“What you gonna do? Replace the bulbs? A lot that’s going to do for global warming!” That’s what the skeptics say. But what if 315 million people replaced 315 million bulbs in one day? The average American home is estimated to have 45 bulbs in place, and as of 2010, there are 115 million... Read More...
This tongue-in-cheek article about your personal carbon rating reminds us that no matter how dedicated you are, you need to keep your green ambitions firmly grounded in real stuff and not abstract numbers just designed to make you feel good -- or bad -- about your carbon footprint. Read More...
This article in "Urban Re:Vision" is a good short survey of the way several cities have reduced water use and increased stormwater capture, including San Francisco's greenstreets and Las Vegas cash-for-grass program. Read More...
The Olympic athlete's village in Vancouver is actually a group of LEED Gold buildings in a former industrial district on a branch of the city's bay. When the Olympics are over, the buildings' 1100 housing units -- some condos, some rentals -- will be occupied as residences. Read More...
Charlotte, NC's, new library uses more energy than expected because it has 50% more visitors and is used many more hours than designers anticipated. But the LEED Silver building didn't know it was still had energy savings of 28.5% over what a conventional building equivalent would use until somebody asked. Read More...
Trees felled by developers and storms are a little-known source of recycled lumber, which may include rare hardwoods. This story focuses on a California lumber company, but there are others likr him all over the U.S. Read More...
Ford's new competitor for the taxicab business is the 2011 Transit Connect, which runs on compressed natural gas. A gasoline-powered version is available. Read More...
It will be a surprise to many that Fox News, normally a bastion of anti-environmental rhetoric, declared its concern that grass-carpeted city parks in dry parts of the country are “Bad for the Environment.” Fox’s reasoning – that the grassy areas release more carbon into the atmosphere than they capture – is right on... Read More...
The Urban Green Council has produced an exhaustive report on using building codes to make New York and other cities greener and healthier places. The executive summary is specific and well-written, leaving the reader with a clear sense of what needs to be done. Link to it here. Read More...
The Federal stimulus plan will pay for a 200-ft green wall on an 18-story office building that is being renovated for the General Services Administration. The renovation, which is expected to cut energy use by some 40%, sounds excellent, but the expensive & experimental green wall is a doubtful move in these times. Read More...
