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pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/touron.jpg width=468 //ppWhile some folks are successfully mixing gasoline and electric engines, VW thought, why not mix natural gas and gasoline? That’s what they’re planning on doing with the EcoFuel VW Touran.strongbr //strong/ppUnfortunately, natural gas isn’t on the path toward carbon neutrality…but it is certainly better than the alternative. Natural gas is a much cleaner fuel than gasoline, and the majority of the U.S. demand is satisfied by production on this continent. You can also fill up using the natural gas line at your home (without having to pay a road tax)./ppBut the even more fascinating thing to me about this is that, when running on gasoline (it can do either, to eliminate that pesky range anxiety factor) it gets 45 MPG. This is an extremely impressive number for a minivan, and they’re doing it with some fancy technology./ppFirst, they start out with a fairly tiny 1.4 L engine, then add direct injection technology and a turbo-charger (so that acceleration times aren’t too dismal) and suddenly they’re squeezing a lot of power out of every drop of gas./ppOf course, there are no plans to sell the car in North America, and we haven’t seen a release date or a price (which we expect to be very high) but it’s exciting nonetheless./ppVia a href=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/vw-minivan-touran-tsi-ecofuel-cng-gas-engine.phpTreeHugger/a/p

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pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/touron.jpg width=468 //ppWhile some folks are successfully mixing gasoline and electric engines, VW thought, why not mix natural gas and gasoline? That’s what they’re planning on doing with the EcoFuel VW Touran.strongbr //strong/ppUnfortunately, natural gas isn’t on the path toward carbon neutrality…but it is certainly better than the alternative. Natural gas is a much cleaner fuel than gasoline, and the majority of the U.S. demand is satisfied by production on this continent. You can also fill up using the natural gas line at your home (without having to pay a road tax)./ppBut the even more fascinating thing to me about this is that, when running on gasoline (it can do either, to eliminate that pesky range anxiety factor) it gets 45 MPG. This is an extremely impressive number for a minivan, and they’re doing it with some fancy technology./ppFirst, they start out with a fairly tiny 1.4 L engine, then add direct injection technology and a turbo-charger (so that acceleration times aren’t too dismal) and suddenly they’re squeezing a lot of power out of every drop of gas./ppOf course, there are no plans to sell the car in North America, and we haven’t seen a release date or a price (which we expect to be very high) but it’s exciting nonetheless./ppVia a href=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/vw-minivan-touran-tsi-ecofuel-cng-gas-engine.phpTreeHugger/a/p

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pemimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/greensuburb.jpg width=468 //em/ppemThe Wall Street Journal/em offered an a href=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124050414436548553.htmlintriguing challenge/a to four top architectural firms — Mouzon Design House, Rios Clementi Hale Studios, Cook + Fox, and William McDonough + Parnters — design the green house of the future. The teams cooked up some intriguing designs full of eye-catching concept art and all the right hot topics — solar power, heat pumps, carbon nanotubes and more./ppSo why are some environmentalists complaining about the competition and the concept of a green suburbia?/ppRoger Lewis of the emWashington Post/em offers and a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043004501.htmlintelligent and considered rebuttal/a to the emWSJ/em piece, writing, Focusing on hypothetical designs of free-standing houses can even be a distraction. It can mask a more serious aspect of the challenge: the diminished sustainability of low-density, residential subdivisions in suburbia where most free-standing houses of the future are likely to be situated./ppHe states, No matter how green individual homes are, suburban sprawl is intrinsically anti-green. It generates infrastructure inefficiency; car dependency and rising fossil fuel demand; carbon-emitting, time-wasting road congestion; and, despite availability of inexpensive land at ever-greater distances from jobs, escalating development, construction and public service costs./ppemimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/tracthousing.jpg width=468 //embr /br /
The article provides an intriguing reminder that green architecture isn’t always as green as it seems. And cities, often associated with pollution, are potentially the a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2363/66/greenest societal direction of them all/a./ppHere at Ecogeek we often cover green architecture and building technology, both in the city setting a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1868/66/and in suburbia/a. As there will always be some people who yearn for suburban or rural settings, both design approaches have merit. However, when it comes to the greater good, or greater green perhaps, cities arguably present the most environmentally friendly, lowest impact, living opportunity./ppFrom electric vehicles to urban agriculture, the city has arguably the greater potential for green communities, with minimum land use, greatest energy efficiency, and lowest environmental impact. And with the U.S. population’s exodus from cities to surburbia a href=http://www.demographia.com/db-city1970sloss.htmreversing for the first time in five decades/a, the timing is ideal for green city architecture. So let’s move the focus onto greening cities, but let’s not blindly throw out suburban efforts wholesale, either./p

pSales of organic products were up 17% in 2008, reaching $25.6 billion despite the recession that began in the last quarter of the year, the Organic Trade Association’s annual Industry Survey reveals./ppThe data covers not only organic food, but organic fibers, personal care products, and pet foods./ppOrganic food sales were up 15.8% to $22.9 billion; organic food now accounts for 3.5% of all food sold in the U.S. Non-food categories grew 39.4% to $1.6 billion./ppThe association attributes the growth in the organic food sector, despite the recession, to two things: One, people who are committed to buying organic produce don’t let money pressure stop them, because they are committed to environmental protection and health; and two, the proliferation of organic foods available at traditional grocery stores has increased retail competition and driven down prices./ppThe Obama Administration is also poised to help the organic food industry grow further. The most extensive survey of organic farming is planned for this year, as part of the annual agricultural census, and the USDA’s deputy secretary for agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan, an organic and local food advocate, recently announced a new $50 million program to encourage organic farming. A new USDA division will focus exclusively on organic farming for the first time./ppWhy should we care? Organic farming uses no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, no genetically modified seeds, and makes enhancing soil health as a fundamental goal. It’s a big step toward sustainability, compared to traditional agriculture which, in the past few decades, has involved lots of harsh chemical poisons and a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, both of which have the potential to harm longterm soil health, and jeopardize the viability of agricultural lands./ppThere are also indications that organic produce may be healthier, and that it comes with less a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foodspesticide residue/a./pp /ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/ppa 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/ppa 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/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/food-iq-quiz-44101001?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgWhat’s Your Organic Food IQ? Take the Quiz!/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/organic-food-tips-47-040801?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Earth Day Diet: 18 Ways To Reduce Your Impact/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Shopping-For-Organics?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg5 Ways to Save Money On Organic Foods/a/pbr /pReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc/pp /p

p /pdiv class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=Istock / Photo Illustration by Gloria Dawson src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_daily_news/cash-for-clunkers-md.jpg//divp /ppWhen Congress approved hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out Wall Street by buying subprime mortgage derivatives and other toxic assets, economists and moralists worried over the moral hazard. Do you encourage bad behavior by saving those who have made bad decisions, and lost because of them./ppNow, Congress appears a href=http://www.freep.com/article/20090506/BUSINESS01/905060311/1014/Key+House+members+back+cash-for-clunkers+plan target=_blankclose to agreement/a on a much smaller-scale bailout for regular Americans who made a bad choice by buying a gas-guzzling SUV, truck or sports car that they don’t need. Cash for Clunkers legislation would pay drivers up to $4,500, according to the emDetroit Free Press/em,if they have a gas guzzler crushed, and buy a new fuel-efficient vehicle./ppHey! Why is fuel efficient in quotes?/ppBecause the bill Congress is considering would hand out those substantial checks to people who trade in gas-guzzlers in exchange for cars that get at least 22 mpg, SUVs that get at least 18 mpg and trucks — get this — that get at least 15 mpg. (The original legislation required the new car to be at least 25% more fuel-efficient than the trade-in, but now there’s an anemic requirement that the new car just get a few more miles to the gallon than the old car.)/ppGranted, there are barely a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201a dozen 2009 cars and SUVs that get 30 mpg or better/a, and only two (the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid) that get better than 40 mpg — a sad enough fact. But why not subsidize emthose/em vehicles, to the exclusion of gas-guzzlers? Ford — remember Ford? that emother/em, healthier member of the Big Three? — even makes three SUVs that get better than 30 mpg (the hybrid Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner and the Mazda Tribute)./ppThere are exciting new (a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/micro-cars-mpg-460409little/a) fuel-efficient cars (several which will achieve not 30, but 50 mpg or more) hitting the market, and the race is on to build the next-generation a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/automotive-x-prize-contestants-461208100 mpg vehicle/a. And Congress has mandated fuel economy increases to U.S. cars that will soon make 15 and 22 mpg vehicles at the very low end of the range of vehicles for sale. A 22 mpg passenger car should already be obsolete but these developments will make this program seem even more dated./ppWhen the cash for clunkers plan was first floated in January, it sounded like a moral hazard with some clear public benefits. Number one, it promised to remove old, inefficient vehicles from the road immediately, reducing their pollution permanently. It still will. But the second public benefit — instantly boosting the market for fuel-efficient cars at a time when the bad economy and the relatively low price of gas would prompt few drivers to make the switch, or buy a car at all — has been basically erased by this 15-22 mpg threshold./pp(The original plan also included provisions that would have allowed people to apply a $3,000 subsidy to public transportation costs, for those who commute by train or bus, or for emused/em car purchases, for those who see the inherent value — a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/used-care-gas-mileage-47022701economic and environmental/a — in reuse; it appears that both provisions a href=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/congress-close-on-cash-for-clunkers target=_blankhave been dropped/a.)/ppAs designed now, cash for clunkers seems to be about one thing: Funneling more money to automakers. If taxpayers are going to pay people to buy new cars — that’s all cash for clunkers is right now — we should only subsidize the buying of the best cars for the public good. Putting a fleet of new 15 mpg trucks and 22 mpg passenger cars on the road is hardly the best we can do, or the best even our ailing carmakers have to offer./ph2Do You Think a $4,500 Trade-in Credit for Gas Guzzlers Is a Good Idea?/h2pTell us by commenting below, or a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/polls/daily-debate-cash-for-clunkerstake the poll/a./pbr /pMore from The Daily Green/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe 14 2009 Cars That Get Better Than 30 MPG/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/save-money-gas-47050902?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgHow to Pay $1 A Gallon for Gas (or Less)/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47040904?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg5 Littl Fuel-Efficient Cars that Dazzled the NY Auto Show/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/micro-cars-mpg-460409?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg8 Micro Cars Set to Take Over The American Road/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/automotive-x-prize-contestants-461208?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Auto X Prize: Racing for a 100 MPG Car and $10 Million/a/pp /pp /pReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Incp /p

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/e-waste.jpg width=468 //ppA new report from a href=http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/electronics-recycling-and-e-waste-issuesPike Research/a, a firm that analyzes global clean technology trends, states that the a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2095/82/e-waste/a problem will continue and grow through 2015, but that the tide will turn in 2016 as recycling efforts finally catch up to the amount of electronics being manufactured./ppThe report foresees a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/470/81/e-waste/a peaking at about 73 million metric tons. More aggressive e-recycling campaigns from companies, government regulation, and consumer awareness will all play a part in causing that volume to decline after 2015. The report names Cisco, Dell, HP, Motorola, Nokia, Research in Motion, Sprint Nextel, and Vodafone as companies that are leading the way with recycling efforts./ppThe firm notes that government regulation will be critical in ultimately decreasing the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills. As it is now, consumers have very little incentive to recycle their old electronics; it’s too easy to just throw them away. But government programs that regulate how electronics can be disposed of will cause consumers to change their behavior. br /br /
An executive summary of the report is available for free download. Companies or other interested parties can request the full report for a fee./ppvia a href=http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10234442-54.htmlCNET/a/p

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/apple-recycle.jpg width=468 //ppApple is making recycling electronics easy for schools by offering to recycle old computers for free, but like any great offer, it’s limited./ppAny K-12 or higher education institutions are eligible to recycle old Macs, PCs, and peripherals (keyboards, mice, printers, etc.) from any manufacturer, with no purchase required. The limits are these: a school must have at least 25 pieces of recyclables to participate, they must register by July 31 and pick-up must occur by August 31 and all equipment must be packaged according to the a href=http://www.apple.com/education/recycle/shrinkwrap.htmlinstructions/a./ppRegardless of all the details, this is a great, if temporary, offer from Apple. If you or anyone you know works for a school that would be eligible, please pass on the registration information a href=http://www.apple.com/education/recycle/index.php?event_code=5539881cid=CDM-US-Edu-C0009644-141771Email_PageName=C0009644-141771Email_OID=524453cp=141771sr=emhere/a. Until electronics companies institute permanent, free recycling for all their products, we’ll have to take advantage of opportunities like these while we can./ppvia a href=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/apple-doing-the-right-thing-for-recycling-but-for-limited-time-only.phpTreehugger/a/p

pimg alt=image name height=230 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news/daily_green_news-567382654-1241798323.jpg?ymzqeOBDAE7vRA_K width=300//ppWith Congress moving forward with a a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/cash-for-clunkers-47011601flawed cash for clunkers bill/a that will subsidize the purchase of trucks and SUVs that get as little as 15 mpg, it may also consider a brighter proposal: A cash for lawn mower clunkers program./ppAccording to the emWall Street Journal/em, the Greener Gardens Act would offer a href=http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/04/30/a-tax-credit-for-your-lawn-mower/a 25% tax credit, up to $1,000/a for those who purchase fuel efficient alternative energy lawn and garden equipment:/pblockquotepQualifying equipment would include that powered by a motor drawing current from solar, electricity or rechargeable or replacement batteries, as well as equipment run off other alternatives to gasoline, such as propane or compressed natural gas. It would also include ‘hybrid’ machines whose cutting systems are powered by a generator or electrical storage device combines with a small engine./p/blockquotepstrongPersonal anecdote alert:/strong I use a plug-in electric push mower, made by Black and Decker, and bought at my the local Sears. I have a small yard, so the cord reaches all the way to the back, and I have avoid the hassle of getting, storing and poring gasoline. Of course, it’s not only quieter but a lot cleaner./ppstrongMore from The Daily Green/strong/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe 14 2009 Cars That Get Better Than 30 MPG/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/save-money-gas-47050902?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgHow to Pay $1 A Gallon for Gas (or Less)/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47040904?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg5 Littl Fuel-Efficient Cars that Dazzled the NY Auto Show/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/micro-cars-mpg-460409?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdg8 Micro Cars Set to Take Over The American Road/a/ppa href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/automotive-x-prize-contestants-461208?link=reldom=yah_greensrc=syncon=artmag=tdgThe Auto X Prize: Racing for a 100 MPG Car and $10 Million/a/pbr /pReprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc/pp /p

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/worldfirst.jpg width=468 //ppYesterday, scientists at the University of Warwick in England unveiled a race car that runs on chocolate, or at least the waste from a chocolate factory. The car, built to Formula 3 specifications, is even more distinct because it’s also built using biodegradable materials./ppThe steering wheel, seat and car body are all made from plant fibers from carrots, flax, soybean and various root vegetables. The engine runs on a mixture of vegetable oil and chocolate waste. The makers claim that it’s the fastest biofuel car to also be made out of sustainable materials and I’m claiming that it will be the first car whose description makes people hungry. It’s built to reach a top speed of 145 mph and drivers will take it out for a full-speed test run in a few weeks to verify its performance./ppThe makers are calling it the World First Formula 3 Race Car and are taking it on a tour of several races where it will be on display, including the European Grand Prix and Britain’s Goodwood Festival of Speed./ppvia a href=http://www.physorg.com/news160755240.htmlPhysorg/a/p

This past Monday (January 14th), Chlorox released its ‘Green Works’ line of green cleaning products. I’ve been pretty impressed with the new green products that seem to be appearing everywhere these days, and this is yet another example of green going mainstream.
I guess the major question is whether or not these products are truly [...]