Green Technology

Which is less carbon intensive:  electic heat or wood stovfe heat? 

The Sierra Club's "Hey Mr. Green" tells us ...it depends on the quality / newness of your wood stove and where the pollution ends up -- at a power plant or in your neighborhood.  No easy answers but some good info.

" ... carbon footprint depends on the source of your electric power and the quality of your wood burner. ... power ... generated from coal or other fossil fuels ... footprint might be bigger than if you're burning wood in a new, efficient, EPA-approved firebox or stove. ..."

" ... wood burner ... releases a lot more other pollutants into the air ... releases them right where you and your neighbors breathe ... wood ... emits 250 times as much global-warming methane as burning coal in a power plant."

Via:  Sierra Club  LINK

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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.

" ... Soleckshaw ... can either be pedaled or run off of a 36-volt battery that is charged every 45 miles from a solar charging station ... prototype ... seats three and has electric lights, an FM radio, four mobile phone chargers, and can travel at 12 and a half miles per hour. ..."

Via:  cleanechnica LINK

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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.

" ... simple changes in your life ... can reduce the amount of C02 released into the atmosphere and help stop global warming. Be part of the solution"

"Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year."

Via:  stopglobalwarming.org   LINK

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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."

" ... Enviance Greenhouse Gas FastTrack program is specifically focused on businesses that need to comply with ... requirements put in place by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ... call for companies to submit their first batch of information for fiscal year 2010 by March 31, 2011. ..."

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

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Movie theaters are embracing the the green movement including LEED.

" ... theaters are making an effort to help viewers go green ... including Georgia-based Carmike Cinemas ... built a LEED-certified theater in Chattanooga, Tenn., which opened in November ... "

" ... Environmentally conscious theater construction and design are growing trends ... Some theaters are installing solar panels ... and using recycled building materials for new theaters and existing facilities that are under renovation."

Via: FORBES LINK

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Darden Restaurants - owner of Red Lobster and other restaurant brands - is embracing the USGBC LEED Standards.

" ... launching a sustainable restaurant design initiative ... will require that all new restaurants be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards ... need to be built following the LEED Rating Systems code when feasible."

" ... launching with eight restaurants that have been built, or are in the process of being built, to achieve LEED certification."

Via: FORBES LINK

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Porsche's take on hybrid technology is a 918 Spyder that uses " ... a plug-in hybrid system comprised of two electric motors coupled to a 3.4-liter V-8 racing engine ... a parallel hybrid, the car can run on pure electricity, just gas, or a combination of the two."

It looks great ... !

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

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Small day changes in our day to day activities can add up and make a real difference.  Here are some tips from greenandmore.com via: EPA USDOE and EnergyStar.gov that can help save energy, water and other resources:

"Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room. (www.epa.gov)"

" ... microwave to cook small meals. It uses less power than an oven. (www.epa.gov)"

"Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can. (www.epa.gov)"

See LINK for the complete list. 

Via:  greenandmore LINK

Continue reading "Save Energy and Money with These Tips" »

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Dixon Golf's "GREEN" golf balls are truly green - made with recycled materials and themselves recyclable.

" ...first high-performance eco-friendly golf balls ... all balls manufactured by Dixon Golf are "green" to the core ... 100% recyclable and made from reprocessable materials ... packaging is made from 100% recycled material."

Via: LINK

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"PlanetSolar ... topped by a large array of photovoltaic solar panels ... will be both silent and clean. The goal is to navigate around the world at an average speed of 8 knots ..."

" .. will be home to two sailors during the round-the-world attempt, and can accommodate up to fifty people during the promotional trips planned ..."

Via:  PlanetSolar  LINK

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GE has created a new water heater - a next generation - that saves energy by novel use of technology.  Advanced (for a water heater at least) technology from other areas like sophisticated controls, hybrid modes and heat pumps can result in a very energy efficient water heater.

" ...  GE rethought every aspect of this appliance from the ground up. ... can reduce water heater operating cost up to 62% and save $320 per year ... "

" eHeat™ Mode (most energy efficient mode) ... [using a heat pump] removes heat from the surrounding air, heats the water ... Time required to heat water is longer in this mode, but should be adequate for normal demand households. ... Hybrid Mode (default mode) Combines ... eHeat with the recovery speed and power of standard electric. ...  High Demand Mode ... higher than average water usage ... Standard Electric Mode ... faster than all other modes but it is the LEAST energy-efficient mode."

A control panel at eye level allows for easy access  and control.  Leave it alone or use it as needed to customize your hot water needs . " ... enables the vacation mode " .... system will drop the temperature set point to 50°F to save energy ... preventing the water from freezing ... automatically heats the water to the previous set temperature the day before you are expected to return. ..."

The GeoSpring electric heat pump water heater is the first residential electric water heater with an electronic back-lit LCD display. The panel features a user-friendly control system located at eye-level to eliminate the need to bend down to the floor to adjust temperature settings. Changing the mode and temperature is as easy as following the on-screen menu. This easy-to-use electronic control panel offers both simplicity and flexibility, giving consumers as much or as little control as they like.

Via:  GE LINK

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The "Low Carbon World" website ... www.LowCarbonEconomy.com - was officially launched today ... [25-Feb-2010] ...in Bali, Indonesia at the United Nations Environment Programme's annual Governing Council. ... joint project between Low Carbon Economy.com and the United Nation's Climate Neutral Network ... aims to facilitate the move to global low carbon economies, ..."

" ... will assist knowledge transfer and simplify access to information and tools that can be difficult to trace ... will list every country's carbon policies, commitments, historical performance, future projections and opportunities, ..."

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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.

" ..  an innovative new fuel cell technology ... derived from a common sand-like powder ... technology is able to produce clean, reliable, affordable power,... practically anywhere,... from a wide range of renewable or traditional fuels."

" ... Energy Servers™ are among the most efficient energy generators on the planet; providing for significantly reduced electricity costs and dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions ... "

" ... Originally called Ion America, Bloom Energy, was founded with the mission to make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone on earth."

" ... After two years of successful field trials in Tennessee, California, and Alaska, to validate the technology, the first commercial (100kW) products were shipped to Google in July 2008."

" ... Bloom's Energy Servers have helped our customers generate millions of kWhs of electricity and eliminate millions of pounds of CO₂ from the environment."

Via:  BloomEnergy LINK

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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. 

 Yes he is from the famous Rothschild family. 

The boat and crew will travel in a green manner (composting toilets and vertical green garden fertilized by composted poop) Power for on board electronics comes from solar cells and wind turbines.  The boat uses glue made from cashew nuts.

Follow the journey and check out the web site for lots of geen info.

Via:  Plastiki  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Selection -- Walmart will focus on the product categories with the highest embedded carbon. This is defined as the amount of life cycle GHG emissions per unit multiplied by the amount the company sells. To find the embedded carbon, the ASC reviewed the GHG emissions associated with all Walmart product categories. This approach ensures the project team focuses on the categories that have the greatest opportunity for reductions. Reductions can come from any part of a product’s life cycle." ...

Continue reading "Walmart green supply chain opportunity wiil target carbon intense products" »

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Along the lines of which is better for the environment - paper or plastic bags is the "which is better for the environment" paper or digital format for documents.  Bet you are leaning towards digital --- I am.

" ... main selling points ... of eReaders is that they are greener than print. ... common view held by consumers ... is that going digital means going green and saving trees. Many are in for a rude awakening. ... subjected to ‘cradle-to-cradle’ life cycle analysis, eReading is not nearly as green as many naively assume it is."

" ... Computers, eReaders, and cell phones don’t grow on trees and their spiraling requirement for energy is unsustainable."

" ... digital devices require a constant flow of electrons that predominately come from the combustion of coal, and at the end of their all-too-short useful lives electronics have become the single largest stream of toxic waste created by man...."

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

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" ... The number of affordable, energy-efficient modular homes continues to increase as Pennsylvania-based builder Excel Homes offers a new line aimed at first-time buyers ... targeted to be sold for under $100,000, and depending on region, for as low as $60,000. ..."

" ... Excel Homes ... has built 28,000 modular homes since its founding in 1984 ...  built in sect

ions ... in Liverpool, Pa., and Marlboro, N.Y., and transported ... where they are assembled... come with the government's Energy Star label for energy efficiency ... prices do not include the cost of land...."

Via: USAToday LINK

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Can your car - or your hybrid - help power the grid?

" ... exploring plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) that not only use grid electricity to meet their power needs, but also the car's potential to store electricity from the wind or sun, or even feed electricity back into the grid, earning money for the owner."

" ... vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration ... improve the sustainability and resilience of the transportation and electric power infrastructures ... new era in which vehicles and electric "fuel" infrastructure become a system."

" electric cars become "distributed" storage, doubling as mobile holding tanks for electricity, ready to serve in their down time."

Via:  University of Michigan LINK
 

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" ... solar-powered sensor system developed at the University of Michigan is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually."

" ...could enable new biomedical implants as well as home-, building- and bridge-monitoring devices. It could vastly improve the efficiency and cost of current environmental sensor networks designed to detect movement or track air and water quality."

" ... can run nearly perpetually if periodically exposed to reasonable lighting conditions, even indoors ... "

" ... could enable less-invasive ways to monitor pressure changes in the eyes, brain, and in tumors in patients with glaucoma, head trauma, or cancer. In the body, the sensor could conceivably harvest energy from movement or heat, rather than light, the engineers say."

 Via:  University of Michigan  LINK

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San Francisco is known for embracing many things green.  The city recently developed and released an iPhone app for recycling information.

"San Franciscans already lead the nation in recycling – in May [2009] we announced a 72% diversion rate of all materials going to the landfill ... pledged to recycle 75% of the materials that would otherwise go to the landfill by 2010 and zero waste by 2020."

" ... find out where to recycle or properly dispose of materials using ... location-based mobile application. Instead of dumping old electronics or furniture on the sidewalk, the EcoFinder iPhone app tells you where these materials should go, based on your location."

Via:  CleanTechnica  LINK

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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.

U2's show uses quite a bit of carbon in getting things set up and moved around the world.  They are promoting to fans that they can do their part to help offset the carbon footprint of the concert when they buy tickets ... read on for more.

Posted by Green Dude at 06:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Via:  Ford LINK

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The UTS Tower in Sydney, Australia is may get a proposed upgrade - a solar skin.  This PV "wrap" would turn the tower into a very green and energy efficient structure.

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Tower "upgrade" is " ... Fueled by the university’s sustainability drive ... turn the building into a “landmark environmental tower” by wrapping it in a photovoltaic skin."

"The sustainable energy system, devised by postgraduate students in 2008, has been funded to allow students to build and test the project."

 There are a number of propose upgrades including wind turbines and cogeneration ... the solar skin " ... stretches around walls and roof elements ... the building is covered in a lightweight composite mesh textile that can collect rain water, generate electricity and complement the plan’s passive ventilation system that uses natural convection."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

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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.

" ... CalTech scientists say they have the underlying technology. Silicon nanowires, arranged in arrays, have been engineered that ... grab power from visible light ..."

" ... a cell geometry that not only uses 1/100th the material of traditional wafer-based devices, but also may offer increased photovoltaic efficiency owing to an effective optical concentration of up to 20 times ...”

"If nanowires can be woven into a viable matrix, combined with other material, it means fabrics can double as solar connectors, once they have a way to off-load the power they create."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

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H-P's newest data center in Wynyard England is cooled ENTIRELY by wind blowing off the nearby North Sea.  The North Sea is cold and so are its winds. It is H-P's greenest data center yet ...

The " ... new 360,00 sq. ft. Wynyard center is 40 percent more energy-efficient than conventional data centers ..."

" ... Traditional data centers use thousands of megawatt hours per year ... if they were classed as a separate industry, they would be the sixth-largest user of electricity ... "

 Other energy saving / carbon saving features of the Wynyard data center are: " ... harvesting rainwater ... to maintain proper humidity levels in the air that’s brought in from outside ... light-colored server racks because they reflect light, allowing for 40 percent less lighting to be installed compared to using black cabinets."

"HP had previously announced that it plans to reduce the combined energy consumption of operations and products by 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2010."

Via:  SmartPlanet LINK

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Volvo is looking at a possible new battery technology that can double as the car "skin".    The idea is to make new hybrids lighter and more efficient by having the car's "skin" serve a dual purpose.

"Researchers from Imperial College London ... and Volvo are developing a prototype material that’s strong and light enough to be used as a car’s skin but can store and discharge electrical energy."

" ... material is made of carbon fibers and a polymer resin and can store and discharge large amounts of energy much more quickly than conventional batteries."

" ... does not use chemical processes, making it quicker to recharge than conventional batteries. Unlike conventional chemical batteries, the recharging process also causes little degradation in the composite material."

" ... could also be used as both battery and shell of consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers. Without conventional batteries, the devices could be smaller and more lightweight."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

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A MIT spin-off has created a solar powered refrigerator that can bring cooling to those far from the electric grid - especially those in developing countries like India and China.

"Promethean Power Systems has developed a solar-powered refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries. ... store and preserve perishable food items ... without the need for expensive diesel-powered generators"

" ... a for-profit enterprise. We believe that creating a cost-effective solution for cold-chain food distribution in emerging markets is an excellent business opportunity that could deliver enormous social and environmental benefits."

" ...  study revealed a large business opportunity in India for an efficient cold-storage solution targeted to the dairy industry ... Cold-storage at the village level minimizes the number of collection trips and reduces transportation cost in half. Today, the only alternative is to use commercial refrigerators with diesel-powered backup generators, a no-win situation that further exposes the dairies to escalating energy prices. "

Via:  Coolectrica  LINK

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" ... what to do with the 30 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide the human race produces every year by burning fossil fuels. Half ... is absorbed by oceans, plants and trees. The rest contributes to the atmospheric build-up of greenhouse gas ..."

" ... a bold solution that will inevitably come up is to capture and sequester some of that carbon dioxide deep underground. Onshore geologic cavities in the U.S. could hold 2 trillion tons of CO₂ ... enough to soak up 300 years of national output ... and would generate a good deal of anxiety for those living above the gas...."

" ... put the carbon where nobody lives ... a perfect place 130 miles off the eastern U.S. seaboard and 2 miles below the ocean ... porous sandstone formation, trapped under 3,200 feet of hard shale, that stretches from New Jersey to Georgia ... "

"SCS Energy ... aims to start injecting CO₂ into this undersea rock by 2016 and to make a profit ... "

" ... technique called coal gasification that heats coal and partially combusts it in pure oxygen to make carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Adding water turns the carbon monoxide into CO₂. The 5 million tons of CO₂ produced annually by the plant would be piped out to sea and injected into ... sandstone. Almost all the hydrogen would be used to power a turbine during hours when the price of electricity is high. When power prices are lower, more hydrogen would be diverted to make ammonia or urea for fertilizer."

"Carbon capture and storage on a large scale is still more theoretical than real ... Sequestration's critics are legion, but it may be a requirement to meet the 2020 greenhouse-gas-reduction goals most countries set for themselves prior to the Copenhagen talks...."

Via:  Forbes  LINK

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• Ford's new Transit Connect is the ideal taxi platform as it is both big enough to accommodate CNG or Propane fuel tanks and is available with CNG or Propane engine options that from Ford - maintaining the  manufacturers warranty.

" ... meeting with taxi operators ... found considerable interest for vehicles that run on alternative fuels ..."

“ ... they provide an overall lower emission of greenhouse gases compared to gasoline. Additionally, operating on CNG or LPG provides the operators lower fuel/operating costs ..."

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The GSA is renovating the 18 story federal building in Portland, Oregon.  Green features include a vertical green wall and reduced water usage with low flow fixtures and recycled roof water.

"... part of a $133 million renovation, the General Services Administration wants to grow “vegetated fins” on the western facade of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building ... save energy year-round using one of Mother Nature’s own tools."

" ... will use 60 to 65 percent less energy than comparable buildings. That translates to an energy cost savings of $280,000 per year."

"Solar panels could also provide up to 15 percent of the building’s power needs. Energy use for lighting will be halved."

Posted by Green Dude at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

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 "San Francisco based, Climate Earth has developed new software technology that measures and analyzes the carbon impact inside the supply chain, from the production of a carton of orange juice to the construction of a giant skyscrape ...

Via: SmartPlanet  LINK

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"Equator Coffees ... is going green ... using sustainable farming practices to grow their coffee cherries by partnering with local farmers in developing countries. On their site, they also have a smart coffee roaster that burns 80 percent less natural gas than a traditional coffee roaster and a food composter that turns excess coffee waste into fertilizer."

To learn more about Equator Coffee CLICK HERE.

Via:  SmartPlanet LINK

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Dow has products for many part of the green economy ... from solar cells to batteries for electric cars to materials for solar cells.

"Dow ... has embarked upon a multi-pronged strategy to capitalize on the demand for renewable energy and low-carbon alternatives to conventional products. ... "

" ... Dow's secret [is] ... Material science, i.e. membranes, coatings and other difficult-to-manufacture items that require a lot of chemical know-how. ... will have a huge impact on ... core green markets ..."

" ... Dow Corning ... brought a silicone sealant originally devised for outer space solar panels to the conventional solar panel market ... Dow signed a multimillion dollar, multi-year research alliance with Caltech to develop next generation solar technologies. ..."

" ... will sell copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar roofing tiles. Initial customers for the tiles, developed in conjunction with Global Solar, include mass market home builders Lennar and Pulte Homes."

" ... is sponsoring Electric Avenue, the electric car hall at the North American International Auto Show  .... Dow Kokam, a joint venture, will also discuss batteries for electric cars at the show."

" ... wants a larger part of the water purification and desalination market, buying Rohm & Haas to help it expand ..."

Via:  Greentechmedia  LINK

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"Samsung and Korea Electric Power Corp. will invest $6.6 billion into wind and solar projects in Ontario ... will build and maintain power plants as well as erect four new factories in North America for making the equipment for the power plants ... plants will employ 1,440 and building and maintaining the power plant will keep 16,000 busy ..."

" ... 2.5 gigawatts of renewable capacity ... triple renewable capacity in Ontario."

" ... Samsung hopes to translate its expertise in electronics, deep financial pocket, and manufacturing heft into a leading role in building management systems, energy efficient electronics and solar power ... "

"Samsung has already stated a public goal of becoming number one in solar in 2015 ... laid out an ambitious carbon reduction plan ... wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both its operations and from the use of its products by 50 percent by 2013 on a normalized sales basis...."

In 2008, Samsung and its products emitted 9.4 million tons of greenhouse gases with about 60 percent of the emissions coming indirectly through products. ..."

Via:  Greentechmedia  LINK

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Green buildings and designs are being found all across the country ... the Housing Authority Administration building in Newport, Tennessee is green.  Read about the many green features and technologies used.

" ... 8,585 square foot administration building ... Design included multiple "green" features: photovaltaic solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, premium insulation package, Energy Star windows and lighting, low flow faucets and toilets and low impact site design. Project cost was $1,000,000.00."

Via:  McGraw-Hill Construction Community   LINK

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This video shows interactively the carbon footrprint of two food choices - a cheesburger and a chicen sandwich. Knowing this which would you choose?

Via: SmartPlanet LINK

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Via: United Technologies Corp. LINK

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" ... data center developer Verne Global ... announced it is constructing the first international data center in Iceland ... converting a former NATO command center into a data center."

" ... designed to take full advantage of Iceland's infrastructure and environment ... the data center, whose total footprint is about 430,600 square feet, will be designed around LEED Gold standards ... will deploy innovative practices of HVAC and adaptive reuse of the world-class facilities already in place."

" ... will benefit from the large amount of free cooling available in Iceland, as well as its renewable energy sources and constant power rates."

" ... Verne Global is breaking new ground in using Iceland's natural green resources to mitigate both increasing emissions and rising energy costs."

Via:  Web Host Industry Review  LINK

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Fuel cells are making there way to a food store near you - if you live in Dedham, Mass.

" ... newest and largest Whole Foods Market in New England ... in Dedham, MA. ... the first store in Massachusetts to generate on-site power with fuel cell technology (one of the cleanest forms of energy)! 90% of our power will be generated by this fuel cell - this is something that we are very proud of."

Via:  Whole Foods LINK  and United Technologies LINK

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" ... our corporate commitment ... on reducing waste and any harmful environmental impact throughout the manufacturing process or footprint ... we can’t eliminate all activities that affect the environment ... we can focus on the activities that can reduce our environmental impact ..."

"Lili ... is a commitment shared by the leaders and employees of Intertape to continually look for opportunities to lower our environmental impact so sustainability is within reach.  We invite you to do the same."

" ... try this suggestion for lowering your impact ...  Lower your energy consumption and save money by replacing bulky computer monitors with a flat panel monitor.  They use 1/3 of the electricity which is the equivalent to the savings of leaving a 50W bulb burning for one year. "

Via:  Intertape Polymer Group  LINK

Continue reading "Intertape Polymer Group - Green Packaging and Lili" »

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Puppy Toys have gone GREEN.

We recently got a puppy and have noticed there are lots of GREEN puppy (and cat) things to be had ...

" ... In an age of disposability, these products stand the test of time. ... Utilizing eco friendly materials, such as reclaimed cotton, organic cotton, eco fabric and stuffing made with IntelliLoft™ recycled fibers, reyclable Zogoflex, and recycled fabric that can be recycled again ... "

" ... developed a manufacturing process that minimizes waste (currently as low as 2.4%!) ... our state-of-the-art building ... was constructed using the latest developments in energy efficient design in 2001 ... building expansion in 2009 and 2010 ... reclaiming 30,000 lbs of concrete."

" ... Reclaimed and reused old boxes are utilized to store finished goods rather than plastic manufacturing totes ... also incorporate recycled material in our shipping boxes."

Via:  West Paw Design  LINK

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" ... Prince Charles, the U.K.'s version of Al Gore, has taken another step in a green direction: his 1970 Aston Martin DB6 has been converted to run entirely on bioethanol ... fuel ... made from a white wine produced near the prince's Highgrove Estate, itself a showcase for organic farming ..."

" ... goal of reducing emissions from his planes, trains, and automobiles 25% by 2018 ... European Union limits annual wine production, so any leftovers from England's current vintage can be converted to bioethanol by Green Fuels Ltd.... company has previously provided bioethanol to power the royal train. The prince's other vehicles, which include a smattering of Jaguars, a Range Rover, and an Audi, have been converted to run on bioethanol made from cooking oil...."

Via: RiverWired LINK

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"If you want ... ‘green’ biodiesel, but don’t want to produce it yourself, you can buy high quality fuel from one of our Green Fuels approved dealers nationwide ...you will always save money compared with standard garage fuels ... "

"Biodiesel is a clean-burning biofuel produced from domestic renewable resources such as used cooking oil, oil seed crops such as rapeseed, or unused vegetable oil. It is biodegradeable, non-toxic and carbon neutral ... has 80% lower emissions than mineral diesel, it dramatically reduces pollution. It is inexpensive and easy to produce at home and is safe to use in any diesel vehicle without any modifications to your engine."

" ... two models in the Fuelpod range by Green Fuels - the safest way to produce high quality biodiesel at home. Both are supplied as complete systems and have minimal operating costs, with exceptionally low electricity consumption."

Via: Green Fuels Ltd. LINK

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" ... began recycling paper in the 1940s, have used recycled paper in products and packaging since the 1970s ... established a corporate-wide environmental conservation program in the 1990s...."

Other efforts include ... " ... sponsors e-waste events to collect and responsibly dispose of employees' discarded electronics ... actively participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWi$e and Energy Star Building programs ... Since the early 1990s we have reduced solid waste by 70 percent and hazardous waste by 90 percent ... waste-to-energy program at our distribution center in Enfield, Conn., has resulted in an ongoing zero percent waste program since 1998. Materials not recycled are used as electrical generator fuel."

Via: Hallmark LINK

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" ... inhabitants on the small Danish island of Samso have ... become one of the first industrialised places in the world to qualify as being totally energy self-sufficient ... Denmark ... can now boast a region that can be used by the rest of the planet as the blueprint for future green energy production ... started in 1997 when Samso won a competition ... to become Denmark's "Renewable Energy Island" by presenting a 10-year plan to convert its energy consumption from oil and gas to clean technology ... 21 wind turbines have been built on Samso ..."

" ... houses in Samso's 22 villages are heated by power plants that rely on furnaces fired by wood chips and straw and farms of man-sized solar panels inhabit the fields ... project also creates new jobs as ... island's plumbers and carpenters have now all become experts in energy-saving home conversion and insulation techniques, and even get the opportunity to carry out installations in mainland Europe and the US ..."

For more on this project check out this video ...

Via: Power and Energy News LINK

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Looking for a great gift for that special green tech or green dude in your life?  Check out "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas" by Anna Getty.

" ... Anna Getty ... heiress, environmental advocate, writer, television personality, chef, mother, organic living expert ... believes that being green is not a trend but a way of life and in her 180-page book, “I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas” she shares her favorite holiday projects and recipes. "

" ... printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper ... is filled with ideas for gifts, decorations and recipes that use less and mean more ...  shows readers how to reduce their carbon footprint and save money ... "

  Check out this interesting video ... very cool ...

Via:  EcoFabulous  LINK

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Japan's Matsushita ... "will claim first place in the race to put commercial home fuel cells on the market ... "

" ... can optimally provide 70 percent of the energy needs for a 1,280 square foot house with four people ... can reduce energy consumption by 22 percent and CO2 emissions by 12 percent as compared to all other power sources ... ".

" ... cogeneration home fuel cell hooks up to the city’s natural gas lines, extracting hydrogen from the gas ... hydrogen is combined with oxygen through a series of polyelectrolyte membranes, a process that creates electricity, heat, and water ... home fuel cell produces between 500 watts and a 1 kilowatt of electricity and captures the heat to warm a tank of water, used for showers, dishes etc."

" ... a contribution to Japan’s goals of reducing global CO2 emissions 50 percent by 2050." " ... fuel cells require a great deal of energy; for example, this unit contains more than 2,000 components. Whether the production of the units negates the energy and CO2 savings gained by customers is unclear."

Check out this video ...

Via: Mother Nature Network LINK

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Zerofootprint offers software and services that help your organization measure and manage its environmental footprint."

 For example, their "One Minute Calculators enable individuals to get a quick measure of their carbon footprint. After they input basic lifestyle information, the calculator will provide an estimate of a user’s carbon emissions in 60 seconds or less." 

There are 10 One Minute Calculators ... looking at the Earth Hour version I found that my family uses 11.45 ton / year of CO2.  By changing some variables like diet you can see the impact of various changes.

>>> Check it out.

Via:  zerofootprint  LINK

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Cagoule, a small company from Portland, Oregon, sells a line of gloves, hats, blankets and scarves made from post consumer recycled plastic beverage bottles.

My wife found these at our local Whole Foods Markets (Devon, Pa) and thought they looked like a great idea ... quality warm fleece gloves from post consumer recycled bottles.

Via:  Cagoule Fleece Link

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Andy Pag has set off on a trip around the world - but with a low carbon twist.  He is travelling on a "budget" of 2 tonnes of carbon per person per year.  You can follow his progress and story on his blog 2tonnesofcarbon and see some of the technology he is using as well as ways to cut your carbon footprint.

"The Biotruck Expedition is a 12 month expedition to drive around the world to discover how people are using and generating energy, and their attitudes t0wards carbon emissions."

" ... I'll be trying to conduct the whole project with a carbon emissions budget of 2 tonnes per person ... doing this because I'm curious about energy use around the world, and I want to see if I can travel on a sustainable carbon budget myself."

"Over the next 10 years, I predict recreational travel will either change dramatically, or become as socially unacceptable as drink driving or smoking is today."

Via:  Bio Truck Expedition  LINK

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Data centers are BIG energy hogs ... withe energy to run them, generating hot CPUs that then need A/C to be kept cool.

"... IBM, which continues to develop technology that could, one day, lead to zero-emission data centers. ... key ... lies in a new cooling technology that IBM is currently toying around with."

"High-performance liquid cooling allows data centers to operate with coolant temperatures above the free cooling limit in all climates, eliminating the need for chillers and allowing the thermal energy to be reused in cold climates. ..."

" ... thanks to this ... cooling technology, IBM has to use less energy than it otherwise would have ... system reuses about 75 percent of the energy initially put into it. It’s that loss of only around 25 percent that makes the whole thing so efficient."

Via: CrunchGear LINK

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"President Barack Obama  will travel to the climate summit in Copenhagen ... if the countries involved are on the verge of a deal and he thinks his presence will help to clinch agreement, ... Obama's strongest assertion yet that he will attend the meeting in Denmark to help secure a binding treaty in the fight against climate change ... "

" ... House of Representatives has passed a bill setting a 17% reduction in America's emissions from 2005 levels, and a version currently in the Senate aims for a 20% cut by 2020."

"If Obama shows up next month, he will join more than 40 heads of state and government, including prime minister Gordon Brown and others from Europe, Africa and South America who have said they will attend the talks."

Via: The Guardian LINK

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Ever wonder why office building always seem to be lit up at night ? Often if is because the lighting controls do not allow for fine lighting control .... lights are either on or off for the whole floor ... or a large portion of the floor. I recall this when I worked in office buildings past the automatic "lights out" time programmed into the lighting relays.

"Commercial office buildings are one of the main culprits of the current climate crisis ... consume large amounts of electricity and release excessive carbon emissions ... Adura Technologies has developed a mesh-based lighting system that is reducing costs and consumption inside buildings. The technology consists of wireless radios that plug into florescent light fixtures giving employees more control over their personal lighting space. ... also created a dual motion sensing-personal control system that is being used at UC Berkeley that allows students to break the hard-wired connection and control their lighting from their desktop PCs."

Posted by Green Dude at 05:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LEDs lights offer longer life and less energy usage than traditional incandescent bulbs. HolidayLEDS offers a selection of energy efficient LEDS and a recycling program to safely get rid of your old lights.

"HolidayLED's ... is committed to providing the best LED holiday, Christmas and decorative lighting available ... All of our products are UL listed and Energy Star qualified. ..."

"HolidayLEDs.com has a solution (and a final resting place) for your old and inefficient incandescent Christmas lights--we'll recycling them for you ... recycling program is open now and will continue through the end of February 2010. ...the third year in a row we have operated the program and participation has increased each year. ..."

Some suggestions before you mail in your old bulbs for recycling ... " ... be sure there is not a recycling facility locally who will accept them. ... There is an environmental cost associated with shipping your lights ... cost is greatly reduced if you put your lights together with several family members, friends, neighbors, or local groups. ... Don't use packing material. The lights are going to be placed in a commercial shredder. It does not matter if they get broken ..."

Here is the link to HolidayLEDS recycling program ... LINK

Via: HolidayLEDS LINK

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 ... monitors news services from around the world to offer the latest news on carbon capture, carbon sequestration, and climate change, updated every 24 hours, 7 days a week. ... compiling a list of all articles mentioning these topics, and preparing a series of analytical reports to make it easy to continually keep track of what the world's media is saying about carbon capture."

" ... Daily Map service overlays each day's coverage onto Google Maps and Google Earth, showing what different countries and different parts of those countries are saying about carbon capture. See how coverage has changed over time using the interactive timeline of the Google Earth display."

" ... Daily Summary Newsletter service sends you the latest headlines ... delivered to your inbox at 2AM CST each morning."

" ... is an ongoing, highly experimental research project. All results are generated entirely by machine, so reports may occasionally contain errors and no guarantees of any kind are provided ..."

Via: Carbon Capture Report LINK

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Looking to add a green roof?  Lots of building are now sporting green roofs.  There are a number of environmental and economical reasons to green the roof.  A green roof can even help get a LEED certification.

"Urban Heat Island Mitigation ... Green roof vegetation helps by cooling the air, slowing air movement and acting as a substrate for pollution to settle out and detoxify. ... Noise Reduction ... Plants, soil, and air trapped in the soil are great acoustic insulators.  ... green roofs can reduce indoor sound by as much as 40 decibels ... Fire Prevention ... Succulent green roof plants help reduce the risk of fire. ..."

"Water Conservation/Reduction of Storm Water Runoff ... green roof systems acts like a sponge and absorbs excess rain water ... green roof systems can reduce runoff by up to 90+% annually ... Habitat Recreation
Plants and soil help recreate habitat for butterflies, insects, and songbirds. "

Check out LiveRoof for more information.

Via:  LiveRoof LINK

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Samsung is well know for developing greener cell phones -- including the Reclaim ...

Now Samsung introduces the Blue Earth environmentally friendly green cell phone.  Unlike other green cell phones this is a full featured phone.  Among the green features are ... a solar cell for charging, low power use while in standby mode and fewer harmful materials.

" ...  Samsung Blue Earth combines the latest multimedia features ... while achieving lower energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials ... made from Post Consumer Material (PCM), ... extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. ... free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Phthalate."

" ... user interface ... designed to draw attention to preserving our fragile environment. With “Eco mode,” screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth can be set to an energy-efficient mode with just one click. ... “Eco Walk” ... allows users to ... calculate the reduction in CO2 emission realized by walking as opposed to using a motor vehicle. ... allows users to see the value of walking by calculating the number of trees that have been saved."

"...  the solar panel located on the back of the phone ... can generate enough power to use the device anytime and anywhere. ..."

Via: Samsung LINK

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 "HP recognizes the important role that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector will play in enabling carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions ... committed to reducing our own contribution to climate change as well as developing IT solutions that can help lower or reduce the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as CO2 into the atmosphere. ...  In most countries, buildings are the largest driver for both energy use and CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions. The 160 million buildings of the EU, for example, are estimated to use over 40 percent of Europe’s energy and to drive over 40 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions ..."

"HP’s Intelligent Building Competence Center (IBCC) offers the BuilDog solution for the next generation of fully managed and optimized buildings ... manage a buildings heating and cooling and electricity use as well as security, facilities, inventory, telecommunications and more. Smart management ... can result in reductions of 25-35% (in cost) through optimization of the facility as well as resource use and purchase."

Via:  HP LINK

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It's always nice to save some energy (energy = money).  Sometimes these are really easy low cost ideas.  Check these out ...simple, easy and low tech ...

" ...  Put a timer on your hot-water heater ... no need for your hot water heater to keep running 24/7. ... if you're going away for a few days, turn your hot-water heater off altogether ... change the last of your old bulbs to CFLs. It's getting darker earlier, and than means we need more lighting. Be green and save energy. ... LED flashlights. ..."

Via:  SustainLane  LINK

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Here is an interesting approach toi reducing waste and CO2 at the same time.  Using fly ash (waste and high in CO2) to make bricks solves both.

Read about CalStar's  approach >>> 

" ... CalStar directly addresses global climate change and CO2 emissions ... Brick is an energy- and carbon-intensive industry ... U.S. demand for brick is almost 10 billion units in a typical year. At 1.3 pounds of CO2 per brick, the industry footprint equals almost 13 billion pounds of CO2 per year. ..."

 "Our commitment to green extends to product safety ...  to ensure they are safe throughout their lifecycle, from manufacture to placement to use (and reuse) to end-of-life disposal ...  process for making fly ash into bricks binds the materials within a strong crystalline matrix that holds even if exposed to the intense acids found in landfills. ..."

"CalStar ... promotes pragmatic solutions to climate change .... reducing the carbon footprint of cement, the biggest lever for industry has been and continues to be substitution of fly ash for CO2-intensive Ordinary Portland Cement. "

Via:  Calstar  LINK

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Help your kids have a green Halloween and help the environment at the same time with these tips from Green Halloween.

" ... nationwide organization that helps kids and parents ... rally their communities to go green on Halloween. It offers great tips for green halloween parties, games, costumes ..."

Here are the tips ... " ... (1) don’t create litter with candy wrappers. Think about how you can use them for a craft project. If you don’t want piece of candy, ... Share it with a friend or save it for later. ... (2) Use a reusable bag for Trick-or-Treating t ... (3) ... don’t drive. Walk or take your bike there instead. ... (4) Istead of buying a a new Halloween costume, see if you can make one out of old stuff instead ...(5) Don’t eat too much candy."

Via:  SustainLane  LINK

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Samsung recently announced another environmentally friendly phone.  The Blue Earth joins the Reclaim as another environmentally friendly cell phone from Samsung.

To see our blog entry on the Reclaim ... LINK

" ... Previously, eco-friendly mobiles meant lower-energy consuming ... with very limited feature sets. ... Blue Earth combines the latest multimedia features ... while achieving lower energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials."

" ... is made from Post Consumer Material (PCM), which is extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions ... is free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Phthalate."

" ...  With “Eco mode,” screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth can be set to an energy-efficient mode with just one click. The “Eco Walk” function allows users to count their steps with a built in pedometer and calculate the reduction in CO2 emission realized by walking ... allows users to see the value of walking by calculating the number of trees that have been saved. "

" ... packaging ... is ... compact. ... made from easy-to-recycle paper and printed in soy ink. It also suggests a simple DIY idea to reuse the package as a photo frame or a pencil box. "

" ... by charging with the solar panel located on the back of the phone, users can generate enough power to use the device anytime and anywhere. Solar energy is considered one of the most eco-friendly energy sources and it helps users reduce usage of energy from non-renewable sources. "

" ... launching in Sweden in October and will soon launch in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and other European and Asian countries."

Via:  Samsung  LINK

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San Francisco International (SFO) is committed to being green.  They have efforts underway to reduce their environmental impact by reducing noise, reducing global warming and preserving natural resources like air and water.

" ...  recognize the importance that environmental sustainability plays in helping achieve this goal ... committed to drastically reducing its environmental impact over the next decade.  ... working to reduce contributions to global warming, improve air and water quality, reduce noise impacts, and preserve natural resources."

SFO now offers the Climate Passport program; a way to help travelers reduce their travel carbon footprint by purchasing offsets.  

Here is how it works ... " ... drop by a kiosk that will calculate the carbon impact of your travel ... buy offsets from the kiosk manager, 3Degrees, ... Some of the money will also go to the San Francisco Carbon Fund ... offsets purchased ... are verified by the Climate Action Registry."

Check out the interactive carbon calculator ...

On Sunday Oct 18, the cost for a carbon offset for a round trip flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco and back would cost $22.82 and off set 3,727 lbs of CO2.

Posted by Green Dude at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Solar Decathlon 2009 is in full swing on the Mall in Washington DC. 

With the US Capital on one end and the Washington Memorial on the other it is an amazing site.  Sponsored by the U.S. DOE there are 20 houses showing what is possible with green technologies - using current off the shelf products and some very creative thinking.

Most of the teams are from US colleges  with several international entries ... including Spain and Germany.

Given parameters of 800 sq ft there are some very creative solutions.  Some stress extreme insulation, all have some sort of garden area, all have solar PV and some have solar hot water.  Most interesting is the creative use of 800 sq ft ...

As of this writing RICE is in the lead ... thought the difference between top and bottom on the ranking is not all that great.  Yesterday was very sunny so anyone with LOTS of PV was sure to get extra points ...

 Look for more posts and some GREENTECHNOLOG pictures ...

Via:  Greentechnolog.com  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Concrete is everywhere and is a key component of modern infrastructure .... used in roads, buildings, bridges, etc.  It is also anything BUT green.  Not only is it typically gray - its manufacturing process is quite dirty.

"MIT Prof. Franz-Josef Ulm is obsessed with concrete and how to make it greener ... behind the reinvention of this backbone material ... that  happens to contribute up to five per cent of the world’s carbon emissions. "

" ...  25 billion tons of concrete are produced annually on a worldwide basis versus 3.3 billion tons of lumber. ... production ... emits carbon dioxide (CO2) in two ways. Cement forms the glue in concrete and is made from limestone. However, limestone isn’t cement until the CO2 is baked out, a process that makes up half of concrete’s carbon emissions. ... other 50 per cent ... comes from fossil fuels used to heat the limestone up to 1,300 degrees Celsius. ..."

Posted by Green Dude at 06:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Dow Chemical company is active in the green energy space with several innovative products.  They recently announced their entry into the solar cell market with the " ... POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, ... panels in the form of solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. ... expected to be available in limited quantities by mid-2010 and ... more widely available in 2011, ..."

"... integrates low-cost, thin-film CIGS photovoltaic cells into a proprietary roofing shingle design, ... design reduces installation costs because the conventional roofing shingles and solar generating shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors ..."

"... addresses two of the biggest challenges associated with solar power – cost and acceptance. "

Posted by Green Dude at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz announced that the university will partner with Alteris Renewables to develop one of the largest solar arrays in Massachusetts. Alteris will provide the design, engineering and installation for this 277kW solar system. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rail is one of the most efficient transportation methods ... and keeps significant number of truck off the roads and highways ... CSX is taking it to the next level by voluntarily reducing CO2 emissions byu 8 pct by 2011.

"... plan to reduce the CO₂ emissions ... 8% per revenue ton mile by 2011. ... part of its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders Program, a voluntary program for businesses to inventory and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "

" ... first ever from a major U.S. transportation provider. CSX's commitment will reduce C02 emissions by 2.4 million tons - the equivalent of taking 441,000 cars off the road each year, or burning 5,598,000 fewer barrels of oil."


In CSX's non-railroad operations, the company plans to use building space more efficiently, improve HVAC systems, and install energy-efficient lighting and automatic computer-shutdown software.

"Since 1980, ... has invested more than $1 billion to upgrade its fleet with more efficient .... locomotives and has improved locomotive fuel efficiency by over 80%. By the end of 2009, an additional 1,200 CSX locomotives will be upgraded to further reduce emissions and lower fuel consumption by nearly 10 million gallons. ..."

Via:  CSX  LINK

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 " ... Coca-Cola ... unveiled ... a new plastic bottle made partially from plants.  The "PlantBottle™" is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on a non-renewable resource, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET plastic bottles."

" ... a significant development in sustainable packaging innovation ... builds on our legacy of environmental ingenuity and sets the course for us to realize our vision to eventually introduce bottles made with materials that are 100 percent recyclable and renewable." 

"... made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials. ...  process that turns sugar cane and molasses ... into a key component for PET plastic.  ... exploring the use of other plant materials for future generations of the "PlantBottle™."

" ...  analysis ... indicates the "PlantBottle™" with 30 percent plant-base material reduces carbon emissions by up to 25 percent, compared with petroleum-based PET... can be processed through existing manufacturing and recycling facilities without contaminating traditional PET. "

Via:  Coka-Cola  LINK

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So you are going on a trip and want to be green and rent a hybrid.  Sounds easy enough ... except that only approximately 1% of the rental fleet consist of hybrids.

"Booking a hybrid rental car can be a big hassle. To boost your chance of scoring one of these green rides, follow Budget Travel's advice in four easy steps ...".

For the Video "How to Rent a Hybrid" click the LINK ...

Via: BudgetTravel  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As both wind and solar power are intermittent - unlike gas, coal, oil or nuclear fired power plants - there is a need for an effective way to store these energy sources until they are needed.  The ability to smooth the supply with the demand is becoming more important as solar and wind start to power the grid.

Compressed Air Energy Storage - CAES " ... stores off-peak energy, in the form of compressed air in an underground reservoir, and releases this energy during peak hours. ... used for load management of intermittent renewable energy resources or as a stand-alone intermediate generation source for capturing energy arbitrage, capacity payments and ancillary services. ..."

"Renewable power sources are critical to addressing climate change. CAES greatly enhances the value of renewable power sources by (1) storing energy produced by renewables when demand is low and releasing it when it is needed, and by (2) rapidly providing power in the event of a sudden loss of renewables generation. ..."

Posted by Green Dude at 04:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, NY is " ... a state-of-the art education center and natural wastewater treatment facility. "

" ... is a pioneering project in the Living Building Challenge and is expected to be the first building in the United States to receive the Living Building designation in addition to receiving LEED Platinum certification."

" ... the Living Building Challenge requires buildings to be informed by their eco-region's characteristics; generate all of their own energy with renewable resources; capture and treat all of their water; operate efficiently; and be designed for maximum beauty. ... six performance areas—site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty & inspiration—and certain criteria to be met in each category in order for a building to be designated a Living Building."

Via:  Omega Center for Sustainable Living  LINK

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Lawrence Township joins other communities that want to promote green aspects of their community and are working toward that end ...

"Sustainable Lawrence is... dedicated to creating a sustainable community in Lawrence Township, NJ. ...  community in which the present needs of all of its citizens are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs ... "

" ... policies and practices that ultimately ... Reduce ... fossil fuel dependence and wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals ... Reduce ... dependence on harmful chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances ... Minimize ... encroachment upon nature (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems) ..."

Via:  Sustainable Lawrence LINK

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Serious Materials produces a line of green environmentally friendly building products that help homeowners save energy ...


"... develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that dramatically reduce the impact of the 'built environment' on the climate."

" ... aim for breakthroughs in product performance, without requiring changes in customer behavior or in how products are used – thus speeding market adoption."

" Serious Windows high-performance insulated windows and glass, which can reduce heating and cooling energy costs and emissions up to 40% ...QuietRock soundproof drywall & QuietHome Windows, which can reduce material use, GreenRock™, a green alternative to standard drywall ... uses 80% less energy to produce its core, resulting in 80% lower CO2 emissions. ... "

" ... manufacture products in ... Sunnyvale, California; Newark, California; Boulder, Colorado; Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. ... to create thousands of green collar jobs ... in the U.S. Products are widely available through building products dealers in the U.S. and Canada."

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Oak Hall Industries.

They have a selection of eco-friendly 100% recycled graduation gowns.  Each gown is made from approx. 23 plastic bottles helping to reduce landfill space and reusing materials.

" ... Colleges and Universities are making the commitment to turn their campuses green. ... this movement can be carried forward to graduation. "

" ... new line of graduation wear, named "GreenWeaver" is made of fabric spun from molten plastic pellets. ... fabric so comfortably soft you have to feel it to believe it! It takes an average of 23 bottles to make each gown."

Via:  Oak Hall Industries Link

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Penn's Class of 2010 will wear gowns made of recycled plastic bottles to graduation.  Each of the approx. 2,500 gowns are made the with the equivalent of 23 plastic bottles.

" ... GreenWeaver line of regalia by Oak Hall Cap & Gown, ... is Penn’s latest greening effort. ... adorn its Class of 2010 seniors in gowns and caps made of 100 percent, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles."

“Penn will begin this academic year announcing our Climate Action Plan, the long-range strategy to reduce our carbon footprint ... Part of that effort is to partner with vendors that promote eco-friendly options. "

" ... fabric will be spun from molten plastic pellets, ... average of 23 bottles needed to make each gown. Recycled plastic bottles are already used to make sweatshirts and other clothing, the company said, and the result is apparel virtually indistinguishable in color, feel or fit from traditional polyester material."

Via:  University of Penn LINK

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The Great Valley School District (Chester County, PA) is the FIRST school district to switch to B20 biodiesel for its bus fleet.  B20 is a blend of 20% bio fuel and 80% diesel.

" ... assistance from The Energy Cooperative to make the transition to B20 and a state grant to pay for the added cost ... received a $28,340 Alternative Incentive Fuels Grant (AFIG) ... to pay for the incremental cost of using biodiesel ... estimates it will use approximately 130,000 gallons of B20 ..."

Posted by Green Dude at 06:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 Prairie Bunkers LLC is repurposing WWII ammunition depots into secure energy efficient data centers.  These structures are built to withstand force 5 tornadoes.

In addition to the green aspect of repurposing an existing building ... there are others green features.

"Saves approximately 5000 cubic tons of carbon emission which would be produced by construction of a similar structure ... electrical provider .... has a high percentage of renewable energy, including hydro, wind and nuclear ... On-site solar and wind energy systems in planning stages ... Air Economizers to use “free cooling” from average annual temperature of 54 degrees ... Optional active geothermal ... heat pump system ... Passive Geothermal, provided by the bermed earth covering on three sides and top of bunkers ..."

" .... Native vegetation landscaping minimizes irrigation ... Fire suppression agent has zero carbon foot print ... UPS Options including flywheel technology ... Recycled building products including flooring tiles and cable trays ..."

Via:  Prairie Bunkers, LLC LINK

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A current trend in office space for smaller companies or those looking for a remote presence is to rent by the day.  the HUB offers "GREEN Meeting and Event Centers" on an as needed basis.

" ... only privately-held LEED Silver Rated Meeting and Event Facility in the U.S. ...[LEED is] ... nationally accepted standard for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, ... less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce environmental footprint ...achieved a LEED-CI Silver rating at its Cira Centre location ..."

There are many GREEN design elements incorporated including use of recycled materials, reduced water usage, brownfield redevelopment, and use of local materials.

"... The Hub is 100% wind powered, ... aggressively recycles ... discontinued the use of plastic water bottles in all of its facilities  ... More than 15% of the new materials ... were recycled ... More than 20% of the materials ... are of local origin (manufactured within 500 miles of the location) ... constructed on a rehabilitated "brownfield" railyard ..."

Via:  the HUb  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Want to travel Green?  Vroom, Vroom, Vroom is a car rental service that works with all the major rental aagencies and offers both lower prices and a carbon offset for your rental (based on the miles driven and carbon emissions of your rental car).  You can even get a green hotel as well!

" ... paying for all of the carbon offsets for all car rentals reserved through VroomVroomVroom.com. .. Help the environment by renting a car with VroomVroom Vroom.com. The average contribution to offset carbon emissions for each car rental is $3.32. ...be "environmentally responsible" and drive to a green hotel available in every price range in almost every city."

Via:  Vroom Vroom Vroom Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fat Spaniel Technologies provides real time monitoring of your solar PV system.  Read their case studies of Jay Leno's car garage and SF International Airport.  

Track your actual generation / performance and see ... "... display total power generated by ... day, week, month, or year ... local irradiance, cell temperature, and ambient temperature ... avoided greenhouse gases (CO2, NOx and Sox) over the lifetime ..."

It can be used to proactively guide behavior changes ... " Generate Energy Savings Via Behavior Modification ..." ... Educate ... by publishing real-time and historical data ... Cut electricity usage up to 10% by changing habits of building occupants ..."

 " ... Fat Spaniel provides ... an industrial-grade, Software-as-a-Service renewable energy plant management system that enables plant operators to: ... Manage renewable energy plants in real-time ... Communicate and interact with mobile personnel ... Generate revenue utilizing back-end services for regulatory agency reporting, renewable energy certificate (REC) registration, and environmental reporting"

Via: Fat Spaniel Technologies LINK
 

Posted by Green Dude at 04:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

ComEd, a Exelon company has bought 50 Toyota Prius to add to its already substantial GREEN fleet of cars and trucks. 

" ...One of Nation's Largest Green Fleets ... save utility 6,500 gallons of gas in 2009, ...  including 10 Priuses that have been specially converted into electric plug-in hybrids. ..."
   
" ... Compared to an average subcompact, the Prius hybrid and plug-in electric version consume about 30 and 65 percent less fuel, respectively. ... reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 metric tons."

" ... 63 percent of the ComEd fleet uses a fuel source other than 100 percent gasoline.... 1,774 trucks that use biodiesel fuel ...250 E85 flex-fuel vehicles ... 91 hybrid Ford Escape SUVs; one biodiesel-electric hybrid bucket truck; one liquid petroleum gas (LPG) bucket truck; and the 50 new Prius vehicles. ..."

Via:  Exelon  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

John O'Hurley ... of Seinfield fame as J. Peterman ... has co-founded Energy-Inc.   The Las Vegas, Nevada company has a variety of services and technologies for producing power from waste ...

>>> Their tagline is ... a profitable solution to a zero carbon footprint. 

>>> Their message is Waste to Energy rather than waste to landfills.

They design, build and manage waste to power systems. Rather than paying to dispose of waste you can turn it into power ... Listen to the video for more ... and see how they plan to make landfills obsolete. They guarantee performance and up to 100% financing ...

Via:: Energy-Inc. Link

Posted by Green Dude at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wired Magazine has created their Smart Home  .. which is Green + Wired.  The design uses green materials and techniques along with tools to allow you to be GREEN with energy.

" ... high-design demonstration homes ... technologies we present aren't stuck in beta, but are available now. Trends driving the developments? Environmentally smart architecture, affordable automation systems, and real-time energy monitoring."

" ... use prefab construction ... automation systems we use are affordable, and upgradeable ... same access to energy data as the latest car dashboards, showing daily and weekly electricity and water consumption, as well as up-to-the-minute electricity pricing to help homeowners make smart decisions."

The Wired Home is open from March 19th, 2009 through January 3red, 2010.  If you are in Chicago and want to tour the home ... CLICK FOR DETAILS.

Via:  Wired  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

San Francisco has developed a mapping system that can show, by ZIP CODE, greenhouse gases and track it to the source ...  I follows the time honored management maxim  - you cannot manage what you cannot measure ... so they are using this to reduce overall GHG emissions ...

" ... Urban EcoMap. ... tracks ... carbon emissions by zip code, and even breaks down the information to the source of the greenhouse gases: transportation, energy use or waste. .. goal ... to reveal San Francisco residents' bad habits and lower the City's emissions back to 20% below their 1990 levels (as per the Kyoto Protocol). ... a great case study for local action providing a global impact. "

Via:  WholeTravel blog  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Green Tech at 06:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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.

Via:  China Green Business Summit 2009  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Green Supply Chain helps business get greener by working on their supply chain ... the process of getting raw materials  / making goods and delivering to the customer

" ... address how being green in the corporate world can translate to reduced waste, increased efficiency and a positive impact on the bottom line–how supply chain operations can be automated to help reduce carbon footprints ..."

" ... our own commitment to reduce our carbon footprint. ...team also plans and implements programs in the following areas: Waste Reduction and Recycling, Energy Conservation, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, Water Conservation, Sustainable Building, Alternative Transportation, and Corporate Social Responsibility. ..."

Check their resources section  LINK for Blogs, Resources, White Papers, etc ...

Via:  GreenSupplyChain  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Staples Eco Easy program offers lots of products that are easy on the environment. 

Staples will take back and recycle ink cartridges, cell phones and certain electronics gear.

In addition - they  offer a variety of items that are made from recycled materials.

"From nontoxic, natural cleaning products to 100% recycled paper, we give you lots of eco-friendly options. Look for more than 2,900 items in store and online, with more to come."

" ... Did you know that you can make paper out of agricultural wastes? That’s just one of the earth-friendly innovations we’re pursuing. "

>>> I saw an ad / circular in this Sunday's paper that notes that Staples is going to donate to Carbonfund.org to plant trees to offset the impact on certain HP printers for 3 years!

Via:  Staples  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

" ... Dell now powers its 240,000 square-foot Oklahoma City campus with 100-percent wind energy, the latest action in its commitment to become the 'greenest' technology company on the planet. ...  partnering with Oklahoma Gas and Electric on the use of renewable energy and expects to avoid nearly 5,100 tons of CO2 emissions per year."

" ... Dell now sources about 35 percent of its U.S. energy use from green power and approximately 20 percent globally. ... continuing to purchase enough green power, verified emission reductions and renewable energy certificates globally to cover its total electricity use. ... also helping suppliers achieve their environmental goals. ... was the first IT company to join the Carbon Disclosure Project's Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration to help suppliers with emissions reporting."

Via:  Dell  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

" ... energy-efficient hardware components in the new Mac mini work ... can dynamically adjust power consumption to reduce the energy used overall. ... uses an advanced power management system ... allows Mac mini to use ... up to 45 percent less power at idle than its predecessor. And it makes Mac mini the most energy-efficient desktop computer."

" ... meets ...ENERGY STAR certification. ... meets the latest efficiency requirements of ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Specification ..."

" ... following features to reduce environmental impact: ... BFR-free ... PVC-free (internal cables) ... Highly recyclable aluminum and polycarbonate enclosure ...retail packaging is 31 percent smaller ... volume of the shipping box has decreased by 60 percent ..."

Via:  Apple  Link 

Posted by Green Dude at 05:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "More About Fox 24 Going Carbon Neutral - Behind the Scenes" »

Posted by Green Dude at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is very common to leave computers on all the time - even when not in use. 

Most PCs have a hibernate or suspend or sleep mode but many that do not use these features as they seem too complex. Eco Button makes this process easy and gives you an idea of how much energy and Co2 you are saving!

Read on to learn about Eco Button's one button solution >>>

" ... acts as a strong visual reminder and prompt ... sits ... next to your keyboard. ... connects to your computer via a USB cable. ... simply press the ecobutton™ and your computer is put into energy saving 'ecomode' ... simply pressing any key on your keyboard ... your computer instantly returns to where you left off."

" ... each time your computer is put into 'ecomode' ... software records how many carbon units and how much power and money you have saved ... you can use this data to help reduce your carbon footprint as well as your energy bills."

Via:  ECO BUTTON  Link

Continue reading "Eco Button - Energy Savings for your PC" »

Posted by Green Dude at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Keeping data centers colder than needed is not just expensive - it is wasteful of energy and contributes to global warming - and just might cause equipment to not last as long as possible ...  

" ... Albert Esser, vice president of datacentre infrastructure at ... Dell, ... datacentres could cut their energy bills by up to five per cent with no adverse impact on their servers' reliability by simply increasing the temperature of their server farms by five degrees."

"According to Dell, air being pumped into a datacentre can typically be as cold as 19 degrees centigrade, despite the fact that systems will remain reliable as long as the temperature is lower than 25 degrees centigrade."

Esser pointed to a recent datacentre rollout that Dell contributed to, where the temperature was kept at 19 degrees, resulting in a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio for the datacentre of 1.8. This means that for every watt used to power the servers, 1.8 entered the datacentres. However, when the temperature was raised to 23 degrees the energy efficiency of the facility improved significantly, resulting in a PUE of 1.3.

" ... Google has recently presented papers that shows that disk drives do not fail more often at temperatures of 75 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while BT is on record as saying "all modern systems will operate effectively and reliably between five and 40 degrees Celsius"."

One caveat ... "... if you have a cooling system failure and the datacentre is already pretty warm, you end up with a critical issue far more quickly, ... "

Via: computing.co.uk Link

Posted by Green Dude at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Starbucks Shared Planet is " ...  commitment to doing business in ways that are good to the earth and to each other ... it's using our size for good....committed to minimizing our environmental footprint, tackling climate change, and inspiring others to do the same"

One shining example of this is their new (Feb 19th - 2009) South Carolina " ... state of the art roasting plant ... an example of the company's global commitment to green design and has been awarded LEED® Silver certification for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)."

" ...20 percent – of building materials were from recycled content and over 75 percent of construction waste was recycled. ... drought tolerant landscape and a portion of the power used for operations will be green power supplied by wind energy."

Via:  Starbucks  Link

Continue reading "Starbucks Shared Planet" »

Posted by Green Dude at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"All fabrics used for the GreenSmart Bottles 2 Bags are derived from certified 100% post-consumer recycled PET water and soda bottles."

" ... committed to converting all items the Company  makes to green material composition. ... any company can make a few products green, we will commit to making them all green—and we'll tell people what that greenness is product for product and what positive result there is."

     

Via:  act2greensmart  Link

Continue reading "Green Smart - Bottles 2 Bags" »

Posted by Green Dude at 06:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cisco has developed EnergyWise, an approach to monitor, control and report on energy use across the enterprise. 

With EnergyWise you can ..." Reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) footprint. ... Monitor the power of all Cisco network-connected devices, from Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices to IP-enabled building controllers. ... Report aggregated power consumption ... Optimize overall power usage ..." 

Via:  Cisco  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Frito Lay is working to reduce the impact of their packing materials.  Chips and other snacks come in Mylar type plastic bags that are not sustainable ...

" ... problems with our packaging today: the empty bags sometimes wind up as litter, and ... are produced from non-renewable materials ... "

" ... first step ... is to simply use less. ... over the past five years we've eliminated five billion square inches of packaging by reducing the materials we use by 10%. ... address the environmental impact of our packaging, we are looking for new packaging materials made from renewable resources."

Via:  Frito Lay  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 07:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Air Products and Chemicals, Allentown, Pa, received an award for a process that removes CO2 from coal power plant waste streams.

Read on for more >>>

" ... Air Products ... Imperial College London and Doosan Babcock Energy Ltd. were presented the Rushlight Carbon Capture and Storage Award 2008 for work addressing impurity removal in carbon dioxide (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. ..."

Via:  Air Products and Chemiclas  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 01:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever wonder what impact your choice of travel destination / hotel has on the environment?  Wonder just how green your hotel / resort really is?

Check out wholetravel.com .... 

" ... Feel good about your vacation from the moment you start planning, and long after you return. ... sustainable travel options for everyone – from high-class luxury hotels to huts in the rainforest ... Whole Travel works against "green-washing" and ensures the sustainability of our destinations through Whole Ranking ®. You can see each hotel's Whole Ranking ® scores, and read about their philosophies in "Their Story".

Via:  wholetravel.com  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Toshiba is working on a small sized nuclear reactor that can be situated where needed ... it is designed to use liquid sodium for coolant (not water) resulting in higher efficiencies.  

One problem with our energy infrastructure is that the power transmission system is often not able to handle extra power .. this allows the source to be situated near the demand ... cutting back load on the infrastructure.

 Dubbed 4S "... Super-safe, Small, and Simple ... a new class of micro size Nuclear Reactors that are designed to power large apartment buildings or small city sections. ... only 20 feet by 6 feet, could change everything for small remote communities, businesses or even a group of neighbors who are fed up with the power companies and want more control over their energy needs."

" ... 10 MW Toshiba-designed reactor is engineered to be fail-safe and totally automatic ... whole process is self sustaining and can last for up to 30 years without refueling, producing electricity for only 5 cents per kilowatt hour, about half the cost of grid energy. ... expects to commercialize the reactor after the mid 2010's."

Via:  Pure Energy Systems Wiki  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

. .. "Working together with the Columbia Earth Institute, PepsiCo has calculated the lifecycle carbon footprint of the 64-ounce container of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice. The Carbon Trust, a UK government-backed independent organization established to address climate change, has certified the footprint, giving PepsiCo a verifiable benchmark against which the company can measure greenhouse gas reduction progress going forward. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Apple's new MacBook line of computers boasts some impressive GREEN credentials ... the result of design efforts to remove mercury and arsenic from the display, and new packaging that uses less material and highly recyclable aluminum cases and glass screens.

Read on for more >>>

" ... designed with the following features to reduce its environmental footprint: * Arsenic-free glass, * Mercury-free LED-backlit display, * BFR-free internal components, * PVC-free internal cables, * Highly recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure, * Up to 41 percent smaller packaging ..."

" ... the greenest family of notebooks ever made ... the MacBook, can run on just one-quarter the power of a single lightbulb. ... packaging is up to 41 percent smaller ..."

Via:  Apple Computer   LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Volvo is designing its cars with an eye to using recycled / non petroleum derived parts and making them easier to recycle when their useful life is over ... 

" ... Volvo cars with 'hard' components such as dashboards and ceilings made of flax and cellulose rather than petroleum-based polymers, ...  seats using natural fiber and soya-based foam fillings," ..." 

  " ... bio-fibers also reduce both the weight of a car and the cost of materials,"... Replacing glass fiber with lower density natural fiber can slash the weight of material used in a car by up to 30 percent of the material replaced ..."

" ... 85 percent by weight of a Volvo car is recyclable, with 26 percent comprising plastics and other non-metallic materials. ... uses renewable materials in close to 100 vegetable-based components, mostly sound absorption blocks or mats made of cotton fibers ..."


 

Via:  Volvo  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Motorola's W233 Renew is " ... made from plastics that contain recycled water bottles and is the first certified Carbonfree® cell phone on the market. ... offset the energy to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone by investing in renewable energy sources and reforestation.  ... 100% of the Motorola W233 Renew's phone housing is recyclable. ..." 

" ... packaging, ... reduce its size by 22 percent and the box and all of the materials inside are printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. ... a postage-paid recycling envelope in box makes it easy to return your previous mobile phone for recycling at no cost."

Via:  Motorola  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As part of their 2020 Low Carbon Roadmap .... PECO opened their first "green" building in West Chester (Chester County) Pa. 

" ... $2 million, 8-month project to open PECO's first 'green building' at the company's service site in West Chester, Chester County. ... expected to use about 20 percent less energy and 40 percent less water. ... the use of reflective roofing materials; low flow water devices; recycled construction materials, ... energy efficient lighting, ... and more .."

Via:  PECO  LINK

My family and I had Thanksgiving dinner at Longwood Gardens (Kennett Sq, Pa) - a beautiful garden that is getting more into being GREEN and their impact on the planet.  As I was eating leftovers I noticed that the plastic container was not the #1, #2 or #5 that I expected ... but #7 (inside a recycling triangle) PLA and was marked as composable.

"PLA stands for polylactic acid, or Polylactide, ... produced by NatureWorks LLC.  ...  made from lactic acid. Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation. Dextrose is made from starch and starch is made from carbon dioxide and water."

"Ingeo™ biopolymer is the world's first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually renewable resources. Corn-based Ingeo™ biopolymer ... Clear and strong like petroleum-based plastic, yet Ingeo™ biopolymer can be commercially composted."

The label shows the container comes from NatureWorks and is composable.  I will see if it decompooses in my mulch pile (may take a while as it is probably inactive in the winter ...)

Look for a future post on my success with composting this ...

Via:  NatureWorks  LINK

Continue reading "NatureWorks Compostable PLA Plastic" »

Posted by Green Dude at 08:30 PM | Permalink

Marriott International Inc has embraced going green.  Read about what they are doing corporate wide to become more environmentally friendly.

" ... a brochure, printed on recycled paper, titled "Social Responsibility & Community Engagement," that outlines the company's environmental sensitivities. ... chief executive Bill Marriott blogs about the "greening of Marriott." ... travels to hotel groundbreakings to tout environmentally sensitive buildings and speaks regularly about his commitment to the subject."

" ... has installed low-flow shower heads and toilets at its hotels. It is moving to compact fluorescent light bulbs. It strives to reduce energy consumption year-over-year. At its headquarters cafeteria, Marriott is using biodegradable utensils made of potatoes. And by 2010, the firm hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million cubic tons."


" ... getting help from Conservation International, an on-the-ground protector of the environment that is now nudging companies ... toward meaningful green efforts."

Via:  Washington Post  Link

Via: Marriott  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

See what BNSF is doing to develop a Greener inter modal freight port ... 

"BNSF’s SCIG, will be a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly, near-dock intermodal facility that will have 90 percent less emissions than traditional intermodal yards. ... eliminate millions of truck miles annually from the 710 and other local freeways, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality, but it will bring hundreds of new, and good paying jobs to the local community.

 Check out this You Tube Video Link

Via:  BNSF Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes it is very easy to make changes in your daily activities that make your actions GREENER. Here are 10 things you can do to make your home or office greener.

"Shutting off the lights, powering down PCs and monitors, using coffee mugs instead of Styrofoam cups, encouraging use of mass transit, and other simple, common-sense steps can reduce consumption and contribute to a greener environment, making your company and your employees more eco-friendly. This video looks at ways businesses can spur green behavior on - and off - premises."

VIDEO -- could not get it to embed in this post ,,, it's a 3:41 min clip.

Via: eweek Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We hear a lot in the news about Carbon Footprint.  This is the impact, expressed as an amount of carbon, that an item  produces during its manufacture and distribution.  Do you know what the carbon impact of typical consumer items really are and the major components?

Read on to find out ...

" ... pop quiz, based on a recent Wall Street Journal article ... of various household goods. ... guess their single biggest contribution to global warming. Consider all aspects of the product: raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, and end use...."

Here are two of the six:

" ... Milk. ...once again, cows. ... cows are responsible for about 28% of milk's carbon footprint. If you add in their feed, that figure goes up to 51%, ..."

" ... Calculating carbon emissions is complicated business, ...environmental impacts are spread widely throughout our integrated economy, often hiding in unexpected places...."
Otherwise, a few points do jump out from the analysis.

The first is that transportation costs just aren't the biggest impact for most products. Patagonia could manufacture their jackets in the basement of their stores, and they would barely make a dent in their footprint. In aggregate, of course, transportation makes up a huge percentage of the world's carbon budget, so its importance can't be discounted. But buying local still doesn't seem like the best lever for consumers looking to green their lifestyles.

The second is that products that consume energy in their end use tend to be wildly more environmentally harmful after they get into consumers hands than during manufacturing. In other words, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, consider driving less.

The third is that cows remain a really big problem without an obvious solution. Methane digester projects like the ones that TerraPass funds help to decrease the impacts of agriculture, but as individuals the best lever we have is to reduce our consumption.

Via:  Terrapass  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Design house Pininfarina, ... B0, ...four-seat, four-door electric hatchback created in partnership with Bolloré ... B0 will be a mass production model, with the first units coming off the production line at the end of 2009, ... a range of 153 miles and a top speed of 80 MPH.

Via: jalopnik Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reduce your carbon footprint.  I am sure you have heard that before ... but do you know how you, as an individual, can help?  Some things are easy to do like drive less, take public transportation when possible, car pool ,,, but what if you want ot do more?

The idea is to reduce to the best of your ability and then ... off set the rest ... 

Organizations like Carbonfund.org can help.  " ... Carbon offsets allow you take action on global warming now.  ... support greenhouse gas reduction projects and hasten the transition to a clean energy future. ...can be more efficient than other measures an individual can take to fight global warming, ..."

" ... Carbon dioxide emissions are a global problem, so reducing a ton of CO₂ in Brazil or North Dakota has the same climate change benefit as doing so in your backyard ..." by "... carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects."

Via:  Carbonfund.org LIN

Continue reading "CarbonFund.org" »

Posted by Green Dude at 07:31 AM | Permalink

Yakima makes lots of outdoor related items -- mostly various items for carrying bikes, canoes and the like on your car or truck.  So ... it is not surprising that they are very much into the outdoors and the environment ...

" ... dedicated to helping people get into the great outdoors. ... anytime you manufacture something it inevitably has an impact on the environment. ... Our primary objective is reduction. Because let's face it, it’s much easier to clean up after yourself when you’re not messy in the first place. And then what we can't reduce, we off-set.