Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Top Green Power Users
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Monday, January 29, 2007
Green Super Bowl
The Super Bowl has gone Green. The NFL is offsetting the carbon created by producing electricity consumed during the super bowl by planting native trees and purchasing renewable energy certificates. They even think that all of their efforts will make the event carbon negative. They are also pushing recycling at the event and will be donating any uneaten food.
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Tags: carbon neutral
Saturday, January 27, 2007
DIY
Posted by AGDubbs at 8:12 AM 0 comments
Friday, January 26, 2007
WaterSense
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, January 25, 2007
TreeHugger Hit It
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 1 comments
Tags: natural living, suburbs, treehugger
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
State of the Union
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
State of Environmental Policy
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Tags: policy
Geothermal Energy
There are a few drawbacks, among them being a shortage of water in the parts of the country where the hot spots are most readily available (west), and the possibility that drilling into and fracturing rock may cause earthquakes like this one in Switzerland.
I honestly haven't heard of this type of geothermal energy before, but am familiar with the geothermal heating and cooling available in all sizes. I've been in a home equipped with a system that simply had the pipes laid underground throughout the yard. I've also seen them work very well with the pipe coils in nearby ponds or lakes. I commented on TreeHugger here about how geothermal deserves a lot more press.
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Tags: electricity, energy, indiana, pond, renewable, treehugger
Monday, January 22, 2007
Arm & Hammer
I just read this on top of the baking soda box:
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Tags: cleaning, groceries, natural living
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Organic Birthday
Posted by AGDubbs at 3:03 PM 1 comments
Tags: groceries, natural living, organic
Friday, January 19, 2007
Cash Cows
EPA and its partners have released guidance that can help farmers manage livestock waste and boost farm earnings while reducing greenhouse gases. Processing livestock manure under controlled conditions can produce biogas, a source of greenhouse gas emissions. Farmers also benefit because the biogas can be used to generate electricity.
"Using biogas has multiple benefits; it decreases greenhouse gas emissions, produces renewable energy for rural communities, and safeguards local air and water quality," said Bill Wehrum, EPA's acting assistant administrator of Air and Radiation. "This guidance will help farmers and potential investors make informed choices about which systems work best for farms, for profits, and for our environment."
Biogas is made up of methane and carbon dioxide. Because methane is more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, capturing biogas provides significant environmental benefits. Also, farmers and project developers can increase their incomes by using biogas for on-site electricity generation or delivery to a local electric utility.
Waste methane recovery systems, also known as anaerobic digestion systems, are estimated to be feasible at about 7,000 dairy and swine operations in the United States. In 2005, about 110 systems were operational or under construction, and another 80 were in the planning stages.
The standardized guidance was developed jointly by EPA's AgStar program, the Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, and USDA. The guidance will provide a standardized method that will allow farm operators and investors to compare the effectiveness of available waste methane recovery systems.
AgStar is a voluntary program that encourages the use of waste methane recovery systems on dairy and swine farms. Each year, these systems have reduced methane by about 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, while providing enough renewable energy to power over 20,000 average American homes. The program also assists countries throughout the world in developing biogas recovery projects through the Methane to Markets Partnership.
Information on the AgStar Protocol: http://www.epa.gov/agstar/resources/protocol.html General information on Methane to Markets Partnership: http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 2 comments
Tags: agriculture, biofuel, EPA, global warming
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Doomsday Clock
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 2 comments
Tags: global warming, policy
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Permitted to Pollute
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 3 comments
Tags: industry
Monday, January 15, 2007
Gas Price!
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Tags: fuel efficiency
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Mission Accomplished
Two of those items were organic cotton clothes, which grabbed her attention with the large "organic" sign above them, and they were on sale. It's a brand called I.W.I., which I can't for the life of me find any reference to online. The label says cut and sewn in Taiwan, and finished in China.
If she had gone to "Fresh Market" or "Whole Foods" or "Trader Joe's", you might not even be able to get under 50% organic, but we're talking Meijer in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The bill? A lot! There's no doubt we paid more for many of the organic items vs. their normal competitors. And I can't say that we'll get 30% every time from now on, as this trip was in preparation for my bday, when I will be treated to all-organic breakfast and dinner - including ice cream pie!
Posted by AGDubbs at 1:33 PM 0 comments
Tags: groceries, natural living, organic
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Why Buy Green?
Posted by AGDubbs at 8:22 PM 0 comments
Tags: natural living
Friday, January 12, 2007
Oak Farm Montessori
We were very surprised to find, just a short drive north of our house in Avilla, Indiana, a fantastic place called... "Oak Farm Montessori School and Oak Bridge Montessori Middle School provide a unique opportunity for each student to be at home in the world of nature. Strengthening a child’s connection with nature and the environment is an important part of our curriculum. We seek to give students, parents, and faculty a reverence for the earth, its waters, and all living things. We also encourage caring for the environment based on our individual responsibility for the beauty of the land and the health of our ecosystems. We believe that being at home in the world of nature is basic to being a whole and healthy person."
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 1 comments
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Buying E Green
I just wrote about buying green, and then today found this great post on TreeHugger. It's so in line with what I'm into that I don't need to paraphrase or reword; I'll just copy:
"Working from the idea that electronics are both ubiquitous and helpful in our everyday lives, they don't want you to quit using them (and certainly don't want you to just throw them away); myGreenElectronics hopes to help you learn more about minimizing the environmental impact of these gadgets and toys through responsible use, reuse and recycling. They've also added a fourth "R" to the common Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra that gets bandied about these pages: Rethink, and we think that's a biggie. By considering the environment before you ever go shopping, and then finding electronics and accessories that use less energy, are made with recyclable and recycled materials and are easier to upgrade, fix and recycle, you make it easier on yourself, your energy bill, your conscience and your planet."
I love the 4th R: Rethink. In fact, it should be the 1st R.
For more e-recycling ideas and information, including where to take your used electronics, go to the EPA Plug-In to eCycling pages.
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Tags: computer, electronics, gadgets, natural living, treehugger
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Chicken Little
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:00 AM 1 comments
Tags: autos, global warming
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Buy Green
CNN has a special report called Buying Green. There will can find a fair amount of information including sales figures through 2005 on food, consumer products, and construction. There is a survey and a forum, and also some help decoding the labels (which can be very misleading).
TreeHugger has a great series called How to Green Your Life, with topics including work, water, lighting, wardrobe, and many more.
I also really dig The Green Guide, which claims to be The Green Living Source for Today's Conscious Consumer. The feature today is The Eco-nomical Bedroom, and at a quick glance it looks very well done. It offers you different options from different manufacturers and includes pricing.
Those are a few of the better sites that I've encountered. I'm sure there are many more that I've missed.
Posted by AGDubbs at 3:33 PM 0 comments
Tags: green gifts, natural living
Green (colored) Lumber
The EPA announced yesterday that they will not approve one of the treatments called Acid Copper Chromate (ACC) for residential use because of the potential for harmful effects on humans. ACC is just one of a handful of different pesticides used, and the others are linked in a box on the right side of the page.
Alternatives? Again, I'm sad to tell you that many alternatives are costly and have widely varying properties. One just simply cannot keep untreated lumber outside for very long without it literally falling apart, so unless you have a lot of money to spend, you may be stuck with treated lumber. Some alternate treatments are listed here.
So if you're thinking about building something this summer, start your research now and see what's available in your area. You may even ask you local lumberyard to order something they don't normally carry. That kind of request is one of the few ways to help bring more environmentally friendly products to the masses. Many people believe that if Lowe's doesn't have it, it doesn't exist.
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:04 AM 0 comments
Tags: EPA, natural living, pesticides, recycle
Monday, January 8, 2007
Local Agriculture
So, check out your farmers' market or jump right into a local CSA.
Posted by AGDubbs at 8:26 PM 0 comments
Tags: groceries, natural living
Mission Organic
Posted by AGDubbs at 4:30 PM 0 comments
Tags: groceries, natural living, organic
Friday, January 5, 2007
A Local Story
This is a guest-written post by a friend in northern Michigan, about the local environmental council and their efforts and problems.
The local council is apparently divided;
the good news: several (mostly young) leaders actively seek locally sustained renewable resources (ranging from intelligent forestry, recycled animal and human waste, fresh produce, meat, milk, in a rather old-fashioned cycle which can (allegedly) be linked to the four seasons via production on the land round about -- but outside the vertical (one way) system of chemically polluting agribusiness (from chem loaded orchard to table). Their claim: this, when in place, will produce profit. I find the details fascinating. In the local business community support is growing.
The bad news: I see no evidence they can compete with Meijers or Walmart. I shop at both since on Soc Sec I have no choice. Gas prices restrict me to one trip a week, but I save more on produce imported from Chile and S. Cal.
The other bad news, if I read the literature correctly: many who appear to support these renewable alternatives actively crave a hippy-like return to the land, as if we can all survive only if we all become anti-tech like the Amish. Do these folks drive to the meetings?
He goes on to mention a well-intentioned art show about once a year from which the proceeds are donated to an environmental organization, but there are never any bikes among the gas guzzlers. On the other hand, he knows at least two locals that ride their bikes year round. Whether they do it for exercise or for the environmental benefits is beside the point.
The writer offers good examples of the challenges faced by, in my guess, a large majority of our population. Being green is not easy or cheap in many areas, and therefore is often not an option.
---------------
There are a few topics mentioned here that I'll hit on in later posts: local products (edible or not) and how competitive they are, and the 'holier-than-thou' attitude of some of the more vocal environmentalists.
Posted by AGDubbs at 4:50 PM 0 comments
Tags: enviro groups, michigan, natural living
Wind 1
I'm betting you've all heard a least a little of the controversy over wind turbine farms. Most of that controversy is based on a view that the turbines are "bird blenders". The other big problem is a perception of decreased property values.
This Old House of Green
Posted by AGDubbs at 4:45 PM 0 comments
Tags: natural living, texas
Challenge - Truckless
Today is my last day with Pinky, Barbie Truck, Pink Panther; my 1984 "raspberry" Chevy S-10, 4-cylinder, bare bones, manual, no tape or CD, regular cab, short box, truck. We've decided to attempt to get by with 1 vehicle for a few months and see how it goes.
Posted by AGDubbs at 4:30 PM 0 comments
Tags: autos, biofuel, mileage, natural living, suburbs
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Big Newseses
Posted by AGDubbs at 8:39 PM 2 comments
Natural 'Hoods
Posted by AGDubbs at 11:21 AM 2 comments
Tags: indiana, natural living
COMMENT !
Posted by AGDubbs at 7:30 AM 0 comments
LED Again
Ever wonder why you keep hearing, over and over and over again, that you should change your lightbulbs to flourescents or LEDs? Yes, I've mentioned it a few times already too. Well, it's because it's the easiest (how many average Americans does it take to change a lightbulb?), it's cheap, and it really makes a difference (energy=environment). In other words, it's where every aspiring treehugger should start ... Wait, no ... it's what anybody with common sense should do.
"And LED is truly the way to go if you can get the color temperature that you want. I have two fixtures that are designed for accent lighting right now that are fun ...http://www.chauvetlighting.com/fixtures/colorsplashjr_fix.shtml, but don't really do justice on the pure white or yellow tints since they use color mixing tech. These guys have a few heavy output jobs, but again, the prices...http://www.enluxled.com."
Posted by AGDubbs at 6:59 AM 0 comments
Tags: LED light emitting diode, lighting
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Organic Cotton
I don't believe one can talk about organic cotton without mentioning Patagonia. While they could never have made the conversion without the smaller companies that started the trend and the existing organic farmers, Patagonia kicked the trend into a higher gear. Since then, organic cotton has sprouted up almost everywhere you turn.
Posted by AGDubbs at 8:46 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Kill 2 Evils with 1 Bike
My wife just called, which forced me over to my cellphonetalking position at my office window. I looked out at the long wintery shadow of the foundry on the nonwintery green grass. We've been talking a lot about the weather 'round here lately - especially since we spent 4 days up at Houghton Lake (Northern Lower Michigan) at my parents' house and there was no snow (it wasn't even cold enough to make snow - we tried!). Tip Up Town is scheduled for a few weeks from now and the lake isn't frozen. I guess the west and plains got the snow normally allocated for all of us this season.
We're going to try to get by with just 1 vehicle starting Friday - a nice treehuggerish thing to do. I actually don't think it will reduce our footprint any since we'll probably do the same or maybe just slightly less driving. We have talked a lot about getting me a good road bike so I can pedal the 18 miles to work. I figure it will take about an hour once I'm in shape for it. Well, the bike isn't in the budget for the near term, but the weather got me thinking (uh oh).
As you might have guessed, treehuggers are rightfully BIG on biking. Not only does our environment need a rest, but most of us rest way too much. Why don't more of us bike to work? I'm not kidding. I am confident that at least 30 people at my office live 5 or fewer miles from work, where there are showers and changing areas. So, if they could get to work in 20 minutes, take a quick shower, and have their workout done for the day, why not kill two evils with one bike?
Posted by AGDubbs at 2:47 PM 0 comments
Monday, January 1, 2007
The Evolution of Eco Books
Call this an addendum to the last post. While reading over those reviewed by BookPage, I couldn't help but think of a few on my shelf. As I pulled the dust bunnies off of them just now, I realized that the three books I'm about to mention pretty well cover the entire evolution of the environmental movement, and I think aptly demonstrate the knowledge level of the time they were written.
Posted by AGDubbs at 1:42 PM 0 comments
Tags: book, education, green gifts
Save the Planet One Book Report at a Time
Posted by AGDubbs at 12:56 PM 0 comments
Tags: book, global warming, green gifts