True cost of China's coal: $250 billion in pollution, environmental damage, and social ills

Coal report unveils hidden usage costs. In “The True Cost of Coal,” a report commissioned by Chinese economists and environmental groups including Greenpeace, current coal usage in China is calculated as costing the nation US$250 billion per year due to resource waste and environmental degradation.

Also pointed out is the heavy toll on human life, with an average of 13 miners who lose their lives in mines each day. The report recommended the government reflect this cost in the market price for the energy input. A big green thanks Chinese economists, Greenpeace, and other environmental groups, for suggesting a more true reflection of these costs. May governments across the globe more quickly develop sustainable power sources for lighter living on our planet.

Cleaning Heavily Polluted Water At A Fraction Of The Cost

New system cleans oil-polluted water cheaper and more efficiently. A group of Swedish and Lithuanian scientists have collaborated to develop the Eureka project, a new way to treat highly toxic industrial oil-polluted water, which otherwise remains hazardous to human health and all forms of aquatic life.

Unlike costly traditional methods, which require three stages to clean the water, the new Eureka invention consists of only one high-capacity processor that results in considerably cleaner water and operates 10-20 times more cheaply than the conventional treatment systems. Kudos, Swedish and Lithuanian Eureka team for your collaborative green achievement! We look forward to seeing more of these Earth-protecting ideas that benefit humanity and restore our ecosystems.

Mexico City's 'water monster' nears extinction

Salamander of Aztec legend endangered. The axolotl salamander, once numerous in the canals of Lake Xochimilco of Mexico City, has declined in number due to various human-caused factors and in fact has been placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Scientists at the Autonomous University of Mexico now warn that this unique salamander could completely vanish within five years, and current discussions include suggestions to open sanctuaries within the lake to help the axolotl to regenerate. We express our appreciation Mexican researchers for informing us of the plight of the ancient and revered axolotl. With God’s grace, let us quickly make more benevolent choices in caring for the Earth to ensure the survival of our salamander friends and all beings.