"The ecological crisis is doing what no other crisis in history has ever done - challenging us to a realization of a new humanity."
Jean Houston
Science & Technology
Let's Not Forget: Even Without CO2, Coal Would Still Be Very Dirty
"Orthographic aerial photograph of Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill, in Kingston, Tennessee, taken the day after the event." Photo: Public domain
CO2 is Important, But Not the Only Thing
David Roberts over at Grist has a great rebuttal of Thom Friedman's latest column in which he and investor... Read the full story on TreeHugger 
Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:02 pm EST
Crunching the Numbers ($$$) on Bike Commuting
Photo: CarFree.us
"I knew I was benefiting myself and the environment by commuting without a car, but to see the real impact is very amazing."
If you want to get around faster than your feet can take you while doing as little harm as possible, the bicycle is your best option. An unnamed author has recently started documenting his experience with becoming a bicycle commuter, and the results are interesting (and hopefully encouraging enough that others will do the same!). In a recent post, he does a little math to see how much money his new green commuting habits are saving h... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:45 pm EST
Businesses offer best path to money in smart grid
Dozens of companies are developing tools to get consumers involved in home energy management, but businesses are easier customers to serve, say smart-grid execs.Source: Green Tech | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:20 pm EST
LED Street-Lights are Greenest Choice, Life-Cycle Study Shows
Image: Knossos
Induction Lights Are Close, But No Cigar
Most people who have been following lighting tech seem to be convinced that light-emitting diode (LED) lights are the future, but it's always good to see new research being done on them. The more sure we are that they're the way to go, the better. It always sucks to invest a lot of time and money into something only to later realize that it's not nearly as good as we were first led to believe (*cough* corn ethanol *cough*). Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have conducted the first cradle-to-grave assessment of LED streetlights, and the... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:05 pm EST
Nokia Moving Into Kinetically Charged Cell Phones, Files New Patent
Photo via jurvetson
So far, kinetic charging for cell phones has been confined to the realm of external chargers (which are only now starting to be actually useful) and Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:20 pm EST
No More Downcycling? Breakthrough Organic Catalyst = More Effective PET Plastic Recycling
Photo: Monica M. Davey/Feature Photo Service for IBM
13 Billion PET Plastic Bottles are Thrown Away Each Year
Certain things are harder to recycle than others. While it's relatively easy to make a new aluminum can out of an old aluminum can, making a new plastic bottle out of an old one is a lot harder. Currently, most recycled plastic is not truly recycled, but rather downcycled to a lesser use. But thanks to a breakthrough in green chemistry by IBM and Stanford researchers, this might be about to change!... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:53 am EST
Book Review: Story Of Stuff Goes Into Detail About The Problems with Possessions
Image via Amazon
The viral video phenomenon The Story of Stuff has made a big impact on audiences worldwide. Since its release in 2007, it's been viewed over 10 million times, showing we're as fascinated by learning about our Stuff as we are with the items themselves. The short movie with its fun and idea-clarifying animations lays out how stuff is made, distributed and discarded - the take-make-waste cycled as creator Annie Leonard calls it. It sums up our processes and problems in a smart, tidy package that has been a source of controver... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:50 am EST
South Korean bus prototypes use road to recharge
Vehicles with sensor-driven magnetic devices on their underside suck up energy as they travel over the strips embedded just under the road surface.Source: Green Tech | 9 Mar 2010 | 10:02 am EST
Harvard's Tiny "Pocket" Laboratory Could Speed Discovery of New Biofuels, Medications (Video)
Image via Eurekalert, Credit: Courtesy of Jeremy Agresti, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Just a bit smaller than an iPod Nano, a new pocket-sized laboratory could revolutionize the way biofuels are discovered. The device - a "microfluidic sorting device" - can sort enzymes and compounds about 1,000 times faster than the larger equipment in use today, and thus can sniff out potential for new microbe-based biofuels much faster, cheaper and more energy efficiently, than ever before. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 9:22 am EST
Colorado Legislature Approves 30% by 2020 Renewable Energy Standard - Only California's is Higher
Distributed generation for utilities is part of the mandate. Photo: Solar Dave via flickr.
Now this is getting somewhere... Climate Progress reports that the Colorado House of Representatives has passed an increase in the state's Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:55 am EST
Dell Launches Optiplex, Most Efficient Desktop Computer To Date
Photos via Dell
Dell has been one of the leaders of the computer pack in developing more and more efficient computers. The Dell Studio Hybrid shows off how compact but powerful a computer can be, and while the company took a hit from Greenpeace in last summer's green gadget guide for failing to meet its promise ... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:30 am EST
Humans Pushing Extinction Rates Up Faster Than Species Can Evolve - Will Hit 10,000x Historic Rates
photo: Kevin Walsh via flickr.
You've probably heard the stat that extinction rates are currently somewhere between 100-1000 times historic levels, which is bad enough, but now the Guardian reports the head of the Species Survival Commission for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature says that we've "almost certainly" crossed the thresho... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:00 am EST
Robot With Laser Vision Sorts Plastics, Boosts Recycling
Photo via Osaka University
Plastic recycling is often a conundrum. Sorting at home can be iffy, since consumers don't always know what's recyclable and what's not in their area, and some plastic types like bioplastics aren't easily discernible, or recyclable at all. This keeps recycling rates in many areas low. In Japan, only two types of plastics are currently recycled... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 9 Mar 2010 | 8:00 am EST
Toyota Denies "Ghost in the Machine," While Reports of Post-Recall Fix Sudden Acceleration Pour In
Dr. Shukri Souri of Exponent: Explaining the Toyota pedal issues on Monday. (Toyota photo)
From a public relations point of view, this one is for the record books. Just after Toyota staged a lavish webcast to try and put sudden acceleration behind it, a Prius ran wild to 90 mph on a California highway, resulting in sensational coverage on every website, TV station and newspaper in America.
But the real story was a bit more subtle: The 2008 Prius driven by hapless motorist James Sikes had not been "fixed" by Toyota (he claims he was turned away from his dealership) but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) "defects and recalls" database has recorded more than 60 sudden acceleration incidents in cars that were fixed. Here's a few, just involving 2010 Camrys:
"I own a 2010 Camry. I just had the recall done last week. Since the work has been done, I have had nothing but problems with the idle and the engine. Before the recall was done, I never had a problem. Something needs to be done before more people are killed."
"My vehicle has been recalled and 'repaired'--gas pedal, floor mat, brake override system. Prior to the recall, the gas pedal was sluggish and I would experience mini, sudden accelerations. There has been no improvement since the repairs (done March 2). In fact, it appears to have become more frequent. The sudden accelerations are not dramatic and braking does take care of the problem."
"While parking my 2010 Camry at the grocery store, I slowly turned into the parking space and my car suddenly accelerated, jumping the curb and hitting a cement surrounded light pole....I was not noticeably injured. The car had just had the replacement pedal installed on March 2, 2010 as ordered by the recall."
And here are a few involving the 2010 Prius, which has a separate acceleration problem connected with braking over broken pavement:
"Since I purchased the car in September of 2009, the brakes fail when I am braking and hit a bump, pothole or uneven road surface. The brakes fail for a second or two, and sometimes the cr lurches forward...On March 6, 2010 I had the recall software for the 2010 Prius done in the service department at the Mike Calvert Toyota dealership in Houston, Texas. On the way home, I experienced the brake failure again when I was braking and drove over a small pothole."
"I visited my local dealership for repair of the brake recall of the 2010 Prius in early February. I do not believe that this repair has fixed the problem. A few days after the fix, my car seemed to accelerate as I was braking and happened to be going over a pothole."
I'm aware there is such a thing as the power of suggestion, and the fact that runaway Toyotas are blanketing the news may make some people see problems where they don't necessarily exist. After Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast in the 1930s, many people reported seeing his Martians or Venusians or whatever they were.
Source: thedailygreen.com blog post feed | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:02 am EST
Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen America, on VW's Electric Car Strategy (Part I)
Photo via USA Today
Volkswagen has recently announced some pretty ambitious goals: it's looking to have 300,000 of the cars it sells yearly--3% of global deliveries--be electric by 2018. It's seeking to surpass Toyota as the world's largest automaker by the same time. Recently, while covering the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, I had the opportunity to sit down w... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 8 Mar 2010 | 5:55 pm EST
Bluecar EV to be Launched in the Fall of 2010
Photo: Pininfarina
A Proving Ground for Lithium-Metal-Polymer Batteries?
After some delays and problems, it looks like the Bluecar EV by Pininfarina and Bolloré is going to launch in the fall of 2010 if crash tests are successful and the car meets safety regulations. the fall target is for rental only, though. The Bluecar will go on sale at a later, yet unknown date.... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 8 Mar 2010 | 3:59 pm EST
8 Electric Concept Cars Shaking Up the Auto Industry Right Now
Image via Porsche
Most of the excitement at Geneva this year didn't come from the announcement of new production model cars. No, the task of riling up the auto press was left to the hyper-fuel ef... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 8 Mar 2010 | 2:39 pm EST
Nissan Claims to Have 56,000 Preorders for LEAF Electric Car [Updated]
Photo: Nissan
Correction: It looks like BusinessWeek was wrong. A representative from Nissan contacted us and 56,000 is not the number of pre-orders, but rather the number of people who have signed up on their website for more information about the LEAF once it is released. Incidentally, that number is now 71,000, and while it is a good sign for Nissan, it means a lot less for the future commercial success of the LEAF than actual pre-orders would.
And That's Just for the United States...
Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Nissan and Renault, isn't the kind of guy who j... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 8 Mar 2010 | 2:31 pm EST
Kia Unveils the Venga Electric Concept Car (It Looks Production-Ready!)
Photo: Kia
South-Korean Automakers Could Help Make EVs More Affordable
I have a love/hate relationship with concept cars. It's always fun to see what automotive engineers can come up with, and they have a lot more freedom to innovate with concept cars than with production models, but a lot of the time, the results can be impractical and/or silly, and you just know that they'll never make a production version. That's why I'm happy to see that Kia's electric car concept is based on a production model. Read on for the technical specs.... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 8 Mar 2010 | 12:39 pm EST
Tuning the energy innovation engine at MIT
This year's MIT Energy conference provided showcase for energy entrepreneurs as investors and executives grappled with how to make giant energy business cleaner.Source: Green Tech | 8 Mar 2010 | 11:29 am EST
5 Innovations That Make You Want To Wear A Helmet
Photo credit Yakkay via Facebook.
This is not a story of why you should wear your helmet. We're not going to get into that hornet's nest...if we can help it. The debate may never be over. Instead, we're going to show off the ways helmet manufacturers are trying to make you WANT to wear your helmet...if you want to wear a helmet. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 8 Mar 2010 | 10:37 am EST
Europe 'supergrid' hopefuls cast fate to wind
The Friends of the Supergrid group of companies says that tying together offshore wind farms would compensate for the variability of wind power.Source: Green Tech | 8 Mar 2010 | 9:48 am EST
Will 'fun factor' or mandates drive electric car sales?
The first wave of electric cars are targeting consumers willing to pay a premium for a greener machine, but government mandates to get them on the road are also needed, say experts at MIT Energy conference.Source: Green Tech | 6 Mar 2010 | 4:56 pm EST
Despite Economic Collapse, the Greenest Country on Earth Innovates
The news from Iceland has been all about its economic meltdown, but there's other seismic activity going on there, too. Will Iceland roll with hydrogen vehicles or, as it looks increasingly likely, plug-in battery ones?
Despite the delivery, during the Copenhagen climate talks, of 10 new Ford Focus FCV fuel-cell vehicles into the tiny country of just 300,000 people (adding to a small fleet of 10 hydrogen-burning Priuses), it's still likely that Iceland will have an EV infrastructure before there's extensive fuel cell operations. (Photo: Ford.)
Iceland is still on the ropes financially, and that complicates the purchase of any high-tech cars in what is otherwise the greenest country on earth (according to the Yale/Columbia Environmental Performance Index). After all, more than 80 percent of Iceland's energy use is from ultra-clean domestic sources, including geothermal and hydro.
Iceland already produces far more electricity than its small use (which explains the presence of those current-heavy aluminum smelters). It could easily produce hydrogen in bulk, too. So which way will it go?
Source: thedailygreen.com blog post feed | 6 Mar 2010 | 9:10 am EST
A Year-Long Video Review of the MiEV Electric Car: Robert Llewellyn's Gearless (Video)
Image credit: Gearless
I'm a big fan of Robert Llewellyn's Carpool show. From reviewing the Mitsubishi MiEV to interviewing Dale Vince of Ecotricity, he covers some important green tech—and occasionally just chats with legends of cult UK comedy. Now he has a new show that should satisfy the electric car crowd—Robert has been given a Mistubishi MiEV for a whole y... Read the full story on TreeHugger Source: TreeHugger | 6 Mar 2010 | 8:32 am EST
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