to keep abreast of these developments and keep our community informed.