Time Space Continuum

Smart lasers could make cancer biopsies painless, help speed new drugs to market

2011-02-01T07:17:00.004-05:00

Public Release: 31-Jan-2011

Biopsies in the future may be painless and noninvasive, thanks to smart laser technology being developed at Michigan State University. To test for skin cancer, patients today must endure doctors cutting away a sliver of skin, sending the biopsy to a lab and anxiously awaiting the results. Using laser microscopes that deploy rapid, ultra-short pulses to identify molecules, doctors may soon have the tools to painlessly scan a patient's troublesome mole and review the results on the spot, said Marcos Dantus.
National Science Foundation

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‘Countdown to Zero’—or Apocalypse, Whichever Comes First

2010-08-02T21:09:00.003-04:00

Film Review
By Richard Schickel
Truthdig
July 29, 2010

“Countdown to Zero” is an intelligent, graphically sophisticated documentary film about what is almost certainly the most important issue confronting the world today—nuclear proliferation. Its director, Lucy Walker, interviewed 84 individuals, ranging from Valerie Plame Wilson to Tony Blair, over the course of a year’s intermittent shooting, of whom 31 made it into her final cut. In addition, she grabbed an indeterminate number of on-the-street interviews with ordinary people, designed to determine what, if anything, they know about this problem...

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Agency That Oversees Offshore Drilling to Be Split by Obama Administration

2010-05-11T12:18:00.004-04:00

By Erika Bolstad
McClatchy Newspapers
May 11, 2010

The troubled federal agency that oversees all aspects of offshore leasing will split in two in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion, an Interior official confirmed Tuesday...

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The Big Bang Machine And The Mind Of God

2010-04-20T18:01:00.003-04:00

By Marcelo Gleiser
National Public Radio
April 20, 2010

...Over the next few years, physicists will have a new tool to probe deep into the heart of matter. The hype is well-deserved: The LHC is the largest machine ever built in the history of civilization, the collective effort of thousands of scientists from across the world. But what will it do, really? Will it be able to solve all the questions that it's meant to? Or is the PR surrounding it masking the reality that, if it fails, it may well represent the end of high-energy physics as we know it?

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Pat Mooney on the Dangers of Geoengineering and Manipulating the Planet to Combat Climate Change

2010-04-20T10:04:00.002-04:00

DemocracyNow!
April 20, 2010

Supporters of geoengineering have proposed radical ways to alter the planet to decrease the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Proposals include creating artificial volcanoes to pollute the atmosphere with sulphur particles, fertilizing the oceans and placing sun-deflecting aluminum foil in the sky. But opposition is growing to geoengineering. Here at the World Peoples’ Summit on Climate Change in Bolivia, the ETC Group is launching an international campaign against geoengineering experiments. We speak with the group’s founder, Pat Mooney, a Right Livelihood Award winner...

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Feynman 'Fun to Imagine' 1: Jiggling Atoms

2010-03-07T10:30:00.003-05:00

YouTube

In this archival footage from BBC TV, celebrated physicist Richard Feynman explains what fire, magnets, rubber bands (and more) are like at the scale of the jiggling atoms they're made of.

Click on Title to view

Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar 2009

2010-01-19T12:12:00.003-05:00

Boston.com
December 2009

Breathtakingly beautiful photographs of our universe
Click on Title above to view...

Coping With Climate Change: Which Societies Will Do Best?

2009-11-05T12:03:00.002-05:00

by Gaia Vince
November 2, 2009
Yale Environment 360

As the world warms, how different societies fare in dealing with rising seas and changing weather patterns will have as much to do with political, social, and economic factors as with a changing climate.

Click on Title above for full article

Souped-Up Hubble Makes A Comeback

2009-09-10T10:09:00.002-04:00

by Nell Greenfieldboyce
All Things Considered
National Public Radio
September 9, 2009

...."We are giddy with the quality of the data that we have with this new telescope," says Heidi Hammel, senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.

"You can already see remarkable differences between what we're seeing now and what we saw with the prior instrumentation," says David Leckrone, senior project scientist for Hubble at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland...

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How to Behave: New Rules for Highly Evolved Humans

2009-08-15T13:45:00.004-04:00

Wired Magazine
July 2009

Wait Before Revealing TV Spoilers

If Your Call Drops, Call Back

Don't Google-Stalk Before a First Date

Ask a Basterd: Am I a Jerk if I Dump Our Sucky Rock Band Bassist?

Don't Blog or Tweet Anything With More Than Half a Million Hits

Delete Unwanted Posts From Your Facebook Wall

Meet Online Friends in the Real World ...

and many more ~ Click on Title above to read in full

Creating comics for the Middle East

2009-07-06T13:36:00.002-04:00

Marco Visscher | May 2009 issue
Ode Magazine

Comic book artist Suleiman Bakhit looks for stories and role models that will empower and inspire a new generation of comic book readers in the Middle East...

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People’s Economic Summit

2009-06-08T10:30:00.002-04:00

By Betsey Piette
New York
Workers World
Published Jun 7, 2009

Gathering under a banner stating, “Another World is Urgently Needed—But We Must Fight for It!” more than 200 community, labor, youth, immigrant rights, housing, health care and social justice activists met on May 31 in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza for the People’s Economic Summit.

Major Victory for Ivory Coast's Rainforests as Oil Palm Successfully Resisted

2009-04-26T10:13:00.002-04:00

Rainforest Portal

Finally the oil palm scourge threatening primary rainforests and life giving ecosystems worldwide faces a setback as local protests are again successfully supported internationally by Ecological Internet, Rainforest Rescue and others.

We Can't Be Trapped by History

2009-04-19T20:14:00.003-04:00

Peter Richards, Inter Press Service

President Barack Obama had promised that his administration would be different. His, he said, would be a listening, caring one, even though like previous United States leaders, he came to the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago bearing gifts - no doubt hoping for support for his new initiatives...

Article on Null Physics from Wikibin

2009-03-24T10:51:00.003-04:00

The Null Physics theory is a cosmological model developed as an alternative to current models such as the Big Bang theory and Steady State theory. Unlike other theories, Null Physics begins by deriving why the universe exists in order to eliminate the numerous numbers of constants that are necessary in order to support other cosmology theories. The Null Physics theory’s primary assertion is that the universe has always been in existence; therefore, the universe never had an origin.

This theory has recently been released and is under review by a number of members of the scientific community...

http://wikibin.org/articles/null-physics.html

Chill Your Power Bill

2009-02-24T10:25:00.005-05:00

by Carl Pope
Sierra Magazine
March/April 2009

Retrofitting America could jump-start our economy...

...Quite simply, we need to rebuild America. We need to retrofit our entire housing stock, and in a hurry. Economically it makes sense. Most older buildings could halve their energy consumption with improvements that pay for themselves. Homeowners and small-business owners ought to be able to call a toll-free number to arrange for an energy audit and the necessary retrofit work. Their utility bills would decrease, and half the savings could go to repaying their loans. GreenSaver, a nonprofit in Toronto, has embraced this concept and is already making money; Berkeley, California, is letting citizens who install solar power systems pay for them over 20 years through their property taxes.

Happily, this prescription is no longer being promoted solely by the Sierra Club and a handful of progressive cities and states: President Barack Obama himself has embraced the vision described here. His first economic recovery package emphasized retrofitting public buildings--it's easy and fast. This will jump-start the green building industry by requiring worker training and new factories to make energy-efficient windows, insulation, furnaces, and air conditioners. Local and state governments will see their operating costs plummet (utility bills are often their second-biggest expense after salaries) and could repay the loans with the savings.

And once we finish with public buildings, we will have the infrastructure in place to rebuild the rest of the country. Every year the federal government gives out $5 billion to help poor people pay their utility bills; why not spend $100 billion, once, to insulate and retrofit homes to slash power bills permanently? (continued)

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200903/create.aspx

Great Stuff Obama Will Help You Buy!

2009-02-23T14:11:00.002-05:00

The stimulus bill has finally been passed and signed into law—and now it's time to help put the thing into action. Which shouldn't be tough to do: tucked into the thousands of pages of confounding language, there are tons of fantastic new tax credits you can get simply for buying great green stuff. Here's what our government's blowout sale's got in the catalog...

http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/02/stimulus-tax-credit-guide-obama.php

NASA Satellite To Track Carbon Dioxide Globally

2009-02-23T10:16:00.004-05:00

by Richard Harris
February 23, 2009
National Public Radio

NASA plans to launch a satellite on Tuesday that will help measure carbon dioxide on a global basis. Carbon dioxide is the single most important gas involved in global warming, so understanding where it comes from — and where it goes — is essential...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101024326

Pucker Up! What Science Is Finding About Why We Kiss

2009-02-13T16:19:00.001-05:00

You may be surprised what messages you're sending and receiving when you lock lips.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100232961>1=31036

Wyoming, Western Ranchers Form Wind Energy Associations

2008-12-29T11:04:00.002-05:00

There's a growing movement out west as ranchers and property owners in high, steady wind areas of Wyoming and neighboring western states turn to wind energy associations as a means of better understanding and coming to terms with the growing number of wind energy project developers and agents interested in leasing rights to their land...

continue:

http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/wyoming-western-ranchers-form-wind-energ.php

Also NPR article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98741271

Japan's first solar cargo ship

2008-12-19T16:26:00.002-05:00

THE world's first cargo ship partly propelled by solar power took to the seas on Friday in Japan, aiming to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions when automakers ship off their exports.

http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/38904

Bringing Fair Trade Home: the Launching of the Domestic

2008-12-18T18:03:00.002-05:00

"In an historic coming together farmers, farmworkers, traders, processors, marketers and food system advocates sat down as equals to bring fair trade home," reports the Organic Consumers Association. On December 7, "after three years of groundwork, the Domestic Fair Trade Association (DFTA) is ready to welcome new members." Dr. Chela Vazquez, representing PAN at the meeting held at the headquarters of Organic Valley Coop in LaFarge, Wisconsin, reports that "the participants agreed on a program to advance a vision of social and environmental justice in the food system by developing fair trade standards for North America." DFTA's primary goals are "to support family-scale farming, to reinforce farmer-led initiatives such as farmer co-operatives, to ensure just conditions for agricultural workers, to strengthen the organic farming movement, and bring these efforts together with mission-based traders, retailers and concerned consumers to contribute to the movement for a more equitable, diverse and sustainable agriculture in North America."

http://www.panna.org/files/domesticFairTrade20081217.pdf

Light REDD: The Looming Tragedy of Carbon Markets Paying to Destroy Ancient Forests

2008-12-14T11:46:00.002-05:00

EARTH MEANDERS
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet
From Earth's Newsdesk
December 13, 2008

Using carbon funds, the world's governments are poised to subsidize ancient forest logging, claiming it benefits the Earth's climate. REDD's potential support of "low impact" logging of ancient forests, and conversion of natural forests to tree farms, fails the climate, biodiversity and biosphere.

Plans to pay for rainforest protection using funds from carbon markets progressed during this week's UN climate talks. I have long promoted the deceptively simple idea of paying to keep rainforests standing, yet am far from jubilant with the results. It appears first time, industrial logging of ancient forests -- through so-called low-impact and certified logging, and the conversion of these and other natural forests to plantations -- is falsely considered as having carbon benefits, and will be paid for with our tax dollars and carbon offsets.

The concept of paying for rainforest protection with carbon money has become known as avoided deforestation, or alternatively, as REDD for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation". Like many promising concepts before it (i.e. "sustainable development" and "certified forestry"), REDD is in danger of becoming empty jargon meant to legitimate continued environmentally destructive activities.

Worldwide, an area of forest greater than the size of Greece is deforested every year, and much larger areas are continually ecologically diminished, contributing about a fifth of the global greenhouse gas emissions causing abrupt and potentially run-away climate change. Given the biosphere, atmosphere and most species depend upon these forests; the basic idea of paying for protection of rainforests is a sound one. But like so many good eco-ideas before it, the devil is in the details.

Most generally, the concern is whether further commoditizing ecosystems does in fact lead to their protection. As capitalism verges upon collapse because of its dependence upon unsustainable growth as the measure of well-being, it is difficult to trust the world's ancient forest, global ecosystem engines, to yet another market. To date the carbon market has failed miserably to reduce emissions, and its primary impact has been to enrich the polluting elite. What will make avoided deforestation different?

There is much vagueness regarding what specific sorts of activities REDD will fund. Terms like preservation, protection, conservation, sustainability and low impact are used imprecisely and interchangeably when in fact they are quite different. Efforts to end old growth logging, aid in natural forest regeneration and improve their management, and promote socially acceptable plantations of mixed native species are certainly welcome.

Yet it is clear that REDD, as envisioned under United Nations' climate activities, will also subsidize first time industrial logging of primary and old growth forests, and why not? Virtually everyone else tasked with global environmental stewardship -- from stylish Greenpeace, to ultra-establishment World Bank, to second tier posers like Rainforest Action Network -- support the myth of certified ancient forest logging. They and others fail to see that maintaining and restoring large, relatively INTACT terrestrial ecosystems is key to solving both the climate and biodiversity crises, and is ultimately the only long-term foundation for global ecological sustainability.

REDD as it now stands further greenwashs the notion that logging the world’s last ancient forest ecosystems, and converting these and other natural forests to tree farms, benefits the climate. This is in direct contradiction to the best current science. We are learning primary forest ecosystems, including soils, continue removing carbon indefinitely. And their continued ability to both hold existing, and remove new, carbon is majorly and permanently reduced when "managed" for the first time.

The ecological rigorousness of the REDD concept is being negotiated away in order to get industry and government onboard. To appease those responsible for the very burning and cutting destroying ecosystems, while legitimizing their right to continue doing so in a slightly better fashion, REDD is at risk of becoming meaningless. The promise of logging their forests and having carbon payments too, largely motivates government and industry involvement with REDD.

REDD buys into the pernicious myth that low-impact, certified, sustainable, ecosystem based, socially responsible, pixie-magic-dust methods exist to acceptably log a sixty million year old sacred and ecologically precious ancient forest. The world's remaining primeval forests are ecologically and evolutionarily perfect, and there is no industrial management needed or possible that does not release huge amounts of carbon initially, while reducing long-term carbon storage potential. Nor can any sort of industrial scaled logging avert dramatic destruction forever of ancient forests' structure, composition and function.

Because plantations are widely mistaken as forests, REDD will lead to replacement of carbon rich forests by monoculture tree plantations. Much carbon is lost immediately, and future carbon storage potential is forever diminished. While planted trees remove carbon, the carbon stored is not going to persist for millennia like in ancient forest ecosystems. Fast growing monocultures to make paper may be rotting in a land fill within a year. Further, industrial tree plantations are notorious for their toxic waste, social disruption and soil depletion.

An ecologically sufficient gold standard for avoided deforestation looks like this. In regards to primary and old growth forests, a maximally effective program would fund only strict preservation in order to optimally protect carbon and biodiversity stores in the long-term; and only with local support, their continued traditional uses and possibly limited small-scale, community-based eco-forestry development. The best way to remove new carbon is to assist secondary forests to regenerate old-growth characteristics, while expanding and connecting fragmented primary forest landscapes through ecological restoration. There must be no incentives to promote, or tolerance of, replacing natural forests with monocultural tree farms. Demand for forest products can be met from rigorously ecologically certified native, non-toxic tree plantations and delicate management of maturing secondary forests.

There are many other important and troublesome issues regarding REDD that must be resolved for it to be a force for good. REDD allows the rich world to buy their way out of reducing their own carbon emissions reduction. The well-off must not be allowed to use REDD to avoid reducing their own fossil fuel emission reductions. REDD mainly benefits the countries and interests that have caused most of the world's deforestation, and it is imperative local forest dwellers yield most of the benefits. Further, REDD is likely to result in land grabs and other violations of indigenous rights. Strict prohibitions upon REDD financing industrial ancient forest logging and plantations upon recently deforested lands, coupled with getting payments to willing local participants, will alleviate most concerns.

If carbon markets expand to include forests and pay for anything less than full protection of ancient forests, carbon markets will be revealed as a fraudulent Ponzi scheme whose primary purpose is to enrich the elite, not to reduce emissions or ensure a habitable biosphere. Yes, I want carbon markets and REDD to work. But not at the expense of Earth's last intact ecosystem engines, not if carbon markets abet continued emission growth and forest loss, not if carbon accounting trickery pays for continued ecocide, not if land is stolen from local peoples, and not if it slows down sufficient, real progress to END the biodiversity and climate crises.

Carbon markets themselves are underperforming. There is no indication they will become global and result in absolute emission reductions in time to avert global ecosystem collapse. The primary beneficiary thus far has been polluting industries which have reaped windfall profits after being given carbon credits for free. Carbon markets will have completed their descent into irrelevancy and actual harm to the climate and biosphere if these funds pay to log ancient rainforests. If policy-makers get it wrong and grant carbon funding to anything less than full protection for ancient forests, carbon markets will have proven their failure.

It just seems a little much, indeed a blind leap of faith, to suggest that the present economic system, which has brought the Earth to the edge of ruin by liquidating the Earth's life-giving ecosystems over the last few hundred years, and is now collapsing, is capable of saving terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. If history teaches us anything, it is assigning an economic value to shared natural resources, in a world of exponential growth in population and consumption, assures their over-use. Unless these concerns with the functioning of carbon markets, and how they relate to primary and old-growth forests in particular are addressed, the REDD concept is unworthy of support.

http://www.climateark.org/blog/2008/12/light-redd-the-looming-tragedy.asp#more

November5.org Grassroots

2008-12-13T11:55:00.002-05:00

Several of us from the Nader for President 2008 campaign had decided to channel our efforts toward one big goal, but we lacked a major focus. Recently, results of a survey done by the campaign came back. Top issue? Adopt single payer health care. It's not the only issue people care about, obviously. But, to turn this country around it's clear that we need to address our own pain now.

Our big goal for the next Congress will be to drive for national health insurance to cover privately-delivered healthcare for all Americans.

We're far from alone in this. The array and scope of the groups and their allies supporting national health insurance is impressive. But we are not reinventing the wheel, either. As long as you want to build a lasting organization that will get Congress to focus on people's needs -- not those of big business -- November5 can be the place to do it.

Here in the United States, we have excellent private health care. So why are nearly 100 million of our citizens uninsured or underinsured? You already know why: profit-driven private insurance companies. Taken together, they make the Pentagon look streamlined.

Not only that, but consider over 18,000 dead and hundreds of thousands getting sicker every year specifically because their health insurance is inadequate -- or non-existent.

The way to fix health care is to cut private insurance companies out of the basic health care picture, while keeping our system of private delivery. This is how Medicare came into being in the 1960s. It now covers all Americans over 65.

If we succeed in creating a system of "Medicare for All," we will help businesses and other organizations, independent contractors, veterans, people with pre-existing conditions, students -- all of us. If we get this done, it will revolutionize all of our lives for the better. We'll be able to focus on everything else that we want to accomplish for our communities, and our nation.

Passing national health insurance will be difficult, but it is achievable.

General Plan
Huge amounts of leg work have been done on this issue. H.R. 676, the legislation that supporters of national health insurance have introduced, had 93 original co-sponsors in the House. That number will probably increase as the new Congress comes into session. The first task now facing all supporters of the bill will be to make a new tally of co-sponsors and supporters in the next Congress.
We will be up against alternatives to "reform" health care, such as the plan promoted by Senator Max Baucus. They simply extend the status quo -- and the damage. They would expand the profits of the private insurance companies, and therefore cannot check the spiraling inflation generated by these companies, and the broken system they inhabit. So, right away, we have to draw a sharp line between what we want, and bad compromises.
Remember, to pass the House, we will need roughly another 120 votes. That means that we will have to go for a margin, to have around 140 votes in addition to the co-sponsors. Here is where our district-level organizations will have to go to work to pick up votes.
We will need sponsors of the legislation in the Senate. Those do not yet exist. This is a critical early step that we hope to help other groups active on H.R. 676 to take.
November5 is non-partisan. We cannot be bound by the notion that Republicans will not buy into national health insurance. It maintains private delivery of health care and will expand choice of doctor, creating conditions for greater innovation and competition -- not less.
We will need to build fast. This effort will work only if it moves deeply into communities, where members of Congress get their votes. We are currently designing a structure that will allow people to begin organizing independently, district by district, around our current goal -- without having to wait for plans from above.
Specific Steps
Inform yourself and others by reading:
H.R. 676
and these three articles:
Rose Ann DeMoro, Philadelphia Inquirer, December 8, 2008
Physicians for a National Health Program, Talking Points, December 10, 2008
Statement of Dr. Marcia Angell introducing the U.S. National Health Insurance Act
and by watching these excellent videos on H.R. 676. Pass them along in emails, on blogs, facebook and myspace pages. If you create videos on youtube, do one on national health care yourself:
HR 676 - The Single Payer Solution, Part 1 of 4
HR 676 - The Single Payer Solution, Part 2 of 4
HR 676 - The Single Payer Solution, Part 3 of 4
HR 676 - The Single Payer Solution, Part 4 of 4
Write a letter -- not an email -- in your own words to your member of Congress stating that you'd like their commitment to vote for H.R. 676. If your member of Congress is a co-sponsor of the bill, express your support for that stand. Email a copy to us, if you would, with the words "Letter to My Congressperson" in the subject line.
President-elect Obama has asked for volunteers around the country to host discussion groups on the health care issue during the last half of December. Attend a discussion in your area and make the argument for single payer. Click here for more information.
Soon, we'll be raising money online to build the November5 movement. November5.org will not be a passive website, it will be a place where each Congressional district will be represented by the people of that district. You'll be able to login and see the latest on your Congressional representative, plan with others events that make sense to you for promoting H.R. 676, and organize for meeting with your member of Congress.

If the model works, we'll be able to tackle other issues. For now, let's focus in, and get November5 built. The bell has rung -- and we are in a struggle that we can win, if we all dig deep.

The politicians who want to nibble around the edges of the rolling disaster that is our health care system may have industry on their side, but we have the best plan. Many highly-qualified doctors, economists, and legislators have put enormous work into it, we just have to stand up, be counted and gather others with us to do the same.

We look forward to the rewarding work ahead.

The November5 Team

Finance Giants Adopt 'Climate Principles'

2008-12-08T13:20:00.002-05:00

...The code is intended as a guide to help financial and insurance institutions manage climate change across a broad section of services and products, unlike the Carbon Principles, a framework adopted earlier this year by several U.S. banks which focuses on project financing, such as coal-fired power plant projects, according to Climate Group Spokesman Neal McGrath.

"The Climate Principles are global, cover the entire spectrum of financial services and so are much broader in scope,"...

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/12/03/finance-giants-adopt-climate-principles

A New Corps for a Green New Deal

2008-12-08T12:30:00.001-05:00

Seven MBA students helped big name companies such as Google, Yahoo! and Cisco identify energy efficiency opportunities in their operations that will save $35 million in net costs over five years.

They are part of the Climate Corps, an Environmental Defense Fund pilot program that pairs business students with corporations to explore strategies that save energy, greenhouse gas emissions and money.

The pilot was a success and now EDF wants to scale up with a partnership with Net Impact, the nonprofit focused on fostering tomorrow's socially responsible business leaders...

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/12/04/a-new-corps-green-new-deal

AT&T Offers to Help EPA Find Ways to Cut GHGs

2008-12-08T12:16:00.002-05:00

...A range of business and public interests submitted comments to the EPA, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Fourteen attorneys general urged the agency on Monday to use its authority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while the governor of Texas warned that greenhouse gas regulations would cause irreparable harm to his state's economy...

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/12/02/att-offers-help-epa-find-ways-cut-ghgs

Brazil Announces Plan to Slow Amazon Deforestation by 70%

2008-12-03T10:18:00.002-05:00

Just in terms of avoided deforestation in the Amazon, the plan foresees a reduction of 4.8bn tons of carbon dioxide that won't be emitted up to 2018 - which is more than the reduction efforts fixed by all the rich countries...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/brazil-amazon-deforestation-reduction-plan.php

by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 12. 2.08

New LED Light Bulbs Can Replace 100W Incandescents

2008-12-02T10:36:00.002-05:00

MetaEfficient.com

...LED bulbs have many advantages over incandescents and compact fluorescent: they use very little power, they last 10 years or more, and they contain no hazardous substances. They are also tough: they can be dropped and turned off and on repeated without damage, they can operate in very cold or warm temperatures.

LED bulbs can also save you money in the long term, because an incandescent bulb requires about $300 worth of electricity over ten years of use. The LED bulbs cost $50 (for the 100 watt equivalent Evolux) and $90 (for the 60 watt equivalent Zetalux), and their cost to run over ten years is about $38...

http://www.metaefficient.com/leds/led-light-bulbs.html

Declare A Paradigm - Global Solutions Contest Winner!

2008-11-27T10:28:00.002-05:00

First Place ~ Rowan North

"We can choose to live in a world where we all develop our individual talents and contribute them to society in our own unique way. We can choose to live in a world where we playfully explore the landscape of contrast that life has to offer. So as we move forward into the 21st century I would hope that we all aspire to something beyond the limits of what we believe is possible, for the borders of our potential will be built only by the boundaries of our imagination."

http://multimedia.globalsolutions.org/spoken-word-poetry/declare-paradigm

The Think Global, Eat Local Thanksgiving Menu - A Greener Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:02:00.003-05:00

Here's Everything You Need for an Earth-Friendly — and Delicious — Thanksgiving Meal.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/green-thanksgiving-44103008?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

A Savory Five-Course Meal, with Bread and Unforgettable Sides!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/Eat-Local-Thanksgiving

Includes several delicious vegetarian dishes....

Use LED holiday lights

2008-11-19T12:40:00.002-05:00

The bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours (that’s over five years of continuous lighting — no more tweaking every bulb trying to find the dud!) and use up to 90% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. One estimate puts the potential savings at over $8 for just one tree’s worth of lights!

http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/use-led-holiday-lights?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Read%26nbsp%3Bmore&utm_content=lilyfishpond%40yahoo.com&utm_campaign=Newsletter+11%2F19%2F08

Responsible Credit Cards

2008-11-14T11:31:00.002-05:00

There are more options than ever for conscientious credit card users to make a difference every time they make a charge.

When you open a credit card with a bank or credit union, your fees— late fees, annual fees, balance transfer fees—as well as the fees that the merchants pay, provide a profit for the issuing institution. The bank, in turn, puts that money to work in the form of loans to individuals and businesses. The question for conscientious credit card users is whether the banks issuing their cards are sustainable, or are financing destructive projects.

“Community investing and socially responsible banks and credit unions provide the best opportunity for consumers to avoid supporting negative practices,” says Fran Teplitz, Co-op America’s director of social investing programs. “When you use a mega-bank’s card, you’re bolstering all the things the bank’s loans support, from clearcutting forests to building new coal-fired power plants.”

http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/ResponsibleCreditCards.cfm

America Serves (website - office of the president elect)

2008-11-07T11:36:00.002-05:00

"When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream."

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

Green Energy Voter Guide

2008-10-09T11:02:00.002-04:00

We cannot solve our economic crisis without solving our energy crisis and we cannot responsibly solve our energy crisis without stopping global warming.

Our environmental and economic future is in our hands. We must keep the pressure on our federal candidates to support real action to stop global warming and unleash our green energy future.

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=28228 Environmental Defense

Providing a Voice for the Independent Candidates

2008-10-06T16:29:00.002-04:00

Providing a Voice for the Independent Candidates

October 5, 2008
Written by Ari Herzog

http://voiceswithoutvotes.org/2008/10/05/providing-a-voice-for-the-independent-candidates-2/

Despite the media's focus on Barack Obama and John McCain, they are not the only candidates running for the office of President of the United States of America.

The race to the White House also includes Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party, Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party, Cynthia McKinney of the Green-Rainbow Party, and Ralph Nader of the Independent Party.

You can read more about the six men and women (and their running mates) at Project Vote Smart.

http://www.votesmart.org/election_president.php

Is the Bailout Needed? Many Economists Say "No"

2008-09-27T14:39:00.001-04:00

Kevin G. Hall, McClatchy Newspapers: "A funny thing happened in the drafting of the largest-ever US government intervention in the financial system. Lawmakers of all stripes mostly fell in line, but many of the nation's brightest economic minds are warning that the Wall Street bailout's a dangerous rush job. President Bush and his Treasury secretary, former Goldman Sachs chief executive Henry Paulson, have warned of imminent economic collapse and another Great Depression if their rescue plan isn't passed immediately. Is that true?"...Coming out of the White House on Thursday, the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, Alabama's Richard Shelby, held up what he said was a five-page list of economists opposing the rescue plan.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/53107.html

Protecting the public interest in any economic "bailout"

2008-09-25T11:13:00.002-04:00

The U.S. government has been turned into an engine that accelerates the wealth upwards into the hands of a few. The Wall Street bailout, the Iraq War, military spending, tax cuts to the rich, and a for-profit health care system are all about the acceleration of wealth upwards. And now, the American people are about to pay the price of the collapse of the $513 trillion Ponzi scheme of derivatives. Yes, that’s half a quadrillion dollars. Our first trillion dollar compression bandage will hardly stem the hemorrhaging of an unsustainable Ponzi scheme built on debt "de-leverages."

Does anyone seriously think that our public and private debts of some $45 trillion will be paid? That the administration's growth of the federal debt from $5.6 trillion to $9.8 trillion while borrowing another trillion dollars from Social Security has nothing to do with this? Does anyone not see that when we spend nearly $16,000 for every family of four in our society for the military each year that we are heading over the cliff?

This is a debt crisis, not a credit crisis. Just as FDR had to save capitalism after Wall Street excesses, we have to re-invigorate our economy with real - not imaginary - growth. It does not address the never-ending war on the middle class.

The same corporate interests that profited from the closing of U.S. factories, the movement of millions of jobs out of America, the off-shoring of profits, the out-sourcing of workers, the crushing of pension funds, the knocking down of wages, the cancellation of health care benefits, the sub-prime lending are now rushing to Washington to get money to protect themselves.

The double standard is stunning: their profits are their profits, but their losses are our losses.

This bailout will not bring real jobs back to America. It will not bring back jobs that make things. It does not rebuild our schools, streets, neighborhoods, parks or bridges. The major product of this financial economy is now debt. Industrial capitalism has been destroyed.
In the next few days I will push for a plan that includes equity for every American in any taxpayer investment in this so-called bail-out plan. Since the bailout will cost each and every American about $2,300, I have proposed the creation of a United States Mutual Trust Fund, which will take control of $700 billion in stock assets, convert those assets to shares, and distribute $2,300 worth of shares to new individual savings accounts in the name of each and every American.
I will also insist that all of the following issues be considered in whatever Congress passes:

Reinstatement of the provisions of Glass-Steagall, which forbade speculation
Re-regulation of the finance, insurance, and real estate industries
Accountability on the part of those who took the companies down:
a) resignations of management
b) givebacks of executive compensation packages
c) limitations on executive compensation
d) admission by CEO's of what went wrong and how, prior to any government bailout
Demands for transparencey
a) with respect to analyzing the transactions which took the companies down
b) with respect to Treasury's dealings with the companies pre and post-bailout
An equity position for the taxpayers
a) some form of ownership of assets
Some credible formula for evaluating the price of the assets that the government is buying.
A sunset clause on the legislation
Full public disclosure by members of Congress of assets held, with possible conflicts put in blind trust.
A ban on political campaign contributions from officers of corporations receiving bailouts
A requirement that 2008 cycle candidates return political contributions to officers and representatives of corporations receiving bailouts
And, most importantly, some mechanism for direct assistance to homeowners saddled with unreasonable or unmanageable mortgages, as well as protection for renters who have lived up to their obligation but fall victim to financial tragedy when the property they live in undergoes foreclosure.

These are just some thoughts on the run. You will hear more from me tomorrow.

Dennis Kucinich

12 Year Old Boy Invents New Type of Solar Cell

2008-09-18T10:21:00.002-04:00

Now here’s a story that makes me feel profoundly unaccomplished: a 12 year old boy in Beaverton, Oregon recently developed a new type of 3D solar cell that makes other solar cells look inefficient by comparison.

William Yuan’s 3D cell can absorb both visible and UV light. According to his calculations, solar panels equipped with his 3D cells could provide 500 times more light absorption than current commercial solar cells and nine times more light than existing 3D solar cells.

Tomorrowland

2008-09-15T09:28:00.000-04:00

A design competition for eco-smart city-living aims to turn “what if” into “what is”

Profile: Music Genome Project

2008-09-03T10:10:00.002-04:00

The music genome project is a colossal effort to classify songs by using over 400 “genetic markers” that, applied to a song and taken together, help to create a kind of taxonomy of music. The genetic markers include everything from basic attributes such as whether a song is acoustic or electronic, to subtle qualities of the lead singer’s voice and all aspects of the arrangement -- right down to whether or not hand claps are in the mix. Dissonant harmonies, guitar effects, specific use of drums and cymbals, syncopation, orchestral music, and even subtle influences become part of the song’s DNA map.

The music genome project is the brainchild of 1988 Stanford graduate, Tim Westergren. The actual work of analyzing songs is carried out by a dedicated team of highly qualified technicians and musicians who reportedly spend 30-minutes analyzing every song that becomes part of the music genome project library. Virtually all music genres are included in the project.

You might be wondering what purpose such an interesting project could serve. The answer is to provide music-loving Web surfers with the ability to create free, personalized online radio stations that only play music the listener likes—even when it's music the listener has never heard before.

One need only visit the music genome project website, Pandora.com, and enter the name of a favorite song or artist in a search box. Server-side software uses the artist or song to find genetically similar material in the database, and the resultant playlist begins streaming for the listener. Song title and artist is displayed along a cover shot of the relevant single or compact disc. Player controls allow the listener to repeat a song or skip forward to the next tune in the playlist. If the playlist doesn’t quite meet your needs, you can tweak it by changing the parameters.

Since entering a song or title necessarily limits the music genome project to find similar music, Pandora allows a user to create several radio stations to cover several different types or genres of music. For example, one might create a custom radio station for rock, one for blues, and one for alternative. The user can then use the “QuickMix” feature to choose which of the radio stations should be included in a “shuffle” mode where the streaming radio will feature songs from each of the (chosen) custom radio stations, rather than just one.

The music genome project opens a whole new world to music lovers by exposing listeners to music they have never heard but are likely to appreciate. This is exciting for music lovers and also for artists, as it creates positive exposure to potential new fans. Due to licensing restrictions, Pandora’s services are primarily available to visitors located in the United States.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-music-genome-project.htm

Think Hosting a Website Can’t Be Done in an Eco-responsible Way? Think Again.

2008-08-28T10:24:00.001-04:00

Websites run on powerful computer servers that use massive amounts of electricity. Though energy efficiency should be a high priority for hosting companies—after all, it saves them money-—finding a company who operates their servers in an environmentally-responsible way is not always easy.

A2 Hosting makes it easy. Its FutureServe Green Hosting initiative was created to provide environmentally responsible website hosting in order to protect and improve ecological conditions for current and future generations. In addition, the experts at A2 Hosting have tips for MyClimateMinute readers to reduce their computer usage carbon footprints.

A2 Hosting sees carbon offsets as a means of balancing its web servers’ release of carbon dioxide through a combination of products, practices and resources that save an equivalent, and likely additional, amount of CO2 to what is emitted. Carbon offsets allow A2 Hosting to take responsibility for mitigating CO2 emissions from everyday business activities by contributing to Carbonfund.org projects like reforestation and the development of renewable energy. “Until all our energy needs are able to come from renewable sources, we felt that carbon offsets were the best way to reduce our environmental impact and act as a responsible business,” said A2 Hosting CEO Bryan Muthig. “We carefully looked at all our options before choosing Carbonfund.org to provide our carbon offsets. The fact that Carbonfund.org is a non-profit and has a good reputation made us feel confident our offset dollars were going to be put to good use.”

FutureServe Green Hosting is a combination of low-power hardware, employee effort, and offsetting, and it has established A2 Hosting among the greenest options for website hosting. Among the energy efficient equipment A2 uses are low-voltage Xeon Processors and DDR2 memory, both known for energy efficiency, and power saving hard drives that consume 40% less power and 4-5 less watts than competing hard drives.

In addition, the culture at A2 Hosting is green. Eco-friendly practices found at A2 Hosting include telecommuting to reduce carbon emissions from daily commutes, recycling of older hosting equipment, and eliminating the use of paper towels, Styrofoam cups and plastic cups. Employees who drink coffee or water bring their own re-useable containers.

A2 Hosting offers the following tips for making your computer eco-friendly.
1. The easiest and most efficient way to reduce a computer-related carbon footprint is to turn it off when it isn’t in use.
2. At the very least, turn off the monitor and printer when not using them.
3. Properly configure the computer’s sleep mode settings so its electrical use is reduced automatically.
4. A computer that is obsolete to you can often be used by someone else. Not only does someone less fortunate get the benefit of using a computer, this also prevents the computer from rotting in a landfill.
5. Also, check out this video dedicated to reducing computer power use.

MyClimateMinute readers can save 20% on all A2 Hosting services by using the coupon code a2green at the checkout. Readers can use this coupon to start their own green friendly website or blog. This coupon expires October 31, 2008.

For more on A2 Hosting, please visit www.a2hosting.com.

http://www.carbonfund.org/site/more/media/1056

Texas Court Aims To 'DIVERT' First-Time Offenders

2008-08-15T10:35:00.003-04:00

by Wade Goodwyn
NPR August 15, 2008

This is the final installment in a three-part series.

Morning Edition, August 15, 2008 · In Dallas' DIVERT court, perpetrators tend to go by their first names.

"Anna? Where you at, Anna?" court officer Justin Alexander calls out, just as the session is about to begin.

The familiarity embodied in the roll call is a subtle clue to DIVERT Court's success. DIVERT, which technically stands for Dallas Initiative for Diversion and Expedited Rehabilitation and Treatment, also represents the program's focus on diverting individuals with minor drug offenses away from prison.

Established about 10 years ago, it's one of about 80 so-called problem-solving courts across Texas. With the state's yearly budget for corrections ready to surpass the $3 billion mark, DIVERT is looking like an increasingly promising model to keep people out of prison and save tax dollars.

After roll call, Judge John Creuzot, the driving force behind the initiative, enters the courtroom, stage right, robes flowing in his wake.

"Hello, Mr. Dwight. How are you?" he asks. "Miss Sharon, I'm glad I'm here when you're here."

"I am, too, Judge," she responds.

A Court With Close Interactions

Not your typical courtroom banter. There's a rare set of relationships here among criminals, court officials, judge, case managers and drug and alcohol therapists that's grounded in the repetition of seeing each other every week, often several times a week.

"Natasha, I'm glad you're here today because you're going to Phase Three," Creuzot announces to widespread applause. It's taken Natasha Stephens a year to get this far, and she returns to her seat, beaming at his praise.

"You proud of yourself — you were pretty damn mean when you first got here, girl," the judge says.

Stephens says she began drinking when she was 8 years old. By the time she was busted for possessing a gram of cocaine at age 21, she'd been addicted to cocaine and alcohol for years.

"All through my teens — couldn't even go to class," she explains.

Stephens was facing a felony conviction and up to two years in prison. But because it was her first arrest and the amount she was carrying was relatively small, she was a candidate for Creuzot's DIVERT Court.

Stephens soon discovered that diversion is not easy. Instead of doing nothing in jail, she had to meet with her case manager twice a week and attend Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, because she had both addictions. There were intensive outpatient treatment sessions and drug tests.

Those who know something about alcohol and cocaine addiction probably won't be surprised to hear that one weekend, Stephens fell off the wagon and subsequently failed a drug test.

Emphasis On Rehab

This is where the differences between the philosophy of DIVERT Court and the rest of the Texas criminal justice system become particularly apparent. Instead of kicking Stephens out of the program and sending her off to prison, Creuzot sent her to 45 days of intensive inpatient drug treatment.

Stephens says that changed her life.

Understanding just how close she was to a life of oblivion, Stephens dropped her know-it-all attitude and got serious about recovery. She's been sober ever since, with the drug tests to prove it.

Creuzot says what's different about DIVERT Court is the intense judicial oversight.

"A person who relapses on drugs needs further treatment. Our responses are research-driven," he says.

The statistics back him up. Two studies by Southern Methodist University show that DIVERT Court cuts the recidivism rate by 68 percent over the regular Texas criminal justice courts. For every dollar spent on the court, $9 are saved in future criminal justice costs.

Creuzot says the next step is to expand these courts to include perpetrators of property crimes and to raise the possession limits. Currently, if you're busted with two grams of cocaine, for example, that's too much to qualify. Creuzot would like to see DIVERT expanded beyond first-time offenders.

Therapeutic Approach Pays Dividends

The courts have been so successful that even the tough-on-crime, Republican-dominated Texas Legislature approves.

Rep. Jerry Madden (R-Plano), chairman of the corrections committee, says that instead of worrying about the expanding outflow from prison, he wants to choke off the inflow with DIVERT-type courts.

"We have 157,000 people in the prisons of Texas — that's a lot," he says.

The expanding prison population is a financial red stain spreading across the state's books like the Andromeda Strain, he says. Each new maximum security prison costs Texas taxpayers $300 million to build and $40 million a year to operate.

State officials estimate that unless changes are made, Texas will need 17,000 more prison beds just four years from now. Releasing prisoners on parole is politically untenable — which makes "diversion" an increasingly appealing way to avoid what's looking like a $2 billion invoice.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93614135&ft=1&f=1012

Success! Justice for the victims of Bhopal

2008-08-09T10:34:00.003-04:00

Government will Set Up Empowered Commission on Bhopal Disaster

8 August 2008: "Giving in to demands of Bhopal gas tragedy survivors, the Government on Friday announced that an Empowered Commission will be set up to look into all aspects of rehabilitation of the victims and cleaning-up of hazardous waste lying in the area. The Union Minister for Chemical and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan made the announcement at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital, where the survivors of the country's worst industrial disaster have been protesting for the last 130 days," The Press Trust of India reports. The Minister's statement "finally represents a full response to the 172 day 'Walk Your Talk' campaign begun by Bhopalis on February 20th, 2008. The object of the campaign - the longest sustained campaign by the Bhopalis yet - was fulfillment of a set of clear demands," said the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. "The statement achieves this."

http://www.panna.org/bhopal

Vital Signs: Jobs in Renewable Energy Expanding

2008-08-07T09:57:00.002-04:00

by Michael Renner
Driven by the gathering sense of a climate crisis, the notion of "green jobs"-especially in the renewable energy sector-is now receiving unprecedented attention. Currently about 2.3 million people worldwide work either directly in renewables or indirectly in supplier industries.1 Given incomplete data, this is in all likelihood a conservative figure. The wind power industry employs some 300,000 people, the solar photovoltaics (PV) sector accounts for an estimated 170,000 jobs, and the solar thermal industry, at least 624,000.2 More than 1 million jobs are found in the biomass and biofuels sector.3 Small-scale hydropower and geothermal energy are far smaller employers. (See Figure 1.)

Renewables tend to be a more labor-intensive energy source than the still-dominant fossil fuels, which rely heavily on expensive pieces of production equipment. A transition toward renewables thus promises job gains. Even in the absence of such a transition, growing automation and corporate consolidation are already translating into steadily fewer jobs in the oil, natural gas, and coal industries-sometimes even in the face of expanding production. Many hundreds of thousands of coal mining jobs have been shed in China, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and South Africa in the last decade or two.4 In the United States, coal output rose by almost one third during the past two decades, yet employment has been cut in half.5

A handful of countries have emerged as leaders in renewables development, thanks to strong government support. A study commissioned by the German government found that in 2006 the country had some 259,000 direct and indirect jobs in the renewables sector.6 The number is expected to reach 400,000-500,000 by 2020 and then 710,000 by 2030.7

Spain also has seen its renewables industry expand rapidly in recent years. The industry now employs some 89,000 people directly (mostly in wind power and PV) and another 99,000 indirectly.8 Denmark has long been a leader in wind development. But with policy support there less steady in recent years, the number of domestic wind jobs has stagnated at about 21,000.9

In the United States, federal policies have been weak and inconsistent over the years, leaving leadership to individual state governments. Still, a study for the American Solar Energy Society found that the U.S. renewables sector employed close to 200,000 people directly in 2006 and another 246,000 indirectly.10

India's Suzlon is one of the world's leading wind turbine manufacturers, further strengthening its position through its 2007 takeover of Germany's REpower.11 Manufacturing of wind turbine components, production of spare parts, and turbine maintenance by Suzlon and other companies are helping to generate much-needed income and employment in India.12 Suzlon currently employs more than 13,000 people directly-about 10,000 in India, and the remainder in China, Belgium, and the United States.13

China is rapidly catching up in solar PVs and wind turbine manufacturing and is already the dominant force in solar hot water and small hydropower development.14 According to rough estimates, close to a million people in China currently work in the renewables sector.15 To some extent, these numbers reflect China's low labor productivity compared with Western countries. This seems especially true in the solar thermal industry, which is thought to employ some 600,000 people.16

The leaders in renewables technologies can expect considerable job gains in the near future in manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines for both domestic and export markets. Jobs in installing, operating, and maintaining renewable energy systems tend to be more local in nature and could thus benefit a broad range of countries.

For instance, Kenya has one of the largest and most dynamic solar markets in the developing world. There are 10 major solar PV import companies, and the country has an estimated 1,000-2,000 solar technicians.17 In Bangladesh, Grameen Shakti has installed more than 100,000 solar home systems in rural communities in a few years-one of the fastest-growing solar PV programs in the world-and is aiming for 1 million by 2015, along with the creation of some 100,000 jobs for local youth and women as solar technicians and repair and maintenance specialists.18

Four countries-Brazil, the United States, China, and Germany-are leading in biomass development. Brazil's ethanol industry is said to employ about 300,000 workers.19 Indonesia and Malaysia are leading palm oil producers; a small but growing share is being diverted there to biofuels production. Malaysia has an estimated half-million people employed in the palm oil industry (and another million people whose livelihoods are connected to it)-many of them Indonesian migrant workers.20 Indonesia is itself planning a major expansion, and optimistic projections speak of 3.5 million new plantation jobs by 2010.21

Following a wave of initial enthusiasm, there are now rising doubts about the environmental benefits and economic impacts of at least some types of biofuels, however.22 And the jobs that are being created need close scrutiny as well. Biofuels processing typically requires higher skills and thus is likely to offer better pay than feedstock production and harvesting. But most jobs are found at sugarcane and palm oil plantations, where wages and working conditions are often extremely poor.

The Brazilian sugarcane industry has historically been marked by exploitation of seasonal laborers and by the takeover of smaller-scale farms by large plantation owners, often by violent means.23 The prevailing piece-rate system leaves many Brazilian plantation workers earning a pittance, and some end up in debt bondage. Living conditions are often squalid.24 In Indonesia, too, poverty is common among plantation workers, who face unsafe working conditions, frequent denial of their rights, and intimidation by employers.25

The expansion of plantations for biofuels also threatens to come at the expense of rural jobs and rural communities. Oil palm companies seeking to acquire land in Indonesia's West Kalimantan, for example, have been found to hold out false promises of jobs for local communities.26 A 2006 study of the area found that small farming systems provided livelihoods for 260 times as many people per hectare of land as oil palm plantations did.27

According to the Woods Hole Research Center, India could create some 900,000 jobs by 2025 in biomass gasification.28 Of this total, 300,000 jobs would be with manufacturers of gasifier stoves (including masons, metal fabricators, and so on) and 600,000 would be in biomass production, processing into briquettes and pellets, supply chain operations, and after-sales services.29 Another 150,000 people might find employment in advanced biomass cooking technologies.30

While biofuels are now subject to more critical reviews on a number of fronts, the future looks promising for wind and solar. Global Wind Energy Outlook 2006 outlines three scenarios-conservative, moderate, and advanced-for future worldwide wind energy development, assuming different rates of investments and capacity expansion.31 (See Figure 2.) Global wind power employment is projected to grow to as much as 2.1 million in 2030 and 2.8 million in 2050 under the advanced scenario.32 Solar Generation IV, a 2007 report by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association and Greenpeace International, similarly projects worldwide solar PV developments via three scenarios.33 By 2030, as many as 6.3 million jobs could be created under the best case scenario.34 (See Figure 3.)

Expanding the role of renewables helps make other sectors of the economy, such as transportation and buildings, more sustainable-thus greening additional jobs to some degree.

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5821?utm_campaign=vital_signs_online&utm_medium=email&utm_source=green_jobs

Responsible Jewelry Shines Brighter

2008-07-21T11:43:00.002-04:00

July 15, 2008
By Carol Lane

You already consider the environmental impact of many of the things you buy. So when a special occasion arises and you’re considering a jewelry purchase, why not do the same? Here are the issues to factor into your choice.

Natural and Human Elements

Natural resources are the building blocks of any piece of fine jewelry. Gold, silver and gemstones must be extracted from the earth through mining, which impacts the environment. In addition, the fair and ethical treatment of the individuals who are employed throughout the entire process is being looked at with increasing scrutiny.

Gold Mining Processes and Improvements

Gold mining processes can have a considerable environmental impact, both from the extraction of the raw material from the Earth and the extraction of gold from the ore. Cyanide, employed at large scale commercial mining operations, and mercury, favored by informal small-scale miners, are the two most commonly used chemicals. Both can filter into the surrounding ground, water and air if not properly contained.

Today, the mining industry is working toward improved practices that promote sustainability and minimize impact. The International Council on Mining & Metals, a CEO-led group that promotes raising standards across the industry, has created a list of 10 principles for improved sustainability in the mining and minerals sector. These principles range from integrating sustainable development considerations within the corporate decision-making process to upholding fundamental human rights and respecting cultures, customs and values of those affected by mining activities.

Several large mining companies are making innovative changes to improve their performance. Newmont Mining Corporation, for example, was a founding member of the International Council on Mining and Metals. And Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Mine does not use cyanide or mercury. It is also doing much more to lessen the impact of its processes such as generating much of its own power, recycling water many times over, and recovering metals from materials that were once wasted.

LEARN MORE: The mining industry is lessening its impact and conserving resources.

Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

The term “conflict diamonds” refers to stones that originate from parts of Africa controlled by forces opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments. The revenue from these diamonds is used to fund military action in opposition to those governments.

Working closely with the United Nations, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) the diamond industry has developed the Kimberley Process Certification System. This system guards against conflict diamonds entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. The diamond industry also adopted a voluntary System of Warranties to assure consumers that their diamonds are from sources free of conflict.

Today, 74 governments have made the Kimberley Process Certification System national law, and now more than 99 percent of the world's diamonds are from conflict-free sources. The diamond industry continues to work to strengthen the Kimberley Process and the System of Warranties.

Before You Shop

When you begin to consider a jewelry purchase, there are several steps you can take to help ensure you’re making a socially responsible, environmentally friendly choice.

Ask questions: Often, businesses won’t alter their policies until their customers demand it. Tell retailers that you’re concerned about the environmental impacts of the jewelry you buy, and that you want to see documentation of their policies. Ask where stones and metals come from, and request proof. Ask about the store’s own environmental policies, which can be indicative of the importance it places on larger environmental issues.

Choose a retailer with an established policy: Many large retailers are taking positive steps to ensure the jewelry they sell is responsible, from mine to shelf. Wal-Mart, the world’s leading retailer of jewelry recently introduced the Love,EarthTM product line, which is fully traceable. The line is part of a Wal-Mart initiative to achieve 100 percent traceability for all of the gold, silver and diamond jewelry sold at its stores.

Consider recycled jewelry: Vintage jewelers offer countless choices for a memorable purchase, with no additional impact on the planet. More and more smaller manufacturers are using recycled metals and gemstones in new pieces.
Today’s environmentally conscious jewelry shopper has more information and resources at hand than ever before. Those resources, combined with improvements made by the mining, manufacturing, and retailing industries, are making it easier to ensure your next jewelry purchase is rooted in compassion and respect for the planet.

READ MORE: From Source to Shelf: The Emergence of the Green Supply Chain

http://www.conservation.org/FMG/Articles/Pages/responsible_jewelry_shines_brighter_walmart.aspx

Bike Sharing Program Launched in Mexico City

2008-07-18T10:26:00.001-04:00

TreeHugger, July 18, 2008

Determined to prove its not a just a smog-addled city notorious for traffic and pollution, Mexico City had jumped on the bike-sharing bandwagon and launched its own free program called Mejor En Bici (Spanish link), or Better On Bicycle in English.

We love the jewel-toned wheels of the Mejor en Bici white cruisers, which are available at three sites in the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods, the city's hipster and eco-friendly stomping grounds. To use the bikes, users must register, sign a form, and leave a piece of identification and a deposit of 200 pesos (about $20), which is returned when the bike is dropped off at the same station. The bikes are available from Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/mexico-bike-sharing.php

Electrifying News!

2008-07-11T11:12:00.002-04:00

Mitsubishi's i MiEV Electric Car is Ahead of Schedule
A couple months ago, we got our hands on Mitsubishi's roadmap for its i MiEV electric car. The plan was to lease a few units to fleet customers first in 2009 and then launch it in 2010 (with a focus on Japan, but also in North-America and Europe), but reality is turning out better than even the optimists thought.

Japanese Launch: Summer 2009
The new plan is to launch the retail version of the i MiEV electric car in Japan in the summer of 2009. The reasons are "smoother-than-expected" preparations for mass-production and, as we can imagine, the increased demand generated by skyrocketing oil prices. There's really nothing like an economic incentive to focus the mind.

i MiEV Electric Car Specifications
The i MiEV is powered by a compact 47 kW electric motor (133 lb-ft of torque) and a 330V, 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack from Lithium Energy Japan (LEJ). LEJ is a joint venture of GS Yuasa Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC). Top speed of the i MiEV is 130 kph (81 mph), with a range of up to 160 km (100 miles) in the Japanese 10-15 cycle driving conditions.

Mitsubishi Motors intends to set the price for the i MiEV at around 4 million yen. But government subsidies for low-emission vehicles are likely to reduce the actual retail price to an estimated 3 million yen [US$28,000].

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/mitsubishi-i-miev-electric-car-launch-japan-2009.php

Wave Powered Boat: Free Energy from the Oceans

2008-07-08T10:19:00.003-04:00

Treehugger presented in February a story about a wave powered boat and its sailor (Heinichi Horie), who had the guts to go from Honolulu to Japan on a 4,800 miles trip, with a boat powered solely by the waves. Today he finished his trip, according to Associated Press.

The wave powered boat is called “Suntory Mermaid II”. It has a speed of 5 knots, which is three times slower than traditional diesel powered boats. With some improvement in the wave-propulsion technology and combining it with wind sailing we can hope that it will become competitive with fossil fuels-powered boats.

Here’s a quick description of the way this boat works:

“Two fins mounted side by side beneath the bow move up and down with the incoming waves and generate dolphin-like kicks that propel the boat forward. “Waves are a negative factor for a ship—they slow it down,” says Yutaka Terao, an engineering professor at Tokai University in Japan who designed the boat’s propulsion system. “But the Suntory can transform wave energy into propulsive power regardless of where the wave comes from.”

The Japanese sailor, Horie, says the trip was the world’s longest solo voyage in a wave-powered boat.He also says he took his time because the sea was calm and the weather was beautiful. The 69 year-old sailor isn’t at his first attempt to go green with sailing, because in 1992 he pedaled a boat from Hawaii to Okinawa in southern Japan. And that’s not all: in 1996 he sailed nearly 10,000 miles from Ecuador to Tokyo aboard a solar-powered boat made from recycled aluminum beer cans. So this achievement was only the latest brave green story for him.

Volkswagen to Make Limited Edition of 1-Liter Car (282 MPG!) in 2010

2008-07-07T13:01:00.002-04:00

VW's 282 MPG Super Fuel Efficient Car
The 1-Liter car has been around in prototype form since 2002 and greens everywhere have been drooling at its 282 miles per gallon fuel economy (or 1 liter of gasoline per 100 kilometers, hence the name). VW has finally decided to make more and sell them, and a limited edition (estimated in the thousands) should start selling in 2010.

1-Liter Car Technical Specs
The One-Liter car (or 1-Litre, over in Europe) weights only 660 pounds. The body is made from carbon composites and it is shaped to be extremely slippery, giving it a coefficient of drag of only 0.16 ("the average car comes in around 0.30 and the Honda Insight had a Cd of 0.25"). The prototype was powered by a 1-cylinder diesel engine, but the production model should have a 2-cylinder diesel (which means it could be powered by algae-biodiesel!), and maybe even a stop-start anti-idling feature (to cut the engine when the car is stopped).

The car reportedly has anti-lock brakes, stability control and airbags. According to Canadian Driver, "Volkswagen says the One-Liter Car is as safe as a GT sports car registered for racing. With the aid of computer crash simulations, the car was designed with built-in crash tubes, pressure sensors for airbag control and front crumple zones."

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/vw-282-mpg-1-one-liter-car-production-2010.php

New Paltz, NY goes organic

2008-07-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

Public spaces in New Paltz, a rural community 90 miles north of New York City, are going organic, reports the local Times Herald Record. While elimination of the use of synthetic chemicals by law must be limited to Village property, Alice Andrews, an environmental commission member and the organizer of a task force on organics that advocated the measure, "hopes that residents will follow suit and stop treating their lawns with inorganic chemicals". Andrews and other residents would have preferred legislation banning or severely restricting pesticide use for all properties in the jurisdiction, but as in most other states, pesticide pre-emption law prohibits the Village from regulating pesticides beyond its own property. "'What we've decided is to try every other angle, especially education,'" Andrews said. The task force made posters asking residents to sign a petition on myspace.com advocating that Ulster County ban pesticides. She wants the New Paltz Website to provide pesticide education, aiming for "'social pressure' to 'do what formal legislation can't.'" The New Paltz action is similar to reforms spreading in towns and cities across North America, from San Francisco's pioneering 1996 IPM program to Maine's defeat of pre-emption last year, and the even more rapid adoption of cosmetic pesticide bans from British Columbia to Nova Scotia in Canada.

http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20080703#8

New Paltz, NY goes organic

2008-07-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

Three Ways to Make Solar Cheaper than Coal

2008-06-27T11:46:00.001-04:00

Written by Hank Green
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
EcoGeek

Solar power is magnificently exciting. Just lay down a sheet or a panel and every day, for the life of the device, you get free power. There are no fuel costs. No one is ever going to start charging $4 per gallon of sunlight. But, unfortunately, the size of the initial investment keeps the cost of solar generated power higher than the cost of coal.

It's worth noting that, if you take into account the environmental costs of burning coal, solar power is already slightly more economically sound (according to an analysis by the IPCC.) But we're not taxing carbon (yet) so we've got to make solar power cheaper.

There are thousands of people working on that right now. But here are three of the finest examples of companies that are working to bring solar power to grid parity.

Concentrate on the Silicon
The most expensive part of a traditional photovoltaic array is the silicon wafers. It's the same stuff that microchips are made out of, and it's in short supply. The solar industry eats up every ounce of the stuff that's being produced today, and so prices are skyrocketing. To solve this problem (and also the problem of the environmentally wasteful process of creating the silicon crystals) several people, including IBM and a small startup called Sunrgi are concentrating the sunlight thousands of times onto a extremely small solar panel. They decrease the amount of solar material needed by thousands of times, and produce just as much power.

The result is solar power that is nearly as cheap (if not as cheap) as coal and a VERY HOT piece of silicon. Thus the big problem with this technology. You have to keep the silicon cool, even with sunlight magnified 2000x on it. Otherwise the silicon will melt, and it's all over. Both IBM and Sunrgi are using techniques learned from the microprocessor industry to keep their silicon cells cool. Both have working prototypes already and are hoping to go commercial in the coming year.

Beyond Silicon
Another solution to the problem of limited and expensive crystalline silicon is to just not use it. Which is why there are so many solar startups right now working on solar technology using non-crystalline silicon or other thin-film solutions. The real champion of the thin-film startups is Nanosolar, which has already broken out of the lab and into manufacturing.

Nanosolar prints it's mixture of several elements in precise proportions onto a metal film. The production is fast, simple and cheap, at least for now. Some fear that shortages in indium will bring a halt to nanosolar's cheap printing days. But if that fate can be avoided, Nanosolar, and other thin film manufacturers are already pretty far down the path to grid parity. Though they make some efficiency sacrifices when compared to crystalline silicon, they are so much cheaper to produce that they might soon even beat coal in cost per watt.

The Case for Extreme Heat
While the first two options provide the most efficient path to solar electricity, but converting photons directly into electrons, a less efficient, though simpler, option might turn out to be the real coal-killer.

Simply by focusing hundreds or even thousands of mirrors onto a single point, several startups are hoping to create the kind of heat necessary to run a coal fired power plant...but without the coal. The heat would boil water which would then be used to turn turbines. The advantage of such a system is that there are already lots of steam turbines being produced for traditional power plants, and the rest of the technology just involves shiny objects and concrete.

One problem does present itself, however, when you start to try and make these things too hot. The material holding the boiler has to be able to withstand the extreme heat that these installations can produce. That kind of material, that won't melt or degrade under such extreme heat, can be quite expensive.

Nonetheless, Google-funded startup, eSolar, is saying that by modularizing the construction of these "concentrating solar thermal" power plants, they could be cheaper than coal today.

If Not Today...Then Tomorrow
As coal and gas have remained extremely cheap over the last fifty years, there's been very little pressure to innovate and move beyond that technology. But now, with natural gas prices increasing along with concerns about global warming, we're finally ready to innovate. And expansions in materials and nanotechnology are making the change even more interesting.

It's no longer a question in my mind of if we can get solar cheaper than coal, it's simply when, and whether another renewable energy, like geothermal or wind, will beat solar to the punch.

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1792/83/

Apes get legal rights in Spain, to surprise of bullfight critics

2008-06-27T10:05:00.002-04:00

TimesOnline June 27, 2008

Thomas Catan in Madrid

Spain is to become the first country to extend legal rights to apes, wrongfooting animal rights activists who have long campaigned against bullfighting in the country.

In what is thought to be the first time a national legislature has granted such rights to animals, the Spanish parliament’s environmental committee voted to approve resolutions committing the country to the Great Apes Project, designed by scientists and philosophers who say that humans’ closest biological relatives also deserve rights.

The resolution, adopted with crossparty support, calls on the Government to promote the Great Apes Project internationally and ensure the protection of apes from “abuse, torture and death”. “This is a historic moment in the struggle for animal rights,” Pedro Pozas, the Spanish director of the Great Apes Project, told The Times. “It will doubtless be remembered as a key moment in the defence of our evolutionary comrades.”

Reactions to the vote were mixed. Many Spaniards were perplexed that the country should consider it a priority when the economy is slowing sharply and Spain has been rocked by violent fuel protests. Others thought it was a strange decision, given that Spain has no wild apes of its own.

In an editorial yesterday, the Madrid daily El Mundo noted that the only apes in Spain were “the ones that could cross over from Gibraltar”, and questioned why the country should become “the principal flag-bearer of the apes” cause. “With the problems that Spanish farmers and fishermen are experiencing, it is surprising that members of Congress should dedicate their efforts to trying to turn the country of bullfighting into the principal defender of the apes,” it wrote.

Spain’s conservative Popular Party also complained that the resolution sought to give animals the same rights as humans — something that the Socialist Government denies. Some critics questioned why Spain should afford legal protection from death or torture to great apes but not bulls. But Mr Pozas said that the vote would set a precedent, establishing legal rights for animals that could be extended to other species. “We are seeking to break the species barrier — we are just the point of the spear,” he said.

The resolutions will outlaw harmful experiments on great apes, though activist say that they have no knowledge of any being carried out in Spain. It will also make keeping great apes for circuses, TV commercials or filming a criminal offence.

Keeping apes in zoos will remain legal, but conditions for the 350 apes in Spanish zoos will have to improve. Animal rights activists say that 70 per cent of apes in Spanish zoos live in sub-human conditions. The philosophers Peter Singer and Paola Cavalieri founded the Great Ape Project in 1993, saying that hominids such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans should enjoy the right to life and freedom and not to be mistreated.

The ape world

— In addition to humans there are three genera of great apes: gorillas, chimpanzees and orang-utans

— The first two are confined to Africa, while the third occurs in South-East Asia

— Humans and chimps share 99 per cent of their active genetic material

— 7,300 Sumatran orang-utans remain in the wild

— The mountain gorillas of the Democratic Republic of Congo have dwindled to 700, and the Cross River gorilla is believed to number only 250

— The UN predicts that some species of great ape could be extinct within a generation

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4220884.ece

Slovenia’s Gorgeous Honeycomb Housing Complex

2008-06-24T11:09:00.002-04:00

June 23, 2008
Slovenia’s Gorgeous Honeycomb Housing Complex
by Mike Chino

This stunning seaside structure bursts free from the all-too-frequently stale stock of public housing projects with its dynamic array of brightly shaded cells. Taking its cues from the modular honeycomb clusters of a beehive, the complex was constructed as a low-income residence for young families and couples in the industrial district of Izola on the Slovenian coast. The striking development boasts beautiful views and makes smart use of solar shading and natural ventilation to regulate its interiors all year-round.

At first glance, one can’t help but be taken in by the building’s beautiful staggered balconies. Designed to mimic the rhythmic structure of honeycomb, the layout creates “dynamic elevations and offers privacy to the neighboring owners.” We’re also impressed by the collaborative effort behind the project which at its core was comprised of a 9-person design team including Rok Oman, Špela Videčnik, Martina Lipicer, Neža Oman, Nejc Batistič, Florian Frey, Marisa Baptista, and špela uršič.

Each of the balcony modules is topped with a colorful textile shade that provides for efficient solar shading and ventilation: “Textile elements fixed on the front of the balconies block direct sunlight and accumulate ‘air buffer’ zone. In the summer, hot air accumulated in the area behind the shadings is naturally ventilated through (10 cm holes) perforated side partitions of the balconies. In the winter the warm air stays in the area and provides additional heating to the apartments.”

We love seeing such inspired approaches toward social design!

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/06/23/slovenias-gorgeous-honeycomb-housing-complex/

Construction to Start on Rotating Wind-Power Tower

2008-06-16T12:46:00.002-04:00

Remember way back last May when we talked about the twirling tower that seemed, well, off the wall? Surprise, surprise, it is set to start construction in Dubai this month.

Each of the 59 floors of the tower will be able to rotate independently of each other, and in between them will be wind turbines to generate all the power needed to run the tower, plus, apparently, several others. The tower is expected to generate 10 times the power it needs through solar panels on the roof and 48 wind turbines, each of which are expected to generate as much as 0.3 megawatts of electricity, creating an estimated 1,200,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually. These are some seriously big numbers…and we’ll see how they pan out.

As for the construction, the floors will be made of 12 individual units all created in a factory and spit out fully complete, with plumbing, electrical, air conditioning and everything else in place. The floors will then be fitted to a concrete tower core According to architect David Fisher, designer of the building, this construction will make it highly earthquake resistant, as well as just plain neat to watch as folks push the button that makes their floor spin.

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1757/66/

Dental Mercury Victory

2008-06-09T11:47:00.002-04:00

AAHF is pleased to announce that the Food and Drug Administration must now classify mercury fillings! We congratulate Consumers for Dental Choices, Moms Against Mercury, International Academy of Oral and Metal Toxicology, and all other groups and individuals who have dedicated years to the issue of the dangers of dental mercury.

This is a successful end to a 10-year battle to get the FDA to comply with the law and set a date to classify mercury amalgam.

On Monday, June 2, Consumers for Dental Choice announced that they settled the lawsuit, Moms Against Mercury et al. v. Von Eschenbach, Commissioner, et al and that the FDA will finish classifying within one year of the close of the public comment period on its amalgam policy, that is, by July 28, 2009.

Charlie Brown, General Council for Consumers for Dental Choice stated, “There’s more good news. During a several hour negotiation session, FDA agreed to change its website on amalgam -- dramatically. Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA’s claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe, or that other countries have acted for environmental reasons only, or that the 2006 Scientific Panel vote affirmed amalgam’s safety. Instead -- see http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/amalgams.html -- FDA has moved to a neutral course, while recognizing the serious health concerns posed by amalgam in particular for children and unborn children, for pregnant women, for those with mercury immuno-sensitivity or high mercury body burdens.”

As Charlie says, this isn’t a perfect win but it is a 180-degree reversal from FDA’s 30-year policy of protecting mercury fillings. This win also shows that health freedom can make a difference even when going against Goliath.

This wasn’t a one-prong approach -- these groups (including AAHF) developed strategies, built a united voice, and relied on credible information. To change the policy, there were petitions, Congressional hearings, state fact sheet laws, Scientific Advisory Committee hearings, and support letters, all setting the stage for the lawsuit.

The impact of the re-writing of FDA’s position on amalgam can hardly be understated. Their website will no longer be cited by the American Dental Association in public hearings. FDA shows awareness of the key issues involved. As it prepares to classify amalgam, FDA has moved to a position of neutrality. Indeed, having repeatedly raised the question of amalgam’s risk to children, young women, and the immuno-sensitive persons in its website, it is inconceivable that FDA will not in some way protect them in its upcoming rule.

Please join us in celebrating this victory and consider giving a donation to the Consumers for Dental Choice to help off-set their costs of taking the lead on this issue. Visit: www.toxicteeth.org for more information.

http://www.healthfreedom.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=460&Itemid=

Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight

2008-05-27T08:58:00.001-04:00

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

http://www.thoughtware.tv/videos/show/1613

We Are The World

2008-05-26T09:28:00.002-04:00

This video plugging Avaaz.org exposes the myth of a fundamental clash between Islam and the West as a problem of politics—not cultures. It received over 1.4 million views and 37,000 comments on Youtube (right up there with Star Wars Kid), and helped secure Avaaz.org as the place for international online activism.

In just one year's time, Avaaz has amassed over 3.2 million members from 192 different countries, partly by leveraging video campaigns such as this along side online actions (mostly on human rights issues) that appeal to anyone with a soul and warm blood running through their veins. Check out their website... in 13 different languages!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyJJQbFago&eurl=http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/86401/
With thanks to: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/86401/

Starbucks Sets New Goals for Renewables, Green Building

2008-05-18T22:52:00.001-04:00

by Greenbiz Staff

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Starbucks wants to slash energy consumption in its stores by 25 percent and buy enough renewable energy certificates to satisfy half of its stores’ energy needs, all by 2010, the company said Wednesday.

Starbucks released its fiscal 2007 corporate responsibility report in which the company laid out new goals and detailed progress on previously announced initiatives.

By 2010, all new construction will incorporate green building principles. Starbucks said it would build four test stores in various regions of the world to examine cutting edge energy and water reduction technologies. On average, Starbucks’ 15,011 company-operated stores in 43 countries use roughly 25 gallons of water and 6.78 kilowatt-hours of electricity per square foot each.

The company is working with the U.S. Green Building Council on both its LEED Retail program and a LEED Portfolio Pilot Program that could certify a building prototype, which would allow companies such as Starbucks to integrate LEED standards across an entire portfolio.

The company also plans to build a LEED-Silver rated office building in Seattle, as well as another roasting plant in Columbia, South Carolina, which also will meet LEED-Silver standards.

Starbucks plans to reintroduce ceramic serveware in its stores by 2010, as well as increase customer use of reusable commuter mugs tenfold.

The company conducted extensive energy audits of 19 representative stores in the U.S. to identify ways of reducing energy, the results of which will be unveiled this spring.

In fiscal 2007, the company upped store thermostats to 75 degrees from 72 degrees on warm days, as well as installed emissions control equipment at a Washington state roasting plant to reduce natural gas consumption.
Sixty-five percent of the company’s coffee purchases in fiscal 2007 were made through its Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices program for sustainable coffee.

The report also included some initiatives that didn't go as well as the company had hoped. For instance, the company attempted to green its supply chain by encouraging its 387 largest suppliers to buy the renewable energy certificates at a preferred rate but only 11 signed up.

And the percentage of Starbucks company-operated stores that recycled garbage actually declined between fiscal 2006 and 2007. Starbucks also canceled or suspended in certain markets its Grounds for Your Garden program -- which offers free bags of used coffee grounds for use as a soil nutrient -- because of some regional environmental policies.

http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/05/15/starbucks-sets-new-goals-renewables-green-building

Home Improvement Done Right

2008-05-15T17:41:00.003-04:00

According to studies conducted for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, residential construction and demolition projects accounted for 58 million tons of waste in 1996, and as much as 90 percent of this waste is recyclable. To help address this problem, the American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council recently released a set of guidelines for best practices in sustainable home improvement projects (see the related links).

With a little reading and advance planning, you can reduce the environmental impact of your next project—whether big or small—by adopting these strategies:

Reduce. Begin by thinking about the most efficient use of the available space and daylight, what materials or systems you can reuse, and how you can minimize the scope (and cost) of your project. You might even consider taking advantage of renewable resources such as solar energy (for electricity or water heating), wind power, geothermal energy (via a heat pump), or a combined heat-and-power system.

If you’ll be working with a contractor, choose one who is willing to recycle and work with recycled/reused or “green” products. The EPA recommends that a contractor’s bid be accompanied by a plan for reducing, reusing, or recycling construction waste as well as a description of the contractor’s experience with similar projects and references from those projects. The best possible option is a contractor or architect who has LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification—but be sure to ask for proof.

Deconstruct. When renovating an existing space, think “deconstruction” rather than demolition. Most things can be reused or donated, including flooring, siding, windows, doors, bricks, plumbing and lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, unused roofing materials, leftover paints and varnishes, hardware such as nails and screws, and structural components.

Reuse. Before heading to the lumber yard or hardware store, look for a materials exchange such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores, which may offer both new (surplus/overstock) and used materials and building components.

Recycle. Take whatever items you cannot reuse to a local recycling facility or materials exchange (see the related links). The EPA identified more than 1,000 asphalt and concrete recycling facilities nationwide as of June 2004, as well as 700 wood-waste recycling facilities and 300 “mixed-waste” recycling facilities that accept demolition debris.

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/

NGOs Pressure AsDB to Strengthen Safeguards

2008-05-15T17:08:00.001-04:00

By Marwaan Macan-Markar
IPS News May 15, 2008

MADRID, May 6 (IPS) - Behind-the-scenes lobbying by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) paid off by the end of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) concluding here Tuesday. Leading financial officials from a host of European countries came out in favour of the strong "safeguard policies" that activists are championing.

The polices call for protection of the environment, respecting the rights of indigenous people and a stop to the involuntary resettlement of people when a development project is implemented in a country by the AsDB, Asia’s premier lender for development.

In the lead up to the AsDB’s 41st meeting of its board of governors, held in the Spanish capital from May 3 to 6, activists expressed concern over possible new language in the safeguard policies that the bank was considering. Consequently, since the opening sessions of the meeting here activists ‘turned up the heat’ on senior bank officials to commit to viable safeguards.

"Belgium is concerned by the weakening of the social and environmental standards in the review of safeguard policies initiated recently," said Franciscus Godst, head of his country’s delegation during the formal business sessions, where central bank governors of the AsDB’s 67 members made statements. "Belgium considers that one of the values that a development bank can add is strengthening such standards and enabling the executing agencies to make them current practice."

"There are a number of non-negotiable principles that need to be applied to the environment, indigenous peoples and involuntary resettlement policies," added Jorg Al. Reding, Switzerland’s central bank governor. "A broad range of views from governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector needs to be heard and considered in the process of reviewing these safeguard policies."

Getting such language into the record of the formal sessions reflected the lobbying prowess of Asian, European and U.S. activists, who had laid the foundation for their campaign weeks before the Madrid meeting began. "Two weeks ago, we had meetings with the officials from the ministry of finance in Belgium," said Pol Vandevoort, a policy officer at 11.11.11, a coalition of development NGOs in Belgium. "We talked about safeguards and our concerns."

After the small contingents of activists arrived here, they sat down with financial officials from countries sympathetic to their cause to drive the message home. The activists from regions such as Central Asia, South Asia and South-east Asia also met with delegations from Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the U.S., among others.

"Now that the management at the bank has heard the signals from some of the countries, it will push them to go for a better version," added Vandevoort in an interview with IPS. "It is positive the way attention is being paid to this issue."

In its defence, Haruhito Kuroda, president of the AsDB, said that the Manila- based financial institution "has no intention to dilute the safeguard policies on environment, indigenous people and resettlement."

"The intention is to combine the three safeguard policies into one to make our operations in developing countries more effective," he added during the final press conference of the annual meeting. "The second-round draft of the safeguard policies will soon be put up on our website. And we will have consultations about it in Manila."

This contentious issue between activists and the bank goes back nearly three years, at which time the AsDB’s board informed stakeholders of the bank that it was planning to "update" the prevailing safeguard policies. Soon, bank watchdogs like the NGO Forum on ADB -- an umbrella group that has its headquarters in Manila -- began to engage with officials out of concern that the update could lead to "weakening the existing safeguard policies."

The bank in the mid-1990s embraced the initial safeguard policies. They marked concern over the social and environmental consequences of development projects in the poorer regions across Asia. In 1995, the AsDB introduced its Involuntary Resettlement Policy, followed by the Indigenous Peoples Policy in 1998 and the Environmental Policy in 2002.

Discussions between the activists and bank officials over the update steadily began to turn sour over a two-year period. Yet, the AsDB pressed on -- they hosted a series of meetings to discuss the new safeguard policies at consultations across Asia. Civil society groups stuck to the theme, "NO to Weakened Standards, YES to accountability," states the NGO Forum on ADB.

Subsequently, disillusioned activists declared a boycott of the bank’s consultations, shattering its veneer of legitimacy and inclusiveness. South Asian NGOs fired the first such volley during a consultation in December 2007. Other groups soon followed.

The outcome of civil society pressure was the bank being compelled to withdraw its first draft and announce plans to work on a second draft. It is the proposed new text that gained the spotlight during the annual meeting here, which attracted over 3,000 participants, among whom were finance ministers, central bank governors, company executives, academics and activists.

"The bank cannot ignore the issue of safeguards, despite its previous efforts to sidestep it," Renato Redentor Constantino, executive director of the NGO Forum on ADB, said in an interview. "The bank’s previous approach was not just mediocre but bordering on the dangerous for local communities."

"We are glad that the bank caved into NGO pressure and is now working on a second draft," he added. "We want strong safeguards to be at the front and centre of all the bank’s development programmes."

30 Electric Cars Companies Ready To Take Over The Road

2008-04-28T13:48:00.002-04:00

(Lots of cool images)
It’s official: Green car madness has taken over. After seeing more electric and hybrid vehicle startups than we could keep track of, we finally decided to start keeping count.

We’ve compiled a list, below, of 27 (update: the list has reached 30; thanks for the comments) startups, listed according to their release date, with additional information on fuel type, range, top speed and price. Most haven’t yet taken venture funding, but where applicable, we’ve listed financial backing.

While we’ve got some overall favorites (Miles, Tesla, Think) and a few favorite oddballs (Aptera, Commuter Cars, Eliica), we’ve for the most part withheld judgement. Still, if you have any of your own predictions about which companies will succeed or — far more likely — fail, we’d encourage you to make them known in the comments.

A note on our method: While most manufacturers are planning more than one model, we chose the one that seemed either most commercially viable or closest to release, depending on our own (discretionary) formula. We didn’t included well-known consumer models like the Toyota Prius or Chevy Volt, or startups like AC Propulsion that only do battery conversions for consumer vehicles. We also rounded the price to the nearest thousand.

All details are taken from the companies, so we haven’t independently confirmed things like range and top speed details. In case we missed any, mention them below and we’ll add them to the list.

American Electric Vehicle — Kurrent
Update: Defunct, according to a comment below, although they seem to still be for sale. We’re looking into it.
AEV advises its potential drivers to “Slow down,” which seems like wise advice, given the golf cart-inspired design. Still, it’s ridiculously cheap.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $10K
Range / top speed: 40 miles / 25mph
Release date: Available now

Commuter Cars — Tango T600
The Tango is even odder than three-wheeled designs, in some ways: It’s less than half the width of a normal car, and two can fit in a single lane. It also accelerates like a bat out of hell. Future versions are planned to be much cheaper, and have longer ranges.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $108K
Range / top speed: 80 miles / 150mph
Funding: Less than $1 million in angel backing; open to venture funding.
Release date: Available now

Dynasty Electric Car Corp. — IT Sedan
This Canadian company actually sells five different models, although they all look relatively identical, minus or plus a few pieces of frame.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $19,000
Range / top speed: 30 miles / 24mph
Release date: Available now

ElBil Norge — Kewet Buddy
Somewhat reminiscent of the Think (see below), the Buddy is currently only available in the same country, Norway.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $28K
Range / top speed: / 56mph
Release date: Available now

Fly Bo — 6000 / 2
This vehicle, which bears a strong resemblance to the Smart Car, is produced in China. Spark (see below) distributes it in the United States.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $10K
Range / top speed: 60 miles / 35mph (w/ limiter)
Release date: Available now

Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) — e2
GEM is actually a division of Chrysler, the company has the look and feel (not to mention, apparently, the limited funding) of a startup. Its vehicles resemble golf carts, and are likely used for many of the same functions.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $7K
Range / top speed: 35 miles / 25mph
Release date: Available now

Modec — Electric Van
These aren’t actually cars, or even consumer transportation. These electric van / trucks resemble the delivery vehicles you might see bringing vegetables to your local grocery.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $41K
Range / top speed: 100 miles / 50mph
Release date: Available now

Myers Motors — NmG (No more Gas)
Another three-wheeled design, with room for only one passenger. Odd-looking and doesn’t go far, but you can order one today, if you like.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $35K
Range / top speed: 30 miles / 75mph
Release date: Available now

Reva — G-Wiz
Despite its distinction as the most-produced electric vehicle around, having been in production since 2001, the Indian-produced Reva isn’t available yet in the United States. It’s considered extremely unsafe at high speeds, so it may never make it over.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: £8K ($16K in US dollars)
Range / top speed: 70 miles (for 2008 model) / 45mph
Release date: Available now

Smith Electric Vehicles — Edison
The Edison, a large van designed for local deliveries, is Smith’s smallest model, meaning drivers don’t need a special license to operate it. The company, based in the United Kingdom also makes several much larger delivery trucks.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: Unconfirmed
Range / top speed: 150 miles / 50mph
Release date: Available now

Twike — The Twike
Some effort seems to have been put towards making this vehicle look like an insect. Of course, the look worked for the Volkswagen Beetle, and it may be working for Twike; the company sold out its 2007 line last year. It’s based in Switzerland, but sells in several other countries, including the United States.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $27,500
Range / top speed: 80 miles / 53mph
Release date: Available now

Venturi — Fetish
Another high-end electric sports car, the Fetish is manufactured in Monaco. High labor costs, anyone? The company is also developing two more models, the Ecletic and Astrolab.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: €297K (about $435K dollars)
Range / top speed: 155 miles / 100mph
Release date: Available now

Zap! Electric Cars — Xebra Sedan
Update: While Zap! cars really do exist, the company appears to have made itself out to be much more than it is. Check out the Wired.com expose piece on Zap, and think twice before ordering one (or signing up to be a dealer).
We chose to list the Xebra because the two higher-powered versions Zap is working on, the Zap-X and the Alias, don’t have firm release dates. Zap also has numerous retail locations in the United States, and sells cars made by other manufacturers.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $11K
Range / top speed:
Release date: Available now

Zenn Motors — Zenn NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle)
As with some other available electric vehicles currently available, this vehicle is strictly for short ranges and slow speeds.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $12K - $15K
Range / top speed: 35 miles / 25mph
Funding: This company is publicly traded on the TSX.
Release date: Available now

Lightning Car Company — Lightning GT
The United Kingdom’s answer to Tesla. This will likely remain a boutique vehicle, but the company has plans for cheaper mass-produced models later.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: £150K ($293K in US dollars)
Range / top speed: 250 miles / TBA (but fast)
Release date: First half 2008

Spark Electric Vehicles — Comet
Update: Like Zap (see above), it seems Spark is either a scam company or simply incapable of carrying out its plans. Michael Papp, the brain behind Spark, has been arrested and faces trial for taking payments for vehicles he failed to deliver.
Spark has nine models, most made by Fly Bo (listed above). Here, we list the one they designed and manufactured themselves in the United States (most of their vehicles are much slower and cheaper than this one). They distribute their vehicles in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $33K
Range / top speed: 200 miles / 90mph
Release date: First half of 2008

Tesla Motors — The Roadster
The most-publicized, most-hyped electric car company around. Tesla’s high-performance electric vehicle is reportedly a blast to drive, but various production problems have set the release date back.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $98K
Range / top speed: 221 miles / 125mph
Funding: Backed by Bay Area Equity Fund, Compass Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Technology Partners, VantagePoint Cleantech Partners, and VantagePoint Venture Partners, as well as various angel investors (including Elon Musk).
Release date: First quarter 2008

Think — City
A pre-existing company whose older cars are still driven in Norway, this European manufacturer will release its new model in Europe this year, and in the United States a year or two after. Business 2.0 had an extensive story on the company.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $34K in Norway, $15K - $17K in US (projected)
Range / top speed: 112 miles / 62mph
Funding: Backed by DFJ Element, British Hazel Capital, Canica, Capricorn Investment Group, CG Holding, RockPort Capital Partners and Wintergreen Advisers, as well as various angels.
Release date: First half 2008 in Europe, but not until 2009 or later in the US

Phoenix Motorcars — Sport Utility Truck / SUV
No cars here, just trucks and SUVs. The company will have an extended-range battery option for 250 miles later in 2008.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $45K
Range / top speed: 130 miles / 95mph
Release date: Mid-2008

Moteur Developpment International — The Air Car
These tiny, odd little vehicles are powered entirely by compressed air. You won’t be likely to see one Stateside just yet, but India’s Tata Motors has plans to begin production on them this year.
Fuel type: Air!
Price: TBA
Range / top speed: 120 miles / 70mph
Release date: 2008 (month TBA)

Porteon — Porteon
Reportedly to be sold alongside houses in small Mexican communities. Like other companies, this one plans to roll out higher-speed models later, but they haven’t gotten back to us yet with more details, including the official name.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $7K - $9K
Range / top speed: TBA / 25mph
Release date: 2008 (month TBA)

Universal Electric Vehicles — Spyder
UEV’s Spyder has a sporty design, but the company itself doesn’t seem as slick and polished as some of the competitors. We’re not sure whether that means anything, though.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $70K
Range / top speed: 150 miles / 100+mph
Release date: 2008 (month TBA)

Aptera — Typ-1e / Type-1h
The Aptera Typ-1 is a three-wheeler (two front, one back) available in two configurations. We’ve covered the vehicle here.
Fuel type: All-electric or hybrid, depending on configuration
Price: $27K electric, $30K hybrid
Range / top speed: 120 miles electric, 600 miles hybrid; top speed TBA
Funding: Backed by Idealab and an angel investor, the CEO of Esenjay Petroleum, Michael Johnson.
Release date: Late 2008

Obvio — 828e
Sold in the United States by Zap, the diminutive but high-powered Obvio could almost race a Tesla. It’s designed and manufactured by a Brazilian company that is also working on a cheap combustion engine version.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $49k
Range / top speed: 240 miles / 120 mph
Release date: Late 2008 or early 2009

Fisker Automotive — “Eco-Chic” (Working name TBA)
Fisker will be showing off the first productions models of its cars on January 13th, at the Detroit Auto Show. Created by a world-renowned auto designer, these will compete in Tesla’s high-end market niche.
Fuel type: Hybrid
Price: $80K
Range / top speed: 620 miles / TBA
Backing: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has invested more than $10 million in Fisker.
Release date: Mid-2009

Venture Vehicles — VentureOne e50 / Q100 / EV
We previously suggested that some might call this vehicle a “glorified scooter.” The company does have supporters, though, who gave us plenty of heat — for a chuckle, check out the comment thread below our story. The three models listed are actually one car with different configurations.
Fuel type: Two hybrids, the e50 and Q100, and the all-electric EV
Price: $20K - 25K
Range / top speed: e50, Q100 and EV respectively: 350 miles / 100mph; 300 miles / 120mph; 120 miles / 75mph
Backing: Backed by NGEN Partners.
Release date: Second quarter 2009

Miles Electric Vehicles — XS500
Founded in 2004, this company already makes and sells two low-speed electric vehicles which are manufactured in China. We chose to list details for its upcoming highway-speed model, which should have a mass market appeal, if the price is low enough.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: TBA
Range / top speed: 120 miles / 80mph
Release date: 2009 (month TBA)

Bonus: Concept cars

We’ve picked out a few companies that represent next-generation thinking in EVs. As noted below, there are many more.

Eliica (The Electric Lithium-Ion Car)
A concept car created by Keio University in Japan, the Eliica has an odd eight-wheeled design and has come close to breaking speed records for combustion-engine cars. The team plans to sell a couple hundred eventually.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: $255K
Range / top speed: TBA / 230mph

Velozzi
An X-Prize contestant, Velozzi is most notable for claiming that their car will have a 0-60mph acceleration of under 3 seconds. Other details are pretty thin, though.
Fuel type: Hybrid
Price: TBA
Range / top speed: TBA / 200mph

Wrightspeed — X-1
Wrightspeed admits that its scarily fast prototype is unsafe, and will never be mass-produced. The company is planning a commercial model with the same high performance, but hasn’t given any real details yet.
Fuel type: All-electric
Price: Probably high
Range / top speed: <100 miles / 112mph w/ electronic limiter (but it’s still in first gear when it hits that speed)

There’s also the Automotive X-Prize competitor list, which had grown to 45 teams at last count — a few of which are included on this list, but many not. Most are concept cars.

http://venturebeat.com/2008/01/10/27-electric-cars-companies-ready-to-take-over-the-road/

Vertical (Diagonal?) Farm from Work AC in NYC

2008-04-25T11:33:00.002-04:00

We love vertical farms and while they may not be as practical as green roofs, the idea of food being grown right in the city doesn't get any more local than this. New York magazine asked four architects to dream up proposals for a lot on Canal Street and Work AC came up with this. “We thought we’d bring the farm back to the city and stretch it vertically,” says Work AC co-principal Dan Wood. “We are interested in urban farming and the notion of trying to make our cities more sustainable by cutting the miles [food travels],” adds his co-principal (and wife) Amale Andraos. Underneath is what appears to be a farmers market, selling what grows above. Artists would be commissioned to design the columns that hold it up and define the space under: “We show a Brancusi, but it could be anyone,” says Wood. ::New York Magazine

When you go to the site, you will see other plans, some very beautiful...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/vertical-diagonal-farm-in-new-york.php

SWEETRIOT

2008-04-24T13:47:00.001-04:00

We are creating a sweet movement to fix the world. :) We’ve started by sourcing our cacao directly in Latin America, using recyclable, reusable packaging which features emerging artists, and by only using all-natural, healthy ingredients for our dark chocolate ‘peaces.’

http://www.sweetriot.com/

Adopt Green Cleaning for Earth Day

2008-04-22T12:47:00.002-04:00

Every April showers us with special events and holidays. There's Publicity Stunt Week, Straw Hat Week, National Reading a Road Map Week, National Coin Tasting Week (ya'... really!), Argue About Gun Safety Week (did I already say ya'...really?), National Bubblegum Week, National Lingerie Week and the not-to-be-forgotten Egg Salad Week. But squished into the tail end of the month is just one day devoted to our planet... Earth Day. Just 1/365th solitary moment in the whole expanse of a year devoted to the place we all call home. Not even a month or a week, just a day.

Well, the truth be told, Earth "Day" gets even a bit more confusing because with the same name but two different dates on the calendar, the United Nations has Earth Day penned into their agenda for late March but the rest of us global citizens celebrate it officially on April 22nd. In any event, I suppose we should be grateful that there are actually two days a year dedicated to arouse our sensitivity for our delicate mother-ship, planet Earth.

The United Nation's date (the 21st of March) is when we mark the beginning of the Vernal Equinox by welcoming in the first signs of spring -- early bulbs breaking through the thawing ground, though often left to survive the dangers and unpredictability of foreboding late snow flurries and frost. Ever-hopeful, the days begin to grow longer, and nature begins to stir from under the four-month long frozen blanket of winter.

The lifelong activist and Earth Day founder John McConnell believed that love and prayer were more powerful than the destructive nature of man, and suggested his dream of Earth Day at a UNESCO Conference on the Environment in 1969. In hopes of celebrating the Earth's life and beauty, McConnell created the Earth Day Proclamation for Global Awareness, detailing mankind's responsibility for stewarding, cleaning and preserving our planet for future generations.

In 1970, the April 22nd event that ultimately blossomed into the more widely recognized Earth Day was founded by seeds originally planted by Senator Gaylord Nelson. Using activist tactics, he organized huge college grassroots protests over what he saw happening to the environment. With only limited media coverage to get the ball rolling, 20 million demonstrators, and thousands of schools and local communities participated, with each year bringing greater and greater awareness and activity to the issue.

But regardless of when it is celebrated, whenever I hear the name "Earth Day," what first comes to mind for me is the word "care." And interestingly, "care" is one of those rare words that implies the notion of both "giving" and "taking."

Let me explain.

We can "give care" or we can "take care." (And it's easy to confuse the two but they are really very different things.) By "taking care" we lose ourselves in private, thoughtful, reflective, and introspective, self-preservation. By "giving care" we offer help, aid or support to those around us -- an external activity. Both are equally important, for without taking care, we have no care to offer.

So let's all "take care" on Earth Day 2008 to "give care" to those we love, to our communities, to our cities, to our states, to our country, to our planet. Sounds like a huge undertaking, no? Well, in reality it can all begin with the simplest of activities that you were probably going to do anyway: Spring Cleaning. (It's what you do in spring, isn't it?)

Only this year, I am suggesting that we mix things up a bit, literally and figuratively. Instead of unconsciously reaching for those expensive, toxic products locked away under the kitchen sink, let's be more mindful of the effects of our actions. I propose that this year, we make a clean sweep by using some safe and wholesome ingredients you probably already have around the house to create healthy, non-toxic cleaning recipes that are equally, if not more effective!

It might come as a surprise, but commercial cleaning products are actually only a modern, and highly successful, 20th Century marketing "convenience." Prior to the technologies of the Industrial Revolution, the means to produce mass-market pre-mixed cleansers didn't exist. And while I am no Troglodyte, and actually enjoy many of the benefits of modern conveniences and technologies, I do try to use those that are helpful and life affirming, and opt for healthier alternatives to those that I know are harmful and life-threatening.

OK, so back to Spring Cleaning. First, let's clean the windows and let all that glorious springtime daylight fill your home. Wipe away the winter grime with a simple but highly effective solution of one teaspoon of white vinegar added to a re-cycled spray bottle filled with warm water. Squirt it on and wipe it off with re-cycled newspaper, and you'll be amazed at how shiny your windows (and mirrors) will be. And your entire bottle of new glass cleaner costs you only about $.02, to boot! (Remember, the price of store-bought cleansers takes into account the costs of advertising, shipping, packaging, supermarket real estate, etc., while a simple bottle of white vinegar costs under $1.00 and can last over a year.)

Next, by mixing one cup of baking soda, one cup of borax (yes, it's still made and you'll find it in the laundry detergent section of your grocery store), and a pinch of table salt, you'll easily create a gentle, non-toxic bathroom and kitchen cleanser that works great. Sprinkle it on, give it a good scrubbing and rinse it clean with warm water. And here's my favorite tip: if you use the cut side of a half a lemon as your scrubber, you'll have the added benefit of that wonderful, natural, fresh citrusy scent.

Remember, whatever you use to clean your windows, mirrors, sinks, bathtubs, showers or toilets -- either these homemade recipes or those store-bought chemicals -- all gets washed down the drain and into the ground water. The only difference is that these easy, non-toxic recipes don't pollute and aren't harmful to the flora and fauna of our lakes, streams and oceans, and you won't even have to use rubber gloves while cleaning because they're so gentle. Plus, your family and pets won't be exposed to air-bound chemicals or toxic residues.

So I suggest that this year, we all not only celebrate Earth Day by taking care of others and ourselves, but by also offering care. Former Soviet President Gorbachev once suggested that it took only 5% of the leadership of Russia to create Perestroika. Just imagine what a "caring" 5% of the population could offer right here and right now to make an environmental difference locally and globally.

At least for just this one-day, show the world not only that you care, but how you care.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/blogs/nontoxic/green-cleaning-earth-day-460421?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

Buy a Used Bike

2008-04-21T11:54:00.002-04:00

Riding a bike is a great green way to zip from place to place, without contributing to pollution or consuming any fossil fuel, or worrying about parking. Bonus: You get to stay in shape.

Want to make your two-wheeled ride even greener? Try hopping on a secondhand bike, a clever move that will not only save the planet some resources, but is also likely to save you some valuable dough.

If you want to make sure you score a quality bike that's reliable and inexpensive, read on for some of Mother Earth News' great tips on what to for in a secondhand steed:

1. Keep your eyes open: To hone in on the secondhand bike of your dreams, try Craig's List, thrift stores, police auctions, garage sales, and Freecycle. College towns are also great sources for quality secondhand goods.

2. Research the brand: A few minutes researching the brand online whenever you find a potential candidate not only helps you avoid cheaply made lemons, but may also enable you to recognize a steal when you encounter one.

3. Look for major problems: Some bike problems can be repairedother's can't. Mother Earth News says that the main thing you want to avoid is bent metal, so be sure to examine the frame, forks, and wheels to make sure they're in good shape. A little rust isn't a big deal, but you can use it to bargain for a better price.

4. Consider your needs: If you're looking for a bike for basic road transportation, you don't need a mountain bikeall those studded-style tires will just take more energy to pedal, anyway.

::Mother Earth News

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/buy-a-used-bike.html

World’s Largest Tidal Turbine Successfully Installed

2008-04-09T19:30:00.002-04:00

The world’s largest tidal turbine, weighing 1000 tonnes, has been installed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. The tidal turbine is rated at 1.2 megawatts, which is enough to power a thousand local homes. It was built by Marine Current Turbines, and it will be the first commercial tidal turbine to produce energy, when it begins operation later this year.

The turbine has twin rotors measuring 16 meters in diameter. The rotors will operate for up to 18-20 hours per day to produce enough clean, green electricity.

The turbine will be positioned 400 meters off of shoreline in Strangford Lough, which is know for its fast tidal current, and protection from severe weather. The rotors on the SeaGen turbine turn slowly: about 10 to 20 revolutions per minute. A ship’s propellers, by comparison, typically run 10 times as fast. The risk of impact from SeaGen rotor blades is small, because the marine creatures that swim in strong currents tend to be agile, and can avoid slow-moving underwater obstructions.

Commenting on the future prospects for tidal current energy, Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “We will build on the success of SeaGen to develop a commercial tidal farm, of up to 10MW in UK waters, within the next three years. With the right funding and regulatory framework, we believe we can realistically achieve up to 500MW of tidal capacity by 2015 based on this new SeaGen technology.”

http://www.enn.com/energy/article/34319

Luxim Plasma Light Bulb Kicks Some Serious LED Butt

2008-04-08T10:39:00.002-04:00

At 140 lumens/watt, these pill-sized plasma light bulbs by Luxim are a pretty awesome contender for "light of the future". They are almost 10 times more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs, twice as efficient as current high-end LEDs, and they also beat CFLs, most of which are around 50-80 lumens/watt. Only the prototype 300 lumens/watt nanocrystal-coated LEDs can hold a candle to them.

And the light from Luxim's LIFI bulb is not ugly either: color rendering index (CRI) is 91. Lifetime for a bulb is estimated at 20,000 hours, and a relatively large amount of power can be pumped through them, allowing a tiny bulb to produce 30,000+ lumens (not something LEDs can do).

An RF (radio-frequency) signal is generated by the solid-state power amplifier and is guided into an electric field about the bulb. The high concentration of energy in the electric field vaporizes the contents of the bulb to a plasma state at the bulb’s center; this controlled plasma generates an intense source of light.

Luxim seems to want to use them in projectors, but since even a tiny light bulb can produce as much light as a street lamp, sky seems to be the limit if cost can be brought down.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/luxim-plasma-lifi-light-bulb-led-cfl.php

Foreign Policy - The List: Solar Power’s New Megaplants

2008-04-02T12:59:00.002-04:00

Record-breaking oil prices, soaring greenhouse-gas emissions, and the rise of carbon trading all add up to one thing: a new dawn for solar power. From New Mexico to Australia, governments and businesses are collaborating to create enormous plants that will each bring clean electricity to tens of thousands.

stirlingenergy.com Mojave Desert, Southern California

Megawatts: 500, will possibly expand to 850

Expected cost: Undisclosed

Projected completion date: 2011

Plan: California not only boasts the highest concentration of hybrid cars in the United States, but it can now also claim the world’s largest solar energy project. Phoenix-based Stirling Energy Systems, working with utilities firm Southern California Edison, is developing an enormous, 4,500-acre thermal solar generating station in southeastern California’s Mojave Desert. The station will initially encompass 20,000 40-foot-tall, dish-shaped mirrors and produce 500 MW of electricity. And the site might expand to 850 MW—making it at least 500 MW more powerful than any of the other large solar plants in the pipeline. Stirling’s dish technology uses mirrors to focus the sun’s rays on the receiver of a device called a Stirling engine. When the hydrogen inside the receiver expands, it creates enough pressure to kick the engine into gear and drive an electricity generator without any need for gasoline or water, and without producing emissions. The company claims its process is nearly twice as efficient as other solar technologies, and Stirling is also planning to construct a 300 MW site in California’s Imperial Valley. Construction of the Mojave Desert facility is due to begin in the middle of this year.

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bp.com Tres Cantos, Spain

Megawatts: 300, an expansion from its current 55

Expected cost: $390 million - $470 million

Projected completion date: 2010

Plan: BP Solar, a division of energy company BP, announced a year ago that it has begun construction of a mega solar plant at its European headquarters in Tres Cantos, at a site it acquired in 2002. The project will employ innovative photovoltaic technology that utilizes high-quality antireflective materials coated on solar cells and silver paste screen-printed on the back and front of the cells to improve the efficiency of its panels. It helps that BP Solar will reportedly be able to sell its energy to the national grid at 575 percent of the cost of production—and the company has entered a 25-year contract with the Spanish government that obliges utilities to purchase the plant’s electricity. Tata BP Solar (a joint venture between India’s Tata Power Company and BP Solar) is also undertaking the construction of a similar facility in Bangalore, India, which is also set to produce 300 MW.

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iStockPhoto.com Deming, New Mexico

Megawatts: 300

Expected cost: $1.6 billion

Projected completion date: 2011

Plan: With help from a 30 percent federal tax credit for renewable energy, Governor Bill Richardson has vowed to make sun-drenched New Mexico the “Saudi Arabia of renewable energy.” That would make New Solar Ventures’ Deming plant, which began construction in 2006, the equivalent of the famous Ghawar oil field. Located 230 miles southwest of Albuquerque, the plant will incorporate a $650 million solar-panel-producing factory as well as a massive $950 million solar farm. The potential 3,200-acre site will take advantage of its 350 days of sunshine a year to power 240,000 homes using special patented photovoltaic technology.

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aps.com Gila Bend, Arizona

Number of megawatts: 280

Expected cost: $1 billion

Projected completion date: 2011

Plan: “Solana,” meaning “a sunny place” in Spanish, is an apt name for the nascent solar farm situated about 70 miles outside Phoenix, where summer temperatures can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Specialty solar technology firm Abengoa Solar, supported by Arizona Public Service Company (APS), is developing a solar farm spanning 1,900 acres. Abengoa Solar will make use of something called “solar power trough technology.” The secret? Parabolic mirrors track the sun’s path and concentrate its energy to heat a fluid to more than 700 degrees Fahrenheit, which in turn converts water into steam that spins turbines to generate electricity. The electricity can then be stored and used even after the sun sets. The farm is expected to have 2,700 parabolic trough collectors and power about 70,000 homes. APS has already contracted to buy Solana’s power for 30 years, which will move APS a third of the way by 2011 toward achieving the state’s mandate of having 15 percent of the company’s electricity derived from renewable sources by 2025.

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CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images Ashalim, Israel

Megawatts: 250

Expected cost: $600 - $700 million

Projected completion date: Not set

Plan: The Israeli government is currently seeking bids from companies around the globe to build and operate two solar thermal plants at a 1,000-acre site in the central Negev Desert. Australian, Spanish, and Israeli companies have already expressed interest, and a final deal is expected to be reached by the end of the year. The government envisages that the plants will produce 3 percent of Israel’s electricity, and the project is part of the government’s drive to ensure that 5 percent of Israel’s electricity comes from the sun by 2016. In light of security concerns, the plant will be located about 19 miles from the Egyptian border and about 34 miles southeast of Gaza, out of range of the Qassam rocket attacks employed by Palestinian fighters.

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solarsystems.com.au Mildura, Australia

Megawatts: 154

Expected cost: $270 million

Projected completion date: Power generation to begin in 2010, plant completion by 2013

Plan: In the largest solar project in Australia to date, Hong Kong-owned TRUenergy is set to construct a major solar plant in southeastern Australia, near Mildura. Using technology developed by Melbourne firm Solar Systems, the project will utilize mirror arrays that concentrate light onto advanced high-efficiency photovoltaic cells, lowering the required size of cells—and therefore the cost. The plant is expected to generate emission-free power for 45,000 homes (avoiding the 437,000 tons of annual greenhouse-gas emissions that a coal-fired plant with a similar power output would produce). The project has secured about $120 million in funding from the federal and state governments, along with private investment through TRUenergy’s parent company. Construction on the plant will begin next year and continue to 2013, but don’t be fooled by the size of the project: It would account for just 0.1 percent of Australia’s electricity generation in 2006.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4239

Is any research being done on solar collectors in roads?

2008-03-27T11:58:00.002-04:00

The concept of using road surfaces to generate clean solar power is actually already moving beyond the idea stage. Roads absorb heat from the sun every day and are usually free of sightline obstructions that could otherwise block the transmission of light rays. And if the roads built for cars and driving are partly to blame for global warming, why not make them part of the solution too?

Idaho-based company Solar Roadways is one of the trailblazers. Electrical engineer Scott Brusaw was inspired to start the company when he heard Caltech solar energy expert Nate Lewis suggest that covering just 1.7 percent of continental U.S. land surface with photovoltaic solar collectors could produce enough power to meet the nation's total energy demand.

Brusaw put two and two together when he realized that the interstate highway system already covers about that much of the nation's land surface, so he got to work designing a system that combines a durable and translucent glass road surface with photovoltaic solar collectors that could be wired directly into the electricity grid. Brusaw's innovative design would also heat the roads in winter, thus providing a important safety benefit.

With improvements in the efficiency of solar collectors in recent years, Brusaw believes his system, if implemented from coast-to-coast in place of the tarmac on existing highways, could produce enough energy to meet the entire world's electricity needs.

But skeptics wonder whether such an expensive high-tech road surface can stand up to the rigors of everyday use—from overloaded 18-wheelers putting extra stress on the highway to oil spills seeping into expensive electronic circuitry—without having to be replaced or repaired often. Brusaw acknowledges that his system still needs fine-tuning, but in the meantime is developing a working prototype along a 45-mile stretch of road between the Idaho cities of Coeur D'Alene and Sandpoint.

Europeans are also pioneering ways to use the sun's rays to work as they beat down on roadways. The British firm Astucia has developed a road stud that contains small solar panels and emits LED light to illuminate dark roadways. On the 120 U.K. roads where the new studs have been installed, night-time accidents are down some 70 percent.

And the Dutch firm Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV has developed a way to siphon solar heat from asphalt road surfaces and use it to de-ice roads and help power nearby buildings. A latticework of pipes under the road surface allows water to heat up during warm weather. The water is then pumped deep under ground where it maintains its higher temperatures and can be retrieved months later to keep road surfaces ice-free during winter months. Apartment buildings, industrial parks and an air force base have benefited from the innovation, and the firm is working on exporting its system to other countries in the coming years.

http://www.insightnews.com/health.asp?mode=display&articleID=4027

Innovative Tower To Feature Atrium Of Wind Turbines

2008-03-24T12:36:00.002-04:00

The “Clean Technology Tower” is a highly efficient building which will be constructed in Chicago. The tower will have wind turbines positioned at the corners of the building, to capture wind at its highest velocity as it accelerates around the tower. At the apex, where wind speeds are at a maximum, a domed double roof cavity directs the wind towards an array of wind turbines. The negative pressure created by the turbines will be used to ventilate interior spaces. The dome itself is shaded by solar cells that capture the southern sun.

The complex includes over 1.8 million square feet of office space as well as a 300,000 square foot hotel, a spa and street-level retail.

It was designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, the same firm who designed the recently featured solar Masdar Headquarters.
This tower in Chicago is an evolution of the Pearl River Tower which both Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill were responsible for while at SOM. Where Pearl River used the face of the building to funnel wind into two large turbine zones this design uses an array of smaller turbines at the corners of the building to catch the wind at its highest velocity.

http://www.metaefficient.com/architecture-and-building/innovative-tower-to-feature-atrium-of-wind-turbines.html#more-1268

Cascade Green: 100% Carbon Offset Beer

2008-03-16T21:10:00.002-04:00

“...for beer drinkers who have an interest in environmental issues.” Burp.

We’ve covered a couple of green Antipodean beers before (Green Man and Mountain Goat), but here is a another twist. Cascade Brewery, from Tasmania, have declared their new Cascade Green as 100% carbon neutral from the picking of hops to the eventual deposit in the recycling bin.

And although the company isn’t claiming the ingredients are organic or vegan or suchlike, they do suggest they are all locally sourced from Tasmania. That the brewery has already reduced its energy usage by 16% and water usage by 30% per unit of production over the last six years. And that Cascade Green will travel to drinker’s lips courtesy of what is said to be lightest weight, highest recycled content glass bottle currently available in Australia. And cartons of stuff will traverse the land in 100% recycled cardboard printed with two-colour biodegradable vegetable inks.

The carbon neutral aspect comes via the purchase of Australian Government Greenhouse Friendly certified carbon offsets go to supporting the Hobart Landfill Flare Facility. This AGL operated landfill extracts methane-rich gas from decomposing organic waste to generate 7,500 MWh of electricity per annum, enough to supply more than 1,100 homes. The project is said to save over 35,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum, equal to taking 9,200 cars of the road each year.

Cascade is owned the Australian brewing powerhouse Fosters. Their Sustainability Manager, Scott Delzoppo said that "Reducing our carbon footprint makes good business sense. The work completed to understand and reduce the carbon footprint of Cascade Green is an important input into our continuing group efforts to reduce our global greenhouse gas emissions." ::Cascade Green, via The Australian.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/cascade_green_1.php

Stunning Solar Building to Generate More Power Than It Needs

2008-03-16T09:58:00.003-04:00

The Masdar Headquarters building will produce more power than it needs (an energy positive building). In fact, the solar roof (one of the largest in the world) will be constructed first, and it will power the construction of the rest of the building. The video link on this page has a great view of the sun-infused interior.

The 1.4 million square foot building was designed by Chicago architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill.

It will serve as the centerpiece of Masdar City, which will end up being about a $22 billion development in Abu Dhabi

Masdar Headquarters will have the lowest energy consumption per square foot, it will feature the largest photovoltaic system and also the largest cooling and dehumidification system. This building will also consume about 70% less water than a typical mixed-use building of its size.

The building will have integrated wind turbines and outdoor air-quality monitor and the construction will be completed by the end of 2010 and while the entire city will be finished by 2016.

http://www.metaefficient.com/architecture-and-building/stunning-solar-building-will-generate-more-power-than-it-needs.html

Green & Charitable Birthdays - ECHOage

2008-03-07T12:56:00.002-05:00

What a brilliant concept. ECHOage is an innovative forward-thinking online party planning tool that provides kids and their parents with the opportunity to protect the environment while saving time and money in the birthday planning process. Co-founder Alison Smith flaunts that “ ECHOage is convenience and conscience wrapped up in a big green ribbon!”

http://www.echoage.com/index.html

Super efficient LED lights now available for the home

2008-03-06T10:17:00.001-05:00

LED lighting technology, based on semiconductor technology, is the future of lighting. It uses a fraction of the energy of traditional lightbulbs. The LED lights can last 20 years of regular use meaning over time they easily pay for themselves. The problem has been that LEDs have not generated enough lumens (a measure of brightness) to be worth using in homes. That problem, however, is being solved.

A retrofitted LED bulb fixture is now available to replace traditional spotlights in the home. The fixture can easily replace what you have now without using an electrician. The bulb generates 650 lumens with only 12 watts. An incandescent bulb uses 5x that amount to produce the same amount of light.

LEDs are better than compact flourescent lightbulbs because they last much much longer and CFCs are made with mercury which probably will be released into the environment once they are disposed of. LEDs also emit a more pleasant and natural light than CFCs.

http://www.your-green-life.com/2008/03/super-efficient-led-lights-now.html

Habitat for Humanity Sees Affordability in Energy-Efficient Homes

2008-03-06T09:14:00.002-05:00

Builders of energy-conscious homes have always known that lower utility bills more than offset the additional costs of efficiency upgrades. That makes energy-efficient features a natural fit with affordable housing. Now one of the nation's largest home builders, Habitat for Humanity, wants local affiliates to make energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly construction a priority in all its projects.

"Our goal is to help our affiliates to become leaders in their communities on these issues," says Frank Purvis, Habitat International's director of environment. "Our training programs educate affiliates on what has to be done for their homes to become more energy-efficient in a way that doesn't raise the total cost of housing." In addition to sending out printed materials and putting on local training seminars, the organization is assembling a nationwide network of volunteer experts to help local affiliates meet efficiency and environmental goals. These experts give advice on design, site issues and specifications. They help develop lists of materials and make sure house plans meet energy codes. They also review current construction methods and show the affiliate what changes need to be made.

"We plan to build 50,000 houses over the next four years," says Purvis, "and we want each one to be energy efficient and environmentally responsible."

One affiliate that has taken the challenge seriously is Houston Habitat for Humanity. In a recent high-profile project, the Houston affiliate joined the Alliance to Save Energy, Houston Light and Power, and local builders to complete the "Energy Affordable Home." This energy- and resource-efficient house was featured at the 1996 National Association of Home Builders' annual convention. But the project was more than a one-time event. Executive Director Mike Shirl says that all of Houston Habitat's homes now include improved window shading and orientation, energy-conserving duct design, water-conserving fixtures, increased ceiling and wall insulation, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, natural ventilation and energy-efficient lighting. Not only must these homes meet or exceed the requirements of the CABO Model Energy Code, but according to Shirl, Houston Habitat was the first non-profit builder in the country to be named an Energy Star Builder by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Shirl found that the shift to building more efficiently wasn't a dramatic one. "It evolved naturally as we looked for ways to make home ownership more affordable," he says. "The main difference in how we operate is that we now look at long-term benefits as opposed to short term ones." The impact on volunteers that build the homes was also minimal. Shirl points out that the "Energy Affordable Home" was built with readily available technologies that can be easily adopted by any builder. "We have to train our volunteers to foam and caulk chases, windows, doors and the like," he says, "but we can typically do that in about 30 minutes."

Maximizing Savings
While Habitat's focus is making home ownership affordable for low-income people, the organization has an extra incentive in that it also serves as the mortgage company for the homes it builds. Lowering monthly operating expenses, says Shirl, reduces the chance that buyers will default on mortgages. Energy is the second largest monthly cost of home ownership, and average monthly utility bills for Houston's hot and humid climate range from $90 to $110. Efficient design and construction methods can reduce these costs by $25 to $35 per month. The home's energy package adds around $1,800 to the mortgage, but because home owners save more money each month than they pay to finance the energy improvements, they enjoy a positive cash flow from the first month. Within eight years, savings will pay the entire cost of the improvements and the owners get to pocket the savings.

The Houston affiliate also educates its home owners on how lifestyle can affect utility bills. In fact, studies by the Alliance to Save Energy of low-income weatherization recipients have shown that home owner education can increase energy savings by up to 50 percent, while helping the savings to continue over time--a winning formula for home owner and lender.

For more information contact: Habitat for Humanity International, 912-924-6935 or Houston Habitat for Humanity, 713-521-2816

Houston Habitat for Humanity's "Energy Affordable Home"
An energy-efficient HVAC system: 12.0 SEER air conditioner, programmable digital thermostat, upgraded duct insulation, and duct sealing with mastic.
Improved insulation: R-30 ceiling and R-16 wall insulation. Exterior rigid foam with taped joints. Insulated exterior doors with weatherstripping and airtight thresholds. Insulated, weatherstripped attic access ladder.
Energy-efficient appliances: Refrigerator, washer, dryer, and water heater meet or exceed the minimum national appliance energy standards.
Enhanced solar shading: Covered front porch with full shading of front door and windows. Two-foot roof overhangs and solar window screens installed for significantly reduced solar gain. White vinyl siding and light-colored roof shingles.
Efficient lighting: Fluorescent lights in kitchen. Exterior security lighting using photocell controls and lower-wattage bulbs.
Environmental: Low VOC interior paints and floor coverings. Water conservation through low-flow shower heads and faucets. No-lead fixtures.Houston Habitat for Humanity's "Energy Affordable Home"

This article appeared in Energy Source Builder #48 December 1996,
©Copyright 1996 Iris Communications, Inc.

http://oikos.com/esb/48/habitat.html

Celebrate a Greener Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T14:08:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/greener-valentines-day-460213?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

This year, you need not get lost in a sea of stale candy hearts, red plastic packaging and wilted white flowers. Instead of a blizzard of unsatisfying consumerism, follow these suggestions to enjoy a more meaningful, and planet friendly, holiday.

The average consumer spends just over $100 on Valentine's Day, according to the National Retail Federation, with total sales approaching $14 billion. That buys nearly 214 million roses, $2.5 billion in jewelry, 180 million cards, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, tons of stuffed animals and more. All those resources can really add up, especially when you consider that conventional flowers are raised with tons of toxic pesticides, the mining industry has left open scars and polluted water across the planet, logging has created barren wastelands, and chocolate harvesting has resulted in toxic, substandard working conditions.

Here are some suggestions to keep the fun in Valentine's Day, and go a little greener:

Give organic and fair trade flowers, the latter of which are now even available at Sam's Club!
Savor organic and fair trade chocolates.
Pour organic and biodynamic wines.
Consider eco-friendly jewelry.
Send an e-card or greeting on recycled paper.

Fair Trade Chocolate And Coffee

2008-02-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

100% Fair Trade companies

These companies are 100% Fair Trade or transitioning to 100% Fair Trade - the way the industry should be- and we commend their leadership. Listings including non-100% companies, manufacturers, importers, and processors: TransFairUSA. Retailer listings: TransFair USA, Fair Trade Federation. Order on-line from company web sites or GX's Fair Trade store. Favorite company isn't listed? Can't find these products locally? Click on "Act Now!" and take action!

Fair Trade Flowers for Valentine's Day!

2008-02-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

A Better World is Blooming

The Fair Trade Certified label on your bouquet means that flower workers, most of whom are women, can put food on their tables, send their children to school, invest in community development, and use sustainable farming methods.

http://www.transfairusa.org/content/flowers/

Top 10 Green Business Trends - State of Green Business 2008, Pt. 1

2008-02-04T12:17:00.000-05:00

This week, GreenBiz.com launched its inaugural report, "State of Green Business 2008." In it, you will find a wealth of information on green business trends with a cross-sectoral approach. Over the next week, we will bring to you a synopsis of some of those trends. To start off, here's a list of the "Top Green Business Stories of 2007."

1. Corporate Climate Commitments - Major companies are making public commitments about their strategies to address climate change in record numbers.
2. Automotive Industry Finally Gets It - Major carmakers are bringing us more fuel-efficient and hybrid vehicles, with plans to launch plug-in hybrids soon.
3. Planes, Trains, Trucks, and Ships are Going Green Too - Other players in the transportation sector are also implementing eco-efficient tech to reduce their environmental impact.
4. Green Marketing/Greenwashing - Just as companies are increasingly catering to the "green consumer," mainstream consumers are increasingly skeptical of such claims.
5. Toxic Product Reduction - Manufacturers and retailers faced a public backlash this year concerning toxic materials in their products. As such, they are making amends to reduce or eliminate them in future production.
6. E-waste - The computing industry got serious this year about energy use and disposal problems associated with technology.
7. Big Companies Get Real about Sustainability - More Fortune 500 businesses announced plans to incorporate company-wide initiatives to engender smarter resource use.
8. Green Buildings Skyrocket - Green buildings become the norm in major urban centers across the nation.
9. Banks Pull Out of "Dirty Investments" - Shareholder activism pressure large banks to invest in clean energy production instead.
10. "Zero" is Where It's At - "Zero-waste," "zero-carbon," and "zero-emissions," are the rallying cries from the new initiatives emerging from the corporate sector.

This ambitious effort to analyze green business trends provides a much-needed perspective on the field. The overall results? Major businesses have made commendable strides towards streamlining their business strategies with an environmentally sustainable focus over the last year. However, it remains to be seen whether, in fact, these approaches are making a difference to the environment. Insufficient data exists as of yet to make conclusive claims about the efficacy of these programs in the aggregate. This leads to a mixed verdict, "Companies are getting cleaner and more efficient, but only incrementally, and many of the gains are offset by the ever-growing economy." As we look at more sector-specific trends over the next week, we will shed light on some of the factors hindering further "conscious capitalism" evolution.

Grab the whole report on GreenBiz.com

NPR: Farming the Amazon with a Machete and Mulch

2008-02-04T11:37:00.000-05:00

Farming the Amazon with a Machete and Mulch
by Ketzel Levine

Morning Edition, February 4, 2008 · On jungle land at the mouth of the Amazon River, one resourceful female farmer has become a master of adaptation in a landscape of constant change. Her story offers an example of how individuals might face the challenges of climate change.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18656632&ft=1&f=1007
LISTEN TO AUDIO

Responsible Purchasing Network

2008-02-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

Today, we are proud to count among our members prominent educational institutions such as Yale and major corporations like Office Depot, as well as two federal agencies—the USDA Forest Service and the Department of Education—11 state agencies representing eight states, and 29 municipal agencies from around the country.

http://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/news/

Citizens Pull Back the Curtain on Election Mishaps

2008-01-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

by Roy Lipscomb January 26, 2008
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_roy_lips_080125_citizens_pull_back_t.htm
also see: http://www.ballot-integrity.net/

[This press release describes a "clearinghouse" for publicizing election problems, one that's intended for direct use by everyday citizens. Next month's primary will be the fifth election that has been monitored by our clearinghouse here in Illinois.

[The service is easily launched and managed, but it nonetheless has the potential to make a big impact. It provides not only PR value for election integrity, but also collects solid first-hand data for analysis of election malfunctions and abuses.

[A service like this ought to be set up in each State. If you'd like to set up one for your State, feel free to use our website as a model. I'm also available to answer any questions that you may need. --Roy]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For further information, contact
Roy Lipscomb,
Director for Technology,
Illinois Ballot Integrity Project
773/338-3564
lipscomb@ballot-integrity.org

http://ballot-integrity.org

In Honor of My Mother and the Power of Love

2008-01-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

By Norman Solomon
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Wednesday 23 January 2008

The last time my mother was in a hospital, an essay by Thich Nhat Hanh moved in front of my eyes. "Our mother is the teacher who first teaches us love, the most important subject in life," he wrote. "Without my mother I could never have known how to love. Thanks to her I can love my neighbors. Thanks to her I can love all living beings. Through her I acquired my first notions of understanding and compassion."

My mother, Miriam A. Solomon, died on January 20, which happened to be the seventh anniversary of the inauguration of a man and a presidential regime that she loathed. Once, several years ago, when I referred to George W. Bush as "an idiot," she made a correction by pointing out he's much worse than that; she used the adjective "evil."

At my parents' apartment, taped on the front door for a long time, a little poster said: "The America I Believe In Doesn't Torture People." The poster was from Amnesty International USA - an organization my mom wrote many protest letters to dictators for - and it summed up her devotion to human decency rather than counterfeit versions of American democracy.

On Monday, the day after my mom died, The Washington Post that arrived on the apartment doorstep carried a lead editorial under the headline "Martin Luther King Jr.: His Words Are More Relevant Than Ever This Election Year." But the editorial did not include the word "war" - even while it grandly commented on "the vision of Dr. King" and, of course, quoted from his "I Have a Dream" speech.

My mother was among the hundreds of thousands of civil rights supporters who gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial and heard King's speech that day in 1963. But unlike the Post's editorial writers, she did not suffer from arrested development in subsequent decades.

She shared in King's expansive view of essential struggles for human rights during the last few years of his life. And in the decades that followed, she took to heart his denunciations of economic injustice and what he called "the madness of militarism."

In contrast to The Washington Post - with its fevered editorial support for the war in Vietnam and, a third of a century later, the war in Iraq - my mother was a humanist who cared about human life far more than geopolitical positioning. In October 1967, then a 46-year-old mother of four children, she joined in the large antiwar march to the Pentagon.

She was passionate about the Bill of Rights. In the early 1970s she did extensive volunteer work for the ACLU in defense of the civil liberties of antiwar demonstrators. And for decades, she worked to get progressive Democrats elected to office. She was never in the limelight, and she never sought it.

Sometimes she'd tell me about her father, Abe Abramowitz, a socialist who did tireless political work in Brooklyn. As a girl, she went with him to branch meetings of The Workmen's Circle, where social justice was on the agenda. Once, she showed me how he showed her how to quickly seal a lot of envelopes by wetting many flaps all at once with a sponge. Along the way, he supported Norman Thomas for president; later on, as circumstances and possibilities shifted, he opted for Franklin Roosevelt.

My mom adored her father, who had a sparkling sense of humor, a love of literature, and - most of all - an overflow of humanistic kindness. He died young, when she was only in her mid-thirties. It must have been a terrible blow to my mother.

My mother did not die young (she was 86), but since then I've felt awful waves of sadness. And sometimes, I think of people who are mourning loved ones of all ages, due to distinctly unnatural causes. The people dying in Iraq as a consequence of the US war effort. The children in so many countries who lose their lives to the ravages of poverty. The health care system in the United States that - in the absence of full medical coverage for everyone as a human right - means avoidable death and suffering on a large scale.

In media-speak and political discourse, the human toll of corporate domination and the warfare state is routinely abstract. But the results - in true human terms - add rage and more grief on top of grief.

Our own mourning should help us understand and strive to prevent the unspeakable pain of others. And whatever love we have for one person, we should try to apply to the world. I won't ever be able to talk with my mother again, but I'm sure that she would agree.

After my mother died, I learned about a poem that she wrote long ago - apparently soon after her father passed away. The poem is titled "Bereavement." Here is how it ends:

More than cherished memories are left behind; they leave us - us to know our duties and our powers and to carry on without much fuss.

In the crushing grief of the moment, we think of how vital and good our loved ones were, and vow to be worthy of them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norman Solomon is a columnist and author. His web site is www.normansolomon.com.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012308A.shtml

Charge Your Cellphone Just By Moving

2008-01-19T08:26:00.000-05:00

INHABITAT
January 17, 2008
Charge Your Cellphone Just By Moving - With M2E Kinetic Power
by Jill Fehrenbacher

They may seem like such small devices - but cellphones have a surprisingly large environmental footprint, and the whole cellphone charger business is a royal pain in the butt. Every cellphone requires a different type of charger (so excessive amounts of plastic cords and gadgets need to be produced for each type of phone), they suck copious amounts of vampire power when you leave them plugged into the wall, and it is so easy to lose them or forget to charge your phone if you are on the road a lot.

Well, for those of you who hate the pain of cell-phone charging, there is now a promising new technology that could get rid of the messy problem of cellphone chargers once and for all, AND eliminate 30 to 40 percent of the toxic heavy metals that are currently found in cell-phone batteries. New startup M2E (Motion 2 Energy) has developed a technology which converts the kinetic energy from minor movement into an electrical charge to power mobile communication devices: meaning in just a few years, we could all toss out our cellphone chargers and charge up our phones simply by walking around with them during the day!

January 17, 2008
Charge Your Cellphone Just By Moving - With M2E Kinetic Power
by Jill Fehrenbacher

They may seem like such small devices - but cellphones have a surprisingly large environmental footprint, and the whole cellphone charger business is a royal pain in the butt. Every cellphone requires a different type of charger (so excessive amounts of plastic cords and gadgets need to be produced for each type of phone), they suck copious amounts of vampire power when you leave them plugged into the wall, and it is so easy to lose them or forget to charge your phone if you are on the road a lot.

Well, for those of you who hate the pain of cell-phone charging, there is now a promising new technology that could get rid of the messy problem of cellphone chargers once and for all, AND eliminate 30 to 40 percent of the toxic heavy metals that are currently found in cell-phone batteries. New startup M2E (Motion 2 Energy) has developed a technology which converts the kinetic energy from minor movement into an electrical charge to power mobile communication devices: meaning in just a few years, we could all toss out our cellphone chargers and charge up our phones simply by walking around with them during the day!

Kinetic energy generation has been around forever (remember wind-up watches?) and we’ve touched on it here with the handcrank electronics chargers of Freeplay , the Sustainable Dance Club, and the People-Powered Gyms. However what is so new and so promising about M2E is the fact that their microgenerator technology allows even the slightest jostling movement to provide a significant charge. So instead of having to hand-crank your cell phone (which is possible, but doesn’t sound too fun), your phone would simply just need a little minor jostling in your bag or jacket while you walk around to stay fully charged. Sounds a lot easier than having to plug in and recharge every night, right?

It’s not only the environmental impact of this technology that seems so promising, but also simply the convenience of this technology. And if an eco-friendly product actually makes life more convenient for most people, we know it won’t be a hard sell to get people to adopt it. That’s why we can’t wait for this new technology to make its way into mainstream consumer products. Right now M2E’s technology is only being used by the U.S Army to outfit troops on the battlefield. But we think it is only a matter of time before this amazingly useful technology becomes more widely available. Nokia, Motorola and Samsung, please start taking notes now…

Norway Aims to Go Carbon Neutral by 2030

2008-01-18T13:33:00.000-05:00

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway, which last year set what it called the world's most ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, said on Thursday it aimed to go "carbon neutral" in 2030, which is 20 years earlier than its previous target.

The new target was set when the Labour-led coalition government reached agreement with three opposition parties to bring the goal forward from 2050.

The government said last year that Norway would aim to cut net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) to nil by 2050 by reducing emissions at home and investing abroad in environmental projects that will give Norway CO2 reduction credits.

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The plan includes offsetting Norwegian emissions by spending around 3 billion crowns ($553.1 million) per year to combat deforestation in developing countries. Forests act as a sink for CO2, the main greenhouse gas blamed for causing global warming.

Under the Kyoto Protocol curbing greenhouse emissions, countries do not get credit for the effect of their own forests, but they can get credits by planting trees in developing lands.

"The parties now think it is realistic to assume reductions in Norwegian climate gas emissions of 15-17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents by 2020 when forests are included," the government said in a statement.

Three million metric tons of that reduction would come from Norway's forests absorbing carbon, it said.

The initial target was to cut 13-16 million metric tons of CO2.

Achieving the target will require cutting Norway's total emissions by two-thirds domestically, the statement said.

Environmental groups said the deal was too vague, and Oil and Energy Minister Aaslaug Haga acknowledged: "We don't know how we will achieve the goals yet, and that is challenging."

A "significant sum" of money will be earmarked for investment in renewable energy, mass transport and measures to reduce emissions from the transport sector, while tax on diesel fuel will rise by 0.1 crowns ($0.018) per liter and on gasoline by 0.05 crowns, the government said.

"Both carrot and stick will be used to promote more environmentally friendly behavior and to reduce climate gas emissions," the centre-left coalition said.

Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen of the Socialist Left (SV) party said the policy would lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions both in Norway and abroad.

"The agreement gives Norway a far-sighted climate policy that can stand independently of shifting governments," Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said in the statement.

MOON LANDING

Stoltenberg, who heads the Labour Party, has said Norway's policy on cutting CO2 emissions is the world's most ambitious and he has likened the challenge of fighting climate change to a "moon landing" for the 21st century.

Norway, with a population of just 4.7 million, is the world's fifth-biggest exporter of oil and Western Europe's biggest exporter of natural gas.

Endowed with rivers and waterfalls, it gets almost all its own electricity from non-polluting hydroelectric stations. But the Nordic country aims to begin burning natural gas for power generation in the future to satisfy growing demand.

The government wants emissions from such power plants to be captured and buried, a technology still under development.

"The agreement implies technologies that are not known yet," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

The government said it would spend an extra 70 million crowns ($12.91 million) this year on research into renewable energy and carbon capture and storage this year, and funding for such research would rise to at least 600 million in 2010.

(Reporting by John Acher; editing by Anthony Barker)

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/29456

Harnessing Waste Heat for Electricity

2008-01-18T13:06:00.000-05:00

January 16, 2008
Harnessing Waste Heat for Electricity
Berkeley researchers make thermoelectric breakthrough in silicon nanowires.
Berkeley, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) at Berkeley. The far-ranging potential applications of this technology include DOE's hydrogen fuel cell-powered "Freedom CAR," and personal power-jackets that could use heat from the human body to recharge cell-phones and other electronic devices.

"For example, if it is cold outside and you are wearing a jacket made of material embedded with thermoelectric modules, you could recharge mobile electronic devices off the heat of your body. In fact, thermoelectric generators have already been used to convert body heat to power wrist watches."

-- Arun Majumdar, Mechanical Engineer and Materials Scientist with joint appointments at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley

"This is the first demonstration of high performance thermoelectric capability in silicon, an abundant semiconductor for which there already exists a multibillion dollar infrastructure for low-cost and high-yield processing and packaging," said Arun Majumdar, a mechanical engineer and materials scientist with joint appointments at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley, who was one of the principal investigators behind this research.

"We've shown that it's possible to achieve a large enhancement of thermoelectric energy efficiency at room temperature in rough silicon nanowires that have been processed by wafer-scale electrochemical synthesis," said chemist Peidong Yang, the other principal investigator behind this research, who also holds a joint Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley appointment.

Majumdar, who was recently appointed director of Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) and is a member of the Materials Sciences Division, is an expert on energy conversion and nanoscale science and engineering. Yang is a leading nanoscience authority with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and with the UC Berkeley Chemistry Department.

The researchers describe a unique "electroless etching" method by which arrays of silicon nanowires are synthesized in an aqueous solution on the surfaces of wafers that can measure dozens of square inches in area. The technique involves the galvanic displacement of silicon through the reduction of silver ions on a wafer's surface. Unlike other synthesis techniques, which yield smooth-surfaced nanowires, this electroless etching method produces arrays of vertically aligned silicon nanowires that feature exceptionally rough surfaces. The roughness is believed to be critical to the surprisingly high thermoelectric efficiency of the silicon nanowires.

"The rough surfaces are definitely playing a role in reducing the thermal conductivity of the silicon nanowires by a hundredfold, but at this time we don't fully understand the physics," said Majumdar. "While we cannot say exactly why it works, we can say that the technique does work."

Nearly all of the world's electrical power, approximately 10 trillion Watts, is generated by heat engines, giant gas or steam-powered turbines that convert heat to mechanical energy, which is then converted to electricity. Much of this heat, however, is not converted but is instead released into the environment, approximately 15 trillion Watts. If even a small fraction of this lost heat could be converted to electricity, its impact on the energy situation would be enormous.

"Thermoelectric materials, which have the ability to convert heat into electricity, potentially could be used to capture much of the low-grade waste heat now being lost and convert it into electricity," said Majumdar. "This would result in massive savings on fuel and carbon dioxide emissions. The same devices can also be used as refrigerators and air conditioners, and because these devices can be miniaturized, it could make heating and cooling much more localized and efficient."

However the on-going challenge for scientists and engineers has been to make thermoelectric materials that are efficient enough to be practical. The goal is a value of 1.0 or more for a performance measurement called the "thermoelectric figure of merit" or ZT, which combines the electric and thermal conductivities of a material with its capacity to generate electricity from heat. Because these parameters are generally interdependent, attaining this goal has proven extremely difficult.

In recent years, ZT values of one or more have been achieved in thin films and nanostructures made from the semiconductor bismuth telluride and its alloys, but such materials are expensive, difficult to work with, and do not lend themselves to large-scale energy conversions.

"Bulk silicon is a poor thermoelectric material at room temperature, but by substantially reducing the thermal conductivity of our silicon nanowires without significantly reducing electrical conductivity, we have obtained ZT values of 0.60 at room temperatures in wires that were approximately 50 nanometers in diameter," said Yang. "By reducing the diameter of the wires in combination with optimized doping and roughness control, we should be able to obtain ZT values of 1.0 or higher at room temperature."

The ability to dip a wafer into solution and grow on its surface a forest of vertically aligned nanowires that are consistent in size opens the door to the creation of thermoelectric modules which could be used in a wide variety of situations. For example, such modules could convert the heat from automotive exhaust into supplemental power for a Freedom CAR-type vehicle, or provide the electricity a conventional vehicle needs to run its radio, air conditioner, power windows, etc.

When scaled up, thermoelectric modules could eventually be used in co-generating power with gas or steam turbines.

"You can siphon electrical power from just about any situation in which heat is being given off, heat that is currently being wasted," said Majumdar. "For example, if it is cold outside and you are wearing a jacket made of material embedded with thermoelectric modules, you could recharge mobile electronic devices off the heat of your body. In fact, thermoelectric generators have already been used to convert body heat to power wrist watches."

The Berkeley Lab researchers will be studying the physics behind this phenomenon to better understand and possibly manipulate it for even further improvements. They will also concentrate on the design and fabrication of thermoelectric modules based on silicon nanowire arrays. Berkeley Lab's Technology Transfer Department is now seeking industrial partners to further develop and commercialize this technology

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=51106

Small-Scale Solar Powered Air Conditioning Is Here

2008-01-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

For years we have been saying that solar powered air conditioning just makes sense- if you are boiling in Phoenix the sun is probably shining really hard. We have seen big units, evaporative units that won't work in humid climates, a few vaporware units and even home-made absorption chillers

Now it looks like a Spanish company, Rotartica, has put it all together, by combining evacuated tube thermal collectors with a water-heated absorption chiller, and sized it at 4.5Kw (1.28 tons) for residential use, all packaged in a neat little box.

From an operation point of view it is very simple: you put hot water in, you get cold water out, which you can run to a conventional fancoil. The hot water in can come from any source, but evacuated tube collectors, which used to be very expensive, are pretty affordable now. If you want to get more techie:

In an absorption chiller unit the evaporator and condenser are the same as in conventional systems but the function of the compressor is performed by a chemical absorbent (LiBr) and a
heat generator, with only a pump being required to provide the change in pressure. As there is
no compressor, electricity consumption is reduced significantly.

The diagram is a graphic representation of the Single Effect Absorption Cycle, which
functions as follows:

1. The refrigerant, together with the salt or absorbent in the Generator, evaporates due
to the heat provided by a burner or an external circuit leading to a heat exchanger.

2. The absorbent is conveyed to the Absorber as a solution with a low refrigerant content,
while the refrigerant that has evaporated in the Generator travels to the Condenser
where it is condensed and releases heat.

3. Due to the difference in pressure, the refrigerant flows to the Evaporator where, at a
low temperature and as a result of the low pressure, it evaporates and absorbs heat
from the circuit which subsequently goes on to cool the room.

4. Lastly, the evaporated refrigerant is attracted by the absorbent in the Absorber, where
the refrigerant-rich absorbent solution is created once more and is conveyed to the Generator where the whole cycle begins again.

We don't know the price, (probably expensive) but operating costs will be negligible and it runs when the sun is hottest and electricity the most in demand; once those smart meters become common this may be the only way to affordably cool on the hottest days. If you are worried about being cool at night, perhaps you can add an ice bear. . Available in the States from ::Schroder Zimmerly.

BEDZED: Beddington Zero Energy Development in London

2008-01-18T10:34:00.000-05:00

Sustainability, both environmental and social, is fundamental to the Peabody Trust mission to fight poverty in London. The Trust works to develop desirable homes and build thriving communities with a long-term future.

The Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) is the UK's largest carbon-neutral eco-community - the first of its kind in this country. BedZED was developed by the Peabody Trust in partnership with Bill Dunster Architects and BioRegional Development Group, environmental consultants.

BedZED is a mixed-use, mixed-tenure development that incorporates innovative approaches to energy conservation and environmental sustainability. It is built on reclaimed land owned by the London Borough of Sutton, sold to Peabody at below market value due to the planned environmental initiatives.

Peabody Trust manages the housing at BedZED and BioRegional Development Group and Bill Dunster Architects are based close by.

Background
The BedZED design concept was driven by the desire to create a net 'zero fossil energy development', one that will produce at least as much energy from renewable sources as it consumes. Only energy from renewable sources is used to meet the energy needs of the development. BedZED is therefore a carbon neutral development - resulting in no net addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

What are the features of BedZED?
The design is to a very high standard and is used to enhance the environmental dimensions, with strong emphasis on roof gardens, sunlight, solar energy, reduction of energy consumption and waste water recycling.

BedZED provides 82 residential homes with a mixture of tenures, 34 for outright sale, 23 for shared ownership, 10 for key workers and 15 at affordable rent for social housing - with a further 14 galleried apartments for outright sale.

The homes are a mixture of sizes and the project also includes buildings for commercial use, an exhibition centre, a children's nursery and a show flat so that visitors may see what it is like to live at BedZED.

The buildings
Buildings are constructed from thermally massive materials that store heat during warm conditions and release heat at cooler times. In addition, all buildings are enclosed in a 300mm insulation jacket.

BedZED houses are arranged in south facing terraces to maximise heat gain from the sun, known as passive solar gain. Each terrace is backed by north facing offices, where minimal solar gain reduces the tendency to overheat and the need for energy hungry air conditioning.

back to top

BedZED's architecture
BedZED has been designed to address environmental, social and economic needs. It brings together a number of proven methods - none of them particularly high tech - of reducing energy, water and car use. Crucially, it produces affordable, attractive and environmentally responsible housing and workspace.

Key features include:

Using renewable materials
Where possible, BedZED is built from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials. All the wood used has been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council or comparable internationally recognised environmental organisations, to ensure that it comes from a sustainable source.

Space heating
Through the innovative design and construction, heat from the sun and heat generated by occupants and every day activities such as cooking is sufficient to heat BedZED homes to a comfortable temperature. The need for space heating, which accounts for a significant part of the energy demand in conventional buildings, is therefore reduced or completely eliminated.

BedZED homes and offices are fitted with low energy lighting and energy efficient appliances to reduce electricity requirements.

To enable residents and workers to keep track of their heat and electricity use, meters are mounted in each home and office kitchen.

Combined heat and power plant
BedZED receives power from a small-scale combined heat and power plant (CHP). In conventional energy generation, the heat that is produced as a by-product of generating electricity is lost. With CHP technology, this heat can be harnessed and put to use.

At BedZED, the heat from the CHP provides hot water, which is distributed around the site via a district heating system of super-insulated pipes. Should residents or workers require a heating boost, each home or office has a domestic hot water tank that doubles as a radiator.

The CHP plant at BedZED is powered by off-cuts from tree surgery waste that would otherwise go to landfill. Wood is a carbon neutral fuel because the CO2 released when the wood is burned is equal to that absorbed by the tree as it grew.

http://www.peabody.org.uk/pages/GetPage.aspx?id=179

People power to warm new building in Stockholm: project leader

2008-01-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

The body heat from hundreds of thousands of people who pass through the Stockholm Central Station each day will be used to heat a new office building nearby, the project leader said Wednesday.
"So many people go through the Central Station ... We want to harness some of the warmth they produce to help heat the new building," Karl Sundholm, of the Swedish state-held property administration company Jernhuset, told AFP.

Some 250,000 people pass through the station each day, rushing to catch trains and subways or simply visit the many shops and stores inside.

"All people produce heat, and that heat is in fact fairly difficult to get rid of. Instead of opening windows and letting all that heat go to waste we want to harness it through the ventilation system," Sundholm said.

He said the body heat would warm up water that in turn would be pumped through pipes over to the new office building, which will also house a small hotel and a few shops and is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2010.

"This is old technology, but used in a new way. It's just pipes, water and pumps, but we haven't heard of anyone else using this technology in this way before," he said, adding that Jernhuset expects the system to bring down heating costs in the building by up to 20 percent.

Installing the heating system is not expected to be complicated or very costly, Sundholm said, pointing out that laying the necessary pumps and underground pipes might cost a some 200,000 kronor (21,200 euros, 31,200 dollars).

"For a large building expected to cost several hundred million kronor to build, that's not that much," he said.

© 2008 AFP

http://www.physorg.com/news118498060.html

2008 Presidential Primaries Voter Guide

2008-01-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

League of Conservation Voters
http://www.lcv.org/voterguide/

Five Innovation Initiatives for 2008

2008-01-12T09:25:00.000-05:00

Five Innovation Initiatives for 2008
Getting the economics right can win lasting environmental solutions
Environmental Defense

How can we best implement environmental protections that last? One way is by getting the economics right.

Over the last two decades, we've worked with companies, policy makers, ranchers, fishermen and others to leverage market and business incentives to develop and promote lasting environmental goals, from species protections to cleaner air to healthier food choices and more.

Here are Five Innovation Initiatives for 2008 that adopt this powerful, innovative approach to environmental stewardship.

Initiative #1: Fighting Global Warming
Global warming is the most serious environmental threat of our time. But after years of debate, Congress still hasn't passed national climate legislation.

Luckily, 2007 was a year of incredible progress in the fight against global warming and set the perfect stage for a national climate bill to be passed in 2008.

Fighting global warming is our number one priority this year. We support a cap-and-trade approach, which sets a hard cap on America's global warming pollution and harnesses the forces of markets to achieve cost-effective emission reductions.

This approach provides economic incentives to inventors, businesses and entrepreneurs to invent and deploy new and existing technologies to reduce America's global warming pollution. The cap gives us the emission reductions we need, while the ability to trade pollution credits rewards innovation.

With staff on the ground across the country and a team of legislative experts on Capitol Hill, we will do everything we can to bring both House and Senate together in agreement on a national, economy-wide cap on global warming pollution.

Waiting a mere two years to pass legislation will double the annual rate at which the US must cut emissions in order to bring them down to where they need to be by 2020.

2008 is the year for the global warming action. We have no time to lose.

Initiative #2: Clean Cities
Traffic congestion is getting worse in nearly every major American city, and many of the smaller ones, too. People are spending more time on clogged roads, wasting fuel, polluting our air and contributing to global warming.

But there are innovative new tools that can help. For example, New Yorkers and the environment celebrated a big win in 2007 when Mayor Bloomberg announced his visionary 'greenprint' for New York City.

A centerpiece of PlaNYC is congestion pricing - using traffic fees to reduce congestion and invest in public transportation throughout the city. And, congestion pricing would help reach Mayor Bloomberg's goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030 in NYC.

This spring, the state legislature and city council will be making do-or-die decisions about congestion pricing. Green building incenitves and ways to encourage redevelopment of vacant induatrial lands --"brownfields" -- are on tap for policy changes in the next 18 months.

We are already working to promote changes like these in other major cities across the country. And we have been invited to advise on transportation reform in Jakarta, Indonesia and in Mexico City.

Economics-based tools like congestion pricing are critical to our efforts to make transportation more efficient and less polluting. As the planet becomes more and more urbanized, getting the price signals right is key to a healthy future.

Initiative #3: Sustainable Farming
The Farm Bill is the largest source of conservation funding in America. Passing a Farm Bill in 2008 that takes better care of farmers and the environment remains one of our top priorities.

The current House and Senate versions of the bill allow millionaire farmers to continue collecting unlimited subsidies and leave conservation, nutrition and rural development programs critically underfunded.

As the bill goes to conference, we will keep the pressure on, highlighting the weaknesses in both versions and the importance of equitable, common-sense reforms. We will also work to protect the nearly $5 billion in new conservation funding in these two versions of the bill -- not enough to meet farmer demand, but a critical step in the right direction.

Our Farm Bill legislative work goes hand-in-hand with our other Land, Water & Wildlife work using win-win incentives to encourage ranchers, farmers and other private landowners to restore and conserve endangered species habitat, wetlands and watersheds and reduce harmful runoff.

In 2008, we will continue to encourage and reward voluntary conservation practices with financial, technical and legal assurance incentives. Our team will maintain ongoing partnerships with landowners and private land interests across the country, while developing new incentive-based projects and working for increased use of voluntary incentive programs.

Initiative #4: Sustainable Seafood
Higher profits, less waste and safer fishing practices are desirable for any commercial fisherman. Environmental Defense found success in all three areas this year with the implementation of a precedent-setting catch share program for the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico.

Just 12 months after the program began, preliminary data show that the fishing season has lengthened, the price of red snapper has increased and bycatch - the unintentional killing of fish - has declined by at least half.

Catch share programs allocate a share of the yearly catch to individual fishermen. This rewards conservation practices and allows fishermen to maximize their profit by buying and selling shares with others.

In 2008, while continuing to monitor and ensure the success of the red snapper program, Environmental Defense will work to increase active catch share programs across the country by at least 50 percent. Our Oceans team is working to secure approval for programs on the West Coast, in the South Atlantic and New England.

We will also work to create higher market demand for environmentally sustainable seafood in the coming year.

Initiative #5: Corporate Partnerships
We have a unique, market-based approach of working directly with companies to improve business practices and reduce their environmental footprints. We work to influence the buying power of large corporations to affect the way goods and services are produced. Changes along the supply chain will reach customers world-wide, resulting, over time, in significant environmental progress.

We are working with Wal-Mart to develop packaging reduction and greenhouse gas emissions goals for its major suppliers and to create market demand for renewable energy. With nearly 200 million customers each week, 61,000 suppliers and 5300 stores world-wide, the largest company in the world has an unprecedented capacity to affect major environmental change.

We are working with Wegmans Food Stores to bring healthier seafood choices to consumers. Together we've developed new purchasing standards for farmed salmon and farmed shrimp that will prevent fish farming from destroying eco-systems, using needless chemicals and antibiotics, and threatening wild fish populations. Wegmans stores are the first to stock eco-friendly farmed salmon and shrimp that meet these more stringent health and environmental standards. The next step is for major food suppliers to adopt these same standards.

Even in this increasingly online world, paper use continues to rise. Our Corporate Partnerships team recognized a need to help companies reduce paper use and costs. The result was an online Paper Calculator tool that allows companies large and small to calculate the environmental benefits of better paper choices. Each month, companies such as Random House, Staples, PepsiCo, and Starbucks use our Paper Calculator to assess their paper purchases.

In 2008, we will forge ahead with our existing partnerships and move towards cultivating partnerships with new corporations. In keeping with our market-based approach, company interests and environmental progress will remain our foremost priorities.

http://environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=7504

Face It: There is a Solution to Global Warming

2008-01-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

SANTA FE, NM — According to Architecture 2030, there is a 'silver bullet' solution to global warming and it's time the nation faced up to it. To get its message out, the non-profit research organization will be hosting a nationwide webcast, called Face It, focusing on the solution. In addition, during the webcast, they will unveil two competitions about the solution with $20,000 in prize money.

To help kick off and input Focus the Nation, the Face It webcast will be broadcast from Architecture 2030's website, www.architecture2030.org, beginning at 9 am on January 30, 2008. Focus the Nation, a national effort to engage students, faculty, administrators, citizens and government officials in discussions to address global warming, takes place January 31, 2008.

The Face It webcast will build on the information provided during Architecture 2030's highly successful webcast, The 2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-in. The Teach-in, which broadcast live in February 2007 and focused on the role of design education in global warming, reached a quarter of a million students, design professionals and government officials worldwide.

The solution to global warming, according to the founder of Architecture 2030, Edward Mazria, is two-fold. "Energy use is at the heart of global warming. There are two sides to energy use, supply and demand, so any viable solution must address both sides of this coin." On the supply side, Mazria advocates first for a US and then a global moratorium on the construction of any new conventional coal plants, and the gradual phasing out of existing coal plants by 2050. On the demand side, he advocates for adoption and implementation of The 2030 Challenge, a global initiative calling for all new buildings and renovations to reduce their fossil-fuel greenhouse-gas-emitting consumption by 50% by 2010, and that all new buildings be 'carbon neutral' by 2030. To Architecture 2030's credit, the organization's 2030 Challenge has been adopted and supported by numerous groups, including the US Conference of Mayors, American Institute of Architects, National Association of Counties, US Green Building Council, California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission and EPA's Target Finder, as well as many individual cities, counties and states. Beginning in 2008, the federal government will require the Challenge energy reduction targets for all new and renovated federal buildings.

The Face It webcast is part of Architecture 2030's larger Reverberate Campaign, which will involve several events throughout 2008. The first of these are the two Reverberate Competitions to be unveiled during the webcast. Students will be asked to create something (you'll have to tune in to the webcast to learn what) that will reverberate throughout their campus and society at large. There will be two categories, graphic design and video. In addition to the $20,000 in prize money that will be distributed amongst the winners, the winning graphic design entry will appear in a full-page ad in Metropolis magazine and the winning video entry will be highlighted in a Metropolis article and featured on the Metropolis and Architecture 2030 websites.

About Architecture 2030:

Architecture 2030 is a non-profit organization working to achieve a dramatic reduction in the global-warming-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings by changing the way they are designed and constructed.

Contact Info:

Kristina Kershner
Director
Architecture 2030
Tel : 505-930-7799
E-mail : Kershner@architecture2030.org

Website : Architecture 2030

How to Recycle Your Used Electronics

2007-12-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

thedailygreen.com — From Apple iPods to HP Ink-Jet Printer Cartridges, Recycling Your e-Waste Made Easy

Most people love getting new gadgets for the holidays, whether they are tech-savvy professionals or folks who never figured out how to program their VCRs or set up a MySpace page.

This year there are more possibilities than ever to find under the tree, from the revolutionary, highly accessible Wii Nintendo console to sophisticated cell phones that are connecting people in new ways. Even underprivileged children around the world are now receiving discount laptops in record numbers, hopefully helping to breach the digital divide.

But the burgeoning market of electronics and accelerating pace of technology have meant increased environmental impact. This is perhaps never more true than after the holidays, when people clean out their old gear in favor of the new shiny toys and appliances they have just received, or purchased through gifts, bonuses or seasonal sales. With the 2009 change in TV transmissions around the corner, even more e-waste is being generated. Plus, consider that the average cell phone user changes handsets every 18 months.

The good news is awareness of the potential ecological impact is also rising, and there are ways to make a difference, especially at the end of your product's life.

It's no small step, considering that 20 to 50 million tons of electronics waste (often called e-waste) is discarded globally every year, according to Greenpeace. If all that e-rubbish were put into containers on a train it would go once around the world! E-waste is the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream, and currently makes up five percent of all municipal solid waste.

In the past, no one thought of recycling computers and other electronics. The only option was tossing them on the curb. But these days engineers have taken notice that electronics usually contain a wealth of valuable materials. Plus, recycling almost always means lower net carbon emissions, which is something everyone is now paying closer attention to because of global warming. Finally, electronics are made with a sizable amount of lead, cadmium, brominated fire retardants and plastics that can leach toxic breakdown products — that's stuff no one wants in their water supply!

The Consumer Electronics Association, which represents electronics manufacturers, encourages people to recycle their e-waste, and has set up a handy Website to make the process simple. Log on to mygreenelectronics.org, where you can search for local recycling drop-off points by zip code and product category. You'll also find tips and info on electronics recycling, and a cool energy calculator that will show you how much juice each product uses.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/computer-recycling-electronics-recycling-461219

NFL Plans to Offset Super Bowl's Carbon Footprint

2007-12-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

All Things Considered, December 26, 2007 · Jack Groh, environmental program director for the National Football League, talks with Melissa Block about the league's plan to offset the carbon footprint of the next Super Bowl.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17625113

Chicago’s Alleys Turning Green

2007-12-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5512
A new initiative will help make Chicago’s 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) of alleyways more sustainable. The miniature streets behind homes and buildings, used mainly for garbage collection and parking access, keep main roads cleaner and less congested but are prone to flooding. The city’s innovative Green Alley Program promotes improved construction techniques and materials that can improve drainage, reduce runoff, and relieve strain on the city’s aging sewer system.

Model “green” alleyways in Chicago have been re-surfaced with permeable or porous pavement, a relatively new technology that allows water to seep through asphalt, concrete, stone, or plastic. After filtering through a stone bed, the water can then recharge local water tables, instead of becoming polluted runoff that flows off the road into streams and rivers. The new alley surfaces are made with recycled material and light-colored pavement that reflects heat, keeping them cool on hot days and reducing the “urban heat effect.” The alleys also use energy-saving overhead lighting that directs light downward to minimize light pollution.

Retrofitting the alleys to be more green can cost two to three times as much as the conventional method. But the alternative option—connecting Chicago’s alleys to the city’s sewer system—would be equally expensive, with fewer benefits, according to The Chicago Green Alley Handbook. There are indications that permeable paving can be replaced less frequently than the older alleyways and will save residents the costs that come with frequently flooded basements.

Chicago has more miles of alleyways than any other city in the world—enough to pave five midsize airports. Experts say the new initiative is one of the most ambitious public street-retrofitting projects in the nation. “The alley is not only functional, but an educational green landscape that is helping a city experiment with design and different ways to handle water,” Michael David Martin of Iowa State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture told the Tribune. Chicago expects to have 46 green alleyways completed by the end of the year.

This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.

World's Largest Green Shopping Destination Opens

2007-12-04T12:58:00.000-05:00

http://www.evo.com/
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the latest entry into green online shopping - www.EVO.com - announced they are open for business.

The idea is to take online green shopping to an expanded level, providing shoppers with a wider selection of green gift items via the web. Using special software, the website has prescreened millions of products for their "green" attributes and only offers products that earn an EVO rating of one to five leaves. The company consulted with leaders in the sustainability field to establish the rating system. The site features more than 100,000 green products and services from 1,200 retailers. There's something for almost everyone.

Putting the zoom into electric cars

2007-11-29T17:14:00.000-05:00

Watch out, Detroit. A new crop of electric-vehicle startups aims to put a dent in the Big Three by applying the latest in high-technology engineering and design.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/19/smbusiness/electric_cars.fsb/

Steve Fambro didn't get into the car business to save the world. He did it to go faster on freeways.

Fambro was driving 36 miles a day, during rush hour, to and from his biotech job in La Jolla, Calif. As traffic slowed to a crawl, motorcycles whizzed past in the carpool lane. He wanted to do the same, and after trying a motorbike and becoming worried about his safety, he decided he wanted to do the same in an enclosed vehicle. He bought a hybrid, but as an engineer he still yearned for a vehicle that got even better fuel economy.

That left electric cars. The selection was discouraging: tiny, boxy vehicles with a short range that took a long time to charge. "Anything you could buy looked as if it was designed in the 1970s," says Fambro.

So he decided to start his own car company. In November 2008, Fambro will begin selling the Aptera. That means "wingless" in Greek, but don't think this car won't fly. It's a sleek two-seat, three-wheel electric vehicle with a top speed of 95 miles an hour, and it comes in two versions: all electric and hybrid.

Made of a Space Age composite material, the hybrid gets 300 miles per gallon, while the electric goes 100 miles on a single three- to six-hour charge. And it looks great in the carpool lane.

For the first time since the early 20th century, America is seeing a flowering of entrepreneurship in the auto industry. Today at least 11 new electric car companies, each working on a wide range of technologies, have launched or plan to launch models. Several of the startups are clustered around Silicon Valley, drawing on the brainpower and pocketbooks of high-tech engineers and venture capitalists. These upstarts are not modest. They believe they can do what major automakers have failed to do: bring an electric car to the mass market.

Electric cars, to be sure, are not new. About a century ago Thomas Edison joined forces with Henry Ford to develop an electric car that would be as affordable as the Model T. In those early days of the automobile, hundreds of manufacturers all over the country tried to compete making both electric and gasoline-powered cars. But economies of scale were not on their side, and small shops - some 415 of them in 1914, each of which produced a few handmade cars a year - eventually gave way to the Big Three.

Photo Gallery: Electric cars made by small firms
The internal-combustion engine could be refueled more conveniently than a battery could be recharged, especially on long trips, and that advantage all but killed electric auto technology. Over the years entrepreneurs would occasionally emerge with a new design to challenge the Big Three, yet all failed. The two most memorable flameouts: Preston Tucker in 1948 with his Tucker Torpedo and John De Lorean, with his silver gull-winged sports car in the 1970s - both of which used internal-combustion engines.

So why does today's new breed of small, renegade car company think it can succeed where so many other auto startups have failed? The entrepreneurs and investors behind the firms point to four factors: consumer desire for measures to address global warming, an abundance of investment capital, new breakthroughs in fiber composite body material, and the availability of cheap computing power and software that help simulate design challenges long before new cars hit the road.

By taking aim at many markets, the electric auto makers are multiplying their chances of success. Tesla Motors of San Carlos, Calif., will sell in early 2008 a speedy $98,000 electric roadster for the Hollywood and hedge fund set (George Clooney and the Google guys have mailed in their down payments).

Entrepreneur Ian Wright, based in Burlingame, Calif., is also aiming at the sports market with the Wrightspeed X1, which he hopes to sell in about two years for about $100,000. The X1 prototype's three-second acceleration from zero to 60 mph makes it one of the fastest autos in the world - second only to the French-made Bugatti Veyron, a 16-cylinder gas-gulping beast that is just half-a-second faster and goes for $1.25 million.

If the Tesla and Wrightspeed give you sticker shock, don't worry. Phoenix Motorcars of Ontario, Calif., is aiming at businesses, and in early 2008 plans to sell a $47,000 electric pickup truck that can be recharged in ten minutes. For those looking for an affordable commuter car, Aptera's gas hybrid will be available in 2008 for $27,000, with an all-electric version for $30,000 (you'll have to plug it into a regular household socket for a few hours after driving 100 miles).

A Toronto company called Zenn sells an electric car and is counting on a radical new kind of power pack from a Cedar Park, Texas, startup called EEStor to next build an Aptera rival. And in 2006 a Norwegian investment firm bought Think, an electric car company once owned by Ford. It plans to launch the Think City commuter car in Europe in 2008 and in the U.S. market in 2009.

Dean Kamen, the Manchester, N.H.-based inventor of the Segway scooter, is working with Think to adapt his Stirling engine to the car, which would extend its 110 mile range. GM has hired A123, a Watertown, Mass., startup to supply lithium batteries for its Volt hybrid, due to launch in 2010. Former SAP executive Shai Agassi has raised $200 million for Project Better Place, a firm that plans to build a network of stations to recharge all these electric cars.

Driving this global network of entrepreneurs is a very global problem. In the U.S., cars and trucks are responsible for some 20% of humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide. Switching from internal-combustion engines to electric-powered vehicles will seriously mitigate the effects of global warming.

Skeptics point out that the juice for electric cars must be generated by power plants, most of which are fired by natural gas or coal and spew their own carbon dioxide. But 30% of the electricity on the national grid comes from clean sources such as nuclear, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. According to a study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, using electric vehicles actually results in as much as a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases, depending on the location.

Few of these new car companies are aiming to grow to the size of Toyota or GM. Most will be satisfied if they can become profitable niche players; others hope to sell or license their technology to the big guys. Says Bill Green, a partner at Vantage-Point Venture Partners, which has invested in Tesla Motors: "No one argues today that the Tesla will serve anything but a small subset of the market. But it has changed the conversation. It is a historic and dramatic increase in performance. The big car companies will look at Tesla and say, 'Hey, maybe I can use that technology in my cars.' "

The rise of the jetpack
Venture capital firms are betting big on that outcome too. Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal, used part of the fortune he made selling his company to eBay (Charts, Fortune 500) to help bankroll Tesla Motors. Besides Vantagepoint, investors include Google (Charts, Fortune 500) founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Silicon Valley VC firm Draper Jurvetson. Tesla has raised more than $100 million. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer, along with other investors, has put $7 million into EEStor.

What has these investors excited is that technology is helping small companies rethink the dynamics of car design. Take the Aptera: This aerodynamic, low-slung commuter car has a composite body, made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, and Kevlar, that looks like the cockpit of a jet yet can fit two adult passengers and a child in a baby seat. It weighs 1,500 pounds, compared with the U.S. industry average of 3,455 pounds. Because it has only three wheels, the Aptera will be classified as a motorcycle in most states. But it's beefier than it looks. One inch shorter than a Toyota Prius, the Aptera can still fit a surfboard in the trunk after folding down the passenger seat. The vehicle has passed slalom tests for stability and handling.

Odd, delightful features abound. A solar-assisted air-conditioning system will run on sunny days even when the car is turned off, keeping the interior cool for the driver's return. The covered wheels hang on the ends of protruding axles, leading one auto industry wag to remark that the vehicle looks like "Batman's girlfriend's car." Fambro makes no apologies: "Most auto designs put styling first and function second," he says. "The way cars are designed, half the energy they need is just to push the air out of the way."

Fambro's aim was to change the styling to reduce the drag of the car as much as possible. He succeeded: The Aptera will have a drag one-third that of a today's average car and less than half that of the Prius, the industry champion of low wind resistance.

Fambro created his groundbreaking design on a budget. It would have cost him $10,000 a day to test the car's aerodynamics in a wind tunnel, so Fambro found some software - the same that NASA uses to test the drag of its space vehicles - for just $50,000.

Not your average GPS
The simulation lets him make a change in the style of the car and see the effect on drag very quickly. One result: The car has no side-view mirrors. Instead the driver has 180-degree rear visibility on a videoscreen with the help of cameras mounted on the back of the car. "Ten years ago we couldn't do that kind of testing. And five years ago we couldn't afford it," says Fambro.

His engineers can also use the computer to simulate 50,000 miles of driving, including over potholes, and test the stress on the vehicle parts. (A prototype of the car has been pushed to its limits on an actual test track.) Because the body is made of a composite, capital costs are low compared with those required to build a typical steel car. It can take as much as $1 billion to set up the facilities for the die stamping, welding, and assembly of a new vehicle, but Aptera can make composite parts with a tolerance of 0.001 of an inch quickly and cheaply. "It's an entirely new way of making structural products," says Fambro. He estimates that today's computing power is so fast that he can do with three employees "what a big company such as Boeing ten years ago took a few hundred people to do."

It's one thing to build a prototype; it's another to manufacture complex products in large numbers on time and on budget. Toyota (Charts), with some of the best auto engineers in the world, took years to work the kinks out of the Prius. Aptera must also build or piggyback onto a dealer network to sell and service the cars. That takes capital, skilled manpower, and time. Aptera's all-electric model should at least be very easy to maintain. It has no transmission, and its electric motor has only one moving part, compared with about 400 for regular engines. Its mechanics may need software degrees, but at least they'll have clean hands.

Even if Fambro succeeds in building an affordable, energy-efficient commuter car, the impact on the market, at least in the short run, will be minimal. He hopes to sell around 3,000 to 4,000 Apteras in the first year of production, marketing mostly to buyers in California, Arizona, and Nevada, and then ramp up to about 10,000 cars a year soon after that. Meanwhile, GM (Charts, Fortune 500) alone churns out about 300,000 cars a month. Fambro says he plans to build Aptera into a major car company, but like many entrepreneurs, he is willing to be flexible. "If Toyota or Hyundai offered to buy us," he says slyly, "we would certainly consider it."

Eighth wonder of the world? The stunning temples secretly carved out below ground by 'paranormal' eccentric

2007-11-24T10:10:00.000-05:00

Eighth wonder of the world? The stunning temples secretly carved out below ground by 'paranormal' eccentric
by HAZEL COURTENEY - More by this author »

Last updated at 09:58am on 22nd November 2007

Comments (16)

Nestling in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy, 30 miles from the ancient city of Turin, lies the valley of Valchiusella. Peppered with medieval villages, the hillside scenery is certainly picturesque.

But it is deep underground, buried into the ancient rock, that the region's greatest wonders are concealed.

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Hall of the Earth: An amazing room built on the 'supernatural' visions of its creator

Here, 100ft down and hidden from public view, lies an astonishing secret - one that has drawn comparisons with the fabled city of Atlantis and has been dubbed 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' by the Italian government.

For weaving their way underneath the hillside are nine ornate temples, on five levels, whose scale and opulence take the breath away.

Constructed like a three-dimensional book, narrating the history of humanity, they are linked by hundreds of metres of richly decorated tunnels and occupy almost 300,000 cubic feet - Big Ben is 15,000 cubic feet.

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Light fantastic: The giant glass dome of the Hall of Mirrors

Play time: Children look happy in the amazing surroundings
Few have been granted permission to see these marvels.

Indeed, the Italian government was not even aware of their existence until a few years ago.

But the 'Temples of Damanhur' are not the great legacy of some long-lost civilisation, they are the work of a 57-year-old former insurance broker from northern Italy who, inspired by a childhood vision, began digging into the rock.

It all began in the early Sixties when Oberto Airaudi was aged ten. From an early age, he claims to have experienced visions of what he believed to be a past life, in which there were amazing temples.

Around these he dreamed there lived a highly evolved community who enjoyed an idyllic existence in which all the people worked for the common good.

More bizarrely still, Oberto appeared to have had a supernatural ability: the gift of "remote viewing" - the ability to travel in his mind's eye to describe in detail the contents of any building.

"My goal was to recreate the temples from my visions," he says.

Oberto - who prefers to use the name 'Falco' - began by digging a trial hole under his parent's home to more fully understand the principals of excavation.

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Breathtaking: The miles of tunnels enable air to circulate

House of secrets: Below this house is the Damanhurian temple which is one of the largest temple complexes in the world

But it was only as he began a successful career as an insurance broker that he began to search for his perfect site.

In 1977, he selected a remote hillside where he felt the hard rock would sustain the structures he had in mind.

A house was built on the hillside and Falco moved in with several friends who shared his vision. Using hammers and picks, they began their dig to create the temples of Damanhur - named after the ancient subterranean Egyptian temple meaning City of Light - in August 1978.

As no planning permission had been granted, they decided to share their scheme only with like-minded people.

Volunteers, who flocked from around the world, worked in four-hour shifts for the next 16 years with no formal plans other than Falco's sketches and visions, funding their scheme by setting up small businesses to serve the local community.

By 1991, several of the nine chambers were almost complete with stunning murals, mosaics, statues, secret doors and stained glass windows. But time was running out on the secret.

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Hall of Spheres: Creator Oberto Airaudi based his creation on wonderful visions

Bright window: The window decorations have a church-stained window theme

The first time the police came it was over alleged tax evasion and still the temples lay undiscovered. But a year later the police swooped on the community demanding: "Show us these temples or we will dynamite the entire hillside."

Falco and his colleagues duly complied and opened the secret door to reveal what lay beneath.

Three policemen and the public prosecutor hesitantly entered, but as they stooped down to enter the first temple - named the Hall of the Earth - their jaws dropped.

Inside was a circular chamber measuring 8m in diameter.

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Hall of mirrors: The hall has a classical Greek feel

Egyptian wall paintings: Damanhurian art is greatly influenced by both Egyptian and Celtic sytles

A central sculpted column, depicting a three dimensional man and woman, supported a ceiling of intricately painted glass.

The astonished group walked on to find sculpted columns covered with gold leaf, more than 8m high.

Stunned by what they had found, the authorities decided to seize the temples on behalf of the government.

"By the time they had seen all of the chambers, we were told to continue with the artwork, but to cease further building, as we had not been granted planning permission," says Esperide Ananas, who has written a new book called Damanhur, Temples Of Humankind.

Retrospective permission was eventually granted and today the 'Damanhurians' even have their own university, schools, organic supermarkets, vineyards, farms, bakeries and award-winning eco homes.

They do not worship a spiritual leader, though their temples have become the focus for group meditation.

'They are to remind people that we are all capable of much more than we realise and that hidden treasures can be found within every one of us once you know how to access them,' says Falco.

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