August 31st, 2008South Dublin gets high-tech pay-as-you-throw
South Dublin residents will soon have their black bins fitted with computer chips so their bin can be connected with their ‘pay as you go’ waste collection account.
August 31st, 2008Global warming’s toasty water connection to Gustav (AP)
AP - Global warming has probably made Hurricane Gustav a bit stronger and wetter, some top scientists said Sunday, but the specific connection between climate change and stronger hurricanes remains an issue of debate.
August 31st, 2008UN chief: Next US president must lead on climate (AP)
AP - The next U.S. president must show greater leadership than previous administrations in tackling climate change, the head of the United Nations said Sunday.
August 31st, 2008Ghana’s grass-roots bid to save country’s last forests (AFP)
AFP - For five years now the heat has been less intense and the rainfall more abundant in a small cocoa farming area in Ghana’s Upper Volta region, thanks to villagers bent on affecting climate change.
August 31st, 2008Wind, solar energy built on temporary tax breaks (AP)
AP - Congress is putting the short-term future of renewable energy companies in jeopardy even as the presidential candidates and most lawmakers hail windmills, solar panels and biofuels as long-term solutions to high gasoline prices and global warming.
August 31st, 2008httm
August 31st, 2008gwct
August 31st, 2008Learn to Build a Do It Yourself Biomass Gasifier
When TreeHugger featured Robert “Chip” Beaman’s Wood Powered Pickup Truck, readers commented, aghast at the potential for humanity to destroy woodland resources if transportation infrastructure were to switch to wood gasification. Therefore, for your further consideration, may we introduce you to Victory Gasworks. Victory Gasworks’ Ben Peterson has built his own gasifier, specializing in biomass such as wood scraps, yard waste, and corn cobs. …
August 30th, 2008The Settlers rise of an empire gameplay part 2
August 30th, 2008Sony Bank Becomes Japan’s First Carbon-Neutral Bank
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sony Bank has become Japan’s first carbon-neutral bank, thanks to its purchase of renewable-energy credits. Issued by the Japan Natural Energy Company, the Green Power Certificate equals 1.1 million kilowatt hours—enough to cover the bank’s entire annual electricity consumption—and saves the equivalent of 400 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions.
In addition, for clients who own funds that exceed a certain amount, Sony Bank will use part of their service charges to purchase emissions credits, which it will then donate to the Japanese government. Sony isn’t alone …
August 29th, 2008Palin, McCain differ on global warming (Politico)
Politico - Count Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin among the skeptical: John McCain’s running mate isn’t sure human behavior is responsible for global warming.
McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON Sen. John McCain’s choice of a running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, favors drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, questioned the science behind predictions of sea ice loss linked to global warming and opposed a state initiative that would have banned metal mines from discharging pollution into salmon streams.
August 29th, 2008Arctic ice on the verge of another all-time low
Envisat observations from mid-August depict that a new record of low sea-ice coverage could be reached in a matter of weeks. The animation above is a series of mosaics of the Arctic Ocean created from images acquired between early June and mid-August 2008 from the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) instrument aboard Envisat. The dark grey colour represents ice-free areas while blue represents areas covered with sea ice.
August 29th, 2008Canned Dusters Must Use Less-Potent, Cheaper Greenhouse Gas
A new regulation from the California Air Resources Board requires makers of pressurized gas dusters to switch to a propellant that has a low global warming potential.
August 29th, 2008'Green' Pay-as-You-Drive Car Insurance Proposed in California
Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner wants to make pay-as-you-drive coverage available to California motorists as an insurance option that he says will encourage people to drive less and help reduce greenhouse gases.
August 29th, 2008PGA, U.S. Open Aim for Eco-Friendly
The 'green Olympic Games' ended Sunday, the day before the spotlight shifted to tennis and the U.S. Open, which is pulling from its sleeve some green tricks of its own. Golf picks up the mantle Saturday with the first carbon neutral event on the PGA Tour.
August 29th, 2008AVA Solar Completes US $104M Equity Financing
AVA Solar, an advanced thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer announced that it has completed its second institutional equity round of financing. This US $104 million funding round was led by DCM and included new investors Technology Partners, GLG Partners and Bohemian Companies LLC as well as prior investors, including Invus LP.
August 29th, 2008Horizon Wind Signs PPA With Snohomish PUD
Horizon Wind Energy LLC has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Snohomish County Public Utility District (Snohomish) in Oregon to sell renewable wind energy from the Wheat Field Wind Farm. Horizon’s Wheat Field Wind Farm, located in Gilliam County, Oregon, will have an installed capacity of 96.6 megawatts (MW) and will use 46 Suzlon S88 2.1-MW turbines.
August 29th, 2008Consumers Energy Dedicates Renewable Energy Training Center
Consumers Energy dedicated its new Marshall Training Center, a US $5 million investment that the company says will help prepare utility workers to meet the challenges of the 21st century, including service to the growing renewable energy market. The new Marshall Training Center will use renewable energy and state-of-the-art training techniques for approximately 2,000 utility service workers each year.
August 29th, 2008Independent Wind Control Center Goes Live in UK
Natural Power switched on the UK’s first independent Operational Control Center (OCC) this week. The company said that the OCC will help to keep wind farms safe and controlled for all staff on site.
August 28th, 2008Gore hailed, warns against McCain, climate change (Reuters)
Reuters - DENVER (Reuters) — Al Gore, who lost the 2000 election but
has become a world leader on the environment, was embraced at
the Democratic Party’s convention on Thursday as a comeback
hero — with a warning against John McCain and climate change.
August 28th, 2008Businesses waking up to money-saving opportunities
Waste prevention, using less raw materials and energy recovery are the three activities that businesses believe will be crucial to saving them money in the face of economic recession.
August 28th, 2008MEP visits recycling centre
A recycling centre in Dundalk has received an official visit from MEP Mairead McGuinness, who is an avid recycler and is active on environment in Brussels.
August 28th, 2008Pollution Patrol with the Phone
The telephone always has had the potential to be a powerful environmental tool. Like many things, it’s up to the user to realize all of the possible benefits.
Just one phone call can save plenty of time, energy and pollution when the alternative is jumping in the car. And with little effort, the telephone can be used to mobilize and inform people. But these options have been at our fingertips for years.
However, the environmental power of the telephone is starting to emerge in some new and different ways. Cellular One, a Seattle-based mobile phone company, has created several new regional programs aimed at helping the environment.
In southern Florida, Cellular One customers can use their car phones to access an Environmental Destruction Hotline. All calls are toll-free and are routed directly to the Florida Department of Environmental Regulations.
“We started this program in September 1990, in an effort to get the community more involved with environmental protection,” said Cellular One’s Jacqueline Stewart. “Our callers can either report hazardous situations or get advice on topics such as oil disposal.”
In November 1990, Cellular One started a different program in Colorado, called Air Line. Under this program, the company’s customers are encouraged to use their car phones to report vehicles that are emitting excessive amounts of smoke.
The toll-free telephone calls are routed directly to a local pollution prevention agency, Clean Air for Colorado, where the offending vehicle’s license plate and car model are recorded. The office also makes note of the date and location of the incident.
After the vehicle is reported, the Colorado Department of Health sends a letter to the vehicle’s owner, warning that a citation may be issued if the problem is not corrected.
“The Air Line handled more than 500 calls between November and March last winter,” said Dick Abels, with Cellular One in Colorado. “And these are Colorado’s worst air pollution months because of cold-air inversions.”
Cellular telephones do have great potential in terms of environmental protection. They’re adding eyes and ears to the movement, and they’re saving precious response time.
(Tip/Stat) Use your telephone to find out more about possible radon contamination in your home. Call the Radon Hotline at 1 (800) SOS-RADON.
Technorati Tags: environmental protection, environmental tools, helping the environment, energy, pollution, waste reduction, cell phones, pollution prevention
August 28th, 2008Canada wants more study on polar bear protection (Reuters)
Reuters - Canada,
criticized by environmentalists for not adequately protecting
polar bears from the effects of climate change, said on
Thursday it will take more time study its next step.
August 28th, 2008Industry groups file lawsuit over polar bear rule (AP)
AP - Five industry groups have sued the Interior Department over a rule to protect the polar bear that they say unfairly singles out business operations in Alaska for their contribution to global warming.
August 28th, 2008MAX Update No. 7: Science Marches On
MAX version 2.0 is underway.
August 28th, 2008Outdoor Industry Pledges to Take Kids Back to Nature
We mentioned the other week how new recycled content backpacking tents were on display at the recent Outdoor Retailer trade show. Yet for all the goods green news that continues to comes from the adventure sports industry, forward thinkers in the marketplace know that as Nature Deficit Disorder takes hold, their customer base for tomorrow is shrinking.
So, in a move that mirrors the No Child Left Inside…
August 28th, 2008Utility fees sought for environmental research center
With this year’s legislative session in its final days, lawmakers Monday unveiled a bill mandating new fees from electricity ratepayers to fund a University of California-run global warming research center.
