• NREL Helps Green Building Designers with Updated Software

    Updated: 2009-10-16 23:50:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 16 Recent Comment Found the you tube trailer but is not a how to . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it NREL Helps Green Building Designers with Updated Software Written by Megan Treacy on 16 10 09 One of the most important changes we can make in the fight against climate change is to make buildings more energy efficient both through retrofitting existing buildings and making new construction ultra-efficient . Luckily , that task is becoming easier for building designers . The National Renewable Energy Laboratory released an updated plug-in for Google's SketchUp building modeling software this week , expanding the potential for architects and designers to implement green building features from the drawing . board The OpenStudio plug-in brings more energy efficiency modeling tools to the open-source software . Designers can now easily determine the best window placement or solar panel positioning and because the plug-in is integrated with NREL's EnergyPlus software , the building's heating , cooling , lighting and ventiliation systems can all be . simulated SketchUp also can pull data from Google Earth

  • Germany Wins Solar Decathlon

    Updated: 2009-10-16 23:50:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 16 Recent Comment These competitions are quite important . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it Germany Wins Solar Decathlon Written by Megan Treacy on 16 10 09 For the past week , 20 teams took over the National Mall with their best attempts at a net-zero , solar-powered home , all with hopes to win this year's Solar Decathlon Today , after competing in ten different contests , the winners were crowned , and for the second time , Germany took first . place The cube-shaped surPLUShome covered on all sides by dark metallic solar panels , produces more than twice the energy it uses . The roof is covered with single-crystal silicon panels and the sides with thin-film copper indium gallium selenide CIGS panels . The entire system has a capacity of 11.1 . kW Just as impressive was the efficiency of the home . The team got a perfect score in the Net Metering contest . Features like one large multi-purpose room with different zones instead of separated rooms , vacuum insulation structural panels , a boiler heat pump system for hot water and heat and louver-covered windows created an energy-sipping . home Two

  • LessCarbonMoreJobs Welcomes Texas

    Updated: 2009-10-14 22:26:13
    By Sharyn SteinOur groundbreaking web site, www.LessCarbonMoreJobs.org, now has 22 states on it. A new map of clean energy companies in Texas was unveiled yesterday. It shows about 150 businesses working in energy efficiency or renewable energy in the Lone Star State, most of them clustered around the Dallas/Fort Worth/Austin area. That brings the site to a total of [...]

  • New Mexico "SuperStation" Could Link Major Power Grids

    Updated: 2009-10-14 22:26:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 14 Recent Comment Technologies such as superconducting cables are great for the laborato . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it New Mexico SuperStation Could Link Major Power Grids Written by Megan Treacy on 14 10 09 A new idea for a large substation based in Clovis , New Mexico has the potential to solve one of the biggest hurdles to clean energy growth : transmission . The SuperStation , as its being called , would link the three largest grids the east , west and Texas allowing renewable energy producers to sell electricity across the country instead of just within their own . grid The basic setup of the SuperStation would be a huge substation using superconducting cables to transmit electricity . The cables would carry 5 GW of electricity to and from the substation where it would be converted from AC from the grids to DC and then back to AC on its way back out . The cables are chilled to 300 degrees below zero which lets them carry more electricity , more cheaply . Tres Amigas the company that hopes to build the project , would charge a fee for the SuperStation's . use As more renewable energy

  • Solar Powered E-Reader Makes E-Books Eco-Friendlier

    Updated: 2009-10-14 22:21:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 14 Recent Comment This e-book is a great idea . It will save a lot of trees . Go Green . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it Solar Powered E-Reader Makes E-Books Eco-Friendlier Written by Megan Treacy on 14 10 09 A recent study by the Cleantech Group revealed the much lower envrionmental impact of e-readers specifically the Kindle compared to traditional publishing , but the devices still require charging from the grid . LG's new e-reader takes care of that : it's outfitted with its own integrated solar panel , allowing it to run on clean , renewable , solar . power The thin-film panel is 10 cm wide and just 7mm thick , adding only 20 grams to the product . The panel is 9.6 percent efficient and needs 4.5 hours of sunlight to juice the device for an entire day . Last year , LG introduced a display that can be illuminated by sunlight instead of the backlight when used outdoors , increasing visibility and cutting energy use by 75 percent . Press for the new e-reader doesn't indicate what kind of display it uses , but this product would be even more impressive if it included the sunlight-illuminated one

  • UN update: climate change hitting sooner and stronger

    Updated: 2009-10-14 05:00:00
    Research indicates realities are outstripping some predictions.

  • Particulate matter in the air and its origins in coal-burning regions

    Updated: 2009-10-14 05:00:00
    A new study shows how residential coal-fired appliances can "outperform" industry and traffic in diminishing air quality in Poland.

  • George Soros Investing $1 Billion in Clean Energy

    Updated: 2009-10-12 23:38:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 12 Recent Comment they all spend additional money in order to advise policy makers to View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it George Soros Investing 1 Billion in Clean Energy Written by Megan Treacy on 12 10 09 Hedge-fund manager George Soros is the latest billionaire to throw his money behind clean technology . Soros announced yesterday that he will be investing 1 billion in clean energy technology and will also be spending 100 million to create a climate policy advisory . organization He made it clear that his investments would be based on profitability , but should also actually make a contribution to solving the problem . He will donate 10 million over 10 years to the Climate Policy Initiative , which will advise policy makers , but also serve as a watchdog group to protect public interest as environmental policies are developed in the U.S . China , Europe and . India These large investments from leaders in the business world show that clean energy projects are moving away from being just a niche interest to a mainstream one . Studies have shown the great potential of renewable energy technologies if

  • ABCCarbon - Australian ETS could follow U.S proposed Senate Bill

    Updated: 2009-10-12 04:47:03
    A recent article by ABC Carbon on the Australian Emissions Trading Scheme. Ken Hickson of ABC Carbon did this interview and Profile of me: Karla Bell. The driving force for “greening” the Olympic Games, Fiji-born, Australian educated Karla Bell wants to see voluntary carbon offsetting incorporated into emission trading schemes, more use of agricultural offsets, as [...]

  • Bright Bodywork: 3 Vehicles That Soak Up The Sun

    Updated: 2009-10-11 18:00:18
    Solar energy may seem freely available to anyone with the right tools to collect it, but there is still a price we have to pay – and it is geography. Researchers may be pushing solar cells technology to ever greater levels of efficiency, but even the current leader in the field captures less than half [...]

  • Achieving Sustainability, Longevity through Global Commitment

    Updated: 2009-10-10 00:54:58
    , Green Blog Helping environmentally-conscientious business leaders choose environmentally-friendly . solutions About Me Full Bio Welcome to Green Blog Blog Two Paths to Service Class Packet Optical IP Telephony from A-Z IDC report : Profitability and OSS Support : A Return on Investment . Home Archives TMCnet blogs Rich Tehrani Tom Keating On Rad's Radar The Readerboard Unified Communications The SIP Invite First Coffee The Hyperconnected Enterprise Wireless Mobility Cross Talk Monetizing IP Communications Design vs . Functionality Cable Content Connection Olympics Technology Green Blog VoIP Forums About Me Contact Channels Community Sites Achieving Sustainability , Longevity through Global Commitment Whether or not they have implemented let alone realized it yet , enterprises today are in need of flexible , end-to-end solutions for their physical infrastructure in order to drive operational and financial advantages that allow companies to mitigate risk while heightening business agility . That may sound like a lot to swallow , but looking at long-term needs and implementing solutions now will allow companies to remain competitive in the next economy and . beyond At first glance ,

  • Northeastern States Joining Forces for Offshore Wind

    Updated: 2009-10-09 02:32:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 08 Recent Comment a bit more than traditional shingles . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it Northeastern States Joining Forces for Offshore Wind Written by Megan Treacy on 08 10 09 So far there's been quite a bit of competition between countries and states , all trying to plan and build the latest and greatest renewable energy projects , but a group of East Coast states has decided the key to getting offshore wind and wave projects off the ground is to stop trying to beat one another and work . together Representatives from Maryland to Maine met in New Jersey this week for a clean energy summit and concluded that collaborating on their various individual projects would mean quicker , easier and cheaper results . The states are planning to share things like transmisson lines and advise each other on permitting , site selection and how to construct ocean-based wind . farms The collective also discussed how they could band together to require utilities to buy offshore wind electricity , raising demand for the renewable energy . By acting as a team , they could put more pressure on the federal government

  • As the Chamber Turns: Update on U.S. Chamber vs. Climate Science

    Updated: 2009-10-08 21:47:13
    By Sharyn SteinThe Chamber of Commerce story is all over the media again today, which means we get to keep using the phrase “Scopes monkey trial” almost a century after it should have been old news. In yesterday’s blog post we told you about Apple “resigning .. effective immediately” from the Chamber because of [...]

  • Researchers Proposing Method for Determining Plug-in Mileage

    Updated: 2009-10-08 03:38:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 07 Recent Comment This is actually complex stuff,i think View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it Researchers Proposing Method for Determining Plug-in Mileage Written by Megan Treacy on 07 10 09 The Society of Automotive Engineers and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are recommending that the EPA come up with two different ratings for plug-in vehicles : miles per gallon and electricity per . mile The two groups will finalize their proposal within the next six months , hoping to prevent the EPA from coming up with a rating that combines gas and electricity mileage like the sky-high MPG claims GM and NIssan recently came up with for their plug-in models . Jeff Gonder , an NREL researcher says If you combine them into one number artificially , you can't derive a final output like annual costs . If fuel efficiency is stated in terms like electricity per mile and gallons per mile , the cost of fuel in both forms is immediately apparent to the . consumer NREL is also coming up with a new way to judge fuel efficiency with dynamometers . Instead of just putting the car on the machine and seeing how far it

  • Arsenic in rice: a recipe for nutrient loss

    Updated: 2009-10-07 05:00:00
    Rice feeds half the world, but in some regions, high arsenic levels may be depressing the micronutrients people need to stay healthy and fight disease.

  • Potential of geoengineering highly uncertain

    Updated: 2009-10-07 05:00:00
    Even as consensus points to the need for research on geoengineering, scientists say that real-world implementation remains profoundly uncertain.

  • Google PowerMeter Finds a Gadget Partner

    Updated: 2009-10-07 02:07:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 06 Recent Comment good post,i think . i have never see this article before . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it Google PowerMeter Finds a Gadget Partner Written by Megan Treacy on 06 10 09 Before now , the Google PowerMeter software could only estimate your energy use , unless you happened to be a customer of the handful of utilities it was working with . That has changed . The company announced yesterday that they have partnered with The Energy Detective TED allowing you to bypass your utility and get regularly-updated energy use . information The TED 5000 device costs about 200 and you'll need an electrician to install it , but once that's done , it wil connect to the internet and feed all your electricity use to the PowerMeter program online at home or via iGoogle on your mobile phone . The TED device sends updates to PowerMeter every 10 minutes compared to regular smart meters which often only dispaly processed energy data only once a . day People who already own a TED device can download an upgrade to start using the PowerMeter . software This partnership is meeting a great need because it lets

  • Recycling Your Cell Phone Just Got Easier

    Updated: 2009-10-06 22:52:00
    Home About Contact EcoGeek.org OCT 06 Recent Comment good post.i really enjoy here . View all Comments Share Email it Print it Digg it Reddit it Del.icio.us Stumble it Recycling Your Cell Phone Just Got Easier Written by Megan Treacy on 06 10 09 While some cell phone companies are introducing convenient ways for you to recycle your phone once you're done with it , a new start-up is making it just plain simple . EcoATM will be deploying kiosks at retailers around the country where you can drop off your old phone , have its value assessed and immediately get an in-store trade-up coupon or gift . card The first of these kiosks has been stationed at the Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha for the last year . After great success with that one kiosk , the company is going install the e-cycler at wireless and big box stores in San Diego , Washington state and Vermont in the next couple of months . By the second quarter of next year , the kiosks will be popping up around the country and the machines will soon be able to accept other gadgets like MP3 players , cameras and . laptops The EcoATMs have cameras that can detect damage to the phone and then come up with its value . If the phone is

  • US Chamber of Commerce Loses Another Member

    Updated: 2009-10-06 22:27:34
    So Apple has just joined the list of recent companies, Nike, PG&E, Exelon and PNM Resources, who have quit their memberships in the US Chamber of Commerce over their oppositions to climate change policies. Many companies, like Nike, that quit the Chamber's board of directors, have tried to build reputations as green and sustainable companies, and it's clear that aligning with organiza...

  • Apple Joins List of Former U.S. Chamber Members

    Updated: 2009-10-06 19:34:00
    By Sharyn SteinThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues to make a monkey of itself over its “Scopes trial” comment, as well as its general policy on climate change. The latest chapter in the ongoing saga comes from high-tech powerhouse Apple, which announced that it is resigning from the Chamber effective immediately. Apple says it objects to “the chamber’s [...]

  • Best Economic Analyses: Economy Can Thrive as We Cap Carbon

    Updated: 2009-10-02 17:37:03
    By Tom OlsonWhen you want to find out which cars are best, you look to honest experts who do their homework – like Consumer Reports or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At EDF, we do the same thing when it comes to analyzing how the economy will fare under a carbon cap:  we look at what the [...]

  • Report from Bangkok: Looking for the U.S. to Act

    Updated: 2009-10-01 19:46:34
    By Sharyn SteinEDF’s Gus Silva-Chavez is blogging from the global climate negotiations in Bangkok. Yesterday, he sent a big thank-you to Senators Boxer and Kerry for getting work started on the Senate version of the climate bill: Whatever else you can say about the draft bill that Senators Boxer and Kerry introduced in the Senate yesterday, it was [...]

  • Message from Governors’ Summit: U.S. Must Act

    Updated: 2009-10-01 18:43:12
    By Sharyn SteinThis post is by Wade Crowfoot, EDF’s West Coast Political director. Loud, bipartisan clamoring for a federal climate bill resonated here in Los Angeles as Governor Schwarzenegger and governors from around the world gathered to talk climate. “The time for debate is over,” proclaimed Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, one of several U.S. governors calling for immediate [...]

  • Nike Leaves Board of U.S. Chamber — But Keeps Membership?

    Updated: 2009-10-01 17:11:44
    By Sharyn SteinThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues to rack up bad press because of its knee-jerk opposition to climate change legislation. (If you want the whole sordid history, read our earlier post.) The latest news: Nike announced Wednesday that it is resigning its position on the Chamber’s board. It’s not dropping its membership in the Chamber altogether — [...]

  • Pageantry at the Capitol: Senate Climate Bill Released

    Updated: 2009-09-30 22:56:51
    By Sharyn Stein I took this photo today at the Capitol, where twelve senators, two national security figures, and scores of supporters gathered for the announcement of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. We’re excited that work in the Senate is beginning in earnest, and look forward to working with the Senators and staff to pass a [...]

  • Kerry-Boxer Draft Marks Beginning of Senate Climate Change Negotiations

    Updated: 2009-09-30 19:58:05
    By Tony KreindlerEnvironmental Defense Fund today welcomed the release of draft legislation that gives the Senate its vehicle for enacting a comprehensive bill to cap U.S. global warming pollution. “This draft is an important starting point for Senators to negotiate effective climate legislation that can win 60 votes,” said Environmental Defense Fund Legislative [...]

  • Sulfur controls alone won't curb soil acidification in China

    Updated: 2009-09-30 05:00:00
    Increasing nitrogen emissions will cancel out the benefits of SO2 reductions.

  • New research aims to create accurate account of a city's carbon burden

    Updated: 2009-09-30 05:00:00
    Climate, transportation, and fuel mix matter more than average income to a city’ total greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Evaluating Different Solar Technologies

    Updated: 2009-09-23 17:53:29
    McKinsey Quarterly released an interactive presentation this month evaluating the potential of different solar technologies. "Solar power is gaining ground as a viable, low-carbon alternative to traditional energy sources. A number of technologies are competing to be the lowest-cost and the most efficient choice: photovoltaics (including silicon-wafer based and thin film) and con...

  • A smartphone application for field scientists

    Updated: 2009-09-23 05:00:00
    Citizen scientists could contribute data using their phones. </a

  • Key environmental epigenetics paper challenged

    Updated: 2009-09-23 05:00:00
    Government and industry scientists cannot reproduce multigenerational results.

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