Los Angeles remains the nation's smoggiest city

In news thats sure to be no surprise to anyone, Los Angeles remains the smoggiest city in the United States, with an average of more than 140 days a year of dangerous ozone levels, the American Lung Assn. reported Wednesday in its annual assessment.

Adding another blow to the state is the reports finding that each of the nation's 10 smoggiest counties are in California, with San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, Tulare and Los Angeles in the top five.

Though a a great deal of the report seems cloudy, California has made some progress. The number of high-ozone days has dropped by 25% in metropolitan Los Angeles and by 57% in metropolitan San Francisco, which includes Oakland and San Jose, since 2000.

Annually, California's dirty air is estimated to cause 19,000 premature deaths, 9,400 hospitalizations and 300,000 respiratory illnesses.

Only two cities appear on all three of the lung association's lists of cleanest cities — for ozone, for year-round particles and for short-term measures of particles: metropolitan Fargo, N.D.; North Dakota, which also includes Wahpeton, Minn.; and Lincoln, Nebraska.

 

Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times

Kerry to move ahead on climate change bill

WASHINGTON — Three days after climate change legislation lost its top Republican supporter, Senator John F. Kerry declared yesterday that he was nonetheless moving “full speed ahead’’ on the bill. His efforts got a potential boost as Senate majority leader Harry Reid said that he would accommodate a Republican demand by putting Kerry’s bill ahead of immigration legislation on the agenda.

Kerry, a main sponsor of the measure, has been trying to revive the bill after his chief Republican backer, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, abruptly withdrew his support on Saturday night, saying he was irate that the Senate’s Democratic leadership might proceed with a controversial immigration bill first

For more http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/04/28/kerry_to_move_full_speed_ahead_on_climate_bill/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog By Matt Viser and Susan Milligan Globe Staff

 

First U.S. offshore wind farm approved; off Massachusetts

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday approved the nation's first offshore wind farm, the 130-turbine Cape Wind project off Cape Cod, Mass., and said the power of strong winds over the Atlantic Ocean would be an important part of the U.S. drive to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday approved the nation's first offshore wind farm, the 130-turbine Cape Wind project off Cape Cod, Mass., and said the power of strong winds over the Atlantic Ocean would be an important part of the U.S. drive to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

European countries have been building offshore wind farms for 20 years, and China is building its first, off Shanghai.

Other U.S. states along the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes also are looking into building wind farms.

The Cape Wind project, however, has been hung up for nine years as opponents — landowners, two Native American tribes and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation — objected to its cost and its impact on views.

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, a Democrat who represents Cape Cod, and Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., said they favor wind power as an energy source but opposed Cape Wind.

For more of this story http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011729124_wind29.html

Article courtesy of the Seattle Times by Renee Schoof McClatchy Newspapers

Oil-rig blast

New leak: The Coast Guard said a new leak has been found at the site where a BP oil platform exploded and sank last week in the Gulf of Mexico. Rear Adm. Mary Landry says that 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) a day is leaking from the site.

Burn plan: The Coast Guard and BP set fire to a portion of the to crude oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday in a bid to limit the impact of a widening slick.

Wildlife threat: With BP unable to stop the flow of oil from a deep-water exploration well that blew up last week, attention was turning to the Gulf's coastlines, where the spill could threaten wildlife, tourism and the livelihoods of fishermen. Federal officials said the oil could touch shore in parts of the Louisiana Delta as early as Friday evening.

Other efforts: BP says it will try to to drill a relief well to relieve pressure at the blowout site after crews operating submersible robots failed to activate a shut-off device that would halt the flow of oil on the sea bottom 5,000 feet below. But that could take months.

Article courtesy of Seattle Times news services

Green Your Parenting: Pack Your Child's Lunch

Being a parent makes the initiative to live sustainably feel that much more important. But it can be a difficult balancing act. To make things a little simpler, this week we're providing easy green parenting tips so you can reduce your kids' impact on the planet they stand to inherit.

Make Their Midday Meal

School cafeterias are notorious for serving ultra-processed junk food from factory farms that pollute surrounding areas with pesticides and animal waste. So send your child to school armed with  a packed lunch – and don't reach for the Lunchables, either. Instead, be kind to the planet and give your kids' brain a boost by handing them local, organic, whole foods in a metal lunch box or a durable fabric bag.

Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

Hannaford house brands lose the trans fat

SCARBOROUGH, Maine—The Maine-based supermarket chain that launched a gold-star rating system for food nutrition says it has eliminated trans fat from its private label products.

Hannaford says the recipes of nearly 300 items have been modified to eliminate the addition of artery-clogging trans fat, which includes partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Julie Greene, Hannaford's director of healthy living, says the changes mean customers can save money while still making healthy choices. In addition, the company has added an online tool that lets customers personalize, save and print store-specific shopping lists.

Hannaford operates 174 stores across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe –Green Blog

Well from sunken rig leaking oil

Weather halts cleanup effort

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard discovered yesterday that oil is leaking from the damaged well that fed a massive rig that exploded last week off Louisiana’s coast, while bad weather halted efforts to clean up the mess that threatens the area’s fragile marine ecosystem.

As recently as Friday, the Coast Guard said no oil appeared to escaping from the well head on the ocean floor. Rear Admiral Mary Landry said the leak was a new discovery but could have begun when the rig sank on Thursday, two days after the initial explosion.

“This is a very serious spill, absolutely,’’ Landry said.

Coast Guard and company officials estimate that as much as 1,000 barrels of oil is escaping each day after studying information from remotely operated vehicles and the size of the oil slick surrounding the blast site.

The rainbow-colored sheen of oil stretched 20 miles by 20 miles yesterday — about 25 times larger than it appeared to be a day earlier, Landry said.

To read more http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/04/25/well_from_sunken_rig_leaking_oil/

By Cain Burdeau Associated Press Courtesy of The Boston Globe –Green Blog

 

State plans to quadruple public land off-limits to logging

Massachusetts is quadrupling the amount of public forest land that is off-limits to commercial logging and will prohibit most clear-cutting over one-third of an acre, according to a new state plan announced today.

The decision, the most significant change in state management of its public lands in decades, reflects Governor Deval Patrick’s commitment to land preservation and the growing use of western Massachusetts public lands for recreation. For the first time, the state will clearly define what is a park, a nature preserve, or an area where trees can be cut.

"From now on, we will be clear about how we manage the different kinds of forest land that are owned by the state," said Ian Bowles, state secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The Patrick administration "sees our state forests as precious natural resources, and we intend to protect them, not exploit them," he said.

Today, about 40,000 acres, or about 13 percent of state and urban park lands, are off-limits to logging. Under the new plan, logging will be banned in nearly 200,000 acres, or 60 percent of state park lands and reserves.

The announcement comes after a yearlong state “visioning” for forest policy prompted by public outrage after residents came across more aggressive cutting – including large clear cuts – on state-owned lands in the last five years. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has acknowledged some cutting violated their own rules and disciplined some foresters.

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by Beth Daley

America's "Least Wasteful" City

For the second year in a row, San Francisco has won the title of America's "least wasteful" city. Seattle and New York came in second and third, respectively, outdoing fourth-place Portland. (Click here to see the full ranking.)

Nalgene produced its list by polling people in the top 25 U.S. cities about their living habits. Researchers gave 3,750 people a 23-question survey to learn about how they live with an eye toward sustainability, shopping, waste, transportation, and reuse.

The survey's creators hope to raise awareness about the small measures cities can take to greatly reduce their waste and pollution output without having to make a big investment.

Article courtesy of Nicholas Mukhar-Sierra Club-The Green Life

An Amazing Tale of Trash to Treasure: the Plastiki Voyage

The Problem: A giant garbage patch twice the size of Texas is ominously floating in the Pacific Ocean

The Dream: Build a boat made entirely of plastic bottles to sail across the pacific to this garbage patch known as the Pacific Gyre.

The Dreamer: David deRothschild, fellow Team Earth member, and intrepid adventurer

The Reason: To raise awareness about how our choices are inextricably tied to our environment. Plastic isn’t the problem. It’s our inability to understand the material, how we use it, what we are using it for, and how we dispose of it so that it doesn’t end up in our oceans.

The Journey: 4 years later, David and his crew have set sail and are currently underway! Click here to track the Plastiki voyage.

The BONUS: David and his crew are helping spread the word about Team Earth and encouraging people they meet through their journey to join us.

We’ll keep you posted on the Plastiki journey in the coming months. In the meantime, check out this video describing the adventure here.

I hope David’s story gives you some inspiration to keep on fighting for our planet.

Article courtesy of Julie Blackwell, Team Earth (teamearth@conservation.org)

The World Turned Off

In what was the largest public demonstration in history, hundreds of millions of people in 126 countries turned off their lights for one hour on March 27 in support of WWF's Earth Hour. In the U.S., 90 million people--representing every state and the nation's capital--participated in Earth Hour's call for action on climate change. Now, the spirit of Earth Hour will be carried forward in practical ways, as cities and individuals go beyond the symbolism of turning off lights to take real climate-saving actions in their daily lives. http://www.myearthhour.org/

Article courtesy of World Wildlife April E-News

Volcanic ash closes European airports, stranding tens of thousands of travelers

The eruption in Iceland snarls air travel across the northern part of the continent. International flights to and from the U.S. are likely to be affected.

 

For the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, all British airports were ordered shut down Thursday, a move prompted not by terrorism but by drifting ash spewed from an Icelandic volcano.

Air traffic also was halted over Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, stranding tens of thousands of travelers. Shutdowns and cancellations spread to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Britain's National Air Traffic Control Service issued the order at midday and said later that it would last until at least 6 a.m. Friday morning. (10 p.m. Thursday PDT).

The service said that "there will be no flights permitted in U.K.-controlled airspace other than emergency situations," concluding, "It is very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future."

Read more http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-volcano-flights16-2010apr16,0,6553752.story

 

Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Janet Stobart

How Green is Your State

 Earth Day's next Thursday, and thousands of Americans are celebrating by pledging to do at least one simple thing to help the environment. whether it's reusing shopping bags or writing to Congress.

As pledges come in from around the country, the Sierra Club's Earth Day map shows how green each state is compared with all the others (based on population).

Want to know how green your state is? http://www.sierraclub.org/earthday/sweepstakes/default.aspx?s_src=110DEDNI01

Article courtesy of Sierra Club Insider (insider@sierraclub.org)

 

 

The Climate Rally at the National Mall

The growing dependence on Middle Eastern oil and the lack of a major climate bill are only two of the many environmental problems existing in this country. This is why the Earth Day Network is organizing a climate rally at The National Mall in an effort to encourage Congress to pass effective clean energy and climate legislation in 2010.

The climate rally is the highlight of the Earth Day Network’s nine-day festival at the National Mall, and will feature live music from stars like Sting, The Roots, Passion Pit, John Legend, Bob Weir and Booker T.

Other media figures, including film director James Cameron, Reverend Jesse Jackson, author Margaret Atwood and Olympian Billy Demong will be speaking on the necessity for change on both a national and international scale in the fields of clean energy and global warming.

Article courtesy of www.earth911.com

 

General Motors to release revolutionary electric car

General Motors, the largest automobile manufacturer in the United States, is planning on releasing an electric car that practically screams eco-friendly.

Proving that going green oftentimes just takes a little creativity and resourcefulness, the Chevy Volt uses recycled blue jeans in its car doors to buffer noise and recycled cardboard in its roof to improve acoustics. Even the door handle brackets are made from old carpet.

The Volt may just be the dream car we have all been waiting for, especially as consumers will be able to save an average of 500 gallons of gasoline per year.

The Volt will also use only 2,520 kilowatts per hour of energy, which is less than a central air conditioning unit, a water heater and a refrigerator.

Because 80 percent of U.S. drivers commute 40 miles or less on a daily basis, the Volt is designed to have a battery power of up to 40 miles without using gasoline.

In addition to the Chevrolet Volt, GM now hosts 55 facilities that are landfill-free, meaning that absolutely no production waste or garbage from these factories can be traced to a landfill. These landfill-free facilities recycle or reuse more than 95 percent of all waste, while the remaining 5 percent are usually converted to energy

Article courtesy of Earth911.com by Katherine Chen

Visit their website for more green articles http://earth911.com/news/2010/04/12/the-best-earth-day-events/

A whale-watch of vital significance

Crew studies leviathans to learn about their habits, habitat

OFF THE COAST OF PROVINCETOWN — Charles “Stormy’’ Mayo descends from a long line of men who have made their living on the sea, but with one big difference. His forebears sometimes hunted the whales that appear off the shores of Cape Cod each spring. He is trying to save them.

Mayo leads a small crew of scientists who are studying the North Atlantic right whale to learn more about the habitat and habits of one of the most endangered animal species on the planet, to better understand and protect the rare leviathans. And here on the research vessel Shearwater, about 5 miles southwest of Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, is one of the best places in the world to do it.

Some 25 to 40 of the great marine mammals, which can grow 55 feet long and weigh more than 70 tons, have come here to feed, and yesterday the tiny animals that draw them to these waters were teeming on the surface in billowing pink clouds. About a dozen of the giants glided just feet from the Shearwater’s busy deck, skimming zooplankton from the water with the great baleen filters that line their mouths instead of teeth

Read more at http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/04/13/a_whale_watch_of_vital_significance/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe By David Filipov Globe Staff

 

Mass. energy infrastructure gets a look

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has contracted with RW Beck, a Seattle consulting firm with offices, in Boston to analyze the state's energy infrastructure in an effort to protect it from disruption.

The project will be paid for with nearly $460,000 in federal stimulus money, according to a statement from the state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which oversees the energy resources department.

"Ensuring the Commonwealth's energy security is critical to efforts to safeguard the well-being of Massachusetts residents and continued growth of our economy," Governor Deval Patrick said in that statement.

This article courtesy of The Boston Globe www.boston.com Green Blog Posted by Erin Ailworth

 

Southern California Edison blankets roofs with solar panels

By Julie Schmit, USA TODAY

FONTANA, Calif. — The view from a warehouse roof here is consistent. In every direction, there are blocks and blocks of warehouse roofs baking in the Southern California sun. Rather than letting them sit bare, a California utility hopes to blanket roofs like these with solar panels to produce enough electricity to power 162,000 homes.

Southern California Edison has installed solar on two warehouse roofs and is working on another in the Los Angeles region. The utility expects to do 100 to 125 more, totaling about 1.5 square miles of roof space in the next five years.

The program, in which the utility owns the solar, is the largest of its kind in the nation, not surprising since California is the No. 1 solar market. But utilities in other states, including North Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona and New Jersey, have smaller plans to rent roofs for their own mini-solar-power plants, too.

The phenomenon, while in its infancy, presents another way for solar to spread in a bigger way than it has historically done when home and business owners put solar on roofs. The deep-pocketed utilities are planning bigger installations. Yet the systems don't consume green land or require new power-transmission links, as do some massive solar farms planned for deserts in California, Arizona and Nevada. As such, rooftop solar is likely to face fewer environmental hurdles than the farms and can get permits and be built much faster.

Article courtesy of USA Today

 

Long-delayed European satellite to gauge melting of ice packs

BERLIN — The European Space Agency is launching a sophisticated satellite that scientists hope will help them more precisely gauge the effects of global warming on the earth’s ice packs by accurately measuring the thickness of the ice.

The CryoSat 2 mission, which starts today after years of delays, will be able to pinpoint details of changes in the world’s shrinking ice caps.

Though most scientists agree that global warming is significantly affecting the ice sheets, many also say too little is known with certainty, and that is where the CryoSat 2 mission aims to help.

“We hope to find out more about the role the sea ice plays for the climate system and more about the height of the land ice,’’ said Heinrich Miller, one of the two CryoSat project directors. “We know that it is dwindling, but we don’t know exactly what mechanisms are at work.’’

Read more   http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/04/08/long_delayed_european_satellite_to_gauge_melting_of_ice_packs/

Article courtesy of The Associated Press/Boston Globe www.boston.com

It may not be easy, but being 'green' sells

Before he listed an Andover home last fall, broker Leland DiMeco of Boston Green Realty recommended the homeowner improve the energy efficiency of the vintage 1922 Colonial. An energy audit revealed air leaks, which were subsequently sealed with foam insulation for short money.

 

Also at DiMeco’s suggestion the seller spent about $7,000 to mediate asbestos insulation wrapped around old pipes in the basement. The homeowner had already redecorated the interior using nontoxic paints and installed new stainless Energy Star-compliant appliances.

The result? The house sold in just seven days, at its asking price of $525,000. Meanwhile, a similar-size and vintage Colonial down the street without the upgrades sold for $429,000. For more of this article http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/04/11/it_may_not_be_easy_but_being_green_sells/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe www.boston.com By Aubin Tyler

 

With toxic air starting to clear, Mexico City is becoming a model

MEXICO CITY — This megalopolis once had the world’s worst air, with skies so poisonous that birds dropped dead in flight. Today, efforts to clean the smog are showing visible progress, revealing stunning views of snow-capped volcanoes — and offering a model for the developing world.

As Mexico prepares to host world leaders at a UN climate-change conference later this year, international specialists are praising the country’s progress. Many say its determined efforts to control auto emissions and other environmental effects of rapid urbanization offer practical lessons to cities in China, India, and other fast-growing countries

For more http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/04/03/with_toxic_air_starting_to_clear_mexico_city_is_becoming_a_model/

 

Article courtesy of boston.com  By Anne-Marie O'Connor Washington Post

 

Going greener

You may think your garden is green already — but it could always be greener. Find out how at the Down:2:Earth (D2E) Festival, where an interactive Eco-Garden Pavilion and eco-gardening workshops offer ideas on sustainable gardens and lawns. The key, according to pavilion designer Risa Edelstein, is to forget the perfect grass and neatly edged beds and go for a look that Mother Nature herself might design. Look for displays on native plants, composting, rain capture, leaf mulch, and wildlife gardening. Pictured: Christine Destrempes, director and artist of Art for Water. April 9, 5-9 p.m., Local Bites Preview Party, $25. Festival hours April 10, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and April 11, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $10, $8 students and seniors, 12 and under free. Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St., Boston. 617-266-6540, www.d2eboston.com

Article courtesy of The Green Blog at www.boston.com By Milva Didomizio

 

The Junk Mail War

One of the worst perpetrators in the battle against junk mail is pre-approved credit card offers. Not only do I receive a lot of them (constantly adding to my waste stream), but they are an identity theft nightmare waiting to happen.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to opt out of credit card offers that come from banks that use the four major credit firms (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion).

To opt out, visit www.optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).

Article courtesy of The Green Blog ( www.boston.com)Posted by Dara Olmsted

 

Start a Communal Garden

Community gardens are a terrific way to transform unused space in your town. They beautify neighborhoods, supply low-cost produce, and unite people in learning how to grow resources locally and with their own two hands. Design your garden with your community's needs in mind, and enlist a coordinator (you?) to organize and oversee a work schedule. Donate leftovers to food charities or to a local school lunch program.

Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

 

New Aquafina Bottles Reduce Plastic Use by 50 Percent

Bottled water brand Aquafina, manufactured by PepsiCo, is debuting a new bottle called Eco-Fina that uses 50 percent less plastic and provides the most lightweight half-liter water bottle on the market.

The reduction in plastic is actually based on what was used in 2002, as Pepsi and other bottled water manufacturers have already gone to great lengths to reduce the reliance on plastic. The new bottle will save an estimated 75 million pounds of plastic annually.

The Eco-Fina bottles weigh about the same as two quarters when empty, which will also reduce the environmental impact of shipping. Heavier materials require more fuel consumption during transportation.

Creating lighter plastic bottles means less petroleum is used during manufacturing, but it creates more of a need for recycling. Because plastic is already lighter than aluminum or glass, it is more prone to fly out of landfills and end up in the environment. Plastic already makes up between 60 and 80 percent of marine debris.

The current national recycling rate for plastic bottles is around 20 percent. Most are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, or #1 plastic), which can be recycled into clothing material, plastic lumber or even new bottles.

Article courtesy of  Earth911.com by Trey Granger

ECO Bulletin

Even the most committed bike commuter, carpooler or bus rider drives at least some of the time.  That’s why DEQ is encouraging people to “Drive Smart” this Earth Day by taking these actions:  don’t idle the engine while parked or waiting and don’t top off the gas tank.   By changing simple habits drivers can help reduce harmful pollutants like benzene, smog and global warming gases

 

More information:

Facts about idling

·         Idling gets you nowhere.  Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it

·         Restarting your car more frequently has little impact on the battery and starter motor

·         Excessive idling is hard on your engine, contaminates engine oil and makes spark plugs dirty

Car exhaust is harmful to health, especially for children

·         Breathing exhaust can increase asthma symptoms

·         Air toxics in exhaust, including benzene, are linked to cancer, heart and lung disease

·         Pollution levels are usually higher inside an idling car than on the roadside

Things you can do

·         Put a “Turn Off Your Car” reminder on your windshield

·         Turn it off if you anticipate being stopped 30 seconds or more (except in traffic)

·         Reduce warm-up idling.  Modern engines need no more than 30 seconds of warm-up idling, even on the coldest days

·         Spread the word to employees, family, friends, neighbors and schools

 

Information courtesy of Susan Drake/ Oregon DEQ

San Francisco Moves Toward Demand-Based Parking Prices

CALIFORNIA

The first nationwide to inventory its huge parking supply, San Francisco found 441,541 public spaces, including 25,000 metered and 255,000 free on streets. Officials expect to find some 360,000 more in private garages. That makes a total of 800,000 parking spaces within city limits – at least one for each resident. Under a federally funded pilot program (SFPark) to manage the supply gainfully, minimize search for curbside spots, and cut tailpipe emissions, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) will be installing more than 5,400 multi-space meters linked to in-street sensors, with pricing based on the number of vacant spaces. The prices will fluctuate according to demand – higher rates charged in peak hours and lower rates when vacancies increase.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7600

 

Article courtesy of New Smart Growth Network State by State and International News Headlines

To Reach True Sustainability, America Needs New Sense of Environmentalism

While American policy, industry and public trends increasingly coalesce around ''green'' ethics, New York Times Freakonomics blog's contributor James McWilliams wonders whether those resource conservation and energy efficiency efforts matter much, given long-shaped ''external realities'' and sprawl habits. ''After all,'' he writes, ''step beyond the privileged confines of our ever-greening abodes, and you'll discover that most American cities are, by design, ecological train wrecks.''
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7594

 

Article courtesy of New Smart Growth Network State by State and International News Headlines

Plan a Monthly Swap Meet

Used is the new black, so consider organizing a monthly event to get rid of unwanted stuff and acquire new-to-you goodies without spending a penny or throwing a single thing in the trash. Hold it at your house or, as it grows, at a local community center. Score vintage finds and reduce your household clutter while connecting with friends and neighbors. Got leftovers? Donate 'em to your local thrift store, and don't forget to get a receipt — it'll come in handy when doing your taxes.

Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

United States Department of Transportation

Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation
Regulations and Recommendations

Signed on March 11, 2010 and announced March 15, 2010

Purpose

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is providing this Policy Statement to reflect the Department’s support for the development of fully integrated active transportation networks. The establishment of well-connected walking and bicycling networks is an important component for livable communities, and their design should be a part of Federal-aid project developments. Walking and bicycling foster safer, more livable, family-friendly communities; promote physical activity and health; and reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use. Legislation and regulations exist that require inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian policies and projects into transportation plans and project development. Accordingly, transportation agencies should plan, fund, and implement improvements to their walking and bicycling networks, including linkages to transit. In addition, DOT encourages transportation agencies to go beyond the minimum requirements, and proactively provide convenient, safe, and context-sensitive facilities that foster increased use by bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities, and utilize universal design characteristics when appropriate. Transportation programs and facilities should accommodate people of all ages and abilities, including people too young to drive, people who cannot drive, and people who choose not to drive.

read more  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/policy_accom.htm

 

Goodyear Develops Tires Made of Renewable Rubber

The future of tires could mean using rubber made from plants, and it could happen within the next five years according to TechNewsDaily.

The technology is called BioIsoprene, which is produced by the Genencor division of Danisco.

While natural rubber is itself a bio-based product since it comes from trees, most tires are produced using synthetic rubber made of petroleum.

This increases the environmental footprint during manufacturing, and also poses issues for disposal since the tires are prone to fires in a landfill that produces black smoke.

Genencor manufactures the polymer by fermenting plants with microorganisms, so oil is not required. The company says its tires should last as long as petroleum-based ones and is investigating the use of BioIsoprene in other rubber products and adhesives.

more  http://earth911.com/news/2010/03/31/goodyear-develops-tires-made-of-renewable-rubber/

Article courtesy of Trey Granger earth911.com

 

It's National Cell Phone Recycling Week!

The U.S. EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling National Cell Phone Recycling Week runs this year on April 5-11.

The EPA’s project brings together leading cell phone manufacturers and service providers to encourage consumers to recycle used wireless devices, batteries, chargers and other accessories and to reduce the amount of reusable materials in landfills, including e-waste.

Cell phone coatings are often made of lead, and their lithium-ion batteries can explode if exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight, which are common conditions in landfills.

It’s estimated that just 1 percent of the 4 billion wireless users worldwide recycle their cell phones after use.

Article courtesy of Amanda Wills earth911.com

 

Chemical-free Lawns Benefit Kids, Pets and Environment

It may surprise you to learn that the best weed control for a lawn is provided by healthy soil, not synthetic fertilizers and herbicides. Some lawn chemicals actually kill the soil microbes necessary for a healthy lawn.

Using a "weed and feed" product to fertilize a lawn also broadcasts toxic herbicides across the entire lawn. These herbicides can stay there for weeks. Rain or watering can wash the chemicals into storm drains that lead to rivers and streams where fish are at risk. Moreover, herbicides are toxic chemicals that can be unsafe for children and pets.

There are safe and healthy ways to care for your lawn without the use of toxic herbicides. Visit DEQ’s Health Lawns, Healthy Families website to learn about natural lawn care and how lawn-care habits affect water quality

Earth Month 2010 - Going Beyond "Green"

For the 40th anniversary of the planet's holiday, we're looking to help redefine its scope

It's pretty amazing that we've been celebrating Earth Day for 40 years now. Though the specific campaigns have grown and changed over time, the message has remained: Let's celebrate the planet. Think global, act local. Make Earth Day every day. Together, we can all make a difference.

That message has produced some eye-opening results over time. As we turn the corner on the second decade of the 21st century, we've got a lot to look back on, but even more to look forward to. That's the idea behind our Earth Day feature for this year: Let's look forward to another 40 years of great accomplishments.

for more visit http://planetgreen.discovery.com/feature/earth-day/earth-day-2010.html

Article courtesy of  Collin Dunn- Planet Green

 

Study: Water vapor may help 'flatten global warming trend'

Article Courtesy of Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Why the Earth's surface temperature hasn't warmed as expected over the past decade continues to be a puzzle for scientists. One study out earlier this month theorized that the Earth's climate may be less sensitive to greenhouse gases than currently assumed.

Another surprising factor could be the amount of water vapor way up in the stratosphere, according to a new study out Thursday in the journal Science.

In the Science paper, Solomon and her colleagues found that a drop in the concentration of water vapor in the stratosphere "very likely made substantial contributions to the flattening of the global warming trend since about 2000."

While climate warming is continuing — the decade of 2000 to 2009 was the hottest on record worldwide — the increase in temperatures was not as rapid as in the 1990s.

The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere just above the troposphere, which is the layer of air here at the planet's surface. (The troposphere goes from the surface up to about 8 miles, and the stratosphere is from about 8 to 30 miles above the surface.)

The decline in water vapor in the stratosphere slowed the rate of surface warming by about 25%, compared to that which would have occurred due to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, notes the study. Specifically, the planet should have warmed 0.25 degree F during the 2000s, but because of the influence of the water vapor, it rose just 0.18 degree F.

for more visit http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2010-01-29-watervapor29_ST_N.htm

 

Get a Better Fridge

Help keep the planet cool, switch to energy-efficient appliances

By Brian Clark Howard

If it's time for a new refrigerator, make sure your new purchase is labeled Energy Star. You'll save on energy bills, and reduce emissions.

Refrigerators account for 15% of the typical homeowner's yearly electric bill. Fortunately, new Energy Star models use 40% less electricity than typical units sold in 2001. That means you could easily save over $50 a year by upgrading to an Energy Star fridge

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/energy-star-refrigerator-460226#ixzz0jxoYwj9Z

This article courtesy of The Daily Green