In a presidential election, we can put our environmental values into action on a massive scale. When we vote for a candidate who supports renewable energy, conservation, and environmental protection, we’re doing our part to help the planet.

For researching our choices, the major parties’ conventions are a good place to start.

The Democrats just finished theirs in Denver this week. While I was watching on TV, I noticed that a lot of speakers mentioned clean-tech jobs and renewable energy projects. After the event was over, I went through the speech archives and counted up all the references to  terms like “clean energy,” “renewable energy,” “climate change,” “global warming,” “green-collar jobs,” and “environment.”

I found about 148 references to these green ideas. From Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer’s fiery call for a “new energy system that’s clean, green, and American-made” to former Virginia Governor Mark Warner’s assertion that “we’ll be building 100 mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrid cars right here, with American technology and with American workers,” speakers emphasized the energy independence themes in the Democratic celebration platform.

Former President Bill Clinton even used climate change for a joke, when he said, “The campaign generated so much heat it increased global warming.”

As one might anticipate, Nobel Prize winner and former Vice President Al Gore brought up environmental themes many times in his speech before presidential nominee Barack Obama took the stage. Gore proclaimed: “We already have everything we need to use the sun, the wind, geothermal power, conservation, and efficiency to solve the climate crisis — everything, that is, except a president who inspires us to believe, ‘Yes we have the ability to.’”

When Obama accepted the nomination, he explained the centerpiece of his energy plan: “I’ll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in inexpensive, renewable sources of energy — wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that’ll lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.”

Next week, the Republicans gather in the Twin Cities to explain their platform and introduce their presidential candidate, John McCain. He’s positioned himself as a maverick, especially on energy issues. It remains to be seen how the candidate’s stand meshes with the GOP’s attitude.

I’ll be watching the convention and do the same tally of the speeches after they’re done. Watch next Friday for another post so you can compare the presidential nominees for yourself.

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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Goats have discovered a favorite snack, and they’re beating us to it. Right now, there’s plenty for all, but once America discovers the culinary properties of kudzu, an invasive vine that’s destroyed much of the South’s biodiversity, we might have to clash with the billys.

The history of kudzu in America is a cautionary tale about good intentions and the paths they have the ability to pave. Cultivation of this Asian plant was encouraged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a ground cover and livestock feed from the 1930s through the 1950s. But once the species took hold in the states, it refused to let go — literally.

The fast-growing decorative plant strangles everything in its path, from agricultural crops, trees, and low shrubs to telephone poles, wires, railings, bridges, and other infrastructure. It was declared a weed in 1970. Its vines encircle branches, wrapping them in an embrace of death. Once the host plant is totally wrapped in kudzu, it dies, leaving a verdant corpse, shimmering with healthy kudzu leaves.

From a distance, a stretch of forest covered with kudzu looks green and healthy. Upon closer inspection, the shapes of the trees are all that remain, as the green leaves are those of the kudzu, not the trees themselves.

With kudzu vines choking off entryways, smothering crops, and dominating the landscape, residents and municipalities tried standard weed-control measures like poisoning, cutting, and burning. Often, the programs did more harm than good. Then, people discovered that goats love to eat the vine.

The trend is centered around Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the goat introduction has been so successful that other animals, like llamas, are being tried out as additional helpers. But lesson about species introduction have been learned.

The city is sponsoring a “goat browsing academy” for locals who hope to employ goats of their own to solve their kudzu problems. The education, provided in conjunction with the Cooperative Extension at Tennessee Say University and the University of Tennessee Extension, will include warnings about any potential downsides to the process. Most importantly, it will train goat employers how to keep the beasts contained, so that there’s not another invasive species running wild.

Maybe, after learning about the responsibilities of goat herding, they’ll decide to eat the kudzu themselves. It is, after all, an edible plant. The leaves can be eaten as a salad green, batter-fried, or slow-cooked like collards. The roots can be cooked like potatoes.

At the school where I instruct cooking, we use kuzu, an arrowroot-like thickener made from kudzu roots, as a replacement for cornstarch. Instead of relying on a plant that’s over-cultivated, we’re turning to one that’s overgrown. It makes great gravy.

Get to it before the goats do!

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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There are a lot of ways to get electronic books, like NetLibrary, Kindle, and so forth. But the titles are often limited. EcoBrain is onto this issue and is providing an eco-sensitive way to get eco-educated.

It’s started an on the internet book store for environmental studies that is completely paperless. The main goal of the company is to reduce the environmental impact of reading. Going paperless is a sure-fire way to do that.

Readers can choose from hundreds of books in different areas, from environmental studies to fiction, from memoirs to day hikes, from green building to gardening, from renewable energy to kids books. While there are hundreds of titles, it’s a bit of a bummer that it is so niche. But a whole lot of other sites have the e-book thing covered, so niche marketing works in this case.

The company is only a year old, and more titles are rapidly being added to the library. The downloaded formats work with Adobe Reader, Palm Reader, or Microsoft Reader, and there is also a selection of audiobooks in MP3 format.

So if you’re running out of green reading material, can’t find many eco-titles at NetLibrary, or haven’t yet gotten your hands on a Kindle, EcoBrain is worth a look-see.

Via Ecolocalizer

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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I’ve now received my first electricity bill after I assembled and started enjoying my fabulous new 21st-century home theater. And the verdict: it’s costing me.

I can’t be mathematically certain down to the decimal point, but the combination of my lovely TV, my DVR cable box, and my new audio system is probably costing me an additional $8-$10 per month, at least in these warm months when my local utility raises its rates.

How do I feel about this? Not great, but I’m loving my new high-definition entertainment experience.

In my own defense, I selected a relatively small 32-inch LCD Television which, on its own, doesn’t consume more power than the old-fashioned 27-inch Trinitron it replaced. LCD is a good technology and far less power hungry than plasma. The problem is that people tend to replace 27-inch TVs with 40, 42, 46, or 50-inch displays, with the corresponding need for more juice.

Of more concern to me is my 800-watt sound system. It’s clear to me now that I over-bought in this case. I live in an apartment, and I have the ability to only take the system to about 30 percent of its full potential before the neighbors get rattled. If I lived in a McMansion on a couple of acres, I could really crank it up to 11, but in my more humble surroundings I should have shopped smaller.

The receiver really heats up and seems massive and bulky for what it does. What’s going on inside there? I’m starting to wonder if it’s full of vacuum tubes or something.

Don Willmott’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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Typically, as California goes, so goes the nation. But the same often holds true with New York. Here is one news item rapidly making the rounds on the clean-tech sites that I hope will demonstrate New York’s influence.

On Tuesday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at a clean energy summit in Las Vegas that he wants New York to make a major shift into renewable energy, and he urged businesses to submit proposals by September 19th. No holds barred on the sources of energy — he wants to float everything from urban turbines, skyscraper solar panels, tidal energy, geothermal energy, and … ahem, nuclear. I wish we could pretend he didn’t say that last one, but yes, he wants “clean nuclear” power.

New Yorkers are already among the greenest people in the nation, based mainly on the tight set-up of the city. But millions and millions of people require a whole lot of power. While Bloomberg wants the current usage levels to stay the same even as the city grows, he pointed out that the infrastructure, and power sources, are out of date and strained.

So, he wants to see energy being drawn from the Hudson and East rivers, from the Atlantic ocean, from the skyscrapers in terms of wind and solar, and any other place possible.

New York is already taking some great steps to green up, from the new WTC towers, to its participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project, to the pilot East River power generation project.

It seems like there are hundreds of ideas discussed on EcoGeek alone that could be streaming in to his office as we talk. I’m looking forward to finding out if some of the renewable energy ideas he called for will actually be considered and adopted in the near future.

Via Physorg; photo via aturkus

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What’s not to like about Yao Ming, the high-profile (literally) international basketball star who most recently electrified the Olympic Opening Ceremonies by carrying his nation’s flag into the stadium.

Yao is using this moment in the spotlight to announce that he has become the U.N. Environment Program’s (UNEP) first Environmental Champion, and in that role he will raise awareness of issues surrounding climate change and energy efficiency. The effort is underway at the Olympics themselves, with UNEP providing lots of fun info. and videos about what has gone into making these games at least somewhat “sustainable.”

As for Yao, his prepared statement reads, in part:

As a sportsman, I believe sport has a major role to play in promoting environmental issues, so I will work with young people across the world and try to inspire them to plant trees, use energy efficient light bulbs, harvest rain water, and to become environmental champions in their own communities.

As the world celebrates the Beijing Olympic Games, I would also like to call upon the organizers of all major sports events in the world to make sure they use public transport facilities, build proper waste management systems, and use greener forms for energy. Please join me in this global team effort.

Good for you, Yao.

And by the way, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are slated to be the greenest yet. Check out the official website to see the steps the host city is already taking.

Don Willmott’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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We’ve been hearing for a while that solar silicon production is going from scrambling to catch up, to having way too much stock. Now we have an idea how much the prices are expected to fall.

According to information provided to UK’s New Energy Finance by polysilicon and solar-wafer buyers and sellers, solar silicon could drop in price by as much as 43% next year. Additionally, silicon wafer prices could drop 41% — and contract silicon prices dropping by 67% — in 5 years. In New Energy Finance’s report, wafers should retain their value in 2009, but as supply increases, prices could hit less than $6 per wafer or $1.62 per watt starting in 2011.

So just as quickly as prices skyrocketed, they’ll drop again (sound like the housing market to anyone?), which means price parity for solar could be just around the corner, despite various setbacks.

“The first results [from the Silicon and Wafer Price Index] have confirmed that we’ll be seeing significant falls in prices right along the value chain as the polysilicon bottleneck eases, bringing solar closer to competitiveness with other power sources,” New Energy Finance CEO Michael Liebreich said in a written statement, and carefully pointed out that the research is specific to contract prices, not spot prices for silicon.

We know that companies are interested in manufacturing the in-demand product, but will production slow at all in preparation of this over-supply? No matter what, it’s a sure bet that solar power prices will drop, so we can hope that the (so far) lack of tax credits won’t be such a large factor stopping people from hooking up to the sun.

Via GreenTech Media; pic via Treehugger

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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What’s not to care about about Yao Ming, the high-profile (literally) international basketball star who most recently electrified the Olympic Opening Ceremonies by carrying his nation’s flag into the stadium.

Yao is using this moment in the spotlight to announce that he has become the U.N. Environment Program’s (UNEP) first Environmental Champion, and in that role he’ll raise awareness of issues surrounding climate change and energy efficiency. The effort is underway at the Olympics themselves, with UNEP providing lots of fun info. and videos about what has gone into making these games at least somewhat “sustainable.”

As for Yao, his prepared statement reads, in part:

As a sportsman, I believe sport has a major role to play in promoting environmental issues, so I’ll work with young people across the world and try to inspire them to plant trees, use energy efficient light bulbs, harvest rain water, and to become environmental champions in their own communities.

As the world celebrates the Beijing Olympic Games, I would also like to call upon the organizers of all major sports events in the world to make sure they use public transport facilities, build proper waste management systems, and use greener forms for energy. Please join me in this global team effort.

Good for you, Yao.

And by the way, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are slated to be the greenest yet. Check out the official website to see the steps the host city is already taking.

Don Willmott’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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I’m a tiny suspicious of pricey shampoos. Is a $20 bottle really that much superior than the generic drugstore stuff priced at $3.49? Do “salon-quality” products really give you that much more shimmer and shine?

Today we’ve the added marketing buzz of “green” and “organic” just to confuse the issue further. Luckily, Sprig dove right into the bathtub to critique dozens of hair care products in search of the “best green shampoos and conditioners.” And just to make it comprehensive, the blog broke down the results by various hair types.

Those of you with dry hair should try John Masters Organics gentle Honey and Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing shampoo and Hair Reconstructor, which contains linolenic and hyaluronic acids, honey, and hibiscus. The drugstore pick is Alba Organics Gardenia Hydrating shampoo and conditioner, which “unleashes a heady floral mood-booster and is packed with 100% vegetarian ingredients like pineapple and kukui nuts.” And at $8.95 it’s cheaper than salon products.

For the oily among you, Sprig recommends Dr. Hauschka’s Nasturtium and Lemon shampoo, “a light citrusy blend of sustainably grown lemon and grapefruit extracts with oil-regulating nasturtium, neem, and watercress.” Wow, sounds like salad dressing.

Of course, the ideal way to get affordable and truly natural shampoo is to make your own. Most of the recipes I dug up are made of readily available ingredients, although you might have to detour to the health food store for some of the suggested scents and oils.

Don Willmott’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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Have you ever spent time scrolling through NASA’s image gallery? Some of the photos are mesmerizing. I particularly like the “Blue Marble” image of the Earth (at right), which was stitched together using satellite data.

Satellites provide more than pretty photos. Our ability to comprehend and predict climate change depends on continuous high-quality satellite data.

Unfortunately, this critical data stream is threatened by budget cuts and lack of political support. In 2005, the National Academies assessed the situation and deemed it “alarming.” Three years later, the outlook has not improved.

What satellites can tell us

Here are just a few examples of the indispensable role satellites play in weather and climate science. Satellites have provided a way to:

• Confirm that global warming is not caused by changes in the Earth’s reflectivity or “albedo”.
• Monitor and verify changes in deforestation emissions (key to any plan to reduce deforestation in developing countries).
• Track ice sheet melting and sea level rise.
• Predict and track storms and floods.
• Improve accuracy of climate models in simulating atmospheric temperature trends, the effects of aerosol pollution, and more.

But crucial information like this may not be available in the future. Many planned satellite missions have been delayed, pared down, or cancelled due to budget cuts.

For example, sensors that would have measured important climate-related variables such as solar irradiance, aerosols, and sea level have been removed from the upcoming National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System.

Existing satellites don’t last forever, so these cutbacks put long-term records at risk, precisely when we need all the information we can get about climate change and its effects.

We need funding for satellites

The National Academies Press has published several reports (here, here, and here) proposing short-term solutions that would avoid gaps in crucial datasets. But what we really need is a long-term commitment to a unified, high-quality Earth observation program.

This issue is so pressing that it was highlighted in a recent editorial in the journal Nature, which called on the next U.S. president to make Earth observation a priority. As Nature put it, “Providing for continuous high-quality climate data would be a substantial legacy, serving the interests of both U.S. citizens and the rest of the world for decades to come.”

This post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense Fund.

For more visit Source:[green.yahoo]

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