Green

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    GardeningNude

  • Save Our Landfills From Textile and Clothing Waste; Reuse What You Have!

    Shawna Coronado
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am
    American textile waste, according to the EPA's 1988 study on the United States Generation of Solid Waste, accounts for over 3.9 million tons of the solid waste stream. Post-consumer textile waste is most typically garments or household items like old towels and rags that the owner discards because the items are outgrown, worn out, damaged, or have gone out of fashion. Often, these items are given to charity, but more typically they are thrown into the trash and help to fill our municipal landfills to the bursting point. Perfectly good clothes wasted, when over a billion people on earth…

  • How To Catch A Fruit Fly and Remain Green and Non-Toxic A Product Review Terro Fruit Fly Trap

    Shawna Coronado
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:11 am
    Fruit flies: my enemy in the kitchen. It is true they torture we humans with their incessant irritation, yet removing them non-toxically has always been a problem. The Terro Fruit Fly Trap promises a non-toxic, and therefore, “green” solution. As a reviewer of the product, I was sent three Terro Fruit Fly Traps – one to test out and two to give-away to my readers. Indeed, the first trap I set out on my kitchen counter, an appealing little apple-like plastic container filled with the Terro liquid attractant, trapped and killed about a dozen of the little buggers. Fruit flies are…

  • How To Winterize Rain Barrels For The Big Freeze

    Shawna Coronado
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:04 am
    As the thermometer plummets in the northern states, it is time to close up gardens and winterize/weatherize garden tools and rain barrels. It is easy to do and a must for extending the life of your rain barrels as freezing water left inside a rain barrel forms a giant “ice cube” and will crack most rain barrels. HOW TO WINTERIZE A RAIN BARREL Disconnect rain barrel from down spout and drain all the water from both the rain barrel and hoses. If you are able – relocate your rain barrel into storage. If this is not a possibility, flip the barrel upside down to prevent water from freezing…

  • Stop Throwing Your Disgusting Cigarette Butts On The Ground Our Earth Is Not Your Ashtray and Taxpayers Are Paying For It!

    Shawna Coronado
    10 Nov 2009 | 8:25 am
    Did you know that cigarette butt litter makes an impact economically and environmentally in your community? Daily, as I go about my business, I am constantly shocked by drivers who pitch their disgusting cigarette butts out of car windows and on the sidewalks as they are going from their car to stores and businesses. Doing this is littering. Cigarette butt litter is a negative issue for more than just aesthetic reasons. Cellulose acetate is what makes up the filter on a cigarette. Sadly, it also contains trace amounts of cadmium, arsenic, lead and other toxins. It is very slow to degrade, so…

  • Beauty and Health With Nature Mike Caplan Captures It All

    Shawna Coronado
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am
    Mike Caplan is a television weatherman for ABC-7 News in Chicago. He is also one amazingly talented photographer as you can see by the two gorgeous photos I have included on this post (both copyright protected). His passion for photography has lead him to build his curiosity for nature into the fabulous art found at Caplan Studios. Late this summer, I was able to speak with Mike at the Morton Arboretum and discuss his love for photography. As soon as we met, I was captivated with his positive mindset about the importance of nature and his strong commitment to bringing more people to nature by…
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    TreeHugger

  • The Week in Pictures: Rot-Proof Apple, Surprises at GreenBuild, Bacteria Lights Up Landmines, and More

    22 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm
    From the news that scientists have created a bacteria that lights up around landmines to the development of a rot-proof apple--that stays fresh for 4 months--a lot happened this week in green. A new study called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) shows that putting money into protecting wetlands, coral reefs, and forests is a better investment than gold, Lloyd visited GreenBuild 2009 in Arizona, and readers sent in photos of the one green object they just can't live without for our weekly slideshow. Find out what else happened in the world of green this week in our photo…

  • DNA Tests Uncover Sushi Fraud At Restaurants

    21 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    Photo: Is that really tuna? (LFL16 on Flickr) The next time you order tuna at a sushi restaurant - watch out! - it may not be what you think it is. A team of scientists from Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History conducting a genetic research project found that more than half of tuna ordered from 31 restaurants were "misrepresented" or selling endangered southern bluefin tuna. Some samples were not tuna at all, but escolar, a fish with fatty flesh that could pass as tuna but can cause diarrhea...Read the full story on TreeHugger

  • Climate Researcher Database Hacked

    21 Nov 2009 | 9:49 am
    The King of Climate Deniers, Sen. James Inhofe Email communication has made us efficient--yes--but also short-tempered, imprudent at time, and sloppy. Need proof? Check out emails between climate scientists stored on servers at the University of East Anglia that showed not a plot but perhaps too much information-sharing on climate change between scientists. The server was hacked into and the emails--almost 20 years worth from prominent scientists--showed up on a Russian FTP....Read the full story on TreeHugger

  • Nature Iraq's 'Second Creation Story' (Video)

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:56 am
    The Nov. 15 "60 Minutes" segment "Resurrecting Eden." Life hasn't been easy for the Ma'dan, or "Marsh Arabs," of Ira...Read the full story on TreeHugger

  • Spring/Summer 2010: Earth Creations

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:47 am
    Earth Creations spring/summer 2010. Credit: Earth Creations Earth Creations, known for their clay-dyed apparel has been creating sustainable clothing for women, men, and children since 1996. The women's casual and sportswear line for spring/summer 2010 introduces two new hues; celadon (light green) and moonstone (beige), and is a casual cool collection of dresses, lightweight cardigans...Read the full story on TreeHugger
 
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    WorldChanging

  • Oceans’ Ability To Absorb CO2 May Be Diminishing, New Study Says

    Yale Environment 360
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pm
    Yale Environment 360: A study of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the world’s oceans from 1765 to the present shows that as humanity pumps more CO2 into...

  • Seattle as North America's First Carbon-Neutral City

    Alex Steffen
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:01 am
    Alex Steffen: Last week, I stood on the stage at Seattle's Town Hall and called on Seattle to become North America's first carbon-neutral city, dropping its per...

  • Companies Increase Commitment To Tackling Climate Issues, Report Says

    Yale Environment 360
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am
    Yale Environment 360: Major corporations in the U.S. have shown an increased willingness to voluntarily reduce their impact on climate change despite a sluggish economy, according to...

  • A Womb of One's Own

    WorldChanging Team
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am
    WorldChanging Team: by Anna Fahey The womb is not free of toxic pollution. This week, the Washington Toxics Coalition released a study that should raise the ire...

  • How Carbon Markets Work in Europe

    WorldChanging Team
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:28 am
    WorldChanging Team: by Eric de Place In spite of what you may have heard, Europe's carbon market is working beautifully. The EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)...
 
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    Switchboard, from NRDC

  • Reviving Rainforests: Your Help is Needed

    Jacob Scherr
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm
    Protecting and restoring the world's rainforests is critical to preserve biodiversity.  Tropical forests are teeming with life - covering just about 6% of the earth's surface they are home to between half and three fourth of all plant and animal species in the world. Last year, NRDC launched its Revive a Rainforest campaign to restore forests in Costa Rica - known around the world for its impressive biodiversity. With the help and generosity of our many online supporters, the first stage of our Revive a Rainforest campaign was a true success. This past summer our  partner, CATIE,…

  • Windfall or Burden? Two New Reports Focus on "Location Efficiency" and the Real Cost of Housing

    Justin Horner
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pm
    Both Transform and the Urban Land Institute have recently released reports that look at the Bay Area from a perspective NRDC has been pushing in the public arena for some time: “location efficiency.”  Just as appliances can be more or less energy efficient, homes and businesses can be more or less location efficient, depending on where they are.  If you need to drive 10 miles for a gallon of mile, you’re not location efficient. If you can walk down the block for your milk and hop on a bus to get to work, you are. We know that location efficiency has tremendous…

  • Does Agency Cynicism Serve Wolves, Science, or the Public Interest?

    Louisa Willcox
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:58 pm
    A recent meeting of the Montana Chapter of the Society of Conservation Biology showcased talks by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Western Gray Wolf Recovery Coordinator, Ed Bangs, and the Montana Wolf Project Manager, Carolyn Sime. What struck me most about their presentations was their cynicism. While the purpose of the conference was to discuss the application of science in conservation, Sime and Bangs chose to speak mostly about symbolism. Both talks implied that it is impossible to pursue useful scientific inquiry or to improve wolf-management practices because of the symbolism…

  • Three days late, but just as important: TRANSPORTATION

    Lindsi Seegmiller
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    I like what Michelle, of the No Impact Man duo for those of you who don't know, said about alternative transportation: it's ‘net net net positive gain' and that it is. You can help the environment, save money, do something good for your body, brighten your day, and make your hometown a better place to be all by avoiding one simple thing: a personal/individual vehicle. For many reasons, living in cities is better for our environmental impact. (although, maybe not for our souls) - especially New York, where I could have taken ANY of the below listed forms of transportation, got to work…

  • A Water Agency for the 21st Century: Can "Mother Met" Become Met 2.0?

    Barry Nelson
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am
    To the non-water wonk, a long-range planning process within the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (known as Met) might appear as exciting as drying paint. But for those of us within the water community, it has the potential to offer high drama. This process is confronting a question that has enormous implications for the future of California's water: How does a water agency that was built upon last century's tools--dams, canals, and other forms of concrete--adapt to the age of water conservation and efficiency? How Met answers this question will shape its future and likely…
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    Grist - the Latest from Grist

  • Merkley wants Senate jobs bill to help finance building efficiency retrofits

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:37 am
    by David Roberts Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met with the chairs of six committees that might have some hand in developing the clean energy bill. The question at issue was whether the bill should be pushed back in favor of a short-term focus on finance reform, jobs, and the deficit. Though John Kerry argued vigorously that the clean energy is a jobs bill that won’t grow the deficit, it looks like he lost out and there will be some kind of standalone jobs bill in the interim.Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is now advocating that any jobs bill include support for building…

  • Will Whole Foods’ new mobile slaughterhouses squeeze small farmers?

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:32 pm
    by Tom Laskawy Jennifer Hashley processes a chicken on her Massachusetts farm. Massachusetts poultry farmer Jennifer Hashley has a problem. From the moment she started raising pastured chickens outside Concord, Mass. in 2002, there was, as she put it “nowhere to go to get them processed.” While she had the option of slaughtering her chickens in her own backyard, Hashley knew that selling her chickens would be easier if she used a licensed slaughterhouse. Nor is she alone in her troubles. Despite growing demand for local, pasture-raised chickens, small poultry producers throughout…

  • Oh-oh: Tamiflu-resistant swine flu rears up in the U.S., U.K.

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:19 pm
    by Tom Philpott In Meat Wagon, we round up the latest outrages from the meat and livestock industries.————-Ever since evolution of the swine flu virus accelerated in 1998, virologists and veterinary-science have warned (PDF) that factory hog farms create the ideal conditions for generating novel viruses. They worried that three things would happen:That a novel swine virus would jump species and infect humans.That this species-jumping virus would efficiently spread among humans. That such a novel, “promiscuous” virus  would resist treatments.Last…

  • Friday music blogging: Harper Simon

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pm
    by David Roberts I have a huge, huge soft spot for Paul Simon. Simon & Garfunkel was one of the first bands I ever got into (like when I was eight) and I still love virtually everything Simon’s ever done. My musical tastes were shaped by his catchy melodies, pretty harmonies, and wry, literate lyrics. I’m one of the 12 people that bought the soundtrack to his Broadway play.So I was both excited and trepidatious about the musical debut of his son (with his first wife) Harper Simon. Needless to say, a lot can go wrong with these musical legacy artists. They tend to ... try too…

  • John McCain’s troubles are the world’s troubles

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm
    by Jonathan Hiskes You could make a pretty simple argument that the fate of the world rests with the United States Senate Republicans:1. It takes 60 votes to pass a climate bill in the U.S. Senate (assuming it won’t be done through budget reconciliation). Getting the votes of all 58 Democrats and two Independents will be just plain tough, as they might say in the Blue Dog states.2. It takes 67 Senate votes to ratify an international climate treaty. That requires Republican votes.3. The international community isn’t likely to pass a climate treaty without the cooperation of the…
 
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    the green skeptic™

  • Philly's Startup Phinest Rock at Founder Factory

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:47 am
    WXPN's World Cafe Live regularly features rock bands, but on one day in November, Philly Startup Leaders' Founder Factory gives entrepreneurs, from earnest beginners to successful experts, the chance to be the rock stars. The small stage and close proximity of the audience makes for an intimate setting, differentiating it from the large, cold and poorly lit venues that usually host company showcases.For the experts who have made it -- as entrepreneurs, investors or both -- Founder Factory provides a chance to regenerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The experts share stories, impart wisdom,…

  • Global Entrepreneurship Week: "Unleash Your Ideas"

    17 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am
    The 2nd annual Global Entrepreneurship Week was launched yesterday:"From November 16-22, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) will connect young people everywhere through local, national, and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. Students, educators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, employees, non-profit leaders, government officials and many others will participate in a range of activities, from online to face-to-face, and from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings."GEW has four goals (from their web…

  • REDD Ain't the New Black: 10 Concerns About Paying Countries for Forest Protection

    12 Nov 2009 | 5:25 pm
    Image via WikipediaI was asked the other day why I think the UN's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD) is a flawed, if not bad idea.Here are 10 concerns I have about the REDD scheme:1.) I've said it before, but will say it again: Entrusting governments to protect their forests in light of competing interests of growth, feeding hungry, and poverty reduction is very risky.2.) We can't ensure that forest protection won't lead to shutting out the interests of local people and lining the pockets of corrupt government officials, corporations, or even NGOs. Better to…

  • The Green Skeptic on Fox Business: Paying for Green Demands

    11 Nov 2009 | 2:02 pm
    Here's a link and video from my appearance on Fox Business today with Eric Bolling:Red Ink Watch: Paying for Green Demands

  • "What Keeps You Up at Night?"

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:14 am
    Lou Rappaport of Blank Rome asked me a disturbing question the other day at the MAC Alliance Conference in Philadelphia. On the face of it, Lou's question was a simple one: "What keeps you up at night?" We were interrupted before I could answer, but Lou's question lingered with me. In fact, it kept me up the past couple of nights. By way of an answer now, here are seven things that keep me up at night: 1.) We will fail to embrace change and tackle the new green economy. 2.) We are so deeply entrenched in partisan politics that we will blow this opportunity to lead in a sector (alternative…
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    msnbc.com: Environment

  • Toxic drinking water finally tied to old mine

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:54 pm
    After decades of denials from the owners of a Nevada mine, dangerous levels of uranium and arsenic in drinking water have been tied to a World War II-era copper mine. World War II - Drinking water - Nevada

  • Predatory fish nearing Great Lakes ecosystem

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
    Asian carp may have breached an electronic barrier designed to prevent the giant invaders from upsetting the ecosystem in the Great Lakes and jeopardizing a $7 billion sport fishery. Great Lakes - Fish - Asian carps - Science and Environment - Lakes

  • Hacked emails add fuel to climate dispute

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am
    Hackers break into the electronic files of one of the world's foremost climate research centers and post an array of e-mails which causes a stir among skeptics who say discussions show a conspiracy. Research - Hackers - Climate change - Environment - Meteorology

  • Island's bison to get birth control shots

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:37 am
    Descendants of 14 bison shipped to Santa Catalina Island in 1924 to make a Western movie have multiplied so much that a conservation group is about to give females birth control injections. Santa Catalina Island California - Santa Catalina Island - California - Channel Island - United States

  • Video: Sky-high glacier in Bolivia is melting away

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am
    Nov. 20: Once home to the highest ski resort in the world, the Chacaltaya glacier's glory days are melting away. NBC's Victoria Corderi reports on the potential crisis global warming could have on this Andes location. (Dateline NBC) Bolivia - Chacaltaya - Global warming - Environment - Ski resort
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    msnbc.com: Climate Change

  • Hacked emails add fuel to climate dispute

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am
    Hackers break into the electronic files of one of the world's foremost climate research centers and post an array of e-mails which causes a stir among skeptics who say discussions show a conspiracy.

  • Video: Sky-high glacier in Bolivia is melting away

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am
    Nov. 20: Once home to the highest ski resort in the world, the Chacaltaya glacier's glory days are melting away. NBC's Victoria Corderi reports on the potential crisis global warming could have on this Andes location. (Dateline NBC)

  • Video: Ice reveals cold, hard climate facts

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:11 pm
    Nov. 19: For Green Week, NBC Nightly News reports from Greenland where an international team of scientists are drilling deep into the past to learn what our future may hold. (Nightly News)

  • Video: Ice expert explains CO2 studies

    19 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pm
    Nov. 19: Researcher Vasilii Petrenko explains the science of studying carbon dioxide on the Greenland ice sheet. (Nightly News)

  • Led by China, CO2 gases rose in 2008

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pm
    Despite a global economic slump, worldwide carbon dioxide pollution rose 2 percent last year, most of the increase coming from China, according to a study published online Tuesday.
 
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    ecorazzi

  • CA Law To Mandate Efficiency Of TVs

    Luke Warner
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:04 pm
    This week, state regulators in California adopted a first-in-the-nation mandate to reduce electricity demand by banning power-hungry TVs. (Insert joke here about power-hungry state regulators…) On a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission required all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient, beginning in 2011. Only a quarter of all TVs currently on the market meeting that standard and the requirement will get even tougher in 2013. The commission estimates that TVs account for about 10% of a home’s electricity use and their concern is that this will…

  • ‘Blue Climate Coalition’ Pushes Marine Conservation Angle

    Luke Warner
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pm
    A large international coalition has urged the United States to support ocean conservation in an effort to help mitigate climate change. The ‘Blue Climate Coalition,’ comprised of sixty-six conservation groups and interests and over 150 marine scientists and professionals, from 33 countries, sent communications addressed to President Obama and the United States Senate. The letters request the option for marine conservation solutions to climate change to be considered in national climate change legislation and international climate change treaties, and support for marine science…

  • Irish Supermodel Suzanne McCabe Would Rather Go Naked

    Michael d'Estries
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pm
    It’s been raining fur-free ads from PETA lately — and to cap off the week, we’ve got Irish supermodel Suzanne McCabe striking a pose. The shot is actually a collaboration between PETA U.K. and the Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN). A long-time animal lover and vegetarian, McCabe recently signed on with ARAN to help them campaign against Canada’s annual slaughter of baby seals for their fur. The ad debuts in the wake of the Republic of Ireland’s wonderful announcement that fur farming will be phased out in the country over the next three years. For more info,…

  • The Green Quote: Roger Moore Named PETA UK ‘Person of the Year’

    Michael d'Estries
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pm
    “I am deeply touched and thrilled to be awarded the PETA U.K. person of the year. When I first saw their video footage on foie gras production three years ago, I felt compelled to do something to help put a stop to this cruel delicacy. I have since become a passionate campaigner against foie gras, and am most humbled that my passion has helped make a positive difference in the lives of these animals.” – Sir Roger Moore, less than a week after finally convincing UK supermarket chain Selfridges to stop selling foie gras, on being named the PETA UK “Person of the Year”.

  • Graphic Pollution Ad Shows Polar Bears Falling From The Sky

    Michael d'Estries
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    Plane Stupid, a UK grassroots group advocating for tougher laws against aviation expansion and pollution, have released a new ad showing polar bears falling from the sky and onto city streets. To be sure, this isn’t a commercial that pans away from the sky and leaves the rest up to your imagination. It’s graphic and probably not the best thing to have playing if your kids are watching over your shoulder. It ends saying, “An average European flight produces over 400kg of greenhouse gases for every passenger. That’s the weight of an adult polar bear.” Check out the…
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    Earth911.com

  • Economists Weigh in on Climate Change

    Lauren Hasler
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    A new study found that an overwhelming majority of 144 top U.S. economists believe that climate change will have a negative impact on the nation’s economy. Eighty-four percent of participants in the study conducted by New York University School of...

  • Govt. May Award Cash for Winterizing Your Home

    Amanda Wills
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    The New York Times reports that John Doerr, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and former President Bill Clinton have separately suggested a home energy spin-off of the popular Cash for Clunkers program. Dubbed “Cash for Caulkers,”...

  • Plans for Landfill Near Joshua Tree Stalled

    Lauren Hasler
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    Plans to move in a new neighbor next to Joshua Tree National Park were stalled when a southern California appeals panel ruled to temporarily halt development of what would be the largest nonhazardous solid waste landfill in the nation. The proposed...

  • Going Solar? Better Hurry, Cash is Going Fast

    Amanda Wills
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    The good news: Solar is becoming more popular. The bad news: We’re running out of money for those enticing solar rebates. According to the Worcester Business Journal, in Massachusetts alone, the number of solar installers has risen from 50 to...

  • African Countries Receive $1.1B for Climate Action

    Lori Brown
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    Six African countries were recently announced as the recipients of $1.1 billion in new grants and financing for climate action initiatives. Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Niger will share the additional resources to strengthen...
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    The Green Girls

  • Ask Diva: "Safe" Mascara?

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    Dear Diva, Help - what is your favorite "good-for-you" mascara? Twitter follower @at1968media   Dear Twiva,   Good question. Mascara is a product that we wear right next to our eye, so being careful with this selection is a prudent idea. My approach to converting to"safer" cosmetics and bodycare products has been to use up what I own, then replace that product with a safer product. With Mascara I must have hit a good sale one day because it took me a long time to use up what I had, I finally switched to natural mascara earlier this year. Part of switching to…

  • Ask Diva: "Safe" Mascara?

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    Dear Diva, Help - what is your favorite "good-for-you" mascara? Twitter follower @at1968media   Dear Twiva, Good question. Mascara is a product that we wear right next to our eye, so being careful with this selection is a prudent idea.   My approach to converting to"safer" cosmetics and bodycare products has been to use up what I own, then replace that product with a safer product. With Mascara I must have hit a good sale one day because it took me a long time to use up what I had, I finally switched to natural mascara earlier this year.   Part of switching…

  • Ask Diva: "Safe" Mascara?

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    Dear Diva,   Help - what is your favorite "good-for-you" mascara?   Twitter follower @at1968media   Dear Twiva,   Good question. Mascara is a product that we wear right next to our eye, so being careful with this selection is a prudent idea.   My approach to converting to"safer" cosmetics and bodycare products has been to use up what I own, then replace that product with a safer product. With Mascara I must have hit a good sale one day because it took me a long time to use up what I had, I finally switched to natural mascara earlier this year.

  • Ask Diva: "Safe" Mascara?

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    Dear Diva, Help - what is your favorite "good-for-you" mascara? Twitter follower @at1968media Dear Twiva, Good question. Mascara is a product that we wear right next to our eye, so being careful with this selection is a prudent idea. My approach to converting to"safer" cosmetics and bodycare products has been to use up what I own, then replace that product with a safer product. With Mascara I must have hit a good sale one day because it took me a long time to use up what I had, I finally switched to natural mascara earlier this year. Part of switching to natural products…

  • Ask Diva: "Safe" Mascara?

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    Dear Diva,   Help - what is your favorite "good-for-you" mascara?   Twitter follower @at1968media   Dear Twiva,   Good question. Mascara is a product that we wear right next to our eye, so being careful with this selection is a prudent idea.   My approach to converting to"safer" cosmetics and bodycare products has been to use up what I own, then replace that product with a safer product. With Mascara I must have hit a good sale one day because it took me a long time to use up what I had, I finally switched to natural mascara earlier this year.
 
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    The Alternative Consumer

  • pre-worn tees become eco panties

    Maureen
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:58 am
    It’s always a kick to find recycled or upcycled items that have found new life and expression in another form.  In this case, pre-worn t-shirts are re-born as eye-catching eco-panties, for those with a hankering to draw a little attention to their region downunder. If you have some old t-shirts and you know someone who’s handy [...]

  • tips for a green thanksgiving

    Rose
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:38 am
    As “Turkey Day” fast approaches we thought we’d revisit Rose’s list of tips for greening your fall feast. In my family, Thanksgiving was always the most stressful of holidays. Would there be enough food? Would so-and-so come? Would the house be clean enough? Rarely among those concerns was, how [...]

  • Greenpurse – The Nordem Outdoor Collection

    Theresa
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:17 am
    Greenpurse has the mission to lessen the amount of ever-increasing waste produced each year.  Here is their founding principle: “The founding principle of our company is that no material is unusable; whether it be an old pair of jeans or a plastic grocery bag, it can be refashioned into a beautiful bag, purse, [...]

  • a small patch of green news

    rd
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:12 am
    This could get ugly…Obama Administration Pauses on Alaska Drilling – yahoo! news Makes too much sense,,,Sustainable Farming May Help Maintain Healthy Planet - sciencedaily Chinese Tigers Afraid of Chickens – anan0va Natch…Big Oil to Congress:  Expand Offshore Drilling – reuters

  • EarthLover Shopping – 3 Great Green Giveaways

    Maureen
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    Check out this Great Green Giveaway for guys and the ladies, sponsored by eco hip online shop, EarthLover. Three lucky readers will be selected at random:  first and second place winners can each take their pick of either: the ladies EarthLover Natural Moisturizing Salt Glow or men’s Organic Shave and Skin Mojito Man Gift Set.  Third [...]
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    Environment News Network

  • US Army Corps Found Negligent in Katrina Floods

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:04 am
    A US judge has ruled that negligence by the US Army Corps of Engineers led to massive floods in parts of New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. It was the first time a US court has found the federal government directly responsible for some of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

  • "Extinct" Crocodile Claws Its Way Back to Survival

    20 Nov 2009 | 6:11 am
    Conservationists searching for one of the world's most endangered crocodile species say they have found dozens of the reptiles lounging in plain sight at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center in Cambodia.

  • Melting sea ice dilutes water, endangers sea life

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:33 am
    Melting of the Arctic sea ice due to global warming is diluting surface waters and this is endangering some species of shellfish which need minerals in the water to form their shells and skeletons, scientists have found. In a paper published in Science, they warned that this has serious implications for ecosystems in the Arctic.

  • Armed With Many Weapons, We Are Killing Our Oceans

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am
    It's not just ruthless whaling and foolhardy fishing practices that are plaguing the world's oceans. Underwater, things are bad all over — from the acidifying Atlantic to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. A perfect storm of climate change, pollution, and rapacious global fishing practices has the potential to gravely imperil Earth's oceans and their intricate, highly sensitive ecosystems.

  • Smart Grid Riding On the Information Superhighway

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:08 am
    If Internet companies and some utilities have their way, the smart grid will rely on the existing infrastructure of the information superhighway in order to function. They argue that by relying on existing standards like Internet Protocol (IP), the smart grid will grow faster and more organically than if utilities adopt an assortment of proprietary methods.
 
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    Current_Green

  • Live Interview with…um…Me. Questions?

    Leah Lamb
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:47 pm
    Hey folks. So truth be told, I like asking questions, but tomorrow Jill Buck, founder of the Go Green Initiative (a program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation) will be asking  me the questions during her live radio show, “Go Green Radio”. (That would be Thursday, October 20th, at 9am-10am PST) We’ll be chatting about the role of the media in the sustainability movement, going green (it is the name of her show and all), and what goes on behind the scenes of Current Green. You can do something CARAZY and actually…

  • How Twilight, True Blood, and Buffy are teaching us how to save the planet

    Leah Lamb
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:15 pm
    I know it seems ridiculous, but a light went off in my head about the connection between the modern day Vampire character (you know the one, the guy vamp that falls in love with a mortal, and then changes his ways so he can be with her) and the sustainability movement. Related content: Copenhagen in plain English (lots of videos) The almost music video with the floating heads of Al Gore and Van Jones What lies beneath, diving into the belly of the planet

  • 360 Degrees of Copenhagen: A Canadian Perspective

    Leah Lamb
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:59 am
    Copenhagen has been referred to as the most important diplomatic gathering in the world’s history. In preparation for the climate talks in December, Current Green is going to bring you a slew of interviews from a a range of perspectives and locations from around the world. Today we caught up with Jim Hogan, co-founder of www.desmogblog.com, and author of Climate cover up: The crusade to deny global warming. Other video interviews in 360 Degrees of Copenhagen series: Social Networks for Copenhagen: Hello Facebook and Twitter Copenhagen in plain English The Battle strategy of the…

  • Journalists and activists arrested in Indonesia for preparatory work for Copenhagen climate talks

    Leah Lamb
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:48 am
    This guest post comes via Daniel J Kessler, Media officer at Green Peace. On November 17th, two Greenpeace activists from Germany and Italy and two members of the press from India and Italy, all of whom were traveling on valid business and journalist visas, were picked up and detained by Indonesian police. They were on their way to meet the villagers of Teluk Meranti, who have been supporting Greenpeace in its efforts to highlight rainforest and peatland destruction in the Kampar Peninsula–ground zero for climate change. The police also took into custody an activist from Belgium who had…

  • Out of Hemp’s Way: Glory and Trials of the Green Fest

    Leah Lamb
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:17 am
    Today’s guest post comes to us via Jay Golden: creator of the Gorilla in the Greenhouse and conspirator in translating all things green~ Visiting the green festival is a truly fulfilling experience, except when it isn’t. I’ll admit it: after eight years straight, I recognize myself to be a Green Fest junkie. Economy be damned, the masses are pouring into the gates of the Green Festival, destined for wisdom and business opportunities and green smoothies. And I can’t resist jumping in with them. So there I am, I was fueling up with Clif Bar samples, Pouring over the schedule,…
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    The Oil Drum - Discussions about Energy and Our Future

  • How Relocalization Worked

    Nate Hagens
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:22 pm
    Below the fold is a guest post by John Michael Greer, author of The Long Descent, a book I have read and recommend. The post examines the importance and viability of relocalization from a historical perspective. How Relocalization Worked by John Michael Greer (Original can be found here.) One of the points that I’ve tried to make repeatedly in these essays is the place of history as a guide to what works. It’s a point that deserves repetition. A good many worldsaving plans now in circulation, however new the rhetoric that surrounds them, simply rehash proposals that were tried in the past…

  • Information and Crude Complexity

    Nate Hagens
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:16 am
    This is a guest post by WebHubbleTelescope. Abstract (please read this as a set of squished-together PowerPoint bullet points): People become afraid when you mention theory. Everyone talks about entropy without actually understanding it. Simplicity can come out of complexity. "Knowledge" remains a slippery thing. We think that science flows linearly as previous knowledge get displaced with new knowledge. Peak oil lies in this transition much like plate tectonics at one time existed outside of the core knowledge. We define knowledge by whatever the scientific community currently believes.

  • Drumbeat: November 21, 2009

    Leanan
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:23 am
    Oil's expanding frontiers In 1914, the Bureau of Mines said U.S. oil reserves would be exhausted by 1924. In 1939, the Interior Department said the world had 13 years worth of petroleum reserves. Then a global war was fought and the postwar boom was fueled, and in 1951 Interior reported that the world had ... 13 years of reserves. In 1970, the world's proven oil reserves were an estimated 612 billion barrels. By 2006, more than 767 billion barrels had been pumped and proven reserves were 1.2 trillion barrels. In 1977, Scold in Chief Jimmy Carter predicted that mankind "could use up all the…

  • The Renewables Gap: The Political Challenge of Affecting a Societal Transition to Renewable Sources of Energy

    jeffvail
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:11 am
    Below is a summary of my presentation, The Renewables Gap, from the ASPO 2009 conference. The intent of my presentation was to highlight the political challenge of affecting a societal transition to renewable sources of energy. In particular, I focus on wind and solar, though it seems to me that the problem will be largely the same (if not worse) if we attempt to rely on other “renewables.” My initial presentation focused on attempting to illustrate the Renewables Gap as an energy problem. While I briefly addressed the political aspects of this problem in my presentation, on reflection…

  • Australian Senate: Peak Oil motion defeated 31:6

    Phil Hart
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am
    Senator Christine Milne: Australia needs to kick the oil addiction before peak oil kicks it for us by driving prices sky high. "We must start planning now to bring on the sustainable alternatives of renewably-powered electric vehicles, both public and private, and tackle the climate and peak oil crises together. "The International Energy Agency whistleblower's report is shocking but unsurprising to those of us who have watched the refusal by Australian governments to acknowledge the peak oil threat." Notice of motion I move that the Senate: a) Notes that: i. Neither the former Howard…
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    EcoSalon

  • A Living Dahl: T-Shirt Dress Giveaway from a Project Runway Alum

    Tiered T-shirt Dress by Dahl One of my very favorite designers, Alison Kelly of Project Runway fame, is finally coming over to the green side where eco-designers dwell. Look for a small capsule collection she and her soul mate, Dane Risch, are putting together for both men and women. (For the record: cutest ...

  • In: Convoys. Out: Carpools

    Commuting could take on a whole new meaning with the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) research project funded by the European Commission. The project, based on the concept of linking vehicles together using wireless sensors, is aimed at finding an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way of getting cars to travel together, convoy ...

  • Track My T Please

    Anvil CSR The t-shirt. How many are crammed in your drawers? You may not think of this everyday fashion staple as making a big eco dent, but if you trace the tee you'll quickly see how it can work as an effective instrument for change. Anvil Knitwear, sponsor of Track My T, is ...

  • Cycle Style Gets in Gear: 4 Tips for Being Chic on 2 Wheels

    Cycling: It's eco-friendly and good for your heart. Even so, conventional bike fashion and gear has presented a road block from switching out four wheels for two as an alternative mode of transportation. For the stylish set, those visions of unflattering spandex and cumbersome helmets don't exactly make you want to hop ...

  • Flash in the Pantry: 8 Ways to Make Storing Less Boring!

    Who says the pantry has to be a catch-all black hole for prolonging that shelf life? That's what high school lockers are for! It's time to take stock in our most commonly used household storage nook, and make it as inviting as a vintage general store (with a modern green twist, ...
 
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    Yale Environment 360

  • Using Enzymes from Termites To Make Biofuel from Plants and Wood Waste

    Yale Environment 360
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:17 am
    A U.S. company has come up with a new way of producing biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks, such as agricultural waste: Using enzymes from the guts of termites to more efficiently produce ethanol. The startup company, ZeaChem, says using the enzymes from the wood-eating insects has achieved ethanol yields in the laboratory 35 percent higher than other producers of cellulosic ethanol, according to MIT Technology Review. ZeaChem uses acid to break the cellulose into sugars, but instead of fermenting the sugars into ethanol using yeast — as is customarily done — the company feeds the sugars…

  • Emergency Rainforest Fund Created by Prince Charles and 35 Nations

    Yale Environment 360
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am
    Britain’s Prince Charles has struck an agreement with 35 nations to contribute $22 billion to $36 billion to reduce the destruction of tropical forests by 25 percent by 2015. The Prince of Wales said the U.S. has agreed to contribute $275 million to the rainforest protection fund, which will pay countries such as Indonesia and Brazil to preserve forests rather than felling them for timber or agricultural use. Ed Miliband, the U.K.’s energy and climate change secretary, said a global mechanism for paying countries to protect tropical forests is on the agenda at next month’s Copenhagen…

  • Oceans’ Ability to Absorb CO2 May be Diminishing, New Study Says

    Yale Environment 360
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:16 am
    A study of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the world’s oceans from 1765 to the present shows that as humanity pumps more CO2 into the atmosphere, the capacity of the world’s oceans to continue absorbing carbon appears to be decreasing. Researchers from Columbia University and NASA estimate that since 2000, the proportion of fossil-fuel emissions absorbed by the oceans may have declined by as much as 10 percent. In effect, researchers say that industrial activity has been producing so much C02 since 1950 that the oceans are slowly becoming saturated with the gas. “The more carbon…

  • Kenya Evicts Squatters From Beleaguered Mau Forest

    Yale Environment 360
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am
    The Kenyan government has begun evicting an estimated 30,000 families that have squatted illegally in the vital Mau forest and caused major environmental damage to the one-million-acre woodland. The Mau forest, located in the Rift valley, is Kenya’s largest water catchment area, the source of at least a dozen rivers that feed Lake Victoria, the Masai Mara nature reserve, and the tea fields of Kericho. Over the last 20 years, however, squatters and officials in the government of ex-President Daniel Arap Moi moved into the Mau and have destroyed roughly a quarter of the forest by clearing the…

  • Courting Controversy with a New View on Exotic Species

    Yale Environment 360
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:37 am
    A number of biologists are challenging the long-held orthodoxy that invasive species are inherently bad. In their contrarian view, many introduced species have proven valuable and useful and have increased the diversity and resiliency of native ecosystems. BY GREG BREINING
 
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    Reuters: Environment

  • Denmark says 65 leaders to attend climate talks

    22 Nov 2009 | 2:40 am
    COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark said on Sunday 65 world leaders had agreed to attend a U.N. conference in Copenhagen in December that will try to clinch a new global climate deal.

  • Feared Asian carp may be near U.S. Great Lakes

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm
    CHICAGO (Reuters) - There are signs Asian carp may have breached barriers designed to keep the prolific fish out of the Great Lakes, which could spell ecological disaster for the vital source of fresh water, authorities said on Friday.

  • Conoco to pay air quality fine to Pennsylvania

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pm
    TORONTO (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips Corp will pay $38,137 for 2009 air quality violations at its 190,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Trainer, Pennsylvania, state environmental regulators said on Friday.

  • Pennsylvania residents sue over gas drilling

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am
    DIMOCK, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Residents of a small rural Pennsylvania town sued Cabot Oil & Gas Corp on Friday, claiming the company's natural-gas drilling has contaminated their water wells with toxic chemicals, caused sickness and reduced their property values.

  • Gap between India, U.S. emissions goals grows wider

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President Barack Obama and India's prime minister meet next week to talk about climate change the leaders will focus on green technologies rather than narrowing the global divide on greenhouse gas emissions goals, the chairman of the U.N.'s climate science panel said.
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    Great Green Goods - Shopping the Eco-friendly Way!

  • Recycled Sweaters Made into Coates by Katwise

    green
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm
    We’ve featured the crazy girl (and we mean that as a compliment!) Katwise before, but the photos on her site are so much better these days! And these coats are out of this world!! Everything she makes is from recycled materials ....but she makes them look so darn pretty! You have to watch her site like a hawk to see the perfect sweater or coat before it sells out because they always do! Coats are $188.00 at Katwise’s Etsy Shop

  • Recycled Clutch from Recycled Subway Maps

    green
    12 Nov 2009 | 8:25 pm
    Recycled subway map clutch…perfect to hold coins or makeup in a bigger bag or could hold the basics for a night on the town. (The bag has a convenient zipper up on top so nothing will fall out). Also available are clutches made out of barcodes, newspapers, candy wrappers and magazines. Find your favorite trash and have some fun. $28.00 at Uncommon Goods

  • Recycled Glass Terrarium

    green
    8 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pm
    Made from recycled glass, and comes with the sand and four air plants….perfect gift for that friend who claims to have a “black thumb” and kills all her plants. Or keep for yourself and perk up your office or studio. $79.00 at VivaTerra More terrariums previously featured on GreatGreenGoods.com>>

  • Recycled Bags by Maria Buzina

    green
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:14 pm
    If you love color, these are the bags for you! Created and hand painted by Brazilian Artisist Gabi Goncalves, these gorgeous bags are made from recycled truck tarps. So they start off their life functional and utilitarian as truck tarps …then when their use is done, they are recycled in to these beautiful one-of-a-kind bags that will last forever. Lots of different sizes, styles and prices to choose from at EarthLover Shopping EarthLover Shopping is a new advertiser on GreatGreenGoods and we are grateful to their support!

  • Don’t Just Buy Handmade – Buy Upcycled Handmade

    green
    27 Oct 2009 | 8:44 pm
    Those are the words of wisdom from Rhonda Brewer-Chaparro aka “oddartist”. This prolific (and eco-friendly) California artist has an Etsy shop, but these racy earrings (made from the ‘tasty parts’ of recycled romance novels) are from her Zibbet shop. The line is called Naughty Bits, and of course, you’ll never find the same bit of naughtiness twice! $12.00 for each pair of earrings at Zibbet (folks, this is a serious good deal!!) Found through the GreatGreenGoods Facebook fanpage
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    msnbc.com: Environment

  • Toxic drinking water finally tied to old mine

    21 Nov 2009 | 1:54 pm
    After decades of denials from the owners of a Nevada mine, dangerous levels of uranium and arsenic in drinking water have been tied to a World War II-era copper mine. World War II - Drinking water - Nevada

  • Predatory fish nearing Great Lakes ecosystem

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
    Asian carp may have breached an electronic barrier designed to prevent the giant invaders from upsetting the ecosystem in the Great Lakes and jeopardizing a $7 billion sport fishery. Great Lakes - Fish - Asian carps - Science and Environment - Lakes

  • Hacked emails add fuel to climate dispute

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am
    Hackers break into the electronic files of one of the world's foremost climate research centers and post an array of e-mails which causes a stir among skeptics who say discussions show a conspiracy. Research - Hackers - Climate change - Environment - Meteorology

  • Island's bison to get birth control shots

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:37 am
    Descendants of 14 bison shipped to Santa Catalina Island in 1924 to make a Western movie have multiplied so much that a conservation group is about to give females birth control injections. Santa Catalina Island California - Santa Catalina Island - California - Channel Island - United States

  • Video: Sky-high glacier in Bolivia is melting away

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am
    Nov. 20: Once home to the highest ski resort in the world, the Chacaltaya glacier's glory days are melting away. NBC's Victoria Corderi reports on the potential crisis global warming could have on this Andes location. (Dateline NBC) Bolivia - Chacaltaya - Global warming - Environment - Ski resort
 
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    greenUPGRADER

  • Delicious Discoveries from Vegan MOFO III

    Becky Striepe
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:26 am
    The Vegan Month of Food is over, and I’ll be honest here: I miss it already! The idea behind the MOFO was to spread the word that not only is a vegan diet easier on the planet and often healthier for our bodies than the Standard American Diet, it can be pretty freaking delicious, [...] Related posts:Vegan MOFO III is Coming - Let’s Talk Food! October is the third Vegan Month of Food (Vegan...Easy Holiday Recipe: A Moist Banana Bread in 20 Minutes The holidays have a way of making us eat...Slow Food For Busy People When some folks hear the term Slow Food, they...

  • Homemade Shampoo Update: Winter Hair Care

    Becky Striepe
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am
    Homemade, sulfate-free shampoos might need a little recipe-tweaking in the dry winter months. Back in August we talked about going no ‘poo. If you missed the first post about it, no ‘poo is a hair care regiment that’s shampoo free. The most common practice is to wash your hair with a baking soda solution [...] Related posts:What the Heck is No ‘Poo Anyway? Whenever I mention to someone that I’m doing the no...Save Some Water with a Dry Shampoo A girlfriend was showing me this Fekkai Au Naturel Dry...Easy Holiday Recipe: A Moist Banana Bread in 20 Minutes The…

  • Plug-in Smart Metering: Zerofootprint’s TalkingPlug

    Jeff McIntire-Strasburg
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pm
    A handful bloggers got on the phone with Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint, to discuss their upcoming answer to smart energy management: the TalkingPlug. Related posts:Greener Gadgets: Bware Water Meter The Bware water meter is a contestant in the...DIY Energy Saving Phone Charging Dock Here’s a great DIY to make your own power...Greener Gadgets: Power Hog and Energy Conservation Here’s a cool entry to Greener Gadgets that aims...

  • Craft Recycled: 11 More Project Ideas Straight from the Trash Bin

    Becky Striepe
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:39 am
    Last week, we took a look at craft projects for empty wine and beer bottles, scrap paper, and empty glass jars. Really though, that’s just a small part of the things we trash that can be useful again! After the jump, we’ve got some projects for empty cans, plastic bottles, and laminated cardboard, but we’d [...] Related posts:Craft Recycled: Project Ideas Straight from the Trash Bin Part 1 I wish I had gotten a picture of this,...Craft Project: Wino Corkboard We love to entertain. Folks come over at least...Green Craft Supplies: Felt Made from Recycled Soda Bottles There's…

  • Sprint, Samsung Test Green Waters with Reclaim Phone

    Tim Hurst
    15 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm
    The new green-themed Reclaim made by Samsung is more than your standard phone with slick green branding — though there’s a bit of that too. What’s green (or blue), smaller than a deck of cards and will remind you to unplug the charger from the wall after charging? The Reclaim, the new green-themed smart phone made [...] Related posts:Samsung’s Blue Earth: First Solar Powered Touchscreen Phone With a body made from recycled plastic, a solar...One Charger to Save the World The major mobile phone manufacturer’s  have agreed upon a...DIY Green: Recycled Yellow Pages Card…
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    Huffington Post: Latest Green News

  • Sacramento Fisherman Arrested In Sea Lion Shooting

    The Huffington Post News Team
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pm
    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities arrested a Sacramento fisherman Saturday in connection to shooting a sea lion in the head. California game wardens said they arrested Larry Allen Legans, 43, on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, negligent discharge of a firearm, and take of a marine mammal. Legans told authorities he grew tired of competing with the protected animals so he fired his 12-gauge shotgun at the sea lion, injuring the creature. "He said he was tired of watching sea lions take his fish," said Warden Patrick Foy. About a half-dozen sea lions have started to spend time…

  • EPA: Uranium From Polluted British Petroleum Mine Found In Nevada Water Wells

    The Huffington Post News Team
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm
    YERINGTON, Nev. — Peggy Pauly lives in a robin-egg blue, two-story house not far from acres of onion fields that make the northern Nevada air smell sweet at harvest time. But she can look through the window from her kitchen table, just past her backyard with its swingset and pet llama, and see an ominous sign on a neighboring fence: "Danger: Uranium Mine." For almost a decade, people who make their homes in this rural community in the Mason Valley 65 miles southeast of Reno have blamed that enormous abandoned mine for the high levels of uranium in their water wells. They say they have…

  • Who's Eating Madagascar's Lemurs?

    The Huffington Post News Team
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:40 am
    Bit by bit, the natural resources of Madagascar -- a biodiversity hotspot known for its unique vegetation and wildlife -- are being plundered.

  • Animals That Light Up (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

    The Huffington Post News Team
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am
    Bioluminescence is an incredible thing. Take a look at these photos and videos of the coolest underwater and land animals that have the special ability of light up. Talk about inner glow! Enjoy the slideshow, and vote for your favorite glowing critter. Get HuffPost Green On Facebook and Twitter!

  • Michael Plank Strapped 15 Live Lizards To His Chest, Arrested At Airport: Authorities Say

    The Huffington Post News Team
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pm
    LOS ANGELES — Federal officials say they arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest to get through customs at Los Angeles International Airport. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday that 40-year-old Michael Plank of Lomita, Calif., was returning from Australia when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks – another type of lizard – fastened to his body Tuesday. Plank has been released on $10,000 bond and will be arraigned in federal court on Dec. 21. Authorities say the lizards' value totals more than $8,500. All…
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    Huffington Post: The Green Blog

  • Andrew Kimbrell: New Report: GMOs Causing Massive Pesticide Pollution

    Andrew Kimbrell
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pm
    There is one fact about genetically engineered foods that there is no debate about: no one wakes up in the morning eager to buy gene-altered food. There's good reason for this. Genetically modified foods do nothing for the "eating public". They provide no extra nutrition, flavor, safety or any other trait that people actually want. Instead, these food products only offer risks, which include potential toxicity, allergenecity, and lower nutritional value. This presents a tough problem for the Monsantos of the world, who are pushing these GM foods. How can you sell something to the public that…

  • Brendan DeMelle: Climategate in Perspective, Featuring Isaac Newton

    Brendan DeMelle
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pm
    Climate conspriricists pounced at the opportunity yesterday to draw grandiose conclusions from the illegal hacking of private emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit.  They wasted no time declaring global warming a vast science-wing conspiracy, orchestrated by a powerful handful of white-coats who, when not publishing in reputable peer-reviewed science journals, were (gasp) emailing each other to talk shop and vent about climate skeptic “idiots” (how un-PC). The scandalistas say little about the fact that this breach of security and publishing…

  • Kevin Grandia: Stolen CRU emails: Who are the criminals behind the conspiracy theorists?

    Kevin Grandia
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am
    Former Republican strategist Marc Morano is having as much fun with the stolen emails from the Climate Research Unit that he did with the Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth attack he led against John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. Morano and his site Climate Depot has become the climate conspiracy hub since this story broke on late Thursday. This cabal of climate deniers seems to think that 12 year-old emails between climate scientists somehow refutes the thousands of research papers produced over decades by thousands of researchers at some of the best scientific institutions in the…

  • Bob Dinneen: Reminding Al Gore: 5 'Encouraging Truths' About Ethanol

    Bob Dinneen
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pm
    Having an appreciation for Al Gore's commitment to science and advocacy of responsible policies on energy, the environment, and the economy, I was disappointed by his treatment of ethanol and other biofuels in his new book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. During the late 1970s, Gore was an early supporter of grain-based ethanol and other efforts to promote biofuels. Now, as he writes in his new book, Our Choice, he has changed his mind. Because of his devotion to science and the facts, I have sent him a detailed letter, filled with what I hope he'll consider encouraging, not…

  • Andrew Winston: Why Going Green -- And The Climate Negotiations In Copenhagen -- Matter Now More Than Ever

    Andrew Winston
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pm
    For the past few years, the business world has been swept up in a green wave -- a rising tide of interest and concern about environmental issues. The Great Recession has not stopped the pressure pushing this wave. Environmental crises such as climate change and water shortages continue to evolve. Mega-forces such as technology-driven transparency and the rise of the consumer in India and China -- which will force the price of oil and other resources up over time -- continue to advance. Closer to home, key stakeholders are demanding more of companies than ever, especially corporate customers…
 
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    Science Daily: Earth & Climate News

  • Toward home-brewed electricity with 'personalized solar energy'

    22 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of "personalized solar energy," in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities.

  • Termites create sustainable monoculture fungus farming

    22 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Food production of modern human societies is mostly based on large-scale monoculture crops, but it now appears that advanced insect societies have the same practice. Our societies took just ten thousand years of (mainly cultural) evolution to adopt this habit and we are far from convinced that it is sustainable. Farming ants and termites had tens of millions of years to evolve their fungus farming systems and here monocultures are apparently evolutionary stable.

  • Emissions increase despite financial crisis

    22 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Fossil carbon dioxide emissions increased by 40 percent from 1990 to 2008, according to new findings. Coal has bypassed oil as the largest source of CO2 emissions.

  • Mysteriously warm times in Antarctica

    22 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    A new study of Antarctica's past climate reveals that temperatures during the warm periods between ice ages (interglacials) may have been higher than previously thought. The latest analysis of ice core records suggests that Antarctic temperatures may have been up to 6°C warmer than the present day.

  • Hidden threat: Elevated pollution levels near regional airports

    21 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution -- a well-recognized problem at major airports -- may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for people living near smaller regional airports. Those airports are becoming an increasingly important component of global air transport systems. The study, one of only a handful to examine airborne pollutants near regional airports, suggests that officials should pay closer attention to these overlooked emissions, which could cause health problems for local residents.
 
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    Greener Computing

  • HP Brings the Cloud to Schools, Thin Clients Everywhere

    GreenerComputing Staff
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:13 pm
    The company has released new thin client and virtualized desktop software to allow organizations easily expand the number of desktops available to students or employees, while new cloud computing software lets applications and data travel across campus or from school to home.

  • E-Waste Pops Back Onto the Nation's Radar

    Matthew Wheeland
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:53 am
    The past week has been a busy one for electronic waste and its foes, as legislation to require collection and recycling of old electronics takes a hit, even as international experts see the problem growing exponentially.

  • The Top 10 Energy-Saving Tips for a Greener Data Center

    GreenerComputing Staff
    17 Nov 2009 | 6:08 pm
    Even in small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), the power and cooling of data center equipment can easily cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Employ these best practices to boost data center energy efficiency and lower costs.

  • Put Your Servers In a Bath to Cut Cooling Costs to Almost Nothing

    GreenerComputing Staff
    17 Nov 2009 | 3:43 pm
    At the Supercomputing 2009 conferencing this week, Iceotope unveiled a new technology to allow servers to be cooled by immersion in water, a new design that the company estimates could cut energy used to cool data centers by as much as 93 percent.

  • Green Plug Makes Strides with Tech, Manufacturer Partnerships

    GreenerComputing Staff
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:24 pm
    In the past week, the company that aims to eliminate mountains of e-waste and bring energy efficient power supplies to gadget-owners around the world has made several big steps forward.
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    Ecolect Blog

  • Solé Tiles: An Integrated Solar Solution for Clay Tile Roofing

    ecolect
    14 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am
    Solé Power Tiles are electricity-generating “barrel-style” tiles which can be installed in an integrated way with US Tile’s traditional clay tile roofing. The Solé Power Tiles install like a standard tile with no penetrations into the tile itself. The benefit to the consumer or developer is that the solar components are not readily visible. Solar energy [...]

  • What Chemicals Are Around You?

    Matt Grigsby
    12 Nov 2009 | 1:57 pm
    This is NASA’s new, inexpensive device which uses the iPhone to sense chemicals with 16 nanosensors. The phone can send this information to other devices and also the government over the internet. Turns out that there are numerous uses for chemical sensors including early information on a chemical attack, track emissions from factories, not to [...]

  • MIT Graduates Develop a Color-changing Roof Tile.

    Matt Grigsby
    12 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    A team of recent MIT graduates has developed roof tiles that change color based on the temperature. The the tiles are white when the temperature is hot, allowing them to reflect away most of the sun’s heat. The reverse happens when the temperature is cold, they turn black to retain heat. “The team’s lab measurements [...]

  • The Connect Chicago 1 Year Celebration This Thursday.

    Matt Grigsby
    9 Nov 2009 | 11:31 am
    How the time flies. Our friends at Connect officially opened their doors exactly one year ago! As a thank you to all friends and supporters they have put together an event to embody everything Connect and celebrate this milestone. If you’re in Chicago this Thursday be sure to come by their store to mingle and mesh [...]

  • Lavazza Cookie Cup by Enrique Luis Sardi

    Alberto Villarreal
    13 Oct 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Photo: Fabrizio Esposito Venezuelan designer Enrique Luis Sardi has teamed up with Italian coffee company Lavazza to create a master piece of green design: Cookie cup. First you drink the coffee, then you eat the cup! Brilliant. And perhaps many of us have thought of something like this at some point, but they did it! “The cup is [...]
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    Good Guide

  • Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Your Thanksgiving Dinner

    Dara
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm
    Turkeys labeled “Natural” may actually have been treated with antibiotics and fed corn and soy meal grown with synthetic pesticides. The USDA defines “natural” as a turkey containing no artificial ingredients such as added flavors or colors, and that is only minimally processed. It turns out, this leaves out a lot. A turkey labeled “natural” can be fed grains grown with pesticides and raised on a farm that uses pesticides on their fields. Antibiotics can be used not only to treat illnesses, but also as growth promoters. Look for turkeys that are USDA Organic or that say “free of…

  • Surprised By the Turkey Ratings? So Were We!

    Dara
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:33 pm
    Turkeys – the food of American tradition and holiday memories – get a 3.8 (out of 10) on the GoodGuide health score?!?! . Hard to believe. And I have to admit, people around the GoodGuide office were surprised as well by the low ratings many top-selling turkeys received in our food rating system. In case you haven’t perused our ratings methodology recently, let me explain how we rate food products. GoodGuide’s health rating begins with a nutrition assessment called the “Ratio of Recommended to Restricted nutrients” (RRR). Put simply, this method calculates the ratio of “good”…

  • GoodGuide Partners with Alice.com

    Dara
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    We’ve now made it even easier to find the products rated by GoodGuide through our new partnership with Alice.com. Alice.com is a young company which has generated a lot of buzz thanks to its innovative way of helping consumers purchase essential household items. We share a common goal of giving consumers the option to make smarter shopping decisions - so both sides jumped at the chance to partner. When you are shopping on Alice.com, you’ll now see GoodGuide product ratings next to a product, providing you with as much information as possible before purchasing. When you’re researching on…

  • New iPhone App for Finding Nanotechnology

    Alastair
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:04 am
    We recently covered the discovery by British scientists that at least one nanomaterial may affect human cells at a distance. This is only one of the many human health and environmental issues associated with nanotechnology. Unfortunately, some companies are rushing to use nanotechnology without screening it for risks to human health. Now, the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Nanotechnology Project has released a new application for the iPhone or iPod Touch: findNano. This app allows consumers to look up the Inventory with their phone to see if the product they’re looking at may have…

  • Nano Health Effects at a Distance

    Alastair
    9 Nov 2009 | 10:08 pm
    Nanotechnology is increasingly in the news, both for the benefits that it could bring – and for the very uncertain risks it could pose to our health. Last week, British university researchers reported a startling result from a toxicology experiment. They exposed human cells to nano-scale cobalt-chromium and used a human cell barrier of 4 cells thick to protect the cells. To their surprise, the metal seemed to interfere with the DNA inside the cells, by sending chemical signals through the barrier. A medical law expert, Professor Thomas Faunce said, What [this latest research is] saying is…
 
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    EcoTech Daily

  • The Daily Five: Friday, 20 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Energy Efficiency Rules for TVs; Cap and Trade only for power plants; Subaru’s Clean Car Plant; The Grace E-motorbike; Lunescent Syncs Streetlights California Approves Energy Efficiency Rules for TVs California regulators have passed the nation’s first television energy efficiency standards that, by 2013, will cut electricity consumption by almost half, the New York Times reports. Cap and Trade only for power plants and no one else? While President Obama and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill continue to focus on legislation covering greenhouse gas emissions across broad sections of…

  • Fox Islands Coastal Wind Project In New England Begins Power Generation

    David Quilty
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    The new Fox Islands Wind Project off the coast of Maine will generate 4.5 megawatts of electricity for the islands of Vinalhaven and North Haven, providing clean energy to the islands’ residents. In a nearly unanimous vote in July 2008, island residents ushered in a new era of renewable power in Maine by approving the project, and the turbines arrived earlier this summer. Several other island and coastal communities are now looking at community wind power as a viable alternative to traditional energy sources. The three turbines are expected to generate approximately 11,600 megawatt hours of…

  • The Daily Five: Thursday, 19 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Storing energy in salt; Poet reduces cellulosic ethanol production costs; Top 10 Eco Gadgets; Cash for Caulkers; Recycled Messenger Bag Solar plant to store energy in molten salt SolarReserve and Preneal have garnered the necessary permit to build a 50-megawatt thermal-solar plant in Spain that will use molten salt to store and release solar energy. Poet reduces cellulosic ethanol production costs No, not that kind of Poet. Poet LLC, the nation’s top ethanol producer, says it is has reduced its cellulosic ethanol production cost during the past year from $4.13 per gallon to $2.35 per…

  • The Daily Five: Wednesday, 18 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    House to Supply Power to Grid; Biomass Plays Big Role; ArmorLite Safety Coating for CFL; Citaro fuel cell bus; Big Wind-Turbine Plant in U.S. Energy Positive House to Supply Power to Grid in Sweden Swedish designers are currently constructing Villa Akarp, a residence that aims to combine energy conservation, energy recovery and energy generation technologies. If all goes as planned, the home will actually produce more energy than it uses and provide the excess to the grid. Biomass Plays Big Role in UK Renewable Energy While the market currently is dominated by utilities, if the government…

  • The Daily Five: Tuesday, 17 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Radio Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car; Airbus ‘Sharklet’ Wingtip; Fuel cell vehicles; Uber-Thin Modular Solar Panels; Design concept ’shelf’ H2Go Radio Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car This is a far cry from what I had as a kid. The H2Go Radio Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car is probably one of the most advanced eco and educational toys you’ll ever see for children. Basically the car is powered using hydrogen gas, and can reach speeds of up to 6 miles an hour (which is a scale speed equivalent to 80mph!). Airbus ‘Sharklet’ Wingtip Design Reduces Fuel Use 3.5% Airbus is…
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    ecopop RSS feed

  • OPPOSITE DAY!

    It was a small gallery and book store dedicated to the art of children's books. The art was good and inspiring and in Abilene of all places. Why? Because the mayor at the time was curious to know why a children's book had so many mentions of Abilene.

  • Art From Fire.

    ART from the ashes has announced its first exhibition, artist reception and silent auction at Cisco Home in Pasadena, California. The exhibition will run from November 1-15 and the silent auction will take place on November 1st. Proceeds from the auction will go to benefit Meta (Making Education the Answer).

  • Molotov Cocktails and Ice Cream Smiles.

    The Anarchist Ice Cream Truck, a NY ice cream company that serves treats for the streets with a side of anarchy. Meet Aaron Gach, a 34-year old entrepreneur who is taking his hi-tech Ice Cream Tactical Unit to the streets.

  • Helping The Homeless Help Themselves.

    In a recent article from the Oregon State Wire, we learned that, in Corvallis, the homeless were being hired to count the homeless. It seems like a no-brainer but it got us thinking.

  • Billboards Provide Disaster Relief.

    We've often wondered about these space-holder ads and if they couldn't work a little harder or be put to better use. One idea we had a few years back was to have local artists create billboard art using a series of sentences like "This Space For Rent" and "Your Ad Here." Our driver liked that idea and said he'd "Get 'r done".
 
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    The Good Human

  • Quick Green Reads For The Weekend Volume 144.

    david
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    Paying More for Flights Eases Guilt, Not Emissions “The carbon offset has become this magic pill, a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card,” Justin Francis, the managing director of Responsible Travel, one of the world’s largest green travel companies to embrace environmental sustainability, said in an interview. “It’s seductive to the consumer who says, ‘It’s $4 and I’m carbon-neutral, so I can fly all I want.’ ” A new study by Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that the typical variety of cleaning products used in schools released 457 different chemicals into the air.

  • Book Review & Giveaway: Alicia Silverstone’s “The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide To Feeling Great, Losing Weight, And Saving The Planet”.

    david
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    This giveaway has ended. Let me just say right up front that I am not a vegetarian; not even close. But I do my best to eat as well as I can, and the meat I do consume is almost always organic and from sustainable sources. That all being said, when I was offered a chance to check out Alicia Silverstone’s new book “The Kind Diet” I jumped at the chance because I had heard such great things about it already. A friend of mine runs a site dedicated to skin care called My Skin Affair, and landed an interview with Alicia about her book and Ecotools, an earth-friendly line of make…

  • Do One Thing: Check Local Recycling Laws.

    david
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am
    This week’s Do One Thing is all about recycling. Each state and city has their own recycling laws, so it is very important that you find out what can and cannot be recycled where you live. Check to see if your recycling can be mixed together, what kinds of plastic can be recycled (check out my post about the plastic recycling numbers if you are not sure), and if your items need to be cleaned prior to drop off. The last thing you want to do is to either contaminate the recycling stream or make much more work for the people sorting your recyclables. So check with your town or local…

  • Greenwash Of The Week: Green Private Jets.

    david
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    Uh….yeaaaa. Not buying it. There is absolutely no such thing as an eco-friendly private jet that is meant to fly the filthy rich, by themselves, around the globe at 30,000 feet and 300 miles per hour. Mind you, the jets themselves are not green – rather, the companies that operate them are offering their clients a way to buy their way out of any guilt with carbon offsets that typically cost only 1% of the expense of the flight…a dollar amount that a private jet client would hardly notice. From The Guardian in the UK: Other private jet companies are joining the green push.
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    EcoMetro Portland

  • Use Clean Energy

    EcoMetro Editors
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm
    Buy Green Power Portland General Electric (greenpoweroregon.com) Purchase 100% of your energy for .012 kWh (usually $9 per month) with Green Source, or buy units of wind power with Clean Wind for $2.50 per unit (about 25% average usage). Clark Public Utilities (clarkpublicutilities.com) For $1.50 each, buy 100 kWh units of Green Lights power. Pacific Power (pacificpower.net) Purchase Blue Sky power for $1.95 per 100 kWh block, or pay $.0089 per kWh for all your power. Add an additional $2.50 per month to support native fish habitat. NW Natural (nwnatural.com) The Smart Energy program supports…

  • Make Your Cleaners

    EcoMetro Editors
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm
    Scrub the tub Mix baking soda with water for an abrasive scrubbing paste, or substitute castile soap such as Dr. Bronner’s in place of water for extra power. To disinfect the bathroom, spray with hydrogen peroxide and rinse with water. Claim the drain Pour baking soda in the drain, add 1 cup white vinegar, and watch the volcano, just like in grade school. Flush with hot water and repeat if necessary. All hands on the pans Mix white vinegar with enough salt to form a paste, and watch the grease slip away. Add 1 tsp lemon juice for scent and extra power. Lovin’ the oven An overnight soak is…

  • Chinook Book Events Through November 27

    EcoMetro Portland Team
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:18 am
    Eco Elegant Wedding Show Learn how to plan a more green and ethical wedding. This event will showcase some of Portland's premier wedding vendors offering eco-friendly/sustainable products. Enjoy food and beverage tastings, a fashion show, presentations and more! Sat, Nov 21, 11am-4pm Center for Architecture, 403 NW 11th Ave First Fix-It Fair The City of Portland's 23rd annual Fix-It Fair season will kick off with a new addition: workshops in Spanish. Fix-It Fairs are free events where residents can learn simple and effective ways to save money at home this winter.  All fairs…

  • Chinook Book Events Through Nov 20

    EcoMetro Portland Team
    13 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm
    Rock 'N Roll Camp for Girls ROCK'TION ROCK'TION 2009 promises to become the annual event that puts some ROCK into the fall season.  Entertainment by Karoake from Hell, a live auction featuring guitars signed by Joan Jett and Heart, art signed by Pearl Jam and memorabilia from Sandi West of the Runaways. Fri, Nov 13, 7pm-12am Billy Frank, Jr. Conference Center, 721 NW Ninth Ave, 2nd Fl Junk to Funk Recycled Fashion Show Contest An annual event aimed to educate it's audiences about waste reduction, recycling issues and to inspire creative re-use.  Showcasing wearable…

  • Portland Welcomes United Bicycle Institute

    EcoMetro Portland Team
    10 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    On October 24 the United Bicycle Institute’s (UBI) celebrated with an open house at their new Portland location. Originally hailing from Ashland, Oregon, UBI has now brought their expertise, diverse training and advanced facilities to the Rose City. Under warm sunny skies, UBI celebrated its open house with a variety of activities, including a day-long frame building demonstration, mini tech clinics, tours of the facility and a meet-n-greet with UBI instructors. Food and beverages were provided and proceeds of UBI’s frame raffle and "garage sale" netted $2,100 for the Community…
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    green.tv

  • A Love Lost

    19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    A lost love. A failed relationship. A video diary of a once beautiful thing.

  • The Kamburu Story

    18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    The Kamburu Story - A Community-led Response to Climate Change shares the experience of The Gaia Foundation's Kenyan partner, The Institute of Culture & Ecology, as they work with the Kamburu community of central Kenya. This story shows the courageous steps of the community as they re-learn and enhance indigenous organic farming methods. The programme has been community-led, in recognition that the agricultural knowledge needed for food sovereignty are already within the community. In just 18 months the people of Kamburu have created a food surplus and are now sharing their learnings with…

  • A Quick Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen

    17 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    Green Thing has produced a Quick Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen with diplomacy illustrated through the medium of cookery. Watch it. Share it. Don't try to cook it. And remember, as Chef says: "It does not have to be pretty, it just has to work."

  • Darwin's Discoverers

    15 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    Plant Hunter Dan introduces the Discoverers. The 6-7 year-olds are the 'Discoverers', hunting for the amazing plants that grow in their part of the world. They see similarities and differences between plants in different habitats, collect specimens and conduct simple experiments. www.greatplanthunt.org

  • green.tv Weekly News - November 9th 2009

    12 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    green.tv news brings you the top environmental stories from around the world...
 
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    INHABITAT

  • Would You Wear Your Dead Pet as Jewelry?

    Yuka Yoneda
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    When a beloved pet passes away, it’s only natural to want to keep their memory close – but how close?!! A few very, er, enterprising companies are giving mourning animal lovers the opportunity to wear the remains of their dearly beloved furry friends as pearls or even diamonds. Technically, this faddish practice has some basis in eco-fashion (since it’s definitely better than unethically sourced jewels) but is it good for grieving pet owners’ mental health or just a sign that their sanity is already beyond repair?READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE> Permalink | Add to del.icio.us |…

  • Studio Lindfors’ Haunting Visual Prediction of Our Flooded Future World

    Moe Beitiks
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    The phrases “melting polar ice caps” and “rising water lines” are so ubiquitous now that they’ve almost lost their meaning. It’s all too easy to think “it will happen to that city, not mine.” Well to give us a bit more perspective, Studio Lindfors has presented us with these hauntingly realistic post-flood visions of New York and Tokyo. In a future partially submerged by melting glacier water, gondolas reemerge as a form of travel, riverside plants nestle up against neon street signs, and aquaculture blooms under bridges. It’s Water World…

  • Polar Bear Robots Replace Dead Bears at St. Louis Zoo

    Beth Shea
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Officials at the St. Louis Zoo are preparing for their holiday Wild Lights exhibit by installing electronic polar bear proxies in place of the deceased polar bears who died in their captivity. The gesture is rife with social commentary, given the fact that polar bears have become the iconic images of climate change, and our generation could witness their extinction. Could artificial animal zoo exhibits be the reality of the near future? See what PETA proposes and learn more about this new breed of bear at Inhabitots.READ MORE AT INHABITOTS > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags:…

  • Power Your Music Player With Your Running Pants

    Ariel Schwartz
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am
    Instead of just burning calories, why not use all that energy from exercising to power your MP3 player? The Dancepants Kinetic Music Player, a shortlisted entry in Designboom’s Green Life competition, lets you do just that by converting kinetic energy from running, hopping, jumping, etc. into electricity to power an iPod or other music player. According to the Dancepants designers, the product is a “100 percent interactive way to feel the value of energy on your own.”READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: dancepants, ipod, kinetic energy, mp3,…

  • Construction Begins on Amazing Tunnel-Shaped Rotterdam Market Hall

    Bridgette Meinhold
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am
    Imagine having this sweet public market pop up in your town? Well the lucky residents of Rotterdam are actually getting one! This week, the mayor of the city announced the commencement of construction on the huge tunnel-shaped market hall which will flash images of gigantic fresh fruits and vegetables via LCD screens on the inside and be lined with balconied apartments offering killer views on the outside. This true mixed-use development combining residences, shopping, restaurants and a public market will be a central hub of activity for citizens and tourists. The project is being developed…
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    DeSmogBlog - Clearing the PR Pollution that Clouds Climate Science

  • Who Is Bankrolling the "Friends of Science"?

    Mitchell Anderson
    22 Nov 2009 | 12:20 am
    untitled.jpeg So where is all the money coming from? In one of the worst non-profit fundraising environments in decades, how is that the so-called “Friends of Science” (FoS) who only months ago seemed to be begging for donations to keep the doors open are suddenly rolling out a national radio campaign and flashy new website likely worth more than a quarter of a million dollars? Informed sources tell us that the FoS nation-wide radio “blitz” would cost on the order of $60,000 per week. It also seems they recently revamped their once bare bones website to a Cadillac…

  • Climategate in Perspective, Featuring Isaac Newton

    Brendan Demelle
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm
    sir_isaac_newton_1702.jpg Climate conspriricists pounced at the opportunity yesterday to draw grandiose conclusions from the illegal hacking of private emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit.  They wasted no time declaring global warming a vast science-wing conspiracy, orchestrated by a powerful handful of white-coats who, when not publishing in reputable peer-reviewed science journals, were (gasp) emailing each other to talk shop and vent about climate skeptic “idiots” (how un-PC). The scandalistas say little about the fact that this breach…

  • Stolen CRU emails: Who are the criminals behind the conspiracy theorists?

    Kevin Grandia
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am
    morano.jpg Former Republican strategist Marc Morano is having as much fun with the stolen emails from the Climate Research Unit that he did with the Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth attack he led against John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. Morano and his site Climate Depot has become the climate conspiracy hub since this story broke on late Thursday. This cabal of climate deniers seems to think that 12 year-old emails between climate scientists somehow refutes the thousands of research papers produced over decades by thousands of researchers at some of the best scientific institutions…

  • E-Mails Reveal Scientists' Contempt for Skeptics

    Ross Gelbspan
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:29 am
    Hackers broke into the electronic files of one of the world's foremost climate research centers this week and posted an array of e-mails in which prominent scientists engaged in a blunt discussion of global warming research and disparaged climate-change skeptics. <!--break-->

  • Big Pharma Lobbyists Script Speeches In U.S. Congress, Industry Fights Against Generic Drugs

    Brendan Demelle
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm
    pharma_pills.jpg While our focus here at DeSmogBlog is to expose the public relations and lobbying antics that hinder effective responses to climate change, we are always on the lookout for other examples of how lobbying and PR impede progress on critical legislative efforts to protect people instead of profits.The health care reform bill in front of the U.S. Congress provides several noteworthy examples, perhaps none so appalling as that described in a front-page New York Times article this week about the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to script the floor speeches delivered by…
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    EcoTech Daily

  • The Daily Five: Friday, 20 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Energy Efficiency Rules for TVs; Cap and Trade only for power plants; Subaru’s Clean Car Plant; The Grace E-motorbike; Lunescent Syncs Streetlights California Approves Energy Efficiency Rules for TVs California regulators have passed the nation’s first television energy efficiency standards that, by 2013, will cut electricity consumption by almost half, the New York Times reports. Cap and Trade only for power plants and no one else? While President Obama and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill continue to focus on legislation covering greenhouse gas emissions across broad sections of…

  • Fox Islands Coastal Wind Project In New England Begins Power Generation

    David Quilty
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    The new Fox Islands Wind Project off the coast of Maine will generate 4.5 megawatts of electricity for the islands of Vinalhaven and North Haven, providing clean energy to the islands’ residents. In a nearly unanimous vote in July 2008, island residents ushered in a new era of renewable power in Maine by approving the project, and the turbines arrived earlier this summer. Several other island and coastal communities are now looking at community wind power as a viable alternative to traditional energy sources. The three turbines are expected to generate approximately 11,600 megawatt hours of…

  • The Daily Five: Thursday, 19 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Storing energy in salt; Poet reduces cellulosic ethanol production costs; Top 10 Eco Gadgets; Cash for Caulkers; Recycled Messenger Bag Solar plant to store energy in molten salt SolarReserve and Preneal have garnered the necessary permit to build a 50-megawatt thermal-solar plant in Spain that will use molten salt to store and release solar energy. Poet reduces cellulosic ethanol production costs No, not that kind of Poet. Poet LLC, the nation’s top ethanol producer, says it is has reduced its cellulosic ethanol production cost during the past year from $4.13 per gallon to $2.35 per…

  • The Daily Five: Wednesday, 18 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    House to Supply Power to Grid; Biomass Plays Big Role; ArmorLite Safety Coating for CFL; Citaro fuel cell bus; Big Wind-Turbine Plant in U.S. Energy Positive House to Supply Power to Grid in Sweden Swedish designers are currently constructing Villa Akarp, a residence that aims to combine energy conservation, energy recovery and energy generation technologies. If all goes as planned, the home will actually produce more energy than it uses and provide the excess to the grid. Biomass Plays Big Role in UK Renewable Energy While the market currently is dominated by utilities, if the government…

  • The Daily Five: Tuesday, 17 November, 2009

    David Quilty
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Radio Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car; Airbus ‘Sharklet’ Wingtip; Fuel cell vehicles; Uber-Thin Modular Solar Panels; Design concept ’shelf’ H2Go Radio Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car This is a far cry from what I had as a kid. The H2Go Radio Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car is probably one of the most advanced eco and educational toys you’ll ever see for children. Basically the car is powered using hydrogen gas, and can reach speeds of up to 6 miles an hour (which is a scale speed equivalent to 80mph!). Airbus ‘Sharklet’ Wingtip Design Reduces Fuel Use 3.5% Airbus is…
 
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    How can I recycle this?

  • How can I reuse or recycle expired fruit juice?

    louisa
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    We’ve had an email from Catherine: I can compost out of date fruit juice right? Right! Fruit juice can go straight into the compost heap – just be careful not to make the compost heap/bin too soggy (it needs to be damp, not too wet or too dry, to optimise the composting process). Before you throw it on there though, make sure it’s really gone off – don’t trust dates on packaging and don’t forget the difference between “use by”, “sell by” and “best before”. All the fruit juice cartons we’ve got to hand – both…

  • How can I reduce my addiction to cheap clothes?

    louisa
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Confession time: I’ve got an awful cognitive dissonance thing with buying cheap clothes – I know about the horrific conditions in sweatshops, I know how cotton production is incredibly damaging to the environment, I know how the clothes produced in sweatshops are (understandably) far from good quality and liable to fall apart quickly, I know how much energy is wasted transporting them around the world and I know that shop employees, especially in the cheapest pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap shops, are treated poorly and paid badly – and yet… I think I got…

  • How can I reuse or recycle fake flowers?

    louisa
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    We’ve had an email from Marisa: A bit of a weird one for you! My MIL is redecorating her living room and that means replacing her huge collection of fake flower bouquets to match the new colour scheme. I hate fake flowers but would like to save them from landfill if possible. Any suggestions? If the flowers aren’t too discoloured or dusty, offer them to your local charity/thrift/op shop for resale. If they are a bit too dusty for that, you could try cleaning them first – there are a variety of different ways to do it apparently, just be careful not to use hot water in case…

  • Interesting Reusing & Recycling links

    louisa
    17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    More and more people seem to be using the patterns from security envelopes for crafts these days – check out these kitchen roll tube & security envelope napkin holders by maya*made. Lindsey from SwirlyArts also uses them for gift tags and Design*sponge have turned them inside out for use as better-than-boring-white envelopes. Moving onto more fabricky pursuits, CraftyNest have a follow-up tutorial making headbags from the band of fabric leftover from making tank top totes. Speaking of using things efficiently, I like how Sadge at Firesign Farm’s pillowcase-into-an-apron…

  • How can I reuse or recycle plastic pet food bags?

    louisa
    16 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    We’ve had an email from Alana: The kibble I get my dog has switched from being in paper bags to plastic ones. What can I do with them now? You may still be able to recycle them – the plastic cat food bags we’ve got are labelled as recyclable (although not actually saying what type of plastic they are, just that “most councils accept them for recycling” – a great example of the unhelpful lack of information that Simon was complaining about the other day – I suspect they’ll be LDPE, ie number 4 plastic). Check the packaging for similar (although…
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    UrbanWorkbench

  • Peak Oil Vignette 2 – Buses

    Mike Thomas
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    People used to walk for pleasure, now they walk because it is too expensive to drive anywhere that you could reasonably walk. We’d all hoped that public transit buses would be able to keep up with the growing demand from the newly carless, but in time, the buses just became another victim of the rising cost of everything. Not enough had been invested in buses before they became necessary, (or too difficult to source), and as the demand across the continent for public transit grew, those communities with the money and population to support it got the buses. Our little town got one.

  • Just Because…

    Mike Thomas
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    I know enough of what we don’t for sure know is going on to know that it is probably going on. Just because someone sells it, gives it away or permits it to be sold doesn’t mean that it is good. Just because something is illegal, doesn’t mean it is dangerous or bad for you. Just because someone makes money, doesn’t mean they are evil. Just because they tell you it’s true, doesn’t mean it is. I’m not out looking for conspiracy theories or anything like that, but the lack of critical thinking in the mainstream media – and the flow-on effect of…

  • Preparedness and Possibiilities

    Mike Thomas
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    The media madness and hype has whirled around the topics of peak oil and peak energy – there have been the deniers, and apparently any argument that goes against the mainstream business as usual case needs to have it’s fair share of deniers. More power to them, freedom of speech and all that. But what baffles me more than anything is that there are numerous localized examples of oil supplies peaking around the world, and most governments are only seeing fossil fuels as part of the great carbon equation and global warming that has been the flavour of the day in recent months. At…

  • Rain Storms and Return Periods.

    Mike Thomas
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:34 am
    There is a rainfall warning on for today with 40-50mm of rain forecast in the next 24 hours. There is a modest amount of snow on the ground here in Castlegar, more up in Rossland, so there would be some snow melt occurring as well. If it comes, this is probably the biggest daily rainfall we will have had this year. Looking at the climate averages on the Environment Canada website, the data to 2000 shows few extreme rainfalls greater than 40mm in any month for Castlegar. One phrase I hear way too much of around here is reference to a “1 in a 100 year storm”. Since moving here in…

  • Peak Oil Vignette 1 – Gas

    Mike Thomas
    13 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    Tempers flared as residents demanded the fuel that they know was non-existent. The previously daily routine of delivery trucks rolling into town had become an erratic affair, best described as disappointingly infrequent. Store shelves lacked the variety they’d once sported and demand for goods had grown among the apathetic population to the point where people had taken to just sitting down at the highway overpass waiting for a truck to roll in, watching for an indication of which store was going to get the delivery. The gas tanker-trucks were the most prized, gas station owners had…
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    First Global Xpress

  • The Best International Shipping Company for Architectural Firms

    Chevon Drew
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:40 am
    When Pei Partnership Architects reached out to FGX, they asked if we could offer them a better, faster, more personalized way to ship their delicate models.  Our answer?  “Yes we can.” FGX makes it easy for me to ship internationally; their customer service has been really helpful every time I’ve called.  I found it easy to use the online shipping feature, especially since customer service helps me take care of any documentation to be attached to the package. I called for a quote for shipping some time sensitive brochures to a special client.  The customer service team…

  • Fuel Surcharge

    Justin
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:08 am
    Currently: FGX 6.00% Valid through 11/30/09

  • How to ship

    Justin
    12 Aug 2009 | 6:40 am
    Type www.ship.fgx.com Enter your User ID and Password Click logon … To book a shipment click the Courier Bookings tab (located in the upper right hand of your screen) For an outbound shipment, click Create Consignment (located in the upper right hand of your screen) Enter pertinent address details. Try to fill in every field if possible. If you have shipped to this location before, saved address details can be found in the “get from my address book” link If you received a quote number prior to shipping, you may enter that near the bottom left. You may also choose to send a pre-alert…

  • The Search for Sustainable Shipping Supplies

    Chevon Drew
    11 Jun 2009 | 2:47 pm
    FGX is on its way to being the greenest international air courier. We’ve cut carbon emissions per shipment and now we’d like to partner with suppliers who offer greener packing materials. I’ve started referring to this sourcing project as “The Hunt for Green October” because that’s about when I expect we’ll find a manufacturer willing to offer a selection of greener shipping supplies. That may be hyperbolic but the hyperbole is warranted. Greener packing materials do not seem to be at the top of the list of many manufacturers that we reached out to.

  • The Fashion-Friendly FGX

    Chevon Drew
    11 May 2009 | 2:32 pm
    High fashion and high stress can go hand-in-hand.  Learn how FGX keeps it calm, collected- and “delivers in a pinch” for V Magazine. Late one Friday evening Teddy fielded an urgent phone call from Visionaire Publishing.  Catherine Newell-Hanson, market editor for V Magazine and VMAN, was desperately trying to get a shipment out that night- and have it delivered in time for a 9:00AM photo shoot in Los Angeles. There were no commercial flights to be had at such a late hour and the earliest flight the next morning would not land in time to get the package to the photo shoot. …
 
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    Green Daily

  • Eco-Beat, 11/20

    Josh Loposer
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Did you see Jimmy Fallon's awesome eco-jam last night? Is climate change giving a boost to the sex industry? Isn't George W. Bush getting to the green party a little too late? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips. Jimmy Fallon's Acoustic Eco-Medley Who took top honors on NBC's eco-friendly comedy extravaganza? Surprisingly, I think Jimmy Fallon took home the grand prize with his eco-medley that spoofed Amy Winehouse, Justin Timberlake, Green Day, Jay-Z, etc. He really went all out. Check out the video. Climate Change Responsible for Rise in Prostitution?

  • Tips for a Green Thanksgiving

    Cat Lincoln
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am
    Filed under: Food Time for Thanksgiving Turkeys!/Photo: Tim Sloan, Getty Images How did Thanksgiving get here already? It's right around the corner, but if you're one of the many (like me!) still putting your plans together, here are some resources from around the internet to help you make it a Green Thanksgiving! The center of attention for most of us is the turkey. The Sierra Club recommends "heritage turkeys." Most of the turkeys you'll find in supermarkets are Broad-breasted Whites, which have been industrially bred since the '60s to produce a big breast quickly and cheaply. "Heritage…

  • Eco-Beat, 11/19

    Josh Loposer
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Are you tuning in for the "green week" editions of "The Office" and "30 Rock" tonight? Why is Audi making fun of people with low-carbon commutes? Need some eco-friendly holiday tips? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips. Jack Donaghy Cares About the Environment Green is universal. For proof, just look to GE's fictitious VP of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming, Jack Donaghy. He cares about the earth so much that he has rare flowers flown in from Sri Lanka every morning to decorate his office. Now that's green. Audi Thinks Bikes Are for Suckers…

  • Terracycle and Kimberly-Clark Team Up to Eliminate Plastic Wrap Guilt

    Cat Lincoln
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:02 am
    Filed under: Food, Gadgets and Tech, Activism TerraCycle bow made from Cliff Bar wrappers. Photo: TerraCycle.com If you are a dedicated recycler and composter like I am, you've probably experienced the maxi-green level of waste management guilt: plastic wrap remorse. It's what happens to The Eco People when we remove all of the recyclables and food waste from our trash. The only things left are dirty ziplock bags that no one will ever convince me to wash our and reuse, and a bunch of the flexible plastic that covers things like paper towels and toilet paper. When waste is segregated like…

  • Eco-Beat, 11/18

    Josh Loposer
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Could your office use a visit from Recyclops? Is male pee better than female pee when it comes to composting? Is Joe Biden's motorcade highlighting the safety issues between cars and pedestrians? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips. Recyclops Says: Recycle or be Destroyed Yet another teaser has emerged to whet our appetite for NBC's Green Week programming. This one features the intergalactic superhero known as Recyclops, who's come here to harass the cast of "The Office" with his hilarious antics. Check out the clip. Is Compost Sexist? The UK's National Trust…
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    Environmental Health News

  • Acid oceans leave fish at more risk from predators.

    jpmyers@ehsic.org
    22 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Ocean acidification could cause fish to become "fatally attracted" to their predators, according to scientists. A team studying the effects of acidification - caused by dissolved CO2 - on ocean reefs found that it leaves fish unable to "smell danger".

  • Disunity damages deal on ETS.

    jpmyers@ehsic.org
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Disunity within the coalition is hobbling efforts by both sides of politics to achieve a deal on emissions trading, Labor's junior climate change minister Greg Combet says.

  • Children starve in parched southern Madagascar.

    jpmyers@ehsic.org
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    As temperatures rise due to climate change, drought, crop failure and deforestation have combined to create a crisis of malnutrition in Madagascar.

  • Canada welcomes U.S. move to set a target for cutting gas emissions.

    jpmyers@ehsic.org
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Washington's move toward a target for slashing greenhouse gas emissions is "good news" on the eve of next month's Copenhagen climate change summit, federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice says.

  • Hacked e-mails fuel climate change skeptics.

    jpmyers@ehsic.org
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Hundreds of private e-mails and documents hacked from a computer server at a British university are causing a stir among global warming skeptics, who say they show that climate scientists conspired to overstate the case for a human influence on climate change.
 
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    Green Car Congress

  • Report: Industry Backing for Oil Sands Pipelines to Canadian West Coast Growing

    Mike Millikin
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:28 am
    With the Canadian energy industry seeking diversification from the US and potential greenhouse gsa regulations, the Globe and Mail reports that commercial backing is growing for Enbridge Inc.’s stalled Northern Gateway pipelines project. The Northern Gateway Project. Click to enlarge.The Northern Gateway is a proposed 1,170-kilometer twin pipeline capable of carrying 525,000 barrels per day of oil sands crude from Edmonton, Alberta to Kitimat on the British Columbia coast and more than 190,000 barrels per day of condensate back from Kitimat to Edmonton. In 2005, when Enbridge Inc.

  • Researchers Develop Solid-State, Rechargeable Lithium-Air Battery; Potential to Exceed 1,000 Wh/kg

    Mike Millikin
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:13 am
    Sample UDRI solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air batteries, and Dr. Binod Kumar. Click to enlarge.Engineers at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) have developed a solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air battery. When fully developed, the battery could exceed specific energies of 1,000 Wh/kg in practical applications, the researchers wrote in a paper published online 13 November in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society. The cell comprises a Li metal anode, a highly Li-ion conductive solid electrolyte membrane laminate fabricated from glass–ceramic (GC) and…

  • Indias Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Mandates Rainwater Harvesting

    Mike Millikin
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:39 am
    India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will implement rainwater harvesting in all the existing ONGC residential complexes across India. ONGC has made it mandatory to implement the system in all future projects also. The objective of the scheme is to replenish the ground water table which is slowly receding due to urban development and excessive and continued exploitation of ground water. In a statement, ONGC said that with the concept of triple bottomline getting more relevant and focused, it has been realized that the companies operating in both global and domestic markets are…

  • Hyperion Unveils Design of its Small Modular Nuclear Reactor, the Hyperion Power Module

    Mike Millikin
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:29 am
    At the recent Annual Winter Conference of the American Nuclear Society in Washington, and simultaneously at the “Powering Toward 2020” conference in London, England, Hyperion Power Generation Inc. revealed the design for the first version of its Hyperion Power Module (HPM), a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) that it intends to have licensed and manufactured at facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The HPM is a compact (approx. 1.5m wide x 2.5m tall), sealed and self-contained, simple-to-operate nuclear power reactor, euphemistically referred to by the company as a…

  • EPA Reports Fifth Consecutive Annual Increase in US New Vehicle Fuel Economy; Up 9% Since 2004, Back to Levels of Early 1980s

    Mike Millikin
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:17 am
    Adjusted CO2 emissions and adjusted fuel economy by model year. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge.For the fifth consecutive year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reporting an increase in new vehicle fuel efficiency with a corresponding decrease in average carbon dioxide emissions for new US cars and light duty trucks. This marks the first time that data for CO2 emissions are included in the annual report, Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2009. For 2008, the last year for which EPA has final data from automakers, the…
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    The Green Leap Forward 绿跃进

  • Announcements of U.S.-China Cooperation Create a Path to Copenhagen Success

    Julian
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:46 pm
    More perspectives on the announcements coming out of Beijing, this time focusing on the implications on Copenhagen.  Co-written with my colleague Andrew Light and originally published here. The United States and China announced on Tuesday a package of cooperative agreements  on clean energy and climate change that are remarkable in both breadth and ambition (see previous post “Obama and Hu announce comprehensive strategy for clean energy and climate change collaboration“). The cluster of seven initiatives, partnerships, action plans, and research centers covers a range of…

  • The “how much” and “how to” of China’s goal to reduce carbon intensity

    Julian
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:55 pm
    In September, President Hu Jintao announced that China will seek to reduce its carbon emissions per unit of GDP, or carbon intensity, by a “noticeable margin” (see previous post “China’s Carbon Intensity Plans and its Impacts on Climate Progress“).  The world has been waiting with bated breath to learn just how noticeable this margin will be.  The China Council of International Cooperation on Environment and Development, or CCICED, an advisory body of 200 international experts formed in 1992 that provides environmental policy advice to the Chinese central…

  • Obama and Hu announce comprehensive strategy for clean energy and climate change collaboration

    Julian
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm
    As expected, the U.S.-China presidential summit in Beijing yielded an agreement on clean energy and climate change that focused on collaboration rather than emissions target setting (see my comments in Time.com and China Daily).  Here’s a run-down on what this cooperation entails, in a piece published simultaneously at Climate Progress with my colleague Andrew Light. “Very exciting day here in Beijing.  There’s enormous interest in both governments in working together to fight climate change. The package announced today is far-reaching and can make a real difference in cutting…

  • Energy Service Companies in China

    Julian
    27 Oct 2009 | 10:11 pm
    Guest blogger Tristan Edmondson (right), partner at Mint Research, a clean tech consultancy, describes China’s growing Energy Service Company (ESCO) industry. China has one of the worst ratios of energy use to GDP in the world, two and a half times the world average. This undoubtedly creates investment opportunities for a country that is awash in capital. But despite the huge potential of China’s ESCO industry, it has yet to approach the size of the ESCO industry in the US where it is an industry worth six billion dollars a year. What is an ESCO? Under an energy performance…

  • Carbon trading, taxes and putting the cart before the horse

    Julian
    12 Oct 2009 | 10:11 pm
    There have been mixed messages lately about whether China will soon adopt a carbon emissions trading scheme.  On the eve of President Hu Jintao’s speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York last month, Times Online ran a sensationally misleading story suggesting that China would adopt a carbon emissions trading scheme that would “for the first time, place limits on the amount of greenhouse gases Chinese industries are allowed to emit.”  The article went on to say: A delegation from the China Beijing Environmental Exchange (CBEEX), a government-backed platform for trading…
 
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    TerraPass Footprint

  • Refuting the carbon offset guilt myth -- again

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pm
    The Times rehashes old arguments by Adam Stern On a day when President Obama and President Hu announced new U.S.-China climate agreements in Beijing, the editors at the New York Times chose to give front-page visibility to a story that criticizes carbon offsets. Surely history will judge the progress announced by the American and Chinese leaders as more significant than the offset story. But the prominence of the offset article means it will float around for a while and thus it deserves a response. The main premise of the article, which incidentally did not mention TerraPass by name, is that…

  • Kyoto works

    17 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm
    Europe is on track to meet goals. The rest of the world should take note. by Adam Stein It seems like it should be bigger news that the Kyoto Protocol is working: According to new data from the European Environment Agency (EEA), all of the EU-15 members except Austria are now on track to exceed their Kyoto obligations. In fact, the group as a whole will likely slash emissions more than 13 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. The report from the EEA is careful to distinguish between reductions caused by the economic collapse and reductions that can be attributed to carbon policy, including the…

  • Bike-sharing hits rough spot in Paris

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pm
    Vandalism and theft affect 80% of bikes by Adam Stein I more or less ignored some of the early reports of trouble with the Velib bike-sharing program in Paris, because they seemed thinly reported. But the recent Times article paints a troubling picture: With 80 percent of the initial 20,600 bicycles stolen or damaged, the program’s organizers have had to hire several hundred people just to fix them. And along with the dent in the city-subsidized budget has been a blow to the Parisian psyche. The vandalism rate is astonishingly high, but the program nevertheless remains quite popular:…

  • Smart grid round-up

    17 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am
    Stimulus funds, consumer backlash, and intelligent thermostats by Adam Stein Lotsa smart grid news these days: Barack Obama announced $3.4 billion in stimulus funding for smart grid projects. A good chunk of that goes to smart meter deployment and demand response programs. Another huge chunk goes to grid modernization. $3.4 billion isn’t that much in the scheme of things, but cash-for-clunkers haters can feel good that real money is being steered toward energy efficiency. Meanwhile, smart meters have been provoking a backlash in California. The problem appears to be mainly a case of bad…

  • Is your backyard ready for wind energy?

    16 Nov 2009 | 10:12 pm
    Yes, there's an app for that too. by Hanh Ho Do you ever look out your window, watch the branches swaying in the wind and wonder whether you could be generating your own wind power? Well iPhone users, you can now download the app you never knew you needed… it will tell you whether you it’s windy enough for your own personal turbine. Mariah Power. Windspire Me uses the phone’s microphone to capture wind noise and convert this into a decibel rating that in turn corresponds to wind speed. If you want more on the science you can read more at the New York Times greeninc blog. The app…
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    World Resources Institute: Earthtrends

  • Population and Consumption

    Richard Kahle
    13 Nov 2009 | 2:36 pm
    The air is full of carbon dioxide and other pollutants; The ocean is emptying; We have observed record setting harvests over the last few years, and yet chronic hunger persists and has recently been increasing; The planet is experiencing the 6th great extinction; All of these are the result of human activity. This evidence illustrates that we have not responsibly managed, neither through governance nor technology, our environmental resources. In the absence of finding a sustainable relationship with our ecosystem, we might conclude that we have reached Earth's carrying capacity.read more

  • Sanitation: Access and Health

    EarthTrends
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:12 am
    Human waste may be a topic that people generally do not or prefer not to think about. However, its capture and disposal (often referred to in terms of sanitation) play a vital role in human health and development. The importance of sanitation as a basic human need has made it an international development priority and a key target in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Even though since 1990 the percent of the global population with access to improved sanitation has increased (see Figure 1.), lack of improved sanitation still threatens human health and development particularly in…

  • Piracy and Governance in the Gulf of Aden

    EarthTrends
    19 Oct 2009 | 9:01 am
    The number of piracy attacks reported this year have already far exceeded those of last year. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as of September 23, 2009, 294 piratical incidents have been reported, with 97 occurring in the Gulf of Aden and 47 off of the remaining coasts of Somalia. Figure 1 shows the placements of pirate attacks within the Gulf of Aden from July to September, 2009.read more

  • Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Factoids

    Samah Elsayed
    15 Oct 2009 | 4:49 pm
    Today is Blog Action Day, an annual event where bloggers worldwide combine their energies to highlight a specific issue. Over 10,000 sites from more than 150 countries, are participating in this years discussion on climate change. As part of EarthTrends contribution we will be highlighting a few key climate change trends and statistics. read more

  • The 6th Extinction and Protected Areas

    Richard Kahle
    2 Oct 2009 | 9:34 am
    The 6th Extinction A mass extinction is under way. Human activity, not natural phenomenon, is the difference between this extinction and the five previous big extinctions that have occurred in Earth's history. The current extinction is driven by habitat loss, overexploitation of species, invasive species and pollution. All of these, the result of humans. The current extinction rate is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural rate. (International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN) Current estimates put the extinction rate at roughly 30,000 species per year which is about…
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    American Public Media Marketplace

  • U.S. green biz seen as risky investment

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    Kevin Parker, global head of asset management for Deutsche Bank, tells host Kai Ryssdal why he is currently steering investors away from American companies developing clean-energy systems and products.

  • Mexico eyes next export: Wind energy

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:13 am
    In the Mexican state of Baja California, the government and international corporations want to build wind farms that could generate enough electricity to power homes in the United States while boosting the state's economy. Sam Eaton reports.

  • California bans energy-eating TVs

    18 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am
    California regulators have banned certain kinds of flat-screen TVs to meet energy-efficiency requirements. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.

  • Wyoming could tax wind development

    18 Nov 2009 | 4:08 am
    Wyoming state legislators are talking about placing a new tax on wind development. Molly Messick reports.

  • Harvesting gas from the dairy air

    17 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    A California utility is aggressively developing power sources cleaner than coal -- natural gas, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar ... and now even cow manure. But Pacific Gas & Electric isn't turning green totally on its own. It's the law. Sarah Gardner reports.
 
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    Ecofriend

  • Eco Gadgets: Solar Sticker makes any battery harvest renewable energy

    Jolly
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:52 am
    Eco Gadgets: Flexible solar panel for rechargeable batteries. Disposable batteries did transform technology and let to the advent of a range of portable electronic devices that were powered by them. However, since most of these batteries end up in the landfill after they’re discharged, rechargeables are considered a better option for the environment. Industrial designer Jon West of Indakind Designs is making sure that rechargeable batteries have an even smaller carbon footprint, with a solar sticker that converts any rechargeable battery to a solar-powered one. The patent-pending design is…

  • Eco Tech: UDRI develops first solid-state lithium-air battery, reduces fire hazards

    Jolly
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:33 am
    Eco Factor: Solid-state rechargeable lithium-air battery reduces risk of explosion. Engineers at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) have developed the first solar-state, rechargeable lithium-air battery that addresses the fire and explosion risks common with lithium-ion batteries. The research team stated that while lithium-ion batteries are portable and have better energy density than other types of rechargeables, such as nickel cadmium, there have been a number of accidents and a large number of recalls involving lithium-ion batteries. The newly developed solid-state…

  • Eco Homes: Sanyo to start marketing solar-powered homes with Li-ion batteries

    Jolly
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:19 am
    Eco Factor: Carbon neutral homes designed to be powered on renewable energy. After developing the best in solar technology, Sanyo has announced that it will soon be marketing solar-powered sustainable homes in Japan. The Sanyo Home will be equipped with a 3.78KW solar array and a 1.57KW Sanyo lithium-ion battery for backup. The batteries will store excess solar energy, so that the house can remain off-grid during night or during overcast days. The home will also feature 10 LED light fixtures and a solar-powered heat-pump water heater to minimize energy loss. With those many ecofriendly…

  • Eco Cars: Lambo-styled all-electric Harbinger from ECOS debuts in Vegas

    Jolly
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:18 pm
    Eco Factor: Zero-emission supercar runs on batteries. Electric Cars of Springfield (ECOS) has recently unveiled its all-electric supercar at SEMA 2009. The Lamborghini-styled Harbinger™ is designed to reach a speed of 60mph in just 5 seconds and has an electronically-imposed limit of 117mph. The vehicle is equipped with an 11” Netgain DC motor that gets powered by a 30KWh lithium-ion battery, which is claimed to be good enough for a 150 mile range. The company thinks that the unique styling of the vehicle will make people part with $89,995 and is now accepting reservations for a limited…

  • Eco Tech: Duracell’s Power Rovers to power 2010 numerals on New Year’s Eve

    Jolly
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:03 pm
    Eco Factor: Pedal-powered energy generators developed by Duracell. Duracell has kicked off its energy collection system that will power the iconic 2010 numerals on New Year’s Eve. The Power Rovers developed by the company ask visitors to pedal to generate energy, which will be stored for use December 31st. The energy generated will also be made available to tourists to power up their portable electronic devices and play Xbox games. Duracell’s Smart Power Lab will be open November 23 through December 31. Via: GoodCleanTech/PRWeb
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    Consumer Reports: Home & Garden

  • In this turkey trot, TurboChef is faster than Electrolux Wave-Touch range and NuWave oven

    Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    As cooking appliances get faster, records continue to fall in our labs. The video (right) shows how the TurboChef 30" Double Wall Speedcook oven, using "Airspeed Technology," cranked out a nicely browned 13-pound turkey in a record 53 minutes. So if time is really of the essence—you'll have to shell out about $8,000 for a TurboChef—this dual oven could be for you.No oven or range we've tested is as fast as the TurboChef, though the Electrolux Wave-Touch smoothtop electric range wasn't that far off—and costs about $6,000 less. With its Perfect Turkey setting…

  • Home-use fire extinguishers are key safety gear, especially over the holidays

    Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:37 pm
    With Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's upon us, the risk of a fire at your home could be higher since you're likely to be cooking more, using holiday lighting (especially on Christmas trees and the like), and perhaps even burning candles more frequently.The best way to avoid fires is to be safe; check out our safety advice for the kitchen, holiday lights, and candles. Still, you should have fire extinguishers on hand, keeping one each in the kitchen, garage, workshop, basement, and on every living area of the home—and have one nearby when grilling or…

  • Tip of the Day: Get rid of roof algae, which can damage shingles

    Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:28 am
    Rooftop gardens have been touted as a type of cool roof that can help reduce energy use and costs. But one plant life you don't want to see on your roof is Gloeocapsa magma, a blackish algae that thrives on moisture seems to have an affinity for material used in some roofing products. When left unchecked, it can damage shingles.This algae creeps its way upward on roofs, gradually turning shingles dark brown or black. It's easy to spot along some east-west streets with lots of trees, and sometimes it's present house after house.My wife and I recently noticed Gloeocapsa magma algae…

  • Learn more about the Amish heater and EdenPure space heater

    Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm
    The calendar indicates that heating season is  upon us, but the Home & Garden blog team doesn't need to look at a thermometer or watch the Weather Channel to know it's starting to get colder here in the New York City metro area and elsewhere around the country.Nope, all we've got to do is look at the traffic to and comments about heating appliances on the Home & Garden blog and ConsumerReports.org. Specifically, readers are looking for information about the Heat Surge Roll-n-Glow Electric Fireplace (aka the Amish heater), EdenPure space heaters, and pellet stoves.

  • Some celeb chef kitchen knives, like those from Paula and Martha, don't make the cut

    Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:46 am
    You might enjoy watching the many celebrity chefs who perform culinary magic (and, sometimes, mayhem) on TV, but based on the results of our tests of kitchen knives, you'd be better off learning a technique or a new recipe from them than buying the kitchen knives that bear their names.The video (right) details why knife sets from Paula Deen and Martha Stewart are near the bottom of our ratings of more than four dozen different sets of kitchen knives (available to subscribers) and those from Rachael Ray and the Culinary Institute of America might not be a sharp buy. If you're in the…
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    metaefficient

  • Best Backyard Compost Tumblers

    benjamin
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:10 pm
    Best Compost Tumblers Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste your household generates, plus there’s the added benefit of free fertilizer for your yard or garden. There are some nifty options for indoor composting on the market, but to do it on a larger scale you need to move outdoors. Here are four of the best compost tumblers available, each of which will help keep your backyard composting as easy and tidy as possible. (more…) Related posts:Naturemill Pro Promises Easy & Efficient Indoor CompostingSun-Mar ToiletsA Clever Rainwater Diverter © Justin Thomas for…

  • REI’s LEED Certified Stores

    benjamin
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
    LEED Gold REI Store In Round Rock, TX (image: REI) REI’s newest LEED certified retail stores are evidence that smart business and environmental responsibility sometimes lead down the same path. These new stores enjoy lower operating costs, and customers appreciate the company’s dedication to sustainable building. (more…) Related posts:The First LEED Platinum Data CenterAn Energy Producing Home In DisguiseVancouver: All New Developments Must Be Green © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments

  • Toshiba Dynario Fuel Cell Device Charger

    benjamin
    10 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pm
    Toshiba Dynario Fuel Cell Device Charger (photo: Toshiba) The first commercially available fuel cell device charger is here! (Well, technically it’s only “here” if you’re reading this in Japan, but that should soon change). Toshiba’s Dynario charger packs fuel cell technology into a portable package that can provide instant power to a dead mobile phone or other gadget, completely off the grid. (more…) Related posts:Fuel Cells Being Used To Power Japanese HomesAn Energy Producing Home In DisguiseThe PowerGorilla: Flexible Portable Power © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient…

  • An Energy Producing Home In Disguise

    benjamin
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:24 pm
    The Energy Producing Home (image: Neumann Developments) Who says that a home with cutting-edge energy efficiency has to look like an ultra-modern pod? This recently completed Wisconsin home packs so much energy tech that it makes money by selling electricity back to the grid, and it still keeps a low neighborhood profile. (more…) Related posts:“Low-E” Windows Maximize Buildings’ Energy EfficiencyREI’s LEED Certified StoresNew World Record Set For Solar Efficiency: 31.25% © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments

  • The Best Shower Filters Of 2009

    Justin
    26 Oct 2009 | 3:04 pm
    I just replaced my shower filters, so I thought I’d update my best shower filter review from earlier this year. Each update to the review generates a lot of useful comments. So I’m incorporating what I’ve learned from those comments into this latest review. (more…) Related posts:How To Filter Your Shower Water Very EfficientlyThe Best Shower FilterRemove Chlorine From Your Bath Efficiently © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments
 
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    Forecast Earth: Current Articles

  • Environmentalists hail Earth Hour as a big success

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    BONN, Germany (AP) -- For environmental activists, the message was clear: Earth Hour was a huge success. Now they say it's time for nations to tackle climate change. "The world said yes to climate action, now governments must follow," the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said a day after hundreds of millions of people worldwide followed its call to turn off lights for a full hour. From an Antarctic research base and the Great...

  • Obama team debuts at UN climate talks

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    BONN, Germany (AP) -- President Barak Obama's climate change team made their international debut Sunday at a major U.N. conference -- and delegates were eager to find out whether Obama could translate his aggressive domestic agenda into a worldwide deal to fight global warming. The two-week meeting by 175 countries is the latest attempt to craft a global agreement to govern the emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that...

  • It's time to green this old (White) House -- again

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will find out two things as he studies how to make the White House more environmentally friendly:  No. 1: It's already been done.  No. 2: It needs to be done again. It was Earth Day 1993 when President Bill Clinton launched his ambitious "greening the White House" project. That effort saved more than $1.4 million in its first six years, largely from improvements in lighting,...

  • Smart organic choices for limited budgets

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    (From DivineCaroline.com) - There are many reasons why consumers choose organic over conventionally-grown food, but there's usually one reason why they don't--cost. Organics can run 10 to 100 percent higher than conventionally grown, throwing all health, taste, and environmental concerns out of the grocery basket. Although savvy farmers' markets and comparison shopping can yield organics that are close in price to non-...

  • AP source: EPA closer to global warming warning

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first step on the long road to regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Politicians and the public, business and industry will have to weigh in along the way, but for now a proposed finding by the EPA that global warming is a threat to public health and welfare is under White House review. The threat declaration would be the first step to...
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    Matter Network - Clean Technology, Green News and Sustainable Business News

  • Storing Renewable Energy in Boxes of Air

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pm
    By Susan Kraemer Storage is needed to harvest the full yield available from intermittent sources of energy like wind and solar. One of the options is compressed-air storage; till now only possible in underground caverns. But SustainX Energy Solutions; a Dartmouth College start-up that got $4 million in VC funding from Polaris Venture Partners and Rockport Capital this year is working on compressing and storing air in cheap off-the-shelf shipping containers. Over the next two years SustainX will try and develop a way to cram 4 megawatt-hours worth of stored energy into each 40-foot long…

  • Cleantech Business Competition Announces Winners

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:37 am
    A California company that designed a personalized residential energy management solution for heating, ventilation and air conditioning won the business plan competition this year in the Cleantech Open. Selected from the 12 finalists, EcoFactor (www.ecofactor.com) will receive $100,000 in seed money and an additional $150,000 in business services. The Cleantech Open is a business competition created to find, fund and foster startup clean technology companies. Winnders were announced this week at the annual Cleantech Open Expo and Awards Gala in San Francisco. Dubbed the "Academy Awards of…

  • U.S. Residents Fight for the Right to Hang Laundry

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:36 am
    By Jon Hurdle PERKASIE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Carin Froehlich pegs her laundry to three clotheslines strung between trees outside her 18th-century farmhouse, knowing that her actions annoy local officials who have asked her to stop. Froehlich is among the growing number of people across America fighting for the right to dry their laundry outside against a rising tide of housing associations who oppose the practice despite its energy-saving green appeal. Although there are no formal laws in this southeast Pennsylvania town against drying laundry outside, a town official called Froehlich to…

  • California Bans Sale of Energy-Guzzling Plasma TVs

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am
    By Timothy B. Hurst In a 5-0 vote, The California Energy Commission today approved the country's first efficiency regulations for TVs of up to 58 inches. The new Appliance Efficiency Regulations will require new televisions sold in California to consume 33 percent less electricity by 2011 and 49 percent less electricity by 2013. The average plasma TV uses three-times as much energy as a traditional set. The commission estimates that switching to more efficient TVs will save an average of $30 per set per year and $8.1 billion in electricity bills statewide over the first decade. The…

  • Plug-in Smart Metering: Zerofootprint's TalkingPlug

    18 Nov 2009 | 6:31 am
    "What gets measured gets managed." You may have heard that one at work... numerous times. It applies at home, also, and numerous products exist to help you measure your electricity use, and manage it in a more efficient manner. You may have used a Kill-a-Watt, or read about Google Power Meter with anticipation. Yesterday, a handful bloggers got on the phone with Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint, to discuss their upcoming answer to smart energy management: the TalkingPlug. By Jeff McIntire-Strasburg Like the Kill-a-Watt, the TalkingPlug simply requires a wall outlet: you can plug it in, and…
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    Environmental Defense Fund: Climate 411

  • Clean Energy Takes Big Step in Senate

    Sharyn Stein
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm
    After all the drama, the clean energy bill is on its way to the next stage in the Senate, having cleared committee this morning. Meanwhile, Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman are leading the charge to getting a clean energy bill passed on the Senate floor. EDF's president Fred Krupp had this to say: Chairman Boxer and her colleagues deserve great credit for their commitment to move forward on solving our climate and energy challenges. Californians should be very proud of their Senator today. The Senators who supported this effort recognize the urgent need to end our addiction to…

  • A Wild Ride: Big News from the Clean Energy Front

    Sharyn Stein
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am
    A lot has happened quickly in the clean energy world. Here's a wrap-up: Yesterday was day two of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's markup process for the Kerry-Boxer bill. Republicans once again boycotted the proceedings, although they made a couple of cameo appearances. The markup continues today — you can see it on C-Span. And, Greenwire is now reporting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has given EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer "the green  light" to move ahead without the GOP. Reid reportedly told Boxer to advance global warming legislation on…

  • Environmental Defense Fund Welcomes Stabenow Climate Offset Legislation

    Tony Kreindler
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:09 pm
    Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow unveiled her new agriculture and forestry title for the Senate climate bill today. The legislation would establish a domestic “offset” program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We gave the measure qualified praise today, saying it gives the Senate an opportunity to craft a consensus approach that delivers low-cost emissions reductions with environmental credibility — but also cautioning that the bill needs more work to guarantee that offsets are environmentally effective. Here's the statement from our senior policy manager, John Mimikakis:…

  • Fred Krupp's Remarks on the Finish Line for a Climate Deal

    Sharyn Stein
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm
    This morning, Fred Krupp, EDF's president, gave the following remarks at the Point Carbon conference in New York City: Think for a moment about the speech you’d expect to hear from an environmental leader on the eve of Copenhagen. Now forget it.   This is not going to be that speech. You might expect someone in my position to call for – to demand – a final international agreement to solve the climate crisis before Copenhagen delegates go home for Christmas.   I will not. You might expect me to assert that the greatest threat to our planet will come about if New Year’s Day…

  • 'Marketplace' Report Misses the Real Story on Coal

    Mark Brownstein
    30 Oct 2009 | 11:28 am
    Yesterday's Marketplace report does an excellent job of highlighting the social and political fissures occurring in West Virginia and nationally as the United States starts in earnest the transition to a clean-energy, low-carbon economy. What the story fails to adequately convey is just how many old-line energy producers have crossed the divide and embraced the reality and opportunity of capping and reducing greenhouse gas pollution. Don Blankenship, who was quoted in the story,  is very much a minority voice in the coal industry. His company, Massey Energy,  is in fact not even among…
 
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    The Greener Grass

  • TGG celebrates Oktoberfest

    Michael
    30 Oct 2009 | 6:29 am
    Have you ever wondered why Oktoberfest starts in September? We're not complaining, but we wanted to stretch it out. To celebrate Kaleidoscope's 20th anniversary, we recently threw an Oktoberfest open haus. The party wouldn't be complete without some concepts, so here are just a few of our favorites. Let us know what you think! Boom Boom combines a simple, elegant form and a delightful detail: a small mushroom cloud blown into the base of the glass. Beer Drop Crying and drinking go hand in hand, in spite of society’s reluctance to accept it. This glass celebrates those who have the courage…

  • Plug into the Smart Grid

    Brian
    9 Mar 2009 | 12:56 pm
    Last month, Google hosted a panel discussion at their DC Office regarding the future of smart grid technology. Panelists from Google, their partner GE, utilities, and the government discussed how best to utilize the $11 billion (part of the $83 billion of the stimulus allocated to clean technologies) set aside for modernizing our electric grid. The panel also answered questions from the public submitted online. You can watch the entire discussion here.“What does a world with smart power look like? As Washington develops the road map for a bigger, smarter electricity grid, how can we ensure…

  • Rethinking the Public Drinking Fountain

    Chris Heckman
    17 Feb 2009 | 12:07 pm
    A 2007 article from Fast Company points out that North Americans spent $15 billion on bottled water. That's not only a lot of petrol to make the plastic, but also requires mountains of energy to transport the more than one billion bottles around the country every week. And on top of that, over 95% of bottles made in 2005 were single serving sized, which has one of the lowest recycling rates of other forms of plastic packaging.There's a major, and costly, irony with the perception and reality of bottled water. Most people drink it because they think it's healthier than "free" tap water, when…

  • New Products Visualize Home Energy Use

    Michael
    21 Jan 2009 | 6:10 am
    About a year ago, we created our Current State concept to visualize home energy use. Since then we've seen a growing interest in the subject and there are two interesting articles about products that make this concept more of a reality.Make created Tweet-a-watt, an open source piece of hardware that posts your data to Twitter. Tweet-a-watt captures and documents energy use but takes the idea a step further, by letting your friends and followers also track your energy use. In theory, this could create competition among neighbors or family members to be the most responsible energy users.

  • Edward Norton's $9 billion green housing project

    Finn McKenty
    19 Jan 2009 | 1:22 pm
    I'll admit that I'm a pretty big fan of celebrity gossip, so I was pretty surprised to come across this piece about Edward Norton on Fast Company:Edward Norton, the two-time Oscar nominee, stood at the podium at the Hilton Washington this past May and tried to be humble. The actor was in the capital to present a major civil rights award to someone he knew well -- his grandmother. It was gearing up to be a nice moment. "I work in a profession," he told the crowd of social workers, lawyers, and community organizers, "that gets a totally disproportionate amount of attention relative to its true…
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    GreenMonk: the blog

  • Spain gets 53% of its energy from wind!

    tom@redmonk.com (Tom Raftery)
    14 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    Ok, not all the time, but last weekend at 5:50am on Sunday morning (8th Nov) Spain set a new record, hitting 53.7% of its energy requirements being supplied by wind energy. As you can see from the graph above, the amount of electricity being supplied by wind, the light green portion of the graph, doesn’t go below 30% at any point in the 24 hours and is closer to between 40-50% for most of the time! These are figures the world’s most ambitious countries are targeting hitting by 2020, at the earliest! Notice also on the graph that the contribution from coal (the red band) during…

  • GreenMonk news roundup 11/14/2009

    tom@redmonk.com (Tom Raftery)
    14 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    Energy agency warns of ‘irreparable’ damage – Short Sharp Science – New Scientist “Take all the power stations in the United States. Together, they produce almost 1000 gigawatts of electricity – enough to boil several billion kettles simultaneously. Now imagine building another five power stations for every one that already exists in the United States. That is about the amount of electricity generation that the world is on track to add over the next 20 years. And three-quarters of the new stations will use fossil fuels.” tags: energy efficiency,…

  • Green Numbers round-up 11/14/2009

    tom@redmonk.com (Tom Raftery)
    14 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am
    Atmospheric CO2 Counter – WikiClimate This page shows the current ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere. The calculated figure uses estimates of the level of carbon dioxide (CO2 – the main greenhouse gas) based on actual measurements taken monthly a worldwide network of stations and collated by the Earth Systems Research Laboratory (ESRL) in Boulder, Colorado. The record of CO2 concentrations available from ESRL stretches back over 50 years. tags: co2, ppm, carbon dioxide, greennumbers Dan’s Wild Wild Science Journal “Not that it will change any minds. The overwhelming evidence of…

  • November chat with IBM’s Rich Lechner

    tom@redmonk.com (Tom Raftery)
    13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Rich Lechner is IBM’s VP of Energy and Environment. He is a regular interviewee here where we discuss various matters related to energy and environment. This interview was recorded while I was at the SAP TechEd 2009 event in Vienna in a crowded interview room so I apologise in advance for the poorer than normal audio and video quality. In this show we discussed IBM’s recently released Solution Architecture For Energy and Utilities Framework (SAFE) and we had a quick chat about the recently published Green IT for Dummies book. [Disclosure] The Green IT for Dummies book was written…

  • (Lack of) Sustainability in the Mobile industry

    tom@redmonk.com (Tom Raftery)
    8 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am
    (Lack of) Sustainability in the mobile phone industry View more documents from Tom Raftery. I realised recently that although I have referred to the talk I gave in Barcelona on Mobile Sustainability (for the Mobile 2.0 conference) in a couple of posts I never talked about the talk directly here, so now it is time to redress that. I have posted the slide deck above so you can follow along with the slides above and my explanation below. Slides 1-3 are simply my introducing the topic and myself (along with my contact details). I started off with a bit of a background: Slides 4-6 I start to talk…
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    The Green Mom Review™

  • Weebits for Wee Feet

    Katherine
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:21 pm
    What: Weebit Hemp Baby Slippers Features: These snazzy slippers come in a variety of colors and patterns; the tops are adorned with a wee little piggy face made of wool felt Green Factor: Weebits boast hemp tops lined with organic cotton and sturdy, recycled rubber soles (they used to be car tires!) Bonus: Fits up to 18 months. Each pair is shipped in a super cool box that look like a truck! Find It Here: Buy Green On Our Blog: Disinfectant Overkill The Green Mom Review™..

  • To Save and Protect

    Katherine
    17 Nov 2009 | 5:22 am
    What: 7 Outlet Smart Strip Surge Protector Features: Protects against power surges, saves energy and money by shutting down electronics AUTOMATICALLY! Green Factor: Uses 1 watt when fully charged; uses NO POWER when the switched outlets are turned off! Bonus: Pays for itself within a mere three months Find It Here: Choose Renewables On Our Blog: Disinfectant Overkill The Green Mom Review™..

  • Disinfectant Overkill

    Janet
    15 Nov 2009 | 10:28 pm
    Disinfectant chemicals have a purpose and place, but should be used very sparingly as scientific studies have shown that disinfectant chemicals have been linked to chronic health issues like asthma, hormone imbalance, potential reduced fertility, and immune system problems. What kind of disinfectant chemicals are we talking about? The kind we come in contact with everyday in household bleach, ammonia-based cleaners, triclosan in antibacterial soaps and other antibacterial products and nano-silvers found in antibacterial plastics, textiles, soaps and other materials. Visit Women’s Voices…

  • Way Cuter than Flowers

    Katherine
    14 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm
    What: The Baby Bunch Features: This exquisite bouquet of rosebuds is made out of itty bitty baby clothes–newborn onesies, t-shirts, bibs and socks Green Factor: Clothing items are 100% organic cotton Bonus: Makes a great baby shower gift. Right now, take $10 off the price plus shipping is free! Find It Here: Boys to Men Gifts On Our Blog: Disinfectant Overkill The Green Mom Review™..

  • The ABC’s of Natural

    Janet
    12 Nov 2009 | 5:41 am
    Finally, someone reads my mind and does exactly what I needed them to do. No, no, they didn’t invent that laundry-folding robot yet. No, but almost as brilliant, they wrote The ABC’s of Natural. It’s just a simple, easy to understand guide to the good and bad stuff commonly found in supermarket foods—which, I might add, is WAY more convenient than whipping out the old smart phone to Google isodium guanylate or EDTA or bromate (none of which are on the good list, by the way). Created by Hain Celestial, this list will make shopping while avoiding the crap much easier so go…
 
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    GreenPacks.org

  • Kris Kuksi’s Toy Sculptures are Nothing Like Toys

    Joshua Willis
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm
    Sculptor Kris Kuksi’s excellence makes itself evident with these sculptures. Amazing as they look, they are in fact upcycled examples of old, discarded toys. The sculptor uses discarded toys to create these haunting sculptures that carry a medieval-ancient look. Old toys do make a major part of the sculptures, but the artist also uses other items like statues, mechanical part, or other discarded items he can put to use. According to the artist, he sees the grotesque as beautiful, has a feeling of belonging to the “old world”, and a distaste for the typical American life and…

  • Solar Shelf Concept Generates Power and Protects Your Car

    Joshua Willis
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm
    The Solar Shelf Concept was a design entry to the Green Life Competition, and has come up as one of the top three designs submitted to the contest. A basic requirement of the competition was that the design entered should be environment and design centric, and that the entry should not be unrealistic. The Solar Shelf Concept from Chinese designer Leon Zhu intends to provide the car with a certain degree of protection, while generating energy by utilizing solar panels. The concept includes a Rear Wing for cars; this rear wing holds on to the solar shelf. While the car is in motion, or there is…

  • Wind Lamp Harvests Wind Energy to Power Itself, Other Lamps

    Joshua Willis
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am
    The Wind Lamp is a concept that could help the environment and natural resources in a number of ways. This green lamp is designed to serve as a street lamp, and it could come in very handy at places with sufficient wind power. The lamp basically consists of LEDs and a wind power generator. The wind generators harness energy to power the LEDs, and since LEDs themselves are quite energy efficient, they are in a suitable position to effectively use the energy so generated. LEDs in the lamp use the required energy for light, and any excess energy generated can be supplied to neighboring lamps to…

  • Coke Announces Greener, Plant-based Bottles

    Joshua Willis
    16 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm
    Considering the sheer volume of bottles Coke sells every year, the company’s announcement to move from PET bottles to a blend of plastic and 30% plant-based materials, is more than welcome. The new sugarcane and molasses based bottles will have 25% less emissions when compared to traditional bottles. Over 1.6 billion of Coca Cola branded beverages are served every day around the world. So, it would be great to see the entire lineup move to more environmentally friendly packaging. That however, isn’t exactly happening at the moment. The new bottles will be available with Coca…

  • Buildings to Have an Easier Solar Way, Courtesy Sulfurcell

    Joshua Willis
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:48 pm
    German manufacturer Sulfurcell has cladding modules with integrated solar cells. These modules consist of a hardened, frameless glass followed by an Indium based semiconductor layer connected to a solar module. Sulfurcell claims that the use of Indium allows the semiconductor layer to be 100 times thinner than conventional silicone wafers. Each module has 82 semiconductor layers, all connected with integrated wiring. The hard glass frame is resistant to snow, hail, rain, wind and longterm UV radiation, allowing the system to last longer. Each of the solar cassettes is rear ventilated and has…
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    GreenSmith Consulting

  • U2, Oxfam America, New York MTA: Green Hypocrites?

    Paul Smith
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    If you're looking for an example of someone who walks their talk, Mike Lieberman would be your man. Best known as CanarsieBK on the web, this Brooklyn man is a living, breathing demonstration of how one can live sustainably, anywhere. He proves anything is possible, growing a thriving vegetable garden on his fire escape, and demonstrating actionable steps, daily, on how to be personally sustainable. And he's definitely not afraid to speak his mind.Today Lieberman takes aim at those who don't seem to be walking the talk, balanced with options they could choose to align their actions better…

  • Coming soon...

    Paul Smith
    28 Oct 2009 | 11:50 am
    I've got something bubbling up inside me, and it's all Chris Brogan's fault. The man who I'm sure has a stunt double or two for all that he does, issued a challenge in a recent video, Overnight Success Part 2 - A Call to Arms. In it, he said that it's time for us to stop just playing small, playing remedial when it comes to using social media to its full potential. Time to level up, together, as it were. It knocked something loose in me.I began to write all sorts of thoughts, not necessarily focused on social media, but instead on sustainability, and how I see people and businesses practicing…

  • Do You Know Your Community? Does the Community Know You?

    Paul Smith
    21 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    I believe that we learn best by hearing from many different voices. And in this case, I'm learning along with you in our latest guest post. Like many of you, I use my deep, broad online resources almost exclusively for getting new business, and with the exception of one client, all are from other parts of the country, or even out of the country. Here we have Victoria Klein reminding us to pay attention to and make best use of what's going on right in our local communities, in terms of business, and gives several excellent resources to best explore it. Please share any we've missed, of which…

  • Modwalls Green Tiles Video Review - Taking Junk and Creating Beauty

    Paul Smith
    1 Oct 2009 | 11:56 am
    Being on Twitter, I come across a lot of interesting finds. Like Modwalls, that makes some gorgeous, thoroughly sustainable tiles, made from things like recycled car windshields, reclaimed building glass, tumbled soda bottle pieces, and wine corks! They spin gold from these modest sounding origins, as you'll see in the video review I did, below. I was impressed with the depth of their sustainability, as even their packing materials are these innovative triangle shaped pieces of paper. I suspect they're much more likely by people to be recycled then, say, soy or corn starch based "popcorn" are…

  • The Best Feature of Snow Leopard: What it's Missing

    Paul Smith
    15 Sep 2009 | 4:00 am
    In recent weeks there have been several articles on the best and least known features of Apple's new operating system, Snow Leopard. From Quicktime's ability to record and edit audio, video, and screencasts, to its Exchange support, to the small but pleasing ability to minimize documents to their respective app icons in the dock (rather then to the side of the dock in a messy jumble) there has been a lot covered. But perhaps the best and least heralded feature of Snow Leopard is what it's missing: 10% of its energy use, compared to its predecessor, Leopard.Among the factors contributing to…
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    Green Business

  • The Perfect Small Business Idea

    robertludvig
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:47 pm
    People always ask me to show them a great example of a green business and now I think I have found the perfect green business model. I was in total shock when I watched the following video because it really encompasses everything that a true green business is. Two University students gave up lucrative careers in finance to start a business based on sustainability. They grow gourmet mushrooms from used coffee grounds – how amazing is that?  The company’s name is BTTR Ventures and they operate out of Fresno, California. The company’s name is pronounced ‘better’…

  • A Green Recovery

    robertludvig
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:52 am
    Invovative to cut costs. Make trucks more effeciaent. It, districution, fleet, LED  are the norm now, thoook for innovation. By focuses on getting ‘greener’ can speed up economic recovery. Taking a new path with big chunks of their opperations.Zero landfill waste, SUBERU in AMERICA. Goal being sustainability. Person mention Walmart, series of innovations. new trucks to trainig drivers to be more efficient behind the wheel.. Make sustainabilty  a part of normal work day. HOW? 1) set aside TIME,,,ask your employees ‘how can we be more efficenta? How can we get greener?

  • A Green MBA Recipient Speaks

    robertludvig
    14 Nov 2009 | 7:26 pm
    One of our goals at Green Business is to showcase wonderful people and the impact they are having in the field of green business, and to offer inspiration and perhaps advice to those who are seeking to get into a similar vocation. Maybe you want to help the environment, but you also have the desire to start a business – well, Maggie Peters, the amazing person in the following video, has merged both areas seamlessly. As you can see from the video, its star isn’t wearing a business power suit, but she does have her MBA. She has remained true to her vision and discovered the key to…

  • Green Jobs: Solar Panel Installer

    robertludvig
    11 Nov 2009 | 5:30 pm
    As solar energy gains popularity in providing electricity to businesses, it also is becoming more popular with home owners, as shown in the following video. Solar panel installers has emerged as a new and important job within the green technology movement. Instead of a traditional type of construction job, these construction workers install solar panels on roofs of houses in neighborhoods throughout America. The skill sets are basic, with preference given to those with an electrical background, but this is a niche construction job. As changes happen with the way energy is produced, the…

  • Green Business Idea – Green Janitor

    robertludvig
    8 Nov 2009 | 9:08 am
    One of our goals here at Green Business is to offer ideas to our readers to help them start their own green business.  Another excellent example of a green business is a green janitorial service, maybe even cleaning LEED certified buildings. These green business owners and workers use environmentally friendly cleaners in their business. Harmful chemicals and other cleaning agents can negatively impact the environment, but using cleaning agents that leave little or no negative effect on the environment steers these businesses to the green side. You might not even realize that the detergents…
 
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    Autoblog Green

  • Electric cars a challenge for Japanese parts suppliers

    Sebastian Blanco
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:42 pm
    Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Japan 2010 Nissan Leaf EV - Click above for high-res image gallery One thing David Cole said when we talked to him at the Business of Plugging In expo was that parts suppliers need to change in order to keep up with the demand for new parts in electric vehicles. In Japan, the Nissan Leaf has become a sort of wake up call for Japanese parts companies, who can see firsthand that, when you scrap the ICE, thousands of parts that suppliers have been providing OEMs for decades are all of a sudden not needed. Bloomberg says that up to 40 percent of the…

  • STUDY: Air cars not worth it

    Sebastian Blanco
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pm
    Filed under: Emerging Technologies Compressed air-powered cars like the AirPod pictured above are conceptually cool. But the real-world efficiency of using compressed air to move a vehicle just isn't worth is, says a new study published in the latest issue of Environmental Research Letters. The main problem, one of the study's authors told AutoblogGreen, is that compressed air holds less than one percent of the energy of gasoline and, given the amount of electricity it takes to compress the air, "the air car's carbon footprint is more than twice as large as that of a gasoline car."…

  • Give a little, get a little: free biodiesel for test fleets in Yorkshire, UK

    Sebastian Blanco
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:08 am
    Filed under: Biodiesel, UKCan you use biodiesel in commercial truck applications? Sure you can. Thousands of trucks burn it everyday. Still, not everyone is fully convinced, and some want to operate their own fleet test to prove that turning waste vegetable oil into fuel is a viable plan. This is what CO2Sense Yorkshire, a UK-based group that helps businesses and organisations "prosper and grow in the new Low Carbon Economy," is planning with a new demonstration project. Basically, businesses in the area say, "hey, put that fuel in my vehicle and we'll see what happens," and CO2Sense…

  • Long-Term Thinking: "Cost to Own" mindset grabs hold

    Sebastian Blanco
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:41 am
    Filed under: Etc., MPG, Green Daily 2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery So many things are changing in the new automotive reality, it's hard to know where to start. Everything from the kind of hose we connect to our cars (liquid filled? electric?) to the sounds the vehicles make is different now than it used to be. What else needs to change? How about how we think about how much it costs to own and operate a car. Naturally, it's always been possible to estimate this cost, but NADAguides.com has just released a "Cost To Own" calculator for new cars, so you can factor in…

  • Journo experiences Volt's electric-to-hybrid transition, says it needs improvement

    Domenick Yoney
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pm
    Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, USA Chevrolet Volt pre-production IVER prototype - click above for high-res image gallery We long ago had a chance to drive the Chevy Volt mule in all-electric mode, and more recently took a ride in the IVER (integration vehicle engineering release) version. We found the Volt's performance was rather impressive for a vehicle still under development. It was clear at that time that there was still room for improvement, though, and the question of how it would perform after the gas-powered generator kicked in remained unanswered since GM was not…
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    Awake at the Wheel

  • Production advances create fuel from forest waste

    propel
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pm
    Fuel sourced from waste derived feedstock is the gold-standard in sustainable energy production. And the pine forest waste left over from Georgia’s paper industry will soon be turned into fuel. Range Fuels’ cellulosic ethanol production facility aims to utilize the limbs, needles and tops of timber typically left out in the woods as an entirely new [...]

  • Cellulosic Plant takes a big step towards converting Corn Cobs into Fuel

    propel
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am
    South Dakota based POET is pioneering commercial-scale next generation ethanol production with their Project Liberty plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The 25 million-gallon-per-year plant reached a significant benchmark yesterday receiving a 20 million dollar commitment from Lt Governor Patty Judge. Former four-star General Wesley Clark spoke to attendees about the important role they would play in [...]

  • E85-driving Vikings fans get free parking

    propel
    23 Oct 2009 | 9:29 am
    The Minnesota Vikings team up with the American Lung Association to offer FREE parking to the first 25 flex fuel vehicles at every home game. The flex fuel drivers get prime parking in the Gold Lot, which normally goes for $40, plus discount coupons for the closest flex fuel E85 station. The new environmental initiative, “Viking [...]

  • Study finds E85 increases efficiency offsetting MPG loss

    propel
    13 Oct 2009 | 11:03 am
    A study released by the University of Nebraska found that E85 delivers more efficiency over higher petroleum fuel blends, offsetting much of the loss in Miles Per Gallon (MPG) typically attributed to E85. The study illustrates that when calculating fuel MPG performance, both the energy density of the fuel (BTUs), and the energy efficiency must [...]

  • VW Stays Focused on Clean Diesel

    propel
    12 Oct 2009 | 9:30 am
    While many auto manufacturers are looking to hybrids and electrics, Volkswagen stays focused on fuel efficient clean diesel passenger vehicles. Currently making up less than 3% market share in the US, J.D. Power forecasts the diesel passenger segment to grow to 8% by 2015. Not even close to the 50% market share seen in Europe, [...]
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    BioDieselNow

  • Daily News—11/20/09

    Robert Gleeman
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:12 am
      Petrobras buys large stake in new Brazil biodiesel plant   Brazil’s state-run Petrobras Biofuels acquired a 50 percent stake for $32 million in a BSBIOS SA plant in the state of Parana that is expected to begin commercial operations in the second quarter of 2010. The new plant has an installed capacity of 120 MMly (about 30 MMgy). Petrobas Biofuel currently has a capacity of 324 million liters of biodiesel per year, with plants in Montes Claro, Dandeia and Quixada. The Parana plant will give the company a presence in the country’s southern region. BSBIOS is one of the largest…

  • Daily News—11/19/09

    Robert Gleeman
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:07 am
      China Integrated plans to increase biodiesel production Biodiesel accounted for 20.5 percent of China Integrated’s total sales. State-owned China Integrated has made plans to expand its biodiesel production capacity by 50,000 tons in the next 12 months, chief executive Gao Xincheng disclosed. The Nasdaq-listed company posted net revenue of $72.4 million in the third quarter of the year, representing a 15.1 percent increase from net revenue of $62.9 million made in the same period in 2008. China is very serious about biodiesel, and as we see, the government owns this company, so…

  • Daily News—11/18/09

    Robert Gleeman
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:05 am
      Mass. moving forward with biodiesel mandate The Massachusetts biodiesel mandate, which has been criticized for allowing only waste-derived biodiesel to qualify, is moving forward despite what the Massachusetts Oilheat Council called in it’s Nov. 13 newsletter a “spell of relative silence” surrounding the mandate. On Sept. 30, MOC president Michael Ferrante sent an email to Dwayne Bregger, director of renewable and alternative energy development in the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, asking specifics regarding the mandate, to which Bregger replied, “Do know that we…

  • Daily News—11/17/09

    Robert Gleeman
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:46 pm
      NJ home heating oil distributor provides biodiesel for vehicles Dixon Brothers is the first home heating oil provider to supply biodiesel for vehicles. Propane Manager Bob O'Melia fills up a company truck at the pump that provides both regular diesel and biodiesel blends. (Photo by Dawn Benko) ROCKAWAY — Jennifer and Sally Pierson are hoping their investment in a biodiesel pump will help pave the way for a more energy-efficient future for New Jersey. The Pierson's Dixon Brothers location on Cobb Street is the first biodiesel retail fueling station in Morris County, providing…

  • Daily News—11/16/09

    Robert Gleeman
    16 Nov 2009 | 1:51 am
      Bethlehem, PA Lehigh University gets two new biodiesel buses Media Credit: Alex Kadis Two new buses will be added to Lehigh's fleet within the next week. Biodiesel and new buses are the latest steps in Lehigh's efforts to fulfill its climate commitment and act upon student suggestions. Lehigh received its first shipment of the fuel in August, and is now using biodiesel in all of its diesel engine fleet. Lehigh uses 40 thousand gallons of diesel fuel each year. Two percent of Lehigh's extensive diesel fuel consumption now comes from biological products. The percentage used…
 
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    IHT: Business of Green

  • Home Improvement, With Tax Collector as Lender

    By KATE GALBRAITH
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm
    New York has joined more than a dozen other states in approving a fast-spreading new method of financing renewable-energy and efficiency improvements.

  • On Our Radar...

    By R.M. SCHNEIDERMAN
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:13 pm
    Climate change and national security, and other energy and environment coverage on the Web.

  • India to Spend $900 Million on Solar

    By VIKAS BAJAJ
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am
    The Indian cabinet approved a plan on Thursday that would vastly increase the amount of solar power produced by the country.

  • Green Builders' Study Forecasts Job Growth

    By COLIN MINER
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:57 am
    Building green could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the economy, according to a new report released by the United States Green Building Council.

  • Study Says Air Cars are Inefficient

    By JIM MOTAVALLI
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:21 am
    A paper from the University of California, Berkeley, concludes that compressed-air energy storage is a relatively inefficient technology when it comes to personal transportation.
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    California Energy Blog

  • The Darker Side of SmartMeters

    CalEnergyGuy
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:56 am
    As if PG&E didn't have enough problems with SmartMeters...David Baker's article in today's San Francicso Chronicle reveals yet another nasty feature to the new technology: they allow PG&E to shut off power to a home remotely. No sending out a technician, just flip a switch.So, in these "brother, can you spare a dime" days, it's a lot easier to cut off someone's electricity for non-payment. Apparently that fact is not lost on PG&E because the number of low-income homes that were cut off grew by more than 27% in the twelve month period ending in August.The obvious question is, "If…

  • Ignoring the Real Problems, State Will Now Regulate TV's

    CalEnergyGuy
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am
    By now you've probably herd that the TV regulations passed on 5-0 vote. Starting in 2011, some marginally onerous rules kick in governing how much power your TV can draw, then in 2013, the regs go from being marginally onerous to really onerous.Currently about 75 of the California TV market would meet the 2011 standards, but that percentage plummets for the 2013 standards.On the one hand, it is good news that 58-inch TV's and larger are exempt, but on the other hand, you are clearly overcompensating for some definicancy in your life if you own a 58-inch TV.The Consumer Electronics…

  • Going In Different Directions

    CalEnergyGuy
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:54 am
    If you read the print edition of the Wall Street Journal, there is an interesting juxtaposition of articles that says a lot about energy in this country today.On page B4 is an article by Rebecca Smith about the new trend among traditional power companies (AES, Duke, Progess Energy) to JV with, or seek financing from, China. In AES's case, the company recently sold a 15% stake in the company to the Chinese sovereign wealth fund. Smith notes that, in 2011 and 2012, energy companies have $100 billion in debt coming due that needs to be refinanced and banks may or may not be lending on that…

  • PG&E's SmartMeter Woes Spreading North

    CalEnergyGuy
    17 Nov 2009 | 9:51 am
    First it was Bakersfield, now it's the Bay Area. Consumers are not happy with the new PG&E SmartMeters.The San Jose Mercury News reports receiving 30 complaints from consumers after its story about the unrest in Bakersfield. The Merc also notes that TURN is collecting complaints which means the advocacy group is actively engaged on the issue.Trial lawyers are creeping out of their coffins and sharpening their fangs... this issue is not going away.More on the Bay Area developments in the Merc:Complaints Grow About PG&E SmartMeters [San Jose Mercury News]

  • Opposition to Ivanpah Comes Out of Its Shell

    CalEnergyGuy
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:35 am
    Last week we posted about the deal Brightsource (and its contractor Bechtel) cut with the unions to build the massive Ivanpah solar installation in San Bernardino County. At the time it seemed like all of the political prerequisites were in place (alternative energy, union jobs in a high unemployment areas, tax revenue, etc..) and that it would be smooth sailing for the project.Not so fast says San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzvelt who is seeking to trump all of the aforementioned political assets with a turtle. Tortoise, actually-- lots of them. Desert tortoises.In the latest…
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    Ecogeek

  • Wind Power Could be Stored as Ice

    20 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pm
    A perfect way of storing electricity generated by wind turbines has been elusive so far.  Ideas like super-sized batteries, compressed air and hydroelectric storage have all been floated.  One company though thinks the answer could be as simple as making ice. Calmac has come up with a storage system called IceBank that uses the energy generated at off-peak night-time hours to make ice.  That stored ice is then used for cooling purposes during high-demand daytime hours.  The company claims that reducing electricity demand for cooling can cut energy costs by 20 - 40 percent.  That…

  • Fastest Computer in the World Focused on Climate Change

    17 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pm
    The Jaguar XT5 computer, housed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville, Tenn. and owned by the Department of Energy was just named the fastest computer in the world by the TOP500 list.  It has a performance speed of 1.759 petaflops or quadrillions of calculations per second and that power is being focused on solving the issues of climate change. The Jaguar is an open science machine for performing peer-reviewed research.  It is being used to create models and simulations for predicting regional climate change, studying enzymes for developing better ethanol and writing algorithms…

  • Action on Climate Change Delayed: Copenhagen Won't be Binding, Congress Won't Pass Bill This Year

    16 Nov 2009 | 1:07 pm
    As reports have indicated for the past several weeks, a binding agreement won't be reached in Copenhagen this December.  Leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation this past weekend met and decided that the Copenhagen conference would be used to come up with an interim "politically" binding agreement and to set a date and time for a legally binding one sometime next year. The goal of cutting global emissions by 50 percent by 2050 has been scrapped and instead a 2007 goal of reducing energy intensity - emissions per unit of economic output - by 25 percent by 2030 is being…

  • 203 MW Wind Farm Completed in Utah

    13 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pm
    It's great to see some of the large wind farm projects that were just ideas a couple of years ago become reality. First Wind's Milford Wind Corridor project has just seen the completion of its first phase - 203.5 MW in Millard and Beaver Counties in Utah, the largest renewable energy facility in the state. The wind farm consists of 97 turbines and will be able power 45,000 homes.  Southern California Public Power Authority is purchasing all of the electricity generated over the next 20 years on behalf of the cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena and Burbank. Construction on the wind farm began…

  • Solar Spacecraft to Launch in 2010

    13 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pm
    The Planetary Society is planning to launch a solar-propelled space craft in 2010 after its first attempt landed in the ocean four years ago. The LightSail-1 would run on the pressure of light hitting its four triangular-shaped Mylar sails.  The society sees the project as a way to achieve long space flights with slow, continuous acceleration that eventually leads to high speeds.  The society's executive director imagines flights of many years reaching speeds of 100,000 mph where the craft could leave the solar system in five years instead of 25. The spacecraft will be composed of three…
 
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    Inhabitat

  • Would You Wear Your Dead Pet as Jewelry?

    Yuka Yoneda
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    When a beloved pet passes away, it’s only natural to want to keep their memory close – but how close?!! A few very, er, enterprising companies are giving mourning animal lovers the opportunity to wear the remains of their dearly beloved furry friends as pearls or even diamonds. Technically, this faddish practice has some basis in eco-fashion (since it’s definitely better than unethically sourced jewels) but is it good for grieving pet owners’ mental health or just a sign that their sanity is already beyond repair?READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE> Permalink | Add to del.icio.us |…

  • Studio Lindfors’ Haunting Visual Prediction of Our Flooded Future World

    Moe Beitiks
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    The phrases “melting polar ice caps” and “rising water lines” are so ubiquitous now that they’ve almost lost their meaning. It’s all too easy to think “it will happen to that city, not mine.” Well to give us a bit more perspective, Studio Lindfors has presented us with these hauntingly realistic post-flood visions of New York and Tokyo. In a future partially submerged by melting glacier water, gondolas reemerge as a form of travel, riverside plants nestle up against neon street signs, and aquaculture blooms under bridges. It’s Water World…

  • Polar Bear Robots Replace Dead Bears at St. Louis Zoo

    Beth Shea
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Officials at the St. Louis Zoo are preparing for their holiday Wild Lights exhibit by installing electronic polar bear proxies in place of the deceased polar bears who died in their captivity. The gesture is rife with social commentary, given the fact that polar bears have become the iconic images of climate change, and our generation could witness their extinction. Could artificial animal zoo exhibits be the reality of the near future? See what PETA proposes and learn more about this new breed of bear at Inhabitots.READ MORE AT INHABITOTS > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags:…

  • Power Your Music Player With Your Running Pants

    Ariel Schwartz
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am
    Instead of just burning calories, why not use all that energy from exercising to power your MP3 player? The Dancepants Kinetic Music Player, a shortlisted entry in Designboom’s Green Life competition, lets you do just that by converting kinetic energy from running, hopping, jumping, etc. into electricity to power an iPod or other music player. According to the Dancepants designers, the product is a “100 percent interactive way to feel the value of energy on your own.”READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: dancepants, ipod, kinetic energy, mp3,…

  • Construction Begins on Amazing Tunnel-Shaped Rotterdam Market Hall

    Bridgette Meinhold
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am
    Imagine having this sweet public market pop up in your town? Well the lucky residents of Rotterdam are actually getting one! This week, the mayor of the city announced the commencement of construction on the huge tunnel-shaped market hall which will flash images of gigantic fresh fruits and vegetables via LCD screens on the inside and be lined with balconied apartments offering killer views on the outside. This true mixed-use development combining residences, shopping, restaurants and a public market will be a central hub of activity for citizens and tourists. The project is being developed…
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    CNET news: green tech blog

  • Electric-car maker Tesla preparing IPO

    Reuters
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pm
    An IPO filing for the electric-car start-up is expected any day, according to sources. Public offering would be the first from a U.S. automaker since Ford Motor shares debuted in 1956.

  • What drives China? Soon, cleaner fuel

    Reuters
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:33 am
    Still, the world's second largest oil consumer is taking a cautious approach to introducing tougher diesel and gasoline specifications.

  • Will consumers plug into home energy displays?

    Martin LaMonica
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    Dozens of companies are developing tools to ratchet down home energy use as part of utility smart grid programs, but nobody is sure which approach will stick with consumers.

  • Al Gore: Our next power grid will be like the Net

    Josh Lowensohn
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm
    The former vice president takes the stage at VentureBeat's GreenBeat conference in San Mateo, Calif. to discuss some of the challenges ahead for moving to the smart grid. Originally posted at Web Crawler

  • Recycling e-waste: Who should pay?

    Candace Lombardi
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:09 am
    Study finds consumers love the idea of recycling to combat e-waste, but they don't want to foot the bill.
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    Clean Break

  • Being energy efficient, after you’re dead

    admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:57 am
    Cremation is popular these days for those who have kicked the bucket. In Canada, only 3 per cent of the population got cremated 50 years ago, while today that number has ballooned to more than 55 per cent. But here’s a shocker for the conservation-minded: The amount of natural gas and electricity used to cremate one body is the equivalent of driving a car from coast to coast. When your body goes up in flames, it also emits a lot of nasty stuff: greenhouse gases, smog-causing gases, particulates, and mercury vapour if you’ve got a few of those old tooth fillings. Given this…

  • Privacy and the emerging smart grid: lessons from the Internet

    admin
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:18 pm
    My good friend Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s privacy commissioner, has co-authored a new report that highlights the potential privacy breaches that could result as we move toward a smart grid infrastructure, one that will certainly have dozens of applications layered on top with the capability of capturing information about how and when we use electricity. It might seem like benign information gathering, but Cavoukian says there is room for abuse and efforts must be made during early design of the smart grid to build in privacy protection. “Electric utilities and other providers may…

  • Dutch pursue idea of cross-country road pricing

    admin
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:46 am
    Scrap all road taxes. Scrap all vehicle taxes. Instead, charge people for every kilometre they drive, when the drive, and where they drive. That’s what the Dutch are promising to have in place by 2012. Of course, the idea of road tolling and congestion charging isn’t entirely new. We’ve seen it on a smaller scale in cities such as London and Stockholm, and in smaller countries such as Singapore. But the Netherlands, if it follows through, would be the first nation to develop a system that spread across the entire country. Those of you who regularly read this blog know that…

  • In New Mexico, will post again soon

    admin
    12 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am
    Hi everyone, sorry for being so quiet on the posts. I’m on a fellowship to New Mexico to learn about energy issues here, and time has been short. I’ll be back and posting more on Monday. Cheers.

  • The wonders of ionic liquids, and how they can dramatically raise the bar on energy storage

    admin
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:14 am
    I have to be honest, up until last week I’d heard a lot about the potential of metal-air batteries — i.e. zinc-air, lithium-air, etc… — but really didn’t know much about the batteries, how they were made, why they are be potentially better, and what challenges need to be overcome for them to unseat the current king of batteries, lithium-ion technology.  Then I was put onto an Arizona-based company called Fluidic Energy, which recently received $5.13 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the recently announced first-phase of ARPA-E…
 
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    Fake Plastic Fish

  • Graze Organic Lunch Bags Give-Away

    Beth Terry
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am
    Another day; another give-away. I told you there would be more from the SF Green Festival. As my roommate at the BlogHer conference this past summer, Mindful Momma Micaela Preston brought me a cute organic cotton sandwich bag from Graze Organic. Unlike other sandwich and snack wraps, these bags contain no plastic coating or lining. Of course, you can’t put anything seriously messy inside (unless you wrap it first in wax paper), but it was important to the founders of the company not to have their children’s food in contact with plastic. In fact, the only plastic in the bags are…

  • Year 3, Month 5 Results: 8.9 oz of Plastic Waste

    Beth Terry
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:50 pm
    In the past month, I have given up more than plastic. I actually have not had a sip of any alcoholic beverage in 31 days. And I haven’t had coffee in that length of time either. I stopped drinking black tea 2 weeks ago. At this point, the only caffeine in my life comes from chocolate. And Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream, but you’ll see the evidence of that in the tally. Oh, and no gluten either for about two months. Thanksgiving is going to be hella fun. But you know what? Mostly I don’t miss any of it. They were habits, you know, like… the plastic habit… the…

  • Say No to Fake Plastic Wishbones & Other Thanksgiving Waste

    Beth Terry
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:37 pm
    Fake plastic wishbones?  Around Thanksgiving time last year, I read a post by blogger Rejin from Urban Botany blasting People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for promoting plastic Lucky Break Wishbones .  She wrote: Hasn’t PETA ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? They claim these wishbones and their packages are recyclable, but let’s face it: 99.99% of them are going to end up in a landfill, or in the ocean, where they will probably be swallowed by sea turtles [And I would add baby albatross chicks] who will choke and die…. Animals, PETA, animals! Do…

  • Green Festival SF: Life Without Plastic & Luna Pads Give-Away

    Beth Terry
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm
    11/20/09 Update: The winner of the Luna Panties is… (see below.) The Green Festival… this weekend was my third and probably best experience attending. I’ve read negative reviews of the Green Festival from green bloggers bemoaning that the vendor floor is so consumption-oriented and there is still so much plastic packaging and plastic products. Those comments may be valid. But you know what? The experience of The Green Festival is what you make of it. Here are some tips: 1) Meet up with your friends — the folks who create the products that you do love. I hung out with…

  • Practically Green Book Give-Away & DIY Challenge

    Beth Terry
    13 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    11/20/09 Update: The winner of the Practically Green book is… (see below.) I first met Micaela Preston through the Green Moms Carnival. Her blog, Mindful Momma, is full of practical advice and Do-It-Yourself projects for living a more sustainable life. She was also my roommate at the BlogHer conference this summer, where she impressed everyone with her ingenious handmade business card holder, made from the pocket of an old blouse and sporting two compartments — one for her own cards and the other for cards she received from other people. So it’s not surprising that she has…
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    Clean Energy Stocks

  • Investorideas.com Renewable Energy Stocks Directory Adds New Wind Stocks and Creates Category for Smart Grid Stocks

    www.Investorideas.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:07 am
    Investorideas.com Renewable Energy Stocks Directory Adds New Wind Stocks and Creates Category for Smart Grid StocksPOINT ROBERTS, WA and DELTA, BC –November 20, 2009 - http://www.blogger.com/www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com, a leading global investor and industry portal for the renewable energy sector within http://www.investorideas.com/ announces the renewable energy and green energy stocks directory has recently added new wind stocks in addition to creating a new sub- sector for smart grid stocks due to the growing number of entrants to the space.Green Energy investors can research stocks…

  • EcoFactor Wins World's Largest Clean Tech Business Competition With Its Personalized Residential Energy Management Solution

    www.Investorideas.com
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:52 am
    EcoFactor Wins World's Largest Clean Tech Business Competition With Its Personalized Residential Energy Management SolutionRedwood City-Based Startup Named Cleantech Open National Award WinnerREDWOOD CITY, CA- - November 19, 2009- EcoFactor, the premier provider of personalized solutions for managing residential energy use, announced today that it has won the grand prize in the Cleantech Open national business plan competition, the largest competition of its kind. EcoFactor was recognized for its personalized residential energy management solution, which offers real benefits to consumers,…

  • Cleantech News - GE (NYSE: GE) , Chinese Partners Sign Agreements to Advance Clean Technologies, Create Jobs

    www.Investorideas.com
    17 Nov 2009 | 9:35 am
    Cleantech News - GE (NYSE: GE) , Chinese Partners Sign Agreements to Advance Clean Technologies, Create Jobs‘Company’ to Country’ strategy leads to growth opportunities•GE Aviation, AVIC Systems create global avionics business for commercial aircraft •GE Energy, Shenhua Group Corporation to accelerate “cleaner coal” technologies, coal gasification in China •GE Transportation, China’s Ministry of Railways to advance high-speed rail partnership opportunities in the United States •GE Transportation, CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co. announce diesel engine joint venture •CSR…

  • Cleantech Entrepreneurs From Around the Globe Compete for Funding to Realize Sustainable Ideas

    www.Investorideas.com
    11 Nov 2009 | 8:31 pm
    Cleantech Entrepreneurs From Around the Globe Compete for Funding to Realize Sustainable IdeasSAN FRANCISCO, CA-- November 11, 2009 - While American cleantech startups are competing for the $250,000.00 grand prize from the Cleantech Open business plan competition, forward-thinking entrepreneurs from around the world will face off for the Global Ideas Competition, a signature event for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, sponsored by Global Entrepreneurship Week. Both competitions will come to a close at the Cleantech Open Awards Gala in San Francisco on November 17. The Global Cleantech…

  • Water- Stocks.com Interview with Bill Brennan, Brennan Investment Partners LLC Discusses Investing in Global Water Equities 2009 & Beyond

    www.Investorideas.com
    10 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am
    Where the opportunities exist for investors, as companies provide solutions to the ever growing water crisisPoint Roberts WA, DELTA, BC –November 10, 2009 www.Water-Stocks.com, an investor and industry portal for the water sector within Investorideas.com, presents an interview with Bill Brennan, President & CIOof Brennan Investment Partners LLC, an investment advisor that specializes in the analysis of and investment in domestic and foreign securities of the global water businessQ- Dawn Van Zant at Water-stocks.comBill can you give our readers some background on your history in the…
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    Cleantech Blog

  • Why Can't Tom Friedman Find Cleantech?

    Neal Dikeman
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am
    Thomas Friedman, one of my favorite authors, had an editorial this week entitled, "America must lead in energy technology". As with most of his recent writings and speeches, it's targeted around the thesis of his Hot, Flat and Crowded book, which basically argues that a combination of climate change, globalization, and population growth are creating a crisis point in energy and resource use that must be dealt with by utilizing a shift of technologies to cleaner and more sustainable economic practices (some of us call that cleantech). Not a new idea, but as usual Tom Friedman articulates it…

  • PG&E to Smart Charge 219,000 Electric Vehicles

    John Addison
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am
    By John Addison (originally published in the Clean Fleet ReportBy 2020, 219,000 customers of PG&E (NYSE: PCG) may say goodbye to those trips to the gas station. No more spinning dials at the pump – $20.00, $40.00, $80.00, etc. Instead drivers will conveniently plug-in their electric cars at home or work. The fill-up will be electrons, not gasoline. Across the country, electric utilities are preparing to offer smart charging boxes for the garage and charging stations for work and downtown locations. For a fraction of gasoline cost, you will be able to charge plug-in vehicles. Pacific Gas…

  • Reinventing Desalination

    Richard T. Stuebi
    16 Nov 2009 | 4:27 am
    by Richard T. StuebiMany informed observers consider the inadequacy of clean drinking water to be one of the world’s most serious problems. By some estimates, 20% of the human population lacks access to good water supplies.That’s not to say that these people live nowhere near water: indeed, most of humankind lives fairly close to an ocean. However, seawater is saline, and desalination is required to render it usable as drinking water. Desalination is no theoretical pipe-dream: two desalination approaches have long existed to remove salt from water, distillation and reverse-osmosis.

  • 2010 Hybrid Cars with Best MPG

    John Addison
    10 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am
    By John Addison (11/10/09, original post Clean Fleet Report)The new 2010 model hybrid cars offered in the U.S. are destined to sell with gasoline prices rising. Toyota (TM) dominates the list including new models from Lexus. There are also impressive offerings from Honda (HMC), Ford (F), Nissan (NSANY), and Chevrolet (GMGMQ.PK). Your top 10 choices include hatchbacks that start at under $20,000 and stretch to roomy premium SUVs that cost over $40,000.Toyota Prius continues to lead the field in fuel economy and lowest lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. This perennial favorite midsize 4-door…

  • Biofuel Beatdown

    Richard T. Stuebi
    9 Nov 2009 | 10:25 am
    by Richard T. StuebiA few weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal ran an article entitled "U.S. Biofuel Boom Running on Empty", which presented a blistering across-the-board slam on biofuels. Perhaps more interesting than the WSJ article itself was an email reaction I received from a prominent energy tech venture capitalist with keen visibility into the transportation fuel space (whom I will keep anonymous), who said:"The article makes the common mistake of using the broad term 'biofuel' when they should be focusing down to 'biodiesel' and 'corn-based ethanol'....Renewable diesel and 'green'…
 
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    Green Tech Media: Cleantech Investing

  • Exciting news

    info@greentechmedia.com
    12 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pm
    Long-time readers will know that in my spare time (ha) I've been serving as President of the Renewable Energy Business Network, a non-profit I and Andrew Friendly of ATV officially co-founded last year (although read below for more backstory)... Yesterday we were extremely pleased to announce that REBN and the Clean Economy Network have joined forces, with the REBN network of chapters and leaders being integrated into the Clean Economy Network Foundation.  It's an exciting move that will mean bringing a lot more professional leadership to the combined effort, with the existing REBN…

  • Friday follies

    info@greentechmedia.com
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    Some random links and observations on a Friday: Apparently not every reader picked up on the fact that my last post was tongue-in-cheek.  Guess you had to be there.  Fortunately, Scott was in fact there... David Gold wrote recently on some of the same issues, wondering why solar and the like have gotten so much attention from VCs while technologies like geothermal have gotten much less attention.  His answer is that in large part "much of the bias has to do with the fact that not many VCs have strong networks of geologists, drilling technologists, heat pump engineers and steam…

  • Conventional wisdom and cleantech venture capital

    info@greentechmedia.com
    4 Nov 2009 | 2:02 pm
    I had the pleasure of speaking as part of a panel this morning at the Mid-Atlantic Capital Alliance's conference in Philadelphia.  Here's a taste of what I told them: 1.  Cleantech only happens in Silicon Valley and MIT.  If you look at the dollars flowing into cleantech from venture capitalists, and read the sunday NYT, that's the natural conclusion you would draw.  So my apologies to everyone in Philly (or the rest of the country outside of northern California and Boston), there's clearly very little good entrepreneurial activity in cleantech in your region. 2. …

  • Friday folderol

    info@greentechmedia.com
    30 Oct 2009 | 12:37 pm
    Some random items, including some administrative housekeeping:   1.  If you haven't seen it, it's worth reading DOE Secretary Chu's op-ed on weatherization and all of the governmental support being thrown toward that part of energy efficiency.  Heady times for residential and commercial energy efficiency efforts.  Side note:  The Secretary of Energy is publishing his op-eds in the Huffington Post now?  Wow, this Internet thingy might actually be catching on.   2.  How the government "picks winners and losers" is a topic of much conversation these days,…

  • Great returns from cleantech

    info@greentechmedia.com
    28 Oct 2009 | 12:11 pm
    Did you see the Q2 venture returns report from Cambridge Associates and the NVCA (note: pdf)?  If so, you were probably as intrigued by the chart on page 7 as I was. On that page is a chart of "US Venture Capital Dollar-Weighted Internal Rate of Return on Vintage Year Companies" broken out by sector.  They don't break out cleantech as a category, but they do break out Energy.  And the numbers are pretty noteworthy. Energy category IRRs vs. All Companies IRRs 2002  Energy = 43.0%, All = 8.75% 2003  Energy = 46.0%, All = 12.3% 2004  Energy = 10.4%, All = 12.8%…
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    Cleantech Investing in Israel

  • Ormat, NV Energy sign 30MW geothermal power contract

    Jonathan Shapira
    11 Nov 2009 | 5:23 am
    Ormat Technologies, Inc. announced this week that it has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with NV Energy, Inc. for the purchase 30 megawatts (MW) from the McGinness Hills Geothermal project, which is currently under construction.The PPA is subject to various approvals including the approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada and is projected to come on line in 2012. When completed, the McGinness Hills project will increase the total output supplied from Ormat to NV Energy, Inc. to approximately 135 MWs, helping NV Energy to meet its renewable energy requirement.

  • BrightSource signs research agreements with Hebrew University

    Jonathan Shapira
    4 Nov 2009 | 7:25 pm
    Yissum Research Development Company, the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, announced this week that it has signed two research agreements with BrightSource Industries Israel (BSII) for the development of new materials for solar thermal power plants.Under the agreement, BrightSource will fund research in the laboratories of Professors Daniel Mandler, and Shlomo Magdassi, both from the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This research collaboration is based on the know-how of Yissum and BSII.In addition to payment of research fees, BSII…

  • Jerusalem event highlights U.S.-Israel energy cooperation

    Jonathan Shapira
    2 Nov 2009 | 7:50 pm
    On Sunday, November 8th, hundreds of young professionals will gather in San Francisco for the Jewish Response to the Energy Challenge conference featuring cleantech entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers.The conference will be broadcast to several cities around the world, including Jerusalem, where organizers have arranged for their own simulcast event on the U.S.-Israel Partnership for Clean and Secure Energy Solutions. Dr. Isaac Berzin, Director of the Institute for Renewable Energy Policy at IDC Herzliya (and Founder of Greenfuel Technologies) will give the keynote address. Dr. Berzin…

  • Ormat teams with Sunday Energy on $195M joint venture for 36 MW of solar

    Jonathan Shapira
    19 Oct 2009 | 6:27 am
    Ormat Technologies, Inc., announced today that its Israeli subsidiary, Ormat Systems Ltd., has signed a Joint Venture Agreement (“JVA”) with Sunday Energy Ltd. (“Sunday”), an Israeli solar integration company, to construct and operate solar-photovoltaic (“PV”) energy systems in Israel with a total capacity of 36 megawatts (MW).Under the JVA, Sunday will contribute the rights to all of its property and roofs required to develop solar energy systems above 1 MW to special purpose entities (“SPEs”). Ormat will own 70% of each SPE and will also have control of it. Under the terms…

  • Siemens to buy Solel Solar for $418 million

    Jonathan Shapira
    15 Oct 2009 | 11:06 am
    German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG has announced that it will buy solar thermal power company Solel Solar Systems Ltd. for $418 million.Siemens will buy the Beit Shemesh, Israel-based company from Ecofin Ltd., a London-based investment company which had purchased a stake in Solel in January 2008 at a company value of $150 million.Solel has a workforce of over 500 and is one of the world´s two leading suppliers of solar receivers, which are key components in parabolic trough solar power plants. Solel posted revenue totaling almost $90 million in the first six months of this year, and…
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    ALT Energy Stocks: Cleantech News

  • Australian Senate: Peak Oil motion defeated 31:6

    (Source: The Oil Drum - References: Peak Energy) Senator Christine Milne: Australia needs to kick the oil addiction before peak oil kicks it for us by driving prices sky high. "We must start planning now to bring on the sustainable alternatives of renewably-powered electric vehicles, both

  • Toyota starts discussions on who will get PHEV Priuses

    (Source: AutoblogGreen) Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept -- Click above for high-res image gallery Toyota is getting ready to start deploying a fleet of 200 plug-in Prius hybrids in the coming months and the company needs to

  • Foreign Competition Pressuring US to Support Clean Energy at Home

    (Source: Solve Climate Chronicles) Industry leaders, politicians and other stakeholders gathered Friday on Capitol Hill to rally support for a move to a renewable energy-based economy. The tone was largely optimistic and painted a picture of the U.S. at a crossroads where, if the

  • Al Gore: Our next power grid will be like the Net

    (Source: Green Tech blog) The former vice president takes the stage at VentureBeat's GreenBeat conference in San Mateo, Calif. to discuss some of the challenges ahead for moving to the smart grid. Originally posted at Web Crawler

  • EPA Proposes Stronger Air Quality Standards for SO2; First Proposed Increase Since 1971

    (Source: Green Car Congress - References: After Gutenberg) US SO2 emissions by source sector in 2005. Source: EPA. Click to enlarge.For the first time in nearly 40 years, EPA is proposing to strengthen the nation’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) primary air quality standard to protect public health. Power plants
 
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    Gil Friend

  • Get This: Overcoming the Key Barriers to Building a Sustainable Economy

    Gil Friend
    26 Oct 2009 | 6:32 pm
    Sustainable business strategies often hit a surprising roadblock -- the limiting (and false) assumption "green" will cost money, require sacrifice, and delay profits. The problem isn't that companies can't afford to operate sustainably. The problem is that too many businesses just can't count -- operating with accounting systems that miss real value and consistently leave money on the table. To address this assumption, businesses -- and the economic systems within which we operate -- need to overcome three key barriers: Business must get the prices right, break the addiction to "stuff," and…

  • Upcoming sustainable business events - with me! (and discounts too)

    Gil Friend
    23 Sep 2009 | 10:04 pm
    My speaking schedule has gotten increasingly crowded as interest continues to rise in sustainability as a serious business strategy. Here's what's up in the next few weeks: Digging Deeper San Francisco, September 27 2009 Discount Code: DiggingSF09 A Sustainability Compass- Navigating the Business Frontier Workshop, reception and book-signing NBIS, Seattle, September 29 2009 West Coast Green San Francisco CA October 1-3 2009 Special discount for "friends of Gil" Designers Accord Global Summit Oct 23 2009 San Francisco Closing Plenary: SRI in The Rockies (with Hunter Lovins) Tucson AZ October…

  • Quote of the day

    Gil Friend
    18 Sep 2009 | 12:19 am
    The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country. - Abraham Lincoln (Thank you Dan Geiger of the USGBC-Northern California Chapter.

  • Impossible? I'm not so sure

    Gil Friend
    8 Sep 2009 | 1:06 am
    From Tim Ferriss's blog: "€œDon'™t tell me it'€™s impossible,"€ he says, "€œtell me you can't do it."€ "€œTell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-“the only things we really know-€“are the two postulates of relativity, the three laws of Newton, the four laws of thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equation-€“no, scratch that, the only things we really know are  Maxwell'€™s equations, the three laws of Newton, the two postulates of relativity, and the periodic table. That's all we know that's true. All the rest are man'€™s laws...." -From Esquire…

  • Impossible? I'm not so sure

    Gil Friend
    8 Sep 2009 | 12:55 am
    From Tim Ferriss's blog: "€œDon'™t tell me it'€™s impossible,"€ he says, "€œtell me you can't do it."€ "€œTell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-“the only things we really know-€“are the two postulates of relativity, the three laws of Newton, the four laws of thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equation-€“no, scratch that, the only things we really know are  Maxwell'€™s equations, the three laws of Newton, the two postulates of relativity, and the periodic table. That's all we know that's true. All the rest are man'€™s laws...." -From Esquire…
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    The BiOH Experience

  • Need an Incentive to “Green” your Lifestyle?

    Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pm
    Then maybe the EarthCare Challenge is for you! It’s a unique contest that will share the challenges of six contestants aspiring to live more sustainable lifestyles. And the cool part is that the contest will happen entirely online….through Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube. Contest entry is easy. Upload a photo or a video to Facebook or You Tube and share why you are in need of an eco-makeover as well as why you want to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Six regional finalists will be announced on December 1.  Finalists will get expert advice from green living gurus and will be…

  • Now It’s Your Turn to “Experience Soy Style”

    Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager
    21 Oct 2009 | 3:09 pm
    I’m finally catching my breath from the whirlwind that surrounded the Experience Soy Style: Be in the KnOH! event on October 10… and wanted to share some highlights with those of you who could not attend! First of all, a BIG thanks to Room & Board for hosting the event in their Edina, MN store and for their flexibility in adjusting their retail space to showcase the MCAD student exhibits. The winning MCAD student exhibitors - Nick Kriegler, Stephanie Polus, and Ruth Sauvageau - did a fabulous job designing exhibits that fit with the Room & Board brand experience and told…

  • BiOH Polyols and MCAD Students on TV!

    Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager
    9 Oct 2009 | 7:43 am
    This morning our local CBS news affiliate, WCCO, ran a story about soy foam made with BiOH polyols and the MCAD students that have been designing exhibits for the Experience Soy Style event at Room & Board this Saturday. The milk jug scupture shown in the video is just one of many exhibits that will be on display this weekend. You can check out the full news story here

  • The Chance to Experience Soy Style is Almost Here!

    Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager
    8 Oct 2009 | 9:23 am
    The Minneapolis College of Art and Design students are putting final touches on the exhibits, the Room & Board team is preparing their store in Edina, MN, and many of us on the BiOH team are busy finalizing last minute details to make  the Experience Soy Style: Be in the KnOH! event on Saturday from 1-3pm  run smoothly. We are all so excited! The students have designed several exhibits to take you on a “journey from soybean to sofa.” Through videos, banners, soybean plants, foam blocks, and scupltures, you can learn more about soy foam options and why they may be a better…

  • A Special Q&A for Interior Designers on Soy Foam

    Jessica, BiOH Polyols Marketing Manager
    11 Sep 2009 | 3:24 pm
    If you’re an interior designer, this post is written specifically to answer your questions and hopefully, inspire you to become a catalyst for positive change in the home furnishings industry. And if you’re not an interior designer, you’re still welcome to follow along! Let’s start with some background on why interior designers may consider specifiying products made using soy foam with BiOH polyols… 1.Clients are often seeking more environmentally friendly and healthier options for their homes, and designers are expected to bring solutions. (The Green Design…
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    Environmental Leader

  • Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency

    Environmental Leader
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:16 am
    Following California’s decision earlier this week to require elevated energy efficiency standards for TVs, the Canadian province of Ontario is considering a similar move. On Nov. 18, California became the first state in the country to institute its own standards on energy efficiency of televisions sold within its borders. New TVs sold there must show reduced [...]

  • EPA Is One Step Closer to New Ship Emissions Standards

    Environmental Leader
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:26 am
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delivered draft rules for new engine and fuel standards for the largest ocean-bound ships to the White House for review, reports the New York Times. The draft rule (PDF) requires vessels with large diesel engines to significantly cut their nitrogen-oxide and sulfur-dioxide emissions, reports the New York Times. Short-term standards [...]

  • European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

    Environmental Leader
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am
    The European paper industry has reduced CO2 emissions per ton of paper produced by 42 percent since 1990, according to the Confederation of European Paper Industries’ (CEPI) fourth Sustainability Report (PDF). The paper industry was the only industrial sector to reduce emissions under the EU Emissions Trading System in 2008 compared to 2007, according to CEPI. [...]

  • CDP Launches Water Disclosure Project

    Environmental Leader
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am
    The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has launched a global water disclosure project to help businesses and institutional investors understand the risks and opportunities associated with water scarcity and other water-related issues, including greater demand for water, shrinking glaciers and changing precipitation patterns that are likely to result in drought and flooding. The organization also released [...]

  • Whirlpool Cuts Water Use by Nearly 22% from 2004 to 2008

    Environmental Leader
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:34 am
    Whirlpool Corp. is on track to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 6.6 percent by 2012, according to the company’s first global sustainability report. The company also cut water use by 21.5 percent and overall waste generated per unit decreased by nearly 4 percent from 2004 to 2008. The appliance maker also recycled 90 [...]
 
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    Joel Makower: Two Steps Forward

  • Searching for Greenwash at Greenbuild

    joelmakower
    15 Nov 2009 | 10:18 am
    I'll admit to entering the halls of Greenbuild — the mammoth green building conference and expo, held last week in Phoenix — with a cynical theory: Greenbuild would be filled with greenwash. I assumed that with nearly 1,100 exhibitors, up 25% from the previous year amid a horrid economy, the U.S. Green Building Council, the event's organizers, had lowered its standards, accepting anyone that had a green story to tell. It would be, I surmised, a case study in what happens when green goes mainstream: that good intentions and high standards give way to the lowest common denominator…

  • Green Consumers and the Recession: Is It Really Different This Time?

    joelmakower
    7 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am
    How have consumers' green shopping habits changed during these tough economic times? There are at least a couple schools of thought: one, that green consumerism has gotten steamrolled by the recession, viewed as a luxury no longer affordable; the other, that green shopping has endured as consumers go back to basics, rethinking the need to consume, redefining what it means to be fulfilled, and becoming less wasteful and more conscious of the impact of their purchases. So, which is it? Is a green shopping ethic alive and well, or has "saving the earth" taken a backseat to…

  • Introducing … the Green Confidence Index

    joelmakower
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:55 am
    Today marks the launch of a new monthly index, the Green Confidence Index, aimed at tracking Americans' attitudes about and confidence in their leaders and institutions, nationally and locally, on the subject of environmental responsibility, as well as in their own understanding of issues and their willingness to make green purchasing choices. It is the first comprehensive monthly tracking of consumers' green attitudes and purchasing. The Index was produced by my colleagues at GreenBiz.com in partnership with a leading market research firm, Earthsense, and a leading polling firm,…

  • How to Talk About [Whatever It's Called]

    joelmakower
    25 Oct 2009 | 9:14 pm
    Do people care about the climate?It's an open question these days, and opinion polls offer little help. Some show that climate ranks fairly low among public concerns, while others indicate a high level of concern among the populace. And in the run-up to the Copenhagen climate summit, now a mere six weeks away, those opinions count for something, particularly in the United States, where lawmakers are looking to be swayed one way or another. Here's a sampling of the hodgepodge of public opinion. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press last week reported that "There…

  • A Look Inside Good Housekeeping's Green Seal

    joelmakower
    18 Oct 2009 | 8:34 pm
    It's long stated as near fact by observers of the confusing and confounding green marketplace that what's needed, once and for all, is something akin to a Good Housekeeping Seal for the environment. Good Housekeeping, it seems, represents a pinnacle of credibility and consumer confidence. So, now that Good Housekeeping has introduced its own green seal, what should we make of it? First, some background. The original Good Housekeeping Seal was introduced in 1909, when there was little regulatory oversight of consumer products. It represented an audacious marketing promise from its…
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    Sustainablog

  • President’s Environmental Youth Awards Recognize Green Student Leaders

    Jeff McIntire-Strasburg
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:40 am
    How many of the environmental education initiatives that you know of were started by teachers, parents, or non-profit organizations? That’s typical: from artistic approaches to rainwater harvesting to solar boat building, most efforts at teaching kids about environmental issues start with adults. But students often come up with their own programs, too, and the President’s Environmental Youth Awards aims to highlight those efforts that start with schoolkids. Started in 1971 by the EPA, this awards program “…recognizes young people across America for projects which…

  • When it Comes to Food, Concern is Good - But Action is Better

    Steve Savage
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pm
    The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has developed a career-long role that entails finding issues to worry about and writing about them.  That can be a good thing because science is definitely about asking the hard questions.  Sometimes however, these well-intentioned folks can let their biases and presuppositions get in the way. UCS has just released a report linking increased pesticide use to the adoption of biotech crops.  Their presuppositions are that both of these are bad things - GMOs and chemicals.  Their logic flaw is that even though they note that the biggest increase was in…

  • The Ethics of Selling Crop Seed: Part 2 - GMO Seed

    Steve Savage
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:12 am
    This is a followup post that will attempt to address some additional, wide-spread myths about the commercial sale of seed.  In this case the topic with be “GMO” seed improved through genetic engineering (an industry that is now 13 years old and which has been planted on well over 2 billion acres cumulatively, much of it in the developing world). As someone with substantial direct experience with this industry over the years, I’d like to try to speak to some distorted perspectives on this technology. The First Biotech Crops The four earliest commercial biotech crops…

  • The Ethics of Selling Crop Seed: Part 1

    Steve Savage
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pm
    There is a lot of confusion and disinformation circulating today about seeds and the ethics of their commercial sale.  Actually a healthy, commercial seed industry is critical for agricultural sustainability.  Because seeds are such a fundamental component of the sustainability of our food supply, this area deserves careful thought and accurate information even if you are never going to farm or even garden. I’ll try to address some of the modern “myths” about this.  I’ll talk about “farmer-saved seed,” and “hybrid seed.” In a later post…

  • Revenge of the Angry Mermaid

    Tom Schueneman
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:39 am
    Copenhagen is a water town, and the iconic symbol of Denmark’s capital city is the Little Mermaid silently standing watch over the harbor. Next month the Little Mermaid welcomes the global community coming to negotiate at least the foundation of an international treaty at the COP15 climate conference to carry beyond the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012. The Little Mermaid takes her role as a symbol of climate change seriously. And she’s angry. Angry because also coming to her town are thousands of lobbyists and business (as usual) representatives intent on holding back progress for…
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    wattwatt.com latest pulses

  • energics introduces "intelligence for energy™" Innovative Smart Grid Solution

    Marc
    Posted on November 20, 2009 by Marc Parmet Energics Introduces “intelligence for energy” Innovative Smart Grid Solution. Patented Technology Will Transform Smart Grid and Web Search Data with proactive intelligence™. CAMARILLO, California—18 November 2009—energics inc. today introduced the release of intelligence for energy™ - the company’s new patented portfolio of revolutionary data solutions for the Smart Grid. “Our new patented technology will enable proactive intelligence™ across all tiers of the Smart Grid - and transform this new era of energy and power,” said Marc…

  • Standardization essential for electric car development

    Yvonne
    Posted on November 20, 2009 by Yvonne Flavin At the IEC 73rd General Meeting, which took place last month in Tel Aviv, a special workshop was held on "e-mobility". Called "International Standards for E-mobility – A Necessity for Mass Deployment", it gathered together managers and R&D engineers from electric vehicle and infrastructure developers, key strategists from major Smart Grid programmes and experts from IEC TCs (Technical Committees). The workshop was chaired by Ziva Patir, Vice-President of Better Place, in charge of international standardization…

  • A Breakthrough Technology to Recycle CO2 into Fuel

    Jose
    Posted on October 29, 2009 by Jose Vaz Pinto Will mitigate the CO2 problem using the actual fuel infrastructure. Recycling CO2 emissions into renewable liquid fuels can directly and immediately reduce the demand for liquid petroleum fuels - this is based on Carbon Science recently announced R first results. Based on a projected industrial scale CO2 to fuel conversion efficiency range of 40% to 80%, Carbon Sciences believes its breakthrough CO2-to-Fuel technology can provide a significant portion of the world's liquid fuel supply. Fuels produced with CO2-to-Fuel technology are essentially…

  • Energy studies with power logger

    Jerry
    Posted on October 29, 2009 by Jerry Rodgers In order to reduce energy consumption you need to understand how much energy you are using and when. To do that, hook up a power logger such as the Fluke 1735 to the feeders or service. For a 3-phase wye systerm there will be connections: three phase voltages, neutral voltage, three phase currents and neutral current. Set the network topology to wye or delta to match the system you are monitoring. Set the recording time -- 15 minute intervals over a 30 day period is typical. After 30 days, download the data and review the measurements. Find average…

  • Juan Rosales

    Juan
    Posted on October 23, 2009 by Juan Rosales Lookig for any update related to energy effiency household appliances there is/are 1 comment(s) for this post
 
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    Earth & Economy

  • Culture of Environmental Responsibility

    Earth & Economy
    21 Nov 2009 | 8:29 pm
    Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites campus communities, educators, and parents to foster environmental awareness. The Go Green Initiative Association, a non-profit organization, fulfills its initiative through education—protecting the environment and children's health through responsible practices....

  • Google at Going Green

    Earth & Economy
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm
    Google corporate features a green section dedicated to their innovative initiatives and environmentally responsible practices. It also links to topics (clean energy, carbon footprints, efficient computing, employee programs, and user tools) and features green news from their official blog....

  • Freedom to Speak Green Initiatives

    Earth & Economy
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:52 am
    FREEDOMSPEAKS.COM, a non-partisan political social network, enables members to write letters to and search for publicly elected officials. Send a single letter via both email and fax to the public officials you select. They currently provide data for Federal, State,...

  • Live Green in a Fast Food World

    Earth & Economy
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:33 pm
    Easy Eco To Go.com is a blog dedicated to helping you make greener choices. Julia Johnsen, passionate Placerville "greenie", wife, and mother, shares real-life advice and passionate stories for going green—juxtaposed with her own family's eco-conscious lifestyle....

  • Anything and Everything Green in Philly

    Earth & Economy
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:26 pm
    In her blog GreenSpace, Philadelphia Enquirer environmental columnist Sandy Bauers shares ideas for how to reduce your carbon footprint. In addition to green blogs, Philly.com also features environmental news, living tips, earth friendly products/services, and more green topics....
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    EcoEarth.Info: Earth Blog

  • Helping Old Forests Stabilize Climate 2009: Ecological Internet $75,000 Year-End Fund-Raiser

    18 Nov 2009 | 10:03 pm
    Please support EI's proven Internet-based global advocacy to achieve ecological science-based ecosystem protection and restoration - http://www.climateark.org/shared/donate/ Dear Earth colleagues, I have just come from the rainforest, and things are not looking good. Old forests continue to needlessly fall, even as abrupt runaway climate change appears imminent. Today Ecological Internet launches our biannual fund-raiser to support our ten year old unique brand of Internet mediated global ecological advocacy to address the twin crises of forest degradation and climate change. Simply no one…

  • RELEASE: WWF Confronted for Rainforest "Greenwashing" of "Sustainable" Palm Oil

    5 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm
    By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/ CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org An Open Letter signed by more than 80 organizations from 31 countries was delivered yesterday to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) [search] and to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) co-initiator of the initiative. In the letter, they are urged to end the “greenwashing” and certification of palm oil plantations as being “sustainable”. According to the Open Letter, palm oil companies certified by the RSPO are directly responsible for much…

  • ALERT! No to Copenhagen 'Carbon Logging': GOOD REDD Fully Protects and Restores Old Forests as a Global Climatic Imperative

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am
    By Ecological Internet's Climate Ark Climate Change Portal TAKE ACTION HERE NOW! Copenhagen climate talks [search] must not provide Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) carbon market funds for old, natural forest logging, or for conversion of natural or semi-natural forests and other ecosystems to plantations. Ending deforestation and degradation of old and relatively ecologically intact primary and old growth forest ecosystems, and the ecological restoration of late-successional old growth forests, are keystone responses to maintaining the global climatic system. TAKE…

  • ALERT! Madagascar's Protected Rainforest Hardwoods Continue to be Selectively Logged

    27 Oct 2009 | 11:54 am
    TAKE ACTION! Loggers and wildlife traders continue to violate Madagascar's biodiversity [search] rich rainforests including protected areas. In March of this year controversy surrounding leasing of agricultural land resulted in a military coup. In the chaos that ensued, armed gangs funded by Chinese traders entered Madagascar’s Marojejy and Masoala National Parks, two world-renowned World Heritage Sites, and logged rosewood, ebonies, and other valuable hardwoods. NGOs operating in Madagascar report continued armed, open and organized plundering of precious wood from several natural forests,…

  • EI RELEASE: Papua New Guineans Protest World Bank's Ill-Conceived Expansion of Pacific Tuna Fish Harvest

    20 Oct 2009 | 1:08 am
    Peaceful protesters make clear PMIZ ecologically unsustainable, corruption is epidemic and democracy threatened in Papua New Guinea October 20, 2009 From Asples PNG and Earth's Newsdesk, projects of Ecological Internet (EI) Continue Taking Action Online at: http://bit.ly/png_tuna (MADANG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA) -- Over 500 people gathered at the Madang Provincial Government Headquarters on Thursday, October 15th, to protest Papua New Guinea governments' support for the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ). The PMIZ, at Vidar along the North Coast Road, is expected to be one of the biggest tuna…
 
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    1GreenProduct

  • Greensbury Market Organic Meats

    Let’s say that you are an omnivore who recognizes the environmental benefits of eating organic meats, but you live in a benighted area where organic food choices are few and far between. What’s such an eco-conscious consumer to do? One option is to get your organic beef, chicken and pork via mail-order from Greensbury Market, which says [...]

  • Ivee Bamboo Clothing

    Why do I like bamboo? According to multiple sources (1,2,3), bamboo is - Ultrarenewable, one of the fastest-growing plants in the world Good at preventing soil erosion Easily dyed, with minimal water requirements Very hardy, able to survive both drought and flood conditions Able to grow with little water 100% biodegradable Naturally antibacterial But while much bamboo clothing may be eco-friendly, it’s not automatically [...]

  • Smart fortwo Passion Cabriolet

      Parking a smart fortwo should be at the top of the list of Easiest Things in the World.   Even if the parking space is lilliputian, even if you have approached it from an odd angle, even if the cars on either side of you are gargantuan trucks, you should be able to squeeze into the space [...]

  • Tidbits – SNO:LA organic frozen yogurt, ZT Rooibos Tea, Sentina LED lights, Earthworm cleaning products, Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare

    Here are some recent eco-friendly product tidbits: - Travelers (or residents) in Beverly Hills, California or Santa Monica can enjoy organic frozen yogurt made from all-natural ingredients (including probiotics) at SNO:LA. There’s also an outpost in Kyoto, Japan. The shops use eco-friendly decor and consider themselves ‘no-plastic-zones’ by choosing to use biodegradable/compostable materials such as sugar [...]

  • My Favorite Products – Susan Gottlieb likes Dr. Bronner’s, Begley’s Best, Seventh Generation and If You Care

    1GreenProduct.com is pleased to present the product recommendations of Susan Gottlieb, co-owner with her husband Daniel of the G2 Gallery. The G2 Gallery strives to support both art and the environment by presenting work from celebrated nature and wildlife photographers. The gallery also says that it donates all profits from art sales to a bevy of worthwhile [...]
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    Mom Goes Green

  • Toxic? When non-stick pans mean non-“healthy” too…

    Doreen
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:52 am
    An essential part of maintaining good health is doing plenty of cooking at home, so we can control and select our own ingredients and food choices.  But what cook doesn’t love their collection of non-stick cookware?  Well, what if I told you those conveniences can be hazardous to our health? (This is the part where we all sigh and our shoulders droop a little, I know!) I just learned that non-stick pans can actually omit toxic fumes when they get too hot.  Yes, throw another log on the “disappointment fire”!  It seems these aluminum pans, coated in Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE…

  • 10 ways your Thanksgiving can be “green-of-plenty”.

    Doreen
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:21 am
    To me, Thanksgiving has always felt like the holiday with the greatest “green potential”.  There are no gifts, costumes, candy or extra, elaborate frills.  It’s simply about family gatherings, feasting on the bounty of the season and giving thanks for everything we have.  (Now didn’t that sounds like a Hallmark card!!!) In all seriousness, everything from the decorations, to the food, to the clean-up can be exceptionally green. Here are the things to keep in mind: Invitations – forgo the paper invitations and send Evites instead.  If you need to mail invitations, look for those…

  • 10 more reasons vinegar should be on your grocery list.

    Doreen
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:12 am
    Vinegar is always on my grocery list… and I buy it by the gallon.  Today, in fact, I will be using it to help clear our extremely slow-draining bathroom sink.  I’ve also talked about ways to put vinegar to work in household cleaning and laundry, but there are even more ways to substitute vinegar for other remedies and, in some cases, it helps you stay green and avoid chemicals. Think about this list: Acne remedy and skin conditioner – dilute 50/50 with water to use as a toner or dab, full strength, on the problem areas. Clean lime deposits and calcium – we’ve all had build-up in…

  • The dangers that hid in our children’s bath products.

    Doreen
    13 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am
    Yes, will the worries ever cease… it seems not, because after researching new bath products for our kids I not only discovered some potential candidates, but also reasons to worry. It seems there are some serious, and harmful, chemical “monsters” lurking in far too many children’s bath products.  This includes the most common products we all used on our babies (and often continue to use) – Johnson & Johnson, Gerber, Baby Magic and L’Oreal – all are major offenders. And the two scariest ingredients, you ask? They are 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde (doesn’t THAT one…

  • Giveaway choice: 4 Skoy cloths or 60 rolls of paper towels!

    Doreen
    11 Nov 2009 | 6:33 am
    (This giveaway is now closed for entries.  See winner in comments.) Huh?  Sounds crazy, but it’s true… one Skoy cloth can take the place of 15 rolls of paper towels! These powerful little cloths have so many amazing qualities; I think I’m in love! We all know we use far too many paper towels. Wipe down this, clean up that!  Even if you use a recycled brand, it can get a little excessive (and expensive) and they get thrown away after only one use.  Sponges are another household supply that is essentially useless.  Everyone knows that, after even a short period of time, they get…
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    EcoEarth.iNFO

  • What's The Catch? Is Albacore Tuna truly sustainable?

    22 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Independent: Silver-blue and shaped like a miniature torpedo, the albacore tuna is one of nature's great migrants. Fast and tough, it spends life on a constant journey, covering thousands of miles each year to gorge on anchovy, squid, and small crustaceans that inhabit the upper reaches of our planet's fragile and unimaginably vast oceans. Most albacore measure two or three feet in length, and weigh around 30 pounds. But at the peak of their 10-year existence, they can tip the scales at twice ...

  • Greenpeace rallies to stop deforestation in Indonesia

    22 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Agence France-Presse: 26 mins ago JAKARTA (AFP) -- Hundreds of Greenpeace activists rallied Saturday in support of a commitment by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation. About 200 people rallied in the capital displaying banners that said "Enough, stop destroying our forests" and "Stop talking, start acting". "We urge SBY to keep his promise in reducing emissions, especially from deforestation," Greenpeace Southeast Asia ...

  • Climate change to lash Britain with tropical storms

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Times (UK): BRITAIN should brace itself for more tropical-style deluges of the kind that wreaked havoc on Cockermouth, according to climate experts. They warn that, although no single event can be attributed to climate change, the warming of the atmosphere caused by greenhouse gases means such disasters will become more frequent. "We need to follow the example of tropical cities like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore where flooding is a regular event,' said Roger Falconer, professor of water ...

  • Hacked Emails Show Climate Science Ridden with Rancor

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Wall Street Journal: The picture that emerges of prominent climate-change scientists from the more than 3,000 documents and emails accessed by hackers and put on the Internet this week is one of professional backbiting and questionable scientific practices. It could undermine the idea that the science of man-made global warming is entirely settled just weeks before a crucial climate-change summit. Researchers at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, England, were victims of a ...

  • Tree-eating bugs threaten Monarch butterfly in Mexico

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Agence France-Prese: The mysterious Monarch butterfly, which migrates en masse annually between Canada and Mexico, is now facing a new peril: another insect thriving in Western Mexican forests. Some 8,000 oyamel fir trees -- the butterflies' unique mountain habitat each winter -- were cut down in July in a bid to remove beetles that threaten the Monarch's ages-old migration. But now another small beetle has since taken to devouring the savory tree trunks, further endangering the butterflies' winter ...
 
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    EcoWorld

  • Corn Genome Mapping Project Completed by Iowa State University Scientists

    Syndicated News
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pm
    AMES, Iowa, Nov. 20 (UPI) — After three years and $30 million, U.S. scientists have finished mapping the complete genome sequence of corn, the most widely eaten cereal after rice. A strain of corn called B73 may prove to be a textbook of how genes work, said Patrick Schnable, a geneticist at Iowa State University, where the strain was developed in the 1970s. “Corn is a good model for biology in general,” Schnable said Thursday. The genome sequencing of corn, funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, could play an important role in determining how genes interact,…

  • Miami MetroZoo’s Jaguar Palenque Dies During Stomach Surgery

    Syndicated News
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:04 pm
    MIAMI, Nov. 20 (UPI) — A spokesman for Miami MetroZoo said one of its two jaguars died while undergoing surgery for a stomach problem. Zoo spokesman Ron Magill said Palenque the jaguar died Wednesday, The Miami Herald reported Friday. A necropsy was performed but results were pending. Magill said the 129-pound male jaguar was kept separate from Miami MetroZoo’s other jaguar, Reina, because jaguars are solitary animals that traditionally take time to adjust to one another. “If you try to introduce two jaguars at the wrong time, one can kill the other,” Magill said.

  • Google Maps Program to Aid Tropical Rainforests

    Syndicated News
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm
    LONDON, Nov. 20 (UPI) — A proposed Google program would allow anyone with Internet access to spot illegal logging in tropical rainforests and report it, the company said. The program, to be released next year, would let so-called armchair detectives report their findings to an agency monitoring whether countries were meeting their commitments to reduce deforestation, The Times of London reported Friday. Countries allowing illegal deforestation would lose their share of a new $30 billion global fund established to pay nations for leaving forests standing. The fund — Reducing…

  • Heat and Lightning Spark Bushfires in South Australia

    Syndicated News
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:06 am
    SYDNEY, Nov. 20 (UPI) — Firefighters battled dozens of bushfires in South Australia Friday as record-breaking temperatures and lightning storms continued, officials say. Emergency crews fought scores of fires in the populous state of New South Wales, some on the outskirts of Sydney, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. “There is quite a deal of fire burning in the state,” said Rob Rogers, assistant commissioner of the Rural Fire Service. Rogers said cooler weather wasn’t expected until Sunday. “We still have two days of pretty severe fire weather,” he…

  • Judge Rules that Maryland’s Old Carolina Farm Must Track Drug Use in Livestock

    Syndicated News
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:56 pm
    WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) — A Maryland farm must identify and track animals treated with drugs before selling the livestock for slaughter for human consumption, a federal judge ruled. U.S. District Court Judge Marvin Garbis told Old Carolina Farm and owner Francis Roderick to establish a record-keeping system to keep tabs on the drugs. Old Carolina Farm has a history of selling dairy cows and certain veal calves that contain illegal residues of new animal drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a release Wednesday. The amounts of drug residues were above established…
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    EE/RE Investing: Tom Konrad

  • Is There a Tradeoff Between Economics and the Environment?

    Tom
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:48 pm
    Tom Konrad Ph.D. California’s RETI process lends insight into the near-term prospects of Solar, Wind, Geothermal, and Biomass.   In September, California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) released their Phase 2A report, which outlined potential transmission corridors to collect renewable energy from Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) that had been identified in previous phases.  As part of Phase 2A, they also screened each CREZ for environmental impact, and the potential difficulty of obtaining land for renewable energy…

  • “Heretic” Battles Straw Man

    Tom
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:56 am
    Energy Self-Reliant States [pdf], a flawed study on local Renewable Energy availability from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ISLR) found that 18 of the 50 states could not meet their electricity needs with local renewables.   In fact, no state can meet its electricity demand through local renewables without expensive electricity storage.  On a national basis, such storage would cost an estimated $13 Trillion, or over 65 times the cost of the transmission investments they oppose. by Tom Konrad, Ph.D. Straw Man: "Transmission is Only for Utility Scale Renewables"…

  • Cheap and Free Ways to Promote Energy Efficiency

    Tom
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:40 pm
    by Tom Konrad, Ph.D. Big spending Demand-Side Management programs are not the only way to promote Energy Efficiency. The Sierra Club’s Rocky Mountain chapter has decided that one of their priorities for 2010 is promoting Energy Efficiency. Since that decision was, at least in part, due to my suggestions as part of their Energy Committee, I volunteered to chair the effort for at least as long as I’m still in Colorado. (I’m planning a move to Connecticut with my wife, but we are waiting for our house to sell first.) In normal times, we might consider lobbying the state…

  • A Little More On IRR and EIRR

    Tom
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pm
    For non-financial readers looking to understand Internal Rate of Return (IRR), which I used as the foundation for Energy Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) in my article Managing the Peak Fossil Fuel Transition, you can find a good discussion of IRR on Wikipedia. In practical terms, IRR is nearly always calculated in a spreadsheet from a column of numbers indicating the directional cash flows (negative for investment, positive for returns.) The Excel spreadsheet I used to estimate the IRRs of various generation technologies is available here. Tom Konrad

  • Managing the Peak Fossil Fuel Transition 

    Tom
    16 Nov 2009 | 7:38 pm
    EROI and EIRR by Tom Konrad, Ph.D. Current renewable energy technologies must be adopted in conjunction with aggressive Smart Growth and Efficiency if we hope to continue our current standard of living and complex society with diminished reliance on fossil fuels. These strategies have the additional advantage that they can work without large technological breakthroughs.  Energy Return on Investment Energy keeps our economy running.  Energy is also what we use to obtain more energy.  The more energy we use to obtain more energy, the less we have for the rest of the…
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    EleBlog

  • Stores + Sq. Ft. -- 12 Years

    jsalimando
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:57 pm
    I recently did a presentation on construction's future. Below find one slide from the thing, on Stores (a slide on Office Buildings posted two days ago).WHAT THIS IS: All of the data are from McGraw-Hill Construction. I have saved every official report from MHC on the $ value of construction starts -- going back to 1998. I dragged them all out, dove into them, and came up with this (for this segment and for the others).Data from 1998 to 2008 are "actual" numbers as provided by MHC.2009 is an estimate (it's not over yet) -- and 2010 is a forecast.WHY THIS IS IN SQUARE FEET instead of…

  • Eco Labels & Baloney

    jsalimando
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:51 pm
    I ran across a pretty good magazine, about which I knew nothing, recently -- State & Local Energy Report. One article that's worth your time is "How to Make Sense of the Eco-Label Boom," which contained this graphic.Here's an excerpt from the thing that's a telling sample, I think:Today, eco-labeling discussions focus intensely on certification standards—the stuff an eco-label measures. At its best, an eco-label not only represents ideal practices, but also considers the impact of a product from manufacturing through disposal, as well as a host of environmental and social…

  • GreenBuild - VIDEOS

    jsalimando
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:41 pm
    I screwed up the other day (I guess) -- either that or they moved the link. Anyway, here's the correct link to GREENBUILD 2009 speaker videos. There are 14 of them. Someone over there screwed up, and the Al Gore keynote wasn't recorded.

  • 1-Family Housing Starts

    jsalimando
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm
    Our government emitted data yesterday (11/18) on Housing Starts. According to the release, the "seasonally adjusted annual rate" in October for starts of single-family home construction was 476,000.Let's look at the UNadjusted numbers, for some perspective:October (one month) =  40,200 SF houses started.October 2008 = 45,800. 10-month total of SF home starts in 2009 = 380,900. One year ago, the 10-month total was 564,600. What happened in October? According to media reporting I heard/read, it's all about the expiration (at 11/30/09) of the $8,000 first-time-buyer federal tax…

  • EcoBuild - Dec. 7-10, D.C.

    jsalimando
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:24 pm
    NOTE: I'm repeating this item so infrequent visitors can see and take advantage of it.-----------------------------------As you can see, there's a banner ad at right for EcoBuild. It's been there in previous years.Well, this year the folks who run that event (which I plan to attend, by the way -- it's in my hometown!) asked if we could go one step beyond. Look below, and you'll see the deal they are offering - to YOU!Take advantage of this! Go to www.aecEcobuild.com and enter the EleBlog code -- ELBF9EKC. Read on!------------------------------------ Normal 0 false false false Ecobuild…
 
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    MoJo Blog Posts: blue marble

  • As the World Burns

    By Julia Whitty
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:31 pm
    Just the other day I was whinging about a photo on the BBC website of an ice sculpture of a penguin (it's in this slide show) surrounded by well-dressed, admiring urbanites. I thought: How cool, what better way than a melting sculpture to highlight the plight of polar animals. Then I read the caption. Something along the lines of: "An ice sculpture of a penguin as part of a campaign to encourage shopping in London’s West End." Not a trace of irony there. Now I see on Designboom the perfect, icy riposte. The thousand (give or take) ice figures of "Melting Men" by…

  • Eco-News Roundup: Friday November 20

    By Jen Phillips
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am
    Cost Effect: The healthcare bill may be expensive, but it may rein in long-term costs. Going Swiss: The Swiss model of healthcare might be one for the US to follow. Man-Made: There'll be a ripple effect as the US Army Corps is found liable for broken New Orleans levees. [Los Angeles Times] Out Sick: US Chamber of Commerce wants to stop federally paid H1N1 sick days. Big Talk: US and China talk climate, with some actual progress. Hot Rocks: Kidney stones and malaria are just a few of global warming's risks. [Bloomberg] Climate Sell-Out: Oliver North is using…

  • Is Climate Change a Feminist Issue?

    By Jen Phillips
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:24 pm
    Yes, according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations Population Fund. "Women—particularly those in poor countries—will be affected differently than men," the report states. In developing countries, the report goes on to explain, erratic weather is increasing floods and droughts which "...increases the burden for women and girls, as they are the ones expected to ensure that there is enough food for the family." Women produce 60 to 80 percent of food in most developing nations, a task made increasingly difficult by climate change. Aside from food…

  • Offset Your Infidelity

    By Nikki Gloudeman
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:05 am
    Do you have difficulty being faithful? Fear not: CheatNeutral allows you to offset your infidelity by paying another couple not to cheat. With just a few easy payments, you can assuage you guilt and continue your meandering ways. Sound crazy? That's because the "service" is an elaborate satire of carbon offsets, the system that allows polluters to justify their sins by paying to reduce emissions elsewhere. As Mark Shapiro illustrates in the recent issue of Mother Jones, in the wrong hands carbon offsetting=greenwashing. When enviro-villains GM, American Electrical Power, and Chevron…

  • News From TreeHugger: Condoms to Stop Climate Change, Land Mines Thwarted by Bacteria & Political Peak Oil

    By Matthew McDermott of TreeHugger
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Editor's Note: A weekly roundup from our friends over at TreeHugger. Enjoy! Let's Give Out Free Condoms to Stop Climate Change... Maybe Not as Daft As It Seems The latest UN Population Fund report says that an important component in combatting climate change is limiting population growth. But will reigning in population growth really stop climate change? Quickly, in itself, no. Can it help, yes, though the situation is far more complex that a quick-grabby, twitter friendly headline can ever portray it. Gangsters Go Green! Mafia Tied to Fraudulent Italian Wind Farms - Madagascar 'Timber Mafia'…
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    All MNN Content

  • Ancient man may have hunted large animals to extinction

    Katherine Butler
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:13 pm
     

  • Nazca mystery solved: No trees, no civilization

    Karl Burkart
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am
    A new paper from the French Institute of Andean Studies in Lima which examines ancient Peruvian pollen records has finally uncovered the reason behind the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the once-bustling Nazca civilization in 500 AD.   Agribusiness.   When you see the Mars-like terrain inscribed with the mysterious kilometer long drawings that Nazca is so famous far, it’s hard to imagine that this

  • High lead levels found in popular holiday toys

    Jenn Savedge
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:03 am
      The Center for Environmental Health has recently announced that many popular toys (some carrying the Barbie and Disney logos) have dangerously high levels of lead in them.   Wait ... didn't we already hear this story? No, you're not experiencing a case of déjà vu.

  • '3D solar' panel works underground

    Karl Burkart
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:59 am
    November has been a breakthrough month for the solar industry. On the heels of an announcement by an Australian research team that broke the 43 percent efficiency barrier in solar PV technology, another team at the Georgia Institute of Technology headed by Dr.

  • Japan resumes whale hunting, claims scientific motive

    Stephanie Rogers
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:48 am
      Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama ran his campaign partially on the promise to fight the waste of taxpayer money. Yet, a fleet of highly controversial, taxpayer-funded whaling ships has left port, headed toward Antarctica to initiate this year’s hunt – and Greenpeace is determined to remind Hatoyama of his oath.
 
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    Greentech Media

  • From Sex.com to Solar

    info@greentechmedia.com
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:52 pm
    Gary Kremen is the Chairman and founder of CPF - Clean Power Finance, an interesting solar company.  Clean Power Finance provides a standardized software-as-service (SaaS) tool that lets solar panel installers vastly speed up the sales proposal, rebate processing, system design and lead generation.Based in occasionally sunny San Francisco, the company aims to enable mass-market adoption of solar with an end-to-end solution that integrates software and financing into the sales process.  Solar installers work with trucks, ladders, tool belts, and roofs.  "They hate paperwork,"…

  • Korea Wants 30% of Smart Grid Worldwide

    info@greentechmedia.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm
    The South Korean government has declared its intention to help its home industries win 30 percent of the global smart grid market, Reuters reported Friday. But to start, the government will spend a relatively small 37 billion won ($32 million) to test smart grid systems from a consortium including SK Telecom, LG Electronics, Hyundai Heavy Industries and national utility Korea Electric Power Corp., or KEPCO. The test will on be on Jeju Island, a volcanic island between Korea and Japan with about 565,000 residents. State-run Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning will…

  • After Steep Rise, A123 Systems’ Stock Heading Back Toward IPO Price

    info@greentechmedia.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am
    Nearly two months after its successful initial public offering, A123 Systems seems headed back to its roots. The company's stock has traded at around $15 today and has dipped into the high $14 range. (I noticed this after getting a stock quote for a report that Tesla may file for an IPO.) A123 went out at $13.50. Stocks are currently being whacked, so it's natural that the battery maker would take a hit. Still, it's been a wild two months. The company's stock climbed to nearly $20 on the first day of trading, a 45 percent increase. A little while later, it climbed past $28 and stayed in the…

  • Tesla Prepping for IPO, Speculates Reuters

    info@greentechmedia.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am
    Tesla Motors is preparing to move forward with an IPO, according to unidentified sources at Reuters. There is no S-1 on file right now, according to the SEC's website, but that would be the first step. Many have waited for Tesla to start moving on an IPO. It is one of the most visible green companies and, with its loan from the government, will likely be able to fulfill its ambitions of bringing out a sedan in a few years. The A123 Systems IPO likely had an effect as well. A123's stock zoomed up the first day of trading and sparked hopes that more would follow. (A number of people, in fact,…

  • Johnson Controls: What’s Hot in Green Building

    info@greentechmedia.com
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
    Johnson Controls will informally refer to itself as the IBM of green building and in many ways the analogy is apt. Both companies have extensive histories. The Milwaukee-based company just announced another quarterly dividend, the latest in a streak that stretches back to 1887. And, like IBM, the company is pervasive in its field. Johnson is one of the principal contractors behind the retrofit of the Empire State Building. It also employs 800 LEED-accredited employees. Thus, what the company does will have some impact on the market. (It also received a $299 million grant to develop…
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    Practical Environmentalist

  • The Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle

    Steve Watkins
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm
    “The Menace is loose again, the Hell’s Angels, the hundred-carat headline, running fast and loud on the early morning freeway, low in the saddle, nobody smiles, jamming crazy through traffic and ninety miles an hour down the center stripe, missing by inches. . . like Genghis Khan on an iron horse, no quarter asked and none given; show the squares some class, give em a whiff of those kicks they’ll never know. . . Ah, these righteous dudes, they love to screw it on. . . tense for the action, long hair in the wind, beards and ban­danas flapping, earrings, and stripped-down Harleys…

  • Was Cash for Clunkers a success?

    george
    30 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am
    Photo courtesy of natashalcd at Flickr.com The jury is still out on the Cash for Clunkers program. The last paperwork was filed on Monday, August 24, 2009, but crushed cars still waiting to be recycled. The final numbers are in – so how did the program score? All told, C4C took 690,114 clunkers off of the road: 84 percent of consumers traded in trucks and 59 percent purchased passenger cars. The average fuel economy of the vehicles traded in was 15.8 miles per gallon and the average fuel economy of vehicles purchased is 24.9 mpg. – a 58 percent improvement. That sounds wonderful, but…

  • 10 Cool iPhone Apps for Environmentalists

    Steve Watkins
    22 Oct 2009 | 9:27 am
    Just about everyone I know has one of these iPhone things.  I played around my nephews the other day and was amazed at all the colorful, useless apps that he had on the thing.  I think there were a dozen “flashlight” apps alone. But the iPhone really does have some legitimate apps out there for those of us that are a bit green conscious.  These represent to me the most practical of the bunch.  Ones that you wont just play with a few times and put aside, but apps that you might find yourself using day after day in your quest to live a more green life. 1) The Green Meter An…

  • World Habitat Day – 10/5/2009

    george
    2 Oct 2009 | 5:55 am
    Photo courtesy of oxfam international at Flickr.com Poverty has drastic effects on the natural world. People living without access to treated water, sustainable fuel supplies, or adequate food can have a huge impact on their surroundings. Slums and destructive farming techniques can do as much damage as SUVs and chemical spills. To highlight this issue, the UN has an annual event that focuses attention on living conditions. World Habitat Day falls on the first Monday in October. The theme of this year’s celebration is Planning our Urban Future. Photo courtesy of andreasnilsson1976 at…

  • 2010 diesel cars in the USA: here’s the lineup

    Steve Watkins
    17 Sep 2009 | 4:59 am
    There really hasn’t been any significant increase in the number of diesel cars available on the US market since our 2009 diesel car post from last year.  While common in Europe, stricter emissions requirements in some states and the recent temporary bout of high priced diesel fuel here has most car manufacturers hesitant to invest the money for what has only shown to be a small segment of the market so far in the United States. Here is this year’s list of which 2010 diesel cars that automobile manufacturers will be offering: ACURA: Acura does not offer a diesel model. AUDI: AUDI…
 
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    LILL's LIST

  • Flu Fighting Food: Mushrooms

    Lill
    25 Oct 2009 | 6:54 am
    Image by randomduck via Flickr Do you like mushrooms? This is a good thing from what I’ve been reading lately. Mushrooms are just full of beta-glucans. What’s that when it’s at home? Well, it’s a soluble polysaccharide, if you must know, and they’re some of the best immune-system boosters you can find. They support your immune system [...] No related posts.

  • Detox Tips for Xenoestrogen Overload

    Lill
    17 Oct 2009 | 5:18 am
    Xenoestrogens are so pervasive in our world, that no one can avoid them. So, how can you detoxify your body and eliminate them as much as possible? Luckily, there are many natural xenoextstrogen detoxifiers to add to our diet or supplements. Related posts:Xeno(estrogen) Phobia
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    No Impact Man

  • My rickshaw returns!!!

    Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    As you know, my famous rickshaw was stolen from outside my building. I blogged about its loss. Tonight, I got home and someone (Catherine T) had left a comment on the blog saying they saw it on 8th Street and Broadway. So I went over there, and sure enough!Sadly, it's pretty screwed up. For some reason the robbers bent the forks. But I was able to roll it home and lock it up. Tomorrow, the amazing bike genius George Bliss is going to find a new pair of forks and fix it up. Soon, Isabella and will ride again!Thanks Catherine!

  • Have you seen my stolen rickshaw?

    Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    I'm so sad to say that I woke up this morning to find that my faithful old green rickshaw had been stolen from outside our apartment building.This was the rickshaw built for me nearly three years ago by the amazing New York bike genius George Bliss. Because it was during the No Impact Man year, I could buy nothing new, so George built my rickshaw--the No Impact SUV--from entirely second-hand parts. The plywood that made the seat was taken out of a dumpster.The rickshaw, and biking in general, made New York City a way better place for me and my family. We get all over town more pleasantly…

  • Put the fun back in the holidays--spend less, enjoy more

    Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man
    12 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    I wanted to let everyone know about a nationwide event my No Impact Project is undertaking with the Center for a New American Dream. During the two-weeks of the historic UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 7th-18th), we’re bringing people together to talk about the impact of holiday spending on their lives and the environment. Every year, growing numbers of us are unhappy with the shopping frenzy that surrounds the holidays but most of us don’t know how to get off the treadmill. What if we worked together to find another way to celebrate?  The No Impact Project and…

  • How Obama could permanently strengthen our well being

    Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    Thanks to @denadu8pbb for tweeting this old post of mine. When I reread it I thought it bears reposting. One thing about a single-payer health care system. People say that it will cause an unhealthy relationship between people and the government. But my question is this: Doesn't the fact that we currently depend on major international corporations for our health care mean that we already have an unhealthy relationship with the corporations, one that requires us to continue to consume if we want the providers of our health care to survive? Isn't there something backwards about this?

  • Lose weight with the trash-free food diet

    Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man
    5 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    I was just at a trash summit put together by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. The Foundation teaches kids about the outdoors and environmental stewardship, but the problem was that they were getting all this trash washed up on their property on the banks of the Potomac River. So they started the Trash Free Potomac Watershed with the goal of making it trash free by 2013.Anyway, at their trash summit, someone was talking about the big problem of finding bags full of cups and what not from the big chain restaurants that people just turfed out of their cars after chowing down a fast food meal from…
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    Orion Magazine Articles

  • Savage Disobedience

    by Eric Wagner
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:40 am
    WAYNE JOHNSON KNOWS what you think of him. He knows that you think he’s a killer, a bum, a drunk, a thug, a savage. He knows because he reads his press, trolling the internet at night for any mention of himself. “I worry about him, actually,” one of his lawyers said. “Some of the comments can get pretty nasty.” For his part Johnson is stoic. “Yeah, I get death threats,” he told me. “Comes with the territory, I guess.” He ascribes most of them to “whackos” and says that he doesn’t give them—the threats, the…

  • Vanilla Sound

    by Ginger Strand
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pm
    Richard Keil stands ankle-deep in the tidal flats below Seattle’s Magnolia Bluff, tugging some test strips from his backpack. The bluff rises gently behind him, and the rippled sand is slowly disappearing beneath the rising tide. Before him, Puget Sound sparkles in the July sun. “The thing we find the most of in Puget Sound is artificial vanilla,” he says, scooping water into a cube-shaped collapsible bottle. Keil is an associate professor in the Keil Lab of Aquatic Organic Geochemistry at the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. What he’s…

  • Putting Things Back Together

    by Rick Bass
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:19 am
    I WASN’T A YOUNG writer when I first came to Wallace Stegner—I wasn’t even a writer of any kind—nor was I yet an environmentalist. I was just a reader, a Texan escaped to northern Utah, where I was studying wildlife management. I was fortunate enough to have an elective class in essay writing from the great literary scholar and writing instructor Tom Lyon, who expressed not so much amazement as incredulous delight when I told him I hadn’t ever heard of Stegner. It seems unthinkable now. Knowing that I was also studying geology, Tom pointed me immediately to Angle…

  • Playing for Keeps

    by Derrick Jensen
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:05 am
    PEOPLE WHO READ MY WORK often say, “Okay, so it’s clear you don’t like this culture, but what do you want to replace it?” The answer is that I don’t want any one culture to replace this culture. I want ten thousand cultures to replace this culture, each one arising organically from its own place. That’s how humans inhabited the planet (or, more precisely, their landbases, since each group inhabited a place, and not the whole world, which is precisely the point), before this culture set about reducing all cultures to one. I live on Tolowa (Indian) land.

  • Mind in the Forest

    by Scott Russell Sanders
    22 Oct 2009 | 5:32 am
    THE SETTING OF THIS ESSAY by Scott Russell Sanders is the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, a 15,800-acre research area in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Research conducted at the Andrews Forest has taught us much of what we know about old-growth in the Pacific Northwest; more than one hundred experiments are currently under way there, focusing on the role of forests in protecting water quality, controlling stream flow and sedimentation, cycling and storing carbon, and providing habitat for wildlife. In 2003 the Spring Creek Project at Oregon State University, in collaboration with the…
 
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    MindBodygreen

  • 40 Sustainable Chefs Under 40

    bones
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    By working with locally produced, seasonal and sustainable ingredients in the kitchen, these chefs make dining a memorable, eco-epicurean experience. Some even transcend the "farm to fork" concept by focusing on sustainable seafood. And, like the farmers, these chefs aren't just chefs: They're educators, entrepreneurs, authors, activists, etc.

  • Ford's Greener Vehicles

    TheGreenMarket
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    Ford is well known for having avoided a government bailout. They have been producing vehicles that have earned them good reviews and positive consumer feedback. Their hybrid sales are on the rise putting Ford within a few thousand cars of passing Honda as the second largest seller of hybrids in America.

  • A New Source of Hydrogen Power

    dawngordon
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    A new source of power from algae is being discovered to possibly be used to drive a vehicle.

  • Beneficiaries of Chinese Government Investment in Electric Vehicles

    TheGreenMarket
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    Already a leader in lithium ion batteries, China plans to continue investing in electric vehicles. China lays claim to the world's largest reserve of rare earth and second largest reserve of lithium. Both are indispensible raw materials for producing EVs.

  • Minneapolis Stadium Gets Huge New Green Roof!

    Carver
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:22 am
    Target Center's 2.5 acre roof is now the largest green roof in the State, the fifth largest in the entire country and tenth largest in the world.
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    Pumps

  • No Peak Oil Before 2030

    Pump Girl
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pm
    Hard to know what to think! A NYT blog called ‘Green Inc.’ writes that a study by IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates released this week says oil supplies will continue growing for the next 20 years, and plateau for another 20 years after that. The report, called “The Future of Global Oil Supplies: Understanding the Building Blocks,” shows how oil supplies will reach 115 million barrels a day around 2030, up from 92 million barrels today. They will remain at that level through 2050. (The report sets a lower peak level than in recent years, IHS said, because the recession…

  • Oil Supply Vs. Reality

    Pump Girl
    12 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pm
    Some whistleblower at the IEA says it has been underplaying the oil shortage to avoid worldwide panic. Existing oilfields have been declining more than admitted, and new reserves have been exaggerated, and the US is totally in bed with this. Could be, but who’s afraid of annoying Uncle Sam? The mystery source says: “The IEA in 2005 was predicting oil supplies could rise as high as 120m barrels a day by 2030 although it was forced to reduce this gradually to 116m and then 105m last year,” said the IEA source, who was unwilling to be identified for fear of reprisals inside the…

  • A New Take On Finding Petroleum

    Pump Girl
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pm
    Nice article by Rachel Cernansky on ‘Planet Green’ about 10 places to find petroleum, and why it’s going to take more than driving hybrids to conserve on gas. #1. Chewing gum - uses petroleum-based polymers (we never knew this one). #2. Hair dye - you don’t want to know. #3. Asphalt #4. Crayons - uses paraffin. Also see candles. #5. Ink #6. Pantyhose Also see any other nylon product. 7, 8, 9, 10…Ok, there’s going to be more than 10 items on this list Heart Valves. Pillows. Aspirin. Ammonia. Toothpaste. Toothbrushes. Guitar strings. Shoe polish. Tape.

  • You’ve Heard It Before

    Pump Girl
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:53 pm
    Gas prices hit a new 2009 high last week. An average of $2.58/gal. Most conclude the weak $$ is to blame. Last we read, inventories were robust, but now the EIA says that oil & gas supplies have dropped. Even OPEC says that $80/barrel oil is a little too high given the fragile economy. It blames the oil speculators. OPEC isn’t “telling you that oil is a good buy at these prices,” analyst Stephen Schork said. “The only people who are telling you that oil is worth $85 (a barrel) is Wall Street.”

  • Chrysler Is Baaackk

    Pump Girl
    4 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm
    Chrysler is back. With partner Fiat, it will be launching 21 vehicles between 2010 and 2014. It’s got three new vehicles coming out in 2012 - a compact, sub-compact hatchback, and a sedan. And maybe a mid-size truck in 2011. Ralph Gilles, head of the Dodge brand, said risk taking will be in evidence in its new crop of cars and trucks. “Every car that we have will have a soul,” he said. With regard to quality concerns, the company is taking customer concerns to heart and doing a complete overhaul. The company aims to double sales by 2014 Oh, and take a look at the new logo.
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    Protecting Our Environment

  • Belize Wildlife Conservation Networking Conference

    ProtectingOurEnvironment.com
    22 Nov 2009 | 3:01 am
    TV News reel, Narator: Ashanti Garcia shot and edited: Daniel Velazquez Galen University in House production.

  • Foxes’ Community and Wildlife Conservation

    ProtectingOurEnvironment.com
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm
    To learn more about Foxes’ Community and Wildlife Trust please visit www.wildorphans.org, or www.mufindiorphans.com This is a quick video about the activities of the NGO in the Mufindi district area in the Iringa region of Tanzania.

  • Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

    ProtectingOurEnvironment.com
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm
    Division of Law Enforcement “Patrol, Protect, Preserve”

  • solar power blogs

    ProtectingOurEnvironment.com
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:21 am
    Diy solar energy generators are a power house eco-friendly products that the world needs today. Is that 80% saving on your electricity bill sound like something you want to do? This amazing technology allows anyone to do exactly this and much more. Now natures wind energy can be used to generate enough electricity to power over everything you can imagine. With the growing research power alternative energy home DIY Solar is one of the best an alternate choice for long term production of electrical energy. It is environmentally friendly, it is convenient for our time is profitable, it can…

  • Rufford Grant Video Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society

    ProtectingOurEnvironment.com
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am
    Video by SLWCS for Rufford Grant foundation. Shows HEC, communities, elephant and research.
 
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    The New Republic - The Vine Feed

  • Can the U.S. and India Play Nice on Climate Change?

    Jesse Zwick
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    A number of unresolved issues—China, Kashmir, etc.—will be swirling around Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s first state visit this Monday, but on none are the two hesitant allies more at odds than the conditions for a global climate treaty. Much of the news in the lead up to Copenhagen has centered on the possibility of some sort of deal between the two largest emitters, the U.S. and China. India, however, could very well be a more important (and elusive) partner in those talks. That’s because over the last year India has adopted the not-so-quiet role as…

  • Ladies First, Please

    Lydia DePillis
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am
    Is climate change gender-neutral? Not according to the U.N. Population Fund, which earlier today released a report arguing that women suffer disproportionately from the impacts of global warming. Especially in developing countries, they can't flee changes like desertification and sea-level rise as easily as young men, who aren’t as tied to children and households. They're often caught up in civil conflicts ignited by scarce resources. And they're more likely to fall victim to diseases caused by wetter weather patterns. But on the flipside, the report argues, women are also in the best…

  • Carbon Sinks Losing Their Superpowers

    Bradford Plumer
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:52 am
    One of the uncertainties in predicting how the climate will respond to all the greenhouse gases we're belching up into the atmosphere is what will happen with the world's carbon sinks. Trees, ocean, and even the soil all absorb a huge fraction of the industrial carbon-dioxide we produce each year. But now a major new study from researchers at the British Antarctic Survey, led by the University of East Anglia's Corinne Le Quéré, has discovered that those sinks may be losing their ability to pull CO2 out of the air: By studying 50 years of data on carbon emissions and combining…

  • Bluefin: Will You Be the Last to Eat One?

    Jesse Zwick
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:31 am
    Hold the bluefin tuna—please. That's what scientists were urging last week at the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT). Unless there's a total ban on catching Atlantic bluefin tuna this year, scientists argued, populations might collapse and never recover. (Next up would be the Southern and Pacific bluefin, and then... good-bye sushi.) Unfortunately, the fishing industry has a long history of ignoring scientific advice. And, this year, ICCAT agreed to reduce the number of tuna it would catch but still fish more than scientists were…

  • Has The Climate Bill Been Delayed? Not Really.

    Bradford Plumer
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:59 am
    The Wall Street Journal blared the news today that the Senate won't vote on a climate bill until "some time in the spring," according to Majority Leader Harry Reid. Is that a shock? A new setback? Not that I can tell. The reporter, Ian Talley, insists that Reid's words reflect a "weakening political will to tackle a long-term environmental issue," but I don't really see much weakening here. What's happening is that the health care debate is still gurgling along, so of course everything else is getting nudged back. But the key senators all seem to be proceeding…
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    EarthFirst.com

  • Great Green Job of the Week: Research Associate Intern, Earthwatch Institute

    Stephanie Rogers
    22 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    As the largest non-profit organization supporting “citizen science,” in its 37-year history, Earthwatch has sponsored over 1000 field research projects in 55 countries across the globe. Earthwatch expeditions and field research centers link volunteers with international scientists working to conserve habitats, species, and cultures. Since 1971, Earthwatch-sponsored research projects have contributed more than 10 million hours of field research time. Position Overview: Research associate interns will assist the Research Department in a variety of tasks relating to the outcomes and…

  • Jimmy Fallon Belts Out Green Versions of Hit Songs

    Stephanie Rogers
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    From Al Gore lecturing Kenneth Parcell about global warming on 30 Rock to the appearance of ‘Recyclops’ on The Office, NBC has unleashed a slew of subtle and not-so-subtle green messages on its audiences this past “Green Week”. But perhaps the funniest bit was Jimmy Fallon’s hilarious greenified medley of hit songs from the likes of Amy Winehouse and Jay-Z. While we applaud NBC’s initiative, we also couldn’t help but laugh at the inconsistencies pointed out by (of all sources) Maxim.com: Via [Ecorazzi]

  • Yes Men Give Dasani a Truthful Makeover

    Stephanie Rogers
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:45 am
    If more customers knew that Dasani water was simply municipal tap water – the same exact stuff that comes out of their own faucets at home – would they pay a premium for it? Probably not, as notorious eco-pranksters The Yes Men found out during a recent trip to Boston. The Yes Men and “Coca-Cola spokespeople” unveiled a new, more truthful name and label for Dassani bottled water at a park and then spoke to people about whether they would buy it. Check it out: From The Phoenix: The mock press conference, part of Boston-based Corporate Accountability International’s (CIA) Think…

  • Organic Nation Checks Out Yale’s Winter Greenhouse

    Stephanie Rogers
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am
    Winter may be closing in on us, but that doesn’t mean that we have to stop growing our own food, even for those who live in the cold Northeast. The OrganicNation.tv team talked to Yale Sustainable Food Project director Melina Shannon-DiPietro about the project’s unheated greenhouse, which continues producing tasty winter greens well into the coldest time of the year. Winter Harvest at Yale’s Greenhouse from OrganicNation on Vimeo. Want to know more about the Yale Sustainable Food Project? Check out Organic Nation’s other video from their visit to the one-acre organic farm founded…

  • Debunking ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’

    Stephanie Rogers
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    If we build a bunch of wind turbines near communities, people are going to start dropping to the ground in pain because infrasound is affecting their inner ear. Or, at least, that’s what one New York doctor wants us all to believe. She’s wrong – but the problem is, opponents of wind power are seizing onto her argument to further their own agenda. Pediatrician Nina Pierpont gathered testimony from a scant 38 people who live near wind turbines in England, Canada and elsewhere about headaches, nausea, insomnia, visual blurring, vertigo and panic attacks. Her website,…
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    Green Options

  • Healthier Fast Food? Try In N’ Out Burger

    John Chappell
    21 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pm
    In N Out is a burger chain on the West Coast with locations in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.  They’ve been around since 1948 and have long prided themselves on good, fresh food.  Their menu is delectably simple - hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, and shakes.  That’s it. If you’re a conscientious food consumer, eating fast food probably isn’t even on your radar, but at In N Out fast food isn’t synonymous with bad food or huge portions.  The USDA recommends consuming no more than 6 ounces of meat a day (see website), and in an age when fast food joints…

  • EU Paper Industry Has Cut Carbon Pollution by 42% - Exceeded Kyoto Goals

    Susan Kraemer
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:01 pm
    The US paper industry is one of the three non-fossil-energy industries that will be affected under the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act; the climate bill being attempted in the Senate; to regulate the industries that emit over 25,000 tons/yr of carbon dioxide. Cement-making and steel production are the other two. So it would be instructive to see how the European paper industry has fared under the Kyoto-triggered EU Emissions Trading System; providing a real world test-case. If faced with the same carbon constraints as European counterparts; how might our paper industry in the US…

  • Mistaken Identity: Hunters Kill Endangered Pygmy Hippo During Pig Hunt!

    Jace Shoemaker-Galloway
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pm
    According to reports, a pygmy hippopotamus was shot and killed when hunters allegedly mistook it for a pig during a pig hunting expedition in Australia! Read more of this story »

  • House Demands Audit of the Federal Reserve

    Rhonda Winter
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pm
    Where Did All of the Money Go? Ed Schultz interviews Florida Rep. Alan Grayson about Congress finally demanding more transparency from the Federal Reserve, and auditing their massive secret bank bailouts. The recently passed legislation will now allow the Government Accountability Office to independently audit the Fed, and their nefarious Wall Street deals.  Alan Grayson and Ron Paul co-authored the amendment, which also had a whopping 311 co-sponsors in the house. This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post. “We need to stop giving money to the bad banks,…

  • Something Every Parent Should Have: Removeez

    Wenona Napolitano
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm
    I think it’s happened to us all- the kid gets a hold of a pen or marker or even some paint…and it refuses to come off the skin even when scrubbing so hard you practically take the skin off. And we know that is neither is fun for the parent nor the child. Finally someone, parents of course, invented a safe, natural product that “gets stuff off your skin”, Removeez. Read more of this story »
 
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    Forecast Earth: Current Articles

  • Environmentalists hail Earth Hour as a big success

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    BONN, Germany (AP) -- For environmental activists, the message was clear: Earth Hour was a huge success. Now they say it's time for nations to tackle climate change. "The world said yes to climate action, now governments must follow," the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said a day after hundreds of millions of people worldwide followed its call to turn off lights for a full hour. From an Antarctic research base and the Great...

  • Obama team debuts at UN climate talks

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    BONN, Germany (AP) -- President Barak Obama's climate change team made their international debut Sunday at a major U.N. conference -- and delegates were eager to find out whether Obama could translate his aggressive domestic agenda into a worldwide deal to fight global warming. The two-week meeting by 175 countries is the latest attempt to craft a global agreement to govern the emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that...

  • It's time to green this old (White) House -- again

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will find out two things as he studies how to make the White House more environmentally friendly:  No. 1: It's already been done.  No. 2: It needs to be done again. It was Earth Day 1993 when President Bill Clinton launched his ambitious "greening the White House" project. That effort saved more than $1.4 million in its first six years, largely from improvements in lighting,...

  • Smart organic choices for limited budgets

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    (From DivineCaroline.com) - There are many reasons why consumers choose organic over conventionally-grown food, but there's usually one reason why they don't--cost. Organics can run 10 to 100 percent higher than conventionally grown, throwing all health, taste, and environmental concerns out of the grocery basket. Although savvy farmers' markets and comparison shopping can yield organics that are close in price to non-...

  • AP source: EPA closer to global warming warning

    31 Dec 1969 | 4:00 pm
    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first step on the long road to regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Politicians and the public, business and industry will have to weigh in along the way, but for now a proposed finding by the EPA that global warming is a threat to public health and welfare is under White House review. The threat declaration would be the first step to...
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    Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit

  • Al Gore Receives Global Humanitarian Award in Silicon Valley

    Dev Crews
    22 Nov 2009 | 2:01 am
    Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore received the 2009 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award this evening for his successful efforts to raise awareness about climate change. The award was inspired by Applied Materials Chairman Emeritus James Morgan’s belief that technology can be a tool to turn ideas into solutions for a better world. Gore’s most recent book "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis" is a powerful and inspiring call to action. “Despite the many challenges to solving the climate crisis, there is hope, and the opportunities are everywhere…

  • What to Report on? How Two CSR Leaders Decide

    Cindy Mehallow
    21 Nov 2009 | 11:56 am
    We’ve all seen them.  Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports weighing it at nearly 100 pages, crammed with charts and graphs, and gray with type.  There’s valuable information in there, but unearthing commentary on issues of strategic importance can be daunting.   That’s why I was especially curious to hear CSR managers from two industry leaders, FedEx and [...]

  • EcoFactor and the Truly Smart Grid

    Paul S
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:55 am
    Technology works best when it’s least intrusive and does the heavy lifting for you. Apple understands this. And so, it seems, does EcoFactor, the winner of the recent Clean Tech Open. What it does behind the scenes is fairly complex, but for the user, easy and out of the way: It keeps your home at an [...]

  • Sustainability and Employee Engagement: Anything Goes

    Jennifer Elder
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:21 am
    Engaging employees through sustainability is not a one size fits all approach.  From Walmart’s Personal Sustainability Project to  Sodexo’s Corporate Citizenship Program to Intel’s intranet to FMYI’s online collaboration, the variety is endless.  Each of the four members of the Net Impact Conference 2009 panel on Sustainable Innovation Through Employee Engagement, had differing approaches on [...]

  • Doing a World of Good for Fair Trade Artisans

    Mary Catherine O'Connor
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pm
    The term “fair trade handicrafts” summons images of wicker baskets and hand-dyed sarongs. But the business side of the fair trade marketplace is getting a little less old-world, thanks to World of Good, an organization that connects artisans in developing countries with mainstream retailers (including eBay and Whole Foods). The organization—comprised of a wholesale business, an [...]
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    Green Parent Chicago

  • EarthTalk: Fashion's Footprint

    Christine Escobar
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:15 am
    Dear EarthTalk: Can you enlighten on the environmental impact of the fashion industry? As I understand it, the industry overall is no friend to the environment. -- Tan Cheng Li, Malaysia According to the non-profit Earth Pledge, today some 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used throughout the world to turn raw materials into textiles. Domestically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that one-quarter of all pesticides used nationwide go toward growing cotton, primarily for the clothing industry. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers many domestic textile manufacturing…

  • "A Taste of Fooditude" Debuts New Chicago Cooking Show for Kids

    Christine Escobar
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:12 am
    Fooditude, a new food-focused show for kids age 8 to 12 based in Chicago, will debut with a fundraising screening and party tonight for parents and kids. The event, "A Taste of Fooditude" takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Architectural Artifacts on 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave. Producers and creators Jodi Balis, Cerry O'Tolski and Elise Jaffe hope the new show is well received locally as it features local kid chefs cooking and learning about food and nutrition, as well as guest appearances and visits with local chefs and business owners involved in sustainable living and…

  • Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie: Warning - Not for the Faint of Heart

    Christine Escobar
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:38 pm
    As I've mentioned before, our street has to be one of the friendliest in Chicago. From progressive dinners to impromptu cocktails and playgroups on the street, there always seems to be something going on and Halloween is no exception. After the trick-or-treaters have gone home to admire their loot, the adult treats come out in a meal contributed by multiple households, including ours.With a benefit for Healthy Schools Campaign on Thursday night, a tour of school lunch programs on Friday, and the Evanston farmers' market Saturday morning, I needed a relatively simple dish to make (or…

  • What If You Could Only See Good Ads Online?

    Christine Escobar
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pm
    As regular readers of Green Parent Chicago know, we support a less commercialized childhood, favor a return to the outdoors and often feature discussion on pervasive marketing tactics invading our everyday life and destroying our connection to the natural world. At Green Parent Chicago,we made the decision to only feature businesses that offer ethical alternatives to the multitude of products filling our homes and the earth's landfills with waste, products that support efforts to help level the playing field for workers and the environment. Recently, DoGood Headquarters contacted us about…

  • It's You vs Winter: Keeping the Cold Outside

    Christine Escobar
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pm
    Are you Interested in saving money on heating costs this winter while reducing greenhouse gas emissions?Attend a FREE home weatherization workshop sponsored by the City of Chicago Department of Environment and the Chicago Conservation Corps.All attendees will receive a FREE weatherization kit (with pledge to return installation confirmation card), and training on the installation of the kit contents. This workshop is open to all City of Chicago residents. All attendees are eligible to enter a raffle to win an American Express gift card. RSVP to  youvswinter@gmail.com to reserve your…
 
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    Decide What to Buy

  • Reevoo Deals on Aerials

    Reevoo Deals
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:21 am
    Reevoo’s having a television aerial party - the food wasn’t up to Reevoo Santa’s standards, but the reception was excellent!  Thanks to this bargain One For All SV9360, down to £20 at Amazon Marketplace.

  • Reevoo Deals on Televisions

    Reevoo Deals
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:52 am
    Amazon have got a cracking deal on the Toshiba 42AV635D, down from £479 to £450 with FREE delivery by DHL!

  • Reevoo Deals on Ovens

    Reevoo Deals
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:53 am
    Time to start the winter bake-off with this deal on the Hotpoint HW170E oven, down to £266 with voucher discount at Lasksys, and FREE delivery.

  • Home Cinema Systems under £150

    Kat
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:22 am
    We’re all feeling the pinch in the run up to Christmas, but with all the great movies coming on TV it’s still the best time of year to upgrade to a home cinema system.  In a gesture of seasonal goodwill, major manufacturers like LG, Sony, Samsung and Philips all have cheap home cinema systems on the market suitable for the budget-conscious.  Although you still won’t be able to pick up a Blu ray system for much less than £350, there’s lots of choice in DVD home cinema systems under £150. Here’s the pick of the bunch, plus one to avoid.* (*we’re basing…

  • Reevoo Deals on Dishwashers

    Reevoo Deals
    17 Nov 2009 | 2:07 am
    We’re having a Reevoo tidy up, with this bargain Indesit IDL40 White Dishwasher, down to £207 with free delivery at Currys.  Make sure to use the promotional code to get this great price!
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    Modern Eco Homes » Blog

  • hessnatur Organic Apparel for Eco Threads Thursday

    Kristen Banker
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm
    The genesis of hessnatur is both simple and unique. The time was 1976, before people who loved and respected nature were called environmentalists, before there was a green movement. Heinz Hess was a naturalist, a man who ardently believed that pure was better, organic was healthier, that man and nature should exist in harmony. The demand [...]

  • The New Air Purifing Ionic Light Bulb

    Kristen Banker
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:41 am
    As the U.S. government increasingly provides incentives for hybrid cars, green buildings, renewable energy and households that reduce their usage of power, all while energy prices seem to surge, the introduction of the Ionic Bulb offers an exciting lighting alternative to today’s eco-conscious world. Electric lighting accounts for 19% of the world’s electricity use, pumping as [...]

  • Hot Green Industries with Bright Futures

    Katie Nielsen
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:33 pm
    It’s no secret that the economy is still in a state of disrepair (just look at the latest unemployment numbers) but from the ashes of our flagging economy emerges a scattering of highly-anticipated industries that have bright, stable futures. The Obama administration has allocated nearly $40 billion of the stimulus plan towards such professions, dubbed [...]

  • PLYprints by Alexander Girard for Fabulous Favorites Friday

    Kristen Banker
    13 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am
    Alexander “Sandro” Girard was one of the most innovative modern designers of the 20th century. Widely considered the greatest colorist and textile designer of modern time, Girard used traditional folk art to infuse color, whimsy, and humor into vibrant modern design. PLYprints presents the artwork of Alexander Girard at a collectable scale, sized perfectly for [...]

  • Les Tours Sauvignon Blanc for Wee Wallet Wednesday

    Kristen Banker
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am
    Since grapes are among the most pesticide-laden produce, it’s no wonder we are reaching more often for organic wines to fill our glasses. That means more sustainable farming, without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and a healthier planet. What could be a better accompaniment to a meal of organic food than a glass of organic wine? Wine [...]
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    Ode Magazine

  • Real family values

    28 Oct 2009 | 4:00 pm
    How suppressed emotions cut us off from loved ones and ourselves. Photograph: David Servan-Schreiber Tom had a successful career... in the mafia. He'd been a millionaire, able to have any woman he wanted, and rubbed shoulders with influential people. Yet when he came to see me after a lifetime of alcohol, drugs and crime, he was like a lost child who needed direction. To "succeed" in his world, he'd had to learn to block his emotions, and didn't know who he was any more. Tom told me about the time he was a new recruit and he'd agreed, for a substantial sum, to cut his best friend's ear off…

  • Tales of the credit crunch

    19 Oct 2009 | 11:04 am
    Filmmaker Johan Kramer finds inspiration in the financial crisis. Photograph: Wouter Westendorp A Japanese woman walks two dogs along a winding path in a well-groomed park. The dogs sniff around the bushes as the woman walks patiently behind, plastic bags in hand, ready to clean up after them. This scene is from The Crisis and Us, the new film from Dutch film director Johan Kramer (photo), who previously gained international acclaim with The Other Final, about a soccer match between Bhutan and Montserrat, the two lowest-ranked teams at the time, and Sing for Darfur, about the tragedy in…

  • A good kind of group think builds sustainable small businesses

    30 Sep 2009 | 10:35 am
    Ernesto Sirolli taps into the collective genius of communities. Sirolli says the businesses he’s helped build have an 80 percent success rate.Photograph: Sirolli Institute If you happen to ride your bicycle to Ernesto Sirolli's Sacramento, California, residence, as I did, your effort won't go unrewarded. When he opens the garage door, you'll be treated to a glimpse of his prized possession, a white 1951 Morgan Roadster. The Morgan Company, he'll quickly and enthusiastically tell you, is a family-owned business in England founded by H.F.S. Morgan that this year celebrates its 100th…

  • Open Medicine provides medical knowledge to the public

    29 Sep 2009 | 9:31 am
    Palepu believes medical publishing should be free from corporate influence.Photograph: Eugene Lin Anita Palepu was an associate editor at the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2006 when the publisher fired two editors in a conflict over editorial independence. Angry at what she felt was a move to allow advertisers to dictate what appeared in the journal, Palepu and some other colleagues resigned. But she says cheerfully, "Instead of being outraged, I'm doing something about it." Within a year, Palepu became co-founder and co-editor of Open Medicine, a free, independent online quarterly…

  • Vitamin Angels combats malnutrition with nutritional supplements

    28 Sep 2009 | 9:40 am
    How giving every child basic nutrition may provide a starting point for tackling Africa's other challenges. At Alupe Hospital in Busia, Kenya, pregnant women take supplements to increase their chances of having healthy babies.Photograph: Matt Dayka Touching down in Eldoret, a rural town about 185 miles (300 kilometers) from Nairobi near the Ugandan border in western Kenya, everything seemed calm and peaceful. The countryside is lush; indeed, most of the residents are farmers, growing wheat, coffee and tea as well as rearing dairy cattle. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the airport and…
 
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    Big Green Purse

  • Recycle Your Clothes? It's Easier Than You Think.

    Diane MacEachern
    15 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm
    You've probably been recycling your clothes for years, though you may not think of it that way. But every time you donate your worn shoes, outdated dresses, and old blouses to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, each time you sell your used sweaters at a yard sale or give your kids' too-small T-shirts and shorts to the toddlers next door, you're extending the life of your attire and forestalling the need to manufacture anew, saving energy, water, and other resources. Your effort is worthwhile. Clothes and shoes take up more space than any other nondurable goods in the solid waste…

  • House Cleaning? Use a Fly Swatter, Not a Sledge Hammer

    Diane MacEachern
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am
      The way we're being told to clean our homes these days, you'd think we were all living in breeding grounds for small pox, typhoid fever, leprosy, or some other awful disease that practically kills on contact. We're not. We ARE living in a world that we share with billions of "germs," most of which are perfectly harmless. In fact, many doctors believe that living with germs keeps us healthier by helping us build up a resistance to their ill effects.  This perspective seems to be routinely ignored by the cleaning products…

  • Environmental S.O.S. For Water-Soluble, Biodegradable Bottle Caps

    Diane MacEachern
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am
    OK, all you entrepreneurs, scientists, techno-twits, and geeks - let alone captains of industry who are looking for a way to make an honest-to-goodness difference. Take another look at these photos of baby birds that are dying because they're eating plastic bottle caps. Yes, we need to phase out plastic bottles, and the sooner the better. But in the meantime, can't all you wizards come up with a bottle cap that will protect its contents securely but once discarded, degrade in a very short period of time? You've gotta be able to do it. Talk to the folks at Frito-Lay, who have…

  • The Environmental Tragedy of Plastic

    Diane MacEachern
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    It's easy to overlook the environmental impact of plastic when it's so convenient to just throw it away. But as these photos by photographer Chris Johnson shows, there's no "away." A lot of what we think we've safely disposed of ends up in a huge, toxic "garbage patch" swirling millions of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. The plastic is mistaken for food by adult birds who unwittingly feed it to their babies -- and kill them. We're spending way too much time debating "whether" we should rid our culture of plastics. We…

  • Organic Vodka & "Green" Gin

    Diane MacEachern
    4 Nov 2009 | 9:40 pm
    If wines and beers aren't your drinks of choice, check out eco-friendly companies like Altitude Spirits in Thornton, Colorado which produces its Vodka 14 (pictured left) using organic corn and rye, along with Rocky Mountain spring water. Other options?  Rain Organics Vodka Square One Organic Vodka  Sunshine Vodka  Shadow Spirits Organic Vodka Maison Jomere's Organic Vodka and Juniper Green London Dry Gin LOFT Organic Liqueurs (first certified organic liqueur in the U.S.) 4Copas USA produces certified organic tequila…
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    Non-Toxic Kids

  • Planning a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

    Katy Farber
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    One way many families are cutting back their food budgets is by eating less meat. Meat costs a lot, utilizes way more natural resources in its production, and can be bad for us. For me, a vegetarian of 18 years (that makes me sound OLD), it comes naturally by now. Thank goodness, because I don't think our budget could handle the expense of meat on a regular basis. But with the concept of very local eating, including meat, emerging in our collective consciousness, and in my own neighborhood, I see the value in eating locally raised meat from farmers you know and trust. I really like the idea…

  • Green Moms Carnival: Saving Money through Green Means

    Katy Farber
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:12 pm
    The ladies of the the Green Moms Carnival have cooked up lots of great ways you can be green while saving cash. You'll find a diversity of topics, ranging from kid gear, travel, buying food and green cleaning. Enjoy!

  • From the Washington Toxics Coalition: Babies Exposed To Chemicals Found in Everyday Consumer Products Before They Are Born

    Katy Farber
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pm
    Add this to the chorus....Babies shouldn't be born prepolluted! Check out this information about a new study from the Washington Toxics Coalition. "Babies enter the world already having been exposed in the womb to chemicals from common everyday consumer products, according to a new study by Washington Toxics Coalition. The first-of-its kind study tested blood and urine from pregnant women during their second trimester of pregnancy and found their bodies contaminated with chemicals found in a wide variety of consumer products. The results in this study are alarming:*100% of study participants…

  • New Post on MightyNest: Green Your Thanksgiving

    Katy Farber
    17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Check out my new post on MightyNest about how to green your Thanksgiving. Gobble- gobble!

  • Eating Naturally While Spending Less

    Katy Farber
    15 Nov 2009 | 6:11 pm
    This article was orginally posted on Eco-Child's Play. It is part of Green Moms Carnival, where the green moms are sharing ways that living green can actually save you money. There's sure to be lots of great tips from this frugal and eco-smart group of women. It's hosted by Lisa NW Condo Blues, check it out!Awhile ago I read an article on Mothering Magazine’s newsletter about eating naturally while spending less.This article is important to me because we (as are most Americans) are trying to spend less at the grocery store (or co-op). But we also want to buy food that is safe for our kids…
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    Crunchy Chicken

  • How to ripen green tomatoes

    Crunchy Chicken
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 am
    Every year, I have the same dilemma. Since we generally don't have very hot summers around here, inevitably at the end of the summer growing season I still have a bunch of tomatoes left on the vine, but they are all green with no signs of ripening in their near future.A few weeks ago, I went outside and clipped the 10 or so tomatoes that I had left and brought them inside. After doing a bit o'

  • Defrosting my buns!

    Crunchy Chicken
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:30 am
    This year's Freeze Yer Buns Challenge is well under way and the temperatures around here are certainly getting low. Not low, like Fargo low, just low for around here. Which means it's time to decide what to set the heat on for the day and night. Since we've all been struggling with the flu, we've been keeping it at a balmy 70 degrees, which seems totally decadent after freezing our buns off the

  • It's avocado time!

    Crunchy Chicken
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    My brother, who lives in San Diego, recently sent us pictures of his backyard avocado tree I think, mostly, to taunt us. You see, he doesn't like avocados in any shape or form, but my husband, myself and my other brother, Darryl (who also lives in Seattle), love them. And the ones he grows are a thousand times better than the ones you get from the store. Better than the ones we could get even

  • Going to Copenhagen

    Crunchy Chicken
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:30 am
    The Huffington Post Green is running a contest to pick a citizen "Hopenhagen Ambassador" from their readers to go to Copenhagen in mid-December on behalf of their organization to do some reporting 'n shit. Or something like that. If you are interested in applying, you can read more about it here (you have until December 3rd to enter). The opportunity sounds extremely cool.For those of you who

  • Pledge to Eat Local for Thanksgiving!

    Crunchy Chicken
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:30 am
    Thanksgiving is right around the corner and do you know where the food for your family feast is coming from? Hopefully, you have access to local foods and will be choosing meats and produce grown local to you.Why is it important to eat locally? Well, I'll let the info from the Eat Local for Thanksgiving site explain a few things:By making a choice to include more local foods into your diet you
 
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    Green and Natural Parenting

  • How to Add Humidity to Your Dry Home

    Tiffany
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am
    Do you feel that yet? The dry winter weather that gives you chapped lips and uber dry skin? In the winter, the air gets very dry and cold, and forced-air heat can make the air inside our homes uncomfortably dry. That kind of desert-like air can be hard on our bodies, drying skin and mucus membranes, making us more susceptible to colds and other respiratory ailments. Super-dry air can also damage the structure of your home, causing cracks in drywall and gaps in floor joints (dryness causes wood to shrink). And the static electricity is just plain annoying. Increasing the humidity in your home…

  • Fairy Play – The Enchanted Cupboard

    Tiffany
    13 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am
    When I think about what I want my kids to get out of all the time they spend playing I realize that beyond learning and creating I also want something more for them… enchantment, magic, adventure. To this day one of the most magical play moments I recall as a child was when I was about 8 years old. I was on an overnight trip, staying in my grandparents motor home. We were at a horse show where my grandfather and my Aunt were competing in the barrel races. While I was interested in watching them compete I was not so interested in watching the other 100 or so contestants so I had to find…

  • Greener Cleaners Roundup

    Tiffany
    12 Nov 2009 | 9:57 am
    One of the first steps in moving towards any greener, more sustainable lifestyle has to be the step where you ditch chemical cleaners and start using cleaner, greener options. It is my number #1 recommended step in fact because everyone has to clean house and by using green cleaners we make our homes and our planet safer. Its not always an easy switch though. We may get used to using harsh cleaners like Clorox or Windex and using something more mild like baking soda and vinegar seems like more work. I know when my husband quit his old job that took him out of town all but a few days a month…

  • Rocco The Meat Loving Cowboy

    Tiffany
    9 Nov 2009 | 6:34 am
    I guess I need to start watching Dr. Oz. Love the guy but since I don’t watch much TV I never catch his show. He has got to be one of the most awesome MDs out there AND he is on mainstream TV sharing his important knowledge. He is one of the reasons I started drinking green smoothies… he and Kris Carr that is. I saw them on Oprah making green juices and since I had cancer, just like Kris, it really hit home with me. At the time I was on medication that made my throat swell if I drank anything colder than lukewarm but as soon that was out of my system I started drinking those green…

  • The Kind Diet Cookbook Review

    Tiffany
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:02 am
    All finished devouring The Kind Diet and it is WONDERFUL! This is a book I just heard about last week and hit “buy now” in 2.5 seconds. Why? Well, no doubt it has to be my admiration for the author, actress Alicia Silverstone in combination with my love for the topic… healthier food. I grew up watching and admiring Alicia and was super stoked to see that instead of becoming a Hollywood party girl she decided to use her stardom to do good things and support important causes. She became an animal rights activist and a vegan. She is also incredibly beautiful and if a picture…
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    Crunchy Domestic Goddess

  • First stitches - Wordless Wednesday

    Crunchy Domestic Goddess
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:38 pm
    On Monday afternoon, Julian took a header into the corner of the coffee table at my sister’s office. I had just left and missed the trauma, but returned momentarily after my sister called me and we piled into the car and took him to the ER. Julian got 7 stitches above his left eye and was quite the little trooper. In the ER, before stitches: Later that day at home, after stitches: In the moment, it wasn’t hard to be present for my little guy as he was restrained and stitched back up, but when I think about it now, after the fact, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I hope I…

  • Reducing holiday stress for your kids

    Crunchy Domestic Goddess
    13 Nov 2009 | 4:34 am
    The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year,” yet for many people they might as well be known as “the most stressful time of the year.” We often think of stress as something that only affects adults, but it can play a significant role in the lives of children as well, especially around the holidays. There are a lot of changes to children’s routines during the holidays, from visits from unfamiliar relatives to traveling, from an influx of sweets to over-scheduled days and late bedtimes. All of these things can take a toll on the wee ones.

  • Happy birthday, Sesame Street!

    Crunchy Domestic Goddess
    10 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm
    Thank you, Sesame Street, for providing entertaining and educational quality programing for the past 40 years. I enjoyed growing up watching Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie and the gang, and I love that my kids can still enjoy them (and other lovable characters) today. Unlike other shows on television (even on PBS which is the only station my kids watch), I know I can always trust Sesame Street. I often find myself wanting to watch it too. (I can’t say the same about other kids’ shows.) ;) This is one show I hope never goes off the air. Happy 40th birthday, Sesame…

  • BPA, its everywhere you don’t want it to be

    Crunchy Domestic Goddess
    9 Nov 2009 | 5:03 am
    This weekend as my friend Melissa was showing me her cool pressure canner and all of the foods she’s canned with it, we started talking about the presence of BPA in most store-bought canned goods. The presence of BPA (bisphenol-A) in canned goods is something I’ve known about for a while, but one of those things I try to ignore because I still buy a fair amount of our food in cans, including all of our beans (black, pinto, Great Northern, kidney, garbanzo, etc.), tomatoes, tuna, salmon and some soups. After reading this NY Times op-ed piece, Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies by…

  • Have H1N1 (Swine flu)? Take my survey

    Crunchy Domestic Goddess
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am
    It feels like all we are hearing about in the news are the extreme cases of H1N1 (namely the deaths and hospitalizations), and while they are worth noting for sure, they are definitely the minority. Because of this, I decided to create a survey to get information from the masses who have had H1N1 to find out just how it is affecting them. If you or someone in your family has had H1N1 (either confirmed or suspected), please complete the H1N1 survey. It only takes a couple minutes. Note: Please complete a NEW H1N1 survey for EACH person who has had H1N1. Also, please feel free to forward this…
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    The Not Quite Crunchy Parent

  • How To Fight Swine Flu -( I Hope)

    10 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pm
    It’s scary, it’s coming. Anybody else freaked out about the swine flu? A child at our school got it. A boy in our neighborhood had it too. My niece’s school in Pennsylvania was shut down for 3 days because too many children were absent with the flu. Am I panicking because I’m paranoid or because I’m prescient. I’m even waffling on the swine flu vaccine. Should I get it? Should my son get it? What if he doesn’t get it and he gets sick? Since it seems there is a rush on vaccines, it seems likely we will not be getting it. My DH raised in Europe in the land of homeopathic medicine…

  • Ford’s New Big Idea

    6 Nov 2009 | 6:17 am
    It’s been a long time coming but one of the big three auto makers made a big hit with parents everywhere yesterday. They introduced inflatable seat belts for the rear seats. In other words, cars will now have a suitable version of the air bag for rear seat passengers! I traveled to Dearborn this week to witness the big announcement and was not disappointed. I was able to see and touch the new inflatable seat belt and try it out myself. Plus, I received a tour of the safety lab This was really cool for a geeky person like me who likes to know all the whys and wherefores, though I had to…

  • Aromatherapy On The Road

    5 Nov 2009 | 5:35 am
    I'm in Detroit today visiting the Ford company. Check out what's going on on the Twitter feed #fordsafety. Since I've gotten to be a bit of a road warrior this year, I actually am starting to have a basis for comparison of hotels, airlines, etc. So, a couple of observations.I almost hate to say this in case Homeland Security is reading this, but things are loosening up a bit. On my flight out a passenger in front of me gave his small lighter to the security folks and was told to just keep it. Female travelers flew through security with carry-ons...surely filled with many small tubes of…

  • Pumpkins In Costume – An Alternative to the Halloween Jack-O-Lantern – No Cutting Involved

    16 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm
    Technically, they probably aren’t Jack-O-Lanterns, but my friend Tan turned me onto what has become a great Halloween tradition – turning small pumpkins into costumed creatures.While we still cut out the obligatory Jack-O-Lantern face on a pumpkin every year, scooping out the gooey seeds and pulp, drawing a face with a marker and carefully (sometimes not so carefully) cutting out eyes, nose and mouth, in addition we make 4 or 5 or 6 “pumpkins in costume”.Our Pumpkins in Costume start with small pumpkins, about the size of those mini watermelons. Using a glue gun or any strong glue, we…

  • Review Time

    27 Sep 2009 | 5:35 am
    I posted a few articles on my review blog this last week.Jif Omega-3 Works For MeandThe Eating Right ReviewCheck them out to see what the not Quite Crunchy Parent and child are eating these days.Did you enjoy this post…or at least found it interesting?Enter your Email for delivery direct to your mailboxPowered by FeedBlitzFollow me on Twitter
 
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    The Green Phone Booth

  • Superhero Secrets: Just for fun and not for Thanksgiving

    Erin aka Conscious Shopper
    22 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Link love from The Conscious ShopperSince Thanksgiving is coming up next week, I thought about making this a Thanksgiving-themed Superhero Secrets...But that would require finding interesting Thanksgiving-themed posts to share, and my lazy side won out. So instead, I'm just going to list some posts that I enjoyed reading this week with no theme whatsoever and hope that you enjoy them as well.:: Planet Green has a list of 50 ways to never waste food again. Many of these I already do, but some were new to me...including this idea for pickling watermelon rinds via The Bitten Word. I would never…

  • Gobble gobble...

    Kellie
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Thanksgiving thoughts from the Greenhabilitator...Is anyone else feeling the STRESS already this holiday season? It's been a long week, with an even longer one coming up. The kids are out of school, but the husband still has to work, so I get to work at home, fulfill my mom duties, plan and shop for Thanksgiving, clean the house, try to keep the kids from tearing it apart. Please promise you'll visit me in the loony bin!In an attempt to kill two birds with one stone (no turkey pun intended there) and because I don't have anything else deep and insightful to tell you about this week, I thought…

  • Making Lotion

    Jenn the Greenmom
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    --from the musings of Jenn the non-makeup-wearing suburban greenmom...I think I've mentioned before, for me one of the fun challenges of learning DIY stuff is finding out how to make "mysterious" things for myself. I think this began when my mom taught me how to make a roux, with the discovery that flour and oil cooked together made this gorgeous creaminess I'd always associated with Restaurants Only. (Because my mom almost never makes roux-things, because they're so fattening. But Aunt Helen's Chicken Paprikas recipe requires it nonetheless.)So I've learned to make yogurt. I've learned to…

  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles

    Green Bean
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:52 am
    From the bean of Green Bean.*originally published on July 2, 2008.We make our home on the crowded San Francisco Peninsula. Our houses and shops press together like clothes in a too-full closet. Our streets are a flurry of trucks, cars, bicycles, and buses. Farmers markets abound and a pristine, double decker train, CalTrain, totes us up to the City or down to San Jose. When I worked in San Francisco, years ago, I took the train regularly. On the ride, I'd prepare for work, read a book, or close my eyes and listen to the rails click gently past. More recently, I've turned to the train for…

  • Are You Smarter Than a Tenth Grader?

    Erin aka Conscious Shopper
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Test your recycling knowledge with The Conscious ShopperMy mom runs the virtual lab at a high school (that's the computer lab where students can take online classes), and she sent me the following email today:I've got a student assignment where they have a list of products that can be recycled and have to tell what those products can be recycled into. I've spent a half hour on google and can't find a good website. I'd like one that covers most of the products. Know any? The products are--food waste, yard waste, plastic, metal, glass, paper, and cardboard.I sent back a quick reply and then…
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    Green and Clean Mom ™

  • A Blogging Funeral: Do You Have an Impact?

    greenandcleanmom
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pm
    I have a funny but not so funny story to share. A year ago, my sister and aunt were making fun of me in their boozed out state one holiday evening – joking that if I ever get sick or God for bid, die…we’ll have a “blogger” ceremony and who they wondered would show up. [...]Post from: Green and Clean Mom (TM) all rights reserved.A Blogging Funeral: Do You Have an Impact?

  • Tom’s of Maine Silly Toothpaste: 25 Winners

    greenandcleanmom
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:19 pm
    My silly tooth brushing trick I use at home: I tell the kids that we need to brush away the sugar bugs and they open their mouths, I look inside and with big eyes I say I see one and I brush it away! They giggle and tooth brushing becomes fun not a chore! #sillystraw tweets, [...]Post from: Green and Clean Mom (TM) all rights reserved.Tom’s of Maine Silly Toothpaste: 25 Winners

  • Joe Reilly an Eco Cool Musician for Children and Adults

    greenandcleanmom
    18 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm
    When my family first heard the news of Joe Reilly coming to our local school to perform I wasn’t sure if the children would enjoy the concert or much about his music but being sponsored by Yoga Roots and having live birds of prey before the concert – it had my attention and I knew [...]Post from: Green and Clean Mom (TM) all rights reserved.Joe Reilly an Eco Cool Musician for Children and Adults

  • Practically Green Book Review

    greenandcleanmom
    12 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making – a book I can identify with, relate to and recommend to my friends. A friend of mine and fellow green mom, Micaela Preston – with whom I had a ball with at BlogHer 09’ has written this wonderful book which she sent to me to review and it [...]Post from: Green and Clean Mom (TM) all rights reserved.Practically Green Book Review

  • Go Green With the Shark Navigator: Vacuum those Toxins!

    greenandcleanmom
    11 Nov 2009 | 5:08 pm
    In September, I traveled to New York City along with 51 other bloggers for a Euro-Pro event. When I attend a sponsored event I usually have to like the product or have some curiosity about what the product is about and why my readers might need to or want to hear about the company, cause [...]Post from: Green and Clean Mom (TM) all rights reserved.Go Green With the Shark Navigator: Vacuum those Toxins!
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    GreenStyleMom

  • 40th Birthday

    GreenStyleMom
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:59 am
    Happy 40th Birthday to my husband Matt. My goodness, that sounds OLD. I think I am having a harder time with Matt turning 40 than he is. How can I possibly be old enough to be married to someone in their 40's?!? Fortunately I have many, many more years as a young 30-something. I can't wait to share with everyone what we are doing to celebrate, but I don't want to ruin the surprise...

  • So Much For That

    GreenStyleMom
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:03 am
    So I missed blogging on Sunday and then didn't really see the point of keeping up NaBloPoMo. Oh, well! This is a really crazy and very exciting week for us. Can't wait to share the details. Now going back to enjoy it!

  • Warm Spot

    GreenStyleMom
    14 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am
    It is cold and rainy/snowy today. Good day for staying inside. I think this afternoon we'll make some treats in the kitchen. This is Nina's favorite spot in the kitchen... sitting on the heater vent!

  • South Africa

    GreenStyleMom
    13 Nov 2009 | 5:12 am
    This is where I was 10 years ago today.That's me and my friend Elizabeth. We were camping with her husband and a few of their friends on a beach in South Africa. The best camping spot ever.Fall 1999 was kinda a crazy time for me for lots of reasons. I needed something, so fairly last minute I arranged time off work at the hospital and took off to South Africa for 3 weeks. A truly

  • Learning Young

    GreenStyleMom
    12 Nov 2009 | 5:35 pm
    It makes me smile to hear my 5 year old ask me to put her apple core in the compost bin and to hear my 4 year old ask me if he should put something in the recycling bin or in the garbage can. So silly, yet so gratifying.
 
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    Green Talk™

  • Shouldn’t America Recycles Day Be Called America Reduce or Reuse Day?

    Green Talk
    15 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pm
    Photo courtesy of National Recycling Coalition. Today is America Recycles Day, which is the only day nationally recognized to encourage people to recycle.  For the past eleven years, this date has been celebrated across the country  increase awareness of recycling at our home and business.  (See here as to events in your area.)  As the world has evolved, isn’t it time to consider changing this day to America Reuse or Reduce Day encouraging us to reduce and reuse rather than just recycle?  Shouldn’t recycling be the last resort? Don’t get me wrong. I believe in…

  • NJ Residents: Recycle your Unwanted or Expired Medication Nov 14, 2009

    Green Talk
    13 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm
    On November 14, New Jersey residents have the opportunity to clean out their medicine cabinets of unwanted and/or expired medication through the OperationMedicineCabinetNJ.com program from 10 am to 2 pm.  According to the program, “Every day 2,500 youth age 12 to 17 abuse a pain reliever for the very first time. More teens abuse prescription drugs than any illicit drug except marijuana. In 2006, more than 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing prescription drugs. Among 12- and 13-year-olds, prescription drugs are the drug of choice. Because these drugs are so readily…

  • Amaranth: Cooking with this Super Grain

    Green Talk
    11 Nov 2009 | 9:57 pm
    A Young Amaranth Plant This year I decided to plant Amaranth, a highly nutritious grain.  I saw its ornamental cousin last year and flipped at how beautiful this plant was.  My husband tells me that I grow to grow.  It does not matter if I intend to eat it.  I enjoy the pleasures of watching a plant grow into its splendor until he hands me the scissors and tells me to cut it.  This always pains me.  Amaranth is one of those plants that you hate to cut down since its purplish/magenta plumes are just breath-taking.   You don’t have to plant it to enjoy the benefits of Amaranth.

  • InStyleBelly: Pregnancy Consignment with an Eco Chic Attitude

    Green Talk
    9 Nov 2009 | 7:02 pm
    Photo courtesy of Fit Pregnancy-June-July 2009 and Maternity Designer, Liz Lange. I love consignment shops.  Some of my best consignment purchases have been for special occasions.  Think about it.  How many times do you wear the same dress to an event?  When I saw an article in a local magazine about InStyleBelly, an online consignment shop for the chic  swelling belly set, I remember how much I spent on my own maternity wardrobe over a decade ago. Let’s face it.   You only wear prego clothes for a certain amount of time and then you need to move onto the next size to fit that…

  • Will Triple Pane R-5 Windows Become the Norm?

    Green Talk
    4 Nov 2009 | 5:42 pm
    Photo from Department of Energy. I bet you just got used to hearing about double pane, Low-E glass,  Argon filled windows.  You know the ones.  The ones labeled as ENERGY STAR?   Now, there is a new babe in town getting a lot of attention from  the Department of Energy.   The R-5 window has all the right curves and significant energy savings compared to its distant cousin, the ENERGY STAR window.  Yep,  this R-5  is energy efficient beauty with triple panes of  either high solar-gain, Low-E Glass, Argon/Krpton Gas or high solar-gain, Low-E Glass, Argon/Krpton Gas, depending on your…
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    EnviroMom

  • EnviroMom Meatless Supper Club: week 8

    Renee
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am
    If there's one thing I suspected and confirmed while participating in the Meatless Supper Club, it's that there are no gourmets in our family. We like simple food. Spice is welcome, but only with the adult members of the family. 'Quick and easy' are also appreciated most of the time. That's why this week I'm vegetarianizing an old stanby: fried rice. I used to think this was a dish only a restaurant could make, and then after I met my husband he demystified it. I found that once I knew a few tricks of the trade (such as Minute Rice isn't really rice), I too could…

  • Sponsor Spotlight & Give-Away: My Pumpkin Doodle

    Heather
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:40 am
    We are delighted to welcome My Pumpkin Doodle as one of our newest sponsors! My Pumpkin Doodle is all about "offering quality organic & earth friendly products at affordable prices, so that going green can be easier on your family budget." The store carries a wide range of products like organic bedding and mattresses, reusable bags and bottles, green cleaning products, soy candles, wooden toys and organic clothing for the whole family. And lucky for all of us, the store is offering EnviroMom readers a 20% discount with the code 'enviromom.' Please visit the…

  • Creative reuse: An old filing cabinet becomes a closet organizer

    Renee
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:24 am
    Since the kids went back to school in September, it seems like the list of projects I have to do hasn't gotten any smaller. I tell myself every year that I'll get so much done once I have more time, and then all that 'new time' seems to magically disappear. Why is that? One thing I did recently accomplish that I'm quite proud about was organizing a messy closet in our guest room. Does everyone have a junk drawer? Well, this closet would best be described as a junk closet. As much as it embarrasses me, I'm going to show you the before picture:Yep. Sad, I know. In my…

  • How are you conserving electricity?

    Heather
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:07 pm
    I've recently gotten hooked on the personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly, and while I was reading founder J.D.'s interview with his 'millionaire' next-door neighbor, this tip jumped out at me: “Learn to figure your own power bill and know why it is what it is. People should learn about electrical use. That’s a drain on your monthly budget. Every penny saved on electricity is a penny you can use for something else.” Obviously, if you're saving money on your bill you are also conserving electricity -- good for your wallet, good for the planet. So I looked up our…

  • Good read: achieving balance with 'Practically Green'

    Renee
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:51 am
    The best antidote to a blustery autumn weekend is getting cozy with a warm drink, a comfy chair and good book. Thus, I've just finished reading Micaela Preston's book Practically Green. Micaela also writes the popular blog Mindful Momma, and we've gotten to know one another virtually by participating in the Green Moms Carnival. This is a concise and compact book that covers a huge amount of topics, and it's really beautifully laid out with lovely floral motifs throughout. Michaela was kind enough to provide me with a free copy to review. A couple of the things I really like:…
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    Mindful Momma

  • Practically Green Book Launch Party Day #5: Wearing Green

    Micaela
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Boy this week went fast - I can't believe it's the last day of the party!  Thanks so much for all the practically green tips you've shared.  I'm mighty impressed with what some of you have been up to!! For the final day of the party, I thought we should talk clothes.  I'm not what you would call a clothes-horse but I do love using clothes to express my personal style. And if money were no object, I'd be buying sweaters from Edun, Loomstate jeans and fashion-forward tops from Loyale.  But I don't own any of that stuff.  Much of my clothing comes from consignment shops, with an…

  • Practically Green Book Launch Party Day #4: Ditch the Disposables

    Micaela
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Paper towels, wet wipes, disposable razors, plastic baggies, throw away cameras, even disposable toothbrushes....disposable products seem to have really hit their peak.  Sure disposables are convenient, but at what price? Switching from disposables to reusables is an easy way to have a positive impact on the environment.  And it will probably save you money too.  My book, Practically Green, has a ton of ideas for ways to reuse instead of dispose.  One of them is switching to cloth napkins instead of paper.  It's easy to get into the habit of using paper when you have small kids....but I…

  • Practically Green Book Launch Party Day #3: Healthy Earth, Healthy Family

    Micaela
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    So many people I've met say that having children was the catalyst for their desire to live a greener and healthier life.  That's certainly true in my case, and is the very reason why I started this blog and wrote my book! When your primary focus is on nurturing and protecting your little one, it can come as a bit of a jolt to learn that a lot of products designed specifically for babies can be harmful to their health.  Things like soaps, lotions and even baby bottles can contain chemicals that are linked with some pretty scary health problems.  And to make matters worse, a child's body…

  • Practically Green Book Launch Party: Day #2 - Waste Free Lunches

    Micaela
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Welcome back to the party!  Whether you're ready for it or not, it's time to talk about lunch. Have you packed a lunch today - for yourself or anyone else?  If so, was it full of plastic baggies and individually packaged snacks?  You're not alone if it was because frankly, that's what most people do.  My book, Practically Green offers a bunch of suggestions for how to pack a waste-free lunch, as well as recipes for sustainable snacks - without the wasteful packaging and lively lunches - designed to appeal to kids and adults alike!  So next time you're packing that lunchbag, try a…

  • Practically Green Book Launch Party: Day #1 The Non-Toxic Home

    Micaela
    15 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Welcome to the party!! I'm SO excited about giving away all these prizes.  This is just the first of 5 days of giveaways so be sure to keep checking back each day to see what's new! Today I want to focus on the importance of eliminating toxins from your home.  With the Million Baby Crawl campaign going on (and the Crawl to Action events coming up on Wednesday!), there has been a lot of focus on toxins lately - and that's a good thing.  Many people don't realize that the indoor air in a typical home has chemical contamination levels 2 to 5 times greater than outdoor air.  One of…
 
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    organicmania.com

  • Saving Money Through Green Means (My Top 20 Tips!)

    There was a time when I thought going green meant expensive, frou-frou organic and eco-chic “stuff.” Sure, that can be part of the picture, but for most people, going green actually saves money. I’ve been posting about how to find deals on green and organic items for the past few years now, so for this [...] Related posts:Organic and Green Savings: In-Store Expired Coupons? Despite planning purchases ahead of time, you may find...Organic & Green Savings: CVS, Whole Foods & Bethesda’s Giant Food It’s been a while since the last Green and Organic...10 Tips for Avoiding…

  • Easy Green Weekend Project: National Recycling Day Events Saturday AND Sunday!

    Time to clean out the basement! This Sunday is National Recycling Day. What better time to clean up than right before the holidays hit? All across the country there will be events designed to make recycling easy - especially for those “special items” that aren’t always picked up. However, the national list here has broken links [...] Related posts:Easy Green Weekend Project: E-Cycling. If you live in my neck of the woods (Bethesda,...National Recycling Week and kajeet Today marks the start of National Cell Phone Recycling Week,...Off the Beaten Path: Affordable, Great Green…

  • The Old 24-Hour-Rule? Not for Swine Flu!

    Every parent knows the rule. Fever-free without medication for 24 hours. That’s the period of time during which a parent is supposed to wait before sending Junior back to regularly scheduled activities after a bout with a fever. And the Centers for Disease Control reaffirmed that recommendation less than two weeks ago. That’s the rule [...] Related posts:5 Tips for Observing Earth Hour with Kids: Get More than an Earth Minute! Last year, my grand plans for Earth Hour were derailed...Easy Green Weekend Project: National Recycling Day Events Saturday AND Sunday! Time to clean out the…

  • A Fair Trade Halloween? Not Completely.

    This Halloween, I was convinced, would be the year that fair trade Halloween chocolates made it to the mass market — or at least to Whole Foods!  Sadly, #nestlefamily fiasco notwithstanding, we’ve still got long way to go before fair trade Halloween chocolates are widely available. I started my quest in early October,  pulling up the [...] Related posts:Slow Christmas: Fighting Holiday Commercialism With the holiday season now in full swing, it...How to Pack A Cheap and Easy Waste-Free Lunch There are many  eco-friendly options available for school lunch, but...Great Deals on…

  • Are you a Slactivista? Not Today! Take Action with 350.org Events in Bethesda & Your Hometown

    Yesterday at the final Blogpotomac Conference I “heard” a new word: Slactivista.  Actually, I “heard” it over Twitter in this tweet from conference organizer @GeoffLiving. Wikipedia defines slactivism as  “a portmanteau formed out of the words slacker and activism. The word is considered a pejorative term that describes “feel-good” measures, in support of an issue or [...] Related posts:Off the Beaten Path: Affordable, Great Green Inaugural Events Perhaps you’ve heard of the two “official” green inaugural events....Easy Green Weekend Project: National Recycling…
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    babyminding

  • Take Action: Ask Senate Not to Suppress Organic and Small Farmers

    Tela
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:38 pm
    Educating the Senate: Do Not Supress Organic and Small Farmers and Ranchers; Natural Food Products.   Farmers, Food and Freedom Under Attack.. 11/17/09 – UPDATE: the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee) will “mark-up” S.510, the Senate version of the (sic) “Food Safety” bill on Tuesday, November 18, 2009. This is the last step before a full Senate vote, which could happen in the next few days. The Senate bill can be read here.   This bill has an even weaker Family Farm and Ranch, Community and Home Garden exemption than…

  • Couch Potato Kids Fight More – A Study of Television and Aggression in Children

    Tela
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:40 am
    WebMD reports on a new study in their article “TV Linked to More Child Aggression”, that shows that children who watch more television exhibit higher levels of aggression: Researchers examined data on 3,128 3-year-olds. Mothers of the tots answered questions about how much time their children spent watching television during a typical day, as well as how much television the children were indirectly exposed to. Also, the children’s level of aggression was evaluated. The children in the study were born between 1998 and 2000 and came from 20 U.S. cities. Researchers concluded that…

  • Baby Einstein Video Recall

    Tela
    28 Oct 2009 | 11:29 am
    Yesterday it was announced that Baby Einstein DVDs are recalled due to claims that the videos are “educational” and that they are marketed to babies and children alike, despite American Academy of Pediatrics policy that television in any form is not recommended for babies under age 2. Disney will refund up to 4 videos purchased between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009.   You have several options with regard to the refund: One (1) Baby Einstein book of your choice One (1) Baby Einstein music CD of your choice One (1) coupon for 25% off the purchase of one Little Einsteins…

  • Something is Amiss with Our Children

    Tela
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:32 am
    From EWG.com Written by Alice Shabecoff, co-author with her husband Philip of Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on our Children As we watched each of our five grandchildren and their friends enter this world and begin their life’s journey, it became more and more clear that something is amiss with this generation. How are your children and your friends’ children doing? Most likely, one in three of the children you know in this generation suffers from a chronic illness. Perhaps it’s cancer, or birth defects, perhaps asthma, or a problem that affects the child’s mind…

  • A Revolution in Alternative Medicine – BAX 3000 Therapy for Allergies, Autism and ADHD

    Tela
    15 Oct 2009 | 6:53 am
    I’m working with a company, BioVeda Technologies, that has a revolutionary new alternative therapy for stress symptoms associated with seasonal allergies, food allergies, chemical sensitivities and other chronic conditions.   Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD are often more prone to food allergies and chemical sensitivities.  The doctors who use the BAX 3000 Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy for these children are experiencing tremendous success, and families are noting big improvements in their affected child’s response to these stresses.  Overall behavior…
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    greenUPGRADER

  • Delicious Discoveries from Vegan MOFO III

    Becky Striepe
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:26 am
    The Vegan Month of Food is over, and I’ll be honest here: I miss it already! The idea behind the MOFO was to spread the word that not only is a vegan diet easier on the planet and often healthier for our bodies than the Standard American Diet, it can be pretty freaking delicious, [...] Related posts:Vegan MOFO III is Coming - Let’s Talk Food! October is the third Vegan Month of Food (Vegan...Easy Holiday Recipe: A Moist Banana Bread in 20 Minutes The holidays have a way of making us eat...Slow Food For Busy People When some folks hear the term Slow Food, they...

  • Homemade Shampoo Update: Winter Hair Care

    Becky Striepe
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am
    Homemade, sulfate-free shampoos might need a little recipe-tweaking in the dry winter months. Back in August we talked about going no ‘poo. If you missed the first post about it, no ‘poo is a hair care regiment that’s shampoo free. The most common practice is to wash your hair with a baking soda solution [...] Related posts:What the Heck is No ‘Poo Anyway? Whenever I mention to someone that I’m doing the no...Save Some Water with a Dry Shampoo A girlfriend was showing me this Fekkai Au Naturel Dry...Easy Holiday Recipe: A Moist Banana Bread in 20 Minutes The…

  • Plug-in Smart Metering: Zerofootprint’s TalkingPlug

    Jeff McIntire-Strasburg
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pm
    A handful bloggers got on the phone with Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint, to discuss their upcoming answer to smart energy management: the TalkingPlug. Related posts:Greener Gadgets: Bware Water Meter The Bware water meter is a contestant in the...DIY Energy Saving Phone Charging Dock Here’s a great DIY to make your own power...Greener Gadgets: Power Hog and Energy Conservation Here’s a cool entry to Greener Gadgets that aims...

  • Craft Recycled: 11 More Project Ideas Straight from the Trash Bin

    Becky Striepe
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:39 am
    Last week, we took a look at craft projects for empty wine and beer bottles, scrap paper, and empty glass jars. Really though, that’s just a small part of the things we trash that can be useful again! After the jump, we’ve got some projects for empty cans, plastic bottles, and laminated cardboard, but we’d [...] Related posts:Craft Recycled: Project Ideas Straight from the Trash Bin Part 1 I wish I had gotten a picture of this,...Craft Project: Wino Corkboard We love to entertain. Folks come over at least...Green Craft Supplies: Felt Made from Recycled Soda Bottles There's…

  • Sprint, Samsung Test Green Waters with Reclaim Phone

    Tim Hurst
    15 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm
    The new green-themed Reclaim made by Samsung is more than your standard phone with slick green branding — though there’s a bit of that too. What’s green (or blue), smaller than a deck of cards and will remind you to unplug the charger from the wall after charging? The Reclaim, the new green-themed smart phone made [...] Related posts:Samsung’s Blue Earth: First Solar Powered Touchscreen Phone With a body made from recycled plastic, a solar...One Charger to Save the World The major mobile phone manufacturer’s  have agreed upon a...DIY Green: Recycled Yellow Pages Card…
 
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    Best of Mother Earth

  • Fairbury Illinois

    Karen Hanrahan
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:24 am
    above pics taken by Karen HanrahanWell..thanks to some freelance writing income, not only was I able to start a savings account and secure most of my holiday gifting. I also was able to purchase a new battery and charger for my digital camera. Something I had carefully packed somewhere in my move, never to be found again.  I am so happy to have this creative expression againYesterday I took my first road trip since I relocated, to a small turn of the century Central Illinois farming town known as Fairbury. I ended up turning a lovely little homespun restraunt into my office…

  • Kudos To Author Sheila Glazov

    Karen Hanrahan
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:22 am
    A huge BRAVA goes out to my friend and author Sheila Glazov who's book " What Color Is Your Brain?" is now being sold in Brazil in Portuguese! Sheila fills my "blue" heart. She champions me at many many levels and affectionately has nicknamed me "caringgrace" a play on words with my name. She says I am caring and gracious. I just love that she says things like this!! I am also very proud of her. I admire her tenacity in getting the word out about her book! I adore her work. The book is languaged in such a way that has someone mastering the technique almost immediately. As a…

  • Hanky Panky

    Karen Hanrahan
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am
    Remember hankies?? You didn't think this post was going to be something well... flirty,  did you ?? Sorry -- this is post is about a green alternative to kleenex!I adore the florals, the bright colors and the feeling of the worn vintage cotton hankiesI think they are just beautiful.  The picture below are just a few from my vintage collection.  See the one in top corner right? I have had that one since I was 6. Grandmother Hanrahan gave it to me. It stayed in my nightstand forever. I started using hankies several years ago.

  • Diabetes and Resveratrol

    Karen Hanrahan
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:23 am
    The testimonies below are from satisfied customers who have had benefit from our resveratrol product in relationship to Diabetes.As you know, I am diabetic with all the problems that go along.  One of my greatest fears is losing my legs as my grandfather lost his from diabetes.  I suffered severe neuropathy in both my legs and feet.  In addition to that, I had 3 stints put in my left leg last summer and was diagnosed with PAD.  I was experiencing severe leg cramps nightly.  Hardly a night went by when I wasn't awakened by them and had to jump out of bed and walk…

  • What You Need To Know About Metabolic Syndrome

    Karen Hanrahan
    18 Nov 2009 | 5:19 am
    What You Need To Know About Metabolic SyndromeThank you to Dr. Jamie McManus MD, FAAFP for this informative health bulletinYou’ve been told you have high blood pressure and maybe your blood sugar is higher than it should be (but you don’t have diabetes yet). You are also carrying that “spare tire” around your waist. If so, you may actually have something called Metabolic Syndrome. Also known as Syndrome X or Insulin Resistance Syndrome, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that together increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Having just one of these…
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    Go Green Travel Green

  • Simple Satire ecoSNEAKS Review: Environmentally Friendly Travel Shoes

    Kimberly
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:44 am
    I stumbled upon Simple’s Satire ecoSNEAKS two years ago during my search for an environmentally-friendly alternative to my beloved Vans Prison Issue tennis shoes. I wanted shoes that were more durable than the Vans, but as attractive. I was even willing to sacrifice the awesome velcro of my Prison Issues, but only for the right eco-friendly shoe. Then I saw it: the Simple Satire shoe, a member of Zappo’s ecoSNEAKs line. Features of Simple’s Satire ecoSNEAKS Certified organic cotton uppers with recycled PET laces Vegan shoe! No animal byproducts or even regular animal products…

  • Join GGTG for HI-USA’s Boston Travel Forum this Weekend

    Elizabeth
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am
    Go Green Travel Green is going to Boston this weekend for Hostelling International USA’s Boston Travel Forum and Workshop. I’ll be presenting about the Green Travel program I’ve developed with HI Minnesota. The conference is free and open to the public so if you’re in the Boston area, make sure you stop by for some great sessions. Space is limited, so be sure to register online. Conference Details Workshop Date: Friday, November 20, 2009 Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm Location: Boston Park Plaza Hotel Street: 64 Arlington St City/Town: Boston, MA Workshops Include: - David…

  • Biking from Alaska to Argentina: One Family’s Ultimate Green Travel Experience

    Kimberly
    11 Nov 2009 | 9:11 am
    Can any travel be greener than traveling by bike? We hear a lot about various methods of “green” travel - ecoresorts working to preserve the environment or companies who strive to reduce their carbon footprint. But we don’t hear much about traveling in such a way as to nearly eliminate that footprint altogether. Traveling on bicycle is one of the few methods of travel that allows a deep relationship with Mother Nature while, at the same time, treading lightly on our precious earth. Our bicycles use no fuel (other than the food we consume), and are easy on the ground we pass…

  • Live Your Life Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia

    Kimberly
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am
    In retrospect, hopping on a bus from St. Petersburg, Russia to Tallinn, Estonia with nothing more than my passport and some cash was mildly crazy. But at the time, it seemed perfectly logical. We all have those moments when we travel. There’s something about being in a new country that makes us more daring, more willing to be spontaneous. Then we return to home to our routines and that willingness to get off the beaten path fades. But it doesn’t have to. In fact, I think we could all learn to live our lives more like a 20-year-old in Estonia. A Spontaneous Thanksgiving Weekend in…

  • Ultimate Guide to Halloween 2009: Spooky Drinks, Haunted Houses, and iPhone Apps

    Kimberly
    28 Oct 2009 | 11:35 am
    Throwing a Halloween party, but at a loss for spooky drinks and tasty treats? Want to find a haunted house in your neighborhood? Thinking about skipping town with a Halloween travel deal? Or are you just looking for a few good Halloween iPhone apps? No matter what Halloween advice or entertainment you seek, we’ve got you covered — from scary books and Halloween drinks to costumed animals and face paint facts. Halloween Party Ideas: Drinks, Treats, and Decorations If you’ve procrastinated on planning your Halloween party, don’t worry. It’s not too late. These tips…
 
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    Life Goggles

  • Clothing Brand Finisterre Making Ethical Waves

    Adam
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    We’re always pleased to hear from new companies which are becoming more popular due to their ethical and environment credentials. Here, Stuart Gooding from Finisterre explains a bit about his company. “Authenticity, innovation and a strong commitment to sustainability are nourishing the growth of what’s been called ‘the perfect brand’. “What’s in a name? Well, ‘Finisterre’ means literally the ends of the earth, and it’s a word that brilliantly sums up the way that this technical clothing brand is pushing at new frontiers – not just in…

  • Surya Moisturising Hand Sanitizer Eco Product Review

    Adam
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    With Swine Flu being in the news so much, hand santisers (although spelt with a ‘z’ on this product) are all the rage with every shop form the cheap to the high-class selling them. But this is the first natural and organic hand sanitiser I’ve seen. Made by Surya Brasil, this Moisturising Hand Sanitizer kills 99.9% of germs and says on the packet it comes with Jua and Acai. I don’t know what either they are but it says Acaiis rich in proteins and Vitamin E and Jua is a cleansing and refreshing fruit. It’s also hypoallergenic and is certified organic by Eco Cert,…

  • Grow a Mo for Movember

    Adam
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Not strictly to do with the environment, but growing a moustache/mustache may err save on shaving products or something. Anyway, Movember is an international even where men get involved in raising money for prostrate cancer by growing a moustache. I (Adam) have joined in with this and I am 16 days in – you have a clean shave on the 1st. The latest picture of me is below but you can check out how it’s going at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/291540/ and also sponsor me too. Smiling makes me look even weirder… All information is © Life Goggles 2009Grow a Mo for Movember

  • Solar Panel Roof Tiles

    Joel
    13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Shaped just like regular roof tiles like I have on my house, these dark blue Solé Power Tiles are roof tiles designed to sustainably convert sunlight into electricity “without compromising aesthetics”. Made by SRS Energy in Philadelphia, who say “the Solé tiles are made from a high-performance polymer often used in car bumpers, are lightweight, unbreakable and recyclable. Flexible solar technology by United Solar Ovonic is embedded inside each tile, allowing them to function independently of each other. Meanwhile, the performance of the system as a whole is monitored…

  • Recycled New Graduation Gowns

    Joel
    10 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Completely the wrong time of year to post a story about this but who cares, it’s a neat idea. Oak Hall has introduced a line of eco-friendly caps and gowns made from 100%, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Named “GreenWeaver” is made of fabric spun from molten plastic pellets. The result is a fabric so comfortably soft you have to feel it to believe it! It takes an average of 23 bottles to make each gown. After first experimenting with a mix of bamboo and polyester, Oak Hall eventually turned to recycled plastic bottles – already used to make sweatshirts and other…
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    Mommy Brain Reports

  • Gift Guide- Eco Friendly Products

    Monica
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:16 pm
    If you’re looking for a great gift, that also helps the planet, consider some of these gifts! 2009 Mommy Brain Reports Eco Friendly Gift Guide ✔= Personally reviewed   ♥= Mom Owned Business Contigo offers a full-line of spill-proof, leak-proof drinkware with an option for every member of the family, including kids. Contigo is the only spill-proof [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Helping #PrayersforAnissa

    Monica
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am
    It’s been a few days, and I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around how a young mom of 3 children, who is so bright and vivacious could possibly suffer a major stroke.. and this isn’t the first time it’s happened to her… Although considered a minor stroke the first time (how something of this [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • WiskHE presents Bubbles & Bubbly

    Monica
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:36 pm
    WiskHE had invited me to New York for their Bubbles & Bubbly event. I wanted to go so badly, but due to scheduling issues, I wasn’t able to attend. I watched the tweets fly through my TweetDeck, and was just a little sad I couldn’t be there with everyone. But I was having a blast [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Gift Guide- Gadgets & Tech

    Monica
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:50 pm
    Mommy Brain Reports 2009 Gadgets & Tech Holiday Gift guide! iPosture Posture plays an important role in our overall health and appearance. Poor posture can also affect digestion, breathing, lower back pain, even someone’s confidence. But, people today are often so busy that they hardly have time to think about their posture, much less focus on improving [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Giveaway- Merry Madagascar!!

    Monica
    17 Nov 2009 | 6:45 am
    Dreamworks and Walmart are teaming together this Holiday Season to bring you Merry Madagascar! Dreamworks sent us a dvd of their made-for-TV-special called Merry Madagascar to check out even before it hits the airwaves, and it is so cute! The TV special has all of our favorite characters from the very popular Madagascar movies, with a [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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    Green (Living) Review

  • UK Climatic Research Unit’s e-mails hacked

    Veshengro
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am
    The e-mail system of one of the world's leading climate research units has been breached by hackers by Michael Smith (Veshengro) E-mails reportedly from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU), including personal exchanges, appeared on the internet on Thursday, November 19, 2009. A spokesman for the University of East Anglia confirmed that the email system had been hacked and that information was taken and published without permission, and he added that an investigation was underway and the police had been informed. "We are aware that information from a server used…

  • Give Peas a Chance – Pulses offer improved sustainability in the field and on the plate

    Veshengro
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    by Michael Smith (Veshengro) WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada, November 2009 – The Canadian pulse industry has recently released a white paper on the benefits of using pulses – beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas – as a food ingredient that provides nutritional and health benefits and contributes to environmental sustainability. Give Peas a Chance – The case for more pulses in the field and on the plate shows how using pulses can improve the nutritional profile of food products and reduce the carbon footprint of the food produced. “Food manufacturers and retailers are not only looking for…

  • As Climate Negotiations Slow, Forests Won't Wait

    Veshengro
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:04 am
    New York - Experts warn that any international climate treaty or national climate legislation that fails to address forest and land use issues thoroughly and without delay will not be effective. To drive that point home, representatives of the nonprofit sustainability group the Rainforest Alliance will attend the Copenhagen climate treaty conference December 7-18. REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and LULUCF (land use, land use change and forestry) were among the issues to be addressed this week in the US Senate committee's discussion of climate change…

  • Thriving on Less – Book Review

    Veshengro
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm
    Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro) Thriving on Less Simplifying in a tough economy by Leo Babauta E-Book 27 pages letter size Price: Free downloadable PDF http://thepowerofless.com/2008/12/free-ebook-thriving-on-less-simplifying-in-a-tough-economy/ Thriving on Less by Leo Babauta is the free E-book companion to the book “The Power of Less” by the same author. This small volume should be a good introduction to living and thriving on less and thriving is the operative word. Many people try to live and survive on less and are very miserable with it. The trick is to let go, and that trick is…

  • Are your details safe?

    Veshengro
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pm
    The insider threat by Michael Smith (Veshengro) Is your personal information and other data safe in the hands of your bank, your phone company, your Internet service provider? The answer probably will have be a no, not really. After the fiasco of mid November 2009 with T-Mobile, a cell phone provider in Britain and elsewhere having customer data sold by members of their staff to outsiders and in this case especially competitors of T-Mobile, who can be trusted. We have known for a long time that the government in the UK cannot be trusted with data as they tend to lose it but this is beginning…
 
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    TerraCurve.com - Go beyond green.

  • Looming climate change adds even more stress to humanitarian aid

    Joe Ascanio
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am
    With climate change-related disasters frequently occurring throughout the world, humanitarian aid organizations are struggling to keep pace with the increasing demands of affected communities. According to reps for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), climate change is a major factor in the newest hurdles to bringing aid to recent disasters. In a new survey, entitled “Believe in Humanity”, the IFRC states: “World powers expect humanitarian actors to face continuing or increasing humanitarian needs driven by climate change-related…

  • Do consumer demands and ‘greenwashing’ affect hotels’ sustainability efforts?

    Joe Ascanio
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:10 pm
    A new roundtable study at Cornell University is trying to find the mythical “green bullet” when it comes to green hotels, as well as define what “green travel” really means, once and for all. Produced by Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) and chaired by Associate Professor David Sherwyn, Cornell’s Sustainability Roundtable found that hoteliers looking to create a more eco-friendly property find themselves in a situation where environmental standards are very inconsistent while consumer opinion is still unclear. With no definitive “green” measure,…

  • Ecocamp Patagonia tours win big for Responsible Tourism

    Joe Ascanio
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:54 am
    The Ecocamp Patagonia tour company has won high honors at this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2009 for “Best in a Mountain Environment.” The awards, run by responsibletravel.com since 2004, are run in association with World Travel Market (WTM), The Daily Telegraph and Geographical Magazine. The awards were handed out at a ceremony hosted WTM in London. “Working our way through this year’s long lists, we were impressed by the willingness of so many organizations to take responsibility and to do what they can to help make better places for people to live…

  • Traveling green for 2010

    Joe Ascanio
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:55 am
    The new year’s top ten travel and vacation destinations show how travelers want to go green, get active and find adventure. According to new travel trends report by British Airways, ecotourism as well as sporting events are having a major impact on travel activities for 2010. With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Winter Olympics in Vancouver, hotels and other hospitality services are gearing up for huge peaks in tourism – while bookings are already spiking for the new year to cities like Stockholm due to its title of European Green Capital for 2010 or Istanbul for its…

  • Get your next paperless travel itinerary online and on-the-go for free

    Joe Ascanio
    16 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am
    Two new itinerary tools are aiming to make travelers’ trips a whole lot easier. From laptops to iPhones, travelers can compile and organize their travel itineraries in real-time, while actively sharing their scheduled adventures with others. Not only are these travel solutions paperless (good for the planet), but they won’t cost a dime. Kayak Trips Popular online booking search aggregator, Kayakcom, has recently announced its latest travel-tech tool: Kayak Trips – a free itinerary management tool that easily consolidates travel plans from multiple travel sites. Sounds…
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    Solar Feeds

  • Can a New Material Revive Thermal Mass?

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:12 pm
    In the last week or so I learned about a fascinating modern version of a millennia old technology. I'm talking about thermal mass...this is a very popular technology among the passive solar crowd--stretching back to the dawn of civilization--and it involves building your home (or castle) with "thick" walls that absorb heat during the heat of the day (cooling the home) and release that heat during the cool night (heating the home).... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

  • Is Milpitas, CA the Next Solar City?

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:09 pm
    Milpitas, an East Bay, CA city, is trying to create its own power source.  Essentially, they would allow homeowners to pay for their solar installations the same way they pay for their sidewalks. The city raises capital upfront with municipal bonds and is then reimbursed through the tax system.  The homeowner doesn’t need a big bank loan that is due upon the sale of the home; the next inhabitant just picks up the taxes. ... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

  • EIB Loans $119M to Solar Thermal Plant

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:07 pm
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) will lend EUR 80 million ($119 million) to Gemasolar 2006 SAU for the construction and commissioning of a 17MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Seville, Spain. The plant – to consist of a central tower receiver and heliostat field – features an innovative molten salt heat storage system. Project developers say the storage system will allow independent power generation for up to 15 hours with no solar... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

  • Solar Takes Manhattan

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm
    The Kips Bay Towers (KBT) in Midtown Manhattan were an architectural landmark long before a 55 kW solar power system was installed on the roof in December 2008, making it the largest residential solar array in Manhattan. The KBT is one of the few residential projects designed by the famous modernist architect, I.M. Pei. Its construction was also unique. When first built, it was the largest cast-in-place concrete building in the world. Given... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

  • Solar Stickers for Rechargeable Batteries

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm
    Disposable batteries did transform technology and let to the advent of a range of portable electronic devices that were powered by them. However, since most of these batteries end up in the landfill after they’re discharged, rechargeables are considered a better option for the environment. Industrial designer Jon West of Indakind Designs is making sure that rechargeable batteries have an even smaller carbon footprint, with a solar sticker... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>
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    Green Your Decor

  • Friday Room Reveal: Vintage Glam Media Room by Laurie White

    jennae
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am
    A few months back, my family and I toured the Greenhaven eco-friendly show home in Marietta, GA, right outside Alanta. To say that the home was gorgeous would be an understatement, so when Atlanta interior designer Laurie White contacted me with photos of the media room she designed at Greenhaven, I was more than happy to add it to the Friday Room Reveal lineup! I did include some photos of the design in my Flickr photo set after our tour, but these professional shots by Attic Fire Photography really do the room more justice than my Nikon D40 and intermediate photo skills ever could. Click…

  • Music To My Eyes: Reclaimed Record Mirror

    jennae
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am
    There are very few things made of vinyl that would ever knowingly make it into my home. I would, however, make an exception for some classic records, if I could ever get my hands on a record player. I can still remember growing up listening to Whitney Houston and the Jackson 5 on vinyl, and there’s something about that sound that can’t be duplicated digitally. I’m sure my music-loving hubby would agree. But since I don’t think we’ll be hunting for a record player any time soon (although we’d probably find one right next to an 8-track player in some thrift…

  • Great Green Gift: Soho Recycled Vases from Bambeco

    jennae
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    I have never been afraid of color, but I’m also not a fan of painting, then repainting. For that reason, I tend to stick to neutral — or at least versatile — colors on the walls and the largest pieces of furniture in the room, preferring instead to add pops of color with accessories. You’d never know that if you walked into my living room and saw the elephant in the room — a.k.a. the red sectional we bought before I knew better — but take my word for it. For subtle, glam, holiday-friendly accents, accessorize with items like these recycled glass vases from Bambeco. The…

  • Green Culture is a One-Stop Shop for Your Eco-Conscious Home

    jennae
    18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am
    Back when I first started Green Your Decor, there weren’t very many websites dedicated to selling eco-friendly home furnishings. They existed, but tended to be hard to find or feature only a limited number of items. At the time, green retailer Green Culture was the exception to the rule. There’s a reason I included the retailer on my list of the top 10 online resources for eco-friendly decorating. They have a vast collection of eco-friendly furnishings for every room. For decor addicts like me, it’s easy to spend hours browsing the sites under their umbrella. Even today,…

  • Green Steal of the Week: Reclaimed Wood Medallion

    jennae
    16 Nov 2009 | 11:59 am
    Over the past few weeks, I have been obsessing about what to put on the wall behind our sectional. Given the huge size of the sofa, we can’t go with something too small or it will be dwarfed in comparison. I don’t know if this reclaimed wood medallion/votive candleholder from Pottery Barn is it, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. And given the sale price of just $70, I’m going to have to pull out the tape measure and my visualization skills in order. The teak look doesn’t really work with our decor, but (I know I may be crucified for saying this) I…
 
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    Innovative News

  • Innovative News on Hiatus

    Cecilia
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:38 pm
    After 18 months and nearly 600 posts we’ve decided to take a break from daily posting on Innovative News.  It’s been our pleasure to bring you the latest news about green technology from around the world. We have decided to focus our attention toward other writing projects that we’ve neglected for many months. From time to time we’ll update you with innovations that we find too important to not pass along and we’ll notify our followers on Twitter. Thanks to our loyal readers for your support and comments.

  • Green Building Initiative

    Cecilia
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pm
    The Green Building Initiative is a non-profit organization originally conceived to bring green building into the mainstream. Their mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices resulting in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. The organization has developed the Green Globus system that is an interactive management tool that allows for flexible and affordable approach to environmental design. They’ve also been working with local home builder associations in order to educate and promote green residential building. In order to help…

  • Coastal Roots Program in Louisiana

    Terry
    1 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pm
    The Coastal Roots Program was started in 2001 as an education outreach project for the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program.  In 2006, the program was folded into the LSU Department of Educational Theory, Policy, & Practice and the LSU Center for Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences.  Coastal Roots goal is to assist students in developing an attitude of stewardship toward our natural resources and to provide active learning about coastal ecosystems. Students from grades 3-12  in Southern Louisiana are taking part in the project by establishing wetland plant nurseries at their…

  • 1% for the Planet

    Cecilia
    31 Oct 2009 | 11:10 pm
    Started in 2002 1% for the Planet is a growing global movement of over 1,200 companies that donate a percentage of their sales to a network of more than 1,800 environmental organizations worldwide. Founders Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews realized seven years ago that it was good business to protect the natural resources that kept them in business.  They started to encourage more businesses to donate 1% of sales to environmental groups - first calling it Earth Tax and then 1% for the Planet. Chouinard is the founder of outdoor company Patagonia and Mathews is the founder of Blue Ribbon…

  • Green alternatives to marble or granite countertops

    Cecilia
    30 Oct 2009 | 11:10 pm
    The advantages of marble or granite countertops entice many of us to spend extra money in the kitchen.  They have superior strength, durability and aesthetic beauty. If you’re looking for green countertop materials you probably won’t choose marble or granite.  Their production and transportation make for a large carbon footprint as well as environmental destruction. But there are green alternatives to granite and marble countertops. If you’re looking for durable, concrete countertops  are one way to go.  They’re most often made by a local fabricator.  You…
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    Resilience Science

  • Hydrological impact of biofuels

    Garry Peterson
    21 Nov 2009 | 2:44 am
    R. Dominguez-Faus and others analyze the impact of different biofuels on water in the USA in their article in Envir. Science and Technology, The Water Footprint of Biofuels: A Drink or Drive Issue? (doi:10.1021/es802162x).  The figure below, from the paper, shows the substantial ecological requirements (and variation) among biofuels. They write: The current and ongoing increase in [...]

  • Three books about planetary transformation

    Garry Peterson
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:15 am
    Edward Wolf offers a trio of books reviews about planetary transformation and systems at Worldchanging in Straight Talk for the Planetary Era: Diplomats from 193 countries prepare to hammer out a global climate treaty in Copenhagen. But few expect this year’s activism, politics, or diplomacy to change the game. The 21st century to-do list keeps growing. [...]

  • Paradoxes of efficient market theory

    Garry Peterson
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:36 am
    Complex systems scientist Cosma Shalizi reviews economic journalist Justin Fox’s book The Myth of the Rational Market: A History of Risk, Reward, and Delusion on Wall Street for American Scientist magazine in the article Twilight of the Efficient Markets: The Myth of the Rational Market, by Justin Fox, is an account—popular but thorough—of the roots, rise, [...]

  • Peatlands as complex adaptive systems

    Garry Peterson
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:01 am
    In a Perspective in Science, Nancy Dise reviews how the response of peatlands to global change will be complex (doi:10.1126/science.1174268). She writes: Research from a variety of areas and approaches is converging upon the concept of peatlands as complex adaptive systems: self-regulating to some degree, but capable of rapid change and reorganization in response to [...]

  • Nitrogen deposition making lakes more regulated by phosphorus

    Garry Peterson
    15 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Nitrogen deposition is increased the extent to which lake algal populations are regulated by phosphorus, shifting lake food webs.  Because, the patterns of human amplification of nitrogen and phosphorus trasport are different this should drive different patterns in lakes in different regions. James Elser and other write in Science Shifts in Lake N:P Stoichiometry and Nutrient [...]
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    Green Building : Jetson Green

  • Caulkers Cash, Smaller Homes, Green Building Benefits, + Energy Monitors

    Preston Koerner
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:14 am
    Smaller homes are in the ascendant. How to choose energy-efficient windows. Hohm vs. PowerMeter: a side-by-side rundown. A stimulus that could save money: cash for caulkers. Green buildings reduce energy use, lower financial risk. Green buildings: fewer sick days, higher rents. Green building practices expand globally. Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter for more news, links, and commentary.

  • LEED Platinum Ross Street House

    Preston Koerner
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:27 am
    This is the Ross Street House in Madison, Wisconsin.  It's located just a mile from the University of Wisconsin campus and the first LEED Platinum home in the entire state!  I first noticed the home in an article on Cadalyst, where author Kenneth Wong discussed the use of ArchiCad software to model the home and neighboring properties for context.  Owner Carol Richard, partner in the Atlanta firm of Richard Wittschiebe Hand, also used modeling to optimize the amount of natural light brought into the home.  The front of the house faces south and was designed to capture as much winter sun as…

  • SMU Bush Library Goes for Platinum

    Preston Koerner
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pm
    Yesterday, First Lady Laura Bush, architect Robert A. M. Stern, and landscape architect Matthew Urbanski unveiled the design of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.  Located on the east side of SMU's campus, the design will complement the consistent Georgian architecture of the rest of the university.  And when complete, the $250 million building will be LEED Platinum certified.   Green features of the George W. Bush Presidential Center include locally sourced materials, recycled materials, solar hot water panels, solar photovoltaics, native landscaping, minimal use of…

  • Five Unique and Green Home Designs

    Preston Koerner
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:28 am
    Architect and interior designer Johnna Barrett, Barrett Design, Inc., recently launched a set of five modern green home designs ranging in size from 1,800 to 2,500 square feet.  Offered for sale on Sustain House, the designs are contemporary and provide for energy savings of 20-30% above a home built to code.  The plans also include a LEED checklist designed to facilitate the earning of a LEED Gold or Platinum level certification, assuming an optimal site selection.  Check out these five homes in the Modern Forest Series ... do you have a favorite design? Nishiki House (click for…

  • Green Clayton i-House Set in Kentucky

    Preston Koerner
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:47 am
    There's been a lot of talk of the i-House ever since Clayton Homes announced its launch in about January of this year.  The home is contemporary, affordable, and energy efficient.  Landowners Bob and Melinda bought a 37-acre swath of land in 2006, hoping to someday build a home on it and live the good country life.  They're 95 miles from Louisville in western Kentucky and had an i-House delivered just about a month ago.  I was able to get in touch with Bob by email and he tells me they're putting the finishing touches on the green, factory-built home.  He should have final interior and…
 
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    greenbuildingsnyc.com

  • Hitting the Wall: Upper East Side Yoga Studio's Green Wall Losing Battle With Scaffolding

    David
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm
    What's not to like about a living wall? Where regular walls are (perhaps inevitably) drab and wall-like, a living wall is leafy and generally green-colored and alive. I barely remember what it was like to walk past The Colorado -- a condo building on the Upper East Side a couple blocks from my apartment -- before Pure Yoga moved into the space formerly known as The Space Behind The Gap back in 2008. But I remember vividly the experience of walking past the leafy, verdant facade provided by the living wall Pure Yoga installed. It was like a big vertical salad at first, and then…

  • Nice One, Misha: Baryshnikov Arts Center at 37 Arts Earns LEED Honors for New Jerome Robbins Theater

    David
    17 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pm
    If you've hung around with artists recently -- or at all -- then you've heard someone say, "this is a tough time for the arts." And while it's pretty much always a tough time for the arts -- that's why they're the arts and not, say, arbitrage -- this is New York, which means that there's still plenty of great places to see performances. One of the better-known and generally one of the better of these is the Baryshnikov Arts Center, housed in the John W. Averitt-designed 37 ARTS building in Chelsea. Having living dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov as part of the brand obviously helps,…

  • Stubbed Out: Related Companies to Ban Smokers From Six Residential Buildings, Including LEED Gold Tribeca Green

    David
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:50 pm
    New York's smokers lobby is nowhere near as powerful as, say, the over-the-counter derivatives lobby or bluefin tuna fishery-collapsing industry or whatever, and the city's six-year old ban on smoking in bars and restaurants reflects as much. While we non-smokers who go to bars and restaurants (and concerts and anyplace else, honestly) appreciate the ban, it's hard not to feel bad for smokers sometimes, seeing them all huddled and hunted-looking like Walker Evans photos come to wheezing life, bent around their cigarettes on some January sidewalk. Other times, like for instance when you're…

  • Jersey Continues to Go Green: Good News on Two New Green Residential Developments in Garden State

    David
    12 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pm
    We're pretty up front with our pro-Jersey bias here at gbNYC. Stephen and I are both sons of that superfund-y soil, after all, and after several decades of environment-intensive Jersey jokes -- medical waste washes up on your beaches one time and you hear about it forever -- it's kind of empowering to be able to report good green news about the Garden State. And we've had a good amount of it to report of late -- green condos in Trenton, an ultra-sustainable retail building in Montclair, and now, good news about a pair of green housing developments in Morris County and Union County. The…

  • Let's Take This Outside: Sustainable Sites Initiative Unveils "LEED for Landscape" Ratings

    David
    10 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pm
    At the most basic level -- in the way that the sky is blue and Jon Gosselin's fake-tanned skin is orange -- grass and trees and topiary and your other things-that-grow are green. It's tough to explain why all this is, so many years after seventh grade science, but chlorophyll and photosynthesis are involved and long story short plants are good for the earth and appealing looking besides. But while planting a tree is unquestionably a good thing -- PlaNYC, at least, thinks so -- there's more to a sustainable and healthy landscape than meets the eye. While it might all looks green to most of us,…
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    GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow

  • Mountain Rose Herbs Launches a Revolutionary Carpooling and Bicycling Program

    Matt Mayer
    12 Nov 2009 | 6:01 am
    Mountain Rose Herbs, a small Organic herb, spice and tea company in Oregon, recently launched a new carpooling and bicycling program that might be the best I’ve read about in my time writing green stories. From their site: Mountain Rose Herbs offers one of the nations finest carpool and cycling programs which pays substantial cash incentives to all employees who either carpool or bicycle to work. Currently we pay staff members who carpool to work 12 cents per mile for each passenger, and for those who bicycle to work, we currently pay 20 cents per mile. In addition to this we offer a…

  • Check out Urban Sustainable Living Magazine

    Matt Mayer
    12 Nov 2009 | 5:53 am
    If you aren’t already, you need to check out the Urban Sustainable Living Magazine published by the Garden Girl.  It’s delivered to your inbox (free!) every month, or two, and it’s chocked full of good useful information each and every time. Their website is even interactive featuring videos with Mel Bartholomew discussing Sq Foot Gardening, among other topics. This month they are discussing honey, sheet mulching and composting, among other topics.  (You can see this month’s cover to the left) Check it out when you get a chance. (If you have a chance, you can search…

  • Toyota Creates New Flower Species To Help Reduce Pollution

    Michael d'Estries
    3 Nov 2009 | 10:50 am
    To make the production of its hybrid Prius that much greener, Toyota has engineered  two new plant species that absorb harmful gases and help take heat out of the atmosphere. It’s a move straight out of science fiction, but it’s not the first time the automaker has played God to help lower its carbon footprint. The grass around its Tsutsumi plant in Toyota City, Japan was developed to grow shorter — requiring cutting only once per year, compared with three times for the previous species. From Drive.com.au, The flowers, derivatives of the cherry sage plant and the gardenia,…

  • Crazy Treehouse Could Probably House A Small Village

    Michael d'Estries
    28 Oct 2009 | 11:13 am
    When you were a kid, did you ever dream up the goal of one day building the largest treehouse ever? For Horrace Burgess in Tennessee, that dream became a reality with this gargantuan structure that features 11 floors and more than 8,000 sq.ft. of real estate. From ZuZuTop, The greatness of Horrace Burgess treehouse is not subject to the tree on which it is based alone though. As it turns out, while the tree in question does contribute something to the height of the treehouse, the owner’s efforts also go a long way towards this greatness possible. The tree’s contribution to the 97 foot…

  • Dell Creates Solar-Powered Parking Lot For Future Plug-in Vehicles

    Michael d'Estries
    23 Oct 2009 | 10:20 am
    Dell has just put the finishing touches on its latest green addition to the company’s corporate headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. Called a “solar grove”, the solar-powered parking lot not only produced carbon-free energy for the building, but is also ready to power plug-in vehicles — should any Dell employee currently be lucky enough to have one. From AutoBlogGreen, The Solar Trees®, located in the Dell employee parking lot, will simultaneously shade 50 parking spaces and generate clean electricity directly from the sun. In an example of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)…
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    Green News and Expert Opinions

  • If Nothing Else, Save Farming

    It’s probably too late to prepare for peak oil, but we can at least try to salvage food production. I don’t know when global oil supplies will start to decline. I do know that another resource has already peaked and gone into free-fall: the credibility of the body that’s meant to assess them. Last week two whistle-blowers from the International Energy Agency alleged that it has deliberately upgraded its estimate of the world’s oil supplies in order not to frighten the markets(1). Three days later, a paper published by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden ...

  • Uber-Ironic 1962 ad Touts Oil's Ability to Melt Glaciers!

    Courtesy of Climate Progress: David Roberts at Grist has the winner of the irony-can-be-so-ironic award: From a sharp-eyed reader comes this ad for Humble Oil (which later merged with Standard to become, yes, Exxon). It may win the All Time Millenial Award for Maximal Irony. It’s from a 1962 edition of Life Magazine, available on Google Books (click for larger version):   Hmm, in December 2008, I blogged on an AP story about data presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union: More than 2 trillion tons of land ice in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have melted…

  • Norway to Help Protect Guyana's Forests

    For the past year, President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana has traveled the world offering to place his nation's forests under international supervision if other countries paid his citizens not to deforest the tropical landscapes. The campaign received major support last week when Norway announced a $30 million commitment on Monday for the small South American nation to implement an "avoided deforestation" plan. If the program demonstrates success, Guyana will receive an additional $250 million through 2015. "We are giving the world a workable model for climate change collaboration between North…

  • Wicked Cool World of Organics - Edition 36

    This week's dose of organic headlines, updates, resources, goodies, and recipes courtesy of DSnodgrass...   New research shows that the use of genetically modified crops have put more pesticides on consumers dinner tables.  The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods, according to a report issued Tuesday by health and environmental protection groups. The groups said research showed that herbicide use grew by 383…

  • A Win-Win-Win-Win-Win-Win Opportunity?

    With the United States of America's ever-mounting trade and budget deficits, unemployment above 10 percent (and, dependent on counting, un- and under-employment above 20 percent), looming peak oil and other resource (water, for example) limitations, environmental challenges, and ever-mounting climate chaos , America faces a very serious situation. In fact, to one degree or another, these same intertwined challenges (with the exception of trade/budget deficits for some countries) are those face by societies and nations throughout the globe in our networked, systems-of-systems global community.
 
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    Ecobunga!

  • Super Savings on Natural Skin Care & Makeup

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am
    Save 25% storewide at SIRJJ, where you'll find mica- and talc-free mineral cosmetics and a full line of skin solutions for eczema, rosacea, acne & anti-aging. From 11/27 - 11/30 only, you can save an additional 20% on your purchase of $50 or more by using code PREFER09 at checkout. Our products are chemical-free and we're a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a commitment to manufacture personal care products free of known and suspected toxic chemicals.

  • 25% Off Signed Copies of The Green Bride Guide

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:21 am
    Looking for the perfect gift for a newly engaged couple? Ecobunga! readers can enjoy an exclusive 25% off discount on signed copies of the popular and info-packed "The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget" by Kate L. Harrison. Shipping on orders of 4 books or more is free - so stock up now! (Shipping charge will appear as a refund when the books are shipped.) All books are shipped in recycled paper mailers with paper stamps.

  • Financing Offer & Tax Credit on Electric Motorcycles

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:38 am
    According to BRAMMO, makers of the Enertia Electic Motorcycle, there are several ways to save on their zippy new product -- which is a good cause it ain't cheap! Qualified customers can get no-interest, two-year financing from Best Buy stores in OR and CA that carry the Enertia -- put $2,000 down payment and pay $249/month. To find the Best Buy locations, visit www.brammo.com/store and click on "Dealer Locations". BRAMMO also offers direct sales. And, since the Enertia is a 100% electric vehicle, you may be eligible for a 10% federal income tax credit.

  • Win a Set of Organic Holiday Spices

    21 Nov 2009 | 12:02 am
    Enter this giveaway from Leite's Culinaria for a chance to win a spice and herb kit from Tsp Spices called Set for the Holidays. This collection of seven tins containing 19 organic spices and 20 recipes will help you whip up roasts, cookies & pies, game day chili, mulled drinks, and more.

  • 33% Off Indoor AeroGardens

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:06 am
    AeroGrow is offering 33% off on 3 popular models -- the AG7 Classic, the AG3 Elite, and the AG6 Elite. Grow your own herbs, tomatoes, and salad greens indoors this winter -- no dirt, no weeds, no mess and no green thumb needed!
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    the New American Village

  • Why Architecture Matters

    12 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am
    Here's an interesting and infomative interview (by NPR's On Point host Tom Ashbrook) of New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger on his latest book - Why Architecture Matters. Great American Architect Richard Meier joins in as well.Goldberger talks about how architecture expresses our cultural identity and laments (as I do) the absence of beauty and artfulness in "ordinary buildings" constructed in America today. (Just look at utilitarian buildings constructed a hundred years ago like barns, modest homes, downtown storefronts, even power and waterworks facilities, and you'll notice…

  • American Roadways: Dangerous by Design

    10 Nov 2009 | 7:44 am
    In 2008 alone, over 70,000 pedestrians in the United States suffered injury in an accident involving motor vehicles. And over the past 15 years, 76,000 pedestrians have been killed on American roadways; that's the equivalent of twenty-five 911 terrorist attacks.Yet US spending on security-related issues dwarfs the funding of walkable infrastructure. According to Transportation for America's recent report - Dangerous by Design - federal funding for for walking and bicycling infrastructure last year in major metropolitan areas was a meager $1.39 per person. Conversely, appropriations for the…

  • No Man is an Island

    9 Nov 2009 | 4:53 am
    This week's newspaper column: Sustainability – essentially – is about connections. Take the human body for example.Life is sustained as the heart pumps blood through a connected system of veins and arteries distributed throughout the entirety of our bodies. This system works by degree in that the more those connections are disrupted, the more quality of life is degraded.Terminate the veins in the wrist and you lose a hand; block the main arteries close to the heart and you’re dead. Translate this metaphor to all physical and social connections and you’ve got a pretty good working…

  • Raold Gundersen's Organic Architecture

    5 Nov 2009 | 6:16 am
    Photo: Paul Kelly for the New York TimesRoald Gundersen is an architect I heard about a few years ago when I lived in Spring Green, WI. His home and studio - located a few miles east of the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin - is a study in organic architecture.Gunderson utilizes natural unmilled forest trees in the structure and detailing of his designs. He skins the trees revealing a sensuous silky-smooth finish that invites the human touch. Nature has a way of offering ready-made beauty, and Gunderson's work is a wonderful case study in expressing that natural beauty.Beauty aside,…

  • Recycling the Recycling Business Model

    29 Oct 2009 | 1:12 pm
    Is recycling just a feel-good exercise in America? Wild swings over the past few years in the demand for recycled waste material has presented a challenge for communities attempting to promote universal recycling and a rational for communities who are hostile to the very idea of recycling. I hear stories all the time about recycled material "piling up" outside of town because of a weak buyer's market, and I've read about instances where excess recycled stock is periodically hauled off to the landfill. At the same time, manufacturers and contractors use far less recycled material than they…
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    The Green Parent

  • Happy Healthy Halloween

    Jenn Savedge
    28 Oct 2009 | 4:30 am
    By: Dr. Margaret Lewin, Medical Director of Cinergy Health Careful as we are all year, we seem to lose our inhibitions against junk food when Halloween rolls around – snacking on the sugar-laden treats we bought for neighbors’ children as well as the ones our own children bring home from their trick-or-treating.  Here are some tips for resisting temptation: Buy treats only a day or so before Halloween – so they’re not around long to tempt you Keep the treats in an inconvenient, difficult-to-reach place till Halloween arrives Buy treats which you don’t particularly like, making it…

  • Chat with No Impact Man Tonight!

    Jenn Savedge
    11 Oct 2009 | 6:19 am
    Similar Posts:No Idling! Court Rules: “No Link Between Vaccines and Autism” National Healthy Schools Day: Make Sure No Child Is Left Behind

  • Parenting the Nearly-Grown

    Jenn Savedge
    28 Sep 2009 | 8:36 am
    by Masha Hamilton “Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.” Roman philosopher and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 B.C. Not long after the second of my three children was born, I sat at the kitchen table late one evening talking to my dad about parental responsibility. It’s a big topic and we were covering lots of philosophical ground, but what I remember most is my pronouncement that my primary job could be boiled down quite simply and starkly: I had to keep safe these beings released into my charge. I needed to keep them alive. These…

  • Give Me A Great Green Deal!

    Jenn Savedge
    28 Aug 2009 | 7:45 am
    OK, all.  Summer is just—about—OVER.  Many of you probable have the kiddos back in school already.  I’ve got one down and one more to go.  And I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood to celebrate!!  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I had the time of my life this summer.  My girls and I had a great time hiking, swimming, visiting, camping, playing, and just lounging about in our own backyard. But now that they are back at school (just about), I’m ready to do a little something for me.  I’m not much of a shopper, but I do love it when I get a…

  • Wal-Mart To Add Green Label to Products

    Jenn Savedge
    17 Jul 2009 | 5:02 am
    Wal-Mart is about to change the way we go shopping. As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart has earned quite a reputation for their rock-bottom price tags (and the questionable strategies they use to attain those prices.)  But in the future, those price tags may also be accompanied by another label…a green label that gives consumers information about the product’s carbon footprint…the energy and water used to create it, and the pollution left in its wake. Wal-Mart is apparently on a mission to determine the social and environmental impact of every item it puts on its…
 
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    BeMoreEco

  • Cutting 10% of Emissions in 2010

    mark
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:51 am
    BeMoreEco has signed up to 10:10 - an ambitious project to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea: that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010. By signing up to 10:10 you commit to support the national drive to reduce Britain’s emissions steeply in 2010. That means urging your staff, suppliers and customers to sign up to cut their own emissions by 10%, helping to distribute our tags, and doing everything you can to reduce your own operational emissions HOW CAN THE UK CUT 10%? The simplest way to tackle your 10% cut is to…

  • Enjoy and MoreEco Friendly Christmas

    mark
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:29 am
    Since Christmas is coming up fast and the MoreEco team know you’re all very busy, we’ve decided to make things easier for you! Twice a week we will be publishing a great selection of christmas gift ideas and eco-products to make this Christmas something to remember… Keep checking back to see what we’ve added to help you have a very merry eco Christmas! Eco Gifts for Her Eco Gifts for Him Gifts for Under £50 Gifts for Under £20 (available from 25th November) Gifts for under £10 (available from 27th November) Gifts for the Kids (available from 2nd Devember) Big Bucks…

  • Let’s talk dirty … how long do you spend in the shower?

    Loz
    30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    Men are hardly any faster than women, and power showers can use more water than baths, so without getting too steamed up, what are your showering habits?Let’s talk dirty. How dirty are you? How long does it take you to scrub yourself clean of a morning? Research by a new “Shower Power” campaign launched yesterday – in a bid to save water by encouraging short showers – shows that contrary to lazy, popular and potentially misogynist belief, women only spend a mere 39 seconds longer in the shower than men. Despite the fact that many men like myself are clearly follicularly…

  • BeMoreEco Summary of International Day of Climate Action

    mark
    29 Oct 2009 | 1:50 am
    As News & Views has posted previously, last Saturday marked the first International Day of Climate Action. In celebration of this, the team have scored the web for the best pictures, events and features of the day. Best Videos In the News In Every Corner of the Globe Best Pictures International Day of Climate Action Supermodels Strip For Climate Change

  • Over 1.5 Billion TETRA PAK Cartons to go FSC

    mark
    23 Oct 2009 | 1:15 am
    UK and Ireland’s favourite brands able to carry the FSC label by using Tetra Pak cartons Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions, announced today that many of its UK and Irish customers will now be able to use the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label across the nation’s favourite brands. The majority of Tetra Pak cartons in the UK and Ireland can now use paperboard sourced from FSC certified forests and other controlled sources, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to responsible forest management. This development is a first in…
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    Leafygreen.info: Green Product Reviews for a Green World.

  • Flip & Tumble Bags 2

    Courtney
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Bags that are conveniently small to always have with you are such a great idea.  This is why I love this bag so much, it folds up small into a palm sized ball to keep in your purse or glove box of the car.  It has the pouch that it folds up into attached so you will never be wondering where it went. These bags are made from ripstop nylon, so they are sure to hold a lot.  Since nylon can be slippery at times, Flip & Tumble bags have added a special felt patch on the shoulder strap to keep it on your shoulder and not sliding around, I think that is a great little addition to add to this…

  • Jack Black Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser

    Ray
    18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Jack Black’s Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser is touted as a unique 2-in-1 vegan facial cleanser and toner that removes dirt and oil for clear, smooth, shave-ready skin.  This light face wash is formulated with witch hazel for its naturally soothing properties, along with organic sage leaf and rosemary for their antibacterial and healing benefits. On first use, I was pleasantly surprised by the light, refreshing scent.  It wasn’t overpowering or offensive like other washes I have used.  The cleanser left my face indeed feeling clean and hydrated and I didn’t feel the need for an…

  • Elements Naturals Baby Wipes

    Desta
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    I use baby wipes for everything, not just changing my kid’s diapers.  They are great for cleaning the car dashboard, spots on the floor, sticky hands, etc…  I know, I know, I always feel guilty that I am being wasteful when I use them for uses other that my baby.  Element’s Baby Wipes take that guilt away.  The wipes are as soft as any other wipes I have used.  They are 100% Natural & Renewable, Chemical/Fragrance/Chlorine Free, and 100% Compostable (whaaat?! Can you imagine composting a dirty diaper wipe?).  They come in a resealable 80 pack of recyclable materials for about…

  • Republic of Tea

    Desta
    15 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    ‘Tis the season for tea!  Republic of Tea has some new ones worth checking out.  I tried the Red Tea: Carmel Apple, Pomegranate red Vanilla (Sip for the Pink Cure tea) and Double Dark Chocolate Mate.  I enjoyed all of them.  They all have good flavor without it being overwhelming.  Each of these organic tea tin’s is between $10-$15 and come with 36 tea bags.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month so a tin of the Sip for the Pink Cure tea would be a great gift this month.  $1 from the sale of this tin will support Susan G. Komen for the Cure in their fight against breast…

  • Living Green: The Missing Manual

    MikeL
    14 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Living Green: The Missing Manual helps make earth-friendly decisions easy by providing simple solutions to situations we encounter everyday. Author Nancy Conner says, “The book takes a three-pronged approach to green living: healthy living, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship. Readers will be able to make improvements in all of these areas. They can eliminate harmful chemicals from their households and food, replacing them with healthier alternatives. They can find ways to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on utility bills. And they can start to make an immediate…
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    Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

  • Douglas Doherty Now Installing Renewable Energy Systems in Residences, Businesses and Vacation Homes

    21 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Douglas Doherty Electric, a local residential niche electrician, is now providing renewable energy solutions for the local Bay Area. Recognizing the existing increasing demand for "On Grid" power supply, Douglas Doherty is taking a stand towards creating and installing innovative technology here and now, as a standard for our future.

  • Solar Power Optimizers Gaining Market Share

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Demand for solar energy could be down as much as 17% on the year for 2009. This is the stark reality the industry is facing as it slowly emerges from the recession that has caused demand for energy across the world to drop for the first time in a half-century. While this may put a damper on power industry growth in the short-term, long-term energy demand worldwide is expected to double by 2050 and with concerns about climate change on the rise, the prospects for the solar power industry remain bright.

  • Power Recruiting Management Team

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    The Power Recruiting Group has formally announced it's Management Team.

  • Etrion & SunPower To Build 4-MW of Solar Italy

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Etrion Corporation and SunPower Corp. announced an agreement to build four solar power plants, totaling 4 megawatts, in the Puglia region of southern Italy. SunPower will design and construct the plants, and provide operations and maintenance services.

  • OPA Agrees to Buy Power From 16 Hydroelectric Plants

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    The Ontario Power Authority has agreed to buy all of the output from 16 hydroelectric plants operated and owned by Brookfield Renewable Power Inc.
 
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    Earth911.com

  • Economists Weigh in on Climate Change

    Lauren Hasler
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    A new study found that an overwhelming majority of 144 top U.S. economists believe that climate change will have a negative impact on the nation’s economy. Eighty-four percent of participants in the study conducted by New York University School of...

  • Govt. May Award Cash for Winterizing Your Home

    Amanda Wills
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    The New York Times reports that John Doerr, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and former President Bill Clinton have separately suggested a home energy spin-off of the popular Cash for Clunkers program. Dubbed “Cash for Caulkers,”...

  • Plans for Landfill Near Joshua Tree Stalled

    Lauren Hasler
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    Plans to move in a new neighbor next to Joshua Tree National Park were stalled when a southern California appeals panel ruled to temporarily halt development of what would be the largest nonhazardous solid waste landfill in the nation. The proposed...

  • Going Solar? Better Hurry, Cash is Going Fast

    Amanda Wills
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    The good news: Solar is becoming more popular. The bad news: We’re running out of money for those enticing solar rebates. According to the Worcester Business Journal, in Massachusetts alone, the number of solar installers has risen from 50 to...

  • African Countries Receive $1.1B for Climate Action

    Lori Brown
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    Six African countries were recently announced as the recipients of $1.1 billion in new grants and financing for climate action initiatives. Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Niger will share the additional resources to strengthen...
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    Green-Trust.Org

  • We are off to SC, and going aqua

    Steve Spence
    17 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pm
    Tomorrow at 9am we hit the road in our solar electric camper and veggie fueled suburban to South Carolina, to work with Travis Hughey and his aquaponics systems. You can read more about his combined hydroponics and fish farming system using barrels, which he calls barrel-ponics, at http://www.fastonline.org/. We will be documenting our work there with aquaponics, methane digestion, solar-hydrogen, and much more. Stay tuned. ©2009 Green-Trust.Org. All Rights Reserved..

  • Living a Mobile Lifestyle

    Steve Spence
    13 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm
    “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain Do these words stir a fire deep within you, awakening a spirit of wanderlust and travel? Maybe you were a gypsy, vagabond or hobo in a past life, but you think you could never afford to live the life of freedom you long for? Maybe you are a survivalist, or just want to drop out of society but don’t know how. Perhaps you are just…

  • Hydrogen – Oxygen Generator (HHO, Hydroxy Gas, Brown’s Gas)

    Steve Spence
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:36 am
    Producing hydrogen / oxygen mixed gas for the purposes of heating, cooking, and absorption refrigeration. There’s a lot of pseudoscience surrounding the production of a hydrogen oxygen gas mix. Sometimes called Brown’s gas, HHO, and other terms, it’s been assigned mythical properties by many. Joe Cell – http://peswiki.com/energy/Directory:Joe_Cell Stanley Meyer – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Meyer%27s_water_fuel_cell Some actually believed, or attempted to get others to believe, that a car could run on water, using an on-board electrolyzer powered by the…

  • USPS Going Electric

    Steve Spence
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:14 am
    This isn’t the first time the USPS has played with electric vehicles, but never before has there been this size of a commitment: With consumers largely avoiding electric cars due to their shortcomings (range, charging infrastructure) the United States Postal Service is already undertaking the electrification of their current Long Life Vehicle (LLV) model to contribute to the green movement. AM General and Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) will be teaming up to complete this project in converting all 178,000 LLVs currently in use.

  • The World According to Monsanto

    Steve Spence
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am
    The World According to Monsanto is an in-depth Documentary that looks at the domination of the agricultural industry from one of the world’s most insidious and powerful companies.We are pleased to bring you the full documentary in 10 parts. This is one of the most powerful, must see films for anyone interested in the behind the scenes world of the food industry, and how just one world dominating corporation holds the keys and patents to much of the worlds food supply. Monsanto, which started out as one of the planets largest chemical companies is also responsible for such chemical compounds…
 
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    Green Living Ideas

  • Green Your Thanksgiving by Eliminating Food Waste

    Jennifer Lance
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:59 am
    Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and although this holiday is designed to celebrate the bounty of fall harvests and myths of US history, discarding (or composting) half the meal makes this holiday unsustainable.  You may be planning to green your Thanksgiving by only serving local foods; however, if you waste those [...][Green Your Thanksgiving by Eliminating Food Waste from Green Living Ideas]

  • Breakthrough Technology Converts CO2 to Ethanol without Biomass

    Derek Markham
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am
    Producing fuel out of thin air sounds like a pipe dream, but a new process from a biofuel company promises to be able to turn CO2 and sunlight into fuel, bypassing the current need for large amounts of agricultural land and water to produce biomass feedstock. Joule Biotechnologies has announced that it can [...][Breakthrough Technology Converts CO2 to Ethanol without Biomass from Green Living Ideas]

  • Property Insurance In Danger From Climate Change Says Industry

    Susan Kraemer
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am
    Property insurance may no  longer be available in the future if we can’t get control of climate change, says Nick Starling, the Director of General Insurance and Health for the Association of British Insurers. Climate change could end the continuing availability of property insurance. The insurance industry might be [...][Property Insurance In Danger From Climate Change Says Industry from Green Living Ideas]

  • Ethanol Yields Increased 20% by Soaking Corn First

    Derek Markham
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:33 am
    Ethanol production has its detractors in those who point out the inefficiencies of the process and the use of agricultural land and water involved, but a new process may help to change some of that. Soaking the kernels of corn before grinding them in ethanol production results in more ethanol and usable [...][Ethanol Yields Increased 20% by Soaking Corn First from Green Living Ideas]

  • $1 Million in EPA Grants Available For Environmental Justice

    Scott James
    14 Nov 2009 | 9:33 am
    It can be challenging enough for each of us to learn and implement ways to live a greener lives on our own, but an even more challenging task is doing something that affects your whole community. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to help. The organization is currently accepting applications for [...][$1 Million in EPA Grants Available For Environmental Justice from Green Living Ideas]
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    Climate of Change

  • Many Heavens, One Earth Conference, Windsor Castle, November 2009.

    Jewish Climate Initiative
    8 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pm
    By Rabbi Yedidya Sinclair Last week’s conference on world religions and climate change sponsored by the UN and ARC was an extraordinary event. You can read about it here, here and here. The gathering together of religious leaders and environmental heroes was unprecedented. So was the strong acknowledgement of the world’s religions’ critical role in confronting climate change, from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. (And so, for that matter, was my sitting next to his wife at dinner last Monday night and giving her a virtual tour of Israel on the cover of a box of Elite…

  • Blog Action Day and the Jewish Climate Change Campaign

    Jewish Climate Initiative
    16 Oct 2009 | 3:22 am
    Shalom Climate of Change Readers, In honor of this past week’s Blog Action Day, dedicated to the fight against climate change, we’d like to report to you on the Seven Year Jewish Climate Campaign. We first mentioned the campaign following JCI’s Vayehi Or event in April. Since then and with help and ideas from many of you and fellow Jewish environmentalists and leaders from Israel and abroad, we have developed The Plan and are now gearing up to bring the campaign to the global Jewish community. The official launch date is this coming Monday, the 18th of October, in honor of…

  • Continental Airlines Goes Green. Or not. Or… Yes?

    Jewish Climate Initiative
    8 Oct 2009 | 3:08 am
    By Yannai Kranzler How would you respond to sitting on an airplane, digging into the seat pocket in front of you, to discover that your complementary in-flight magazine was dedicated to caring for the environment? Would you be thankful? Hopeful? Would you laugh? Would you sigh and say, “Well, I’m the one paying them to emit Carbon Dioxide- it’s very courteous of them to make an effort?” Or would you say, “This is, like, over-the-top obnoxious- is it possible to get more cynical than an airliner claiming to be a part of “The Eco-Movement?” I ask…

  • Praying for Rain: Who Affects the Weather, God or Us?

    Jewish Climate Initiative
    1 Oct 2009 | 3:36 am
    By Rabbi Julian Sinclair Sukkot has a special connection to rain. The Talmud (Rosh Hoshanah 16a) says that on Sukkot, we are judged for the rainfall we will receive in the coming year. On Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the holiday, we begin to say Mashiv Ha’Ruach u’morid Hagashem, in the Amidah prayer, invoking God as the One who brings rainfall, at the start of the wet season in the Land of Israel. It can seem strange to be saying these words outside Israel, in climates where we are not so aware of the shift into a rainy season. In many regions it rains year round. Why do we…

  • A Couple of Thoughts for Yom Kippur

    Jewish Climate Initiative
    27 Sep 2009 | 2:31 am
    By Rabbi Julian Sinclair The Power of One On Yom Kippur we examine our actions.  The scrupulous review of our deeds that the day calls for teaches us that everything we do, however small it may seem matters a great deal, often far more than we can even imagine. Maimonides writes in The Laws of Teshuvah: Therefore a person should see himself throughout the year as if his life is half good and half bad and likewise see the whole world equally poised in the same way.  One bad deed can tip himself and the whole world towards destruction. One good deed can tip himself and the whole world towards…
 
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    Ecopreneurist

  • #SmallBizChat—Twitter at its Best

    Jennifer Kaplan
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:59 pm
    I had the pleasure of being the guest on a (the?) twitter #SmallBizChat last night.  The brain child of up and coming small biz powerhouse Melinda Emerson (a.k.a. @smallbizlady), #SmallBizChat happens every Wednesday night from 8-9PM EST.  Melinda, along with her co-host Cathy Larkin (@CathyWebSavvyPR) run a great event that is worth checking into as a listener/participant but also as a guest.  The whole evening is topped off with a PDF transcript of the event made available within in minutes courtesy of Sonia Schenker (@yourjobmyoffice). Last night’s topic was, obviously, greening…

  • Is the Green Economy the New Dot Com Bubble?

    Scott Cooney
    12 Nov 2009 | 9:39 pm
    Bryan Welch, publisher of Utne Reader, Mother Earth News, and Natural Home Magazine, gave the keynote address at Green America’s Green Business Conference in San Francisco. (Take a look at TriplePundit for my 5 articles over the last few days on the hot topics of the conference).   His guidelines for a sustainable future are simple and beautiful.  As was his slideshow of his goats he raises in a humane manner on his Rancho Cappuchino (a tongue-in-cheek reference to being called a Cappuchino Cowboy by a more traditional rancher) in Kansas. But one particular question in the Q&A…

  • Preventing Identity Theft: Registering Your Business Trademark or Servicemark

    John Ivanko
    11 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pm
    It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a decade since my wife and I opened our doors of Inn Serendipity in southwestern Wisconsin. Our marketing background at a large advertising agency in Chicago taught us the value in protecting your company name and brand by trademarking your logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).For Inn Serendipity, we did so from the very start.Now, it’s time to renew based on the USPTO’s ten year renewal cycle. From our perspective, we found that we didn’t have to be an attorney (or a genius) to use their straightforward Trademark…

  • Simple Earth Media Announces Formation of Major New Environmental Media Network

    Jennifer Kaplan
    10 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am
    A group of the Web’s leading environmental blogs, podcasts, and social media outposts today announced that they have combined to form a single environmental publishing and social media powerhouse. The resulting new entity, Simple Earth Media, includes top environmental media and publishing entities such as Green Living Ideas, Blue Living Ideas, Twilight Earth, GreenTalk Radio, EcoTech Daily and Natural Papa. The brainchild of co-founders Sean Daily, CEO, and my friend Adam Shake, Editor-In-Chief and founder of Twilight Earth, Simple Earth Media is a new media and social media company…

  • 44 oz. BPA Free Geyser Collection From Glass America

    John Simonetta
    9 Nov 2009 | 8:34 am
    This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry. Glass America has launched their new 44oz BPA free stainless steel Geyser collection. These huge stainless steel reusable bottles have an EQP of $6.99 with single color imprint. Although all Geyser bodies are finished stainless steel in color, the top accents are available in Black, Purple, Blue, Orange and Green. At 44oz these are some of the largest…
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    Go Green Street

  • Great Green Finds Blog Carnival #1

    Green Tara
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:12 pm
    With so many amazing Green Living blogs across blogosphere it is impossible to keep up with them all. So, I have decided to host a Great Green Finds Blog Carnival weekly to show off some of the best green living blogs across the web. It is always great to show love to fellow green bloggers who blog about worthy eco topics. PS: If you enjoy the blogs, make sure you bookmark or subscribe to each RSS feed! KIWI offers great ideas for hosting a Green Thanksgiving with eco-friendly glassware and utensils. The Crunchy Domestic Goddess begins thinking about her can good purchases after learning more…

  • The Sage: nation’s top eco-friendly house

    Green Tara
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:37 pm
    Arbor South Architecture’s, creators of the Sage (eco-friendly built home) can sit in awe today, as the Sage is now the nations most eco-friendly home! This beautiful sustainable built home is located in Eugene, Oregon. The U.S. Green Building Council certified 1,300 houses this year and the council selected the house, as the No. 1 “Outstanding Single Family Project.” The eco-friendly home was the first built LEED Platinum home in Eugene, Oregon. The eco home is what sustainable design and green building is all about!  Green building generally sacrifices comfort for technology, but not…

  • Eco Friendly Thanksgiving Tips

    Green Tara
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pm
    It is about that time of the year again for families to come together to enjoy a delicious feast and remember what they are thankful for. Since Thanksgiving is one of the American Holidays that can have a major impact on the environment, why not start a new family tradition of hosting a ecologically responsible Thanksgiving? Here are some great tips to help you enjoy an eco-friendly Thanksgiving celebration with yummy foods, eco-friendly decorations and less impact on the environment. Photo Courtesy of Flickr 1. Remember To Reduce, Reuse & Recycle- To make your Thanksgiving as…

  • Energy Star Program Passes Millionth Home

    Green Tara
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:07 pm
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a major green home milestone for the Energy Star program by passing the 1 millionth Energy Star qualified home. The program first began labeling homes in 1995 to help save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Since the program began labeling new homes in 1995, Americans have saved $1.2 billion on energy bills, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 22 billion pounds. This year alone, families living in Energy Star qualified homes will save more than $270 million on their utility bills. “This…

  • Eco Family Vacation Sweepstakes

    Green Tara
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize’s award-winning family vacation destination in the jungles of Central America, is offering free all inclusive holidays to the lucky winners of their Family Vacation Sweepstakes. Chaa Creek Inland Expeditions caters to the traveler looking for both physical and intellectual challenges, with programs and activities designed to stimulate interest in the environment, culture and archaeology of Belize. They have been rated the BEST ECO RESORT in the Caribbean for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, by Caribbean Travel & Life Readers’ Poll. Also rated as the…
 
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    Low Impact Living

  • Blu Homes Completes a Chalet in Colorado

    Bridgette Meinhold
    26 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am
    One of our favorite prefab home designers, Blu Homes, just completed a home in Colorado at the beginning of the October. The Fischer Chalet, a modern green prefab home in Breckenridge, Colorado, is a perfect example of what Blu Homes is capable of. While designed as a custom home built with the Colorado climate in [...]

  • Winning Homes of the 2009 Solar Decathlon

    Bridgette Meinhold
    18 Oct 2009 | 4:00 pm
    We’ve been watching in eager anticipation to find out which amazing solar powered green home would win this year’s Solar Decathlon. This year marks the fourth competition, with teams from around the world journeying to Washington DC to showcase their most technically advanced and energy efficient prefabricated homes. The best and brightest turned out this [...]

  • Blu Homes Acquires Green Prefab Pioneer mkDesigns

    Jason Pelletier, Low Impact Living
    29 Sep 2009 | 2:36 pm
    Blu Homes, a LIL favorite in the green prefab sector, announced today that they have purchased the assets of mkDesigns, the pioneering prefab company founded by architect Michelle Kaufmann that has been one of the most visible leaders in modular sustainable design. The plan is to bring some of mkDesigns' leading models (Glidehouse TM, mkLotus TM, Sunset Breezehouse) to customers around the country via Blu's proprietary manufacturing and building system innovations. This could be an intriguing combination, for mkDesigns and Blu were targeting different segments of the market and didn't overlap…

  • Straw Bale Home in Sonoma County

    Bridgette Meinhold
    22 Sep 2009 | 6:00 am
    Passive solar design is the most economical way to provide heat for a home and also reduce cooling loads. But what do you do when passive solar design is impractical because your lot or the surrounding terrain makes it challenging or impossible? You make sure the home is very well insulated and install a very [...]

  • New Green Product Reviews and Information

    Jason Pelletier, Low Impact Living
    16 Sep 2009 | 3:00 am
    While it’s easier than it used to be to find truly green products out there, it’s still not that easy. It’s often hard to find that Energy Star label on appliances or home electronics, even if the product qualifies. And there seem to be five dubious green claims for every one legitimate one. Through time, better [...]
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    Good To Be Green

  • The Miles Per Gallon Race is On…

    The Miles Per Gallon race is on and where it stops nobody knows. It’s hard to believe it but not too long ago the argument against Green Cars was that the technology wasn’t there. Well, all of a sudden there it is. A hybrid car that can do 230 m.p.g. and other companies already saying [...]

  • Recycling Pets?

    HSUS MySpace Page | Stop Puppy Mills Website There are many things we can do to make Pet ownership more environmentally friendly, including Recycling Pets. Start by Adopting your Pet from a Local Shelter: It’s sort of like “recycling a pet” instead of buying a one from a Pet Store. The doggy in the window trick is no [...]

  • Start a Green Revolution in Your Own Back Yard

    Starting  a Green Revolution in our own back yard is probably the simplest and best thing we can do to make an impact on our immediate environment. We all talk about going back to nature and what we can do to reduce our carbon foot print and the impact we have on mother nature. What [...]

  • Become Your Own Utility Company by Making Your Own Power

    If you’re thinking about ways to make your own power and getting off the grid even partially, you have several readily accessible options for which the Government is willing to give you a tax credit of 30% of your cost. Making your own Power does not mean that you have to generate “all” the power [...]

  • Video Voice Calling: Saves You Energy and Money

    Video Voice calling and saving energy go hand in hand these days. Modern technology helps us Live Green by giving us the ability to work from home. Visiting our friends and family who live far away from us is easier and cheaper to do with video voice calling, while at the same time being kinder [...]
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    greenstrides

  • Tax Credits for Efficient Wood-burning and Pellet Stoves

    Joyce Benson
    14 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm
    Not only will adding a new, clean-burning wood or pellet stove keep your home warm and toasty this winter, but efficient models will qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $1500!  A new stove can provide your home’s primary source of heat, or simply supplement it, and of course it’ll add ambiance to [...] [[ Please visit GreenStrides.com for the full post, links, and more information. ]]

  • Eco-friendly Hotels are on the Rise

    Joyce Benson
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:36 am
    Recently, a chic hotel in downtown Philadelphia opened which is indicative of a positive, “greening” trend in the industry and the world today.  The former Architects Building in Rittenhouse Square was transformed into the luxurious Hotel Palomar.  It was constructed to the United States Green Building Council’s high performance LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental [...] [[ Please visit GreenStrides.com for the full post, links, and more information. ]]

  • Green Kitchen and Bath Makeovers, Part II

    Joyce Benson
    27 Oct 2009 | 12:31 pm
    In part I of my series on eco-friendly kitchen and bath makeovers, I focused on easy and inexpensive ways to update these much lived-in rooms.  In the next few posts, you’ll find helpful information for those of you who need to undertake more substantial improvements.  Here, I’ll focus on the important aspects of saving energy [...] [[ Please visit GreenStrides.com for the full post, links, and more information. ]]

  • Bamboo Countertops

    Joyce Benson
    2 Oct 2009 | 7:14 am
    In a previous post, I wrote about the pros and cons of bamboo used as a flooring option.  The pros seem to outweigh the cons, as bamboo is a durable surface material not only for flooring, cabinetry and wall panels, but also for countertops.  When using this fast-growing grass (yes, it’s a grass) for an [...] [[ Please visit GreenStrides.com for the full post, links, and more information. ]]

  • Keep Old Windows In Place, Yet Still Increase Energy Efficiency

    Joyce Benson
    25 Sep 2009 | 7:17 am
    We’ve all heard that replacement windows are the way to go if you want to increase the energy efficiency of your home and building (and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with generating energy).  While it’s true that they will reduce heating and cooling bills, the up-front investment may not be in the budget.  However, there [...] [[ Please visit GreenStrides.com for the full post, links, and more information. ]]
 
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    Retro Housewife Goes Green

  • The Sigg BPA Controversy

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am
    I'm sure by now you know about the Sigg BPA issue. I'm still mad that I was drinking out of a bottle with BPA. I found out about this at a #ecowed Twitter party. I was more than a little upset about it. My husband and I had several bottles and we had gotten my in-laws to get some and we had even given my mom and dad Sigg bottles. I had recommend them to many people, only to learn they weren't BPA-free.Photo credit: FlickrI e-mailed Steve Wasik telling him how upset I was about it. He e-mailed me back telling me they don't leach and what not but nothing really to make me feel better about…

  • Don't Have a Trashy Christmas

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    I remember last year looking at the trash cans in my neighborhood after Christmas was over, they were all over flowing. So how can you cut down on the trash?Wrapping paper is a large about of the waste but that is simple to fix. Use reusable or recyclable wrapping (or at least recycled wrapping paper). If you get gifts from others in normal wrapping save what you can. Bags are easy to reuse as are ribbons. If the wrapping paper itself is in good shape you can reuse it as well. Even small pieces can be useful if you want to make greeting cards or other crafts.Christmas dinner can bring a lot…

  • Update From The Garden: I Made Dirt

    18 Nov 2009 | 8:06 pm
    Last night we had a freeze warning and even though I don't think it got below 40 I wanted to go ahead and work on my garden before we did get a freeze. I pulled out the plants that were done producing, pulled weeds, put a layer of cardboard, then leftover potting mix, my own compost (see below) and then filled it with leaves.It's very exciting to finally see the results of all the trips to my compost bin. It is some very dark wonderful looking compost. Since we eat organically it's even organic! And it didn't smell at all.I did have a few things still growing in the garden. Some broccoli,…

  • Citizenpip Coupon

    17 Nov 2009 | 6:07 pm
    Citizenpip reusable lunch gear is a gift that will keep on giving. Citizenpip is even making it easier for you by packaging the kits in a recycled white box with white cotton ribbon. You can also include a gift message and pre-order gifts for a later ship date.Citizenpip is offering all of you a special gift, through 12/31/09. You will receive a free fork and spoon set with every order over $50 (before tax and shipping). Just add a fork and spoon to your shopping cart and use the coupon code: RHGGgivesAs another bonus Citizenpip will donate $300 to a green non-profit organization on the…

  • Giveaway: Citizenpip Lunch Kit

    17 Nov 2009 | 5:26 pm
    Lunch time can be full of waste, but not anymore! With Citizenpip it can still be easy but with a lot less waste.You may remember I got to review a Citizenpip lunch kit back in September. Well I'm still loving it! Now you have the chance to get your own. Citizenpip has offered to give a Square Meal Kit to one lucky reader!THE SQUARE MEAL KIT INCLUDES:1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that easily attaches to a backpack1 stainless steel water bottle4 BPA-free airtight food containers5 100% cotton napkinsAll Citizenpip items are free of lead, BPA, PVC, and phthalates. They are lab…
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    Popular Science - The Environment

  • Green Dream: Custom-Made Aluminum Windows Save Money and Energy

    John B. Carnett
    9 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am
    Plus: four more green windows and doors for retrofitting your own home With the efficient pre-fab panels that make up the walls of my home, it’s vital that I don’t let all the heat—and my budget—escape out my 47 windows. So the fact that I had my heart set on sleek aluminum frames instead of wood or vinyl posed some challenges. Residential aluminum windows tend to be inefficient because metal is far more conductive than wood, allowing significant heat loss, so they’re mostly used in warmer climates. Commercial models use thicker frames with a strip of insulating resin as a thermal…

  • The Future Will Be Tastier: Scientists Discover Key To Year-Round Soft Shell Crabs

    Stuart Fox
    3 Nov 2009 | 10:15 am
    Whether they're tossed with Old Bay and served in a sandwich, fried at Great NY Noodle Town, or sauteed as a base for pasta, soft shell crabs always come out delicious. Unfortunately, this delicacy is only available a few times a year. But hopefully not for long. Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have found a way to induce molting in blue crabs, leading to the possibility of soft shell crabs all year long. Naturally, the crabs only shed their hard shell, and thus become "soft shelled", between May and July. The researchers discovered a hormone receptor that regulates the…

  • Huge Texas Wind Farm's Turbines Will Be Made in China

    Jeremy Hsu
    30 Oct 2009 | 1:58 pm
    A Chinese wind-turbine company strikes a deal to become the exclusive supplier for one of the largest U.S. wind farms Clean tech has seen a boost as the U.S. pours government funding into renewable energy, and China looks set to reap much of the benefits. Latest example: a Chinese wind-turbine company has just become the exclusive supplier for one of the largest wind-farm developments in the U.S. The Shenyang Power Group has signed on to supply 240 of its massive 2.5-megawatt wind turbines to a 36,000-acre development in West Texas. The Wall Street Journal reports that the wind farm is also…

  • Future Parking Lots Will Filter Disgusting Storm Water With Sponge-Like Concrete

    Jeremy Hsu
    30 Oct 2009 | 8:15 am
    The EPA is testing three types of porous pavement to keep pollutants out of underground water Most parking lots may resemble a man-made wasteland even with cars sitting on top of them. But now they can serve a dual purpose by helping filter out pollutants in rainwater that might reach underground water sources. The Environmental Protection Agency kicked off a study this week on how pavement materials can improve water filtration. A 43,000-square-foot section of a parking lot at the agency's Edison, New Jersey facility serves as the test bed for three different types of permeable pavement. The…

  • Japanese Team Crosses Australia, Takes Solar Car Challenge

    Mike Spinelli
    28 Oct 2009 | 8:07 am
    After nearly four days, 1,860 miles, and lots of baking Australian sun, a team from Japan's Tokai University edged out 31 other competitors to bring home a solar victory in the 2009 Global Green Challenge A team of solar-car scientists from Japan's Tokai University turned the intense rays of central Australia into victory in the 2009 Global Green Challenge. The team covered nearly 1,860 miles over four days in their solar-powered Tokai Challenger to claim first place among the Challenge's solar-vehicle field. The win shut down a four-win streak by Dutch utility Nuon, which as of this writing…
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    5 Minutes For Going Green

  • Great "Green" Toys

    Shannon Baer
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Last week, I shared some of my ideas for what makes a good kid toy.  This week, I would like to share with you some sources and suggestions for toys that are durable, fun, useful and green Next week is Thanksgiving and as we know the day after T-day the Christmas spending season begins.  However, some folks (like me) observe a special day of consciously not consuming (known as Buy Nothing Day). I really like this website that has great ideas to make the day after Thanksgiving Make Something Day. And if you just don't have the time, skill, materials…. whatever… to…

  • Planning for a Green Holiday

    Amber
    16 Nov 2009 | 4:17 pm
    The holidays are approaching really quickly. Far more quickly than I would like, in fact. And along with the parties and the treats and the annual photo of the kids with Santa, I am thinking about the environmental impact of all of this celebrating. When you consider the presents, the packaging, the gift wrap and the energy (both electrical and emotional) that go into the holidays, you can see how quickly it all adds up. In an effort to reduce my environmental impact this year, I am doing a few things to make the holidays a little greener. I'm starting now, because some of them require a…

  • Timeless Toys

    Shannon Baer
    12 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    When I go out looking for toys for my son, I want to find things that will become treasures.  For his first birthday he received from family a handmade wooden slide, a rocking boat that can serve as stairs and a small wheel barrow. His second birthday he received a wooden train table with storage drawers for his cars and trains and a small wooden kitchen. This year I am probably going to get him a wooden wagon. What do these toys have in common? They are timeless… he will continue to enjoy them well into elementary school; they are sturdy and wooden and can stand the test of time;…

  • 'Add to Cart'

    Amy Whitley
    11 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    I’m a big fan of online shopping. I was well-versed in Paypal and credit card verification numbers back when my next-door neighbor, my hairdresser, my mother-in-law, and everyone else’s mother-in-law were still shaking their heads in disapproval, telling me it couldn’t possibly be safe, and that my bank account, identity, and quite possibly my firstborn child were being lifted by some shadowy web-hacker every time I typed in my Visa number. I also pride myself on finding the best bargain. I actually enjoy comparison shopping, and will flit back and forth between various websites like a…

  • Greening Up Isn't Just for You

    Marizela (Potspoon!)
    9 Nov 2009 | 9:44 am
    This time of year, the urge to splurge on family is everywhere. While the sentiment is nice that we "greenies" are reminded of certain candles to avoid, of how to reuse packaging, and how to keep our holidays green in general, one thing seems to be forgotten: nature itself. While many of us enjoy using all natural products, we forget that nature is still out there and still needs protecting. As a biologist, one of the things that always strikes me as odd is how one can very quickly spend the dollars for a label that says all natural without any care as to where the ingredients came…
 
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    Reuters Video: Environment

  • Mali: drought resistant maize

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:50 am
    Nov. 21 - The government in Mali is breeding drought resistant maize to help farmers there cope with the dry weather.

  • White farmers relocate to Nigeria

    21 Nov 2009 | 5:05 am
    Nov. 21 - Zimbabwe was once considered southern Africa's bread-basket until Presidents Mugabe's controversial land reforms gave white-owned farms to landless blacks.

  • Melting glacier panic

    18 Nov 2009 | 8:50 am
    Nov 18 - Retreating glaciers threaten devastating consequences as the planet warms, scientists warn.

  • Unlocking cancer cures in the Amazon

    17 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    Nov 17 - Dr. Drauzio Varella and a small band of researchers make a monthly trip to the Cuieiras river in Amazonas state, with the belief that the forest's rich plant life can unlock new treatments for cancer.

  • Global warming hits China's Yangtze

    10 Nov 2009 | 5:35 am
    Nov 10 - A report by the World Wide Fund for Nature says future of China's Yangtze basin is endangered.
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    WeHeartWorld

  • Got “Organic” Milk? Guess Again.

    Tammy Rucker
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pm
    WHAT ORGANIC MEANS AND THE USDA STANDARDS With the popularity of organic dairy and beef products on the rise in the last few years, it is important for the American people to be aware of what organic really means, and what it does not. We often trust the USDA to do all the work for us when determining whether or not the food we are buying is actually organic, or just claiming to be.  We did some research to determine if we are being fooled.  The results are infuriating and enlightening. It’s right there on the label: “USDA Certified Organic”.  The label says it’s…

  • Go Green, Save Money, Peace of Mind

    thinkingserious
    16 Jun 2009 | 9:15 am
    Green is a term that encompasses an entire movement, one aimed at reducing and reversing the negative affects we have on  the environment.  Sites like TreeHugger and Aghen offer thousands of tips and tricks  that we all can apply. Going green has many other beneficial side effects some that get overlooked quite a bit are the financial benefits. The saying I remember growing up, before the term green was coined in the late 70’s as a political movement, was reduce, reuse, recycle. It was taught throughout the school system in an effort to make us more aware of how much we throw away and…

  • Coal vs. Renewable: A Great Way to Spend an Hour Learning

    JD Rucker
    3 May 2009 | 11:17 pm
    Thoughts are provoked. Tempers flare at times. In this debate held by The Commonwealth Club of California dives deep into the reality of coal, renewable energy, China, the Obama Administration, and many other aspects of this hot topic. It isn’t simply a matter of “stop burning coal, throw up more wind farms”. This panel takes a look at several different angles in this complex issue. It’s over an hour long, but it’s definitely worth listening to and sharing with friends and family. Video after the jump Read more about renewable energy on this green blog. Image…

  • Greening Your Business in a Down Economy

    JD Rucker
    28 Apr 2009 | 7:38 pm
    Saving the planet is all well and good, but unless you have a magic ring and an 80’s cartoon series it’s not your actual job.  Saving money is much more measurable, especially with recession cutting through the economy like a chainsaw at a soufflé convention, and nowadays you can do that while protecting the planet at the same time. Eco-friendliness is often associated with happy hippies slightly less financially motivated than their own granola bars, but a few tips and tricks can help any online project manager reduce their footprint and their financial losses: 1.  Go…

  • Office Politics: Giving to the Boss

    JD Rucker
    6 Feb 2009 | 11:36 am
    Giving gifts to your boss is a touchy subject. Will they view it as a sincere expression of appreciation, or simply a bit of brown nosing? Then there is the question of what you will give. Will your gift be perceived to be too small (cheap skate) or too big (major suck up)? What about all the inter-office politics and one-upmanship? Fortunately, eDivvy.com has come up with a much better, less stressful, solution… group gifting. Let’s say you have a team of 12 and your boss’ birthday is a few weeks away. You could all each stress over what to give individually, careful to play office…
 
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    Green Cotton

  • Eco-fashion and Fair Trade event by Jute and Jackfruit

    Shana
    4 Nov 2009 | 7:29 pm
    While October was officially Fair Trade month, Jute and Jackfruit is continuing to celebrate the cause by hosting an upcoming event that brings together several fair trade companies to delight and inform guests in the Cambridge area. On November 9th, they will host an eco-fashion and Fair Trade event in Cambridge, MA. Jute and Jackfruit raises [...]

  • October is Fair Trade Month: Let’s celebrate!

    Shana
    17 Oct 2009 | 3:48 pm
    October is Fair Trade month, a time to celebrate fair wages and healthy, safe working conditions for artisans and farmers around the world. This campaign, sponsored by TransFair USA, the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, is about letting your friends, family and coworkers know what a big difference Fair [...]

  • From Waste to Garment: Looptworks, New Eco-Fashion Player on the Scene

    Shana
    25 Sep 2009 | 6:14 pm
    Why not make something useful from fashion and textile waste? “Limited Resources -  Limited Consumption” We better start planning (and re-using) now, if we hope to have resources (and clothing) for generations to come. That is part of the mantra of Looptworks, a new eco-fashion brand on the scene, who launched September 9, 2009  in Portland, Oregon. [...]

  • The Ultimate Green (and ethical) Bag: FEED Continues to Gain Traction

    Shana
    14 Sep 2009 | 4:12 pm
    We all know one of the easiest and simplest ways to go “green” is to bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Did you do this the last time you went to the store? Maybe not. If you are like me, you might have forgotten to slip one in your bag for the last minute [...]

  • Autonomie Project: Boston’s Fair Trade Fashion Company

    Shana
    11 Sep 2009 | 3:13 pm
    Autonomie Project is a relatively new Fair trade, eco-friendly, and vegan fashion company based out of Boston, Massachussetts (USA). The company began in 2007 when group of friends came together in their frustration with the fashion and footwear industries due to their lack of transparency, use of sweatshops and harmful chemicals. Autonomie’s mission is to supply high-quality, [...]
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    Greenspace

  • Green jobs: women and minorities left out?

    Tiffany Hsu
    19 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    Green jobs don’t have to leave out women and minorities, according to a case study released by the Applied Research Center today. The report, by senior research associate Yvonne Yen Liu, profiled the work of the community organization Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education and the Los Angeles chapter of the Apollo Alliance in helping to pass a green retrofit ordinance for municipal buildings.The Applied Research Center, a racial justice think tank based in New York, said in “Greening Los Angeles” that women and minorities are often left out of the green economy. Of the…

  • California regulators outlaw power-hungry TVs

    Marc Lifsher
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pm
    The California Energy Commission, after two years of study, voted unanimously to ban the sale of large-format televisions that use too much electricity. It approved standards that would set maximum power consumption for TVs of up to 58 inches beginning Jan. 1, 2011. Those standards would be tightened two years later to require a 50% reduction in the number of watts. Buyers of new TVs would save approximately $30 a year over the 10-year life of a set, the commission estimates, and statewide savings over a decade would be $8.1 billion. Additionally, the state would be relieved of the need…

  • Green jobs grants for California

    Tiffany Hsu
    18 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm
    The U.S. Department of Labor doled out nearly $5.5 million in grants for green-jobs training today, with more than a dozen awards scattered throughout California. The funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will support job-training and labor-market information programs to help workers find jobs in green industries and related occupations, said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. The Recovery Act has $500 million planned for green-jobs training grants. Today’s grants, to be administered by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, were given…

  • Global warming: California pushes ahead

    Margot Roosevelt
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm
    While Congress dithers over federal climate change legislation, and nations squabble over a global treaty, the nation's most populous state is doggedly pushing ahead with its own regulations to control the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating up the Earth's atmosphere. In a milestone for the state's landmark plan to slash emissions by 15% over the next 11 years from today's levels, the Air Resources Board announced today that more than 97% of the state's 605 largest factories, cement plants, refineries and power plants have reported how much carbon dioxide and other…

  • Nuclear power: less effective than energy efficiency and renewable energy?

    Tiffany Hsu
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:01 am
    If the U.S. wants to help stop global warming, nuclear power is not the way to go, according to a new report released today. The Environment California Research & Policy Center concluded that launching a nuclear power industry nearly from the ground up is too slow and expensive a process. Energy efficiency standards and renewable energy options are better solutions, researchers said. Currently, no new nuclear reactors are under construction in the country, and no U.S. power company has ordered a nuclear plant since 1978. All orders for nuclear facilities after fall 1973…
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    Econation Blog

  • Green fatigue or a case of the blues?

    15 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Green fatigue or a case of the blues? New Zealand needs a multi-party consensus for a pathway to sustainability that will provide a clear direction and certainty for everyone.It should be easy for people to be green but instead it’s difficult. A recent survey has found that New Zealanders are supposedly suffering "green fatigue" because of constant warnings of an environmental catastrophe. While 97 percent of those surveyed said they were doing their bit for the planet, only 3 percent claimed to be "totally committed". Readers Digest, which commissioned the survey, quoted an…

  • Yes, we can afford lower emissions

    11 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Yes, we can afford lower emissions There are many reasons to be confused about climate change.Obviously some people simply don't believe that humans are causing climate change, even when there is a mountain of evidence to support it, but even more perplexing is that there are people – the National Government for instance – who actually believe that humans are causing climate change but say we can't afford to do much about it. Excuse me?The notion that reducing emissions will be very costly has been used to argue that we should adopt a low target in Copenhagen. This reactionary…

  • Livestock might be creating more greenhouse gases than previously thought

    10 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Livestock might be creating more greenhouse gases than previously thought If recent reports by the Worldwatch Institute and NASA are correct it means that New Zealand's carbon footprint could be at least double what is currently estimated.A report by the respected think-tank The Worldwatch Institute claims that instead of 18 per cent of global emissions being caused by livestock the true figure is 51 per cent.They claim that United Nation's figures have severely underestimated the greenhouse gases caused by tens of billions of cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and other animals in three main…

  • 5 good reasons to "Buy New Zealand Made"

    29 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm
    5 good reasons to "Buy New Zealand Made" Buy New Zealand Made and you will:Keep your money circulating here and not disappearing overseas. One way to reduce rising national debt from trade deficits is to buy local.Support local communities. When businesses do well it benefits the whole local community.Keep our country unique. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are important in making New Zealand distinctive. This has the added benefit of helping our tourism businesses too.Reduce environmental impact. Our environmental standards for businesses, products and services are often better than those…

  • Great Gardening Site

    28 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Great Gardening Site Free Gardening Resourcemygarden.co.nz This is a great new website. You can create a unique profile (like Facebook) to showcase your home garden, a garden you have designed, your garden produce, gardening skills and gardening ideas. Upload photos of your garden, interact in forum discussions, and even add and view a list of recipes specific to home-grown produce. A really neat idea is that if you have excess home produce you can list it for swap or sale on the Garden Trader section of the web site - it's free and easy to use.There is plenty of useful…
 
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    FedEx Citizenship Blog - Environment & Efficiency

  • Practical Environmentalism

    Mitch Jackson
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:18 pm
    "A house can have integrity, just like a person" - Ayn Rand -  Practical Environmentalism is strategic and transformational environmental stewardship that adds tangible value in the effort to be more responsible. It doesn’t matter if the organization practicing it is a household, a business, a state, regional or national government.read more

  • The 777F Environmental Advantage

    Saad
    22 Sep 2009 | 11:50 am
    The Boeing 777F aircraft delivers noteworthy environmental benefits and efficiencies:•    Uses 18 percent less fuel than an MD-11;•    State-of-the-art engine technology reduces emissions 18 percent;•    Advanced noise-reduction technology meets airport noise standards and makes landings and takeoffs quieter;•    Has lower maintenance and operating costs than other aircraft in its class.

  • The School Year is Just Starting but the Grades Are Already Coming In

    Nathan Loftice
    28 Aug 2009 | 8:16 am
    Schools around the country are getting ready to open their doors for the fall term, but FedEx Office has already gotten its first report card of the year. Today ForestEthics and the Dogwood Alliance, nonprofits committed to responsible forestry, issued their third annual “Green Grades” office supply report card.  I’m proud to say FedEx Office got an A-, the best grade in the business.According to the report:read more

  • Green Power Continues to Light the Way

    Mitch Jackson
    27 Jul 2009 | 11:15 am
    “It is the nature of truth to struggle to the light” – Wilkie Collinsread more

  • The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends

    Matt Ceniceros
    26 Jul 2009 | 7:44 am
    That’s the title of a Robert Earl Keen song that reminds me of my college days.  I’ve developed quite the road trip soundtrack, but it’s a fitting summary title for my summer tour with the hybrids.  The 92 hybrids that have ventured across the country have anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 revenue service miles on them.  They’ve been given a new engine, new paint job and a new life as a cleaner vehicle ready to serve FedEx customers in California.  FedEx Express’ John Formisano commented, “It’s the very definition of recycling.”  read more
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    Inhabitat

  • Would You Wear Your Dead Pet as Jewelry?

    Yuka Yoneda
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    When a beloved pet passes away, it’s only natural to want to keep their memory close – but how close?!! A few very, er, enterprising companies are giving mourning animal lovers the opportunity to wear the remains of their dearly beloved furry friends as pearls or even diamonds. Technically, this faddish practice has some basis in eco-fashion (since it’s definitely better than unethically sourced jewels) but is it good for grieving pet owners’ mental health or just a sign that their sanity is already beyond repair?READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE> Permalink | Add to del.icio.us |…

  • Studio Lindfors’ Haunting Visual Prediction of Our Flooded Future World

    Moe Beitiks
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    The phrases “melting polar ice caps” and “rising water lines” are so ubiquitous now that they’ve almost lost their meaning. It’s all too easy to think “it will happen to that city, not mine.” Well to give us a bit more perspective, Studio Lindfors has presented us with these hauntingly realistic post-flood visions of New York and Tokyo. In a future partially submerged by melting glacier water, gondolas reemerge as a form of travel, riverside plants nestle up against neon street signs, and aquaculture blooms under bridges. It’s Water World…

  • Polar Bear Robots Replace Dead Bears at St. Louis Zoo

    Beth Shea
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Officials at the St. Louis Zoo are preparing for their holiday Wild Lights exhibit by installing electronic polar bear proxies in place of the deceased polar bears who died in their captivity. The gesture is rife with social commentary, given the fact that polar bears have become the iconic images of climate change, and our generation could witness their extinction. Could artificial animal zoo exhibits be the reality of the near future? See what PETA proposes and learn more about this new breed of bear at Inhabitots.READ MORE AT INHABITOTS > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags:…

  • Power Your Music Player With Your Running Pants

    Ariel Schwartz
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am
    Instead of just burning calories, why not use all that energy from exercising to power your MP3 player? The Dancepants Kinetic Music Player, a shortlisted entry in Designboom’s Green Life competition, lets you do just that by converting kinetic energy from running, hopping, jumping, etc. into electricity to power an iPod or other music player. According to the Dancepants designers, the product is a “100 percent interactive way to feel the value of energy on your own.”READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: dancepants, ipod, kinetic energy, mp3,…

  • Construction Begins on Amazing Tunnel-Shaped Rotterdam Market Hall

    Bridgette Meinhold
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am
    Imagine having this sweet public market pop up in your town? Well the lucky residents of Rotterdam are actually getting one! This week, the mayor of the city announced the commencement of construction on the huge tunnel-shaped market hall which will flash images of gigantic fresh fruits and vegetables via LCD screens on the inside and be lined with balconied apartments offering killer views on the outside. This true mixed-use development combining residences, shopping, restaurants and a public market will be a central hub of activity for citizens and tourists. The project is being developed…
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    Twilight Earth

  • The Quinnipiac Bobcats get Top Rankings for Sustainability – Windspire

    Wendy Gabriel
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:07 am
    While others are wondering how to reduce their carbon footprint, Quinnipiac University is doing something about it. They are installing twenty-five Windspire vertical wind turbines at the first university micro-wind farm in the country. The turbines are being installed at Quinnipiac University’s new York Hill Campus. Part of a major sustainability initiative, the new campus will also use solar-powered bus stops, encourage alternative transportation, and utilize water efficiency practices such as rainwater harvesting and low flow plumbing fixtures. This is the first of what the University…

  • What Could be Finer than to be a Tweed Rider? DC Tweed Ride

    Adam Shake
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am
    The first annual “tweed ride” took place in Washington DC on Sunday. Whats a Tweed Ride? It’s a trend that’s catching on in Europe and the U.S. DC Tweed Ride from ReadysetDC on Vimeo. The idea: Sometimes it’s cooler (fashion-wise) to dress up like a dandy or a quaintrelle than to be outfitted in more modern gear. Tweed-clad cyclists congregated on H St. NE and pedaled leisurely through the District, winding up at Marvin on 14th and U St. for a post-ride shindig. Photo Source: Wolkenlein Related posts:Cycling Clothing: No Shorts, Jerseys or Jackets – Just…

  • Hot Tip for a Cooler Planet

    Wendy Gabriel
    17 Nov 2009 | 2:48 am
    In our never ending quest to find renewable forms of energy, we stumbled upon a gem of a site. Cooler Planet has the largest network of solar installers available online and a valuable resource section where consumers can learn about local rebates and incentives. Cooler Planet is a Seattle-based company created and run by passionate environmentalists with backgrounds in software engineering and online marketing. They created the site to help consumers and small business owners reduce their contribution to global climate change while saving both time and money. The site also has some great…

  • Chrysler Electric Car Programs Dumped… Despite Bailout Promises

    Jeff
    16 Nov 2009 | 2:20 am
    The Dodge Circuit at the 2009 New York Auto Show Remember how much money Chrysler received from the federal government in bailout money? $12.5 billion, according to USA Today’s DriveOn blog. The car maker was able to secure those funds, in part, because it promised to ramp up its efforts to produce electric vehicles. What a difference a few months makes. Now owned by Italian auto maker Fiat, plans for electric cars have been, at the very least, postponed: DriveOn notes At a marathon presentation of Chrysler’s five-year strategy, [Fiat] CEO Sergio Marchionne talked about just about…

  • Photo Sunday – Journey Through the Arctic Ice

    Adam Shake
    15 Nov 2009 | 5:28 am
    photo credit: country_boy_shane Like the canary in the coal mine, the climate changes already evident in the Arctic are a call to action. Susan Collins photo credit: nick_russill Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge stands to not only increase the United States’ oil reserves by nearly 50 percent, but it will create thousands of good U.S. jobs. Bob Ney photo credit: nick_russill The fact that the Arctic, more than any other populated region of the world, requires the collaboration of so many disciplines and points of view to be understood at all, is a benefit rather than a burden.
 
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    Jute & Jackfruit Blog

  • Jute and Jackfruit at Soni Masur’s Boutique Show

    Shana
    14 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pm
    Jute and Jackfruit participated in Soni Masur’s annual boutique show Nov 5 – 7  2009 in Needham, MA and would like to thank Soni and all the wonderful women who came by for a very successful event! We enjoyed meeting all of you and especially had a terrific time Thursday night’s Wine & Cheese kick [...]

  • Hottest Item of the Season: Dufferin Tunic by Feral Childe, Ode to Madmen

    Shana
    31 Oct 2009 | 11:55 am
    The Feral Childe Dufferin Tunic has definitely been our hottest item of the season so far….we have sold out (twice) and now only a very few are left of this handmade, limited edition item. Why is this tunic attracting so much attention? Easy: very stylish, retro, unique and extremely flattering on a wide array of body [...]

  • New Ethnic Bohemian Beaded collections at Jute and Jackfruit

    Shana
    30 Oct 2009 | 11:53 am
    Guatemala fusion, a Mayan inspired hand-beaded jewelry made by Guatemalan women. Long Mayan Beaded Necklace New beautiful 16 stranded hand beaded necklace with circular connectors into a unique Mayan-inspired style. One-of-a-kind fashion piece. The mixture of opalescent blue, black and metallic beads intricately woven gives a trendy vintage look and goes with different styles. This necklace can be [...]

  • Get ready for Shecky’s Boston!

    Shana
    26 Oct 2009 | 5:25 pm
    Jute and Jackfruit is exhibiting at the very popular Girl’s night out in Boston, Shecky’s this October. Join us on Tuesday, October 27th until Thursday, October 29th from 5pm to 10pm for what promises to be a very fun, exciting event. Our Indigenous Designs crochet dress made the hot picks list for the event, be [...]

  • The Carousel by Kelly Lane: New arrivals

    Shana
    22 Oct 2009 | 8:06 pm
    Last month, Jute and Jackfruit presented you our new Fall-Winter Kelly Lane collection. But that was just the beginning… This week we are delighted to show you our latest arrivals. In the same spirit of a colorful carousel, Kelly lane once again fuses elegant shape, stunning details, with vivid hues to create unforgettable eco-friendly garments. The [...]
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    Eco-Office Gals

  • EarthTalk®: Living Buidings

    Jen
    21 Nov 2009 | 9:08 am
    EarthTalk® From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk I recently heard the term “living building.” Can you explain? – Rebecca Gordon, Seattle, WA Over the past couple of decades, architects and builders looking to green their projects turned to the addition of various piecemeal elements to save water here or cut down on electricity there. Those who added more than a few green touches could apply for and get certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) under its Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design (LEED) program. While these efforts have…

  • Guest Post: Eco-Friendly Promotional Products

    Jen
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am
    Promote Your Business the Natural Way Promotional Products are one of the greatest way to Promote your Brand and convey your message among your audience. But with the increasing awareness about the environment most customers prefer to use Eco-friendly products. By using Eco friendly promotional products not only are you able to promote your brand but also establish it as an environment friendly Brand among your customers. There are lots of Environment friendly products which you can use as your promotional products by imprinting your company logo on them. Discover the most popular…

  • Flaunt It! Monday: Marcal Small Steps

    Jen
    16 Nov 2009 | 6:55 am
    (In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.) In honor of America Recycles Day we celebrate a company that make recycling a part of our everyday lives! Small Steps™ by Marcal® brand products focuses squarely on the company’s green heritage. For over five decades, Marcal has been saving trees and reducing landfill by making its paper products from recycled paper. Marcal uses paper collected from curbs in residential…

  • Flaunt It! Monday EcoSMART

    Jen
    1 Nov 2009 | 10:16 am
    (In compliance with the new FTC Guild lines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.) Happy Monday! Hope everyone is doing wonderfully and hasn’t loaded up on way too much Halloween candy! So, today we dive into a pesty little topic. Luckily, in SC I haven’t has to deal with too many bugs like I did in FL with those palmetto bugs and sugar ants. Yuck! Not to say we don’t have any. I think Laurens County may be the fly capital of the world…

  • Eco-Benefits of Boxed Wine

    Jen
    26 Oct 2009 | 8:38 am
    EarthTalk From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled? — Justin J., Los Angeles, CA With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable…
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    The Solar Drop

  • solar technology trends at #solpwr09

    Deep Patel
    7 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    With over 26,000 thousand people attending Solar Power International 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center on the last week of October, the conference broke attendance records. The massive exhibition hall featured 929 solar companies throughout the entire solar industry supply chain. This year show was so large in scale, it was way too easy to get lost between the aisles of exhibitors. My objective of being at Solar Power International 2009 was not to visit every booth, but to scout out cutting edge solar photovoltaic technology. Here's what I think was cool at the show this year:Solar…

  • a smarter solar panel

    Deep Patel
    17 Oct 2009 | 7:52 pm
    Traditional solar panels are extremely sensitive to even the smallest amount of shade and mismatch. Typically solar panels must be properly matched and balanced in a string although tenKsolar has developed a new breed of "smart" solar panels that's not only improving photovoltaic performance and but making them easier to install. Based on their propriety RAIS (redundant array of integrating solar) technology the smarter solar panel has no single point of failure. Most traditional solar panels have a number of single points of failures which include a spot of shade, a short, or physical damage…

  • rail-free solar panel mounting

    Deep Patel
    4 Oct 2009 | 2:53 pm
    Traditionally, solar panels are a tedious process to install because the process of installing solar panels on a residential rooftop involves the rails to be cut, spliced together and the metal frame of the solar panels and rails themselves have to be grounded according to code. Currently the process is quite primitive and can be time consuming even though the two most popular solar panel mounting companies, UniRac and ProSolar are offering new products to reduce parts and installation time, the companies fail to remove the rails.ZepSolar, a startup solar panel mounting manufacturer will be…

  • solar panels + grid alternatives = fun

    Deep Patel
    20 Sep 2009 | 9:04 pm
    I had a great weekend volunteering for GRID Alternatives to install solar panels for a low income family in Lynwood, CA. For those of you who don't know GRID Alternatives, they're a non-profit who's on a mission to empower communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training.Since 2001, GRID Alternatives has been working to bring the power of solar electricity and energy efficiency to low-income homeowners, and to provide community members with training and hands-on experience with renewable energy technologies. GRID Alternatives believes…

  • BP Solar's 230w solar panel

    Deep Patel
    18 Sep 2009 | 7:57 pm
    I'm not a big fan of BP Solar panels ever since BP's CEO bashed on solar power technology and their solar panels caught on fire due to a faulty junction box. The big oil company continues to push their solar division further offering their own version of a 230w solar panel called the Endura series. The solar panel has a smaller power tolerance range of +3/-3 and has a lower voltage therefore higher current which drives the increased efficiency.The BP Solar 3230N is a 60 cell polycrystalline solar panel with a potted junction box that includes six bypass diodes that improve heat management…
 
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    ProPublica: Energy & Environment

  • Pa. Residents Sue Gas Driller for Contamination, Health Concerns

    ProPublica
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica - Pennsylvania residents whose streams and fields have been damaged by toxic spills and whose drinking water has allegedly been contaminated by drilling for natural gas are suing the Houston-based energy company that drilled the wells. A worker at the company is among the 15 families bringing suit. The civil case, filed Thursday in U.S District Court in Scranton, Pa., seeks to stop future drilling in the Marcellus Shale by Cabot Oil and Gas near the town of Dimock. It also seeks to set up a trust fund to cover medical treatment for residents who say they have…

  • Last Public Hearing on New York’s Gas Drilling Plan Tonight

    ProPublica
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    by Sabrina Shankman, ProPublica - A hearing tonight in Corning, NY marks the fourth and final public hearing on the state’s environmental review of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The public has had since Sept. 30, when the review was released by the Department of Environmental Conservation, to study the 800-plus page document. Since the first hearing on Oct. 28, there have been vocal protests about the short length of the comment period – 60 days – and the small number of hearings. On Nov. 4, the DEC responded to those complaints by extending the public comment…

  • New Yorkers Tell State Enviro Department: ‘No Fracking Way’

    ProPublica
    11 Nov 2009 | 12:42 pm
    by Sabrina Shankman, ProPublica - It didn't take long for a New York City public hearing on natural gas drilling to descend into near chaos. Just seconds after the first speaker took the microphone at the Department of Environmental Conservation's hearing, a man in a suit and tie jumped onto the stage at Stuyvesant High School, where the meeting was held. "We want a statewide ban!" he shouted. "The gas drilling is dangerous!" As a pair of officers escorted the shouter off the stage, the crowd -- which spilled out of the large auditorium -- stood and screamed, brandishing anti-drilling signs.

  • ProPublica’s Abrahm Lustgarten on the Brian Lehrer Show

    ProPublica
    11 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pm
    by Mike Webb, ProPublica - Yesterday, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show had ProPublica’s Abrahm Lustgarten on to discuss his report about the high level of radioactive materials in wastewater produced by natural gas drilling in New York state.  Lustgarten has written more than 40 reports about the potential threat a new drilling technique (hydraulic fracturing aka hydrofracking) poses to drinking water. Lustgarten was joined by Riverkeeper’s Alex Matthiessen.  Click here to listen to the segment.

  • Congress Tells EPA to Study Hydraulic Fracturing

    ProPublica
    10 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pm
    by Abrahm Lustgarten and Sabrina Shankman, ProPublica - Nov. 11: This post has been updated. Five years ago the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assured the nation that the technology credited with opening vast new natural gas supplies was safe. Now Congress has ordered the agency to take another look. As part of the $32 billion Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill recently signed by President Barack Obama, lawmakers asked the EPA to revisit hydraulic fracturing, the process where copious amounts of water and sand mixed with toxic chemical additives are furiously pumped…
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    Energy Conscious Consultant

  • Backup Generator Undersizing Can Cost You Money

    Robert Farbe
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:54 pm
    Backup generators are designed to give you power when you loose local utility power.  How often does that happen?  That would depend upon where you live and your power utility company.  With a back up generator you can have power available whenever you need it and you won’t be without.  But you must have the correct size whole house generator for your home. Let me compare it to a wagon or cart.  If you load up a wagon all the time that is undersized for the load that means it is always carrying too much weight.  You could have problems because of too much weight.  The springs are…

  • Air Condition Units Need To Be Efficient

    Robert Farbe
    11 Nov 2009 | 11:23 am
    The central air conditioning system in your home needs to be sized correctly.  If you over size the air conditioning unit, it will add humidity in your house.  It will be adding humidity because it short cycles.  It will not be running long enough.  If it short cycles, it will cause mold to build up in your house due to the moisture build up.  It causes more damage to have an over sized air conditioning unit than it is to have an undersized unit.  It is better to under size it than to over size it. But if it is too much under sized, than what happens is when you do a lot of different…

  • Home Solar Powered Systems At The Solar Decathlon

    Robert Farbe
    3 Nov 2009 | 8:03 am
    Solar powered homes are being built now in our generation.  There is a group who builds a house every year for energy efficiency and lets everyone walk through it and ask any questions they want to the builders.  The solar decathlon is held annually during October in Washington, D.C.   It brings together 20 colleges and universities from around the world  to design and build the most energy efficient house.  It is put on by the US Department of Energy. The house of one team produced a surplus of energy during 3 days of rain.  Who says you can’t produce solar power during cloudy days?

  • Lien Waver For Contractors

    Robert Farbe
    28 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pm
    As an electrical contractor, I have been asked to do some strange things.  Some have been good for me and some have been good for the general building contractor.  As a sub contractor, I have been asked to sign a lien waver on a new construction house.  I had just bid on the job when the general contractor called and asked me to sign a lien waver. Since I am a licensed and insured as a sub contractor to the general, I meet the requirements necessary to do the jobs. Most contractors want subs to start the job without any money down.  I will start and complete the rough in (before closing…

  • Homeowner Failed To Cancel A Scheduled Job

    Robert Farbe
    13 Oct 2009 | 5:01 pm
    A customer called me for an appointment to do electrical work.  The customer called me Tuesday night and scheduled a job that same week at her house for a Thursday morning at 8:00 AM.  I arrived at her house and she said “I already got the job done.”  I said, “why didn’t you call me and cancel the job?  You didn’t tell me you got someone else.”  When a customer hires another professional and doesn’t call and cancel the first scheduled professional, they should be charged a show up fee.  I took the time and I scheduled the job.  There are other jobs in line.  When I…
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    Green Somethings

  • World Toilet Day! A New Day has Come!

    Green Somethings
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:16 pm
    Here's wishing all my readers a happy? safe? relaxing :P ? World Toilet Day! Without any jokes, a good toilet is more than just a necessary right for all people. So go on, keep it clean!! Don't miss the latest Green updates from Green Somethings

  • Garden Designs to Die For

    Green Somethings
    9 Nov 2009 | 6:19 am
    My last event in Chandigarh got an incredibly amazing response both in terms of sales and feedback. Compliments poured in from almost every person who stepped in our mini-store; if there was one that... Don't miss the latest Green updates from Green Somethings

  • Now Get Paid to Recycle Your Cell Phones!

    Green Somethings
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:32 am
    Hey this is so cool! We've heard of ever increasing amounts of e-waste being dumped in landfills every passing second, but what's being done to stop or at least decrease the impact of it, no one... Don't miss the latest Green updates from Green Somethings
 
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    Get Eco Now

  • Healthier Fast Food? Try In N’ Out Burger

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pm
    In N Out is a burger chain on the West Coast with locations in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.  They’ve been around since 1948 and have long prided themselves on good, fresh food.  Their menu is delectably simple – hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, and shakes.  That’s it. If you’re a conscientious food consumer, eating fast food probably isn’t even on your radar, but at In N Out fast food isn’t synonymous with bad food or huge portions.  The USDA recommends consuming no more than 6 ounces of meat a day (see website ), and in an age when fast food…

  • EU Paper Industry Has Cut Carbon Pollution by 42% – Exceeded Kyoto Goals

    21 Nov 2009 | 6:01 pm
    The US paper industry is one of the three non-fossil-energy industries that will be affected under the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act ; the climate bill being attempted in the Senate; to regulate the industries that emit over 25,000 tons/yr of carbon dioxide. Cement-making and steel production are the other two. So it would be instructive to see how the European paper industry has fared under the Kyoto-triggered EU Emissions Trading System ; providing a real world test-case. If faced with the same carbon constraints as European counterparts; how might our paper industry in the US…

  • Mistaken Identity: Hunters Kill Endangered Pygmy Hippo

    21 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pm
    According to reports , a pygmy hippopotamus was shot and killed when hunters allegedly mistook it for a pig during a pig hunting expedition in Australia! Read more of this story » Read the original:  Mistaken Identity: Hunters Kill Endangered Pygmy Hippo

  • DNA Tests Uncover Sushi Fraud At Restaurants

    21 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    Photo: Is that really tuna? ( LFL16 on Flickr) The next time you order tuna at a sushi restaurant – watch out! – it may not be what you think it is. A team of scientists from Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History conducting a genetic research project found that more than half of tuna ordered from 31 restaurants were “misrepresented” or selling endangered southern bluefin tuna. Some samples were not tuna at all, but escolar , a fish with fatty flesh that could pass as tuna but can cause diarrhea… Read the full story on TreeHugger Here is…

  • House Demands Audit of the Federal Reserve

    21 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pm
    Where Did All of the Money Go? Ed Schultz interviews Florida Rep. Alan Grayson about Congress finally demanding more transparency from the Federal Reserve , and auditing their massive secret bank bailouts . The recently passed legislation will now allow the Government Accountability Office to independently audit the Fed, and their nefarious Wall Street deals .  Alan Grayson and Ron Paul co-authored the amendment, which also had a whopping 311 co-sponsors in the house. This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post . “ We need to stop giving money to the bad…
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    The City Fix

  • How Free is Your Parking?

    David Daddio
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:13 pm
    Here is a great video I found via our friends over at Streetsblog.org. It was produced in Australia, but the effects of minimum parking requirements on urban areas are truly global in scope. Also check ...

  • The Illusive Dream of Modern American Rail

    David Daddio
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    For a total of 7 minutes, train geeks can rejoice while riding Amtrak’s Acela Express, which glides at 150 mph in America’s northeast corridor. That track, located in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, totals 18 miles ...

  • China FAQs: Cities and Transport

    Erica Schlaikjer
    13 Nov 2009 | 11:55 pm
    The World Resources Institute yesterday released a new English-language Web site, ChinaFAQs.org, dedicated to answering questions about climate change and energy in China. The easy-to-navigate online resource so far lists the bios and contact information ...

  • The End of the American Exurbs and the Death of Sprawl?

    David Daddio
    12 Nov 2009 | 9:50 pm
    It’s a common refrain among Smart Growth advocates across the United States that goes something like this: “The fallout from the economic crisis is hitting far out suburban and exurban communities much harder than urban ...

  • Update on EcoCity World Summit

    Erica Schlaikjer
    7 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am
    As a follow-up post to our initial announcement of the Ecocity World Summit in Istanbul, scheduled for December 13-15, here are a few links to stories from the Ecocity Media website you may enjoy: Keep the ...
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    Earth2Tech

  • Earth2Tech Week in Review

    Josie Garthwaite
    21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Cali to TV-Makers: Cut Energy Consumption in Half by 2013: The California Energy Commission this week approved a first-in-the-nation efficiency standard for televisions, requiring new TVs sold in the state need to to reduce energy consumption by an average of 33 percent by 2011 and 49 percent by 2013. “Cash for Caulkers” Could Deliver $23B for Home energy Efficiency: The White House is reportedly considering rolling out a two-year, $23 billion program to encourage homeowners to undertake weatherization projects such as adding air sealing, insulation and energy-saving light bulbs.

  • Flux Power Flexes Its First Battery Module & Charging System

    Josie Garthwaite
    21 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Aptera co-founder Chris Anthony has bowed out of day-to-day business activities at the three-wheeled vehicle developer as it seeks to put the brakes on its cash burn. But one of his other startups, Flux Power, has just hit the gas, with the launch of its first product last week. Based in Vista, Calif., Flux plans to market modular systems for a range of energy storage applications, including electric vehicles and backup power supplies, as Chief Technology Officer Joseph Gottlieb told us last month. It’s starting with a charger and a lithium ion battery module. In the second quarter of…

  • Source Expects Tesla IPO Filing “Any Day,” Tesla Calls it Rumor

    Josie Garthwaite
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Electric car startup Tesla Motors plans to file for a public offering very soon, two anonymous sources tell Reuters — “any day,” according to one source. When we contacted Tesla for confirmation, the company supplied a statement from spokesperson Ricardo Reyes saying, “We do not comment on rumors or speculation.” But Tesla CEO and Chairman Elon Musk has long discussed plans to take the company public. And whether that process begins in a matter of days, or further down the road, the startup’s filing would be a major event — not just because the last…

  • The Price of a Stimulus Award, Courtesy of ECOtality

    Josie Garthwaite
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm
    The award of hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and loans for electric vehicles, batteries and charging infrastructure in the last few months has provided a major boost for companies working in the space. That’s true for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based ECOtality, whose subsidiary eTec (with several partners, including Nissan) won a nearly $100 million grant from the Department of Energy in August to deploy 11,210 charging stations — tripling its total number of installations — in five states over the next three years. But the grant didn’t come cheap. According to…

  • Get Ready for the South Korean Smart Grid Firms

    Katie Fehrenbacher
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Back when I was a broadband reporter for Red Herring magazine, I took a trip to Seoul and did the classic story on how South Korea kick-started its economy with government investment into blazing-fast broadband pipes that created its world-leading mobile and web industries. South Korea’s broadband buildout may hold some interesting lessons for the U.S. smart grid rollout, as I’ve noted before. But the country could also take a leading role in the smart grid market, with South Korean smart grid firms competing directly against the companies in Silicon Valley that are developing the…
 
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    The Chic Ecologist

  • Winterize your Home for Energy Efficiency

    Jean-Paul
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:33 am
    Eco tips for saving money this winter. What works well in the winter, can also save you money on your cooling bills in the summer too! The Little Stuff: Seal up cracks – Common spots for drafts are entryways (the back door and garage doors are notorious for draftiness) window moldings and seals. Caulking windows, sealing cracks [...] Related posts:Energy Active Eco Home- Taking Energy Efficiency PositiveLED vs CFL vs New HEI Energy Efficient Incandescent – Lightbulb ShootoutEcobee Energy Efficient WiFi Programable Thermostat

  • Remove Indoor Toxins with these Specializing House Plants

    Jean-Paul
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:23 am
    Results based on studies by Stanley J. Kays of the Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia – studies on phytoremediation; Kamal Meattle’s 15 year Indoor pollution studies at the at Paharpur Business Centre in Dehli; NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) Sick Building Syndrome pollution-absorbing studies. Resources: http://www.mnn.com/the-home/gardening-landscaping/stories/can-houseplants-save-your-life http://greenupgrader.com/6600/green-plants-for-fresh-air/ http://greenupgrader.com/1408/plants-for-health-improve-your-indoor-air-quality/…

  • Healthy Morning Blender Breakfast

    Jean-Paul
    11 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am
    Just wanted to share with you my favorite new breakfast treat from the blender. If you are a smoothie fan, give this one a blend, if not, you will be after tasting this! Roasted Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie Yeah, sounds a bit funky, but it’s the best way I could explain it. The roasted flax seeds give [...] Related posts:Artisana Organic Raw Cacao Bliss Coconut Butter – CocoNutellaFine and Raw Chocolates

  • Stylish Sustainable Furniture in Tel Aviv – Ubico Design Studio

    Jean-Paul
    10 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am
    With so much trash and waste in the world, it’s great to see individuals like Ori Ben-Zvi turning into something beautiful and useful. With stylish and thought provoking designs, Ubico Design Studio has been converting reclaimed materials into works of functional art since February of 2008. Materials are collected from dumpsters, renovations works and the streets of [...] Related posts:Eco Friendly Reader Suggestions – Green Jewelry and Sustainable Furniture DesignGreen Materials for Eco Friendly Design – Sustainable Materials and Green Building ProductsEco-friendly and…

  • Carbon Trading Scams – Who are you paying to reduce your footprint?

    Jean-Paul
    9 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am
    Ever bought a plane ticket and seen the little banner that says ‘offset your carbon emissions here’, or seen a company claim to be ‘carbon neutral’? More often than not, they are buying carbon credits. Carbon footprints are all the rage right now, so much so that a whole new industry is being built on carbon [...] Related posts:Cash for Clunkers – Eco Friendly or Environmental Mistake?Sustainable Wal-Mart? A Greening of RetailSave Trees and Read Green with a Kindle
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    Do the Green Thing: Video

  • A Quick Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen

    Michael Wright & Green Thing
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:24 am
    As the Copenhagen Summit is our climate's last chance saloon, it would help if we all understood what's got to happen there. To make that simple, Green Thing has produced a Quick Recipe for a Successful Copenhagen with diplomacy illustrated through the medium of cookery. Watch it. Share it. Don't try to cook it. And remember, as Chef says: "It does not have to be pretty, it just has to work." Featuring the hands of Marc Danbury, the lighting of Richard Laing, the camera support of Stuart Bunce, the post production of Magic Films, the dulcet tones of Daniel Lapaine and the writing…

  • The Making Of Glove Love

    Holly Broughton
    6 Oct 2009 | 1:38 am
    "The idea for glove love started all the way back in January. We have put a lot of thought, time and love into creating what we think is a pretty great product and a perfect example of All-Consuming - the art of wasting nothing and using up everything. We hope this slideshow will show you just how much love we've put into glove love." -- Holly

  • Lonely Gloves

    Paul Rider
    24 Sep 2009 | 4:36 am
    Lonely GlovesView more presentations from Green Thing.Photographer Paul Rider was so struck by the waste that is lonely gloves. So struck in fact, he was moved to start pointing and shooting. “I saw the first one hanging on the railings by the crossing at the side off the road. I don’t think it had fallen there; it had been found and put there. When they find a lost glove on the ground, people have an instinct to put it somewhere where it can be seen, rescued and re-paired. I took its photograph. Over the next few days, as my lonely glove awareness grew, I saw more and more…

  • Glove Story

    Michael Wright
    19 Sep 2009 | 5:55 am
    The story of a left hand glove and right hand glove in two parts of the world, both single, both able to play piano beautifully - and the rest you can probably figure out. Glove Story was made possible by the hands of . . . Director: Michael Wright Narrator: Emma Thompson Music: Michael Mertens and Giovanni Costello Executive Producer: John Doris Production Manager: Sarah Crisp Director of Photography: Peter Sorg Camera & Lighting Assistant: Jamie Arbiter Unit Driver: Jimbo Eales Runners: Holly Broughton and Andy Wells Editor: Billy Mead Green Thing animation: Tom Baker Glove Love end…

  • Twisted Kate, Sticky Moss

    Unit 10 Collective
    10 Jul 2009 | 5:22 am
    Take one person and make her the ultimate twister, taking every chance to consume something new. Now take the same person and make them the ultimate sticker, sticking with what they had wherever possible. How different would their lives be? That was question that the talented animators David Altweger, Mira Loew, Guillaume Cornet of Unit 10 Collective (<a href="http://www.unit10collective.com">www.unit10collective.com</a>) wanted to explore - with one super-ironic twist. What if that person was the world's premier consumption temptress, a certain Katherine Ann Moss? The…
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    FabianPattberg.com

  • Video: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature

    Fabian
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:21 am
    Learning from the natural world is something we are not doing often enough. This is a quote form the very interesting and inspiring video from a self-proclaimed nature nerd Janine Benyus. Her concept of biomimicry has galvanized scientists, architects, designers and engineers into exploring new ways in which nature’s successes can inspire humanity. Definitely worth the investment of 20 minutes for your time. Enjoy! Related posts:Video: Visionary Architecture for a Sustainable FutureTechnology – The Important Role in our Sustainable FutureVideo: Serious Sustainability – Food and…

  • Money over Sustainability

    Fabian
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am
    The question from my last poll was whether you thought that CSR / Sustainability activities where influencing your decision which product to buy or not to buy. This is the link to the post about the poll question. The Result The result (details in the chart below) show that the users that answered this poll where strongly influenced by the CSR / Sustainability practices by the company (58% of votes). They where also willing to pay more for these products at the same time. But this result also shows that there are also significant doubts when it comes to the price of the product in question.

  • Sustainability Business: A different Business Sector?

    Fabian
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:27 am
    I have been working in the Sustainability /CSR business for many years now. And I am increasingly coming across more and more people that are of the opinion that the Sustainability Business sector is totally different from all the other business sectors. So I asked myself that question. Is this business sector different to other sectors for example the chemicals business sector? Is the Sustainability business sector different? Can we actually say this is correct just because we as Sustainability professionals and enthusiasts, claim to have the moral high ground and possible answers on how to…

  • My Four Tools to make my Sustainable Day more Productive

    Fabian
    11 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pm
    I am getting a lot requests about the online applications and tools I use. That is why todays post is about the four tools I use to make my life easier when it comes to online productivity. One of the next posts will be about the Google applications and tools I am using. So stay tuned for that as well. These are my four most useful tools: Remember the Milk http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ Managing tasks is generally not a fun way to spend your time. Remember The Milk is a free service where you no longer have to write your to-do lists on sticky notes, whiteboards, random scraps of paper, or…

  • Poll: Does a corporation’s CSR / Sustainability activity actually influence your purchasing decisions?

    Fabian
    9 Nov 2009 | 8:01 am
    I have not been conducting one of polls for several weeks now so I thought it was a good time to start a new poll running all of this week. This time on the question whether the CSR / Sustainability activities and practices of a company actually influences your decision as a consumer to buy or not to buy a certain product/ products of a company. Please either vote below or visit http://twtpoll.com/s5rsdy to vote. As always no registration needed. Just click and vote. Related posts:Poll: Should CSR reporting become mandatory for all public companies?Poll: CSR just a Management Fashion?Poll…
 
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    Green Building Law Update

  • Energy Reductions in the Navy

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:41 am
    My colleague Steve McBrady and I recently presented “Green Building in the 21st Century” at the national conference of the Construction Users Roundtable. Our slideshow is available below. Our primary message was that the federal government's investment of $25 billion in green building projects, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will prop up the green building industry for the next few years.  Other presentations by government officials regarding federal construction projects further highlighted this message. For example, during the first day, Vice Admiral…

  • Starbucks Announces LEED Initiative

    16 Nov 2009 | 3:13 am
    [Ed. Note: written by Steve McBrady] Starbucks coffee has always been an integral part of what we do here at Green Building Law Update. Until now, it was primarily a means of keeping our readers awake while we write endlessly on Green building and sustainable development in government contracts and in commercial construction, or discuss emerging Green regulatory issues. Today, however, Starbucks has moved front-and-center for another reason – the announcement, on November 12, 2009, that as of 2010 all new Starbucks stores will be LEED certified: Over the next six months, Starbucks will…

  • Green Building Litigation All But Certain

    13 Nov 2009 | 5:57 am
    The primary theme of Green Building Law Update is green building litigation will develop.  To date, one of the rare examples of green building litigation is Shaw Development v. Southern Builders, a case that involved a project's failure to achieve LEED certification in a timely matter.  Other examples of green building disputes are sparse. But I am confident the litigation will develop.  A recent article, "'Green' projects create new exposures", suggests others agree: “There is certainly going to be litigation coming out soon around (green buildings) and…

  • "Super Star" Green Label Proposed

    11 Nov 2009 | 7:04 am
    A major overhaul to the Energy Star program, which currently certifies and labels products that are energy efficient, is imminent. How this overhaul occurs remains to be seen. On the one hand, the two current agencies responsible for the Energy Star program- the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) - are trying to revise the program internally. But it's not clear if the agencies' actions will be enough: "In response to complaints, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources included provisions in its American Clean Energy Leadership Act of…

  • Can Green Building Regulations Keep Up?

    9 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
    The Energy Star program, responsible for certifying energy efficient products, is about to undergo some major changes. Recently, the program, run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), has come under fire from a number of groups: "Various stakeholder groups, such as manufacturers, utilities and even Consumer Reports , the monthly magazine published by the Consumers Union, have complained in recent years that Energy Star . . . is too inclusive. An internal audit of the program by the Department of Energy found that there is inadequate tracking of…
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    Seed & Sew

  • Vegan Docs

    katelivesinbrooklyn
    11 Nov 2009 | 6:53 am
    Surprisingly nostalgic for those of us who deeply appreciated the flannels, babydoll dresses and chunky footwear of ’90’s grunge, Docs are back.  The streets of NY are peppered with the utilitarian boots of yore.  For those of us loathe to put leather on our feet, however, UK-based Vegetarian Shoes offers the Boulder Boot, a cruelty-free alternative to the classic look.  The Boulder Boot sells for 84 Pounds, and for those of us in the US, can be bought through Moo Shoes online store at $139.95.  Our favorite part, the giant tab sticking off the back that reminds folks in the…

  • Congratulations to our Contest Winner!!

    katelivesinbrooklyn
    9 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am
    Congratulations to Angela from San Francisco…the winner of Seed & Sew’s first contest! We’re so excited to award her a $200 gift certificate to Novica.com for her heartwarming story about this real-life grandfather sweater. Hip hip hooray!!! Check out our True Stories page for some of the other runners up and the cool eco fashion items they shared with us.   Angela’s Story I’ve always been a fan of big, cozy sweaters, but this is the real deal–an actual, sentimental grandfather sweater. I spent the year before I moved to San Francisco back home in…

  • We’re extending our contest…

    katelivesinbrooklyn
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm
    Scratch that…we’re going straight through the weekend!  You could win $200 from Novica.com, and you have all weekend to do it.  All you need to do is send us a little story about your favorite eco fashion item, and a picture or video…the best story wins!  Here are the contest rules…good luck!

  • Jiro Belts

    katelivesinbrooklyn
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    We’ve seen quite a few belts made from recycled rubber bike tires in our day, but Italian Jiro belts take the cake. Each belt is 100% unique, carrying with it the long and exciting life of the bike tire it is made from. We especially like how sleek and un-bulky Jiro belts are, and there are so many colors and designs to choose from, probably because Italian bike tires are so colorful to begin with! At 30 Euros each, they’re pretty well priced for something that’s really going to last a lifetime. You can order direct at info@jiro-belt.com….specify the color, size and…

  • Shadowplay

    katelivesinbrooklyn
    2 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am
    LA-based designer Heather Goldberg is the talent behind Shadowplay Jewelry, woven by hand from organic, naturally dyed yarns using Crystallized Swarovski Elements and Certified Fair Trade black silver closures. Each piece is hand-made by the Hill Tribe of Karen Village in Northern Thailand. We love the lightness of each piece…perfect little works of art to turn a black t-shirt into a phenomenally different look. The shop and stocklists aren’t quite together yet, but you can order directly through orders@shadowplaycollection.com.
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    Go Green Solar

  • solar technology trends at #solpwr09

    Deep Patel
    7 Nov 2009 | 2:56 pm
    With over 26,000 thousand people attending Solar Power International 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center on the last week of October, the conference broke attendance records. The massive exhibition hall featured 929 solar companies throughout the entire solar industry supply chain. This year show was so large in scale, it was way too easy to get lost between the aisles of exhibitors. My objective of being at Solar Power International 2009 was not to visit every booth, but to scout out cutting edge solar photovoltaic technology. Here's what I think was cool at the show this year:Solar…

  • a smarter solar panel

    Deep Patel
    17 Oct 2009 | 7:52 pm
    Traditional solar panels are extremely sensitive to even the smallest amount of shade and mismatch. Typically solar panels must be properly matched and balanced in a string although tenKsolar has developed a new breed of "smart" solar panels that's not only improving photovoltaic performance and but making them easier to install. Based on their propriety RAIS (redundant array of integrating solar) technology the smarter solar panel has no single point of failure. Most traditional solar panels have a number of single points of failures which include a spot of shade, a short, or physical damage…

  • rail-free solar panel mounting

    Deep Patel
    4 Oct 2009 | 2:53 pm
    Traditionally, solar panels are a tedious process to install because the process of installing solar panels on a residential rooftop involves the rails to be cut, spliced together and the metal frame of the solar panels and rails themselves have to be grounded according to code. Currently the process is quite primitive and can be time consuming even though the two most popular solar panel mounting companies, UniRac and ProSolar are offering new products to reduce parts and installation time, the companies fail to remove the rails.ZepSolar, a startup solar panel mounting manufacturer will be…

  • solar panels + grid alternatives = fun

    Deep Patel
    20 Sep 2009 | 9:04 pm
    I had a great weekend volunteering for GRID Alternatives to install solar panels for a low income family in Lynwood, CA. For those of you who don't know GRID Alternatives, they're a non-profit who's on a mission to empower communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training.Since 2001, GRID Alternatives has been working to bring the power of solar electricity and energy efficiency to low-income homeowners, and to provide community members with training and hands-on experience with renewable energy technologies. GRID Alternatives believes…

  • BP Solar's 230w solar panel

    Deep Patel
    18 Sep 2009 | 7:57 pm
    I'm not a big fan of BP Solar panels ever since BP's CEO bashed on solar power technology and their solar panels caught on fire due to a faulty junction box. The big oil company continues to push their solar division further offering their own version of a 230w solar panel called the Endura series. The solar panel has a smaller power tolerance range of +3/-3 and has a lower voltage therefore higher current which drives the increased efficiency.The BP Solar 3230N is a 60 cell polycrystalline solar panel with a potted junction box that includes six bypass diodes that improve heat management…
 
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    Hydrovolts

  • Hydrovolts wins National Sustainability Award

    18 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm
    Hydrovolts, already a winner of the Sustainability Award in the Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open in Seattle, last night also won the first Clean Tech Open (CTO) National Sustainability Award.The Award includes a prize package of $20,000 worth of software and services that will help Hydrovolts measure and improve its sustainability efforts.The Regional and National Sustainability Judging panels consisted of sustainability executives and thought leaders chose Hydrovolts first from amongst the nearly 300 original entries because of the company's commitment to all three areas of…

  • Hydrovolts wins PNW Clean Tech Open

    14 Nov 2009 | 9:06 pm
    On October 29th Hydrovolts won the inaugural Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open (CTO) and, as a regional finalist, now heads to San Francisco to compete in the national finals November 16-17. The CTO also recognized fellow semi-finalists Green Lite Motors and LivinGreen Materials as regional finalists. Each of the three regional finalists wins a package of cash and in-kind services worth at least $50,000.Hydrovolts also won the CTO Sustainability Award in recognition both of how its turbines promote sustainability for its customers and the communities in which they are used as well as how the…

  • Vote for Hydrovolts

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:46 pm
    Do you believe in Clean Energy? Then vote for it!We need your help.As a reader of this blog chances are you believe in clean energy and its importance for our future.Hydrovolts is the only clean energy company in a national competition that relies on popular voting, and, while we are catching up, we are still lagging behind.Vote for us! Give clean energy get the national recognition it must keep getting to make the mission in which we believe into a national movement.Please vote for us! It takes literally 10 seconds, and just 2 mouse clicks. No registration, no giving your email.Oh yeah, you…

  • How to Save Paper and Ink

    15 Oct 2009 | 6:57 pm
    Minimizing waste has been an interest of mine since the 60's.Green Print is a great piece of software that can really help on the Reduce part of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I've been using it on my laptop and home computer for more than a year. Exactly as it promises, it saves lots of paper and ink.It also provides a really simple way to turn documents into PDF so you don't need to print them at all.It installs as a printer driver which makes it really easy to use; just pick it like any other printer. When you print to it, it creates a preview screen that allows you to choose which pages not to…

  • Detour

    30 Sep 2009 | 10:38 pm
    Sorry all to have been away so long. Busy, but in a good way. Will return to more frequent posting soon.
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    ecomii simple living blog

  • The Sexy Side of Soy

    Heather O'Neill
    10 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am
    Jimmyjane is a company that makes many sexy products, but when I planned a romantic getaway recently I knew that there was one that would really put a fire under my man. The company’s Ember massage candles are hot in every sense of the word. Made of 100 percent soy, as the candle burns the room [...]

  • 5 Smart Steps to Home Savings: The Energy Efficient Way

    Marie Oser
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm
    Saving energy saves money. And with Americans using a million dollars worth of energy every minute of every day of the year,¹ there are a lot ways to save money through simple, smart and more efficient choices. These decisions can also help cut down on the 40,000 pounds of CO2 that is emitted to create [...]

  • Bringing Eco Sexy Back

    Heather O'Neill
    3 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am
    While the virtues of organic cotton have been well documented from a farming standpoint, the virtues of wearing organic cotton have been slightly less touted. In my quest for a less chemically-laden life, purchasing organic cotton whenever possible is a priority. Why waste my time with natural cosmetics and household cleaners and then cover myself in [...]

  • 5 Things That Save Money While Saving the Planet

    Marie Oser
    27 Oct 2009 | 10:27 am
    It was Mahatma Gandhi who said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The issues we face may seem daunting and individual efforts may not appear to have much impact, however collectively each of us can play a significant role in the effort to conserve our resources. Here are five actions you can [...]

  • Watch out for the blob!

    Linda Brown-Kuhn
    16 Oct 2009 | 4:40 pm
    Our oceans are taking hits left and right, between the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, overfishing, ocean pollution, and red algae tides. Now there are huge, smelly, mucus-like blobs floating around the Mediterranean Sea. Besides their eeew factor, the blobs, which are called mucilages, can contain viruses and bacteria, including the potentially dangerous E coli. They also can [...]
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    Chelsea Green

  • Can Pot Save Denver’s Struggling Newspapers?

    jmcdougall@chelseagreen.com (Chelsea Green Publishing)
    22 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am
    The city of Denver seems to have stumbled onto an unconventional model for sustaining its struggling newspaper industry: cashing in on all those freely-flowing medical marijuana dollars. Cannabis dispensaries need to advertise. Newspapers need advertising revenue. Ergo, ipso facto, a match made in heaven. Denver-based public policy analyst and political strategist Jessica Corry, writing for the [...]

  • Library Journal Names Waiting on a Train a Best Book of 2009

    jmcdougall@chelseagreen.com (Chelsea Green Publishing)
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:27 pm
    Congratulations, James McCommons! Library Journal just named your book, Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service—A Year Spent Riding Across America, one of the best books of 2009. Waiting on a Train is not only a beautifully written and thoroughly engrossing memoir—it’s an important work that brings to light a fundamental issue [...]

  • LISTEN: Diane Wilson Discusses Fasting for Climate Justice on What Now

    jmcdougall@chelseagreen.com (Chelsea Green Publishing)
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:27 am
    Diane Wilson continues her forty-three-day hunger strike for climate justice as she prepares to fly to Copenhagen for the international climate talks there. In this interview with What Now’s Ken Rose, Diane goes into her reasons for fasting, the indifference of a vast swath of the American public to climate change science, and how she believes [...]

  • WATCH: Creating Meaning and Purpose through Sustainable Business

    jmcdougall@chelseagreen.com (Chelsea Green Publishing)
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:27 pm
    Urban Revision, whose mission “is to help cities develop safe, sustainable and enriching urban blocks,” sat down with Martin Melaver, author of Living Above the Store: Building a Business That Creates Value, Inspires Change, and Restores Land and Community, for a short video on his approach to socially responsible business and its role in urban [...]

  • How to Deal with a Few Bad Apples

    jmcdougall@chelseagreen.com (Chelsea Green Publishing)
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:01 am
    Watching helplessly as a fungus starts to take over your orchard can be a frustrating, even heartbreaking, experience—whether you have two trees or two hundred. Apple scab is a fairly common blight. Even professional apple growers have to deal with it. What do you do when you see those telltale little round greenish spots? Barbara Damrosch [...]
 
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    Change2 Blog Posts - Change2

  • Happy to join this site

    Vivian Sharon
    Good Evening, my name is Vivian Sharon and very happy to join this site my activity, I'm a full-time insurance agent and so I love to looking for new friend. When I am have a time, I'll be reading books and watching television I've favorite site that contain useful information to read about : Slings Carriers and Bed Bugs Pictures

  • McKesson Releases Corporate Citizenship Report

    3BL Media
    McKesson Corporation, the nation’s oldest and largest healthcare services and IT company, today announced the release of its 2008-2009 Corporate Citizenship Report and launched the McKesson Foundation’s new strategic focus on chronic disease management. Designed to minimize paper and energy usage, the Company’s new online-only interactive report tells McKesson’s corporate citizenship story through the voices of McKesson employees and stakeholders. McKesson’s Corporate Citizenship Report is available at www.mckesson.com/citizenshipreport. McKesson’s 2008-2009 Corporate Citizenship…

  • A Kinder Gentler Capitalism

    3BL Media
    Greetings! It's official. Japan's long recession has finally ended. The small but highly productive nation has suffered enormous economic set-backs over the past two decades. To pull themselves out of the downturn, the Japanese business community and its government have followed a consistent and socially responsible course to economic recovery. The Japanese business model has emerged as an important example for how to create long-term profits while maintaining a clear code of ethics and honor. No Apeing of America Japan's new Financial Services Minister, Shizuka Kamei took office this past…

  • The end of a fairytale.

    Paige Andrews
    Once upon a time there existed a group of nations who gathered together in a land called Copenhagen to sign a treaty that would protect their collective kingdoms from the evils of climate change and ensure the livelihoods of their people for years to come. Despite years of obstacles and reasons to believe otherwise, the agreement was signed in the nick of time and they lived happily ever after. The End. Do you buy this? Me neither. While this story may seem unbelievable in its simplicity, I think we were all still hoping for a fairytale ending to this climate change dilemma. Sadly,…

  • 'Tis the Season to Be Working for Good

    3BL Media
    This is a article written by Jeff Klein for Working For Good. Out of the ashes of financial crisis, undermined trust, and tattered reputation, a new approach to building and operating companies is emerging, with deep roots and bountiful fruits. With precedents in centenarian companies like Johnson & Johnson and Avon, who have had deep purpose, value creation for multiple stakeholders, and social responsibility baked into their DNA and manifested through their actions for more than 120 years each, and a new generation of companies, such as Whole Foods Market, The Container Store,…
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    Your Daily Thread

  • Echo Park Shop Brings Vintage Back to its Green Roots

    Sarah McClure
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    This month, both vintage and eco enthusiasts are flocking to Warwick, where during the month of November, the Echo Park boutique on Sunset will be hosting Eco in the Echo, featuring sustainable, locally made and eco-friendly fashion, design and art. Owner Justin Warwick, whose one-year-old shop specializes in restyled and high-end vintage fashion and accessories, was keen on throwing an event that would not only encourage more involvement from the surrounding community, but also heighten people’s awareness of sustainable and socially responsible duds. “I feel as a society we often are…

  • Sustainable Sirens, Films, City Walks and More

    Tracy Hepler
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:50 am
    Sustainable Sirens: Let them Eat Trash If Marie Antoinette was alive today she might say “Let them eat Trash” when it comes to dealing with the insane amount of waste that is created by the entertainment industry.  Fortunately Reel Green Media has decide to take that waste out of the trash and turn it into creative costumes made only with discarded materials from production.  This multimedia project is launching tonight with a champagne reception at Sunset Plaza Code C.  You can meet the masterminds behind the project and check out a trunk show by Re Collection and Lola Bags. Location:…

  • Thanksgiving: How To Make it Green and Grateful

    Danielle Davis
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver celebrates Thanksgiving with a feast almost entirely raised by her and her family—the homegrown celery, chestnuts from their chestnut tree, pumpkins, corn (frozen from summer), and all the rest. Even the turkeys were bred and harvested by her own two hands. It may be, okay it is, unrealistic to think we’re all ready for Thanksgiving dinner with our own bounty to bake, but there are practices we can adopt to put green and meaning in this fall’s holiday meal all the same. Here are some meaningful, green practices to consider: *The Turkey.

  • Meet Angeleno’s Biggest Children’s Eco-Health Advocates: Healthy Child Healthy World

    Sarah McClure
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    As a parent or not, you’ve more than likely questioned just how healthy our modern, conveniently sterilized lifestyle is all that it’s chalked up to be. Whether it’s wondering how much chlorine is in our tap water, if there’s such a thing as disinfectant overkill, or what holistic alternatives there are to conventional household cleaners – keep reading below. A leading national organization of its kind, Healthy Child Healthy World (HCHW) was founded in 1991 by parents James and Nancy Chuda after their daughter died from Wilms’ tumor – a rare non-hereditary form of cancer. Today,…

  • Ditch the Plastic Bottle, Save Money, Save Lives

    Tracy Hepler
    16 Nov 2009 | 5:15 am
    This past week I was exposed to the photography work of Chris Jordan. He recently returned from an expedition to Midway Island to photograph a shocking scene of what is happening because of human plastic consumption. This fate is not exclusive to Albatrosses, all marine life living near the Pacific Gyre are affected by this gruesome fate. From the smallest fish that consumes plastic by mistake, to the larger fish who consume them and the rest of us down the food chain are all being affected by this. The problem is certainly a big one, but there are small steps we can all do to get started…
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    Energy & Society

  • On Discount Rates

    A.V. Elias Suni
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pm
    RFF has published an article by Cameron Hepburn who confuses pure rate of time preference with consumption discount rate. It's troubling that this confusion still keeps popping up among academics. Hepburn says:In contrast to Stern’s prescriptive approach, previous research tended to be “descriptive” in assumptions about discounting, focusing on what we actually do, rather than what we ought to do from an ethical point of view. The focus was on market interest rates, which reflect the sum of many individual choices. Historic market interest rates (ignoring past and present financial…

  • Self-fulfilling Prophecies

    A.V. Elias Suni
    2 Nov 2009 | 4:08 am
    Angela Merkel on Friday:It is realistic to say that in Copenhagen we will not be able to conclude a treatyGuardian, yesterday:"Nobody thinks we will get a full treaty," said a spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (UK)...Lars Løkke Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark, said: "We do not think it will be possible to decide all the finer details for a legally binding regime." Hanne Bjurstroem, Norwegian cabinet minister and chief climate negotiator, told Reuters: "I don't believe we will get a full, ratifiable, legally binding agreement from Copenhagen."Our climate…

  • While waiting for the results from the vote on Waxman-Markey

    A.V. Elias Suni
    26 Jun 2009 | 2:07 pm
    Read this posting by the Earth Institute's blog on turning CO2 into a solid carbonate. Having the first large-scale demonstration facility come online in September is a huge thing. Let's hope it works.Who wants some limestone?

  • Message from Detroit to Capitol Hill

    A.V. Elias Suni
    8 Jun 2009 | 12:52 pm
    Jim Oberstar, the chairman of US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has proposed a higher fuel tax, making many Democrats nervous about what is "too much" in these difficult times. Obama also opposes the tax hike. I'm inclined to question the logic behind the opposition, whether it's populism or domestic realpolitik.Dave McCurdy, President of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers was on EETV today talking about Detroit's challenges on the path to lower car emissions. He said one thing the Obama administration should take heed of:But I think there has to be price signals,…

  • People who get us into trouble

    A.V. Elias Suni
    29 Apr 2009 | 3:41 pm
    I found this latest piece by Robert J. Samuelson via Paul Krugman, who nails some of the most disturbing fallacies in the column:I don’t think there’s a single thing there that’s right. What on earth do business cycles have to do with it? The models may assume growth based on past trends, but they DO ask whether emissions policy would greatly slow growth — and the answer is no. Consumers aren’t assumed to “quickly” use less — the time frame in these models is decades long. And new supplies don’t “magically” appear — they respond to price incentives, which is what…
 
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    FocusOrganic.com

  • Giveaway! thinkbaby BPA Free Feeding Set

    Stefanie
    21 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pm
    As mentioned in our thinksport BPA free sports bottle giveaway, thinkbaby is well known for there non-toxic baby feeding products, and they also carry a full toddler feeding set. The set includes a bento box, soup bowl, baby bowl, cup, spoon and fork. The bento box and bowls come with lids to make transporting food easy. The Feeding Set was designed for a wide range of feeding ages. Starting from the moment that your doctor green lights solid food feeding to school days, the set is perfect for feeding and food storage. For traveling in the baby bag or in lunch boxes the Bento box is the…

  • Fear of Discovery

    simplejess
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Do you ever find yourself thinking of a really great idea and then it passes like the wind since you never wrote it down or acted upon it?  Do you feel stuck?  Perhaps you procrastinate and then beat yourself up over it.  Maybe you do not forget the good idea you had but you never act and instead just dream of it now and then.  I like to think of these inspirations as realities - if we have the courage to investigate and follow them, as long as they are for the greater good and not for yourself, they will happen! We can often feel like the mountain goat.  Stuck in a tight spot.  But we,…

  • Eco-Friendly Friday Tips Volume Seventy Three - Tiny Steps

    Stefanie
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    This entry is part 73 of 73 in the series Eco-Friendly Friday November 20th's Tip Glass food storage: Storing the food in your refrigerator in glass may seem like a tiny step, but it helps in a number of ways. First, the most obvious - less plastic. You're using less plastic, but you're also avoiding the leeching of chemicals into your food that plastic storage containers have become well known for. Glass containers will almost certainly cost you less in the long run. The up front extra cost may discourage, but if you consider how much longer your glass storage will last you than plastic…

  • From Soil to Oil, Naturally

    Stefanie
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pm
    crambe abyssinica Fancor and Nature’s Crops will be announcing a merger to bring sustainable and traceable organic ingredients, including Abyssinian oil, to the cosmetics industry. Abyssinian oil has a unique molecular structure not found in any other naturally occurring oil, is very stable against heat breakdown, and highly resistant to oxidation. It naturally improves the skin's complexion and hair’s luster. I had a chance to ask Dr. Alan Wohlman, Sr. Vice President of Science and Technology of The Fanning Corporation and Andrew Hebard, President and CEO of Nature's Crops, a few…

  • Have a Veggie Thanksgiving

    Stefanie
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we all know it's nickname - Turkey Day. Besides the obvious veggie substitute, Tofurkey, it might be difficult to find recipes for the meatless. I've put together a bunch from some great people, thanks everyone who sent some in! Click the + next to the recipe name to expand the recipe. Click again to close. Hope everyone has a great (and tasty!) Thanksgiving! Entrees Acorn Squash Stuffed With Sage Polenta and Seitan Bourguignon Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project Serves 8 Squash 4 acorn squash 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp black…
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    Super Eco

  • Focusing brainpower with ayurvedic herbs

    Lisa Poisso
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am
    Fall weather simply begs for curling up on the couch with a snuggly blanket, a thick paperback, a steaming mug of something rich and comforting, and a willingness to lose track of time (and consciousness). Of course, if you suffer from trouble winding down for a good night's rest, the scenario may be closer to an exhausted collapse during what should be the peak of a productive day.If your upcoming holiday schedule bears any resemblance to mine—relatives from every time zone snoozing on every couch, spare bed and peaceful corner—you'll want to make sure you're well-rested…

  • Can Big Beef censor the sustainable truth?

    Kim Lachance Shandrow
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am
    Big Beef doesn't like it when smart people tell the raw truth about the science behind their meat. In fact, a very deep-pocketed cattle rancher in California, where “happy cows come from,” made quite a beef about an agribusiness critic almost talking about sustainable food at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Michael Pollan, author of the book In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto never got the chance to broach the controversial subject at the university. Well, not in the way he'd originally planned to. Why not? Too much money was at steak stake.

  • EcoKosher: the new sustainable Kosher

    Kim Lachance Shandrow
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:06 am
    Keep your eyes open for a leaner, greener Kosher symbol. Environmentally-conscious Jews across the country are teaming up to launch the world's first “EcoKosher” icon. The closely guarded symbol would ensure that foods bearing it were ethically grown (or slaughtered), packaged and delivered to your palate with the utmost respect for the Earth. You could say the new crop of “EcoKosher” eats will be religiously sustainable. Shalom-grown? The “uber kosher” symbol (a green, leafy vine in the shape of a letter “K” perhaps?) is expected to hit grocery…

  • NASA pollution is out of this world

    Kim Lachance Shandrow
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    Mission accomplished. Space shuttle Atlantis has arrived at the International Space Station. Did you know that NASA's also launching a mission to trim its "big as the state of Connecticut" environmental footprint? They'd better be. In fact, NASA recently announced that it will pump $30 million over the next five years into boosting energy efficiency and reducing its self-described Constitution State-sized ecological impact. However, neither can happen until NASA can make painstaking heads or tails of its complicated carbon footprint. When that's finally complete, they can start chipping away…

  • Responsible Travel thinks offsets not so responsible after all

    Lisa Poisso
    18 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    Are you guilty of writing off your travel guilt by purchasing carbon offsets—without changing your travel habits in the least? One of the first travel companies to offer travelers the option to purchase carbon offsets along with their tickets thinks the move might not be so responsible after all. Responsible Travel is siding with the doubters, canceling its offset program and claiming that not only do offsets not impact global emissions levels but that by promoting a false sense of virtuosity, they may actually encourage additional air travel. “The carbon offset has become this…
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    Greener Trends

  • Reusable Water Bottles That Fold

    Kate
    12 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm
    The challenge with not buying water bottles is that it isn’t always easy to carry around a reusable bottle. They are bulky and don’t conveniently fit in a purse or pocket, so when out and about it can be challenging to not succumb to buying a bottle or cup of water. Luckily Vapur decided to help fix this problem with their reusable water bottle that is made of ultra-durable three-ply, BPA-free polymer. You can freeze it, wash it in the dishwasher, and it is easy to carry anywhere. When filled up, it stands on its own, but when it is empty, it fits in a pocket or purse. Not only is…

  • Southwest Has A Green Plane

    Kate
    9 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm
    Southwest has been taking steps to go green in their company and we have talked about them before, but they have taken a bigger step with their new green planes. These planes are actually not new at all. The planes themselves are in great condition, it is just the interior that they made changes to. What kinds of changes? InterfaceFLOR Carpet – Made of 100% recycled carpet, it is installed in chunks so that if one part needs to be repaired, they only need to repair that one piece, while in the past, the carpet was all one piece of material. Whenever the carpet is worn out, the carpet will…

  • Tesla Breaks The Electric Vehicle Record

    Kate
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm
    Electric vehicles (EV) have been criticized for not being great cars for long trips because you can’t drive as far in an EV on a single charge as you can on a tank of gas… Well, in the 2009 Global Green Challenge in Australia, the Tesla Roadster traveled 313 miles on one charge…how far can your gas guzzler go? Wow. Tesla only publishes a 244 mile range on one charge, so it is amazing to see how much farther the drivers, Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas went in the Global Green Challenge. “We wanted to prove a point about the ability of EVs to drive truly…

  • Solar Charge The iPhone

    Kate
    9 Sep 2009 | 10:39 am
    If you are into the iPhone craze - I don’t have one, but they are definitely really fun and useful phones - then you will soon have a chance to green your iPhone with the Apple-Certified iPhone and iPod solar charger. The Solar Power Surge by Novothink is an iPhone and iPod touch case that has a solar panel on the back of it. It comes in several different colors and connects to the iPhone and iPod Touch and charges it using the sun’s energy. If the iPhone/iPod touch is fully charged or the Solar Power Surge is not connected to your iPhone/iPod touch, it stores the energy in an…

  • Custom Eco-Friendly Wine Cellars

    Kate
    8 Sep 2009 | 8:34 am
    For the wine lovers out there, and I am certainly one of them, we have talked about sustainable vineyards and eco-friendly wines. Wine is put in barrels as part of the wine making process, and then some of these barrels are turned into firewood or they are used as planters… but a lot of these barrels end up in landfills. Darryl Hogeback designs custom wine cellars and one of his designs is called the Stave Oak Collection. The Stave Oak collection is completely made out of recycled wine barrels. Darryl Hogeback’s custom wine cellar company is called Savante Wine Cellars. The Stave…
 
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    Energy Priorities

  • Need Daylight Deep in Buildings? Tube It In

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am
    GREENBUILD-- Tubular daylighting devices were on display by a few vendors at Greenbuild 2009. Solatube International gave Denis Du Bois a demo of their flagship product, the 750DS. It has features that gather sunlight very efficiently, and give commercial building occupants the ability to control how much of it is delivered. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 19, 2009

  • And the CTO winner is... EcoFactor

    17 Nov 2009 | 9:22 pm
    The Cleantech Open held its first ever national awards gala tonight, incorporating finalists from two new regional pageants in Seattle and Boulder along with the larger pool of entrants from the original California competition. Here's a quick recap of the contestants and national award winners. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 18, 2009

  • Commercial LED Lighting in a Nutshell

    16 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pm
    Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are the next major step in energy-efficient lighting technology. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 17, 2009

  • "Our Choice" by Al Gore

    16 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am
    Former Vice President Al Gore's new book, "Our Choice," exceeded my expectations. It should be required readng for new Chief Sustainability Officers, corporate green team members, and anyone else who has decided to place sustainability closer to the center of what they do. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 16, 2009

  • Al Gore: Political Will is a Renewable Resource

    14 Nov 2009 | 7:22 pm
    GREENBUILD-- Al Gore's speech in Phoenix on Wednesday underscored the context in which the green building movement is gaining traction. He called on Americans to find the political will to "pull the common thread" and unravel three crises at once. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 15, 2009
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    Ecofrenzy

  • It’s been a while…

    ecofrenzy
    26 Oct 2009 | 9:44 am
    So you may have noticed I haven’t been updating this blog too often.  I’ve been writing semi-regularly at TriplePundit.com (which has much bettter traffic, and many amazing writers) and while I used to repost content here, I’ve since learned that’s terrible for search engine optimization (or something).  Google likes original content.  So, while I’m not going to abandon this blog, the conent will be a bit irregular.  I will post links to other content I write here.  And I will also post an occasional insight piece that doesn’t belong on TriplePundit. …

  • Viv – quick ask and help us win $100k

    ecofrenzy
    11 Sep 2009 | 3:52 pm
    I’ve just nominated Viv to win an amazing $100,000 grant from American Express and I would love YOUR help to get enough “spotlights” to move onto the judging round. All you’ve got to do is: 1) Go here: http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=8611 2) Click “Endorse this story now,” then “register” (which only takes 1 minute, I promise) and then “Endorse this story now” Here is Viv’s story that we submitted in hopes for this grant: Imagine a way to drive environmental change, save money and reap rewards, and engage…

  • ImagineH2O Water Efficiency Prize Competition Opens for Entries!

    ecofrenzy
    6 Sep 2009 | 9:54 am
    WANTED: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO WORLD’S WATER CRISIS REWARD: $70,000 Business plan challenge opens September 1, 2009 The inauguralImagine H2OPrize competition is now open for submissions.  The competition offers prizes of $70,000 in cash and in-kind services, which will be awarded to the business plans which promise the greatest breakthroughs in the efficient use and supply of water. The Imagine H2O Prize is designed to encourage the competitive and ambitious spirits of entrepreneurs, investors, experts, inventors and academics around the world to focus on water issues.  This inaugural…

  • XS Project is creating products from waste and creating jobs in Indonesia

    ecofrenzy
    17 Aug 2009 | 6:59 pm
    Ann Wizer, XSProject More than 500,000 people in Indonesia attempt to make a living collecting and reselling garbage.  Artist Ann Wizer lived above a colony of these trashpickers and inquired about what waste they could not sell: plastic drink pouches and other non-biodegradable plastics.   Wizer began purchasing these scraps from the trashpickers and using them to create bags, book covers, and other products. Not only does she produce a useful, well-designed and beautiful product (everyone who sees the bags loves them), she supports trashpickers, creates jobs for the Indonesia’s poor,…

  • Socap09 Lays out the Roadmap to a Social Capital Marketplace

    ecofrenzy
    4 Jul 2009 | 10:27 pm
    Social capital lies “at the intersection of money and meaning” according to Kevin Jones and Gary Bolles, founders of the Social Capital Markets Conference (Socap). Socap08 was about mapping the landscape of the social capital marketplace (also the topic of my first ever TriplePundit post). Two hundred attendees were expected, 600 came. “Last year we wanted to validate the asset class – prove that social capital is real, large and resilient. Social capital was hurt less than other sectors. It didn’t participate in the bubble and it didn’t cause the bust and has since out performed…
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    smartfamilytips

  • Ecousable Giveaway Winner

    Beth
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:55 am
    I used a random number generator from Random.org and the winning number was . . . . 4. Congratulations to Erin aka Conscious Shopper. Many thanks to all who entered the giveaway. Stay tuned for more to come. Speaking of giveaways, Simple Mom is sponsoring a giveaway from Lisa Leonard Designs. She makes really cool hand-stamped jewelery. Be sure to check it out. Have a great weekend! Ecousable Giveaway Winner Share:

  • Ecousable – How Do I Love Thee?

    Beth
    15 Nov 2009 | 1:10 pm
    I’ve gotten a little behind on reviews, so you’ll see a few of them here this week. I do hope reviews are helpful to you in that the goal is to let you know about products that I believe are a good value and good for the environment. For more information about my review policy, just click on the link. A while back Ecousable contacted me to see if I’d be interested in trying out their stainless steel water bottles. I was recently livid disappointed with SIGG’s failure to disclose that their bottle liners contained BPA and was happy to give a new brand a try. Bottom…

  • Weekend Roundup

    Beth
    7 Nov 2009 | 5:21 am
    More good posts around the web this week. Countdown To A Stress-Free Thanskgiving @ Organizing Your Way Regrets of Christmas Past @ Get Rich Slowly 50+ Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas @ Domestic Cents. This is an excellent (and huge) list of great homemade gifts. Thanks to Nicki for putting it together. What’s Your Environmental Net Worth? @ Frugally Green When Did Our Mouths Become Toxic Dumps? @ Healthy Child, Healthy World 10 Ways to Stimulate the Economy With Your Brain @ Escape From Cubicle Nation. In this post, Pam Slim offers some great advice for using your talents, or simply your…

  • Grass-Fed Beef

    Beth
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm
    Our bulk order of grass-fed beef came in this week. We now have approximately 70 pounds of ground beef, various roasts, and steaks. I’m excited about this bulk order and am hoping it works out as well as I think it will. There are several reasons we decided to buy the beef in bulk. 1. To save money. It turned out to be less expensive per pound to pay a flat rate for all of the cuts. 2. To help with meal planning. With a freezer full of beef, it should be a lot easier to plan our meals each week. 3. To reduce trips to the grocery store. Obviously, a bulk order of beef won’t cut out…

  • Unclutter Your Life In One Week: Book Review

    Beth
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    I actually wrote yesterday’s post, Some Thoughts on Clutter, a couple of weeks ago. I’d been thinking about my clutter and scribbled out the words by hand. Before I had a chance to upload it on the site, I learned that Erin Doland, Editor-In-Chief at Unclutter.com, was preparing for the launch of her new book. I really like the website, but didn’t know if I wanted/needed to read yet another book on getting rid of clutter. As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve read a lot, but still haven’t taken much action. On a whim, I emailed Erin and asked for a review copy of her…
 
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    GreenITers Blog Posts

  • How We Think & What It Means for the Future, Part 5

    Jami Boudinot
    (the original post can be found @ http://www.midwesternsolar.org/blog/ ) The First Step To Change - “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” - Miyamoto Musashi The imbalance that humans have created in the Earth’s ecosphere is the most serious problem we face. However, we cannot solve our problems if we are arguing about the solutions. Even worse is denial that a problem exists. “To ignore the evidence, and hope that it cannot be true, is more an evidence of mental illness” - William Blase “The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we…

  • How We Think & What It Means for the Future, Part 4

    Jami Boudinot
    (the original post can be found @ http://www.midwesternsolar.org/blog/ ) Negative Thinking versus Positive Thinking - We have a difficult task ahead of us in the problem of man-made climate change. This problem is a direct result of humanity’s negative behavior. Negative action comes from negative thinking. Negative thinking is at the root of the current trouble with the Earth's environment, yet it is also responsible for the skepticism and denial that there is any problem with the Earth's environment at all. Negative thinking is all around us. Not exactly a positive idea, I know, and…

  • How We Think (In Western Society) & What It Means for the Future Part 3

    Jami Boudinot
    (the original post can be found @ http://www.midwesternsolar.org/blog/ ) The Cult of the Self - “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand In no way am I attempting to detract from Ayn Rand's contribution to philosophy and reflections on society. Her quote simply serves to illustrate my point. In our society we are competitive, but we have become overly competitive. As I said in Part 2 people usually want to be “right”. This leads to all manner of arguments, both with other people and within one's self. Because we tend to weigh things…

  • How We Think and What It Means for The Future part 2

    Jami Boudinot
    (the original post can be found @ http://www.midwesternsolar.org/blog/ ) Reason versus Fallacy – We tend to move forward, ignoring what is inconvenient and focusing on what is desirable. We do what can to convince others (and even ourselves) that our actions are justified based on the circumstances. We want to be “right”. This desire to prove one’s self correct – or go against ideas with which one does not agree – has seen an increasing use of fallacies. (Fallacies, of course, are arguments that appear logical, but upon a closer look the arguments do not make sense.) Fallacies can…

  • How We Think In Western Society and What It Means for the Future Part 1

    Jami Boudinot
    (the original post can be found @ http://www.midwesternsolar.org/blog/ ) The Scales – The concept of a scale being used to weigh ideas is a metaphor that has existed for thousands of years and be found in cultures all over the World. The idea of two scales being held by Justice – the Roman goddess of balance - has become a common symbol of equality in Law. It is the first image that comes to mind for many people when they consider the value of ideas. However, we need to understand that the image of the Scales is rooted in Dualism – the concept of the "either/or" argument. The Scales…
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    Elephant Journal

  • Swift San Franciscans

    At 7:54 a.m., Thursday, November 19th, I was going to title this blog “I hate Abbey”, but as I began to wake up she grew on me. After all, how can you hate someone who is merely trying to lessen the trauma of a 6 mile run by forcing you ...

  • Burma VJ Shortlisted for the 2009 Academy Awards

    Exciting news this morning: The recent film Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country, which features the work of citizen journalists inside the title country's 2007 "Saffron Revolution," has been shortlisted for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Here's what the editors of the Guardian said in ...

  • His Holiness the Dalai Lama Among Deepak Chopra’s “Seven Most Powerful Teachers”

    [caption id="attachment_5589" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Image via Forbes."][/caption] In a new feature for Forbes, Deepak Chopra names his "Seven Most Powerful Teachers". Among them is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, about whom Chopra says: He is world-famous as the face of Eastern spirituality. His life embodies every truth he ...

  • Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown Offers a Contemplative Approach to Religious Pluralism

    This from Alisa Roadcup at the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions: As part of a series of articles in preparation for the upcoming Parliament in Melbourne, the Council is currently featuring a piece by elephant journal friend Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D. The article, entitled "Commitment and Openness: ...

  • E-mail Your Member of Congress to Support House Resolution 898 for the People of Burma

    This from the U.S. Campaign for Burma: Crimes against humanity and war crimes continue to be committed by the Burmese Junta. The Burmese regime has destroyed 3,500 ethnic minority villages, recruited tens of thousands of child soldiers, and used systematic rape as a weapon of war. The people in Burma deserve to ...
 
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    Elephant Journal

  • Swift San Franciscans

    At 7:54 a.m., Thursday, November 19th, I was going to title this blog “I hate Abbey”, but as I began to wake up she grew on me. After all, how can you hate someone who is merely trying to lessen the trauma of a 6 mile run by forcing you ...

  • Burma VJ Shortlisted for the 2009 Academy Awards

    Exciting news this morning: The recent film Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country, which features the work of citizen journalists inside the title country's 2007 "Saffron Revolution," has been shortlisted for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Here's what the editors of the Guardian said in ...

  • His Holiness the Dalai Lama Among Deepak Chopra’s “Seven Most Powerful Teachers”

    [caption id="attachment_5589" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Image via Forbes."][/caption] In a new feature for Forbes, Deepak Chopra names his "Seven Most Powerful Teachers". Among them is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, about whom Chopra says: He is world-famous as the face of Eastern spirituality. His life embodies every truth he ...

  • Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown Offers a Contemplative Approach to Religious Pluralism

    This from Alisa Roadcup at the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions: As part of a series of articles in preparation for the upcoming Parliament in Melbourne, the Council is currently featuring a piece by elephant journal friend Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D. The article, entitled "Commitment and Openness: ...

  • E-mail Your Member of Congress to Support House Resolution 898 for the People of Burma

    This from the U.S. Campaign for Burma: Crimes against humanity and war crimes continue to be committed by the Burmese Junta. The Burmese regime has destroyed 3,500 ethnic minority villages, recruited tens of thousands of child soldiers, and used systematic rape as a weapon of war. The people in Burma deserve to ...
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    Mother Nature Network: Earth Matters News

  • Ancient man may have hunted large animals to extinction

    Katherine Butler
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:48 pm
     

  • U.S. looks to Italy for electrifying advice

    Jessica A. Knoblauch
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:40 am
    Politicians and utilities in the U.S.

  • Killer bees might be scary, but they're not smart

    Stephanie Rogers
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:35 am
      Killer bees are the villain in many a horror movie, and rightfully so: these Africanized honeybee hybrids are more aggressive and swarm more frequently than other types of bees, and can deliver a nasty sting.

  • Are you paying extra for green power?

    Katherine Butler
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:15 am
      You know the flyers that fall out of your phone bill? Many of them tout clean energy options that can be yours, for a small fee. But the New York Times recently reported that the money you spend on renewable energy may do little more than finance the mailers that advertise clean energy.   [[social-toolbar]]About 1 million electricity customers have signed up for clean energy payments. The amount of el

  • Smart technology may increase grid’s vulnerability

    Jessica A. Knoblauch
    20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm
    As advanced electrical meters and other smart grid devices designed to cut electricity consumption make their way into homes and businesses across the country, some are worried that this technology may make the nation’s power network more vulnerable to attack, according to a recent New York Times piece.   Rick Sergel, former CEO of the North American
 
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    Mother Nature Network: Technology

  • Nazca mystery solved: No trees, no civilization

    Karl Burkart
    21 Nov 2009 | 10:24 am
    A new paper from the French Institute of Andean Studies in Lima which examines ancient Peruvian pollen records has finally uncovered the reason behind the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the once-bustling Nazca civilization in 500 AD.   Agribusiness.   When you see the Mars-like terrain inscribed with the mysterious kilometer long drawings that Nazca is so famous far, it’s hard to imagine that this

  • '3D solar' panel works underground

    Karl Burkart
    21 Nov 2009 | 4:59 am
    November has been a breakthrough month for the solar industry. On the heels of an announcement by an Australian research team that broke the 43 percent efficiency barrier in solar PV technology, another team at the Georgia Institute of Technology headed by Dr.

  • Company seeks to test stem cells for blindness

    Super Admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm
    Advanced Cell Technology, a small Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, said on Thursday it has asked for approval to test human embryonic stem cells in treating a rare cause of blindness.   The company said it filed an IND, an investigational new drug application, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use the stem cells to treat patients with Stargardt's macular dystrophy.   [[social-toobar]]If approved, it would be the second U.S.

  • David All and the dark side of social media

    Karl Burkart
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:13 pm
    Up until now the realm of social media with its ranks of whistle blowing bloggers, tweeting political operatives, and sharp-tongued Youtubers has been widely considered the bastion of the digital left.

  • Become a Copenhagen ambassador

    Karl Burkart
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:18 pm
    Huffington Post partners with Hopenhagen to send one worthy citizen journalist to Copenhagen for the December climate talks.
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    Mother Nature Network: Food

  • Kudzu-munching bug also threatens U.S. bean crops

    Super Admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:33 am
    Researchers recently found an insect in north Georgia that has never before been reported in the Western Hemisphere — and its arrival could be both a blessing and a curse.   Some might celebrate the arrival of the kudzu-munching bug, which could help control the invasive vine that drapes much of the South. However, the bug also feasts on valuable crops like soybeans and other legumes.   [[social-toolbar]]As of Nov.

  • Report: Biotech crops cause big jump in pesticide use

    Super Admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:25 am
    KANSAS CITY - The rapid adoption by U.S.

  • Coca-Cola to change half of juice packaging

    Super Admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:13 am
    Coca-Cola Co. is unveiling new packaging for half of its worldwide juice volume that borrows from staple brand Minute Maid to create a more uniform look highlighting fruit and nature to appeal to consumers worldwide focusing more on health.   The world's largest soft drink and juice maker introduced the new packaging to investors and analysts at a meeting Tuesday in its hometown of Atlanta.

  • Rainbarrels took brewery off the grid

    Katy Rank Lev
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm
    Rainbarrel manufacturer RainHarvest Systems probably never imagined their barrels being put to use by a brew pub. But Atlanta's 5 Seasons Westside did just that, capturing rainwater, filtering it, and using it to brew up some of the greenest beer flowing.

  • Community-supported restaurants

    Robin Shreeves
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm
    By now you’ve heard of community-supported agriculture, better known as a CSA. Individuals can buy a share of a farm’s crop for the year and get fresh produce and other food regularly from the farm. There are even some wine CSA’s beginning to emerge.   Now restaurants are taking hold of this community-supported model, and raising investment money from individuals in the communities they serve.
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    Mother Nature Network: Transportation

  • Administration to seek seatbelts in motorcoaches

    Super Admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm
    The Obama administration said Monday it will propose long-sought safety requirements for long-distance buses, including seatbelts and stronger roof standards.   A motorcoach safety plan released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls for developing performance requirements for bus roofs before the end of this year and issuing a rule by early next year on installation of seatbelts.   [[social-toolbar]]Safety advocates have for years urged seatbelts and stronger roofs to prevent passengers from being eject

  • Japan's whaling season has begun

    Katherine Butler
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:38 am
      Japanese whalers have set out for waters off the Australian Antarctic Territory. Australians await their arrival with trepidation, as this is the third season since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s government pledged to end whaling in the Southern Ocean.   [[social-toolbar]]The International Whaling Commission (IWC) confirms that each year, the Japanese fleet begins whaling in mid-December and alternates each year between the Australian Antarctic waters and the Antarctic Ross Sea. The IWC has been working for years to curb whaling

  • Sudden acceleration: Dramatic case histories of cars 'that wanted to take off on their own'

    Jim Motavalli
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am
     

  • Carbon offsets don't ease airplane emissions

    Jessica A. Knoblauch
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:48 am
    Carbon offset programs don’t counter global warming emissions despite their best efforts to do so, according to Responsible Travel, one of the world’s largest green travel companies that cancelled its offset program last month.   Even worse, the company says that providing offsets to travelers may actually increase emissions by giving consumers a false notion that they can fly as much as they want without harming the environment.  

  • Taiwan and China may develop electric cars together

    Super Admin
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:31 am
    Taiwan and China are looking into developing electric cars together and will hold a conference here next week to seek areas where they can cooperate, a Taipei official said Monday.   The Nov. 24-25 conference in the Taiwan capital is likely to attract more than 100 Chinese participants, mostly from the auto sector, according to the economics ministry official.   "We are eyeing the huge China market," she said.
 
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    Mother Nature Network: Lifestyle

  • U.N.: Fight climate change with free condoms

    Super Admin
    21 Nov 2009 | 5:18 am
    The battle against global warming could be helped if the world slowed population growth by making free condoms and family planning advice more widely available, the U.N. Population Fund said Wednesday.   The agency did not recommend countries set limits on how many children people should have, but said: "Women with access to reproductive health services ...

  • Small airports, big health risks

    Siel Ju
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm
    Live near a small airport? Those little planes could be harming your health more than you thought. A new study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found worryingly high levels of air pollution at Santa Monica Airport — which has them calling for larger buffers at urban airports. According to the L.A.

  • Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals

    Enrique Gili
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:38 pm
      Have you ever wondered why a scrum of dogs set loose in a city playground get along? Their anxious owners stand by fretting over proper doggy etiquette. Not to fear.

  • Destination of the Week: Copenhagen

    Karl Burkart
    20 Nov 2009 | 2:16 pm
    In many ways, Copenhagen has become symbolic of the vision for a carbon-friendly 21st century. Many mistakenly assume that COP15 stands for Copenhagen (it actually stands for Conference of Parties), but in some ways the misattribution is spot-on.   It does so happen that Copenhagen will be hosting the 15th U.N. Climate Change Conference, and the city will likely go down in the history books as the place where the first globally binding climate treaty was drafted.

  • Theater popcorn: Efficient artery clogger

    Siel Ju
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:19 am
    Watched 2012 at a Regal movie theater last night? If you gobbled down a medium popcorn while taking in scenes of global disaster, then you made a disastrous decision for your health — because you ingested 1,200 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat while sitting still.   I know what you’re thinking: But I ate a large!   Oddly, if you paid an extra buck for the $8 large size, you got lucky healthwise — because you got scammed moneywise.
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    Mother Nature Network: Matt Hickman

  • Playing catch up: TGI Green

    Matt Hickman
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pm
    TreeHugger rolls out a slideshow focusing on surprises at Greenbuild 2009.  Re-Nest introduces us to a fabulous new green design firm called Little Pond Design.

  • The stink cycle

    Matt Hickman
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:56 am
    The last thing you want coming out of your laundry room, a home’s nerve center of clean and tidiness, is a mysterious stench that induces gagging and eye-watering; a smell so bad that you generate piles of also-stinky dirty clothes just to avoid it.   Seattle homeowner and apparent Swamp Thing enthusiast Rae Lembersky describes

  • You have entered the 'Twilight' zone

    Matt Hickman
    19 Nov 2009 | 7:27 am
    Poor Edward Cullen (insert screams and swoons here). The enigmatic high schooler with that dreamy Pacific Northwest pallor&