The idea of green clubbing may seem like an oxymoron, but on October 14, environmental NGO Enviu and architectural firm Döll will host an event at Rotterdam's Off_Corso to present their concept of an environmentally responsible dance club. Titled "The Critical Mass," the event will kick off with a presentation of the organizations' work over the past eight months, followed by -- what else -- a party. Among the features envisioned for the green club are energy-generating dance floors (see the video), toilets flushed with rainwater, walls that change color in response to temperature fluctuations, and a rooftop garden where clubbers can enjoy an organic beer with friends. Enviu and Döll believe the idea can not only lessen the environmental impact of an activity that's traditionally pretty unsustainable, but also build awareness among the young and hip. ::The Critical Mass via Springwise; video via linton at Hugg...

New non-profit Hybrid Owners of America bills itself as "a new and 100-percent independent organization created to organize and advocate for the interests of the more than half a million Americans who already own hybrid gas-electric cars and other highly fuel-efficient vehicles." That many hybrid owners means a lot of organizing and advocating, but HOA is already off to an ambitious start with its campaign for a "hybrid-friendly agenda" in Washington, DC. Among the initiatives the organization wants Congress and the White House to support are broader and more permanent tax incentives for hybrid buyers, additional incentives for converting traditional models to plug-in hybrids, increased federal purchasing of gas-electric vehicles, and support for US automakers' research and development of hybrid technology by helping out with health care costs (the Barack Obama plan). HOA believes such government action could push the number of hybrid owners closer to one million, which they claim would save the US one million gallons of gasoline a day. You can support this agenda by emailing leaders through the campaign site. You can also join the organization, whether you own a hybrid or not, to also show your belief that hybrids are one personal transportation option that can do a lot of good for the economy, the environment, and public health. ::Hybrid Owners of America via SustainableBusiness.com...

As we've followed closely the debates within the American evangelical community about global warming and "creation care," we were pretty excited to learn that PBS' Bill Moyers was writing a book on the subject. That book, Welcome to Doomsday, is now available with a forward by Bill McKibben. Tuesday night, both Bills discussed the various responses to environmental challenges coming from evangelicals at the New York Public Library. Jeremy Hsu covered the event for Scienceline's Sci-Blog, and notes that Moyers and McKibben see possibilities for collaboration among treehuggers and conservative Christians. According to Hsu,...

British auto insurer Yes Insurance announced a program yesterday that offers rebates to owners of hybrid cars. Company spokesperson Paul Purdy claimed that the cash-back program is the first of its kind in the UK, and that Yes has a responsibility to make British drivers aware of "the wider social implications of motoring" He also announced that this program was the beginning of "a broader scheme" to provide lower insurance premiums to drivers of "...fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles." We don't know if these drivers have less accidents than others, but we do know that the incentives are piling up in the UK: hybrid drivers pay lower car taxes, and are exempt from London's congestion charge. And the cars pay for themselves in fuel savings... ::Guardian Unlimited ...

Mid-term congressional elections are just over a month away in the US, and much of the debate among candidates stays focused on Iraq, terrorism, and immigration. While these are important issues, one has to wonder why energy and global warming aren't also a bigger part of discussion after the blitz of media attention, and even some political debate, earlier in the year (remember "oil addiction?"). Lower gas prices and a slower hurricane season have likely contributed to the movement of these issues towards the fringes of the radar screen, but "out of sight means out of mind" seems like a short-sighted approach to climate change. The folks at Sustainable Future, Inc., have given concerned Americans a way to gently remind candidates for the House of Representatives that they're still interested in how politicians plan to address these issues: QuestionsforCandidates.org. ...

When Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp held the first Farm Aid concert in 1985, they wanted to help family farmers who were losing their farms to a one-two punch of low land values and high interest rates. These days, the motivation behind Mellencamp's song "Rain on the Scarecrow" seems distant, but Farm Aid concerts and support efforts continue -- their latest concert, sponsored by Silk Soymilk, was held on Saturday at Philadelphia's Camden, New Jersey's Tweeter Center, and featured Nelson, Young, Mellencamp, new partner Dave Matthews, and twelve other acts. Just as the concert lineup has changed, the organization's mission has shifted... slightly: while its website notes Farm Aid's main goal is to "keep family farmers on their land," it also claims that "Family farmers are our only guarantee for fresh, local food." Organizations given grants for the 2005 cycle include many groups devoted to promoting sustainable, organic and local agriculture. The concert itself has also become, in part, a celebration of greener food: according to the AP, fans had choices such as "...organic beer, pork sandwiches from a Missouri family's hog farm, soy milk and $9 organic hamburgers" at the show. Rock on, Farm Aid... let's hope there are many more concerts to come! ::Farm Aid via Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram...

General Motors may be not only be the world's largest automaker, but also the most controversial: just look at the heated discussions here on GM fuel cell vehicles, Big 3 fuel efficiency, and the EV1. While the company's vehicles will likely continue to create arguments, other developments in their use of energy to make those vehicles seem much more encouraging. Not only has the company opened a LEED-certified plant, but is also using a variety of renewable energy sources to partially power itself. Among the company's renewable accomplishments:...