The Country's Cleanest Air: New Jersey?!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:09:40 GMT

Credit: oquendo via Flickr. Nothing against New Jersey, but it's not the first place that comes to mind when you think of clean air in the United States. Maybe that's just not fair to the Garden State. In a 2009 "Best Places to Live" list of small towns from Money magazine, Jersey has nine cities in the Top Ten when it comes to "cleanest air:"... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Asian Carp Fever Grips Great Lakes, Monster Invasive Fish May Already Be Here

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:47:46 GMT

Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Asian carp, a monstrous, invasive fish, has been knocking at the door of the Great Lakes for decades. Now bad news is spreading that the fish may have breached an electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, entering Lake Michigan.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Meet the Five Almost-Endangered Species of 2009

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:30:34 GMT

This is a list you don't want to be on. Unless, maybe, you're hoping for some government help. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is out with its annual list of proposed candidate species, or "candidate notice of review." That is, plants and animals that the agency says may be designated as endangered unless conservation measures are taken to protect them.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Dump Fossil Fuels, Get a Girlfriend, With Facebook App

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:40:35 GMT

Credit: Screenshot from www.acespace.org. If you know how to type your name, and think we need to break our addiction to fossil fuels, you can get a girlfriend and help the environment. The girlfriend is virtual, but the environment part is real. There's a Facebook app out that takes your name and sprinkles it throughout a hip hop video on Crush Global Warming. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Wash your clothes by pedaling your bike (with video)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:08:45 GMT

Credit: Dave Askins, homelessdave.com. You don't need electricity to do the laundry. It's as easy as riding a bike. My wife's 90-year-old aunt still washes her laundry by hand, and dries it with a wringer. God bless her. But if you're a little busier, you can keep your clothes clean with pedal power. GreenovationTV has a segment on the low-tech solution.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Great Lakes, Great Problems, and Pretty Good Restoration Plan, Finally

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:52:53 GMT

Credit: GLERL. Once upon a time, a president named George W. Bush called the Great Lakes "a national treasure," formed a group to come up with a restoration plan, and did nothing. That was in May 2004. The regional group he formed later came up with a $20 billion plan to clean up the lakes. This year, 2009, Part 1 of that regional strategy is about to kick off, to address threats like invasive species, scoop out contaminated sediments and restore wetland and other habitat in the five Great Lakes. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Kellogg's Laser Flakes Put the 'K' in Sustainability

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:24:36 GMT

Credit: .HEI via Flickr. What's that, you say? There is no "K" in sustainability? Precisely. But the folks at Kellogg's, in Battle Creek, Michigan, plan to start using lasers to etch their logo onto their corn flakes. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Jack Johnson's 'En Concert' En Stores, Benefits Enviro Charities

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:15:14 GMT

Credit: Anne Varak via Flickr. The scene looks like a night sky, filled with stars. The stars are lighters and cell phones --- 20,000 people listening to Jack Johnson sing and play his guitar. Johnson, a surfer, solar-enthusiast and singer-songwriter, adds the title of "documentary subject" to his resume on Tuesday, Oct. 27. That's when the film "En Concert" will be released. It chronicles one leg of Johnson's 2008 "Sleep Through the Static" tour, where he attempted to bring the music of the ocean and the waves to stages across Europe.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Crow Thought To Be Extinct Is Found, But People Are Hunting It

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:19:38 GMT

Credit: Philippe Verbelen via MSU. The Banggai crow was thought to be extinct, and only found in a museum. A Michigan State University species sleuth recently confirmed the existence of the black bird on a remote, mountainous Indonesian Island. The only problem now: The bird needs protection. It looks a lot like a more common slender-billed crow called the Corvus enca, and the endangered version is being hunted by local residents. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Pimp My Green Ride: This Souped-Up Tesla Roadster Rocks

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:52:31 GMT

Credit: Photos courtesy of Al & Ed's Autosound The all-electric Tesla Roadster is a green car without the dinky green look (Sorry Toyota Prius). Some audiophiles at Al & Ed's Autosound in West Hollywood, California, decided the Tesla needed a non-dinky radio system, too. So they've have revamped the $100,000 Roadster, refurbishing the interior and installing a new sound system. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Superior Islands: Ontario's Largest Conservation Project Will Protect 4,700 acres

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:35:27 GMT

Credit: TNC/John Andersen The Wilson Island group spans 4,700 acres in Lake Superior. It's a place where peregrine falcons and bald eagles nest in high cliffs, and rare plants like Mountain Fir-moss and Northern Woodsia fern are supported by rare coastal wetlands and forests. Wouldn't at least some of the eight islands make a great place for summer homes for big city folks? Don't worry, the islands have just been protected by The Nature Conservancy in the United States and its counterpart in Canada, in the largest conservation project (dollar-wise) that's ever been completed in Ontario.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Happy New Fiscal Year: U.S. EPA Wins Big, with 33 Percent Funding Increase from Senate

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:49:01 GMT

Credit: foxypar4 via Flickr. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is thumping its chest after receiving a 33 percent funding increase from the Senate. Cities and counties would benefit from grants to improve aging water and sewer systems. The Senate approved the extra money as part of a $32 billion appropriations bill. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The French Have Big Plans for U.S. High-Speed Rail

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:15:26 GMT

Credit: Yonah Freemark and The Transport Politic. Major cities in the United States may be saying "bonjour" to high speed rail. A French national railroad operator known as SNCF has submitted detailed descriptions to the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration for creating 220 mph trains in four corridors: California, Florida, Texas and a Chicago/Midwest hub. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Students Shout 'Go Blue' and Plan Green Tailgate

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:40 GMT

Credit: Robert S. Donovan via Flickr. Tailgating before the big game is fun, no doubt. It can also leave a pile of trash. Those plastic cups, for instance. Students and alumni at the University of Michigan are attempting a zero-waste tailgate on Saturday morning, Sept. 26, before a pigskin battle against Indiana.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Undisturbed, Prehistoric Sand Dune Discovered at Michigan State University

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:57:06 GMT

Photo: Courtesy MSU. The sprawling campus of Michigan State University takes in 5,200 acres. There are trees that shade the landscape and a Red Cedar River that runs through it. Researchers have just found a 16,000- to 20,000-year-old sand dune on the campus, too, beneath a grove of pine trees.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Pearl Jam Backspacer Tee-Shirt for Target Available Today, Help Feed Hungry

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:55:18 GMT

Image courtesy Pearl Jam/Target Seattle grunge rockers Pearl Jam, set to release a new CD album "Backspacer" today, Sunday, Sept. 20, are making it easy to help feed the hungry in America. Working with the green fashion designers at Loomstate, the band has produced a limited edition tee-shirt being sold exclusively at select Target stores nationwide, beginning today. You can also get the shirts online.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ethanol in the Classroom: Industry Wants Kids' Ears

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:45:32 GMT

Photo: hoyasmeg via Flickr. The Renewable Fuels Association, a trade group for the U.S. ethanol industry, is taking its message to high school classrooms. This association --- representing an industry that primarily uses corn, a food, to make fuel --- has partnered with teachers and the National FFA Organization to provide tens of thousands of high school students with information "about the opportunities available to them in the field of renewable fuels."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Pittsburgh Power Flowers Could Make Small Wind Spin

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:59:47 GMT

Photo Credit: Art Energy Design Small-scale wind has been taking a beating lately, with local zoning ordinances throughout the United States that fly in the face of the technology. People confuse small wind power in residential areas with big, commercial blades, and have concerns about noise and aesthetics, mostly. An art project could solve that.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Clean Water Act Isn't Very, NYT Investigation Finds

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:41:31 GMT

Photo: Darwin Bell via Flickr It's been almost 40 years since the Clean Water Act became the law of the land in the United States. And almost 40 years later, enforcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is lacking and violations are rising. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Fight Home and Office Ozone: Plant Some of These Greenies

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:42:24 GMT

Photo by PinkMoose, via Flickr. Plants are not all doom and gloom, like when it comes to volatile organic compounds. Plants can filter ozone from your indoor air. That's ozone as in smog, a common pollutant floating around in homes and offices, released by copy machines, laser printers and even some indoor air purification systems. Don't expect an Ozone Action Day alert at your office. The colorless gas has been linked to reduced lung function in humans. But there are ways to cut ozone in your home and office, by taking in a few plants. Pennsylvania State University researchers recently conducted a study, looking at what three common house plants --- the snake plant, spider plant and golden pothos --- could do for indoor ozone. Tests in a simulated indoor environment showed that each of the three plants helped deplete levels of ozone in 38 to 120 minutes. All three species were equally effective. The results were published in a recent issue of HortTechnology, a journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science. More from TreeHugger: Indoor Air Quality: Causes Of, Testing, and Monitoring Indoor Air Pollution Laser Printers are a Big Source of Indoor Air Pollution Bad Green: Some Indoor Plants Release VOCs ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

EPA Gets its Ash Kicked in Releasing Coal Info

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:21:40 GMT

Photo Credit: Brian Stansberry/Wikimedia Commons Coal ash, the concentrated, toxic residue of fossil fuel electricity, is going under the microscope. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it's inspecting more than 500 impoundment sites for power plants, in the wake of the December 2008 disaster at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant. The EPA's information comes a little late. An environmental group, Earthjustice, released the federal agency's list of impoundment sites more than a week earlier, after obtaining the information through the Freedom of Information Act. The EPA requested information from electric utilities after the Kingston spill, to get a handle on the structural integrity of other surface impoundments. They received responses from 584 units at 219 facilities in 35 states. Now, the EPA is conducting on-site assessments of coal ash impoundments and ponds at facilities with a potential hazard rating of "high" or "significant," based on the potential for loss of life or environmental and economic damage. So far, 194 units have been rated --- 49 units had a High Hazard Potential and 60 units have a Significant Hazard Potential, according to the EPA. According to Earth Justice, headquartered in Oakland, California, the EPA's investigation discovered almost twice as many coal ash dump sites as had been previously identified. The EPA says it plans to release inspection reports as they're finalized, and draft rules for coal ash sites by the end of the year. Let's see who wins the race next time in releasing information to the public. More on Coal: EPA Reveals Locations of 44 Potentially Deadly Coal Ash Dumps Ash Spill Fallout Continues Duke Energy Leaves "Clean" Coal Coalition ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Bad Green: Some Indoor Plants Release Volatile Organic Compounds

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:01:42 GMT

The Peace Lily. By Paparutzi, via Flickr. Run for your lives. It turns out that house plants like the Peace Lily may be waging war on your indoor air. That's a slight exaggeration, but new research published in an American Society for Horticultural Science journal says you should take care when picking house plants.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Search, earn swag, plant trees

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:52:10 GMT

Courtesy Alexindigo, via Flickr. The internet is a big bunch of web sites. And the search engine is your guide. So if you're going to search, why not earn a few bucks for yourself, and plant a few trees while you're at it?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

International Group Proposes Measures to Stop Invasive Species, U.S. May Wait Until 2021

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:13:30 GMT

Zebra mussels, another invasive mollusk in the Great Lakes, attached to a native mussel. Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Putting your toes in the sand is one thing. Cutting your feet on a quagga mussel is another. Quagga mussels, which wash up cracked and sharp on the shores of Great Lakes beaches, are one example of invasive species that have been mucking up the U.S. landscape for decades. A new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature says ports and trade hotspots in the United States need to do more to detect and respond to foreign invaders like the quagga.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Pearl Jam Runs on People Power at San Francisco's Outside Lands Music Fest

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:13:11 GMT

Courtesy of Global Inheritance. Fans were cranking out the music at Friday's Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco. Cranking with their hands, on a sort of exercise bike. You crank, you hear Eddie Vedder and the crew through the headphones.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

TreeHugger Welcomes Jeff Kart!

Fri, 27 Aug 2004 17:03:18 GMT

Jeff Kart is an environmental journalist based in Michigan, the Great Lakes state. He's been doing the newspaper thing for about 15 years. More recently, he's been blogging about environmental issues in the Saginaw Bay watershed, Michigan's largest, and beyond. He's into renewable energy, green technology and anything interesting, especially if he can report it first. He's not scared of the Internet, and embraces it, along with social networking and Twittering and Facebooking and Linkedin-ing (although that may not be a word). Jeff has a B.A. in Journalism from Michigan State University, whose chant just happens to be "Go Green." He's working on an M.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Illinois. He has many environmental fellowships under his belt, and cares a lot about connecting people with science and research and bringing awareness and a little bit of humor to green subjects. He is getting a little sick of the word "green," by the way, and likes to use "planet positive" once in a while instead. Jeff is married to a marketing genius named Suzanne, has two daughters, a dog and cat. He loves camping as often as possible. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Jeff Kart, Bay City, MIchigan