iChapters Plant A Tree Drive

iChapters is company that sells print and digital textbooks, eBooks and eChapters at a discount. They’re currently running a campaign that will plant a tree for every digital eBook and eChapter purchase through their non-profit planting partner PasoPacifico.org with the Non-Profit Organization ChangingThePresent.org providing the drive accounting and donation processing without charging any handling nor management fee. This offer ends February 15th. For simply writing this review they planted a tree for me so that was nice :).

Their press release states: “In times when environmental issues are a growing concern, and people are looking for simple yet proactive ways to help make a difference, iChapters.com…. announced a month long green campaign aimed at emphasizing conservation, supporting reforestation efforts and reducing the company’s environmental impact by planting trees for every eChapter or eBook purchased through their website…”. Which is a great aim in my opinion!

At the time of writing over 35,000 trees have been planted so it’s obviously going well. They have a facebook page that you can join if you’re so inclined, and will soon have some facebook competitions.

Using the iChapters Website

I had actually never heard of iChapters (perhaps because it’s aimed at school-age students), but I found it easy to use. You can search by title, author, topic or ISBN like you would expect. I browsed the catalog and ran a few searches, there certainly is a lot of topics, apparently they have over 15,000 print, digital and audio tools, as well as online homework solutions such as CNOW, WebCT, and OWL.

I would have liked to be able to sort the results more by name, type, or price as sometimes it took a while to find something I wanted. eChapters start at $1.99, eBooks at $5.99 and text books any price you can think of! Digital downloads are secured with Digital Rights Management (DRM) and while that is only to be expected it’s always a little bit of a pain to begin with.

If you’re buying a textbook or study aid anyway (firstly consider a second hand one if you can!), or eBook then if the price is similar there’s no reason not to buy it from a company that is trying to be environmentally conscious like iChapters.

Free Endangered Species Ringtones

The Center for Biological Diversity is celebrating the 100,000th free download from its endangered species ringtone site, www.rareearthtones.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a science-based nonprofit organization that works to protect endangered species and wild places throughout the world. The Center has more than 40,000 members and ten offices throughout the U.S., with headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. Their rareearthtones.org website allows users to listen to wildlife ringtones, send them directly to their phones with a simple click as well as download photos, cell phone wallpapers and facts for each of the featured wildlife species. The ringtones are free while the site’s new look and straightforward navigation make it easier to download the roars, trills, and squawks of some of the world’s most endangered species. Users can also take action to save imperiled species worldwide.

“Our endangered species ringtones have become a great way for people to personalize their cell phones and make a statement about the importance of protecting imperiled wildlife,” said Peter Galvin, conservation director with the Center for Biological Diversity.

The site features free ringtones of seventy rare and endangered animals from around the world, including the polar bear, blue-throated macaw, northern goshawk, California red-legged frog, and American pika with the killer whale and Mexican gray wolf as the two most popular tones to date. The ringtones have even gained worldwide appeal in 150 countries with the U.S. ranking number one in total ringtone downloads; Iran second; Italy third; Canada fourth; Great Britain fifth; India sixth; Brazil seventh; Australia eighth; and China ninth.

I haven’t yet done it myself (I haven’t got around to getting a mobile/cell phone since my move to the US) but let us know if you use Rare Earth Tones.

Do You Know Of Any Tree Planting Campaigns?

The BBC have reported on two tree-planting campaigns that are under way in UK cities, in an effort to reverse the “chainsaw massacre” of the past. It appears that everyone loves trees, so why are so many being lost?

It’s strange to see deforestation being talked about in Britain, usually the Amazon and other major forests are (quite rightly) discussed, however it’s interesting to see how “little” projects such as these can make a big difference.

Trees for Cities chief executive Graham Simmonds says that as well as their beauty, trees improve air quality by trapping pollution, they slow down rainfall, reduce noise pollution, provide shade and encourage healthy lifestyles. And studies in the US suggest they increase emotional well-being.

CNN’s Planet in Peril

CNN is about to premiere tonight a two-part environmentally focused documentary called Planet in Peril.

According to their press release, “Planet in Peril uses first-hand investigative reporting to provide a better understanding of the environment’s present state. Bringing viewers the stories behind the statistics, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet host and wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin will focus on four main issues that threaten the planet and its inhabitants: climate change, deforestation, species loss and overpopulation.” You can watch a trailer for the show below.

The show, which was filmed across four continents and 13 countries, airs over two nights on CNN/U.S. on Tuesday, October 23rd, and Wednesday 24th, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (ET/PT) and globally on CNN International. You can find out more on the Planet In Peril website. If you do manage to watch it, we’d love to know you thoughts, please leave a comment below or email us.

Amazing Wildlife Video

A battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and two crocodiles at a watering hole in South Africa’s Kruger National Park while on safari. It’s over eight minutes long but worth it!

Cardboard Camping for Festival Goers

The festival season is up and running and true to form the rain is coming down. Glastonbury (again) was a bit of a mud bath and I reckon not everyone fancied packing up their muddy tent and taking it home with them. In fact it is estimated that an astonishing 10,000 or so tents are left abandoned at festivals up and down the country each year! And from a sustainable point of view that is a problem worth solving.Â

James Dunlop has clearly been thinking intently (groan) about this and the solution he has come up with is the rather clever Myhab.Myhab is in effect a cardboad tent which can be reused and/or recycled at the end of the festival hooray. It is made of fire-retardant, water-proofed cardboard and comes with solar powered light, a raised plastic base (to avoid unwanted mud baths!) and, a PIN-activated safe for your valuables.

You can even customise it with your own design (this will be helpful if your usual experience at festivals is of contentedly trudging back weary and bleary eyed, waving your torch at random tents late into the night and ending up sleeping under the stars anyway!). And the cost, well a reasonable £60-100 to have your tent ready and waiting for your arrival and packed up for you when you leave.

Green is the New Black

Life Goggles has always been green. Whilst thinking about what this blog represents, and what niche it covers, we have decided to focus a little more on green issues - the environment, recycling, reusing, and becoming a more sustainable race. Don’t worry, the site will also still be about music, the internet, technology, videos, TV, movies, entertainment and much more.

Life is a journey. A journey into the future. To see what’s new, what’s coming soon, and such and such. We find things that you’ll find interesting, useful and, maybe sometimes, amazing.

Take the tour here

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