Hybrid cars
Is a hybrid vehicle right for you?

Right now, folks who want to embrace the new hybrid technology and do their part for the environment have three auto choices: a Toyota Prius sedan, a Honda Civic hybrid or a two-seater Honda Insight.

Hybrid vehicles are good for the earth because they suck up less gas and spit out less pollution. But before you dash out and buy one, be sure to consider the cost.

Being an environmental trailblazer isn't cheap. The hybrid cars available today cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 more than comparable conventional cars.

Despite ultra-impressive gas mileage, you'll have a tough time making up the price difference at the pump. And that doesn't include any additional maintenance costs and the possibility that you may have trouble reselling the vehicle.

On the other hand, you do get a substantial tax break by purchasing a hybrid car.

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 11:46 AM

 
Biodiesel
Check out biodiesel

Harvard Makes Smart Move to Biodiesel
Harvard University has announced that its diesel vehicles now run on biodiesel, an environmentally friendly fuel made from renewable resources such as soybean oil. Biodiesel stood out from other alternative fuels under consideration for use at the university because it provides the largest health and environmental benefits in the most cost effective way, according to David Harris, Jr., general manager of transportation services at Harvard.

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 7:07 PM

 
Alternative Fuels
Ethanol

Since a friend asked about other alternative fuels for cars the other day, I decided to revisit cars for this post. This site also contains info on biodiesel.

Fuel ethanol has received wide-spread support from many sources because of its benefits to the environment. These benefits have come under increasing scrutiny by sceptics.

How does fuel ethanol stack up, environmentally? Is this truly "green fuel"?

What are the facts?

Energy
A key issue is energy efficiency? Former Ontario agriculture minister, Elmer Buchanan said, soon after his election, that he'd support fuel ethanol if he could be sure it contained more fuel energy than was needed for its production. As a result, the Ontario government funded a major study, called the "Cemcorp" study. Cemcorp examined a number of questions about ethanol, including energy efficiency. The conclusion? Ethanol contains at least twice the amount of energy (sunshine energy not included) as is needed for its production, including the production of corn used as a feedstock. This includes all inputs used to grow corn. Further, the energy efficiency is expected to increase substantially in the coming decade according to Cemcorp analysts. These findings are consistent with those of several U.S. studies, including one done by the U.S. Department of Energy.

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 8:21 PM

 
Recycle electronics
I just recycled my old CRT monitor through Dell. There is currently a $10 discount, so it only costs $5.

Electronics Recycling

Did you know that 250 million computers are expected to become obsolete in the United States by 2004?

Used electronic equipment, more specifically computer monitors and televisions, pose an environmental threat if not managed properly. Computer monitors and televisions contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which are leaded glass picture tubes - devices used to shield viewers from harmful X-rays generated by the screen. A typical desktop computer monitor contains approximately 4 pounds of lead. Circuit boards contain heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury and chromium. Health effects can be serious if these items accumulate in landfills and the heavy metals leach into soil and/or groundwater.

So instead of throwing these electronics away when you no longer want them, you should donate them for reuse or have them recycled. Electronics that can be donated or recycled rather than thrown away include computer monitors, processing units, computer speakers, scanners, keyboards, mice, fax machines and copiers. If your computer still works, consider donating it to a local organization that will refurbish it

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 4:09 PM

 
2 minutes a day for a greener planet
Avoid buying furniture or cabinetry made from tropical hardwoods such as teak, mahogany, satinwood, or rosewood.

Avoid chipboard, particle board, and other glued or bonded materials which may emit formaldehyde gas.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 9:41 AM

 
In the Raleigh-Durham area?
The Environmental Protection Agency has just proposed weakening our safeguards against mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. This is alarming -- mercury is extremely toxic to children. The EPA itself reports that 630,000 infants are born annually who are at risk for learning disabilities.

Instead of protecting mothers and children from mercury poisoning, the Bush administration has chosen once again to do a favor for its friends in the energy industry. The EPA proposal is so weak that the industry will be allowed to continue polluting without using state-of-the-art mercury controls.

Next week, the EPA is holding a public hearing on this issue in Raleigh-Durham. We need to show up in person at this forum to remind the EPA that their job is to protect our children from pollution, rather than protecting President Bush’s campaign contributors. The hearing will be held next Thursday, February 25 from 8 AM to 10 PM.

Can you help? The event will be held at :

Holiday Inn Raleigh-Durham Airport
4810 Old Page Road, Research Triangle Park

Please arrive at 8 AM if possible; stay as late as you like.

EPA will listen to comments or questions from any member of the public, so feel free to step up to the microphone and make yourself heard. We’ve provided some more background information on the issue below.

Showing up at the hearing next week - even if it’s just for a few minutes - will make a big difference. The EPA needs to see first-hand that this issue is important to all of us.

Let us know if you're planning to attend the hearing by clicking this link below:

link

You and other MoveOn members are showing that individuals really can have an impact on the political process. Thanks for your commitment.

Sincerely,
--Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn.org Team
February 19th, 2004

-----

The Causes and Dangers of Mercury Pollution

Mercury is a toxic metal that can cause severe neurological and developmental problems in unborn fetuses and young children.

Smokestacks spew mercury pollution into the air, where it rains and snows down into our waterways, accumulating in fish. People eating contaminated fish are then exposed to mercury.

The EPA and forty-three states have now issued advisories warning people, especially women and children, to avoid or limit eating local fish because of mercury. This table shows the advisories that are in effect where you live.

table.pdf

Even with these warnings, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 out of 12 U.S. women of childbearing age have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood due to fish consumption.

The best way to protect women and children from mercury is to eliminate it from its largest source: power plants. But the electric and coal industries are pressing hard to avoid limiting their mercury emissions, and the Bush Administration has now proposed to weaken those standards.


The Bush Administration Weakens Mercury Pollution Standards

In December, EPA announced a mercury plan that will expose our children to far more mercury, for far longer, than what the agency has said is achievable and cost-effective. The proposal also is less stringent than was recommended by the majority of EPA’s own panel of experts who spent more than two years working on this problem.

It is appropriate and necessary to regulate mercury emissions from power plants

EPA now proposes to regulate mercury from utility companies as if it were a non-hazardous pollutant, demanding only a 30 percent emission reduction and allowing some sources to avoid controls entirely by buying pollution "credits."

When plants are not forced to curb pollution but can buy pollution credits, it increases the chances that there will be communities where mercury pollution is more prevalent.

The proposal also would give polluters at least 15 years to make the reductions rather than the three years required by law.


The Bottom Line:

The Bush administration must protect children’s health by reducing power plant mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2008 and ensuring that these reductions occur at each and every power plant. The Clean Air Act requires these reductions.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 1:58 PM

 
Abundant Earth
Check out these water saving devices.

Hundreds of years ago, people collected rainwater in gutters and directed it to a central location, usually a cistern, to use it for drinking and bathing. Today, this is still done in drought-stricken areas and on islands which have no ground water. In the rest of the world, there is absolutely no reason to bring roof runoff water to one or two locations (downspouts) and then to an expensive dry well or to the local storm sewer system. Rainhandler takes water from the roof area and disperses it to the ground in a swath two to four feet wide on the plants and lawn surrounding the home. In the water-short environment facing the United States, especially the Southwest, with significant restrictions on lawn watering in many areas, Rainhandler delivers a huge bonus to the homeowner or resident. Old-style gutters deliver the beneficial roof rainwater to less than 10% of the average lawn. The typical home without gutters or Rainhandler loses a significant portion of the benefit of roof rainwater. Rainhandler delivers up to 100% of the beneficial roof rainwater to the property, and allows much of it to be absorbed before entering the storm sewer system.

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 12:48 PM

 
Bush's environmental record
US Scientists question Bush environmental record.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 12:44 PM

 
Green Home
More environmental kitchen products.

About Kitchen Drawer

From cutting boards to bottle openers, lots of handy kitchen do-dads are made of metal or plastic. Green Home is on the lookout for kitchen gadgets made of 100% recycled material. Recycling - and buying products made from recycled material - is a fun and effective way to reduce all the categories of health risks and pollution resulting from virgin material production. Buying recycled stimulates the growth of greener industries and technology. It conserves natural resources, reduces water pollution and greenhouse gases, and saves lots of energy.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 10:22 AM

 
EcoAccess
EcoAccess.org has linked to Envirotech and lists it in it's "What's New - November 2003" section.

EcoAccess helps you find and share useful environmental information online.

Cool.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 10:07 AM

 
Paper or Plastic?
Ever wonder what you should answer when asked "paper or plastic?," at the checkout counter?

The folks at Earthsmart consumer have.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 12:00 PM

 
Composting in San Francisco
I just got my Green bin.

San Francisco has provided each of its residents with a Green bin to collect compost.
In addition to recycled goods and the trash, the compost is collected on a weekly basis.

With a sustained effort to collect food scraps (as well as yard waste), San Francisco will be well on its way to its goal of 75% recyclying by 2010.

And the coolest aspect to this new composting effort:

The 300 tons of organic material collected in San Francisco each day goes to a special compost facility that turns the organic matter into nutrient-rich soil that is used by local growers to produce wine, fruits, and vegetables for the City's markets, restaurants, and homes.
Read more

- posted by Buffalo @ 5:15 PM

 
Buy Organic
Buy organically grown and local produce.

Sometimes it will be more expensive than mass produced commercially grown produce,. But the more we support organic growing, the more the stores will stock it, and the price will soon be competitive. It will eventually mean less chemical production worldwide and increasingly depleted land. Local produce means less pollution in packing and shipping. Besides, isn't your health worth a few cents more?
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 11:01 AM

 
Recent study
Here is the aforementioned link on electromagnetic production of ozone.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 2:34 PM

 
Kitchen stove
Induction cooktops

It turns out the induction cooktop is the most energy efficient. Some people are paranoid about electro-magnetic effects, as some have been reported recently in rats. I'll try to find the link to this later. But a 40% reduction in energy use is pretty good.

The eco-friendly home also features an induction cooktop which is probably the biggest breakthrough in cooking since the electric oven.

The first time you see one in action, it seems like magic. The cooktop stays cool to the touch even when boiling a pot of water! This is a great safety feature, it's easy to clean and it's also very energy efficient.

There is much less wasted energy heating the air in the kitchen which also makes life much more comfortable for the cook.

Induction cooktops first found acceptance in commercial kitchens overseas. Executive chefs were quick to appreciate the instant controllability, practicality and efficiency of induction cooking.

Induction cooktops use a magnetic field to induce a heating current directly in the base of a suitable pan. The cooktop won't work without a pot on it and sensors switch off elements under dry pots or small objects like spoons.

A quality cooktop like the Thermor unit in the eco-friendly home is also faster than gas. It boils water in two minutes compared to seven in a microwave, saving about 40 per cent in energy.

To keep air inside the eco-friendly home clean and low in moisture content, an efficient rangehood was installed above the cooker. It's estimated that every year, an average of 4.2 litres of cooking fat is deposited on the cooler surfaces of walls, ceilings and cupboards.

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 11:48 AM

 
Electric stoves pollute considerably more than gas stoves according to a new study
By changing their behaviour, consumers can reduce the environmental impact of their kitchen stove just as much as if they used the newest technology.

The study is from 96, so I'll try to find something newer.

The report by dk-Teknik Energy & Environment also compares the environmental aspects of electric and gas stoves.

The overwhelmingly dominant pollution factor in the life cycle of both types of stove is energy consumption - no matter whether this takes place centrally at power stations, or in the kitchen at the gas ring.


Gas stoves have considerably less environmental impact than electric stoves. With electric stoves pollution is almost five times greater for the greenhouse gas CO2 and up to 100 times greater for SO2, a pollutant that causes acid rain. Gas stoves are also more environmentally sound than electric stoves with regard to pollution with NOx (nitrogen oxides).

Even taking into account the fact that district heating is often co-produced together with the electricity, the environmental impact of electric stoves will still be greater.

Technologies with problems

The findings notwithstanding, the study does not recommend that consumers switch from electric stoves to gas stoves. This is because although a switch from electric to gas technology will reduce the general level of pollution, it will concomitantly move the NOx pollution caused by stoves from the power station smokestack to the consumer's kitchen.

Another study shows that the present NOx concentrations attained during cooking on gas stoves can lead to an enhanced frequency of airway disorders among particularly sensitive groups - especially asthma sufferers and children in heavily trafficked towns. The problem would naturally become more serious if gas stoves became more common.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 7:45 PM

 
Heat exchanger

I found this little guy when looking for backpacking equipment. It saves 25% of your fuel when cooking! If only there was something like this for my home stove. Maybe I could use it actually? Though probably it would work better with a gas stove. Which leads to an interesting question . . . are gas stoves or electric stoves more environmentally friendly? Check back for the answer soon.
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 1:04 PM

 
Duke University and the General Motors Corp. (GM) have reached an agreement on a multi-year, interdisciplinary teaching and research project aimed at furthering worldwide efforts to develop hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by 2010, the university and company announced Tuesday.

Duke's Fuqua School of Business is spearheading the project, with significant participation from the Pratt School of Engineering and the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy.

- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 4:54 PM

 
Duke gets a $72 million donation for the Nicholas School of the Environment!
- posted by Chuck Eesley @ 4:51 PM