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(Photo: Aaron Holbrough / iStockPhoto)

We’ve told you before about pesticide residue on foods — how even after normal washing and preparation, many foods are laced with the pesticides used to kill bugs, fungus and weeds on the farm.

Most of what we know about pesticide residue comes from the federal government, which sets limits on how much residue can remain on foods, and which tests foods periodically to gauge compliance. Now, the Pesticide Action Network has used that data to create a pioneering consumer-friendly database it just launched at whatsonmyfood.org.

The interface is simple. You choose the food you like to eat, and it tells you how many and which kinds of pesticides have been detected on it.

Like almonds? Well, 11 pesticides — including two known or probable carcinogens, six suspected hormone disruptors and three neurotoxins — have been found on almonds during government testing.

Like cantaloupe? You may have ingested as many as 27 different pesticides along with that juicy flesh — including five known or Probable Carcinogens, 15 suspected hormone disruptors, 11 neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants.

That apple sauce you just served your child? At times, 28 different pesticides have been detected in apple sauce, including four known or probable carcinogens, nine suspected hormone disruptors, eight neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants.

Yum?

Whether pesticides at the low levels found on foods pose a serious health risk is a matter of debate. Those who try to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals — given that we are virtually surrounded by them, in the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, and products we use — strive to reduce exposures wherever we can control them.

In this case, that means choosing organic foods — particularly for those types of foods with the highest pesticide residues. Organic food is grown without the use of manmade pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified seeds and the like. Organic foods are much less likely, therefore, to have any pesticide residue.

 

More from The Daily Green

• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic
• The Clean 15: Foods With Low Pesticide Residue
• Organic Foods and Beyond: 18 Ways to Green Your Diet
• The Real Food Diet: Superfoods for a Nutritious Boost
• How to Start Your Own Organic Garden

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Original post

(Photo: Aaron Holbrough / iStockPhoto)

We’ve told you before about pesticide residue on foods — how even after normal washing and preparation, many foods are laced with the pesticides used to kill bugs, fungus and weeds on the farm.

Most of what we know about pesticide residue comes from the federal government, which sets limits on how much residue can remain on foods, and which tests foods periodically to gauge compliance. Now, the Pesticide Action Network has used that data to create a pioneering consumer-friendly database it just launched at whatsonmyfood.org.

The interface is simple. You choose the food you like to eat, and it tells you how many and which kinds of pesticides have been detected on it.

Like almonds? Well, 11 pesticides — including two known or probable carcinogens, six suspected hormone disruptors and three neurotoxins — have been found on almonds during government testing.

Like cantaloupe? You may have ingested as many as 27 different pesticides along with that juicy flesh — including five known or Probable Carcinogens, 15 suspected hormone disruptors, 11 neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants.

That apple sauce you just served your child? At times, 28 different pesticides have been detected in apple sauce, including four known or probable carcinogens, nine suspected hormone disruptors, eight neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants.

Yum?

Whether pesticides at the low levels found on foods pose a serious health risk is a matter of debate. Those who try to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals — given that we are virtually surrounded by them, in the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, and products we use — strive to reduce exposures wherever we can control them.

In this case, that means choosing organic foods — particularly for those types of foods with the highest pesticide residues. Organic food is grown without the use of manmade pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified seeds and the like. Organic foods are much less likely, therefore, to have any pesticide residue.

 

More from The Daily Green

• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic
• The Clean 15: Foods With Low Pesticide Residue
• Organic Foods and Beyond: 18 Ways to Green Your Diet
• The Real Food Diet: Superfoods for a Nutritious Boost
• How to Start Your Own Organic Garden

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Original post

For the folks who are still complaining about the light quality of CFLs (buy nicer ones) the LED revolution is going to make you melt. Martha Stewart beware! Soon you will be able to change not only the brightness of the light in your home, but the color of the light as well. This new LED bulb from Sharp, which will be introduced in Japan in July, comes with a built-in remote sensor. The remote can then alter the brightness and the warmth of the light.

So if you want a nice bright-white light during the day, while you’re working, fine. But if that evening you want a warmer, softer light, just touch a couple of buttons and you might as well be eating by candle-light.

OK, I don’t actually know if they light quality is that good, since I don’t have one here in front of me. LEDs have traditionally had a hard time getting a perfect spectrum, but it seems like allowing for a shift could go a long way towards appeasing folks who think the color of their walls is more important than, y’know, the world.

The lamps have the long-life (40,000 hrs) and low energy-use that we’ve come to expect from LEDs, though they’re not quite as efficient as they could be, since the remote sensor will always be dragging a tiny sip of power.

Via Sharp and TreeHugger

Original post

div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=Woman in store / iStockPhoto height=200 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/the_conscious_consumer/the_conscious_consumer-866116471-1245344588.jpg?ymMdAcBDlRVZBy_a width=300//divpHow do you know if an ad is telling the truth? It’s not always easy, but there are certain clues you can look for to determine if the claims an ad is making are legit or if a marketer is purposely trying to mislead you into thinking a product is healthier, safer, or greener than it truly is. /ppHere are some ways to determine if advertising claims are fact or fiction… /ppstrongWords matter./strong Look for specific rather than general claims. The following words are essentially meaningless because they are too vague and/or there aren’t any standard definitions for them:/pulliNatural/liliHypoallergenic/liliNontoxic /liliFragrance-free or unscented /liliFree range /liliHormone-free/liliAntibiotic-free /liliEco-friendly, environmentally preferable, or eco-safe /lili Green /li/ulpMeaningless claims are ubiquitous in the marketplace. For instance, about a href=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticleart_aid=9856233 percent of food and beverage products/a launched last year made some kind of natural claim. When shopping, it’s safer to look for specific attributes, but there are no guarantees because in many cases there’s no one verifying the manufacturers claims. /ppSome examples of specific claims: /pulli Made from post-consumer recycled paper /liliFormaldehyde-free/liliNo additives/liliNo animal byproducts/liliNo parabens/liliPhosphate-free/li/ulpVisit Consumer Reports’ a href=http://www.greenerchoices.org/home.cfmEco-labels center/a to find out which labels and terms you can trust./ppstrongLook for proof. /strongChoose products with claims that can be verified or that have been certified by a third party. These products have been vetted by an independent agency to ensure that they meet certain standards. Some credible logos to look for include a href=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateAnavID=NationalOrganicProgramleftNav=NationalOrganicProgrampage=NOPNationalOrganicProgramHomeacct=nopUSDA Organic,/aa href=http://www.energystar.gov/Energy Star/a, a href=http://www.fscus.org/Forest Stewardship Council/a certified, a href=http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/marketplace.cfm?id=mainRainforest Alliance/a certified, and a href=http://www.greenseal.org/Green Seal/a./ppThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently a href=http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/06/10/ftc-cites-kmart-tender-dyna-e-for-false-green-claims/charged K-Mart and other companies/a with makingdeceptive and unsubstantiated biodegradable claims on some paper products. The FTC is expected to update its outdated a href=http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htmregulations for green advertising claims/a sometime this year. Hopefully consumers won’t have to read between the lines quite as much if the government cracks down on misleading claims./ppstrongRely on experts. /strongThese websites do the homework for you: a href=http://www.goodguide.com/GoodGuide/a rates food, toys, personal care items, and household products based on environmental, social, and health attributes. a href=http://www.greenzer.com/Greenzer/a collects product and merchant info from across the Internet to create a score for each product it features on its site. Environmental Working Group’s a href=http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/Skin Deep Cosmetics Database/a can help you find the safest and healthiest cosmetics and personal care products. /ppCheck out TerraChoice’s list of a href=http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/the-seven-sins/the Seven Sins of Greenwashing/a for additional tips on sniffing out misleading advertising. /ppWant to see some of the most egregiously misleading ads? View a fullsampling, post your own examples, and vote for the worst offenders atthe a href=http://www.greenwashingindex.com/Greenwashing Index/a. Or read about a href=http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/great-greenwashed-advertisingHuddler’s top picks/a./pp /pspan class=Apple-style-span class=Apple-style-span style=font-family:arial;p style=margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;span class=Apple-style-span class=Apple-style-span style=font-weight:bold;Yahoo! Green is now on Twitter!  Follow us at /spana href=http://twitter.com/YahooGreen style=color:#006699;text-decoration:none;span class=Apple-style-span class=Apple-style-span style=font-weight:bold;/span/aa href=http://twitter.com/YahooGreenhttp://twitter.com/YahooGreen/a.  /p/spanpemEnvironmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green’s users. Send Lori a a href=http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/green/forms/consciousconsumerblog.htmlquestion or suggestion/a for potential use in a future column. Her book,/em Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life emis available on a href=http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Green%2C%20Greener%2C%20Greenest%3A%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Making%20Eco-Smart%20Choices%20a%20Part%20of%20Your%20Life:3005209514;_ylt=AsLkIJyzfMD4G3Gl2OYYt_gbFt0A?clink=dmps/lori_bongiorno/ctx=mid:1,pid:3005209514,pdid:1,pos:1,spc:14489115,date:20081009,srch:kw,x:Yahoo! Shopping/a and a href=http://www.amazon.com/Green-Greener-Greenest-Practical-Eco-Smart/dp/0399534032/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1228865081sr=8-1Amazon.com/a./em/p

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pimg alt=ledremotebulb height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/ledremotebulb.jpg width=468 //ppFor the folks who are a href=http://ecogeek.org/efficiency/2509still complaining/a about the light quality of CFLs (buy nicer ones) the LED revolution is going to make you melt. Martha Stewart beware! Soon you will be able to change not only the brightness of the light in your home, but the color of the light as well. This new LED bulb from a href=http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/090611_2.htmlSharp/a, which will be introduced in Japan in July, comes with a built-in remote sensor. The remote can then alter the brightness and the warmth of the light./ppSo if you want a nice bright-white light during the day, while you’re working, fine. But if that evening you want a warmer, softer light, just touch a couple of buttons and you might as well be eating by candle-light./ppOK, I don’t actually know if they light quality is that good, since I don’t have one here in front of me. LEDs have traditionally had a hard time getting a perfect spectrum, but it seems like allowing for a shift could go a long way towards appeasing folks who think the color of their walls is more important than, y’know, the world./ppThe lamps have the long-life (40,000 hrs) and low energy-use that we’ve come to expect from LEDs, though they’re not quite as efficient as they could be, since the remote sensor will always be dragging a tiny sip of power./ppVia a href=http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/090611_2.htmlSharp/a and a href=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/sharp-led-lightbulb-adjustable-color-7-whites-remote-control.phpTreeHugger/a/pimg height=1 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/5umiwhxlovg width=1 /

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div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=strawberry height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-805758383-1245425184.jpg?ymgIUcBDEwmZyjiQ width=300/br /em(Photo: Aaron Holbrough / iStockPhoto)/embr /br //divpWe’ve told you before about a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foodspesticide residue on foods/a — how even after normal washing and preparation, many foods are laced with the pesticides used to kill bugs, fungus and weeds on the farm./ppMost of what we know about pesticide residue comes from the federal government, which sets limits on how much residue can remain on foods, and which tests foods periodically to gauge compliance. Now, the Pesticide Action Network has used that data to create a pioneering consumer-friendly database it just launched at a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org target=_blankwhatsonmyfood.org/a./ppThe interface is simple. You choose the food you like to eat, and it tells you how many and which kinds of pesticides have been detected on it. /ppLike a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AL target=_blankalmonds/a? Well, 11 pesticides — including two known or probable carcinogens, six suspected hormone disruptors and three neurotoxins — have been found on almonds during government testing./ppLike a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=CN target=_blankcantaloupe/a? You may have ingested as many as 27 different pesticides along with that juicy flesh — including five known or Probable Carcinogens, 15 suspected hormone disruptors, 11 neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants./ppThat a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AC target=_blankapple sauce/a you just served your child? At times, 28 different pesticides have been detected in apple sauce, including four known or probable carcinogens, nine suspected hormone disruptors, eight neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants./ppYum?/ppWhether pesticides at the low levels found on foods pose a serious health risk is a matter of debate. Those who try to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals — given that we are virtually surrounded by them, in the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, and products we use — strive to reduce exposures wherever we can control them. /ppIn this case, that means choosing organic foods — particularly for those types of foods with the a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foodshighest pesticide residues/a. Organic food is grown without the use of manmade pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified seeds and the like. Organic foods are much less likely, therefore, to have any pesticide residue./pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Clean 15: Foods With Low Pesticide Residue/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/organic-food-tips-47-040801?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgOrganic Foods and Beyond: 18 Ways to Green Your Diet/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/healthy-recipes-47012605?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Real Food Diet: Superfoods for a Nutritious Boost/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/organic-gardening-tips-460309?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgHow to Start Your Own Organic Garden/a/li/ulpemReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc/em/p

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div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=strawberry height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-805758383-1245425184.jpg?ymgIUcBDEwmZyjiQ width=300/br /em(Photo: Aaron Holbrough / iStockPhoto)/embr /br //divpWe’ve told you before about a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foodspesticide residue on foods/a — how even after normal washing and preparation, many foods are laced with the pesticides used to kill bugs, fungus and weeds on the farm./ppMost of what we know about pesticide residue comes from the federal government, which sets limits on how much residue can remain on foods, and which tests foods periodically to gauge compliance. Now, the Pesticide Action Network has used that data to create a pioneering consumer-friendly database it just launched at a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org target=_blankwhatsonmyfood.org/a./ppThe interface is simple. You choose the food you like to eat, and it tells you how many and which kinds of pesticides have been detected on it. /ppLike a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AL target=_blankalmonds/a? Well, 11 pesticides — including two known or probable carcinogens, six suspected hormone disruptors and three neurotoxins — have been found on almonds during government testing./ppLike a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=CN target=_blankcantaloupe/a? You may have ingested as many as 27 different pesticides along with that juicy flesh — including five known or Probable Carcinogens, 15 suspected hormone disruptors, 11 neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants./ppThat a href=http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AC target=_blankapple sauce/a you just served your child? At times, 28 different pesticides have been detected in apple sauce, including four known or probable carcinogens, nine suspected hormone disruptors, eight neurotoxins and four developmental or reproductive toxicants./ppYum?/ppWhether pesticides at the low levels found on foods pose a serious health risk is a matter of debate. Those who try to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals — given that we are virtually surrounded by them, in the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat, and products we use — strive to reduce exposures wherever we can control them. /ppIn this case, that means choosing organic foods — particularly for those types of foods with the a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foodshighest pesticide residues/a. Organic food is grown without the use of manmade pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified seeds and the like. Organic foods are much less likely, therefore, to have any pesticide residue./pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Clean 15: Foods With Low Pesticide Residue/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/organic-food-tips-47-040801?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgOrganic Foods and Beyond: 18 Ways to Green Your Diet/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/healthy-recipes-47012605?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Real Food Diet: Superfoods for a Nutritious Boost/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/organic-gardening-tips-460309?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgHow to Start Your Own Organic Garden/a/li/ulpemReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc/em/p

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div class=image style=float:left;padding-right:8px;img alt=bicycle trip height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_cheapskate/daily_green_cheapskate-363702774-1245443922.jpg?ymStYcBDeiojixTP width=300/br //divpThirty-five years ago this summer, my brother and I took off on our Raleigh 10-speeds on the first major bicycle trip of our lives, a 3,200 mile pedal-powered journey from our parent’s home in Ohio to the Black Hills of South Dakota and back again./ppThat trip and that machine — the simple bicycle — changed my life forever. I recently pedaled my a href=http://www.ultimatecheapskate.com/tour/85,000th lifetime mile/a, and in another couple of years — crazy drivers willing — I hope to cross the 100,000 mile mark.  Not bad for having owned just two bicycles (both relatively inexpensive) in my adult life, with my new bike having only about 30,000 miles on it./ppIf you’ve not been on a bicycle since you were a kid, maybe this is the summer to rediscover the joy and freedom of what it arguably the fastest machine ever invented by man, when you a href=http://clevercycles.com/energy_and_equity/factor in the energy/a it requires to build/buy and get on down the road./ppOr better yet, why not make your family vacation this summer a a href=http://www.newdream.org/marketplace/cycling.phpbicycle trip/a? It’s inexpensive, eco-friendly, healthy, and, I bet, will give you memories to last a lifetime. /ppHere are some tips:/pullistrongGo the distance./strong With just a little practice, novice cyclists and even children (approximately age 12+) should be able to comfortably pedal at least 10-20 a day. And for adults and older children, it doesn’t take much practice before 50 miles or even further is a manageable distance to cover in a single day, depending on terrain and your physical condition./libr /listrongKeep it simple/strong — and really cheap — by starting and ending from home. It’s as easy as drawing a circle on a map of say a 100-200 mile radius from home and figuring out what there is to see and do in your own backyard. I bet you’ll be surprised./libr /listrongPick a route./strong There are more than 38,000 miles of a href=http://www.adventurecycling.org/designated bicycle routes/a in the U.S. that connect two or more states, and many times that amount of local bike-friendly routes, hiking/biking trails, and other roads well-suited for cycling. Check with your state’s a href=http://www.walkinginfo.org/Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/a./libr /listrongDon’t overspend/strong on fancy and unnecessary equipment. For short trips, an inexpensive bicycle or even a a href=http://www.narts.org/used bike/a from a thrift store is fine. Don’t go gear-crazy: 10-speeds are more than enough. /libr /listrongPack light./strong Take along only the bare essentials. Wash your clothes along the way rather than pack more. Buy food as you need it rather than take it from home. Ask yourself: What’s the worst thing that will happen if I don’t take this with me? Once you’re packed, take a 10-mile test ride, then go through your gear again and see if you’ve changed your mind about anything./libr /listrongSafety first./strong Helmets and reflective clothing/gear are a must. Learn the a href=http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/better/roadrules.phprules of the road/a. Riding safely with saddlebags (aka panniers) and other gear on your bike takes practice; take some training rides and specifically practice the skill of riding in a straight line and controlling your bike with the added weight./libr /listrongTake a course./strong Courses in a href=http://www.bikeleague.org/safe cycling/a, bicycle repair, and bicycle touring are offered by many local community colleges and bike clubs, as well as a href=http://www.adventurecycling.org/online/a./libr /listrongStay cheap./strong Cycle touring lends itself to camping, a href=http://www.couchsurfing.com/couch surfing/a, staying at a href=http://www.hiusa.com/youth hostels/a, and using the a href=http://www.warmshowers.org/Warm Showers/a network, a nationwide community of fellow cyclists who will put you up for the night. /li/ulpHave fun, and stop and say hello if you see me along the road.  I’ll be the tall guy on the old 10-speed./pbr /pemJeff Yeager is the author of the book a href=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Ultimate-Cheapskates-Road-Map-to-True-Riches/Jeff-Yeager/e/9780767926959/?itm=1 target=_newThe Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches/a. His website is a href=http://www.ultimatecheapskate.com/ target=_newwww.UltimateCheapskate.com/a./em/p

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pimg alt=crz height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/crz.jpg width=468 /br /Sadly, the new Honda Insight a href=http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/15/honda-likely-to-miss-u-s-sales-targets-for-insight/isn’t selling/a as well as Honda had hoped. The Prius still reigns supreme. And, since it is the more advanced (though more expensive) option, we can’t really argue with that. But Honda is taking the news in stride. Instead of backing off of their commitment to hybrids, it looks like they’re planning two more, and they’re hoping to make them even cheaper./ppWhile the Prius is the technology leader, it is important that we bring the costs of hybrids down so that more people can get better gas mileage, and that is Honda’s goal. Honda’s president says they’re working on two new hybrids, and that they will both be even cheaper than the Insight. One of these will probably be a hybrid version of the Fit, which could easily come in at $17,000, and the other might be the CR-Z (pictured) which is slated for launch in 2011./ppVia a href=http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/17/honda-considering-two-lower-cost-hybrids/AutoBlogGreen/a/pimg height=1 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/k0aycbtetam width=1 /

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pimg alt=car-ac height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/car-ac.jpg width=468 //ppThe government has made more significant steps towards boosting car fuel efficiency recently, especially with the new a href=http://ecogeek.org/automobiles/2753CAFE standards/a, and now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is trying to facilitate progress by zeroing in on one particular part of the car — the air conditioner.br /br /According to NREL, car air conditioners account for seven billion gallons of gasoline, about six percent of the nation’s total yearly fuel consumption.  Beyond just the fuel use, refrigerant leaks are responsible for 50 million metric tons of CO2 emissions a year.  With that in mind, the laboratory has set a goal of improving air conditioner efficiency by 33 percent.br /br /A few different ideas are already being tested by researchers.  One is a complete redesign of the car air conditioner using thermoelectric modules instead of typical refrigerants.   Another is the use of solar-reflective glass and paint on the car exterior that reduces interior air temperature by as much as 34 percent, keeping the air conditioner from having to work as hard.br /br /This summer, the laboratory will work with Ford, who has been awarded $4.2 million from the DOE to improve air conditioning efficiency, to develop a thermoelectric system.br /br /via a href=http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/more-efficient-air-conditioning-for-cars/Green Inc./aimg height=1 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/e2j07gkpdpm width=1 //p

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