Environment

Non-Plastic, Plastic Bags

- Vanessa King

Around the World nearly on trillion platic bags are produced each year. A vast majority of those bags end up in landfills. Now, more than ever, large companies are noticing how much of an impact they are having on the environment and working to change that. Mountain Equipment Co-Op is one great example. As a company that sells outdoor recreation products it seemed only natural to continue their eco-friendly trend as an organization. So MEC’s national sustainability manager has now helped the company make the switch to corn-based, compostable platic bags in their stores.

MEC alone goes through over half a million bags per year which is a lot especially when you consider that an average plastic bag can take up to 100 years to decompose. The new ones will begin to break down within 2 weeks in a landfill.

Want $10 Million?

- Adam Clare

Apparently, the White House has launched the H-prize and it is not for a hydrogen bomb, it’s for a hydrogen car!

“This is an opportunity for a triple play,” said bill sponsor Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., citing benefits to national security from reduced dependence on foreign oil, cleaner air from burning pollution-free hydrogen and new jobs. “If we can reinvent the car, imagine the jobs we can create.”

European Cities Pledge to Pass Less Gas

- Adam Clare

A group of European cities have partnered with indigenous organizations in the rain-forest to combat CO2 emissions. The cities have pledged to cut their 1990 emissions per capita in half. It looks like the cities will concentrate on mainly transportation.

“The Climate Alliance of European Cities with Indigenous Rainforest Peoples is Europe’s largest city network dedicated to climate protection, with more than 1,300 member municipalities located in 17 European countries.

Close to 50 million European citizens live in member cities, which include Barcelona, Berlin, Luxembourg, Munich, The Hague, Venice, Vienna and Zurich. “

Floating on Water and Powered by the Wind

- Adam Clare

Technology Review has a groovy article on a new style of wind farm that floats. The idea is that people will not have their views ruined by large wind farms, and as a added bonus the wind is stronger out in the open seas.

A win for power, postcards, GE, and for fighting climate change!

“GE has announced a $27 million partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop 5-7 megawatt turbines by 2009, each of which could power well over 1,000 homes. Supplanting the company’s current 3.6 megawatt turbines, these giant energy factories should make wind power more economical, since the major cost of building and installing offshore wind farms does not depend primarily on a turbine’s size, but on the number of them that need to be erected. By 2015, GE could have even bigger, 10-megawatt turbines, according to Jim Lyons, leader of advanced technology for GE’s wind energy business.”

Help the Environment and Move to a City

- Adam Clare

Living in a city is a healthier lifestyle choice than living in SUBurban and rural areas. Some maps and analysis are available, the maps show CO2 emissions for a few American cities. The study was commissioned by Center for Neighborhood Technology.

“Our personal transportation choices can and do impact greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Households in the city have easier access to public transportation systems, drive less often or shorter distances, and walk or bike to their destinations. With continued investment in public transit and in walking- and biking-friendly neighborhoods, cities can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve local air quality.”

Via Tom Paine.com

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