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Carpet may contribute to lower air quality for your home. There are a lot of great alternatives to carpeting that are healthier for your family and the environment. When you're ready to replace that tired carpet, remember to recycle the old and be innovative with the new.
The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a report yesterday that undermines the GOP argument that drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) would save consumers money at the pump.
Getting information about the eco-friendliness of different products is pretty tough. Often, you cannot rely on the information from the manufacturer because it is skewed, exaggerated or misrepresented to increase sales. Google searching is tough because there is so much information out there, spread out over so many websites.
So what is a curious consumer to do? A new website called Greener One has just opened up shop on the internet to help us all out. It is similar to Wikipedia in that it invites educated citizens to contribute information on the ingredients, toxicity and lifespan of different products ranging from electronics to cleaning agents.
The long-term goal of the site is to become a go-to resource similar to "Consumer Reports" where consumers will look for reviews and information on a product prior to making a purchase. They can find out if the product is recyclable and whether it contains harmful ingredients.
If you want to check the site out, click HERE. It is in the beginning phases of development, but already there are several categories of product reviews available.
The other day, the Green Piece Blog was invited to the arrival of GM's Challenge X teams in Washington, DC. After driving from New York to DC, stopping at a few places in between, the teams were going to finally arrive at their final destination, the Department of Energy headquarters.
Challenge X is a competition hosted by GM and the US Department of Energy that is designed to encourage young engineers to think about new technologies that will reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
This is the fourth year for the competition. In the first year, university teams from the US and Canada worked in simulation environments to test different engineering choices in a way that mirrored early vehicle design. At the end of the year, 17 teams received a stock Chevrolet Equinox "crossover SUV." In years two and three, those teams moved onto the next phase in vehicle design, integrating the advanced powertrain and vehicle subsystems into the actual automobile. For this, the final year, the teams moved into the final phase of development, implementing safety, comfort and marketing plans for their finished products.
Those finished products drove from New York to DC and arrived at the ceremony we attended. Waiting for the cars was a huge crowd of students waving checkered flags and wearing their team polos. The cars on the outside lall ooked the same, with the exception of different stickers plastered all over the windows and doors. They did, however, sound a little different from each other as they drove by. This was due to the different approaches each team used in making their vehicle more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.
The different factors each team could tweak in their vehicle included: HEV architecture, engine, fuel, transmission, energy storage, and motor. The teams chose to use a range of fuel options including reformulated gasoline, bio diesel, hydrogen and ethanol.
The first place winning team for the competition was Mississippi State University with their Equinox that contained a "through the road" parallel hybrid electric system with a 1.9L GM direct injection turbo diesel engine utilizing bio diesel fuel. Their car increased fuel economy of the Equinox by 38%. Second place went to the University of Wisconsin and third place went to Ohio State University.
Some other accomplishments of the teams included a vehicle from Virginia Tech that reduced its wheel-to-wheel petroleum use by 77%. Fourteen of the 17 teams successfully reduced the green house gas impact of their vehicles, including the University of Wisconsin's vehicle which reduced its impact by 52% compared to the stock Equinox.
Overall, this looks like it is a great project. Hopefully GM is serious about implementing some of the teams' great achievements into their line of vehicles soon.
Honda is preparing to introduce several new hybrid models into their fleet of automobiles. Currently, Honda has the highest fleet fuel efficiency of any other carmaker in the United States. The new hybrid models will be sold in the US, Japan and Europe.
The new models Honda plans to release include a hyrid-only model that will compete directly with Toyota's Prius and a hybrid version of the Honda Fit. In addition, Honda is planning to release a re-vamped hybrid Civic and a "sportier" hybrid CR-V.
If you are thinking of buying a hybrid, it might be worth it to you to wait for these new models. The federal hybrid tax credit can be as high as $3,000 for a new hybrid. Unfortunately, the tax credit is phased out when a particular hybrid model sells 60,000 vehicles. As time passes, the tax credit drops until the IRS ends it completely. Already, all of the Toyota hybrid models have passed the 60,000 vehicle threshold and no longer qualify for the federal hybrid tax credit.
In other words, get your name on the waiting list at your local Honda dealership so you can get the highest level of the tax credit. Honda claims the mark-up for the new hybrids will be about $1,900.
If you want to compute the difference in cost between a hybrid and a non-hybrid over the course of a year or 10 years, THIS website has a great hybrid calculator. From my calculations, without the federal tax credit, you will begin saving money on gasoline for the hybrid after about 3 years.
And if you want to learn more about the federal hybrid tax credit, go to the IRS site HERE.
Read the full AP story HERE on how the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has voted to overturn the decision of the EPA to reject California's request for cleaner air standard.
This post is part of a weekly feature where we will focus on events and issues, related to the environment, happening in our own back yard of Washington, DC. Come back next Wednesday for another post.
American Idol is one of my guilty pleasures. It is such a predictable formula and I am constantly rolling my eyes at the repetitive comments from the judges. Regardless, I tune in year after year, applying my best analytical skills to try to predict who will stay and who will go.
Yesterday, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency went before the House Oversight Committee to answer tough questions from Congressman Waxman's powerful panel about the EPA's habit of putting political loyalties ahead of science in recent regulatory decisions.
I have blogged in the past about the political climate within the EPA and how it has lead to decisions that are not consistent with the way decisions have always been made at the agency.
As the outside temperatures increase and we see more sunny days, its going to be harder and harder to keep the soil in your garden, and in your planters, moist.
Its vital that the soil stays damp because the bacteria and microbial communities living in the dirt are helping your plants grow. If the soil becomes too dry, these communities die off and the soil must be replaced.
Of course, we all know that water is becoming an increasingly limited resource on our planet. Its necessary for everyone to cut back on the water they use for unnecessary purposes, like watering the garden. So how do you maintain your plants while maintaining the environment?
We have to address this question in two parts, based on the conditions under which your plants are planted.
1) Plants in Pots
2) Plants in the Ground
Installing a new thermostat that can be programmed to turn the A/C or heat off when you leave for work and back on when you come home could save you some serious dough.
I found this Sierra Club video on Youtube where a slightly irratating guide takes you through the process of installing your own thermostat. Its worth a look.
When I criticised Barack Obama's support of "Clean Coal" in West Virginia (read HERE), many attacked me by saying, "We have all this coal, what are we supposed to do?" To which I said, "Ignore it."
I argued that although coal currently makes up 50% of our energy mix, we could dramatically lower that level by investing in renewable energy sources rather than coal band-aids. I backed up my argument with THIS report from the Department of Energy that shows 20% of our nation's energy could come from wind power if we simply utilize currently existing technologies and make the right investments.
Now is the perfect time for Congress to show its commitment to expanding our renewable energy infrastructure by extending the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit. At the end of the year, the tax credit will expire. Until Congress makes clear its intention to renew the credit, several planned wind energy projects are in limbo.
Wind energy not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation from coal mining and the release of toxins into the air, it also employs 76,000 Americans. Call your Member of Congress now and ask if they are supporting the tax credit. If they aren't, ask why. 202 225-3121
The League of Conservation Votes gave John McCain the worst possible score for his 2007 voting record on the environment.
Why? Because he simply failed to vote on ANY positive environmental bills in the Senate that year. He just didn't vote. Its difficult to know a candidate's position on things without a voting record. Maybe thats why he did it!
This fact is remarkable in light of the McCain campaign's push in recent weeks to frame him as an environmentalist. In spite of his campaign's refusal to go carbon neutral by purchasing carbon credits from the free-market, McCain says he supports a free-market cap-and-trade pollution reduction program. He has also said he will invest in new energy technologies and use "common sense" to restore America's conservation commitment.
I'll give McCain the benefit of the doubt on his environmental proposals before I have the opportunity to read them in depth. Its not like Obama is wowing me with his commitment to "clean coal." What is fascinating about McCain's big environmentalist campaign, though, is that he has opened an eco-friendly category of products in his campaign shop.
If you click HERE, you will be taken to the "Go Green" section of the John McCain campaign store where there are products like t-shirts, hats, notebooks, coffee mugs, baby clothes and shopping bags made from organic cotton, organic based inks and more. He has even created a new campaign logo with the recycle symbol stamped above his name (leaving him open to jokes about "recycling Bush's policies").
Take a second to check out the goods. I have blogged in the past about the benefit of having candidates of both parties competing for the environmentalist label (read it HERE). Thats why I'm kind of excited about this new development from McCain. You can sign a petition urging the McCain campaign to go carbon neutral by going HERE.
This is our 300th Post!
After over 1.5 years & tens of thousands of visitors, we have reached this exciting milestone.
Thanks for all of the committed visitors who come back day after day. Thanks to all those sites who have linked to our stories. And a big thanks to the environmental blogs who help us bring interesting content to our readers.
As the 2008 political campaigns heat up and we are invited to more exciting events, look here for the scoop on whats green and eco-friendly this summer.
Thanks again!
This post is part of a weekly feature where we will focus on events and issues, related to the environment, happening in our own back yard of Washington, DC. Come back next Wednesday for another post.
I live North of Dupont, East of Kalorama Circle, South of Woodley Park and West of Adams-Morgan. Thankfully, this puts me within walking distance of a Yes! Organic Market, several farmers markets and a handful "green" shops.
If you live in this area, you are probably aware of a new store that just opened up called Capitol Hemp. It is located at 1802 Adams Mill Road, right between the Starbucks and the new Wachovia bank. Having a locally owned, environmentally friendly store on a strip full of corporate banks and shops is a breath of fresh air.
Capitol Hemp's location in a downstairs store, below a hair dresser, belies the enormity of their mission. This new shop is embracing everything hemp with astounding attention to detail. Even the display shelves are made of renewable hemp board. The objective of Capitol Hemp is to educate the public about the benefits of hemp-made products while providing a huge array of hemp-made supplies from clothing to non-dairy milk.
If you thought hemp was illegal in America, you're wrong. Hemp is not the same as marajuana. Hemp is a multi-talented plant that can be used as a substitute for a whole array of products. It is natural and renewable. Unfortunately, hemp farming is not permitted in the United States because of the negative stigma attached to marajuana. Therefore, companies making hemp products in America import their hemp from overseas. Wouldn't it be greener if we could just grow this stuff here rather than wasting fuel shipping it from China?
Anyways, take a few minutes to check out Capitol Hemp's website and try to stop by when you're in the neighborhood.
"Current levels of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are higher now than at any time in the past 650,000 years."
Read the story HERE
Spring is fully upon us and in one month it will be summer time. That means its time to get back to the great American tradition of weekend grilling. I've already smelled that enticing aroma of sizzling barbecues around my neighborhood.
If you're looking to turn your backyard BBQ into a green occasion, follow the tips below for Treehugger.com
1. Choose locations accessible to public transport. Encourage all those who come to take transit, carpool, ride their bikes or walk to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestions.
2. Smoke contributes to smog. Avoid charcoal and wood grills in favour of propane to reduce air pollution. Avoid lighter fluid which releases Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs which are hazardous to health.
3. Use reusable dishes rather than plastics or styrofoam and washable napkins rather than paper.. If you must use disposables, use compostable plates, cups and utensils.
4. Shop greener to reduce waste especially of packaging. Avoid single serving products. Buy in bulk and larger containers. For drinks buy recyclable containers rather than juice boxes which are not recyclable in SF.
5. After the barbecue, recycle the recyclables and put the compostable items including paper in the green bin.
6. It is suggested that leftover food should be sent home with people in reusable containers or given to the food bank if larger quantities are leftover.
The WE Campaign has successfully recruited 100,000 signatures for their petition to the Department of the Interior asking that Polar Bears be listed as endangered species.
Right now the Secretary of the Interior is considering the proposal to list the species and the WE Campaign is using this last 24 hours for a final push to get more signatures so they can deliver the petition to the Secretary with as many signatures as possible.
I'm skeptical about this proposed listing because of its inclusion of global climate change as one of the threats to Polar Bear survival. We need to fight global warming, but the structure and substance of the Endangered Species Act isn't properly suited for that purpose.
Regardless, Polar Bear numbers are dwindling and so are the numbers of their prey. Its important the government use its full regulatory force to protect them.
Sign the WE Campaign petition HERE, today!
A report published by the Energy Department and energy industry members claims that in the not so distant future, America could generate wind energy equivalent to our current nuclear energy supply. In fact, the report says that 20% of our nation's energy could be generated by windmills by 2030.
The best news to come out of the report is that this growth is achievable without major new technological breakthroughs. I know this doesn't sound like good news, but given the political and scientific difficulties incumbent in reforming our energy infrastructure, anything easy is good.
The report does caution that it would be costly, in terms of money and land, to expand our wind turbine energy production from the current level of 16,000 to 300,000 megawatts. But once the equipment is in place, turbines could generate electricity for less than half a cent per kilowatt hour.
This is the direction our federal funding should be taking. Funding fossil fuel sources of energy like coal is investing in last century's solutions.
To read more, click HERE.
The 2005 Energy Bill was written behind closed doors by Dick Cheney and his oil & coal industry buddies. It did very little, if anything, to generate a net gain for the environment or for renewable energy technology. It did expand funding for coal and ethanol, both of which contribute to global warming and destruction
