Inspirational and good news.
This is obviously good news from BusinessWeek:
The question of whether Europe should commit itself to a binding goal on renewable energy is set to dominate EU summit discussions on climate change, with the German EU presidency also putting broader energy issues, bureaucracy-cutting and the Union’s 50th birthday declaration on the agenda.
The University of Guelph, known for its agriculture and science, had teamed up with three other Ontario Universities to develop an eco -friendly car. With recent support from the Ontario Government, this project is well on its way to creating great strides for a healthier Canada.
” The concept is a step closer to reality today with the announcement that the provincial government is investing nearly $6 million in the BioCar Initiative, a multi-university project led by the University of Guelph.
“The BioCar initiative aligns some of the most distinctive innovation capacity in Ontario,†said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research). “It involves a consortium of universities working with two of the largest industries in Ontario, the automotive industry and the agricultural industry. This combination provides an unprecedented opportunity for the province to be seen as a major contributor to the global biobased industrial revolution that is occurring.â€
Support for the project will come from the Ontario Research Fund and was announced today in Toronto by Premier Dalton McGuinty, minister of research and innovation.
“It’s a whole new way of looking at agriculture and a whole new relationship between the sector and Ontario’s economy,†said plant agriculture professor Larry Erickson, one of the lead researchers. “It opens the door for a lot more approaches and utilization of crops. Now, agriculture is more than meat and potatoes; it’s car parts, building materials, fuel and more.â€
Linux is an open source computer operating system that is FREE. By using it you can save money and the environment according to EcoGeek. My favourite linux operating system is Ubuntu, which is running on my computer and is easier to use than Windows.
“A typical hardware refresh period for Microsoft Windows is 3-4 years. A major UK manufacturing organisation quotes its hardware refresh period for Linux systems as 6-8 years.” A significant difference…a doubling even, of the lifetime of a computer.
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A widespread switch to Linux could prevent millions of tons of waste from going into landfills. Every computer not needed would prevent the use of 240 kg of fossil fuels. Spread that out over the 17.5 million computers that wouldn’t be going obsolete every year and Linux could deliver the world a much more sustainable future.
In Chicago, they have recently built a building providing subsidized housing that is LEED certified. This building is conceptually great as it helps people while helping the environment. A model that every city should adapt!
He notes that the building, designed by Chicago architect Helmut Jahn, is specially designed to use wind power. The roof curves at the edges, like the top of a loaf of bread. As the wind flows over the curve, it accelerates on its way into the turbines.
The roof also houses solar hot-water panels. Rainwater runoff from the property collects in an underground cistern, into which also drains filtered gray water from the building’s showers. This is the first large-scale gray-water system in Chicago. The collected water is used to flush toilets and irrigate outdoor gardens.
In all, the green-design elements added about $1 million to Near North’s construction costs, which totaled $14.1 million. The expected payback period for the added costs is 16 to 18 years
In my humble opinion its about time. Of course I am talking about the Australian government’s plan to phase out incandescent light bulbs and replace them with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs across the country. Legislation will gradually restrict the sale of the old-style bulbs and hopes to convince state and territory governments to introduce energy performance standards that would lead to the replacement of standard light bulbs with more efficient but more expensive alternatives such as compact fluorescent lights.
This is not the first time a ban such as this has occured in a country. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, announced his own program to save energy and gave away millions of fluorescent bulbs in neighbourhoods nationwide. Cuba’s Fidel Castro launched a similar program two years ago, sending youth brigades into homes and switching out regular bulbs for energy-saving ones to help battle electrical blackouts around the island.
** I should note that CFL’s contain small amounts of mercury.