An absolutely irresistible brunch invitation: 2/18/23. Click for more!

The Green Community week in review: Almost 80% of oil spill remains in the Gulf, giving new life to vintage furniture, eco-friendly birth control and more

By Katie Machol Simon on Sun, Aug 22, 2010 at 1:09 pm

[image-1] - There is a profound satisfaction is this type of treasure hunting. Not only do you find yourself stumbling upon unique, inexpensive items that seem made just for you, but you are doing your part to reuse perfectly functional if not beautiful furniture.

Researchers in Scotland have found a way to turn whiskey byproducts into biofuel - This biofuel will reuse waste, benefit the environment by lowering emissions and also help boost Scotland's economy -- everybody wins.

'Green' job opportunity in Tampa Bay with Aubrey Organics - Are you unemployed or looking to change careers? There is a great eco-friendly company in the Tampa area that is currently hiring! Aubrey Organics makes 100% natural hair, skin and body care products.

How to be a greener wedding guest (video) - Umbra asks, "Other than convincing your friends to elope, how can you be a frugal and fabulous green wedding guest?"

Sign the Weekend Without Oil pledge and go petroleum-free - For every person that pledges, they estimate an offset of 6 gallons of oil.

Greening your birth control: From vegan condoms to the IUD - Using contraceptives is green in itself because it helps to stave off overcrowding on this planet. But how 'green' is your birth control?

Don’t forget to check out our Green Community Calendar for green events and workshops in the Bay Area!

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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed last week:

With 78 days before Hillsborough transit (light rail) tax goes before voters, questions remain - HART's CEO David Armijo added that currently there are "only a dozen transit agencies gobbling up New Start money" (New Start is the FTA's main program for supporting local and implemented capital investments). He said that Phoenix and Charlotte are currently in that pool for funding, and "we have to get in the pool."

Global warming being blamed as the cause of herpes outbreak in oysters - This deadly strain of herpes is wiping out oyster beds in France and the UK, caused by a rise in temperature in these normally cold waters.

Which is the best environmental organization in Tampa Bay? Vote for your pick in the Best of the Bay Readers' Poll! - Which environmental group in the Bay area do you think makes the most impact?

Calculate your transportation costs and carbon impact according to where you live with Abogo - How affordable is the community you live in (and I'm not just talking real estate figures)? The website Abogo can tell you the real costs of where you live now, not only factoring in housing costs, but transportation costs as well — which can add up to a lot.

Almost 80% of the oil from Deepwater Horizon disaster remains in the Gulf - The research group estimated the evaporation and degradation rates, showing that it was "impossible" for that large an amount of oil to just dissolve. Only oil that remained on the surface could have dissolved into the atmosphere by now, whereas there are still large amounts of oil trapped underwater and sitting on the sea floor.