Panasonic Technology for Hybrid Car Carrier
Panasonic along with Mitsui O.S.K Lines, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are working on technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from ocean going ships.
The test platform is the “EMERALD ACE”. The ship will be fitted with “ … solar panels (160kW planned) and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (approximately 2.2MWh planned) … “
The solar panels charge batteries that provide power when in the harbor – in place of diesel generators reducing CO2 emissions. The batteries are used as ballast and do not impact the carrying capacity of the ship.
Via: Panasonic LINK
a novel design to mount HORIZONTAL wind turbines on overhead highway signposts. By modifying the existing signposts they can be become wind energy sources. See mocked up picture at RIGHT >>> 
United has a green sustainability program called eco-skies. Among the highlights of the program are ... 
e-Waste is a growing problem - one significant issue is that it is often taken to other nations for handling and improper or unsafe disposal.
North American electronic waste and provide support to nations in both Africa and Asia coping with e-waste imports ..."
Street sgns and utility power poles are almost everywhere. A project at The University of Nebraska is looking into ways to use wind power and solar panels on signs to power roadway lights and traffic signals. Any excess power will go into the local energy grid.
feature batteries for storage. " ... Each unit consists of a wind turbine generator and one or more PV panels mounted on the top of the pole for electric power generation." 
San Francisco's new Terminal 2 was retrofitted to be green by design. It is the first Airport Terminal in the US to achieve GOLD LEED. 
The other day while walking in the city I noticed an interesting large green sticker on a intercity bus. It was from the Green Coach Initiative and promoted the bus line's "support being and acting green."
VE.
One key infrastructure item slowing the acceptance of pure electric vehicles is a lack if EV charging stations. Cracker Barrel is helping to build out the infrastructure using locations along highways
a Trek store for recycling.
n uses no fossil fuels for heating. Instead they uses biomass from farming leftovers. 80,000 homes heated by biomass and not fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas! And this is an area of the world where it gets VERY COLD !
Electric Vehicles produce no smog in operation and are very low cost to operate. They have a range of up to 100 miles and are great for city use. 
There is a lot of wind energy off the northeast seaboard ... but no good way to move it to consumers. Google is looking to change that with a new transmission line called the Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC).
Home Power Magazine is full of ideas on renewable energy for home owners and professionals.
West Texas has lots of wind and wind farms - and no good way to get this energy to the South East US. Pattern Energy is looking to build a 400 mile transmission line to the Atlanta area from " ... the nation's No. 1 wind state."
l trash and improper disposal can leach toxic chemicals into the air and water. 
Beyond Low Energy homes are Zero Energy Homes (ZEH). Using technology including geothermal heating and cooling, PV panels, heat recovery ventilation and super insulation and high efficiency windows the homes in Green Acres (New Paltz NY) may be the first ZEH in the world.
Solar power for consumers has lots going for it ... renewable energy, clean power, being green ... and one near term stumbling block --- cost. Most systems are EXPENSIVE for the initial capiital outlay.
ing our dependency on oil. In addition to fibers and fabrics, Sorona® can be used in films, filaments, engineering resins and other applications." 
EcoMotors International has developed the OPOC engine - opposed-piston opposed-cylinder engine. This engine can run on a number of fuels and is lighter in weight and produces more power than a conventional engine.
" ... ground-breaking internal combustion engine ... eliminates the cylinder-head and valve-train components ... lighter, more efficient and economical, with lower exhaust emissions compared with conventional designs...."
Viva Terra's Mad Mats®are made from recycled plastics. 
For an additional $1 in shipping fees you can offset the carbon impact from shipping. Details on the Viva Terra web site under shipping.
The EPA has statistics on who uses the most renewable energy. For the nation as a whole the biggest users are found in the Top 50 ... first by kWh is Intel with 51% of its total electric use and second by kWh is Kohl's department store at 100 % of its total electric use!! 
Braxton's in Devon, PA (western suburbs of Philadelphia) is a 3rd generation family business. We buy a lot of our dog stuff there ... one day I noticed a sign outside touting their "
green-ness" by installing LED lighting.
In June of 2009 Dell announced that they source over 1/4 of their global energy needs from renewable sources. 
Kudzu is a very aggressive fast growing vine that is invasive ... if it could be turned into a source of ethanol ... it might kill 2 birds with 1 stone. And it does not compete with food crops as a route to ethanol.
The US Army is getting greener. They are beginning " ... development of a 500-megawatt solar power plant at Fort Irwin, Calif."
Data Centers are moving to rural areas where land and labor are less expensive. There are often farms and lots of cows ... and therefore lots of cow manure.
My brother and his girlfriend sent photo's of her new Ford Fusion Hybrid. They and the car live in the Research Triangle Park area in NC ... 
Springside School - Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia - continues it's green activities by snagging 5th place - in the US - in the Earth Day Challenge. 
Springside School - Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia has the largest solar installation in the city of Philadelphia. You can see the solar progress with the monitoring station ... the system has the capacity of 92.4 k
W DC. 
Google has made its first DIRECT investment in a production scale wind farm ... 
"UPS ... became the first small package carrier to offer its customers the ability to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the transport of their packages within the United States."
Amtrak is experimenting with a bio-diesel fueled train ... called the Heartland Flyer. 
While diesels are efficient they are polluting ... and use fuel at the rate of a gallon / hour at idle.
Whether you are a landlord, run a bar or hotel there are things YOU can do to celebrate Earth Hour. 
Syracuse University's new green data center follows LEED guidelines and is both green and energy efficient. 
Earth Hour 2010 is just a few days away.
Which is less carbon intensive: electic heat or wood stovfe heat? 
India has lots of gas and diesel powered rickshaws ... these emit significant quantities of pollution ... there is work to outfit rickshaws with batteries and an electric motor. These cost close to 3 x the cost of a traditional rickshaw but the government may offer loans to help offset the cost differential. 
Small changes can save energy and can really add up. Some changes are not hard to do at all ... just put your mind to it.
Enviance makes a carbon reporting system for the " ... Apparently close to 61 percent of companies still don’t have any sort of carbon emissions tracking system in place."
Chemists at UCLA have created a "gene" that might capture CO2 and help control CO2 emissions. 
BloomEnergy has announced a novel fuel cell and unlike typical fuel cells if does not require precious metal catalysts. Fuel cells are typcially "cleaner" than other power sources.
David de Rothschild has built a boat from recycled plastic bottles and plans to sail it from San Francisco in the US to Sydney, Australia. 
U2 has taken a novel approach to getting fans to getting fans to think about the bands carbon footprint and in doing so may help promote the idea of carbon offsets.
Scientists from CalTech have developed technology that might lead efficient solar cells from silicon nanowires. This could lead to all sorts of configurations for solar cells including fabrics.
gawatt hours per year ... if they were classed as a separate industry, they would be the sixth-largest user of electricity ... "
and see some of the technology he is using as well as ways to cut your carbon footprint.
ow offers the Climate Passport program; a way to help travelers reduce their travel carbon footprint by purchasing offsets. 
"
its already substantial GREEN fleet of cars and trucks. 
China is full of business opportunities and is also looking to become / embrace the green movement. The China Green Business Summit - 2009 is being held May 13 - 15th in Beijing, China.
I was in Washington DC this past weekend and saw some small buses with the Smithsonian log on the side - promoting them as green hybrids. This prompted me to see what else our nations museum is up too in the green space. 
" ... Environmental Protection Agency has sent the White House a proposed finding that carbon dioxide is a danger to public health, a step that could trigger a clampdown on emissions of greenhouse gases across a wide swath of the economy. ... "
The Fox TV Show "24" " ... becomes the first carbon neutral television production."
spire its viewers to do the same, "24," ... has far exceeded its carbon-reduction goals and will be the first television production ever to achieve carbon neutrality. ... reduced the carbon emissions associated with its production by a staggering 43%, and ... has purchased high-quality carbon offsets to address its remaining unavoidable emissions. "
Cisco has developed EnergyWise, an approach to monitor, control and report on energy use across the enterprise. 
xide (CO2) waste streams from coal-fired power plants. ... an essential requirement for the compression, transport and potential sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. ..." 
"
annual basis based on gas at $4 / gal.
Resurfice now makes a battery operated ice resurfacing machines . Ofter called "Zamboni's" after the first manufacturer of these products ... Resurfice developed a battery operated model for those who are looking to be Greener on the ice ...
Radnor Township has a number of "green" sites: a new school has a green roof, restored wetlands at Villanova University and leaf pick up / composting by the township. Now they are presenting a series of lectures on Sustainability in Radnor. 
Contessa's plant in Los Angeles, California was designed to minimize it's environmental impact ... 
Want to make it a GREEN Christmas this yer? Wondering what you can do to be GREEN this holiday season?
s already making a big difference."
See what BNSF is doing to develop a Greener inter modal freight port ... 
at restore the planet and all that inhabit it ..."
Newly opened condominiums in the Western Suburbs of Philadelphia combine energy efficiency, LEED design standards, a green roof and is within easy walking distance of 2 t
rain stations.
" ... buildings have heating and cooling systems that employ heat pumps connected to extensive underground thermal pipe systems for tremendous energy efficiency. ..."
reight significantly further per gallon of fuel than a truck.
Spence Brown was one of the winners in Keen's STAND contest. His Zero Waste Moving company is described below ..
"The Sustainable Living Fair is a solution based, hands-on, family oriented event designed to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about Sustainable Living Practices,... and more."
" ... 10,000 people attended last year, yet the Fair only produced 230 pounds of trash. Recycling bins and compost receptacles are everywhere, and the Fair also purchases offset credits. ..."
Key Note speakers include Ed Begley ...
Via: EcoLocolizer 
needs.
Business Conferences and conventions are a fact of life for business travelers ... now one conference / sponsor is using Carbon Offsets as a way to help attendees feel better about the carbon impact of their travel to the conference. 
One way to save energy, including fuel for commuting, is to work a compressed work week. Some companies allow a compressed workweek in the summer, but that is mostly to take advantage of the summer ... 
Junk Mail seems to be an inevitable part of life; but it does not have to be. Here is a possible solution that helps you and the environment.
41pounds.org is named after the approx. 41 pounds of "junk" mail received annually by each adult in the US.
One of the initatives of IBM's Project Big Green is to look for ways to resuce its' own energy needs and those of its clients.
One of Roofscapes "green roofs" is at the Schuykill Valley Nature Center - just outside of Phyioladelphia PA. The roof is not irrigated and covers 2,000 sq ft.
Radnor Township (Delaware Country, Pa) recently opened their new Middle School. It was designed from the ground up to be environmentally friendly as well as to provide a healthy environment for the students and staff.
Ohio State University engineers have developed a process that can use egg shells to (used of course) into Hydrogen Fuel.
New Flyer manufactures both standard and hybrid buses. They have delivered many to Philadelphia's SEPTA transit authority.
Everyone, I hope, knows that plastic bottles labeled #1 or #2 can be recycled. Some even know that these plastic bottles can be recycled ... into fibers that make clothes!
Several complaints about compact fluorescent bulbs is that:
Some schools are already green. Others are just getting started. Many need help with a structured program to guide them. 
"The new Vatican Climate Forest will be created in Hungary's Bükk National Park ... dimensions will be determined by the Vatican’s 2007 energy usage and the success of its current emission reduction efforts. KlimaFa has received EU JI Track 1 approval to plant thousands of hectares of new native species, mixed growth forests under the permanent protection of European national park systems. Its initial projects are being conducted in collaboration with Hungary's government, Academy of Sciences and National Parks Directorate."
"Planktos/KlimaFa has further committed to work with the Vatican ... to develop methods to calculate the CO2 emissions of individual Catholic churches and offer ecorestoration options to turn their carbon footprints green."
"Austin, Texas - Home to the first Whole Foods Market ... 205 parks, 14 nature preserves, and 25 greenbelts. ... plans to meet 20 percent of its energy needs with renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2020. ... a recycling center that dates back to 1970, a dozen outdoor farmer's markets, city buses that offer free rides on 'high ozone' days and an innovative "pay-as-you-throw" trash collection program that rewards residents for being less wasteful ..." 
Minneapolis, Minnesota - ... more than 60 percent of downtown workers use public or alternative transportation ... Free parking for registered van and car pools, an extensive bike path and bike lane system and employer-sponsored showers ... Minnesota State Department of Commerce nudging businesses and residents to hook solar systems up to the city's grid, ..."
"Boulder, Colorado - ... city planners started preserving parkland in 1898. ... 
The Taiwanese company "Evergreen" is building Green Cargo Ships. One major source of pollution takes place when cargo ships are docked at port - either loading or unloading. Read on how Evergreen solves this and other typical pollution sources from ocean going cargo ships.
Want to be green?
What can an individual do to generate clean power? Not everyone is in a position financially or other) to put up solar panels or a wind turbine or a hydro power facility.
"... Toyota Prius Hybrid, the newest vehicle in the Green Collection. We have nearly 35,000 cars in the Green Collection fleet, all vehicles are: 
(SIA). ... was the first auto assembly plant to achieve zero landfill status - nothing from its manufacturing efforts goes into a landfill. It's all reused and recycled."
"... if everything works out just right, we could take a mile of our right of way and generate about 500 gallons of biodiesel per year," says UDOT Director John Njord. "Now that's pretty darn significant when you consider we have thousands of miles of right-of-way within our state.""
Just in Time before the End of May!
"Insulate your home: Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $245 per year." 
So, you want a Natural Gas powered car, and you found one. Honda sells the Civic GX at select dealers in NY and California. 
easy to use .... see pictures in this post above and below. 
