Archive for June, 2010

If you’re a beer drinker and you’ve spent any time browsing the aisles at your chosen beer store, you’ll note that beer has gone environmental lately. First, we had organic beer. Next, we started seeing beer flavored with very renewable substances like hemp. Next, we were faced with lines of beer produced in kegs only – no glass bottles to litter up the world and waste fuel in transportation. Read the rest of this entry »

Clear Skies Unlimited Inc. is a small environmental technology business that develops state-of-the-art pollution abatement technologies. One of their innovative products, the HearthCAT™ Wood Burning Fireplace, utilizes a technology that reduces particulate emissions in wood burning fireplaces by as much as 90 percent.  Read the rest of this entry »

Making energy-efficient changes to a property is, let’s face it, expensive, at least in the up-front costs. Though the goal is ultimately to save money in the long run through the efficiencies provided by the changes, those changes still require a pile of up-front cash. In recent years, we’ve seen a number of programs specifically designed to help offset these costs, and one of the most effective is the PACE program. Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a technical assistance program specifically to help state capital cities design more sustainable communities. Greening America’s Capitals will assist state capitals develop a vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green building and green infrastructure. Read the rest of this entry »

For those of you in the dark (yes, pun intended), the incandescent light bulb will be phased out completely by 2014 in favor of more energy efficient options such as CFLs or LEDs. According to 18seconds.org, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than two million cars and families would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs. Read the rest of this entry »

Carpet manufacturer DESSO has introduced a new type of carpet that was specifically developed to improve the air quality inside buildings. AirMaster® works by reducing the amount of potentially harmful allergy-producing particles by safely trapping and immobilizing them. Read the rest of this entry »

Proving that use of alternative energy vehicles is not the only way to reduce fuel consumption, the service offered by GreenRoad provides fleets with a cost-effective and practical way to go green. Their innovative use of technology to improve the sustainability of fleets and reduce vehicle emissions has earned them the 2010 Technology Innovation and Green Excellence of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan. Read the rest of this entry »

The big guys have come to play. They have brought the balls and the rules of the game but they have to find willing players. Can they do it? We’ll see but they are making the noise to get people’s attention.  Bill Gates was making the talk show circuit with an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on June 13. The big guys (and one gal, sorry Ms. Burns!) are the leaders of some of the largest corporations in the U.S. and they have banded together to create the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC). The members are impressive and consist of: Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re a parent, chances are you buy a lot of juice, particularly apple juice. Chances are, you buy familiar brands that often boast a lot of marketing language like “all natural,” “made in the USA” and even “organic.” You probably wouldn’t buy an apple juice that bears the label, “Exceeds the daily safe dose of lead in every serving,” but according to a new research study, that may be exactly what you’re getting. Read the rest of this entry »

Using the sun to heat up water is not a new concept. Solar hot water heater technology has been around for 30 years but has not gained a good foothold in this country as it has in other countries. Is the problem the technology, or the salesmanship, or the cost, or all of the above?  The technology has improved over the last 30 years and now may be the time to rethink the use of solar to heat up the shower.  Read the rest of this entry »