Calling New York's Eco-Heros: Restore Your Right to Recycle

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:47:49 GMT

As an ardent, life-long recycler, seeing trash and recyclables commingle makes my skin crawl. Treehuggers know that recycling is the least effective of the 3R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) but that doesn't mean it is not important. In fact, many cities worldwide have substantial bodies of law in place that dictate how to deal with different elements of the waste stream. Specifics of recycling laws vary from city to city as do enforcement techniques. Despite the fact that both businesses and residents of New York City are required to recycle, it is all too often that I see bottles, cans and paper mixed up in the regular trash. Frequently the reason is that recycling services are not offered by the building - a clear violation of the law. Every New Yorker is entitled to recycling services and the city relies on its citizens to report cases where their rights are being impinged upon. To protect whistleblowers anonymous reports are allowed. Know somewhere this is happening? Be the eco-hero you are and follow the simple steps outlined below to report violations and restore your right to recycle. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sustainability in Vegas: The Springs Preserve

Thu, 17 May 2007 15:26:34 GMT

Generally, the mention of Las Vegas conjures up notions of debauchery, artificiality and hedonism. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" it is said. In the midst of a financial boom, new housing developments - and adjacent strip malls - sprawl in every direction of the city. Resorts grow at break-neck speed to accommodate the never ending flow of visitors pouring in from around the globe. However, not everyone comes to gamble and party. Some come to enjoy the natural beauty of the Mojave Desert which can be done in national park areas such as Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon and soon in the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. Situated roughly three miles west of downtown Las Vegas, the area once contained bubbling springs which sustained Native Americans living in the area and later Mormon pioneers and other travelers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, the180-acre sanctuary for flora and fauna is due to open in June 8th 2007. More below the fold...... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Desert City Leads Utah Clean Energy Movement

Mon, 14 May 2007 09:07:57 GMT

Located on the Colorado River near the state line between Utah and Colorado, is the 4-square mile City of Moab. A desert oasis, the 5,000 or so Moab residents host over a million tourists annually. Visitors come to enjoy the adjacent National Parks Arches and Canyonlands, the Dead Horse Point State Park as well as biking, hiking, water sports and gorgeous vistas. Moab is perhaps less known for being the Nation's first EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Green Power Community and a steward for clean energy. Under the leadership of Mayor Dave Sakrison, the town began purchasing wind power for 50% of the City Office building electricity demand in 2003. Local electricity customers were encouraged to purchase pollution-free wind energy through Utah Power's Blue Sky voluntary wind program. As a result Moab became the region's first Blue Sky Community. More below the fold...... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Black Google Saves Energy

Mon, 07 May 2007 14:51:00 GMT

A few months ago, TreeHugger Mark Ontkush wrote a post on his blog EcoIron titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year. The post lays out the following train of thought. "An all white web page uses about 74 watts to display, while an all black page uses only 59 watts." Google, which has a white background and gets about "200 million queries a day" could reduce global energy use by 750 Megawatt-hours a year by simply changing the color of its homepage to black. (For more detailed calculations and assumptions check out the original post here.) In response to this post a black version of Google emerged called Blackle.com. According to Blackle's homepage at publication time, 4,408.917 Watt hours have been saved by. The site encourages users to "make a difference today [by] ... Blackling "energy saving tips" or visit[ing] treehugger.com a great blog dedicated to environmental awareness." Nice ideas. But how does the search measure up? Very well indeed. Give it a whirl yourself and start saving energy one search at a time. :: Blackle.com ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Zippy Electric Car

Fri, 04 May 2007 09:23:00 GMT

Who says the electric car is dead? If you are looking for a zippy little electric car that can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds to a top speed of 120 mph your search might end here. The car generates no emissions and operates from a set of lead-acid batteries that can recharge using any service up to 50 amps, providing enough power for a range of 40-80 miles, up to four times the average commute in the U.S. Charge from any outlet using either 110 or 220 current. This 2-seater is well suited for city life. No wider than most motorcycles at 39", it can fit in a 6' half-lane with more clearance than a semi-truck in a full 12' freeway lane, enabling you to negotiate traffic congestion where lane splitting is permitted. Its small size also eliminates the need for parallel parking as it can park perpendicular to a curb without the need for a full space. According to Hammacher Schlemmer, the car's retailer, it's very safe too. More below the fold... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Earth Day Festival Gains Momentum

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:59:20 GMT

Without skipping a beat, plans to expand America's biggest Earth Day celebration for 2008 have begun. This past Earth Day, the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival was attended by over 200,000 people in New York, Chicago and San Francisco and reached millions more through print, radio, TV and online media. If all goes as planned, next year the festival will take place in additional cities. By combining live musical performances from diverse genres with educational outreach and cultural events the festival successfully disseminates the environmental message to a wide audience. TreeHugger Jessica Root, who manned our booth at the New York arm of the festival, confirmed that indeed the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival was reaching a new audience. "Plenty of business people stopped by on their lunch break," Jessica reported. "Many had never heard of TreeHugger before, but were curious and enthusiastic about the concept. Lots of people signed up for our daily and weekly email newsletters too." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Greening NYC Step by Step: Tale of the Green Lady

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:15:09 GMT

Guest post by Carla Davis On the frontlines of the green revolution are the foot soldiers. I have become known as "the green lady" since the unseasonably warm days of mid December 2006, by selling renewable energy made from wind and water door to door to small businesses in New York City. The first people to sign up have been creative shops in areas of the Lower East Side, the East Village, Williamsburg, and Park Slope Brooklyn. Initial response to the green energy pitch can go from an excited "I didn't know I could do that!", to a sly "now, how are you going to do that...?", to confusion between electrons and energy drinks as in "we have no more space in our refrigerator", to sighs over landlords who control the utilities. Often the owners are stretched thin, and I am thrilled that so many find the time to grab the bill and make the verification call.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New York Loves Earth Day

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:09:02 GMT

For most TreeHuggers, Earth Day is every day. So why get excited? Because there are so many fun events happening on and around April 22nd. The festivities kicked off in style yesterday. EGBNY, in collaboration with Teknion, GreenDrinks NY, and o2NY, put on Project Earth Day, an Eco Fashion show, celebrating and showcasing emerging eco-designers such as aGaiN NYC, Contessa d'Eleganza, Bahar Shopar, NaturevsFuture, Entermodal, Ekovarhuset and many more. Below the fold is a partial list of happenings in New York City. Please add your tips and suggestions in the comments section!... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Earth Day Weekend with Green Apple Music and Arts Festival

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:30:00 GMT

Thanks to the Green Apple Music and Arts Festival, thousands of Americans in New York, San Francisco and Chicago will celebrate Earth Day weekend with music! Join artists such as Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, The Decemberists, The English Beat and the Kaiser Chiefs in what promises to be the biggest Earth Day party in the nation for the second year running. Treehugger will be in all three cities and we'd love to meet you so come check us out! With hundreds of live acts to choose from you'll be sure to find something to get into the Earth Day spirit! Among the free events on Earth Day, April 22, are performances in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park by legendary Grateful Dead vocalist Bob Weir and his band Ratdog, and Stephen Marley featuring Junior Gong and The Greyboy AllStars. At Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo performances by kids are planned including one by The Blisters, featuring Sam and Spencer, the children of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. In New York's Central Park, children's act The Laurie Berkner Band with Susie Lampert and Adam Bernstein are slated to perform. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

New Yorkers E-waste Le$$

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:23:27 GMT

Laptops, printers, iPods, cell phones, and other electronics are an integral part of the lives of many a busy citizen. These gadgets allow us an unprecedented amount of flexibility and mobility. But what happens when they break? Full of hazardous materials, toxins and heavy metals, machines that once were indispensable become potential toxic waste. Valuable resources in every scrapped product are being trashed in rising volumes worldwide. Unscrupulous treatment of e-scrap leads to serious environmental problems, especially in developing countries. The coming week offers New Yorkers the opportunity to learn more about the e-waste problem and also a chance to recycle their once beloved but now defunct electronics. Drop off your unwanted or broken electronics for recycling this Earth Day, April 22nd at Union Square North Plaza from 8am-2pm. Clothing and linens will be accepted as well. For more info on this event visit NYCWasteLe$$ or call 311. On April 19th from 2:00pm - 5:00pm the United Nations University in partnership with HP, Dell and several other technology companies and UN agencies is hosting an event to introduce a new global public-private initiative "Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP)." Goals for StEP include, standardizing recycling processes globally, in order to harvest valuable components in electrical and electronic scrap, "e-scrap," extending the life of e-scrap products and markets for their reuse, and harmonizing world legislative and policy approaches to e-scrap. You can register for this event and others here. :: United Nations University :: StEP :: NYCWasteLe$$... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Join The Biggest Earth Day Celebration in America: The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:47:15 GMT

As Sami noted earlier today, sometimes it's hard to be a TreeHugger. We worry. We hope. We try to minimize our impact. And then Earth Day comes along and gives us the opportunity to relax, enjoy and celebrate how marvelous our planet really is! The first Earth Day, in 1970, brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform. This year, many Americans will gather outdoors to enjoy free outdoor concerts in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo and New York's Central Park on Earth Day hosted by The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival. In addition, the festival includes over 200 performances in New York, Chicago and San Francisco over Earth Day weekend. From April 20th to 22nd music venues across the country will come together to cultivate awareness of environmental issues through the unifying voice of music. For a complete schedule of performances and venues check out the Festival website. Expected to be the biggest Earth Day celebration in the nation, the line-ups are extraordinary. San Francisco's Golden Gate Park will come alive with performances by legendary Grateful Dead vocalist Bob Weir and his band Ratdog, Stephen Marley, The Greyboy All-Stars, SF native Samantha Stollenwerck and top singer/songwriter Martin Sexton. Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo will present performances by The Blisters, featuring Sam and Spencer, the children of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Ella Jenkins, dubbed "the first lady of children's music", acclaimed dub producer, Mad Professor, the talented kids from Paul Green's School of Rock, Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd, electronica favorites the Disco Biscuits, and home-town headliners Umphrey's McGee. More below the fold...... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Automotive X Prize: Preliminary Guidelines Released

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:25:24 GMT

We need desirable, affordable, and fuel-efficient vehicles on the road. Our collective addiction to oil is hurting consumers, undermining the economy, exacerbating international conflicts, damaging the environment, and threatening the health of the planet. But how will we get them? The X PRIZE Foundation, a non-profit with the mission to bring about radical breakthroughs in space and technology for the benefit of humanity, proposes a challenging multi-year competition with a multi-million-dollar cash purse - the Automotive X PRIZE (AXP). Widely known for the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE that successfully challenged teams to build private spacecraft, the X PRIZE Foundation is taking a step toward launching the AXP that will inspire super-efficient vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon (2.35 liters per 100km) or its equivalent. Open to the public, AXP teams can be composed of major auto companies or independent innovators but must prove that they are capable of designing and building production-capable, super-efficient vehicles. The contest is already endorsed by TreeHugger friends and contributors NRDC, The Union of Concerned Scientists and The Apollo Alliance.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

CelebrateEarth Day With Green Apple Music & Arts Festival

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:43:53 GMT

Last year, 2006, it was the biggest Earth Day celebration in America. This year the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival is going to be much bigger still. From Friday, April 20th to Sunday, April 22nd, 200 performances will take place in over 60 top music venues in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. Raising consciousness of environmental issues through the unifying voice of music is the goal of the event which truly offers something for everyone. Acts span all genres and include Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, top children's act Laurie Berkner, a reunion by jazz fusion band Fat Mama, live electronica band The Disco Biscuits, The Decemberists, Stephen Marley featuring Junior Gong, and many more. Find the full list here. On Earth Day, April 22nd, the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival will host large-scale free, day-time events for all ages in the participating cities' finest parks including Central Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo and Golden Gate Park. The Festival will kick off on the east coast with two days of music, entertainment and environmental activities at Earth Fair outside Grand Central Terminal in New York City beginning the morning of April 20. TreeHugger will be there, so if you are around come and say hi! ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sweden Introduces "Green Car" Cash Bonus

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:38:31 GMT

Congratulations Swedish car buyers. Thanks to a "new "green car" bonus program that went into effect yesterday April 1st, 2007, those who buy a new eco-friendly car can expect SEK 10,000 ($US1,400) in cash from the government. Scheduled to run until the end of 2009, it is estimated that sales of green cars will increase at a rate of 10 to 15 percent per year. In order to qualify for the bonus the car must consume less than half a liter per ten kilometers (47 mpg US). By no means limited to hybrid or bio diesel vehicles a conventional gas-driven car can also qualify for a cash bonus. Based on fuel consumption standards, a broad range of cars qualify for the bonus. In fact, more or less all car makers have at least one model that meets the Swedish criteria for classification as a green car.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

SmartPower's Clean Energy Ad Challenge; Win $10,000

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:47:56 GMT

"Clean energy. It's real. It's here. It's working." So says SmartPower, a nationwide, non-profit marketing campaign that promotes clean energy. Issued in 2003 their 20% by 2010 challenge aims to have 20% of the US energy supply come from clean, renewable sources by 2010. SmartPower focuses on communicating the overall quality and dependability of clean energy to a mainstream audience thus building a robust clean energy market by stimulating demand for clean energy in new market segments. Their approach seems to be working; in 2004, SmartPower and collaborators created demand for over 100 gigawatt-hours (GWH) of clean energy in Connecticut! The group uses a mix of traditional and viral marketing methods and works in close collaboration with cities and towns, faith communities, educational institutions and businesses to spread their message. Right now, they need your help! Become the winner of $10,000 by participating in their Clean Energy Ad Challenge a YouTube video contest. More below the fold...... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Flood Maps: View Sea Level Rise

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:49:23 GMT

As the earth's ice caps continue to melt rising water levels are a global threat. If you find it hard to wrap your head around the concept, don't worry, you are not alone. In response to this issue Alex Tingle, an accomplished programmer, created Flood Maps. Users can adjust the sea level in 1 meter increments up to 14 and observe the consequences of the rise for coastal areas around the world. The model is based on data from NASA and uses the Google's mapping API which gives the application a familiar and easy-to-use interface. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Seen In New York: Guilt By Association

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:30:55 GMT

New York City dwellers are notoriously car-less. And why wouldn't they be? The city boasts a robust transit system and generous sidewalks are ubiquitous throughout the five boroughs. Although a bit dangerous, the mostly flat terrain lends itself well to bicycle riding. In addition, parking is expensive and hard to come by. Auto insurance rates are among the highest in the nation. Rare is the occasion when a car is really needed; that's when we go online and book a Zipcar (similar to Flexcar).... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Tap Project: New Yorkers Pay $1 For Tap Water To Fund UNICEF Projects

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:24:15 GMT

As Bonnie noted earlier today, the theme of World Water Day 2007 is Coping with Water Scarcity. New York City has a bountiful supply of clean running water from pristine upstate reservoirs -the largest unfiltered supply in the world. 1.3 billion gallons of water are used daily. As, we have noted before others are not as lucky. Over 21 percent of children living in developing countries do not have access to clean water. That's more than one billion people, or one in five children. 80 percent of all illness and infant mortality is due to waterborne disease. Lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under five. With $1, UNICEF can provide 40 liters of safe drinking water, which is enough to give one child safe drinking water for 40 days, or forty children safe drinking water for one day. Despite occasional bad press, New Yorkers are actually quite a caring bunch, eager to help the less fortunate. Today diners at many New York restaurants can participate in the Tap Project by accepting a $1 per person charge for the tap water they drink with their meal which would normally be free. Donations go to UNICEF and will help save lives by providing safe drinking water to children around the world. Find a map and full listing of participating restaurants here. Caring Non-New Yorkers can help by making a contribution to the Tap Project here. Cheers to clean water for all one day soon! :: Tap Project ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Incentive Based Recycling by RecycleBank

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:28:15 GMT

We are all familiar with the old adage "one mans trash another mans treasure." RecycleBank is trying to change that. They say your trash is your own treasure, -cause we're going to pay you for it. The concept, called Incentive Based Recycling, is to increase recycling rates by providing a direct financial incentive for people to go through the trouble of sorting their garbage. Participating customers receive a 35, 64, or 96 gallon RecycleBank container which has a barcode that identifies their home. As the truck collects the recycling it scans the barcode on the container and translates the value of the recycled items into a dollar amount - up to $35 Recyclebank Dollars a month - that can be redeemed though shopping coupons at participating businesses. Participants use an online interface to choose which coupons suit them best, order the coupons and receive them by mail. Alternatively participants can choose to donate their Recyclebank Dollars to charity. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

US Auto Industry Supports National Global Warming Legislation

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:50:30 GMT

The US has the lowest fuel-economy standards for vehicles in the developed world. While the Japanese, the Europeans and even the Chinese have been working hard to improve fuel-economy standards, the US auto industry went down a different road - a strategy that has so far proved quite unsuccessful. In 2006 Ford Motor reported its biggest annual loss ever, $12.7 billion. General Motors' (GM) year was not quite as bad, total losses only reached $8.6 billion. Earlier this week, chief executives of America's four largest car companies Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota North America and General Motors (GM) acknowledged they intend to change their ways. Collectively the group told lawmakers that they would accept a US economy-wide strategy to reduce carbon emissions as long as it did not disproportionately target car producers. In addition they agreed on the merits of devising a US-wide carbon emission "cap and trade" regime. Their pledge, which took place in a rare joint appearance before Congress, marked a significant step forward for the new Democratic majority on Capitol Hill, which aims to draft America's first national global warming legislation in the next few months. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ekovaruhuset Stockholm: House of Organics

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:10:10 GMT

We told you about the opening of the New York City store Ekovaruhuset but somehow we never got around to giving you the lowdown on the original Ekovaruhuset in Stockholm Sweden - until now. Located on Osterlagatan in the heart of the old town of Stockholm, Ekovaruhuset was created by Johanna Hofring. Working as a designer she became aware of the negative environmental impacts of the textile industry as well as the horrible working conditions that are pretty much standard in the apparel and fashion industries. Ekovaruhuset was created in response to this. She explains, "sure I want to wear beautiful clothes, but at what price? Thankfully more and more options are becoming available that both look great and are produced in a manner that doesn't hurt people or the environment." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green & Black's Organic Ice Cream Stateside

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:20:56 GMT

Long available in the UK, Green and Black's line of super premium organic ice cream is finally due to cross the pond and hit the shelves nationwide here in the US. This spring, keep an eye out for Chocolate, Vanilla and White Chocolate with Strawberry ice cream available in 1 pint containers retailing for around $4.50. Officially, the ice creams are due to pop up like spring flowers starting May 2007, but a little birdie told me that these pint size friends might appear sooner than that. Recently, I had a chance to sample the goods together with fellow TreeHugger Kyeann and Anne Hettinger of Gominyc. Each spoonful delivers a dense flavorful experience. High quality organic ingredients make the ice cream so yummy - I can't wait to have more. On this same occasion, we had a chance to chat with founder Craig Sams and his wife Jo Fairley. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Electricity from Seaweed

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:29:56 GMT

Fresh seaweed, often eaten in Japanese dishes like sushi and miso soup, can be quite delicious. However, seaweed that washes up on the shore rots and begins to smell. Collection and disposal of it has long been a major burden for local governments along the coast of Japan. What if this seaweed dredged from the shore could be put to productive use to produce fuel for generating electricity? Tokyo Gas Co. teamed up with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in 2002 to find out. The goal of this joint venture is to create the first power plant in the world that runs off of seaweed. Preliminary research is about to wrap up in March 2007, at which point the results will be used to consider how the system can be put to larger-scale commercial use. After studying the optimal conditions for fermenting kelp, sea lettuce, and other types of seaweed in a test facility in Yokohama, it has been determined that the system is feasible. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Domino Magazine's Green Issue On Shelves Now

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:28:19 GMT

Quickly flipping through the March issue of domino magazine - without reading a word - one would never suspect that it is in fact a green issue. For those not familiar, domino's mission is to be highly discerning yet practical style guide for all aspects of life at home. A demonstration of the range of great eco-products now available, the issue clearly illustraates that it is possible to decorate responsibly without sacrificing taste or style. In their own words, it is "a celebration of those working to close up the cycle of production so that little is wasted and little harmed - people animals, soil, air, water." As Collin recently pointed out, domino magazine had originally teamed up with TreeHugger to create "The Green List," a celebration of green design. The result however was that the whole issue went green. Feature stories include out of the past, about John Patrick's new clothing line ORGANIC, secondhand (love) story, showing the Maine house of interior-design team Wary Meyers fully funished with vintage and recycled pieces, backyard bouquets, demonstrating that beautiful flower arrangements can come from a much more local source than the flower shop. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Rough Guide Suggests Carbon Neutral Vacation

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:01:19 GMT

When planning a vacation it is likely that flying might come into the equation. To avoid this carbon producing predicament TreeHuggers might suggest vacationing locally or in a place that can be reached by train, short drive or even by biking or walking. Rough Guides travel guide book offers slightly different, but also relevant advice - "fly less - stay longer!" Pointing out that air travel is a major contributor to climate change, the guide goes on to advise travelers about carbon offset schemes. In particular, the guide recommends an offset program run by climatecare.org that is supported by many members of the travel industry including Rough Guides competitor Lonely Planet. Learn more about climate change and travel on the Rough Guides website. Have you had a chance to take a carbon neutral vacation? Consider sharing your experience by participating in our Convenient Truths video contest. :: Rough Guides - Thanks Anton for the tip!... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Seen in New York: Clean Air Hybrid Electric Bus

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:42:06 GMT

The New York City Bus system uses over 1,280 buses and is considered the ninth largest transit bus fleet in North America. Its impact is significant. Although the City of New York owns most of the buses, seven private bus operators provide the service. The bus system carries over 114 million people annually. In the year 2000 the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or the MTA as it is more commonly known - started the Clean Fuel Bus Program, which is envisaged to give New York the world's cleanest bus fleet. Designed to give cost-effective emissions reductions as quickly as possible, the Clean Fuel Bus Program is an initiative of the local government in an explicit attempt to set an example of environmental standards. It takes a mostly technological approach, aiming to replace or retrofit the existing diesel bus fleet with cleaner technologies. The initiative goes voluntarily beyond mandatory emission control standards. To achieve these goals Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses are used as well as hybrid buses, and clean diesel technologies.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Seen in New York: fightglobalwarming.com or do nothing

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:51:23 GMT

I've been asking around and I can tell you, on the whole New Yorkers are quite upset about the odd weather we've been experiencing of recent. As a concept, global warming has entered into the public awareness in a big way. Its being reinforced by the wacky weather. Citizens are concerned and want to know what they can do to stop it. All around New York, phone booths feature the above advertisement. These cheeky public service announcements provoke New Yorkers to either fight global warming or do nothing. The idea is to drive audiences to the website www.fightglobalwarming.com a site that provides information on the causes, science, and consequences of global warming. A large part of the site focuses on what every person can do to reduce their energy consumption and therefore do their part to help slow and reverse global warming. The PSAs are courtesy of The Ad Council, Environmental Defense, and ::Ogilvy & Mather... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Carbon Exchange in Beijing

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:39:59 GMT

China and the United Nations are working together to establish a carbon trading exchange in Beijing. This would establish the Chinese capital as a center for the multibillion-dollar global trade in carbon credits. The Beijing exchange is to be set up as part of a carbon finance initiative agreed upon by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Nation Development and Reform Commission. Although several private exchanges exist in Europe as well as the American exchange in Chicago the market is fragmented; many trades happen directly between companies or on outside exchanges. The Beijing exchange would be the first in the developing world and would compete directly with established markets. Khalid Malik the UN resident coordinator in China says, "I hope we can actually launch it this year. The sooner the better." The establishment of the market is expected to further open up the lucrative Chinese carbon credit market. Under the Kyoto protocols clean development mechanism carbon credits are issued by the UN to investors in projects in developing countries that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The going rate for a credit in the international markets is in the $15-$18 range. According to the World Bank, during the first nine months of 2006, $3 billion (2.3 billion Euro) in carbon credits from developing countries were traded. :: Financial Times... Read the full story on TreeHugger

EU and Car Makers At Odds Over CO2 Emissions

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 13:43:06 GMT

The European Commission and German car makers are at odds about a proposed carbon dioxide emissions target. The Commission wants carmakers to cut their vehicles' CO2 emission to an average of 120 grams per kilometer by 2012. Carmakers say they support the idea, but site already having trouble achieving the voluntary target of 140 g/km. According to the carmaker's analysis, imposing the 120 g/km target is likely to make European industry unviable "[resulting] directly in the outflow of numerous jobs at car producers as well as in the suppler industry." In a letter that was sent to the Commission earlier this week, chief executives for Volkswagen, DaimlerChrysler and BMW described the EU's proposed carbon dioxide emissions target as "a massive industrial policy intervention that will burden the entire European automobile industry, [and] the German [industry] in particular." Heads of the European units of General Motors and Ford also signed the letter. A Commission spokesperson, Johannes Laitenberger, rejected the carmaker claims saying that the best way to preserve jobs was to embrace and anticipate change rather than resist it. "We have made clear there is a need for legislation to meet the target set by the Commission and the car industry of 120 g/km by 2010," Laitenberger told Reuters. Should European carmakers need proof that this is actually the case a quick look at the dismal financial performance of the US automakers should set them on track. Whether or not European carmakers will buckle down and get with the program remains to be seen. :: Financial Times ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

2/6/07: Learn About Eco-Printing With o2NYC and Rolling Press

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:51:24 GMT

Before sustainable consumption, we need sustainable production. To have sustainable production we need sustainable design. Based on the belief that designers have a responsibility to build a more sustainable society through their work, the o2 global network for sustainable design exists to facilitate this goal. In its 12 years in existence the network has grown to include 1200 members in 70 countries. Next Tuesday, February 6, 2007, the o2NYC chapter provides the opportunity for graphic designers to gain the skills needed to convince clients to adopt a sustainable communication strategy. The workshop, which will take place from 7:00 - 9pm at Rolling Press in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is specifically designed to teach designers how to navigate the sustainable printing process from start to finish. Learn how to set up files, trouble shoot, make green paper and material selections. In addition, Eugene Lee, an art book designer and president of Rolling Press will lead a discussion focusing on print case studies, as well as giving us a tour of his press facilities.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY