Alaska Governor/John McCain vice presidential pick Sarah Palin doesn’t have a long voting record like Democratic veep candidate Joe Biden. Sizing up her ‘greenness’ takes a bit of legwork. Here’s where to look.

Grist has a comprehensive analysis of Palin’s stated thoughts on eco-matters and finds a “mixed bag” of eco-actions.

The one-term governor earns praise for standing up to oil and gas companies in Alaska, yet she wrote an article in The New York Times advocating that the polar bear should not be listed as an endangered species. Palin also opposed a state ballot initiative on clean water.

In some ways, Palin’s attitudes differ dramatically from McCain’s moderate stance on conservation and energy independence. For example, the presidential candidate has spoken against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but the VP candidate supports drilling in the sensitive natural area.

Our own EcoGeek offers a swift comparison of both VP candidates’ thoughts on clean, green technology. Check it out to see what Biden and Palin consider renewable energy.

And on the other side of the political aisle, we an interesting new endorsement was announced during the Democratic National Convention: The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) declared its support for Barack Obama. It’s only the second time in 21 years that this industry group has endorsed any presidential candidate.

The ACGA has a massive interest in how the next president supports ethanol production. Unfortunately, corn-based biofuels have serious drawbacks compared to other biofuels. So environmentalists might want to think carefully about what this endorsement means and how it reflects on the candidate’s energy platform.

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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The United Nations works hard creating vast tables of data showing everything from traffic fatalities to at-risk mollusk species. The trouble is, that data is vastly boring. It might have an effect on UN policy, but it certainly won’t have an effect on the average person.

But now it just might. The geeks at WorldMapper.org have created a system that graphs this UN data into maps. Suddenly the data become ridiculously easy to comprehend. The map above, with the over-inflated United Says and Japan, you might have guessed, shows CO2 emissions per country in 2000. One of the most fascinating things I discovered is how closely that mirrors the map of wealth per country. The map below, on the other hand, shows population (we don’t know why Antarctica shows up at all, but there you have it.)

The project is run by Danny Dorling and Anna Barford of the University of Sheffield, UK and they already have over three hundred maps. Aside from being an extremely fast way to brief yourself on the state of the world, it’s also simply fascinating. The statistics on teenage mothers blew me away, and the series on centers of world wealth from 2000 years ago to 2015 on tells a story that couldn’t be told in 100,000 words.

It’s becoming clear that understanding data is much more important than simply having data, so we’re happy to applaud worldmapper’s efforts. Now that we have the ability to see the problems clearly, there’s nothing in the way of all the affected countries actually doing something about it, right?

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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Huddler’s tight-knit community of eco-minded consumers share their knowledge about sustainable products and services ranging from electric vehicles to organic toothpaste. Click here to participate.

What is TerraCycle?

TerraCycle is one of the best examples of eco-capitalism in action. The company was founded in 2001 by two Princeton students, Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer. They started out with their flagship product, TerraCycle Plant Food, which is a liquid plant food. The catch, however, was that their product was made entirely from waste (worm poop, as it so happened) and packaged in waste (old soda bottles).

From there, TerraCycle blossomed into the great upcycling company it is today. They currently take a variety of waste products (think KoolAid containers, Capri Sun juice packs, cookie wrappers, soda bottles, and more) and turn them into new useful items (like tote bags and pencil cases).

TerraCycle Products

Here’s just a small sampling of three of TerraCycle’s product repertoire:

Huddler.com Interview with CEO and Founder Tom Szaky

Between July 14th and 20th, 2008, Green Home Huddlers got the chance to post and vote on questions for an interview with Tom.

To get all of Tom’s insights on the ins and outs of eco-capitalism and TerraCycle’s unique business, read the full interview.

Q: Hi Tom, thanks for taking questions. You’ve got a pretty big range of products I see (everything from rain barrels, to tote bags, to cleaning products). How did you get there from just starting with your original plant food product? (by Eli)

A: Thank you for participating! Our development and growth is definitely faster than your average company. At TerraCycle, our mission is to find a meaningful use for waste materials (read: smelly garbage). That mission led us to identifying so many different waste streams that needed addressing. From drink pouches to wine barrels to plastic bags, so much material is wasted. Because no one wants these materials, they’re simple for us to come by; because sustainable products are ‘all the rage,’ retailers welcome us with open arms.

This combination has granted us to develop an amazing number of products quickly. Unlike most companies, which spend years in product development and testing, TerraCycle moves through these stages very swiftly. First we identify a waste stream, then we figure out what we have the ability to make from that material. This is our strength — creatively solving the “what the hell do we make from it” issue. If a retailer bites, we’re in full production in a matter of weeks.

Q: What’s the typical product development process for TerraCycle? I’m especially interested in material selection. Do you begin by selecting the ideal material for a new product and then do some product design and testing? How do you evaluate if there will be adequate quantity of the waste (while there are obviously more than enough 20oz. plastic soda bottles, I imagine it’s a lot tougher to determine if you’ll be able to reclaim enough cookie wrappers)? Where do the materials ultimately come from? (combined question by teej and dana1981)

Great follow up question to build off my answer to Eli. Actually, contrary to traditional manufacturing, our first step is identifying the waste materials. Because we are upcycling, not recycling, we have to come up with a completed product that utilizes the original shape and composition of the material. Once we have a material identified and product concept in mind, we test to see if our production costs and needs are environmental and economical.

Great observation, waste stream sourcing is difficult because it’s not consistent. If you need to order 1000 rolls of a cloth, it can be made for you, but we are restricted to using materials that already exist. The waste streams we use by definition are in abundance. We’re addressing the largest waste streams, the ones that are doing the most ecological damage, so that means there are 100’s of millions, if not billions, being produced every year.

Still, the issue remains that we have to make a ship date for Target and how can we assure the collection of enough cookie wrappers in time? Luckily our partnership with Kraft Foods solves that issue. In addition to Kraft, or in this case the brand Nabsico specifically, providing enough funding to collect millions of wrappers post-consumer. We also have deals to take all of the brand’s post-industrial ‘kick offs.’ Any packaged goods manufacturer has some small percentage of off-spec, end run or unused packaging. That small percentage translates to millions of unusable impressions. These post industrial streams help us solidify our manufacturing needs and are just as eco-friendly. If not upcycled by TerraCycle, these ‘kick-offs’ go to a landfill or are incinerated to create energy.

Q: We all know that the upcycling is an incredible idea, and very important, but when you compute the net cost of collecting, cleaning and using an old seltzer bottle for housing your cleaning solution, is it also cheaper for you as a business than manufacturing all your own packaging? Keep up the awesome work! (by Deej)

A: Thanks for the kind words! Surprisingly it is much much cheaper. Keep in mind the following figures are rough estimates. To purchase a standard plastic bottle to package your cleaners is (let’s say) 5 cents. To get a 50% post consumer plastic bottle, it jumps to 9-10 cents, for a compostable bottle made from corn plastic you are now speaking 20-25 cents per bottle. For our reused bottles, we pay an average of one half cent per bottle, all bought from local recycling centers. We can clean 100’s at a time and are left with a bottle that cost about the same as a regular bottle, but is the most eco-friendly version possible. This is why TerraCycle prides itself on providing eco-friendly alternatives at no premium.

Q: Can you tell us what the single most important thing an ecopreneur should know before moving forward? Is there one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you were starting out? (by jenGreenhance)

A: To a young ecopreneur? To always stay true to your mission. In its formative years, TerraCycle was broke and operating out of a dingy garage. Still I turned down a million dollar business plan contest, because the VCs providing the capital wanted me to move away from used soda bottles and our green focus and instead become a traditional fertilizer company. If I had concurred and gone with the money and the suggestions of the more experienced business men telling me what to do, I never would have moved from fertilizers to all the wonderful items were are manufacturing now.

If you’ve a plan and a dream and you believe it will work then stick with it, no matter what. It won’t be simple or swift, but the payoff is endless if you see it through.

For the complete interview, head on over here.

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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The United Nations works hard creating vast tables of data showing everything from traffic fatalities to at-risk mollusk species. The trouble is, that data is vastly boring. It might have an effect on UN policy, but it certainly won’t have an effect on the average person.

But now it just might. The geeks at WorldMapper.org have created a system that graphs this UN data into maps. Suddenly the data become ridiculously easy to understand. The map above, with the over-inflated United States and Japan, you might have guessed, shows CO2 emissions per country in 2000. One of the most fascinating things I discovered is how closely that mirrors the map of wealth per country. The map below, on the other hand, shows population (we don’t know why Antarctica shows up at all, but there you’ve it.)

The project is run by Danny Dorling and Anna Barford of the University of Sheffield, UK and they already have over three hundred maps. Aside from being an extremely fast way to brief yourself on the say of the world, it’s also simply fascinating. The statistics on teenage mothers blew me away, and the series on centers of world wealth from 2000 years ago to 2015 on tells a story that couldn’t be told in 100,000 words.

It’s becoming clear that understanding data is much more important than simply having data, so we’re happy to applaud worldmapper’s efforts. Now that we have the ability to see the problems clearly, there’s nothing in the way of all the affected countries actually doing something about it, right?

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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For anyone prematurely lamenting the end of summer, here’s some salve for your sorrow: You’ll never enjoy superior tomato sauce than right now. How? You’re just five ingredients away from the perfect Pasta Pomodoro.

First, find a friend who grows tomatoes (or a farmers market selling local orbs). Second, dice the tomatoes up, throw them in a pan of sizzling garlic, simmer for less time than it takes to boil a pound of pasta, and get down to some fine eatin’.

This utterly simple recipe upends the myth that tomato sauce has to simmer for hours in a huge cauldron, guarded by an Italian matron. It’s a swift saute that captures the fresh, sweet-vegetal taste of peak-of-season tomatoes. Spoon some over polenta, risotto, toast points, or bruschetta for the perfect simple late summer hors d’oeuvre or appetizer course.

Here’s the really good news: Summer officially extends until the third week of September, and tomato harvest follows right along with it. So cheer up and enjoy the long weeks of summer still yet to come!

Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 cups chopped tomatoes (any variety)

1 scant teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano or basil (optional)

Heat olive oil and garlic in a huge skillet over medium flame, stirring with a wooden spoon until the garlic just whitens, releases its aroma, and begins to sizzle. Immediately stir in the tomatoes and salt. Raise heat to medium-high, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened, and some of the water has steamed off. Fold in oregano or basil, season with black pepper to taste, and serve over pasta, polenta, risotto, or bruschetta.

Serves 8

Jay Weinstein’s blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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Mitsubishi is working to make recycling e-waste more efficient through a new technology announced last week.

Typically, e-waste recycling means separating out plastics from electronic components, and the various types of plastic also need to be sorted, and the resins need to be removed from the shards of waste, all of which becomes a fairly complex process. Mitsubishi’s process, the details of which are still under wraps, will simplify removal of polystyrene, polypropylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resins (say that three times fast…) and the whole process becomes much easier, with Mitsubishi claiming the process has a 99% purity rate of recovered plastics.

The revamped process will be performed at a new recycling plant just outside of Tokyo that the company will build starting in October of next year. The simplification of any process typically also means energy savings, so we’re eager to hear more details and see for ourselves just how far-reaching the eco-impact of the process is.

Via GoodCleanTech

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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Now that we know the two folks who will be vying for the vice presidency, let’s do a tiny bit of analysis on who is a stronger environmental technology candidate.

Joe Biden: Strong supporter of “energy independence” with a focus on biofuels. And, if Obama’s speech at the DNC was any indication, these will be “second generation” biofuels. I.E. not food-based.

In general Joe has a good voting record with the League of Conservation Voters (who keeps tabs on these things) with an over all score of 83 out of 100. During his own run for president, Biden’s emissions policy closely matched Obama, calling for an 80 percent reduction over 1990 levels by 2050.

A few pertinent Biden quotes include:

If I could wave a wand, and the Lord stated I could solve one problem, I would solve the energy crisis. That’s the single most consequential problem we have the ability to solve.

I believe that all new coal-fired power plants should be built with carbon capture and sequestration capacity.

Sarah Palin: Doesn’t have a record at all with the LCV, since she’s been in politics for only a few years. But despite being a hunter and angler (the only reasons to be a Republican conservationist these days) she’s pro mining, pro drilling, pro pipeline and pro large oil. And, of course, there was that time that she sued the government of the United States for listing the polar bear as an endangered species.

The most pertinent quote I could find from her on clean technology was:

Alternative-energy solutions are far from imminent and would require more than 10 years to develop.

OK, so this actually turns out not to be a very interesting comparison. McCain and Obama certainly both have more interesting things to state about green technology, and it’s clear that the environment didn’t play much of a part in either of these VP decisions.

If there’s any real clear picture here, it’s that Obama wanted a foreign policy guy, and McCain wanted a young “agent of change.” Though what that change precisely is, I’m quite frightened to consider.

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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Everyone’s favorite thin-film solar start-up, Nanosolar, just keeps proving how awesome they are. First they manage to take their technology from the lab to commercial scale fairly inexpensively. Then they begin selling solar panels that can produce energy at near grid-parity. Now they’ve announced that they’ve got $300 M to expand their production.

I suppose it’s not a surprise, if what they’re saying about their technology is true. Indeed, they can’t produce panels fast enough to sell them. Right now, the only thing keeping their prices high is that they can’t fill demand.

Thin film solar was a $2B market this year, but it’s expected to grow to $22B by 2015. So we shouldn’t be surprised that investors are excited to dump money into these projects.

This investment in Nanosolar isn’t being used to develop technology. As exciting as new technologies are, developing the capacity for new technologies to have a real impact on the world is even cooler. The investment will increase Nanosolar’s production capacity for ultility-scale solar plants.

So, unfortunately for you and I, they won’t have panels for consumers to purchase for quite a while yet. But if you live in one of the many places where Nanosolar panels will be used, you might soon be getting energy from them nonetheless.

Via CleanTech

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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When I asked Bob Lutz almost a year ago whether he thought other vehicle companies would be adopting the Chevy Volt’s “extended range electric vehicle” platform, he stated that they were welcome to join in the fun.

But he might not have expected that other automobile companies would be so swift to the punch. While GM has been pushing like crazy to get the Volt out of the door, it looks like Mazda (Ford) has had a tiny bit of work going on as well.

While all eyes have been on the Volt, Mazda outfitted a Mazda MPV with an electric engine, some batteries, and an onboard Wankel engine to re-charge the batteries. Basically, this is the same set-up as the Volt with two huge differences.

1. The batteries are probably small and cheap, and Mazda will need to do a lot of work before matching the Volt’s 40-mile range
2. Mazda is, quite cleverly, using the Wankel engine that they have some experience with. Wankel rotary engines are much smaller and lighter than piston engines, and so will be less of a burden to haul around while the vehicle doesn’t need it.

Oh, and the other difference is that this is all very hush hush. And, generally, that means that “hopefully ready in two years” means “if totally everything goes right and nothing at all goes wrong.”

Generously, I say we’ll wait for another four years before Mazda has an Extended Range EV in showrooms.

Via WIRED

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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Using trees to make stuff isn’t a new idea … in fact it is one of the oldest. Also not new is the idea of shaping trees into objects. But there’s a project underway that puts a whole new twist, literally, on the idea of making structures from trees.

The novelty of it is that the trees will be grown in the shape desired – like the ultimate topiary, only useful. Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the company Plantware are partnering up to grow structures from trees on a commercial scale – structures including bus shelters, playgrounds, and even houses.

There are already aeroponics pilot projects happening in the U.S., Australia and Israel, through which trees are grown in the air so that they’ve shapeable “soft roots.” The project hopes to take the technology to bigger-than-a-bread-box levels, creating sustainable, eco-friendly structures.

It’ll take a while to see the new technology in action, since trees take a while to grow, but we’ll indeed begin seeing a few structures like park benches, gates, streetlamps and so forth grown out of trees.

Via physorg; pic via Plantware

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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