Green Technology

A common management axiom is you cannot manage what you do not measure ... same hold true for a home's power usage.  Google may have a way to give us some insight to our energy consumption ..

Read on for more  >>>>

"... developing home electricity dashboards for the future smart grid. ...to see your energy usage makes it easier to reduce it. ... near real-time feedback requires an advanced electricity meter known as a "smart meter." ..."

" ... many of today's smart meters don't display information to the consumer. ... working with national and state governments to ensure our energy policies encourage consumer information ... Google PowerMeter  ... takes advantage of our scalable, secure IT architecture and our popular iGoogle gadget platform to show you your energy use in near real-time (and it's free to both utilities and consumers). But empowering consumers with energy information is too important to rely on just one provider, and we welcome and encourage other approaches."

See GOOGLE video >>> 

Via:  GOOGLE  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

" ...  uniquely interactive format and high caliber of participants, ECO:nomics debuted last year as the premier forum for CEOs and entrepreneurs driving growth at the intersection of business and the environment...."

Snippets of the Program ... "... Green People - What do consumers want, and what will they pay for it? ... Power Play - What will keep the lights on: nuclear energy or "clean coal"? ... Fresh Juice - Can wind and solar grow big enough to matter? ... The Future of Coal ... The Future of Biofuels ... The Future of Solar ..."

Via:  eco-nomics LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 Israel embraces electric cars!
 

"The Israeli government announced a major initiative to push the nation’s drivers toward electric cars ... the Israeli attempt ... aligns policy makers and a major car company with an outfit prepared to build hundreds of thousands of electric charging stations across the country. ..."I

" ... Renault-Nissan will manufacture the cars and Better Place, a California start-up founded by former SAP executive Shai Agassi, will build the infrastructure, ...A few hundred vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2009, with production scaled to the mass market by 2011. On Jan. 13, Israel slashed the tax rate on cars powered by electricity to 10% in order to encourage consumers to buy the vehicles once they are available."

Via:  IsRealli - The State of Israel Official Blog  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What can be accomplished in a Green Building?? 

Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio,  takes a careful look ...

>>> Their Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies is detailed below ...

"... was conceived as a demonstration project, ... designed to be a building that would teach. Lessons embodied in its technology and design choices are intended to reinforce those taught in its classrooms. ... "

"...Efforts to research the AJLC's evolution are well underway, providing ongoing opportunities to educate a variety of audiences, including Oberlin College students, regional kindergarten through high school students, other university students and faculty, architecture and design professionals, and lay audiences."

"With over 150 environmental sensors installed throughout the building and landscape, the AJLC's data monitoring and display system provides a unique opportunity to visualize in real-time the flows of energy and cycling of matter that are necessary to support the built environment. ... premise of this work is that real-time feedback on ecological performance increases awareness, ... feedback of this type may be a necessary prerequisite for facilitating a more sustainable relationship among humans, technology and the natural world."

 
Some building details ...

"Energy - Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof ... meet a substantial fraction of the building's energy needs. Solar energy production is coupled with energy efficient lighting, heating, and appliances to minimize negative environmental impact."

"Heating, Cooling & Air Quality - ... both active and passive systems, ...provides a comfortable working environment ... Active systems use mechanical equipment to extract and move heat, while passive systems do so with a minimum of mechanical devices."

"Landscape - ... landscape features a variety of constructed ecosystems that simulate native Northern Ohio ecosystems and incorporate cultigens that produce food for humans."

"Living Machine & Water Use - ... is an ecologically engineered system that combines elements of conventional wastewater technology with the purification processes of wetland ecosystems to treat and recycle the building's wastewater for reuse in the toilets and landscape."

"Weather Conditions - A weather station ... monitoring real-time conditions and trends for a variety of environmental variables."

"

Materials - Materials ... elected to enhance its sustainability and were evaluated based on criteria that required less energy inputs, encouraged local production and distribution, and supported creative economic structures."

Via:  Oberlin.edu   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What can an individual do to generate clean power?  Not everyone is in a position financially or other) to put up solar panels or a wind turbine or a hydro power facility.

>>BUT:   If you live in New Jersey (and other states including Pennsylvania) you can choose to have part of your electricity generated from these sources.

Sound appealing?  Read on ...

"... CleanPower Choice Program ... is a statewide program that allows you to choose clean, renewable sources of energy. ... you're choosing to support ... renewable energy sources that diversify our energy supply ... Solar power. Wind power. Low-impact or small hydro power. Landfill gas power. Clean power, that's good for the environment, good for the climate, and good for New Jersey."

Via:  NJCleanPower.com   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Paper or Plastic?
How many times have you heard that one?
What is the best choice?

"The plastic bag's stranglehold ... just received its first blow. ... a first for the nation if fully passed, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors today [March 27, 2007] voted 10-1 to prohibit petroleum-based checkout bags in large markets and pharmacies."

"... would usher in the use of eco-friendly alternatives; biodegradable plastic or recycled paper bags ..."

Here are some facts about the ubiquitious plastic bag ...

"... only introduced to our shopping culture 25 years ago ... Between 500 billion-1 trillion are used each year worldwide. ... they are not biodegradable, only photodegradable.  ... they break down into smaller and smaller pieces of the same material -- but only if exposed to sunlight. Animals choke on them, sea life becomes entangled ..." 

"... burden of not only the environmental impact, but also the disposal of plastic bags. San Francisco alone spends $8.5 million a year on disposal. ... new alternatives, made from corn by-products, have markets in San Fran nervous over costs, durability, and quality. ... On the flip side, corn farmers have another potential windfall in their sights. San Francisco may only be the beginning of a massive national sweep. If more corn-based bags are needed, what will this do to the price of food? Agriculture experts are already concerned over ethanol's effect on production in the U.S.

What can you do ... you ask???
>>> Bring your own bag from last time or better yet ... buy and use a permanent shoppong bag.  Many stores offer these for sale.

Via:  Sustainableisgood.com  Link  and   Via:  GreenOptions.com   Link 

Posted by Green Dude at 06:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Car rental companies are seeing GREEN by offering Hybrids to their customers.  Hertz even offers to make a donation to the National Park Foundation.  

See below for more.
 

"Avis goes green! Introducing our new hybrid car. The Toyota Prius is a hybrid vehicle with both an electric motor & a gasoline engine for greater fuel economy. It is a 4-door hatchback with seating for 5."

"Hertz Green Collection.  ... fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly cars that are both easy on the wallet and suitable for families and small groups traveling together."

"... Toyota Prius Hybrid, the newest vehicle in the Green Collection.  We have nearly 35,000 cars in the Green Collection fleet, all vehicles are:         
       • EPA Highway Fuel Efficiency rating of 28 Miles or more per gallon"
         

Via:  www.avis.com  Link

Via:  www.hertz.com   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The ubiquitous plastic bottle of water is everywhere. 

While there are many questions about the relative merits of tap vs. bottled water such as taste, quality, etc. there are the facts that bottled water can have a significant impact on the environment:

- the petrochemicals used to make plastic bottles
- the energy used for transport; sometime across the world
- the remaining waste if not recycled.
- the depletion of local water supplies

Granted; some areas have better water than others and plastic bottles are handy (and safe) to use while traveling) but .... some major cities like Philadelphia and New York are quite proud of the taste and quality of their tap water ....  

"The City of New York is trying to persuade its people to give up bottled drinks and consume tap water instead to help protect the environment."

"City officials say their campaign will save people money, and reduce waste."

"According to environmental groups, four out of five plastic water bottles end up on landfill sites and the production process contributes to global warming. ... Distribution process sometimes involves shipping water halfway around the world."

"But the Bottled Water Association says it is unfair to single out an industry that is promoting recycling and introducing biodegradable packaging."

Via:  BBC News   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everyone knows about Subaru and their fuel efficient line of cars .... BUT ... did you know that:

- Their Indiana Manufacturing plant has achieved ZERO LANDFILL status
- They are the first auto plant in the U.S. to achieve this satus.

 Details below:

"Consider this: When you carry out your trash at home ... next collection day, you'll be sending more trash to landfills than the entire Subaru manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Indiana (SIA). ... was the first auto assembly plant to achieve zero landfill status - nothing from its manufacturing efforts goes into a landfill. It's all reused and recycled."

• "In 2006, ... awarded the U.S. EPA's Gold Achievement Award as a top achiever in the agency's WasteWise program to reduce waste and improve recycling."
• "In 2004, ... the first U.S. manufacturing facility to reach zero landfill status."
• "In 2003, ... the first U.S. automotive assembly plant to be designated a wildlife habitat. Deer, coyotes, beavers, blue herons, geese, ... live there in peaceful coexistence with the Subaru plant. It's our commitment to leave as small a footprint as possible, ..."
• "In 2002, ... first auto assembly plant in the U.S. with an on-site solvent recovery system that produces dry still bottoms."
• "Each year, SIA actively recycles 99.3% of excess/leftover steel, plastic, wood, paper, glass, and other materials. The remaining 0.7% is shipped to the city of Indianapolis and incinerated to help generate steam."
  

Posted by Green Dude at 05:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now there  is a GREEN automobile club with fulkl service benefits.  Read on and learn more about Better World Club, Inc, headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

"Better World Club, Inc. is dedicated to balancing economic goals with social and environmental responsibility. ... supports a cleaner environment and alternative modes of transportation. We will provide ... high quality, good value and environmentally sensitive products and services:"

- "Emergency Roadside Assistance"
- "Travel Products and Services"
- "Insurance Products and Services"

" ... we act as an advocate ... of the consumer and demonstrate our social and environmental commitment by donating an amount equal to 1% of our annual revenues toward environmental clean-up and advocacy and by providing unique eco-friendly travel alternatives."

Via:  BetterWorldClub.com Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is possible to manufacture and be Green.  Method Products, Inc. is one such Green company.  They manufacture a line of Green cleaning products. 

Read below for some very impressive details. 

 "Method (Products, Inc.) is the first line of high-design, people friendly, skin-friendly, lung-friendly household cleaning, laundry, air care, and personal care products. ... has made the impressive commitment to offset CO2 emissions from 100 percent of its operations, including manufacturing, office operations, employee commuting, and employee travel. This adds up to 1948 MWh of electricity (~1.9 million lbs CO2). ... also planted a reforestation project to cover an additional 700,000 lbs of CO2 produced by the shipping of products and employee movements."

 By focusing on Biodegradable products, recycling and not using animal testing they are making a statement and products that work.  GREEN CLEAN

Via:   US EPA Green Partners   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)