Green Theatre: And the Winners Are...

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:33:09 GMT

This Saturday, the world will be watching the Live Earth concerts. Many of us will watch the event on television, but five entrants in MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest will be watching a live show. Our panel of judges have cast their votes, and we're pleased to announce the five winners of tickets, travel, accommodations and spending money for Live Earth. The envelope, please...

Video: Reel Mowers Cut Down Pollution

Colin M's "Reel Mowers Cut Down Pollution" was the judges' overall favorite. Colin's eight-year-old son Garrick explains why reel lawn mowers are the climate-friendly choice for cutting the grass.

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Solar CEO Ready for Next Challenge: The Eighth Grade

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:55:56 GMT

We've profiled and interviewed some pretty impressive CEOs over the years, but Calsunenergy's chief, Alex Boyer, definitely stands in a class by himself: he's still in middle school! Everything's relative, though: among his fellow company executives, Alex is the old man of the group. According to CNet,

The company--which is trying to develop a concentrator for solar cells and come up with a way to convert heat generated by solar cells into usable energy--is founded by kids in grade school and junior high. CTO Shaun Boyer will be in sixth grade in the fall. The VPs of marketing and sales will start fifth grade later this year. The company has one patent application on file and has entered the California Clean Tech Open, which gives prizes and office space to winners.

We're not sure if we're dealing with true prodigies, or if, as Hank at EcoGeek wonders, this is one of those cases of parents doing the real work behind the scenes. Either way, it will be interesting to see if these kids have their patent, or entertain buy-out offers, before they're able to drive. ::CNet via EcoGeek and Netscape Science Image credit: Geri Kodey and NREL/DOE... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Theatre: Here Come the Judges (Part 3)

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:09:31 GMT

Hopefully, you got your 1-2 minute video into MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest by last Saturday; if not, you may have to resort to buying tickets for one of July 7's Live Earth concerts. The videos are now in the hands of our celebrity judges, and they'll be deciding which five entries will earn their creators tickets, travel, lodging and spending money for Live Earth. While we've introduced most of the judges to you already, there are still a few we'd like you to meet. Last, but certainly not least: Actor and environmentalist Woody Harrelson: Like many of the Green Theatre judges, Woody needs no introduction to most Treehugger readers. An award-winning actor on the big and small screens, as well as the stage, Woody is best known for his Academy-Award nominated portrayal of Hustler publisher and free speech advocate Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt, and for his Emmy Award-winning role as lovable bartender Woody Boyd on Cheers. Harrelson is also well-known for his environmental activism: currently, he and wife Laura Louie publish VoiceYourself.com, a website for "promoting and inspiring individual action to create global momentum towards simple organic living and to restore balance and harmony to our planet."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Wal-Mart to Host Fluorescent Light Recycling Day in Five States

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 09:18:59 GMT

We've taken note of Wal-Mart's plan to sell 100 million compact fluorescent light bulbs by the end of this year, and its partnership with manufacturers to lower the mercury content in the energy-efficient bulbs. This week, the company announced yet another initiative related to the swirly bulbs: tomorrow, Wal-Mart stores, Supercenters and Sam's Clubs in California, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Tulsa, Oklahoma will hold a fluorescent light bulb recycling day. Consumers can drop off either CFLs or fluorescent tube bulbs from 8 to 4 at kiosks outside the stores. Wal-Mart is hosting the free bulb take-back with Waste Management's WM LampTracker, Inc. This event, and Wal-Mart's other sustainability initiatives, continue to win praise from sustainable business advocates (though, in fairness, groups like Wal-Mart Watch and Wake Up, Wal-Mart have labeled them distractions). In response to the announcement of the take-back event, friend of Treehugger Joel Makower told the Twin Cities' Pioneer Press "This is one part of a larger effort Wal-Mart's been undertaking to show some green leadership, and they have an uncanny knack for green initiatives that really help build sales where they can really combine doing well with doing good."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Theatre: DIY Carbon Reductions

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:03:42 GMT

Time does fly, and if you've put off thinking about making a video for MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest, it's time to stop procrastinating: the entry deadline is this Saturday! Don't let the chance to win tickets, travel, lodging and spending money for July 7's Live Earth concerts pass you by -- it's really easy to make a 1-2 minute video portraying the actions you're taking to reduce your own greenhouse gas emissions. And if the pressure of a deadline gives you videographer's block, just take a look at the entries from our Convenient Truths contest... they're sure to get the ideas flowing again. Got a bit of a self-reliant streak in you? Love to experiment in the workshop? Perhaps a do-it-yourself project aimed at reducing your energy use and carbon footprint is the thing for you. If that's the case, we've got you covered.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Urban Farm Spreads Its Roots in Impoverished St. Louis Neighborhood

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:01:11 GMT

Farming's a tough gig, even in the best of circumstances. Yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch took a look at the New Roots Urban Farm, a collective organic venture that is tackling not only the challenges of raising organic crops every year, but doing so in an urban neighborhood with higher-than-average rates of poverty and crime. Despite these potential obstacles, Farm founders Trish Grim, Joseph Black and Amy Gerth, along with their collective partners, are finding success in not just raising fruits and vegetables, but also bringing fresh food and educational experiences to a part of the city in need of both. North city's St. Louis Place neighborhood provided fertile soil for the threesome's plan. According to the P-D article,

The neighborhood they chose has little access to fresh fruits and vegetables. On Sunday, Bob's Quality Market on North Florissant Avenue had crates of soda sitting on the produce shelves. Salama Supermarket at 14th Street and Cass Avenue had wrinkled green peppers and wilted iceberg lettuce among handfuls of citrus fruits in an old drink cooler. Two fried-chicken restaurants and a hamburger outlet are the only eateries along North Florissant, the main thoroughfare.

Not exactly the terrain most entrepreneurs would venture into willingly, but with the help of some state grants, Grim, Black and Gerth purchased six city lots and started farming.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Theatre: Here Come the Judges (Part 2)

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 09:38:39 GMT

Next Saturday, June 23, will be the deadline to enter MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" video contest. Yep, that's right -- you've got five days to create your masterpiece and win a trip, complete with tickets, travel, accommodations and spending money, to Live Earth. At this time next week, you'll have the chance to vote on the videos you like the best, and the top 10 vote recipients will go to our panel of judges for the final selection of the five winning entries. Last week, we began our introductions of the distinguished individuals evaluating the contest's finalists. Here are a few more of the fine folks contributing their time to judging contest entries: Actor and environmentalist Josh Lucas: In the past fifteen years, Josh Lucas has become a familiar face on the big and small screens, as well as on stage. He's a versatile actor equally at home in Hollywood movies such as Sweet Home Alabama and Poseidon, as well as independent films such as Around the Bend. Josh is currently at work, as both actor and producer, on a biopic about Esquire magazine founder David Smart.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Beer Waste to Energy: Anheuser-Busch's BERS System

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:38:14 GMT

While St. Louis-based brewing giant Anheuser-Busch has only jumped into organic brewing relatively recently, according to this morning's Post-Dispatch, the company has been involved in alternative energy development for over two decades. BERS is a very appropriate acronym for the company's "bio-energy recovery systems," which not only pretreat wastewater from 9 of the company's breweries worldwide, but also extract methane from anaerobic bacteria that break down organic matter in the wastewater. According to P-D writer Jeremiah McWilliams,... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Theatre: Cut Home Energy Use (and Get It on Video!)

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:09:53 GMT

The videos have started to roll in for MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest, as plenty of people would like to win tickets, travel, lodging and spending money for the July 7 Live Earth concerts. Is your video one of the dozens that have already been submitted through Soapbox on MSN? If not, there's no time to waste: the June 23rd deadline for entering the contest is only nine days away. If you're not literally taking action in your backyard, you probably are doing your part to fight climate change in your home. After all, increasing your home's energy efficiency not only lowers your carbon footprint, but also saves you money in the long run. Are you looking for some quick and easy actions you can take to save energy and make a prizewinning video? Consider doing the the following:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Award-Winning Home Design Requires No Heating, Cooling Equipment

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:07:10 GMT

Even for treehuggers, the idea of home without any kind of heating or cooling system -- no furnace, air conditioner, swamp cooler or heat pump -- might seem a bit primitive. Yet the History Channel's Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge awarded just such a house the title of "Modern Marvel of the Year 2007" last month. In the Enertia Building System, according to the company's website,

...solid Energy-Engineered(tm) wood walls replace siding, framing, insulation, and paneling. An air flow and access channel, or Envelope, runs around the building, just inside the walls - creating a miniature biosphere. Here solar heated air circulates, pumping and boosting geothermal energy from beneath the house, storing it in the massive wood walls. Thermal inertia causes the house to "float" between the cycles of night and day, and even between the seasons.

In its press release, the History Channel noted that "The system also uses milled wooden blocks to eliminate the many materials and labor-intensive steps of house wall construction, replacing them with simple screwed-into-place units."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Theatre: Here Come the Judges (Part 1)

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:40:03 GMT

Live Earth is just under a month away now, and the deadline for entering MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest is even closer: June 23 is just twelve days from now! Hopefully, you've got an idea for a video and have started shooting. If not... what are you waiting for? While the concert in Great Britain is the only one currently sold out, that's sure to change quickly. And why buy tickets when you can win them... When the entry period closes for the contest, you get the first crack at deciding which video submissions are prize-worthy. The ten videos with the most votes will then go to the panel of judges we've selected, and they will decide the winners. Among the people that will evaluate the top ten videos are: Actress and Environmental Advocate Daryl Hannah: Daryl has appeared in over 40 Hollywood films, including Splash, Wall Street and Kill Bill. She's equally well-known for her passionate advocacy for sustainability, and has won awards from the National Biodiesel Board, the Environmental Media Association, and the Water Quality Control Board, among others, for her efforts to raise awareness on environmental issues.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

G8 Summit: US to "Seriously Consider" European Climate Pact

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:48:48 GMT

Yesterday in Heiligendamm, Germany, the G8 summit closed with the announcement of a compromise on climate change that has newspaper editors around the world burning out their quotation mark keys: the US agreed to "seriously consider" a European goal of halving worldwide planetary greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the G8 "endorsed" US President George Bush's plan for a meeting of 15 nations to set "national goals for reducing emissions," and German chancellor Angela Merkel declared the agreement a "huge success." As one might expect, environmental groups tended to have a less enthusiastic response to the announced "agreement":... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Green Theatre: In Your Own Backyard

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:41:33 GMT

Hopefully, Tuesday's announcement of MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest has got you thinking: what are you doing to reduce your carbon impact that would make a great (even prizewinning) video? You'll definitely want to start thinking: the entry deadline is June 23! After that, entries go to our star-studded panel of judges to decide which videos will earn their creators and a guest trips to one of the July 7 Live Earth concerts. The question to which your video should respond is "What are you doing in your own backyard to help fight climate change?" We thought we'd take that question quite literally today, and point out some steps you can take in your backyard to lower your greenhouse gas emissions. Are these actions the stuff of great videography? You bet! Some of the things you may be doing:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Affordable Home Wind Power: Mother Earth News, June/July

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:45:35 GMT

As we've noted, many mainstream magazines are publishing "green issues," so the latest Mother Earth News proclaims on the cover "Every Issue is a Green Issue." The June/July issue features an article by Greg Pahl on residential wind turbines, a technology that may be ready to go prime time. Pahl notes that "recent technical developments have reduced blade noise and improved both turbine efficiency and longevity," so homeowners living in areas with the necessary amount of wind may take another look at this alternative. This issue also gives close attention to the renewal of the US Farm Bill: articles by regular Grist contributor Tom Philpott and Farm Aid president Willie Nelson both argue for significant changes in American agricultural policy. Other features include articles by Barbara Kingsolver and Terry Tempest Williams. If you're looking for the kinds of practical advice for which Mother Earth News is famous, there's no shortage of that, either. Readers will discover eight strategies for better garden soil, tips for maintaining a weedless organic garden, and the basics of wood working. This issue's departments also take a look at the Chevy Volt, and introduce the Hunan winged bean. Many of these articles are available online; the rest are available only in the print edition. Subscriptions to Mother Earth News are a mere $10. ::Mother Earth News, June/July 2007... Read the full story on TreeHugger

MSN & Treehugger Present Green Theatre: A Live Earth Video Contest

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:00:10 GMT

On February 15th, Al Gore announced Live Earth, an event featuring concerts on all seven continents to raise awareness of climate change. The July 7th concerts feature a "Who's Who" of talent, and tickets are sure to be selling fast -- the show at London's Wembley Stadium has already sold out. We want you to be there for this historic event, and so we're teaming up with MSN to give away five pairs of tickets, along with air travel and lodging. MSN and Treehugger's "Green Theatre" contest challenges you to (you guessed it) make a 1-2 minute video in which you answer the question "What are you doing in your own backyard to help fight climate change?" With Live Earth just over a month away, you won't have any time to waste: you can submit your video through Soapbox at MSN Video beginning today. The deadline for submissions is June 23. Once the submission period has closed, voting will open up, and users will choose the Top 10 videos. Those ten will then go to a panel of celebrity judges, and they will determine the five winners. Judges include:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Banks Continue to Step Up Green Initiatives

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:14:53 GMT

Green isn't just the color of money at major banks these days: both Bank of America and Wells Fargo have made news lately for a variety of eco-friendly initiatives. This week, two other major banks announced plans to lighten their environmental footprints. On Wednesday, Europe's largest bank HSBC announced that it would donate $100 million to four environmental organizations -- the Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the World Wildlife Foundation -- over the next five years to "help some of the world's biggest cities and most important rivers respond to climate change, as well as fund research and recruit environmental leaders worldwide." According to HSBC CEO Paul Lawrence, "Over the next five years HSBC will make responding to climate change central to our business operations and at the heart of the way we work with our clients across the world." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Education and Training for a Career in Renewable Energy

Thu, 31 May 2007 08:20:46 GMT

Where can you find training and job assistance if you're looking to move into the growing field of renewable energy technology and development? While we've mentioned a number of schools launching programs in these fields, Renewable Energy Access yesterday provided a more comprehensive answer to that question. Writer Carl Levesque took particular note of Texas State Technical College West Texas' new partnership with FPL Energy "...to educate and train students in wind turbine technology," and then listed a number of other schools offering such programs:

Other institutions that have recently put together wind and renewable energy programs of various levels, ranging from two-year electrical apprenticeships to graduate degrees, include Colorado State University, Illinois State University, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, Columbia Gorge Community College in Oregon, and Lakeshore Technical College in Wisconsin.

Colleges and universities aren't the only places to receive training, though: a number of wind energy installations around the country offer on-the-job training. And once a student graduates, s/he can take advantage of the American Wind Energy Association's forthcoming careers site.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

German Biofuels Incentives Drive Up the Price of Beer

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:55:59 GMT

We've noted on a number of occasions that the recent worldwide biofuels push could have a range of unintended consequences, from higher food prices to greater deforestation. In Germany, recent subsidies for biofuel crops have had an effect of the price of a dietary staple: beer. According to the Associated Press, many German farmers are now growing crops like rapeseed and corn rather than barley, and that shift is being felt at the tap:

In the last two years, the price of barley has doubled to euro200 (US$271) from euro102 per ton as farmers plant more crops such as rapeseed and corn that can be turned into ethanol or bio-diesel, a fuel made from vegetable oil. As a result, the price for the key ingredient in beer -- barley malt, or barley that has been allowed to germinate -- has soared by more than 40 percent, to around euro385 (US$522) per ton from around euro270 a ton two years ago, according to the Bavarian Brewers' Association. For Germany's beer drinkers that is scary news: their beloved beverage -- often dubbed 'liquid bread' because it is a basic ingredient of many Germans' daily diet -- is getting more expensive. While some breweries have already raised prices, many others will follow later this year, brewers say.

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Costa Rica Aims for Carbon Neutrality by 2030

Mon, 28 May 2007 10:01:01 GMT

"Carbon neutral" was the word of the year in 2006, and the goal of a variety of business entities. On Friday, Costa Rica announced it's plans to become the world's first carbon neutral country by 2030. According to ENN,

Environment Minister Roberto Dobles said the tiny, jungle-cloaked Central American nation would clean up its fossil fuel-fired power plants, promote hybrid vehicles and increase tree planting to balance its emissions. "The goal is to be carbon neutral," Dobles told Reuters. "We'd like to do it in the next 20 years." He said Costa Rica would also eliminate net emissions of other greenhouse gases.

The country already has a head start, as the vast majority of its electricity is generated by water, wind and geothermal heat. It will focus its efforts on transportation, industry and farming, and take steps such as paying landowners to grow trees, protect watersheds, and preserve wildlife habitats and "natural beauty."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

House Committee Hears Arguments for Green Collar Jobs

Fri, 25 May 2007 09:58:12 GMT

One doesn't have to dig deeply these days to see that green business is hot: from Fortune 500 companies to the smallest of start-ups, the business world increasingly recognizes that the urgent need to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges offers new opportunities for profitability. On Tuesday, the House of Representative's new select committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held hearings on employment in the green economy, as businesses ramping up their eco-friendly efforts are discovering that the pool of potential employees with the necessary training and skills is still fairly shallow. Titled "Economic Impacts of Global Warming: Green Collar Jobs," the committee's members heard testimony on efforts to expand the number of workers trained to participate in the greening of the economy, and the importance of ensuring that people on various rungs of the socioeconomic ladder are included in this expansion. Committee chair Edward J. Markey and colleagues invited the following experts to address these issues:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Coburn Vows to Block Senate Resolution Honoring Rachel Carson

Thu, 24 May 2007 10:18:58 GMT

This coming Sunday would've been Silent Spring author and environmental hero Rachel Carson's 100th birthday. In recognition of Carson's contributions to the creation of the modern environmental movement, Sen. Benjanmin L. Cardin (D-MD) has announced his intentions to submit a resolution celebrating Carson's work. While most treehuggers would consider this a no-brainer, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has announced that if Cardin submits his proposal, he will block it. According to the Washington Post,... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Forest Service Takes Aim at Nature Deficit Disorder

Wed, 23 May 2007 09:20:40 GMT

A few weeks ago, Jasmin took note of the National Wildlife Federation's new effort to battle nature deficit disorder in kids. Now, the US Forest Service is getting involved with the launch of its $1.5 million "Kids in the Woods" program. Yesterday, Forest Service administrators announced its first round of grant recipients. Twenty-four different programs around the country will receive funds from the Forest Service and partners, including:

Nature Field Work Partnership - Harlem Link: Project supplements the school's science curriculum by exposing its students to surrounding forests, wetlands, and restoration sites throughout the New York City region. Partners include: Harlem Link Charter School, Meadowlands Environmental Center, NY Botanical Gardens, Forest Service Northern Research Station, NY.
Eco-Week: Project helps students experience the Rocky Mountains through a 3-day residential "Eco-week." They learn ecology standards, teambuilding and develop a connection to the natural world. Partners include: YMCA of the Rockies, CO State University, Poudre School District, Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, CO.
Latino Legacy: The project will offer on-site conservation education activities and programs designed specifically for Latino youth and families. The project design includes working within the Latino community to develop culturally appropriate programming; training 16 bilingual high school students to help facilitate on-site programs; evaluating developed program models; and providing program templates for other national forests. Partners include: Stephen F Austin University, Conroe Hispanic Force, USFWS, National Forests of Texas.
Sci-Fun Project: The project teaches students about Forest Service outdoor recreation research and biological research issues and methods and requires them to conduct outdoor recreation research and biological research on public lands in the Detroit metropolitan. They will report electronically to other Detroit students about their experiences and help evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Partners include: Henry Ford Academy, Greenfield Village, MI Dept of Natural Resources, USFWS, Urban Connections, Forest Service Eastern Regional Office, WI

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

ENERGY STAR Launches New Version of ENERGY STAR@Home

Mon, 21 May 2007 14:59:15 GMT

Last year, we took a close look at both the summer and winter versions of ENERGY STAR's new ENERGY STAR@Home interactive tool, and liked what we saw. ES@Home provides users with an animated layout of a typical American home, and incorporates energy savings tips into various rooms and home features. Today, the government agency launches the latest version of this online tool, and has added elements that not only provide tips for saving energy and money while staying cool this summer, but also allow users who've implemented these ideas to share their stories. According to Denise Durrett, ENERGY STAR Communications Specialist,

We've given advice, and we know people are receptive to that advice. This year, we've added a component that allows people to come to us and tell us what they've done. So, we're asking our users -Have you done these things in your home? What difference has it made? Come back and tell us how you're saving money and energy.'

The site's new landing page features families that have made ENERGY STAR-recommended changes and improvements to their home, and tells of the savings they've gained. If you've also made changes in line with the program's suggestions, just click the "Tell Us How You Save Button" to send ES the results of these modifications. To reach even more people with its message of energy conservation, the site will publish these stories in both English and Spanish. Remember: the average American family spends $1900/year on energy. The simple changes ENERGY STAR recommends can save you hundreds of dollars while lightening your environmental impact. ::ENERGY STAR@Home... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Oceans around Antarctica Absorbing Less CO2

Fri, 18 May 2007 09:37:27 GMT

While the potential direct effects of climate change are often frightening enough, the possibility of feedback loops, in which these changes end up causing, and even reinforcing, others, are more worrisome over the long term. According to National Geographic News, one such positive feedback loop may be hampering the ability of oceans around Antarctica to absorb carbon dioxide. Scientists believed that these waters would serve as a massive sink for CO2 emissions, but, according to a new study that will be published in Science today, these oceans are no longer absorbing the greenhouse gas at the levels they once did. Lead researcher Corinne Le Quere, of the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Jena, Germany, and her team "examined atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements taken from points around the world during the past 24 years," and expected to find that the Southern oceans would absorb CO2 at a rate consistent with the growth in emissions. They discovered, however, that climate change and the Antarctic ozone hole were actually hampering these waters natural ability to mop up rising carbon levels: ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Australian Firm Presents Solar Thermal Storage Concept

Thu, 17 May 2007 09:17:00 GMT

On Friday, CNET published an article outlining the promises and challenges of solar thermal power plants like Nevada Solar One. Writer Michael Kanellos noted that solar concentrator technology has the potential to produce electricity at a rate competitive with natural gas, but still faces a number of hurdles: "The plant would also have to come with a large energy storage system, be built next to others and be located close to users. To date, no one has completed a facility that comports to all of these parameters..." Yesterday, that article almost looked like a set-up for another one on Ausra, an Australian company that gave a presentation on Tuesday at Austin's Clean Energy Venture Summit. According to the article, Ausra claimed that it has overcome one of the hurdles mentioned above:... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Illinois State University Approves Renewable Energy Degree Program

Wed, 16 May 2007 09:27:29 GMT

Following in the footsteps of schools ranging from Arizona State to Canton College, Illinois State University's Board of Trustees approved a new bachelor's degree program in renewable energy. If given the green light by the state's Board of Higher Education Approval, the program would become the first of its kind in Illinois. According to Moline's WQAD, the program contains two tracks: a student can major in the technical side of renewable energy generation, or study the economics, law and policy of clean power. Additionally, s/he can choose concentrations in Wind or Ethanol -- not surprising in corn country! ISU's press release also notes that the program will be multidisciplinary in nature:

The degree will be administered by the Department of Technology, but will draw from existing courses in the Agriculture, Economics, Health Sciences, Geography-Geology, Mathematics Politics and Government and Physics departments. The program will add one new faculty position and 40 majors are anticipated to enroll by the fourth year of the program.

When designing the program, faculty and administrators included a panel of renewable energy industry representatives in the process to insure that graduates will be ready to go to work. We're guessing that, with the recent surge of interest in renewables, they won't have much trouble finding those first jobs. ::WQAD.com and Illinois State University Photo Credit: Mendota Hills Wind Farm and NREL/DOE... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Wal-Mart, Manufacturers to Lower Mercury Content in CFLs

Mon, 14 May 2007 08:10:20 GMT

When it comes to affordable energy-efficient lighting solutions, compact fluorescent bulbs clearly shine. The recent uptick in debate about their mercury content, even when overblown, may have dimmed the enthusiasm of some consumers, however. On Thursday, Wal-Mart announced that it has been working with manufacturers to lower the mercury content in all CFLS that it sells. According to the Houston Chronicle and the company's press release, Wal-Mart partnered with GE, Royal Philips, Osram Sylvania and Lights of America to create CFLs that contain mercury in amounts lower then the 5 mg standard set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) earlier this year. Specifically,... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Cost of Mitigating Global Warming: $10/Person?

Fri, 11 May 2007 09:24:38 GMT

Last week's report by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claimed that the cost of stabilizing CO2 emissions would be .12% of the annual gross domestic product. On it's face, that doesn't sound like much, but what does it actually mean in terms of dollars and cents? Our friends at DeSmogBlog did some calculating. Writer Kevin Grandia offers the following figures:

GDP of the world economy: US$60 trillion .12% of $60 trillion: $70 billion Total population of the earth: 6.5 billion Cost per person to significantly reduce heat-trapping gas worldwide: $10 a year Cost of saving the planet from droughts, famine, mass flooding, species extinction and rising sea levels: priceless. ... Here's the math: $60 trillion/.0012/6.5 billion = 10 (rounded figures)

Not bad, huh? Obviously, no government or entity will be sending out bills for $10 to every person on the planet, but that figure serves the very useful purpose of countering arguments that claim climate change mitigation would wreck developed economies. Given the economic damage that could occur from rising sea levels, more severe weather events, and crop failures, this seems like a genuine bargain. We're almost certain you have thoughts on this... ::DeSmogBlog Image source: DeSmogBlog... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Mark Morford on the "Honeybee Apocalypse"

Thu, 10 May 2007 09:51:45 GMT

We've written about "colony collapse disorder" and the massive decline in honeybee populations a number of times here at Treehugger. Yesterday, SFGate.com and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford offered his two cents on this disturbing development, and we thought it was worth a nod. According to Morford,

What's killing all the bees? Is it some sort of new, ultra-resilient parasite? Is it pesticides? Overbreeding? Stress? Pollution and genetic diddering and cell phone towers? Is it Ashlee Simpson? No one has a clue. Check that: A few smart people have a clue or two (it's a newfangled parasite! says the guy who helped find the cause of SARS), but at this point they're basically just guessing. Most say it's likely some complicated tangle of causes, some mishmash problem that won't be so easy to decipher. I know what you're thinking. And yes, chances are very good we'll figure it all out before the Great Pomegranate Wars of 2010. Surely we'll manage to finagle and wend and sneak our way out of yet another calamitous man-made (or at the very least, man-assisted) natural catastrophe because, well, this is what we do. We're a scrappy species. We have science and money and brains that deduce. Surely we'll find a way to seduce the bees back to life and it's entirely possible you've already read about and then forgotten this disturbing story entirely because, well, what the hell can you really do about it?

Doom and gloom? Perhaps. Morford's Swiftian approach may put some off, but there's also a glimmer of hope here that we can respond to this "karmic bitch-slap" and see the "honeybee apocalypse" as a canary in the mine moment that spurs us to action. At the very least, we can laugh... ::SFGate.com... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Bringing Up Baby: E/The Environmental Magazine, May-June

Wed, 09 May 2007 08:33:57 GMT

Bringing up a baby can be tough for treehugging parents in our mass-produced, disposable world, so the latest issue of E/The Environmental Magazine features a cover story on "Raising a Healthy Child in a TOXIC World." Writer Brita Belli's approach goes beyond buying greener baby furniture and washable diapers: rather, she notes that "It's ... possible that raising a natural baby and minimizing one's impact on the Earth has less to do with buying products than choosing not to engage quite so enthusiastically in the consumer culture." Among the ways to do this: "attachment parenting" (which Belli herself practices with her own child), diaper freedom, and homemade organic baby food. Products aren't completely out of the picture, though -- Belli gives (mostly) thumbs up to gDiapers, for instance. It's not all baby talk in this issue, though. Jim Montevalli takes a look at the energy and climate change initiatives wending through the new US Congress. William I. Lengman III covers a seeming contradiction in terms: organic fast food. Other departments focus on turtle egg poaching, utility grade solar power, and investing in exchange traded funds. The May-June issue of E is available at your favorite bookstore or newsstand; subscriptions (which give you access to all content online) are $14.95 for digital only, or $19.95 for the print version. ::E/The Environmental Magazine, May-June, 2007 Photo credits: E magazine and (from left) Britta Belli, Greg Nickson and Elizabeth Parise... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO

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Bringing Up Baby: E/The Environmental Magazine, May-June