New Bill would create $250 million in Waste to Energy Grants

One of my earliest posts focused on innovative ways of creating energy http://tinyurl.com/ltg2b5.
One of the most energy efficient processes is Waste-to-Energy.  WTE plants convert municipal trash into steam and electricity, providing one of the most environmentally beneficial renewable energy options in the world, generating clean, renewable energy for local communities.
Now U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is proposing new legislation to create [...]

Green lighting exceeds New York Times savings expectations

NY Times Building

 The new New York Times building has seen over $315,000 in savings due to their green lighting system.
Lutron Electronics, whose Quantum total light management system is featured in the building, released the performance data yesterday.
The 52-story high New York Times building, opened in late 2007, was designed to produce a large reduction in energy savings, or 1.28 [...]

Recycled water in Space

To infinity and beyond!
Well, at least to the  U.S. Space Station. The US astronauts are now enjoying recycled water in space.  See a video clip of first tasting (which looks pretty good) at http://tinyurl.com/qulhy5.
It’s an awesome accomplishment – straight out of the movie “Water World”. Just don’t think about where the clear water came from. 
 

Solar Panels for Rent

Residential solar panels – generally a hefty $25,000 or more to install – can now be leased for a fraction of the cost in Massachusetts.
Sun Run has entered the solar lease business in the Bay state, the first company to do so. Now homeowners can pay an up-front fee of $1,000, sign up for an [...]

A fascinating use of Ethanol

bankWith the introduction and growing marketing of ethanol, the loss of food corn created food shortages around the globe.

The FlameDisk Charcoal (grilling) Alternative is fueled by solid ethanol

Regardless of this, new ethanol-based products are coming to market that manufacturers hope consumers will go wild about.  In time for hot summer days and family cook-outs, uGo has reintroduced their FlameDisk [...]

Mexico company creates first true biodegradable Snack Bag

 
Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV of Mexico City, a multi-national baking corporation, has introduced what they claim is the world’s first oxodegradable metal polypropylene snack bags.
I recently posted an article on recyclable trash bags that were oxodegradable http://bit.ly/U9aEB. This technology far surpasses what’s considered to be biodegradable, particularly as a recent archiological-type experiment showed that materials in landfills aren’t breaking [...]

San Francisco Reaches Nation’s Highest Recycling Rate!

According to San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom, the “city by the Bay” achieved a recycling rate of 72% in 2007 – the highest rate in the country.
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With a goal of 75% landfill diversion by 2010, sources at the city said a construction and demolition debris recycling ordinance passed in 2006 is helping push the percentages higher every year.
“By requiring builders to recycle [...]

Changing Wind Turbine Speeds can Reduce Bat Fatalities

A new report on a study of the interaction between bats and wind turbines shows that shutting down wind turbines during low winds reduces bat mortality by more than 70%, with minimal accompanying energy loss.
The study was the first U.S.-based experiment on the effectiveness of changing turbine cut-in speed on reducing bat fatality at wind turbines at [...]

Giving Trash A New Life with Drink Pouch Brigades

Think recycling only means paper, plastic and aluminum?
There’s a new program that recycles drink pouches your kids take to school.
In 2007, TerraCycle – a company founded on nothing being wasted and everything reused – created the Drink Pouch Brigade program, a free, nationwide program that “upcycles” used drink pouches, turning them into something new.
TerraCycle has [...]

Pollution Emission Permits to Be Free

Representative Mike Doyle (D-Pa) told reporters on Wednesday that most of the pollution emission permits that industry needs under a climate change bill being negotiated in the U.S. House of Representatives will initially be given to companies instead of sold.
He also said that the first 10 to 15 years of the program, most of industry’s permits would be free.
Many [...]