Worlds Smallest Solar Powered Car

http://www.envirogadget.com/page/2/

The Mini Solar Racer is a toy car that is the world’s smallest solar powered car. The solar panel allows the car to move using eco-friendly solar energy when the car is placed either in sunlight or under a bright artificial light.

The Mini Solar Racer is a helpful toy to demonstrate both the abilities of solar power and the advancements in technology that allow a solar powered car to be made to such a significantly small size. The toy car measures an astonishing 3.3 cm x 2.2 cm x 1.4 cm (1.3 in x 0.87 in x 0.55 in) which does mean its not suitable for children under 3 due to small parts.

The Mini Solar Racer has a solar panel positioned on the top of it, this makes use of any light around, be it sunlight or bright artificial light and converts it into electrical energy. The electricity powers the motor within the toy, which turns the wheels, causing the car to move. The toy car can help to show the impact even small amounts of light can have, to help educate children about the abilities of eco-friendly energy it is best to demonstrate the car with sunlight.

The Solar Racer costs just £9.95.

Worldwide Drought

Tuesday a study released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research stated, that 30 years from now the entire world could be facing a drought unless greenhouse emissions are cut drastically. On average drought costs the U.S. 7-8 billion dollars a year. The predicted worldwide drought would cost 4 times that. Everywhere in the world except Russia, Australia, and Antarctica would face severe water shortage. All this is caused by the rise in greenhouse gases in the last century and a half. Will water one day not be a right but a commodity that is worth enough to die over???

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hP0FVm0gytbXK2Q5Mnr3BItKnkjg?docId=CNG.d1ed550b2fc462fc20edac5d256b5591.841

Hungarian Goo!

A city in Hungary called Devescer was declared in a state of emergency when red toxic goo from an aluminum plant flooded the large town. Two women, a man and a three year old child were killed when the town flooded and the red byproduct of aluminum production got in contact with 120 other people and burned through clothing and into skin. 35 million cubic feet of the sludge has leaked from the reservoir and has contaminated and estimated 15 square miles. Plaster has been poured in the Danube river to bind with the goo and keep it from spreading and killing other river ecosystems. This is definitely in my view one of the worst ecological disasters caused by manufacturing other than the BP oil spill, in the last year. 10/19/10

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101005/ap_on_he_me/eu_hungary_sludge_flood

Europe May Ease Jet Carbon Fees

The transportation chief of the European Union said Monday that airlines based in the United States could receive an exemption, at least in part, from European carbon regulations if Washington moved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home. The European Union agreed two years ago to include in the regulations all airlines taking off from, and landing in, the European Union starting Jan. 1, 2012. The law is the boldest move yet by the bloc to push the rest of the world to comply with its climate policies. It has led to widespread criticism from the airline industry, especially from carriers in the United States. Under the law, airlines would be charged for only about 15 percent of the cost of permits needed to cover their emissions until the end of the decade. Any exemption would probably apply only to travel to Europe from the United States and other parts of the world. Airlines would probably still need to hold enough European pollution permits to compensate for emissions from flights taking off from the Continent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/business/global/12emit.html?ref=earth

New Fad: Bike Paths

More and more people are wanting to live near bikes paths, some people are even paying more for houses just to be near them. Not only does it reduce ones carbon footprint, if everyone starts to ride bicycles the obesity problem in the U.S. could decrease. Tennessee has plans to make over a 1000 miles of bicycle trails through 7 counties to help cut back on automobile pollution and obesity (Tennessee ranked 2nd for obesity in nation). If just a couple million people would ride bikes, and would use their cars less, the green results would be amazing.


http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bike-paths

Greenhouse gasses have already reached tipping point.

Carbon Dioxide gasses within the greenhouses has reached a dangerous tipping point said science researchers. It is been said that the greenhouse gasses has reached 455 parts per million. Scientist Chris Field from the IPCC says the current trajectory of climate change is now much worse than the IPCC had predicted due to China and India's increasing reliance on coal power. Statistics show that carbon emmisons have grown at a rate of 3.5 since 2000. The climate change that is occuring throughout the world is becoming a major problem and I think we all should be concerend with these changes. It has been said that 70% of disasters are climate related-up from 50% from 2 decades ago. Where will this world be in 50 years if we dont change our way of life??


http://www.globalstewards.org/issues.htm

Canada Declares BPA, a Chemical in Plastics, to Be Toxic

The government of Canada formally declared bisphenol A, a chemical widely used to create clear, hard plastics, as well as food can liners, to be a toxic substance. The compound, commonly known as BPA, has been shown to disrupt the hormone systems of animals and is under review in the United States and Europe. The Canadian government, two years ago, eliminated the compound’s use in polycarbonate bottles used by infants and children. BPA is toxic to both the environment and human health. In the United States, about half a dozen states have banned BPA in children’s products. The federal government has taken no action, saying there is no proof of harm in humans. But health and regulatory agencies have concerns about BPA and have commissioned more studies. In an extensive study of BPA retained by Canadians’ bodies that was published in August, Statistics Canada, a government agency, found that almost no one escaped the chemical and that the highest concentrations of the compound were found in teenagers, with younger children a close second. The presence of a chemical in the body, however, does not necessarily mean it is harmful.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/world/americas/14bpa.html?ref=earth

Fears of More Red Sludge in Hungary

Panic spread over the weekend that another part of the wall of a reservoir filled with caustic red sludge could collapse and produce a new torrent. Citizens had to wear gas masks and brave the red mud, and a second potentially deadly deluge from the reservoir two miles away. The toxic mud is interfering with wine production, possibly making the wine too toxic to drink. Nearly 200 million gallons of red mud poured into three villages on Monday after part of the wall around the concrete-lined reservoir collapsed, killing seven people and injuring hundreds more.On Sunday, senior government officials continued to sound the alarm about the possibility of another onslaught of red sludge after discovering that cracks in the reservoir’s northern wall had widened even more overnight. A concrete barrier nearly, 1,970 feet long and some 16 feet high, was built by emergency workers to contain the sludge. 800 residents of Kolontar, in the shadow of the industrial reservoir, were evacuated over the weekend. The reservoir, owned by MAL Rt., the Hungarian Aluminum Production and Trade Company, contains an industrial waste called “red mud,” a byproduct of the process that converts bauxite to alumina, which is used to make aluminum. The government has begun a criminal investigation into the reservoir collapse. Charges may be brought up against the company.The company had already accumulated $97.3 million in fines because of water damage from the mud. An MAL Rt. spokeswoman, Andrea Nemeth, said by phone on Sunday that she was hopeful that the company could resume aluminum production soon. The company expressed condolences to the families of those killed by the sludge and said it was willing to pay compensation “in proportion to its responsibility.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/world/europe/11hungary.html?ref=earth

The Zero-Emissions Dice House

"The Future of Green Architecture:" The house looks like something out of some crazy science fiction monopoly however the idea is crazy cool, and intelligent. It’s basically a 30 by 30 by 30 foot cube shaped home. There is an umbrella shape centerpiece on the top of the house that collects 90 percent of the needed energy for that day. One thing I have a concern about is a lot of the house is made of plastic which is currently made of petroleum and until that is redesigned the concept isn’t as environmentally friendly as they say. Another cool thing about this house is under the dome on top there is plants growing and the walls are insulated by a sort of board that is supposed to help stabilize the temperature well. This zero-emissions concept is insanely cool but I think still has some room for development and improvement. For example looking a something more eco friendly like mushroom based insulation possibly? Very cool though.

Image of the concept home:

Roll the Dice The building’s designer, Sybarite, hopes to make its design the standard for zero-emissions homes. Courtesy Sybarite House

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-06/future-green-architecture-zero-emissions-dice-house

The 200-MPG Aerocycle

A Dutch vehicle designer Allert Jacobs created the first “Aerocycle.” Jacobs first created his resistance-reducing nose cone in 2007 as an attempt to improve his Honda motorcycles 114 mpg. While his first designs fell short in 2009 he created his first full fiberglass shell that boosted his gas mileage to 200+ miles to the gallon. The cone has two pieces that basically slide together to create a full cast around you and the motorcycle. The concept is great and street legal. However one problem encountered is when stopped one cannot completely plant feet on the ground however, one could enough to support themselves. Security is good it is reinforced with steel on certain locations however this is still a concept and needs some work, but definitely a step in the right direction. The only concern I really had was does this improve or decrease the safety rating. I would think it would improve it however if one was to get stuck in the frame in an accident I feel like it could be substantially more dangerous. Ill be interested to see If this catches on in the next little while. Also unimportant side note: i feel like "aerocycle" seems more like a flying motorcycle and the name may need to be changed.

This is what it the "Aerocycle" looks like:

Cool Storage Besides increasing fuel economy, the shell allowed builder Allert Jacobs to add a trunk in the back. Hans Pieterse

http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2010-06/you-built-what-aerocycle

Invention Awards: Eco-Friendly Insulation Made From Mushrooms

In this article we see two young scientists (Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre) create an amazing eco-friendly alternative to home insulation. They like to call this new insulation “Greensulate”. What they do is take In the lab they grow mycelia, the vegetative roots of mushrooms (a lot like a bundle of white fibers). However instead of growing the plants into grass (naturally), the roots grow in a bed of agricultural by-products like buckwheat husks, and then those fibers like tubes and roots grow together to make a strong support base. Then the mixture or material they make they put into a mold of some sort like a panel, and after 10 to 14 days, the mycelia develop a dense group. Something amazing and to show you how dense these things is, one cubic inch of the mixture contains roughly 8-miles of mycelia strands. The panels are dried in an oven at between 100° and 150°F to stop mycelia growth, and at the end of two weeks, they're ready for your walls. Another great thing about this is it can be grown in the dark and in a short period of time so its not expensive and easy to create. This could also potentially solve a lot of Styrofoam problems because it is easy to manipulate shape density and many other factors of this intriguing substance. I thought this was a super good idea and ill be interested to see how this progresses over the next couple years.

This is an image and caption cut from the article:

http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/green-styrofoam

Greensulate: How It Works: Greensulate’s strength derives from billions of mycelia, or tubelike mushroom roots that intertwine with agricultural castoffs like seed husks. One cubic inch of the material contains eight miles of mycelium fibers  Bland Designs

The new cool cars: Exclusive, sleek, efficient

In the 2010 Paris Auto show, Manufactures were given a challenge, to make the best looking electric car. The top foreign brands, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bugatti, Jaguar, etc. made some elegant but environmentally friendly cars. They simply are the best looking electric cars so far. One downside is the price. They will definitely empty some pockets.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/11/cool.cars/index.html?iref=allsearch

Cheif of Company Behind Toxic Sludge Spill in Hungary Arrested

On October 11, 2010 the chief of a company in Hungary was arrested for a toxic sludge spill, causing public endangerment and harm to the environment. Much of the red sludge was found in the town of Devecer and has been detached and thinned. On Monday residents watched as a rescue team of soldiers walked through the disaster in biohazard suits. An eighth victim of the sludge has been found, said Gyorgyi Tottos, an official with Hungary's emergency services department. The dam has another crack in the wall and is expected to collapse soon. People from the town have been evacuated and the wall is being reinforced.

http://www​.cnn.com/2​010/WORLD/​europe/10/​11/hungary​.toxic/ind​ex.html?ir​ef=allsear​ch

Oil Spill closes Lake Huron beach in Michigan

Oil arrived on the beach on Lake Huron, Michigan. Oil has spread on a 250 yard stretch across the beach and is still being cleaned. The spill worries citizens because of the endangerment of local animals such as the black tern, pitcher's thistle, and the dwarf lake iris. Also, the chance of spread is a major concern. The spill comes from a pipeline break from July that spilled almost 1 million gallons into the Kalamazoo River. The Kalamazoo River is a major tributary to Lake Michagan.

Cleaner Cars, A to D

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/opinion/01wed3.html?ref=globalwarming

The Obama administration has proposed new stickers for cars and light trucks that will make it easier to see whether you are buying a fuel-efficient one or a guzzler, and how much it contributes to global warming. They will include the traditional miles-per-gallon metric plus an estimate of the vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as an estimate of annual fuel costs. Some even with a letter grade for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions, ranging from A+ to D. Some will not, but both systems of stickers will provide enough information for consumers to make good choices. The new standards cover the model years 2012 to 2016. Within the next couple of years, President Obama will propose even stricter standards for the model years 2017 to 2025. By then we could be looking at cars that get 60 miles per gallon — with new stickers.

Cleaner, Healthier Cookstoves

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/opinion/24fri4.html?ref=globalwarming

Nearly two million people — mostly women and children — in the developing world die annually from illnesses brought on by breathing toxic smoke from indoor cooking stoves. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced a global partnership aimed at providing 100 million clean-burning stoves to villages in Africa, Asia and South America. That would cover about one-fifth of the 500 million poor families.The United States will provide $50 million in seed money to the project, known as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Other countries and private organizations have pledged a mere $10 million to the cause.Researchers have long known of the risks of primitive indoor stoves — including pneumonia in children, lung cancer, pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. The replacement stoves are small, simple cylindrical devices costing less than $100 and capable of capturing between half and 95% of the harmful emissions. The program will not use the money to buy and ship stoves but, rather, to create small manufacturing companies close to the target populations, thus creating new jobs in the process.

Coal Plant Would Get New Controls

A coal plant located in Arizona, near the four corners area, is to receive $717 million in renovations to help cut down on emissions that has spread a cloud of haze over the neighboring cities. This plant is one of the largest in the west, producing 2,250 megawatts of energy, also having a large effect on the economy and environment in the four corners area. The E.P.A

This is just a proposal at the moment, but it is being reviewed carefully by the owner of the company, and many tests are being performed to test exactly how efficient these new renovations will make the plant. At this moment in time, the Four Corners coal burning power plant is the largest producer of emissions in the country, but after the new renovations this plant will not have such a large ecological footprint.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/us/07coal.html?ref=earth

U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Insurgents continue to attack the military's fuel convoys as they cross the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan, making it very hard for the military to run their vehicles to transport soldiers to places. The military is aggressively pushing to develop, test, and deploy renewable energy to decrease its need to transport fossil fuels. Thus making it safer for the convoys transporting the fossil fuels. Being dependent on fossil fuels while fighting a war, is a very large liability for the military. These new types of renewable resources now account for only a small percentage of the energy used by the armed forces, but military leaders plan to drastically expand their use over the next decade. In Iraq and Afghanistan, a military study was performed, and found that for every 24 convoys that go to retrieve the fuel for base, 1 soldier was killed. Reducing the use of fossil fuels would mean that the military wouldn't have to risk lives any more just for energy, and make fighting the war that much easier.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/science/earth/05fossil.html?_r=1&ref=earth

Flying vs. Driving. Which is better for the enviroment?

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/fly_vs_drive.htm

Driving a fuel efficient car (25-30 miles per gallon) is considered better than flying. This is so because driving releases fewer greenhouse gases. On a 300 mile trip (from Phili to Boston), driving would generate about 104 MG of carbon dioxide, while flying would generate around 184 MG of carbon dioxide. Flying is also more efficient because many people can fit on a plane while only a few can fit in a car. Doing away with flying would significantly decrease the size of the average carbon footprint on Earth. However, pulbic transportation remains the most economical and greenest form of transportation.

Global Warming Could Kill Coral Reefs by 2050.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2007-12-13-coral-reefs_N.htm

Scientists predict that the ocean coral reefs could be dead by the year 2050. Burning fossil fuels add carbon dioxide to the air and that carbon dioxide is absorbed by ocean water. When the carbon dioxide enters the ocean, it makes the water more acidic and in turn makes the coral die because they can no longer calcify their skeletons. This issue is significant because coral reefs provide hatcheries and habitats for many fish. They also serve to protect coasts from tropical storms. Our only hope for coral reefs is to slow the burning of fossil fuels and to halt the release of carbon dioxide into the atmoshphere.

Air Pollution Linked to Breast Cancer

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101006104003.htm

Scientist did a study to see if pollution affected how many people get breast cancer. They found out that twenty-five % with increase of NO2. Basically people who live in higher poulluted areas are twice as likely to get breast cancer. This does not mean that NO2 causes breast cancer though. This can not be 100% accurt because it cannot tell how much pollution they have while they are out and about. With all this said, I wonder what kind of research could be done to see how we could prevent breast cancer and the realtionship between the two. If pollution did cause breast cancer, we as a society should work together to help save the planet and women who die for this every year.

Fishbowl Faucet

http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/14/fishbowl-faucet-encourages-water-conservation-or-else/

This design for a faucet is really interesting. It helps people be more aware of and become more conservative with their water. Each time you wash your hands, the water in the fish bowl slowly decreases, making the person washing their hands want to save as much water as possible. Do not worry, the water in the fish bowl and the water used to wash your hands are not the same, they are completely separate but appear to be connected. I think this is a very clever and intriguing way to make people more water conservative, and I think it would be very successful.

Green Roof in Madrid

http://inhabitat.com/2010/07/30/gorgeous-green-roofed-madrid-home-by-a-cero/

This house in Madrid, Spain has a green roof. Literally. This green roof reduces the heat, provides a habitat for animals and filters rainwater runoff. This house also has solar thermal hot water tubes for domestic hot water. This house is awesome! It is very innovative and modern yet very "green" both environmentally and literally. However along with all the environmental benefits of this house, it was most likely extremely expensive. I like the concept of this house, but do not know about the practicality of it.

America's Trash, China's Treasure

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25351410#25351410

America's biggest export to China is.. scrap paper. In 2002, scrap to China was $1.2 billion and in 2006 in was $6.1 billion. All of the scrap is needed in China to meet their economic needs because of their huge population. A bail of aluminum cans is worth about a thousand dollars, double what it used to be, plastic bottles have tripled in price and paper has quadroupled. You use less energy, less water and produce less waste when making cans out of recycled cans and plastic out of recycled plasic so what China is doing with our trash is very helpful to their environment.

Huge solar plant to bring green jobs to Ohio

Huge solar plant to bring green jobs to Ohio

 

A huge solar power plant will be built on a former coal strip mine in Ohio, creating 300 permanent "green" manufacturing jobs and 300 construction jobs, Gov. Ted Strickland announced Tuesday.
New Harvest Ventures and Agile Energy will develop the 49.9-megawatt project, and American Electric Power has agreed to negotiate a deal to buy the power the plant produces for the next 20 years, Strickland's office said. That's enough energy to power 25,000 homes, AEP spokeswoman Terri Flora said.
Two Spanish companies, Prius Energy S.L. and Isofoton, have committed to build factories in Ohio to help create the 239,400-panel solar array, to be called Turning Point.
If operating today, Turning Point would be the largest photovoltaic solar array in the United States, according to the governor's office. The $250 million facility will reach full capacity in 2014, according to AEP Ohio, which serves 1.5 million customers.
"Solar energy has the potential to bring a host of benefits to southeastern Ohio, including hundreds of new manufacturing jobs and clean energy for hundreds of thousands of rural Ohioans," said U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
Nearby Zane State University and Hocking College have programs to train workers in green jobs, including the skills to build and maintain solar operations, Strickland said.
"Today, the future has recognized Ohio," the governor said in making the announcement. "One of the largest solar farms in the nation is going to be built here in Ohio, with solar panels and solar trackers made in Ohio, built by Ohioans with the know-how taught in Ohio colleges."
The planned array will be built on a former mine adjacent to The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation area that is home to native and exotic animals, including some on the endangered species list.
One of the partners in New Harvest Ventures is David Wilhelm, a venture capitalist from Ohio's Appalachian region and a heavyweight in Democratic Party politics.

Solar Power Comes to the White House

Solar Power Comes to the White House

Solar panels and a solar hot water heater will soon be installed at the White House, claims CNN reporter Steven Chu
He announced the conversion at the 2010 GreenGov Symposium in Washington.
"This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home," Chu said. "Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come."


The solar panel system, which should be installed by next spring, will convert sunlight directly to electricity, while the solar hot water heater will have a solar collector facing the sun to heat water for use in the White House.

This is not the first time solar energy has been tapped at the White House. Former President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House residence during his term. They were removed during the Reagan administration. Former President George W. Bush also used solar energy to help power a maintenance building on the White House grounds, and to assist in heating the swimming pool there.

The announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of an executive order signed by the president that called on the federal government to lead in the establishment of a clean energy economy.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/05/white.house.solar.power/index.html?hpt=T2

Plastic Bags Banned?

Plastic Bags, Good or Bad?

The tax on single-use disposable bags in Washington D.C. is proving to be very effective, almost too effective. The tax is bringing in far less money than expected. Since January, District residents have been charged 5 cents for each disposable bag they use at the grocery store or local market. Four cents of the tax goes to the city, while the retailer keeps the rest.

The latest data shows that the city collected just over $1.3 million in revenue from the tax through September. This number falls far short of the official $3.6 million estimate. This is because the number of bags being used by consumers has fallen off the chart.

The use of bags by shoppers at grocery stores is down by 50%, according to an informal survey conducted by the office of Councilman Tommy Wells. Some big name grocers like Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter have reported that bag use by their customers has fallen by 60%. Although this does affect taxes and retailers, it prevents plastic waste.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/04/news/economy/DC_bag_tax/?npt=NP1

Truth In Green Ads? Not As Much As You Think

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39535882/ns/business-going_green/

Many companies try to get the consumers attention and approval by being "eco friendly". The new Green Guides was released Wednesday, with recommendations for when to use words like "degradable" and "carbon offset," in advertisements and packaging, and warnings about using certifications and seals of approval that send misleading messages. The last update to the Green Guide, which companies use to decide if their product can be called eco friendly was in 1998. It has recently been revised so that generic terms like "environmentally friendly" cannot be used and companies are required to be more specific. The new Green Guide also says that companies will need "competent and reliable scientific evidence" for their claims of eco friendly products. While following the Green Guide is not a law.. there are many companies undergoing law suits for false claims on their products.

"Agency Seeks to Tighten Rules for ‘Green’ Labeling"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/energy-environment/07green.html?_r=1&ref=earth

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to place more strict rules on 'green' labeling. Many companies will now have to state whether their seals claiming whether they are environmentally friendly were made by the company or by a third party. They decided to tighten the rules when many companies were making false claims about their supposedly eco-friendly goods. Rules for certain labels, such as "renewable energy" will also be addressed and enforced. Personally, I think this is a fantastic ideas. As the article states, the consumers nor the companies honestly know what the labels mean nor do they know whether the labels are even true. Regulations on the labels will make things easier for everyone, though we still have the problem with most government things; guaranteed enforcement. Which companies will be overlooked and which will be watched like hawks? We'll just have to wait and see how the FTC handles this, and demand more solutions if this doesn't work.

No Longer "Global Warming"

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/16/white-house-global-warming-global-climate-disruption/

After years of climate change being called "global warming," it will now be called "global climate disruption." This plea from the White House is because of people not taking the term global warming seriously. They think that as soon as a winter is freezing cold that global "warming" can't be true! The call comes from Congress after they're about to adjourn and still have not reached a decision on a stalled climate bill.

Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels

http://www.slate.com/id/2193740/

Hand dryers or paper towels? It has been a dilemma for quite some time and it most likely will continue for a good while. Paper towels kill trees and are not typically recycled. Hand dryers use electricity and are pricy to produce. So how can this be solved? Well we could use recycled paper towels or we could use energy efficient hand dryers. With recycled paper towels however, the paper towels themselves are not recycled but instead end up in the trash after a single use. Energy efficient hand dryers seem like the preferred choice in most cases. In my opinion, I support the energy efficient hand dryers because in the long run they last longer and prevent all the garbage and tree loss from paper towels.

NYC to curb water runoff with blue and green roofs

NYC is trying to be more efficient with their water. Storms are sending rainwater into sewers which is causing waterways to overflow with sewage. Planting blue roofs would help save water as well as prevent too much water from flowing into sewers. These blue roofs would be roofs on buildings covered in a type of grass or ivy. Using this way to become more "green", would end up saving NYC over $2.4 billion in just over 20 years! I think its a great idea and a very creative way to store and save our resources.

Do the Benefits of Recycling Outweigh the Costs?

Two of the nation's most influential environmental organizations each issued reports detailing the benefits of recycling and showing how it reduces pollution and decreases the amount of garbage and the need for landfill space and how it's all for less, not more, than the cost of regular garbage pick-up and disposal. But the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste weighed in on the benefits of recycling. It can cost anywhere from $50 to more than $150 per ton. Trash collection and disposal cost anywhere from $70 to $200 per ton. In 2002 a recycling pioneer found out that their program was losing money so they eliminated glass and plastic recycling. According to them recycling glass and plastic outweighed by the price, recycling cost twice as much as disposal.

I feel that no matter the price at least by recycling we're trying to help the Earth out and be one step closer to being greener. It will all help out in the long run! I don't exactly know if the benefits outweigh the costs but i personally think so.

Enviropig

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-09/greener-bacon

I think that this green pig s a good theory but i dont think it is right in the animal right situations. Yes the pig will poop less phosphorus but do you really think that this pig is harming anything I mean really now were blaming pollution on pigs? But then again if it can be proved that their poop is one of the main causes of killing marine life then maybe there would be a good arugument but i dont just want some theories I want hard proof its not right to mess wit their DNA it coul harm them one day. So what if it is a pig that is environmentally friendly the pig never hurt you in the first place i just dont see the point in this. Although enviropigs poop 30 to 65 percent less phosphorus is this really worth it to farmers because it is so expensive? Read all about it.

Park Lamps Fueled by Dog Poop

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/09/22/park-lamps-fueled-dog-poop/

In Cambridge, Massachusettes, a local artist is looking at the good side of waste. In a Cambridge dog park, Matthew Mazzotta built a "Park Spark," or a poop converter. He used 2 steel 500 gallon oil tanks, spray painted gold, connected to a lamp to make his converter. Owners use biodegradable bags to pick up their dogs poop and put it in the tank. They then turn a handle to churn the waste mixed with water. The methane released from the waste is fed into the lamp and burned off. The inspiration for the idea came from Mazzotta's trip to India where people were using poop to cook food.

Hungary Toxic Spill

An industrial plant in Hungary has recently had a toxic spill so bad, it's being compared to the Baia Mare cyanide spill of 2000. Approximately a million cubic meters of red-sludge has spilled near the Danube river; that's roughly the area of one of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. If heavy rainfall were to occur, the sludge would make its way into the river, and kill all wildlife that makes its home there. This sludge, known as "red-mud" is composed of a mixture of water and mining waste including toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic and chromium. It has a frighteningly high pH of 13, which is enough to kill anything in the rivers it reaches. Presently, it is hard to predict what the outcomes of this spill will be, but the best that can be done is to clean it up as quickly as possible before it reaches any more rivers. If it does, it could potentially have the same effects as the Baia Mare cyanide spill. Industrial plants in this region need to take more precautions to prevent from such natural disasters. This is their second spill in a decade, so hopefully they will learn from their mistakes this time around.

The Future of Green Architecture: A Floating Museum

http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2010-06/physalia-life-aquatic

I think this discovery is absolutely awesome it caught my eye when I saw the amazing picture! YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE!

Anyways this articile talks about a half-boat and half-building invention that is all green down to its paint! Can you believe that right down to its paint! The floating device with travel the rivers of Europe and make all filthy water fresh and drinkable. The ship actually generates more energy than it uses. The paint brushed onto the shell neutralize pollution by absorbing ultra-violet rays. This may be called just a cool idea by some but it is really much more. The invention is actualy sort of a robot built to de-pollute the reivers of Europe too bad an American hadnt beat him to it!

The boat type thing can serve for many purposes such as a laboratory, a museum, and a tourist attraction. READ ABOUT IT!

The Green Dream :)

www.popsci.com/enviroment/article/2010-06/green-dream-conserves-water-using-shower-and-sink-runoff-runs-toilets

A modern House in New York has found a way to save 110 gallons a day. Their system uses run off water to flush the toilets again. The run off comes from showers, toilets, and washing clothes. The run off water goes through a chlorination filter into a holding tank. You have to make sure the chlorine levels are correct. If you have too little there can be too much bacteria in the water. If you leave too much chlorine it will kill bacterias that the septic system needs. These are good ideas. This is an easy way to save money and save the enviroment. I have said that these little changes will make a big impact on the enviroment and our lives.

Corals Discovered Where None Were Expected

An American diving crew was exploring an area of the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Israel when they discovered a rather large section of coral reef. It was discovered roughly 700 meters below the surface. This discovery was completely unexpected because this area is generally known to have very sparse sea life. The director of the exploration project, Yizhaq Makovsky, quoted, "We did not expect, know or even imagine that we would come across these reefs and certainly not such large ones. It's like finding a flourishing oasis in the middle of the desert." This discovery also has potential to be scientifically important in the future. It can help researchers understand how coral and other deep-sea species can survive in such a dismal environment, which could lead to coral reef restoration. The diving crew states their excitement with the exploration to see what else they might come across.

White House to Install Solar Panels. Again.

The White House did have energy saving solar panels installed. It was 1979 and Jimmy Carter was then President of the United States. Jimmy Carter was also a visionary about clean energy. Said Carter at the time, “A generation from now this solar heat can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.” The U.S. government could have been a role model leader had those panels remained on the White House.

They did not, however. President Regan had them removed. The panels were removed because of a leak, which is fair enough. However, perhaps rather than remove them, the move would have been to fix the leak. Or to simply then install solar panels that did not have a leak. That would have had a trickle down impact (and the eighties babies get the reference!)

Bush Number Two did reinstall solar panels though! On a maintenance building and to heat a pool. Priorities, people. Priorities.

Now, however, the White House is reinstalling solar panels on the West Wing to provide electricity and hot water. The installment will be done by Spring of 2011, which we suppose is just about when campaigning for the next presidential election will get ugly and opponents of the incumbent will point to the “wasteful” spending on the installation of the photovoltaic array.

Said White House Council on Environmental Quality chair Nancy Sutley, “President Obama has said the Federal Government has to lead by example in creating opportunity and jobs in clean energy. By installing solar panels on arguably the most famous house in the country, his residence, the President is underscoring that commitment to lead and the promise and importance of renewable energy in the United States.”

As did Carter, and he was a one-termer. Here’s hoping a superstitious precedent of “install solar panels and don’t get elected to a second term” isn’t in the works here

Warmth of Human Bodies Waiting Below Ground for Paris Metro Will Heat New Apartment Complex

popsci.com/science/article/2010-09/parisian-housing-will-tap-bodies-metro-heat-apartments
The French are creating a new experimental project. They areinstalling a heating system in a public aparment biulding and using the body heat from an underground metrosystem to heat the apartments. The system will use a calometric heat from the humans walking around. This will heat 17 apartments. This will cut carbon emmissions by one third. The heat collected is pushed through funnels into the halls of the apartments. I think that this is a new discovery that will lead to many new innovations and will lead to new more eco friendly heating systems.

SunChips Consumers Reject Eco Friendly Bag b/c It Was Too Noisy

Eighteen months or so ago SunChips changed from its standard chip bag to an entirely biodegradable bag. The bag was loud. Consumers complained. And they also stopped buying SunChips. Now, one can’t say for entirely sure if the drop in Sunchips sales was due entirely to the loud bag, but the timing leads that to be the obvious conclusion.

According to USA Today, the SunChips bag will revert to its former self. The former bags, by the way, are not only not biodegradable but also can’t be recycled. Bonus! To quote the USA Today article, “The noise of the bag – due to an unusual molecular structure that makes the bag more rigid – has been compared to everything from lawnmowers to jet engines."

Such was the anger, the mobilization of frustrated consumers whose lives were wrecked by the sound of the Sunchips bag, that more than 44,000 people liked a Facebook page called “Sorry But I Can’t Hear You Over This SunChips Bag.” And nothing represents the passion of the people more than when they mass like a Facebook page

Hey, I have an idea! PUT YOUR STUPID CHIPS IN A STUPID BOWL WHEN YOU EAT THEM SO THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF THE BAG.

The bag entirely broke down in fourteen days or less. Stupidity, however, takes a lot less time than that to manifest.

Fragrances With Toxic Chemicals

The Teens Turning Green had read the report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on the number of toxic chemicals in most fragrances. That number, by the way, averaged fourteen and included Diethyl Phthalate, which is a chemical that has been linked to sperm damage in adult men and abnormal development of reproductive organs in baby boys (though why you’re spritzing a baby boy with cologne escapes me). Well, the truth is that A&F is far from the worst offender of toxic chemicals in fragrances. Fierce has eleven chemicals (as does J.Lo Glow). Leading the pack in the EWG report was American Eagle’s Seventy Seven, which had twenty-four chemicals in its cocktail. Chanel Coco had eighteen, Britney Spears Curious and Georgio Armani’s Acqua di Gio for Men both had seventeen. And rounding out between those top offenders and A&F were Old Spice After Hours Body Spray (16), Quicksilver for Men (16), Calvin Klein Eternity for Men (15), Bath and Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom (14), Calvin Klein Eternity for Women (14), Halle by Halle Berry (13), Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity (13) and Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Wish (13). However, A&F is notoriously famous for dousing patrons, workers and anybody within a fifteen mile radius of an A&F store in their fragrance. Thus, you cannot be out of the line of fire of their chemicals.

Solar winds could generate enough renewable energy to surpass humanity's needs

Researchers at Washington State University are proposing a 5,220 mile wide solar sail which in theory could generate 1 billion billion gigawatts of power, which is 100 billion times the amount of power the earth currently consumes. The satellites work by using a charged copper wire to capture electrons in the solar winds traveling at hundreds of kilometers per second. The proposed satellite would require a 3,280 ft cable and a 5,220 mile wide sail. Some of the power produced would be sent back into the copper wire and the rest would be sent to earth through an infrared laser beam. The problem with the plan is not only its massive size but also, with millions of miles between the satellite and the earth, the laser would begin to spread out and only a fraction of the energy would actually be harvested. Schulze-Makuch, one of the researchers from Washington State University, says that although most of the technology required already exists a more focused laser would be necessary.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39441929/ns/technology_and_science-discoverycom/

Image: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-10/solar-wind-could-replace-solar-wind-renewable-energy-source

New York City's green roof initiative

http://inhabitat.com/2010/10/01/nyc-mayor-bloomberg-announces-green-roof-initiative/

New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg announced his initiative to create green roofs to capture rainwater and runoff and to make New York's waterways into recreational areas. The green roofs he is proposing would reduce runoff by up to 40% as well as save citizens and estimated $2.4billion in tax dollars over the next 20 years. The green roofs would be designed to capture at least an inch of rain and would reduce to need to update the current water system infrastructure which would cost $6.8 billion. The green roof plan could be accomplished at a fraction of that cost and would reduce citizens water bills. Not only would this plan help to reduce excess runoff but it would also help clean the city's air and reduce its emissions. Bloomberg has not yet released details on how many green roofs he plans to create or where they will be placed.

Worlds largest offshore wind farm begins producing electricity

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11395824

Off the coast of Kent in the United Kingdom, the worlds largest offshore wind farm began to produce power on September 23rd, 2010. The project cost the UK approximately $1.2 billion to build. There are 100 turbines each about two and a half times the height of Nelson's Column (422.5 ft). When the turbines are running at full capacity they produce enough electricity to power half of Kent (240,000 homes). There is one flaw however in that there is currently no way of storing the power produced and the production is intermittent, no wind, no power. This is all part of UK's plan to provide clean, renewable energy. Within the next decade they hope for 20% of their power to come from the wind, at the moment however they are only at 2.5%.

Interesting environment wards off cancer

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100708/full/news.2010.342.html


Stress is always sought to be a bad thing but in this case it proves little stress may actually be a good thing. Studys have proved that stress maybe a new stop to certain types of cancer. The expirement conducted consisted of injecting skin cancer into mice that are located in a crowded cage with other mice and plenty of toys to prove that a mice that has cancer can fight it better with stress, rather than those mice who live in a household with no toys or other individuals. The experimenter explains that a mild boost in stress to be what keeps the cancer at bay by switching on a molecular pathway that restrains tumor growth. After the expirement was tested the results showd that after six weeks, the mice raised in the enriched enviroment with other individuals and toys had tumors that were 80% smaller than those mice who were left in the household.

Genetically Altered Trees

A Study being performed by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows the great significance of altering trees' genetic makeup. Increasing the plants absorbency of light, researchers are also developing ways to allow plants to send more carbon into their roots. Such improvements to plants will substantially boost the amount of carbon supplied by vegetation. If researchers are able to achieve such an advancement I believe they should make specific tree farms with just the genetically changed trees in which would be protected from harvesting.

http://http//www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101001105205.htm