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div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=gas prices a year ago height=300 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_driving_directions/gasprices-bl.jpg width=400/br /emGas prices on the Massachusetts Turnpike almost br /exactly a year ago. Bad old days are here again. br /(Photo: /ememSvadilfari / /ememFlickr/emem)/embr /br //divpThe emLos Angeles Times/em headline says Gasoline Price Surge Comes at Bad Time./ppSez you./ppGasoline prices a href=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas15-2009jun15,0,1361076.story target=_blankare headed north at the fastest clip ever recorded/a, so fast that economists are saying it could imperil the economic recovery. Nobody wants that. /ppBut there is more than one way of looking at this phenomenon. The environmental economy, also known as the survival of our planet, will be imperiled if we can’t get the electric vehicle (EV) revolution off the ground and gas-guzzlers off the road. And the only thing that will definitively kill that transition is low gas prices./ppLast summer, $4 a gallon gas delivered a nearly instant, almost mortal blow to SUV sales. When a href=http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/eia-the-rise-and-free-fall-of-gas-prices target=_blankthe price plunged to $2/a, there was a small but noticeable shift back to bigger vehicles, but the sales figures were complicated by a href=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/with-lower-gas-prices-truck-sales-rebound-but-its-complicated/ target=_blankthe huge discounts the retailers put on their big boat-anchor trucks/a. People were feeling pretty desperate at the time, as this amusing video makes clear:/ppembed allownetworking=internal allowscriptaccess=never type=application/x-shockwave-flash src=http://www.youtube.com/v/zSaZ5v1eW5Icolor1=0xb1b1b1color2=0xcfcfcfhl=enfeature=player_embeddedfs=1 allowfullscreen=true width=425 height=344/embed/ppNow, just as the summer driving season is getting underway, prices are way up again, rising more than 17 cents in the last two weeks. The national average on Friday was $2.66 a gallon, and I saw $2.80 all over the place today. In San Francisco and some other places in California, it’s over $3 already. This is just the way it happened last year./ppThere’s no particular reason for prices to soar right now: analysts are somewhat baffled, because there’s neither a big recovery stoking demand or a supply crisis./ppI’m not just speculating about how consumers are likely to behave. A recent Kelley Blue Book study shows that 87% of new-car buyers expect gas prices to rise sharply, and more than 60% say that rising gas prices have either caused them to change their minds or made them think about vehicles they normally wouldn’t have considered. They also said they might go from a V-6 to a four-cylinder engine, or from a large sedan to a mid-sized one. And 73% said they plan to change their spending habits if gas prices were to go much higher./ppSo gas prices are a big driver, and people won’t seriously consider buying green cars in any numbers (early adopters will always go for them) unless they need relief at the pumps. Unfortunately, gas prices fluctuate so much they send consumers on a wild ride, not sure what to buy. And sometimes that means they just stick with the guzzler in the garage./pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/save-gas-47031702?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=blogmag=tdg10 Easy Ways to Save Gas Money/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/micro-cars-mpg-460409?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=blogmag=tdgThe Hottest New Cars Prove Small Is Beautiful/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=blogmag=tdgThe Most Fuel-Efficient 2009 Cars and SUVs/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/natural-swimming-pools-460908?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=blogmag=tdg23 Breathtaking Natural Swimming Pools/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/shipping-container-homes-460309?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=blogmag=tdg45 Amazing Homes and Offices Made From Shipping Containers/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=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. /pp /ppHere are some ways to determine if advertising claims are fact or fiction: /pp /pstrongWords 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: Natural,eco-friendly,green,free range,non-toxic,fragrance free. Visit Consumer Reports’ a href=http://www.greenerchoices.org/home.cfmEco-labels center/a to find out which labels and terms you can trust.     br / br /Meaningless claims are ubiquitous in the marketplace. For example, 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 such as made from post-consumer recycled paper or formaldehyde free.p /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.energystar.gov/Energy Star/a, a href=http://www.fscus.org/Forest Stewardship Council/a Certified, and a href=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateAnavID=NationalOrganicProgramleftNav=NationalOrganicProgrampage=NOPNationalOrganicProgramHomeacct=nopUSDA Organic/a. /pp /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 making
deceptive 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.  /pp /ppstrongDig a little deeper./strong Oftentimes misleading ads will highlight one beneficial aspect of a product, but purposely ignore other less desirable attributes. Organic yogurt may be free of synthetic hormones, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily your healthiest option. Some organic yogurts have more sugar in them than ice cream. /pp /ppPaper may come from a sustainable forest or contain recycled content, but if it’s bleached with chlorine it’s not your most environment-friendly option. It’s hard to find any product that is 100 percent squeaky clean, but you should at least know what you’re paying for. /pp /ppCheck out TerraChoice’s list of a href=http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/findings/the-seven-sins/The Seven Sins of Greenwashing/a for other tips on sniffing out misleading advertising. /pp /ppIf you’d rather have someone else do your homework for you, then visit these two websites: 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./pp /ppWant to see some of the most egregious misleading ads? View a full sampling, post your own examples, and vote for the worst offenders at the a href=http://www.greenwashingindex.com/Greenwashing/a Index. Or, check out a href=http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/great-greenwashed-advertisingHuddler’stop picks/a./pbr /pemEnvironmental 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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div class=image style=float: left; padding-right: 8pximg alt=impacts of climate change, NOAA report height=205 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/climate411/climate411-635057605-1245259446.jpg?ym2qrbBDHP0q._WW width=250 //divpNOAA just released a href=http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impactsa terrific scientific report/a that explains, in plain English, the current and projected effects of climate change on the U.S. /ppThe nonpartisan report, prepared by the 13-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program, tells a grim but important story, clearly and with lots of powerful maps and charts. I encourage you to check it out to see how climate change will affect your area of the country./ppHere are some of the business-as-usual projections that my colleagues and I find most striking and disturbing:/ppstrongYou think August is hot now?/strong/ppBy the end of this century, we could be in for much more severe summers all across the country./pa href=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_climate411/days-100-degrees.jpg title=Days Over 100 Degrees (NOAA)img align=right alt=Days Over 100 Degrees (NOAA) border=0 height=608 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_climate411/days-100-degrees.jpg width=250 //aul type=discliIf you live in strongNew Hampshire/strong, summer could feel like it does today in North Carolina (p.107)./liliIf you live in strongMichigan/strong, brace yourself for summers that feel like today’s summers in Oklahoma (p 117)./liliAnd if you live in strongTexas/strong, you now experience 10 to 20 days a year over 100°F. By the last two decades of this century, look for 100 such days — that’s more than three months (p. 90)./liliIn 1995, strongChicago/strong suffered a heat wave that killed more than 700 people. Chicagoans could experience that kind of relentless heat up to three times a year (p. 117)./liliThe strongSouthwest/strong, including cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix, will face worse and more frequent droughts, as spring rains decline by as much as half, snow packs shrink and melt earlier, and water evaporates more rapidly (p. 129-130)./li/ulpstrongPeople who live on the coasts could be a lot closer to the shore/strong/ppSea level is projected to rise up to 3 to 4 feet. Here’s what that means for various parts of the country:/pul type=discliPortions of strongNew York City/strong and strongBoston/strong could be regularly flooded by storms and even high tides (p. 150)./liliOn the strongGulf/strongstrong Coast/strong, approximately 2,400 miles of roads and 250 miles of freight rails are likely to be permanently flooded (p. 62). This area is home to seven of the nation’s ten largest ports and much of our oil and gas industry./liliSome coastal freshwater sources will be strongcontaminated with saltwater/strong, meaning we can no longer use them for drinking water without expensive desalinization (p. 47)/li/ulpstrongYour grandchildren will miss out on local icons and specialties /strong/ppThe foods and activities that define different parts of the country are changing./pul type=discliSome strongwestern ski resorts/strong could face a 90 percent decrease in snow pack, making the country’s most iconic ski locations just shades of what they are today (p. 133)./liliThanksgiving might no longer include strongcranberries/strong produced in the Northeast’s cranberry bogs (p. 73)./liliIn the Northwest, strongsalmon/strong will be driven out of about one-third of their habitat. We could start to see the changes in the next ten years (p. 137)./li/ulpThis very thorough scientific report paints a bleak picture of what life will be like in this country if we let pollution continue at today’s rate. The report’s good news is that if we act now, we can avoid the most severe consequences. /ppBut the more sobering news is that even if we cut emissions aggressively, not everything in this report can be avoided. This is a first step toward understanding how to prepare for the coming changes./ppThe a href=http://blogs.edf.org/2009/05/21/new-momentum-to-pass-a-carbon-cap-in-2009/American Clean Energy and Security Act/a, which would take us off the business-as-usual path, will come in front of the U.S. House for a vote in a matter of days. This report gives our leaders yet another reason to do the right thing for our country’s future./p

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div class=image style=float: right; padding-left: 8pximg alt=Richland College height=228 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/amorylovins/amorylovins-235645480-1245109066.jpg?ymK9GbBDWzs7E0XN width=300 /br /emShovel Ready: RMI’s Sally DeLeon and br /Elaine Adams visit green science buidling br /at Richland College. (Photo: RMI br /campus climate project 2008-2009)/embr /br //divpRobert Morris,
student body president of Richland College, is facing a challenge at his
school.  A commuter school in Dallas Texas, with 24,500
students, Richland
College has nobly committed to achieve carbon neutrality under the American
College and University a href=http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/Presidents Climate Commitment/a.  /ppThe problem? Students have no access to public
transportation./ppRichland does
have energy efficient buildings on campus, but the transport contributes the
most to the school’s carbon footprint, making up 66 % of campus greenhouse gas
emissions. /ppRichland students face the same issue many commuters find. When
there is limited access to public transport and when it may not be practical to
ride a bike 20 miles each way to school or work, how can individuals reduce
their carbon footprint?/ppMorris, one of
36 participants in a href=http://www.rmi.org/Rocky Mountain Institute/a’s
recent Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives Workshop, now has a few ideas
about how to tackle the transport issue. The workshop, which convened in Denver from June 2-4, brought
together representatives from 12 campuses to share information and war stories
and inspiration to help create effective programs and projects that will reduce
carbon emissions. /ppMorris discussed
his school’s climate initiative challenges with sustainability experts at RMI,
who put on the workshop in collaboration with the a href=http://www.aashe.org/Association
for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education/a (AASHE).
As a result, Morris goes back to Texas with some
possible solutions, such as arranging carpooling and making it web-based so
people can find rides easily and instituting web-based learning, telecommuting,
and videotaping of classes. These telecommuting and carpooling options, of
course, could work for business as well as schools that want to reduce carbon
emissions./ppThe first
thing I will do when I get back to my school is set up a meeting with our
college president and present some of the ideas we learned about here,
says Morris. Morris may find his president attentive since Morris will also
return to his campus with a seed grant to study and implement alternative
transportation options. /ppRMI, through an anonymous donor, is offering the grants ($35,000-$50,000 per
institution) to provide each participating campus with an opportunity to
implement a high priority project that advances its climate program. Each
school will use this funding to launch an important greenhouse gas reduction
project or contribute to solving a thorny or significant barrier to climate
neutrality. /ppFor more
information on the Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives project, visit a href=http:/bet.rmi.org/RMI’s
Built Environment Team website/a. /p

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pThe electricity consumption at the average U.S. household has skyrocketed in recent years, in part because we’re building new homes so much bigger than we used to, in part because we have more televisions, computers, and other electronics in more rooms — and in part because we’re charging so many personal portable electronic devices that are wholly new to the market./ppWell, the DIY-enthusiasts among us can at least knock the last off the list, thanks to Jerome Kelly, Instructables.com and Earthjustice./ppKelly is the winner of the groups’ a href=http://www.earthjustice.org/energyefficiency/instructables-winner.html target=_blankUnited States of Efficiency contest/a. His invention? A solar-powered charger designed for the iPhone and Ipod Touch, but useful for many devices that charge using a USB./ppThe best part? You can make it yourself — in less than an hour (if you’re as handy as Kelly, that is)./ppAmericans love a challenge, Kelly said, recalling a conversation with his son about the Apollo moon mission. We possess the intelligence, technology and spirit to accomplish whatever we set our minds to. How we rise to this challenge will define our generation. It is now the responsibility of all citizens to challenge themselves, to become makers, inventors, conservationists and political activists in order to achieve our goal. It is the responsibility of our leaders, political and industrial, to spearhead our efforts to achieving our goal. We only get one shot at this./ppGet the complete instructions and even watch a video on a href=http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/how to make your own solar power iPhone charger/a./pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/solar-panels-reviews-460304?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgHome Solar Panels Reviewed/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/green-products-reviews-50100608?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgGreen Products from A to Z/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/safe-green-investments-47091801?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgSix Safe Investments That Maximize Your ROI/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/natural-swimming-pools-460908?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg23 Breathtaking Natural Swimming Pools/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/shipping-container-homes-460309?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg45 Amazing Homes and Offices Made From Shipping Containers/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=Namaste Solar Electric height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-333449165-1245173276.jpg?ymcoWbBDY28Sn29b width=300/br /emTechnicians from Namaste Solar Electric br /install a new system in Colorado. br /(Photo: Courtesy of Namaste Solar Electric)/embr /br //divpemThe following is a guest post by Ezra Drissman of a href=http://www.GreenCareersGuide.com target=_blankGreenCareersGuide/a/em/ppIt seems that most Americans have been affected by the economic downturn, in one way or another. It can be difficult to find any good things that have come out of such a crazy climate. /ppHowever, a href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/ target=_blankgreen careers/a have emerged as a shining light in a generally bad economy. While other corporations are struggling, green companies are looking forward to a better year. /ppOne need not look further than Ford Motor Company, which had been ridiculed in recent memory by opponents for its stated commitment to hybrid vehicles and developing greener technologies. Yet Ford has survived the downturn better than GM and Chrysler. /ppGreen is not only emerging, it will be sustained for a long time. These next few years will give people an opportunity to join in on the ground floor of a booming industry. It’s an industry that will stretch across all economic lines. /ppHere are the top five industries that are likely to be major players in the green economy, according to a href=http://www.GreenCareersGuide.com target=_blankGreenCareersGuide.com/a:/ppstrong1. Landfill gas plant operator/strongbr /Anything within the renewable energy market is a great green career.
Try this one on for a quick turn around into a green opportunity: a landfill gas plant operator. Turning gas into energy is big right now and this can be a great fit for someone who only has a GED or high school diploma. /ppstrong2. Solar panel installer/strongbr /The solar field is heating up, and offers many opportunities in panel installation and sales. More colleges, technical schools, and extension services are offering programs in the sector. The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) offers certification programs that will train you in solar installation. If you would like to become a solar salesperson, start by contacting some of the solar panel makers. This field is also prime for the entrepreneur. /ppstrong3. Wind turbine machinist/strongbr /The market for wind energy continues to grow, so much so that a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/wind-now-employs-more-peo_n_162277.html target=_blankwind power now employs more Americans than the coal industry/a. A bonus is that if you already have a degree or background as a machinist or engineer you may be able to turn that into a job as a wind turbine machinist or wind turbine installer. /ppstrong4. Green engineer/strongbr /There are likely to be many opportunities to help design a cleaner, greener society, from waste treatment and recycling facilities to transportation systems. Soon America will also be transitioning to a a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/cars-transportation/smart-grids-china-460409smart grid/a, requiring much work for engineers. (Unemployed car engineers in particular should stay alert for these fields). If you want to start in these areas, make sure to get an engineering background in college. /ppstrong5. Green builder/strongbr /The federal and local governments continue to require more certification and higher energy efficiency on all buildings. Green building, with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, will likely become a standard in construction. /ppThere will be many careers available within these industries. Take the time to get the training and schooling that will be needed. /ppSee job listings for these fields and apply now:/pullia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Wind-Power.html target=_blankWind jobs/a/lilia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Solar-Power.html target=_blankSolar jobs/a/lilia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Green-Careers.html target=_blankGreen jobs center/a/li/ulbr /br /pemThe Daily Green’s Community News section is a forum for our audience to get the word out about issues that matter to them, enlist support, get help and advice, celebrate successes, or share humor. The best submissions are personal (why I started this venture) short and to the point (400 words or so) and written in a style that speaks directly to the audience as peers (not like an ad or press release). Email submissions to a href=mailto:news@thedailygreen.comnews@thedailygreen.com/a and include community news in the subject line. Photos are also welcome, provided the submitter has rights to publish the image. Be sure to include credit and caption information./em/ppemSubmissions to The Daily Green are subject to our a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/privacy target=_newPrivacy and Terms of Use policies/a./em/pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/10-greenest-colleges-460708?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg10 of the Greenest Colleges in America/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/save-money-megaflip?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg30+ Ways to Save Money by Going Green/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/safe-green-investments-47091801?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgSix Smart Green Investments/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/win/?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgWin Free Green Stuff!/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/personality-quiz-going-green-460109?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgWhat’s Your Green Personality?/a/li/ulpemReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc /em/p

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pThere’s no single answer to the fuel of the future, at least certainly not at this time. Part of the solution lies in reclaiming waste streams that now mostly end up in landfills. Some of these — like diapers — we don’t even want to think about, but it’s about time we did. And scientists are on the case, given the strange-but-true examples cited here./ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/cellulosic-ethanol-47020701Cellulosic ethanol/a (made from sugar cane, wood waste or sweet sorghum) is probably the wave of the future, but here are some other ways we can — and probably will — make fuel from bio-materials./pp /ph2The really fast chocolate car/h2div class=image style=float:left;padding-right:8px;img alt=chocolate bio-racer height=175 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_driving/daily_green_driving-865607790-1244570258.jpg?ymSaDZBDkfJFgjFl width=300/br /em(Photo: Courtesy of University of Warwick)/embr /br //divpIs it possible to run a car on chocolate? Well, maybe not wholly on chocolate. /ppYour Hershey bar won’t get you home in an emergency, but a team from the University of Warwick in Britain a href=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/an-eco-racecar-that-runs-on-chocolate/has built and is track-testing a Formula 3 race car/a, running on 30% biodiesel derived from chocolate waste. /ppThat’s not all; the steering wheel is partly made of carrots, and the mirrors and aerodynamic front wing are formed with potato starch and flax fiber./ppAccording to James Meredith, who heads the project at Warwick, Anything with a fat in it can be turned into diesel, and that’s what we’ve managed to do. The chocolate is waste from bad batches at Cadbury’s in nearby Birmingham. The researchers have managed to keep their fingers out of the chocolate vats. It’s waste, so I assume it’s no good to eat, Meredith said./pp /pp /ph2The coffee grounds car/h2div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=coffee grounds height=212 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_driving/daily_green_driving-295690305-1244570258.jpg?ymSaDZBDnyV3A_ts width=300/br /em(Photo: Raychel Deppe / iStockPhoto)/embr /br //divpCoffee grinds are an unwanted waste product that fills up landfills and takes a long time to biodegrade. In Europe, however, household food scraps are considered a fuel source. /ppIn Germany and Switzerland, for example, a company collects and then ferments those scraps, producing both a natural gas fuel and compost. So could we actually power cars on biodiesel from coffee grounds? It’s a distinct possibility./ppYou know how coffee can sometimes look (and taste) slightly oily? That’s because it contains 10 to 15% of usable oil that can be refined into a biofuel. A study says a href=http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/20/coffee-biofuel.htmlused cappuccino scraps can offset our imported oil/a — as much as 340 million gallons a year from the world’s 15 billion pounds of annual coffee production. /ppIt’s a simple two-step process, says Susanta Mohapatra, a University of Nevada, Reno, researcher who is a co-author of the study. Her team raided Starbucks to find the feedstock for the coffee fuel. We can definitely make a big impact on our environment with fuel made out of nature, she said./pp /pp /ph2The used diaper potential /h2pIt was bad enough when scientists figured out how to reclaim paper pulp from used disposable diapers, but they’re also saying they can make diesel fuel from them using a pyrolysis process. /ppA Canadian company called AMEC a href=http://www.thestar.com/article/271380is in the process of building a pilot plant in Quebec/a that will process the plastics, resins, fibers, and poop into a predictable mix of gas, oil, and char. /ppNow adult waste would work just as well, but we don’t collect it in handy sealed containers as we do baby waste. The great advantage, says AMEC, is that the raw material is not contaminated with anything else — it’s a rich, if aromatic, source of fuel. /ppThe company hopes to take in 180 million diapers a year — a quarter of Quebec’s output — to produce 11 million liters of diesel. Considering that diapers can take 100 years to decompose in a landfill, turning them into domestically produced fuel seems a good alternative./pp /pp /ph2Sawdust, wood chips, nuts?/h2div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=sawdust height=235 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_driving/daily_green_driving-435105567-1244570259.jpg?ymTaDZBDFDISEGeT width=300/br /em(Photo: Max Blain / iStockPhoto)/embr /br //divpYes, we will soon be able to make gasoline — and diesel and jet fuel, too — a href=http://asiacleantech.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/japan-makes-biodiesel-fuel-from-grass-wood-chips/from everything from wood chips and sawdust to switchgrass/a. /ppCompanies around the country are doing this on an experimental basis, using a variety of methods, but the embryonic technology got a huge boost when the Obama administration a href=http://www.ngfa.org/print_this_article.cfm?story_id=http://www.ngfa.org/cache/story_40F817F4C646CA5B0760D7619F514936.htmlrevised the biofuel standards earlier this month/a to include a billion gallons of diesel fuel from biomass by 2022./ppBiomass gasoline won’t be much, if any, cleaner out of the tailpipe than current fuel, but when the lifecycle carbon reductions from growing the feedstock is taken into account, it’s a big winner./ppa href=http://www.allpowerlabs.org/ target=_blankAll Power Labs/a in Berkeley, California, is competing for the illustrious a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/automotive-x-prize-contestants-461208Auto X Prize/a with a car that runs on wood chips. Specifically, we’re making carbon-negative, open-source fuel from basically garbage, says team member Tom Price. /ppThe process itself isn’t new: During World War II, when gasoline was unobtainable in Europe, there were more than a million cars using gasification technology — turning coal and wood chips into gas for internal-combustion engines. /ppPrice envisions using waste walnut shells, which normally release the potent greenhouse gas methane. We can crack the hydrogen out to run an Accord, Price says, then put the leftovers on the ground to grow more walnuts, which suck more CO2 out of the atmosphere, and the cycle continues./pp /pp /ph2Styrofoam cups in your tank?/h2div class=image style=float:left;padding-right:8px;img alt=styrofoam cup height=300 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_driving/daily_green_driving-429054399-1244570259.jpg?ymTaDZBDCF7gWT6q width=203/br /em(Photo: Ochelly)/embr /br //divpAccording to Robert Malloy of the University of Massachusetts, a href=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17066-plastic-cups-could-boost-auto-performance.html target=_blankused polystyrene coffee cups will make a great fuel component/a. Polystyrene (used to make disposable foam plates and cups) is very lightweight but also bulky, so it’s difficult and expensive to send out for recycling. /ppBut it could make a very effective fuel additive, a href=http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ef801110j target=_blanksays an Iowa State study last April/a. This study demonstrated that polystyrene-biodiesel blends could be successfully used in diesel engines with minor modifications to the fuel system and appropriate adjustments to engine operating conditions./ppAccording to Song-Charng Kong, a co-author of the Iowa study, polystyrene melts quickly in biodiesel, and fuel that is as much as five percent coffee cups does quite well. /ppAt higher concentrations (they tried up to 20%) it gets too thick. Right now emissions are a problem, but they’re working on it./pp /pp /ph2Turkeys: Lots of guts, plenty of glory/h2div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=turkey height=300 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_driving/daily_green_driving-245716730-1244570259.jpg?ymTaDZBDCSkOKB.k width=250/br /em(Photo: John Cairns / iStockPhoto)/embr /br //divpAmericans consume an estimated 45 million turkeys on Thanksgiving, raising the impolite question: What happens to all the turkey guts? /ppA bunch of entrepreneurs in Carthage, Missouri, not only asked that question, they answered it, too, by a href=http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2921opening a plant that could process turkey waste/a (including feathers, using up everything but the gobble) into a fuel oil that could be processed into diesel, gasoline, or jet fuel. /ppThe process, known as thermo-depolymerization (TDP), is well known, and it works, The turkeys’ private parts break down under very high heat and pressure, yielding natural gas, fuel oil and minerals. The company says it could also produce light crude from hog and chicken waste — or onion byproducts and Parmesan cheese rinds, for that matter./ppThe big problem, however, is that the plant stinks, and it’s close to a residential area, prompting withering complaints. The company, Changing World Technologies, may seek greener pastures./pp /pp /ph2Cow power: High-octane gas/h2div class=image style=float:left;padding-right:8px;img alt=cow height=225 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_driving/daily_green_driving-258042391-1244570258.jpg?ymTaDZBDmEaDKbLH width=300/br /em(Photo: Gloria Dawson / The Daily Green)/embr /br //divpWow, according to the United Nations, the livestock industry (including the growing of all the cattle feed, the transportation to market, and energy for factory-farm operations) is responsible for 18% of global warming emissions — more than transportation worldwide./ppAnd it will get worse: Current projections show meat production more than doubling to 469 million tons in 2050. /ppOne of the main culprits is methane, a global warming gas that is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The world has 1.5 billion cows, and they produce methane out of both ends (belching more than flatulence). An estimated two thirds of the planet’s ammonia comes from cows, too. In New Zealand, livestock accounts for 34% of greenhouse gas emissions./ppPartly because they’re eating grain instead of the grass nature intended, cows can produce 50 to 130 gallons of methane every day. Suppose we could use that as a fuel, since methane burns very well. Eureka! /ppDairy farms such as Blue Spruce Farm in Vermont a href=http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3510src=are putting their cow waste in anaerobic (no oxygen) digesters for three weeks/a, producing methane, and then burning it in generators to produce electricity. This cow power is being sold to a nearby college, and it can also be fed back into the grid. The process also generates useful fertilizer./pp /ppYahoo! Green is now on Twitter!  Follow us at a href=http://twitter.com/YahooGreenhttp://twitter.com/YahooGreen/a.   /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/micro-cars-mpg-460409?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Hottest New Cars Prove Small Is Beautiful/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars of 2009/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/save-gas-47031702?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg10 Simple Ways to Save Gas/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/electric-bikes-460209?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgElectric Bikes: The Fun, Green Way to Get Around/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgWhat Do Recycling Symbols Mean?/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=green networking height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-556647957-1245098165.jpg?ym1SEbBDDK7gID.C width=300/br /em(Photo: Boris Yankov / iStockPhoto)/embr /br //divpemThe following is a guest post by Ezra Drissman of a href=http://www.GreenCareersGuide.com target=_blankGreenCareersGuide/a/em/ppLooking for a a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/green-jobs-460609 target=_blankgreen job/a can be overwhelming. Not knowing where to begin can be the hardest part of the whole ordeal of finding your green path. But take heart: The place to start when looking for any job is networking. /ppAssuming that you have all your training in order, networking in the right places with the right people can mean the difference between landing the job, and still looking./ppSet time out emevery day/em to network. Be smart about how and who you network with. Write out a plan of action. This will be your guide. Setting a schedule is vital while you are looking for a job. Taking an hour consistently every day will help you network effectively and not get burnt out. /pollistrong
YOU come first!/strongbr /Invest some money in some business cards. Make sure to put your name, number, email and expertise. For instance, if you have a background as a mechanical engineer, put it on the card. These will be your lifeblood everywhere you go. /libr /listrong
Call around to your friends and family. /strongbr /They are the easiest people to network with and may be able to help you. Explain to each person that you are looking to start a green job and wanted to know if they knew anyone who might be able to help. Even if they cannot help immediately, they will keep you in the back of their minds just in case something does come up. /libr /listrong
Use the Internet. /strongbr /The greatest part about the Internet is that it has made your networking ability amazingly easy. Go to the site a href=http://www.linkedin.com/ target=_blanklinkedin.com/a. Sign up for an account and start linking with people you know. The next step is to see if those people know anyone within your green field. You will be surprised who you can link with and how quickly this can happen.pIt’s also a good idea to do a Web search on the green opportunity you are looking for. See if there are online groups or local organizations that you can join. When you go to one of these meetings in person, make sure to bring your business cards. If there is someone who is in the field already, ask questions. The more knowledge you gain the better. /p/li/olpWorking with a plan from the beginning is the key to effectively networking. You may get frustrated at times. If so, take a breather. Just remember consistency is the goal to landing your green career. /ppTo learn more about finding your green niche:/pullia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Guidance-For-Finding-Perfect-Career.html target=_blankFinding Your Perfect Green Career/a/lilia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Guidance-For-Training.html target=_blankHelp With Training for Green Jobs/a/lilia href=http://www.greencareersguide.com/Guidance-for-Starting-Your-Business-Career.html target=_blankHelp on Starting Your Green Business Career/a/li/ulbr /br /pemThe Daily Green’s Community News section is a forum for our audience to get the word out about issues that matter to them, enlist support, get help and advice, celebrate successes, or share humor. The best submissions are personal (why I started this venture), short, and to the point (400 words or so) and written in a style that speaks directly to the audience as peers (not like an ad or press release). Email submissions to a href=mailto:news@thedailygreen.comnews@thedailygreen.com/a and include community news in the subject line. Photos are also welcome, provided the submitter has rights to publish the image. Be sure to include credit and caption information./em/ppemSubmissions to The Daily Green are subject to our a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/privacy target=_newPrivacy and Terms of Use policies/a./em/pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/green-jobs-460609?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgBlaze Ahead With These Five Hot Green Jobs/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/van-jones-green-jobs-461108?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgTurning FDR’s Depression-era Corps Green for the 21st Century/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/heart-of-green-local-hero-47012902?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg40 Inspiring Stories of Real People Making a Difference/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/heart-of-green-awards-47042302?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Daily Green’s 2009 Heart of Green Award Winners/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/blogs/nontoxic/green-cleaning-game-housewife-461108?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgTurn Green Cleaning Into a Game/a/li/ulpemReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc/em/p

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div class=image style=float: right; padding-left: 8pximg alt=Canada Lynx height=242 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_climate411/canada-lynx-article.jpg width=250 /br /emThe a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42741Canada lynx/a is at risk because br /of changes to the snowpack br /caused by climate change./embr /br //divpWith the political debate heating up over the American Clean Energy and Security Act, it’s easy to lose sight of what the fight is about./ppYes, this is about people and jobs and freeing ourselves from foreign oil and creating a clean energy economy for the 21st century. But it’s also about our natural heritage and the wildlife with which we share this planet./ppSpecies from blue whales to butterflies confront growing threats. Their habitats are rapidly changing along with the climate. Global warming is pushing nature to the brink./ppThat’s why Environmental Defense launched a new campaign, a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42590 title=Warming and WildlifeWarming and Wildlife/a, where we document the story through the prism of seven ambassador species from across America already struggling to survive./ppstrongWithout action, there’s a good chance these species won’t make it /strong– we could lose them in our lifetimes./ppOur seven ambassador species are:/pullia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42708 title=Sugar MapleSugar maple/a/lilia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42763 title=Monarch butterflyMonarch butterfly/a/lilia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42752 title=LeatherbacksLeatherback sea turtle/a/lilia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42774 title=American pikaAmerican pika/a/lilia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42741 title=Canada lynxCanada lynx/a/lilia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=42785 title=Tufted puffinTufted puffin/a/lilia href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=43083 title=Polar bearPolar bear/a/li/ulpThe bumper sticker is right: Extinction is forever. But, it doesn’t have to be inevitable, not if we each do our part to cap America’s global warming pollution and unleash the clean energy economy of the 21st century./p

Original post

Global Warming Controversy. Climate change, specifically global warming, has been a prominent and serious global issue. It has captured a global attention generating actions and debates involving social and political organizations possibly more than any other environmental issue in history. A looming controversy over the global warming issue debates the causes of increased global average air temperature since the mid-1800s, whether this warming trend is unprecedented or within normal climatic variations, predictions of additional warming, what the consequences are, and what necessary actions should be taken. With this, scientists have taken the step to establish studies in resolving this controversy and to arrive at a scientific consensus linking human activity to this crisis.

The Scientific Consensus

Major scientific bodies worldwide issued a statement telling the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the unanimous consensus representing the international scientific community on climate change science. These scientific bodies recognize IPCC as the world’s most reliable source of information on climate change and its causes, endorsing its method of achieving this consensus. The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide a comprehensive and objective assessment of scientific, technical and socio-economic information that could lead to a better understanding of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts, and the options for adaptation and mitigation.

The Impact of Human Activity on Global Warming

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a summary of report which drew on the work of more than 2,500 of the world’s leading climate scientists and were endorsed by 130 nations. The report confirms that global warming is now “unequivocal.” and states with more than 90 percent certainty that humans are primarily accountable for a significant portion of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that have caused global temperatures to rise significantly since 1950. The overwhelming increase in the greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide and methane) in the Earth’s upper atmosphere is caused by human burning of fossil fuels, industrial, farming, and deforestation activities. Additionally, it states that the increased in greenhouse gas concentrations are not only very likely to increase the Earth’s average temperature but also will influence precipitation and some storm patterns as well as raise sea levels. All of these will result to future problems caused by rising seas, growing deserts, and more frequent droughts all seem to affect the developing world more than rich countries. The report further says that global warming is likely to continue for centuries, and that it is already too late to stop some of the serious consequences it will bring. Still, the report adds that there is still time to slow global warming and to minimize many of its most severe consequences if we act quickly.