One of my earliest posts focused on innovative ways of creating energy.
Waste-to-Energy is one of the most energy efficient ways to do this. WTE plants convert municipal trash into steam and electricity, providing one of the most renewable environmentally beneficial 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 a $250 million grant program that would provide up to $5 million to individual projects.
The “Rubbish to Renewables Act of 2009” would have this new program be overseen by the US Department of Energy.
Speaking at an existing landfill gas project at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio on May 28, Brown said “One man´s trash can be [...]
New Bill would create $250 million in Waste to Energy Grants
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 watts per square foot. Glen Hughes, Director of Construction for the NY Times Co. during the design, installation and commissioning of their new building, said “with Quantam (lighting), it’s only using 0.38 – that’s 70 percent less!”
Quantum lighting optimizes light use, dimming or switching all electric lighting, controlling daylight by using automated window shades. The [...]
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 18-year long-term lease (similar to signing up for cable TV) and have solar panels installed on their roofs. Homeowners will likely make back their investment within 7 years or less and, by locking in the rate they pay for electricity generated, will save on future bills as well.
SunRun owns the solar panels but partners with local installers [...]
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 Charcoal Alternative.
With claims of being environmentally-friendly, the FlameDisk boasts it will reduce carbon monoxide output by 99% and deliver 91 percent lower VOC. It’s recyclable packaging is also aimed at reducing waste.
According to Sierra Magazine, on July 4th, Americans in the US will burn enough charcoal to power 20,000 households for one year. uGo boasts that the Flame Disk is faster, easier and cleaner than [...]
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 down due to lack of air.
Grupo Bimbo’s snack packages degrade between three and five years after the end of a product´s predetermined life span, Symphony CEO Michael Laurier said. Symphony Environmental Technologies plc of Borehamwood, England, provides additives for Bimbo’s packages.
“Bimbo (has) been working with us to change ll their packaging to d2w,” Laurier said. Bimbo produces [...]
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 debris from construction projects, we were able to divert tens of thousands of new tons of material away from the landfill,” Newsom said. “Clearly, mandatory recycling measures pay off.”
These landmark results are clearly raising the bar for other urban areas around the country.
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 the Casselman Wind Project in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Twelve of the site’s 23 wind turbines were part of the experiment The amount of power loss from the experiment was approximately 2% of total project output during the 76-day study period for the 12 turbines, the report revealed. The report speculated that had all 23 turbines participated in the [...]
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 pioneered programs that take items like white plastic bags, used soda bottles and food wrappers, and turns them into grassroots ventures that reduce waste and create fundraising opportunities.
The Container Recycling Institute (CRI) says over 5 billion drink pouches are produced each year. Non-recyclable, practically all end up in landfills.
Honest Tea Inc.- a company that makes [...]
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 of Democrats in the US House of Representatives are demanding free permits to help oil refinery, steel, utility and other industries in their districts. Those opposed to giving the pollution permits away fear companies that got them would raise their prices. Also the free permits would likely gain value in the future if the company wanted to trade them to other firms.
Doyle said leading [...]