Jun
29
Watch Out, Don Quixote!
By Jodi LaMarco
Xcel Energy has applied for approval from Minnesota state regulators to build a 67- turbine, 100-megawatt wind farm the company expects to have up and running by the end of 2008.
| About Us | Advertising | Contact Us | |
Sustainable, Eco-friendly & Green...all add up to Smarter Real Estate |
Business News
Archives for: June 2007
Jun
29
DuPont Invests in Biofuel
By Jodi LaMarco
In partnership with BP, DuPont plans to build the first biobutanol demonstration facility in hopes of producing fuel from feedstocks such as wheat and corn.
Jun
28
Sea Breezes
By Jodi LaMarco
Germany-based Siemens engineering firm and Norwegian energy group Norsk Hydro have signed a pact to construct the first floating windmill.
The project will cost nearly $34 million and could be operating in the North Sea by 2009. The prototype may pave the way for a small offshore wind farm that would be built some time between 2013 and 2014.
Jun
28
Eco Opinions
By Jodi LaMarco
The New York Times recently took a closer look at the environmentally-friendly Home Depot product brand aptly dubbed “Eco Options.” Applications were received for over 60,000 products of which only 2,500 made the cut. In short: “Plastic-handles paint brushes were touted as nature-friendly because they were not made of wood. Wood-handles paint brushes were promoted as better for the planet because they were not made of plastic.”
Presently, there are no steadfast criteria by which a company (or consumer) can determine a product as “green.” “Eco-friendly” products can have more of an environmental impact than their traditional counterparts when all aspects of production and transport are taken into account.
NYT: June 25, 2007
Jun
28
Watch Your Speed
By Jodi LaMarco
European Parliament member Chris Davies has suggested that cars should not be built to exceed speeds greater than 25 percent above the prevailing European speed limit of 130 km/hr.
The proposal aims to cut CO2 emissions by curbing speeding and could affect Parliament’s decisions on upcoming related legislation.
Jun
27
EPA Not Doing Much Protecting
By Jodi LaMarco
Earthjustice and Friends of the Earth are expected to sue the EPA for neglecting to introduce new emission standards for oceangoing ships. The change was to be implemented on April 27, 2007, but was pushed back until December of 2009.
Jun
27
New Jersey Gets Tough On Emissions
By Jodi LaMarco
New Jersey has passed a bill supported by Governor Jon S. Corzine that would reduce emissions produced by every facet of the state's economy to 1990 levels by 2020, and in its second phase, cap emissions at 80 percent of 2006's levels by 2050.
Jun
27
Too Much Or Too Little?
By Jodi LaMarco
The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment to the energy bill that would require vehicle fleets to achieve an average fuel efficiency standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
Jun
26
Is Coal Recoverable?
By Jodi LaMarco
The National Academy of Sciences has reported that coal-reserve estimates gathered in the 1970s may be inaccurate.
Jun
26
Quick! Catch That Carbon!
By Jodi LaMarco
The International Energy Agency says the world needs to draft laws to that will help foster the budding carbon-capture industry.
Jun
26
EPA Doesn't Take Its Own Advise
By Jodi LaMarco
The EPA has suggested changing the standard for ground-level ozone pollution to 70 to 75 parts per billion over an eight hour period, but some are criticizing the proposal for falling short of recommendations by the EPA's own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee to reduce the range to 60 to 70 parts per billion.
Jun
25
How Sweet It Is
By Jodi LaMarco
Next month, Mitsubishi Motors plans to bring a flex-fuel version of the Pajero SUV to Brazil’s car market in response to a 12.4 percent overall increase in auto sales last year.
Jun
25
Carbon Funeral
By Jodi LaMarco
The Ministry of Oil and Energy in Norway has signed agreements with five energy companies in an effort to build a testing center for carbon capture and storage.
Jun
25
Chrysler Catching Up?
By Jodi LaMarco
Chrysler has promised to improve the gas mileage of its car fleet as well as introduce new hybrids, including a “mild hybrid” fitted with a battery that will power the vehicle while it is stopped.
Jun
22
Buoyant and Tasty
By Jodi LaMarco
Not-for-profit New York Sun Works has created a floating farm that runs on wind and solar power as well as biofuel.
Jun
22
God Save the Green
By Jodi LaMarco
England will require all fuel used for transport to be blended with five percent biodiesel by 2010, and may increase the requirement to 10 percent by 2015. Raised standards would force Britain to import additional biofuel to meet demands.
Jun
22
Star of Canada
By Jodi LaMarco
Ontario will provide households up to C$5,000 to upgrade their furnaces to Energy Star approved models, as well as for installing other sustainable appliances such as solar-powered water heaters.
Jun
21
Little China Is Growing Up
By Jodi LaMarco
U.K. Foreign Office director John Ashton claims that China is building roughly two power plants per week.
Jun
21
China Surpasses U.S. on Emissions
By Jodi LaMarco
According to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, China has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest emitter of CO2.
Jun
21
Maine Caps Its Carbon
By Jodi LaMarco
Maine Governor John Baldacci has signed a bill outlining measures the state will take to limit emissions from its power plants.
Jun
20
It's Never Too Late to Go Green
By Jodi LaMarco
Green funerals are fast becoming a way for individuals to reduce pollution.
Jun
20
Beets and Wheat
By Jodi LaMarco
The Japanese government will subsidize half of the cost of a new ethanol plant to be built on the northern island of Hokkaido by Mitsubishi Corp. and Kirin Brewery Co.
Jun
20
Birds of a Feather?
By Jodi LaMarco
The European Union and U.S. have agreed to combine their efforts to reduce aircraft emissions.
Jun
19
A Valuable Commodity
By Jodi LaMarco
United Nations reporter Jean Ziegler has warned that using land to cultivate sugar and corn for use as biofuel instead of food could lead to mass starvation.
Jun
19
Communities Get Involved
By Jodi LaMarco
The EPA has awarded $1 million in grants to ten community-based organizations across the country for projects concerning the environment and public heath.
Jun
19
Gently Down the Stream
By Jodi LaMarco
According to Gary Mast of the USDA, nitrogen used to fertilize corn crops for biofuels in the Midwest could contribute to a seasonal “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico.
Jun
18
Flying Low
By Jodi LaMarco
British airline Easyjet hopes to have its low-emission, short-distance planes delivered by 2015.
The new narrow-bodied design incorporates two open-rotor engines above a wide tail fin, and could cut CO2 emissions as much as 50 percent. The aircraft would also reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 75 percent.
Jun
18
Down On the Farm
By Jodi LaMarco
The EPA will monitor emissions from 21 livestock farms in nine states during a voluntary two-year program to establish the effect of dairy, swine, and poultry operations on air quality.
Jun
18
Watch Out Where the Huskies Go
By Jodi LaMarco
Arctic temperatures are nearly three degrees higher than they were in the 1700s, and dirty snow accounts for an entire degree of that increase.
Jun
15
Leading the Whey
By Jodi LaMarco
Peggy M. Tomasula and Agricultural Research Service scientists have produced an edible, biodegradable coating for food products that can be used as an eco-friendly packaging alternative to petrochemicals.
Jun
15
Paris Gets Rolling
By Jodi LaMarco
By July 15, 750 “Velib” stations throughout Paris will be stocked with over 10,600 free bicycles.
Jun
14
China Skeptical on Liquid Coal Alternative
By Jodi LaMarco
In the face of President Bush’s push to wean Americans off oil by turning to liquid coal, China is considering halting its liquid coal projects.
Jun
14
U.S. to Spend $18 Million Developing Biofuels and Bioenergy
By Jodi LaMarco
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy will together award up to $18 million to state and federal research agencies, national laboratories, private groups and nonprofit organizations for the research and development of biofuels and bioenergy. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said, “These grants are one of many steps we are taking to meet the President's goals of reducing petroleum dependency."
Jun
14
Gas Use at 40-Year Low in Northwest
By Jodi LaMarco
Sightliner Institute, a Seattle-based think tank, has released its annual “Cascadia” report stating that gas use in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho is at a 40-year low due to rising prices.
Jun
13
Good for the Environment, Good for Farmers
By Jodi LaMarco
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that one-third of New York City’s heating oil must contain five percent biofuel by July 2008.
Jun
13
U.S. Agriculture to Grow Cornier
By Jodi LaMarco
A report by the Government Accountability Office states that nearly one third of the nation’s corn crop will be devoted to ethanol production in five years.
Jun
13
Virgin Voyage
By Jodi LaMarco
The Virgin Voyager, a passenger train that uses 20 percent biodiesel, made its first trip on Thursday June 7, 2007 from London to Llandudno in North Wales.
Jun
12
Need for Biofuel Takes Toll on Indonesian Rainforests
By Jodi LaMarco
The demand for biofuel and exotic wood may destroy Indonesian rainforests as soon as 2022.
Jun
12
Every Little Bit Counts
By Jodi LaMarco
Cars and trucks get most of the attention when it comes to pollution caused by thirsty engines, but even lawn-mowers can contribute to global warming.
Jun
12
Trucks: A New Endangered Species
By Jodi LaMarco
According to an article in the New York Times, truck sales across the country have declined due to prohibitively high gas prices along with “a growing sense of environmental responsibility.”
Jun
11
The Hot Spot
By Jodi LaMarco
Although geothermal energy currently generates only .3 percent of the nation's energy, an MIT-led report states that it could produce at least ten percent of the nation's power by 2050 if granted $1 billion for research over the next 15 years.
Jun
11
A Win for the Home Team
By Jodi LaMarco
According to the National Association of Home Builders, more than 97,000 homes have been constructed and certified by green building programs across the country, a 50 percent increase since the last survey in 2004 that reported 61,000 green homes.
Jun
11
COh2 Canada
By Jodi LaMarco
As of October 1, 2007, energy companies in Quebec will be obligated to pay a new tax based on the amount of CO2 they produce. The revenue collected is expected to contribute $200 million per year toward Quebec's Green Fund.
Jun
8
Friendly Bacteria
By Jodi LaMarco
George Church and Chris Somerville, the founders of California-based LS9, are working to develop microorganisms that can create and excrete hydrocarbon for gas, diesel, and jet fuel.
Jun
8
Carbon Trading in Practice
By Jodi LaMarco
Companies who purchase carbon credits to offset their CO2, especially from developing nations exempt from Kyoto Protocol emission standards, often pass on costs to consumers.
Jun
8
Surf in the Sun
By Jodi LaMarco
Meraki has created a WiFi repeater powered by solar energy. The device can extend a WiFi signal over long distances, making internet accessible in places where it would be otherwise unavailable. Since the repeater does not need electricity to operate, it is also an eco-friendly option for web-surfers.
Jun
7
Australia Backs Bush
By Jodi LaMarco
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has voiced his support for President Bush’s proposal to assemble the world’s top 15 carbon-emitting nations in an effort to fight global warming.
Jun
7
GE Goes Loco
By Jodi LaMarco
General Electric has revealed its prototype for a 4,400 horsepower hybrid locomotive that stores the energy that’s dissipated by dynamic breaking in a set of sodium nickel chloride batteries.
Jun
7
Utility Reform for the Environment
By Jodi LaMarco
A pending Senate bill could change US energy requirements, forcing utilities to generate 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2012 as opposed to the current rule of only two percent.
Jun
6
China Plans to Reduce Energy Use
By Jodi LaMarco
China has unveiled a 62-page report outlining plans for meeting its goals of reducing energy use by one-fifth over the next three years through use of nuclear, hydro, and wind power, as well as more efficient coal-fired power plants.
Jun
6
Keeping It Out of Landfills
By Jodi LaMarco
Freecycle is an online gifting service that allows members to send mass emails to subscribers in their area offering items they wish to give away, and also receive emails for items being offered.
Jun
6
In Short: Environment vs. Economy
By Jodi LaMarco
The Bush administration refuses to draft steadfast legislation to put stricter caps on CO2 emissions, despite public criticism. And while Germany leads the G8 in its fight against climate change, it is also Europe’s greatest polluter. This creates a dilemma.
Jun
5
Green Lightning
By Jodi LaMarco
Lightning Motors has modified a Yamaha R1 motorcycle to run off electric power. The engine has been replaced by lithium batteries which can propel the bike to a top speed of approximately 100mph, and can travel up to 100 miles without needing to be recharged.
Jun
5
Bush Goes His Own Way
By Jodi LaMarco
President Bush has suggested his own plans for major industrialized nations to set “a long-term global goal” for reducing green-house gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.
Jun
5
Debating Coal
By Jodi LaMarco
Coal-producing states are pushing the U.S. government to subsidize liquid coal as an alternative energy source to foreign oil.
Jun
4
Food Footprints
By Jodi LaMarco
On May 30, 2007, the United Kingdom unveiled a government plan in which foods will carry labels indicating the carbon footprint created by their production, transport, and destruction.
• Government |