equilibrium

Lost & Found (Trailer)

2010-10-30T09:18:00.004+03:00

The beautiful animated short films 'Lost & Found' and 'Varmints' by Studio AKA will be screening on November 1st at AUK in Kuwait...

Lost & Found

Varmints

Crude (Trailer)

2010-10-30T09:00:00.005+03:00

The first film of the 2010 season of The Green Caravan Film Festival in Kuwait
Tomorrow at 7:30 at the Kuwait Cinema Club (Qibliya School)

2010-05-13T12:51:00.001+03:00

Earth Day Talk

2010-04-26T09:12:00.004+03:00

Earth Day for us at Equilibrium was quite a treat! We were invited to speak at the American International School, Kuwait, and the students and staff could not have been more welcoming!

The Earth Day events took place in their huge and well managed auditorium and the teachers that organised the event were a pleasure to work with and are very truly dedicated to their students.

The event included videos and presentations prepared by the school and a talk about climate change by Equilibrium. It was especially touching to have some of the younger students come up after the talk to announce all the changes they would be making to help turn down the temperature on the planet they are inheriting.

We do these presentations because we cannot bear to think that we are handing over a planet so clearly in crisis to generations that aren't as prepared as they can be. We hope that being reminded by us and by their teachers, of the need to act, that they can start earlier than we did, and go further than we ever will to make the world more fair for everything living on it.

Have Humans Pushed Earth Past the Tipping Point?

2010-04-01T13:09:00.004+03:00

2010-03-21T12:09:00.001+03:00

BLOG ACTION DAY

2009-10-15T13:00:00.000+03:00

It's the day in the year where bloggers worldwide unite to spread word on a single topic and this year it's Climate Change.

As we approach the COP 15 conference in Copenhagen in Dec, we hear the last few voices of protest (some coming from our little spot on the planet) saying that they will act to delay any agreement that doesn't compensate them for the financial losses or decreasing oil production.

We cannot help but wonder what they will think when the more reasonable and ethical 'reparations' requests come knocking at their door; from the island nations that are disappearing, the countries being flooded, the 70% of the world to be affected by drought, the ice caps that are disappearing, the acidified waters, the increased health problems... All as a consequence of the runaway fossil fuel production and the refusal to implement solutions.

Clean, innovative, cooperative and renewable solutions to climate and the economy are not a loss proposal. It's a chance to renew and revitalize and recommit to a better world. There is no more room for the delayers and the self-centered among us to deny the rest of the world a solution to climate change.

For more on how big money has helped sink the planet read the new book: The Climate Cover-Up

To read an amazing account of the path to Kyoto and attempts to derail a climate treaty throughout the 90's read The Carbon War

You can watch climate change happening at Google Earth

You can get to know the IPPC who collect all the research and science done on climate change, study it, review it and then let us know what to expect. They won the 2007 Nobel peace prize and even their estimates have underestimated the speed and intensity of climate change consequences already happening.

Join 350.org, no more stalling, no more cover-ups there is no more time.

Facts and figures from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change

Sea Mucus - Yet another thing we can look forward to with Climate Change

2009-10-14T13:03:00.001+03:00

2009-10-05T13:11:00.000+03:00

2009-09-12T13:06:00.003+03:00

Waste Water and Pollution

2009-08-29T12:08:00.004+03:00

The recent breakdown of the Mishref plant has the potential to cause massive damage to the ecosystem and to public health.

Untreated waste water contains pathogenic organisms that cause diseases such as Typhoid, Cholera and Dysentery.

The sea can handle small amounts of waste by breaking them down two ways:

1- Aerobic Oxidation: This is simply the breakdown of organic material (the waste) by microorganisms, in the presence of oxygen.

If there is too much waste, the oxygen is used up and we end up with zones where only smelly anaerobic microorganisms live. Fish and other sea creatures will die.

2- Anaerobic Decay: When organisms that do not require oxygen start to take over from those that require oxygen they turn wastes into ammonia , methane (major cause of Global Warming), hydrogen sulfide (the gas that smells like eggs). The smell is a good indicator that this process is taking place.

We have already exceeded pollution standards by over 200% in some areas since the Mishref plant broke down.

Untreated waste water contains not only human waste but all the chemicals we dump down the drains, from cleaning products and personal care products to all the medicines we ingest. So in this period when we are being asked by the authorities to limit our water use, we should also consider limiting all the chemicals we dump into our water system. It will only come back to haunt us and the most vulnerable members of society.

‘Massive fish kill feared from Mishref sewage plant failure’
Sewage crisis increasing marine pollution

And a response to the usual knee jerk clamor to privatize that usually spread like a fever here whenever any public utility faces a problem see this .

It's this Simple

2009-08-26T15:39:00.000+03:00

The story of charity: water - The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Texas is Toasty

2009-07-29T11:33:00.002+03:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Equilibrium Interview

2009-07-07T14:47:00.005+03:00

Go here for the rest of the article, and other related news.

Swine Flu

2009-04-26T14:45:00.003+03:00

What is it?
The new strain is a combination of swine, avian (bird) and human influenza all rolled up into one deadly concoction.
The strain is named H1N1.

What is going on?
The World Health Organization has issued a "public health emergency" warning. This is because there is a worry that this strain may produce a pandemic.

Since March 2009 in Mexico over 1,000 people have been infected and up to 80 have died. It was when health authorities noticed the outbreak in the US that it became clear what was going on. So far, cases are concentrated in Mexico with cases in California and Texas and students in New York also infected. Students from New Zealand who were in Mexico were found to be carrying the virus, and have been quarantined. Montreal seems to have placed two people in isolation in a hospital after their visit to Mexico. Japan has started testing in airports .

How does it spread?
The way that other types of influenza do, through contact with those who have it. It can be transmitted from pigs to humans and from human to human. Human transmission is usually through coughing/sneezing or touching an infected person and then touching one's mouth or nose.

You cannot get it from eating pork.

What are the symptoms?
Flu like symptoms like aches, fever, lethargy and chills. Sometimes nausea and runny nose.

What to do if you fear you are in an area with an outbreak?

Wash your hands well and often (especially before touching food or your face)
Avoid busy public spaces.
Go to get medical help as soon as symptoms appear, but remember there is no vaccine yet.

Also:

The nightmare that is possible when fear and panic lead to indefinite quarantine have been fictionalized in Jose Saramago's Blindness.

Follow the incidence of diseases worldwide on the HealthMap

The Huffington Post has a piece about how to prepare for a possible pandemic of Swine Flu.

2009-04-15T12:20:00.000+03:00

Meet Green Thing from Green Thing on Vimeo.

What are you doing for Earth Hour?

2009-03-27T17:57:00.000+03:00

All team members at Equilibrium will be turning off anything on standby like computers, dvd players, TVs. But we do that anyway because we are vampire killers :)

We will also be turning off all our lights and enjoying our amazing solar powered LED Flashlights from SunNight Solar.

We cannot stop gushing about these.. They need so little light to charge and they last and last and last... And not only that but you can buy one and have one (or more) sent to Gaza.

Here is some brief info on what is happening around the country.

Water

2009-03-23T08:31:00.002+03:00

We had a tip from a reader, Simon Owens, that lead us to the World Water Day pages that Good magazine put together.. They re-imagined classic films that would be completely different had clean water not been available..They also have a disturbing but pretty chart that shows us how much water we waste in everyday activities from washing to eating a burger..Now have a look at this:

Happy World Water Day

2009-03-22T11:45:00.002+03:00

...and boy do we need a day where water is brought to our attention.

"1.8 million people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases (including cholera); 90% are children under 5, mostly in developing countries." WHO

27 thousand people have been meeting to discuss water and the many crises that stem from its misuse, abuse and scarcity.

Water rights activists criticized the meeting saying:

"We demand that the allocation of water be decided in an open, transparent and democratic forum rather than in a trade show for the world's large corporations,"AFP

The meeting has unfortunately come out with a statement that calls water a 'need' rather than a 'right'... Both of which have different consequences for the world. Global Issues explains the problems for you.

ENN has more facts for you while World Changing has a roundup of Water news some of which are quirky and interesting, others more serious.The ICRC wants to ensure water for civilians caught in conflict zones.

Take a look at what one little boy (now a young man) did to get water to people in need: Ryan's Well

How can we help?

1- Stop wasting water - When we shower, brush our teeth, wash our cars, wash our floors, etc...

2- Filter our tap water and enjoy municipal water instead of bottled water that is in unhealthy/ eco-nightmare plastic anyway.

3- Avoid using chemical fertilisers, avoid disposing of things down the drain.

4- Get a waterless toilet system.

5- Insist that our representatives make clean affordable water a right for all, and that they have regulations to stop water waste and contamination.

6- Have a garden? Landscape the Xeriscape way

6- Help organizations that ensure clean water and water saving projects:

Charity:Water
Water Aid
NRDC
Water Partners

Conservation International
Surfrider Foundation

Things to See

2009-03-18T13:15:00.001+03:00

Equilibrium team members were out to explore the exhibitions taking place in Kuwait this week and we liked what we saw:

The KASA Exhibition at the Corniche Club showcases some impressive design projects from the Kuwait Architectural Students Association.

We loved seeing the sustainable designs students came up with. Great work!

It will be on till the 20th of March so go encourage our new generation of designers and architects and artists.

Here are some photos:

We also enjoyed the Exhibition about the 'Quest for Water in Kuwait' and 'Ma' Sabil' presented by Dar Al-Athar and held at the American Hospital.

If you love vintage photographs of old Kuwait and are history buffs you will like the exhibition. Its not flashy and its not high tech but its interesting.

That is going on till the 27th of March.

Water being delivered in the old town

The first Desalination Plant

Earth Hour 2009 Video

2009-03-03T16:05:00.002+03:00

News from the Edge

2009-02-26T10:30:00.000+03:00

"The risk posed to mankind and the environment by even small changes in average global temperatures is much higher than believed even a few years ago" AFP

"Icecaps around the North and South Poles are melting faster and in a more widespread way than expected ... Arctic sea ice has decreased to its lowest level since satellite records began" The Times

"New evidence of the far-reaching effects of global warming in the polar regions has emerged from the scientific explorations of International Polar Year 2007-2008. Snow and ice are declining in both polar regions, affecting human livelihoods as well as local plant and animal life in the Arctic, as well as global ocean and atmospheric circulation and sea level." ENS

E-Waste and A Detective Story

2009-02-20T13:00:00.002+03:00

E-Waste = Discarded electronic equipment

The Independent, Sky News and Greenpeace put a tracking device on a tv that was supposed to have been recycled under the regulations governing e-waste... Their investigation uncovered a web of lies and pollution. Follow that story further by reading Dumped in Africa: Britain’s toxic waste

Ever wondered what is in the electronic devices we use and discard?
Greenpeace has a good interactive guide.

Here is a video by Good Magazine which explains the e-waste problem in a quick and easy to watch way:

Climate Chaos Watch

2009-02-19T08:17:00.003+03:00

News from the Arctic this week is frightening:

Arctic's Personal Greenhouse Turns up the Heat - New Scientist
Melt-Pools 'Accelerating Arctic Ice Loss' - The Guardian

New from Russia is no better:

"Russia will likely see more forest fires, droughts and floods in the coming century due to global warming" Associated Press

Australia Burning

2009-02-10T11:30:00.003+03:00

Australia, in the midst of an 'epic drought', has recently had a more hellish emergency to deal with. Record breaking wildfires reaching 4 stories in height and racing on winds that overtook people escaping in their cars have destroyed towns and killed up to 200 people and counting.

Time Magazine has an article that links the fires to Climate Change.
TreeHugger has a piece about the link to Climate Change.
SkyNews has a slide show of the fires and the devastation.
The Guardian also has a slide show of photos

Australia isn't the only country facing severe drought.

Argentina looks likely to lose $5million due to drought this year alone.
China 'declares a drought emergency'
South Asia is facing a water crisis of massive proportions

"Few extreme events are as economically and ecologically disruptive as drought" NOAA

Climate Chaos Watch

2009-02-02T14:27:00.007+03:00

New Scientist reports on the world's drought emergency and expanding tropics, while the Jordan Times writes about record rain shortages and drought in Jordan.
A Davos report warns of a planet facing water crisis.
The Times has an interesting article on the climate change troubles facing the Maldives
Australia is facing a crippling heatwave.

Gaza

2009-01-20T13:02:00.006+03:00

As everyone helps people in Gaza try to heal both physically and psychologically from the assault on their lives and loves, we need add to the list of humanitarian organizations that are familiar to most- like UNICEF, Save the Children, UNRWA, the ICRC, IMC, and Oxfam - a recognition that the environment and working animals in Gaza are vital to the health and vitality of the community.

Emergency help for Gaza's working animals
Help the animals that feed and help the Gazan people farm their land. In these emergency situations where fuel is scarce it is animals that help transport people and help keep their agricultural lands viable.

"Gaza's 1.5 million people are facing a food crisis as a result of the destruction of great areas of farmland during the Israeli invasion" The Guardian

Reuse 2.0

2008-12-06T09:29:00.005+03:00

Last week was a busy week for those of us in the environmental field with the successful and interesting three days of Reuse 2.0. The organizers managed to pull off an event that combined art and environmental awareness in a way that will hopefully make people consider the advantages of recycling and waste minimization that are so necessary in Kuwait.

It is Equilibrium's job to now calculate the carbon footprint of the event so that the organizers can balance their load on the environment. This will include measuring their impact through travel and transport and energy use, which had been reduced as much as possible throughout.

Here are some pictures from the event for those of you who missed it:

Some interesting insect sculptures made from scrap metal. The attention to detail in these pieces was impressive.

This is one of a series of very moving photos taken by Faisal Al-Bisher and his partner Jamal Al-Ayoubi of the shocking conditions under which some members of our society live. Their images of sewage in populated streets, unsanitary living conditions and heartbreaking squalor made a huge impression on us at Equilibrium and everyone we spoke to.

University students amazed us with this very popular multipurpose furniture made from cardboard. This surprisingly sturdy piece can be flipped to make two kinds of seating and a table.

The heart of the space was this very colourful and inviting lounge area created by the artist Hassan Hajjaj who also had an exhibit of photographs and clothing at the event.

The well known Kuwaiti artist Ghadah Alkandari had a playful mix of paintings, drawings and chairs which combined the idea of switching to energy efficient lighting with allusions to the fairytale of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'.

Bibi Hayat had an indoor lounge area with furniture made from reused cushions and paint buckets where she served delicious sweets from November Boutique.

We hope that all events can take Reuse 2.0 as an example and seriously consider their impact upon the environment.

350

2008-11-21T15:21:00.001+03:00

2008-10-29T09:49:00.004+03:00

As the losses from the financial crisis are tagged at $2.8 trillion, and the waves of collapses and bailouts continue to smash little and large alike (including the Gulf), a rising clamour from environmental and financial sectors is drawing attention to the even more frightening and costly crunch looming just ahead:

World is facing a natural resources crisis worse than financial crunch The Guardian
Earth on course for eco 'crunch' BBC

Some Highlights from the reports:

"$4.5 trillion worth of resources destroyed forever each year." link

"US and China account for more than two-fifths of the planet's ecological footprint" link

The Biggest consumers?

The United Arab Emirates, the US, Kuwait and Denmark

Johann Hari asks us to consider the opportunity we have to set our course back on track and reminds us that the "The Wall Street Crash hadn't happened for 80 years. The Arctic Crash hasn't happened for three million years"link
So, as a new report shows that the arctic ice's thickness has 'plummeted', which crisis sounds more ominous to you?

Deutsche Bank has published a report saying that " in this economic downturn, green energy investments offer governments a prime opportunity to stimulate growth. " link

Nicholas Stern says now is the time to build a low carbon future or else "We risk a transformation of the planet so radical that it would involve huge population movements and widespread conflict" link

And yet in keeping with our region's position as prime ecological problem-makers we have headlines like this instead:

Coal can be an alternative energy source to oil for the UAE

This at the same time as new climate change plans put cutting subsidies for fossil fuels on top of the agenda and headlines like this are swarming the world:

China pays high environmental and social price for reliance on coal

U.S. Moving Toward Ban on New Coal-Fired Power Plants

Here is an interactive graphic by the Sierra Club:

The Dirty Truth About Coal: Why Yesterday's Technology Should not be Part of Tomorrow's Energy Future

2008-10-27T11:13:00.002+03:00

A new UN report says that climate change will destroy most coastal cities.

"Asia accounts for more than half the most vulnerable cities, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (27 percent) and Africa (15 percent); two-thirds of the cities are in Europe, and almost one-fifth of all cities in North America are in Low Elevation Coastal Zones" ENN

We guess these walking houses would be useful for some people who need to keep moving away from the water, but where will they go?

Green Nuggets

2008-10-18T12:35:00.003+03:00

A guide to climate change for Muslims is being published in London
California wildfires look like scenes from a horror film
Bill McKibben reviews Thomas Friedman's latest book at the NYRB
The hazardous chemicals in bottled water just get more and more terrifying
Know that batteries are toxic but want to know the pros and cons of disposable v rechargeable? Check this out.

Green Nuggets

2008-10-01T18:47:00.003+03:00

Nokia comes out on top in Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics".
Help save the planet from climate disaster... Cut down on meat and milk.
For stamp collectors everywhere, Australia has 'Living Green' stamps
Base jumping off wind-turbines... Watch the video
The National Science Foundation has a great Jellyfish site.

Green Nuggets

2008-09-25T12:06:00.002+03:00

The UAE will see 1 million people join millions around the world to 'Stand Up' for the environment. Oct 17-19.
Watch films online at Sundance Channel's The Green.
While some politicians misrepresent science, the facts about the distressing conditions faced by polar bears become more and more serious.
If prisoners can take responsibility for nature, can't we all?
Get conflict-free and sustainable diamonds from Brilliant Earth.

The Days to Come

2008-09-13T00:11:00.001+03:00

The threat of Climate Change has never been about just the discomfort of a few degrees of warmer weather. It is not about places getting balmier.

It is the horror of unleashing a string of chaotic events that will place the planet's resources and people's livelihoods and lives at risk.

The natural disasters we are experiencing around the globe in Bihar, Haiti, Cuba and the Caribbean, the American Midwest, the UK floods, are auguries of what may be in store for many people around the world. If climate change continues we expect tragedies like these to happen more often and with greater ferocity...It is no small thing.

Chaotic weather will cause food shortages due to crop failures and droughts. Areas prone to floods will see kinds they have never seen before... Storms will get stronger and the rage and suffering and loss that will ensue is understandable and frightening. It is no surprise that the UN, the British government, and the Pentagon all agree that climate change is the greatest security threat we face.

The following scenes in Haiti are harrowing, as hungry victims of hurricanes and floods lash out because of the harsh conditions they must endure.

The economic impact of all these disasters will be sure to carry the sting of these horrible experiences down to generations to come. Homes and property lost, perhaps never to be rebuilt. Jobs lost. Communities scattered like those after Katrina. Economies in tatters. Is this the future we are willing to risk?

It is necessary for us to aid the victims of these disasters, and it is even more necessary to start doing something about avoiding the coming catastrophes. Too little too late has never been good policy.

Visit:

The Consequences of Global Warming
What is Global Warming NatGeo
Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke
The Film Trouble the Water
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change

2008-09-09T13:47:00.001+03:00

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” - Rumi

Rest in Peace Rosemary...

Green Nuggets

2008-09-05T13:00:00.001+03:00

Equador might be about to get one of the most earth friendly constitutions on the planet, granting legal rights to nature and to those who defend nature. We are capable of change after all.
Haiti has been viciously battered by hurricanes this summer. The scale of the humanitarian emergency can be seen on videos from the BBC.
The relief agency CARE says : "The almost total deforestation of Haiti puts the country at extreme risk of flooding from even moderate tropical storms"
Scientists are again saying that warmer waters are the driving force behind the stronger hurricanes. Average speeds have increased from 139mph in the 80's to 157 mph in 2006.
The Arctic is crumbling like never before and polar bears are risking their lives in the open ocean looking for food.

The Coming Silence

2008-08-12T22:22:00.003+03:00

Bees are still in trouble...

Honeybee deaths reaching crisis point
1 in 3 of UK's honeybees did not survive winter and spring

Here is the 'Bee Boy dance crew drops dead' video.

The new books A World Without Bees and Fruitless Fall are great ways to find out what the world would be like if our fuzzy striped companions were to disappear.

Nova has yet another great film and you guessed it, it's about bees. Have a look at Tales from the Hive.

Losing bees will not only send our already dwindling food supplies into a nosedive... Bee venom has been providing relief to those suffering from the painful and debilitating MS.

Olympic Green

2008-08-08T10:59:00.004+03:00

The Olympics are upon us... And since these Olympics have had hte environment, take center stage we thought we would share some environmental Olympic links with you...

Grist has a list of 18 'Green Olympians' which includes basketball stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

The record breaking runner Haile Gebrselassie is refusing to run in the marathon due to serious pollution problems in Beijing.

Satellite data reveals Beijing as air pollution capital of world

Many teams chose to train in neighbouring countries in the days leading up to the Olympics in order to expose themselves as little as possible to the toxins found in the air.

US Olympic Cyclists had to apologize for arriving at the Beijing airport wearing smog masks... Guess China is a bit touchy at all the fuss being made about this.

Olympics: Is The Air In Beijing Safe? treehugger

Hope the athletes stay healthy...
And as always, good luck to all those who have chosen these peaceful forms of competition...

2008-08-06T10:35:00.000+03:00

Green Nuggets

2008-07-27T13:08:00.002+03:00

Sunning in Cannes? Practice getting out of the water fast!
Jellyfish are swarming Mediterranean beaches...again.

Would you swallow urine, dynamite, rocket fuel, mothballs, rat poison, batteries, benzene, arsenic and cyanide?
Then what are you doing puffing on that cigarette?
The list is much longer but our fingers can't type that many poisons in one sitting.

If you can't handle those facts... you might want to pretend that diet soft drinks don't do this to you.

And in happier news:

A bunny rabbit saved a family from a burning house...

GREEN YOUR WHEELS

2008-05-27T11:17:00.003+03:00

Tons of cars in every garage, and clogging up all the roadways, huge gas guzzlers scattered all over the landscape. We are a vehicle loving culture, and it shows in our air. So until we have efficient and usable public transport, and the attitudes to make it succesful, here are car guides that can make our addiction to wheels a little greener:

Calculate how dirty your car is at TerraPass or Climate Care
GreenCars.com
Fuel Economy
Buy a biodiesel kit and fill your car up with used cooking oil- Grease Car / Golden Fuel Systems

Remember:

Please Please don't leave your car idling
Keep your tires properly inflated
Every 10 miles you don't drive a week saves 500 tons of CO2 a year
Use Less of your Air Conditioner, when you can.
Keep your car in proper condition

Watch:

Who Killed the Electric Car? watch the trailer here, and buy it here.

Off Our Bookshelves

2008-05-26T11:33:00.005+03:00

The first book we are reviewing is the first for several reasons...

It is the book credited with kick-starting the environmental movement in the 60' and 70's

It's written by the woman recently voted the top Earthshaker by The Guardian

The author is named 'one of the most influential women' by the NYT, and was in the TIME 100.

Silent Spring By Rachel Carson

The short review:

Scary indictment of pesticides that changed laws and may have inspired a global movement.

The long review :

Who was she?- Aqauatic Biologist with an MA in zoology from Johns Hopkins - Worked at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries - Died of breast cancer in 1964, shortly after the publication of Silent Spring.

What did she say?- Pesticides and chemicals were being used indiscriminatley and without regard to their impact on nature and health. Sound familiar? It is because she wasn't the first to say it and wont be the last, but she did make it clear and hard to ignore. She calls for restrictions on, safe disposal of and wise use of chemicals.

She is criticized by the chemical industry for being responsible for a DDT ban (which came about because the President's Science Advisory Committee reported on the dangers of indiscriminate use). Her book however is more than just about one pesticide, and any reading of it will show.

"Carson was violently assailed by threats of lawsuits and derision, including suggestions that this meticulous scientist was a "hysterical woman" unqualified to write such a book. A huge counterattack was organized and led by Monsanto, Velsicol, American Cyanamid - indeed, the whole chemical industry - duly supported by the Agriculture Department as well as the more cautious in the media." Time Magazine, 1999 quoted here.

Her book mentions Dieldrin, Aldrin, Toxaphene, Chlordane, Heptachlor, Lindane and many other chemicals proven to cause damage to living organisms..

The NRDC has this to say:

"Anticipating the reaction of the chemical industry, she had compiled Silent Spring as one would a lawyer's brief, with no fewer than 55 pages of notesand a list of experts who had read and approved the manuscript. Many eminent scientists rose to her defense, and when President John F. Kennedy ordered the President's Science Advisory Committee to examine the issues the book raised, its report thoroughly vindicated both Silent Spring and its author."

More research on hormone disrupting chemicals we use so frequently and thoughtlessly have proven that chemicals in our food, our pesticides, cleaning chemicals and clothes have had a serious effect on human health. One area we in Kuwait should be specially concerned with is the fact that they cause Diabetes, cancer and ADHD.

Recognition:

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Rachel Carson Room at the EPA
The Rachel Carson Prize in Norway
Rachel Carson Bridge in Pittsburgh
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

If you can only read one chapter:

Chapter 7 'Needless Havoc'- Tells the tale of pesticide spraying of entire communities like the Aldrin spraying of Michigan suburbs, the heptachlor spraying of Joliet Illinois, the dieldrin spraying of Sheldon Illinois, and many other cases where wildlife and health were affected by pesticides.

Quotes from the book:

"This is an era of specialists, each of whom sees his own problem and is unaware of or intolerant of the larger frame into which it fits. It is also an era dominated by industry, in which the right to make a dollar at whatever cost is seldom challenged"

"We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge..."

Quotes from others:

"It really scared me", she admits, "At the time hundreds of big wild birds were dying in Sweden. I couldn’t understand why, and then I realised that they were eating polluted seeds in the fields". EU Member of Parliament talking to WWF about Silent Spring.

"DDT has been collected. It is highly toxic to fish and invertebrates, can cause sex changes and eggshell thinning in bird species and damage the heart, liver, and nervous system in mammals. DDT has also been associated with reduced lactation in human mothers and is thought to cause cancer." WWF

"until the publication of Silent Spring, people were generally unaware of the toxicity of pesticides." The President's Science Advisory Committee report, quoted by Frontline.

Sensible or fanatic? Book of proofs or just a hysterical account? Make your own mind up, read the book... Silent Spring

Related reading:

Toxic Sludge is Good For You- The Plutonium files - A Civil Action (and the film version of it)

2008-05-02T09:00:00.002+03:00

en.v unearthed

2008-03-18T13:59:00.003+03:00

Our good friends at El Boutique just launched the first issue of en.v, a niche publication "dedicated to establishing regional awareness for environmental, educational, societal, corporate & governmental initiatives for a more thought-conscious tomorrow. Compounded by artistic inspiration, en.v will serve as a platform for personal commitment to your community as well as an instrumental reference for corporate Arabia."

Staff of Equilibrium contributed to the CSR, Travel, and Events sections of their debut issue, and look forward to all sorts of future collaboration with this lively and creative team of conscientious individuals.

You can find en.v at most major bookstores and news-stands across Kuwait. Check out the site www.envearth.com for more information.

Your dosage of heartbreak

2007-11-21T12:41:00.000+03:00

GREATER THINGS

2007-11-04T11:24:00.000+03:00

The environment is not an issue that belongs only in songs sung by hippies hanging from trees (as much as that is a great thing). It has finally been recognized for what it is, a deadly serious issue that requires attention from all of us.

One example of how environmental problems can lead to a cycle of disasters is the example of Darfur.

Up to half a million people dead from the conflict, millions displaced in a deadly exodus across ravaged land.. And the beginning of it was not an eternal conflict between sects, as fashionable and easy as that explanation is for everything these days. It was the years of drought and desertification that led to famine, poverty and an escalating struggle over resources.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon says:

"Almost invariably, we discuss Darfur in a convenient military and political shorthand - an ethnic conflict pitting Arab militias against black rebels and farmers. Look to its roots, though, and you discover a more complex dynamic. Amid the diverse social and political causes, the Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change."

Years ago Alex DeWaal the expert on the Darfur crisis wrote the book called

Famine that Kills : Darfur, Sudan So the idea is not a new one, we have just chosen to ignore the link between an unhealthy environment and conflict.

"One of the few agreed upon explanations of Darfur’s conflict is environmental degradation: consecutive periods of severe drought in northern and eastern Africa during the 1980s and 1990s. Drought is a crippling, life-threatening force, which creates a devastating cycle of environmental collapse, conflict and displacement" Darfur: Drought and Civil War

In 2004 a Pentagon study laid out a scenario of conflict, war, mass starvation and violence as a result of climate change and suggested that it was a greater threat than anything seen so far. It includes events like:

"major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world."

Today's Guardian reports:

"Climate wars threaten billions: More than 100 countries face political chaos and mass migration in global warming catastrophe"

There is time to take responsibility for the devastating effects of our lifestyles...To reverse predictions like these.

An Environmental Champion Comes to Kuwait!

2007-10-18T22:37:00.000+03:00

Equilibrium Consulting, along with National Projects Holding Co. and the American University of Kuwait is sponsoring a very special evening with H.E. Jose Maria Figueres at 6 PM on October 23rd on the AUK campus, where Mr. Figueres will be delivering a presentation about Climate Change. Please join us for this truly unique event.

Caveat

2007-09-20T13:35:00.000+03:00

Want to know if your cosmetics, soaps, sunscreen (you do use sunscreen here don't you? Don't make us have to give you that lecture) and bath products are safe or might make you grow an extra head? This is the most user-friendly and packed site we know on the topic. You can search, browse and pick out the best and the worst that is out there. Remember, if you wouldn't eat it, always think twice before it goes on your skin.

Skin Deep

The Cosmetic Safety Database

And if you really love to read and also like to frighten yourself a little (for your own good) here's a book for you:

Drop-Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself from the Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics

Saying Goodbye?

2007-09-13T22:43:00.002+03:00

This year's Red List is out:

The Polar Bear... The king of the north... And one of the cutest things in fur... Expected to be extinct within the century because the Arctic ice, its home, is melting... Our most well known Climate Change victim.

What colour is a polar bear's skin and hair? Not what you think. Look here
Want to help? Visit Polar Bear International and the WWF
Watch In the Wild: Polar Bears with Ewan McGregor

The Western Gorilla, the Eastern Gorilla and the Mountain Gorilla...These shy vegetarians can understand human speech and respond with sign language...The western gorillas are being decimated by the Ebola Virus... All of them are threatened by hunters.

Want to help Western Gorillas? Visit the WWF
Want to help Mountain Gorillas? Visit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Watch Gorillas in the Mist and Great Apes

The Sumatran and Borneo Orangutan...Our orange cousins... Nicknamed the 'man of the forest'... They have learned to use boats and untie complex knots.. They are Asia's only great ape...They share 97% of our DNA... In the last ten years they have disappeared by up to 50%.

In Scientific studies, how does an Orangutan figure out how to put a peg into the right shaped hole? See here for the cute answer.
Want to help Orangutans? Visit the Orangutan Foundation and the Orangutan Conservancy

These and thousands of other species including coral and birds and fish and plants, are in danger of disappearing forever if we don't take ecological issues like climate change, deforestation, pollution and wildlife preservation seriously.

Visit the amazing ARKive and Conservation International

Green Nuggets

2007-09-08T00:25:00.000+03:00

Microwave popcorn can cause breathing problems
The arctic will be ice-free faster than expected...fast enough for us to to see it happen
The melting ice is causing earthquakes
Food colourings are making our children hyperactive and robbing them of healthy productive development and learning,
Want to help kids with ADHD? Add omega fatty acids to their diet like salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds
Take a look at the World Clock
And peek at The 11th Hour

Bite Size

2007-09-04T10:55:00.000+03:00

Here are 100 ways you can save the planet everyday... Nuthin' to it.

Bring Out the Gloves

2007-09-04T10:45:00.001+03:00

Ever been in a situation where you want to tear your hair out because someone keeps insisting that Global Warming is just a fantasy bogeyman made up by the liberal lefty treehugging nutty patrol? Firstly, when were you hanging out with Michael Crichton? Secondly, we have the page for you..

Good old Grist has a handy guide to make stating the obvious even easier... Their 'How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic' will take you through all the regular arguments and leave you armed with easy facts and figures you can use to burst any skeptic's delusional bubble..

Good Luck!

Birth of the Eqcco Blog

2007-09-02T18:30:00.000+03:00

If you just joined us from the company website, you've already read all about what services Equilibrium provides. This blog will serve as the other part of the Equilibrium personality, the wide-eyed inner child of the company, perpetually on the lookout for all that is new and worth mentioning on the Green circuit.

Here we will provide you with information that we think you might want to know. We'll review books and films that address all kinds of environmental issues, with a keen focus on ones that tackle Climate Change. We'll keep you updated with crucial news stories and, if compelled, may even provide you with our opinions regarding those.

We'll tell you about cool products that are sustainable and environmentally safe. And we'll tell you where you can get them from.

We'll keep you updated on our whereabouts, what we're up to, and who our latest forward-thinking clients are- and we'll tell you all about the awesome things they're doing to help save our world.