Go Greener Tips

Archive for the ‘Green RSS News’ Category

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/honeywell-turbine.jpg width=468 //ppA small rooftop wind turbine by EarthTronics will be sold at ACE Hardware stores starting this fall. The 2-kW a href=http://www.earthtronics.com/honeywell.aspxHoneywell Wind Turbine/a can produce power from winds that range in speed from two miles per hour to 45 miles per hour, making it the first among a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2252/86/its competitors/a to be able to generate power from such slow wind speeds./ppThe small turbine is six feet in diameter, weighs 95 pounds and can be directly mounted to a roof. The turbine operates through a direct-drive design, which means it generates power without the use of a heavy center gearbox, allowing it to be lighter in weight and to work at slower speeds./ppAccording to EarthTronics, it’s capable of generating 2,000 kWh of electricity per year, or 18 percent of an average household’s energy needs. The company hopes that its small size and availability through ACE Hardware will open up wind power generation to a whole new set of consumers./ppThe turbine is priced at $4,500, plus up to $1,500 for installation, but with the new incentives in the stimulus bill, consumers and businesses can claim a 30 percent investment tax credit for the cost of a small wind turbine and some states offer even more incentives, making it much more affordable in the end./ppvia a href=http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/earthtronics-to-launch-small-wind-turbines-for-the-rooftops/Greentech Media/a/pp /p

Original post

The globe is such a big big world to live in. Even a small nuclear family allows petty arguments to get into their skins. Debates regarding global issues which concerns even for the good of the planet still receives counter arguments. This has become an endless word battle between opposing wits.

This did not only stir up questionings inside the scientific society but has gone beyond even the financial world itself. Non-scientists, themselves, have witnessed differing scientific perspectives and gave their own personal comments as well. It will be best to personally weigh opinions and do what you believe in with endless passion. But that passion should, of course, come from rational thinking and not merely emotional excitement.

Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth,” a documentary film on global warming issues has seemed to successfully presented itself to be as if the very facts of the topic that people should truly believe in. Well, it should have been unwise for Mr. Gore to create a presentation like that which he does not truly believe in. Personally, it was more of a simple but deep presentation of modern facts that I came to think of it is it likely to really happen, or was it merely intended to produce a film so people could watch and be entertained?

Write-ups came out that the documentary film affected a great deal of arguments from all sides. Its resource, trustworthiness and consistencies were eventually challenged. But doesn’t it seem like people want their own opinion to be heard in public? Just to declare that you had something to say upon the matter. Judging and challenging to scientific evidences that has been subject to scrutiny from scholars and the authorities may be an absurd idea. Or even arguing against already existing argumentations just makes matters more complicated and opening issues that are no longer directly related diverting the path of the real area of discussion.

It is best hoped that this global issues which all should practically be concerned makes it a real challenge to stay in focus and not to go out of the line. Arguments against the credibility of banks’ relation to the problem, questionable computer methods on presenting true and correct information, and the newspapers’ report that “not all scientific evidences are true” should be seriously considered by the great population of the laymen, themselves to weigh according to their own understanding and personal awareness. They may have the ability to contribute to arguments against a now “distorted” view of Global and environmental problems, but heir concern for their own future becomes what really matters for now.

Amidst the global call to save Mother Nature from total destruction brought about by the phenomenon know as global warming, there are still proponents who refuse to believe that the world is being threatened by such a gigantic trouble. These groups of learned global warming skeptics have strong standpoint opposing the global warming hysteria. As one has put it, the desire to save humankind is oftentimes candy coated with the rather willful urge to rule. Where then is the drawing line that will categorize the truth or fallacy of this climatic phenomenon?

Global warming skeptics bonded themselves in an association called Global Climate Coalition. It is primarily composed of great and influential people from the trade industry and corporate sector. Global warming skeptics present themselves as front liners for the business sector in the sensational global warming debate. They have traveled the extra mile to uphold their battle cry to express their belief that the mitigating climate change is nothing but natural phenomenon that has created hysteria because of media and scientific sensationalism. Global warming skeptics have funded a multi-billion dollar advertising campaign against the Kyoto Protocol being the brain behind the study of the global climate change. This coalition has remained to be a strong and powerful voice which aims to block the unnecessary debate regarding the issue. In a nutshell, the global warming skeptics are one in believing that the sudden climate change is nothing but a natural cycle in the planet and people will toll expensively to control it but to no avail. This simply brings to light the gaps in the studies that have led to the adoption of the principles stood for by the Kyoto Protocol.

The hot issue about the environment has become ordinary topic for discussion by scholars in the academe. It has created a name on its own that it even stirred the political arena. But from the part of the global warming skeptic’s point of view, critical thinking about the issue will take away the artificial hysteria that has been played by the media. Basically, their stand rejects the universally accepted conclusion that Mother Nature is upset thus an abnormal climate change is taking place. They believe, on the other hand, that this is purely a natural occurrence in the life of the planet so that the results of its ill-effects to humankind cannot and should not just be accounted as rooted in man’s activities. Global warming skeptics further believe that this phenomenon has been going for the last 4.5 billion years and the hype that the scientists attach to it is purely a politicized movement.

Global warming skeptics believe that most scientists are in consensus about global warming even without understanding fully the science beneath the papers of the arguments. They remain adamant in believing that there is no basis for any such consensus and that the truth is that the global warming phenomenon is one big political lie.

Global warming and the greenhouse effect are closely intertwined. Greenhouse effect causes our air temperature to rise and because of the high temperature we have global warming. When the radiation given off by the planet is absorbed in the atmosphere it causes the temperature to rise, this what you may call the greenhouse effect. This radiation generally comes from sun energy. The sun gives off this energy to the planet and is bounced back into space. However, not all of the sun’s energy reaches back to outer space, some are absorbed by the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are basically water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide that is found in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect is getting negative reactions from people because of its close association to global warming. However, most people do not know this but greenhouse effect is important to our environment. We might not be able to survive without this phenomenon. The greenhouse gases prevent our environment to have really cold temperatures. They help control our climate because they trap heat in the atmosphere, which serves as warm-air protection from the cold. Most of the Earth’s inhabitants will probably not survive these severely cold temperatures.

Although, the greenhouse effect is helpful to our environment, it can also be damaging not controlled. Too much radiation absorb by the greenhouse gases will affect our climate and surroundings in an extremely negative way. This type of situation might now be called global warming. Greenhouse effect can be utilized in a good way when people can lessen the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in our atmosphere.

Humans can greatly contribute to the greenhouse effect. Human activities can be destructive to our atmosphere because of the huge amounts of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels can cause a rise of the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Excessive burning of these gases will naturally cause extreme levels of greenhouse gases, which is basically bad for the environment. Development of carbon-based industries is also one of the main reasons for global warming. People should take precautions to prevent global warming. They need to control their activities, which contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Governments are taking significant measures to control the greenhouse effect and prevent global warming. People should be continually educated regarding the matter. Knowledge is probably the best weapon against the negative impacts of the greenhouse effect and global warming. When properly educated, the people will know what to do to prevent global warming.

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/wind-farm.jpg width=468 //ppAccording to the Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009 report released by the United Nations Environment Programme, clean energy companies received $155 billion in investments in 2008, four times as much as in 2004./ppThat’s the good news. The not so good news is that with the economic downturn, that upward trend has decreased in recent months. Investments in the second half of 2008 were down by 17 percent compared to the first half and down 23 percent compared to the last half of 2007. Clean energy investments in 2008 still topped 2007 overall though./ppSome of the finer points of the report include:/pulliWind had the highest investment in 2008 at $51.8 billion./liliSolar grew the most in new investments with $33.5 billion, a 49 percent increase over 2007./liliGeothermal investments (new and continuing) grew the most in 2008 with an increase of 149 percent./liliBiofuel investments decreased by 9 percent to $16.9 billion./liliWind and solar costs are dropping because of the surge of investments and increase in production. Solar PV modules are expected to drop in cost by 49 percent this year./liliDeveloping countries are leading the pack in investment growth with a 27 percent increase over 2007, while Europe and North America saw stalling investments in 2008./liliGovernment packages are crucial to continued growth in clean energy investment as annual investments need to reach half a trillion dollars by 2020 to meet the recommendations of the IPCC./li/ulpYou can access the full report a href=http://www.sefi.unep.org/here/a./ppvia a href=http://www.livescience.com/environment/090603-alternative-energy-investment.htmlLive Science/a/p

Original post

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/bigbelly.jpg width=468 //ppSolar-powered trash compactors called BigBellys are being installed along a href=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090501_New_city_trash_bins_are_smart__green-friendly.htmlPhiladelphia’s/a sidewalks. The new bins are powered completely by the sun and hold eight times as much waste as a typical city trash can./ppThe city is installing 500 of the compactors by July and 210 of them will include separate recycling bins. The greatest thing about these compactors is the fact that they will save the city $12.9 million over 10 years since they only need to be emptied five times a week versus 19 times for the regular trash cans, slashing fuel and staff costs. This also offers the benefit of less CO2 emissions from fewer garbage pick-ups./ppThe bins include sensors that detect when they’re full and wireless devices that alert the city’s Streets Department that it’s time for pick up. Because trash is enclosed in the bin once it’s discarded, they will cut down on city litter that would accumulate from trash falling out of the old wire bins.br /br /
Philadelphia isn’t the only area to benefit from their use.  Besides the units installed at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, trash compactors have also been installed in Chicago’s Millennium Park and Boston’s Fenway Park./ppvia a href=http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/28/philadelphias-solar-powered-trash-compactors/Inhabitat/a/p

Original post

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/peg.jpg width=468 //ppTremont Electric has created a kinetic energy-based charger called the nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator). What’s nifty about this charger compared to other kinetic energy harvesters is that it immediately converts kinetic energy to electricity and feeds it to your gadgets instead of storing the energy and then charging./ppThe PEG can charge the average portable device up to 80 percent with an hour’s worth of movement. What’s better is that you don’t need to strap the PEG onto yourself to harness the kinetic energy. It can be placed in your backpack or purse or strapped to your bike or kayak and derive the same energy. You can even use it while standing on the subway or bus./ppThe device weighs 9 ounces and is 9 inches long by 1.5 inches in diameter. To use it, you simply plug your phone, MP3 player or other device directly into the PEG via USB cable and start moving./ppTremont claims that if everyone with portable devices used the PEG for an hour every day instead of plugging into the grid, enough energy would be saved to power 21,000 households for a year./ppYou can sign up to be notified when the PEG is available for pre-order a href=http://greennpower.com/buyhere/a./ppvia a href=http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10255908-54.htmlCNET/a/p

Original post

div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=image name height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-256530468-1244146546.jpg?ymy9bXBD05DiVnOD width=300/br /em(Photo: bigoni / Wikimedia Commons)/embr /br //divpAs if we didn’t have enough to worry about with a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/lead-toy-recall-47103102lead/a, a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bisphenol-a-47091707Bisphenol A/a, a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/phthalates-47020418phthalates/a, a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foodspesticides/a and a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/safe-fish-recipes-44100608mercury/a, now, a new investigation finds that many common products are radioactive — even one cheese grater./ppA must-read Scripps News investigation found that radioactive waste is being mixed with other metals in scrap yards and recycling facilities, often overseas, and then shipped into the U.S. in a range of consumer products. /ppThe Daily Green urges readers to check out the a href=http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/43577 target=_blankwhole report/a, but below are the chief findings:/pullipstrongImports aren’t checked for radioactivity:/strong The U.S. has no regulations specifying how much radioactivity is acceptable, and U.S. agents don’t screen cargo containers entering the U.S./p/lilipstrongRadioactive materials contaminate U.S. scrap:/strong U.S. metal recyclers and scrap yards aren’t required to test or report the presence of radioactive waste, and there is a strong financial incentive for facilities to dump them or mix them in with clean products, since the cost of proper disposal is steep. Facilities in 36 states currently have no option for properly disposing of radioactive waste. A U.S. program designed to collect the most radioactive waste has a two-year waiting list and a 9,000-item backlog./p/lilipstrongThe scale of the problem or health risk isn’t known:/strong No federal agency is responsible for testing, tracking or reporting the presence of radioactivity in consumer goods or raw materials./p/li/ulpWorse, there’s very little consumers can do to protect themselves, according to the report. While exposure to low-level radioactivity is a fact of life, there’s a scientific debate about the medical implications for chronic low-level exposure, and there’s no telling whether or not some common products are delivering doses high enough to cause acute health issues. /ppThis is a tip of the iceberg story we’ll have to watch./pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/pullia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/lead-toy-recall-47103102?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgLatest Lead Toy Recalls/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/safe-fish-recipes-44100608?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgSeven Recipes for Mercury-Free Sustainable Fish/a/lilia 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 Low in Pesticide Residue/a/lilia href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bisphenol-a-47091707?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgHow to Avoid Bisphenol A and Phthalates/a/li/ulpemReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc/em/p

Original post

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/pluginstella.jpg width=468 //ppSubaru, known for its less-than-efficient outdoorsy cars here in the U.S., actually has a nice green microcar on sale in Japan. And this July, they’ll be turning that Stella into an electric vehicle for the Japanese market, making them the first major car company to sell an electric vehicle this decade./ppOf course, that doesn’t mean that they’ve actually done anything that interesting. The car has a 60 mile range and a top speed of 62 mph, both pretty sub-par numbers for EVs. Still, it’d be a fine alternative for city-dwellers if it weren’t for the ginormous price tag: $49,000. Subaru will also only be selling 170 of these Stella EVs between July of this year and March of 2010, and they’ll only be available in Japan./pp So, no, don’t get too excited. But there was one interesting piece of information buried in the press release. The car will be able to recharge it’s batteries at a wall outlet in about 5 hours, but quick-charge stations (once they exist) would be able to refill it in just 15 minutes!/ppThat’s not as quick as a stop at the gas station, but it’s a heck of a lot better than a five-hour pit-stop./p

Original post

div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=Insulation Installer / iStockPhoto height=300 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/the_conscious_consumer/the_conscious_consumer-997475944-1243971249.jpg?ymxKxWBDBRnsVHvU width=200//divpWe’ve all been hearing about the benefits of green jobs lately. A a href=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-average-green-employee-makes-76000-2009-6new Reuters survey/a found that green workers like the work they do, feel secure in their jobs, and are paid well, earning an average salary of $76,000.  /ppThere’s no doubt that creating a substantial number of new green jobs has the potential to help revive the economy and solve environmental problems. The government stimulus package alone is expected to create millions of green jobs. Climate change legislation, if passed, will likely add even more./ppThe jury is still out on whether the reality of green jobs will live up to all the hype. But for now, here are answers to some very basic questions about what kinds of green jobs are being created and how to land one./ppstrongWhat exactly is a green job?/strong/ppThere’s no official definition, but the a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/StrongMiddleClass/Middle Class Task Force/a, which recently announced more funding for training and the a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/White-House-Enviro-Council-Accepts-Biden-Challenge-Help-Retrofit-America/creation of green jobs/a, loosely defines it as jobs that help to improve the environment in some way./ppThe a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Blogging-to-the-Middle/task force says/a the term includes:/pulliBlue-collar workers building out the smart grid to efficiently move the wind power (green, renewable energy) across the land. /libr /li’Weatherizers’ who can diagnose and repair the energy inefficiencies in your house or business. /libr /liThe green manufacturers who made those wind turbines or the scientists and lab technicians who developed those renewable energy sources and weatherization materials./li/ulpYou’ve also probably heard the term a href=http://www.greenforall.org/blog/what-are-green-collar-jobsgreen-collar jobs/a.The clean energy jobs organization a href=http://www.greenforall.org/Green for All/a describes this work as blue-collar jobs that contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. /ppstrongWhat kinds of jobs are being created? /strong/ppHere is Green for All’s short list:/pulliEnergy auditors/liliGreen carpenters/liliInsulation installers/liliCivil engineers/liliRail-track layers/liliBus and train systems operators/liliWind turbine machinists/liliSolar panel installers/liliIron and steel workers/liliRecycling center operators/liliWater quality consultants/li/ulpIt’s not all about the face of the green economy, says a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=24698Timothy O’Connor/a, at the Environmental Defense Fund. New companies are starting up because of the stimulus package, and those companies are going to need accountants, managers, human resources folks, and other professionals. As a result, high-end salaries are increasing. We now see
more jobs a href=http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUKTRE5523OD20090603?pageNumber=3virtualBrandChannel=10482paying six figure salaries/a, particularly as climate change
has started to pull in senior managers from other areas of business,
says Andy Cartland, managing director at a href=http://www.acre-resources.co.uk/Acre Resources/a./ppstrongHow do you go about finding green training opportunities and jobs? /strong/ppIt depends on where you live. Where to get green job training and which economic sectors are growing will vary from community to community. Here are some general tips to get you get started, but keep in mind that there are sure to be more resources as the government money trickles down. /pulliThe Department of Labor recently committed a href=http://www.doleta.gov/$500 million to train green workers/a. Check with your local a href=http://www.careeronestop.org/One-Stop Career Center/a to see if they have any green training programs. a href=http://www.americangreenjobs.net/wikiAmerican Green Jobs/a, supported by the EPA and the DOL, has extensive information on training, education, and other aspects of green employment. Or look for service-learning opportunities through the a href=http://www.nascc.org/Corps Network/a, which can put you on the path to a green career, says Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins at a href=http://www.greenforall.org/resourcesGreen for All/a. /libr /liYour local community college can be a great resource. Community colleges often have links to green vocational agencies, according to Ellis-Lamkins. It’s also a good way to find local union apprenticeship programs. It’s competitive to land a place in one of these programs, says O’Connor, but once you’re in, you have access to well-developed support and job placement networks. /libr /liCheck for a href=http://green.yahoo.com/living-green/finding-a-green-job.htmlgreen career opportunities/a at a href=http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobs-k-GreenYahoo! Hot Jobs/a. Here’s a a href=http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/123/finding-the-green-job-of-your-dreams.htmllist of some good websites for green job listings/a. Additional job boards include: a href=http://www.greenjobs.net/Green Jobs Network/a, a href=http://www.greenjobs.com/public/index.aspxGreenjobs/a, and a href=http://www.ecojobs.com/index.phpEnvironmental Career Opportunities/a. /libr /liKeeping track of where a href=http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-stimulus_job_watch-794stimulus money is going/a is a great way to help find opportunities in your city or town./libr /liEnvironmental Defense Fund mapped out a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=33427potential job opportunities/a in 14 states (if Congress passes a cap on carbon). See if your state is listed and, if so, which companies in your area are in the best position to start hiring.   /libr /liThe Natural Resources Defense council has a href=http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/jobs/index.aspfact sheets/a outlining a href=http://www.nrdc.org/enterprise/greenjobs.aspgreen job opportunities/a in about a dozen states./libr /liThe a href=http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/09/26/green_jobs_guide/Green Jobs Guidebook /afocuses on where to get training and find good-paying a href=http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=37047redirect=cagreengreen jobs in California/a, but O’Connor, a co-author, says the info is applicable anywhere in the country.  /li/ulbr /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

Original post