It sounds like an oxymoron. Of course, garbage trucks aren’t the cleanest things - they’re full of garbage. They wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for a cab to the airport, a ride to the mall and no one asks for one when they turn 16. That’s where garbage goes; it’s supposed to be dirty. But as the world has gotten greener, garbage trucks have certainly begun to follow suit. Mary O’Brien, chief marketing officer for Advanced Disposal, says that steps are being taken to improve the environment in local communities through Advanced Disposals initiatives. O’Brien says that these steps “are being... [Read more]
How close would you live to a landfill or trash dump? Would you live a mile away? A block? How about 20 feet? That’s what many residents of Bithlo on the south side of HWY 50 have done for close to three decades. If that wasn’t bad enough, what if said dump had numerous reports stretching for years of contaminated water, toxic levels of heavy metals, improperly disposed hazardous waste and who knows what else? Imagine your kids playing in a drainage ditch full of runoff from the 30 foot high piles of trash, stretching for eight acres or drinking well water from a source right next to the very same ditch. The front of the now abandoned... [Read more]
As summer rapidly approaches, and temperatures start rising - the sun can oftentimes be considered the enemy. But the sun is, in fact is our friend, and it will soon become an even closer one as solar energy is moving into the neighborhood. The Orlando Utilities Commission’s (OUC) Stanton Energy Center is set to be the home of the first solar farm in Orange County by the end of 2011. According to Tim Trudell, OUC spokesperson, the project has been in the works for several years, but about two years ago it really started gaining momentum. The panels will spread out across more than 35 acres of the Stanton Energy Center along... [Read more]
Three years ago, it was just a few Knights looking to make a difference - not sit around and talk about it, but actually get up, get dirty and make one. Today those five UCF students have spread their bright idea to ten different campuses in the United States, they’ve cleaned lakes and even built playgrounds. They’ve taken T-shirts and turned them into tote bags. They’ve even built shacks out of aluminum cans. Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions, or IDEAS, is a platform for environmentally conscientious people to grow in awareness, learn from research and act to benefit the environment in their community. Co-founder... [Read more]
Who knew that litter had a history? It wasn’t the casual tossing of a Styrofoam cup out of a convertible that caused the bubonic plague, but it was black rats, infected by fleas, living in unsanitary conditions. Let’s leap forward to today from the 14th century and reconsider that Styrofoam cup. Close your eyes and imagine it sitting on the side of Curry Ford Road. It’s spring and time for a little rainwater or dew to collect in that cup. What self respecting mosquito wouldn’t be attracted to that sturdy, non-biodegradable condo to start a family and spread a little West Nile virus? Litter is an important enough... [Read more]
