Amazon Life and Biodiversity Threatened by Oil and Gas Projects

The western Amazon, housing the most biodiverse and intact rainforest on Earth, may soon be eaten up with oil rings and pipelines.

A recent study in the August 13 edition of the open-access journal PLoS ONE reveals that over 180 oil and gas "blocks" — areas zoned for exploration and development — now cover the mega diverse western Amazon, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Brazil. These oil and gas blocks stretch over 688,000 km2 (170 million acres), a vast area, nearly the size of Texas.

Researchers from two US non-profit organizations- Save America's Forests and Land Is Life- and scientists from Duke University tracked hydrocarbon activities across the region and generated a comprehensive map of oil and gas activities across the western Amazon. The result is an alarming assessment of the threats to the biodiversity and indigenous peoples of the region.

Dr. Clinton Jenkins, co-author of the study, also conveyed that the oil and gas overlap projects will create a great alarm for the amphibians, who are already the most threatened group of vertebrates worldwide.

The study also revealed that oil and gas blocks are chiefly concentrated on the most intact part of the Amazon. Even national parks have not been exempted. Exploration and development blocks also cover Yasunì National Park in Ecuador and Madidi National Park in Bolivia.

15 Hot Green Celebs

Leonardo DiCaprio

Once "king of the world," this star often flies commercially and drives himself around in a hybrid Toyota Prius. In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to promote environmental causes. More recently, he's been working on 11th Hour, an environmental documentary featuring interviews with global green leaders.


Cameron Diaz

This bombshell drives a hybrid car, got trained to give Al Gore's climate presentation, and helped make the big announcement about Live Earth.





Robert Redford

The Sundance Kid has campaigned for Utah wilderness, promoted solar energy, convinced mayors to tackle climate change, and served 30 years on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council. In April, he launched a weekly three-hour slot of eco-programming on his Sundance TV channel.


Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett and her playwright hubby have converted their own home to solar power. As co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, the duo also plans to green that venture and hope to power an entire theatre season off-grid.



George Clooney

This leading man not only earned an Oscar last year but also a prime spot on the cover of Vanity Fair's first green issue. In association with his award-winning role in Syriana, Clooney launched Oil Change, a campaign to say good night and good luck to America's dependence on oil. And to drive the point home, he's frequently seen out and about with his eco-friendly Tango electric car.

Ed Begley Jr.

We are head over heels for this electric-car-driving, solar-powered-home-owning star. He's got his own brand of eco-cleaners (Begley's Best), a reality show that puts a domestic spin on green issues (Living with Ed), and a morning routine that involves powering his toaster with a stationary bike.


Edward Norton

The eco-commitment of this Hollywood heavyweight is no illusion. Norton used his star power to help launch BP's Solar Neighbors Program, which gets solar panels onto low-income homes in L.A., and he hosted an award-winning, four-part National Geographic TV special about the unnerving effects of global environmental problems.


Daryl Hannah

Arrested last year for staging a 23-day tree-sit in a bid to save L.A.'s South Central Farm, an urban community garden, this steel magnolia is a longtime environmentalist who drives a biodiesel car and runs her green home on solar power. Hannah has also recently made a splash online with the eco-video blog dh love life.


Amitabh Bachchan

Concerned about his native India's vulnerability to climate change, this top Bollywood star helped launch a partnership between Global Cool and the International Indian Film Academy to use the power of cinema to build awareness of the issue.



Julia Louis-Dreyfus

She may be starring in The New Adventures of Old Christine, but being a devout environmentalist is nothing new for Louis-Dreyfus. Her solar-powered home is a showcase of green design and energy efficiency, and she's long been active with organizations like Heal the Bay, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Trust for Public Land.


Pierce Brosnan

The world is enough for this 007, who focuses his activism on the planet -- marine mammals and wetland protection in particular. Brosnan -- who was named "Best-Dressed Environmentalist" in 2004 and serves on the board of the Environmental Media Association -- has long fought for dolphin-safe tuna rules and protested the U.S. Navy's widespread use of sonar, which can harm whales and other cetaceans.

Rosario Dawson

Though she's soon to reprise her Sin City role, Dawson's environmental involvement leans more toward the virtuous. In 2005, she brought her star power to a U.N. summit on preserving the environment and ending poverty, and, more recently, she's dialed up her work with Global Cool's mobile texting campaign, which steers money to clean energy and energy-reduction projects.

Will Ferrell

He is an active supporter of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and, though it may sound stranger than fiction, he'll soon be driving his electric car into the driveway of an eco-friendly home.




Tom Hanks

An avid supporter and volunteer for The Nature Conservancy, this Forrest had the gumption to order the very first eBox electric car, delivered earlier this year. And Hanks often goes the extra green mile to make mention of his environmental leanings when he makes major TV appearances.


Brad Pitt

Twice named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine, Pitt isn't just a pretty face. A major architecture buff, he's been hot on the trail of the emerging green-building movement, helping with efforts to rebuild New Orleans in an eco-friendly way, narrating a sustainable design TV series, and supporting Ed Norton's Solar Neighbors Program.

The Alternative Consumer - Insightful Blog Promoting a Greener Lifestyle

The Alternative Consumer provides an upbeat perspective — eco news, green product reviews and useful info for busy folks looking to cultivate a greener, healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

There's a new, bright green blog on the web. The Alternative Consumer (www.alternativeconsumer.com) reflects the needs of the next wave of smart consumers ... chic, savvy shoppers who want to integrate more green into their lifestyle.

"Alternative consumers base their buying decisions on a set of criteria that goes well beyond just price and convenience," notes founder and publisher, Maureen O'Connor. "Before buying, they also consider a company's core values, and the impact their purchase has on both the environment and their health."

Whether it's eco-fashion and home decor, eco-travel, hybrid cars, organic health and beauty products, organic food and wine, sustainable design or recycling -- The Alternative Consumer delivers the hottest news, trends, products and services to today's style-conscious, earth-friendly consumer.

They encourage to "submit your find". They can reveiw your green products if you wish them to write a review in their blog.


To know about the contributors of The Alternative Consumer, please visit http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/about/ .

The Alternative Consumer -- essential reading for busy folks looking to cultivate a greener lifestyle.

Known Unknown Facts

• If you throw away 2 aluminum cans, you waste more energy than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) of the world's poorest people use a day.
• Making a new can from scratch uses the uses the energy equal to half a can of gasoline.
• About one third of what an average American throws out is packaging.
• More than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) trees are used to make disposable diapers every year.
• In one minute, 50 acres of rainforest are destroyed.
• Some rain has a pH of 3 or 4. (which is pretty acidic, considering 7 is neutral, not acidic, and battery acid has a pH of 1). Some fish, such as lake trout and smallmouth bass, have trouble reproducing at a pH of 6, which is only slightly acidic. Some clams and snails can't survive at all. Most crayfish are dead at a pH of 5. You can see how bad this is for the environment.

• On average, a person in the US uses energy two times more than a person in Japan or West Germany does, and 50 times more than a person in India.
• About 90% of the energy used in lighting a standard (incandescent) light bulb is lost as heat.
• Air conditioning uses 10 times more energy than a fan; therefore, it creates 10 times the pollutants.
• It takes half the output of the Alaskan pipeline to heat the air that escapes from all the homes in the US during a year.
• Cars and pick-up trucks are responsible for about 20% of the carbon dioxide released into the air.

• There are about 500 million automobiles on the planet, burning an average of 2 gallons of fuel a day. Each gallon releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.
• About 80% of our trash goes to landfills, 10% is incinerated, and 10% is recycled.
• Since there is little oxygen underground, where we bury our garbage, to help bacteria eat the garbage, almost nothing happens to it. Scientists have dug into landfills and found ears of corn still intact after 20 years, and newspapers still readable after 30.
• The average American makes about 3.5 pounds of trash a day.
• In a year, the average American uses as much wood in the form of paper as the average resident of the developing world burns as fuel.

Every Shade of Green - A Forum of Eco-ideas in Lake Country By Courtney And Kristin

Environmental issues has always been important to Courtney and Kristin Saden and yet they often felt alone in their efforts to continue to find ways to live more "green". They felt that a blog would be a great way to network with others in their area to share what they have discovered and learnt from others who may be on the same "green" journey. Courtney and Kristin especially wanted to make the focus of their blog local since there were already many great environmental blogs and websites. They wanted to provide a site where long time greenies could converse with the growing population of people who are just starting to look at ways to change their energy usage or environmental impact. They started their blog in February and little by little have tried to get the word out. Kristin and Courtney are looking at ways to advertise locally or link with other like-minded folks.

They did host a Local Foods Fair in conjunction with their church this spring. They had local farmers and growers and other organizations (such as Slow Foods USA) staff booths and gave presentations about the benefits of eating locally. It was well attended and many families signed up for CSA subscriptions. They also had made arrangements children's tables where kids were able to taste foods produced in Wisconsin and learn about how they grow. More info is on our blog if you are interested.