Category Archives: sustainability

Democrat’s Convention Goes Green – First political convention to try its hand at good Environmental Practices

Posted on by
Reply

Ok so I am a media slut for trying to grab google hits with the title of this post. Still this is a historic convention in oh so many ways.

This story cited below is actually a double steal because it is an AP story from Yahoo:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CVN_KICKOFF_CONCERT?SITE=VASTR&SECTION=ENTERTAINMENT&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-08-25-14-33-55

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080825/ap_en_mu/cvn_kickoff_concert;_ylt=Ah9QOJ.F0LqqXrNw0QROAa1nhVID

 Matthews, Crow kick off Democratic convention

Matthews, playing with Tim Reynolds, was less pointed with his commentary, while Nettles played up the night’s theme of environmentalism. Denver’s mayor has worked with hotels, restaurants and organizers to make the convention a green event.

“This is the first time that a political convention of any sort has been surrounded with the awareness of environmental issues,” Nettles told The AP before playing. “So that feels like it’s on the cutting edge.”

Her bandmate Kristian Bush added: “Yeah, and regardless of what political affiliation you want to align yourself with, this is an issue. It’s real, no matter which side you decide to attack it from.”

Aside from the Dixie Chicks, it’s rare for a country group to play a high-profile Democratic Party-sponsored event. So are Nettles and Bush Democrats?

“We don’t say. We stay away,” replied Nettles, laughing. “It’s like honey, what do you want to be, a pariah? What do you want to be, crucified? It’s a good thing in this country. We don’t have to tell anybody. It’s no one’s business who we vote for.”

Among those who showed up at the event organized by well-connected environmental activist Laurie David: Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Robert Kennedy Jr

 :}

 Some people think this will be a tall order

:}

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121434145793701111.html?mod=hps_us_pageone

The Greenest Show

  

on Earth:

 

Democrats Gear

  

Up for Denver

From Organic Fanny Packs to ‘Pure’ Trash,
Party Planners Face Logistical Nightmare

By STEPHANIE SIMON
June 25, 2008; Page A1

DENVER — As the Mile High City gears up to host a Democratic bash for 50,000, organizers are discovering the perils of trying to stage a political spectacle that’s also politically correct.

Consider the fanny packs.

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention wanted 15,000 fanny packs for volunteers. But they had to be made of organic cotton. By unionized labor. In the USA.

Official merchandiser Bob DeMasse scoured the country. His weary conclusion: “That just doesn’t exist.”

Ditto for the baseball caps. “We have a union cap or an organic cap,” Mr. DeMasse says. “But we don’t have a union-organic offering.”

Much of the hand-wringing can be blamed on Denver’s Democratic mayor, John Hickenlooper, who challenged his party and his city to “make this the greenest convention in the history of the planet.”

Convention organizers hired the first-ever Director of Greening, longtime environmental activist Andrea Robinson. Her response to the mayor’s challenge: “That terrifies me!”

After all, the last time Democrats met in Denver — to nominate William Jennings Bryan in 1908 — they dispatched horse-drawn wagons to bring snow from the Rocky Mountains to cool the meeting hall. Ms. Robinson suspected modern-day delegates would prefer air conditioning. So she quickly modified the mayor’s goal: She’d supervise “the most sustainable political convention in modern American history.”

•  Campaign dispatches in Washington Wire

• Campaign 2008: Full coverage

Now, she must pull it off.

To test whether celebratory balloons advertised as biodegradable actually will decompose, Ms. Robinson buried samples in a steaming compost heap. She hired an Official Carbon Adviser, who will measure the greenhouse-gas emissions of every placard, every plane trip, every appetizer prepared and every coffee cup tossed. The Democrats hope to pay penance for those emissions by investing in renewable energy projects.

Perhaps Ms. Robinson’s most audacious goal is to reuse, recycle or compost at least 85% of all waste generated during the convention.

:}

Others think it can’t be done. We shall see:

http://www.grist.org/news/2008/07/07/dem_convention/

Bucking Convention

Democratic convention planners struggling to meet big green goals

Posted at 10:13 AM on 07 Jul 2008

Donkey.

Planners of August’s Democratic Convention in Denver are finding that it’s just not that easy to pull off Green Director Andrea Robinson’s goal of “the most sustainable political convention in modern American history.” Only three states’ delegations have agreed to purchase carbon offsets through the convention’s “Green Delegate Challenge” program. Merchandisers despair of finding fanny packs and baseball caps that are organic and made in the U.S. by union labor. Robinson has been unsuccessful in banning bottled water at the convention center. Hotel space in Denver is in short supply, meaning many attendees will likely have to transport themselves by fuel instead of foot. And caterers are balking at what is arguably the convention committee’s most ambitious goal: meals for 40,000 people in which each plate contains 70 percent local and organic ingredients, 50 percent fruits and vegetables, nothing fried, and at “least three of the following five colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple and white.”

:}

Then there is my friend John Martin who thinks it’s all a JOKE. For a picture of John please see the JOKER in the last Bat Man movie. They say it was Heath Ledger’s last performance but John was his body double and he was in most of the scenes. It’s that smile mon.

http://www.thedrunkablog.blogspot.com/

Click on the August Archives and scrollllllllllll way down.  

Monday, August 11, 2008

Wealthy MD: DNC carbon program “endearing”

Doctor and delegate to the Democratic National Convention Mark Thrun on the wisdom of the DNC’s carbon credit program:

$12 bucks is all. $12 bucks and I can erase the carbon footprint I lay down during the course of the Democratic Convention. It seems so cheap.

Now if I wanted to erase my carbon footprint for a year, its gonna cost me a bit more. $324 to be exact. Given the amount I have to drive back and forth in the city, this seems an easy way to assuage my environmental guilt. . . .

Well bully for you, doc. Many people would not find it easy at all. Then this strange, question-begging, cluck-like paragraph:

I love the concept. The fact that we have repeatedly violated air standards for the city this summer makes the project even more endearing. And I am certain to participate [so you haven’t, yet?]. But I have to wonder, if buying carbon offsets is so easy, does it really do anything? I understand where the money is going. And I get the benefits of investments in lower impact energy sources.

Like broken windmills. But underneath his lib vagueness Thrun knows the truth:

Maybe just making a payment will encourage more people to ponder their own impact on the environment. After all, reading recently about real-time home electricity monitors certainly made me envious for a meter. I can easily see me turning off all the lights in the house, obsessively trying to bring the reading down. Maybe the secondary effect of just getting people to think about their own footprint makes web payoffs efficacious.

Payoffs.

Here, by the way, is the latest Green Challenge map from the DNC website:

Compare it to the map from July 28, only three days before the alleged deadline to participate in the offset program:


Truly heroic nagging, is my guess.

Update: So if the good doctor hasn’t bought his offset yet, why is Colorado’s delegation shown in the “100% participation” category? Hmmm?

Update II: The good doctor. Take me now, Jesus.

Update III: The Rocky ends it endless series on Civic Center Park by unleashing student photographers from the Art Institue of Colorado on the place. Man they’re good. Check out the slide show.

Update IV: Oops, the Rocky’s Civic Center series continues, and this is a good one, on the park’s statuary. The first pic is worth the trip.

Labels:

Wind Turbine For 40$$ – Who says the kids of today can’t save the world?

Posted on by
Reply

I did not double check to see what the exact exchange rate is. I just guessed. It’s 20 English Pounds so I just doubled it to be safe:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1046778/Student-inventor-creates-20-wind-turbine-scrap-developing-world.html

Student inventor creates £20 wind turbine out of scrap for developing world

A student has built a wind turbine from scrap to help people in the developing world.

Max Robson, 22, constructed a prototype using rubbish collected from skips, tips and bins including an old bike frame and wheel bearings, the magneto from a Vespa, a battery from a Ford Fiesta and bits of wood.

It is so simple, he says, it can be built by unskilled workers in less than a day anywhere in the world.  

Max Robson designed a wind turbine made from 100 percent recycled materials

His turbine works by converting the energy in wind into electrical energy stored in a battery. It produces an output of 11.3 watts, which is enough electricity to run lighting for 63 hours or a radio for 30 hours.

The product design student from Greenwich has just received a first class honours degree from the University of Portsmouth. He said he had always been interested in gadgets and machines and was inspired by his father Ashley’s enthusiasm

The wind turbine can be built by unskilled workers in less than a day anywhere in the world

‘My dad wanted to do something like this but I beat him to it,’ said Mr Robson.

‘He had the idea of designing a scrap wind turbine but it was my idea to use it in the developing world. I wanted to build something worthwhile and I am interested in design being environmentally friendly.’

‘This isn’t going to change lives in the developing world dramatically but a device like this could make their lives a lot easier,’ he said.

‘It cost me £20 to build the prototype and in the developing world it would be a lot less. The nearest alternative wind turbine on the market costs £2,000.’

Ashley Robson, 51, who studied mechanical engineering at the University of Portsmouth, said he was delighted his son was following in his footsteps.

20lbs.jpg

WHAT AN AMAZING YOUNG MAN!

:}

:}

Clean Energy Summit – This thing has been so widely publicized that no one knows it’s going on

Posted on by
5

I have to admit that if not for Peak Oil and Rueters, I would not have known that this was even going on.

 http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/20/business/NA-US-Energy-Summit.php

Business leaders: Make renewable energy cheaper

:}

MY TAKE ON THIS IS MAKE TRADITIONAL ENERGY MORE EXPENSIVE BY TAXING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF THEM TO PAY FOR ALL THE DAMAGE THEY DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT – oh never mind.

LAS VEGAS: Representatives from Google Inc. and General Electric Co. said Tuesday that widespread use of renewable energy in United States would be possible — if it were cheaper.

Renewable energy options will remain “boutique” industries unless their costs are cut to make them competitive with coal and other widely used power sources, said Dan Reicher, director for climate change and energy initiatives at Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm.

Reicher spoke to a group of politicians and energy experts at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. The meeting’s attendees said they hope to develop a national energy agenda to take to the Democratic and Republican parties at their upcoming conventions.

“There’s a whole set of factors that go into the ultimate cost of energy,” Reicher said after announcing a plan for Google to invest more than $10 million to develop “enhanced geothermal systems” technology to generate energy from rocks deep below the earth’s surface.

Google’s project replicates traditional geothermal systems deep below the Earth’s surface by circulating water through hot rock and running the steam through a turbine that generates electricity.

Google said its goal was to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity — enough to power a major city.

“These are all high-capital-costs projects,” Reicher said.

One by one, speakers at the meeting touted the benefits of various energy-related initiatives, including how large-scale solar power could generate thousands of jobs and why wind power could lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil. Extending tax credits, establishing caps on carbon emissions and modernizing the nation’s electricity grid were also ideas that speakers said would be crucial to building a “green” economy.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the energy discussion was timely, and he criticized presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain for not having a real debate about energy.

Texas oil baron T. Boone Pickens also presented his plan to develop wind energy to generate 20 percent of the nation’s electricity, then use natural gas to power cars until hydrogen or plug-in electric cars become widely available.

“I don’t see many people from my party,” said Pickens, a Republican. “I’m making new friends, and that’s good.”

 :}

Here is what they have to say for theirselves. It’s a whole day!

:}

http://www.cleanenergysummit.org/

National Clean Energy Summit

WHEN: August 18-19, 2008
8/18/08 -Doors open at 4:00 p.m. for general registration and 3:30 for press.
8/19/08- Doors open at 7:45.

WHERE: University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

Thank you for your interest in the Clean Energy Summit. Web registration for the summit is now closed. We will be able to accommodate walk-up registration at Cox Pavilion as capacity allows.

Industry leaders, scientists, policy experts, citizens, and the media will gather in Nevada at the national summit hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to chart a course for our nation’s clean energy future. This is a pivotal opportunity to focus on defining a policy agenda that accelerates the development of renewable energy, energy-efficiency technologies, and robust clean energy markets in Nevada, the nation, and the world.
Developing a Clean Energy Future for Nevada, the Nation, and the World

Nevada is at the epicenter in the debate of how America should generate and use energy in the future. Nevada has abundant clean energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and efficiency technologies that could be developed to meet its future energy needs. The question is whether Nevadans—and all Americans—will shift to a clean energy economy that creates less expensive and more efficient energy, cleaner air, clean energy markets, and the creation of good new jobs that strengthen and grow our economy in Nevada, the nation, and the world.

We owe it to our children and grandchildren to protect the air they breathe and our nation’s great outdoors. Nevada has the opportunity to do that and lead the nation in a clean energy revolution by developing clean, renewable energy and efficiency technologies that will meet the state’s current and future energy demands.
Once again, America can lead the way. Developing new technologies will result in a robust clean energy economy our country can be proud of while creating good-paying jobs and diversifying our economy while not polluting our air.
This is our vision for America’s future. And the National Clean Energy Summit is a pivotal opportunity to help get us there.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is committed to increasing energy efficiency and to significantly reducing energy consumption through its energy management systems, recycling programs, and turf reduction efforts.  Our goal is to make the National Clean Energy Summit carbon neutral.

:}

People New To Environmentalism And The Energy Field Must State The Obvious

Posted on by
2

Environmentalism really IS about saving the Earth. Not the rocks, the water and the oxygen some of its primary components, but the lifeforms that inhabit it. When we try to preserve the humpback whale it’s because it they are beautiful and important to us. It is also because to some extent they are sentient. We are in the midst of one of the largest die offs in terms of the number of species that were here a 1000 years ago. When we preserve a section of the planet as in a park we preserve those species but we also preserve their habitat for future generations to see.

Obviously we are one of those species. So saving the Earth means saving us too. But we are a special case because we have over populated the planet and we are one of the leading causes of the die off, so saving ourselves and the planet requires a population reduction and a change in behavior. Two huge issues that I do not see our species solving. No other top of the food chain species has solved it. I have written before about Science Fiction’s contribution to the myth of a disposable planet so it’s not a wonder that these guys come off as slightly clueless.

Still they have pretty pictures:

http://howyoucansavetheworld.com/2008/08/the-earth-will-be-just-fine-th.php

 the-earth-will-be-just-fine-thank-you.jpg

The grand myth of environmentalism is that it’s all about saving the Earth.

It’s not. The Earth will be just fine. Environmentalism is all about saving ourselves.

That may seem a bit counter-intuitive; after all, the Earth is certainly central to the rhetoric, the memetic of environmentalism. Most environmental discussions focus on ecological dynamics, with references to human beings typically limited to enumerations of the various insults we’ve visited upon the planet. Given the degree of culpability we bear for the current state of the planet, this is entirely appropriate.

But the rhetorical focus of environmentalism on the planet obscures the fact that what human beings have done to the Earth pales in comparison to past disasters hitting our world, from massive asteroid strikes to super-volcano eruptions killing off 90+% of the Earth’s species. And in every case, the Earth has recovered, and life has once again flourished.

We sometimes make the conceptual mistake of thinking that the way the Earth’s ecosystem is today is the way it will forever be, that we’ve somehow reached an ecological end-state. But even in an eco-conscious world, or one devoid of humans entirely, natural processes from evolution to geophysical and solar cycles would continue. The Earth’s been at this for a long time, literally billions of years; from a planetary perspective, a quadrupling of atmospheric carbon lasting 10,000 years (for example) is little more than a passing blip.

The fact of the matter is that, no matter how much greenhouse gas we pump into the atmosphere or how many toxins we dump into the soil and oceans, given enough time the Earth — and its ecological systems — will recover.

But human civilization is far more fragile.

Human civilization could not withstand and recover from the same kinds of assaults the planet itself has shrugged off in eons past. We remain entirely dependent upon myriad Earth services and systems, from topsoil and clean water to carbon cycles and biodiversity. Activities that undermine those critical services and systems quite literally threaten the survival of human civilization. The fundamental resilience of the Earth’s geophysical systems simply means that, when we ignore our effects on the planet, we’re simply making ourselves disposable, just another passing blip in the planet’s long history.

In trying to minimize the harmful impacts of human activities upon the global ecosystem, environmentalism supports the continued healthy existence of humankind.

To me, this too is entirely appropriate. Despite its many flaws, I’m a big fan of human civilization. I marvel at our capacity to organize matter and information, at our ability to learn from mistakes and pass that learning down to subsequent generations. Civilization — writing, cities, trade, the whole lot of it — makes us unique on this planet and, as far as we can tell so far, in our part of the universe. Destroying that through malice or negligence is the worst form of crime, and the height of tragedy.

Part of a focus upon civilization, however, is the recognition that we do not exist in isolation, that we are dependent upon an enormous variety of complex systems. As a result, our continued existence requires the continued success of those systems. In order to save ourselves, we have to minimize actions which damage and disrupt the environment.

:}

They spent their whole history telling us we could leave this planet so nothing here matters. Now they want to turn around and Say WOW everything here matters. We ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. HMMMM 

:}

The Ultimate Peak Oil Site – While I know that speculators caused this price spike

Posted on by
Reply

The Peak Oil People are so focused on the inevitable that you have to admire them: 

http://postcarbon.org/

Post Carbon Institute

Reduce Consumption : Produce Locally

New: Post Carbon Institute Issues A Call For Action
and releases Ten Steps For Individuals To Get Off Fossil Fuels

Commentaries

 

Airline industry backpedaling on expansion?

After my presentation to the Anchorage (Alaska) Municipal Assembly last week, I chatted with a…

Daniel Lerch · August 15, 2008 ·

 

Losing Control

August 15, 2008

–>

Humankind has control issues, and they’re about to get a lot worse. As a species, we’ve…

Richard Heinberg · August 15, 2008 ·

 

How students get around

August 14, 2008

–>

The USA Today headline was “Schools move to eject cars from campuses.” The article gave…

laurel · August 14, 2008 ·

 

The Disappearing Lake

August 13, 2008

–>

As the subtitle of Richard Heinberg’s book Peak Everything says, the world is waking up…

asher · August 13, 2008 ·

Media Appearances

 

Al Jazeera

Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg was interviewed by Al Jazeera English TV. Richard…

Aug 4 2008 ·

Press Democrat

Kiss Your Gas Goodbye! was covered in this in-depth article in the Sunday Edition of…

Aug 3 2008 ·

 

Featured Articles

 

A Call to Action

August 02, 2008

–>

A call to action for each of us to respond to the joint challenge of peak oil and climate change.

August 02, 2008 ·

 

Peak VMT – Are Americans Kissing Their Gas Goodbye?

Here’s an interesting question: if you gaze for a moment at this fine piece of art…

July 31, 2008 ·

 

IEA Still Misleading On Future Oil Supply

The IEA is still saying there is no real problem with oil…

July 31, 2008 ·

 

100 Percent Renewable Power

July 22, 2008

–>

Post Carbon Institute’s Plan to reach Al Gore’s ambitious goal of 100% Renewable Electricity in ten years.

July 22, 2008 ·

Weird Cow Friday – It’s true it is the Illinois State Fair time again

Posted on by
1

I was really disappointed in the Illinois State Fair this year. Last year there was so much energy conservation going on, both in the public and the private sector.  This year there was nothing but Conservation World. DO NOT get me wrong, as I said to the guy on the trolley as we drove by, “When I was young Conservation World was 2 guys under a tent. One guy from Ag. and one guy from DNR.” Now it takes up an entire corner of the Fair Grounds, has its own lake and the huge and energy efficient Department of Natural Resources building. It’s just that there wasn’t much going on around the rest of the fairgrounds. Yes, there were corn dogs and all the other exciting things that make the fair so cool, but I guess I got spoiled.

Anyway I go to the fair for the world famous Butter Cow. It starts out as this:

cesblog1.jpg

Then they strip it down to this:

 cesblog2.jpg

That is a telephone by the way in its head. Then they build it back to this:

cesblog3.jpg

The skunks are new!

:}

:}

The Wilderness Society’s Andrew Peters Guest Post – Drill not Drill nowhere

Posted on by
Reply

Andrew Peters sent me this email and at first I thought I would post it as one big comment. BUT just as I was getting ready to hit submit, I thought, “heck this would make a great Post”. So with out any intro, Community Energy Systems first guest blogger:

http://www.wilderness.org/

Actually Andy is an overachieving intern:

From:

Add sender to Contacts

To:

info@censys.org

Hi Doug,

I’ve been reading the Energy Tough Love Blog and appreciated your focus green solutions, so I thought you might be interested in further information on the energy crunch. (You can also find a compilation of expert opinions here). Congress may have just left town but that doesn’t mean finding a solution to high gas prices has become any less pressing. The oil and gas industry has peddled misinformation and downright deceit in order to push the idea we need to drill more to lower prices.

I’d urge you to dig deeper and post the truth about this issue. Drilling everywhere will not provide relief from high oil prices. Not here. Not now.

The price of oil depends on a host of world economic factors, all of which have nothing to do with how much drilling is or is not taking place on our public lands. As a nation, we consume nearly a quarter of the world’s oil output and yet we hold less than 3 percent of its proven oil reserves. No increase in American drilling can meaningfully affect the price at the pump. Already, our country has more drill rigs (1,900) in operation than do all the other countries in the world (1,300).

Destroying some of our wildest places and scarring our beaches might pad big oil’s already overflowing bank accounts but it won’t help Americans.

We have reached the end of cheap and easy-to-extract oil. Supply barely outstrips demand and, as developing countries grow ever more oil-hungry, neither America nor the world will be able to produce enough to sate them. Some in Congress have suggested turning to unconventional sources like oil shale but no viable technology yet exists which can squeeze oil from rock.

Instead, we should recognize that the future lies in investing in renewable energy technology, increased fuel efficiency and more efficient energy technology. With these resources, we can place our nation on firm footing for the future while preserving the country’s wildest places for our children.

Best wishes,

Andy

If you couldn’t access the links above, I’ve posted them below in the order they appeared.

http://www.wilderness.org/gasprices/

http://wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/ExpertsOnOilPrices.pdf

http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Energy/DrillingWilderness.cfm

http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/quickoil.html

http://www.dollarsandsense.org/blog/2008/08/economists-letter-on-offshore-drilling.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSL119632920080731?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

http://www.gulland.ca/depletion/endofcheapoil.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/opinion/28mon2.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Gas%20Price%20Follies%20&st=cse&oref=slogin

Andrew Peters

Communications

The Wilderness Society

Phone: 202.429.2639

Fax: 202.429.3945

The Wilderness Society’s mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places.

:}

:}

I Skipped The “Other Electronics” Category When Discussing The Residential Market

Posted on by
1

I skipped over the rest of the electronic world for a number of reasons when I was talking about the residential market in this blog partly because it is not a huge savings for my 2 person adult household. So let me say this right up front that this post is kinda about people who leave the lights on. You know who you are and people under 21 who don’t give a shit. A quick caution here, if you unplug your stuff when you are not using it you will have to reprogram it! Still, people travel and if you are leaving your place even for a couple of days, unplugging your stuff is a very good idea. We have been stuck on stupid in this country for 30 years, thanks to Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bushes. So it’s time to get smart.

Besides, this article was sent to me by our Website Genius and so who am I to anger the Gods.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/technology/06green.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

An Energy Diet for Power-Hungry Household PCs

By STEVE LOHR

Published: August 6, 2008

In its drive to go green, the technology industry has so far focused mainly on big targets like corporations and especially computer data centers, the power-hungry computing engine rooms of the Internet economy.

Next come the hundreds of millions of desktop and laptop personal computers in households worldwide.

Microsoft, the nonprofit Climate Savers Computing Initiative and a start-up called Verdiem are combining to put a spotlight on the energy-saving opportunity in PCs, and distributing a free software tool to consumers to help them do it.

The potential savings in both dollars and pollution is huge, analysts say, when the estimated one billion PCs in use globally are taken into account. The research firm Gartner estimates that 40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions resulting from information technology and telecommunications are attributable to PCs. Data center computers account for 23 percent, and the rest is attributable to printers and telecommunications equipment.

“If you are going to tackle climate change and curb energy use, you have to deal with consumer devices like PCs,” said Andrew Fanara, a product development expert in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, which promotes energy-efficient products and practices.

For more than a decade, the federal Energy Star program has developed voluntary power-management standards for PCs, and suppliers like Intel and Microsoft have steadily improved the energy efficiency of their chips and software. But Mr. Fanara estimated that less than half of PCs met those standards, in part because more energy-efficient hardware adds slightly to production costs.

“There are large potential savings beyond what Energy Star can do,” he said.

The free software, called Edison, is a consumer version of the PC energy-saving software sold to corporate customers by Verdiem, which is financed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a leading venture capital firm and an aggressive investor in green technologies, and other venture investors.

Verdiem, based in Seattle, has 180 corporate and government customers, including Hewlett-Packard, which bundles Verdiem’s Surveyor program on its desktop PCs sold to corporations. Though he will not disclose sales figures, the company’s chief executive, Kevin Klustner, says revenue should triple this year.

There are other free tools for calculating and managing PC power consumption, including the E.P.A.’s EZ Wizard, CO2 Saver and a Google energy-saving gadget. But Edison allows the user more flexibility, especially in making the settings as stringent as they want, analysts say.

If a user sets the software to put the machine in a “deep sleep” mode after a few minutes of not hitting a keystroke, the hard drive powers down and the PC sips just 5 percent of its normal energy consumption.

That kind of energy diet is far from standard practice in homes and offices. Half of all electricity consumed by a standard PC is wasted, according to environmental and industry studies.

Household electricity bills could also be trimmed by $20 to $95 a year for each PC, depending on local power costs and the kind of PCs in use, said Mr. Klustner. “What we’re trying to do is raise the visibility of the power consumption problem on the PC desktop and really bring power management to the masses,” he said.

The Climate Savers group, which includes major technology companies and environmental groups, has set a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from computers by 54 million tons by 2010. That is the equivalent of the yearly pollution from 11 million cars. The goal includes data center computers and PCs, and about half of all PCs are consumer machines.

“This kind of energy-saving technology for consumers is a key ingredient in moving toward that goal,” said Rob Bernard, chief environmental strategist for Microsoft.

The companies said that the Edison software would be available to download on Wednesday from the Web sites of Verdiem (verdiem.com), Microsoft (microsoft.com/environment), and Climate Savers (climatesaverscomputing.org).

 :}

Here is aceeeeeeeeeeeee oh sorry why can’t they shorten it to ACE cubed or something?:

http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/electronics.htm

 Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings: Condensed Online Version

 Home Electronics

The energy use of electronic equipment often goes unnoticed. But as it turns out, an estimated 10% to 15% of all electricity used in American homes can be attributed to the buzz of electronic devices. The vast majority is consumed by home entertainment systems and home office equipment. But small energy users, including portable devices with battery chargers, make up a significant share—not because they use a lot of energy individually, but because of their sheer numbers.

Understanding Power Modes

To minimize the energy used by home electronics, it is helpful to understand the true meaning of “on” and “off” as applied to electronics. It’s rarely that simple! Unlike a light switch that turns a lamp or fixture on or off, many electronics products operate in two, three, or even four modes, and even continue to draw power when apparently turned off.

Mode Definition Examples
Active
(In-Use)		 Appliance is performing its primary function. TV displays picture and/or sound.
VCR records or plays back tape.
Printer prints document.
Active standby Appliance ready for use, but not performing primary function.
Appears on to consumer.		 DVD player on but not playing.
Cordless appliance charging.
Passive standby Appliance is off/standby.
Appears off to consumer, but can be activated by remote control OR is performing peripheral function.		 Microwave not in use, but clock is on.
CD player off, but can be turned on with remote control.
Off Applicance is turned off and no function is being performed.Consumer cannot activatewith remote control. Computer speakers are off,
but plugged in.
TV is not functioning and cannot be turned on with remote.

Below is a table of common electronic equipment and the average energy used in each mode and per year (in order from most energy-intensive to least)

Product

Passive Standby or Off (watts)

Active Standby
(watts)

Active
(watts)

Average Annual Energy Use (kWh)

Home Entertainment
Plasma TV (<40″)

3

–

246

441
DVR/TiVo

37

37

37

363
Digital Cable

26

26

26

239
Satellite Cable

12

11

16

124
CRT TV (<40″)

1

–

73

123
LCD TV (<40″)

3

–

70

77
Video Game Console

1

–

24

16
DVD

1

5

11

13
Home Office
Desktop Computer

4

17

68

255
Laptop Computer

1

3

22

83
CRT Monitor

2

3

70

82
LCD Monitor

1

2

27

70
Computer Speakers

2

–

7

20
Modem

5

–

6

50
Wireless Router

2

–

6

48
USB Hub

1

–

3

18
Printer

2

3

9

15
Fax

4

4

4

26
Mutli-Function Printer/Scanner/Copier

6

9

15

55
Rechargeable Devices
Power Tool

4

–

34

37
Hand-Held Vacuum

3

–

3

29
Cordless Phone

2

3

5

26
Electric Toothbrush

2

–

4

14
Shaver

1

–

1

11
MP3 Player

1

–

1

6
Cell Phone

0

1

3

3
Digital Camera

0

–

2

3

Source: ECOS Consulting, 2006: Final Field Research Report for the California Energy Commission

Top

Reducing Energy Use

There are several steps you can take now to minimize the energy used by the electronics in your home:

  • Unplug It. The simplest and most obvious way to eliminate power losses is to unplug products when not in use. Search the wall sockets in your house for hidden un-connected chargers and other devices that don’t need to be plugged in. When you detach your cell phone or similar device from its charger, unplug the charger too.
  • Use a Power Strip. Plug home electronics and office equipment into a single power strip with an on/off switch. This will allow you to turn off all power to the devices in one easy step. But remember to keep your power strip in an easy-to-reach location! Once the power strip is turned off, no power will be delivered to the outlets, thereby eliminating power wasted by power supplies. One caveat: home entertainment equipment such as TVs, cable and satellite boxes, and DVRs will need to be reprogrammed or given time to reboot and download information when turned back on. You may want to plug these devices into a separate strip and only turn them off when you plan to be away for more than a few days.
  • Use a Power Meter. Use a power meter to find your leading sources of energy consumption to help you to prioritize which products to unplug or to replace. Plug these devices in between a given appliance and the wall socket to see how much electricity it is using. Two models to look for are the Kill A Watt™ and the Watts Up? Pro Power Meter. For an even more sophisticated, big-picture look at your home’s real-time electricity use, you might also consider purchasing a power use monitor. These devices are programmed to read information from your electric meter and communicate the real-time changes in use through an easy-to-read screen. Some good monitors to look for are The Energy Detective (TED), the Power Cost Monitor, and the Cent-A-Meter.

Top

Buying New Electronics

Home Entertainment Equipment

  • Look for the ENERGY STAR when purchasing a new TV, DVD Player, VCR, audio system, or digital-to-analog converter box. The ENERGY STAR label ensures low standby power use for these appliances — in most cases only 1 watt or less.
  • As of January, 2008, the ENERGY STAR label for TVs will indicate low active-mode power use as well (when the TV is actually on). Under 40 inches, choose a TV with an LCD screen. The average plasma TV uses more energy per year than a modern refrigerator. We do not recommend purchasing any TV with a screen greater than 40 inches at this time.
  • About DTAs and the Switch to Digital Broadcasting
    As of February, 2009, the U.S. will shift to digital-only TV broadcasts (to learn more, go here). Consumers who do not subscribe to cable or satellite services will need a digital TV converter box (DTA) to view programming on their analog TVs.These boxes should become widely available on the market by mid- to late-2008. If you have purchased a digital TV, you will not need a DTA for that TV set.

Simple DTAs are expected to cost around $50.The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will offer consumers coupons to offset the cost of DTAs. Each household is eligible for two $40 coupons. DTAs eligible for the coupon program must meet energy efficiency specifications including a maximum standby power level and automatic power down after 4 hours of inactivity.Additional ENERGY STAR requirements set maximum active power levels for DTAs.To minimize your energy use, look for ENERGY STAR-labeled DTAs if you need to purchase one for your home.

Computers and Home Office Equipment

  • Look for the ENERGY STAR label on any new PCs, printers, faxes, and copiers. Current specifications set maximum power levels for sleep mode power consumption (and, in the case of monitors, active mode power) as well as requirements for power management features.

External Power Supplies

  • Electronic products run on low-voltage direct current (DC) and therefore require power supplies to transform the 120-volt alternating current (AC) supplied at the power outlet. Some larger products, like TVs, stereos and set-top boxes, incorporate the power supply into the body of the product. Others use external power supplies, the familiar “wall packs” that increasingly compete for space in our outlets and power strips. These power supplies consume electricity as long as they are connected to a power outlet, whether or not the product is on or off, and even if it is disconnected! You’ll know a wall pack is using energy when it has been plugged in for a while and it is warm to the touch.
  • A number of manufacturers now offer high-efficiency power supplies (typically “switch-mode” power supplies) and a growing number of products are sold with these improved devices. The best of these devices boast efficiency levels of more than 90%, whereas the worst performers are only 20-40% efficient (meaning they waste more than half of the electricity that passes through them!).
  • High efficiency power supplies are much smaller and lighter than the wall-pack power supplies they replace, saving room under your desk and in your briefcase. ENERGY STAR-qualified power supplies are now available and are being sold with a growing number of electronics products. For more information, check out EfficientPowerSupplies

:}

So When You Leave The Dorm Room! To go home and stay with Mommy and Daddy for Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter unplug your stuff! When you go to Cancun for vacation or to participate in a girls gone wild film shoot. UnPlUg YouR sTuFf! 

:}

T. Boone Pickens Is Wrong – It’s not the oil we import it’s what we use it for

Posted on by
2

Can you imagine all the dumb things we do with oil? We use it to make fertilizers most of which evaporate or run off. We use it to make plastic bags for God’s sake and then throw most of them in the dump. If we just cut our stupid usages and limited our oil consumption to the necessities like pharmceuticals we could easily cut our oil imports in half.

http://www.reusablebags.com/

Eco-friendly reusable bags, plus facts & news on plastic bag issue

Billions of plastic bags are choking our planet. All of these “free” bags ultimately cost both consumers and the environment plenty:

Each year billions of bags end up as ugly litter.

  • Eventually they break down into tiny toxic bits polluting our soil, river, lakes and oceans
  • Production requires vast amounts of oil.
  • Countless animals needlessly die each year. (more)

Since 2003 ReusableBags.com has been a major force providing facts and news on the global push to reduce plastic and paper bag consumption. Plus, simple actions you can take to help the cause.

As part of the solution our store features a wide range of reusable shopping bags and other innovative, practical products all designed to help people consume less, preserve natural resources and save money too. 

:}

I can’t reproduce this site because it’s a flash player but it is cool>

http://www.mybagcares.com/

 :}

Even the grocery stores are getting into the act:

 http://www.sustainableisgood.com/blog/2008/05/mystery-surroun.html

 Mystery Surrounds New Whole Foods Reusable Bag

Mystery Surrounds New Whole Foods Reusable Bag

Wholefoods_betterbag

Whole Foods A Better Bag (photo: www.made-in-china.com)

When I started this story last month, I never expected a standard interview request with a designer to turn into a bureaucratic two-step that took us to China and back.

Austin-based Whole Foods Market officially phased out the use of plastic shopping bags on Earth Day last week. 

In December Whole Foods announced their intention to eliminate plastic bags and unveiled their new reusable bag called “A Better Bag.”  Following that announcement we reached out to the bag’s designer to learn more about the design and concept behind this colorful new bag. 

The response we received may be an indication of just how important reusable bags are becoming for Whole Foods. 

The colorful bags are quickly becoming the primary reusable bag the company sells, and their customers are embracing them thanks to their bright fun design, durability, low price and unique look and feel.

Perhaps an indicator of their popularity is the fact they are even selling on eBay.

A Better Bag was designed internally by Whole Foods staff who work on the company’s branded products.  The bag’s graphic design depicts blues and greens and a fresh cut apple.  Sustainable is Good attempted to obtain information on the bag’s artwork for this story.  However the bag’s designer was unable to answer any questions, citing a strict non-disclosure policy Whole Foods maintains with its employees.

 Sustainable is Good contacted the Whole Foods corporate office in March for information on the bag for our story.  Initially we were turned down, being told the company doesn’t speak to “trade publications.”  After some follow up we were then informed a “rare exception” was made at the approval of the director of PR for Whole Foods – the company would participate in our story.

:}

For more see:

 www.earthwisebags.com

 www.bravenewleaf.com/environment/2008/04/wal-mart-giving.html

www.shesabetty.typepad.com/shes_a_betty_single_girl_/2007/04/guide_to_reusab.html

www.reusablebags.wordpress.com

 www.reusablebags.com/store/shopping-sets-c-1.html

www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/5806

www.treehugger.com/files/2007/10/wal_marts_new_reusable_bag.php

:}

Help The Environment – Join The Sierra Club Today

Posted on by
2
Sierra Club Insider

April 15, 2008: Earth Day: Save Money and Solve Global Warming Green Your World Victory for the Grand Canyon “Green” Nobel Prize Winner Introducing Green Works

View as Web Page | Ensure Delivery | Tell a friend

Earth Day: Save Money and Solve Global Warming
This Earth Day (April 22), we know money is tight, and that energy prices are part of the squeeze so many of us are feeling. And also this Earth Day the challenge of reversing climate change looms large. The good news: We can make progress on both fronts by being more energy efficient and investing in renewables. Even better, shifting from oil and coal to wind and solar and energy efficient technologies will help us build a clean-energy economy, create and keep jobs, end the control the oil companies and other countries have over us and ease global warming. We can do it — and you can help.Step one is to check out our energy-efficiency quiz and chart to see how much money you can save. Then watch our how-to videos and learn to install a low-flow showerhead or wrap a water heater. Do even more by installing solar equipment (for less than $1,000! ) or buying wind and solar power.Time to roll up your sleeves!

| Discuss |


Now How About the Rest of Your World?
You can have an even bigger impact when you help your office, local hospital, schools, or place of worship make better use of efficiency and renewables. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel!We’ve got inspirational success stories and guides (like the “Guide for Congregations “) to get you started. If you’d rather get your city greener, join our Cool Cities campaign where you’ll find great materials and a community of folks who are doing the same thing. Or buy some popcorn and host an Energy Film Festival in your community. And on Earth Day itself, why not volunteer with the Sierra Club in your town?

| Discuss |   

Hey Mr. Green

A Grand Canyon Victory
On April 4, a federal judge issued a restraining order against a mining company and the Kaibab National Forest, halting uranium exploration on public lands within a few miles of Grand Canyon National Park. “We’re pleased that the judge recognized the importance of protecting the Canyon and the possible significant impacts this exploration could have,” said Sandy Bahr, director of the Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter.In December, the Kaibab National Forest had approved exploratory uranium drilling at up to 39 locations just south of the canyon. The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Grand Canyon Trust took the Forest Service to court in early March for violating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and failing to conduct a rigorous analysis of the cumulative impacts of drilling so close to a national treasure.Read more about the victory here.

| Discuss |  

 

Winning the Gold(man) in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican grandmother and homemaker Rosa Hilda Ramos has been awarded this year’s prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, often called “the green Nobel.” In the shadow of polluting factories in Catano, a city across the bay from San Juan, Ramos led her community to successfully defeat a major polluter in court.She then helped direct the funds from the pollution fine to the permanent protection of Las Cucharillas Marsh, one of the last open spaces in the area and one of the largest wetlands ecosystems in the region. Ramos was nominated by the Sierra Club. Read more about her.

| Discuss |

Powerful Cleaning, Done Naturally
The Sierra Club would like to introduce Green Works, a breakthrough line of natural cleaning products that work as well as traditional cleaners without the harsh chemical fumes or residue. Made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, Green Works products are a practical way for consumers to live a greener lifestyle without compromising performance.Learn more about Green Works and download a coupon for a discount on any Green Works product.

| Discuss |

Know someone who might be interested in the Sierra Club Insider? Help spread the word by using our online form to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about the Insider or simply forward this Insider on. (Some email clients strip the links out of emails when forwarded. If your email does this, you can also direct friends, family, and co-workers to our online version.)

EXPLORE

Get your Green Karma Here
Earth Day is next Tuesday — What have YOU done for Mother Nature lately? Score some major brownie points (or should we say “greenie” points?) with a week of building trails, restoring wildlife habitats, or digging in the dirt for archaeological remains on a Sierra Club Outings volunteer trip.

Not sure it’s for you? Read what Sunset magazine had to say about us.

Browse volunteer trips.

ENJOY

Calling Sierra Club Radio
Got some extra phone minutes? Dial (509) 895-2537 and you can listen to the latest episode of Sierra Club Radio wherever you are.

This week’s show features Australian pop star Missy Higgins talking about cutting back on carbon.

PROTECT

Spend to Save: Take the Pledge
This Earth Day, why not commit to spending some or all of your economic stimulus check on energy efficiency or renewables like solar and wind energy?By purchasing energy-efficient products, you can cut your energy use — and your energy bills. You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint and help fight global warming.

Take the pledge and join a discussion with others who have made that commitment.

Update My Profile | Manage My Email Preferences | Update My Interests

Sierra Club
85 Second St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
insider@sierraclub.org
http://www.sierraclub.org/