The Future is Green
Thoughts on the coming of a society that is in balance with nature and the magnitude of the problems in the way; facing the reality that the present world's population has moved beyond the earth's carrying capacity, the looming peak in world oil production, green alternatives, and the least painful paths to a sustainable society.
Architecture 2030
Architecture 2030, a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization, was established in response to the global-warming crisis by architect Edward Mazria in 2002. 2030’s mission is to rapidly transform the US and global Building Sector from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the global-warming crisis. Our goal is straightforward: to achieve a dramatic reduction in the global-warming-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Building Sector by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed and constructed.
15 (More) Future Wonders of Green Technology: From Spinning Towers to Seawater Greenhouses
As the world increasingly focuses on sustainable initiatives, green architecture is a booming industry. Everything from single-family residences to giant 1.2-million-square-foot complexes complete with giant skyscrapers is getting the green treatment, and the innovation that iss going into these plans is more complex than ever.
Green Your Future
Mapping a Green career path
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Monday, June 1, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bowing In The Wind?
How Does a Wind Turbine Work?
Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.
Small wind turbines blow out big sales
Sales of turbines big enough to serve a single home or office building grew rapidly last year and are poised for even faster growth this year, according to a report from the American Wind Energy Association
Home Wind Turbines Are A Worthless, Dangerous, Wasteful Vanity
This writer just looked at the wattage on a newly purchased Revlon brand hairdryer: Rating was 1985W. That's roughly equivalent to twenty, 100-W incandescant bulbs...surely more than a whole residence-worth of what's actually lit at any one time... or to over one hundred forty (14W-rated, 60W incandescant equivalent) compact flourescent bulbs.
More States Offer Rebates for Home Wind Turbines
Altogether, says Mr. Stimmel, some kind of financial incentive for residential small wind is available in about 17 states, though in some cases the incentives are offered through utilities rather than directly by the state itself.
Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.
Small wind turbines blow out big sales
Sales of turbines big enough to serve a single home or office building grew rapidly last year and are poised for even faster growth this year, according to a report from the American Wind Energy Association
Home Wind Turbines Are A Worthless, Dangerous, Wasteful Vanity
This writer just looked at the wattage on a newly purchased Revlon brand hairdryer: Rating was 1985W. That's roughly equivalent to twenty, 100-W incandescant bulbs...surely more than a whole residence-worth of what's actually lit at any one time... or to over one hundred forty (14W-rated, 60W incandescant equivalent) compact flourescent bulbs.
More States Offer Rebates for Home Wind Turbines
Altogether, says Mr. Stimmel, some kind of financial incentive for residential small wind is available in about 17 states, though in some cases the incentives are offered through utilities rather than directly by the state itself.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Green Cleaning
Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets
The Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets Refill has 43% less packaging than the products it replaces. If every American bought just one Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheet Refill instead of even one bottle of liquid detergent2, we could prevent the equivalent of 91 million detergent bottles (27 million lbs), originally destined for landfills, from being produced - keeping over 8 football fields worth of packaging out landfills.
Survey Shows "Green Washing" is Everywhere
"We are enthusiastic that consumers are becoming more environmentally savvy," said Linda Brown, executive vice president of Scientific Certification Systems of Emeryville. "We need to be building environmental literacy and training consumers and decision-makers how to make environmental choices."
Cleaning Green
Avoid products with labels that carry unsubstantiated or vague claims such as "ecologically friendly" or "nontoxic," according to the Green Guide Institute, now part of National Geographic. The term "biodegradable" also is meaningless. (The Guide compares cleaners at www.thegreenguide.com. Click on "Buying Guides.")
The Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets Refill has 43% less packaging than the products it replaces. If every American bought just one Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheet Refill instead of even one bottle of liquid detergent2, we could prevent the equivalent of 91 million detergent bottles (27 million lbs), originally destined for landfills, from being produced - keeping over 8 football fields worth of packaging out landfills.
Survey Shows "Green Washing" is Everywhere
"We are enthusiastic that consumers are becoming more environmentally savvy," said Linda Brown, executive vice president of Scientific Certification Systems of Emeryville. "We need to be building environmental literacy and training consumers and decision-makers how to make environmental choices."
Cleaning Green
Avoid products with labels that carry unsubstantiated or vague claims such as "ecologically friendly" or "nontoxic," according to the Green Guide Institute, now part of National Geographic. The term "biodegradable" also is meaningless. (The Guide compares cleaners at www.thegreenguide.com. Click on "Buying Guides.")
Monday, May 25, 2009
Green Tests And Quizzes
Have some fun - and maybe learn something - with these Green Tests and Quizzes:
Test Your Green IQ
Test Your Energy IQ
How Green Are You?
Personal Footprint
Big Green Switch Recycling Quiz
Sixteen Revealing Green Travel Quizzes
Test Your Green IQ
Test Your Energy IQ
How Green Are You?
Personal Footprint
Big Green Switch Recycling Quiz
Sixteen Revealing Green Travel Quizzes
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Recycling Resources
Recycling Made Easy & How To Get Started
Our landfills are accumulating waste at a rate of 2 to 5 lbs of trash per person per day. Over our lifetime, the total would be staggering. But we can help to reduce this waste by reusing and recycling certain items. It's a very small, virtually no-cost way of doing our part and helping our environment.
Virginia DEQ - Recycling Home
In Virginia recyclable materials from the municipal solid waste streams include: paper (newspapers, corrugated cardboard, Kraft paper, high-grade office paper, mixed paperf), metal (ferrous scrap, non-ferrous scrap, aluminum, tin cans), plastics, glass, yard waste (composted or mulched), waste wood, textiles, waste tires, used oil-oil filters-antifreeze, auto bodies (Abandoned Vehicle Program), construction waste, demolition waste, debris waste, batteries, ash and non-industrial sludges (composted).
Virginia Recycling Association
The Virginia Recycling Association is a non-stock, non-profit Virginia corporation composed of individuals and organizations of diverse interests. The membership is committed to the common goal of promoting recycling as an integral part of resource conservation and solid waste management.
Virginia Recycling Centers Directory
Our landfills are accumulating waste at a rate of 2 to 5 lbs of trash per person per day. Over our lifetime, the total would be staggering. But we can help to reduce this waste by reusing and recycling certain items. It's a very small, virtually no-cost way of doing our part and helping our environment.
Virginia DEQ - Recycling Home
In Virginia recyclable materials from the municipal solid waste streams include: paper (newspapers, corrugated cardboard, Kraft paper, high-grade office paper, mixed paperf), metal (ferrous scrap, non-ferrous scrap, aluminum, tin cans), plastics, glass, yard waste (composted or mulched), waste wood, textiles, waste tires, used oil-oil filters-antifreeze, auto bodies (Abandoned Vehicle Program), construction waste, demolition waste, debris waste, batteries, ash and non-industrial sludges (composted).
Virginia Recycling Association
The Virginia Recycling Association is a non-stock, non-profit Virginia corporation composed of individuals and organizations of diverse interests. The membership is committed to the common goal of promoting recycling as an integral part of resource conservation and solid waste management.
Virginia Recycling Centers Directory
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Going Solar
Solar Tubes
Solar tubes are tubes that run from the ceiling of a room to the roof, where they collect light that is reflected down the tube and then diffused into the attached room. Solar tubes work like skylights but are less expensive, require less roof/ceiling space, and can be easily installed in almost all buildings. They can even work in the basement or the first floor of a two-story house if there is a closet, a chase, or any place to feed through the solar tube up to the roof.
Solar Energy Technologies Program
The Solar Energy Technologies Program focuses on developing cost-effective solar energy technologies that have the greatest potential to benefit the nation and the world. Solar technologies diversify the energy supply, reduce the country's dependence on imported fuels, improve air quality, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. A growing solar industry also stimulates our economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation.
Solar Water Heating Pays For Itself Five Times Over
An analysis of the engineering and economics for a solar water-heating system shows it to have a payback period of just two years, according to researchers in India. They report, in the International Journal of Global Energy Issues, on the success of the 1000-liter system operating at a university hostel.
Solar tubes are tubes that run from the ceiling of a room to the roof, where they collect light that is reflected down the tube and then diffused into the attached room. Solar tubes work like skylights but are less expensive, require less roof/ceiling space, and can be easily installed in almost all buildings. They can even work in the basement or the first floor of a two-story house if there is a closet, a chase, or any place to feed through the solar tube up to the roof.
Solar Energy Technologies Program
The Solar Energy Technologies Program focuses on developing cost-effective solar energy technologies that have the greatest potential to benefit the nation and the world. Solar technologies diversify the energy supply, reduce the country's dependence on imported fuels, improve air quality, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. A growing solar industry also stimulates our economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation.
Solar Water Heating Pays For Itself Five Times Over
An analysis of the engineering and economics for a solar water-heating system shows it to have a payback period of just two years, according to researchers in India. They report, in the International Journal of Global Energy Issues, on the success of the 1000-liter system operating at a university hostel.
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